Manchester United vs Arsenal, 17.08.2025 - KO 16:30

[HCZ_Reborn]

This is a match I don’t think either side would have wanted as an opening day fixture, and both sides will be under pressure to get a result.


Our record at Old Trafford is to say the least poor, not just in the premier league era.


Even if you go back as far as 1970, our record up to today stands at


Wins 9

Draws 18

Defeats 28


1970 was the last time we scored more than twice at Old Trafford. We don’t exactly look set to break that record.

Frankly if we get five points from our opening three away games, I’ll consider that decent


Anyway 3-0 Bryan Robson Hat-trick

[Marc Overmars]

1-0 defeat.

I think this will be a testing season and possibly Arteta’s last tbh.

I don’t anticipate a good start given the fixtures so who knows what miserable knock on effect that could leave us with.

[HCZ_Reborn]

My feeling on Arteta’s continued tenure as manager goes as following

If Arteta wins the league or wins the champions league he deserves to stay, despite my personal disdain for him

Even if we finish outside the top 4/5, yet somehow win The champions league that would be enough for me.

If we finish league winners, and do shit in the champions league despite being annoyed at the latter that would be enough for me.

Making it to the final of the UCL, finishing close second, and winning an Fa cup. Nope sorry off you go


Though I doubt the board will see it that way

[HCZ_Reborn]

So in Ref Watch: Simon Hooper will be the referee on Sunday

Going back to last season he officiated five matches

Arsenal 3-0 Forest
Palace 1-5 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-1 Spurs
Arsenal 1-1 Brentford
Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

Other people can disagree but I can’t think of any glaringly controversial issue in those games, the only one that remotely stands out is whether Christian Norgaard should have been sent off for hacking down Martinelli. In my mind (being at that game) it’s what I’d call an orange card offence. It’s a bad foul and one where a player might want to be brought off because if he coughs the wrong way he could be sent off, but not necessarily an outright red.

[KSE Comedy Club]

My feeling on Arteta’s continued tenure as manager goes as following

If Arteta wins the league or wins the champions league he deserves to stay, despite my personal disdain for him

Even if we finish outside the top 4/5, yet somehow win The champions league that would be enough for me.

If we finish league winners, and do shit in the champions league despite being annoyed at the latter that would be enough for me.

Making it to the final of the UCL, finishing close second, and winning an Fa cup. Nope sorry off you go


Though I doubt the board will see it that way

I would agree with that.

He has to win one of the two major trophies this season or there is no point continuing with him IMO.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Also, I think

2-1 us.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I would agree with that.

He has to win one of the two major trophies this season or there is no point continuing with him IMO.

IMO it's the league or nothing, I'm not interested in excuses or mitigating factors especially since you've come second 3 years straight to different opposition, which to me shows you're suffering from the same delusions as AW without the prior success to make it bearable.

Even last year, when I was pretty sure we'd go all out in the CL after the special Madrid tie, I still felt like even if he won it he'd deserve the sack for throwing away any chances of winning the title based on his ego and wanting to prove to the whole world that a capable striker has become obsolete in football. I despise those who aren't willing to push themselves and do what it takes to compete in this sport, especially when they have little to back up their superiority complex.

So in short for me, he wins the league or leaves. Probably if he won the CL and another minor trophy with it, I could reconsider..... but IMO it's always been about the league and after 6 years, we've shown more than enough faith in him for him to understand that and go on his own accord once he realises he cannot meet that expectations due to his own personal and tactical limitations.

[HCZ_Reborn]

IMO it's the league or nothing, I'm not interested in excuses or mitigating factors especially since you've come second 3 years straight to different opposition, which to me shows you're suffering from the same delusions as AW without the prior success to make it bearable.

Even last year, when I was pretty sure we'd go all out in the CL after the special Madrid tie, I still felt like even if he won it he'd deserve the sack for throwing away any chances of winning the title based on his ego and wanting to prove to the whole world that a capable striker has become obsolete in football. I despise those who aren't willing to push themselves and do what it takes to compete in this sport, especially when they have little to back up their superiority complex.

So in short for me, he wins the league or leaves. Probably if he won the CL and another minor trophy with it, I could reconsider..... but IMO it's always been about the league and after 6 years, we've shown more than enough faith in him for him to understand that and go on his own accord once he realises he cannot meet that expectations due to his own personal and tactical limitations.

I look at it by making a tennis analogy, in Tennis there are the ATP 1000 tournaments like Indian Wells and Miami which are nice tournaments to win, but the tournaments the top tennis players want to win are the Grand Slams. To my mind anyway, The league title and the European Cup are the two majors. For us the European cup would be the French open, because that’s generally the one title that eludes the top stars for so long - slower surface with less bounce and it takes more out of the player physically (Sampras never won it, Federer won it only because Nadal went out early one year in a shock defeat, and Djokovic like Federer got to his 4th final before winning it)

I’m not sure if I’d want us to win the European Cup more than the league, but definitely as much as.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I look at it by making a tennis analogy, in Tennis there are the ATP 1000 tournaments like Indian Wells and Miami which are nice tournaments to win, but the tournaments the top tennis players want to win are the Grand Slams. To my mind anyway, The league title and the European Cup are the two majors. For us the European cup would be the French open, because that’s generally the one title that eludes the top stars for so long - slower surface with less bounce and it takes more out of the player physically (Sampras never won it, Federer won it only because Nadal went out early one year in a shock defeat, and Djokovic like Federer got to his 4th final before winning it)

I’m not sure if I’d want us to win the European Cup more than the league, but definitely as much as.

Already this period represents our longest drought since we won our first title in 1931. Like I said a year ago, there are Arsenal fans who would have been born, grown up and some even married now with a kid who have never witnessed us being crowned champions.

That's not us, it's not our DNA, we are Mr Consistent and have been for generations, so again IMO winning the league and going back to being Mr Consistent should be overarching priority.... especially as this 20 year period has also coincided with being the era we've had the best talents ever and we becoming a truly global brand.

We need our identity back and being known for always coming second and falling short isn't it.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Already this period represents our longest drought since we won our first title in 1931. Like I said a year ago, there are Arsenal fans who would have been born, grown up and some even married now with a kid who have never witnessed us being crowned champions.

That's not us, it's not our DNA, we are Mr Consistent and have been for generations, so again IMO winning the league and going back to being Mr Consistent should be overarching priority.... especially as this 20 year period has also coincided with being the era we've had the best talents ever and we becoming a truly global brand.

We need our identity back and being known for always coming second and falling short isn't it.

I’m not saying we couldn’t have done better but do you not think that’s partly attributable to the financial doping that’s been going on in football in the last twenty years. Wenger wasn’t the best tactician but I’m fairly confident without that he had another league title or two in him.

Don’t get me wrong I really want a league title, and I do think we’ve gone too long without one. But just not to the point where if we won the European cup but not the league I’d consider it a sackable offence. With that kind of mentality, no coach would want to come here