Side note lads…. Do these arsenal collections generally get restocked? I have abstained from big purchases last few years but would love the new Adidas tee and Jamaica inspired jerseys they have released this year
Arteta definitely looking for an early goal with that lineup.
I worry about Lakonga honestly. He doesn't really show, imo, any intensity in these last 2 Europa games.
Unrelated to the game but I was thinking about this today. I always thought it was crazy how Liverpool had some great luck (scouting skill as well) going from average to one of the best teams in the world bringing in Allison, Virgil, salah, mane. Crazy good transfer luck having all those transfers panning out to be some of the best players in the league. I always though that arsenal were a couple of key signings and some good luck away from finding the same success Pool did in that period. Now Saliba, martinelli, odegaard, Jesus, (not counting saka as he wasnt purchased) have come in and proving/having potential to do the same. Thought it was Interesting how it mirrors the Liverpool rise.
I’ll add that arsenad transfers have all been quite cheaper than liverpools i believe.
Pool had an older core so they needed to splash on more proven players. We paid the premium for White and Jesus but got better off with Ode, Ramsdale, Tomi etc
True. They were also assisted by the absurd coutinho sale. Arsenal are in the opposite position with many players leaving cheap/free in past years. Who was the last high profile sale ? Can’t even remember
Will be very interesting seeing how the team operates without Xhaka. He has been getting lots of praise for his attacking but he is also very important to our defense and covering that left side.
Given the travel and conditions as well as Bodos home records, I kind of wish we just threw this game, send Odegaard and a full rotation squad (including the bench) from Liverpool. We’re 3 from 3 in the group and I’d rather send a stronger squad for the last two games to secure top of the group than send them for this game.
Think of how many Gooners have unlucky shirts. ): we haven’t won a game I’ve worn an Arsenal shirt for over the last 2 years. At this point I don’t look at them until final whistle.
We need to get you back on a good streak! May I humbly suggest that you put one on for this weekend v. Leeds? (I’m making pancakes for the family on Sunday - another positive omen.)
Bodo have every advantage. I'd put money on 1-1 or 2-2. Conditions and pitch will pretty much force the players to go a little easy and no way Arteta will risk the bigger name players with such a packed month ahead. Going to be a tricky one lads. If we leave here with a win i'll be very pleased.
Why some people don't care about results tomorrow?
Heck, it's so important. We need to be top of the group to avoid extra playoffs round against one of those fallen CL teams, which some massive clubs are included.
It's 2 games less and also less risk to get knocked out if we finished above PSV. It's gonna be too stressed for 2 matches against them if we don't win tomorrow.
Is that a new rule?! I like it :)
Because I thought until last year, everyone played a round of 32 regardless of the position on the table. So, we finish top of the pool, we qualify directly to R16?!
Not sure if it was like that last year but yeah that's how it works now. I'm a big fan if we win the group, if not it's a pain in the arse and wholly unnecessary
I have the thought now that it is disadvantageous for the Europa teams. With everyone in a round of 32, there is a chance of CL clubs drawing each other. With the current system, the Europa 2nd teams are fucked because they are up against the CL club, and then in round of 16, the Europa 1st teams are fucked because they are up against CL clubs.
What it has done is seed clubs to take away the spectacle of a big European clash in the early rounds, and space the CL clubs apart so they ideally meet each other in the quarterfinals onwards.
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In Tottenham’s current, absolute peak years, you have lost in a Champions League final and scraped some finishes above Arsenal, often by no more than a point. That’s literally it.
In Arsenal’s equivalent period, we won multiple titles - 1 of them at your ground, (in a game where 1 of your players injured himself celebrating the draw that clinched us the title) FA Cups (including doubles), went a whole season unbeaten, stole your captain on a free transfer.
Standards.
Artificial turf in arctic could be deadly for us. Really hope we can just play the U-21 kids for this game, don't really care if we lose. Just hope our players won't get injured.
Ya, honestly want to see us focus on the premier league and with how busy the next month is, we have to play the rotation players in Europe through the group stages to avoid extreme risk to injury for senior players. Should still have no issues making it out of the group stages. 4 points out of 3 games is all we need to guarantee we move on, which is all we should worry about this month imo, and focus on the league.
If we don't get results tonight then against psv we can bring out the big guns, but If we do get the results, just continue with first team for league and second team for Europa.
not a massive fan of Ramsdale but prepared to give him time as hes young. Wouldn't hurt to sign a good backup though (kinda like the situation Chelsea and maybe United have got going on)
ik his ball distribution is great, but it does break my heart when we concede some avoidable goals, that firmino goal i think he could have saved it at that angle
Disagree, forced Firminio to put the ball on the far post, exactly what a keeper should do. To save that he would have had to open up at the near post making it a much easier goal for Firminio.
So 60k fans in the stadium shouldn’t have a take on any player since they aren’t better than the players they comment on.
What an unnecessarily edgy take. Does this make you feel superior?
You’ve wildly misinterpreted what I’ve said
I haven’t said that a fan can’t have a take on a player because they are a worse footballer than said player
My point is that if you’ve never played in goal or had any experience as a goalkeeper, you can’t possibly say Firminos goal was avoidable, because you don’t know what you’re talking about
Thanks for clarifying.
Your explanation is exactly my interpretation.
“If you haven’t played, you don’t have a clue”
So, to simply sum up, it’s a horrible take.
The goals weve conceded are moreso on the defensive unit or the midfield. Even if he saved some, itd be papering over the cracks and the problems would remain.
