Why These Four Players Should Start Tonight Against Palace

 By Danong

Tonight, Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.

Under Mikel Arteta, our only success in the cup competitions was the 2020 FA Cup triumph. In the last two seasons however we've been making significant progress in the league, fiercely competing for the title and running Man City very close to league glory. We haven't shown however the same determination in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

That needs to change so that Mikel Arteta doesn't have to be asked questions like, "You’ve only won one trophy. Is this a chance to win another?" like he was asked on Tuesday. He corrected the Sky Sports journalist pointing out the two Community Shields won too.

Tonight it is imperative that Arsenal beat Palace not only to return to winning ways but to also lay down the psychological base on which to win the PL game on the weekend against the same team.

Arsenal will have to do it without Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori who are now long term absentees.  More importantly Rice may also not be available after being subbed off due to injury in that 0-0 draw with Everton. Ahead of the Palace game tonight, Arteta said "He’s fine. We will make the decision on whether he’s available or not."

Even so, Arsenal should still have a strong team to beat a Palace side that the Gunners have beaten in the last four meetings.

I expect Arteta's line up to include Kiwior, Nwaneri, Jesus and Sterling:

- Goalkeeper: Raya

- Defense: Timber, Saliba, Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly

- Midfield: Partey, Merino and Nwaneri

- Attack: Saka, Jesus and Sterling

Why this lineup?

Gabriel has just returned from injury and may need a rest and Kiwior deserves to play. Rice shouldn't be risked. Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz look like they need a rest (though it would be wise to introduce them in the second half). Merino deserves a chance to play. It may be wise to try Sterling on the left wing; he might just be the "savior" of that position given Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli's struggles there. Jesus should be given the chance to carry on the fine display against Monaco.

Arteta will get his players to come out fighting and force the game against Palace as we need to get back to winning ways and also score goals from open play so that the confidence can flow back. 

If we win tonight, here's where we are:

- Premier League: 3rd with 66 points to play for, 6 points off the top (with a game more than Liverpool)

- Champions League: 3rd, all but qualified, with Zagreb and Girona fixtures to play

- FA Cup: Third round vs United at the Emirates Stadium to come 

- Carabao Cup: Semi-Finals. By reaching the semi-finals we can surely go all the way and win it.

Yes, we’ve not been good enough recently, but it’s nowhere near over, is it?

Surprises predicted for Arteta's team selection vs Everton

By Danong 

Today, Arsenal and Everton are going up against each other at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are looking to shake off that frustrating 1-1 draw from their last league match against Fulham at Craven Cottage, where they just couldn't snatch the win.

Arsenal faced some challenges leading up to their 3-0 win against Monaco in the Champions League midweek. 

They were missing most of their defenders due to injuries. Nearly all of their top picks, left-backs Oleksander Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori, found themselves sidelined due to injuries. 

The injuries of Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber, and Thomas Partey raised concerns about the right-back position. 

We thought that Mikel Arteta might have to bring in an academy player to fill that role. Luckily, Partey was able to play in the game.

That said, in that 3-0 win over Monaco, Arsenal really pulled together a well-balanced team that easily created chances through open play. If you've watched that game, do you think it’s too much to ask the Arsenal boss to keep the "Monaco lineup" for the game against Everton?

Arsenal thrashed the Ligue 1 side with the starting 11 of:

Raya

Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Myles Lewis Skelly

Rice, Merino, Odegaard

Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Myles Lewis Skelly just had an amazing performance midweek! With Calafiori and Zinchenko still out injured, I really don’t get why you’d drop him.

With regard to Calafiori "We’re just respecting the times that the medical department has set," Arteta said. "Then we monitor his evolution every single day. We understand he’s not fully ready yet, but he’s getting very close now."

Arteta suggested that Gabriel might be ready to play against Everton, but it might not be a good idea to start him in central defence and shift Kiwior to left-back. 

Kiwior has really shown his skills as a centre-back and he is getting better and better the more he plays, so it doesn't make sense to move him to the left-back position just to fit Gabriel in. 

The Brazilian defender is back from injury, as Arteta suggested on Friday, but there's no need to risk him; he should sit out the Everton game.

Additionally, given his recent return from injury, I would advise against playing Timber against Everton. It might be better to give him a break this time and save him for the next match.

The same can be said of Havertz who has,  prior to the Monaco game, looked tired and not himself. 

It's better to give Jesus a start today as he did play well against Monaco and looked lively setting up Saka for his first goal. 

He got in some very promising positions but his finishing let him down. He is likely to get it right against Everton if we carry on creating the chances. 

Similar to the Monaco match, I believe Arsenal will be highly motivated for their match against Everton. The desire has to be to keep on winning in order to take advantage of a possible Liverpool slip. They will undoubtedly pose a formidable challenge to the Toffees, who should leave the capital with a big L.

 

Thomas Partey sends participation message for tonight's CL game vs Monaco

 By 1970's Gooner 

Just when we were wondering wether we will be watching at least an academy player taking the field tonight at The Emirates Thomas Partey has posted the above image.

It looks as though he will be starting tonight which massively  increases our chances of winning the game.

It could of course be an Arteta ploy to confuse the opponents !

Let's hope not.

Injury set back may derail Arsenal's Champions League automatic qualification to the last 16

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Tonight, Arsenal's going up against Monaco, and a solid win could boost them all the way to second place from 10th in the Champions League standings.

