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Vim and Vigour for Victory over Villa Visitors

Jan 17th, 2025 by

Ismael Kabia

And so the Stadium of Stone for our 205th competitive match with Aston Villa in the Tailend Charlie event of Saturday’s Premier League programme. This match will bring together the two PL managers with the most luxuriant, glossy and immovable heads of hair. It must be a Basque thing.

Unai Emery, once of this parish, has won three of the six encounters between the two men. There has been one draw, which means — not the most testing of arithmetic — that Arteta won the other two. Ours is the man in form, winning the most recent game at their gaff earlier this season.

The very first game at ours was also the inaugural meeting of the two clubs, as it took place in our debut season in the old First Division. On a sunny but windy October 8, 1904, we won 1-0 before a crowd of upwards of 30,000 at the Manor Ground, Plumstead. In the 65th minute, Bill Gooing, who had notched up more than 80 league goals over the previous three seasons in the Second Division, scored from close range after Villa’s keeper, Billy George, had got a foot to a shot from Tim Coleman. 

Coleman’s footnote in football history was to be one of a handful of holdouts who maintained their membership of the Players Union, formed to fight the Football League’s recently imposed maximum wage of £4 a week (£628 in today’s money; not £628,000 a week, please note, Mr Haaland). The league was supported by the ever-progressive FA, which banned players from being members of the union, and Coleman’s stance probably restricted his England caps to the one he got in 1907.

‘Following [Coleman’s goal], the Arsenal showed great dash, quite overplaying the Villa, who never settled down’, reported The Umpire, a Sunday newspaper that billed itself, splendidly, as a ‘Sporting, Athletic, Theatrical and General Newspaper’. Its successors, one of which bore the even more splendid masthead of The Empire News and The Umpire, would eventually be absorbed into the News of the World. One could detect an inkling of that fate in the small ads on the back page of the October 9, 1904 edition, one of which was for ‘Rubber appliances…for both sexes, sent free in plain cover…All communications strictly private’. Nor was it the only ad of that ilk. The monks made their excuses and left.

We digress. It was the Daily Mirror’s report that echoes down through the years. Let me quote its second paragraph:

All the draughtboard-like work between the forwards and half-backs; the cunningly-contrived schemes to defeat, first half-back, and then back; all the finesse that one could wish to see were there, but on top of all, just like the ‘Spurs of Tottenham, the Villa forwards, after leading up the most elaborate openings, simply could not shoot. How often this defect occurs in ultra-scientific sides. I often think that in cases of this kind it would be well to sacrifice some of the combination, and have a rough diamond in the side in one of the inside forward positions, who could be relied upon to shoot hard, and at every opportunity.

For Villa 1904-05, read Arsenal 2024-25. Beyond the gratuitous dig at the neighbours’ incompetence — some things clearly never change — the Plan B hoped for by the Mirror’s anonymous correspondent could apply to our modern team. It matches the sentiments expressed of late by any number of the denizens of this fine establishment. What price an Edwardian Delap, Sesko or Osimhen?

Emery

Since taking over in November 2022, Emery has elevated Villa from 16th in the PL to Champions League football. Only Pep and Arteta have won more PL points in that time. However, this season, Villa has blown hot and cold. It sits seventh in the table, having won ten, drawn five and lost six of its 21 games, although it is unbeaten in its last three. On Wednesday, it won the latest edition of the most frequently played fixture in English top-flight football, grinding out a 1-0 win at Goodison Park over an even more vapid Everton to ruin Moyes’s return. 

It was Villa’s first away clean sheet of the season. Some commentators have suggested that Villa is struggling to cope with the additional strain of CL football. 

Another reason could be the summer sales of Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad and Douglas Luiz to Juventus. Both were key components of Emery’s midfield last season. Half the £110 million the pair raised was spent on bringing the giant DM Amadou Onana in from Everton, but he has taken time to settle. Ollie Watkins’ form has dipped this season, too, although he found his shooting boots on Wednesday.

Emery has settled back into playing 4-2-3-1 after some early season experiments with playing two banks of four; he went 4-4-2 when we visited Villa Park in August, for example. Who knows how he will set up on Saturday, but the fashion is to flood the centre with bodies to stop us from working through the opponent’s final third.

