Arsenal 21-22: Brexit FC

lars10

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Frustrating result but a lot of positives to take away from that match for Arsenal. We were the better side over the first 60 minutes until a combination of refball and losing our heads for five minutes completely changed the match. Our press was very effective and we looked dangerous going forward. Over the last few years, I have rarely seen City having less control of a match than they did in the first hour. Hopefully this is a learning experience for a very young team. Decisions are going to go against you and you can't lose your focus.
It’s one thing to have the pk go against them.. but the ref gave more calls for dissent than anything else.. city wasn’t given a card for any of their fouls. Rodrigo had at least three fouls that were card-able. And then city got calls every time they fell down (almost). Arsenal dominated until the pk..and then Gabriel is called for scuffing the penalty spot.. which leads almost directly to his red card. Rodrigo did almost the exact same thing and doesn’t even get called for a foul. And it’s not isolated to today.. arsenal give up the most reds and pks it seems while hardly ever getting the same calls in return.. but maybe that’s just my perception.. would have to look at the numbers.

encouraging signs are: the passing is light years ahead of last year (especially in the back), the recent turn of form is not an illusion.. arsenal dominated man city full strength and should have won even down a man.. City’s attack looked toothless and Arsenal looked far more dangerous.. Martinelli should have scored at least two.. the future is potentially very bright.
 

BostonJack42

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1. The Ref was absolute s**t and got worse as the game wore on. VAR didn't help him at all.
2. Martinelli should have scored on the open net but I watched at least one replay where the ref stepped in front of him. All for a ref fighting for the best angle and it was probably an honest incident but it didn't help.
3. The fact we brought on Elneny in that type of match is still so mind boggling to me. They sub on Gündoğan and we bring in Elneny. I don't know who else we could have thrown on but the fact that he's on the bench and a choice in this type of game...
4. The future does look bright all things considered.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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View: https://twitter.com/JamesOlley/status/1478424555718955014


If true, this seems pretty insane unless we have a replacement already lined up.

If Xhaka or Sambi gets injured or comes down with Covid, its either throw Patino into the fire or play a 4-3-3 with both Ode and ESR as the 8s. While the latter sounds sexy in theory we have never really been good in that formation. All of our recent progress has had a double pivot platform to build off and junking that for 4-3-3 right now doesn’t seem like a great idea.
 

mikeford

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I think they also believe they can move Ben White to a CDM role if needed but I agree if you do not have someone ready to come in like.. this week, it seems like an insane thing to do this early in the window.
 

mikeford

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Xhaka has COVID so good luck with that milk jug matchup with no midfielders

Almost like maybe you should have kept AMN but what do I know I'm not some dumbass manager with perfect hair and no clue.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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I'm still very skeptical of our ability to sign him this window. But Arsenal Vision podcast released a scouting video on Vlahovic today that is absolutely ridiculous. If anybody else is a patron I would highly recommend watching. Even beyond his goal scoring, this guy's all around game looks amazing and his combination of size and athleticism just pops off the screen. He's like Giroud except a dynamic athlete instead of a plodder.
 

lars10

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Xhaka has COVID so good luck with that milk jug matchup with no midfielders

Almost like maybe you should have kept AMN but what do I know I'm not some dumbass manager with perfect hair and no clue.
This seems overly harsh
 

lars10

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I said he had perfect hair what more do you want
I mean.. the team has been playing a lot better as of late.. so it's either luck or he's actually starting to put his system into place with the players he wants.. AMN isn't in the future of the team most likely.. and I feel like he's been given the opportunity to prove himself, no? Midfield has been a failing for Arsenal's coaches for a while now.. the fact that Xhaka being out is now a problem would seem to almost be a credit to the perfectly haired one.. (because Xhaka was more or less useless for a while).
 

mikeford

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I'm not really thinking about long term, we have a massive roster problem in midfield for the next month and have let another useful midfield body go without replacing them. That to me is the height of stupidity. How I feel about Xhaka's ability is not really the important thing, the issue is that he's better than Charlie Patino (the guy who took his place in the lineup in the FA cup).
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Aubameyang is out of AFCON and returning to the Emirates with a heart condition believed to be related to his covid infection. Speculation is that he was unvaccinated, but no one seems to have a confirmation.

I'm so tired of this guy, and it appears this will crush any chance of even a short sale this window.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Ghana somehow managed to get knocked out of AFCON by Comoros, so its time to Partey.

I have no idea when he'll actually be coming back but I have to think there is a chance he is available against Burnley (if that match gets played...).
 

the1andonly3003

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Ghana somehow managed to get knocked out of AFCON by Comoros, so its time to Partey.

