By Bulldog Drummond
It maybe something that the media does not like to admit but in effect it is the dominant issue in terms of reporting Arsenal: how to knock a team that has just gone 20 games unbeaten.
Of course that run will come to an end sometime, and then we will be told that until now it was all smoke and mirrors, Arsenal were never that good, the defence was dubious, the attack flattered to deceive, and besides expected goals, whatever they are, told us that is was all untrue anyway.
But until then, it is 15 wins and five draws in the last 20. Or if you fancy something a little closer to the present day, three wins and two draws in the last five…
| 11 Nov | Arsenal v Wolverhampton W | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 25 Nov | AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 29 Nov | Vorskla Poltava v Arsenal | W | 0-3 | Europa League |
| 02 Dec | Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 4-2 | Premier League |
| 05 Dec | Manchester United v Arsenal | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
12 goals in five games scored, six against, we’re regularly winning at 2-1.
Huddersfield’s record is not as bad as one might expect…
| 05 Nov | Huddersfield Town v Fulham | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 10 Nov | Huddersfield Town v West Ham | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 25 Nov | Wolverhampton v Huddersfield Town | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Dec | Huddersfield Town v Brighton | L | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 04 Dec | Bournemouth v Huddersfield Town | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
Arsenal’s home record is strong as we know, and indeed as it was last season…
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 25 | 24 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 19 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 18 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 17 |
| 5 | Everton | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| 6 | AFC Bournemouth | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| 7 | Brighton and Hove | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 14 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 12 |
| 9 | Manchester United | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 12 |
While away from home Huddersfield have some problem
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 15 | Everton | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 6 |
| 16 | Huddersfield Town | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 16 | -9 | 5 |
| 17 | Burnley | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 17 | -11 | 5 |
| 18 | Southampton | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 4 |
| 19 | Cardiff City | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 15 | -12 | 1 |
| 20 | Fulham | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 20 | -15 | 1 |
So Huddersfield are losing games away 1-2, and Arsenal are winning games at home 2-1 which gives a fairly clear indication. The last home game Huddersfield won was against bottom of the table Fulham. 2-1 I would say was a minimum prediction – with a bit of luck both our goal scoring forwards could be on top form.
Overall in playing Huddersfield we have won 35 and lost 25, but have only beaten us once in the last 17 games (2-1 at Huddersfield in 1971). Obviously there haven’t been that many games of late but here are the most recent…
| 30 Nov 1982 | Arsenal v Huddersfield Town | W | 1-0 | League Cup |
| 23 Sep 1986 | Arsenal v Huddersfield Town | W | 2-0 | League Cup |
| 07 Oct 1986 | Huddersfield Town v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | League Cup |
| 21 Sep 1993 | Huddersfield Town v Arsenal | W | 0-5 | League Cup |
| 05 Oct 1993 | Arsenal v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Cup |
| 30 Jan 2011 | Arsenal v Huddersfield Town | W | 2-1 | FA Cup |
| 29 Nov 2017 | Arsenal v Huddersfield Town | W | 5-0 | Premier League |
| 13 May 2018 | Huddersfield Town v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
It really is going to be quite a shock if we don’t win. But thenwe had quite a shock against Wolverhampton so hopefully that will have made everyone more alert.
Looks like Rob Holding is out for 9 months according to news on the radio. He must be devastated after having established himself as a genuine contender for a permanent starting place in the first team.
Lets all wish him well and the quickest possible recovery.
rashford, rojo, fellaini, martial the diver, mariner, MU; they just make me wanna puke
cheer up, rob, you’re a rock
Six to nine months, says the arsenal media. Anyway, it looks like the season is over for him. Just when he was proving, once again, the master class of M. Wenger in detecting young talents. You could see how Unai Emery was anxious when Rob was receiving treatment from the médical team. I think Holding was becoming the main pièce of Emery défensive system. What a blow for the kid and the team.
Rob Holding and Jordan Nobbs are both on the same program. Would having better officials have stopped both injuries from happening?
Rashford hope you have the most wonderful Christmas, knowing that you destroyed a fellow professionals Christmas.
Mavropanos and Koscielny will be back very soon. Provided they play well, at least Holding’s injury won’t derail our season.
Gutted for the kid of course, and I hope he will return strong.
The Man U players were on a mission to injure/maim our players with the active connivance of an incompetent PigMob representative looking on as if he was helpless to do anything. Another English hopeful has been prematurely brought down low because he plays for AFC. Wilshere? Ramsey? Maitland-Niles? Walcott? Now Rob Holding.
Stoke City/Pulis, Eduardo, Diaby and the rest all take a cue from the irresponsible behavior of a British Press that does not call out these aberrations in refereeing by PigMob. Do we need a death on the field of play to bring sanity? Something is bound to give, if not soon most certainly, later.
If these men in the Press had relations/children being maimed due to the gross bias being displayed by PigMob be so unconcerned by these injuries on their children’s playing careers?