The opposition

Emi Martinez, another formerly of this parish, will be the glove butler. After a minor injury, he returned for Villa’s midweek game.

First-choice centre-backs Pau Torres and Diego Costa are off games, so the back four will likely comprise the familiar names of Matty Cash, Ezri Konza, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne or Ian Maatsen, another summer arrival who has struggled to cement a place in the starting line-up. 

Onana will likely be partnered in the double pivot in front of them by Boubacar Kamara, with Ross Barkley missing because of injury. Ahead of them, the likely starters are the pacey winger Leon Bailey, Belgian international Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, who is having a breakthrough season.

Emery has good midfield options from the bench in Emiliano Buendia and young Jacob Ramsey, who is being eased back into the team after injury. However, the feisty Scot, club captain John McGinn is out with a hamstring injury, and Ipswich has bought Jaden Philogene for £20 million. That has paid for Dutch winger Donyell Malen, newly signed from Borussia Dortmund for a reported £19 million plus £2.5 million in add-ons. We sold Malen as an 18-year-old to PSV in 2017 for £500,000. Emery hints that Malen will get some debut minutes on Saturday.

Up top, Villa will have Ollie Watkins, who is starting to recover the form that made him such a potent striker last season but has been missing for much of this. Colombian super sub Jhon Duran, available but unused against Everton after a three-match ban for violent conduct, will undoubtedly come on at some point. 

The Arsenal

The rosy glow from Wednesday’s NLD still lingers, but on the principle that you are only as good as your next game, the team will have to knuckle down to another stiff test that again must yield all three points.

Despite no relief on the injury front — i.e., none of Jesùs, Saka, Nwaneri, Tomiyasu or White will be available, nor Calafiori by the sound of it — I still fancy Arteta to rest and rotate where he can. Thus:

Raya

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly 

Ødegaard, Jorginho, Merino

Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli

This might be a game to start Tierney at left back, with Lewis-Skelly allowed to rest that smile. I pencilled in Sterling for a start, not so much because his Wednesday performance justifies it, but because, in fairness, he probably needs a run of starts if he is to get up to full speed — and Arteta doesn’t have many alternatives unless he throws in a youngster like Ismeal Kabia or Nathan Butler-Oyedeji. They both trained with the first-team squad pre-game, as did striker Khayon Edwards. Nonetheless, Sterling does have to start showing that he is not a spent force.

I expect Villa to be well-organised and combative. Emery will aim for a successive clean sheet and to score on the counter, as his team did so devastatingly during their last visit. Some Villa fans suggest that a draw would be a satisfactory result. However, we cannot afford to let any points slip (and we shall know the Scousers’ result at Brentford before kick-off). 

If we can recapture the vim and vigour of Wednesday and the crowd is as loud, a 2-0 victory seems achievable. North London Forever again sung to the rafters in celebration after the final whistle would be simply splendid.

Enjoy the game, ‘holics, near and far.

Posted in Match Preview | 7 Drinks »

Seasonal Double Over Hapless Sp*ds

Jan 16th, 2025 by

It’s always nice to get even an easy box checked nice and early. The Arsenal did just that on a Wednesday evening in January when the seasonal double over the wrong end marsh-dwellers was achieved with a winner from Leo plus a welcome slice of luck seeing us home. Now, 2-1 is not the most convincing of wins on paper, however on the night we thoroughly deserved the points and of course the bragging rights. North London remains red. And on the back of that spineless spud effort it will be for some time to come. 

