Fulham V Arsenal, Saturday Sep 12, 1230 KO

[fakeyank]

First game of the season.

0-2 win

Martinez

Bellerin Holding Saliba Tierney

Xhaka Ceballos

Willian Willock Saka

Auba

Subs: Pepe, Laca, Nketiah, Leno, Gabriel, Kola, Torreira

[Mac76]

that will never be the line-up - for a start, we all know Willock always comes on with 15-20 mins to go, runs around and achieves nothing

[GP]

Eddie will play, I think

[GP]

Also, 0-3

[I am invisible]

Is there any other club in the world who can have 9 CBs on their books and yet still be starting the season with a “CB crisis”?

[I am invisible]

Probably going to be 343 again until we sign some CMs - think we might go...

—

Emi/Leno

Saliba Holding Tierney

Bellerin Ceballos Xhaka AMN

Pepe Laca Auba

—

Cant call the keeper - toss a coin on that one.

Saliba’s the only surprise in there -probably earlier than we would have liked to chuck him in at CB, but everyone else is injured, and he’s ahead of Gabriel in his prep, so I think he might get a start.

CM picks itself atm.

Can see Lacazette getting the nod up front as I’m guessing he had a nice rest during the internationals again. Not 100% sure we’ll start Pepe - could easily see that being Willian - but I’m erring on the side of familiarity and continuity on that one.

[GP]

Emi isn't in the squad. Likely to be sold.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Fuck him tbf.

On we go.

[Mac76]

Fuck him tbf.

On we go.

If he wants to go to Villa, got to agree, what a dumb thing to do, he could win the EL this year if hes stays with us

[I am invisible]

Emi isn't in the squad. Likely to be sold.
Leno it is then!

[I am invisible]

Fulham got anyone we need to worry about? They likely to cause us any problems by sitting deep?

[Niall_Quinn]

Have Fulham got anyone who isn't an utter pussy and won't be grovelling on the pitch at the start of the match?

Because we don't.

I'll support Fulham for this match if just one of their players stands up.

[I am invisible]

Actually, thinking about it, I reckon we might go Willian over Pepe?

I can see Pepe really coming into his own once we have Gabriel in the side, hitting those long, cross-field passes, and have an extra man in midfield for him to play off, but we might need the extra creativity from Willian if we go 343 against a weaker side again. Hmmm..,

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Have Fulham got anyone who isn't an utter pussy and won't be grovelling on the pitch at the start of the match?

Because we don't.

I'll support Fulham for this match if just one of their players stands up.

They're managed by Brave Scotty Parker so they're bound to be absolute heroes.

[Niall_Quinn]

They're managed by Brave Scotty Parker so they're bound to be absolute heroes.

There's always a fatal flaw in every master plan.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Match day. :bow:

Quite excited, doubt it'll last though.

[I am invisible]

Seen a few people float the idea that we might go with a back 4 today with Gabriel and Holding at CB - how would we feel about that? Is Gabriel ready? Is Holding strong enough at covering space?

The extra man in midfield would certainly be useful, if Fulham decide to sit deep.

I guess we have the options there to quickly change from 2 CBs to 3 CBs (and visa versa), so we could just see what kind of game it’s gonna be and then switch if we need to?

[Marc Overmars]

Last season was such a long drag it’s quite nice to be starting from a clean slate.

It’s Arsenal away from home though, so a disaster is never out of the question.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

BT's programme starts in a couple of minutes.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Fulham: Rodak, Ream, Hector, Odoi, Bryan, Onomah, Cairney, Reed, Kebano, Cavaleiro, Kamara
Subs: Areola, Mitrovic, Knockaert, Cordova-Reid, Le Marchand, Christie, Anguissa

Arsenal: Leno, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Bellerin, Elneny, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Willian, Lacazette, Aubamaeyang.
Subs: Macey, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Willock, Saka, Pepe, Nketiah.

[Mac76]

Seen a few people float the idea that we might go with a back 4 today with Gabriel and Holding at CB - how would we feel about that? Is Gabriel ready? Is Holding strong enough at covering space?

The extra man in midfield would certainly be useful, if Fulham decide to sit deep.

I guess we have the options there to quickly change from 2 CBs to 3 CBs (and visa versa), so we could just see what kind of game it’s gonna be and then switch if we need to?

Was wondering the same thing but with it being the first game and away from home i suspect arteta will go with the back three

And having written that i've now seen the line-up - does look like a back three

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Crouch and Rio are pitchside.

[Mac76]

El neny and xhaka feels overly defensive - why not ceballos ffs?

[Marc Overmars]

I guess Elneny is getting his chance to show Arteta his worth now, given he was on loan when he was appointed.

Would prefer someone more mobile though, we don’t need 2 sitters against teams like this.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Shop window. :bow:

No Ozil of course. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oh yeah forgot to say, Jake Humphrey is a total bellend.

Says there hasn't been anything tangible to show in Arterta's side yet.

:haha:

[Mac76]

I guess Elneny is getting his chance to show Arteta his worth now, given he was on loan when he was appointed.

