Bournemouth vs Arsenal, 19.10.2024, KO 17:30 GMT

[HCZ_Reborn]

Depending on what injury problems we have (basically whether Havertz and Saka are fit) this could be a tough game, arguably unlucky to not get more than one point from the two fixtures against Newcastle and Chelsea where they dominated for sizeable periods of the game.

We have twice previously had big wins there, 3-0 and 4-0 respectively. We would be doing well to get a similar scoreline

Not a game where we can afford to muck about by indulging the presence of Sterling or Jesus on the pitch for too long (I’d suggest if Arteta wants to bring them up to the level where they can be useful squad players to give them game time against Shatkah instead)

[Marc Overmars]

Don’t envisage too many problems here because Bournemouth actually try to play football rather than be spoilers which suits us. Plus we seem to be a lot more switched on away from home.

Don’t think it will be as comfortable as our previous two visits but I’ll go for a 0-2 win.

[Mac76]

3-0 Evanilson hatter

This is definitely a game to rest Saka and one or two other key players whilst making sure we get the job done.

Raya

White/Timber (depending on fitness) Kiwior Gabriel Calafiori

Partey Jorg

Sterling Havertz (if fit) Martinelli

Trossard

[Marc Overmars]

There’s no need to rest anyone unless there’s a fitness issue.

[Mac76]

There’s no need to rest anyone unless there’s a fitness issue.

On a general level we need to be rotating regularly, you can't leave it until the end of the season - it helps to prevent injury, keeps players fresh and it's also good to keep other players in form by giving them minutes

In this case we've Shaktar in the week and then Liverpool so it's important

[HCZ_Reborn]

On a general level we need to be rotating regularly, you can't leave it until the end of the season - it helps to prevent injury, keeps players fresh and it's also good to keep other players in form by giving them minutes

In this case we've Shaktar in the week and then Liverpool so it's important

It would make far more sense to rest people against Shaktar would it not?

[Mac76]

It would make far more sense to rest people against Shaktar would it not?

Sure, there's no reason why there can't be rotation in both, but Shaktar is important given we need to avoid two additional games, picking up points at home is crucial

yes Bournemouth is crucial too but the lineup I've posted is easily good enough and again it's not just about resting players but keeping other players involved, I think the PL is a more familiar envionment to play more fringe players in

Saka is borderline injured and therfore should not start at the weekend under any circumstances

[HCZ_Reborn]

Sure, there's no reason why there can't be rotation in both, but Shaktar is important given we need to avoid two additional games, picking up points at home is crucial

yes Bournemouth is crucial too but the lineup I've posted is easily good enough and again it's not just about resting players but keeping other players involved, I think the PL is a more familiar envionment to play more fringe players in

Saka is borderline injured and therfore should not start at the weekend under any circumstances

I would disagree. I think that lineup would be fine for the champions league against a team that we should be comfortably beating. But away at an established premier league team…no you absolutely don’t want to monkey around and select anything other than your best team. Saka should start unless there are legitimate fitness concerns and then taken off after 60 minutes if we are leading.

That’s how I see it anyway

[Letters]

I...hope we win, tbh,

[dostoy]

Rest and Saka are two words that never seem to go together so if he is fit he will start.

[HCZ_Reborn]

He’s not with the squad which is not good news

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bournemouth: Kepa, Araujo, Senesi, Zabarny, Kerkez, Scott, Cook, Ouattara, Semenyo, Tavernier, Evanilson.
Subs: Travers, Huijsen, Brooks, Christie, Adams, Smith, Sinisterra, Kluivert, Unal.

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Partey, Merino, Sterling, Trossard, Havertz.
Subs: Setford, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Jesus, Kabia.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Havertz, Sterling

[HCZ_Reborn]

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Partey, Merino, Sterling, Trossard, Havertz.
Subs: Setford, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Jesus, Kabia.

Problem there is we are lacking a number 10 and Merino will probably need to be getting more forward than he is used to

But it is what it is with injuries

[McNamara That Ghost...]

He’s not with the squad which is not good news

I don't think it's anything particularly serious

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don't think it's anything particularly serious

Well you say that, the fact that he’s not starting….means he must be in a coma minimum :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Well I suppose so

[McNamara That Ghost...]

No surprise Zinchenko manages to put in an appearance ahead of playing Shakhtar midweek. :lol:

He was never missing that one.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal!

