When we play City in the league, particularly at home it’s all about tempo, pace and intensity. If we play to our best in each of those 3 then I don’t think City will cope.

I think back to the games they used to lose v Liverpool at Anfield where Liverpool would swarm and overwhelm them no matter the passing ability of City. You have to get amongst them and disrupt and disturb their slow possession tempo they use to strangle games and test concentration and tease out mistakes

Thought it was good for Saliba to have 45 minutes up against Haaland before the league games. Haaland did nothing so it removes the fear factor.

Partey needs an MRI

https://twitter.com/andile_anza_m/statu ... fY2wGAhN_A

Here is Ødegaard getting annoyed at Lokonga not being in the right position. He’s telling him all through the move where he wants him

Pretty amazing clip really. He literally booted him to prove a point

I thought this at the time when it happened. You the Saka decision given offside in every game, he was offside and he made a move towards the ball - he didn't play it but he would have been interfering with anything the defender was doing or about to do. It makes that Rashford decision worse and worse

I didn't think Lokonga did too badly when he came on, he was tidy on the ball moved it well - replacing Partey is hard, but its not fully clicked for him yet.

Trossard looked like he'd fit right in in that first half. Martinelli also had some lively movements when he came on. Either of them can be a great weapon against tired defences.

Saka was off his game, maybe just conserving himself and Vieira struggled to impose himself on games the way Ødegaard can. He's got time though.

Nketiah didn't get a lot of service or change out of the City CB but still was in the position to nearly poach a couple of times. Still a threat

There was a 10 minute period just after Martinelli and Zinchenko came on where we looked like we really upped the tempo and dominated the ball and played the game in City's half - we looked good but we couldn't keep it up.

Turner was decent again. Tomiyasu solid.

Chelsea close to £30m Lyon RB Gusto. It was said there was a late hijack attempt by another english club. I wonder who that might be? Wouldn't have thought it was us, City have this Lewis guy breaking through at RB so no need, Liverpool have trent and a scottish young lad they signed in the summer, Spurs are signing Pedro Porro,..... Man U?......my money would be on Newcastle as the Tripper back up and long term successor

Arteta said Partey was taken off as precaution as he felt something in his ribs - scan tomorrow

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong…
We have lost four games this season
Man U away Thomas didn’t play
PSV away Thomas didn’t start I think he came on when we were one down
Brighton home Thomas didn’t play
Man C Thomas came off at nil nil

He really makes us tick

Hope Arteta works Lokonga really hard in the next few days. Make him train doubly hard and not let up on him if he slags even one bit during training. He needs to get a hard and tough lesson from the main man. Unfortunately, a regimental and tough approach might be the only way to get more urgency out of him. Really pathetic to be a ball watcher when the entire team is fully switched on and running into spaces. Even Elneny does better than him in this respect.

That goal is a farce

He’s 23 if he hasn’t got it by now he never will.

They have just rattled your post and they are inside your box. If you are ball watching at that moment you wont cut it. He’s far too passive, need to sign 2 midfielders not 1

The line up told the players, we are concentrating on the league. That said, the players who started who they normally wouldn't got a subliminal message 'Now is your opportunity to show me you can rise to the occasion'. Holding did well till the booking. I don't think he hurt himself too much, the booking was his one glaring error. But its Haaland, huge reputation, the biggest reputation in the league at present, he must have been scared somewhat, which wouldn't be a crime. He did well, was physical, played him very tight, frustrated Haaland which isn't easy.

Lokonga didn't help his cause. He was a bit over awed by the occasion, and being too conservative in a style of play that doesn't allow that and it will result in mistakes and missed opportunities. He knows he didn't play well. He's going to be sold or on loan is my guess as to his future.

Vieira helped his cause a little. Not a lot but made a decent case to be one of the first brought off the bench.

Trossard didn't have much to prove. He'll fit right in.

Turner made a good account for himself. It was a huge stage for him and obviously a bit nervous for the occasion did well given the importance of the game.

It's obvious we need to buy a center mid to sub for Partey. I've watched some reviews of the game on the net, Keane / Wright and other youtubers, different views. Former players took the loss more seriously than it was otherwise. Keane trying to say the loss will keep our heads down in training for a few days which I think is bollocks. Youtube pundits saw it as a plus for Arsenal: We don't have to do a replay or add games. We made a good account of ourselves with a lot of players not starting. The players feel they can go to City and play them which is a huge mentally.

We win the next game and we are back on track. City were impressed. They were happy for the goal. The goal didn't come back from one of the attacking players. It was a defender getting a nice shot on the goal, not the same as being dominated by Haaland and him having his way for a goal. Their attacking players didn't score. That's huge. Especially Haaland not getting a goal and not many chances at a goal.

It will be completely different with Silva in the game. Just like Ødegaard for us. In teams that are operating a high level, no matter the sport, peripheral players find whatever they need to raise their game and contribute in some sort of role that fits. Parlour comes to mind. Los Angeles had a player named Kurt Rambis, who looked more like a tall accountant than a basketball player and just as skillful as an accountant playing basketball but collected about 4 rings as a player. He played the role of doing the dirty work.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/odqENu5To4k

Which is why we need a quality DCM, who can keep up with the style of passing we are doing. A DCM with an eye for an opportunistic pass into lanes.