After the 1-1 draw with Fulham, Gooners are definitely hoping and pushing the team to bounce back, but it’s not going to be an easy task.

The Gunners might have a tough time putting out their best lineup because of injuries. 

Seven possible defenders did not train yesterday afternoon. That's Partey, Calafiori, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Timber. Tomiyasu and White obviously absent too.

The coaching staff at Arsenal is facing a challenging situation. They've got a solid midfield and attacking options to pick from, but they'll need to be smart about how they organise their defence.

It appears that Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba will continue in central defense. At left-back we may have to rely on either Kieran Tierney or Myles Lewis Skelly to fill in. Tierney may get the nod.

So, who's playing right back? It would be unfortunate if both Timber and Partey are ruled out of that game. I just hope that one of them receives clearance to play.

Given Timber just got back from an ACL injury and is feeling some discomfort, it’s probably best not to take any chances with him. Hopefully, Thomas Partey can play and Timber will be ready for the Everton match.

Which Arsenal lineup will be able to handle Monaco, a team that has been performing well in Ligue 1? They're sitting in third place, just 5 points behind PSG at the top of the table.

Well, here's the predicted lineup:

Raya
Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney
Rice, Merino, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

You'll notice that Merino and Martinelli (who didn't start on Sunday) returned to the predicted starting 11. 

Martinelli's speed is going to be tough to deal with on the left wing and with Merino at LCM, we’re hoping to breathe some life into that side, which really struggled against Fulham.

If Partey and Timber are not available to play at right back then we are in deep sh-t.

Arteta may have to either play an academy player or make an outlandish selection and play someone like Martinelli there....

It has been reported that Josh Nichols, who is a right back and Maldini Kakuri were with the under 19s today for a UEFA youth game which may rule them out of tonight's game. 

Ayden Heaven, Josh Robinson, Zane Monlouis and Elian Quesada Thorn did not participate so there is a chance that one of them could be starting tonight.

Let's hope it won't come to that.

Arteta, Unleash Arsenal's full Potential: Play Players in Their Best Positions and Trust These Full Backs

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner

Mikel Arteta has a big decision to make about squad selection or we might keep slipping in the title race.

Once again, Arsenal couldn't snatch a win against Fulham, ending up in a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage despite almost completely dominating the game.

Despite this, it's important to acknowledge that Mikel Arteta disrupted a well-planned setup when it wasn't necessary, solely to fill the left back position.

An injury had sidelined left back Riccardo Calafiori. Oleksander Zinchenko, who filled in for him last week, also missed the match because of injury.

Mikel Arteta had two left-back choices in Kieran Tierney and Myles Lewis Skelly for that game, but he decided to go with Jurrien Timber instead.

Timber has shown he can fill in at left back, but this time it was a bit annoying to take him away from right back, where he’s been really shining.

Game after game, we've talked about how the Dutchman has really brought new life to Arsenal's right side; he, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard have just been unstoppable combining very well and confusing defenders with their movement.

In addition to Timber leaving his position, Thomas Partey had to transition from his #6 role to a right-back position.

Arsenal played decently, but they could have been much more ruthless if their best players played in their best positions.

These changes made it tough for Arsenal as most offensive actions were primarily directed from the right which was the area that Fulham concentrated on in trying to shut down Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.

Timber's skills could have countered Fulham's strategy, but he stayed on the left, where he wasn't that impactful. In that game, the LHS made no significant contributions.

We desperately need Mikel Arteta to rethink his team selection when Arsenal takes on Monaco and certainly before the crucial match against Everton on Saturday.

Partey is needed in midfield to control the game's pace and Timber on the right hand side in order to increase the efficiency of Odegaard and Saka required to score goals.

If Calafiori (and even Zinny) isn't ready to jump back into the starting 11, it might be time for Arteta to give either Kieran Tierney or Myles Lewis Skelly a shot at LB.

If you're not going to play Myles Lewis Skelly or Tierney when Ben White, Calafiori, and Tomiyasu are injured, when are you going to play them?

Tierney can definitely lean on his experience and bring something to the LB position, which might catch the eye of some teams as the winter transfer window approaches. 

He might even be a better left sided centre back than Kiwior. Tierney has played there many times in a three at the back Scotland national team.

A win against Monaco with the right selections will go a long way to replenish the players moral.

The real reasons Arsenal failed to beat Fulham

By 1970s Gooner

I would take what Mikel Arteta said in his post match conference with a pinch of salt. Yes it was a very marginal decision that robed us of all three points at the death (I vowed never to celebrate an Arsenal goal as important as that would have been until I see the replay and the lines drawn by VAR). 

But we should never have reached that point really. Nor should we accept the explanation that we had total domination but they happened to score a goal... We know why they scored that goal and we will come to that later. 

Yes they played a low defensive line and the fact is we struggled to break that. But nearly all mid table and lower down teams play a low block and are well organised. We should really have developed a plan of how to go about beating them. 

You can say corner kicks is that plan B but surely you can't rely on set pieces to get you a goal. It was very evident against Fulham and in the last game against Man Utd that we didn't create much from open play. It wasn't as though we had a bagful of chances, like we had against Villa at home last season, but failed to convert them and then duly paid for it.

Arsenal's Xg against Fulham was a high 2.0 BUT without set pieces the Xg was...0.3!! 

Against Man Utd the without set pieces Xg was 0.48. 

