Can Emery’s Gunners Cross The Bridge?
Aug 17th, 2018 by 'holic
Normally on the eve of our visit to the bus stop in Fulham I would be plotting my day. A pint or two in the Cock Tavern has taken over from lunch in Bodeans. Last year the post match festivities involved the becoming-traditional bottle of champagne in the Cock before decamping to the ‘Sloaney Pony’. It’s all different this season as I am driving to Cornwall on Sunday so am dropping this one from the calendar.
The reason my presence or not should concern you is that I cannot recall being there when we have won for a number of seasons. Therefore I have given us a great chance of taking our first three points of the season. There is another good omen. Chelsea have never beaten an Arsenal team managed by Unai Emery. So how will the new man set up his team after the opening day defeat against the champions?
We know only that Petr Cech will retain his place against his former club. There will be an enforced change at left-back following the broken leg inflicted by Kyle Walker on Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Hopefully Nacho Monreal will be fit to deputise. Emery has also been quoted as saying that Lucas Torreira is ready to start this week which will make the other midfield selections interesting.
It’s possible for a big away match that Torreira will start alongside the experienced Granit Xhaka rather then the eye-catching Matteo Guendouzi. That would mean an unchanged front four from last week of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey, and Mesut Ozil, behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. I haven’t changed my mind about starting Alexandre Lacazette but suspect that neither has Emery. Maybe next Saturday?
Our recent performances against Chelsea give cause for hope if not outright optimism. Like us they are going through a change of manager and playing philosophy. Their new head coach, Maurizio Sarri, is denied the services of Cesc Fabregas by a knee injury. Olivier Giroud appears to be behind the inconsistent Alvaro Morata in the pecking order. As ever we will have to be alert to the pace and trickery of Eden Hazard.
The ‘holic pound
I have to confess the draw looks very attractive. Indeed 1-1 is the bookies favourite at 6 or 7/1. I don’t do sensible and will hope we can nick a second and triumph 1-2 at a very tempting and boosted 16/1. I have a free fiver with one bookie so I won’t be punting any of my money on this happy outcome.
In closing I should wish good luck and good fortune to David Ospina who is heading out to Napoli on loan with an option to buy next summer, and Joel Campbell who has joined the interesting looking series A newcomers, Frosinone.
To those who are going tomorrow I wish you an enjoyable evening in West London. To all of you I will say, as ever, have a great one, ‘holics.
91 Responses to “Can Emery’s Gunners Cross The Bridge?”
Bite your hand off for a point.
And a pint. ๐
Ooooooospina!!
For the last time, hopefully. Not that I didn’t enjoy it while it lasted, which I did.
My last visit to the bus stop saw us beat them 3-0 – but that was in 1997! Iโd be delighted with a draw after last week.
I think you have the starting eleven about right. We must be patient and believe in the manager. Whatever happens on Saturday.
‘Tis a far, far better thing that you do now, Guvna, sacrificing your visit to the bus stop in order to turn around our recent record. Thank you sir. Enjoy your holiday.
However I disagree with your predicted 11. I think that we can welcome the return of Nacho to the LB slot, see your dream combo of BamBam AND Lacazette up front serviced by Mesut at ’10’ ably supported by the late runs of Rambo returning to his ‘8’ role and the unveiling of our longterm double pivot of Torreira and Guendouzi.
That team has a distinct possibility of delivering a result at the bus stop and may even repay your optimistic punt.
Good luck to all at the Bridge. Like all away derbies, this one sold out before my level of points so I’ll be watching on the TV. Despite last Sunday Iโm still optimistic for the season and feel we could do something special. Last week on the North Bank was memorable for my mate Pat, who sits behind me, and who had liquid lunched, as the saying goes, well but not wisely, cunting off the Man City fans from minute one to minute 94. The number rocking up at Highbury 20 years ago started at 1200 and reduced to 400 by the end. He led successive choruses of โyou bought it allโ in a fine tenor. He made me laugh on an otherwise glum afternoon.