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t like this away kit, it looks like something you’d find on a packet of chewitts

As predicted because of the gap between defence and attack not much going on for us going forward, though Bournemouth are closing down well

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Not Raya's best pass out.

[Niall_Quinn]

It's such a burden to have to carry sub-standard players like Partey and Sterling? What happened to Saka and Martinelli? Why on earth would we field the B team? Are there injuries or soemthing? Don't tell me Saka got injured playing for dogshit England?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saliba takes a massive chance there. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Alan Smith gutted that Arsenal didn't get another wonky red. VAR might still cheat though.

[Niall_Quinn]

That's a total disgrace. VAR is there to change the result, no doubt about it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saliba sent off after VAR.

[Mac76]

Oh for fuck's sake

[Niall_Quinn]

All the useless cunt had to do was run half the pitch and beat the golden gloves keeper. Mere formality. What a joke.

[Niall_Quinn]

Massive doubt it was even a foul. Looked like they collided.

[Mac76]

So no Saliba vs Liverpool...

[Niall_Quinn]

They keep doing this shit. All our dropped points are down to refs.

[Niall_Quinn]

So no Saliba vs Liverpool...

Ah, double bubble. Nicely done.

[Niall_Quinn]

So bear that in mind for future reference. ANY foul on the halfway line is a potential denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Should make the rest of the season interesting.

[Niall_Quinn]

Smithy is happy at least.

[dazthegooner]

Do all the ref’s get together and watch re-runs of Jimmy Saville whilst listening to Gary Glitter?

[Niall_Quinn]

Wow, what a miss.

[Niall_Quinn]

Oh corner. More cheating. Should have known.

[Mac76]

Do all the ref’s get together and watch re-runs of Jimmy Saville whilst listening to Gary Glitter?

Probably, they certainly don't spend any time studying the finer points of the game

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sterling off, Kiwior on.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sterling is shit, but to replace him with Kiwior - that's a joke. Bournemouth are queers to a man, even with 10 men they are beatable, so why go the defensive route? Are Martinelli or Saka on the bench? Those two are required to beat the 14 men of (oooooh, you are awful, but I like you) Bournemouth sailor types.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t really get what you’d see on the monitor that you shouldn’t pick up on the pitch. Trossard has put him in the shit with a stupid pass, and by the laws of the game if he’s the last man he’s got to go.

[Niall_Quinn]

Do all the ref’s get together and watch re-runs of Jimmy Saville whilst listening to Gary Glitter?

No, they watch videos Jimmy took secretly of them. And then do what they are told.

[Niall_Quinn]

Letter of the law for Arsenal. Spirit of the law for everyone else. Except City. No laws for them at all.

[Mac76]

Sterling is shit, but to replace him with Kiwior - that's a joke. Bournemouth are queers to a man, even with 10 men they are beatable, so why go the defensive route? Are Martinelli or Saka on the bench? Those two are required to beat the 14 men of (oooooh, you are awful, but I like you) Bournemouth sailor types.

We did the same against Brighton, brought on a defender when we should have kept an extra attacker on, Arteta throwing two points away, there's no way Citeh would chuck in the towel like that

[Marc Overmars]

Fucked it completely. Will be lucky to escape with a point and no Saliba against Liverpool is horrible.

[Niall_Quinn]

Fucked it completely. Will be lucky to escape with a point and no Saliba against Liverpool is horrible.

VAR was supposed to be a failsafe for what refs missed. It was never supposed to be a method to rig the match. The ref made his decision, gave a yellow, which is even debatable because that could easily be called a collision. The fact VAR has swung the match must be called what it is. Match rigging. Third time it has happened to us now, in this early season. There's little room for subtlety here. It's blatant.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-0 HT, shite.

[Niall_Quinn]

HT. Officials cheating again. Since when does having to run the whole half of pitch deprive a goal scoring opportunity? Let's see if this standard ever gets applied again this season. Correct - no, it won't.

[dazthegooner]

Well Howard Webb is in the crowd looked like he was probably speaking to VAR to send Saliba off

[Niall_Quinn]

The ball flicking off Rice's heel, perhaps deliberately, perhaps accidentally, absolutely impossible to tell. Red. Trossard kicking the ball 0.0000000000001 second after the whistle, red. Half the pitch to run (how fast is the guy btw compared to our defenders?) - red. An entirely different standard for us. One day these refs will be exposed, and their bosses. Corrupt bastards. But not today. Today quislings like Smith will pretend this is on the level. Today is about beating a mediocre Bournemouth. Which is still entirely possible if a couple pf decent players are brought on.