This shows the degree of reliance on one way of getting a goal which however cannot be replicated consistently for the rest of the season especially when opponents eventually work out how to stop it happening.

One of the main reasons we failed to convert our dominance into goals is that a number of players have been off form recently. 

Havertz has been below par in the last few games. He didn't have that spark in his step and looked sluggish. Under normal circumstances he would have converted that chance from inside the box in the second half but didn't hit it properly and dragged it wide. 

We have been calling for him to be rested but Mikel probably realises that we don't have a viable alternative for this position as Gabriel Jesus seems to be not at the level required. That is why it is quite imperative we get a number 9 that can provide competition and more importantly the goals.

Martin Odegaard also did not look at his best. He wasn't as sharp in his passing and didn't run the game as per usual. Arteta took him off at 78 min and brought on Nawneri. I hope he wasn't injured as he had a strong tackle on him a few minutes before. Nothing was mentioned in the presser afterwards so lets hope he came through alright but taking off your best creative player when you need a goal looks strange to me.

Trossard, again proved that when he starts games he cannot produce what he usually does when he comes on as a sub. 

Martinelli also has been below his best for much of the season. This creates two problems. One is that we lack meaningful penetration from that flank which makes the team unbalanced. 

Secondly, and as result, the opponent's coach sets up his team to give more emphasis in stopping Saka and Odegaard on the other flank. Fulham, as we  saw on Sunday, had dropped more than one midfield player on that side deeper as well as their left back which minimised the spaces for Odegaard and Saka to operate in.

Arsenal's defence also looked unbalanced in the central positions. And by that I mean that Kiwior is not up to the level of what a defender playing for Arsenal should be. He never fails to repeat himself in making a mistake that leads to a goal.

His positioning for the goal that Jimenez scored could not have been worse. The long ball from Fulham's defence was picked up by Jimenez with ease because Kiwior followed him with a distance of a few meters back rather than sticking close. Jimenez laid the ball back to his right back and raced past Kiwior on the inside channel to receive the return ball. Kiwior who was running on the outside was thus left behind....

Kind of but not exactly the same with the second goal we conceded against Liverpool at the Emirates. There he found himself in no man's land and left the space for Salah to race on and score.

The second goal conceded against Bournemouth...you can guess who made that weak back pass to Raya which resulted in giving away a penalty that was converted.

Last season in the CL against Bayern we were cruising with a superb goal by Saka and we were running the game when his indecisiveness lets Sane go past him who lays the ball to Gnarby who duly scores. We ended up drawing 2-2.

In last season's defeat at Fulham, again he was not positioned correctly to be able to mark the on coming scorer on the left hand side, de Cordova Reid, who made it 2-1.

Well, if you combine all the above and let them loose during a game then we shouldn't really be surprised by the outcome.

 

Advantage Arsenal. Gunners Line Up to Beat Stubborn Fulham and Narrow the Gap at the top. Rotation on the cards?

By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Arsenal and Fulham are going head-to-head today at Craven Cottage. Looking at results between them last season not being able to beat them, whether at home or away, was definitely a big blow to our title hopes.

Surely it's crucial Arsenal gets it right this time around. It should be so not as a payback for last season but because winning this game really helps Arsenal's title hopes.

Since Liverpool didn't play on Saturday because their match against Everton got postponed due to bad weather, Arsenal will have a chance to narrow the gap at the top of the table by just 4 points.

This puts some pressure on the Merseyside club. And some commentators have pointed out this slight advantage to the chasing pack.

On the other hand if the game had been played it would have been under some favourable circumstances.

The weather which, as severe as it was, would surely have constricted Liverpool in playing their normal passing game and given the lesser opponent a strong platform to get something from the fixture.

Now Fulham isn’t a team to mess around with. Even though Chris Sutton in his BBC column thinks Arsenal will win this battle, he still thinks this game is going to be a tough one for our Gunners.

The ex-Chelsea man, while predicting a 2-1 Arsenal win, admitted, “they did not miss Gabriel at the back against United, but this might be a tougher test for them, especially because some of Fulham’s key players are Gunners old boys”

Gabriel and Calafiori may return to the Arsenal lineup after missing the match against Manchester United. They did not take part in the open training session but it has been reported that they participated in individual training, which is encouraging news.

If they are not available then Arteta will likely go with Kiwior and Zinchenco again which is risky. Zinchenko although he has improved, he still is vulnerable to a pacy winger taking him on.

One alternative would be to move Partey to RB and Timber at LB. We have also favoured Tierney be used at LB but it looks like Arteta may be reluctant to do that.

In midfield the trio of Rice, Partey, and Odegaard  may continue (if Partey is selected to play there) to lay the foundation of an Arsenal dominance.

Trossard may return at LW for Martinelli who didn't justify his start there versus United.

Lastly in the attack Arteta may surprise a lot of people by resting Havertz and playing Jesus there. It wouldn't be a surprise really as Havertz looked jaded against Man utd. On the other hand he may choose to rest him for the midweek CL game instead.

The line up if Calafiori and Gabriel are available:

Raya
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori
Partey, Rice, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Trossard

If they are not the Kiwior and Zinchenco are likely to start.

What would you change on that lineup?

From Corner FC to Title Contenders: Arsenal's Win Over Man United and Liverpool's Slip Turns the Tide in the Title Race

By Danong

On Wednesday night, Manchester United aimed to disrupt Arsenal's pursuit of the title. 

