By Bulldog Drummond
Arsenal remain pretty much at the top of the injury tree.
- Newcastle United: 8
- Arsenal: 7
- Bournemouth: 6
- Everton: 6
- Leicester City: 6
- Aston Villa: 5
- Burnley: 5
- Tottenham Hotspur: 5
Bottom of the table is Manchester City with one player injured.
Here’s the list
| Player | Reason | Further Detail | Potential Return | Status |
| Calum Chambers | Knee Injury | Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury – ACL Injury | 29/08/2020 | Ruled Out |
| Edward Nketiah | Suspended | Sending Off – Red Card | 21/07/2020 | Ruled Out |
| Mesut Ozil | Lower Back Injury | Lower Back Pain | 25% | |
| Matteo Guendouzi | Internal Disciplinary Matter | Ruled Out | ||
| Bernd Leno | Knee Injury | Knee Ligament Injury | Ruled Out | |
| Gabriel Martinelli | Knee Injury | Meniscus Tear | Ruled Out | |
| Pablo Mari Villar | Ankle/Foot Injury | Ankle Surgery | Ruled Out |
It is interesting that Physioroom put Guendouzi in this table – a reminder again that we ought to call it the “unavailable table”. Eddie Nketiah serves the second of a three-match ban.
On the Sky Sport website Charlie Nicholas predicts that “Arsenal look like they have goals in them.” But then with a feat of logistical head over heals predicts also that we will only score one goal. What are we to make of a prediction like that? Mind you he also says, “This Liverpool team are still 10-15 yards off the Premier League champions they are.” Does that mean a shot from 15 yards is actually a shot from 30 yards? I don’t know what to make of that either. These pundits, eh? Pesky devils!
Of course Mr Arteta is still trying to come to terms with management and indeed with the management of Arsenal. And that of course is part of the problem that arises from letting the card-carriers win the day and have managers kicked out.
And the reality is that since he took over in December Mikel Arteta’s teams have dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League team – a grand total of 15. So let’s hope either we don’t score first, or if we do, we also score second and third as well.
If we look at the last six away games Liverpool are fourth in that particular table.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
| 3 | Burnley | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 11 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 10 |
In terms of the last six home games we have
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 19 | 16 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 16 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 14 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 14 |
So yes, with the last six games taken into account we have a better record than Liverpool, and a much better goal difference as well. But these games do go back a long way. Here are our six games
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 18 Jan 2020 | Arsenal v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 16 Feb 2020 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 4-0 | Premier League |
| 23 Feb 2020 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 3-2 | Premier League |
| 07 Mar 2020 | Arsenal v West Ham United | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 01 Jul 2020 | Arsenal v Norwich City | W | 4-0 | Premier League |
| 07 Jul 2020 | Arsenal v Leicester City | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
Laugh a minute Football Lodnod give us this line up
Martinez;
Mustafi, Holding, Luiz;
Bellerin, Ceballos, Xhaka, Tierney;
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
The Hardtackle seem to be operating a new pesky system that forces the reader to visit a gambling site before seeing what they have written, which if that is what is really happening will be running up their sponsor’s bills. I wonder if they know. Here’s what they have
Martinez;
Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac;
Bellerin, Xhaka, Ceballos, Saka;
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang
90 Mins on the other hand prefer
Martinez;
Mustafi, Luiz, Tierney;
Bellerin, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka;
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
The Standard however are a bit out on their own with
Martinez;
Sokratis, Luiz, Holding;
Cedric, Willock, Xhaka, Saka;
Pepe, Lacazette, Nelson.
So we’ve managed to find quite a wide range this time.
