Good Old "1Nil" Classic in Lisbon & Palace Preview

11 straight wins and the Emery’s Gooner train continues to chug on. Not time to get overly excited so hold your horses, keep your feet on the ground lets remain grounded in our expectations. This Arsenal team is doing fairly well in light of the progressive transition phase it is going through currently but credit to gunners and the coach for job done so far.

Image Credit: Arsenal..com

Sporting Lisbon was always going to the most difficult game for Arsenal in this group and coming from Portugal with all three points is definitely good, when its by the classic 0-1 to the Arsenal with Welbeck getting the solitory goal (his 5^th of the season), you love it even more. Cable subscriptions shenanigans ensured I didn’t get to watch the match live but extended highlights showed the game didn’t have the smooth style of play we have been experiencing from the gunners in recent weeks, more ebb than flow. The gunners did dominate the game, a whole lot if might add, more goal attempts, shots on target (Lisbon barely had any) and overall possession. Still overall play was more attritionary than sublime. All that being said, 3 points in the bag, a clean sheet, Top of the group, I will take that…Next stop please! The gunners still need start games switched on in full flow and Emery knows this.

          Next stop is a trip to Selhurst partk for a date with Crystal Palace. The eagles currently have their nickers in a twist sort of so maybe this is a good time to play them. Sitting in 15^th position on the EPL log, their general form is not good (PL9 W2 D1 L6) and with both wins coming on the road for the Eagle’s it may be safe to say their home form is abject. If I add the fact that they haven’t scored at Selhurst park this season, you might be tempted to say Roy Hodgson’s side are a walk over this Sunday, how I wish football was played on paper just like that. Yes the odds look stacked against palace getting anything out of this game but, the gunners in times past have been known to slip up at the least expected time so watch the potential banana skin here. All that said, I can feel that renewed hunger coming back to the Arsenal team, as epitomised by the demand from the manager. I expect them to approach the game with professionalism without taking their opponents for granted. The manager says.

 “my first goal is to improve our competitiveness. We are focussed on Sunday”  

If you ask me, I would say those two statements tell a lot about the way we need to approach the game. Let’s hope the boyz get the message and do the talking on the field of play, by nullifying the threat of Zaha and Townsend first and foremost as most of palaces attacking play goes through them.

Image Credit: TheUKguardian

Anyway, my thoughts be, Can we get the win to make it 12 straight, with a clean another sheet on board too? I guess another 90+ minutes will tell, that’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as they drop while you can also follow us on Facebook by Clicking Here. Special mention to Welbeck for doing the biz when called upon, 3^rd choice striker yet goal per minutes ratio is on the up, long may he stay fit to continue. Do enjoy the game wherever you are….Ciaooo

5 Star Gunners To 10/10 & Lisbon Preview

 Wow what else can one say but look out the window admire the horizon and feel the caress of the gentle sunshine its raining outside…..loll. Nope we aren’t title contenders so get off that crack you are smoking and head back down to reality, Yes we won 10/10 straight, are only 2 points off the table toppers Man City (which is quite telling) after 9 games but, I repeat we are not title contenders yet. Arsenal sure can-do things to you as a fan shaa, Joy or frustration or both, Painful pleasure weak and delicate strength, such is the paradox that is Arsenal football club. Okay enough of the reminisce, even though it no doubt feels good to be a gunner right now meeeiiiinnn!! I mean after back to back stellar performances with 8 goals scored, 2 conceded and most of all a double R display of footballing artistry, who won’t be? I know the sooner we get down to earth and continue with the hard work Emery is trying to instil, the better but lets just take a moment to savour the display against Leicester City.

Özil must have been possessed by the captain’s arm band, or how else do you explain his larger than life virtuoso display that literally blew away the foxes? We all know how talented he is or how good he can be, we just don’t see it often enough, which is such a shame in itself considering the audacity of his abilities. Its hard not to go on and keep talking about the last two games against Fulham which was good, while the Leicester city match was great, that’s besides the first 20-25 minutes of course. That said and all, lets look at the not so good. I’m sorry but I always have something to cavil about, this wont be different. Two things, I wonder why Arsenal can’t seem to keep clean sheets like the good old days, I mean its all nice to score a quiver full of goals but give me an old fashioned 2 nil to the gunners over a 3-1 or a 1 nil over a 2-1 to the Arsenal, I will gladly take the clean sheet scores ahead of the cricket score line. My other issue is the fact that it takes a bit to get the cannon ball loaded as once again seen against Leicester, Arsenal was all at sea for the most part of the first half. I am sure a better team would have punished our sloppy play more. Lets dial back the a few games past, against Everton, Watford and now Leicester, the turnovers in dangerous areas early in the games have been quite worrisome. I want to believe its something Emery sees (as he is BIG on detail video reviews). It is important the gunners cut this down to the barest minimum. We might get away with it against bottom fodder opposition but against the top teams, I need not say more. Hopefully the coach works that sloppiness out of the teams play. Before go to the preview, Hats of to Ramsey for the goal against Fulham, the build up was beautiful, the finish…sublime. Özil gets an extra special mention too for that performance against Leicester, Jeeeez do that more often Please. Torreira....just quietly awesome

Its back to Thursday night football with the gunners facing the first game of the double header against the team I believe on paper remains the true test in our group. We travel to the estadio Alvalade, home of Sporting Lisbon for third group game in the Europa league. It’s the game of the group as it pitches the group leaders against each other. You get the feeling that whichever team can dominate this double header tie, will likely top the group. Sporting lisbon may not be one of the European club heavyweights currently but they used to be and  are next in line behind Porto in Portugal, they have a rich history and cant be underestimated. Its even telling that how well they have turned the season around considering the kind of tumultuous summer they had with players being threatened sacked coaches and all that. This brings us to Emery’s comments ahead of the game, he thinks Sporting Lisbon is a very decent side and must not be underestimated but he reiterates his own hunger for more.