They set up intelligently to block our passing in the final third and managed to keep the ball away much better than one would have anticipated.

Following a closely contested first half, the Gunners turned up the tempo and the determination and secured the victory with expertly executed goals from converted corners by Jurrien Timber and William Saliba. The Red Devils departed North London empty handed with a 2-0 loss.

After a tricky November, where they were winless (2 draws and 2 losses) Arsenal, with that victory over the Red Devils, have hinted that their desire to go on a prolonged winning run is now proving very achievable, this being their third victory on the trot.

Liverpool are now just 7 points clear after dropping 2 points in their 3-3 draw with Newcastle Wednesday night.

Arsenal has been surprisingly successful this season, despite Arteta and the boys now being known as Corner FC (or Stoke City) by jealous opponents.

But really without some controversial red cards this season, they would have:

- Picked up 3 points against Brighton, instead of drawing 1-1.

- Picked up 3 points against Man City, instead of drawing 2-2.

- They could have managed to win against Bournemouth instead of losing 2-0.

If you add up these points lost we would now be on equal points with Liverpool and everyone's favourite for the title.

Additionally if there were no injuries or suspensions, we would have also picked:

- 3 points against Liverpool instead of a 2-2 draw (Calafiori, Saliba, and Odegaard missed the game)

- 3 points against Newcastle instead of a 1-0 loss (Calafiori and Odegaard missed the game)

- 3 points against Chelsea instead of a 1-1 draw (Calafiori missed the game, Odegaard lacked match fitness, and Rice played with an injury)

Again if things had gone Arsenal's way, no other team would have remained unbeaten except for our boys in red and white.

Still we carry on our march to the title regardless.

Up next for our Gunners, in the league, are clashes against

Fulham away (8th December)
Everton home (14th December)
Crystal Palace away (21st December)
Ipswich home (27th December)

And at the moment Arsenal are very capable of winning all of them.

These Arsenal Line-Ups vs Man United Expected to Keep Gunners' Winning Streak Going strong

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Arsenal will host Manchester United tonight at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners enter this match on a three-game winning streak, having defeated Nottingham Forest (3-0), Sporting CP (1-5) and West Ham (2-5).

The Red Devils enter this game on a 5-game unbeaten streak, with four victories and one draw.

It's unnecessary to worry about United's form as a Gooner. The Red Devils have not won at the Emirates since 2017 and the head-to-head record in the last 5 games for this fixture favours Arsenal.

Arsenal: 4 wins
Man Utd: 1 win
Draws: 0

Arsenal, who are aiming to win the league, will be hoping to keep their decent record against Manchester United going. Notably, only a win is enough for Arsenal's title hopes; a draw is equivalent to a loss.

In the title race, Liverpool leads the Gunners by 9 points; coach Mikel Arteta and the boys need to close that gap. Yes, the Reds must drop points to lose control of the title race, but Arsenal must also continue to win in order to capitalise on any Liverpool slips.

Before we go into the starting lineup, can we talk about the injury updates? 

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White as we know will miss the game. We anticipate Gabriel Magalhaes, who was unable to complete the West Ham match, to be fit and the same goes for Calafiori.

But will Mikel Merino (knee injury) and Thomas Partey (muscle injury) play in that game? When asked if the two midfielders were available, Arteta hinted they may be saying they all wanted to play.

On injury updates, the Arsenal boss said, “We are going to have a meeting this afternoon. “We had to monitor and keep a few away from some activities. I know they all want to play."

I believe that Partey is more likely to play than Merino. It appears that Partey's problem is likely to clear up and he will be available to play.

If Partey is fit, I'd start him; he'll be in Arsenal's strongest lineup for this game. 

Other than Partey, Gabriel Martinelli, who hasn't been playing much lately, deserves to start against United; his pace could be a bother for fullback Diogo Dalot, exposing United's left wing.

So Arsenal's predicted lineup for the Manchester United clash:

Raya
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori
Partey, Rice, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

However if Gabriel is not fit then Kiwior will come in his place as he did well when he came on at West Ham.

If Calafiori is out then this poses a more tricky problem. Arteta will have three viable options.

Play Partey at right back and move Timber  at left back. This will have the knock on effect of having to bring in Jorginho in midfield. Can he play twice in four days? Can Nwaneri be given his first start instead?

However there are two other obvious replacements at left back if Calafiori is not available. 

Zinchenko and the forgotten man Tierney. Choosing one of these two instead of Partey will allow for the minimum disruption in the back line and in midfield.

We believe that Tierney should start. He is a better defender and he is likely to sit back in order to allow Timber to go forward and create havoc on the right hand side along with Odegaard and Saka.

So the line up if both Gabriel and Calafiori are out should be:

Raya
Timber Saliba Kiwior Tierney
Partey Odegaard Rice
Saka Havertz Martinelli

If you have other ideas we will be pleased for you to suggest them. 

Arsenal Line-Up and Score Prediction for Cup Final-Like Clash with Nottingham Forest

 By Danong

Arsenal will take on Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League's return this weekend. 

The Gunners have not secured a victory in their last 4 Premier League matches, placing them 9 points behind league leaders Liverpool and 5 points behind the defending champions, Manchester City.

If coach Mikel Arteta and the team aim to maintain their title aspirations, they cannot further widen the gap between them and the other two Premier League title favorites. 

