Champions Provide The First Test For Unai’s Red Army
Aug 11th, 2018 by 'holic
How very strange it feels to be writing the first preview of the Premier League season on the third day of the second test at Lord’s. It seems like only last week, not last month, we were enjoying the World Cup. Now an historic day has arrived. Our first competitive fixture under a new manager in twenty-two years. Good luck Unai.
The visit of the champions is about as tough as starts get. We have had more players who have enjoyed a full pre-season than the Cityzens but they are packed with quality and this will be a wonderful opportunity for both teams to lay down a marker for the coming season. Interestingly the two clubs met at U-23 level today and the home side won a Manchester thriller 6-5!
It is not easy guessing quite who will start given our wealth of midfield and attacking options, but I will have a stab at who I think will be Unai’s first starting eleven, which I think will differ from mine. The condition that Petr Cech is in will I think mean the incumbent goalkeeper will be preferred to Bernd Leno between the posts. The fact that he has been named one of the ‘five captains’ is quite a hint.
At full-back Hector Bellerin is a likely starter but Stephan Lichsteiner will be on the bench in case the likes of Sane and Jesus need slowing down a little. Ainsley Maitland-Niles seems likely to deputise for the injured Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal. The new manager seems to have plumped for Sokratis Papastathopoulos (YES! Done it!) and Skhodran Mustafi mainly on the basis that no referee will want to book either of them. It’s a baptism of fire for the new partnership and our principal concern going into the season.
This is where it gets difficult. My line-up would have to include two of Europe’s finest strikers, but it seems likelier that we may go with the 4-2-2-2 convertible to 4-2-3-1 set up that saw off Lazio last weekend. Lucas Torreira is clearly one of the rearmost two. Matteo Guendouzi may have done just enough in pre-season to oust Granit Xhaka for the other berth.
The foremost four will probably be Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Sorry Alexandre Lacazette, I would start you but I am not the manager, thank goodness! I would have played Rambo alongside and ahead of Torreira and started you up top. (What do you mean, he doesn’t read this!). Perhaps our best chance of taking the points tomorrow is to outscore a team that we are unlikely to keep a clean sheet against.
The ‘holic pound
It’s back, and planted on a boosted 40/1 shot, 3-2 to the Arsenal. Understandably City are red hot favourites to win at 10/11 with the Arsenal quoted around 3/1. That’s based on them being runaway champions last season and us having a new manager and a new system this season. On the opening day of the season I’m hoping we are sent out to play with freedom and determination to press them as much as they undoubtedly will us. Both defences are in for a tough time, possibly.
The season ahead
Briefly, I’m enthused by what I have seen in pre-season. We have bought well it seems with Leno, Lichsteiner, Torreira, and Gandouzi all giving us defensive options in different areas that we have been lacking in recent seasons. The big question mark is Sokratis and whether or not he can quickly settle to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. Will he be able to bring out the best of Mustafi who has looked uncomfortable when not alongside Laurent Koscielny.
Ahead of them however we have an engine room and attack that should be able to overturn last season’s appalling away form. Both Aubameyang and Lacazette are capable of of twenty-plus goals, and if Rambo, Mesut, and Mikhi can chip in with a fair few as well we could be the surprise package to rival favourites City. I have backed us each-way for the Premier League at 25/1. That pays out on first and second place. That second place could be a battle between us and City for first and second, or us and Liverpool for second or third.
With that I have a taxi to book to the station in the morning, to gather up my rainy day gear, and open a fine bottle of single malt. The dreams tonight will be of Championship and FA Cup glory, for that is what the last manager achieved in his first full-season with a new look team and new training methods. Could history be repeating itself? We can but hope.
Have a great one, ‘holics.
72 Responses to “Champions Provide The First Test For Unai’s Red Army”
May all your predictions come true Guvnor!
Thanks for the preview, I mostly agree but
I think goals will be slightly harder to come
by and am guessing a 2-1 win.
Second!
Thanks for the preview Holic.
I’m more apprehensive than I expected to be for Unai’s first proper game simply because the computer has handed us a tough start to the season. We have three very tough games and I’d bite anyone’s hand off if they offered five points from them.
To get anything from tomorrow both Sokratis, Mustafi and Bellerin have to play out of their skin. Sokratis has a solid career record but tge other two are not my idea of dependable defenders. I hope the discipline that Unai has been able to impart defensively and the quality of our pressing added to the quality we have in our defensive midfield ( a long time since I’ve said that!) will improve us against Citeh . I think you have the team spot-on except I think Leno will start and Cech will captain the Cup sides.
That will give us subs of
Cech/ Holding/ Xhaka/ Monreal / Lichsteiner/ Lacazette / Nelson
I’m going to suggest a 1-1 draw and an encouraging performance. I’d like the optimism at what is a very volatile club to build and for us to really give Citeh a serious fright.
I heard a Manchester journalist on the radio today talking about the game and he feels it’s a very tough one for Citeh to deal with at this stage of the season. I do hope he is right.
Excellent preview Guvna. You infected me with your optimism until I read TTG’s drink. I do think our defenders will have to play out of their skins and rely on Torreira hitting the ground running. Fingers crossed.
Hopefully I’ll catch up with you in the usual place before or after the game ?and I’ll be looking out for a distinguished gentleman wearing a flaccid cock on his chest in block 100 ?.
Interesting to see Arsenal trained at the Grove today .
A new idea or just for this game?
And Emery suggests Welbeck could play left back!
Hope springs Eternal H as a new season beckons for the Gunners.
Already 3 of our top 4 CL spot chasing rivals have recorded somewhat comfortable opening day wins,and i will be very surprised if Pool don’t make it 4 in the early Sunday game against a new look Hammers.
Imperative for me that we get something from the City game,given we have just as tough a game 2nd up at the Bridge next week.
Unai has had near a full pre season with the vast majority of our squad,and i guess we will find out tomorrow,if he has managed to change the culture of the squad,and impart his ideas in that 6wk period.
Given the quality of the City midfield and attack,i would not be at all surprised if for this game Unai played 4 – 4 – 2,with the 2 wide midfielders sitting in front of the full backs to add a double layer of protection when we are defending.
But whatever happens on the pitch tomorrow,and regardless of the result,as long as our supporters can see a full blooded commitment from our players from the first minute to the last,and the City players wend their weary way back to Manchester sore of body and mind, knowing they have just been through one hell of a battle,then that will be enough for us to have optimism for the rest of the season.
Fine start to the season, Guv’nor.
Emery tends to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation against the bigger sides and sometimes 4-1-4-1.
Agree with Clive that we need at least a point out of the game. I actually think a point would be a good day’s work. Any more would be a huge bonus — and deflate on day one any hopes Pep has of going the season unbeaten. Also agree with TTG that five after our first three games would be good reward.
The formations are so flexible as to be relatively unimportant. The players have to be smart enough to adjust to the circumstances on the pitch, and i am sure they have been prepared for this.
Last season we collapsed against them out of a rigidity of formation and a lack of thinking.
I have to believe this season will be different.
It will also help if certain players actually turn up when it really matters for once.
Nice preview H.
Last year’s theme was very much one of, which Arsenal team would turn up. With all of the changes I would say that it’s more of an unknown quantity than its ever been. New manager, new personnel, new optimism and an opening game against the reigning, and potential champions? Sorry nd like a very interesting day out.
Like many, I’m still far from convinced with our defence. Time will tell I guess as to how the new squad works out but at the moment I do not see too many nil nils.
As for today? Who knows? I’m going for 4-3 to the mighty reds.
To those going, enjoy. Regrettably, having looked at the fixtures, my first game might not be until November.
Fair point about the fluidity of formations, ‘Holiic
Tactics nerds might like three articles on how Pep switched to 4-1-4-1 at Bayern that start here :
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2013/7/17/4530782/bayern-munich-pep-guardiola-4-1-4-1-tactics-flexibility-schweinsteiger-kroos-alcantara-martinez
We can but hope. Indeed. Enjoy the day.
I think the social side of today will have to make up for the final score .
Hoping for a point but I think it’s a question of wait and see if the defensive side of our game is up to containing the Citi attackers.
I expect us to score so 2-2 is my hope , however having been to all 3 of those defeats last season and not with standing the new regime, I fear we will struggle , let’s hope not .
COYR
Jorge Bird’s report on the U-23s 6-5 defeat after being 3-1 up hits some familiar first-team themes:
https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2018/08/11/report-smith-rowe-hits-brace-as-arsenal-u23s-lose-6-5-to-manchester-city/
Delia@13: I share some of your foreboding. We could as easily lose the game 4-0 as win it. But if we get the “full blooded commitment from our players from the first minute to the last” that Clive calls for @6, we have the talent to get a point or three out of it.
Come on Arsenal and bring it on home. Unai Emery’s day no matter what happens but make it a good one please.
Re: bath @4. Wasn’t there a stiff Coq at some point in time?
Thanks for the fine preview holic and cheers to everyone in the bar – here’s to a fantastic season ahead and the beginning of a new and hopefully very successful era.
City start as firm favorites but the fact that we have had a full pre-season with most first team players might just level things out a little bit. Back four remains a concern and the unavailability of Monreal is bad news. Maitland Niles will have his work cut out today and so would Sokratis and Mustafi. Unlike the majority here, I have always felt that Mustafi can be a very good defender because more than his abilities it is his concentration that has let him down most times. Hopefully with more protection from midfield and ‘hard work’ under Emery, Mustafi will cut out those errors and become a solid presence. Sokratis is an unknown quantity and City is a real tough initiation to the premier league. The midfield will determine the game and whatever formation/personnel the manager plays, we can’t let city have it easy in the middle of the park. The best case scenario for us would be that our midfielders are sharper than theirs and don’t let them settle and also bring our attack into play by finding them frequently.
There’s been understandable trepidation ever since the fixture list was out. It couldn’t have been a tougher first two league games for the new manager but boy if we manage to win both of them, those odds of us winning the league will shorten considerably and we will be firm favorites for a top four berth. Well, a man can dream…
Laca and Auba must both start.
2-0 to the team in red.
UTA.
Not checked in for a few months.
Given my name it seemed appropriate to pop in for a swift half today, say hello and shout COYG very loudly on my way out. No time to even take my jacket off…
COYG !
I see it is raining in London. The old familiars are starting to arrive in this fine establishment again. The regulars are fretting over the defence. Hope is springing eternal, and trying not to pull the hamstring of reality. It must be a new season…
2:1 to the good guys
Here is a trip down memory lane for some: the previous Arsenal Premier League team not to have been selected by Arsene Wenger:
Seaman
Dixon
Keown
Adams
Bould
Winterburn (sub Shaw)
Viera (sub: Parlour)
Platt
Merson
Hartson
Wright
28th September 1996 v Sunderland at Higbury
And the first post-AW league team:
Cech
Bellerin
Sokratis
Mustafi
Maitland-Niles
Guenhouzi
Xhaka
Mkhitaryan
Ramsey
Ozil
Aubameyang
There’s reason 2 be optimistic. Even if it doesn’t quite go the way we would like today, and that is most definitely an upgrade on how I was feeling the last few seasons at this time.
Leno, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Lacazette, Elneny, Holding and Iwobi on the bench.
City have de Bruyne, Kompany, Sane and Jesus among their subs, which is far from shabby.
2 new faces and Cech as captain.
No Laca.
First game nerves are kicking in.
Rip into them from the off and see
if we can catch them cold.
buckle up ladies
here we go…
Let go boys! Three points!
Was that the sound of floodgates opening? COYG.
Bit … crap. So far.
Just as well we look really good defensively.
I must say I’ve been very influenced by the visit Rwanda advertising around the ground. As soon as we get to half time I’m going straight on to the Thomas Cook website to see if there are any offers available?
…..and the stress begins…
ok, half-time
sort it out Unai and let’s have a
stirring comeback
Getting Sokratis off the pitch would be a good start
I’d rather visit the proctologist than Rwanda.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. *sigh*
0-2. No one picked Bernardo Silva in the box and bang?.
I know it’s a cracked record but how shit has Ozil been…
Watching it from Poland on a dodgy stream oh well wasn’t expecting this
Laca makes the most of their mistake
Ozil has, from an offside position played the ball, and deprived a better placed teammate from scoring on at least two occasions. Both Ozil and Mkhi appeared a bit off colour.