 “When you win this competition, you go to the champions league for the next year and for us at Arsenal, I am telling every player, the supporters and the club- it is very important because it is one title and also a way to go to champions league. We are here to play to win”

I sure hope the boyz get his message, one can only ask for a repeat of the recent second half performances the gunners have been putting in just start a little earlier. Team news has Monreal, Sokratis and the usual suspects of Kolasinac, Maitiland Niles, Koscielny all out with an injury of sorts. I would expect Cech may not make it too as he is only just back in full training. Holding and Mustafi to continue at center back, Litchsteiner may complete a back three or be part of a back four. In the middle, I would expect El Neny, Emile smith, Mikhi to join the fray while Welbeck should be back in the attack. Özil and the likes of Lacazette, Ramsey would likely start from the bench. Anyway, my thoughts be …..Can we get the win with a clean sheet on board too? I guess another 90+ minutes will tell, that’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as they drop while you can also follow us on Facebook Here. Do enjoy the game wherever you are….Ciaooo

Qarabag 3 Points & Fulham Preview

Image Credits: Arsenal.com

Ok so its being a few games since I “seentchya” on the Arsenal daily huh?  Yeah I know, like 2 matches ago abii, while the Emery wind of change is now 7 wins straight like a cannonball on a mission for the gunners. I like it, however, lets not get ahead of ourselves, we are doing ok, just okay okaaaay?? Arsenal are no means good yet even by our low standards of late. September was a very productive month for the gunners, 5W D0 L0 in all competitions 3W in the league, long may it continue so let nobody start talking or pressuring the manager about being on a winning streak of some sorts, we don’t need that distraction.

I managed to catch a stream of the game against Qarabag and I must say the score line of 0-3 to the Arsenal flattered us if I am to be honest. The Azerbaijanians gave a good account of themselves but wasted chances, it also helped that at 0-1 to the gunners Leno made I think two decent saves to ensure we went into the break ahead. Leno, seems to be making sure Cech will be looking over his shoulders for the #1 goalkeeping spot, but let’s see if this isn’t what we like to call ‘‘initial gragra’’ back home in Nigeria.

Qarabag gave a good account of themselves with some attempts on goal, just that final ball in the in the final third that let them down most of the time. The gunners I have to say showed unusual characteristic ruthlessness in from of goal, 3 of the 5 shots on target or so were goals. That’s something I would like to see more of. Another positive was Emile Rowe Smith’s continued upward trajectory, he did catch the eye during preseason and he has continued his form capping his fine display with a debut goal…Nice. Iwobi is also seeming like he is enjoying a new lease of life under Emery, he was again involved in the goals. All in all, not a bad day at the office but still lots of room for improvements as sterner tests await this Arsenal side. LWDLDL

The gunners take on Fulham this Sunday at craven cottage, so it’s a little bit of a London derby aye, well maybe not a huge as the north London derby or the other one against Chelsea but still a derby non the less. As is the case with any derby, you expect some fiery battle between the sides. Fulham have a not so good form going into this game is LWDLDL. Just a win in the last 6 games, not good. Arsenal on the other hand have LWWWWW so the gunners have confidence going to this game which is a good thing. In terms of head to head, the gunners have the advantage over the cottagers 37W 10D 8L through 55 meetings in all competitions. All that is in the past though, as this game has a potential banana skin written all over it. Seri, Sessegnon, Vieto, Schuurle and of course Mitrovic are threats to any defence on their day. Arsenal hasn’t exactly been very convincing defensively despite the recent wins. Mitrovic can cause us a lot of problems if the supply line isn’t snuffed out early, he currently leads the line with 5 league goals, for proper context, our top scorers are on 2 goals. It goes without saying that he seems to be enjoying a new lease of life at Fulham having helped them win promotion from the championship.

The gunners will have to ensure that Seri especially is denied space and time on the ball. Stifle him and Vieto, more than half the job is done, then make sure we show a ruthless streak by taking our chances when they come. Another clean sheet would be nice to continue to build that defensive solidity and calm reassurance, that means no silly mistakes from the defenders or sloppy passes from the midfielders ann the attackers. Torreira is a must start alongside Xhaka who didn’t play in midweek. Ramsey should be back in the team having stayed back to be with his missus who was due for delivery., Auba comes back in to lead the line and maybe a league start for Iwobi, who knows? My predicted line up is below, courtesy of the uk guardian  

Image Credits: UK Guardian

Can we get the win going into the next international break to keep the momentum going, with a clean sheet on board as a huge plus? I guess another 90+ minutes will tell, that’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as they drop while you can also follow us on Facebook Here. Do enjoy the game wherever you are….Ciaooo

Project British Core Fails & Watford Thoughts

Image Credits: Arsenaldotcom

Its paddy power time as the gunners made through to the next round of the Carabao Cup with another win against championship side Brentford. Two goals in the first half from Welbeck and a third from Lacazette in the second half saw off Brentford go down with a brave fight. Welbeck, while not everyone’s favorite cup of tea for a striker, seems to be taking his so far limited chances when they beckon. That’s his 4^th goal if I am not mistaken for the season and he is yet to start a premier league match, now that’s interesting. Injuries have blighted his career reversing any progress he seems to make. He isn’t the most clinical finisher a top club can depend on, a bit clumsy if I dare say but his industry can’t be questioned whenever he dons the colours of the club, let’s give him that. Now if only Emery can crank out another gear of improvement in finishing and fitness, maybe …..Just maybe we may have a B+ striker capable of double digits in the league for the team. Yeah maybe I said, who knows?

Arsenal got the win desired and with the usual gift of an odd goal to the opposition, our clean sheets struggle is one that’s irking me. Give me a good old 2 nil over a 3-1 score line and I will take it. Progress will be slow though, if I want to be fair to Emery especially after 20+ years of Wenger at the helm. Things won’t just change overnight, lets be clear.

Okay moving on to the current distraction, word from the Colney is that negotiations between the club and Ramsey are currently deadlocked at an impasse DO we cash in on Aaron in January or give in to his demands or let him walk for free? 3 choices, none so good, it’s squeaky bum time for the management. Ramsey being the last of that core guard we were so excited about a couple years ago, they were dubbed “The British Core”. Jack , Oxlade, Jenkinson and Ramsey. These guys have failed to excite or live up the hype….Project failed, simple. If Arsenal choose to sell, the gunners had better get a good replacement, and no it’s not Guendouzi. I am very much impressed with his progressive attitude on the ball, he is still far from finished article but his talent is there. What we need for a Ramsey replacement is a here and now “ready player one” type dude, nuff said!