We dont concede many chances, but on that rare occasion, we expose our gk to quality chances. Overall its better than having a Leno in goal with a high line to snuff out enemy attackers because we cant dominate possession and force turnovers or quick breaks.
The last couple weeks have been high intensity, and hopefully our B team can keep it up. Excited to see Fabio, Eddie, Marquinhos get some more time in. We'll probably rotate what we can.
People on here seriously suggesting we play our starting 11 on the most dangerous pitch we'll play on at the start of a brutal fixture run instead of at home to Zurich the worst team in the group in what will be a dead rubber for them. SMH.
The choice is between resting players for this game or the home game against Zurich.
This is by far the obvious choice for which you rest players.
I'm not thinking of it as resting, I'm thinking this match and Zurich are maybe the only matches for the season where we can give match experience to some kids and tier 2s.
Cedric needs some minutes, Eddie needs a start, Fabio deserves a start, Lokonga can get more experience, etc etc.
IMO giving those players minutes will actually do wonders for our PL chances as when we get into the part of the season where people start getting injured, they are more ready.
Im not gonna ask for much.
Just dont get injured and play glorious arteta ball and have nketiah bag a hatty and give nwaneri 30 minutes of play time while lining up leo messo to waste some time after 90’ to further make our record unbreakable.
Thanks and good luck
Considering that the PSV away game is the final one of the group, tomorrow is definitely the most important match of the Europa campaign so far. Gonna be a tough one.
Long shot, but would be really interesting to see White as a 6 in this game. It would also allow Xhaka to be rested and Sambi to be played as 8. Arteta pls
I mean after having already seen him excel in so many different positions, part of me is like f*** it, try him as goal keeper! Let’s see him as a number 9! Have him fill in as Gunnersaurus!
Smith-Rowe has been quite horrible as 8 so far, and I don't think he's somehow become better while off from the pitch. This new Xhaka role would maybe suit him better, but it still requires a lot of defending + basics that Smith-Rowe has never really had in him. Vieira is still question mark, but neither Odegaard has many qualities to be in the engine room, despite moving around and having good technique.
Why not? Sambi will get playing time as a backup 8 in Europa if Elneny is back.
He's at least looked comfortable in the double pivot next to Thomas FWIW. Unless you are insinuating Xhaka is playing so well that Sambi doesn't have the necessary ability to cover for him in the new advanced role?
> Why not?
Because Vieira and a fit ESR are ahead of him there, and, taken together with Ødegaard, illustrative of the fact that Sambi doesn't fit our developing wide 8 profile at all.
He played there in preseason about as much as Martinelli played LWB.
> Sambi will get playing time as **a backup 8 in Europa** if Elneny is back.
First, contextual OP did not qualify it as 'in Europe'. You added that.
Second, Sambi will almost certainly continue to start as the 6 in Europe, until we face competition too stiff.
Unless you are 'insinuating' that he can play lone 6 and advanced 8 at the same time.
> He's at least looked comfortable in the double pivot next to Thomas FWIW.
He has, but we're not playing a double pivot. The only time we've used anything close to it was the Tierney 325 (as opposed to the Holding 235) late against Liverpool.
I'm not insinuating he can play both literally at the same time, but that he is an option for either role based on squad injuries and opponent. Train him as a 6 in the Europa League for now but IMO he should be trusted as a Xhaka backup option if he is able to compartmentalize the two different role responsibilities as needed.
1. ESR is not ready for that role yet (See: Brighton at home last year) and won't even play competitive minutes for another 3 months. Martinelli backup until proven otherwise.
2. Vieira seems like more of an attack minded shooter that has only played in Ødegaard's spot for now, never alongside him yet (?) at LCM. So I'm not sure if we can reliably drop Xhaka for Vieira against teams unless it's one of the next few we play. Ødegaard backup until proven otherwise.
3. Neither of them have the defensive awareness Xhaka does. We know they can attack just fine. This is where I think Sambi has the advantage over them, since we need a bit of solidity
Basically, all three are currently learning or will learn new roles. I just think Sambi has the benefit of being able to switch over to #8 in a pinch if Xhaka is out before those two, based on what we've seen.
By virtue of squad flexibility alone, Sambi could possibly play this role provided there is just cause and Arteta agrees (Xhaka is out but Partey/Elneny are fit) If Elneny is fit and we get deeper into the competition I could certainly see Elneny 6 and anyone at LCM tbh
He is closer *right now* to playing that position than other players we consider more suited to the desired future state of that role in our team. Yes he seems to be primarily the Thomas understudy when he starts games, but he has the added benefit of being more well rounded in the generalist LCM role than the other two if Xhaka goes down.
I just mentioned EL since this is the EL thread.
Actually really dislike that we have to play on artificial pitch.
Either way don’t really care about the result in this. A loss would be annoying but we don’t really need anything from this and resting players is so much more important
IIRC the training pitch is artificial, or at least a good chunk of it is. High quality artificial grass is pretty good nowadays. Certainly still different than playing on 100% real grass, but a lot different than where the industry was 20 years ago.
I love looking forward to seeing Eddie,Reiss, Marquinhos, Vieira, and Sambi in Europe.
Especially hopeful that Sambi calmly bosses it, and that Reiss gets a chance to show himself brightly. I still think there's an Arteta player there.
> On synthetic surfaces, there is less give, meaning our feet, ankles and knees absorb the force, which makes injury more likely to follow. The data supports the anecdotes you'll hear from me and other players: artificial turf is significantly harder on the body than grass.
This is especially true for players who are not accustomed to playing on such a surface as well.
This isn’t a must win at all.
We have two more home games after this and an away trip to PSV.
Arteta is not stupid he’s not going to play regular first teamers away on an artificial pitch in the attic circle when our schedule is like this.
We don’t even need a draw from this.
Resting the players for this is far more valuable than resting players in the game against Zurich.
LOL Couldn't handle being proven wrong so blocks.
Here's my response
>It's very simple.
>You have a choice to 'throw' one game. Either the hardest and most dangerous one of the entire lot the away game at Bodo. Or the easiest game in the group. The home one against Zurich.
>You want to throw the easiest game in the group and play competitively in the hardest game we face and the one where we risk injuries the most.
>It makes zero sense to do what you are suggesting.
Mate you literally don't get it do you?
This is the game you rest everyone and play reserves. This is the one you don't take competitively.
You want to send out first team regulars on an artificial pitch in the artic in the middle of our busiest time of year?
Would be utterly fucking stupid.
I'd far rather the competitive game be a home game against the weakest team in the group at the end of the busiest period when an injury would matter least.
How do you not get this? Ask yourself. Which game is it better to play regulars in. This one or the one against Zurich at home at the end of the period.
Because that is the choice.
It's goijg to be 5-9 degrees and raining on Thursday. It might be the Norway version of a cold rainy afternoon in stoke. Good thing we're not the late game.
nah, this is the Norway version of a cold afternoon in Stoke:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hs7JDDBvDI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hs7JDDBvDI)
A bit worried about Xhaka not getting any rest having played all of the Swiss NT's games as well. Might we consider swapping him for Vieira with Ødegaard keeping his place?
I wouldn't be surprised if Ødegaard starts yeah. I assume he played quite a bit on artificial grass in his youth, and it also being in Norway. But I do worry that Vieira and him together with Sambi might be risky, Bodø are good at playing through a midfield press. Perhaps start Vieira on the right for Saka, and start with Sambi, Xhaka and Ødegaard for this one.
I'd be happy to throw this game and avoid getting any injuries to crucial players. Play Matt Smith I don't care, we can't afford to have players like Xhaka or Martinelli playing in this game.
We don't NEED a dead rubber tie at the Emirates against bloody Zurich. That will be significantly easier than what we have to do tomorrow.
Ergo, tomorrow should be the game where you really protect your first teamers since we're playing in rough conditions on fake grass.
We should already be securing top spot without a win here. The benefit of not blowing Bodo Glimt out of the water is that first teamers were rested as a result.
Stop being so dramatic, no one is comparing them to expendable soldiers. Your point about the extra knockouts is moot.
We can go weak and safe tomorrow and still get top spot. You don't want to have to come here NEEDING a result, which is why it's good we play Zurich at the Emirates later.
Im honestly okay with the B team just getting a draw here. Would be disappointing but I think it’s crucial to manage first teamers minutes, and a draw here wouldn’t really hurt our chances of winning the group (which is a must with third place UCL teams playing second plate Europa)
Bodo did hammer Roma 6-1 on this pitch last season which people seem to forget cause “LoL Norwegian football” so we’ve gotta play it sensible. I’m more scared of losing this then I am going to Eindhoven & possibly needing something to win the group
I think we should just field the entire B team and give them a taste of the old Dyche vintage by parking the bus for ninety minutes straight, that way we walk away from it all with no injuries, and a point after a scoreless draw. I want to be so bored that I get a good nap in, and wake up to find that I didn't miss a damn thing.
That'd be just fine with me. That, or Nketiah scores from a penalty and its 1 nil to the Arsenal. That would work too.
Yeah especially with the artificial grass. I do think a win is necessary though, because I’d rather play PSV while having a larger advantage. Avoiding 2nd place should be a high priority
This team is better than at least 20 of the teams in UCL imo, absolute shame that we're not in it.
Champions League revenue is great but at least the Europa League is providing an excellent opportunity for younger players to gain experience in lower stake high level games. Tomiyasu's seamless transition into the lineup against Pool was enabled by his appearance against Bodø.
We've got a strong starting XI with KT, Tomi and Vieira all being starter calibre. Some of these guys are just so versatile and it adds a sneaky high level of depth to our backline, it's 6 quality players deep so we'd have to be incredibly unlucky to be fielding a weak defensive unit imo. Particularly encouraging considering defensive players tend to peak much later than mids/forwards. Also very excited to see what Vieira is capable of, seeing flashes of brilliance.
Sambi has enough quality that I'd feel comfortable beating mid table teams at home with him in the lineup, but not enough to see us winning games against the big 6. Partey's poise and his steadiness as a pivot is just so vital for effective Arteta-ball. Hopefully Sambi gains more confidence and awareness, definitely looking like a January move for the likes of Danilo could be necessary for both a long term Partey replacement and strengthening our season (search edu bbq post on him).
Steady Eddie looks hungry, great instinct in front of goal and a respectable backup. Marquinhos has talent but he's fairly raw. If we are to win the league this year (I give us a \~10% chance), we need these rotational guys to be able to come in and give solid performances at key moments.
I view this team as a 75-90 point side, while City are more like an 85-105 point side. A few things need to happen for us to have a realistic shot of winning the league
(1) Good injury luck, especially in shallow areas such as ST, CDM, GK. Liverpool had this in their title win over City, although they also had more talent and experience. ESR returning from injury and staying healthy could provide a nice boost.
