The Cavalry Ride To Arteta’s Rescue

To rotate or not to rotate? That is the question? Although if there ever was going to be an opportunity to do so, then Southampton at home ought to have been it. And so Arteta twisted instead of sticking (one cannot expect him to select essentially the same XI 55+ times in a season); but I sensed pre-game that perhaps he had overdone it with three personnel changes, plus one positional.

And so it proved to be. Despite collecting full backs as if he’s expecting a world shortage, injuries forced the manager to drop Thomas Partey in to right back with both White and Timber unfit, Tomiyasu barely back training, and young Josh Nichols deemed not ready for the Premier League despite a promising runout against Bolton. Califiori was the natural choice at left back; he'd looked somewhat uncomfortable and unfamiliar at right back in the latter stages of the PSG game - to my eyes, anyway - and so Kivior stayed on the bench.

Whether Arteta needed to play Rice and Jorginho as a ‘double pivot’ is open to debate - it would have been nice to see Nwaneri get a Premier League start - but it was further forward, with Jesus and Sterling coming in to the side in place of Trossard and Martinelli, where Arsenal struggled for cohesion. Saka always plays, of course…

It has been interesting to see how Arteta has compensated for the loss of Martin Odegaard by asking Havertz to play more on the right (he's everywhere; popping up wherever he needs to be to be honest), and I've been fascinated to see him often appear on Starboy's outside on occasion as 'B' picks up the ball and drives inside. The downside, of course, is the loss of the German's presence in the penalty area on those occasions, but Trossard and Martinelli have been making up for that.

But with Jesus and Sterling in there instead, the balance on the left hand side changed on Saturday. And took some getting used to, as Arsenal essentially lacked cohesion. I thought that Sterling did ok, without looking anything like the player he used to be, and we have to hope that after the mauling his confidence took at the Cobham Madhouse he can regain some of that form. He's an entirely different player to Martinelli, and Arteta will surely have a plan to play to his strengths as the season goes on. Jesus, for the most part, looked like a man who has forgotten how to play. He hasn't been the same player since he picked up a knee injury at the last World Cup, and as a result has struggled for fitness and then form; and now he's fit it's clear that he has lost his place to Havertz - Arsenal's undisputed Number 9. 

As Arsenal's style of play has become more and more structured (and yes; there’s loads of fluidity within that!), it has felt to me that there isn't a place in the side for somebody like Jesus, who lacks positional discipline. Sure, opponents don't know where he may pop up next; but I suspect that often his team-mates don't either! 

Arsenal started the game very quickly, as one would expect, and despite the personnel changes looked likely to overwhelm Southampton. But, frustratingly, and much like the previous week, the breakthrough goal did not come. And as the half wore on it felt that players and fans alike both felt that it was only a matter of time before it did, but there were few clear cut chances despite Arsenal's control. There wasn't a huge amount for the returning Aaron Ramsdale to do as last ditch blocks and interceptions meant that the ball wasn't getting through to goal, and the crowd was quiet. Both Jesus and Sterling had chances, but Arsenal looked disjointed, despite retaining control. 

There was a moment when Arsenal won the ball back after a rare Southampton foray into the penalty area when Sterling, had he been more alert, could have created separation from his marker and given Raya a chance to find him in acres of space, but he could not, or would not, put on the afterburners in the way that I suspect that Martinelli would have done. As for Jesus, he really needs a goal or some sort of goal involvement. He looks a little bit lost, and devoid of confidence. There were one or two flashes, to be fair, but he didn't do enough in the hour or so he spent on the field.

Southampton's attack is quite powder puff, frankly, and the busy Cameron Archer (relegated with Sheffield United last season) looked their main threat - along with young right winger Dibling. Indeed, Dibling caused Califiori one or two problems as the game wore on; the Italian looks tremendous going forward, but does appear to lack a little pace when forced back towards his own goal - an upgrade on Zinchenko in many ways, but with similar defensive issues. It does feel strange to me that despite accumulating defenders as if they're going out of fashion, so many of them (Saliba and Gabriel being the exceptions) are 'hybrids' - not a traditional full back in sight. Still, we have to assume that Arteta knows what he's doing.

It was Archer who, completely against the run of play, gave Southampton the lead 10 minutes into the second half. Sterling lost the ball in the Southampton half, and one ball over the top and one twisting run later the ball was nestling in the far corner of Raya's net. That certainly wasn't in the script!

But it was almost as if a switch went off for Arsenal at that point. The level of intensity rose, and they were level within three minutes. Saka intercepted in the Southampton half and played an instant pass to Havertz - who had immediately got on the run - one touch to set the ball, and a clinical finish from 17 yards, off the far post, gave Ramsdale no chance whatsoever.

At that point, Arteta had already been planning changes. In the aftermath of the equaliser, three took place. Martinelli, Trossard and Merino on for Sterling, Jesus and Jorginho (I had already called these exact changes; although I was once again disappointed not to see Nwaneri out there). At that point the intensity went up several notches - it really shouldn't be like that - as Martinelli and Trossard began to put the Saints defence under extra pressure. And from then it was only a matter of time before Arsenal took the lead.

And so it came to pass that Arsenal quickly went ahead; with a goal we've seen before. Saka driving in from the right, defenders lured into crowded areas in front of goal, and Martinelli totally unmarked at the back post to volley Starboy's inch perfect cross home past a bewildered Ramsdale. Glorious. There was a VAR check - and Merino was marginally offside but not deemed to be interfering with play - and following a three minute check the goal was finally awarded. Double celebrations... the second set tinged with relief!

Arsenal pressed for more, but Southampton - and in particular young Dibling, who looks to have a bright future - showed a bit more on the break. The youngster's shot had Raya at full stretch, and from the resulting corner Raya flapped, and the ball cannoned off a Saints player onto the crossbar. Nervy times, and the game not feeling quite settled; until Trossard broke forward, then lost the ball in the penalty area. Sugawara looked to clear the ball, but hadn't noticed Saka coming in from the right and a neat side foot right foot finish made the points safe at 3-1.

Saka's 49th Premier League goal, and his stats over the last two home games have been spectacular. 7 shots and 8 chances created versus Leicester, and 7 plus 7 in this one. Two assists and a goal in this game - thus justifying my decision to captain him in Fantasy Premier League! Additionally, by the way, his assist for Havertz meant that this was the seventh successive home game in which the German had scored. £60 million down the drain? I don't think so! Waka waka! And finally on the statisitics front; this was Arsenal's 400th Premier League home win. only Manchester United (almost entirely down to Sir Alex Ferguson) have more.

