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Arsenal FC | 2022/23 Season

The same substance that made me realize back in 2019 that Arteta would be a world class manager who will make Arsenal great again & here we are.

There was no insight or substance from your part. You predicted (took a gamble) Arteta would be world class simply because he was Pep's assistant.

Fun fact, all of SAF's assistants, flopped as managers.
 
The same substance that made me realize back in 2019 that Arteta would be a world class manager who will make Arsenal great again & here we are.

Number 14 is loading, it will happen. Btw, I don’t want too much credit. It is not a lofty claim because the title race is done & dusted. Arsenal will be crowned champions.

Hmmm, credit where credit is due but we'll see, the pressure is getting ramped up. The lead will be cut to two points before Arenal take the field against United as City take care of Wolves.

Granted they will still have a match in hand, but you'd rather have the points on the board.
 
I have no hate for Wenger. What he did for Arsenal will never be forgotten. However, time does not stop for anyone.

Football evolved & he could not. It sailed past him & he stayed longer than he should have. He should have walked away in 2015 when he lost the title to Leicester.

It was the ultimate evidence that Wenger was never going to make Arsenal a top team again even though post 2012, Arsenal had enough financial resources to assemble a title winning squad.

If Wenger was still the manager, Arsenal would not be in this position today. That doesn’t discredit what he did in his time & it is a shame that he had to hounded out of the club but he had forced the hand of the supporters.

If Liverpool continue to perform like this for another 4-5 seasons the same Liverpool fans who idolize Klopp will beg him to leave. That is how football works. If you stay longer than you should, you risk destroying your legacy.

Wenger was not the best coach tactically, he was more of an old school manager. A father figure for his players.

A tactically astute coach would have won a UCL with the team Arsenal had from 1997 to 2005. Wenger could not.

You may have watched the Invincibles Arsenal at a Highbury (or so you claim), but you don’t know what “so called” means. If you did, you wouldn’t have used it in this context.

lol. Of course I know what it means but there is no such thing as an invincibles, esp as Arsenal lost in all 3 cup competitions.

Its a dumb plastic fan pipedream from someone who has never attended a live PL match to suggest LFC will play like this for 5 years . :wenger
 
I totally agree with you on Fresneda. We have 3 x RBs which is already excessive as it is!

Even if Camavinga fancied coming to us on a loan till the end of the season, I don't think RM would permit this because like Man City they've realised now that we're a serious competitor to them in the years to come and probably regretting offloading Odegaard over to us. I can see Arsenal having a good shot of winning the CL under Arteta within the next few years. City certainly won't be selling anymore players to us.

Yeah we have Saliba and White who can occupy RCB so we could do with selling Rob Holding who I identified as someone who's part of the deadwood at the club.

Jakub Kiwior is a shrewd signing because Gabriel needs competition for LCB. I wonder if Arteta plans to utilise him as a backup CDM as well :98:

Soares is leaving. Tomiyasu is injury prone. That leaves only Ben White. Fresneda is a special talent which nobody in the academy is.
 
Arsenal v Man Utd (16:30 GMT)

Mikel Arteta has decided not to put new signing Leandro Trossard straight into his Arsenal side and instead gives the former Brighton forward a place on the bench.

Arteta's team today remains unchanged from the one that beat north London rivals Tottenham 2-0 a week ago.

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Partey, Gabriel, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saliba, Nketiah, Xhaka, Zinchenko.

Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Holding, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Vieira, Sambi Lokonga, Marquinho.
 
As a united fan I'm worried about that team. Very worried.
Maybe ten hag wanted Is thinking longer term and treating this as a free hit for his philosophy
 
Goal Man United (Rashford)

Arsenal 0 - 1 Man United

Rashford on a roll.
 
What a goal that was from Rashford. Potentially goal of the month from him.

Arsenal not at their best. Man U aren't feeling the absence of Casemiro.

Odegaard and Partey look rusty, particularly the latter who was responsible for losing the ball in the build up to Man U's goal. He looks fatigued.

Arsenal need a CDM.
 
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Ben White and Partey have been poor today. Martinelli and Saliba on the edge of mediocrity as well.
 
This Li Martinez looks really small out on the pitch, is this guy really a CB?
 
Still a long way to go but this Arsenal team are the real deal this season.

Strengthened in key areas and Nketiah has filled the gap left by Gabriel Jesus.
 
Was worried when Jesus got injured, but Fair play Eddie hes stepped up and scored goals but also lead the line brilliantly.

Especially in last 2 games vs Spurs and united hes shown he can perform in big games.
 