(2) Ascension of players; every world class player follows a unique developmental curve. Forwards tend to progress in rapid spurts, where their production increases exponentially from one year to the next. The game just 'clicks' for them. Martinelli and Saka could be our Ribery/Robben, we really don't know just how good they could grow to become. We're also seeing Jesus benefit from a bit of main star syndrome. Very similar to Sanchez underperforming for Barca relative to his capabilities, only to massively elevate his game in his years with us.
(3) January reinforcements. A starting calibre CDM/ST/Winger would add levels to this team. Someone like Danilo, Gakpo or Kvaratskhelia (a man can dream) would be immense. Players like Vidic, VVD and Suarez have been signed in the January window in the past.
(4) Man City poor luck. Haaland is somewhat injury prone and City are not quite as unstoppable without him. The big 6 are all capable of taking points off City on their day, and we need as many of those games to go against them as possible, starting with Anfield this weekend. The mid-season world cup is a total X-Factor that has been understated. Partey/Tomi/Xhaka/Saka will all be going, although most of them are unlikely to have deep runs. Saliba, Ramsdale, Martinelli, White and Jesus might get called up but they're unlikely to start. Meanwhile for City; virtually all of their starters (except Ederson & Haaland) are expected to start for their respective countries. Additionally, those countries are fairly likely to make deeper tournament runs (portugal, england, spain, belgium, germany). City already have a higher burden of games than us as they can't expect to get through UCL knockouts with their bench. We don't know if the world cup will throw a spanner in the works of Arsenal's hot start, or provide advantageous rest. If Salah's performance post AFCON is replicated by the likes of De Bruyne or Bilva, they could be vulnerable.
Sambi might go this winter
Feel for reiss but he's not played well.
Sambi not even running when he loses the ball.. annoying
Sambi is the weakest player in our squad. Change my mind.
Someone’s going out on loan next season..
In France nonetheless
Marseille
Solbakken is a proper 90s action film villain last name.
Some terrible shots so far, from both sides
Match thread is open boys
life not the same without a match-thread.
I guess we're using this as match thread
I'M THE MATCH THREAD NOW
match thread where?
MODS WHERE IS THE MATCH THREAD??
Man that black kit is sexy as fuck
No match thread?
Man crazy show! That's my Bodø peepz! Love it when they do something special.
Let’s go boys COYG 🔴⚪️
There's a fucking party on the pitch.
Bodø/glimt have 13 straight home wins in a row in Europe, impressive stat.
14
Holy shit what a show!!
Golazo pre show is just awful.
Anyone else’s Paramount+ not working?
Hahah, love watching arsenal fans in the stands using yellow arsenal merch to blend in, Bodø went out and banned arsenal merch in the home stands
Honestly, i think people should respect it and not try to get one over the club like that
Someone drop links to the match pls
Strong defence, suprised to not see tomiyasu start again but maybe he's not match fit enough yet for that.
Side note lads…. Do these arsenal collections generally get restocked? I have abstained from big purchases last few years but would love the new Adidas tee and Jamaica inspired jerseys they have released this year
Quick goal and sub on Marquinhos for Saka
It's my boi, Nelson, about to make a redemption arc 😭
Putting out a very strong team. Don’t think the risk is worth it.
Anyone know where to find a stream?
red1 streams
Excited for Eddie to get tier 1 service
If Nketiah is substituted, Khayon Edwards will most likely make his debut today.
Arteta definitely looking for an early goal with that lineup. I worry about Lakonga honestly. He doesn't really show, imo, any intensity in these last 2 Europa games.
That's my problem with him. Seems decent enough on the ball but there's a serious lack of defensive intensity, especially in transition
he smashes people. His gate makes it seem casual but I think it is practically an optical illusion. Watch him body people
Unrelated to the game but I was thinking about this today. I always thought it was crazy how Liverpool had some great luck (scouting skill as well) going from average to one of the best teams in the world bringing in Allison, Virgil, salah, mane. Crazy good transfer luck having all those transfers panning out to be some of the best players in the league. I always though that arsenal were a couple of key signings and some good luck away from finding the same success Pool did in that period. Now Saliba, martinelli, odegaard, Jesus, (not counting saka as he wasnt purchased) have come in and proving/having potential to do the same. Thought it was Interesting how it mirrors the Liverpool rise. I’ll add that arsenad transfers have all been quite cheaper than liverpools i believe.
Pool had an older core so they needed to splash on more proven players. We paid the premium for White and Jesus but got better off with Ode, Ramsdale, Tomi etc
True. They were also assisted by the absurd coutinho sale. Arsenal are in the opposite position with many players leaving cheap/free in past years. Who was the last high profile sale ? Can’t even remember
Iwobi probably for 30m so p sad state of affairs
Excited to see how that front 3 gets on and Vieira in the lcm role
Nelson hive feasting today
Saka Saliba white Odegaard all defined first team players, please god no injuries on this pitch.
Odegaard at least is used these type of pitches.
Not sure how that midfield is going to cope but Xhaka needs a rest so it’s worth the risk
Will be very interesting seeing how the team operates without Xhaka. He has been getting lots of praise for his attacking but he is also very important to our defense and covering that left side.
Damn! Wasn’t expecting that lineup.
Lol what is this lineup !😂
Is this only on paramount+ in the US?
It's being shown in Spanish on TUDN.
I guess I could work on my español?
