Saturday 31 December 2022 Falmer Community Stadium USA TV: NBC 12:30pm ET A trip to the south coast, as we fans keep pinching ourselves. We’ve taken 40 of 45 available points... yikes! “We Are Stayin Up!, We Are Staying Up!!” Against a very solid Brighton, who’s barely missed a beat since replacing managers, and who like us are arguably punching above their weight. So here’s to Wenger’s Boxing Day fairy dust lingering just a little while longer. Then the boys can celebrate a proper New Year’s Eve without having to worry about a matchday for 3 days.
These guys always pose a problem, but Brighton have some big injury issues, no better time to get them then now. Lets get the W, and keep this winning train on the tracks!
I really hadn't looked at the fixture list coming out of the World Cup break, but the fact is, these next 4 league games are all against top 7 teams. Here's our fixture list: At Brighton Newcastle At Oxford (FA Cup) At Spuds Yanited During the same 4 weeks, here's City's schedule: Everton At Chelsea Chelsea (FA Cup) At Southampton (league cup) At Yanited Spuds Wolves By the end of January, we're really gonna know where things stand in this title race. Honestly, I'd be thrilled if we're still top of the league by the time we face City on 2/15 (by then, City will have played 1 more league game than us.)
Yeah I meant to mention in my OP that Brighton beat us at our home 3-1 only 6 matches ago on Nov.9th. Yes, yes, that was the EFL Cup, and we played a decidedly B-team, and maybe just maybe there wasn't full incentive to stay in that tourney. But still they beat us comfortably, after we had healthy possession and shots. I was really struggling to remember that game and so I looked up the MD thread and aha! It was not watchable in the USA in any way. Also, that was they day that AFC and @Tonerl ended their streak, and the next streak began, with me taking up the reins. Let's hope these Brighton mugs just don't prove to be our 2022 streak-ending nemesis. p.s. I just noticed that we actually did have one loss since that Brighton defeat on 11/9... it was the friendly loss to Juve 2 games ago. I completely overlooked that match when I recommenced my thread duties for the heartening dismantlement of Moyes' West Ham. No idea what thread protocol was really in effect in that situation (WC break with friendlies), but hope y'all are OK with me having done that! I assume so, since no one objected.
Yeah non-competitive games don’t matter for me when it comes to thread-starting. I assume I’m in the majority on that since we didn’t have separate threads for those games anyway. The south coast has been a difficult place for us for what feels like forever, so a draw here wouldn’t surprise me and a loss wouldn't be completely shocking. But if I’m trying to be completely rational I think we’re too good for these guys. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this confident in these kinds of matches. Long may it continue.
Arteta says no new injury news, except a positive one that Tomiyasu is available again for selection... https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-artetas-brighton-press-conference
Not every match any more. Sorry that NBC didn't show the Pele tribute. They've been moving at the other grounds.
So cool from Saka, he could have stood there with a mink coat and a cigarette and still stroked that in.
Again . . . this habit that refs have adopted of telling defenders not to foul before corners is annoying.
We're a few miles down the road from where the Saliba chant was born. And it looks like we'll be hearing it quite a bit today.
Poor defending leading up to that shot by Trassaud. Can't get caught upfield thinking Brighton can't pose a threat.