In other news, my daughter, about to start a masters at UCL, has just secured a rented shared flat just off Upper Street. Another generation about to enjoy the Islington experience. Her claim to fame is being our mascot, age 12, against AC Milan, aged 12. Happy days.
COYG!
Enjoy your holiday in Cornwall H,
Fond memories for me back in the day,drove down with the little un’s for a holiday farm stay one summer,armed with a big tip for a horse trained by the Gavin Pritchett Gordon stable,with money rider George Duffield on board.
It won at very juicy odds,and the upshot was,i invested the winnings in a 17th century oak coffer from an antique shop down there,and then drove back to London with it strapped to the roof of the old car,praying it wouldn’t rain. !!
I still have it to this day,nearly 40 yrs later.
But i digress,
A poor recent record means we haven’t won at the Bridge in the past 6 seasons,
5 successive defeats and last seasons draw.
We haven’t scored in 4 of the last 5 games there either.
Interestingly you have to go back to 1924 for the last time we kept 3 successive clean sheets at the Bridge.
Both the league and the league cup games there last season were scoreless,so another shutout would see us equaling that old record,although it is drawing a long bow to see that happen.
I just don’t think we are sufficiently settled or drilled in the Emery way yet,so i see the Blues scoring,question is can we do the same.
An infinitely stronger side with Lich and Torreira in it has to have more belief in themselves than seemed the case last week.
Like just about everyone in the bar, a point would be a very satisfactory early evening result.
Anything more would be a very welcome surprise.
Thanks for the preview Guvna.
Team looks about right though I
was wondering if Emery will drop
Mkhi away from home.
Score looks about right too – it’d
be a real confidence booster if we
could nick the 3 points.
Have a great holiday, ‘holic!
Never having been to Cornwall I am jealous but am about to go on a holiday of my own, to the state of Washington where it can be rainy at times but I am hoping for sun as all vacationers do. As for Cornwall I almost got there once but made it no farther than Bideford, a seaside town on the north side of Devon. Great memories!
Bt8
Given two hours off on a geography field trip in Bideford some fifty years ago about ten of us made our way to watch Bideford Town play Barnstaple in a local derby. The other alternatives were limited as pubs closed at 3pm and there were very few teenage girls within view.
We swelled the gate by 50% and made it back to the coach in time to continue. The game was awful as I recall!
TTG,
Geography field trip lacking pubs or teenage girls? No wonder times have changed. ๐
Nightmare of a first half for Calum Chambers playing for Fulham v. Spurs. Two major errors, first passing across his goal without looking and allowing Lucas Moura in imchallenged only for the keeper to make a good save, and second with a poor clearance directly to Mouraโs left foot. Moura said thank you very much and stuck it one-time into the top left corner for the 1-0 lead they have at the half. Fulham are pinned way back in their half.
1-1 now. Wembley Totts, the few in the ground, erupt in bewildered groans as the Spurs defence collapses in disarray.
It could well be said that 2014-18 was the quadrenium of Tottenham ascendancy. Only a few more months to go but of course they won no trophies in that time. No place to go but ??
The only positive about the two 2nd half Spurs goals is I donโt think Chchambers was directly responsible but I would want to see them again to be sure.
That’s a poor looking lineup for us today.
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Monreal, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Iwobi, Aubameyang.
Subs: Elneny, Ramsey, Lacazette, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Leno, Welbeck.
Hoping for a point but fearing the worst. Very depressed, so unlike me but we just don’t have the players in half a dozen positions to successfully play a pressing game.
What also disappointed me last week was the form of our strikers who had good chances but were not sharp enough to put them in the back of the net.
Malcolm is at the Bridge singing a song for me, let’s hope his journey is worthwhile.
I always feel better about the defence when
Nacho plays so that’s a positive.
I guess Iwobi is expected to offer a bit
more defensively in a wide role – he did
last year in this same fixture.
No one can accuse the boss of playing
Rambo to keep him sweet and sign the
new contract.
I hope we can give a bit more support to
Auba this week, go in level at half time and
then nick it with 10 minutes to go
COYG!!