The Opening

The evening had begun with Mikel Arteta naming an XI much as expected, with Sterling retaining his place on the right and Gabriel Martinelli the man to miss out among our four remaining attackers. Nice to see MLS flying the flag for Hale End. The club had helpfully laid out a large North London is Red montage in the West Stand to explain the current situation to whatever percentage of the neighbour’s support is literate nowadays and with that and the playing of the National Anthem North London Forever the game got underway. Well, we got started anyway as we utterly dominated the first 20 minutes. We looked confident on the ball and the crowd were noisily behind us, or so it sounded from my seat on the edge of the sofa. Sterling looked lively early on and was put in behind with a good ball in from Lewis-Skelly but the keeper was out quickly. A few minutes later our best chance of the opening quarter came from a Trossard shot in a good position just to the left of the six-yard-box, but it was blocked and scrambled clear by a nervous looking makeshift Spud rearguard. Corners came and went with no clear chance, although amusingly No Practise Ange had left two forward to try and dilute the threat, perhaps he phoned a friend for advice. Son did his best to rouse the visitors with his second-best dive and beseeching look at the ref but was ignored and the only other opposition action of note was Bergvall very luckily escaping a booking for a poor foul on Partey. The Spuds then had just about their only good five minutes of the first half. It began with a break down our right, Timber and Saliba allowed Spence too much room to cross and Gabriel had to do very well to divert the ball behind. From the ensuing corner we again had to defend as the ball dropped nicely for Kulusevski, fortunately Raya was out smartly to save at close range – an excellent piece of keeping. However, a couple of minutes later the Spuds won another corner. This time the ball eventually came to Son unmarked on the edge of the area and his fairly tame shot took an inopportune deflection off Saliba’s foot and into the far corner of our net giving Raya no chance. A large slice of luck for the undeserving but we had not helped ourselves at all by leaving Son so open. Frustratingly too, just a couple of minutes earlier a similar thing had happened but Sterling had smartly taken the ball off Son’s toe and made a break upfield. That is not at all to blame Sterling in particular for the goal but surely someone should have been closer. 

The Fightback – 1-0 down, 2-1 up The Arsenal

For about 10 minutes after the goal we did, in truth, look a little set back though we pushed forward and strove hard. The goal as you would imagine gave them some confidence too and our sudden doubts seemed to transmit to the crowd who were somewhat quieter (again this is from my now hunched over position on the edge of the sofa!). Fortune, an annoying worm of late, was, however, about to take a timely turn. Leo attempted a cross from the left but it was blocked and went out after a double deflection for a goal kick – or should have, but bless the officials they missed it and gave us a corner, a porro decision really but hey I’ll take it. The corner came in to the back post, Gabriel got his head to it and the ball somehow, well, wormed its way into the net via a couple of deflections. Now, there was a large slice of luck there sure, but a couple of points should be made, firstly it was an excellent delivery from Rice to take out the keeper and most of the spud defence, secondly it came in at speed and it was an outstanding effort from Gabriel to get to it and make something happen. Those things were not luck, they were about skill and determination. At a difficult moment two of our most important players got us level and changed the whole atmosphere. The crowd were back at full roar and after a short break for an inconsistent yellow for Kai, we were back on the attack. Partey won it well in midfield, fed it to Øde, who passed it on to Leo. There was plenty to do but Trossard took it forward to the left edge of the area and then slammed it home across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Should the keeper have saved it? Probably, but he is new and young and was undoubtedly nervous in a NLD. He had already got lucky a couple of times when well chased down by Kai and he couldn’t get away with it forever at this level. Half-time came and we had turned it round with great courage and purpose, I honestly can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t expect anything else as this manager and this squad has demonstrated those qualities numerous times, they do not hide, they fight. 

The Foregone Conclusion

At the start of the second half I had thought that the neighbours would at least put up some kind of fight but I was relieved in a way to see Maddison and Johnson thrown on by Ange. These are not men to be feared in the heat of battle, mainly because they won’t be there. I am not going to go into any detail on the 2nd half because the only things to really say are that we mostly managed the game well, it was nice to see KT3, we should have scored more goals, and that I was never concerned even in the last minute when Porro hit the post, it was a shot that was never going in. The ref blew the final whistle and one of the great scientific questions was answered – Can spuds slunk? Yes, they can! I saw many slunking away, certainly enough for statistical significance anyway. 

When all is said and done……………..

MLS said afterwards that his grandma was there for the game and he hoped she was proud of him. I am absolutely sure she was, I know I was, and MA described him as phenomenal.

Been a difficult week or two for Kai, but he certainly didn’t hide and I was proud of him too.

It was nice that David Raya took the time in an interview to remember Gabriel Jesus, the injury gods have been particularly cruel and I wish Gabi all the best

Raheem Sterling came in for a little criticism I noticed but to be honest I thought he did as well as can be expected given how little he has played. He obviously tired and MA was right to make the change on the hour but I feel more comfortable that Sterling can contribute well after that outing.