Would prefer someone more mobile though, we don’t need 2 sitters against teams like this.

quite, we should be going out to win with a more positive lineup

meanwhile Auba's still consigned to the wing when his preference is to play down the middle and he still hasn't signed a contract - does arteta want him to leave or something?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos lays Nketiah out in the warm-up. :haha:

[Mac76]

probably exercising his anger at being left out

[I am invisible]

El neny and xhaka feels overly defensive - why not ceballos ffs?
He’s only been back for a week or two - maybe he’s not quite fit enough yet?

[I am invisible]

I guess Gabriel will be the man in the middle of the defence then?

[Mac76]

Meanwhile foolham have put mitrovic on the bench - have both these managers bet on a defeat or something, wtf's going on - they do realise this a real game right, not a friendly?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AMN, Leno and Gabriel clowning around.

[Mac76]

Nearly concede through a dodgy back pass :doh:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Save from Leno.

Arteta. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

LACAZETTE!!!!!

What a pub. :haha:

[Mac76]

Arsenal pub it in :lol:

[Maestro]

perfect start, love the scrappy goals against the run of play

[GP]

The thing about Arsenal is they always try to pub it in.

[Mac76]

Save from Leno.

Arteta. :bow:

Emi would have hels it first time ;)

[GP]

Gabriel is quick

[I am invisible]

Might need to cut Gabriel a little bit of slack here - it’s pretty much his first game of preseason with us as well as our first game of the season so he really is being chucked in the deep in!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Huge pressure on Fulham currently.

[GP]

Why is Parker cosplaying as a flight attendant?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka. :haha:

Need to get him out of those advanced positions.

[Mac76]

Xhaka :haha:

[Mac76]

laca gets fouled and foolham get a FK...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Willian hits the post!

[Mac76]

Good effort from Willian

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Kamara fouls Gabriel.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Crap ball in from Lacazette, at least he was offside anyway.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba shot saved, great ball in to him from Tierney.

[Mac76]

Close from Auba

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Awful pass from Lacazette, no need to go backwards.

[Niall_Quinn]

That's enough. Can't bear to watch any more of this. Pure cheating by Odoi. Gets a tap, goes down screaming to try to get his opponent booked. Ref obliges. Commentators don't breathe a word about the unsportsmanlike conduct of the shithead who collapsed. And it will happen 10,000 times more this season. That's not sport, it's the opposite. Sickening.

[Maestro]

really can't believe how crap our central midfield is ......atrocious

[Mac76]

I wish auba would stop trying to tackle, he'll be off if he's not careful

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-1 HT. Fine for now.

[GP]

Easy so far. Fulham haven't really threatened at all.

We still don't create much.

[Mac76]

Yeah, decent performance, Willian and Gabriel looking good, xhaka shit, should be subbed for Dani at HT

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba stopped flowing through by Ream.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Holdingho.

[GP]

GABRIEL!!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

GABRIEL!!!!!! :bow:

[Mac76]

Holding :bow:

[GP]

Good delivery from Willian!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Gabriel shouldered it in. :bow:

[Mac76]

New handball rules :bow:

[Master Splinter]

Willian involved in both goals.

Chelsea :haha:.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin booked. Ref drops his yellow. :lol:

[GP]

Hector :lol:

[Mac76]

Shoulder charge from bellerin :lol:

[GP]

Are we back to 3 subs or is it still 5?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Firm strike from Kamara but goes wide.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AUBAMEYANG!!!! :bow:

[GP]

AUBA!!!!!


What a goal!"

[GP]

Another Willian assist!

[Mac76]

Auba!!!!

Willian again :lol:

Chelsea :pal:

[Master Splinter]

Willian involved with all 3 goals.

Chelsea :haha:.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Honest Frank. :haha:

Cairney booked.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Kamara off, Mitrovic on.

Kebano off, Zambo Anguissa on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Willian should have a fourth assist with a cut back like that.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Keown doesn't like hearing those funny foreign languages.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin. :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How have Lacazette and Bellerin not scored?

[Mac76]

Laca should've scored then

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka is dead.

[Master Splinter]

How is that Hector pubber still on the pitch?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Willian off, Pepe on.

[Mac76]

Xhaka is dead.

Regrettably not

[Globalgunner]

Regrettably not

The guy is made of Adamantium

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba has his shot headed off the line.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka hauled off, Ceballos on. :bow:

[Mac76]

Pepe still can't take a decent corner

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Most importantly: Richard Osman. :haha:

[GP]

How is Hector still on the pitch?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Lacazette shot/pass/no idea out for a throw.

[Mac76]

Laca :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How didn't that go in? :lol:

[Globalgunner]

Most importantly: Richard Osman. :haha:

Maybe he thinks the lowest score wins the game here too

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Games come quick AND fast according to Keown.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Lacazette off, Nketiah on to stick one on Ceballos.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Our goal difference is better now than it was, what 28 games in to last season?

:haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Fulham 0-3 Arsenal, FT.

Fine work. :bow:

[LDG]

So we are top of the league, said we are topala league!

[Mac76]

3-0 to the Arsenal :clap:

[I am invisible]

A routine win... I like it!

Can actually enjoy the rest of my weekend for once.

[GP]

Also, 0-3

:gp: