Arsenal

[Armstrong_11]

10 man fulham defended so well in the last 10minutes.... arsenal had like 80% of the ball and still couldnt find a way through.

2 points drop.... i'll take that.

two poor goals to concede, one mistake, and one from a dead ball. and 2 pretty lucky goals to score, a pen from a mistime challenge, and another with a man down.

 

[Marty]

Might be going to early here but what the hell.

I still think they benefitted massively last season from the following;
- Settled 11 every week whilst most teams had to switch it up.
- WC break - they benefitted the most and had less players playing than most.
- Liverpool's midfield breaking down.
- Chelsea being a complete disaster.
- United in transistion.
- Conte imploding.

Everything seemed to just fall in place for them.

Yet, each time they played City they looked so far behind them.

Here is why this season may be tough for them.

+ CL football - it is massively different to EL football as you can't play reserve players, you HAVE TO go full strength.
+ Rotation - Arteta has shown that this is an issue for him. Get him his first 11 and it is fine but as soon as he put Trossard and Jorginho into the team last season they had issues.
+ Zinchenko is a poor defender, I have highlighted that a few times, yet teams didn't really get at him. WIth teams improving and better attackers in the league, you will see him get exploited more.
+ Rice. He is a good player no doubt but he is not what you are paying for. A 100m midfielder should be able to do EVERYTHING and that includes winning games, taking the game on and dominating it - like Zidane, Modric and now Bellingham. Rice isn't that player, he is good at maintaining the ball and winning it but he doesn't have that X factor that makes him a decisive player. He is a complementary type of player.
+ Liverpool WILL get better and when they do I still feel they are better and have a better coach than Arteta.
+ Tottenham and Chelsea will not be a soft touch this season.
+ Brighton are still getting better and Villa look much better under Emery.

I can see them dropping points after CL games, especially if they play the teams I mentioned.

I don't think you're going early at all. They were third best after the World Cup, only fifth best from March 1st until the season ended (14 games). Signs were there to suggest that they'd run out of steam a bit.

People have gone a bit OTT on their signings as well. I rate Rice, perhaps higher than a lot of others on here, but I don't think their signings mean they'll threaten City this time round.

 

[rossdapep]

I don't think you're going early at all. They were third best after the World Cup, only fifth best from March 1st until the season ended (14 games). Signs were there to suggest that they'd run out of steam a bit.

People have gone a bit OTT on their signings as well. I rate Rice, perhaps higher than a lot of others on here, but I don't think their signings mean they'll threaten City this time round.

Yeah I would agree with that.

Havertz is the strange one for me. A player who looked lost at Chelsea and a player hard to see what his best position actually is.

So Arteta, signs him for a lot of money because he has a plan for him, yet it looks like he is getting in the way and their system is not functioning as well.

Why not just sign a player who already looks good in a similar system to yours? Cheaper too.

Ego?

 

[KILLA_SIN]

Nice too see the wobble started early

 

[Albertbarich]

Might be going to early here but what the hell.

I still think they benefitted massively last season from the following;
- Settled 11 every week whilst most teams had to switch it up.
- WC break - they benefitted the most and had less players playing than most.
- Liverpool's midfield breaking down.
- Chelsea being a complete disaster.
- United in transistion.
- Conte imploding.

Everything seemed to just fall in place for them.

Yet, each time they played City they looked so far behind them.

Here is why this season may be tough for them.

+ CL football - it is massively different to EL football as you can't play reserve players, you HAVE TO go full strength.
+ Rotation - Arteta has shown that this is an issue for him. Get him his first 11 and it is fine but as soon as he put Trossard and Jorginho into the team last season they had issues.
+ Zinchenko is a poor defender, I have highlighted that a few times, yet teams didn't really get at him. WIth teams improving and better attackers in the league, you will see him get exploited more.
+ Rice. He is a good player no doubt but he is not what you are paying for. A 100m midfielder should be able to do EVERYTHING and that includes winning games, taking the game on and dominating it - like Zidane, Modric and now Bellingham. Rice isn't that player, he is good at maintaining the ball and winning it but he doesn't have that X factor that makes him a decisive player. He is a complementary type of player.
+ Liverpool WILL get better and when they do I still feel they are better and have a better coach than Arteta.
+ Tottenham and Chelsea will not be a soft touch this season.
+ Brighton are still getting better and Villa look much better under Emery.

I can see them dropping points after CL games, especially if they play the teams I mentioned.

Good points but have to disagree about Rice, I think he is genuinely top top class.

They will be up there, very strong squad now but I don't see them finishing above City.

 

[sundanceyid10]

Good points but have to disagree about Rice, I think he is genuinely top top class.

They will be up there, very strong squad now but I don't see them finishing above City.

I don’t see anyone finishing above City.

 

[WiganSpur]

Might be going to early here but what the hell.

I still think they benefitted massively last season from the following;
- Settled 11 every week whilst most teams had to switch it up.
- WC break - they benefitted the most and had less players playing than most.
- Liverpool's midfield breaking down.
- Chelsea being a complete disaster.
- United in transistion.
- Conte imploding.

Everything seemed to just fall in place for them.

Yet, each time they played City they looked so far behind them.

Here is why this season may be tough for them.