And so that was that. But Arsenal are by no means at their best yet this season. Especially at home. It's interesting to see how much more switched on defensively they are away from home, and the concern for Arteta and all of us is that there may come a time when instead of conceding early in the second half, they concede late on and simply don't have time to put things right. These past two weeks they've had plenty of time, and they're done what needed to be done, but they must tighten up. The cavalry came to the rescue; but another time they might not have time to do so.

One big issue for Arteta is how to handle his squad. As I've said, there were perhaps too many line-up changes in this one, but he has to be able to handle his 'alternates', and to expect them to contribute a bit more than they did here. Arsenal don't have the depth that Manchester City have, which increases the pressure. 

Talking of Manchester City, it's going to take some time to understand the implications of the Associsated Party Transactions ruling just made. And despite them claiming some sort of victory, I reckon that it's a pyrrhic one. Whilst the Premier League have lost out regarding some details, I believe that on the whole its more of a win for the PL than for City. And this, of course, is just a small part of what City are having to fight. With 30 charges relating to 'failure to cooperate', they do appear to be in quite a bit of trouble. But I'd rather win the league this year irrespective of points deductions, please...

Just a quick mention of Tottenham here. Banter Club extrordinaire. Comedy value 10/10. Nobody has blown more two goal leads than Tottenham Hotspur in the history of the Premier League. That's 10 times now - three more than any other club. The very definition of Spursy. Special thanks to ex-Gunner Danny Welbeck for sticking the final knife in. Long may the Spursiness continue; everywhere they go.

And so to another Interlull. How I hate them. So now we'll be checking how Ghana are getting on, and what time Brazil are playing. Ridiculous. Still, I guess that these two weeks are going to take Odegaard two weeks closer to fitness, and we may be getting close to seeing the Rice, Merino, Odegaard midfield that we've been craving.

Here's to an uneventful fortnight. COYG!

 

Trossard Again Ole Ole!

A curate’s egg of a match. Full of crazy statistics and ‘sliding doors’ moments, but ultimately revolving around the physical and mental effort that Arsenal put in (or failed to at times) at various stages. In the end, the score line makes it look like a comfortable win for Arsenal, but for a lot of the second half it was anything but. And for that…for me; blame the players for switching off at half time, thinking that they could coast through the rest of the game. 

Arsenal were on top for pretty much the entire first half, and deservedly went in two goals ahead. But, for all that, there were moments of concern. Jamie Vardy, bane of our lives for several years in the not too distant past, is still quick and tricky enough to cause even the best of defenders problems, and managed to upset even the almost unrufflable Saliba on occasion. 

If you go back to how the move for Arsenal’s first goal started, Saliba clearly held Vardy back in order for Calafiori to win the ball and start the move. Fortunately, it is clear that the VAR check didn’t go back that far. Vardy was even booked for complaining about it. 

In truth, the first half was pretty much all Arsenal, and the scoreboard was given a more realistic feel in first half injury time when Trossard turned in Martinelli’s cross to make it 2-0. This followed the earlier finish from Martinelli, from Timber’s low cross, which will hopefully help to kick-start the young Brazilian’s season. It all pointed to a pretty routine home win - easy, even - but Arsenal came out for the second half apparently believing that - and playing like - the match was as good as over; whereas Leicester had certainly not given up.

Within 5 minutes of the second half starting, Arsenal had given up half of their advantage, and also had two men booked. Vardy’s sharp movement finally got Saliba a yellow card in the very first minute of the half, and Arsenal conceded from the resulting free kick as Justin’s header was inadvertently deflected by Havertz, wrong-footing David Raya and giving him little chance. It didn’t feel quite as rosy at that point, and the home team were finding it difficult to break out of their half-time lethargy. For me, there were flashbacks to occasions when Arsenal sides of the past 20 years or so had blown opportunities to take advantage of rivals’ slip ups; due to their collective mental weakness.

Indeed at 2-2 - Justin’s second goal a finish of great quality and one I doubt he'd ever hit as cleanly again - it all felt a little rocky. The Leicester fans were making a lot of noise, and the Arsenal crowd were shocked into silence. As, for a while, were the team. 

But for the last 20 minutes, as Arsenal became more and more frantic in their search for a winner, the game was back to being one-way as they pummelled Leicester again and again, with only goalkeeper Hermansen preventing the raising of a cricket score. The lethargy of the previous 20 minutes or so was replaced by an onslaught, with the keeper saving the away side again and again. Saves from Havertz and Trossard, in particular, were exceptional. 

Raheem Sterling replaced Martinelli, with his neat footwork causing the Leicester defence a different set of problems, but the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri on the other side of the pitch was far more notable. With his very first involvement, he beat three men and forced Hermansen into a full-length save. I’ve been telling people to watch out for the boy for a few weeks now - that Match Of The Day should devote a section to him at the end of their coverage of the game would suggest that we’re all on the right track with him. I wouldn’t start him in midweek, but Saturday looks like an ideal opportunity to let him loose on another promoted team in Southampton.

At the other end of the field Calafiori was fortunate not to be the third Arsenal player sent off this season as, having been carded earlier, he tripped Buonanotte. The referee instead chose to book the Leicester player for waving an imaginary card at him! I must admit that nobody around me noticed much of that at the time; but having seen it back on the television the Italian can count himself very fortunate indeed!

As the game moved into injury time, things were looking bleak as the spectre of points dropped to a considerably inferior team grew. But, finally, a corner routine paid off. Leicester had been presenting a different problem to Arsenal from corners compared to the previous two weeks, and so Jover had been instead looking to free a man up beyond the far post with many of the routines. And it finally paid off as Saka’s delivery eluded all but Leandro Trossard in that very spot. His side foot volley back into an incredibly crowded six yard box led to the unfortunate Ndidi deflecting the ball past Hermansen off the inside of a thigh. Cue massive relief all round.

Kai Havertz put the icing on the cake very late on - the linesman’s flag being overruled by the VAR - and so in the end the points were comfortably secured. But despite Arsenal having by far the better of the game statistically - 75% possession, 656 passes, 36 shots (in the top 10 of all Premier League matches), 17 on target in total, 63 clearances by Leicester players and 17 corners to 0 - there was a good portion of the game when the home side’s physical and mental effort could be questioned. And if I were Arteta that’s just what I would be doing. You simply can’t let up. And that’s precisely why - despite those extraordinary statistics, the teams were level going into extra time.

Anyway, hopefully that’s a lesson learned, and we have two more home games this week. First the enticing thought of PSG (regrettably Mbappe-less, of course) and then Southampton (with Aaron Ramsdale in goal) on Saturday. With Manchester City still trying to work out how to replace the injured Rodri, Arsenal must continue to take advantage. 

COYG!

The Great Siege Of Manchester

2-2 doesn't tell the whole story, does it? So much to discuss. So much to unpack. So much to be proud of. So much to be angry about. So let's just crack on. 

