There’s something special about returning to the Emirates after an international break. The anticipation builds, the crowd is hungrier, and the players know this is the moment to set the tone again. On Saturday, Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest – a side under the new stewardship of Ange Postecoglou – but make no mistake, this is a match the Gunners must seize to keep their title challenge on track.
Bouncing back after Liverpool
The defeat at Anfield stung. Not because Arsenal played poorly, but because it was a reminder of just how high the bar is at the top of the Premier League. You can dominate long spells, you can create chances, but if you switch off for a moment, the game slips away. That’s the reality of chasing trophies.
Arteta’s men have no time to dwell. Forest arrive with the new-manager bounce, but Arsenal have the advantage of being at home and having already shown glimpses of devastating form this season – just ask Leeds after that 5-0 dismantling. The Emirates faithful will expect a response, and the players know they have a point to prove.
Injury setbacks and opportunities for others
It wouldn’t be Arsenal without a few injury concerns.
William Saliba’s absence is a huge blow. His calmness, his positioning, the way he organises those around him – irreplaceable qualities. Bukayo Saka, too, misses out. For years he has been the heartbeat of this team, and without him the right flank feels unfamiliar.
But Arsenal are not short of options. This is where depth matters.
Noni Madueke has been electric when given the chance, and with Saka sidelined, this is his moment to step into the spotlight.
Eberechi Eze could make his full debut. Arsenal fans are desperate to see him unleashed from the start, bringing flair and unpredictability to the left side.
Viktor Gyökeres, powerful and relentless, offers a different kind of threat up front, one that Forest’s defence might struggle to contain.
And let’s not forget: Cristhian Mosquera who came in and performed so well in place of Saliba against Liverpool. Every setback opens a door for someone else, and Saturday feels like one of those occasions.
Forest under Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou’s Forest will not come to sit deep and soak up pressure. That’s not his style. Expect them to press high, push their full-backs on, and try to play on the front foot. It’s a bold approach, but it also leaves them exposed.
This is where Arsenal must be ruthless. Catch Forest high up the pitch, play through the first line of press, and suddenly there’s space to exploit. The Emirates pitch will feel enormous if Arsenal move the ball quickly enough.
Forest will fight, no doubt. A new manager brings belief and energy. But belief only takes you so far when you’re up against a side with Arsenal’s firepower.
Forest will come to play, but Arsenal should have too much quality, too much control, and too much firepower. Expect moments of tension, especially if Forest press well early, but the Gunners’ attacking depth should shine through.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Eze to mark his first full start with a goal, Madueke to dazzle, and Gyökeres to bully his way onto the scoresheet.
This is the kind of game Arsenal must win if they want to be champions. And with the Emirates behind them, expect nothing less than a strong response.
2010 to 2016 saw some of the most volatile infighting I have ever seen at Arsenal football club.
The period coincided with Arsenal going 8-years without a trophy, and the rise of the so-called “Wenger Out Brigade”, whose sole goal was to create a negative atmosphere around the club that would force the board to sack our greatest ever manager.
The period also saw the birth of Arsenal Fan TV, who platformed those with extreme negative views and produced rage bait for revenue every weekend. The result was arguing and fighting in the stands, around the ground and online. It was a horrible time for someone who just wanted to go to a game, have a beer and support their club.
One big criticism was around our transfer policy.
We were getting labelled as “cheap” having seen the Suarez £40m+£1 bid go public, which the media deliberately misrepresented to profit off the disharmony at Arsenal. During the same period, we also saw the club miss out on Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante, with the narrative written that we were unwilling to match what Chelsea were offering, despite both players preferring us.
These deals lead to heavy criticism from Arsenal and Arsene’s detractors. But now they have egg on their face.
It has been announced that Chelsea are facing 74 charges related to alleged breaches of agent regulations by the FA. Charges relate to the period between 2009 to 2022, when Roman Abramovich owned club, and mainly relate to events between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons.
Sky Spors have reported that Sky Sports News understands that “transfers which raised potential concerns are believed to include deals for players such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Willian.”
I remember the disappointment around us not signing Hazard. It felt huge. But what is now clear is that we were not competing for his signature on a fair playing field. Chelsea, whose new owner self-reported the infringement, were making illegal payments to players agents and representatives to secure their signature.