How does Xhaka keep out Torreira? Iโm sharing Deliaโs pessimism
Great start. What a totally shit defence we have got.
Oh dear that is exactly what we feared
Defensively we are shit and we are worse than under Wenger! How is that even possible.
Sokratis really needed a better partner to bed him in, but he’s stuck with Mustafi.
Zero cover in front of those two doesn’t exactly help.
Howโs it looking folks on the autobahn near Dresden in Germany saw the updates on the goal fo Chelski? It is really that bad?
I could have scored that
How did Auba miss that?
Wtf PEA??
Even Morata scored…
This is utter torture at both ends
Oh fuck off. That’s pathetic defending. Absolutely dreadful to get beaten that easily. One ball over the top, Mustafi lets him cut inside instead of pushing him wide and aneasy tap in.
Mustafi is bloody useless.
2-0. We missed two sitters and they scored twice.
๐ ๐ ๐
2 down without Hazard even playing??
God help us when he’s on
We look even worse than against City
Maybe Xhaka is trying to get sent off? Pls put Torreira instead, and Licht cannot be worse than Bellerin
Xhaka booked so take him off before he gets sent off. And because he’s rubbish.
Depressing as all hell. ‘holic, don’t stop at Cornwall, head to Jersey or Guernsey.
Xhaka is so slow, it’s painful to watch. I don’t know what he brings to the team.
F… o.. Mhiki
Tippy tap back and forth across our own box, inviting pressure.
I don’t care if that’s how he wants us to play, we’re 2-0 down and asking to get hammered with football like this.
And then we miss another sitter from 8 yards at the other end. Shit.
Mkhi does a Aubameyang.
WTF is wrong with our forwards??!!!!
GRrrrr!
Take Xhaka off.
Finally Mhikiiiii
That’s avery good finish. We’re lucky to still be in it, in some ways, at 2-1 let’s just get to HT without letting another in and start again.
Mkhi, great strike. 2-1. Result of great pressing by Monreal.
Fucking hell, how are we level?
๐
In trying to press up the pitch we are committing too many up front which leaves us vulnerable at the back. Add our high defensive line.
2-2. Iwobi!!!!
Damn, should have been 2 up
Oh well, all square is good for now
Damn damn
We should have been 4-2 up.
PEA misses another sitter.
For as bad as we look at the back, Chelsea are worse.
I’d still give Xhaka the hook at HT
Time for Laca in the 2nd half please
Auba misses a sitter again.?
Shooting practice all week next week ffs.
Spot on Cynic Torreira for Xhaka
Iwobi misses a chance. How many chances do we need before we convert one.
that is one strange half of football
At least we pulled one back hope for a much better improved second half!
This is turning into a Sunday kick about on Highbury Fields.
We were shit in parts but it has been a great entertainer. We should have been out of sight by no, at half time.
Love Guendouzi… spreading play around.. giving some width to the game… thoroughly rendering their defence ineffective.
๐
livin’ la vida loca
Damn…we should be 5-2 up right now. Most definitely 4-2 up.
Iwobi and especially Mkhitaryan have really used the width well as the half wore on. Iwobi definitely meriting his selection ahead of Ramsey today. Mkhi missed the easier of the two chances he got but his goal was a terrific finish with his weaker left foot.
Both defences look susceptible, it could be a high scoring game if both don’t tighten up things. Torriera in for Xhaka would be the obvious substitution to shore things up. And if we want to play such a high line, we need atleast one really pacy centre half – like Koscielny was in his younger days. Mustafi and most definitely Sokratis cannot play with such a high line.
Great second half coming up. If we keep our composure in front of goal and tighten up at the back – this one is there for the taking.
Looks like our conversion rate is 1 in 3
Very good comments Desi.
Both sides movement is shredding the others defence. We must get a packer CB and watch the midfield runners
How good it is to see a manager who reacts to situations instead of being sat with his thumb up his arse.
Toreirraaaaaa on….COME ON!!!
Torreira on for Xhaka; thank you Unai.