Two week break now before the next round of games. Arsenal have an easy fixture away to Everton where a win will pile on the pressure on City who will have a tough game vs Spurs away the following day.
 
Arsenal retained control of the Premier League title race after Eddie Nketiah's 90th-minute winner gave them a dramatic victory over Manchester United in a thriller at Emirates Stadium.

Manchester City's earlier win over Wolverhampton Wanderers applied pressure on the Gunners but they responded with character and quality, even after going behind, to secure a five-point advantage at the top with a game in hand.

United's man of the moment Marcus Rashford fired home a superb right-foot strike from 25 yards to give them a 17th-minute lead.

Arsenal responded fiercely and were level seven minutes later when Granit Xhaka's cross created a heading opportunity for Nketiah, who got in ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the far post.

Bukayo Saka's angled drive put Arsenal ahead eight minutes after the break but their advantage lasted only six minutes, with Lisandro Martinez heading his first goal for the club after keeper Aaron Ramsdale dropped a corner.

Arsenal looked the more likely winners in the closing stages, with Saka hitting the post and Nketiah denied by David de Gea's outstanding save.

The pressure paid off in the closing moments when Nketiah - a striker who is doing an outstanding job filling in for injured Gabriel Jesus - turned in from close range to spark wild scenes of celebration at Emirates Stadium.
 
lol. Of course I know what it means but there is no such thing as an invincibles, esp as Arsenal lost in all 3 cup competitions.

Yes there is. Arsenal are called invincibles because they went the entire 2003-04 PL season without losing a match. This is why Arsenal is the only club with a golden Premier League trophy to signify the achievement.

It has literally nothing to do with what they did in the other competitions that season.

Its a dumb plastic fan pipedream from someone who has never attended a live PL match to suggest LFC will play like this for 5 years . :wenger

This has been the norm for Liverpool in the PL era, the Klopp era is just an aberration. Normal business has resumed for them.
 
Arsenal had 63 touches in the Manchester United box in this match.

No side have had as many in a single Premier League game in 2022-23 so far.
 
Arsenal goalscorer Bukayo Saka, speaking to Sky Sports: "You can see how much it means to everyone. They're the only team that have beaten us this season so we really wanted to beat them for the fans.

"We know how important this win is for us. It wasn't easy and it definitely wasn't our best start to the game but we showed a lot of character to come back and get the win."

On scoring in three consecutive games v Man Utd: "Hello Freddie, hello Thierry - I'm happy. I was so close to getting two but I'm just so happy I got that first one and it gave me confidence to keep shooting."

On Arsenal's best start to a Premier League season: "That's really significant. It's something we can be proud of but we have to stay humble. It's only halfway through the season and things can change very quickly.

"But if we keep playing like we have then we'll be in a good place at the end of the season, we just have to keep it up."

On what is behind Arsenal's success: "Firstly, the belief we have. Especially at the Emirates with our fans and how they support us. We went 1-0 down and they still support, they don't know how much that helps us.

"It's the way the coach is setting us up, too, and the players the coach has brought in."
 
Arsenal goalscorer Bukayo Saka, speaking to Sky Sports: "You can see how much it means to everyone. They're the only team that have beaten us this season so we really wanted to beat them for the fans.

"We know how important this win is for us. It wasn't easy and it definitely wasn't our best start to the game but we showed a lot of character to come back and get the win."

On scoring in three consecutive games v Man Utd: "Hello Freddie, hello Thierry - I'm happy. I was so close to getting two but I'm just so happy I got that first one and it gave me confidence to keep shooting."

On Arsenal's best start to a Premier League season: "That's really significant. It's something we can be proud of but we have to stay humble. It's only halfway through the season and things can change very quickly.

"But if we keep playing like we have then we'll be in a good place at the end of the season, we just have to keep it up."

On what is behind Arsenal's success: "Firstly, the belief we have. Especially at the Emirates with our fans and how they support us. We went 1-0 down and they still support, they don't know how much that helps us.

"It's the way the coach is setting us up, too, and the players the coach has brought in."
 
There was no insight or substance from your part. You predicted (took a gamble) Arteta would be world class simply because he was Pep's assistant.

Fun fact, all of SAF's assistants, flopped as managers.

This is what people don’t understand & this is why they keep harping the same crap, i.e. not all assistants make it etc. Yes sky is blue.

You & others are simply showing your deep ignorance of Arteta’s career by saying such things.

Arteta was always destined for great things as manager & being Pep’s assistant only accelerated his development. He did not become a coach because of Pep.

