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?

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.

The referees must handle games with common sense

 By 1970s Gooner

The debate on the red card given to Rice is on-going. All the journalists try to keep neutral by characterising it as harsh and of course blaming Rice for getting himself sent off.

But really they ignore the most obvious of facts:

1.The Brighton player deliberately kicked Rice pretending he was aiming for the ball.

2. The ball was obviously not in a stationary position as it was rolling quite nicely away from Rice. So Rice with his back to the kicker and seeing the ball rolling could not be trying to delay the kick because there was no kick to be taken in his mind.

3. The referee must be of a low standard, in terms of handling the game, if he could not understand what was going on. If he had he would have given both players a talking to and waived play on.

4. As he waved play on for Pedro's attempt to delay a throw in.

You only need to use your common sense.

Arsenal vs Brighton: Team to win, Players to watch, and Arteta's strongest line-up

By Danong

Arsenal and Brighton open this weekend's PL action in the early kickoff on Saturday. The Seagulls, like the North Londoners, still have a perfect record this new PL campaign, so when the two sides clash, something has to give.

 

 Under new tactician Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton have beaten Everton 3-0 and thrashed Manchester United 2-1. They will be hoping to outmanoeuvre Arsenal, who have already defeated Wolves and Aston Villa with identical 2-0 victories in their first 2 games of the season.

 

According to some prediction sites, Arsenal, who've won the last two meetings (against Brighton) 3-0 and 2-0, are the favourites going into that clash. However, this fixture has consistently been tight, with most wins occurring in the second half. Of the 14 goals scored when the two clashed in the league, 11 came in the second half.

 

Speaking of goals, Arsenal, ever since the start of last season, have only failed to score twice at home (versus West Ham and Aston Villa). Therefore, you can confidently predict that the Gunners will score; in fact, many believe that star player Kai Havertz, who strangely failed to score or assist last weekend, will resume his goal-scoring ways.

In his last 9 PL games of last season, the German scored 8 goals and 7 assists; he then assisted and scored in this season's match day 1, hinting he'd carried that form to this season.

Bukayo Saka, along with Havertz, is an exciting player to watch in the game. The Englishman with a goal and two assists already this season has been off to a stellar start; he's looked sharp despite the Euros disappointments, losing to Spain with England in the European Championship Finals.

On the other hand, Brighton's Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro are players to watch out for. Welbeck, who's scored two in two games, could just be finding his stride and may get his first league goal against his former employer, Arsenal. 

Joao Pedro, aiming to enhance his impressive performance of scoring 20 goals across all categories last season, anticipates posing a threat to the Arsenal defence in the free role he has taken this new season.

 

Arsenal will need to be defensively solid and sustain their form against Brighton, who haven't been able to score past them in the last 2 games.

 

I anticipate that Mikel Arteta will field his strongest team, which couldn't be stronger than

 

Raya

White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber

Partey, Rice, Odegaard

Saka, Havertz, Trossard

 

Why those 11? Since he's still acclimatising to the team, Riccardo Calafiori is unlikely to start, but he could be a bench option. Trossard replaces Gabriel Martinelli, who needs the perfect reminder to step up his game.

That said, what would you change in Arsenal's predicted lineup above for the clash with Brighton?

Imposing Hale End star, the ultimate Thomas Partey heir, looks set to save Arteta millions

By Danong

Could Mikel Arteta have already found the ideal Thomas Partey heir? And are we fortunate that he has given us the pleasure of watching him in the past few weeks?

The Gunners have spent the last three weeks on a pre-season tour in the United States, where they have had the opportunity to play pre-season friendly matches against Premier League opponents Bournemouth, Manchester United, and Liverpool.

Aside from the 2-1 loss against the Reds, our Gunners won all of the other friendly games.

The preseason allows players to remind managers of their abilities and persuade them to incorporate them into their plans for the upcoming season.