Having said that, MA said afterwards that we are actively looking for attackers as it’s urgent with Bukayo out for 3 months and now Jesus out for a long period. We have to accept that in the circumstances we may not get exactly who we want and may well get stiffed too but one more is necessary now. 

Be great to see Ode and Kai on the scoresheet in the near future.

On we go then in better heart to the next game – home to Villa. Let’s welcome Emery and Emi back and then stick it to them. 

Finally, fight for the Top 4 my arse, we are going for the title. We were before the game and we are now.

Posted in Match Report | 34 Drinks »

Spudz to Provide Their Customary Comedy Relief or a Deepening of Arsenal’s Mid-Winter Dip?

Jan 15th, 2025 by

Arsenal will try to steady the ship in a potentially season-defining game Wednesday night at home to Spurs after a trio of disappointments over the last 10 days: they went out of the FA Cup on penalties against Manchester United, and lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg after they drew from a winning position at halftime in their last league match at Brighton.  Aside from their ever-lengthening injury list, perhaps the most concerning thing about those last two and a half games has been that the Gunners have looked toothless in attack.  Indeed, their only player to score a goal in that stretch was Gabriel, who is of course a defender.  

This week’s doldrums have been such that it’s a comfort to remember that the Gunners defeated Spurs 1-0 away from home in September, when Gabriel scored the only goal on a header from a corner kick in what was captain Odegaard’s first of seven consecutive league games missed due to injury.  It was the Gunners’ third straight victory at the noisy neighbours’ new digs.  In last season’s home fixture, played on April 28, the Gunners held on for a 3-2 home win after scoring a triple salvo of first half goals.

But now would be a terrible time to drop any more points, and particularly not to that blustery bunch from up the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.

The malodorous opposition

Perhaps Spurs have one or two more glamorous moments in their history, but a distinct highlight from our point of view was in 1935 when they were relegated to the Second Division, after which they failed in each and every attempt to return to the first tier until 15 years had elapsed.  Not so uncoincidentally, on March 6, 1935 Arsenal registered a hearty 6–0 thrashing of Spurs that remains the biggest win by either team in the history of this contest, and most certainly helped consign Spurs to relegation. But since 1950, Spurs suffered only the 1977-78 season in the second tier, so they and Arsenal have played in the same division meaning fixtures between the two have been regular, and the interclub rivalry has seen two chapters added year upon year.

12th placed Spurs are coming into their 197th match against Arsenal, having won only 61 of the previous contests between the clubs, after losing at home to Newcastle in the Premier League on January 4th, and defeating Liverpool by 1-0 in their League Cup semifinal first leg four days later, before traveling to Tamworth where they prevailed 3-0 over the fifth tier club after extra time of their FA Cup match on Sunday.

Spurs team news is that they will be missing up to eight players including left-back Udogie who is expected to be out at least five more weeks with a hamstring injury.  Central defenders van de Ven and Romero are also out injured along with first-goalkeeper Vicario leaving Pedro Porro as the only healthy member of Postecoglou’s preferred back five.  Spurs’ most recent addition to the injury list is midfielder Bentancur who suffered a neck injury against Newcastle. 

On January 5th, the day after that game, Spurs adressed their goalkeeping emergency by signing 21-year-old goalkeeper Kinsky from Slavia Prague.  First-choice keeper Vicario has been missing since he fractured an ankle in late November’s 4-0 win over Man C115y.  Since then 36 year-old Fraser Forster had deputised but was out with illness against Newcastle, bringing on a debut for journeyman Brandon Austin.  Kinsky was thrown into the deep end against Liverpool in Spurs’ Carabao Cup semifinal first leg last Wednesday.

Prior to playing Tamworth, among Spurs’ more uplifting team stats was their one victory from their last eight top-flight games, in which they also drew two and lost five.  Spurs were winless in six successive home league games, drawing two and losing four, representing their worst run since going eight straight games without winning in 2008.  Spurs had conceded 17 goals in their past five home games in all competitions.

