by Bulldog Drummond
Last season Sheffield United had these home defeats in the league
| Date | Game | Res |
Scored | Competition |
| 04 Aug 2018 | Sheffield United v Swansea City | L | 1-2 | Championship |
| 01 Dec 2018 | Sheffield United v Leeds United | L | 0-1 | Championship |
| 14 Dec 2018 | Sheffield United v WBA | L | 1-2 | Championship |
| 30 Mar 2019 | Sheffield United v Bristol City | L | 2-3 | Championship |
This season the defeats in the first eight games in the league have been
| 24 Aug 2019 | Sheffield United v Leicester City | L | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 14 Sep 2019 | Sheffield United v Southampton | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 28 Sep 2019 | Sheffield United v Liverpool | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
According to Physioroom Arsenal is one of five clubs with two senior players injured. No club has fewer. At the top of the injury list before the weekend’s matches we had Norwich with an amazing 13 players out, Manchester United with 10 men down and Chelsea with 8.
Our two men down are mostly agreed to be Reiss Nelson and Alex Lacazette – with both, according to physio room having no chance of playing. Football London are adamant that Smith Rowe who missed the last game after getting concussion is fit and ready to play. They also have Laca down as a possible player despite the physioroom prognostication. Other sites expect him on the beach.
Louise Taylor in the Guardian is dead certain Arsenal are going to get caught out, saying,
“Only a rare mistake on the part of Dean Henderson, United’s goalkeeper, gifted the league leaders a 1-0 victory and George Baldock, Chris Wilder’s right wing-back, gained immense confidence. “It was a really assured showing from us. We went toe to toe with arguably one of the best teams in the world,” he said. “I love playing at Bramall Lane – the fans are different class. There’s such a connection with the manager and the captain and it feels like we all have one aim to achieve things together; it’s brilliant to play in that atmosphere.”
Having a fans connection with the manager is not something that I have witnessed at Arsenal since around 2006.
The statszone web site has come up with a lineup that reads
Leno;
Chambers, Sokratis, David Luiz, Kolasinac;
Xhaka, Guendouzi;
Pepe, Dani Ceballos, Saka;
Aubameyang
Although they also feel that Dani Ceballos might be injured.
The wacky football london site goes for
Leno;
Chambers, Luiz, Sokratis, Tierney;
Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ceballos;
Pepe, Aubameyang, Saka
But here’s the thing: we are playing monday (obviously) and then again on Thursday. So we need to balance the two squads – and of course there is a game in six days time thereafter.
However, the Thursday game is against the team in our Europa group who have lost both their matches thus far, while we have beaten each of their opponents. So we might take it that Vitoria Guimaraes is not going to be too much of a proposition for us.
So we could well put out the strongest team that we have tonight, not leaving anyone behind who would be used to bolster Thursday’s side at Arsenal Stadium. But there may also be the thought of needing one or two first teamers to support the youngsters in Thursday’s game.
This could lead to the raising of some eyebrows when certain players are omitted from Monday’s match or simply left on the beach. If that is the case I suspect they will then have a solidifying place for the Europa game.
And the great benefit of having a soft Europa game after two very solid wins is that we can give the youngsters further chance to develop and show their talents hopefully in front of a decent crowd later in the week.
Here’s the league table before this game
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 25 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 9 | 20 | 19 |
| 3 | Leicester City | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 17 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 17 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 15 |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 14 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 12 |
I gona watch this.
Leno
Chambers Luis Holding Tierney
Xhaka Ceballos Guendouzi
Pepe Auba Saka
It’s very interesting that Norwich and Man U have so many players out injured. Interesting in that when Arsenal didn’t have as many as that out injured, the club, medical staff, Wenger all got absolutely slated by the press for something or other they were doing that caused all those injuries…………….
Let no mistake be made about it. Arsenal will not make the mistake to not beat Sheff Utd in their week 9 PL match encounter with them that’ll take please of course at Bramall Lane tonight.
My Arsenal 4231 formation starting XI and 7 man Gunners bench are stated below.
Starts:
Leno;
Chambers Sokratis Luis Kolasniac
;
Torreria Xhaka;
Pepe Ceballos Saka;
Aubameyang.
Bench:
Martinez AMN Mustafi Tierney Guendouzi Willock Lacazette.
Mikey
In was never of course considered they were caused by the opposition .
Line up prediction time.
Leno
Bellerin Luis Sokratis Kolasinac
Xhaka Ozil Guendouzi
Pepe Auba Martinelli
Bold Prediction
0 – 2 win for the away side. Pepe to be among the scorers.
My prediction line up.
Leno
Chambers Luiz Sokratis Tierney
Torreira Guendouzi Willock
Pepe Aubameyang Lacazette
Arsenal:
Leno,
Chambers, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac,
Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock
Pepe, Aubamm Saka
Subs: Tierney, Ceballos, Lacazette, Torreira, Holding, Martinez, Martinelli.