Mikel Arteta handed academy star Myles Lewis Skelly a chance in preseason (he appeared in every game in the United States), and he took advantage of it.

For the past few months, academy coaches have been training Lewis Skelly, a midfielder, to play inverted left-back.

Watching the 17-year-old play fullback and outperform Oleksander Zinchenko, as he did in his cameo against Liverpool, brings back memories of the Bukayo Saka left-back period, when the Arsenal right-winger initially emerged.

Anyway, why is Lewis Skelly playing out of position? Coaches can experiment with players in various roles early in their development to produce exceptionally adaptable and high-IQ football players.

Given the "lack of room" in the Arsenal midfield, it's likely that Arteta, who has other plans for Lewis Skelly, is simply acclimatising the youngster to the first team as a left back, similar to Saka's introduction as a fullback, before moving to the right wing.

You're probably wondering how Lewis Skelly, playing as an inverted fullback, transforms him into the perfect 6, the Thomas Partey heir.

Playing left-back teaches the Hale End star how to dominate the tempo in possession and strike the right balance between progressive and slow play.

While out of possession, he will improve as a 1v1 defender when isolated against wingers, as well as learn to be a 1v1 dominator, for which he possesses many of the necessary traits.

Lewis Skelly's experience at left back could lead to him becoming a more well-rounded 6 as a Partey replacement, while also being able to play inverted left-back and even LCM if needed.

Ethan Nwaneri has received a lot of hype ahead of next season, but Lewis Skelly could also have a breakout season as well.

Calafiori tells Bologna to let him fulfill his dream move to Arsenal

By 1970s Gooner 

Riccardo Calafiori on his return from holidays for pre season told the Bologna hierarchy that he wants to leave and asked them to let him fulfill his dream and play for Arsenal. 

This is according to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano who also claims that Bologna have accepted Arsenal’s offer of an initial £33.7m plus £4.2m add-ons!

Arsenal are now working round the clock to finalise the deal and get it over the line so that the player can join the Arsenal squad that will be travelling to the States for a series of friendlies.

Personal terms with Calafiori have already been agreed. 

GREAT NEWS

Is this the midfielder this Arsenal team needs to shake off one glaring weakness next season?

 By Danong

Arsenal had an impressive 2023–24 season, finishing second in the Premier League with 89 points, just 2 points behind the league champions, Manchester City. Almost every stat this Arsenal team set was impressive; in fact, they broke record after record.

They set a club record-breaking 28 wins in a 38-game league campaign. They set a club record goal difference of +62, conceding the fewest goals (29) in 20 years. They also equaled the record for most goals from corners (16). 

Most of Arsenal's records were quite heartwarming, but there is one surprising statistic that has emerged, indicating the need for improvement in the upcoming season.

Arsenal scored a whopping 91 goals, but it's a bit of a letdown that only six of them were from outside the penalty area. The Gunners could use some more firepower from a distance. 

This discovery has exposed Arsenal's heavy reliance on close-range finishes and their limited ability to make impactful shots from a distance. 

While some Gooners may not view this stat as significant, given the continued success in scoring goals, it should be, as Arsenal strives for excellence in all areas. The fact that Manchester City scored 15 goals from outside the penalty area only highlights this weakness.

Being able to find the target from a distance and score from a long range, if not setting up the forwards for tap-ins, could have been really useful for the Gunners. 

It would have been handy in the first half of the season, especially considering the losses they experienced due to them struggling in front of goal. During the first half of the season, the team's attack lacked bite.

In the matches against Aston Villa (1-0 loss in December) and Newcastle (1-0 loss in November), having the option of long-range shots could have been useful. If Arsenal had won either of these matches, or even if they had ended in draws, they would have become the league champions. 

Arsenal appear to have mastered scoring from set pieces, and scoring from long range could be the key to their success next season.

With the transfer window upon us, Arsenal is looking to strengthen their midfield in addition to their attack. Maybe the Arsenal scouts should think about bringing in a top midfielder who has an eye for a shot. 