But never mind that Spurs aren’t in their best moment because they will no doubt lift their game for the derby, and Arsenal must be ready for it.  Spurs got an excellent result against Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semifinal home leg, beneficiaries of a slightly lucky late winner to take a 1-0 advantage into the away leg, as 18-year-old Bergvall probably should have been sent off before he scored the winner.  

Arsenal XI

Arsenal’s missing and wounded contingent includes nailed-on starters Saka and White as well as backups Jesus, Nwaneri and Tomiyasu, while Calafiori is also a serious doubt after missing out against Manchester United with a muscle injury.  The back four should remain stable, with Timber likely to take White’s right-back spot, and Lewis-Skelly to stay in Timber’s favored spot at left-back.  In midfield I expect Rice to come in for Merino and Partey for Jorginho, with Trossard to fill in for Jesus (who was filling in for Saka). 

Raya
Timber  Saliba  Gabriel  Lewis-Skelly
Ødegaard  Partey  Rice
Trossard  Havertz  Martinelli

With the team sputtering as it has been, who knows where Arsenal’s next goal will come from, but if history is any guide then Gabriel could be our man.  If Arsenal manage to replicate the 1-0 win they scored at White Hart Lane a few months ago, I will personally volunteer to travel to Newcastle for the league cup second leg, and to eschew wearing a shirt for the entire game. 

Just kidding.  Don’t let me distract you from what’s important:  Come on Arsenal and smash the scum!  Enjoy the game, ‘holics.

Posted in Match Preview | 60 Drinks »

Dry January; Consistency; Perspective

Jan 13th, 2025 by

Well, this month is certainly dragging. A somewhat sobering footballing week, or so, was rounded off by an extra time defeat against probably the worst Manchester United team in 35 years, reduced to 10 men for 65 minutes. It was almost enough to have me reaching for a post-match pint. Fortunately, I was able to call upon a similarly stoic, bloody-minded willpower to that which allows our team to refuse to compromise and give up on a chosen course of action. For them, a determination to build slowly, at times painfully so, attempting to grind out games through employing the “Death of a Thousand Sideways and Backwards Passes” stratagem. The temptation to think that, perhaps, both of us would be better falling off our particular wagons, is great.

I rose out of the bowels of the earth at Arsenal tube at 2.30 pm to discover that Calafiori was out injured, again, and Lewis-Skelly would be in his place. Rice and Partey were rested with Merino and Jorginho in their places. Arsenal lined up:

Raya

Timber Saliba  Gabriel  Lewis-Skelly

Ødegaard Jorginho Merino

Jesùs Havertz Martinelli

Arsenal started well, dominating possession and territory. United started as they meant to continue with a series of fouls of varying degrees of snideness which the referee was happy not to call for bookings. One of the Block 10 Magi made the point that they were playing very much as Ferguson’s early 2000’s teams did against us, very physically, relying on the generosity of the officials. 

In the 18th minute, Arsenal had a goal disallowed. Timber played a through ball. Martinelli was in an offside position, but The Obelisk tried to cut it out and in doing so played the ball to Martinelli who finished with aplomb. Now Maguire definitely tried to play the ball. Lineker on the half time punditry went through the rules for such a decision where the player doesn’t control the ball and deflects on for a goal, which were: 

  1. The ball has travelled a short distance
  2. The offending player doesn’t have a clear view of the ball
  3. The ball is moving quickly
  4. The direction of the ball is unexpected
  5. The offending player had limited or no time to coordinate his body movement.

Well, none of these applied to the situation here. Next week we will see a similar decision go the other way. The only thing consistent about PGMOL attitude to what are, after all, laws of the game not guidelines, is the inconsistency with which they apply them. 

Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure without really looking like we would score. On a few corners, the degree of manhandling, of Gabriel in particular was ridiculous. In Rugby, you cannot tackle or hold off the ball. How has this been able creep into the game? Who thinks this is okay? On 28 minutes, Martinez quite cynically elbowed Jesùs off the ball. This received the correct sanction of a yellow.

In the 37th minute, Jesùs was taken off after seemingly catching his studs in the turf after fouling Fernandez. There might have been some sympathy for the latter were he not such a rat in human form. Jesùs was stretchered off, hands over his face. It looked serious. Sterling took his place.

Martinez clogged Ødegaard from behind on 46. Free kick but no second card for Martinez. The Surrey-based hordes treated us to one of their comical renditions of “Same old Arsenal, Always cheating.” Oh, the irony!

