And with Gyokeres struggling and Trossard being Trossard, we’re gonna see similar frustrations in upcoming games.
We definitely need somebody other than Saka to come up with real clutch moments. It can just be set pieces.
Gyokeres is the obvious choice but I think Eze could be the one also. I love both, but this is where we are missing a World Class talent.
Odegaard was always good for a 8-10 goals a season, usually quite a few long distance shots as well.
Shame he’s lost that from his game because that was very useful and “clutch” at times.
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Am I being harsh when saying that I can’t remember any truly clutch moment from Odegaard. Sure that has been a few, but I can remember Saka, Rice and even Gabriel delivering big moments.
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It was spoken a lot mate at the time. You either forgot or missed it.
That record in the second part of 2023/24 was absolutely insane and everyone was talking about it.
I don’t expect us to repeat that kind of run in the rest of Arteta’s era, even if we win a few titles going forward.
We basically won all our games since around new year until the rest of the season, bar the draw with City and the infamous slip against Villa. And won most of the games with ridiculous scores (that crazy run of 4/5/6:0/1 victories).
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I think PTSD from last 2-3 seasons and 07-08 season has me on the edge to even programme myself that we will win the league.
Having said that, it’s extremely refreshing to see strength in depth, quality options on the bench and not stressing when a key player is injured as someone good enough can slot in. Let’s also not forget we also have key players out injured ie Kai and others who can contribute Jesus etc.
The key will be keeping our players fit though, even with strength in depth, having injured players on a weekly basis can be disruptive momentum and morale wise. The other challenge will be winning the easy games on paper ie low bloc sides.
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I think what is keeping me grounded atm is the fact that we are only 2 points above Tottenham lol.
The season hasn’t even properly started, and many things can totally change and turn on it’s head… and I’m also still not too happy with the way we play and expect us to improve, but it’s definitely looking good for us atm, looking at the state of Liverpool and City.
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Im talking about from outside arsenal circles. For me the overriding narrative i get from people i discuss football with or online or from the media is that arsenal “should have gone for it” at man city.
We were absolutely crushing teams (broke the arsenal goals scored record) but arsenal only play defensive football and set pieces is basically all we were known for.
That will solve itself eventually.
Most important in my opinion is that it remains that we are so difficult to beat and don’t concede goals. Along with the quantity we have in attacking talent, I’m not sure we can say we have that much actual quality yet, we should carry a challenge to end of the season if not win the whole thing.
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There’s only one thing missing from Arsenal and that’s an open top bus parade throughout North London.
Personally speaking , I’d love Arteta to win the Champions League. Wenger tried and failed miserably in Europe. George won a European trophy.
To say Arsenal are the champions of Europe sounds just beautiful.
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Good to go into the interlul top of the league, in good form and our rivals on a down swing.
Hopefully some of our absent players get back to full fitness and are available in a couple of weeks.
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Arsenal are the champions of Europe. The women that is. But the men need to do it to shut up the morons bantering us off online.
Lol. Like this means the same. It pales in comparison if the Arsenal win the Champions League.
He got within 15 minutes of winning the Champions League in a campaign which saw Arsenal go without conceding throughout the entire knockout phase until the final.
He is still one of only 2 Arsenal managers to even get to the semi final. Which he did twice.
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That very much depends on how much you follow the women.
It might have mean fuck all to many who just follow the men’s game, which is fair enough. But don’t throw a “LOL” at me just because it’s not your thing.
I’ve been into the women’s game since my sister started playing for West Ham in 1982. I’ve even refereed women’s matches. So AWFC winning the Champion’s League was a big fucking deal for me as it was for those who’ve followed the women’s team over the years.
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The men winning the CL would be of equal importance for you then the women winning their CL?
Yep.
Though the second time the women won it wasn’t as good as the first time. So maybe the men finally winning it might be more exciting.
We’ve had some horrid luck with injuries so far this season but just imagine the squad when everyone is fit, and I mean everyone.
Kai, Noni, Ode, Jesus, Hincapie have either not played at all or hardly had a few minutes this season. 4 of those are attackers who each offer something very different. Very exciting to have all these options available at some point. And then there is Dowman and Nwaneri.
Hope we have them all at match fitness just as we get into the busy Christmas period.
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I just hope they can all find some end product to their game, cause that’s the final jigsaw for us to start winning some serious silverware imho.
Here’s a more interesting debate over the international break, which position has the biggest drop-off from starter to backup in the team?
GK: Raya - Kepa
RB: Timber - White
CB: Saliba- Mosquera
CB: Gabriel - Hincapie/Calafiori
LB: Calafiori - MLS/Hincapie
DM: Zubimendi - Norgaard/Rice
CM: Rice - Merino
AM: Odegaard - Eze/Nwaneri/Merino
RW: Saka - Madueke/Nwaneri/Dowman/Martinelli
ST: Gyokeres - Havertz/Jesus/Merino
LW: Trossard - Martinelli/Eze