The league table shows that the most we can do is move above the Tiny Totts to eighth with a win. A draw will not affect our position. On the other hand a draw or a win for Burnley and a defeat for us will take us down to tenth.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 35 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 76 | 27 | 49 | 93 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 35 | 23 | 3 | 9 | 91 | 34 | 57 | 72 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 64 | 49 | 15 | 63 |
| 4 | Leicester City | 35 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 65 | 36 | 29 | 59 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 35 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 61 | 35 | 26 | 59 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 35 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 48 | 37 | 11 | 55 |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 35 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 38 | 33 | 5 | 54 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 54 | 45 | 9 | 52 |
| 9 | Arsenal | 35 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 51 | 44 | 7 | 50 |
Elsewhere…
- Arsenal v Liverpool: worryingly Arteta asks for more of what we’ve just been doing
- What will Uefa and the clubs that obey FFP do now that FFP has been wrecked?
- After the removal of Mr Wenger and the victory of Man City, what now for Arsenal?
Can an Arsenal Premier League first team selection beat a Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool Pl first team selection in a PL match? Well! To the best of my knowledge that is yet to happen in history. But there is the first time for what has not happen before to happen. So therefore, today in the evening at the Emirates Stadium could be the first time in history that Arsenal FC will beat Klopp’s Liverpool FC in a PL match. But I can’t say I am optimistic these current Mikel Arteta managed Gunners team can do this needful job for us Gooners for the first time ever. However, I must say I am neither pessimistic that Arsenal won’t beat Liverpool in the PL at the Ems today. For, a big game in the PL could produce the unexpected result to favour the Underdog team which is Arsenal of course in the match today. Period to today’s PL match encounter between the duo club sides, I think the best results in the PL that an Arsenal PL first team has ever achieved against a Liverpool PL first team managed by Jurgen Klopp were drawn games under Arsene Wenger, Emery and Freddie Ljungberg managed Arsenal teams. But I am not sure if the former interim Gunners head coach Ljungberg did managed a PL Arsenal first team to play Klopp’s Liverpool first team in the PL before Arteta had him sidelined out of his coaching team for Arsenal. But would Mikel Arteta be the first Gunners team head coach that beats Klopp managed Reds PL first team for the first time for Arsenal in the PL at the Ems Today? Well, I can’t say if he will be. But I hope he does.
Bloody hell one all. But for how long ?
Hello ! Anybody there ?
Blimey I know there’s nothing but pride on this but surely somebody’s out there.
It’s 2 – 1 to Arsenal by the way.
How, god only knows but there you go.
COYG
I think we have offered Van Dijk a contract and he instantly sank to the level of our central defenders
Arnold=Alexander’s yellow was at least as bad as Eddie’s red.
GoingGoingGooner
Exactly
Why did VAR insist on the ref having a look at Nketiah’s challange but doesn’t draw the referees attention to to Arnolds challange, which as you say is arguably worse.
I’m sure one of the guys that keep telling us how it all evens out will be able to tell us.
It ends 2 -1
A bit desperate but it has to be said we did defend really well in that second half.
The promise is there.
COYG
By the way, even not on their game it has to be said Liverpool are some team.
Watching Klopp on the touch line was hilarious. Don’t think he could quite believe how that happened.
D from the ear me. Talk about the biter having been bitten.
For once in this most peculiar season, Arsenal were on the back foot from start to finish. We
took advantage of two grievous errors and scored two goals.
And held out to overcome the season’s EPL champions.
Wonders will neve cease.
We all here know it doesn’t all even out in the end. We may be paranoid at times but that certainly doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get us.
Surprising and wellcome result. Let’s all enjoy that for now.
If Martinez keeps on playing like this Leno May have to wait a while before getting his place back. We certainly don’t need to buy another keeper in summer.
Another thing I was just thinking was, we actually won a game we didn’t deserve to win. I mean, how often does that happen?
I’ve lost count of the amount of games we dominate and end up loosing because we either shoot ourselves in the foot or get screwed by the ref.
Talking of refs, another good refereeing performance helped. Not that it was the hardest game in the World to referee.
I know the foul by Arnold could of been a red but in real time I thought it was a yellow. The real problem was the double standards with how VAR works, but that’s not the refs fault.
Anyway, so proud of the way the lads defended in that second half and and very hard won 3 points.
