Oxford United v Arsenal, 20:00 GMT (ITV1/STV)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oxford United: McGinty; Anderson, Moore, Long, Brown; Bate, McGuane, Brannagan; Bodin, Taylor, Murphy.
Subs: Eastwood, Fleming, Findlay, Johnson, Goodrham, Negru, Wildschut, Sade, O'Donkor.

Arsenal: Turner; Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.
Subs: Hein, White, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Marquinhos, Butler-Oyedeji.

Surprised Saka plays, given he is a yellow away from missing the NLD, I think?

[HCZ_Reborn]

Martinelli shouldn’t be playing, Saka shouldn’t be playing and if I’m honest Nketiah shouldn’t be playing. Gabriel Maga hat shouldn’t be playing

The likelihood is we would go out in the 4th round anyway, so why not just put out the kids if it works great, if it doesn’t it’s a bit of a learning curve for them.

[Mac76]

3-0 Murphy hatter

And no, none of those players should be playing, it should have been a game for the reserves to get a run out

[Letters]

Martinelli shouldn’t be playing, Saka shouldn’t be playing and if I’m honest Nketiah shouldn’t be playing. Gabriel Maga hat shouldn’t be playing

The likelihood is we would go out in the 4th round anyway, so why not just put out the kids if it works great, if it doesn’t it’s a bit of a learning curve for them.

Agree with this. Given the 4th round draw we don’t need to be risking our best players.

[Letters]

Oh fuck off Timmy Mallett

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Barely anything has happened so far. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Too close to McGinty from Tomiyasu

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Missed an easy decision to give us a corner there.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

That was a rough first touch from Vieira.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Why no handball? :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tierney. :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Martinelli. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Eddie. :doh:

[Letters]

What an awful 45 minutes of football

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-0 HT.

Will we ever score a goal again?

[Marc Overmars]

We’ll be out in the next round but I’d rather not deal with the embarrassment of going out here.

Hopefully we can just pub something in and focus on NLD this weekend.

[Mac76]

Should habe a pel IMO but generally not great, Vieira needs to grow a set and start creating more

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Oxford United: McGinty; Anderson, Moore, Long, Brown; Bate, McGuane, Brannagan; Bodin, Taylor, Murphy.
Subs: Eastwood, Fleming, Findlay, Johnson, Goodrham, Negru, Wildschut, Sade, O'Donkor.

Arsenal: Turner; Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.
Subs: Hein, White, Zinchenko, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Marquinhos, Butler-Oyedeji.

Surprised Saka plays, given he is a yellow away from missing the NLD, I think?

Yellow cards in the cups don't count towards the league anymore.

That why no one picked up obvious yellows in the last round in the EPL .

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Martinelli shouldn’t be playing, Saka shouldn’t be playing and if I’m honest Nketiah shouldn’t be playing. Gabriel Maga hat shouldn’t be playing

The likelihood is we would go out in the 4th round anyway, so why not just put out the kids if it works great, if it doesn’t it’s a bit of a learning curve for them.

It's a miracle we are where we are in the league, our squad depth is truly pathetic. With the rubbish we're witnessing I'd also had preferred we allowed the kids to play this out

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Yellow cards in the cups don't count towards the league anymore.

That why no one picked up obvious yellows in the last round in the EPL .

Ah interesting. They do count the other way round though, so weird.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I like Turner.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka shot cleared, not quite off the line but had beaten the keeper.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Lokonga and Tierney off, Xhaka and Zinchenko on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

ELNENY!!!!

[Xhaka Can’t]

ELNENY!!!!

What about him?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-2 NKETIAH!!!

[Marc Overmars]

Get Saka and Martinelli off please

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka off, maybe injured, maybe a knock.

Smith Rowe on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-3 NKETIAH!!! :bow:

[GP]

Eddie is quite good.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Smith Rowe shot, deflects just wide.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tomiyasu off, White on.

Vieira off, Marquinhos on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-3 FT.

Citeh are going out tbf.

[Mac76]

An improved second half, just hope Saka's ok

[Marc Overmars]

Lokonga is a bit shit.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Ah interesting. They do count the other way round though, so weird.

No, they don't anymore. Thats what my second sentence meant. Encourages less cheating with the change in the rule.

https://www.premierleague.com/news/2801986#:~:text=Any%20player%20earning%20five%20bo okings,yellow%20card%20of%20the%20season.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalworld.com/sport/football/do-fa-cup-and-efl-cup-red-cards-count-in-premier-league-player-suspension-rules-and-domestic-cups-explained-3527313%3famp

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Lokonga is a bit shit.

Seems like a pointless signing.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ah fair enough. They could still miss the Man Utd game then, fuck sake.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

An improved second half, just hope Saka's ok

Not sure why he and Martinelli had to start this game.
We got a youngster who is a mini Saka and Marquinous.

Quite a strange decision when we have a must win during the weekend.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Ah fair enough. They could still miss the Man Utd game then, fuck sake.