I have no idea when he'll actually be coming back but I have to think there is a chance he is available against Burnley (if that match gets played...).
this is the final gw before the international break, does the PL still have an isolation period? Partey may not be able to return until the rest of the AFCON players in early Feb
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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this is the final gw before the international break, does the PL still have an isolation period? Partey may not be able to return until the rest of the AFCON players in early Feb
My understanding (could be wrong) is that there is no quarantine if you're fully vaxxed and test negative. I don't know his vaccination status but assumed he is vaxxed.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Apparently is for his 86' yellow card for timewasting v. Leeds; game was well in hand, he'd already gone around making more-rash-than-normal challenges (like this one on Raphinha: View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdAHOYwP7eg
) without being booked.

$65k in bets came in for him to get a booking in the last 10 minutes of the match. Looks uhh... suspicious
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Ordinarily I'd say nobody is dumb enough to risk their very lucrative career doing something like that but with Mr. Housekeys all bets are off (or not off apparently).

The hilarious thing is that he could easily have seen straight red for that challenge on Raphinha, in which case I assume the other guy would have lost the bet.

My guess is that Xhaka's willful participation in the scheme is very difficult to prove unless in the context of a criminal investigation where they can subpoena text records and stuff like that. His defense of "I'm basically a walking yellow card on the pitch during any match" is a pretty good one unless there is a smoking gun.
 

mikeford

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Well that should put to rest any of this "top 4" talk.

Complete roster mismanagement by Arteta and Edu in January. You knew you'd be short players and you did nothing. Congrats. Another 8th place finish on the way.
 

mikeford

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Sounds like Dusan Vlahovic definitely is not happening as he's set on moving to Juventus either now, in the summer or for free in summer 2023 if Fiorentina don't wanna accept whatever pittance Juve will give them.

This is a wider conversation about European football in general but it definitely feels like smaller clubs are getting absolutely fucked on sale fees more and more with players basically saying "I'm going here and that's it or I'll just leave for nothing later". This is pretty much the same exact thing that happened with Lewandowski to Bayern years ago.
 

lars10

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Well that should put to rest any of this "top 4" talk.

Complete roster mismanagement by Arteta and Edu in January. You knew you'd be short players and you did nothing. Congrats. Another 8th place finish on the way.
They didn’t even lose.. what am I missing? They’re 2 points out of fourth with a game in hand.. 2 points out of 8th too, but you seem to think it’s impossible to make up a 2 point difference vs a surety that they’ll fall down 2.. don’t get it. Just because they didn’t add players during AFCON? Or because they haven’t added during the transfer window? Why so ridiculously over the top negative all the time.. especially when the club has actually been playing well?
 
They didn’t even lose.. what am I missing? They’re 2 points out of fourth with a game in hand.. 2 points out of 8th too, but you seem to think it’s impossible to make up a 2 point difference vs a surety that they’ll fall down 2.. don’t get it. Just because they didn’t add players during AFCON? Or because they haven’t added during the transfer window? Why so ridiculously over the top negative all the time.. especially when the club has actually been playing well?
Forget it, Jake. It's mikeford.
 

mikeford

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So Vlahovic is off to Juve and now it sounds like Isak is off the table, Jovic is no longer available on loan from Madrid and Juve don't wanna let Arthur go either.

Edu better have a rabbit up his goddamn sleeve. And it better not be "shell out 70 million for Calvert-Lewin" either.
 

shaggydog2000

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They just sold Chambers to Villa.

View: https://twitter.com/arsenal/status/1486787420074954757?s=21


Pretty weird that a team in a tight race for a champions league spot is doing nothing but selling off and loaning depth players. I guess it's nice to get something for him, and the need for him is reduced with no more cup games. Would be nice to have some incomings other than a backup goalie that won't be here until summer though.
 

mikeford

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I do not understand what they are doing. Not that Chambers is any great loss or anything but the squad seriously lacks senior bodies right now.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Assuming Auba is gone in some capacity, we're down to 18 senior field players by my count if we don't bring anybody in this window.

Defenders (7): Tierney, Gabriel, White, Tomi, Nuno, Holding, Cedric
Central midfielders (4): Partey, Xhaka, Sambi, Elneny
Behind the striker (5): Martinelli, Odegaard, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Pepe
Strikers (2): Lacazette, Nketiah

That is probably enough given that we're only in one competition but its definitely very thin and a big spring injury crisis could be a problem.

Partly it just feels weird, however, because we're used to a bloated squad with a bunch of wasters that never play.
 

shaggydog2000

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Assuming Auba is gone in some capacity, we're down to 18 senior field players by my count if we don't bring anybody in this window.