The whole world was watching, so I won't go into too much detail about the game; except in the context of the points I have to make. And I don't really know where to start! But let's have a go:

Firstly, City had to step up to top gear to get anything from Arsenal. Which they don't often need to do. They started very quickly, and it's difficult to do anything but admire Haaland's goal; scored so early, and so brilliantly, especially as Arsenal hadn't at that point quite got to grips with the way Pep had set his team out. The goal had everything to do with how Pep's tactics exploited the space between Arsenal's centre backs and full backs by using the full width of the pitch, thus allowing the twin Number 10s to get closer to Arsenal's defence than was comfortable. For the goal, the movement of Gundogan and Savinho (plus the latter's exquisite pass) freed Haaland in acres of space. After that, the timing of the run, the first touch and the finish were quite magnificent. Neither Saliba nor Raya had any chance.

But Haaland, for all his undoubted footballing prowess, is a nasty piece of work. When things got tight towards the end he had no compunction with throwing his weight around - illegally - as well as resorting to taunts and abuse. There was the ball-throwing incident in the aftermath of the equaliser. The shoulder charge on Gabriel. A 'Who the f*ck are you?' to Miles Lewis-Skelly. And the supposed 'banter' with Arteta and Arsenal players at the end of the game. 'Stay humble, eh', he had the audacity to tell the opposing manager... Classless.     

Talking of throwing one's weight around, I should now mention my complete lack of sympathy for Rodri. In the first few seconds, he deliberately blocked off Havertz; and then did his best to get the German into trouble. Later on, his attempt to block Partey off at a corner, trying to win a penalty off of it, in fact - led to a self-inflicted injury - possibly even an ACL tear. Here is yet another world-class City player, used to bullying the opposition, rotational fouling and generally getting his own way at all times, who received his comeuppance. Karma. As my much-missed dad was wont to say: 'I hope it's nothing trivial.' 

City will certainly miss Rodri while he's out injured; 8 months should cover it, please... City simply never lose when Rodri is in the team. Let's see how they cope.

It was Rodri who questioned Arsenal's 'ambition' in an interview last season. In the aftermath of this match, John Stones and - especially - Bernardo Silva did the same. They are rattled; and it's only the mutual respect between Pep and Mikel that stops this from bubbling over into something very unpleasant. The return game, in February, will be a doozy!

And so to Arsenal's two goals, which turned the match on its head. 

There's lots to pick out with the equaliser. 

1. Where the initial foul occurred, compared to where the free kick was taken from. No biggie, frankly.

2. The fact that following the whistle for the foul Bernardo Silva carried the ball 15 yards away - was that a yellow card offence? 

3. Michael Oliver calling the captain's together to try to calm the game down, and then allegedly allowing Arsenal to restart before Walker was back in position (red herring; he WAS back in position). 

4. Gabriel Martinelli - was his assist the lighting of the blue touch paper for his season? 

And 5. What a finish from Riccardo Califiori! Reminiscent of Saliba's sublime effort against Bournemouth in its execution, but with the stakes so much higher here. What a way to announce yourself onto the scene!

And to see the City players whinge, and Pep lash out at his own chair - magical...

For the go-ahead goal... well, we shouldn't be surprised any more, should we? City had had a warning just a few moments before, and despite changing the marker on Gabriel it was so well-worked that it was frankly inevitable. Stick it on a loop; clever blocking-off in the 6-yard area; runs from back to front; Saka's delivery on a sixpence; and Gabriel thumping the ball into the roof of the net. Rinse and repeat. The only difference between this week and last was the colour of the shirts.

And then... and haven't we been here before? Haven't Arsenal - and only Arsenal - been here before. Of all the incidences of kicking the ball away so far this season, which team have been most severely punished; by, say, the awarding of second yellow cards?  

Trossard had already been booked for a shirt pull; and quite rightly. He then barged into Bernardo Silva, and as the ball ran loose - and Oliver's whistle blew - booted the ball into the path of Gabriel Martinelli, who was in tons of space. All within a second of the whistle sounding; and reminiscent once more of Robin Van Persie's sending off in Barcelona all those years ago. As with Declan Rice against Brighton, by the letter of the Law it's a bookable offence (whether it ought to be is another matter entirely), and thus by the letter of the Law he had to go. But...

We had the earlier incident with Bernardo Silva that I referenced above. And another involving Doku. No action taken. And I should mention an incident the previous week involving Dominik Szloboszlai of Liverpool, who did something remarkably similar, but more blatantly, and was not punished for it. The referee that day? Michael Oliver. 

This is the same Michael Oliver who decided not to send Matteo Kovacic off at The Emirates last season for two vicious tackles from behind (on Rice and Odegaard) because - and I quote Howard Webb here - 'Michael doesn't like to have a negative impact in a big game'. With it being an Arsenal player, he couldn't get the cards out quick enough!

Regular readers of this blog will know that I don't go in for conspiracy theories... I'd really prefer to regard all referees as suffering from various stages of incompetence. But here are a few facts about Michael Oliver and his relationship with Abu Dhabi.

1. He was paid £20,000 in 2023 to go out to the UAE to referee a match in a tournament sponsored by The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company - owned by the owner of Manchester City. Accompanied, by the way, by both of yesterday's linesmen.

2. Subsequently, he failed to punish Kovacic (as mentioned above). He also failed to penalise Jeremy Doku for a chest high assault on Liverpool's Alexis MacAllister towards the end of last season, that would have meant a late - and in my eyes stone bonk certain - penalty to Liverpool. He also failed to award Chelsea a penalty for a pretty clear handball by Jack Grealish in last year's FA Cup semi final.

3. It's probably mere coincidence, but the Manchester City Director of Football is Ferran Soriano. I am pretty sure that he was Director of Football at Barcelona - who of course were found guilty of bribing referees - when RVP got his marching orders. Pure coincidence, of course...

As I say, no conspiracy theory. But even if there's no skullduggery going on - and the game would be finished if it were - there's surely some unconscious bias affecting the man's judgement? I'll leave it at that. And I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

What it did mean, of course, was that the second half was virtually unwatchable as a spectacle. The biggest game in the biggest competition on world football ruined by the decision to send Trossard off. As Mikel Arteta described it: Michael Oliver's decision 'forces you to play a game that nobody wanted to watch'. Nailed it. Nobody wants to watch 50 minutes of attack vs defence.