Arteta has always had the ambition to become a coach & he picked up things that players who are not interested in becoming coaches - or become coaches by chance - do not.

Arteta is a product of La Masia, he was educated in the total football philosophy of Cruyff that produced coaches like Pep.

He moved to Scotland as a 20 year old, very few Spanish (European) players develop such diverse experience.

He went on to play under David Moyes & Arsene Wenger before working alongside Pep. He picked up things from all them.

David Moyes & Arsene Wenger talked about his future as a coach long before he joined Pep as his assistant, and there was a reason why Pep specifically asked him to join his staff when he moved to City in 2016.

The way Arteta talked & analyzed the game as a player made it very obvious that he will have a bright future in management. He had that personality, that gravitas that top coaches do.

He was also an extremely intelligent player. He did not have the talent to be a great player, but the way he saw the game was second to none. His footballing IQ was extremely high.

He was more than just a Pep assistant & there is nothing in coming between him and the numerous Pep & Fergie assistants that never became top coaches.

I can give you names from contemporary football that will become world class managers if they go that route. You can call it a gamble but it is not without any justification.
 
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Brighton, NewCastle, Spurs and now Utd. Need a break. Then again, one match later Man City 🙏🏻
 
Half way there and Man City machine running at full tilt.

Arsenal need at least another CM and striker still.
 
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Hmmm, credit where credit is due but we'll see, the pressure is getting ramped up. The lead will be cut to two points before Arenal take the field against United as City take care of Wolves.

Granted they will still have a match in hand, but you'd rather have the points on the board.

The home match vs Liverpool, today’s match, the one last week at Spurs. These are the results that make you champions.

Arsenal could have very easily dropped points in these games but the resilience of this team is far & beyond what we have seen in any Arsenal team post 2005.

This is a wonderful time for Arsenal fans. The next few years are going to be golden & it is worth the wait after years of mystery & disappointment.
 
Trossard’s composure on the ball is incredible. He is technically so good & although he is not a long-term investment, he is a fantastic signing for the price & he will repay each & every pound over the next 2-3 years.

Martinelli looks a bit gassed to me & I think he could do with a rest. I would start Trossard over him in the next couple of games.
 
Amazing to see a young team which if it stays together for a few seasons could make Arsenal great again
 
Yes there is. Arsenal are called invincibles because they went the entire 2003-04 PL season without losing a match. This is why Arsenal is the only club with a golden Premier League trophy to signify the achievement.

It has literally nothing to do with what they did in the other competitions that season.

Treble winning 1999 Man United side >> Arsenal's Invincible side.
 
I think ESR and Trossard need to start the FA Cup game vs Man city, as i think giving Martinelli and saka a breather would be ideal. Its good we have bench options now. Next week will be a good earlier indicator of how good or bad we can do vs man city.
 
Amazing to see a young team which if it stays together for a few seasons could make Arsenal great again

We just need two quality signings in midfield to add long term strength and depth and we can hopefully keep competing.
 
Was worried when Jesus got injured, but Fair play Eddie hes stepped up and scored goals but also lead the line brilliantly.

Especially in last 2 games vs Spurs and united hes shown he can perform in big games.

I told you Eddie would come through for us last summer. He's very good. I'm glad you see his true worth to the team. He earned his £100k contract.
 
This is what people don’t understand & this is why they keep harping the same crap, i.e. not all assistants make it etc. Yes sky is blue.

You & others are simply showing your deep ignorance of Arteta’s career by saying such things.

Arteta was always destined for great things as manager & being Pep’s assistant only accelerated his development. He did not become a coach because of Pep.

Arteta has always had the ambition to become a coach & he picked up things that players who are not interested in becoming coaches - or become coaches by chance - do not.

Arteta is a product of La Masia, he was educated in the total football philosophy of Cruyff that produced coaches like Pep.

He moved to Scotland as a 20 year old, very few Spanish (European) players develop such diverse experience.

He went on to play under David Moyes & Arsene Wenger before working alongside Pep. He picked up things from all them.

David Moyes & Arsene Wenger talked about his future as a coach long before he joined Pep as his assistant, and there was a reason why Pep specifically asked him to join his staff when he moved to City in 2016.

The way Arteta talked & analyzed the game as a player made it very obvious that he will have a bright future in management. He had that personality, that gravitas that top coaches do.

He was also an extremely intelligent player. He did not have the talent to be a great player, but the way he saw the game was second to none. His footballing IQ was extremely high.