Yup. Saka's 4th yellow was pretty unfair IIRC

[Letters]

I'd say Spurs is a must not lose rather than a must win, but I agree it was a strange decision to start those two.

[Mac76]

I'd say Spurs is a must not lose rather than a must win, but I agree it was a strange decision to start those two.

Same, i'd be very happy with a draw

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I'd say Spurs is a must not lose rather than a must win, but I agree it was a strange decision to start those two.

I'd have echoed that too if we hadn't drawn against Newcastle and Citeh hadn't easily dispatched Chelsea twice in 4 days....we need a huge mental "lift me up", and 3-0 against Oxford (with half of our 1st team) won't cut it.

[Letters]

I'd have echoed that too if we hadn't drawn against Newcastle and Citeh hadn't easily dispatched Chelsea twice in 4 days....we need a huge mental "lift me up", and 3-0 against Oxford (with half of our 1st team) won't cut it.

To be fair, Chelsea are bloody awful this year. City are a strange side, on paper I reckon they're the best side by a mile this year, but they are very capable of dropping points.
A win at Spurs would be a real statement but with City having Utd and Spurs coming up - the latter having an inexplicably good record against them - I don't think a draw there is fatal.
I mean, no result is fatal right now, we're only half way through the season. I can't help feel though that if City get their noses ahead of us they'll cruse away with it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We haven't won at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium yet.

I think it is a must win really. The Man Utd game is probably a drawable one out of the upcoming games just because they're closer to us but to be honest but winning both absolutely should be the aim and I will disappointed a bit given we have already had the draw ahainst Newcastle.

I don't think they will as they will probably hold off until next month but there's at least a chance our Everton game could be rearranged. I'd have said it's too close to the proposed match to rearrange it but that didn't stop them for Palace v Man Utd.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Currently Man City seem more likely to drop points at home than away from home, and this could be our fate if teams go full shit house like Newcastle.

The result we get against Spurs should mirror the result City get against United at Old Trafford

[Marc Overmars]

Should definitely be looking for 6 points against Spurs and United. Of course it’s going to be mega difficult but if we’re going for the league there’s no fixture that we shouldn’t be looking to win.

Helps that City also have United and Spurs at the same time too, as you’d imagine there’s a fair chance both of us could drop points.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Same, i'd be very happy with a draw

I don’t thinkI’d be very happy with a draw, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

[IBK]

My take on last night:

- I understand starting our best 3 up top. Momentum is everything and we need to go into our next EPL games with some. Plus, if you asked Arteta he would say that he want's to win the FA Cup. You can't rest all our key players if you want to do that and with second choices in other areas of the pitch we had to try to score the goals. Plus our options up top are very limited. Resting Partey Odegard and Xhaka was more important.

- Loved Eddie. He is beginning to silence the doubters and well done to him for stepping up again. Matt Turner's distribution has improved. While it was 'only' Oxford and he hardly had a save to make, he is looking more like a reliable #2.

- Vieira transformed after his first assist. He has potential but still needs to develop some physicality. Lokonga is a busted flush - Oxford's strength was in their MF but if Sambi can't cut it against lower league opposition then he is done.

- Sorry - but the transformation when Xhaka replaced Lokonga shows how important he is to this team.

[Mac76]

My take on last night:

- I understand starting our best 3 up top. Momentum is everything and we need to go into our next EPL games with some. Plus, if you asked Arteta he would say that he want's to win the FA Cup. You can't rest all our key players if you want to do that and with second choices in other areas of the pitch we had to try to score the goals. Plus our options up top are very limited. Resting Partey Odegard and Xhaka was more important.

- Loved Eddie. He is beginning to silence the doubters and well done to him for stepping up again. Matt Turner's distribution has improved. While it was 'only' Oxford and he hardly had a save to make, he is looking more like a reliable #2.

- Vieira transformed after his first assist. He has potential but still needs to develop some physicality. Lokonga is a busted flush - Oxford's strength was in their MF but if Sambi can't cut it against lower league opposition then he is done.

- Sorry - but the transformation when Xhaka replaced Lokonga shows how important he is to this team.

Starting top 3 - yes, i could see that point though i hope Saka's ok - i think if Nelson was fit he'd have played him instead hopefully

Eddie - yes

Viera - yes

Lokonga - yes

Xhaka - only because he's not as bad as Lokonga ;)

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I can't help feel though that if City get their noses ahead of us they'll cruse away with it.
This.
I am not sure Citeh have ever not won the title when leading in the 2nd half of the season.

And to be honest, they are the only team I could see us losing all 6 points to, thats why we must be in a mentally strong place when we face them....which is now 3 times thanks to the darned Cup!

[selassie]

Starting top 3 - yes, i could see that point though i hope Saka's ok - i think if Nelson was fit he'd have played him instead hopefully

Eddie - yes

Viera - yes

Lokonga - yes

Xhaka - only because he's not as bad as Lokonga ;)

All joking aside, Xhaka is one of our most important players now, he is a leader in the team.