Is this mic on? Oh yeah, mic is on, and Football is back. Did it go anywhere though? I mean, we had the Internationals right? Not the same if you ask me, however, if your weekly dose of EPL game has to be interrupted by some international break, it might as well be a break where, first and foremost, no one gets injured while on national duty, second, your players are at the heart of goals and assists
Merino 4G, Zubimendi 1A, Gyokeres 1A, Nwaneri 1G
Not bad for a weekend's work if you ask me. The standout performer was obviously Merino for Spain with his 4 goals in 2 matches, his second goal against was my pick of the bunch, sublime finishing, and the 3rd one for his hat trick, top draw too. Ødegaard is in with a shout for his 10/10 performance against struggling Moldova. I have never seen a ''WhoScored'' rating of 10 out of 10, but he got one. Now to Madueke, those calling him the new coming of Saka's replacement really need to calm the heck down. Sure, the young man has acquitted himself to life at Arsenal quite remarkably, which is a lot of credit to his mentality following the vitriol his transfer triggered from the goonerverse generally. My hands are up to say, I wasn't too enamoured by his signing in the first place and would still hold out the jury on him till he starts to bang in GAs consistently. That's not to say he hasn't impressed on the right side so far, can't knock a brother for taking his chance; however, Saka is still LEVELS above him, and I don't mean to throw shade at Noni, not at all. Let's all take a step back and realise how much Saka has been consistent for both club and country....I rest my case on that.
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: What to Expect
After the international break, Arsenal returns to Premier League action at home in a must-win match against Nottingham Forest. No doubt some folks are wondering why it's suddenly become a must-win. Consider how Liverpool pretty much strolled to the EPL title last season and we just lost to them in matchday 3, add the backdrop of how much the Gunners have spent in this window, I am sure you begin to catch my drift. Beyond the game itself, there’s quite a bit of subplots surrounding this match, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting one for several reasons.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Sacking at Forest
First up, Nuno Espirito Santo was recently sacked by Forest. It was a tough decision for the club, but the fallout with owner Marinakis and the rumored tensions with ex-Arsenal sporting director Edu certainly didn’t help his cause. Nuno went public about the strained relationship with the board, which pretty much sealed his fate as inevitable. On one hand, you have to also say it wasn't exactly fair, having helped the team push for and get a European spot by finishing 7th. If you remember, Forrest was at some point pushing for.r Champions.League finish. It’ll be interesting to see how Forest reacts to his departure and what kind of football they will play under their new coach.
Big Ange’s Appointment: A New Era at Forest
Speaking of Forest’s new manager, Big Ange Postecoglou is the man stepping in. He’s known for his high-press, high-line all-out attacking football, which is a complete contrast to Nuno’s more compact, counter-attacking style. It’s going to be fascinating to see if Postecoglou can implement his philosophy in such a short space of time. It’s unlikely, though, that he’s barely had the squad for a little more than a week, so to fully adapt to his high-energy game immediately, that's asking a lot. In the off chance that he does get this done, then it could play into Arsenal’s hands, especially if Forest pushes high up the pitch while we can counter with some runners in Madueke and Gyokeres, so let's see.
Zinchenko’s Loan & Edu’s Connection
Another spicy subplot is Zinchenko playing on loan for Forest. There are rumors of a fallout with Arteta, kind of, and with Edu’s involvement in the transfer dealings, there’s a bit more intrigue here. Zinchenko being on loan means he can't play for Forrest against us, but it does dial up the notch a bit more, being in the middle of two masters, that's the extra spice to this game.
Tactical Battle: Will Forest Play High?
While Mikel Arteta has some questions to answer, like does he unleash Eze from the start or go with Merino Rice Zubi combo that he got so much stick for at Anfield? So, how will Postecoglou approach this game? Will he stick to Nuno’s more conservative, compact style, or will he go full throttle with his high-line, attacking approach? If Forest plays high, it could open up space for Arsenal’s pacey attackers — and that’s something Arteta will definitely look to exploit, especially with Ola Aina missing through injury at their back. It’ll be fascinating to see if Postecoglou’s tactics take hold in just his first game in charge . Zubi would be key to releasing our men of chaos with his quick passing, while Martin Ødegaard needs to bring home his form from the break; maybe the new haircut has done it (I sure hope so). Anyway, this is a game Mikel Arteta is expected to win, and he must do so with a performance to boot. Forrest hasn't beaten us at the Emirates, if I am not mistaken, and I would expect us to preserve the form with the quality we have all around. Let's hope I am right. In addressing the elephant in the room, I would be starting Eze on the left with Ødegaard as the 10, while Noni gets the nod ahead of Nwaneri for the right spot. See my starting eleven below, even though we still have a couple of injuries, I believe Arsenal has enough in the tank to get all 3 points with a clean sheet too, hopefully. Let's know what you think about the squad picked in the comments.
Image Credit: Arsenal News Channel
Arsenal’s Jersey Sales: Fans Loving the Summer Signings
On a much lighter note, it appears Arsenal fans are loving the summer signings. Word from Colney is that Eze and Gyokeres' jerseys are flying off the shelves. Arsenal has clearly made a big impact with these new acquisitions, and fans are eager to show their support. It’s a great sign of ambition, and it’s encouraging to see the club making moves in the market. It’s exactly the type of BIG club ambition we need to keep growing. Talking about signings, the famous X handle @handofarsenal has tweeted some positive developments on the renewals of Saka and Saliba's contracts. If this gets sorted, then Andrea Berta is the Don, QED!
On that note, we say that's it from us here at #Anaijagunner. Expecting an exciting match against Nottingham Forest, and let’s hope for a dominant performance from the Gunners with a winning bounce back, #COYG. Do like, share, and comment on the post and enjoy the game wherever you are ....Ciao!