He was more than just a Pep assistant & there is nothing in coming between him and the numerous Pep & Fergie assistants that never became top coaches.

I can give you names from contemporary football that will become world class managers if they go that route. You can call it a gamble but it is not without any justification.

Excellent post.

Do you think Xavi has the same ceiling as Arteta?
 
What a game that was. Well deserved 3 points. Arsenal had a total of 25 shots! Could easily have scored at least another 2 goals in the last 30 mins when we had Man U on the ropes.

Eddie Nketiah has humbled his critics after the brace he scored today. Like Roy Keane was saying in the studio, his play style really does resemble Ian Wright.

I thought Rashford scored what was goal of the month but Saka be like "whatever Rashford can do, I can do it better". Superb goal. That was amazing precision.

Also full credit to Arteta. Trossard was unreal and the decision to sub off Ben White was a masterstroke.
 
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Congratulations to all Arsenal fans

If we beat or draw against City next week, that should be one hand on the title
 
Congratulations to all Arsenal fans

If we beat or draw against City next week, that should be one hand on the title

90+ points will be needed to win title, so we will need another 40-45 from remaining 19 games (57 possible points remaining)
 
The Arsenal fans who still think Arsenal will not win the league do not deserve to celebrate when Ødegaard lifts the trophy at the Emirates in May.

If you have no faith in your team then please do not celebrate when they win the league & prove your doubts wrong.

Not sure I agree with this

I don't think we'll finish top 4 but if we did then you best believe I'll be celebrating that
 
What a game that was. Well deserved 3 points. Arsenal had a total of 25 shots! Could easily have scored at least another 2 goals in the last 30 mins when we had Man U on the ropes.

Eddie Nketiah has humbled his critics after the brace he scored today. Like Roy Keane was saying in the studio, his play style really does resemble Ian Wright.

I thought Rashford scored what was goal of the month but Saka be like "whatever Rashford can do, I can do it better". Superb goal. That was amazing precision.

Also full credit to Arteta. Trossard was unreal and the decision to sub off Ben White was a masterstroke.

Only reason you beat us was energy levels. We were excellent for 60 minutes even with a Burnley reject up front.
Despite all the possession de gea made one save and that was because Varane miscued a clearance straight to Nketiah.
If we had a deeper squad, we would have matched up fine, but we had to leave Eriksen and Mactominay out there for 90 minutes and they made the mistakes in the end
 
What a game that was. Well deserved 3 points. Arsenal had a total of 25 shots! Could easily have scored at least another 2 goals in the last 30 mins when we had Man U on the ropes.

Eddie Nketiah has humbled his critics after the brace he scored today. Like Roy Keane was saying in the studio, his play style really does resemble Ian Wright.

I thought Rashford scored what was goal of the month but Saka be like "whatever Rashford can do, I can do it better". Superb goal. That was amazing precision.

Also full credit to Arteta. Trossard was unreal and the decision to sub off Ben White was a masterstroke.

Only reason you beat us was energy levels. We were excellent for 60 minutes even with a Burnley reject up front.
Despite all the possession de gea made one save and that was because Varane miscued a clearance straight to Nketiah.
If we had a deeper squad, we would have matched up fine, but we had to leave Eriksen and Mactominay out there for 90 minutes and they made the mistakes in the end
Our midweek game was the difference
 
Arsenal fans should get behind their team, this moment comes very rarely. Enough with the wrist slitting, you’re in pole position. If you’re the first to attack then you should support in equal measure. To break up the dominance from the usual lot is a big task in itself and you’ve never been so close in forever.
 
Treble winning 1999 Man United side >> Arsenal's Invincible side.

Probably, and I would argue that 2004-05 Chelsea was better too. They won more matches & conceded less goals. Mourinho was also tactically better than Wenger.

But neither terrible winning United nor Mourinho’s Chelsea were good enough to go through an entire PL campaign with 0 defeats.

PL teams will win trebles again but it is highly unlikely that any team would ever remain undefeated after 38 league games.
 
Excellent post.

Do you think Xavi has the same ceiling as Arteta?

Xavi will be a top manager. It is great to see Barcelona showing patience with him. He has got them playing fantastic football.

Pedri & Gavi, the two brightest young midfield talents in the world, will not find anyone better to learn from.

As Pep said, you have to give young managers time when they are rebuilding the club.

When Pep took over at Barcelona in 2008, they finished the last season 19 points behind Madrid & had to revamp the squad that was filled with overpaid, over the hill players.

