I know we’ve had the better of Chelsea in recent times and we’re clearly a better team than them but I’ve got a funny feeling about this one. I’m expecting dropped points. Maybe 1-1.
Big few days ahead with this game and Sevilla away to follow.
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I know we’ve had the better of Chelsea in recent times and we’re clearly a better team than them but I’ve got a funny feeling about this one. I’m expecting dropped points. Maybe 1-1.
Big few days ahead with this game and Sevilla away to follow.
Yeah I'm a bit pessimistic about this one too, it's got Chelsea win written all over it for me - Arsenal away at a poorly performing team, ex-Spud manager, Havertz will miss a sitter in front of the home end, Sterling turns up etc etc...
3-0 Sterling
Don’t know what to expect from this game to be honest. I suppose given my predictions have been hilariously bad I should predict a defeat. But I’m going to omit making one altogether, simply because I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what lineup we will go with, whether Saka will be fit, whether Rice and Partey will be played together. Whether Chelsea will still have issues putting chances away at home…whether we will continue our run of clean sheets away from home, whether we will extend our winning run at Stamford Bridge or not.
We should win this tbh.
I think 2-0 to us.
Partey's become so unreliable that I always rule him out of my thinking, so I guess you're talking Jorg and Rice togetherQuote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
I've no objection, though I've not seen much of Chelsea at all this season so don't really know what to expect, I don't doubt though that this is a game they will raise themselves for
I'd like to see Ram for this one after Raya's messups against Citeh but that won't happen i suspect, especially with the Sevilla game shortly afterwards where I've no doubt Arteta will be wanting Raya to feature
And even if Saka is technically 'fit' we shouldn't start him against Chelsea
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Disagree RE: Partey. Prior to the Man City game…where he had a twenty minute cameo and played well. He was slotted in at right back by genius. And I’d still say overall has been less of a problem for us than Jorginho for whom starting will necessarily negate much of our ability to get forward because of how badly he could get exposed for pace it has to be Partey. Arteta chose Jorginho against city because the primary aim was taking the sting out of City and then putting on a player with more legs later on. I think we can and should show more ambition than that against Chelsea
When i say 'unreliable' i mean in terms of his fitness - I'm not saying Partery isn't better than Jorg WHEN FIT, however his fitness is just such a big permanent question mark that i tend to discount him from my thinking when considering what our lineup should be - I'd maintain we should have sold him in the summer and got someone more reliableQuote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
Ok that’s a bit different, but I’d still say when he’s fit to be picked he should take precedence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
From what I can gather, and again it’s a case of fitting small jigsaw pieces together…it felt like neither Juventus who showed interest or the Saudi clubs offered us enough for Partey in order for us to sign a replacement of a similar level.
Two changes from the City game. Saka and Martinelli in for Edward and Trossard
Jorginho starts instead of Partey. Which annoys me…Jorginho more than Rice absolutely stymies us from an attacking point of view. Genius thinks that because a lineup worked against one team, it’ll work against all teams. That’s what a squad is there for…having the right tools to deal with different challenges
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez, Palmer, Sterling, Mudryk.
Subs: Disasi, Badiashille, Madueke, Jackson, Ugochukwu, James, Petrovic, Maatsen, Washington.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard Martinelli, Jesus, Saka.
Subs: Hein, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Partey, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Havertz, Trossard, Nketiah.
I just hope Saka's there because he's genuinely fully fit again, not because of Arteta's obsession with playing him
If Partey is fit, there is absolutely no reason he shouldn't start over Jorginho.Quote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Anyway, at least we've got Saka back and Havertz is on the bench where he belongs.
Yellow for Palmer. Hmm.
Penalty to Chelsea
Cole Palmer scores the Pel. 1-0 Chelsea
1-0 Palmer, damn.
This is the worst possible side to have out when you’re 1-0 down.
Harsh in my view. Mudryk headed the ball and it hit Saliba’s arm…this idea that when you’re jumping for the ball having your arms outstretched is an unnatural position is a load of horse shit.
1-0 HT.
Passing has been all over the place really.
Very poor.
I'd think Partey surely will be on instead of Jorginho.
Atrocious first half from us, if Chelsea had any firepower we’d be well out of this game. And we can’t blame the wet conditions, it’s our performance that has been wet. I don’t agree that the ball hitting your arm when you’re jumping to win the ball with your head is a penalty, the rules say otherwise. But we’ve created very little and seem nervous…Odegaard and Jesus are not on the same wavelength.
I still think we can get something out of the game, but we need Jorginho to come off
Poor conditions, poor refereeing and over all poor display from us. Honestly if not for the weather, I'd be much more angry at this display as Chelsea are a really poor side.
If Arteta get his subs right, we can get back into this game. Partey needs to come in ASAP and I think the attack needs to be tweaked somewhat as Jesus has been extremely poor. Also it seems playing Saka is pointless in this game
Anyway, I think Partey coming in and playing his usual game should be enough to break the stranglehold in the middle and get us making chances that actually test the keeper.
2-0 Mudryk. WTF.
He did a Ronaldinho to RayaQuote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
I don’t get what Raya brings to this team I really don’t
Had to be Mudryk didn't itQuote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Raya. :haha:
Bit of salt to rub in the wounds, the last time we came from 2-0 down away from home to get a point was nine years ago away at Everton.
Arteta’s substitutions make no sense to me at all
Am not watching but just noticed Zin was hauled off at HT - I see he was on a yellow but is this a sign that even Arteta's realising Zin isn't actually very good....?
That’s as maybe but that’s cancelled out by the fact that blind to the fact that we are being overrun in midfield he leaves us with only one central midfielder on the pitch. Real amateur hour. Don’t get me wrong we’ve played badly and deserve to lose anyway but compounding that with stupid substitutions is unforgivableQuote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Rice gets a goal back, game on
RICE!!!!!
TROSSARD!!!!
So close from Nketiah.
C'mon Arsenal, nick the 3 pts :scarf:
2-2 FT.
Bad performance, ok result…especially coming from two nil down.
I still think this Chelsea side are rubbish but they could have put us to the sword today. So whilst not pleased, I’m satisfied id say
Good work to rescue a point but doesn't sound like a great performance
I didn't think we were going to win at Stamford Bridge for a fourth season in a row.
However the performance was so bad.
Got to see some improvement against Sevilla.
Hopefully we will, although in context Sevilla aren’t great….but if Lens can beat us so can they just a case of not being pulled into stupidity by them. They got a draw at home to Real Madrid the first time in ages Jude Bellingham hasn’t netted. Probably come down with a heavy case of SouthgateitisQuote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Any potential opponent that watched that game would be licking their lips at the thought of playing us now.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
I hope what we saw today was a one off, but I doubt it since our manager struggles at rotating his squad properly and trusting people outside the circle of his "chosen."