Half time: Arsenal 0 Man U 0

On 48 minutes, Dalot took out Lewis-Skelly with an ugly tackle on the edge of the box after a clever run in behind by the central midfielder repurposed as a left back. Dalot was rightly booked.  Three minutes late, Gabriel slipped while deputising in the left back role and Garnacho was able to sprint forward and pick out Fernandez on the edge of the box to hit a smart finish into the net giving Raya no chance.  Until this point, United had done nothing of note and it took considerable good fortune for them to do so.  Two minutes later, Havertz had a bad, bad miss from 6 yards.  Hitting the target was the minimum required. 

Arsenal 0 Man U 1

On 58 United broke, after the referee allowed Hojlund to elbow Gabriel in the face on the half way line while protecting the ball.  This resulted in Gabriel going down holding his face. When was the last time a referee ignored a player holding his face on the floor and didn’t stop play?  Having not given a foul, the referee then sent Gabriel to the touchline for what I presume to be a blood injury. Did the referee think he had cut himself shaving?  I don’t want unwarranted decisions going in our favour. I just want consistency.

A couple of minutes later, Dalot was sent off for an out-of-control studs up lunge on the half way line. Dalot plaintively appealed to the referee with the sweet smile of a Saint. Garnacho then impeded the free kick being taken, and the referee simply asked for it to be taken again.  It mattered not. Gabriel scored the equaliser after a clever Martinelli cross came down to him to hammer via a slight deflection past Bayindir.

Arsenal 1 Man U 1

On 68 minutes, a dancing run into the box by the effervescent Sterling released Havertz who went past The Obelisk, showing all the customary fleetness of foot we have come to expect for club and country, and fell. Every season of Strictly Come Dancing requires the compulsory leaden footed oaf to laugh at. It can’t be long before Maguire receives his invite. There was contact. The kind of contact we are often told by the “experts” means it’s a penalty.  BBC comms couldn’t wait to cast doubt.  Consistency?  That doesn’t live here anymore. Some handbags then followed, as United players tried desperately to antagonise Arsenal players into reacting in a failed bid to even up the numbers. Arsenal players, most internationals, ought to have recognised this for the sort of “professionalism” it was and walked away but were drawn into a number of confrontations. Ugarte clearly made contact with his head on Havertz. Had there been VAR, he ought to have been given a second yellow. Then again, with VAR it might have gone the other way. Consistency.  Gabriel was booked. So was Havertz. Go figure! Bayindir made a very good penalty save. This was not going to be Arsenal’s day. 

The pretty much invisible Merino made way for Rice on 72 minutes and 6 minutes later he could have put Arsenal into the lead when his header, from a fabulous, chipped cross from Ødegaard was placed a touch too close to the keeper. On another day it would have nestled in the back of the net.

It was now relentless Arsenal pressure and United threw on 3 subs, taking off a couple of booked players and the diamond elbowed Hojlund and injecting some energy. The game then dragged towards the inevitable extra time.

On 86 Amad went down in a skirmish and rolled off the pitch. Arsenal looked to take the goal kick, but the referee decided, presumably, that he needed to ensure Amad wasn’t on the pitch receiving treatment. Of course, the linesman, with whom we are led to believe referees are in contact over microphone, could have told him this. No. He needed to run from the half way line back to the player to check, preventing the goal kick. I have never seen this before. It was odd.

Full Time: Arsenal 1 Man U 1

We pressured. It didn’t happen. 