Pep didn’t take long & hit the ground running in his first season because he had a 21 year old Messi at his disposal.

What Arsenal have done with Arteta & what Liverpool did with Klopp is exactly how you are supposed to run a football club.

Find a manager with a clear idea of how he wants his team to play. Help the manager sign players that fits his philosophy & don’t stand in his way if he wants to get rid of certain players that don’t fit in his system.

Eventually, the results will come. You can’t judge managers who are doing a repair job by results in the first couple of years.

Man United wasted almost a decade post Fergie because the kept looking for short-term solutions. They have finally found the right man in Ten Hag Arsenal realized it very quickly after the Emery experiment failed & this is why they went for Arteta & not Ancelotti, Allegri, Mourinho, Conte etc.
 
Probably, and I would argue that 2004-05 Chelsea was better too. They won more matches & conceded less goals. Mourinho was also tactically better than Wenger.

But neither terrible winning United nor Mourinho’s Chelsea were good enough to go through an entire PL campaign with 0 defeats.

PL teams will win trebles again but it is highly unlikely that any team would ever remain undefeated after 38 league games.

Preston North End are right up there even though it was the football league, they coined the name
 
Preston North End are right up there even though it was the football league, they coined the name

Yes, but going unbeaten in 1888-89 & going unbeaten in 2003-04 are two different things. The Preston team that went unbeaten would get smashed by your bottom half third division team today.
 
I would have thought Arsenal's next PL match in couple of weeks time would be relatively straightforward. But considering Everton have just sacked Lampard, it may not be so.

If they can get a replacement quick enough, there may be manager bounce. But I still expect the Gunners to get the job done as Everton will still have the same playing jobbers.
 
I would have thought Arsenal's next PL match in couple of weeks time would be relatively straightforward. But considering Everton have just sacked Lampard, it may not be so.

If they can get a replacement quick enough, there may be manager bounce. But I still expect the Gunners to get the job done as Everton will still have the same playing jobbers.
 
Arsenal should field its reserve side against City in the FA Cup. It is a competition Arsenal have won more times than anyone & Arteta has ticked that box already.

The last thing Arsenal needs is one of its key players getting injured in FA Cup/Europa. Neither of the two competitions hold any value when you are on the brink of winning the league.

More importantly, do not show any respect to City & do not give them any psychological advantage before the blockbuster clash on Feb 16.

Let City smash the Arsenal reserves in the FA Cup. Arsenal will take care of City at the fortress when it matters.
 
Yes, but going unbeaten in 1888-89 & going unbeaten in 2003-04 are two different things. The Preston team that went unbeaten would get smashed by your bottom half third division team today.

You can rate it relative to their era, direct comparisons are futile. It’s impressive considering there may not have been many other similar runs during that time, hence why they were the original invincible
 
Arsenal should field its reserve side against City in the FA Cup. It is a competition Arsenal have won more times than anyone & Arteta has ticked that box already.

The last thing Arsenal needs is one of its key players getting injured in FA Cup/Europa. Neither of the two competitions hold any value when you are on the brink of winning the league.

More importantly, do not show any respect to City & do not give them any psychological advantage before the blockbuster clash on Feb 16.

Let City smash the Arsenal reserves in the FA Cup. Arsenal will take care of City at the fortress when it matters.

That would be a good move but I think he will still look to win and keep the momentum going, this is still an important clash given the dynamic between the two teams right now
 
That would be a good move but I think he will still look to win and keep the momentum going, this is still an important clash given the dynamic between the two teams right now

The problem is that it is at Etihad, City will most probably be too strong for Arsenal at home. If Arteta fields a full-strength side & loses, it will have a psychological impact & City would be full of confidence on Feb 16.

However, on the flip side, if Arsenal draw or even win, it will also be a huge mental boost. Very interesting to see how Arteta approaches this game & how he thinks it will influence the confidence of his team ahead of the all important battle on Feb 16.
 
The problem is that it is at Etihad, City will most probably be too strong for Arsenal at home. If Arteta fields a full-strength side & loses, it will have a psychological impact & City would be full of confidence on Feb 16.

However, on the flip side, if Arsenal draw or even win, it will also be a huge mental boost. Very interesting to see how Arteta approaches this game & how he thinks it will influence the confidence of his team ahead of the all important battle on Feb 16.

Can’t be that important if the title’s already done and dusted. Its on Feb 15 btw.
 
Probably, and I would argue that 2004-05 Chelsea was better too. They won more matches & conceded less goals. Mourinho was also tactically better than Wenger.

