By Bulldog Drummond
This picture of Dial Square reminds us of course of the club’s origins, and the ordinary working men who simply wanted to play football on a Saturday afternoon.
We’ve travelled such a long way since 1886 and what football is today would be quite meaningless to a traveller in time from those days, and the stadium in which today’s match is being played would seem extraordinary.
But the rivalry with Tottenham would not seem strange to our mythical time traveller since Tottenham were formed in 1882 as the Hotspur Cricket Club.
But the clubs clashed severely in 1913 when Arsenal looked to move from Plumstead to Islington – although as we pointed out recently Tottenham had already shown their antagonism to the notion of other clubs in London being in the same league as themselves, by opposing Chelsea’s entry into the Southern League, thus causing Chelsea to join the Football League instead in 1905. It was a move Arsenal warmly welcomed, having seen from the start that having several clubs in the same city would keep football in the news, and make it the dominant sport.
So this different vision has continued across the years. Meanwhile, in case you want to occupy the moments before the game starts, here are the previous articles ahead of today’s game…
- Tottenham: 73 more fouls than Arsenal, but two fewer yellow cards!
- Arsenal drop off the table. Never before seen event.
- Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur. When did it first start to get nasty?
- Arsenal and Tottenham – watch the amazing video as a warm up.
The BBC give us a prediction of a 0-2 away win, but do have the grace to note that Arsenal have only been beaten in two of their past 35 home league games against Tottenham, although they then feel it necessary to give fulsome details of those defeats. Although I suppose rare events do grab more attention.
But otherwise it is all gloom and doom and then some more doom with added gloom from the BBC, noting that we “have won just two of their past seven league fixtures, and have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their previous six.”
After that they rub in the fact that we have lost more home games this year than any season since 1994/5, although failing to note that this is much the same for quite a few clubs, because of the effect of there being no crowds. It would be reasonable surely to point out that so far this season there have been 104 home wins and 110 away wins in the Premier League, whereas in every other Premier League season home wins have far outweighed away wins.
But no, here’s a chance to knock Arsenal, so hey, let’s be totally misleading and give no context whatsoever to any statistics we give.
Here’s another fact. Only seven teams have won more games at home than Arsenal this season. And of course I’d love us to be top of the home wins list but these sorts of points that the BBC loves in its football coverage are just there to knock Arsenal and be misleading.
Here’s another one, “Mikel Arteta could become the first Arsenal manager to lose his first three north London derbies.” OK that is probably true, I haven’t checked every manager, but Herbert Chapman lost two of his first three north London derbies and drew the other one. So yes, technically possibly true, but a little context helps us understand the real historic context.
But let’s be fair. They do at least mention that the Totts “have only scored 10 goals in their past 11 top-flight away fixtures.”
As for the line-up, Sports Mole gives us a team of…
Leno;
Bellerin, Luiz, Mari, Tierney;
Xhaka, Partey;
Saka, Odegaard, Pepe;
Aubameyang
The Guardian offers
Leno;
Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney;
Partey Xhaka
Pepe, Odegaard, Smith Rowe;
Aubameyang
The suggestion in their commentary is that the manager will want to give “a flagging Bukayo Saka some rest.”
As ever the Guardian do give us a list of the remainder of the squad some of whom will be on the beach: Rúnarsson, Ryan, Marí, Chambers, Holding, Soares, Elneny, Ceballos, Saka, Willian, Nelson, Martinelli, Balogun, Nketiah, Lacazette
Sky Sprouts as ever don’t give us a team, even when they are showing the game, but they do point out that “Tottenham’s Gareth Bale has had a hand in six goals in his last four Premier League appearances” and we can only hope that the ref and lines-persons keep their eyes peeled for this deliberate use of the hand at key moments.
Goal.com predicts a Tottenham win 2-1 but won’t give a team selection.
