Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
job done, 4-1, could have been, SHOULD have been more but we clearly buttoned off in the second, which is not surprising given the run of 3 games over the coming days. Sunderland next in the cup then Norwich and Wolves. 
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Great result that. Actually enjoyable football to watch. I've seen a lot of clamouring to play Martinelli through the middle ahead of Laca but I don't think it'll work as well as the current system is. Laca's combative false 9 role helps create move for this young guns, as well as provide a focal point for 1-2s. I think asking Martinelli to do that would be limiting. It's a good problem to have ESR, Odegaard, Martinelli, and Saka fighting for 3 spots.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Did you lot catch the BS out of the Liverpool vs Spuds game? Harry Kane cannae buy a red card. Meanwhile a similar challenge to MacArthur on Saka is a red. The inconsistencies in refereeing were a lot more palatable without VAR. Now that they're in play it's bloody disappointing.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Also, Sp*rs not getting out of the conference league group stages is the most Spursiest thing in a long time!
Legend
3.6K
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15K
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almost 17 years
I dont like a player leaving in this manner, but I do think our system under Arteta is working so well with the young forwards that trying to shoehorn Aubameyang back in would be detrimental to the fluidity of play. I say bite the bullet and organise a sale or loan in January. 
Also agree re: Laca/Martinelli brumbys. Martinelli is looking great on the left, leave him there. Lacazette is very valuable right now, he's critical to how we're playing, sort of like Firmino for Liverpool the way he brings things together.
Perhaps Martinelli in that role long term could be a nice fix to get him, Saka, Odegaard and Smith-Rowe all into the starting eleven, but for now I say leave it. Injuries will probably come at some point, plus it's not doing any harm when Smith-Rowe is absolutely killing it from the bench. 
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Prediction for tonight;
                Nketiah
      Balogun AMN Pepe
         Lokonga Elneny
Tavares Mari Holding (C) Soares
               Leno/Onkonkwo
Legend
8K
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14K
·
over 16 years
Lokonga has COVID, so he's out along with two others.
Odegaard instead of AMN
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
1-0, good corner, nice follow up by Nketiah.
interesting little "call me" celebration by Nketiah, is he looking to make a move in January.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
really open game at the moment, 2-1, Pepe's goal was nice, Sunderland's was sweet too although the defence lost their men and left Leno all by himself
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
hattrick from Nketiah, couple of lovely finishes from decent crosses
4-1
Marquee
1.5K
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5.2K
·
over 16 years
A goal and two assists. I know it was only League 1 Sunderland but does anyone else think that Pepe at least deserves to be given another chance off the bench for the first team in the Premier League? 
Legend
2.3K
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17K
·
almost 17 years
theprof
1-0, good corner, nice follow up by Nketiah.
interesting little "call me" celebration by Nketiah, is he looking to make a move in January.


Isn’t that his signature celebration?
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
dunno, havent watched close enough when he's scored. Just seemed odd given the rumours.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Yes, done it his whole career.
Buffon II
theprof
1-0, good corner, nice follow up by Nketiah.
interesting little "call me" celebration by Nketiah, is he looking to make a move in January.


Isn’t that his signature celebration?
Marquee
3.1K
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6.7K
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over 16 years
Nope. All we can hope it’s that someone wants to have more than a half eat pie and a can of coke for him. 
Gooner 4 Life
A goal and two assists. I know it was only League 1 Sunderland but does anyone else think that Pepe at least deserves to be given another chance off the bench for the first team in the Premier League? 
Legend
3.6K
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15K
·
almost 17 years
Pepe is good when he's good, but he's very ill-disciplined in possession in bad areas sometimes. And just not consistent enough. He's so exciting, so much dribbling ability and end product too, but we just don't see it week in week out. 
Shifting Saka to accommodate Pepe on the right is not going to happen, particularly with Martinelli and Smith-Rowe being better options on the left than Saka or Pepe. 
Legend
3.6K
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15K
·
almost 17 years
And yes that is Nketiah's usual celebration, he's done it since his first senior goal. 
Call me for goals type thing. I guess it lends itself well as a come and get me transfer plea as well, coincidentally!
That fourth goal, Nketiah's third, was a thing of beauty. From the first build-up pass to the finish. 
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
·
over 16 years
The solution to Pepe is rotating him through the striker role. Gives us a totally different dimension and covers his weakness. Rather Laca/Auba miss minutes that the young lads out wide.

We’re going to lose a significant amount of money on him if we can’t get more from him. Ideally that’s goals and assists.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
·
over 16 years
In other news our reward for beating Sunderland is Liverpool in the cup. West Ham, Brentford, and Leicester all just fell short of beating the big boys. If we make it through it’ll be a final against Chelsea or Spuds.

Given the fixture congestion and Klopps focus on other competitions we might have a shot here assuming it’s not their full strength 11 starting.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
·
over 16 years
I was looking through our squad on Arsenal.com and I'm still amazed by the volume of churn still to come. Assuming no departures in January and contracts not being extended here's how our squad looks next summer, those in bold are further candidates for departure for various reasons.

ST- Auba, Balogun

AM -
ESR, Odegaard, 

Wide -
Martinelli, Pepe, Nelson, Saka

CM/CDM
- Partey, Xhaka, AMN, Lokonga,  

FB: Chambers
, Tavares, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Tierney

CB: Saliba
, Mari, Holding, Gabriel, White,

GK:
Ramsdale, Onkonkwo, Leno

Sold/Leaving on a free:
Lacazette, Nketiah, Elneny, Torreira, Guendouzi, Mavropanos, Runarrson, Bellerin, Kolasinac.