[Mac76]

Today is about beating a mediocre Bournemouth. Which is still entirely possible if a couple pf decent players are brought on.

We do have to chance it to win the game, hanging on to a point is pretty meaningless compared to getting three points

[Niall_Quinn]

Wow even Theo has bent over to take it up the anus. We knew Jamie would, but Theo too? I hope you both at least managed to cum? It's undignified as hell, but the money will make up for it. NEVER ever a clear goal scoring opportunity in a million years, and never will be again either. You'll NEVER see it again.

[Niall_Quinn]

We do have to chance it to win the game, hanging on to a point is pretty meaningless compared to getting three points

They are robbing us of points early in the season so it doesn't look obvious at the end of the season.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Not sure what to say or if its even worth getting this invested in the "modern game".

If it not the refs rigging matches, its Arteta acting like 10 men is some sort of death sentence.....this season has started off the least entertaining season I can remember in ages......it started badly with stupid decisions in the transfer window and has continued to get worse.

:sigh:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I don't think it's a clear goalscoring opportunity, there's lots of ifs to consider here.

It isn't like Evanilson had the ball a yard in front of him.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Also its silly that VAR can tell a ref to upgrade a yellow card , yet can't advise the ref to tae a look again when he actually sends a player off.....somehow football has become the only sport where idiots connive to ensure technology actually makes the game worse for the paying public.

BTW, I also think it's more of an English thing as I don't see this happening anywhere else in Europe, where everyone chooses to forsake common sense and ages of tradition.

[Niall_Quinn]

Also its silly that VAR can tell a ref to upgrade a yellow card , yet can't advise the ref to tae a look again when he actually sends a player off.....somehow football has become the only sport where idiots connive to ensure technology actually makes the game worst for the paying public.

BTW, I also think it more of an English thing as I don't see this happening anywhere else in Europe, where everyone chooses to forsake common sense.

VAR is there to rig the game. The evidence is in. It can't be denied, given that evidence.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

They are robbing us of points early in the season so it doesn't look obvious at the end of the season.

Its a stupid decision and no one who has been involved in football long enough could agree that what we saw was a "clear goal scoring " opportunity.

Its actually quite laughable as they're just encouraging attacking players to keep playing for red cards.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

What a miss from Semenyo.

[Niall_Quinn]

Bmouth are total shit. Why don't we just go and shit all over them? Don't need 10 or even 9 to beat these shit-kickers.

[Niall_Quinn]

Its a stupid decision and no one who has been involved in football long enough could agree that what we saw was a "clear goal scoring " opportunity.

Its actually quite laughable as they're just encouraging attacking players to keep playing for red cards.

Oh he was definitely going to run half the length of the pitch with nobody like the rocket heeled White chasing hime, and then he was going to easily round the golden gloves keeper and just slot it in the net. We've seen him do it a thousand zero times.

[Niall_Quinn]

Somebody please tell me - where is Saka?

[HCZ_Reborn]

I don’t really get what you’d see on the monitor that you shouldn’t pick up on the pitch. Trossard has put him in the shit with a stupid pass, and by the laws of the game if he’s the last man he’s got to go.

Ok clearly I don’t keep up to date with rule changes, I assumed it was automatic red if you were the last man regardless. But yeah at best claiming you’ve denied a clear goal scoring opportunity when you’re half way up the pitch is ridiculous.

[Niall_Quinn]

I fucking hate Partey. Everything he does is entirely negative and counter-productive. He's like Bournemouth's 15th man.

[Niall_Quinn]

Ok clearly I don’t keep up to date with rule changes, I assumed it was automatic red if you were the last man regardless. But yeah at best dating you’ve denied a clear goal scoring opportunity when you’re half way up the pitch is ridiculous.

And you call me a drunk?

[Niall_Quinn]

Wow, that was a goalscoring opportunity surely? Havertz was going to beat his man, round the keeper and score? No red?

[Niall_Quinn]

This ref. It's ludicrous. He's going to force the result no matter what.