Pretty awful that. Didn’t expect too much too soon, but the lack of shape was a worry, the casual attitude with the ball and the usual couple of strollers who can’t be bothered didn’t help.
Lots of work to do on this evidence.
I know it’s only the first game but it’s not looking good I haven’t seen most of the game as I was in transit.
At home on our turf we allowed them to beat us in the first game of the season no cojones springs back to mind!
Indeed, lots of work to do. Outclassed and outplayed by a Man City side that didn’t even break sweat.
Laca’s introduction did improve our play and Lichsteiner showed why experience is so important at this level and his coming on gave a lot of stability to the defence. AMN looked a bit out of his depth and Xhaka had a poor game. Guendouzi is still too raw to inspire confidence and one can only hope he will improve with more playing time.
The better team won, thanks to our uncertain defending which enabled two goals which could both have been avoided. Sokratis appeared to take evasive action against Silva’s shot for the second goal. Sokratis appears old and slow and a poor buy at that price.
Nothing has changed since Wenger’s days except that we look a little less fluent in attack. Too early to judge Unai as it is still work in progress but I didn’t see the great defensive organization he is supposed to bring to our game.
We would do better with a few more Lichsteiners in our team. He has a winning mentality and a fighting spirit which is priceless.
New manager, new players, new direction, first game of the season and against the best side in the country? I’m not sure we can really judge anyone at this early stage.
There were positives. Guendouzi looks a great prospect. I was impressed with Lichsteiner. I thought Cech had a decent game. There were encouraging signs up front. Lacazette made a difference. Mkhitaryan, Ozil and Aubameyang all showed signs that there is real potential to cause problems this season.
Losing 2 nil wasn’t desirable but it could have been a lot worse. Emery will need at least two seasons in my opinion before the jury can return a true verdict.
Onwards and upwards.
For me, the improvement from the Arsenal of old was striking. We were 1-0 down, then 2-0 down but never panicked. We, calmly, just took the loss as it came – there was not that ‘deer in the headlights’ look about the team. If we can keep this up against Chelsea next week, we’re going places!
I thought Licht did ok considering he was on the
wrong wing but he must share some of the blame
for the 2nd goal. He let Silva run off him into
space.
We did ok generally, I thought we lacked ambition for
most of the 1st half. But sadly they are simply better than
us at the moment.
On to Chavsea. I hope Torreira will start and Nacho will
be back. Also I hope AMN’s injury (which came when he
was blatantly fouled) is not too bad.
Kohlensaure @ 49. I thought we had that ‘deer in the headlights’ look right from the start and everyone looked scared and unsure about what to do.
OM @ 50. Agreed that Lichsteiner will have to take some of the blame for the second goal but there was no central defender to cover or block Silva and Sokratis didn’t do anything to stop the shot. Sokratis could have done a lot more to prevent both goals.
Am not too downbeat after that performance. Guendouzi made a couple of mistakes but seems like a fantastic player in the making. He should seriously threaten Xhaka’s place in the team who did not have a very good game. It’s easy to pick on Ozil but Mkhi and Auba didn’t fire tonight either. Ozil infact was pressing well right up to the end and we should have scored if he and Laca communicated better. We are still a work in progress – and were up against a City side who have had the same manager for the third season now.
Our pressing game wasn’t cohesive – will need more work. Lichtsteiner despite not playing on his natural flank looked bigger attacking threat than Bellerin, he needs find his mojo back big time. On paper our attack is our best asset as a team but they have to start proving it in big games pretty soon. There are enough signs that they can do so and here’s hoping that Emery can get it out of them soon enough. The Chelsea game should be much closer than this one, they like us are also in transition under a new manager and it will be interesting to see how that game goes. Enough encouraging signs to be excited about the future and I wouldn’t be too negative about individual players or the overall performance tonight.
Re: ksn @46, “Xhaka had a poor game.”