90matt who we have not covered before, however does come up with the goods
Leno;
Tierney, Gabriel, Luiz, Cedric;
Xhaka, Partey;
Willian, Odegaard, Saka;
Aubameyang
Football London gets weirder by the day, running the headline, “Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric start, Bellerin misses out – Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham” but then fails to give us a line up. And then they give us the most amazing 145 word technical explanation of the origins of a picture of the two managers which is truly weird in the extreme. It is pretty much incomprehensible – so in keeping with their other writing I guess . Goodness knows what they are smoking.
Back with at least a semblance of reality the Standard gives us
Leno;
Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney;
Partey, Xhaka;
Saka, Odegaard, Willian;
Aubameyang.
The Metro meanwhile joins the growing trend of not predicting the team. If it goes on like this, we’ll have to go back to making our own Untold predictions.
Hey ho – that’s it. Let’s just keep fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, if you’ve nothing to do you might care for a glimpse at some Arsenal games from the past…
Valid point re: away wins
Yesterday in the Championship, out of 9 games played there were 6 away wins, 2 homes and 1 draw
As the residents of The Toppled Bollard might say,
Shum mishtake, shurely?
It was so apt for Jose to look up and not down because thats where he’s spent most of his time recently. down looking up. His arrogance is typical of a spud before being roasted!!
COYG!! Shoot us a few roosters for Easter.
I’m hoping for a Theo Walcott score – 2-0 to us !
Cone on you Gunners !
The actual line up appears to be
Leno
Cedric Luiz Gabriel Tierney
Thomas Smith Rowe
Saka Odegaard Xahaka
Lacazette
Aubameyang is reported to be out for disciplinary reasons, according to Sky
Subs:
Bellerin, Ceballos, Willian, Aubameyang, Holding, Pepe, Chambers, Elneny, Ryan.
That shows again no Martinelli.
This issue of disciplinary is starting to get totally out of hand. We wasted half a season’s worth of salary and a transfer fee for Ozil because of a supposed disciplinary.
We lost Guendouzi because of disciplinary. Tottenham’s defence is equal to ours in terms of the number of goals conceded, so we need Auba in attack.
Just for reference there have been 135 fouls so far this weekend for 13 yellow cards. That’s a card for every 10.4 fouls.
Mikey
Interesting. What are the odds it doesn’t continue like that for us.
not 4 mins yet and 2 spud fouls both cardable but not in PGMOL laws against Arsenal
PGMOL Oli not seeing the hug on Laca that should have been a penalty under proper officiating!!
Pundit Smith the turncoat sees nothing!
Wow what a shot by ESR hits the bar!! No drinks at this one.
Korean misfire of their antiballistic missile. Left the field in some strange expression.
Baled out!!
Another loving two armed hug of Laca and still no card. Maybe the Spud was claiming the Laca was his mum…… it is mothers day!
Lamela kicks out at Xhaka nad soon after does it again to Luiz. Pundit Smith sees it and VAR doesn’t!!!! It is red card material – Xhaka gets sent off for less!!!
Oliver is on a payroll!!
The red card offender scores!
Well you don’t get much luckier than that!
Arsenal keep playing their clean football and eventually after one Spud gets a yellow for fouling Saka, we equalise.
Tierney takes the ball to the left bye line and crosses. Odergarde left foots it into the net!!
We have played well, so far. Their goal was when they moved the ball fast enough to pull us out of shape and…it was a good strike. But, we have had the lion’s share of the ball and despite the slight deflection on the goal, have deserved to be at least equal (two posts notwithstanding).
On another point…they are really hacking at Saka, today. The yellow of Reguilon could have been a red.
Laca seems to be on a different wavelength and has missed some very obvious tap ins. He dummied a ESR pull back from the left and Cedric shot whilst being fouled and hit the upright.
How Oliver is officiating is quite expected – Cedric does not get the foul but Spurs were allowed a couple of free kicks after screwing up their advantage.
The most obvious advantage is the VAR official allowing Lamela to flick kicks at Arsenal players off the ball.
We are playing really well , opening them up on there right our left every time as proved with our equaliser , Spuds goal a hopeful effort at best .