On paper, a clash with Forest would seem like just another 3 points secured, but given the current form of the Nottingham-based PL side, that may not be the case.

Forest are experiencing a notable resurgence; a glance at the Premier League table reveals that their statistics are strikingly similar to those of Arsenal. 

Arsenal has played 11 games, securing 5 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, with a goal difference of +6. Like them, Nottingham Forest has played 11 matches, with 5 victories, 4 draws, 2 defeats, and a goal difference of +5.

Forest has been impressive; they are undoubtedly a challenging team to face, having conceded only 10 goals. Only Liverpool in the league has allowed fewer goals (6). 

The North Londoners must be at their best to secure a victory this Saturday afternoon. For that to happen, Arteta needs to assemble a formidable winning lineup, and I can't think of a better starting 11 than this:

On goal, David Raya starts. With Ben White out and Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu back, I anticipate Jurrien Timber at RB, William Saliba and Gabriel at central defense, with Calafiori returning to LB.

With his recent performance, Thomas Partey has become an indispensable asset in Arsenal's engine room. 

Martin Odegaard, the skipper, who injects creativity into Arteta's engine room, like Partey, must just start. 

There's to be a battle for LCM between Declan Rice and Mikel Merino. I'd start with Merino. Rice was nursing an injury versus Chelsea and even if he's recovered, extra rest could do him good. 

Remember the impact Merino made when he entered the game against Chelsea in the 1-1 stalemate prior to the interval, he can't be overlooked.

Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka lead the team in the forward line.

Arsenal line-up versus Forest:

Raya
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori
Partey, Merino, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

With this line-up, I expect Arsenal to win. I expect this to be the turn-around of Arsenal's league campaign, as Paul Merson suggests in his Sportskeeda column, "This is a cup final for Arsenal, a must-win game. 

Mikel Arteta and company have some lovely fixtures coming up and will be hopeful of putting on a solid run. I back them to win their next six or seven games and it starts with this one."

That said, Merson predicts that Arsenal will secure a 3-1 win on Saturday. I think a 2-0 win is more probable.

What are your thoughts on that? Share your predictions below and let us know what adjustments you would suggest for the starting lineup.

Arsenal all out for the win, prove Merson wrong and challenge for the title

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner

Arsenal will face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening in the London derby. The Gunners go to this game following two consecutive defeats (1-0 to Newcastle and 1-0 to Inter Milan). They've also gone winless in their last three league games.

What's so obviously been missing in recent games has been a lack of creativity in the final third which has  resulted in a struggle to create and convert chances. 

Against Inter Milan, in that 1-0 Champions League loss, Arsenal had 20 shots and 46 crosses but still couldn't get a goal, failing to score twice in a row.

Certainly in the absence of creativity a team reverts to relying solely on crosses which is of course not a viable strategy.

Since his injury on international duty in September, Martin Odegaard has not played in the league. Arsenal's engine room has sorely missed his contributions.

In recent weeks, Arsenal's pressing has been subpar. Who leads the press from the font? Odegaard.

They were unable to break down defenses and there is a lack of creativity: who creates most of the chances? Odegaard.

Who orchestrates Arsenal's buildup? with Odegaard the Gunners have the capacity to build from the back when he drops in to help carry the ball.

In his six meetings with the Blues, he has two goals and three assists. He certainly looks forward to playing against Chelsea.

Remember when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted, "The impact Martin has in everything that we do, it was too big to try to replicate it with one player"

Clearly, Arteta acknowledged that his game plan revolves around Odegaard, which makes it understandable why Arsenal has missed him so much. His possible return will be a huge boost.

As Arsenal hope Odegaard can help their attack click Chelsea too will hope Cole Palmer can do the same. Palmer has been nursing an injury he sustained against Manchester United last weekend and is also a doubt for the encounter.

As per Paul Merson, if Palmer misses the game, Arsenal will win, as he feels Chelsea just can't function so well without the Englishman.

Now surely, Chelsea versus Arsenal cannot after all be a Palmer versus Odegaard matchup. There are the rest of the players who will have to function at their best to win the game.

What the Gooners must hope is that Mikel Arteta is brave enough to start Odegaard, who in a few minutes against Inter Milan showed us what we've been missing.

Against Inter, it was clear that whenever the Norwegian playmaker received the ball, everyone immediately moved and simply trusted that it would arrive.

Arsenal will play as their lives depend on this game and will get back on track to challenge for the title.

Paul Merson has predicted a 2-2 draw. We think he will be wrong.

These two PL wingers are the perfect additions that will provide significant strength in depth and make the title Arsenal's to loose

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner

This could be the fiercest Premier League title battle ever. So far, Manchester City leads the title charge with 23 points, followed by Liverpool with 22 points and Arsenal with 18 points.

Arsenal will need to be at their peak performance to turn things round and secure a strategic position in the title fight.

Aside from pulling off a winning run, the Gunners will need to be bold in the winter transfer window and weaponize their team with quality signings to gain all the "strength" and depth they need to sustain the Premier League title race.

Arsenal's attack is one area where they need to make significant improvements. It is no secret that the aim last summer was to improve the offence with high-quality players, such as a dynamic winger and a top striker.

However, that didn't go through. Arsenal were unable to sign any of their attacking targets and had to make a last-minute panic buy, bringing in Raheem Sterling on loan.