And it was, inevitably, a siege. It's difficult enough to play against that lot with 11 vs 11, let alone a man down. Arsenal had very little choice but to go ultra-defensive and try to hold on to their lead. Perhaps they could have attempted to have an outlet, but it's difficult when the opposition are suffocating you. Ben White, despite nursing an injury, replaced Saka and Arsenal went 5-4-0, which soon became 6-3-0. And they hung on, And hung on. City could do very little more than take pot shots from outside the penalty area, as space was at such a premium. David Raya made save after save. Saliba and Gabriel organised and organised. Thomas Partey, contrary to all expectations as he played his third game in a week, was magnificent in his shielding work. Arsenal tried delaying tactics; everything they knew.  

And it almost paid off. It was only in the 8th minute of 7 added that City finally equalised. Arsenal legs had finally gone, as they reached the last throes of the third of three intense away games in a week (City had had three home matches, and a day more to prepare for this match). A short corner had defenders on heels, City worked it around for the umpteenth time, and following some pinball the ball reached an unmarked John Stones 10 yards out. 2-2... cue home delirium, and Haaland's disgraceful behaviour. Who's celebrating a draw now, Rodri?

So near, and yet so far. An Arsenal win would have been seismic for the Premier League. And yet... I am sure that we're all supremely proud of the effort put in by the players. And what this illustrates yet again is that the gap is continuing to close. The reason that City are trash-talking is that they are extremely concerned. Arsenal are becoming elite; they just need the trophies to show for it. We cannot doubt their 'cojones', nor their quality. 

If only we could get through a game, or a series of games, without any controversy. Arsenal have the 11 points I predicted were the minimum they needed after this stretch of games. But it could so easily have been 15. And for a little while now it does get easier. We're right in this, I suspect that we'll stay right in it, and there's still the matter of  the 115 charges... 

This is Arsenal's year. I can feel it. COYG!

Angel Gabriel

Bragging rights remain ‘as you were’, and Arsenal stay in touch with Manchester City prior to next Sunday's massive encounter at The Etihad, as the away team - badly depleted in midfield due to injury and (ludicrous) suspension - comfortably saw off a disappointing Tottenham side at The New Toilet Bowl.

Interestingly, the feeling I was getting pre-game from Spurs fans of my acquaintance on social media was that despite Arsenal's perceived midfield weaknesses, and it perhaps being their best chance to win a NLD in a few years now, that they still didn't expect to do so. Whilst from what I've seen and heard from all but the biggest cry-babies in our fanbase about the squad being too small, the transfer window having been mismanaged and Edu Out, the sensible amongst us merely looked beyond what Arsenal didn't have available to what they did have, and tried to work out how Arteta would solve the conundrum without throwing their toys out of the window.

I listened to a few podcasts prior to the game, and read what others were suggesting on X etc, but as it turned out I managed to predict the starting XI exactly. I was fortunate enough to spend last week in New York (a break sensibly organised to coincide with the Interlull), and my wife and I had a very pleasant Thursday lunch in the company of Matt Kandela - @mattkandela on X -  from the excellent The Arsenal Opinion podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@TheArsenalOpinion - where we discussed all things Arsenal; and the chat went on so long that we were comfortably the last people out of the restaurant! 

Matt will vouch that I got the XI spot on; when I gave the following reasoning: Arteta doesn't like to put square pegs in round holes, so  he'd make as few positional changes as he could get away with. So he'd go with a 'double pivot' - necessitated by the qualities of the two midfield veterans who were available - and that he'd play Saka and Havertz in their best positions and use Martinelli's pace in order to try to exploit Tottenham's high line. Which would leave Trossard to play in the hole behind Havertz (although they would interchange). As for Ethan Nwaneri; his time will come - and perhaps would have come if this had been the likes of Leicester or Southampton at home - but there was no way that Arteta was going to start him in a game of this enormity if he hadn't made an appearance when the team were 2-0 up to Wolves or Aston Villa earlier in the season. Jesus and Sterling to come off the bench as and when needed. There you go...

It was no surprise to see Tottenham start strongly, and for the first 15 minutes or so Arsenal did struggle to get a grip on the game as they were somewhat penned back - as they were at other times during the game; Declan Rice was badly missed, with Partey and the rusty Jorginho struggling to make up the ground early on. At the same time, the returning Solanke did manage to give Saliba one or two early moments of concern before he faded in the second half (the latter booked - as only Arsenal players are these days on the basis of 'letter of the Law' - for delaying a restart after pulling back on the centre forward's shirt). But Arsenal were far more penetrative, even with the limited possession they were afforded, and soon began to get to grips with what Spurs were trying to do.

True, Raya made a couple of decent early saves - the type of save you'd expect him to make, frankly - and was dominant on crosses (are you watching Vicario?) throughout. And the wind began to fall out of Spurs' sails as early as the 15th minute. Some may argue that it was 'attack vs defence', but for me it was a team desperate to score - but not sure how to - against a team who were utterly confident in their ability to defend. 

With the double pivot doing a more than adequate job - for all that Spurs picked on Jorginho whenever he was in possession - the back 4 looked as solid as ever. Difficult to single any of them out, with Timber contributing as well down the left as White did on the right, and with Saliba and Gabriel finally pocketing Solanke. I tell you what it reminded me of; a boxer egging his opponent onto him and force him to use up loads of physical and mental energy; only to strike back when the moment was right. Something Mohammed Ali was rather good at.

At the other end Martinelli seems to have started to re-find some of his mojo - although he clearly has some way to go - and he certainly had the measure of Porro. His decision-making nonetheless appears to display a lack of conviction; none more so when he skinned the full back in the 19th minute and shot tamely almost straight at Vicario when a quick glance up would have indicated that Bukayo Saka was extremely well placed on the other side of the penalty area. The Brazilian needs to make a telling contribution - a goal or an assist - and then hopefully the gloves will come off. In the meantime, there is plenty of competition for the left-wing spot.

Alongside Martinelli, Havertz did a really good job; working hard, popping up wherever needed and occupying Romero and Van De Ven. And Saka, whilst never reaching the heights of which we know he is capable, was highly effective; as much in defence as attack, as he was conspicuous on a number of occasions in covering the lung-bursting forward runs of Udogie.

Of course, no NLD is likely to pass without a 'handbag' like flare-up. And so it came to pass in the 34th minute that Porro screamed in apparent pain - thereby getting Timber booked for what barely looked like even a foul - and causing one of those pathetic melees that leave you hoping that the officials don't do anything stupid. A dozen players involved, and Porro back on his feet within a couple of minutes. It really was nothing, but Vicario joined Timber in the book. And as the half wore on he was joined by 4 further Spurs players, as Arsenal's quality on the ball started to come through.

But 0-0 at half time; perfectly satisfactory. and the second half started in a similar vein to the first - Spurs creating a few half-chances, but Arsenal perhaps looking the more likely with their superior quality. As the game wore on, Spurs looked increasingly like they had shot their bolt, with Arsenal able to deal with whatever fairly powder puff efforts the likes of Son, Johnson and Kulusevski threw their way. In the number 10 position, Maddison was pretty invisible as the Arsenal press smothered him.