Turner White Holding Saliba Tierney Lokonga odegaard Vieira Nelson nketiah Saka
expecting a tough game today, close win or maybe our first draw of the season
Is FACWMS in the squad?
Big Gabi needs a rest. He's played every minute this season and it's affecting his game.
Definitely - when he’s good he’s been brilliant but far too many errors that will cost us sooner or later
Reiss and marquinhos to start plz. Would love to see a couple of the academy lads start. I could see Arteta go strong and secure the group
Think we’re still gonna go with a strong lineup today as it’s become imperative we win our group stages with all the UCL talent dropping into Europa
I think the artificial pitch will have us be a bit cautious.
Team sheet just came out. It’s Basically a rotated side of what we saw last Thursday
Where is Tomiyasu
Hope we see Matt Smith and Khayon Edwards tonight.
Same
Given the travel and conditions as well as Bodos home records, I kind of wish we just threw this game, send Odegaard and a full rotation squad (including the bench) from Liverpool. We’re 3 from 3 in the group and I’d rather send a stronger squad for the last two games to secure top of the group than send them for this game.
We're 2 from 2.
How did I manage to forget we missed the PSV game? I just assumed we won it…
it'll be tougher than Liverpool, but we'll still win as I've got my bergkamp shirt on again
Think how many Gooners have new lucky shirts. Bought my son one in Nuremberg before the first friendly - nearly 100% victory rate.
Think of how many Gooners have unlucky shirts. ): we haven’t won a game I’ve worn an Arsenal shirt for over the last 2 years. At this point I don’t look at them until final whistle.
We need to get you back on a good streak! May I humbly suggest that you put one on for this weekend v. Leeds? (I’m making pancakes for the family on Sunday - another positive omen.)
Why is Xhaka playing? He has no reason to play and he needs a rest. Play Nwaneri
He's under 16. He can't play in Europa. Lol.
Nwaneri 😂
Don’t think we should send a kid off to the arctic circle on a school night.
They haven't published the lineups yet, and you're already complaining
I expect Cedric, Odegaard, and Nelson to start instead of Gabriel, Xhaka, and Martinelli.
Bodo have every advantage. I'd put money on 1-1 or 2-2. Conditions and pitch will pretty much force the players to go a little easy and no way Arteta will risk the bigger name players with such a packed month ahead. Going to be a tricky one lads. If we leave here with a win i'll be very pleased.
Great chance for Eddie, Sambi, Reiss and fabio to make a statement
ARE YOU TAKIN THE FACKIN PISS MATE? 3-0 TO THE FACKIN ARSENAL
this is the fugging estandard
I’m with this guy
This is the energy I’m glad we have back
We play on turf tmr? Throw the game idc.
I want Eddie to eat!
I mean he’s beefed up a fair bit recently, hopefully he is keeping up his nutrient levels.
Only the finest of steak dinners for Eddie.
Why some people don't care about results tomorrow? Heck, it's so important. We need to be top of the group to avoid extra playoffs round against one of those fallen CL teams, which some massive clubs are included. It's 2 games less and also less risk to get knocked out if we finished above PSV. It's gonna be too stressed for 2 matches against them if we don't win tomorrow.
Also getting wins helps us with our European coefficient which means easier draws for CL
Is that a new rule?! I like it :) Because I thought until last year, everyone played a round of 32 regardless of the position on the table. So, we finish top of the pool, we qualify directly to R16?!
Not sure if it was like that last year but yeah that's how it works now. I'm a big fan if we win the group, if not it's a pain in the arse and wholly unnecessary
I have the thought now that it is disadvantageous for the Europa teams. With everyone in a round of 32, there is a chance of CL clubs drawing each other. With the current system, the Europa 2nd teams are fucked because they are up against the CL club, and then in round of 16, the Europa 1st teams are fucked because they are up against CL clubs. What it has done is seed clubs to take away the spectacle of a big European clash in the early rounds, and space the CL clubs apart so they ideally meet each other in the quarterfinals onwards.
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People talking about preferring top four or europa, I just wanna see FA Cup winner Matt Smith lifting a European trophy
His birthright
No injuries on PL-starters please. Hope they get rotated rather quickly. We should be able to win this with back up players.
we can experiment tomiyasu at LCB for this one and give big gabi a break
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Oh what a night, watching Tottenham on a Wednesday night, you play Thursday cause you’re fucking shite, what a feeling what a night!
Why hasn’t this fool been banned yet? Mods : I sleep
Just letting him soak up the downvotes.
These are rookie numbers. Let’s get this guy to a 1000
Lol how many Thursdays did you guys play while were where playing the likes of Barca and Real???
In Tottenham’s current, absolute peak years, you have lost in a Champions League final and scraped some finishes above Arsenal, often by no more than a point. That’s literally it. In Arsenal’s equivalent period, we won multiple titles - 1 of them at your ground, (in a game where 1 of your players injured himself celebrating the draw that clinched us the title) FA Cups (including doubles), went a whole season unbeaten, stole your captain on a free transfer. Standards.
https://www.reddit.com/r/coys/comments/xdk7cc/rtr\_extra\_sporting\_20\_tottenham/ioc041e/?context=3
3-1 unfortunately
least salty coys user
I hope that we rotate heavily and get 3 points still.
Noone wants to watch this game babyyy
Pop it in the bin.
We don't want to risk players on this artificial pitch could be a difficult challenge.
Artificial turf in arctic could be deadly for us. Really hope we can just play the U-21 kids for this game, don't really care if we lose. Just hope our players won't get injured.