+ CL football - it is massively different to EL football as you can't play reserve players, you HAVE TO go full strength.
+ Rotation - Arteta has shown that this is an issue for him. Get him his first 11 and it is fine but as soon as he put Trossard and Jorginho into the team last season they had issues.
+ Zinchenko is a poor defender, I have highlighted that a few times, yet teams didn't really get at him. WIth teams improving and better attackers in the league, you will see him get exploited more.
+ Rice. He is a good player no doubt but he is not what you are paying for. A 100m midfielder should be able to do EVERYTHING and that includes winning games, taking the game on and dominating it - like Zidane, Modric and now Bellingham. Rice isn't that player, he is good at maintaining the ball and winning it but he doesn't have that X factor that makes him a decisive player. He is a complementary type of player.
+ Liverpool WILL get better and when they do I still feel they are better and have a better coach than Arteta.
+ Tottenham and Chelsea will not be a soft touch this season.
+ Brighton are still getting better and Villa look much better under Emery.

I can see them dropping points after CL games, especially if they play the teams I mentioned.

Agree with most of this but come on Rice is a world class player if we'd signed him no one would be saying this.

And to be fair, if other teams are better then that also means the other top teams drop points also. The biggest concern for them is the CL, and that Timber injury is a blow for them. If they get one or two more at the back they're in trouble.

 

[mattspur1986]

 

[rossdapep]

Good points but have to disagree about Rice, I think he is genuinely top top class.

They will be up there, very strong squad now but I don't see them finishing above City.

I'm talking about the very very best midfielders who can do everything. He isn't that level and never will be.

Bellingham can do everything and cost a bit less. That is the level I mean.

I am not sure they will be up there. Why?


Arteta's ego. Thinks he is a football genius. Played Partey at right-back today. When a coach starts to do stuff like that and complicate it for their players, it is a sign they are getting too overconfident.

 

[Albertbarich]

I'm talking about the very very best midfielders who can do everything. He isn't that level and never will be.

Bellingham can do everything and cost a bit less. That is the level I mean.

I am not sure they will be up there. Why?


Arteta's ego. Thinks he is a football genius. Played Partey at right-back today. When a coach starts to do stuff like that and complicate it for their players, it is a sign they are getting too overconfident.

I mean I pray you're right but I think they have a very strong squad now and a confidence about themselves.

As for Rice I hate using the word fan as he's scum but I've say admired him for a long time and think he has it all in his locker. Is he as good as Bellingham? No but nobody is. I do however think he will excel in that holding position unless of course Legohead as you say gets to smart for his own good and starts trying to make him something he isn't.

 

[E17yid]

Mind the gap motherfuckers

 

[olliec]

Is Rice really that much better than Hojberg? I mean 80m better?

 

[TheChosenOne]

I'm talking about the very very best midfielders who can do everything. He isn't that level and never will be.

Bellingham can do everything and cost a bit less. That is the level I mean.

I am not sure they will be up there. Why?


Arteta's ego. Thinks he is a football genius. Played Partey at right-back today. When a coach starts to do stuff like that and complicate it for their players, it is a sign they are getting too overconfident.

With Garbriel on the bench again.

 

[theShiznit]

Nice to see them getting their bottling in early this year.

 

[Ickle73]

Arteta's ego. Thinks he is a football genius. Played Partey at right-back today. When a coach starts to do stuff like that and complicate it for their players, it is a sign they are getting too overconfident.

 

[Reece_Spurs]

Is Rice really that much better than Hojberg? I mean 80m better?

Rice is very good. Not just defensively but he's technically brilliant aswell with a good range of passing. He's better than Hojberg yes.

He isn't worth £100m though that's for sure. Even with the English tax.

He's a solid £60m player, maybe pushing £70m.

It's all irrelevant though really as he's worth what Arsenal were willing to pay.

I'd much rather Biss, Maddison, Bentancur and Sarr for around the same price though.

 

[DJS]

I'm talking about the very very best midfielders who can do everything. He isn't that level and never will be.

Bellingham can do everything and cost a bit less. That is the level I mean.

I am not sure they will be up there. Why?


Arteta's ego. Thinks he is a football genius. Played Partey at right-back today. When a coach starts to do stuff like that and complicate it for their players, it is a sign they are getting too overconfident.

He’s been playing Partey at right in every game and Gabriel has been on bench.

Weird.

I guess Gabriel might be because a little unsettled with Saudis after him, but Zinchenko also not starting at left back, making some weird selection decisions.

 

[theShiznit]

He’s been playing Partey at right in every game and Gabriel has been on bench.

Weird.

I guess Gabriel might be because a little unsettled with Saudis after him, but Zinchenko also not starting at left back, making some weird selection decisions.

He's in his own head.

And there's no escape from that haircut it's like a steel trap.

But apparently they're ten times better than last season... Yeah at bottling games.

 

[robotsonic]

The best part of today's result is that they've spent all summer touching themselves over how good they apparently are now (despite the historic bottle job last season, the second bottle on the bounce), so they'll see these as dropped points in pursuit of the title and lose some confidence, despite it being a result that in any other year would be something that you might just accept and swallow because it's a derby game.

They might have bought Rice but they've still got some bang average players in their 11. If they think they're challenging for the title this year then they're going to be sorely disappointed imo, and to see them taken back down a peg will be lovely.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

Not great back to back against Palace and Fulham they looked ropey Monday Night. Next game home to United another draw hopefully