And then, finally, the decisive moment of the match. Porro blocked a Saka effort for a corner, and from the resulting dead ball - one of those inswingers that we know that Vicario loves so much - the ball found the back of the net. Saliba and (inevitably) White pinned two defenders in front of Vicario, who was both unwilling and unable to collect, big Gabby easily escaped the attentions of a day-dreaming Romero... and a thumping header from no more than 5 yards out almost burst the onion bag. Luvvly jubbly.

From then on, it was 'what we have; we hold'. Arsenal held Tottenham at arms' length from then on, with none of Big Ange's substitutions making any difference whatsoever. Especially bringing Timo Werner on; the guy's a total waste of space. Jesus and Raheem Sterling relieved Trossard and Martinelli  with 10 minutes left; purely cosmetic, frankly, and neither covered himself in glory - Sterling needs to learn when to pass, and Jesus needs to learn how to tackle! Late on, Bukayo Saka went down - either exhausted, or perhaps with a calf issue - and we finally saw the prodigy Nwaneri for a few minutes. Tall and strong-looking for his age, neat on the ball and with an eye for a pass - the boy has a future all right.

And so the game petered out. Spurs dominated possession, but rarely did anything decisive with it. Arsenal may be accused of being 'boring', but it was job done, and defensively they perhaps look even stronger than they did last season - in 4 matches, they have conceded just a single goal, and that was when down to 10 men and due to an individual error. All that, however, will be put to the test next Sunday, when they come up against the cheat code that is Erling Haaland (although it's worth remembering that he wasn't given a sniff in two matches last season).

As for Tottenham; they frankly look miles away. They were comfortably held off by an Arsenal side missing its entire first choice midfield; unacceptable from a supporter's point of view. Big Ange is going to get found out, and who knows if he'll last the season. He picked the wrong side for this game, and seems not to have anything other than a Plan A. That's not going to wash against the massively coached Premier League opposition he's going to come up against again and again. They're good enough to finish in the top half of the table, of course, but they don't appear to be making progress, Good-oh!

Before that, on Thursday, Arsenal commence their Champions League challenge at Atalanta (mid-table in Serie A, and with a squad that looks like it hasn't gelled yet). Arsenal will need to look out for Ademola Lookman, and will also come up against a number of players who didn't quite cut the mustard in the Premier League (including our old friend - and Mesut Ozil's minder - Saed Kolasinac). Arteta may be able to get away with a few personnel changes - depending on fitness issues - and less than 72 hours after that it's Manchester City away. Massive.

COYG!

The Referee's A ******

Lots to get through. Not just Saturday’s game and the fallout therefrom, but the closing of the Transfer Window and what it now means for squad depth. Plus the Champions League draw. It’s been a hectic few days.

But I must start with the football itself; and a match about which almost all the discussion surrounded the red card dished out to Declan Rice. Which was frankly ludicrous.

I have a friend - an ex Sunday League referee - who always sends me through the refereeing team details for each Arsenal PL game as soon as they are announced. Last week, when he sent 'Referee C Kavanagh, VAR A Madley', I responded with an immediate FFS! I've got bad memories of Mr Kavanagh in general; and that's certainly not going to change for a long time after Saturday!

Look, we've all seen the video of the incident. And we've all seen the context, and what Mr Kavanagh had let go in the first half. Saka getting clothes-lined, Veltman hauling Trossard to the ground. Tackles that left just a little too much behind on Odegaard (not sure he ever recovered), and on Saka again and again (as usual). Not a booking in sight - but I'm certainly not complaining about the yellow card Rice got (as for the supposed foul given against Rice that kicked off the sending-off incident... if anything it should have been awarded the other way!)

And Joao Pedro kicking the ball away in the first half. Not 6 inches away, but fully 30 yards downfield, in order to prevent a quick Arsenal re-start. Behaviour - exaggerated as that one may have been, for all it went unpunished - that we see in every PL game. Every. Single. One.

Kavanagh's decision to dismiss Rice for flicking the ball a few inches (don't give me that 'He'd given him no choice' nonsense - where's the consistency?) ranks alongside David Luiz's red card for having the audacity to allow his knee to be caught by a forward's ankle, and Gabriel Martinelli's two yellow cards in 5 seconds, as a deliberate singling out of an Arsenal player for egregious, cruel and unnecessary punishment. All alongside the appalling treatment meted out to Bukayo Saka every single week! Lest we also forget the violence inflicted by Veltman on Rice as he feigned to take the free kick. What Arsenal have done to deserve all this, I do not know. But since Arteta has arrived Arsenal have somehow managed to accumulate 17 red cards, with the closest PL side having received 13. WTF?

The level of uproar that the sending-off has caused in pubs, on social media and in the press/on tv has been ridiculous. As I mentioned above, entertaining anybody who says: 'He gave him no choice' is something I'm not prepared to do. Letter of the Law? The Law, as Mr Bumble quite rightly pointed out in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, is an ass. And our good friend Mr Kavanagh merely displayed his inherent anti-Arsenal bias, inconsistency and incompetence by applying it at that moment. That action displayed a total lack of common-sense, and turned the game on its head.

Now people may argue that every supporter can compile a list of injustices supposedly meted out to his team. But I bet you Manchester City supporters can't. I cannot recall a single moment of similar controversy that can mark them down as victims of injustice. And this is a team that has the expert rotational fouler Rodri at its heart, and Tom Daley impersonator Jack Grealish on the left wing.

And the consequences don't stop at the final whistle of Arsenal vs Brighton. Rice misses the North London Derby; a tricky game at any time. And with Merino out injured Arteta's ingenuity is going to be thoroughly tested.

It is worth re-stating that the sending off completely changed the course of the game. Brighton are a decent side, but Arsenal were well on top of them at the time of the incident. The flow of the game flipped on its head immediately afterwards, and the equaliser was conceded before Arteta had time to react.

It's worth looking at this goal in more detail. Firstly, it was disappointing to see a straight 'vertical' ball pierce the Arsenal defence so easily. One can also point fingers at Gabriel; could he have been a little stronger in the challenge? Well, he was risking the award of a penalty, of course. Raya parried the ball out forward instead of sideways, but it was a point blank save and difficult to react to. However...

Thomas Partey was physically unable to keep up with the run into the box from Joao Pedro, thus leaving the attacker with a simple tap-in. He literally stopped shadowing him as the pair reached the 18-yard line. So, for all that he had a mostly decent game on Saturday, at a key moment he let the team down. He's not the player he was. On the ball, he's still got it. But off the ball he can be a liability. When I - and others - say the 'his legs have gone', this is incontrovertible proof. And we were already saying it towards the end of last season.