Okay let’s move on to the EPL, it’s a date at the Emirates with Watford coming to town. The hornets are having a dream start to their premier league season so one should expect a cracking game. They have also proved an obstacle in the past knocking Arsenal out of the 2016 FA cup and also getting the better of us last season in that famous match that Troy Deeney said the gunners lacked Cajones or something like that. I am sure the gunners are pumped for this game with squad rotation in midweek giving most of the starting 11 a bit of rest ahead of the weekend. Deeney, Peyrera and Dacoure remain threats while Capoue has rediscovered himself at Vicarage road. It’s left for the gunners to continue with their recent improvements by showing up from the blast of the whistle. Playing a game of two halves as we have seen most of this season is dangerous, especially with a clinical opposition. The Everton game showed just that, we may not have the luxury of such sloppy play against Garcia’s wards who are way more clinical and physical in their approach to games, not forgetting being organized off the ball.

Arsenal will need to stay sharp and compact in the middle of the pack, recycle quickly and feed the attack with good chances for them to score, an early goal should calm nerves, I also noticed that when we played Everton after Lacazettes goal, the confidence increased and the gunners played with more calmly finesse. Left to me I would leave Xhaka out of the starting 11 for today, go with 3 at the back with two wing backs with Torreira Guendouzi and Ramsey then Özil Aubameyang up top. I know I know its benching an in form Lacazette who seems to be the more clinical striker but Auba is more fresh and rested since Lacazette played in midweek. Xhaka starts from the bench for me cuz of his tendency for switching off at times with sloppy passes and cynical fouls. He is best suited for a relaxed game where he has time on the ball to pick a pass from deep. My worry is just that Torreira and Guendouzi played in midweek with the manager wanting fresh legs in Xhaka. However, this is just me thinking aloud, I’m not the manager so my preferred line up and predicted line up are quite different. My Predicted line up is captured below courtesy the UK guardian online:

The UK Guradiandotcom

 Lastly I think Emery’s thoughts below sum thigs up quite nicely in a way we want:

“Each match gives us the opportunity to take more confidence. We are winning, I think the confidence is the best on our individual players and also on our collective work. But every match is one challenge to show and to give, to find our best moment and best performance. I think each player is thinking well, but also we need more.”

That wraps it up for today’s preview hoping the boys make it 7 wins in a row with another clean sheet, don’t forget to like and subscribe to our blog feeds on Facebook and up there while also leaving us your feedback, do enjoy the game wherever you are…….CIaooo

The BEST Award & Brentford Preview

Credits: Getty Images On The Independent 

And the winner is...Luka Modric!!! The Madrid play maker punctuates what has been a duopoly (since 2008) between two of the world most glamourous footballers in Messi & CR7. Take nothing away from him though, he totally deserved the accolade he got as ‘‘The Best’’ for the year 2017/18. Now Messi and Ronaldo still managed to be the topic of the night even though they didn’t win or weren’t present. Their absence was a court of controversy, with some footballing stalwarts stating their refusal to show up was disrespectful…. well, I may be inclined to agree. Here’s why, if they were to be the recipient of the award, they probably would have shown up. I am particularly surprised at Messi’s turn down, but hey who knows? The question I am inclined to ask is, will this be the end of the longest dominance of these awards by these two or do we still have one last hooraaa from either of Mes10 or CR7? Honorable mention to Marta who won the award for female category.

Now let's quickly get to back to things Arsenal.  The Everton game was more tetchy/nervy than it should have been, against the ropes we were in the first half but we played poorly to get a win. 3 points and finallt a clean sheet....whats not to like, more work to do obviously. 

The Carabao cup comes to the fore this Wednesday as the gunners welcome Brentford to the Emirates. Emery says the competition is very important as it gives players chances for minutes and gain confidence with more game time. This is a trophy we never won under Wenger and I haven’t seen the gunners win since becoming a gunner! Its by no means coveted like the league or as sentimentally glamorous like the FA cup but…a trophy is a trophy and any silverware is a always welcome.  

Brentford wouldn’t be a pushover, similar to us they currently sit 7^th on the championship log with 4W 3D 2 L from 9 games this season. I remember we also played them during the pre-season exchanges, did  the gunners learn anything between then and now? I expect the squad players to take note of all these as drilled into them by the coach. Emery has whole sale changes to make to the team for this match, let’s hope he is able to drill them in to focus, while they also push themselves to give their absolute best individually and collectively. I expect experienced players like Elneny Welbeck and Litchsteiner to guide the younger lads. I would particularly be interested in seeing Emile Rowe Smith, hearing a lot of goo things about him….is he the real deal or the new Jeff, or Zelalem? Let’s see how it goes, one thing is for sure though…. we can’t afford to do a Man United who crashed out of the competition to Lampard’s derby county on Tuesday via penalties. Something is wrong at Old-Trafford, that’s what’s being whispered (Pogba, Alexis, The Mouhriho 3^rd Season syndrome) time will tell.

Whatever team we put out, lets hope they can get the job done. My predicted line-up will look like this:

Lastly before we go, in the true spirit of sportsmanship we wanna celebrate Golf legend Tiger woods for getting himself back into golfing contention by his recent 2018 PGA Tour win, what a comeback!! It’s a reminder that you and I that  we only fail when we choose not to get back up! That’s it from us…...do enjoy the game wherever you are.  

4Th Straight Win For Top 4 & Everton Preview

Hey guys, what’s crackalacking over there, we good over here so no worries. As the EU and UK cant seem to make middle ground on the looming Brexit I sure hope our loved ones and the common folks on both sides don’t get the short end of the bargain cuz that’s usually happens when two elephants wrestle, the ground they say bears the brunt of it.

