Morning all.
It’s the third of three difficult away video games as we speak as we go to Man Metropolis. Historically a really sad searching floor for us in current seasons, we got here away with some extent final trip, and Mikel Arteta can be hoping to go one higher this afternoon. By way of the group, there don’t seem like any new issues for the supervisor to deal with, so it’s prone to be one thing similar to the one we’ve seen for the final couple of video games.
If I needed to put cash on it, I’d say the identical beginning XI because the win within the North London derby, however with Declan Rice in for Jorginho. Gabriel Jesus bought an hour in midweek, however wasn’t significantly spectacular, so I feel we’ll see Leandro Trossard come again in. I suppose there’s scope to vary Gabriel Martinelli in case your considerations about his goalscoring kind are paramount, however he does lots of vital defensive work and the best way Metropolis load that proper hand facet makes me really feel like he’s the appropriate possibility to start out with. The opposite possibility for the left might be Raheem Sterling (or Jesus), and that former participant towards their previous membership dynamic is an attention-grabbing side, however I feel Arteta will follow the Brazilian.
Looming giant over the entire thing is the absence of Martin Odegaard, a participant who could make a distinction in a good recreation, however whose affect on the group goes nicely past his craft and creativity. Possibly it’s simply due to who we’ve performed and the place, but it surely’s been attention-grabbing to notice that Arteta hasn’t tried to exchange the captain, he’s picked a group to do the job a bit in another way.
Right now appears like it will likely be one other a type of video games, the place our defensive power and high quality can be examined. I anticipate Metropolis to have lots of the ball, and I anticipate us to make it very tough for them after they do. I’m certain in a really perfect world Arteta would love us to be front-footed and have lots of possession, however there are too many lacking items in a key space of the pitch for us to do this correctly. So, pragmatism will rule the roost as we speak. Be sturdy, defend aggressively, look to benefit from the moments after we win the ball again (maybe hit them on the break), and maximise set-pieces. To me, not less than, that appears like one of the best likelihood we’ve got to take all three factors – and I don’t assume a draw is a catastrophe by any means both.
Talking forward of this one, Arteta mentioned:
We go to the house of the champions, the group that I feel in Premier League historical past has been essentially the most constant ever, not solely when it comes to outcomes however when it comes to dominance and constant high performances. That is the problem, we’ve got to go there and show that once more we’ve made one other step and we will compete.
It’s early sufficient within the season for this recreation to not really feel fairly as seismic because it has within the final couple of years, however any likelihood it’s a must to try to take factors off Metropolis, you have got give it a go, so let’s hope we will do this in a while. For extra on this recreation, a few of the particular person battles forward, and the way the groups may arrange, take a look at our preview podcast on Patreon.
Be part of us later for stay weblog protection, plus you’ll get the match report, objective clips, response, participant scores and rather more over on Arseblog Information.
It’s a Man Metropolis double header as we speak, after all, as Arsenal Ladies play them on the Emirates – 12.30 KO. After defeat within the first leg of the CL qualifier (with the second leg on Thursday), it is a large recreation for Jonas Eidevall and his group. The return of Vivianne Miedema is a major sub-plot too, however let’s hope she has a quiet recreation as we speak and the Arsenal Ladies take all three factors. You will discover all of the protection you want, match report, response and many others on Arseblog Information.
Proper, let’s depart it there for now. Come on you reds!