Kick goal kicks long for the rest of this game. We are getting incredibly confused by playing short
Great save by Cech. More cagey second half. Wish we had scored at least one of the sitters.
Hazard on, game on. COYG.
Replace Ozil man
Thanks Unai ๐
Now to put Laca on and done deal
Tired looking Ozil off for Ramsey. Chelsea looking more composed after the break.
Great substitutions today, spot on with those two so far
Three subs made and all three spot on for me.
Laca on for Iwobi. Worryingly we are not able to keep any meaningful possession.
Oh shitheaps. ๐
Waiting to happen, the way we were playing.3-2.
Did Chelsea just score?
We will be unlucky to lose after all the chances we created.
Atkinson is giving everything to Chelsea, the …
How much time are we going to give Alonso there?
WAKE UP
Emery has got a huge job with this squad. There is a dearth if quality in key positions but we are still far too easy to play against
Surprising how we are not able to keep the ball whereas Chelsea is so good. They are also such fucking cheats. We need to learn the dark arts too.
At least we scored at the bridge!
All the players who are playing rubbish are the same ones who’ve been rubbish for a long time.
I’m not exactly convinced by Sokratis but it’s early days for him
I’ve seen more than enough of Xhaka, Mustafi and Ozil to know they are not good enough and would be happy if all three were sold.
Apart from the insistence on playing out from the back, which is asking for trouble when you’re losing and under the cosh, there are positive signs and this manager won’t let things drift along.
He needs to get his own players in and get rid of the serial failures before we can make real progress.
That was so frustrating to get nothing.
Very unlucky to lose today. Chelsea had luck on their side.
Agree Cynic. We need to replace at least Xhaka and Mustafi. We did not look the same force after Ozil was subbed. Our bench is also short of class players. Lot of work for Emery, who was unlucky to see his tem lose. Auba was a huge disappointment.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Those sitters in the first half prove costly and the third goal was preventable really, if only Laca did not jog and pressed more.
I don’t believe that Emery didn’t know that we already know, it’s up to the him and for the large part, the boys to make it click from back to front.
Onward and Upward to the next game.
COYG
Gutted by that loss especially because of those two missed sitters in the first half, and also the missed decent chances by Auba & Iwobi at the end of the first half. Emery got the substitutions spot on today. Ozil had a mare today with only 29 touches. Bellerin too was culpable for the first and third Chelsea goals. For the first goal he needlessly chased Willian near the half way line, and emptied his flank and despite Mkhi tracking back, Alonso with a headstart was always winning that foot race. For the third he simply allowed Hazard to pass the ball into the danger area instead of closing him down. Lacazette was the one who made the poor back pass but still it was a situation that the defenders should take care of. Bellerin is really worrying with his attitude towards defending nowadays. Just a few minutes before the eventual third goal, Bellerin had made a real pacy attacking run down the flank which was scuppered. Then Chelsea were building up play gradually through midfield going towards our right flank quite clearly but Bellerin just kept on ambling back casually seeing everything unravel in front of him. That play ended with a very good cross finding Kante who headed just over the bar. He just seems to find all his pace and energy for the attacking side of the game but not for defending which is his primary job. This is a guy who used to make up 15 yards on people and make last ditch tackles in his first couple of seasons. In away games against the top six, a safety first approach and start with Lichtsteiner.
Overall there were encouraging signs – Guendouzi had a cracker of a game and he seemed to have more personality than the other ten players put together. Torriera must start the next game alongside Guendouzi in midfield. Mkhitaryan had a good game too and so did Iwobi. We don’t have any naturally wide players and those two did well using the width of the pitch and were technically assured. Mkhitaryan especially likes to get stuck in unlike Ozil and if he finds form, he could score vital goals apart from the obvious candidates – Laca & Auba.
The draw was unkind to Emery with two very tough games against the last two league winners first up. But now we have two very winnable games coming up before the international break and we must ensure full points from them. Emery would know he has his work cut out. He could and should make a bold statement by leaving out both Xhaka and Ozil in the next game.