Sterling's experience and versatility should have revolutionised Arsenal's attack, but it hasnt materialised yet. Despite Areta giving him game time, the Englishman has failed to capitalise on it, raising the question: What will happen when Gabriel Martinelli and/or Bukayo Saka become unavailable?

Sterling's ability to replace them is uncertain and Gabriel Jesus, despite his technical skill, seems to be out of form with strong doubts if he can reclaim that form.

Leandro Trossard may be the best option for the wing, but his lack of intensity when filling in for Martinelli makes him less effective, suggesting he would be more dangerous in the inside channels. That's where he has been most successful and should be deployed.

That said, the idea of Arsenal buying a dynamic winger in the summer made sense. And most Arsenal fans wouldn't mind if the club resurrected their pursuit of a top winger this winter. But who do they go after?

Two candidates stand out : Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

The two PL stars are currently the most exciting wingers the Premier League has to offer and here's why they might be the ideal competition for Saka and Martinelli:

Mbeumo (age 25)

Some believed that replacing Ivan Toney would be challenging but Mbeumo has significantly stepped up to fill the void the Englishman left at the GTech Stadium. Indeed, Mbeumo consistently garnered attention with his performances;

Watching him, has always been evident that he is a skilled, explosive player with a keen eye for goal and he has the potential to improve further. This season, he has risen to new heights, and his stats have justified the hype surrounding him, as he has scored 8 goals in 9 PL games.

His versatility allows him to play in all areas of the attack and his Premier League experience should convince Arsenal to pay the £50 million valuation that is suggested as the asking price (Suprisingly Transfermarkt value him at £33.5m).

Semenyo (age 24)

The Bournemouth man is one player who exemplifies progression in his development; each time you watch him, he's getting better.

His great technical ability and ambipedal nature make him a nuisance to Premier League defenders.

With the ball at his feet he is unplayable because he can move in any direction using body movements to confuse defenders before he deploys significant acceleration to move away from them.

Despite scoring 3 goals and providing an assist in 9 games, his influence is evident in Bournemouth's games and will be significantly magnified in an Arsenal team.

As brilliant as Semenyo is, he's flexible and can interchange between different styles; he can play either wing of a front three but also either side as a wingback.

He is also 1.85m and could easily play basketball with the rest of the Arsenal players!

Football Insider not long ago claimed he was available for between £40 and 50 million (Transfermarkt currently value him at £16.7m).

No doubt either Semenyo or Mbeumo has the potential to propel Arsenal to new heights. Despite this, the North Londoners possess the capacity to make a double move for the two Premier League wingers, who could also act as Kai Havertz's backups due to their versatility.

You may well ask how can the potential cost for these two players be financed?

Well, according to Transfermarkt this is what these Arsenal players could potentianly fetch in the market and according to Spotrac.com what they are currently earning:

Zinchenko   £30m     £7.8m  p.a
Jesus              £46m     £13.8m p.a
Tierney         £8.4m    £5.7m   p.a

Total:             £84.4m  £27.3m p.a

Given how overlooked a player like Oleksander Zinchenko is these days, Arteta implied in the last two games (before the Preston one) that he trusted Myles Lewis Skelly instead of him, implying that he has become irrelevant at the Emirates stadium and could therefore be sold.

So in the end, selling Kieran Tierney Zinchenko, as well as struggling Gabriel Jesus, might help Arsenal  significantly boost its transfer budget this winter and well afford the salaries of these two exciting additions to its roster.

If this materialises the PL title race could well be Arsenal's to lose.

Imagine a scenario where we start Martinelli and Saka and in the 60th minute, Semenyo and Mbuemo come on to replace them.

That would be scary.

Arteta needs to be brave in his team selection vs Liverpool

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Arsenal and Liverpool face off at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening in a clash of two of the 2024–25 Premier League title favorites.

There has been a lot of discussion about this game but one thing is certain: Arsenal cannot afford to lose, as a loss would leave them 6 points behind Manchester City and 7 points behind the Reds.

Mikel Arteta and his technical bench should be able to field a solid team that will challenge the Reds. There are certainly late fitness checks on Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber but we are hopeful they'll both make it.

In central defence Arteta should look to start with Gabriel and Ben White, who already have chemistry from their time as central defence partners in 2021/22.

Timber has made such an impression at right-back and if he is fit he should start. The Dutchman clearly unlocks our right-handed attacking potential.

Arteta also needs to show bravery by giving youth a chance and starting the Hale End stars, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis Skelly.

Nwaneri's impressive cameo against Bournemouth left many wondering why he never started that 2-0 loss. He will add trickery and a creative approach that was so obviously missing when Rice, Partey and Merino started in midfield against Bournemouth.

On the other hand, when presented with the opportunity to introduce Oleksander Zinchenko against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Arsenal boss chose Lewis Skelly (surely that was a sign of how much he trusts him).

Featuring for Arteta's team, both Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly have demonstrated confidence, authority, and maturity, remaining unfazed by playing on the biggest stage. 

The notion is that by trusting them, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori could be capably replaced in the lineup.

In light of this, Arsenal should field the following lineup to outwit Liverpool on Sunday evening:

David Raya
Timber, White, Gabriel, Lewis Skelly
Partey, Rice, Nwaneri
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli 

If Saka and Timber are not avaliable then Partey should drop at right back and Jorginho should come in midfield. Trossard will also come in the starting 11.