Look, I know I’m pretty much talking to myself but if anyone does read this can you tell me, is this our biggest win against the stats?
I mean have we ever faced stats like this:
30/70% Possession.
3/24 Shots
2/8 On target
And won?
I certainly cant recall anything like that.
Should I say today’s night Premier League match encounter final outcome score line result of: Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 that has ended not too long ago at the Emirates Stadium comes to me as a big surprise. Intact, it is an understatement if I say I am surprised instead of to say I am shocked as Arsenal’s full strength senior team finally beat a Jurgen Klopp’s full strength senior team in the PL for the first time since Klopp became the Reds gaffer since year 2015. Arteta the current Gunners boss has tonight done for Arsenal what his past 2 or 3 predecessors have all failed to do for Arsenal in many PL matches that involved Arsenal and Klopp’s Liverpool. Therefore. I say Bravo and kudos to Mikel Arteta and all the Gunners who played in the match for their breaking what has become a jinx of Klopp’s Reds team in the PL to Arsenal. This is a landmark match jinx breaking achievement by Arteta’s Gunners over Klopp’s Reds in the PL. Hmmm. I loving it and cherishing it. You know what Gooners which I am sure you have already known and it’s Liverpool attempt to get a record breaking 102 PL points this season was tonight been foiled by Arsenal at the Ems.
Nitram. I saw the ref performance differently. As you say the foul on Saka would have been a red card offence, if judged by the same standard applied to Eddie. In the second half, ref was giving Liverpool free kicks for imaginary fouls and his booking of Torreira and Xhaka again showed different standards being applied to Arsenal.
It would have been great if Joe Willock had scored the third goal
Stats or no stats the score was Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1.
The amazing thing that happened was that during the game I saw two very clear red cards. VAR did its usual ‘I see nothing’ and despite Sky showing the incidents twice which is another miracle (to go with our two beautifully created and finished goals) the game just played on.
Then there was the BBC MOTD and low and behold miracle number 3. They showed the highlights and then Lineker actually was made to show the incidents that social media was glowing red hot on. The Mane incident where he swung a boot at Holding but missed (Vardy did similar and kicked Mustafi’s face) and VAR did not look at it. The worse one was the Alexander-Arnold studs to the shin of Saka that got a yellow. It was a bad leg breaker that should have been reviewed. Nketiah was red carded for lesser but then this is the creme de la creme of officiating.
Nitram you were not alone. I just held my station in prayer hoping God would do something to bring the game home.
I’m not sure but God must have tried to get honesty to prevail.
Xhaka’s yellow was strange. His foot brushed Keita’s foot…nothing more. His studs were showing but…I am not sure that is the sole indicator of intent to injury.
Alexander-Arnold’s yellow was at the very least as bad as Eddie’s and probably worse because Eddie pulled out of his challenge by bending his knee.
Liverpool were the dominant team on the pitch but created very few clear scoring opportunities but rather created scrambles in our box.
We took advantage of their egregious errors.
It was good to not be run off the park; we can see our progress.
Quite amazing really, didn’t expect that, but all credit for a win while seriously under the cosh at times. Showed a bit of character, commitment, and other such things Arsenal are supposed to lack.
Impressive result
Liverpool didn’t make errors they were pressured into mistakes that both Laca & Nelson created and punished in beautiful style.
When Liverpool pressure and steal the ball they are praised for their endeavour. Arsenal are entitled to the same. Nothing was gifted. It was worked for and punished.
WOO HOO , HOO ! 3 bonus points , with 6 more possible . St. Totteringham’s day anyone ?
Did not see the whole game , but only the highlights . A great win , well done guys.
Now looking forward to another FA Cup win . Dare we dream ?
Up the Gunners !
Good point Menace. Arteta said the same, praising our high press that forced the errors. By the way, it is nice to be able to enjoy our manager’s press conferences. Not as good as Arsene’s, but getting there. I feel positive for the future despite all the difficulties (particularly the referees).