On the other side of the Atlantic, besides yet another shooting, someone in thinks the best way to dig Kavanaugh out of this mess is by questioning the credibility of the accuser of …..i just dey laff, #Meetoo go soon join make Mr President dey play with November.  Anyway, thank God for sports….especially footy, the one panacea the world can always turn to in this divisive times.

 To things Arsenal then, the gunners kicked off their Europa league campaign with as expected, a 4-2 win over Ukrainian club Vorskla. That makes it 4 straight wins in all competitions for the gunners and while some may argue these past oppositions might be only B- at best, a win in any competitive game is always welcome as that’s what’s expected by the fans. The confidence boost it gives the morale of the team and momentum it builds are added bonuses which can’t be underestimated. I am also glad Auba repaid the faith in him the manager to start him ahead of Lacazette, ditto Welbeck. Özil displaying a rare poacher’s instinct is another good one We needed to rotate, we did, and the squad players did the job, end of story. Now having said all these we can’t look at the positives alone and forget some hairy talking points. We can’t seem to buy a clean sheet to save our Arsenal lives even if its offered free of charge, I mean how hard can it bee to stay switched on for 90+ minutes? Its so annoying, it just beats me like habaaaa common guys!! Does it mean the gunners cant win the good old fashioned 1 nil to the Arsenal way?

Okay enuff rant there, on to the premiere league action this Sunday, the gunners entertain the toffees from the blue side of Mersey and I expect a much tougher game. I hope I am wrong though. Everton have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but some abysmal defending has let them down in games they probably should have taken all three points, I don’t know, just thinking. Marco Silva has a pleasant memory of winning at the emirates before, the boiz should remember this and make him realise that is well and truly past. His work at Hull city and Watford were quite commendable even if he ended up leaving both clubs under a cloud f less than ideal circumstances. I have a positive feeling he might have found a good place to build something in Everton. That sounds lie wishful thinking but that’s my honest opinion. 

Anyway, to Arsenal, while winning two consecutive games away from home is a welcome change this season, it should be matched by an impregnable home form at the emirates. I talked about keeping the momentum going earlier.  This would boost our quest for a top four finish hopefully. To achieve this, we need to defend better first and foremost, keeping it tight at the back with cautiously timed bombing forward from our wing backs (gat ma scopes on U Hector). The center of the field needs to be crisp in their passing, if the Emery insists on playing Xhaka, I would prefer him beside Torreira or further forward with Guendouzi and Torreira behind him. That means sacrificing one of Özil, Auba or Ramsey. Auba and Özil played in midweek the coach might be thinking, also Ramsey has racked up quite a number of goals against Everton. Call me superstitious but these little things have a way of impacting events on the field big time. I am glad Emery is wary of a potentially dangerous Everton smarting from their loss to West ham last week seemingly down and out with so many injuries/suspensions he isn’t getting carried away as to it being an easy picking for us.

“They didn’t win that important match [against West Ham] but maybe this is why they can be more dangerous to us because they come here and need to show their supporters that they are better than the last match. They lost against West Ham and they want to show us, to show their supporters, that they can win here.”

 The onus is on the gunners to play with hunger and fiery passion like they wanna win a trophy or something, winning the 50/50s, aggressively attacking the high balls into the box and pressing them into mistakes from the front while we take most of our chances created. If we do these successfully we should have what it takes to beat the Toffees come Sunday. Our goal difference (GD) column could also do with some incremental boost in numbers too. My predicted line up will look something like that below (culled from Arsenal Page on the UK Guardian)

Can we get the win with a clean sheet on board too? I guess another 90+ minutes will tell. So that’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as they drop while you can also follow us on Facebook Here. Dont forget to help spread the word, do enjoy the game wherever you are…..Ciaooo

Back to Back Away Wins and Europa League Time.

Hey goonerholics and footy fans alike, hows the weather on your side of the planet? Full of smiles like mine I guess….loll. OK lets do a quickie right away (pun intended…. winks) Things seem to be changing at Arsenal, Ivan is off to spin the Italians some spaghetti in toma sauce at Milan, while we made it 3 wins in a row and a consecutive win away for the first time in the premier league In the gunners 20 tries me thinks. Emery is already that good mate, jokes apart, that’s a telling stat for Arsenal and Arsene’s last season at the helm but its okay, we have to start rebuilding from somewhere.

So much for the good, the bad is that we were so poor for long stretches of the first half against Newcastle, it’s a miracle Arsenal managed to go into the 2^nd half with no deficit. No thanks to Newcastle whom for all their industry in ensuring they high pressed the gunners they just lacked the cutting edge in the final third. Had there had been more cutting edge in their approach around the Arsenal box, I don’t think we would be talking about another 3 points for the gunners. Another sorry sight is the lack of clean sheets so far after five games, I don’t know if its too early to be concerned but I am asking wont there to be games the gunners need to win by a lone goal? If there are, it means the team still has a lot to do. The play improved significantly in the second half with arsenal showing a bit more urgency in the ball movement around the Newcastle box. The pressure paid off with two quick goals, Özil’s was a marker for his 200^th arsenal appearance, not a bad day at the office for the much-maligned creator general. It’s a tussle between him and Ramsey for the coveted central midfield position as both don’t like to play wide, for now Emery seems to favour Ramsey in the centre with Özil hugging the right flanks. That’s a matter for another day, the win came with the blemish of another goal conceded, yet to keep a clean sheet this season….so soo sooo not good. That being said, a win is a win, 3 points in the bag to make it 3 wins in a row, nothing spectacular still lots of work to do to get the Emery philosophy through, but we would take it.

Now lets quickly talk about the Europa League. I know we dont like to talk about the less glamorous european club competition but i ask people would you mind winning the trophy? Well, i dont.  The Gunners kick of their campaign with a visit from Ukrainian club FC Vorskla. Not much is known about them which means they aren’t a powerhouse outta Ukraine and that could also be a potential Banana skin waiting for Arsenal if they go into the game all cocky. Footy gods have a way of punishing the favorites, look at Man City against Lyon and you get my drift. Emery has a good track record in this competition with 3 consecutive wins, that’s being matched recently only by Zidane in the champions league. The key players for Vorskla are left wingers Rebenok and Kobakhidze. A lot of play is channelled through those two. Team selection poses Bernd Leno to start as well as Litchsteiner, I am sure Emery will rotate some more players in but those two are penned down which is good. Lets see Leno in competitive action. The gunners will need to put the game to rest quickly by being clinical up front, will Auba get a central striker role? That’s to be seen. Whatever team starts I hope they crack off ith a win plus a clean sheet to boot.

