Arsenal 2023/24

That was an odd match. Started so poorly. Sloppy passing and heaps of space for Southampton to run into. Then massively under pressure we play our way out for arguably our best team goal of the campaign so far. At that Southampton collapsed and we looked a lot better.

Auba situation is a bit odd. Way too much speculation for now, let’s wait and see what comes out.

How good is it seeing Odeegard in a bit of form? 3 in 3 just as ESR is out of the team. Lovely stuff.

yeah, really enjoying Odegaard settling into the team at the moment. I like him in that AM role, just behind the striker. Kinda means we only need one real frontman, Laca or Auba - which works given the former is so out of form right now. Good to see Martenielli come into form and look good out wide. Will be interesting to see what Arteta does of the xmas period with the game congestion.

Agreed re the Auba situation, loss of form, new contract and missing from training. Doesnt look great, but you'd like to think he can get back into his scoring ways. Although if it's an attitude thing I'd prefer Lacazette stay and see Auba replaced with a younger striker.

Happy to see Odegaard getting goals, he needs that in his game. 
What's the deal with ESR? Hot form, now not getting starts? 
Ramsdale, how good. 

injured or needing a rest. heard someone from the club say that he was in the 'red zone', which I think is like high risk of injury or something.  

Sounds about right.
Martinelli's return to fitness and form has coincided nicely. 

Yeah I’m glad ESR is getting a breather and that Martinelli is bringing some form down the left while MØ does his thing.

In breaking news Auba has been stripped of the captaincy. Laca and Xhaka referred to as members of leadership group he’ll lean on until he appoints someone permanently.

Waiting to see if Auba is in tomorrows squad but wouldn’t be surprised if he was given another match off.

We don’t like doing things the easy way…

We’ve had back to back captains stripped of their role 😂

both probably deserved it to be fair, Auba has been poor for a few weeks now and not turning up to training is just petulant and not something a guy of his age or experience should be doing. He is supposed to be a leader and with the squad being so young you'd expect far better. Lacazette has been the shining example of what to do, he's been benched for Odegaard most of the season, comes on as a sub in several games makes an impact and earns his spot!

Laca getting it would be a kind of a reward thing, he's dug in and done the hard yards, never complained. 
Personally I wouldn't mind Xhaka. I know he's prone to a brainless red on his day but he exudes captaincy when you see how the team look to him - I feel that being captain makes him a better player too. 
I like Tierney as the future captain but it's slightly too soon.
Gabriel and Ramsdale also look like leaders to me, but both a bit young as well. 

Stripped and not playing against west ham. Fudge. 

paulm

Laca getting it would be a kind of a reward thing, he's dug in and done the hard yards, never complained. 
Personally I wouldn't mind Xhaka. I know he's prone to a brainless red on his day but he exudes captaincy when you see how the team look to him - I feel that being captain makes him a better player too. 
I like Tierney as the future captain but it's slightly too soon.
Gabriel and Ramsdale also look like leaders to me, but both a bit young as well. 

The timing for the youngsters in the squad just isn't quite right. Had this not happened PEA leaving after next season would have given plenty of time to groom any of them the role.
I don't think the broader fan base would back Xhaka again, and I'm unsure he wants to kick that particular hornets nest.
Lacazette buys half a season for us at the very least.

It’s a not to xhaka for me. We’ve burnt that bridge. But he’s still handy to have in the leadership group. 
Laca is an interesting choice. Assuming auba comes back then he’s not a permanent starter. But again, good to have in the leadership group. 
KT could be a good choice. But injuries mean he’s out a bit. 
But really, who are the other options? Gabriel? Partly? Not much to pick from. 

Oh, rumours are coming out that one of the young brigade might get it. Potentially odegaard, white or ramsdale 

id be ok with Ramsdale getting the nod, he certainly has the passion. I'm just not sold on a keeper being capt - for me the ability to influence the play, have a word to the ref is hindered by being in goal. Odegaard and White would have to be starting more frequently for mine.

Annnnnnd in less than 24 hours the transfer boffins are predicting a swap deal with Barca with Dembele coming in. Doesn’t exactly solve our striker problem for the long term does it?

Swap deal with Inter for Martinez however 🤩

Auba is on the way out - perhaps he is being swapped out?

gotta hammer the hammers tonight.

