Xhaka has become a very good player

Saliba is class

He has a manager now who understands him. I think that’s the difference

The manager knows his limitations so doesn’t want him as the last man or the bloke who plays out from the back. I can’t recall the amount of times under wenger when it was like Xhaka didn’t want to go in the final third at all.

He was our best player today.

Also I thought Tierney had a great game and that hasn’t been mentioned much either

Been told that today’s was Jesus’ fourth Premier League booking this season, meaning that if he gets a yellow card against Tottenham he’ll be banned for the Liverpool game.

For those interested, ITV4 are showing the La Liga Madrid derby live tonight. Atletico are at home to Real. Programme starts at 7.30 with the kick off at 8.00.

Final score today from Paisley- St Mirren 2 Celtic 0

I’ve just come across this info. Like all of us I was aware of Tierney’s history, but Zinchenko’s is a surprise to me.

Since the 2019/2020 season, Zinchenko has suffered 12 injuries that have caused him to miss matches for Manchester City and now Arsenal. In that time, Tierney has suffered 6 injuries which have been more serious than Zinchenko’s but both stars’ injury records should be a worry for the Gunners.

Spurs have beaten the teams sitting in14th, 17th, 19th and 20th, drew against the team in 18th and drew v Chelsea when they should have lost and had a red card if var did it’s job. The other game they won was Fulham who we were told were an easy team when we beat them.

Lots of noise that we had an easy start playing weak teams….not so much noise about Spurs easy start

Hold up - until very recently I am sure you have been the biggest critic of Xhaka on the forum - this while he was playing under Arteta! In his time with us Xhaka has been managed longest by Arteta- three years come November. Arsene managed him for just two two seasons and Emery about a season and a half. Whoever was the manager, Xhaka has never been as bad as you often described him. He may be in a purple patch right now, but his quality has always been evident.

I look to the statisticians and analysts among you….maybe Rich….but I am curious how many passes took place before we scored our second and third goals…seems like we knocked the ball about 20 or 30 times
Excellent performance…well done Mikel and the lads.

Given his age and performances we really need to pay top money to retain him.

Jesus for City
3 yellows in 42 games 20/21
5 yellows in 41 games 21/22
Jesus for Arsenal
4 yellows in 8 games 22/23

Small sample but that is ridiculous. Also look at the amount of times he’s fouled (the most in the league) without yellow cards for opponents

Jesus goal was 14 passes - I dont know the 3rd goal stats

Not enough is being made of the age of our squad in the media. We're getting some nice reviews for how we're playing but apart from Xhaka and Partey this is an U25 squad - that's broadly unheard of to have a team that young doing so well.

The top teams can carry 1 maybe 2 really young players but we've got them all over the pitch.

A difficult graph to get your head around but this illustrates the number of touches in the attacking 3rd of the pitch per game on the Y axis and the number of goals scored on the X axis.
It shows that Spurs have a ridiculously efficient attack without needing to spend much time actually attacking and progressing the ball. A huge amount of this is down to their quality strikers who are two of the best finishers in the league. But it shows they don't dominate games. I' m convinced this isn't sustainable, but they have been doing it for some time now. But I think it is too reliant on factors that to some degree are out of their control. The game plan relies on those players staying fit and staying in form and the opposition giving them a certain amount of space.

They are quite annoying at the moment, I watch their games and feel they are 2nd best for long periods but they still win.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62948400

Read the first few lines about Xhaka making Garth Crooks team of the week. Ridiculous journalism. I don't doubt lots of people feel the same as Crooks, and I think this definitely plays in to the thoughts of referees when the ref him because he is far more harshly treated than so many players in the league - McTominey being a prime example but also players like Fabinho and Rodri who commit lots of cynical fouls

https://twitter.com/afcjxmes/status/157 ... mmiItTtWQg

3rd goal in video with passes counted

Sad day,

Some of those young soldiers carrying the coffin look younger than my boy.

Makes you really appreciate the folks who serve in our armed forces and their sacrifice when you watch this formal process. Constitutional monarchy, Whilst not perfect better than many alternatives.

Good on yer girl sleep well

It is ridiculous. And the trend is exactly as you say. McTominay is the epitome of a walking red card and somehow is allowed the fulfil the role of enforcer without picking up so much as a yellow. Teflon McTominey. Only saving grace is everyone surely knows Crookes takes are bizarre if not batshit crazy. It’s like if Paul Merson had an opinion on Harry Kane. Bless him, but no one would listen.

What an absolute clown Crooks is.
Full of his own self importance.
Like anyone gives a flying *%^@ what this tool thinks.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but isn't journalism supposed to be non bias and not reflective of your personal feelings. Neutral even
.
Remarkable the BBC have allowed this I don't like Granit Xhaka line from this imbecile.
Criticise him as a player all you like but that first line is so personal.