       I guess that’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as the drop while you can also follow us on Facebook Here,  do enjoy the game wherever you are…..Ciaooo

Time To Hammer Out Any Sarri Blues

Okay, so it’s been what, uhhmmm a week or almost a week since that heart-breaking game at the bridge. London …No, Stamford bridge didn’t fall down as we thought it might. Alonso wouldn’t allow it! instead, it was more heartache to pointless for Emery and the boiz. The most pulsating yet annoyingly bizarre game of the EPL season thus far was on display. If you were neutral, you would have had sumptuous attacking football served Unai-Sarri style. For us who are loyal fans of Arsenal or even Chelsea’s I may dare to say, Yes, you would have acknowledged the expansive footie on display but been appalled by the reckless abandon of defensive naivete that manages to surprise and excite all at the same time. That being said, here are my thoughts on the game.

Image Credits: Getty Images

1: Don’t Play The Highline Without The PRESSING!!.

Rule number one: Never play the highline if your team can’t aggressively press the opposition!! In case you missed the point, please read rule number one. Arsenal isn’t good at pressing without the ball, especially high up the pitch and this was painfully exposed by Chelsea at the bridge. The first and especially the second goal came as result of the gunners not bein able to press Chelsea into a turnover, with a simple ball over the high line releasing Morata for the second goal. Playing a highline is particularly dangerous if your players aren’t gingered to retrieve the ball immediately they lose it. Doing this against a speedy counter-attacking side I pure suicide so I hope we have learnt our lessons before meeting the likes of Tottenham and especially Liverpool. I repeat do not try this against Liverpool!!

2: Cech Continues to make his case

I don’t know about his twitter spat with the German troll of a club but, Cech seems to have seen the writing on the wall with Leno’s arrival. He out in another solid performance with some key saves at 2-0 nil down and after the gunners drew level. His distribution also seemed better as compared to the first game. He still needs to sort out his foot work on the ball when Arsenal try to play from the back. That like I noted in my last post will likely be his struggle as it’s a weakness, is Leno any better? Well Let’s see.

3: Ozil continues to Polarize the fanbase

The narrative of Ozil continued as he wasn’t able to conjure the magic at Stamford bridge. He did come close in the early minutes of the game when he tried to guide cushioned ball into the net and only missed by whiskers. Mickitaryan had to come out to defend his teammate, stating how much of a fantastic player he is and what an influence he is on and of the pitch. Most fans remain divided though, Ozil can do more…. score goals but that being said, he needs to step it up. He has the coveted #10 jersey now, he is the highest played Arsenal player, the world cup nightmare is over, he should know that by now. it’s time we saw his magic conjured up more consistently…….. God knows Arsenal needs it!

 4: Guendouzi remains the bright spot

Its really amazing how far this young lad has come. Only playing second-tier football as a teenager some few months back and now a starter for the gunners. You can understand why he has remained the constant shining spot in both defeats the gunners have suffered this season. Particularly he was very impressive against the far more experience Chelsea midfield of Barkley, Willian, and Jorginho. He was involved in ensuring the ball moved forward with his passes, long and short, completing over 90%, while winning 8 of 11 duels, 4 interceptions, 8 recoveries all ensuring that he covered a lot of ground in 11km. His reaction to Aubameyang’s awful miss was just epic. Love the guys already. It's still a long long season ahead with lots of games, I would want to temper expectations a little cuz its way too early to give him the pass mark just yet, but I must say so far, he is looking good at the base of Arsenal’s midfield. He could form an amazing partnership with Torreira. time will tell.

5: Hammer Time! A must Win

2 games down, 2 losses, no points. The gunners welcome the hammers from the millenium stadium. A west ham team whose form mirror’s the gunners own form as we type this post. I do like Pellegrini, he is a class coach but, there is nothing friendly about my expectations when they visit the Emirates come Saturday. Una and the boiz must chock up the 3 points with goals to spare. We are on a -3 deficit already and that’s not good at all. Whatever boots Auba and Lacazette wore against Chelsea must be changed for their scoring ones. The gunners can’t afford to drop any more points again, definitely not against Westham. No more mister nice guy, so its win Ugly if u must Emery, but just win!! That’s the simple minimum expected from the game. I would not want to go into details on how poor we were defensively against Chelsea, the gunners need to be better organized and Emery must figure out the system that brings out the best in his players. Over the next few transfer windows we shall be able to peek into his grand design for the gunners but for now, let's make lemonade out of life’s lemons. Our short preview for the game this is, if I may change anything from the last team, it would be Torreira starts ahead of Xhaka, sorry bruv but we need more steel in that middle. We could change it up when we are a few goals up by bringing on Ramsey (sign that contract son) and Xhaka, anyway that’s me shaa it's up to Emery. That’s it from us over here, remember to hit the subscribe button so you get our posts as the drop while you can also follow us on Facebook Here Do enjoy the game wherever you are…..Ciaooo

Chelsea Preview: Unai Or Sarri Time?

Errrrrrmmmm okay, that went well I guess maybe not so bad. No, I wasn’t talking about Omarosa and her former Boss, naaah I meant well……uhmm City didn't run Amok on us at the Emirates. Everybody please calm down and let’s not do a Tony cuz 6 weeks if you ask me isn’t even close to half the time needed to built a title challenging squad. The good news is, most fans know and are willing to tarry a bit, giving emery the trust to go on and make the necessary changes. Cech starting was a bit of a surprise, considering Leno and how he was brought to plug a supposed weakness in our leaky defence. Now besides that iffy moment that got him into a Twitter spat with Hamburg, he didn’t disappoint as he really wasn’t to blame for both goals, maybe some might argue about the first, however, replay shows he was blindsided by Socratis or so, he saw Sterling’s shot too little too late to do much about saving it, and as for the second goal, oh come ooonnnn.