But neither terrible winning United nor Mourinho’s Chelsea were good enough to go through an entire PL campaign with 0 defeats.

PL teams will win trebles again but it is highly unlikely that any team would ever remain undefeated after 38 league games.

Yes and no.

Top five longest unbeaten streaks in Premier League history

https://khelnow.com/football/premier-league-top-five-longest-unbeaten-streaks

Managers could simply park a bus in defense.
 
Unbeaten runs in the EPL - 38+ games

Chelsea – 40

Chelsea FC was an immediate force after the takeover of the club by former owner Roman Abramovich. Jose Mourinho’s arrival to the Premier League set the competition alight and broke the hegemony of Arsenal and Manchester United. Thanks to their sensational consistency, the Blues went on a massive 40-game unbeaten run between 23 October 2004 to 29 October 2005.

Chelsea went almost an entire year without losing a game across two seasons in the Premier League. With players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba among others in the team, CFC won the league in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

2. Liverpool – 44

Liverpool FC has the second longest unbeaten run in the history of the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s ingenious managerial capabilities have made the club one of the strongest in Europe. The Reds won the rebranded Premier League for the first time ever in 2019-20.

An unbeaten run of 44 matches which began on 12 January 2019 and ended on 24 February 2020 showed the true capabilities of the side. The Reds finished second in the 2018-19 campaign but finally won the league next year with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk as part of the setup.

1. Arsenal – 49

Arsenal still holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in the history of the Premier League. Between a period starting from 07 May 2003 to 16 October 2004, the London-based club went without a defeat in 49 fixtures under Arsene Wenger’s brilliant leadership.

While Arsenal did not win the league in 2002-03, coming second to MUFC, they eventually won the competition the next season. Wenger’s men won the 2003-04 edition of the Premier League without losing a single game. That Arsenal team is iconically called ‘The Invincibles’.

--------------------------------

To be unbeaten in an EPL season, requires 38 games minimum. The above are 3 instances where teams have achieved a 38+ unbeaten record in the EPL.
 
Yes and no.

Top five longest unbeaten streaks in Premier League history

https://khelnow.com/football/premier-league-top-five-longest-unbeaten-streaks

Managers could simply park a bus in defense.

Doing so for the entire season is almost impossible. Also, the closer you get, the bigger a deal it becomes & it becomes a burden on the players. They start to fear losing even they are unbeaten at that point, it is funny.

Happened to both City & Liverpool in recent season when it appeared that either of them could go the entire league season unbeaten.

In fact, it also happened to that Arsenal side when they were 49 matches unbeaten & went to Old Trafford. It was all about getting to the 50 mark. Arsenal just did not want to lose & they ended up forgetting how to play.

I would argued that going unbeaten in 40+ league matches across two seasons is more achievable than going unbeaten in all 38 matches in the same season.

Arsenal does not get enough credit for what they achieved in 2003-2004.
 
Only reason you beat us was energy levels. We were excellent for 60 minutes even with a Burnley reject up front.
Despite all the possession de gea made one save and that was because Varane miscued a clearance straight to Nketiah.
If we had a deeper squad, we would have matched up fine, but we had to leave Eriksen and Mactominay out there for 90 minutes and they made the mistakes in the end
Our midweek game was the difference

I think you need to take a leaf out of Roy Keane's book. Unlike yourself, he didn't go looking for excuses and told the hard cold truths that Man U cheerleaders need to hear.

In case you missed his reaction to your team's loss, he mentioned that Man U were given a reality check and he also said this about you team,"It's like they haven't moved on from the problems in the past".

Yes Man U were at a disadvantage going into the game with the midweek fixture and absence of Casemiro but lets not pretend that Arsenal would've still been big favourites to beat Man U at the Emirates anyway. We have beaten Man U at the Emirates in 6 of our last 8 PL games, so even with some of our dead teams within the last 7-8 years you've failed at our home ground.

In yesterday's game, you were lucky to get away with a 3-2 scoreline. 4-1 or 5-1 to us would have been a fairer reflection when you consider the fact that we registered 25 shots.

I rate ETH and how he's hit the ground running but the bottom line is you're not at our level yet.
 
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Arsenal should field its reserve side against City in the FA Cup. It is a competition Arsenal have won more times than anyone & Arteta has ticked that box already.

The last thing Arsenal needs is one of its key players getting injured in FA Cup/Europa. Neither of the two competitions hold any value when you are on the brink of winning the league.

More importantly, do not show any respect to City & do not give them any psychological advantage before the blockbuster clash on Feb 16.

