By Bulldog Drummond
Since we beat Dunalk in the Europa League they’ve had these results…
| Date | Competition | Home team | Score | Away Team | Res |
| 01/11/20 | League | St Patrick’s Athletic | 1 – 1 | Dundalk | D |
| 05/11/20 | Europa | Rapid Wien | 4 – 3 | Dundalk | L |
| 09/11/20 | League | Dundalk | 0 – 2 | Sligo Rovers | L |
| 20/11/20 | Cup | Bohemians | 1 – 4 | Dundalk | W |
| 26/11/20 | Europa | Dundalk | 1 – 3 | Rapid Wien | L |
| 29/11/20 | Cup | Athlone Town | 0 – 11 | Dundalk | W |
| 03/12/20 | Europa | Molde | 3 – 1 | Dundalk | L |
| 06/12/20 | League | Shamrock Rovers | 2 – 4 | Dundalk | W (ET) |
In the Europa League the group winners – Arsenal – have been known since the fourth game, and Molde will also qualify with a win or a draw against Rapid Vienna. A win for Rapid will take them through to the group stage. Here’s the table
| Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal FC | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 15 |
| Molde FK | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 9 |
| SK Rapid Wien | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 6 |
| Dundalk FC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 0 |
Thus it hasn’t been much of a test for us, although we should remember that last year was not much of a test and yet we struggled more than this. However it has been an excellent opportunity for the youngsters who have played, and clearly have done themselves no harm.
The Irish League has now finished for the season. Dundalk ended up third
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | D | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 7 | +37 | 48 |
| 2 | Bohemians | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 37 |
| 3 | Dundalk | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 26 |
| 4 | Sligo Rovers | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 23 | -4 | 25 |
| 5 | Waterford | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 22 | -5 | 24 |
| 6 | St Patrick’s Athletic | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 17 | -3 | 21 |
| 7 | Derry City | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 18 | +0 | 20 |
| 8 | Finn Harps | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 20 |
| 9 | Shelbourne | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 22 | -9 | 19 |
| 10 | Cork City | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 30 | -20 | 11 |
On the injury front we have David Luiz and Tomas Partey who are out. Martinelli has now played his first half a game. The covid men have both been given the all clear.
David Luiz is close to playing but Partey will be out for “a few matches”. Pepe is still suspended from the Premier league but not from the Europa League, so seems certain to play tonight, along with others from the under 23 team.
With just two players physically injured this is about the smallest number of injuries for Arsenal players at this time of year I can ever remember! Calum Chambers will presumably get another game to help his recovery along. Certainly a fine win to give us a clean sweep in the group will bring a slight bit of relief from the Premier League issues.
In terms of the stats, the BBC as ever have a good list including the fact that “Arsenal are unbeaten in eight away major European games (W6 D2), their longest run since March 1995 (also eight in a row). The Gunners have never gone nine without a defeat on the road.”
And also “Arsenal are looking to win six consecutive major European matches (excluding qualifiers) for the first time since November 2005.”
I am really not sure about this March 1995 claim and you can see why here…
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 15 Sep 1994 | Omonia Nicosia v Arsenal | W | 1-3 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 29 Sep 1994 | Arsenal v Omonia Nicosia | W | 3-0 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 20 Oct 1994 | Brøndby v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 3 Nov 1994 | Arsenal v Brøndby | D | 2-2 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 1 Feb 1995 | Arsenal v AC Milan | D | 0-0 | UEFA Super Cup |
| 8 Feb 1995 | AC Milan v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | UEFA Super Cup |
| 2 Mar 1995 | Arsenal v Auxerre | D | 1-1 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 16 Mar 1995 | Auxerre v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | European Cup Winners Cup |
| 6 Apr 1995 | Arsenal v Sampdoria | W | 3-2 | European Cup Winners Cup |
If we discount the super cup yes Arsenal were on a long run but it continued into April 1995 not March. If however we include the Super Cup (and why not, it was a European Cup game) then the run ended in 1994. But these stats are pesky things.