This has great bearing on the formation and personnel that Arteta chooses to go with in the NLD. Neither Partey nor Jorginho (who we've not seen on the pitch at all so far this season) have the legs to deal with the vibrancy of the Spurs attack. With wingers who stay ultra-wide, full backs who cut in to the inside right/left positions, and the ferret-like Maddison patrolling the spaces that defensive midfielders occupy, this presents a real challenge. What Arteta chooses to do will be critical, and the absence of Rice leaves a gigantic hole. Spurs' tactics are the very thing that could easily cause Arsenal to lose control.

But what Arteta managed to do after the Brighton goal was, in my opinion, an excellent solution. He allowed the Brighton centre-backs to have the ball, and produced tactics that blocked off pretty much everything that Brighton's more skilful players tried to do. That's some defensive powerhouse that he had out there. And with Raya claiming any crosses that weren't headed away, there was no way through. Plus Arsenal still managed to look really dangerous on the break; the positions that Havertz, Saka and substitute Martinelli took up really hurt Brighton. For all the away team's second half possession, Arsenal looked more likely to snatch a winner - and probably ought to have done.

I should mention that I found the Arsenal goal really interesting. Havertz's reaction to Saka winning possession off of Dunk was instant, as he took off for goal at pace. A beautifully timed run and pass - I and everyone around me in my block were already on our feet as we saw Havertz's movement - and Kai found himself through on the goalkeeper. And here's the thing; a year ago there's no way that Havertz scores that goal - and nor do we even expect him to. But he's a different player now, and I don't think that anybody in the crowd even entertained the possibility of him missing. Look, he'll never be prolific - and Arsenal could really do with a prolific striker - but he'll get his fair share of goals this season. Unfortunately, Haalands don't grow on trees.

Let's move on to the Transfer window, and the state of the Arsenal squad. Those players that have gone were all fringe players. Ramsdale has been usurped, and none of ESR, Nketiah, Vieira and Nelson saw much playing time at all in the second half of last season. 

It's sad to see them go, of course. We all took Ramsdale to our hearts, and we shouldn't dismiss the role he had in bringing Arsenal up towards where they are now. He's been unfortunate, and Southampton are probably below the level he deserves to be playing at. ESR looks like he will flourish at Fulham if he can stay fit; a fine player, but perhaps not quite at the level that Arteta is now looking for. Nelson has joined him on loan and will certainly get more playing time there than he did at Arsenal.

Eddie is a Gooner through and through, but it was the right decision for all parties for him to move on to Crystal Palace, who are more his level and also vastly improved. Again, I wish him well - in all but two games of the season. And it's clear that Arteta no longer regards Fabio Vieira as the answer; he'd rather give those minutes to Ethan Nwaneri. I can't say that I disagree.

As for incomings; this is more interesting. Neto is a solid second choice goalkeeper - in his 30s, happy to play second fiddle but capable when called upon; and apparently having had a lifelong desire to wear an Arsenal shirt.

Calafiori looks like a beast of a player. Arteta is spoilt for choice with him and the LANS Timber now available. Perhaps one of them can be the solution to the NLD midfield problem.

It's very unfortunate that Merino is injured. We'll just have to wait for him, but he does look like the perfect fit for the Left 8 role, and thus allowing Rice to move back to Number 6.

Up front, the arrival on loan of Raheem Sterling is, for me, the most interesting move of the entire Window. Granted, he's not the player he was, but he's played at the highest level, was England's best player in the previous international tournament, has worked with Arteta before, and like Havertz should not be judged on his recent output at the Stamford Bridge Sanitorium, He could be a vital cog in the Arsenal wheel this season, and based on what we're hearing about the deal Edu struck with Chelsea could actually be a bargain!

Nonetheless, I do wish that Arsenal had managed to purchase an out and out centre forward. Let's face it, Arteta and Edu know that we need one - after all, their very first move in the Window was to try to buy Benjamin Sesko. This is something that cannot be kicked down the road for too much longer, but for the moment Arsenal will have to rely on everybody chipping in. Despite the 91 PL goals last season, there were a number of big matches in which they failed to score. This must not be repeated if they want to go one place better.

And finally, the Champions League draw; in its new format. Very interesting, actually, and a format that should hold most teams' attention throughout. Unless a team wins its first 6 matches, it will need to be looking over its shoulder.

Arsenal's draw is not terrible. A trip to Milan (where Arsenal have history) is the most difficult tie. An Mbappe-less PSG at home is fine, and there are no long trips abroad. I wouldn't have minded Barcelona or Real Madrid at home - for the spectacle - and am delighted to have avoided bl**dy Bayern Munich! City have their usual easy passage, but Liverpool are going to have their work cut out, and Villa are likely to struggle. 

But it's two more matches; that could be a problem. And immediately throws up a difficult week on the players' return from the Interlull. As if Spurs away followed by City away wasn't difficult enough, they have to go to Atalanta in Italy in between. Grrrr...

Anyway, we move on. Spurs away at the end of the first of these pointless, annoying international breaks. COYG!

Emery Bogey Laid To Rest - A More Than Decent Start

Right then. A decent enough start to the season. Two wins out of two. No goals conceded. Long periods of domination in both matches. And - in my opinion - a lot more to come. But, at the same time, I do have some concerns.

I’ll address those a little further down. But first a quick general summary of what we’ve seen so far from the team.

Evolution; not Revolution

 

Arteta has taken the team close in the last two seasons, and clearly sees the defined style of play that he has developed as the best way towards achieving his aims (and our desires). So it’ll be more of the same, as he looks to add a few extra ingredients to the mix. Timber back - tick. Calafiori - tick. Merino (eventually) - tick. And I suspect that the line-up we’re seeing now is not much like what we’ll be seeing come March/April.

Arsenal Are Still Undercooked

Of course, it wouldn’t make sense to have the team firing on all cylinders from Match Day One. Nor would it have been physically possible, frankly. And whilst some players look readier than others, there’s clearly room for improvement in several key parts of the side. Gabriel, Partey, Rice and Martinelli to name 4…

The Fixture Calendar…

… has been a total clusterf*ck as far as Arsenal are concerned. But, should they negotiate these first few matches relatively unscathed, it doesn’t half make the latter stages of the season look much easier to cope with. Wolves at home; a decent enough start. But to then have to go to three of the most difficult away grounds before the end of September is, quite simply put, an evil piece of programming. With 100% Brighton next to chuck into the mix. The Emery bogey was laid to rest on Saturday. But the next two away games are at The New Toilet Bowl and The Emptihad. I need say no more… except… imagine starting with 15 points out of 15?!? (I’d be happy with 11, by the way).

