by Bulldog Drummond
Of course it was too good to last, all this anti-everyone else and laying off the Arsenal, and within a few hours of our piece about a change in the way the newspapers see Arsenal we were back to the snarling norm with “Mesut Özil, Yaya Sanogo and Arsène Wenger’s ticking doomsday clock.”
But let’s move forwards for we have a game to watch.
We know all about Arsenal’s transfer activities of course, so what about Everton’s?
They got their striker Cenk Tosun who arrived from Beşiktaş after 41 goals in 96 games. They got Theo of course (65 goals in 270 games and already 2 in 2 for Everton) and Eliaquim Mangala the centre back on loan from Manchester City.
Ross Barkley went to Chelsea, Aaron Lennon to Burnley and Kevin Miralla to Olympiakos on loan. In all Allardyce spent £47m and brought in £15m in disclosed fees. We don’t know about the finance of the Lennon deal.
Across the last eight games they have won one, drawn three and lost four
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 23 Dec 2017 | Everton v Chelsea | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 26 Dec 2017 | West Bromwich Albion v Everton | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 30 Dec 2017 | AFC Bournemouth v Everton | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 01 Jan 2018 | Everton v Manchester United | L | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 05 Jan 2018 | Liverpool v Everton | L | 2-1 | FA Cup |
| 13 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Everton | L | 4-0 | Premier League |
| 20 Jan 2018 | Everton v West Bromwich Albion | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 31 Jan 2018 | Everton v Leicester City | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
They have scored five goals in this run and conceded 12.
Arsenal’s form across the last eight shows two wins, three defeats and three draws, scoring 13, and letting in 14
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 31 Dec 2017 | West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 03 Jan 2018 | Arsenal v Chelsea | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 07 Jan 2018 | Nottingham Forest v Arsenal | L | 4-2 | FA Cup |
| 10 Jan 2018 | Chelsea v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | League Cup |
| 14 Jan 2018 | AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 20 Jan 2018 | Arsenal v Crystal Palace | W | 4-1 | Premier League |
| 24 Jan 2018 | Arsenal v Chelsea | W | 2-1 | League Cup |
| 30 Jan 2018 | Swansea City v Arsenal | L | 3-1 | Premier League |
As you will of course be aware we can touch the highs, as with beating Chelsea but also touch the lows as with losing to Swansea, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal at home are still the third best team in the country but although scoring more than Manchester United we have let in eight more than them across 12 games. In essence we score 2.5 goals a game at home but concede just over one goal a game.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 | 36 | 37 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 22 | 29 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 13 | 18 | 29 |
Away from home Everton are fairly ordinary, having won just one game and draw five. In goal scoring they get two goals every three games, but let in just on two in every match – which explains fully why they don’t win very many.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 15 | Brighton and Hove | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 9 |
| 16 | Southampton | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 8 |
| 17 | Everton | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 23 | -15 | 8 |
| 18 | Huddersfield Town | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 25 | -17 | 8 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 7 |
| 20 | Stoke City | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 30 | -20 | 6 |
Their fans in recent years have been notorious for bringing flares into the Arsenal Stadium, something that we have tried to persuade the authorities to deal with. We shall see whether there has been further progress this time around.
All of the figures here point to an Arsenal win, but I seem to recall saying that before!
- Welcome Henrikh, Welcome Pierre-Emerick. The complete review of our new players.
- Why has the upmarket mainstream media changed its tune over Arsenal?
- FFP set for a return, Big Sam stumped, Miki/Aub friends, under 23s squad, Zelalem back.
This “attacking” football of Arsenal is great when it is played right, that is, the players on great form and firing.
However, when we are not on form and not firing, well we splutter and break down like an old not serviced car.
With our new signings, let’s hope we get back to our on form attacking football and start today against Everton.
Come on the Arsenal.
the problem is take away ozil and maybe the new guy arsenal are not that much better than anyone else so any result is more than possible
Alexis is given a penalty now he’s at United, it’s saved but the rebound comes straight back to him and yes he slots.
More telling is of the talent he was left on, Mata for Pogba, Lukaku for Rashford and Lingaard for Martial. But he switched the subs around so it wasn’t so obvious.
Cunning is the lesser minion of wisdom. He keeps leaving Sanchez on, problems, he subs him, problems.
Just a matter of time.
This was Huddersfield, who can’t get points for love not money after expending themselves in the season start first 3rd.