Trying to think, i.e.’ wrack my brains, to come up with a time when it was any different.
bt8@53 How right you are, I just hope that Emery rumbles both him and Ramsay quickly so the ball can move quickly through the midfield. They both dally on the ball and all to often then make the obvious pass they should have made 10 seconds earlier, or a very poor pass and give possession away.
bt8 @ 53. How come Xhaka gets to start almost all games. I would prefer Torreira over him. Torreira looked assured when he came on.
Being out of town and practically off the grid at the moment, I will have to hope the DVR has maintained my settings and the game will be ready to view upon my Tuesday return. But if you say Ozil was turned off Cynic I can hardly do anything but agree with you and say it is no surprise. Not good to hear the reviews of Papastathopoulos though. Pep must have thought he was the weaker link if we are hearing so much about his deficiencies, and that is saying something considering that Mustafi would have been the alternative principal target.
I thought Sokratis looked solid for most of the game. He takes a lot of getting around, which is a good attribute in a central defender. However, if the opposition is allowed to shoot form 15-18 metres out, that negates his main asset. As others have mentioned, for the second goal, Lichtsteiner was more at fault as he lost the man he was marking.
This “playing out from the back” business is never going to work if the keeper just does not fancy it – Whilst he can still be a superb shot stopper (as witnessed twice today) Cech is not going to suddenly be able change his whole game at his age is he ? If that is how we are going to be playing then the GK has to be 100% confident with it surely ?
On the plus side I thought Lichtsteiner, Guendouzi and Torreira were all excellent and ‘up for it’. Xhaka was awful and most of the rest just OK. I actually thought Ozil played well until the last 10/15 when he faded.
To me we have the look of a team that just need to ‘click’ – it was never going to happen against this City team who are different class and will beat most teams comfortably this season.
Onwards and Upwards as Dick Lucas once sang.
Have to agree with Ned@57, Sokratis stuck close to Aguero or the other attackers he was marking all game and it was difficult for City to get past him. He also made that foul just outside the box and took the yellow instead of avoiding the tackle and letting City score – something we have been accused of plenty of times.
As a side note, it was pathetic to hear the television commentary during the game (it was peter drury & andy townsend on the feed here in India). One would have thought that with Wenger gone – the media would go easy on their anti-arsenal narrative but they were really up for it right from the get go. More importantly they were raving about Man City so much it almost sounded like they were having a wet dream!! I mean for all it’s good qualities, this is a team whose bench tonight probably cost more than our first eleven and who in the past decade must have outspent us by 10 times, they better play great or go home. Anything good we did wasn’t acknowledged at all as if it didn’t happen! It was annoying beyond belief. The most irritating bit came when Xhaka cynically fouled Aguero and was subsequently yellow carded. Drury went sarcastically – “that wouldn’t be the last yellow card for him this season…” and townsend chipped in “yeah poor foul that one, he was no where near the ball – foot also high on Aguero’s knee”. Aren’t these the same people who keep banging on week after week that Arsenal are too nice and they don’t do the dark arts blah blah blah. The same foul from Kante and these guys would have been raving about it for a week. No wonder some of our younger fan base gets influenced by this constant negative coverage and start spewing unnecessary venom towards our own players.
Having established that my neighbour at the ground had undergone surgery for prostrate cancer I might have known it was going to be a bad day.
Actually it was a disjointed day , a very peculiar game indeed but some wise counsel from a lot of tge participants here including DesiGooner, New Day Rising and Steve T as well as Ned.
It would be very silly to draw too many conclusions. Citeh were nowhere near their best, it is taking the piss to bring on De Bruyne with fifteen minutes to go and we are trying to learn a new way of playing. I must say both teams were stupid in trying to play silly suicide passes to players under pressure. Cech who had a great game as a keeper almost scored the most farcical own goal of all time.
Briefly
Encouraging- Guendouzi, Torreira , Lacazette and Sokratis and Mustafi
Ok- Aubameyang, Lichtsteiner, Bellerin, Ramsey, Cech ( keeper), Mkhitaryan
Awful- Ozil, Xhaka, Cech ( footballer)
AMN didn’t have time to do much .
Citeh has a bloke called Sterling who should play for England . He was much better than the bloke upfront in Russia….you say what? It was him? Unrecognisable.
