Arsenal 2024/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVpqO5prPT0

Max Dowman finally made his debut for the U21's and set the record for our youngest ever U21 goalscorer. Kids a legend, can't believe he made his PL debut ahead of his U21 debut!

1-0 over a Wainless PV,
Eze score in the 8th minute.

It was an interesting watch. Eze played up top and it didn't work, would have rather see Merino in those spaces and Eze a bit deeper. Good finish for his goal though! More minutes under the belt for the new boys, and great to see MLS and White back in the mix.

Get in Eddie!

Got to take advantage of this tomorrow. None of this drawing bollocks.

An almost perfect weekend in the making! Hope we overcome recent form and put them to the sword - no Isak or Wilson gives me a bit of hope they’ll be toothless up front.

Great performance and fightback that second half to get all three points. We knocked on the door long enough that we deserved it. What a header that was from Merino as well.

Close to the perfect weekend for us.

Glad Gabriel got the winner as I thought he was soft on their goal. 
Our dominance and fluidity moving forward was lovely to watch and on another day, we score 5. Though credit to Pope, I thought he was outstanding today. 

happy to take the 3 points especially after LiVARpool dropped points (thank you Palace).
Thought we could have had more though, the pen reversal was an unnecessary involvement from VAR. Even if Pope did touch the ball he clearly took Gyokeres out with his knee. If that had been the other way around a pen would have been given and Raya would have received a yellow at a minimum.

stats show our dominance - we've got to be more deadly in front of goal.

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Feels a massive result. 1 point from Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle would have almost felt fatal in terms of the title, such are the margins in this league.
Big result and on the performance it felt deserved. Winner was my most berserk celebration in a while. Managed to lose my balance and pretty much crash through the TV, somehow it managed to stay standing 😆 
Then saw the replay and felt sure they’d find a way to disallow it for Pope being behind Saliba.
Fudge Newcastle.

I probably just don’t understand the rules but for the penalty, leaving aside the decision to overturn it (and imagine Liverpool having that taken away, or even if it happened up the other end), from memory the ball ended up at Saka’s feet inside the box (with the keeper out of the goal) when the whistle went so we still had a chance to score had play not been stopped. Why does it then restart with the ball given to the keeper and not the team who were in possession?

Good point. Like the offsides, surely the ref should wait until the play action is done before making his call?

Huge result. I watched the second half, then watched first half highlights afterwards. It was an excellent performance from us throughout. Pope is a great goalie, with most other keepers we wouldve been out of sight at halftime. 
I liked having Eze more central like that. Perhaps it is Odegaarfd who is under threat from Eze rather than Martinelli/Trossard. 
Also, I am loving Zubimendi. He is such quality, has all the skills. Reminds me a bit of Xhaka, except faster and less prone to the red mist. That little chipped ball to Timber was fantastic. 

Noticed there's been absolute radio silence from that stupid Scouse goblin Carragher after our win.

Always has his phone handy when he's sticking the boot in calling us mentally weak or Arteta a coward or forensically policing our celebrations.

Maybe the wifi is out in Bootle.

Oh he was on TV chatting shark about Gabriel needing to be sent off because of the elbow thing with the Newcastle striker. Comparing it to NFL and demanding teams (Arsenal) just pass the ball for 'player safety'. The limitations of his analysis are as infuriating as Neville opening his mouth.

I'm delighted to have overcome this tough start to only be 2 points off Liverpool.

We've had United (a), Leeds (h), Liverpool (a), Forrest (h), City (h), Newcastle (a).

They've had Bournemouth (h), Newcastle (a), Arsenal (h), Burnley (a), Everton (h), Palace (a).

I ran this through ChatGPT and because robots now rule the world and never get anything wrong our run has been 25% harder - so a bloody good spot to be in.

Liverpool are there for the taking, they got past us with a worldie of a free kick, Newcastle with late goals against 10 men, and Burnley with a late penalty against 10 men.

PS happy invincibles day for Saturday, let this one be know as the Eddie Nketiah sponsored one.

Not quite invincibles day just yet. Palace are still unbeaten.

palace's run could well continue for a week or two, with Everton and Bournemouth up next

Palace are playing outstanding atm. I don't think they'll crack the top two or three at the end of the season but hope they finish top six.

Good spot, apologies Palace! Their form is impressive having lost Eze and the lad who went to Bayern.

In more important news Saliba signed the thing!