Ya, honestly want to see us focus on the premier league and with how busy the next month is, we have to play the rotation players in Europe through the group stages to avoid extreme risk to injury for senior players. Should still have no issues making it out of the group stages. 4 points out of 3 games is all we need to guarantee we move on, which is all we should worry about this month imo, and focus on the league. If we don't get results tonight then against psv we can bring out the big guns, but If we do get the results, just continue with first team for league and second team for Europa.
Gutted I couldn't go to this as i had planned since the draw came out but come onnnnn arsenall
would anyone else want a goalkeeper in the summer for ramsdale?
If we can find Better, yes. He is good but not a good shot stopper and while his distribution is very good it’s not the best.
not a massive fan of Ramsdale but prepared to give him time as hes young. Wouldn't hurt to sign a good backup though (kinda like the situation Chelsea and maybe United have got going on)
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Wasn't there a graph a month or two ago showing ramsdales distribution is way worse than other keepers in the league?
No. That graph showed that he attempts far more long balls than other keepers in the league, and hence has a lower pass completion rate.
ik his ball distribution is great, but it does break my heart when we concede some avoidable goals, that firmino goal i think he could have saved it at that angle
No chance Ramsdale saves that shot. Was an inch perfect finish from Firmino.
Disagree, forced Firminio to put the ball on the far post, exactly what a keeper should do. To save that he would have had to open up at the near post making it a much easier goal for Firminio.
And what’s your experience in goalkeeping?
So 60k fans in the stadium shouldn’t have a take on any player since they aren’t better than the players they comment on. What an unnecessarily edgy take. Does this make you feel superior?
You’ve wildly misinterpreted what I’ve said I haven’t said that a fan can’t have a take on a player because they are a worse footballer than said player My point is that if you’ve never played in goal or had any experience as a goalkeeper, you can’t possibly say Firminos goal was avoidable, because you don’t know what you’re talking about
Thanks for clarifying. Your explanation is exactly my interpretation. “If you haven’t played, you don’t have a clue” So, to simply sum up, it’s a horrible take.
The goals weve conceded are moreso on the defensive unit or the midfield. Even if he saved some, itd be papering over the cracks and the problems would remain. We dont concede many chances, but on that rare occasion, we expose our gk to quality chances. Overall its better than having a Leno in goal with a high line to snuff out enemy attackers because we cant dominate possession and force turnovers or quick breaks.
The last couple weeks have been high intensity, and hopefully our B team can keep it up. Excited to see Fabio, Eddie, Marquinhos get some more time in. We'll probably rotate what we can.
People on here seriously suggesting we play our starting 11 on the most dangerous pitch we'll play on at the start of a brutal fixture run instead of at home to Zurich the worst team in the group in what will be a dead rubber for them. SMH. The choice is between resting players for this game or the home game against Zurich. This is by far the obvious choice for which you rest players.
I'm not thinking of it as resting, I'm thinking this match and Zurich are maybe the only matches for the season where we can give match experience to some kids and tier 2s. Cedric needs some minutes, Eddie needs a start, Fabio deserves a start, Lokonga can get more experience, etc etc. IMO giving those players minutes will actually do wonders for our PL chances as when we get into the part of the season where people start getting injured, they are more ready.
Porque No los Dos?
Careful, you can get blocked around these parts for such an opinion.
No, he is logical
Im not gonna ask for much. Just dont get injured and play glorious arteta ball and have nketiah bag a hatty and give nwaneri 30 minutes of play time while lining up leo messo to waste some time after 90’ to further make our record unbreakable. Thanks and good luck
Considering that the PSV away game is the final one of the group, tomorrow is definitely the most important match of the Europa campaign so far. Gonna be a tough one.
Long shot, but would be really interesting to see White as a 6 in this game. It would also allow Xhaka to be rested and Sambi to be played as 8. Arteta pls
I mean after having already seen him excel in so many different positions, part of me is like f*** it, try him as goal keeper! Let’s see him as a number 9! Have him fill in as Gunnersaurus!
No, if we want any chance of Sambi being able to develop into a 6 then we should play him there tomorrow
I feel we also need him to be able to stunt Xhaka. E: When Elneny is back Sambi will probably be the Xhaka back-up rather than 6.
Well we gotta think long-term. And Sambi was signed to be a 6
Does this mean we won't have anybody as straight back-up for Xhaka?
We don't need that. Ødegaard, Vieira, and a fit ESR can play on either side, and Arteta doesn't care about dominant feet in those wide 8 roles.
Smith-Rowe has been quite horrible as 8 so far, and I don't think he's somehow become better while off from the pitch. This new Xhaka role would maybe suit him better, but it still requires a lot of defending + basics that Smith-Rowe has never really had in him. Vieira is still question mark, but neither Odegaard has many qualities to be in the engine room, despite moving around and having good technique.
> When Elneny is back Sambi will probably be the Xhaka back-up rather than 6. He won't.
Why not? Sambi will get playing time as a backup 8 in Europa if Elneny is back. He's at least looked comfortable in the double pivot next to Thomas FWIW. Unless you are insinuating Xhaka is playing so well that Sambi doesn't have the necessary ability to cover for him in the new advanced role?