Raya

Partey White Gabriel Lewis Skelly
Nwaneri  Jorghino Rice
Trossard Havertz Martinelli

Whichever team is selected Arsenal will have the right frame of mind and confidence to come out victorious.

This Player Silenced Critics with Stellar Performance Against Shakhtar—Liverpool Awaits!

 By Danong

As a Gunner, it is criminal to even consider how Arsenal would have fared without Thomas Partey this season. The Ghana international has been on another level; after each game, it seems unfair not to extol his exceptional ability.

Interestingly, it has been claimed that Arsenal were willing to let Partey go in the summer and that he did not depart simply because his many pursuers were too afraid to make a formal offer to the Gunners.

At the time the narrative was that Partey's "legs were gone," implying that he was done; some claimed he was a liability in transition and a shadow of himself.

But 12 games into the season, the 31-year-old has proven his doubters wrong. He had never started more than four straight games for Arsenal before, but he has done so this season.

In fact, it's mind-boggling that a guy who was considered injury prone has played 11 of the 12 games Arsenal have played this season while other, less injury-prone players have missed games.

He stood out against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night, just like he has done in previous games. Call me biased, but I believe he outsmarted everyone on the pitch, particularly in the first half.

He was a formidable presence in midfield and right back on Tuesday night, demonstrating his unwavering commitment.

Thomas Partey vs. Shahtar Donetsk

-90 minutes played
-91 touches
-89% accurate passes (65/73)
-13 passes into the final third
- 62% ground duels won ( 5/8)
-50% tackles won (2/4)
 -3 recoveries
 -2 clearances
-1 interception
-1 chance created

After the Shakhtar game, one thing should be clear: he needs to play as DM. I'm weary of Arteta moving him to right back. It almost cost us the game on Tuesday in the Champions League.

On Sunday night as Arsenal take on Liverpool, surely the Ghana international should continue his resurgence as he continues to convince the Arsenal decision makers to tie him to a new deal, given he's heading for free agency next summer.

Arteta advised to drop players for the match at Bournemouth otherwise points will be dropped

By Danong

Arsenal's first match following the October international break will be against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Given Arsenal's league schedule for the upcoming weeks, one might assume this is the Gunners' easiest game.

Arsenal's next 5 PL fixtures:

▪️Bournemouth vs Arsenal
▪️Arsenal vs Liverpool
▪️Newcastle vs Arsenal
▪️Chelsea vs Arsenal
▪️Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

On paper, it is an easy game, but Paul Merson has a warning for coach Mikel Arteta and his side. 

On Sportskeeda the Arsenal legend predicts a 3-1 victory for the Gunners, but he believes that Arsenal should make changes to the lineup that defeated Southampton 3-1 before the break in order to pull off such a win.

Merson stated, "I think Arsenal's quality will come through in the end here though, I expect them to win. But they will have to make changes to the line-up that played against Southampton. If they play that same team, they won't beat Bournemouth."

Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling made unusual starts against Southampton and their performances raised concerns. So I imagine Merson would want the two benched. 

Thomas Partey played right back in that game and he was decent there. However with Ben White reportedly back fit after missing the last few Arsenal games, he should return to play right back.

I believe Arteta will play Raya in goal, with White, Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori in the back four.

In midfield, Partey would be the #6, Mikel Merino the LCM (to get him ready for the Liverpool game) and Declan Rice the RCM (a position he's excelled at while with England).

With Gabriel Martinelli arriving late and being an injury doubt, we'd expect in-form Leandro Trossard to play left wing, Kai Havertz to strike and Bukayo Saka to play right wing.

On paper, this looks like a strong lineup to give Bournemouth a battle they'll never forget at the Vitality Stadium.

But who would you start?

100% Aerial Duels Won, 100% Tackles won: Gunners Justified in Hyping Up Star Set to Take Emirates by Storm

By Danong

Going to the October international break, many Arsenal fans were undoubtedly eager to watch Mikel Merino play on the international stage.

The Gunner has not played much since helping Spain win the European Championship in Germany. He took an extended rest following the Euros, and when he was ready to begin his preparations for the new season, there was a lengthy transfer saga between Arsenal and Real Sociedad before the Spanish side eventually agreed to sell.

He joined Arsenal in a move worth up to £32.67 million near the end of the summer transfer window. Unfortunately, just after completing his move, he picked up an injury in his first Arsenal training session. Sidelined for a month, he returned to action just days before the October international break.

Merino made his debut against PSG, making a 27-minute cameo in the 2-0 Champions League victory over the French giants. A few days later, he made his second Arsenal appearance in the 3-1 Premier League victory over Southampton, playing 30 minutes.

Despite displaying moments of brilliance in those games, it was evident that he had not yet regained his rhythm after a prolonged absence. With a national team call-up for the October international break, the Gunner had the opportunity to build on his momentum rather than simply watching another two weeks pass by.

Fortunately, Spanish head coach Luis de la Fuente gave him game time in Spain's two-nation league fixture. He played 29 minutes in Spain's 1-0 victory over Denmark and performed admirably.

Days after the triumph over Denmark, the Spain technical bench decided to start him against Serbia, and he did not disappoint. He played 65 minutes against Serbia, and statistics suggest he contributed significantly to his team's 3-0 victory.

