by Bulldog Drummond
Why are many of us boycotting this game? Quite simply because of the cost at £14.95. I still have a load of money in Arsenal FC, left over from the matches I couldn’t see last season and this season on my season ticket, so to ask me to pay more to watch a game on TV is just too much.
I understand it is on Now TV at a lower price, to watch on a computer, but you might want to beware, when I tried to use this before, the system willingly took my card details and my money, but come kick off time I couldn’t get onto the site to watch the match.
After endless protests Now TV refused to refund the money but gave me a credit note valid for a couple of weeks. However since there wasn’t another game on involving Arsenal during that time that was fairly useless. Of course you may fare better than me.
Yes the clubs are losing money, I appreciate that, but they are businesses, and businesses have responsibility to have money in reserve and to spend it wisely. Many supporters may have enjoyed the last two transfer windows with the mega Arsenal spend, but on the backs of season ticket holders who already are paying the club huge amounts each year, I think not.
Obviously a matter for you, but I suspect it will be on Arsenal.com as a commentary, and on radio commentaries. If you are outside the UK you may be faring better than we are here.
So to be clear I’m not trying to tell anyone how to behave, just talking about the view at Untold.
But of course this doesn’t stop us previewing the game as normal, so here is the injury file as always from Physioroom.com
| Player | Reason | Further Detail | Potential Return | Test? | Status |
| Calum Chambers | Knee Injury | “Now back in full training and progressing well towards full match fitness.” | 03/12/2020 | None | Ruled Out |
| Rob Holding | Thigh Injury | “Sustained hamstring strain during the warm-up on Sunday at Man City. Likely to be out of action for approximately three weeks.” | 21/11/2020 | None | Ruled Out |
| Pablo Mari Villar | Ankle/Foot Injury | “Aiming to return to full training within the next 10 days.” | 21/11/2020 | None | Ruled Out |
| Willian Borges Da Silva | Calf/Shin/Heel Injury | “Slight calf issue, will miss Thursday’s match. Being assessed ahead of Sunday.” | 25/10/2020 | Late Fitness Test | 75% |
| Dani Ceballos | Ankle/Foot Injury | “Slight ankle bruising, will miss Thursday’s match. Being assessed ahead of Sunday.” | 25/10/2020 | None | 100% |
| Gabriel Martinelli | Knee Injury | Has the aim of a return to full training by the end of the calendar year.” | No Return Date | None | Ruled Out |
As ever we are in the Wenger zone – the zone of excessively high injury numbers caused by the incompetence of Mr Wenger in his training regime. Odd that we still have that years after he has gone.
In comparison here are the other clubs in the upper reaches:
- Crystal Palace: 8 players injured
- Everton: 8 players injured
- Brighton and Hove Albion: 7 players injured
- Arsenal: 6 players injured
- Burnley: 6 players injured
- Liverpool: 6 players injured
- Newcastle United: 6 players injured
- Southampton: 6 players injured
- Fulham: 5 players injured
- Leeds United: 5 players injured
- Leicester City: 5 players injured
- Sheffield United: 5 players injured
Other teams have fewer than five players out.
We are of course doing fine at home
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | Everton | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | West Ham United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 7 | Leeds United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
And Leicester City are doing well away…
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| 2 | Leicester City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | Leeds United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| 6 | Everton | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 6 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 6 |
All of which suggests that the two clubs will either cancel each other out or it could be a 3-3 draw.
However Leicester have been through a rough patch…
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep 2020 | West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City | W | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 20 Sep 2020 | Leicester City v Burnley | W | 4-2 | Premier League |
| 23 Sep 2020 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 0-2 | League Cup |
| 27 Sep 2020 | Manchester City v Leicester City | W | 2-5 | Premier League |
| 04 Oct 2020 | Leicester City v West Ham United | L | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 18 Oct 2020 | Leicester City v Aston Villa | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 22 Oct 2020 | Leicester City v FC Zorya Luhansk | W | 3-0 | Europa League |
The defeat to us in the League cup was quite amusing, while home defeats to WHAM and the Villa might well have deflated them a bit.
It is also interesting that while Arsenal have won their two Trophy games this season, Leicester lost to Harrogate in the second game 3-1. We don’t include those games in the list as they are played by the under 21s of the Premier League team, but it might suggest that the level of youth players is not as high as it might be.
More anon…
From the tactics files
- Tackles, fouls, cards: the 2020/1 season so far
- How the media is still failing to explain Leicester’s extraordinary fall from grace last year.
- Leicester’s strange tackle / foul / yellow figures change as they slip down the league
I don’t think the six man injuries suffered to Arsenal players as mentioned above will weaken the Gunners gaffer Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team selection strength that he will select tp play Leicester City at the Ems in the PL tonight.
This is because the senior and youth team Gunners who are available for selection to pick a strong 18 man Gunners match day squad for the match from are quite in order.
Therefore, it’s left to Arteta and his able coaching team to pick the a very strong 18 man Gunners match day squad that can beat Leicester team to the collection of all the 3 points that will be at stake in the match.
In my own thinking as an Arsenal supporter, I don’t know if Mikel Arteta will agree with me in my own below Arsenal starts and bench selection that I’ve made for the match which I strongly think and believe if he uses them they will beat Leicester in the match.
Formation: 442.
Starts:
Leno;
Bellerin Gabriel Luiz Tierney;
Pepe Partey Xhaka Saka;
Lacazette Aubameyang.
Bench:
Runarsson AMN Mustafi Kolasinac Cebbalos Elneny Nketiah.
Notwithstanding my aboves, I will not be surprised though if Arteta makes one or two changes to my starts and bench for the match. And no disrespect to Cedric Soares for my not including him in my 18 for the match. I just want to give him a game rest and give AMN a match start from the bench to cover for Bellerin.
My final score-line prediction is to the favour of Arsenal my team as: Arsenal 3-0 Leicester.