Thanks Rich....that's a bit mesmeric....20 passes.... a nice pirouette from William....and a quality finish from Vieira. Lovely stuff.

We aren't talking title. No one is discussing us as title challengers this season least of all ourselves. Stating the bleeding obvious.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62946685

That is a very revealing statistic - astonishing actually.

https://www.football365.com/news/after- ... -dont-know

This is a pretty good read on Spurs, echos my thoughts on them being quite a confusing team

Going by his reaction, not sure Vieira himself expected that to go in!

Reading the David Dein autobiography

far better read so far than wengers shocking book. Few interesting stories that I never knew. We tried to sign Gordon Strachan for example. Talks about trying to move us to Wembley which seems crazy now

Hi Rich. When we discussed this quite recently, I think you gave part of the explanation yourself. Like the authors of the linked article, you are looking for faults in Tottenham because you want them to be there. Yes, every team has faults. But I suspect you exaggerate Tottenham’s. This idea that they’re a two man team is nonsense. Sure, Kane and Son may be they’re best two players. But that is not the same as the other nine being poor, or even average. They have a lot of very fine players.

Also it simply isn’t true they never dominate games. I’ve seen it this season. Moreover, last season they totally dominated the North London derby at their place from the first minute to the last. Sure, Holding got himself sent off but in my view it didn’t make a blind bit of difference to the result. They were outplaying us anyway.

Is it sustainable? I don’t see why not. Indeed, it may well be more sustainable than our current form? I hope I’m wrong about that, but who knows?

On the ‘is it sustainable?’ part, I think the reason why it is difficult to say it is, is because I’ve never seen a team play this way and consistently win so many matches. Think of any top team in any league over the last 10 years and look at the stats based approach to possession, shots etc and the best typically always dominate games. Spurs are the statistical anomaly. They don’t dominate as regularly as the best teams and perhaps we’re fooled in to thinking they dominate more because of the result. In every game this season they’ve been second best for decent chunks of the game or at least matched for long periods.

It must follow some logic that if you don’t create as many chances as a ‘normal’ top of the table team then you must be somewhat reliant on the sharp finishing of some elite players. I think Spurs would be the most affected of the top 6 if they lost their two best players to a long injury. City lost De Bruyne for virtually an entire season and still won the league for example.

I’m not drawing total conclusions on this because the more they win the more it pushes the dial.

So far City have beaten the teams in 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and drawn with the teams in 10th and 15th. They’ve had an easier start than us but I only hear about Arsenal having an easy start.

Been reading a bit more on Nwaneri, he doesn’t look 15 for a start - physically he’s obviously not like Rooney was when Rooney was 16 but he’s not far off looking physically ready for mens football. Because he’s under 17 (or 16 is it?) he can’t sign pro terms so any club could still sign him up and rumours are every big club in England are desperate for him. Him being thrust in to first team training, the matchday squad and coming on is definitely not some gimmick to set a record when we were cruising a match - it’s an attempt to show him how highly we rate him and show him a clear pathway to the first team.

There is a story about Nwaneri that when he was 10 he was at trials with all the other best 10 year olds in the area and they had to stop the game because no one else was getting a kick of the ball.

He sounds like a player Arsenal really think could be quite special

Great performance ... wish Arteta had given Nwanieri at least ten minutes .

Let the kid have something to tell his grandkids , give him a chance to make an impact .

Two minutes for God's sake doesn't even register .
Don't think Mikel's got to many clues at times.

Nwanieri .... had to get changed in a separate room because of Child Protection Laws ......

what the hell is going on in England ....... Xhaka , Partey are gay .....Jimmy Saville is our youth team coach ...???

Maybe he realises that 3-0 is a dangerous lead, and didn't want to risk it any earlier. Remember Arsenal 3, Anderlecht 3? I bet Mikel does.

Wasn’t that someone (was it Gunfire) having a joke?

Never gonna happen

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62959374


Realised it was all just lies yet ?

It wouldn’t surprise me and to be honest I’m not sure I would disagree with it.

Unfortunately there have been many reports of former players who have been victims of child sexual abuse whilst being youth players. Most notably Paul Stewart the former spurs player and there have even been cases involving ex coaches of city and Chelsea.


There are literal pieces of *%^@ walking amongst us unfortunately and we all forget sometimes

More rubbish from you.

We do not need a trade deal to deal with the US. We already have trade deals with some of the largest regions of the US they do not need Presidential approval.

In 2024 when Trump gets a landslidevictory he will set one up anyway as he truly is a friend of Gt Britain.

He'll be in prison by then.

Not a joke I assume since it was reported in the Times yesterday.