Top Three In View – Be Positive Gunners
Oct 5th, 2019 by 'holic
A 2pm non-televised kick-off on a Sunday. It’s a result of only qualifying for the Europa League and why we need to win to leapfrog Leicester City and secure third place to defend as the season progresses.
Forget our struggles against Watford, Villa, and United. Bournemouth’s record at The Arsenal is indicative of why we should approach tomorrow with confidence and a positive attitude. We have won all five of our home matches against Bournemouth in all competitions.
The team selection for this is complicated by the young Gunners ripping Forest and Standard Liege for nine goals in then days. They have played with a swagger that has largely escaped their senior colleagues thus far.
However Thursday to Sunday early afternoon would be a big ask, particularly of players we might otherwise want to see but coming back from injury like Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney. Selecting the latter might also be a bit of a slap in the face to Scotland who agreed not to select Kieran in order that he could have a phased return to his club side.
Don’t be surprised to see Bernd Leno again start behind Calum Chambers, Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Shkodran Mustafi anyone?), David Luiz, and Sead Kolasinac. Hopefully the personnel will interchange a little for the post-international break trip to Sheffield United.
Lucas Torreira featured in both midweek matches last week so we could see Granit Xhaka (one booking away from a suspension) paired with Matteo Guendouzi ahead of the defence. Bukayo Saka must return on the left flank next to Dani Ceballos or Joe Willock in the centre. The teenager Gabriel Martinelli is on fire and could possibly be preferred to Nicolas Pepe on the right?
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, strangely introduced late on Thursday, mercifully remains fit to be our talisman up front. He is looking to become the first Arsenal player to score eight goals in the opening eight Premier League games of a season since Dennis Bergkamp in 1997.
The visitors have made a solid start with eleven points from seven starts. Callum Wilson is looking to score in five consecutive league games and has form against us, with three goals in four Premier League appearances against The Gunners.
The ‘holic pound
I’ll allow Wilson his moment of glory, but am on us to win 3-1 at 10/1. I have to confess to a small back-up on 4-1 at 16/1. Here’s hoping that will pay for tomorrows fillet of beef joint.
Have a great one, ‘holics, especially those fortunate enough to be going.
75 Responses to “Top Three In View – Be Positive Gunners”
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Evening H
We should be beating Bournemouth at home whatever side we put out.
But then again we could say that about Burnley and Villa,and we struggled against both with bemusing game plans and structures, that left many of us shaking our heads in disbelief.
Let’s hope we see a more coherent team performance tomorrow and 3pts to see us off to the Int’l break,after which we can hopefully see Tierney/Bellerin/Holding pushing for first team selection to shore up our shaky defence as well as give us more potent offensive options as well.
The weekend has started well with the Spuds losing at dear old Brighton,and England beating the Argies in the Rugby World Cup,so let’s see the Arse make it a w/end hat trick.
And one for BTM and Bath,
For the first time ever,3 British athletes have qualified for the Men’s 1500m final of the World Athletic Championships in Doha,and amazingly all 3 are Scottish. !!
I’m pretty much agreed about the line-up Holic. I think Pepe will be retuned and I think he will pick Willock instead of Ceballos when he might play them both . Otherwise I think you’re spot on .
I suspect we might find them a tough prospect. I’ve reappraised Eddie Howe as I have Brendan Rodgers and rate him as a good coach . I hope Auba will continue his hot streak to give us a 2-1 win
TTG. IBtM and I are meeting in the Tolly before the game. Care to join us?
C100
That is a lovely invitation but I am travelling with two friends tomorrow and won’t be getting to the ground until close to 2pm. But I would love to meet with you all at a future date . Have a great drink tomorrow!
Slap in the face to Scotland? Wouldn’t think of it, but Tierney did have my heart racing in the first half against Liège.
Kenyans for distance, Scots for sprints.
Evening Countryman
When is your next away day trip. ??
Pretty slim pickings over the next few weeks,with only Sheff Utd away on a Monday night after the Int’l break,and then Leicester in November.
Evening TTG
Trust you are keeping well.
On a more sombre note,
I am really pleased to see the police have arrested and charged 2 men with the murder of the innocent young Arsenal supporter who was stabbed to death at Hillingdon tube station whilst on his way to the Ems to see the Nottingham Forest league cup game.
It was apparently the first time he had ventured to a game on his own,and he paid a terrible price.
What a senseless waste of a young life.
Thanks Guvnor, I think. you’re
very close with the team but
UE often has one surprise
selection up his sleeve.
Hadn’t heard about the death
of the young Arsenal fan that
Clive mentioned. That is terrible
news.
clive
that’s just rotten
poor fella
the world can be a shite at times
c100 and btm
happy beering
itsa great place here
?
UP THE ARSENAL
Wot cba said, and hoping it is a lovely day.
bonnie greer
what a woman !
No clean sheets for Bournemouth
this season. But they usually score
with Wilson/King up front.
However, I’ll follow the Guvnor’s
headline advice to be positive
and go for a 3-0 win hoping Auba’s
shooting boots are still on fire.
8ball
i’ll be deflated if they don’t call each other
by their ‘holic handles
But will c100 write it up as an away day report even while not away?
unfortunately no i suspect
a pity
really love his writing style
you are in the car
you are eating the grub
and
most of all
you are at the game
with him
and that’s a real skill
‘hol has it too
very envious of both of them
the pair o cunts
?
I’ve missed Delia’s reports
recently. Hopefully the return
of Hector will mean the
return of the reports 🙂
C100 can just ask the Tolly
Guvnor to shout “is there a
Mr Bergkamp in the bar?”
osaka M
100%
re Delia
train journeys
her compatriots
always prefixed with gooner
real stories
brilliant
Lovely to hear from you Clive .