Moving on to quickly cover the first two games (circumstances, including illness, prevented me from blogging last week), I think that we’ve seen some themes and patterns come to the fore:

1. Firstly, Arsenal don’t concede too many chances to their opposition, but, when they do concede chances, they tend to be really big ones. Cases in point; Strand Larsen’s header for Wolves, and Watkins’ first on Saturday. 

Three things to say about that. One; I’m sure that as players get fitter and more familiar with each other, Arteta will hope to see those Big Chance moments tail off. Two; when the make-up of the midfield changes with the introduction of Merino, there’ll be even less propensity for risk in any case - as I expect to see Declan Rice revert to Number 6. And Three; David Raya has shown himself to be quite the shot-stopper!

2. Secondly, it must be of concern to Arteta - and is clear as day to us supporters - that the right hand side of our attack is far more effective than the left. The Saka/Odegaard/White triumvirate can hardly be bettered worldwide, but the left is relatively dysfunctional. Martinelli looks a long way from the confidence and form of which we know he is capable. Trossard doesn’t necessarily offer the completeness of a left-winger that Arteta is striving for (for all the fact that his goal scoring statistics are remarkable!). And the Left 8 role is still up in the air - it remains to be seen how Merino fits in. Interestingly, the Manager is spoilt for choice at left back - Timber looks to be capable of playing it Zinchenko-style even better than the Ukrainian can, and what we saw of Califiori’s passing range and athleticism in even a very short period of time was unbelievably exciting! The left appears to be the main area for growth/change over the next few months.

3. Thirdly and finally, there’s the matter of squad depth. And, with only a few days of the Window to go, there’s actually quite a lot to sort out in order to ensure that he has enough ammunition for the season. Let’s take a closer look:

Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale needs to go and play somewhere (as does Karl Hein, actually). Arsenal need to facilitate that, and also to ensure that a suitable replacement is found. Not long for those ducks to be lined up.

Defence: Almost certainly more than enough depth here. In fact, it would make sense for Jakob Kivior, whose minutes look likely to be severely curtailed, to at the very minimum go out on loan for the season.

Midfield: Merino will surely be a sufficient addition (although how Odegaard gets a rest isn’t easy to work out). The addition of Merino should see Rice go back to what he himself regards as his best position; with both Partey and Jorginho ready to step in when necessary. This also means, in my opinion, that the Havertz At Left 8 experiment is over. ESR is gone now, and Vieira looks to be finally being put out of his misery, so that leaves a path for Ethan Nwaneri to pick up maybe around 300 First Team minutes over the season. This all makes for a deal of clarity, in my opinion.

Attack: Hmmm… far more difficult. And there are two strands to this. Firstly, what to do about the left wing situation, and at the same time how to ensure that Bukayo Saka isn’t over-burdened. With Nelson likely to depart this week, Gabriel Jesus’s latest injury (albeit apparently not serious) brings this into focus. Because if one compares the possibility of using the Brazilian to fill the gaps as necessary with what Pep has put together at Manchester City (Doku, Grealish, Bernardo Silva and now Savinho are their winger options), Arsenal are deficient here. 

But not as deficient as they can look at centre forward. Admittedly, Erling Haaland is imperious (and City are definitely short of alternatives for him with the departure of Alvarez), but Arsenal look well short in comparison. Havertz and Jesus may be able to do a job, but they are simply no comparison to the Norwegian. And with Eddie looking on his way too, for me Arteta simply must pull a rabbit out of the hat here. I don’t think that Ohsimen looks like an Arsenal player - plus he’ll be crazily expensive - but I do like the look of Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon. 

Whatever happens over these next few days, for me a centre forward alternative is absolutely critical!

I can’t end without mentioning a few things that we saw on Saturday. First, Trossard’s quite pointed ‘non-celebration’ following his goal. Arteta will have taken note, and I suspect that for the Belgian’s state of mind he must start on Saturday (against his old club).

Second, the Arsenal supporters’ relentless trolling of Emi Martinez following his error that led to the second goal. If you dish it out, mate, you have to be prepared to take it.

And on a similar note the reminder that Ben White remains the absolute King of the Sh*thousers. The instant retribution meted out to McGinn was magnificent work!

So we move on. The fun and games of the end of the transfer window. Then Brighton at home - not easy - followed by the first of several pointless, annoying Interlulls. And then the double whammy that is Spurs away, followed by City away. It’s going to be a very interesting month.

COYG!

Season Preview - Hopes and Dreams

Right then; here we go! A new season commences, and anything could happen. And I thought that I'd lay out my hopes and dreams, my expectations and my concerns, and would see how they resonate with yours. Let's get right into it. But warning - long read...

Title aspirations

Last season, Arsenal fell just short of toppling Team 115 from their perch, despite taking 49 points out of 54 from their PL matches in 2024. 89 points wasn't enough, and it was almost certainly the relatively slow start to the season that cost Arsenal the title (remember, Liverpool once got to 97 points and it wasn't enough!).

As far as trajectory is concerned, it's been 8th to 5th to 2nd, and then 2nd again in the past 4 seasons - with every season end tinged with regret of some kind or the other. But it's clear that Arsenal are getting closer and closer. It's in the area of marginal gains where Mikel Arteta knows he needs to squeeze a bit more out of his squad, and for sure he's working on it.

I see the strengths and weaknesses as follows:

Goalkeeper and Defence

Little to criticise. The best defence in the country, without question; and Arteta has addressed the perceived (or actual) weakness posed when oppositions pick on Zinchenko by adding Riccardo Califiori to the ranks. Plus Jurrien Timber looks ready to go as well - indeed, I'm not quite sure how to get 6 into 4 right now; although there will be plenty of opportunities for rotation as the season progresses - it's highly unlikely that Saliba and Gabriel will be able to keep their exemplary fitness records for another full season. 

Honestly, there are no worries here. In William Saliba, Arsenal have the stand-out centre half in the entire league. And his partnership with Gabriel is equally the number one partnership. Add Ben White, and with a choice of first class left backs, just relax...

Midfield 

Again, Arteta appears spoilt for choice; and may be even more so if he gets Merino. 

Declan Rice is a machine, and whilst he did start looking a little tired towards the end of the recent Euros, the break will have done him sufficient good. Alternatives to him at the 6 spot are Jorginho (excellent passer; not too mobile these days but very capable) and Thomas Partey (gives Arsenal something different with his ability to quickly beat a man and create vertical passing spaces, but not reliably fit and his legs are perhaps starting to betray him). Between the three of them, Arsenal are well served in that position, but this is an area that will need reinforcing next summer.