Hopefully bit of rotation tomorrow for what should really be a run of the mill home Champions League fixture.

Given the new format I'd rather we prioritise our upcoming Premier League fixtures and really launch an early attack on top spot.

Some sensible rotation needed but Liverpool's result this morning shows it's best to get the points on the board early then you rest everyone later when there's less pressure on the result. Ideally you don't want the last couple of league stage (or first round or whatever it's called now) games being must wins.

Good rotation, weird game. We played them off the park at times, but couldn’t find the final touch or get past their keeper. Then they get back into it, but we held on and found a 2nd to break their hearts. I was there the night they knocked us out of R16 awhile back and it sucked balls. Glad we found some form. Only 6 teams have won their first two games in the CL format this season, another 10 points needed from here to all but guarantee progression. Good start.

Berta is doing well on the renewals front. Sounds like Saka is close, and apparently Timber is next on the list which is a great investment, he's probably the best RB around based on form at the moment.

Cracked the West Ham (H) hoodoo and (temporarily) top of the league. Between Chelseas penchant for mayhem and Liverpools wobbling defence it could be a high scoring affair tonight that might go in our favour. We didn't look our best today, but I think that's as much West Ham being v organised as opposed to us being poor. Maybe a little of each. Eze starting left 8 didn't really work, and Odegaard getting injured again sucked. Calafiori popping up at RB during the press and Timber ending up at LW on the attack highlighted just how much positional freedom those two have.

At 1-0 up at half time I got some happiness insurance on a Liverpool Slottage time winner. Not required. Well done you chaotic west London cretins.

Three defeats on the spin for Liverpool. You absolutely love to see it.

Dreadful time for an international break. Quells our momentum a little bit and gives Liverpool more time to sort themselves out.

Also gives MO and Rice a chance to heal. Not sure of their injuries but not nice seeing either go off

MO is a concern for me, seems he gets a knock through something he's done himself (this mornings one a classic) and he hobbles off before half time, not a great start to the season for our capt. 
Is he a lttle fragile, or just been unlucky.

Pleased with the win, best way to go into the break, unlike others who are going in with no form whatsoever.
Rice looked realy good, as did Eze sitting a little deeper. Our depth is so much bette than it has been in years.

Really good to have caught Liverpool, the league was theirs to lose 3 weeks ago and they have handed us a golden chance to get back into contention.

Odegaard has been playing first team and senior international football since he was 15. His football body is probably in its early 30's, even though he is still only 26.

Now we have Eze to play his position we can rest and rotate him accordingly to ensure we still get the best out of Odegaard when he does play. We shouldn't expect him to start week in week out anymore.

Hardly anyones to lose after 7 games.

theprof

MO is a concern for me, seems he gets a knock through something he's done himself (this mornings one a classic) and he hobbles off before half time, not a great start to the season for our capt. 
Is he a lttle fragile, or just been unlucky.

Pleased with the win, best way to go into the break, unlike others who are going in with no form whatsoever.
Rice looked realy good, as did Eze sitting a little deeper. Our depth is so much bette than it has been in years.

Really good to have caught Liverpool, the league was theirs to lose 3 weeks ago and they have handed us a golden chance to get back into contention.

Big result again. So often in recent seasons we've been unable to take advantage of rivals slipping up so these last 2 results feel big. 
Odegaard injury is a concern.  Apparently he's become the first PL player to be substituted before half time in 3 consecutive starts. 

MCL injury for Odegaard. Out until at least after the international break. Shark, he's just falling a part atm. 

Happy Invincibles Day all.

and we are top of the league!

Invincibles Day just 7 games in is nice. 
Bugger about Odegaard, he looked really good in the champs league game midweek, thought he could be finding form again. 
Thankfully our squad is amazing so confident we'll handle it, and excited to see how Arteta sets things up without him. 

More often than not we’ve been on the Liverpool side of the situation and I’d much rather be worried about losing momentum than doom spiralling about how to fix it while 80% of your first team are away from your training ground.

Buffon II

Three defeats on the spin for Liverpool. You absolutely love to see it.

Dreadful time for an international break. Quells our momentum a little bit and gives Liverpool more time to sort themselves out.

 

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Another demon exorcised. Good 3 points. Bring on Athletico Madrid.

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Our defence is insane.

Best defence in the league, 3 goals conceeded in 8 EPL games. Best save percentage, fewest shots on target!
3 points ahead of City!