Merino versus Serbia:

• 2/2 successful aerial duels (100%)
• 2/2 accurate tackles (100%)
• 3/6 duels won (50%)
• 26/31 accurate passes (84%)
• 1 chance created
• 1 hit the post
• 2/4 successful long balls (50%)
• 1 blocked shot

In that game, the Arsenal summer recruit demonstrated all of his remarkable qualities, including being everywhere on the pitch, dominating aerial duels, and playing accurate through balls.

Despite his potential to play the entire 90 minutes, his lack of playing time necessitated his substitution. Arsenal needs him to be at his best as soon as possible, especially since Martin Odegaard may be sidelined for an extended period of time.

It is evident that sooner or later he will be a tremendous hit at the Emirates Stadium.

Play Saka here: Simple Tactical Shift to Supercharge Arsenal’s Attack and Surprise Opponents

By Danong

Arsenal has started well this season albeit a point behind league leaders Liverpool. For their impressive start to the season, one can't help but be confident that they can finally win the title.

After seven games, the Gunners are unbeaten, with five wins and two draws for 17 points. Getting results hasn't been easy though; they've had to fight for them, sometimes without their main players like Martin Odegaard and sometimes after picking up dubious red cards, but they've succeeded.

That being said, two Gunners, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, have really stepped up and made it their mission to see our North Londoners succeed.

Havertz has done everything to justify the club's choice not to buy a quality scorer this summer. The German striker has not only scored four goals in seven league games (6 goals in ten games this season) but he has also led the assault.

In Odegaard's absence, he has significantly stepped up and has been all action, going for every duel desperate to win and keeping the opposition on their toes.

Despite being Arsenal's No. 9, his performance almost gives the impression of a free role which helps to confuse the opposition.

On the other hand, Bukayo Saka has also been playing exceptionally well this season. Arsenal fans expected the #7 to step up his game and he has delivered.

He has also embraced the playmaker aspect of his game, utilizing his technical abilities and creativity.

He's now not only scoring goals but also creating assists and chances in abundance. 

Mohammed Salah generated the most big chances throughout the 2023-24 season, with 22. 

Saka has already produced 12 big chances this season. With 7 assists in just 7 games, aiming to match Thierry Henry's record 20 league assists.

In addition to opportunities and assists, Arsenal's star player leads the Premier League in shot creation chances (51) and it is impressive that he is doing so while playing on the wings.

But what if he had more space to exploit?

I'm not sure about you, but I believe Saka would be more vicious if given the opportunity to play in the inside channel, closer to the opposition's box.

The 23-year-old would outshine Cole Palmer as he'd surely produce more while playing as a RCM, making him "unplayable."

Havertz on the other hand tends to waste chances. Ben Foster stated on his Cycling GK YouTube channel: “For me, it’s four good chances to a goal for Kai Havertz”

So could the Gunners modify their system to move their top creator, Saka, closer to the opposition's box, where he has ample space to exploit without worrying about tracking back or being double-marked?

Saka could not only generate more assists closer to the opponent's box, but he could also easily score goals if he played a box-crashing role, allowing him to shoot more often.

Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka are demonstrating that they can complement one another. 

So why don't Arteta and his technical bench take advantage of this and occasionally play Saka in the inside channel, providing an element of surprise for opponents while also strengthening the Saka-Havertz bond on the pitch?

This alteration could even happen during games giving Arteta a confusion creating ploy especially in games where we are finding it difficult to score (say when the opponents adopt a low block).

This could lead to a reorganisation of the Arsenal midfield, with Saka once in a while assuming the role of RCM.

Declan Rice could shift to a #6 position while Martin Odegaard can assume the role of LCM where he could be more dangerous. 

While we would still prefer Saka to play at right wing in some games, Raheem Sterling or Ethan Nwaneri could undoubtedly fill in for him when he plays RCM.

 

How a Goal and Assist Hero Almost Never Started the Southampton Game: Arteta’s Insight

By Danong

Bukayo Saka performed incredibly against Southampton, helping Arsenal win 3-1 and move on to the October international break.

After a sluggish first half, Southampton broke the deadlock early in the second against the run of play to take a one-goal lead. But Arsenal answered with three goals to seal a huge win at the Emirates Stadium.

Saka assisted Havertz for Arsenal's equaliser, after which he also produced a wonderful assist for Gabriel Martinelli for Arsenal's second goal.

These two assists bring Arsenal #7's total to seven league assists this season. Overall, he now has 42 Premier League assists, surpassing Arsenal legend Robert Pires.

In addition to the assists, he had his name scribbled on the scoresheet for Arsenal's third goal of the game, which sealed the victory.

Arteta made some changes to the starting eleven which may have accounted for Arsenal's lack of firepower before the substitutions were made. One may even question whether Arteta ever considered resting Saka too.

Well, he said he thought about it, admitting, "Yeah, there is. We have taken him off a few times this season. We have to manage his load, but at the moment he’s in a really good place." 

A player of Saka's calibre is difficult to replace; he's the one the Gunners look to for moments of brilliance. Yes, we should monitor his workload, but Arteta can't afford to let him sit on the bench given the "speed" he's started this campaign at.

That said Bukayo Saka's game by numbers vs. Southampton:

15 touches in opp. box
8x possessions won 
7 chances created 
7 shots 
3 duels won 
2 fouls won 
2 shots on target 
2 assists 
1 goal 

He was incredible.