Further forward, the 'right 8' role belongs firmly to Martin Odegaard; a player who must surely be the envy of literally every single club side in the world. £30m from Real Madrid has turned out to be an absolute bargain! Left 8 is rather more complicated, and it's worth pointing out at this stage that Arsenal's right hand side has been considerably more effective as an attacking force than the left for probably two seasons now. If Arteta can find a way to make the opposition worry more about what's going on down Arsenal's left, then what an attacking outfit they will have become!

But the waters are muddy. Should he put Rice there; with Partey or Jorginho behind. Havertz? Trossard? Vieira (sadly, he doesn't have the option of ESR any more)? Nwaneri, even, at the right time? Who would work best, and how will that upset the equilibrium on the left wing, and up top? I'm glad that it's not my problem!

Forward line 

Just the one place out of three is set in stone here; Saka on the right. After that, it does appear that Kai Havertz is the centre forward of choice, with Gabriel Jesus a decent alternative. On the left wing, there's Martinelli or Trossard. Or even Jesus (could play all across the front). But...

And here's what bother me the most; yes, Arsenal scored 91 league goals last season. And the goals were spread all across the team, with contributions from almost everywhere. Saka top with 16 (including penalties). Then Havertz 13, Trossard 12, Odegaard 8. Which is all great news, but for me there are two issues:

Firstly, Arsenal are missing the key ingredient of a top centre forward. Last season three players - Haaland, Palmer and Isak - notched 20+ goals. Saka was number 9 on the list for the season. Arteta and Edu are well aware of this; look at the very first move they attempted to make this summer - trying to sign Benjamin Sesko. For me the addition of a goal scorer is the missing ingredient in this Arsenal squad. Yes, 91 League goals - but look at the games when Arsenal failed to score to see where those extra margins can be made up. City away. Newcastle away. Both matches against Aston Villa. And inexplicably at home to West Ham. Not forgetting the 1-0 defeat in Munich. 

Margins... the odd extra goal here and there in those games would have been huge. It's OK to knock 5s and 6s past inferior teams, and they'll do that again this season, but that's not actually enough.

Which brings me on to point two: expected goals. Because Arsenal don't have a clinical finisher in the squad, they need to create more - and better - chances than other sides to allow for the 'big chances' that are squandered. Matches are consistently dominated, but quite often that isn't reflected in the scoreline. There are any number of examples from last season, but Brighton at home stands out for me. It could/should have been 6-0. 

But I'm not asking for two and three goal wins to become 5 or 6 goal wins (enjoyable as that would be). I want to see them score in every match! Even against the most difficult of opposition. A single goal at Villa Park, St James' Park, or even The Etihad (remember that Trossard chance in the second half?) would have made all the difference to the entire season! 

For me, if Arteta is going to make just a single extra signing in the next fortnight, then please let it be a centre forward! Although I guess that there will need to be further departures first.

The Squad

So... what does the current squad need by way of additions? And who needs to go? Let's do this!

Goalkeepers - Aaron Ramsdale; let's be fair to the bloke - he needs to go and play somewhere. A sale would be the best move for all parties. He'd do a fine job pretty much anywhere. And Karl Hein needs playing time. What that will mean, of course, is that Arsenal need to sign a replacement; somebody who would be happy enough to under study David Raya. Bentley from Wolves would be no bad idea; he did a decent job standing in for Jose Sa last season. Alternatively, our old pal Wojciech Szczesny is currently a free agent...

Defence - and here Arsenal have not only quality but quantity. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jakob Kivior depart, and there looks to be space to advance young Aiden Heaven into the group too, alongside Miles Lewis-Skelly. Both very much for the future, but closest to breaking through

Midfield - and continuing that theme, there Ethan Nwaneri. the departure of ESR gives him a chance for more first team minutes, and he certainly looks up to taking them with both hands. There are shades of Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas in watching him, and I'm excited to see how he gets on. Elsewhere, even if Arteta would have been happy to shift Partey out, there haven't as yet been any takers. He's got a year left on his contract, so let's make use of him whilst he's fit. Plus the likely addition of Mikel Merino creates further opportunities to dominate opponents.

Forwards - Arteta is trying to shift both Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson out. They don't have the quality for this Arsenal squad. Thanks, and good luck. But as I said before they surely need to draft in another body. Havertz's qualities are clear, but he's not a reliable finisher. Jesus similar, but with the added trait of being so unpredictable that he can sometimes upset the pattern of play. On the left wing, Arteta has a real conundrum choosing between Martinelli and Trossard - sure, they'll both get playing time, but who's the 'starter' and who's the 'finisher'?

On the whole, the squad is almost complete. The bulk of them are aged 22-26. It bodes well for a period of great excitement and optimism for us fans. I've got nothing more to add on this.

And now for the 'elephant in the room' - Team 115. And it's all about to come to a head over the next few months. There's no point attempting to make sense of anything at this stage, but it's worth bearing the following in mind:

1. The charges cover the period 2009-18 only

2. They have already had a legal fight with UEFA over their FFP rules

3. They alleged to have consistently broken the premier League's old PSR rules

4. Almost a third of the charges relate to them 'failing to co-operate with Premier League investigations'

5. Whilst remaining favourites to win the Premier League yet again, they are also just 10/1 in places to be relegated. Remarkable...

I mean... WOW! 

So what would/could the penalties for this be if found guilty of even half of these charges? Well, bearing in mind what happened to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season, it's got to be a massive points deduction - enough to make relegation a certainty. I hear that their players have relegation clauses in their contracts; why on earth would the club bother to put them in in the first place?

What this could mean for Arsenal does not need to be spelled out. Arsenal are generally acknowledged as Manchester City's closest challengers, and with Liverpool expected to be in a post-Klopp lull are ideally placed to take advantage. Case to be held in the next couple of months - results early in the New Year. Juicy stuff...

And so to predictions:

1.    Arsenal to finally win the Premier League following a 21-year gap

2,    Champions League - quarter final at the minimum

3.    FA Cup/Carabao Cup - why not? One of those to come Arsenal's way

4.    Top scorer - Bukayo Saka

5.    Player of the Season - Martin Odegaard

6.    Breakout player - Riccardo Califiori

7.    Best young player - Ethan Nwaneri

8.    Most disappointing player - Fabio Vieira

As to the rest of the league:

Other Champions League qualifiers: Manchester City (if the points deduction doesn't fit the crime), Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle (for me, Villa are going to suffer in their Champions League year)

Most disappointing team - surely the nut-job that is Chelsea FC?FIrst managerial sacking: Enzo Maresca

Relegation: Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich. Sorry, guys. Unless a team like Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford or Forest have a shocker, they're really going to struggle. As it is every year.

Anyway, that's me done for the moment. See you at the Emirates tomorrow. COYG!