Result a.e.t. and Pens:  Arsenal 4 Man U 5

Conclusions

After the game, Arteta tried to put a brave face on it in his press conference. It wasn’t really convincing. His repetition of how proud he is of his team and how we had dominance had echoes of the dog days of Wenger. It’s all very well winning the possession stats, but the nature of the performances doesn’t pass the eye test. So much of it is sterile possession. The football is painfully slow and laboured for the most part. For heaven’s sake, on the BBC commentary even Shearer, who is to tactical understanding what fish are to bicycles, spotted this. Gone is the free-flowing football, with almost telepathic understanding between players enabling quicksilver breaks. In has crept a blend of conservative, at times stultifying, ossified football; a seeming determination to ensure that we are at all times defensively secure before launching attacks, resulting in opposition being able to pull 10, at times 11, behind the ball. When he first arrived, he had to put pragmatism ahead of style, as he dealt with the dross and the ne’er-do-wells he had been bequeathed. But this team now is to a man his. I don’t have the answer. Perhaps the more tactically astute of you do. But something in the way we approach games needs to change.  What doesn’t need to change is Arteta in the role of manager. We are all frustrated at how this season is turning out. We are not playing the football we expected and, I believe, the manager wants to play. But you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. This place tries to live up to the outlook of its namesake, the incomparable ‘Holic.  It benefits hugely from being staffed by people who share this outlook and who in many cases have seen a lot both in life and in football. That provides the benefit of perspective. In football as in life, things don’t always go your way. We are defined not by our successes, but how we deal with our disappointments. There are people currently calling for the manager’s head. The benefit of perspective is that it allows you to remove yourself from the detail and look at the big picture.  That big picture is rosy. It is now down to us, as supporters, to rally round and dig in.  This is turning into a difficult month. Let’s show a bit of guts and back our team and club.

Phew! It’s enough to make a man turn to drink. Almost! 

Posted in Match Report | 24 Drinks »

Routine Home Cup Win Required vs Mid-Table Makeweights

Jan 11th, 2025 by

A deeply traumatic recent memory for the Manchester United defence.

TWTWTW 

(for our younger readers ‘That Was The Week That Was’, just an old people TV program that you needn’t google)

Happy 3rd round FA Cup Day to all you Holics far and near!! This weekend sees us take on an utterly useless a recently resurgent Manchester side for a place in the 4th round of our favourite cup competition. No, no, not the cheaty ones, it’s the other ones with the leaky roof and even leakier defence. And that obelisk* that was nicked from in Greece.

As you may have noticed in the media it has not been the best week so far for The Arsenal with our unbeaten home record for the season gone after losing to an in-form Newcastle in the 1st leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Fair play to them, they were certainly better than in the dreary 0-0 of a while back. And congratulations to Norman, the 93-year-old Geordie father of a good mate, he hasn’t been in best of health recently but watching the team he’s supported for 85 years win cheered him up no end and that I could never begrudge. We’re only halfway mind, Norman!  A 2-0 defeat was certainly not what we wanted, especially in a semi-final against the recently-coined Spuds of the North. However, a month is a long time in football and all is not lost, form is temporary and our class is permanent, and even clichés are sometimes true!  Having said all that, if our home record had to go then the Carabao would have been my first option, no one really remembers if you do win it and it does not make for a successful season at the highest level. Just ask our opponents today if you doubt the accuracy of that sentiment – I had completely forgotten they won it in 2023 until I was doing a spot of research for this piece. It certainly wasn’t a stepping stone to anything for them, unless it was one of those trick ones, beloved of comedy movie directors, nothing underneath and the hapless Ten Hag actor plunges head first into a muddy pond. Anyway, enough of Hardaker’s tawdry folly for now and let us turn our minds to the World’s greatest cup competition. The one and only FA Cup.

The FA Cup

I have summarised the current state of affairs below for you in a handy table style format that cheerfully shows we are the winningest ever. 

Most FA Cup Wins

The Arsenal                –  14

All the other clubs       –  Less than 14

There have been a couple of changes to the format this year, the first being the decision last April to scrap all replays. This blog is home to many who remember the epic cup-ties of our youth, and although it has been coming slowly but surely for many years, there is still a certain reflective regret as we contemplate this replay-free new reality, I raise a glass to you all, here’s to us. The smaller clubs too are obviously displeased, though mainly for more commercial reasons in their case I suspect. However, in the wider battle between FIFA, UEFA and a reprobate cast of outstretched hands the FA Cup had about as much chance as the concerns about players health or the wishes of the match-day support. It would take a far longer article than this one to define just how wrong that is, and so I will move on to the second change. VAR will not be used at all in the 3rd and 4th rounds from this season but will be used for all matches from the 5th round onwards. In past years VAR has been used at Premier League club grounds from the 3rd round onwards but not at non-PL clubs – I honestly wonder who made such a decision and thought it fair and reasonable. Mr Dunderhead I suppose. Anyway, the new system is fairer all round and a welcome change. 