No judgement for some time but next week will be very hard and I would leave out Ozil and Xgaka and play Leno with Lacazette and Aubameyang
Prostate not prostrate. That’s how it leaves you
Hope you neighbour is back in place very soon, TTG.
The positives from today were the new players. The negatives for me were the same old negatives from before. I still cannot believe we gave Xhaka a new contract and he should be out the door asap, along with Mustafi.
Torreira has to play next weekend, Guendouzi gave it away a lot but it’s a serious step up for him so I was encouraged more than not by him.
The usual suspects were very very suspect though and I think we really have to make a choice very quickly about Ozil or MK and use one of them, not both. We cannot afford two strollers.
Sorry to hear about your neighbour TTG. Hope he pulls through.
Thanks for the good wishes he was very sangfroid about the whole thing but believes the prognosis is good. He looked very fit but as he said it does put football into perspective . His wife was at the game with him. I agree with Cynic.
Guendouzi will make errors – he did today but he will be an absolutely superb player for us. He has massive presence and drive. Torreira came on and immediately the team looked more organised and he played a couple of wonderful passes.
Emery will have got much more from this than all the friendlies and will process it.
Ozil has to stop playing in a sulk and start showing some of what Guendouzi brings to the side. If we must play wall passes in our six yard box I suggest we employ a goalkeeper like Leno who has been brought up with this way of playing. Cech showed you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
I agree with much of the above.
‘Cech the keeper’ was excellent and kept us in the game, ‘Cech the 5-a-sider’ was extremely scary and missed an own goal by inches. Bellerin had his best match in ages. Mustafi and Sokratis were OK and will improve their combination play and understanding. AMN did OK until crocked. Lichtsteiner played well for a man on the wrong side and added considerable steel. Xhaka had a ‘mare and it was the same old sloppy passing and slowness of thought resulting in turnovers in dangerous positions. Guendouzi had an excellent competitive debut and should be ahead of Xhaka on the team list because whilst he made a few errors his commitment, availability and passing were streets ahead. Ramsey has had far better days, Mkhi was poor and virtually anonymous. PEA was on a different wavelength to everyone else and his total contribution was minimal. Ozil grafted little effect. The addition of Lacazette for Ramsey was an instant upgrade as was Torreira for Xhaka and both of these players should start against Chelsea.
I understand the argument for Leno on the basis of his footwork but to be frank, the feedback from Germany about his performances as a straightforward keeper (perhaps mirrored in training) are probably the reason for choosing to run the risk of ‘Cech the 5-a-sider’. As in one of the pre-season matches the addition of Lacazette and movement of PEA to the wing adds incision to our attack and I share the Guvna’s opinion that Lacazette must start. I don’t think we can afford to play Ozil, Ramsey and Mkhi except against weaker opposition. There’s simply not enough fire in their bellies. Torreira and Guendouzi and one other should be our MF three.
I accept that we have had one of our stiffest tests of the season but it does underline the gap we must make up. There’s room for optimism but there’s a lot of work to be done first.
if Chris doesn’t appear
*request to the mighty ‘holic*
??????????
can you message him
i’ve done same
no response
but
i understand how less attractive i am
busted knuckle
i fuckin hate people
got 11 stout
Looks like everyone saw the same game and developed very similar viewpoints. Bath borrowed my note pad and used it word for word for his excellent concise summary at 65. Can’t say more.
Excellent summary Bath
As i alluded to in my pre match post,
we would find out whether 6wks pre season work would be enough time to change the habits of what is still a majority first eleven from the ” make it up as you go along ” era under Arsene .
Clearly not.
Whether some players are incapable of change will become evident as the season progresses.
Lichsteiner and Torreira have to start at the Bridge.
Lichsteiner and Torreira (for Xhaka) have to start at the Bridge.
And Laca, Clive.
The day turned out much as I expected. We struggled against a Citi side that was well below the standard we saw last season.
Bath and TTG have said it all. We have a long way to go and I am thinking that there were a number of players on show yesterday who will never shape up to a high pressing game, a lack of pace and application.
I fear this season we will end up playing not to lose, with flair and moments of brilliance a distant memory . The company however more than made up for the disappointing game.
At last! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>