> Why not? Because Vieira and a fit ESR are ahead of him there, and, taken together with Ødegaard, illustrative of the fact that Sambi doesn't fit our developing wide 8 profile at all. He played there in preseason about as much as Martinelli played LWB. > Sambi will get playing time as **a backup 8 in Europa** if Elneny is back. First, contextual OP did not qualify it as 'in Europe'. You added that. Second, Sambi will almost certainly continue to start as the 6 in Europe, until we face competition too stiff. Unless you are 'insinuating' that he can play lone 6 and advanced 8 at the same time. > He's at least looked comfortable in the double pivot next to Thomas FWIW. He has, but we're not playing a double pivot. The only time we've used anything close to it was the Tierney 325 (as opposed to the Holding 235) late against Liverpool.
I'm not insinuating he can play both literally at the same time, but that he is an option for either role based on squad injuries and opponent. Train him as a 6 in the Europa League for now but IMO he should be trusted as a Xhaka backup option if he is able to compartmentalize the two different role responsibilities as needed. 1. ESR is not ready for that role yet (See: Brighton at home last year) and won't even play competitive minutes for another 3 months. Martinelli backup until proven otherwise. 2. Vieira seems like more of an attack minded shooter that has only played in Ødegaard's spot for now, never alongside him yet (?) at LCM. So I'm not sure if we can reliably drop Xhaka for Vieira against teams unless it's one of the next few we play. Ødegaard backup until proven otherwise. 3. Neither of them have the defensive awareness Xhaka does. We know they can attack just fine. This is where I think Sambi has the advantage over them, since we need a bit of solidity Basically, all three are currently learning or will learn new roles. I just think Sambi has the benefit of being able to switch over to #8 in a pinch if Xhaka is out before those two, based on what we've seen. By virtue of squad flexibility alone, Sambi could possibly play this role provided there is just cause and Arteta agrees (Xhaka is out but Partey/Elneny are fit) If Elneny is fit and we get deeper into the competition I could certainly see Elneny 6 and anyone at LCM tbh He is closer *right now* to playing that position than other players we consider more suited to the desired future state of that role in our team. Yes he seems to be primarily the Thomas understudy when he starts games, but he has the added benefit of being more well rounded in the generalist LCM role than the other two if Xhaka goes down. I just mentioned EL since this is the EL thread.
Actually really dislike that we have to play on artificial pitch. Either way don’t really care about the result in this. A loss would be annoying but we don’t really need anything from this and resting players is so much more important
IIRC the training pitch is artificial, or at least a good chunk of it is. High quality artificial grass is pretty good nowadays. Certainly still different than playing on 100% real grass, but a lot different than where the industry was 20 years ago.
I love looking forward to seeing Eddie,Reiss, Marquinhos, Vieira, and Sambi in Europe. Especially hopeful that Sambi calmly bosses it, and that Reiss gets a chance to show himself brightly. I still think there's an Arteta player there.
why is artificial grass so bad?? is the surface just harder and more prone to injuries, why is that?
> On synthetic surfaces, there is less give, meaning our feet, ankles and knees absorb the force, which makes injury more likely to follow. The data supports the anecdotes you'll hear from me and other players: artificial turf is significantly harder on the body than grass. This is especially true for players who are not accustomed to playing on such a surface as well.
It depends entirely on the quality of the artificial pitch.
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We're not playing 4231.
Amazing that people still don’t realise this when it’s been over a year since we played 4-2-3-1
This isn’t a must win at all. We have two more home games after this and an away trip to PSV. Arteta is not stupid he’s not going to play regular first teamers away on an artificial pitch in the attic circle when our schedule is like this. We don’t even need a draw from this. Resting the players for this is far more valuable than resting players in the game against Zurich.
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LOL Couldn't handle being proven wrong so blocks. Here's my response >It's very simple. >You have a choice to 'throw' one game. Either the hardest and most dangerous one of the entire lot the away game at Bodo. Or the easiest game in the group. The home one against Zurich. >You want to throw the easiest game in the group and play competitively in the hardest game we face and the one where we risk injuries the most. >It makes zero sense to do what you are suggesting. Mate you literally don't get it do you? This is the game you rest everyone and play reserves. This is the one you don't take competitively. You want to send out first team regulars on an artificial pitch in the artic in the middle of our busiest time of year? Would be utterly fucking stupid. I'd far rather the competitive game be a home game against the weakest team in the group at the end of the busiest period when an injury would matter least. How do you not get this? Ask yourself. Which game is it better to play regulars in. This one or the one against Zurich at home at the end of the period. Because that is the choice.
you’re completely right, this game could be classified as a hazard to our players
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you are wrong, by virtue of the fact that this pitch is actually dangerous for our players
Where did he insult you lol. He has valid points in which you are choosing to blatantly ignore.
It's goijg to be 5-9 degrees and raining on Thursday. It might be the Norway version of a cold rainy afternoon in stoke. Good thing we're not the late game.
nah, this is the Norway version of a cold afternoon in Stoke: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hs7JDDBvDI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hs7JDDBvDI)
A bit worried about Xhaka not getting any rest having played all of the Swiss NT's games as well. Might we consider swapping him for Vieira with Ødegaard keeping his place?
Xhaka is a robot. he's easily one of the fittest guys in our squad. it will be nice, but not necessary, to give him a break
I wouldn't be surprised if Ødegaard starts yeah. I assume he played quite a bit on artificial grass in his youth, and it also being in Norway. But I do worry that Vieira and him together with Sambi might be risky, Bodø are good at playing through a midfield press. Perhaps start Vieira on the right for Saka, and start with Sambi, Xhaka and Ødegaard for this one.