Returning players presumably will get a run out on Thursday.
Referee: Mike Dean!
Lacazette is back on the bench for Arsenal. Mesut Ozil is nowhere to be seen, once again.
Should have put the last two lines from “referee” to “once again” in inverted commas. They come from this evening’s Guardian coverage.
Interesting that they recognise there is good reason to write “Mike Dean!”
OT
Help !
Any tech heads out there.
Why cant I get Arsenal Nation video (I get audio) on my lap top.
I get it on my iPhone.
What am I doing wrong ? I know it will be me.
Any help would be appreciated.
When is VAR going to start being honest? When PGMOL are taken to court.
Dean in his usual book the Arsenal player for diving but allow the diving Blade freedom of the park.
The Sheffield player went down more theatrically than Saka yet wasn’t booked for simulation. I guess we should be thankful Dean at least give them a penalty.
Why was the blatant shirt pull on Sokratis which was ignored by Dean, not reviewed by VAR. It was a certain penalty surely.
WE have to be grateful that Dean has not totally screwed us, because he could do as the piggy in the middle.
Unai Emery will cost us a top 4 finish. He has clue what his best team is. The squad is good enough but I am beginning to have my doubts about the manager.
So much for the Wenger our brigade. At least we played football. Emery has a long way to go to sort this out. We haven’t played attractive football for quite a while. And yet Nesut isn’t even on the bench let alone the pitch. Really poor and as per usual Dean hates us.
I agree. Emery has absolutely no clue who his best 11 are. Questionable tactics too, remember his infamous diamond at Anfield?
We had every attacker in our squad in the pitch except Mesut. Ffs sort it out Emery
This is why people who keep saying just get the results don’t worry about form need to be sent packing.
Absolutely pathetic and abject display once again
You can have 6 strikers on the pitch but if you don’t have a person to create something then they are useless
So Arsenal have shocking made the mistake about it to loose this match to Sheff Utd. This is terrible! What is next now for Arsenal to do after losing this match? Honestly I am at lost to know what next to do because Arsenal problem in the PL appears to have defies all solutions proffered.
Unai Emery. Confused and confusing. Always talking about “pressing, performance, improving in our way” . Does anyone know what “our way” is? At this rate we will struggle to qualify for champions league.
It’s PGMOL headquarters and the interlull break.
RILEY: I’m getting a bit concerned. With Man U., Chelsea and the Spuds not doing well, Arsenal are looking good at the moment for the top four.
ATKINSON: Oh please sir, let me ref them again. I’ll sort it.
RILEY: Oh come on Martin, you’ve had three games already this season, you’ll have to wait a couple more weeks. Mike, you’ll have to do it. And do a better job than you did when they played Burnley, you slipped up that day.
DEAN: Oh thank you sir, I won’t let you down sir. Another biscuit with your tea sir?
RILEY: Make sure you don’t. Make sure you give all the 50/50 balls against them and for god’s sake book them at every opportunity.
DEAN: Of course sir, that goes without saying. And I’ll obviously show some cards to Sheff Utd players for the really, really bad fouls just so it looks like I’m being even handed.
RILEY: And for god’s sake don’t use VAR if it’s in Arsenal’s interest. If a player goes down in the area and there’s no weapon involved, book him for diving.
DEAN: Of course sir, it’ll be my pleasure.
RILEY: And one more thing, if one of their players goes down injured and the ball is with an Arsenal player don’t give them a free kick. You know the rule.
DEAN: Yes sir, if there’s no advantage to Arsenal, pretend there’s an advantage and play on.
RILEY: Well done Dean. You’ll be back to your best if you just follow the rules.
DEAN: You mean the rules of football.
RILEY: Dean, you idiot. MY RULES!
One commentator said that Emery wants us to play his way – win or lose. The result of us playing his way is more important than the win.
I’m very disappointed with the way we play in the front. Every throw in always goes backwards when we can get on their bye line immediately and pass across the goal.
There is no hunger for goals. No one takes a shot when the goal is visible. The free kick was aimed at top corner when one player on the wall had his legs open showing a clear path to goal. Intelligence is missing as is guile.
Shame that Martinelli came on but was not allowed involvement.
Tierney would have been an interesting option at left back. At least he can cross a ball. I am not sure what our style is anymore. Loads of ball players but not a lot of end product. The keeper hardly made a save apart from Xhaka in the first half? Huffing and puffing. Yet a real lack of quality which is strange when you see the players we do have. On paper anyway. Having said that Pepe missed a sitter which would have made all the difference. He looked lively and deserved to score but no excuses on that miss. Aubameyang had hardly any service, Saka is a talent but not away at Sheffield Utd. Ceballos should have done better from Saka’s cross. It wasn’t a lack of effort. I still don’t like this playing out from the back nonsense. And at some stages we played as though we were one up. Love to read other thoughts
Sorry, just can not defend that. Wish I knew why we are so passive, even negative against these type of teams away.