Our XI

Back to The Arsenal, and as we take our first faltering steps on the long and windy road to No 15, what will Mikel Arteta decide is the best approach to this game? Well, his options of the youth-blooding variety are fairly limited I think, and so I expect a similar mix and match XI, with the possible exception of Neto being handed the gloves, for however long our cup run lasts, and just maybe a rare sighting of Raheem. But first, there was good news for Benjamin White this week (congratulations to you sir and don’t worry TMS isn’t a real thing) and good news for us too as his recovery appears to be going very well and his return could be sooner than expected. Not yet however, the end of January was the optimistic suggestion mooted in the wilder fringes of the national press. As Tomi and Bukayo are still out that would leave us with something like…………………

Neto

Timber Saliba Kiwior Calafiori

Partey Merino

Sterling Ødegaard Jesùs

Havertz

Sterling is something of a wild guess, I must admit, as he wasn’t even called upon off the bench in midweek. However, young Ethan Nwaneri is out and Gabi / Leo haven’t particularly convinced on the right. There are always other options of course, an obvious one is for Leo / Gabi to start in one of the wide roles and Jesùs to start up front. In other news, we have many, many options at LB – Zin and MLS played against Newcastle and KT / Calafiori were unused subs. I have plumped for Calafiori on the assumption he was being rested midweek and also because strategically we will want to flood the Man Utd area with as many CBs as possible – see photo atop this article and the league game in December for the reasons why – we could honestly have had four or five from corners that day. It has only been a month or so and I see no reason why we shouldn’t do it over and over again…… Perhaps Declan might start after all as he does deliver a mean corner on his day and you’ll certainly see no absurd twaddle from me about set piece goals. If they can’t defend properly then let’s punish them. 

The Opposition

Many of us at GHF of a certain age know all about Manchester United, however it occurs to me a brief historical review may be necessary for the younger Gooners. Manure, as they are often known, were once upon a time, like Preston, a powerful football force in Lancashire. I know, I know, it seems fanciful but it’s true! Nowadays, as we all know, they are just the Mancunian equivalent of what we could loosely describe as Spuvertonian – in many ways a lowly fate, worse than a fate worse than death. Much like the Ottoman Empire of old they no longer have a seat at the table when the adults sit down to discuss the fate of the major trophies, their last two captains, known as the Thick Man of Europe and the D**k Man of Europe have been powerless to prevent their continuing fall from grace. And then…. in their desperation their support have latched on to a new saviour, the billionaire Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos fame. Sir Jim is apparently a very likeable fellow, if your tastes run to hypocritical, bullying, tax dodgers, and has promised to restore the fallen giant to it’s rightful position, Manure I think he means, not Preston. Regardless, Jim has set about putting things right by cutting costs and stiffing the less fortunate to ensure his maximum return on investment in that typical charmless billionaire way. To be fair, I think even the good folk of Surrey have started to smell a rat. I am inclined to be understanding of their initial gullibility as surely any sane person would be desperate to escape the ravenous maws of the parasitical Glazer brood. And yet just when the night was at it’s darkest a previously abject team suddenly grabbed a point at Anfield and hope has arisen anew that turning points have been reached etc, etc. I very much doubt they have turned a corner or even defended one competently, come to that, as it looks the same meh bunch as before to me. A point at Anfield sounds good until you note that in their next game Liverpool actually lost to the eternally out-of-form Spuds! As usual against this sort of mid-table shower I don’t much care how they line up and the headline to this piece pretty much describes how I expect the game to go. 

Conclusions

We will win again, another 2-0 looks easily doable. It would be ironic to see Raheem and Jesus stick it to their old Manchester rivals but it’s the cup so any old how will do nicely! However, as I just said it is the cup after all and, every now and again the minnows do have their day, so who knows. Whatever way it goes, I would like to finish by stressing that for me, and much as I love the FA Cup, our season is not on the line here. We have bigger games to come in the next few weeks, our next three here at home for a start and my biggest wishes would be firstly a safe trip there and back for our Holic friends and secondly no more bloody injuries! Enjoy the game wherever you may be and come on you Guuners!

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