The current owners of Chelsea have been very smart, going down the route of “blame our predecessor” in the hope to avoid heavy sanctions.
They have self-reported to the FA and already settled a case with HMRC on the matter. Reports indicate that they are proactively working with the FA on the case in the hope of reducing their punishment. And it is likely that will send up as a 7-figure fine.
But what does that really mean? The fine will be easily paid, BlueCo will sell more real-estate to finance any loss, and everyone will move on.
The real losers are the fans of opposing clubs who missed out on memories, on moments, whilst Chelsea built a Champions League winning team based off bungs.
Trophies won by Chelsea between 2009 and 2022 were won through cheating. There is no debate. Chelsea’s current owners, through self-reporting, have admitted they cheated.
That is 3 league titles, 2 Champions Leagues, 3 FA Cups, 1 League Cup and 1 Europa League.
74 charges is huge. The FA should go further than a fine and expunge those domestic victories from the record, and encourage UEFA to do likewise.
Financial doping is no different to pharmaceutical doping. The FA need to take the lead from the Tour de France and begin removing victories wojn through cheating from the official record.
Yes, you will never take away those special moments from their fans, nor give other fans special moments who may have won. But by removing from the record the victories it makes a statement.
What should not happen is those trophies be “redistributed” as you do not know who might have won them had Chelsea not cheated. The only fact you know is Chelsea would not have won them. So remove the victories from the record and put an * by each year. The same should also happen to Manchester City if they are found guilty of cheating.
They should also have to give back all prize money earned during that period, as it is prize money won through doping. We see this in athletics and other sports. Get caught cheating, you lose your medals and have to pay back your winnings. Even if it does bankrupt you.
Hopefully, now those loudest voices against Wenger and Arsenal during the 10s realise what we were up against – first with Manchester City and then with Chelsea. It is all good shouting your unhappiness from the stands and spreading negativity online, but now that you have the facts, you must admit you were wrong.
Arsenal did not struggle during that period due to inaction from the board or a manager losing his touch. We struggled because other teams were cheating. Where buying players through illegal means, or by using money they had not right to use.
Before the summer started, a 10 point to do list for Andrea Berta was posted on the She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Facebook page (credit to admin Derek for the list).
The list, in no particular order, was
New first-choice centre forward
New defensive midfielder to replace Thomas Partey
New backup goalkeeper
New winger to compete on the left and offer cover for Bukayo Saka on the right
New centre back to cover William Saliba
New deal for Bukayo Saka
New deal for William Saliba
New deal for Gabriel
New deal for Ethan Nwaneri
New deal for Myles Lewis Skelly
With the window now shut, it is time to review the list.
New first-choice centre forward
In a deal that seemed to take forever, but was still be completed before the season kicked off, Viktor Gyokeres joined for £55m.
Some have labelled Gyokeres a flat track bullywhilst others have raised questions about whether the 27 year old can make the step up from the Portuguese league to Premier League. And some have claimed that we should have sacrificed other positions and gone bigger for Alexander Isak.
Isak aside, all other strikers moving to a Premier League club this summer have question marks against them.
Hugo Etikite and Benjamin Sesko both came from Germany at higher fees than Gyokeres with less experience, whilst Joao Pedro has never been a consistent goal scorer. Meanwhile Yoane Wissa turns 29 tomorrow and is more of a back up striker than first choice.
Gyokeres was clearly the man we favoured, and Berta got his man.
New defensive midfielder to replace Thomas Partey
In a deal that was perhaps a year later then expected, Martin Zubimendi finally became an Arsenal player – our second signing of the summer costing £55.8m.
A classy defensive midfielder in the Xabi Alonso mould, Zubimendi has been Arteta’s number one choice to replace Partey for nearly two years. And Berta delivered him.
New backup goalkeeper
In a move that got a lot of fans complaining, “not another Chelsea rejected”, Berta secured one of the deals of the summer.
I am a firm believer that had we signed Kepa for £5m direct from Bournemouth, there would be no complaints. The only criticism fans have of the deal is who he came from.
Last season, Kepa was first choice for Bournemouth, on loan from Chelsea, as they finished 9th, conceding the 6th least goals. Signing a mid-table Premier League starter for your back up keeper without breaking the back is a great deal.
New winger to compete on the left and offer cover for Bukayo Saka on the right
On one hand, Noni Madueke is exactly the sort of player we needed to cover Bukayo Saka, and he proved what he can do against Liverpool. On the other, it was disappointing that we have not fully resolved our left win issue.
A top left winger was only going to come in if either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard departed. With no major bid coming in for either, it meant that interest in the likes of Rodrygo and Rafael Leao was not progressed.
Like Kepa, the signing of Madueke led to criticism of “another Chelsea player”. Thus showing that some fans do not have the mental aptitude to judge a player based on his ability, and instead prefer to regurgitate what they have seen from “banter” social media accounts.
Madueke is fantastic cover for Saka. Left footed playing on the right, his acquisition should take some pressure off Saka. His chaotic and direct style of play also gives Arteta another option.
New centre back to cover William Saliba
Very few, if anyone, would have had Cristhian Mosquera on their “want” list this summer. And that is why we are fans and not scouts or Directors of Football.
Mosquera looks tailor made for the Premier League – big, strong, powerful and quick. And Berta got him for just £13m.
When Saliba limped off after 5 minutes against Liverpool, Mosquera came in and we saw no drop off in defensive quality.
Whilst I do not want to talk about Saliba leaving, there is a possiiblity he might next summer if a new deal is not signed. We may already have recruited his replacement.
New deal for Bukayo Saka
One of the two points on the two do list that Berta has yet to complete. No new deal has yet been agreed for Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal reportedly opened talks for a new deal with Saka back in March, so it is slightly concerning that 6 months on, one is yet to be announced. However, it has to be remembered that for much of that time, Saka was recovering from injury and then focusing on his return.
One for Berta to keep working on.
New deal for William Saliba
As with Saka, the new deal for Saliba has yet to be agreed, and I am slightly more concerned about this one.
I think Saliba is a fantastic player, but I have never felt he is as comfortable at the club as Gabriel. He reminds me of Patrick Vieira who every summer was always keeping half an eye out for a move away.
At one point, a Real Madrid will turn Saliba’s head and he will decide to take a move to a club for guaranteed trophies, and we will be powerless to keep him. This could happen next summer if a new deal is not signed.
New deal for Gabriel
I actually think Gabriel is more important to the defence then William Saliba. He is the leader of the back four and the glue that keeps the defence together.
A new deal that sees him through to 2029 will mean if Saliba comes in, we at least have our rock and someone like Mosquera should be able seamlessly slot in next to him. One of our captains.
New deals for Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly
Two gems from the academy.
Whilst I expect both to be squad players this season rather than regular starters, it is good that Berta has secured their long term future at the club and rewarded them for their new status.
Last year we lost a couple of other top youngsters (both to Manchester United), who departed due to their belief that the “pathway to the first team” was better elsewhere. In reality, they had their heads turned by money.
Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly have shown that if you have the talent, you will get your chances and the contracts will follow. Meanwhile the two that departed are still playing PL2 football, a level they were at 2 years ago for Arsenal.
Great to secure our future
And the bonuses?
We raised the floor of the squad by replacing Jakub Kiwor with Piero Hincapie.
Whilst Kiwior has never really let us down, he has also not really shown that he was capable to come in for Gabriel for an extended period if injury hit. He also looked a little deer in headlights if needed at left back.
Hincapie has played nearly 200 games for Leverkusen at both centre back and left back. That means he is proven cover for Gabriel at centre back, and more than an adequate option at left back if Ricardo Calafiori continues his injury proneness. A floor raiser who has reduced the gape between our best defender and worst.
Ebere Eze was also another surprise.
Whilst he is an option on the left hand side, I still expect him to make more of an impact centrally. However if he does make the left wing his own, then that is a bonus! And it is a double bonus the way we snatched him from Tottenham.
And finally, Christian Norgaard joined from Brentford. Cover for Martin Zubimendi without breaking the bank.
The easy option would have been to not replace Jorginho, and use Declan Rice as Zubimendi’s cover if injured. Instead, Berta listened to Arteta who demanded greater squad depth and a move away from having players covering 3 or 4 positions.
Norgaard, like Kepa, is Premier League proven. He will also be a great option to come off the bench, next to Zubimendi, when we are defending a lead. A towering defensive midfielder who will block everything.
As for the departures, that is a blog for another day. Maybe.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 