The Arsenal return to Premier League Competition Monday, after scattering across the globe for International Duty. Kickoff Time is 3:00pm ET and will be on NBCSN in the US. I'll admit, I don't know a lot about Sheffield, so I had to do a bit of research on Fotmob, my go-to app for all things football. Key points would be they play with a back 3 and their 0.9 shots on target per game is good for last in the table. As far as Arsenal goes, I haven't heard of any injuries during the break, so that's a good thing. it'll be nearly 3 weeks since I've last seen an Arsenal match, so I look forward to catching this one at the bar. Speaking of 3 weeks, this fixture kicks off a 7 match stretch over 20 days that also includes a Carabao Cup game at Anfield, sandwiched between Premier League home games vs Palace and Wolves, wrapped with both Europa League fixtures vs. Vitoria de Guimares and finished off with a trip to the King Power. Who says the Winter period is brutal? This stretch will be just as taxing! Come on you Gunners!!!!!
Thanks for getting us back on track Jake! Is it just me or does this seems like the longest interlull ever? Praying for no new injuries
This international break has been painfully long and we start off this game in the middle of my Monday afternoon work week ugh lol Sheffield United from what I know have punched above their weight results wise this season after being newly promoted. There crowd is raucous and they consistently play a 3-5-2. This imo is highly vulnerable and risky for a squad that's not that talented. Of course there are advantages playing 3 in the back but the downsides for Sheffield will outweigh them. They cannot properly defend the sidelines unless their CBs are extremely athletic which they aren't. They will be highly susceptible to counterattacks because their wing backs will be too far up the field and will not be able to track back. Their CBs often get out of position trying to mark one lone striker in the goals that I have seen they've given up which opens them up to runners coming in from behind. This game is the perfect match for Tierney to start in which I heard he will be starting. I say a 2-1 win..
Sheffield seems best known this year for: 1) Their plain-spoken, at times harsh, manager Chris Wilder. Harsh even on his own players at times. 2) Their unusual deployment of overlapping center-backs! But I believe that's mainly used against teams that sit back, which I pray we will not be one of.
The last time IIRC that The Gunners and The Blades met, was at the 2003 FA Cup Semifinal at Old Toilet (then a neutral site while Wembley was being rebuilt) on April 13, 2003. Arsenal were forced to don their now-famous gold/navy kits (reworked from the 2001-02 double-winning season with new Arsenal crest and sponsor, that being from SEGA/Dreamcast to O2) sponsored by O2 as Sheffield United (whom were in League One that season) got first picks at the kits and they chose to don their home red & white. We won 1-0, thanks to BOTH a Freddie Ljungberg goal in the first half, and a clutch save by 41-year-old netminder David Seaman off of Paul Peschisolido who had a literal free-header that he thought was in. Here's to a repeat of that 1-0 result, COYF'n'G!!!
We’ll probably dominate for 15 minutes, get a goal, control for the next 15 without threatening a second, and then hold on for dear life the last 60.
Just like Arsene Wenger did when we hosted a soon-to-be-relegated Leeds United thanks to 4 goals from Thierry Henry as we beat their asses in a 5-0 drubbing, SHOW NO MERCY UNAI EMERY!!! Let 'em know who boss out there!!! This is how you do it Unai!!! Show this video to all of my fellow Gooners to let Unai Emery know how to make someone humble!!!
Ok, so we've played 8 games in the League so far and have 4 wins. Specifically we've beaten Newcastle, Burnley, Villa and Bournemouth each by exactly one goal. As a consequence we have 15 points which was good enough for third place before this current round of fixtures. And on Monday we're playing Sheffield United. The Blades have done decently well so far as a promoted side, but still, you've gotta figure on sheer quality we ought to find a way to win. But whether we do or not, the problem for us has been pretty clear for a while now: the midfield. As a group, the midfield aren't creating chances, not protecting the defense, not even maintaining possession very well. To that end, I'm blaming Emery and no one else. For the most part, we even like the players we have there (except Xhaka). This dovetails with the other issue at the club, Emery's status and idiosyncracies. I don't really care if we play out of the back or boot the ball long. I don't really care if we press or not. As it stands right now, we don't need fancy whiteboard genius tactics, we need basic tactics to be done consistently and well, especially in the midfield. Whatever happens, to whatever extent we're not successful, my first instinct is going to be to blame the manager. The playing squad isn't perfect, but it is damn good. And if this manager can't figure out a way to win with them, I'm going to support finding someone else who can.
I could have, but I'm not following that thread very much and for the most part I'm only paying attention to the match threads. In any event, I think that post is still on-topic. My guess is, what happens tomorrow is largely going to be determined by whether or not we're going to have enough tactical fluidity in the midfield (and maybe the defense) so as to be able to leverage our huge advantage in overall quality.
Arsenal Leno Chambers Papastathopoulos David Luiz Kolasinac Guendouzi Xhaka Pépé Willock Saka Aubameyang Substitutes Tierney Ceballos Lacazette Torreira Holding Martínez Martinelli Referee: Mike Dean (gulp)
Jesus Christ, my first matchday without TV and of all things we're gonna get screwed over as we draw Mike Dean to officiate our match. I DO hear what @KozIsCul is stating about the lack of not quality but rather of execution as far as our midfield is concerned, we have the players who can do it and win football matches, and that Unai is just not lighting a spark under their asses to do so, and if that's the case, as much as I like to chant "UNAI'S RED ARMY!!!" all I'd like, I would definitely say that we should've had better quality results in those 4 wins and should've won by more than 1 in a few of those and maybe even win a couple more games at that as well. And although he did get us to the Europa League Final last season, I believe we should've beaten Chel$ki in that final, I'll bet that if Arsene Wenger was still here we probably would've, at least the players had more discipline under him, how do you think we won 3 titles (and at one particular time became INVINCIBLE) and all of those FA Cups under his watch??? Unai hasn't done shit yet, but, I do mean, YET, don't forget he's only been with us for now his second season, so I'll give him both a chance and the benefit of the doubt but if we don't start seeing trophies and titles in the next couple-3 years down the road then I would be calling for his head.
*looks at lineup* Well, at least they're not playing someone like Citeh. Let's see if Chambers can continue his form. Tierney on the bench. Would like to see him get a run out today.
I'm never one to say reputation or salary alone merits a starting position on any team. If Ozil isn't an asset then don't play him. That being said I find it still confusing how Xhaka merits being FT captain yet Ozil can't even warrant being on the bench.
Pepe looking super bright tonight. But he missed a sitter of a cross from 2 yards out. Auba buries that 9 out of 10.
Saka gets booked for working a bit too hard to earn a PK. Ironically, if he'd tried less hard, he might just have gotten it. Shortly afterwards Ljungberg got booked for sticking up for his boy? We better watch out or this match will get away from us, and the crowd will be even more immense than they already are.