One of the best redemption stories at Arsenal.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vMVZ-UaICec

He deserves all the credit, the mental strength to pick himself up, improve himself, become a leader in a patchy team and repair the relationship with the fans…..he’s been brilliant.

I’m sure 99% of Arsenal fans were done with him at that low point the turnaround is remarkable

£65m bid for Caicedo submitted

By the stats Caicedo is as close as you’ll find to Partey (Declan Rice very similar too), he’s only 21, would need little adjustment time and insulated us in our most vulnerable area. I don’t like overpaying but this feels pretty critical now for our title challenge

We’ve increased our offer .. 65 million for Caicedo or 75 million and Lokonga

Hi Rich,

We all know where this goes. Chelsea sit on the sidelines and wait until it looks like Brighton might be wilting then come in with a bigger offer than ours and an 8 year contract.

Intersting, a City fan view. Making it more important than it was for me.

With all our changes it's tough to say this was more than an expected loss. It's not as massive as he claims. Maybe it shows they are more worried than we thought. He is right about one thing. City can reel off 8 or 9 straight wins.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx5uLHA1avmL ... ku2i5eo4jp

Brighton giving up to that many key players. Is this likely?

That's naughty TG.

To be honest Lokonga is pretty decent on the ball he is just so poor when the opposition have the ball. No positional awareness, no tracking runners, poor concentration, ball watching. You'd have thought that aspect of his game could be improved with coaching but if anything he seems worse and his confidence is clearly shot to pieces.

He badly needs a change of environment, a loan out to a lower table side or somewhere abroad.

They’ve already spent 181 million this window. Are they really going to spend another 70 that would be nuts

They are nuts TG, they've discovered a contract length loophole around FFP and are going to exploit it fully until UEFA close it, if they do.

I read somewhere they were looking at 4 more signings this window and they've just signed the Lyon fullback for 30m euros so 3 to go.

I think if we had replacements and depth he would be moved on permanently and we would have accepted monacos offer of 8m. I’m not writing him off yet but vieira too, mind boggling we decided to sign him instead of tielemans

Tielemans is just as bad as Lokonga without the ball.

I think Arteta sees something of David Silva and Bernardo Silva in Vieira and I can see that. He needs to adapt his game to the PL but that takes time and crucially games which he isn't getting.

Something to consider. City lost recently to Man United, while we won away to sperz. Then beat a Man UTD team they couldn't beat.

This game was much bigger for them.

Those results put a lot of doubt into them.

Caicedo thing isn’t going to happen is it. Feels like a pipe dream. Even if you offer them 80 million can they actually even sign a replacement. Similar to the Douglas Luiz bid

No, its a waste of time and energy.

If it was doable Chelsea would have done it by now.

We are now either looking at second rate loans, players with buy-out clauses or young relatively unknowns.

Brighton signed caciedo in 2021 for 5 million Euros.

He’s on 3500 a week.

Honestly you can’t begrudge him for wanting to move. By all means don’t sell him but hike his wages. There’s a moral issue there.

One thing I noticed in the match yesterday from both teams was the amount of longer balls that got player - I think this was by force rather than design because whilst neither team's defence came under severe pressure when playing out from the back lots of passing lanes were cut off and the eventual squeeze led to the longer ball or at best a more chipped pass in to the forwards. I'd say 8/10 times this was easily mopped up by either sides defence.

Looks like it’s actually £15000 from this season. Still relatively extremely low, but not unheard of for a 21yr old.

Can’t see this one being done in January unless we hit Mudryk money.

Over the last two seasons Brighton have brought in 188m and counting! Like Leicester and Dortmund it’s great until clubs come in earlier and earlier for your players so you don’t get the benefit of them in your first 11 and your replacements aren’t ready. Dortmund are struggling to finish in the top 4 in the Bundesliga.

... at which point we say abracadabra! and produce another rabbit out of the hat, a la Trossard?

I hope that is not wishful thinking and we do have a backup plan. The transfer window is ebbing away.

I was one of those who loudly wanted him out. And I have been proven wrong. Glad to have been proven wrong.
He is now one of my favourite players. I have huge admiration for those who take second chances seriously and succeed at it with sheer will, hard work and discipline. Kudos to Xhaka! And huge apologies for slating you so loudly.

Which is why I hope Lokonga can be turned around by Arteta. He needs a huge kick up his backside, and only the boss' kick can jolt him positively.

Had this been an away game at Bournemouth, he could have played the exact same way and the description on his play would be totally different.

This was a huge game on a huge stage. The occasion was not just too big for him, he didn't match the level of his teammates. My fear is his confidence is shot. As I showed in a brief video of him, he walked straight off the pitch away from his teammates.

Mikel knows this as well and sooner rather than later, make a decision on what role he will play with the club, with the team limited minutes or opposition way before us, on loan or whatever, but a private word with him
is needed right now. And he must obviously choose his words and tone wisely.

He's been banned from the training ground until the window closes.

Arsenal have appealed their FA charge against Oxford on the grounds it was unreasonable and unfair. Appeal has been submitted and club are awaiting response. They have submitted evidence to back up their case.