Let City smash the Arsenal reserves in the FA Cup. Arsenal will take care of City at the fortress when it matters.

I completely agree and I really hope Arteta does.

The FA Cup and Europa competitions should be viewed as mere distractions. We don't have the squad depth to be taking these cup tournaments seriously.
 
I would have thought Arsenal's next PL match in couple of weeks time would be relatively straightforward. But considering Everton have just sacked Lampard, it may not be so.

If they can get a replacement quick enough, there may be manager bounce. But I still expect the Gunners to get the job done as Everton will still have the same playing jobbers.

Our overall record vs Everton in PL is good, along with west ham and Newcastle they are a team we have regularly beaten in PL.

Last season everyone was hammering Everton and we went there and lost. We have won just 1 out of the last 6 games away to Everton losing 4. We seem to save our worst away performance of a given season for the Everton trip. So that will have to change.
 
Arsenal have signed Poland defender Jakub Kiwior from Serie A side Spezia on a "long-term" contract.

The 22-year-old will provide some much needed support for Mikel Arteta's squad in their title push.

Brazilian defender Gabriel has played every Premier League game so far this season and Kiwior matches the profile of player the club are trying to sign.

Kiwior has won nine caps for Poland and started all four of their matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

From doughnuts to Gunners - Kiwior's meteoric rise
He was pictured next to the Arsenal sporting director, Edu, during Sunday's 3-2 win over Manchester United in the Premier League.

Kiwior is the second player to join the Premier League leaders this month after a £21m deal for striker Leandro Trossard from Brighton.

"He's a young versatile defender who has shown huge potential and qualities with Spezia in Serie A, and also at international level with Poland," said manager Mikel Areteta.

"Jakub is a player who will give us strength and quality to our defensive unit. We welcome Jakub and his family to Arsenal and look forward to working with him."

Kiwior made his professional debut for Slovak side Zeleziarne Podbrezova in 2019 before joining MSK Zilina later that year.

He signed for Spezia on a four-year deal in August 2021.

BBC
 
Trossard’s composure on the ball is incredible. He is technically so good & although he is not a long-term investment, he is a fantastic signing for the price & he will repay each & every pound over the next 2-3 years.

Martinelli looks a bit gassed to me & I think he could do with a rest. I would start Trossard over him in the next couple of games.

Martinelli is gassed because he’s started every PL game but also his role is a sticky one. Because Zinchenko is playing as a inverted left back, it means Martinelli has extra defensive duties to ensure the gap behind him isn’t exposed when Z comes into the middle. Often you’ll see Xhaka covering that space but times he isn’t, this is where Martinelli comes in.

Trossard signing is massive for us - Jota esque signing but for me he gives Cazorla vibes. Hopefully, him coming in, will give Martinelli much needed rest but also take his place eventually - I wouldn’t underestimate Trossard at all.
 
Probably, and I would argue that 2004-05 Chelsea was better too. They won more matches & conceded less goals. Mourinho was also tactically better than Wenger.

But neither terrible winning United nor Mourinho’s Chelsea were good enough to go through an entire PL campaign with 0 defeats.

PL teams will win trebles again but it is highly unlikely that any team would ever remain undefeated after 38 league games.

Invincible was an impressive achievement, but I much rather win three trophies in a season than just one, which is the number of trophies that Arsenal managed to win during their invincible campaign.
 
Martinelli is gassed because he’s started every PL game but also his role is a sticky one. Because Zinchenko is playing as a inverted left back, it means Martinelli has extra defensive duties to ensure the gap behind him isn’t exposed when Z comes into the middle. Often you’ll see Xhaka covering that space but times he isn’t, this is where Martinelli comes in.

Trossard signing is massive for us - Jota esque signing but for me he gives Cazorla vibes. Hopefully, him coming in, will give Martinelli much needed rest but also take his place eventually - I wouldn’t underestimate Trossard at all.

Even offensively, Martinelli is far more isolated and has to work a lot harder than Saka to attack. Saka has White to make decoy runs, and Odegaard to bounce passes and movement with, which causes defensive disarray and gives him more openings.

Since Jesus has been injured, Martinelli often finds himself having to work the left flank and full back on his own for 90 minutes every game, with occasional support from Xhaka / Zinchenko. Time to let Trossard have a run at that role in the next couple of easier fixtures.
 
The Arsenal fans who still think Arsenal will not win the league do not deserve to celebrate when Ødegaard lifts the trophy at the Emirates in May.

If you have no faith in your team then please do not celebrate when they win the league & prove your doubts wrong.

But what are we going to do if Partey gets injured or if the same happens to Nketiah (before Jesus is back)?

At this stage, I gives ourselves a 55% chance of winning the league but that can quickly be halved if we get hit by injuries.
 
But what are we going to do if Partey gets injured or if the same happens to Nketiah (before Jesus is back)?

At this stage, I gives ourselves a 55% chance of winning the league but that can quickly be halved if we get hit by injuries.

I understand the skepticism, but it is largely based on the fact that Arsenal fans do not get to see the work Arteta is doing with the backup players behind the scenes.

People think Arsenal would falter if Partey gets injured, but they said the same when Jesus got injured at the World Cup. It is easy to forget that Elneny had some really good games last season when Partey was injured.

I fully expect him, ESR, Vieira, Lokonga, Holding etc. to step up if some of the starting players get injured at some point.

IMO, this whole narrative that Arsenal does not have any bench strength is a bit overblown. Sure it could be better but the squad is not down to bare bones.

Arsenal would be even better next season because none of the key players will leave & Arteta would definitely add 2-3 quality players.

I think the Declan Rice rumors have some serious legs. What a signing he would be.
 
Martinelli is gassed because he’s started every PL game but also his role is a sticky one. Because Zinchenko is playing as a inverted left back, it means Martinelli has extra defensive duties to ensure the gap behind him isn’t exposed when Z comes into the middle. Often you’ll see Xhaka covering that space but times he isn’t, this is where Martinelli comes in.

Trossard signing is massive for us - Jota esque signing but for me he gives Cazorla vibes. Hopefully, him coming in, will give Martinelli much needed rest but also take his place eventually - I wouldn’t underestimate Trossard at all.

Martinelli is a good talent but I feel he gets overrated a lot. He doesn’t have high footballing IQ & lacks composure. Unfortunately, it is rare to improve these aspects with experience because you either have it or you don’t.

Martinelli would never develop into a number 9 & although his explosive pace & energy on the wings makes him a difficult prospect to defend against, you cannot really start with him & have Trossard warm the bench.

The only thing Martinelli has over him is pace & it is not everything, especially when Trossard is miles ahead of him when it comes to passing, dribbling, first touch, decision-making etc.

Martinelli is a poor man’s Rashford. He will always go hot & cold. He is one of those players that I would be happy to see Arteta make a profit on & replace with a superior player in a year or so if he does not take his game to the next level which I feel he will not.
 
I understand the skepticism, but it is largely based on the fact that Arsenal fans do not get to see the work Arteta is doing with the backup players behind the scenes.

People think Arsenal would falter if Partey gets injured, but they said the same when Jesus got injured at the World Cup. It is easy to forget that Elneny had some really good games last season when Partey was injured.

I fully expect him, ESR, Vieira, Lokonga, Holding etc. to step up if some of the starting players get injured at some point.

IMO, this whole narrative that Arsenal does not have any bench strength is a bit overblown. Sure it could be better but the squad is not down to bare bones.

Arsenal would be even better next season because none of the key players will leave & Arteta would definitely add 2-3 quality players.

I think the Declan Rice rumors have some serious legs. What a signing he would be.

I worry and overthink about the impact of injuries because we saw how we fell short of 4th place last year.

Some people think we bottled top 4 but I don't think this was the case at all, rather our squad depth got brutally exposed. I just don't want that to happen again.

I have to say Saka is our best player by far. I don't think there is a better right wing forward than him in the game right now. He would walk into any side. He's taken that crown from Salah, who was the best in this position until he tailed off from Jan 2022 onwards.

Partey is our most valuable player because not only is he a terrific CDM but also because I don't think the reserve options are anywhere near as good him, so I don't share the same optimism with regard to Elneny but I acknowledge he did come up with some good displays when asked to cover for Partey at the back end of last season.

Luckily this time round, we have very good depth across the back line rather than having to contend with the likes of Tavares, Soares and Holding as our first reserve options in defence.

Having Trossard on the wing is fantastic. I've also heard he can play as a number 9 so if that's true, that's a real bonus for the side because at the moment we only have 2 recognised centre forwards (when Jesus is back).

I can see Arsenal acquiring Declan Rice and Tielemans in the summer. The latter will be a free agent. I can see Rice competing for Partey in CDM and Tielemans competing for Xhaka as a box to box central midfielder.

If we can then sign another centre forward and perhaps a right winger in the summer then we pretty much have 2 good players competing for spot in the starting XI.
 
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