Even though he might be a bit expensive, Douglas Luiz is that player. The Brazilian definitely brings a much-needed long-range threat to a team. 

His shot-power rating in the FC 24 game was 83. In the 2023–24 Premier League season, Douglas Luiz, though a deep-lying midfielder, proved to be a consistent threat in front of goal. 

With 28 shots taken in 34 matches, he has shown his willingness to pull the trigger when the opportunity arises. His shooting accuracy of 60.71% is an impressive stat, with 17 of his shots finding the target. This accuracy has resulted in a goal for every 3.11 shots he takes, showcasing his efficiency in front of goal.

On average, he takes 0.87 shots per 90 minutes, highlighting his active involvement in the attacking phase of the game. 

Douglas Luiz's shooting stats speak volumes about his proficiency in front of goal and his ability to make a significant impact for his team.

We'll have to wait and see what happens this summer—if Luiz, who can't stop being linked with a move to the Emirates since Arsenal had three bids rejected for him, is finally captured.

Ultimately, Arsenal must step up their game in terms of scoring from distance. It could provide them with the extra boost they need to outwit Manchester City for the league title.

Timber the answer to Arsenal's summer transfer straregy

By 1970s Gooner

Jurrien Timber had a most impressive 25 minutes against Everton at the Emirates today, the last game of the campaign. It was his second appearance since he suffered that horrible injury in the season's opener.

But he was immense. Strong and determined he inverted towards the midfield as if he was playing all season there.

He will most definitely be Arteta's first choice left back for next season. No doubt about it. 

And in addition to saving all that money to buy a left back Arteta won't have to go for an additional centre back to cover for the fabulous duo of Gabriel and Saliba. Timber remember is a centre back as well as a full back. 

Tomi will be a cover for all positions at the back and the same goes for Timber! This is in addition to Quior and Zinchenko providing additional cover.

The transfer strategy and the financial resources will therefore switch towards getting another centre forward and a central midfielder if Partey goes.

The center forward will be selected to have the versatility to also play on the wing.

Add to all the above the large room for improvement that is within this young squad and the experience gained in the last two seasons.

It's a sure recipe for surpassing City and lifting the premier league trophy next May. 

On the Brink of Glory: Arsenal’s Progressive March Under Mikel Arteta

By Danong

Mikel Arteta has done an impressive job at the Emirates Stadium. Take a look at this trend:

2019-2020: 56 points and finished 8th

2020-2021: 61 points, finished 8th

2021-2022: 69 points, finished 5th

2022-2023: 84 points, finished 2nd

2023-24: ??

It is apparent that Arsenal under Mikel are on the rise; each season they improve. Since the Spaniard took over halfway through the 2019–20 season, Arsenal's points have increased significantly each season in an upward trend. 

Compared to the past seasons prior to the Arteta era, the Gunners have never remained still or exhibited signs of deterioration.

The 2023–24 season concludes today. An Arsenal victory over Everton will see the Gunners finish with a maximum of 89 points. Unfortunately, these points may not help them win the title (though they may win if Manchester City, who have 88 points, drop points against West Ham on Sunday).

Even so, reaching 89 points is commendable given Arsenal's growing momentum, but it is insufficient to meet coach Mikel Arteta's target of 90 points if his side is to win the Premier League.

"The demands, you might have to win every game. I don’t know. I have no clue. There are a lot of games and we are all going to have crazy schedules and this league might be different to last season," said Arteta back in March of the title race as quoted by 90MIN.

"Anything under 90 points I think would be very difficult."

Anyway, given the trend, there's every reason to expect Arsenal to gather more points next season than they did this season. So, if not this season, Arsenal will return with an even better version next season, aiming to win the Premier League title with 90 or more points. 

Whatever happens on Sunday, whether Arsenal win the league or not, the most beautiful days for the Gooners are ahead.