Laca is captain - happy with that.

4th spot up for grabs - here we go!!!

disappointingly slow start from us, we press hard for 15 and then drift, giving the opposition too much time.

couple of unlucky pen calls, a great save to Tierney's shot. WE could be up 1 or 2 by now, got to be more clinical.

Gooooooaalll, nice build up from Gabriel, Laca playing the link man and Martinelli slides it past Fabianski.

I would love to have 3 points for my birthday today 

looks likely, another goal would seal it though.

Pen and a double yellow!!!!!

little bit of the ball, but the foot is raised and that takes high on the shin! Pen all day, despite what the commentators are saying..

good save by Fabianski, but poorly taken Pen

ESR!!! great finish from a nifty little pass from Saka.

happy with 2-0, clean sheet, top 4, havent conceded a home goal since October. Good young players - the future looks solid.

Youngest squad in the league, best home record in the league, those two stats really do go together. 
Not quite the maturity to win emotional away games like those against ManU and Everton, but at home you can see how well our system is working, and how the players understand it very well. 

Gooner 4 Life

I would love to have 3 points for my birthday today 

Happy birthday.

Great result that. I do think the West Ham man got a bit of a ball first and would feel hard done by if that was the other way around, but fudge it we’ve had a bunch of clearer cut calls like that not given which makes the softer ones seem more fair.

I think we’ll see a break in the PL by January given the outbreak.  Not to turn this into a COVID thread but on the ground in London the volume of people with it is doubling every 2 days. While deaths and hospitalisations are likely to remain lower than pre vaccine the sheer volume of infections will likely mean more restrictions incoming - and for the PL to carry on with something this infections and already amongst the teams might be hard to come back from.

you could be right, fingers crossed our lot dont get affected with COVID, it would be great to see a solid run of wins, next 3 games are all in that category and then we have City.

Really hoping the early indicators on omicron being milder mean that despite the massive infection numbers, hospitalisations and deaths might not be as big as under delta and prior variants. Seems the one hope that might help out here. But yes agree lets not get all covid in here LOL just hope it stays away enough to let the PL continue

The auba situation has just got weirder. He’s now training alone, won’t be selected for the Leeds match (if it goes ahead) and will then not play until after afcon (if it goes ahead). 
Apparently it’s the clubs call to make him train alone rather than his. I wonder what else has gone on to make such a move. I mean 10 days ago he was the club captain. 

Re-covid- i am still surprised by players being unvaccinated. Like I don’t understand it for anyone, let along people who base their careers around being able to use their bodies. Just so odd. But great to see leadership on this from Liverpool, wolves and Leeds who have 100% of players and almost that of their staff jabbed. 

Did you read The Athletic piece on it a few months ago? Great read behind the psychology of it!

RE: Auba, WTAF. I don’t think we’ll see truth of this come out until Arteta & Auba release their memoirs.

yeah you're right. Neither of them will tell us the whole truth, primarily cos they both have their own spin on the situation. Either way a football team is not a democracy, the boss says be her on time and do this, there is no negotiating with that. The captain needs to be the example of towing the line.

I'm not convinced this is Ozil 2.0, however. There's a clear narrative around him losing the captaincy, but at no point is anyone at the club suggesting he's out the door. He's also not shirking his on field responsibilities, bar struggling to hit the net. To his credit his pressing and link up play has been better this season, i.e. NLD.

I'm hopeful that ACN provides both parties some breathing room to reconcile in the new year and for Auba to see out his contract with dignity. Even if we don't see his best over a very expensive 3 years, his presence with the younger players has always been called out as overwhelmingly positive (albeit a bad influence on turning up on time). His mentoring and support to our young core as they mature together will still be a valuable thing.

not a bad start, thus far, though Leeds could have scared us in the first 5 mins. Their issues wth defensive errors have cost them 2.

9 first team injuries - and a 15 year old on the bench for Leeds.

odegaard involved in every attacking play, he could have scored 2 himself, Saka seals the game with the 3rd.

xhaka's probably come close to breakng Rahphina's ankle there and no yellow, and Xhaka is laughing as the leeds player is lying on the ground. This is the main reason he cant be the captain if Auba doesnt return.
Tierney is my pick going forward, or, if Lacazette stays then I'd give it to him.