Defenders (7): Tierney, Gabriel, White, Tomi, Nuno, Holding, Cedric
Central midfielders (4): Partey, Xhaka, Sambi, Elneny
Behind the striker (5): Martinelli, Odegaard, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Pepe
Strikers (2): Lacazette, Nketiah

That is probably enough given that we're only in one competition but its definitely very thin and a big spring injury crisis could be a problem.

Partly it just feels weird, however, because we're used to a bloated squad with a bunch of wasters that never play.
You'd think Chambers would be cheap cover at central defense and RB. They're barely getting a fee from what I can tell, with most of the number mentioned being savings from salary, and he wasn't being paid all that much.
 

mikeford

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I seriously wonder if they're planning on recalling William Saliba. Tomiyasu is going to be out for awhile according to Arteta's last presser. Ben White could be shifted over to RB and Saliba into a centreback role.
 

lars10

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They gained 1 point in January and got knocked out of every competition they were in.

What.
Gained one point on who? I thought the criteria was top four? You said ‘forget top four’ which is insane given the number of fixtures left. And we were talking about the league.. why bring up other competitions? I’m talking about their form with the top team in the EPL.. they’re 11-4-3 in their past 18 games in the league and should have beaten Man City if the match was called at all consistently.. they vastly outplayed them. I get that you want to always focus on the negative but that criteria of your last post isn’t what we were talking about and you know it.

Edit; and ‘what’ is right.. sometimes I think you think that none of the rest of us also follow Arsenal
 

mikeford

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Gained one point on who? I thought the criteria was top four? You said ‘forget top four’ which is insane given the number of fixtures left. And we were talking about the league.. why bring up other competitions? I’m talking about their form with the top team in the EPL.. they’re 11-4-3 in their past 18 games in the league and should have beaten Man City if the match was called at all consistently.. they vastly outplayed them. I get that you want to always focus on the negative but that criteria of your last post isn’t what we were talking about and you know it.

Edit; and ‘what’ is right.. sometimes I think you think that none of the rest of us also follow Arsenal
Oh we're into moral victories now? Neat. They lost. They did not "vastly outplay" City which is why the xG was Arsenal (0.81) 1-2 (1.96) Man City, possession was 71/29 in favor of City and City had double the shots.

And they gained one point AT ALL. Lost to City and drew to a team in 20th. All the teams around them moved ahead of them except Sp*rs, who have a game in hand.

And we'll bring up other competitions because those were the games played and they lost and despite that you asserted that Arsenal had been playing well. A January form of LLDLD is uh... not what I'd call playing well but apparently we have vastly different ideas of what the word "well" means.
 

lars10

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Oh we're into moral victories now? Neat. They lost. They did not "vastly outplay" City which is why the xG was Arsenal (0.81) 1-2 (1.96) Man City, possession was 71/29 in favor of City and City had double the shots.

And they gained one point AT ALL. Lost to City and drew to a team in 20th. All the teams around them moved ahead of them except Sp*rs, who have a game in hand.

And we'll bring up other competitions because those were the games played and they lost and despite that you asserted that Arsenal had been playing well. A January form of LLDLD is uh... not what I'd call playing well but apparently we have vastly different ideas of what the word "well" means.
What are you talking about? They tied Burnley, Lost to City, Beat Norwich, City, Beat Leeds and Beat West Ham.. you're adding in EFL Cup games and FA Cup games because you continue to argue that those games matter as much apparently? Even though you and I both know that the squad playing those games are often vastly different. YOU were saying that we can forget top four.. that's not the FA Cup..that's not the EFL Cup.. that's the EPL. In the EPL the run of form has a lot more wins in it..the only reason to include the EFL and FA matches is because Arsenal lost a lot of those games. We're talking about top four. What do those games have to do with top four?

edit: I guess I have to qualify my statement regarding Man City.. while Arsenal was not playing even strength they were taking it to city... yes you are correct..after the red card Man City dominated..I wonder why.
2nd edit: I see that I'm wrong about the two EFL Cup games..those lineups were fairly strong... but in most of these matches we are running out a lot of our youngest players for the most part.
 
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mikeford

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Why on earth do you think only the league form matters when we're talking about how they are playing? Did they not play those cup games? Did they not lose? Does that not indicate HOW THEY ARE PLAYING better than a game against West Ham that was nearly 2 months ago at this point? We cannot continue having this discussion because you are on Mars and I am here on Earth.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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After several twists and turns, Auba to Barca seems likely to happen on a free transfer.

The whole situation has been crap but this is pretty good news in my book. We get out from under his 350k per week for the next 18 months, instead of potentially facing another Ozil.

The team's wage bill is very healthy.