This leaves me with the following questions;

1. What will happen with Auba? If that situation doesn't resolve itself, and we lose Laca + Nketiah we'll likely need to find 2 x strikers.

2. What will happen with Pepe? Will he be a potential 'internal solution' to question 1?

3. Who will be the Tavares to Tomiyasu? Can't see Cedric or Chambers sticking around. Could Osei-Tutu step up after his loan?

4. Given Partey's form and Xhaka's reputation will we look to drop some proper money on a CM/CDM?

5. What will happen with Saliba?

6. Does Leno actually want to leave? If so, is that another potential replacement?

7. How do I have this much time on my hands with a newborn?

Based on the above that could be up to 5 new signings; 2 x strikers, a back up RB, a CM, and a back up GK coming in, as well as up to a further 8 players being moved on.

I don't think we'll have this squad sorted until the 23/24 season by which point in time we'll hopefully be in a more sustainable 2-3 transfers in/out each season rather than the level of whole squad surgery we seem to be doing annually at the moment.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
I'd really like to see Lacazette re-signed. He's been a key player since Auba's discipline issues.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
That’s the same thinking behind Auba & Ozil’s contracts at a similar age. Given he’s looking at a Bosman and we already pay him £250K a week I’m unsure he’s worth that let alone a pay bump.
theprof
I'd really like to see Lacazette re-signed. He's been a key player since Auba's discipline issues.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Well, that was a thoroughly enjoyable again. 

Good all round performance, cannae fault any of the players. 

ESR must have set a record for goals off the bench in a row.

White looked solid at RB defensively, and absolutely lost in the final third 😂
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
Also you’ve got to feel for Soares. Tomiyasu, AMN, Chambers all out and he gets COVID to miss the game 🤦🏻‍♂️
Legend
8K
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14K
·
over 16 years
brumbys
Well, that was a thoroughly enjoyable again. 

Good all round performance, cannae fault any of the players. 

ESR must have set a record for goals off the bench in a row.

White looked solid at RB defensively, and absolutely lost in the final third 😂

loved that performance, Norwich were awful though, they had nothing on defence and were horrid on attack - Ramsdale didnt have to make a single save.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
You know you’re shark when Xhaka is show boating by bringing a bouncing ball down with his back 😂
theprof
brumbys
Well, that was a thoroughly enjoyable again. 

Good all round performance, cannae fault any of the players. 

ESR must have set a record for goals off the bench in a row.

White looked solid at RB defensively, and absolutely lost in the final third 😂

loved that performance, Norwich were awful though, they had nothing on defence and were horrid on attack - Ramsdale didnt have to make a single save.
Legend
3.6K
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15K
·
almost 17 years
Bugger, the wolves game is postponed.
Next game Man City then, yikes.

Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
at least we hit them when we are in good form, 5 games, 19 goals for 2 against. Sure they are in good form too, but when are they not.
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
paulm
Bugger, the wolves game is postponed.
Next game Man City then, yikes.


I think this will work out for us. Our squad is in OK state given everything going on around us, and it means not playing again within 48 hours. Extra prep time for City. A draw would be a great statement of progress from where we were in August.

In other news I’m seeing AMN is off to Roma on loan with the possibility of a fee agreed to make it permanent. I just don’t get what’s gone on there. I think he’s done well in midfield when called upon, and with Mo & Partey out for January you’d think this would be his chance to stake a claim. Wish we’d taken the cash for him from Everton.
Marquee
3.1K
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6.7K
·
over 16 years
Arteta has COVID so won’t be on the bench for the man city game. This is all getting a bit ridiculous
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
·
over 16 years
Interestingly we’ve let Auba leave early for AFCON but kept Partey, Elneny, and Pepe. I’m thinking that’s a strong sign he’s out of here in January.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
Clearly Auba is gone, which for mine isnt a bad thing, hopefully we can get Lacazette to stay and maybe a decent new striker.

fingers crossed we get a decent performance from the lads tonight to make up for the nix woe-show!
Marquee
1.7K
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8.1K
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over 16 years
I hope Auba is the last time we drop crazy money on someone at the end of their career. After him and Ozil we need to do better. Look at how ruthless City were with Aguero, or even Chelsea not offering Willian 3 years.

Oh and happy New Years gents - hope you’re all keeping well and getting some sun and family time in.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
yeah I think the change in direction with recruitment is pretty clear. Arteta has been looking at bringing in the youth and the club has obliged, the young guns have become the starting XI and they are getting the job done.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
Aussie VAR need to talk with the EPL guys.....
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
really solid first 20 minutes, we've been attacking well and countering the City possession game well.
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
Saka!!!!!!! what a goal, great steal by White, lovely pass to Odegaard and he lays it off to Tierney who finds Saka!!!! 1-0!!!!
Here we go!
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
43 mins in and City yet to register a shot on target, defensive effort from the lads has been brilliant. 
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
wooooooooo!
1-0 at the half, excluding possession we have dominated. Better control of the ball and disrupting city's attack. Saka - sublime, Tomiyasu too, Tierney just his usual tireless self, Martinelli brilliant.  
Legend
8K
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14K
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over 16 years
and would you believe it, Xhaka puts us in the shark!
1-1
god damn it  Xhaka always manages to fire up the opposition in a big game.
and now gabriel is off for a silly foul!

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