[Niall_Quinn]

Alan's nipples are erect. He can sense the ref will bring him to a climax any moment now.

[Niall_Quinn]

Bournemouth are embarrassing themselves here. Why don't we bring on some attackers and gut these bastards?

[Niall_Quinn]

Crazy, Martinelli (to add weight to the front line) on, and Trossard (removing weight from the front line) off. Net effect - ZERO. Erm, what's the point?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Martinelli.

[Niall_Quinn]

Even if we hold out, robbing another 2 points is huge. The sand dwellers (substitute proper term) will be pleased and they'll make their pleasure known in hard assets for the bent over cunts in charge of the "people's game"

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oh Martinelli, had to score.

[Niall_Quinn]

Great goal by the ref and the PL.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-0 Christie.

[Niall_Quinn]

Smith needs a tissue. I really, really hope he doesn't get cancer.

[Marc Overmars]

Game over.

Martinelli. :lol:

Never going to win the league with the amount of key chances he misses.

[Mac76]

Our season's basically done now, the refs have decided we're not going to win a thing and that's that

[Niall_Quinn]

Game over.

Martinelli. :lol:

Never going to win the league with the amount of key chances he misses.

You are playing right into the hands of those who decide these things. There's not "rational" or "normal" any more, just the rigged output. 11 vs 10 in the PL - and you blame a player for even getting a crack on goal? It's a rigged match dude, treat it as a rigged match, not as a normal match.

[Niall_Quinn]

Our season's basically done now, the refs have decided we're not going to win a thing and that's that

BUT, we can still do the whole run-in thing - who will win, Arsenal or our lot? And the money will roll, and the people will gawp. It's quite clever really.

[Niall_Quinn]

Total dive. Keeper dived for the ball. Smith's underpants must be apocalyptic.

[Marc Overmars]

2-0

What a calamity of a day.

[Mac76]

Not sure what to say or if its even worth getting this invested in the "modern game".

If it not the refs rigging matches, its Arteta acting like 10 men is some sort of death sentence.....this season has started off the least entertaining season I can remember in ages......it started badly with stupid decisions in the transfer window and has continued to get worse.

:sigh:

I agree Arteta's caution excerbates the situation, if you take this and the Brighton game together, if he keeps all the attackers on in both and we win one of them we're still better off, even if we lose the other game, than if we draw both

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-0 Kluivert pelanty, fucking hell.

[Niall_Quinn]

This is an impressive win by the PL officials and the people who pay them and their designated team of the day.

[Mac76]

Jesus coming on, that'll help...

[Niall_Quinn]

Jesus coming on, that'll help...

Why wan't he on in place of Sterling in the first place?

Nobody will tell me where Saka went.

But this was a day where the PL decided the result in advance and they were prepared to do anything to ensure that result was achieved.

There's ony one club who has the financials and connections to buy this league, and its not us.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I agree Arteta's caution excerbates the situation, if you take this and the Brighton game together, if he keeps all the attackers on in both and we win one of them we're still better off, even if we lose the other game, than if we draw both

The caution is justified, that’s not the problem. The problem is not spending money on having attacking players of the requisite quality where we could have taken the chance to try and win the game despite ten men.


Sterling coming off was clearly no impediment to us

[Niall_Quinn]

That's 7 points robbed in the early season. And that's enough to ensure the title goes to the sand-**** Job done. And now all that remains os to milk the advertiser revenue and listen to the fans" sweat on every meaningless game.

[Niall_Quinn]

The caution is justified, that’s not the problem. The problem is not spending money on having attacking players of the requisite quality where we could have taken the chance to try and win the game despite ten men.


Sterling coming off was clearly no impediment to us

Why is Sterling even here? What's the point of it? It's just stupid.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-0 FT, what a disaster.

[dazthegooner]

With the win bonus the ref got today he can afford more Tampax to stop his Arse bleeding.

[Marc Overmars]

Disastrous result.

Only a win vs Liverpool can recover this.

[HCZ_Reborn]

The sending off was ridiculous but we were terrible even with 11 men.

We have such paucity of quality up front that without both Saka and Odegaard we are screwed

[Letters]

We’ve dropped points in 3 games this season.
In each we’ve had a dodgy sending off go against us.
They know what they’re doing

[Niall_Quinn]

The sending off was ridiculous but we were terrible even with 11 men.