So instead let’s have a look at that 2005 run, just for old times sake
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 14 Sep 2005 | Arsenal v FC Thun | W | 2-1 | Champions League |
| 27 Sep 2005 | Ajax v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Champions League |
| 18 Oct 2005 | Sparta Praha v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Champions League |
| 2 Nov 2005 | Arsenal v Sparta Praha | W | 3-0 | Champions League |
| 22 Nov 2005 | FC Thun v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Champions League |
| 07 Dec 2005 | Arsenal v Ajax | D | 0-0 | Champions League |
Sportsmole as always oblige with a suggestion of a starting line up
Runarsson;
Cedric, Holding, Mari, Kolasinac;
Elneny, Azeez;
Pepe, Willock, Smith Rowe;
Balogun
The Standard gives us
Runarsson;
Cedric, Holding, Mari, Kolasinac;
Elneny, Maitland-Niles;
Pepe, Willock, Smith Rowe;
Nketiah
And that’s about all there is ahead of the game.
- How Arsenal could easily recover from their poor league position
- The stats that show exactly what Arsenal must do to rise up the league
- Watching Arsenal Women in Person; all for £2.50!
- What made the Observer newspaper publish its false away wins story?
I believe us Gooners would have all agreed amongst ourselves that Arsenal playing at away to Dundalk in the Europa League group stage match day No.6 will beat Dundalk to win all their six games in the group B of the competition.
But by how many goals margin do I think could the likely mixed youth and senior Gunners team that Arteta will select to play the match should beat Dundalk with?
In this respect, I think the result of the match at fulltime will read: Dundalk 0-10 Arsenal. But I wouldn’t know if Arsenal obtained this 0-10 score-line result will go into the UEFA record books and that of Arsenal too as a record breaking result so far obtained by a club side in a European competition.
So therefore, if it for the purpose of the Gunners securing the record in the books to the favour of AFC, the Gunners should today’s night strive very hard in the game to beat Dundalk 0-10 I would suggest.
Talking about the Gunners selection team that should play against Dundalk in the match, one good thing that I think Arteta has been doing to Pepe since he was banned for 3 PL games is his playing him in the Europa League games. And this should keep him in match fitness and top form I will presume since that red card episode he suffered at Leeds Utd.
And this exercise of Arteta regularly starting Pepe in the Europa since his red card incident at Leeds Utd if it continues tonight should keep Pepe in top match playing shape for the Saints match in the PL. But baring any unforesee problems happening to him before then..
And since the senior teamers of Chambers and Mari are back from their long term injury layoffs, I think Arteta should enhance their recovering by starting the Arsenal duo defenders and alongside Soares at the Gunners back-line for Dundalk. And I would want to think that Arteta will also start ESR, Balogun including Nketiah, Willock and Nelson against Dundalk too to rest nearly all the senior first team Gunners for Burnley.
This is my own takes submission for Dundalk. And I hope Arteta will accept them if not all but most of them.
Team
Runarsson
Soares, Mustafi, Mari, Chambers
Willock, Elneny, Smith-Rowe
Pépé, Nketiah, Maitland-Niles
Subs
Macey (gk), Hein (gk), Holding, Ceballos, Cottrell (mf), Azeez (mf), Saka, Balogun
Nketiah makes it one nil I the 11th minute
An Elneny rocket from something like 30 yards makes it twonil.
Didn’t he score one like that in the CL against Barcelona
Two one Jordan Flores. 22 minutes gone
It’s a pretty rotten pitch, both goalmouths more mud than grass and many refereeing decisions have been strange
At last Willock makes it three great work from Balogun Holding the ball on the edge of the six yard box.
Balogun with our fourth following a great Pepe pass and a second for Dundalk. Six wins for the first time in donkeys years. Well done Arsenal
Jeez did anyone else get fed up with the commentator repeatedly mentioning that we were the only team in European competition with a 100% record?
Oops, my mistake, he never mentioned it once, probably because he was too obsessed with making references to any possible negative aspect of our season he could possibly think of. No bias here!
After the fiasco of Paris we now had the crazy end of a game in Bern. I will not explain it but search it out – it is bizarre to the point of being almost surreal! Funny how the rules of the game appear to be totally ignored.
If Benoit Bastien is an “elite” referee then UEFA have not done a good job of selecting him. I should think he will get a game in UCL last 16 after that performance.
I watched a little bit of the Arsenal game and I must agree with Andrew Crawshaw about the very strange refereeing. He was spot on about the pitch – it was awful.
I watched a bit of both games between Rapid Vienna and Dundalk (over the past few weeks) – Dundalk managed to get 4 penalties in 2 games. Very very strange after the Emirates 0(zero) fouls against Arsenal. One cant help wondering about the “respect” campaign and what it means!
By the way DAZN in Germany did mention the 100% record!
…and there I was thinking it could not get any worse in UEFA games…