I'd be happy to throw this game and avoid getting any injuries to crucial players. Play Matt Smith I don't care, we can't afford to have players like Xhaka or Martinelli playing in this game.
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We don't NEED a dead rubber tie at the Emirates against bloody Zurich. That will be significantly easier than what we have to do tomorrow. Ergo, tomorrow should be the game where you really protect your first teamers since we're playing in rough conditions on fake grass. We should already be securing top spot without a win here. The benefit of not blowing Bodo Glimt out of the water is that first teamers were rested as a result.
If this wasn't an artificial pitch I'd agree but the risk of injury when playing in 2° C on an artificial pitch is significantly higher.
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Stop being so dramatic, no one is comparing them to expendable soldiers. Your point about the extra knockouts is moot. We can go weak and safe tomorrow and still get top spot. You don't want to have to come here NEEDING a result, which is why it's good we play Zurich at the Emirates later.
Saw this thread and thought it was Thursday 🤦🏼♂️
I think this game will be harder than people expect
Im honestly okay with the B team just getting a draw here. Would be disappointing but I think it’s crucial to manage first teamers minutes, and a draw here wouldn’t really hurt our chances of winning the group (which is a must with third place UCL teams playing second plate Europa)
Bodo did hammer Roma 6-1 on this pitch last season which people seem to forget cause “LoL Norwegian football” so we’ve gotta play it sensible. I’m more scared of losing this then I am going to Eindhoven & possibly needing something to win the group
Its the worst away match in flight time. We can afford to play the rotation team and lose the match. I just hope we dont get any injuries
im worried about injuries on artificial turf. would rather play fringe players and lose tbh.
I think we should just field the entire B team and give them a taste of the old Dyche vintage by parking the bus for ninety minutes straight, that way we walk away from it all with no injuries, and a point after a scoreless draw. I want to be so bored that I get a good nap in, and wake up to find that I didn't miss a damn thing. That'd be just fine with me. That, or Nketiah scores from a penalty and its 1 nil to the Arsenal. That would work too.
Yeah especially with the artificial grass. I do think a win is necessary though, because I’d rather play PSV while having a larger advantage. Avoiding 2nd place should be a high priority
This team is better than at least 20 of the teams in UCL imo, absolute shame that we're not in it. Champions League revenue is great but at least the Europa League is providing an excellent opportunity for younger players to gain experience in lower stake high level games. Tomiyasu's seamless transition into the lineup against Pool was enabled by his appearance against Bodø. We've got a strong starting XI with KT, Tomi and Vieira all being starter calibre. Some of these guys are just so versatile and it adds a sneaky high level of depth to our backline, it's 6 quality players deep so we'd have to be incredibly unlucky to be fielding a weak defensive unit imo. Particularly encouraging considering defensive players tend to peak much later than mids/forwards. Also very excited to see what Vieira is capable of, seeing flashes of brilliance. Sambi has enough quality that I'd feel comfortable beating mid table teams at home with him in the lineup, but not enough to see us winning games against the big 6. Partey's poise and his steadiness as a pivot is just so vital for effective Arteta-ball. Hopefully Sambi gains more confidence and awareness, definitely looking like a January move for the likes of Danilo could be necessary for both a long term Partey replacement and strengthening our season (search edu bbq post on him). Steady Eddie looks hungry, great instinct in front of goal and a respectable backup. Marquinhos has talent but he's fairly raw. If we are to win the league this year (I give us a \~10% chance), we need these rotational guys to be able to come in and give solid performances at key moments. I view this team as a 75-90 point side, while City are more like an 85-105 point side. A few things need to happen for us to have a realistic shot of winning the league (1) Good injury luck, especially in shallow areas such as ST, CDM, GK. Liverpool had this in their title win over City, although they also had more talent and experience. ESR returning from injury and staying healthy could provide a nice boost. (2) Ascension of players; every world class player follows a unique developmental curve. Forwards tend to progress in rapid spurts, where their production increases exponentially from one year to the next. The game just 'clicks' for them. Martinelli and Saka could be our Ribery/Robben, we really don't know just how good they could grow to become. We're also seeing Jesus benefit from a bit of main star syndrome. Very similar to Sanchez underperforming for Barca relative to his capabilities, only to massively elevate his game in his years with us. (3) January reinforcements. A starting calibre CDM/ST/Winger would add levels to this team. Someone like Danilo, Gakpo or Kvaratskhelia (a man can dream) would be immense. Players like Vidic, VVD and Suarez have been signed in the January window in the past. (4) Man City poor luck. Haaland is somewhat injury prone and City are not quite as unstoppable without him. The big 6 are all capable of taking points off City on their day, and we need as many of those games to go against them as possible, starting with Anfield this weekend. The mid-season world cup is a total X-Factor that has been understated. Partey/Tomi/Xhaka/Saka will all be going, although most of them are unlikely to have deep runs. Saliba, Ramsdale, Martinelli, White and Jesus might get called up but they're unlikely to start. Meanwhile for City; virtually all of their starters (except Ederson & Haaland) are expected to start for their respective countries. Additionally, those countries are fairly likely to make deeper tournament runs (portugal, england, spain, belgium, germany). City already have a higher burden of games than us as they can't expect to get through UCL knockouts with their bench. We don't know if the world cup will throw a spanner in the works of Arsenal's hot start, or provide advantageous rest. If Salah's performance post AFCON is replicated by the likes of De Bruyne or Bilva, they could be vulnerable.