I would rather back an Arsenal manager where possible, but Emery needs to be called in for , shall I say, frank words of encouragement over that tomorrow, not as if this was a first either.
He needs to improve if he is going to reach what seems to be the clubs stated goal of the top four., starting with the creativity he seems to show in Europe
I hope he has a bloody good reason for Ozils exclusion, outside looking in, its very damaging
We are all obviously very disappointed with this result tonight, but surely we cannot be too surprised with the performance of the team! Most of the Premier games that I have watched this season have shown a team that has a plethora of fine individual players but little apparent creativity in front of goal and an approach that includes much running around and passing backwards. Passing out from the back seems to be very confused! A lack of heading ability in midfield and upfront appears to be much in evidence. Being bullied by apparent physical teams also seems to be much in evidence from what I have observed this season. Referee performance and the use of VAR should not surprise us! Inconsistency from both has been predicted and has shown us just how right we have been to expect the worst! However, referees and VAR are not really responsible for Arsenal performances so far surely?
Luckily, I feel privileged that I have experienced watching great Arsenal performances under Arsene Wenger; George Graham and occasionally Don Howe. I have had to endure torment under the likes of George Swindin; Billy Wright; Terry Neil and Bertie Mee, (once Howe left).
It is still early days in this season. I will still watch Arsenal on mainstream tv or through streaming, but I am no longer going to try to attend games at the Emirates. This is as far as my disappointment will take me at this moment in time. No doubt once that the senior management team and coaching staff remove the likes of Mesut Ozil et al from the club, I will no longer bother to waste further time by watching mediocrity, despite the Premier team finding itself still within striking distance of a top four finish. If I sound like a sad sod, apologies to you who think this of me. As a person in the latter years of life, I want to remember the Arsenal that has given me joy!
What is UE is asking our players to do ? I can’t see what he’s trying to achieve , there seems no tactics , team shape , drive/commitment to win a game
We can’t play out from the back we don’t press the opposition and if a team defends deep we don’t have a clue in how to break them down , we didn’t create one chance in the second half where you said we should have scored
Too many problems so disappointed
Mandy Dodds (and Walter), agree.
Emery seems to be impressed by the speed and skill of the dribblers and attackers. (Saka, Pepe( ?)…) but he forgets one thing: you have to build some football, have a vision of the game and create something so that the attackers can do something.
Ramsey sold, Ozil excluded…. not even Toreira or Ceballos at the beginning of the game…… What did he expect?
What is Emery asking the players to do, I suspect he is trying to be too clever by half and complicating simple things, some of his ex players have mentioned such a trait
Perhaps he is trying to create without a creator, defend without being able to defend, cross with nobody to receive, and if he is really clever, press without pressing.
Not sure if it fools opponents but sure as hell fools me!
A bit of a shambles, yet again. Getting to be a bit of a habit now. Don’t like knocking players, I really don’t, but can somebody please tell me why Pepe is worth anywhere near £72 million? I hope he turns it on someday, but for the life of me I haven’t seen anything to date that makes him worth a penny more than any of our youngsters. Not the root cause of the problem, but certainly a symptom and cause for concern.
We start all over again on Thursday and Sunday and on and on, but it’s not fun at the minute.
We are setup like a counter attacking team, everyone plays us like a possession based team. We are unable to pass our way through the packed defense. Countless no of cross feild balls to wings with no abilities to put perfect cross and added to that no ability to head. Why are even taking corners when we don’t have ability to win areal crosses.
My comments might not go through as It has been for a while but i still stand by my word witn EU still our manager no Champions league The Mighty Arsenal will always be in Europa.Mark my words.The Gentleman Is a specialist in Europa.
@ Dec
Don’t you remember how poor Henry was for the first half season?
It was truly an awful peformance , or the lack of thereof. I don’t even think I could pick our player of the match .
This passing out of defence is not happening , and we are regularly giving the ball away in our own half . While I did not really enjoy watching AW’s team passing the ball all over the opponent’s half , at least that is preferable to the present Kamikazi tactics.
I hope we pick a very young and fresh team for the Europa Cup with the instruction to go and smash our opponents to bits .
@ Mikey
Thank you my friend, you’re right, I needed some hope.
Fingers crossed, if Pepe turns out to be a fraction of the quality of TH14 we’ll all be happy.
Hector and KT will make such a difference as soon as they get fit.
Hector & Tierney are fit and just need UE to play them with Ozil. What a difference when 3 pronged passing to the forwards will make. Kola has resorted to passing backwards rather than his usual forward dribbles followed by a quality cross or a shot at goal.
In Mondays game we were limited by the PGMOL operative who as we all know dances with the devil, but despite that our game plan was poor.
I’m really confused with the coaches approach to our play particularly with Freddy alongside him.