Arsenal vs Forest 12.08.2023 KO: 12:30

This will be a game where Arteta has to figure out who to play next to either Rice or Partey as he simply can’t play them both in a game like this (you can’t stodge up the midfield when you’re playing a team that will be playing for a draw)

My preference for games like this would be Zinchenko but he’s not fit or some shit


So I’d stick Trossard in there


Team id play

Ramsdale, Tierney, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber, Trossard, Partey, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Saka


(Almost certainly won’t be team that plays)


If Jesus hadn’t done himself a mischief I’d play Havertz as no10 and drop Odegaard as he was shockingly bad pre-season (but then again so was Jesus)

Would play Eddie instead of Havertz but I don’t see that happening.

Regardless of what the line up is though, this must be 3 points or it will be a rather embarrassing start.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Would play Eddie instead of Havertz but I don’t see that happening.

Regardless of what the line up is though, this must be 3 points or it will be a rather embarrassing start.

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Oh we aren’t winning this game. 1-1 draw I reckon

I wouldn’t be shocked really. Pre-season was god awful but hopefully they’ve dusted themselves off.

Travel in is mental. Trains fucked, wouldn’t be suprised if the KO is delayed

Bloody hundreds of Gooners not getting into the trains

Pointless statistics time

Our record in the premier league era on the opening day stands at

17 wins
6 draws
8 defeats


We’ve previously started the season playing at home first 20 times and playing away first 11 times


Home record

11 wins 3 draws 6 defeats


Away record

6 wins 3 draws 2 defeats



Nottingham Forest are one of 11 teams we have played previously on an opening day of the season. The last time was in the 1998/1999 season where we scraped a 2-1 home win


This will be the first time we’ve started the season with a home fixture in five years, and first time in three years that we’ve started by playing a Saturday lunchtime fixture.


Only four times previously has a new signing netted for us on the opening day of the season


Nasri in 2008/2009 against West Brom

Vermaelen in 2009/2010 against Everton

Lacazette in 2017/2018 against Leicester

Gabriel in 2020/2021 against Fulham


Scored 54 goals in previous 31 opening day fixtures

Conceded 35

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LDG

Travel in is mental. Trains fucked, wouldn’t be suprised if the KO is delayed

Bloody hundreds of Gooners not getting into the trains

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Industrial action this weekend isn’t it I think?

At least when it’s just rail works they lay on replacement buses

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

This will be a game where Arteta has to figure out who to play next to either Rice or Partey as he simply can’t play them both in a game like this (you can’t stodge up the midfield when you’re playing a team that will be playing for a draw)

My preference for games like this would be Zinchenko but he’s not fit or some shit


So I’d stick Trossard in there


Team id play

Ramsdale, Tierney, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber, Trossard, Partey, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Saka


(Almost certainly won’t be team that plays)


If Jesus hadn’t done himself a mischief I’d play Havertz as no10 and drop Odegaard as he was shockingly bad pre-season (but then again so was Jesus)

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Leaving out Rice is silly, he's good at keeping possession i'd play your team but with Rice instead of Havertz

As I say you can’t have Rice and Partey playing together in a game like this, stodges up the midfield. You don’t need two defensive minded midfielders in games like Forest at home. If you can’t keep possession at home against such teams you’re fucked to begin with.

I can’t even

What kind of fucking starting XI is that you autistic weirdo


Honestly, the guy needs to be sectioned. He’s a danger to himself and others

Team to play Nottingham Forest: Ramsdale; Partey, Saliba, White, Timber; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Substitutes: Hein, Gabriel, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson

Partey at right back? Fuck off.

I’m revising my prediction. Forest to win 2-0

No idea why Gabriel has made way for White in the middle too.

Just weird.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

No idea why Gabriel has made way for White in the middle too.

Just weird.

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Apparently not fully fit. But then we have Kiwior.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Team to play Nottingham Forest: Ramsdale; Partey, Saliba, White, Timber; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Substitutes: Hein, Gabriel, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson

Partey at right back? Fuck off.

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Ok, this seems positive. If Trossard had started it would have been extremely positive.

Must say I didn't see this coming. I think I'll revise my earlier predictions, we'll score at least twice today. Just hope the defence will hold out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Apparently not fully fit. But then we have Kiwior.

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Fair enough.

I think he’s gone full retard anyway in wanting to make almost every player on the pitch fluid with their positioning. Might get away with it today but this is nonsense if this is how the season is going to pan out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE

Ok, this seems positive. If Trossard had started it would have been extremely positive.