I’m well and looking forward to the match .
I’m very pleased about the conveyor belt of talent from the academy and the young players brought in. We’ve kept the best ones for us rather than loaning them out. Martinelli and Saka are special. Pity we don’t breed defenders like we breed young wide attackers!
I share your concern about the killing which seems completely unprovoked. A terrible shame .
and
btm big man
ya cheeky bollix
?
worry ye not
we’d be easily differentiated
my handsomeness is such that
I GLOW
however i’m in no doubt
yer accent would win the battle
mine merely says ye’ve 5 minutes to get out
my voice
is an unattended package on the tube
for many
?
.
.
.
which is a shame
cos
if you take the time
to get to know me
you’d realise
that
you were
right all along
proper wrongun me
shockin cunt of a bastard
?
Spurs were expected to beat Norwich .I bet many pundits got it wrong. That’s why the epl is the most competitive in Europe.
As for Bournemouth Arsenal will be expected to roll over with the Brazilian threat. However it aint as easy as that.How were Spurs beaten?
Well everyone of the Norwich guys was afighter. If the gunners turn up expecting an easy meal,they could be in for a shock.
Fine preview Guvna. I do like making with the positive vibes, baby. ?
Your 3-1 call is spot on. Sad;y I don’t expect a clean sheet. I suspect the starting XI will be: Leno; Chambers, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac; Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka; Pepe, Aubameyang, Saka.
The paradox of the ‘B-team’ playing with such fluency and incision while the ‘A-team’ labours and crunches like a damaged clockwork toy is extremely frustrating. We have to hope that the former shows how Emery wants the latter to play (it’s simple – just drop Xhaka) and whether that is so or not, we can detect a sense of direction off the field and the quality of our young players gives us optimism for the future.
Meanwhile, today, we have to send Bournemouth back to their beaches, beaten and bowed.
COYG
What about bedraggled?
No real surprises today from
UE. Ceballos in front of
Guen/Xhaka and the expected
defence.
Pepe, Auba,Saka up top.
Martinelli in on the bench.
It’s a difficult time for Reiss
Nelson now but I thought he
did ok Thursday and I hope
he’s keeping his head up
Tierney, Holding, Willock,
Torreira on the bench too
A clean sheet clearly being too much to expect Can we even hope for a stained sheet on only one side?
Pepe and Saka to cover back at pace if we have a chance?
UTA
Get in!!!! Luiz heads in.
Way to go Luiz….Xhaka w a bad tackle during the celebration lol
Nice header that. Very nice
Good start
Decent corner and Luiz
did well to get the run
on his marker
Deserved yellow for Billing
though I could see why he
was taking a bit of revenge
Pepe unlucky with the bender
they are dodgier than us at
playing out from the back
Clear penalty denied by Atkinson and then VAR.
Blatant penalty Mane got one yesterday for a lot less
penalty all day long for me
As I said to someone yesterday they don’t have a clue how to use VAR in the EPL
This is one of those games where the team we’re playing is awful, but we’re allowing them to stay in the game. We’re going to need another goal or two here.
Too right Cynic we need another goal and quickly
VAR is consistent in that it supports the ref’s decision in many instances when the ref is wrong. If it not going to reverse the ref’s decision when he is wrong then what is the point of VAR?
They don’t want games refereed from a tv studio, which I am totally on board with.
we’ve gone too passive,
playing like a training game
nice ball Luiz, terrible cross,
no penalty again
agree ksn, it shouldn’t be
an obvious error it should
be the correct decision
Correct decision? No way Jose
We can’t offend the referee’s feelings
Bournemouth aren’t actually
as bad as they’ve looked in
the 1st half.
Good we’re in front but I
hope we will be more
aggressive 2nd half.
Spot on ksn….
Even though we have VAR the decisions are inconsistent, Mane had a slight brush on his calf then dives and gets one. Pepe is blatantly tripped gets bugger all.
Why even have VAR?
bt8,
I think that’s exactly the
problem.
This is an opportunity to do what Villa did yesterday but with a clean sheet. Send in Willock, Martinelli and Tierney for maximum damage.
These men shouldn’t leave the Emirates with anything less than 4.
The problem is that VAR should not be used for a subjective thing like a penalty. Use it for obvious offsides, like the one on Monday, and there’s no problem.
Anyway… second half…
Pepe channelling the Ghost of Feo yet again there.
Wake up boys
Bournemouth are looking the business in the second half. Wilson almost scored. Very close that. COYG.
That was close.
More aggressive from
Bournemouth
Martinelli on please. I don’t mind who goes off out of Saka and Pepe, but we’re getting more out of Chambers down that flank than the disappointing Pepe.
What are we doing come on sort it out Emery
We should be sharper on
the counter
time for Willock and Martinelli?
We are playing as if we were three nil up not much brains in our style at the moment
Martinelli for Pépé. Interesting.
Pepe off, which is fair. He’s been very average yet again today.
Second half feels like Watford. Need to get another goal.
We can’t produce 2 coherent
halves of football
Frustrating
They look awful but so do we
So so average. Zero creativity. Top 4 looks miles away even with Utd, Spurs and Chelsea struggling
We haven’t been THAT bad, but we just haven’t imposed ourselves on the game at all.
Three precious points in the bag. 1-0 to the Arsenal.
Chambers our best player, front three were poor I thought and we were fortunate to be playing Bournemouth, who treat every match like a pre-season friendly.
We weren’t rubbish, we weren’t great.
Got the job done, need a lot more from certain players.
Clean sh*t
up to 3rd, a win and a
clean sheet. 3 positives
Citieh lost to Wolves
Well well well >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Pool are the luckiest team in the league. Everything is going for them this season.