Overall 3points lost aside, there were some positives for me in that match to make me say, let's see. Matteo Guendouzi for me especially was particularly lively in the midfield and unfazed by City’s much bigger stars. He demanded the ball, took the less safe path to forward play and generally got us ticking in midfield. Sure, he did lose the all occasionally in key positions, but I won’t blame him for anything, he has settled in well and I am impressed. The team trying to play from the back instead of going long, that experiment is going to take a bit to catch on and we may have to be more assured when doing so, especially with teams that do a high press. I think Cech might struggle a bit here, you could tell he was finding his feet so to speak. The Jury is still out on Socratis so let’s give him a free pass. Up front is where I feel we didn’t match City properly, we had a few half chances with Bellerin, Auba, and Lacazette and we squandered them, only Bellz made Ederson earn is keep. After the game, the coach was all positive in his assessment while acknowledging work to be done

“ The first game gives us more information about things to improve and also things to continue doing. It’s clear that the result was the first [objective] we wanted. But it was Manchester City’s day. We need to continue with our work to make the differences in the next match and in the future. For me, what was most important was the players know the positive things we did in this game and also the things we need to improve on and work more for”

I hope we get to see those marked improvements from the Gunners against Chelsea at the bridge. Arsenal needs to start racking the points cuz Chelsea while like us with a new coach already have 3 points in the bag, before the game against us, we don’t. we can’t afford to lose at the bridge. In fact, we need to find a way to win end of story!

Our away form at the bridge in the last five visits predate is without a win. Its been 2Ls and 3D with two clean sheets in the last two visits as the positive spin to that stat. Things aren’t looking good for us based on that, add to this the hammering the injury gods are already blitzing us with at left back position. Kolasinac and Maitiland Niles are out for months, with Knee and Fibula injuries. Monreal is a doubt having only just joind the team from the world cup break in less than a week. Someone made a joke about Danny Welbeck could do well as a left back…..LOL, it's so funny it's not even funny. The other option is Litchsteiner again at left back as he played against City. I think I would go with that, with a stern warning not to bomb forward like a wing back cuz of Willian on the prowl. How we intend to shut both him and Hazard especially down would be telling of how many points we may leave the bridge with. Harrying Jorginho and Kante in that middle will be key as they are the midfield metronomes responsible for serving these guys and Jorginho may be the weakest link in that chain since he is still settling in the league, this is where the gunners need, Xhaka and Torreira if he starts to make them uncomfy by stifling their time on the ball without the silly cynical tackles or passes though. Granit, I am looking at you, Yes you! Chelsea’s only injury worries will likely be Fabregas who may or may not be as consequential for Chelsea these days depending on which fan/coach you talking to.

In attack, Arsenal needs to be ruthless when the chance however clear or unclear they are. We can’t afford not to pepper their goal mouth with pressure and clinical finishing. I am sure Auba will start but not sure if he should with Lacazette. I kinda like him up top instead not on the wings, let's give Mikhi and Welbeck or even Ozil for that space for the first 50-60 minutes before changing things up. Welbz work rate may be needed to keep Willian and Moses at bay while helping Litchsteine who is will be playing outta position if we go with him over Monreal. All in all its going to be a good game with a fine historical balance between these two BIG London clubs. Head to head stats shows 195 meetings in all between them. Arsenal has 75W 58D L62. So you can see not much really separates the two sides even tho the gunners shade the dominance slightly. If we can play compactly, deny them space to operate in the middle and take our chances when they come, then we have a chance which is all easier said than done so will see how it goes.

If you enjoyed our write up, check out the hashtag on twitter #anaijagunner and Like/subscribe to our FB page here to get the latest post notification as it drops, hot n fressshh. In other news, David ospina has left for Napoli on loan, I'd say sell him we all know he ain't staying at Arsenal no more. Anyway, that’s it from us here, dont forget to leave us your comments and do enjoy the game wherever you are……Ciaoo

New Season, New Coach.....A NEW DAWN?

Football is back with a BANG so hey peoplez what da dilly yoooh? Back in the day when we used to hip hop hurraaaay. Anyway, NBN days at the top of the charts are long gone and so it seems to be looking for the gunners init, let’s be positive it’s a new season after all. Welcome everyone who loves the round leather game and mostly my goonerholics…...it’s been a loooooong while and rightfully so too. A lot has been happening in the arsenal space so let’s get right to it by doing a 2018/2019 season sneak peek.

Image Credit: Arsenal dot com

We hear Alishia Usmanov is getting so fed up with the UK visa office, seeing how Roman at the bridge has been treated, he is now willing to sell all his equity stake in Arsenal FC paving the way for Silent Stan to sole ownership that he has been chasing. Its believed that if the deal goes through, then the value of the club could rise to as high as 1.8B in GBP. Now, what that means for the club’s future ambition….is anybody’s guess but let's just say I am a glass half full kinda guy, touch wood. That being said the pitch side of things is looking set as the gunners welcome Unai Emery and other newbies to the premiership with a baptism of fire against City on Sunday. The manner in which city dispatched Sarri and his blue band from the bridge shows we better hope we are ready cuz they seem to hungry for even more success.

On the balance of everything. I would say my hope for the season is optimistic while remaining tampered. The good thing is we clearly had one of the best summers in a while even with the world cup. Arsenal got a manager replacement expeditiously following Wenger’s resignation step down after 22years at the helm. The speed with which we recruited to fill our known gaps was a welcome change and long may this continue. A lot of gunners weren’t really in the thick of things at the world cup which is both telling of how low we have dropped that arsenal players no longer first-team slots while on the flipside it can mean good cuz players are well rested over the break coming into the season fresh.

Looking at the league, the usual suspects from Manchester, City no doubt as favourites even Mourinho knows it. Spurs showed either blind faith or complacency in staying put but my interest is might piqued by what Liverpool has gone out and done in the market. I would say they are the team to watch this season if Keita should click alongside Fabinho……. let’s just say they will push City for the league. There might be another surprise team from the lower teams, hey I really can’t say who but as is things football, one never knows.