Must say I didn't see this coming. I think I'll revise my earlier predictions, we'll score at least twice today. Just hope the defence will hold out.

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A different definition of the word positive that I’ve previously been unaware of

I agree that Trossard should have started but so should Kiwior and Tierney. With Rice and Nketiah dropping to the bench


Partey and Trossard in midfield, Havertz up front

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Team to play Nottingham Forest: Ramsdale; Partey, Saliba, White, Timber; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Substitutes: Hein, Gabriel, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson

Partey at right back? Fuck off.

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Nottingham Forest: Turner, Worrall, Mangala, Gibbs-White, Johnson, Yates, Aurier, McKenna, Danilo, Boly, Aina.
Subs: Hovarth, Williams, Kouyate, Awoniyi, Chris Wood, Niakhate, Elanga, Freuler, O’Brien.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

A different definition of the word positive that I’ve previously been unaware of

I agree that Trossard should have started but so should Kiwior and Tierney. With Rice and Nketiah dropping to the bench


Partey and Trossard in midfield, Havertz up front

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Perhaps safe to assume Rice and Havertz are automatic staters. He’d never leave them out after spunking what we did on them.

Agent Turner to chuck some in. :bow:

Kick off delayed till 1pm.

Delay caused by the new e-ticketing system. :lol:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Delay caused by the new e-ticketing system. :lol:

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I knew that would happen, i'm not at the game but glad to avoid the shitshow

This obsession with having an app for everything and forcing you to have a smartphone is a blight on society

Trossard should be the first name on the team sheet

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Originally Posted by Mac76

I knew that would happen, i'm not at the game but glad to avoid the shitshow

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Not been since the 2021/2022 season. What is the difference to the system now. Is it all cards ?

I used to just scan my phone

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

A different definition of the word positive that I’ve previously been unaware of

I agree that Trossard should have started but so should Kiwior and Tierney. With Rice and Nketiah dropping to the bench


Partey and Trossard in midfield, Havertz up front

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Ok, so why I'm terming it positive is our best players are playing, except for Trossard who is far above every attacker (except for Saka) ATM.

Would I have preferred Partey, playing in his normal position...of course, however he's still on the team sheet and will probably still drift in the middle, especially with the absence of Zinchenko in this team. Of all our starting defenders IMO, Gabriel and White are the weakest, and if I had to pick between 2 of them, I have a soft spot for White so would probably go with him.

It's a positive team because he has set it up to control the game and create and utilise more chances. I like the fact we have 2 forwards which will push Eddie to make the best of what he gets today or Kai will make him look silly.

So yeah, that's why I'm terming it positive, mainly cause our best players are on the field and I think I get what he's trying to do to avoid being overly defensive as we were against Citeh.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE

Ok, so why I'm terming it positive is our best players are playing, except for Trossard who is far above every attacker (except for Saka) ATM.

Would I have preferred Partey, playing in his normal position...of course, however he's still on the team sheet and will probably still drift in the middle, especially with the absence of Zinchenko in this team. Of all our starting defenders IMO, Gabriel and White are the weakest, and if I had to pick between 2 of them, I have a soft spot for White so would probably go with him.

It's a positive team because he has set it up to control the game and create and utilise more chances. I like the fact we have 2 forwards which will push Eddie to make the best of what he gets today or Kai will make him look silly.

So yeah, that's why I'm terming it positive, mainly cause our best players are on the field and I think I get what he's trying to do to avoid being overly defensive as we were against Citeh.

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Fair enough

Let me explain why I think it’s not positive

Having the best players means nothing if they are playing in the wrong position

Gabriel is unfit? That’s why we have Kiwior. We are expected to play out from the back without a single left footed player


Partey at right back is a travesty makes you wonder what’s the point of having Timber. Who is at left back where he is too defensive to get the ball forward essentially isolating Havertz who lacks the skill set to play LCM…but also isolating martinelli and putting all the pressure on Saka to be our attacking focal point.

Come on you Gunners!

Us. :lol:

Johnson through on goal and puts it over.

Already caught out and should be 0-1 down.

So even though we are essentially playing with three centre backs we are still pushing up, so all they need to do to score against us is have someone quick enough to beat our offside trap by holding their run to a long ball

That Arteta, he’s a fucking genius isn’t he

Lots of probing but nothing incisive yet. This might be a long afternoon with their parked bus.

Odegaard bringing in his form from pre-season I see

need the first goal asap

NKETIAH!!!

Martinelli. :bow:

EDDIE!!!! Great finish.

Lovely work from Martinelli too.

Brilliant.

there it is!