We have such paucity of quality up front that without both Saka and Odegaard we are screwed

Doesn't excuse the cheating which was blatant. And it was the cheating that delivered the result, because Bournemouth are shit too, don't forget.

But true. I was screaming at Raya to stop his bullshit antics all match. That guy couldn't distribute a ball to save his life. And Partey, pure, unadulterated, shit. we already knew Sterling was hyped up shit, so that didn't come as a surprise. The only surprise is why he's picked for the team when Jorginho is on the bench.

But in the end, if they are going to call collisions on the halfway line a clear goalscoring opportunity then you don't have much of a chance regardless of who is picked.

[HCZ_Reborn]

We’ve dropped points in 3 games this season.
In each we’ve had a dodgy sending off go against us.
They know what they’re doing

I don’t know what would have happened if Saliba had stayed on the pitch, but Raya, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Havertz and Sterling were all dreadful. White was getting done on their left hand side again. We had a small spell of dominance before the red card but we were utterly pathetic.

In truth we were pathetic against Southampton. The difference is Bournemouth are good enough to punish us for it. Against City we showed character, today we stodged up the midfield by playing three holding/defensive midfielders…the ball wasn’t getting quickly enough to the front three and they were doing sod all with it when they got it.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don’t know what would have happened if Saliba had stayed on the pitch, but Raya, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Havertz and Sterling were all dreadful. White was getting done on their left hand side again. We had a small spell of dominance before the red card but we were utterly pathetic.

In truth we were pathetic against Southampton. The difference is Bournemouth are good enough to punish us for it. Against City we showed character, today we stodged up the midfield by playing three holding/defensive midfielders…the ball wasn’t getting quickly enough to the front three and they were doing sod all with it when they got it.

Bournemouth were utter, utter shit. Not one thing could say in positive about that shit show. We were the same today but we'd have easily won in a painting-by-numbers manner without the intervention of the PL. All the points dropped so far this season have been directly extracted by the PL. Can't prove it beyond a doubt, but the mere reason. for the blatant cheating is a clue.

[Letters]

I don’t know what would have happened if Saliba had stayed on the pitch, but Raya, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Havertz and Sterling were all dreadful. White was getting done on their left hand side again. We had a small spell of dominance before the red card but we were utterly pathetic.

In truth we were pathetic against Southampton. The difference is Bournemouth are good enough to punish us for it. Against City we showed character, today we stodged up the midfield by playing three holding/defensive midfielders…the ball wasn’t getting quickly enough to the front three and they were doing sod all with it when they got it.

My point was that sending offs change games and results.
That said, my whining yesterday was based on stuff I’d seen online. As is traditional, I hadn’t seen any of it. But I’ve seen the sending off incident now and…yeah, that one is on us.

[Mac76]

.In truth we were pathetic against Southampton.

Oh I agree, winning a game 3-1 is hopeless, Arteta out.

Even Citeh have gone behind a few times this season, it's what you do when it happens that counts

I didn't watch yesterday so.can't comment but was at the Saints.game and we were ok

The two faults we have in general are Arteta being too cautious and also not having another effective frontman, I think they might go again for one in January but that market is tricky

[HCZ_Reborn]

Oh I agree, winning a game 3-1 is hopeless, Arteta out.

Even Citeh have gone behind a few times this season, it's what you do when it happens that counts

I didn't watch yesterday so.can't comment but was at the Saints.game and we were ok

The two faults we have in general are Arteta being too cautious and also not having another effective frontman, I think they might go again for one in January but that market is tricky

Conceding a goal and going behind to a team as hopeless as Southampton is pathetic yes, indicative of the fact that because the attacking options simply weren’t good enough that we were pushed too high up in order to try and take the lead.

The first fault is clearly determined by the second. Why would you feel inclined to gamble when you know your attacking players simply aren’t good enough to score from half chances.

So it all comes down to one thing that Arteta has neglected the squad in terms of attacking players.

[Mac76]

. So it all comes down to one thing that Arteta has neglected the squad in terms of attacking players.

Which is what I said, well done you got there in the end

[HCZ_Reborn]

Which is what I said, well done you got there in the end

Not really, you’ve bemoaned Arteta not being bold against Brighton and Bournemouth when we went down to ten men. That wasn’t remotely plausible because of paucity of attacking options