The Gunners did fairly well in transfers, maybe a bit short in the defence with Chambers going on load at the death but that’s what it is. Preseason friendlies and tourneys all done, now is the time to taste the pudding with a baptism of fire in Man City and Chelsea for the first two games. Scary init? Yeah it is but I like to remain a cautious glass half full kinda guy. Staying positive hurts nobody neither does caution……loll. Anyway here's my take: I would take a draw from City, a nice jab at one of the domestic cups or UEL for some shiny shiny and 4^th place. That would be a successful season by all counts. Unai Emery isn’t a miracle worker so let's just give him time, by that I mean 3 seasons to win the league before we pass judgement. Ramsey had better renew his contract or get sold. No time for Prima donnas on this new Arsenal Bus. Let’s just hope we kick-start this season on a high so as to build confidence and momentum from there on. That’s it from us here, welcome to the 2018/2019 season……Ciaooo

Au'revoir Wenger

OK so I couldn’t just quietly sneak in a write up after such a long-imposed hiatus and i hope i don't jinx our match tonight but you all know it had to take something special to make us break our silence over the white blog board. It's not every day you get to experience the good n bad oxymoronic emotions by virtue of Wenger pulling out a curveball with his agreement to step down as manager at the end of the season. No, it definitely isn’t! I will say this though, it is what it is, le’Proff has finally given you and I what a lot of the fans have clamoured, chanted and even I daresay protested for…#WengerOut. Now we got that, so what next? Whatever it is,it had better be good cuz Gazidis I am looking at you and don’t ask me for recommendations, that’s why you get paid the big bucks mate, init?

22 years at the helm, 3 EPL titles, 7 FA Cup & Community Shield wins and a Champions League final appearance (hopefully another with the Europa League) then add the number of young players who the Boss gave a chance to shine on-to bigger things, some could say maybe not stellar by Peps serial achievers’ standard but definitely not shabby for a non-English coach on a budget so to speak. Wenger has achieved some measure of success and won the respect of many people despite his many failings, he brought that continental feel and put on the global map, the English league. There’s Wengerball for the Cryuff purists of course, Sleek, possessive, attacking footy, so beautiful in the variety of team goals his style crafted…. i mean Kan-U believe it! Aaaah, the beauty of nostalgia. Some may argue against these statements but each one of us is entitled to his or her own opinion and that’s mine. As for far back as 1999 when I was trying to make up my mind on whom to give my support in Chelsea’s Blue or the Red Cannon, Kanu helped swing the vote the Highbury’s way and I have been sold ever since, Wenger cut such an influential figure back then, in fact, some even thought that he owned the club somewhat…..Arsenal of Arsene Wenger. You have to see how hard it is to imagine the Arsenal without Arsene at the dugout but that’s what we have now.

As with all good things, the honeymoon excitement comes to an end, one comes back down to earth as things begin to get stale. The club was no different, the title-winning Arsenal team was replaced with the 4^th place scrapping team that sold its best players season after season. It was a heart wrenching to experience the proverbial seven years of famine after the 7years of plenty. Having used up all the luck the gods had given arsenal to achieve the Unprecedented title winning Unbeaten INVINCIBLES We went on a barren spell of no trophies, sold our top players, moved out of Highbury to an empty trophy cabinet at the Grove, lost scandalously 8-2 to ManU, lost a cup final to Birmingham, transfer bungles and misses…the ills go on. The recent FA cup wins that have been the hallmark of the Ashburton grove era couldn’t paper over the cracks of a club that seemed to have made a play for the step up but failed and has stagnated. If you add two consecutive seasons out of the champions league, notwithstanding our round of 16 bows out for 7 straight seasons regardless of the opposition. It was inevitably only a matter of time, just a question of when.

All these being said, I still feel that sad crunch in my gut, it does hurt to say goodbye to the Professor. Watching him being presented the special Gift by SAF, the hugs, handshakes with SAF & Mourinho one can only say it’s such a tribute from one of the EPL’s greatest managers that tells U the kind of respect Wenger commands & I must admit it’s been an overall joy grow up with him, yeah I know he may have lost the cutting-edge a bit, he may have been stubborn and too trusting of his players maybe even naïve but he was and still is CLASS that Mourinho can never be, no matter how many titles he wins. The players, the managers, the fans and even journos alike have poured out largely positive tributes to him, my take is…I am not gonna preview the make or mar game vs Athletico tonight, just WIN him the Europa league as a special send-off and bury those demons of Paris. Change is here Ivan, let's get on with it. Merci Wenger 22…..ciao

5 Star Ozil, World Cup Draws & Man United Preview

Image Credit: Twitterdotcom #WorldcupDraw

A five star performance second half blitz orchestrated by the much polarising German Ozil saw the gunners cruise to Victory. Cruise it seems by the score line but for a better part of the first half the gunners were anything but cruising. Wagner's boiz were still in the game till the gunners got their act together with the wizard of Oz waving the magic wand while Ramsey helped his orchestra. In the end the 5-0 scoreline to the Arsenal may not reflect the true nature of the game but a win is a win, a boost to the GD column, the clean sheet plus our "impeccable" form at the Emirates remains preserved. I will take it all, thank you.

In other news besides the continued revolution going on with our back-room staff, the 2018 world cup draws was held earlier today at the Kremlin with Putin in attendance, how glorious it must have been, too bad the US wouldn’t be part of the fiesta. Anyway, the qualifying countries now know who their group opponents are. For Nigeria, we are in the famous Group D, no surprises there, and we have been drawn with ooooh wait, Argentina agaiiinn. No surprises there too.

Group D

Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria.

A tricky group even if it's not the proverbial group of death. We must get at least a result from our first game against the Croats. Its going to be tough but we can do it. I am at least hoping we can. Its time to ask FIFA , hey guys what’s with your loving us with Argentina….like seriously.