Look forward to the second half
Lamela’s getting away with fouls just like Dele Alli did…clumsy/vicious pressing.
oliver choosing not to see off the ball fouling by Spuds. He even defers yellow cards to his chosen people!!
I’m surprised that we got that penalty. Laca missed the ball but was then bowled over. How many times have we seen that not given?
Laca dropped by Sanchez for a penalty. VAR looks at it but cannot defer this incident.
Laca puts it in the corner.
The ball to Laca was absolutely beautiful.
Lamela should be on a dark red card by now.
Hoyberg let off for the second time but Lamela gets a yellow while the pundits laugh at the studs that injur the Arsenal player.
Kane gets away with a bodycheck…Lamela sent off …finally
The foul to card ratio by spuds is absolutely fuked up.
His red card comes much later than it should Hoyberg should be accompanying him.
WE are going to concede…we have given the ball away 5 times in 2 minutes
just hanging on right now
whew
WTF happened there ?
All said and done we were by far the better side a deserved it.
But yes, Phew !!
Odegaard my MOTM kept control and joined it altogether
WOO HOO , HOO ! Well done the lads . A few close calls at the end , but like the guy said , ” North Lobdon is RED !”
Up the Gunners !
Have to agree, Odegaard MOTM
Odegaard was solid today, I agree.
Nobody played poorly but in the last 10 minutes we unable to settle the game down and run out the clock. That is something to work on.
We were different class throughout, so why did we make such hard work of it when they were belatedly down to 10?
It is quite amazing how the pundits and media chose to focus on everything other than truth. Dawson & Jamie Brains Redknapp give their blind wisdom after the game. They chose that the penalty wasn’t and I agree that it could be, but the God on the field says it like it is. Everything that Spuds couldn’t do is so easy for these mouthies!! Freddy should just tell them to suck it up and admit they are LOSERS.
We have had to so many times – Burnley, Palace, etc.
They never talk about the Lamela kicks that should have been Red cards. They ignore Kane on Gabriel card. Hoyberg twice deffered yellow cards by this so called best official in Rileys possy!!
How on earth did we go from complete in control for 75 mins with 11 vs 11 in to a hopeless team that couldn’t even keep the ball after they had a man sent off?? We should have killed them off after Lamela finaly got send off.
But anyway… happy with the win. Any win against the spuds is a good win in the end
Hi Walter – glad to hear from you and know you are still there!
Match of the day. Typical ex pusdy arsenal poodits. How are they complaining lacazette wasn’t a penalty? No control foul regardless if lacazette miss kicked it. Poodits Contact isnt allow Lamelea clearly an angel dirtiest player ever.
I recall a penalty awarded against us when Jens gave a Spurs player a smack when the ball was out of play pending a corner. So no question that the scything of Lacazette was a penalty. Why on earth does Keown agree with all the Spursy pundits on this point?
Lamela got away with numerous yellow / red card offences before being belatedly sent off. Spurs are probably the dirtiest team in the PL and the most blatant diving cheats. Wait for Dermot Gallagher, Talkshite et al. complaining that Spurs were harshly treated.
Kane and Lamela both committed nasty dirty tackles with the intent to hurt , Kane smashes into Gabriel after he has played the ball , Lamela hits Partey slightly from behind , both these tackles were 100% deemed to hurt , they both don’t do 50/50 tackles they looked after themselves .
This is an area I think referees can’t see don’t understand the intent to injure in certain challenges , a good 50/50 challenge no problem but how many times do you see a 60/40 and the foot is left in .
Mr Jenas – when you have picked up your toys from the MOTD studio floor read the results in the morning paper and the Arsenal scorers are printed Ddegaard and Lacazette (pen). I think subconsciously Mr Oliver gave the penalty immediately ( correctly) as he thought of the injustice at Turf Moor the previous Saturday. He, however, should have sent off the spiteful Hojberg and cautioned Kane. Perhaps Mr Jenas should have taken a handkerchief to dry his eyes!