Now moving on to the BIG one at the weekend. Arsenal welcome Man United to the Emirates this weekend. The game carries so much significance in different ways. Both Teams were hitherto perennial title challengers before the coming of Roman, both coaches have such bromance between them nothing much needs to be said, both teams don't currently have spectacular away form in the league.  Both teams boast a devastating Attack when the players click. Now with that being said, Mourinho clearly the better head to head record. The “only one” has won 8 of his last 17 meets with Wenger compared to Arsene's 2W. Only one has come in the league when he finally broke his Mourinho hoodoo last season. This time around the gunners are on a perfect home run that goes back 12 games without dropping a point at home. Can we maintain such impeccable run against the Mancs? We know Man United has not got a stellar away form this season with so many dropped points on the road, one can only wish they continue such generosity against us. Having said all of that, Mourinho remains a savvy tactician who is a formidable foe whether you agree or not. Despite my dislike for him, one still has some modicum of respect for his nous if not his offensive personal character. I would expect the gunners to play with at least the same level of intensity and diligence shown against Chelsea and most profitably recently Tottenham. Ramsey Alexis Xhaka Wellbz Iwobi/Ozil will be key in the initial pressing with Bellz and Kolasinac adding some extra push forward. Xhaka and Koscielny need to cut out those faffing wayward passes that we saw against Huddersfield or else... When the chances come, they must be taken by us. Losing Lacazette is a blow but so would manage United claim with the possible absence of Matic, he has made them more dynamic in the middle. The game will likely brain in the middle of the park, so we need to seize control by imposing the duo of Ramsey and Ozil on the game. We can then proceed to take it from there. It's a difficult game to call no doubt but one which if we maintain our discipline balanced with being clinical, we can win. That's a huge mighty IF!!!

My predicted lineup will be as shown below

Subs: Ospina, Mertz, Iwobi, Welbeck, Wilshere, Walcott, Neny, Coq

Image Credit: The Uk Guardian Online

 Santa may not be here for Christmas or even the next one. Yeah, sad news for Santi Carzola who suffered another setback to his recovery, undergoing yet another operation making it the 9^th one since his injury last year, our hearts go out to him, wishing him speedy recovery. I guess that’s it from us, hopefully we get the 3-points clean sheet and no more injuries, do enjoy the game where ever you are….Ciaooo

Backroom Shake Ups & Huddersfield Preview

Image Credit: Arsenaldotcom

  Hi peoples, this will be a quick and short one, in naija we call it Shap shap (I don’t kno why some peeps spell it sharp sharp after all its pidgin naija style. Anyway lets move on to things football and Arsenal to be precise okay? The gunners travelled to to turf moor over the weekend and snatched 3 points at the dearth albeit controversially we must say. That was a scalping smash and grab we did to the Clarets. One must feel for Burnely, not just fo the goal but for the way/time t came. It was practically the last kick of the game that Alexis scored from the penalty spot despite the goalkeeper guessing the right way, it slipped in beneath his armpits. I love football but it can be cruel at times. Sean Dyche’s Boiz really had us against the ropes in the first 45minutes and Cech had to be at his agile best to help keep us in the game, it was one of those battles that as it wore on, you just knew wasn’t going to be easy and it definitely wasn’t. We came out better in the second half pinning them in for long stretches but couldn’t find the net, Ramsey should have done better when picked out by Lacazette but he couldn’t find the right finish. The game needed just a stroke of luck or genius and the latter came in the dying embers of stoppage time. Ramsey was clattered into and got a penalty awarded (a soft one at that) Alexis duly stepped up to slot home for a slim one nil win. The clarets were gutted again for a third time in a row against the gunners……coincidence?? I don’t know, I will just take the 3 points, a first time look into the top four and hopefully continue to build from there. Cech feels more optimistic, saying hopefully we have turned the corner and could challenge for the title, well hopefully. I look at City, with the way they seem to be on Cruise and I say we were never in the title race at all. That being said, a win is a win, add the extra gloss of a clean sheet, what’s not to like. A good team as they say has to find ways to win even when they aren’t at their best or the opposition is proving to be a tough nut, the gunners have done that again. They need to do it more consistently though, Cech was right to also put that condition in.

In other news, our back room staff shake up continues with another acquisition. Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Raul Sanllehi as head our new football relations replacing Dick Law. Raul was the former director of football at Barcelona, quite a coupe if you ask me. This is in line with the much needed change in the player recruitment department especially following the appointment of Sven Mislintat as chief scout last week if you recall. Lets see if they can bring their magic touch to the club as well as help change the status quo of Wenger being the all powerful and mighty one in those terms.

The gunners entertain Huddersfield in a midweek encounter, with Spurs in some kind of wobble after 1D 2L since the NLD it’s a great opportunity for the boiz to put some more distance between us and them, add the bonus of cementing our top four positions to it, you know there’s a lot to play for. While I know the league is faaaar away, we need to keep the momentum going by winning game by game. Huddersfield claimed a famous scalp when the beat Man United a few weeks ago, they currently sit 13^th on the EPL log, with a form of 2W 3L in the last 5 league games. There is no doubt the gunners are the favourites to win this…. on paper at least but if there is anything football has shown time and again, it’s that you don’t win games on paper but by getting down dirty to do the needful on the field of play. That’s where the boys have to get their heads in right direction by maintaining their focus, Man United is a distraction right now, Huddersfield is the task at hand stay grounded and not take Huddersfield for granted Man United can attest to that. The midfielders must pay attention to Mooy and Ince especially who were again impressive in their loss against Man City this past weekend.

I really hope we can maintain our “impeccable” home form by chucking another win be it by a slim 1 nil to the Arsenal, I will take that. Again Man United at the weekend is one I am sure the Boss and the players will have at the back of their mind but we have to beat what’s in front of us now before then. My predicted line up will have a few tweak’s with Ozil coming back into the fray and Iwobi on the bench.

Subs: Ospina, Giroud, Per, Walcott, Welbz, Neny, Coquelin, Iwobi 

Image Credit: The UK Guardian Online 

     There you go, please remember to follow us on our social media platforms by clicking the link here or you can subscribe to our blog posts so you never miss a post, its straight to your email. That's it from us, do enjoy the game wherever you are #COYG.......Ciaaoo