Arteta set to name ‘strongest XI’ for NLD despite mini-injury crisis

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Happy Friday! And Happy NLD Eve.

This will be my last blog of the week. There will be no Saturday morning blog.

A 12:30KO means the pubs are opening at 10am. So I will be looking to get down to Caledonian Road early doors for a bit of breakfast at The Breakout before getting my first pint down me neck at 10.

Ahead of the big game, Arsenal are in the midst of a mini-injury crisis.

Mohamed Elneny has been joined in the treatment room long term by Emile Smith Rowe (I will write again on his future next week).

Mikel Arteta is also sweating over the fitness of Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Cedric Soares has also picked up a knock whilst Reiss Nelson will not be fit to start.

This will lead to some questions why we always have so many injured. By the stats and facts do not show that.

Last season, only Crystal Palace had players out injured for less days and games than Arsenal.

Our problem was not that we sufferred too many injuries, it was that we did not have adequete cover when key players were out.

That was changed over the summer with the recruitment of the likes of Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira, as well as the new 1-year extension for Mohamed Elneny.

We are just unlucky that we have our 2 left backs out injured, our 2 defensive midfielders and our two right-backs.

The future of 3 players (Partey, Smith Rowe, Tierney) does need to be looked at, but that is a blog for another day.

My bet is of the 8 out, Tierney and Partey will start. That will mean bar the right back, we will have our strongest XI out.

Ramsdale
White Saliba Gabriel Tierney
Partey
Saka Odergaard Xhaka Martinelli
Jesus

White has played well at right back this season, so I have no real concerns of him continuing there.

Another quiet positive of that XI is how little action they saw over the international break.

White, Gabriel, Martinelli and Jesus have been training at London Colney for the last two weeks, whilst Partey and Ramsdale did not see a minute of game time.

Of the 5 that played for their country, Xhaka was the only one to play 180 minutes.

Tierney’s last game would have been a 7 days prior to the NLD, Saliba 6 days. whilst Saka has only played 24 minutes in the last 8 days.

So tomorrow we do not have an excuse.

The injury crisis has not really hit the first team, and we should not be suffering from international break fatigue. 3 points is the minimum requirement.

As we discussed earlier in the week, the big duel will be Partey v Kane.

Enjoy the day (as best you can) and we will be back Sunday with a (hopefully positive) match report.

Keenos

No Tottenham player gets into a NLD combined XI

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Morning.

I think summer and well and truly over. And it feels like we have gone straight from shorts and t-shirts to jeans and sweatshirts. We’ve skipped that bit in the middle where we wear jeans and a polo.

Just two sleeps until the North London Derby.

It is both the fixture and most look forwards too, and the fixture I dread most.

Win and you will be on the beer in celebration. You will riding a cloud for the weekend and float into work on Monday morning with a smile on your face.

Lose and there will be a cloud over you for the weekend, and Monday you will be keeping your head down hoping no-one asks you about football.

One of my “modern football” hates is combined XIs. Up there with half and half scarves and kids begging for shirts.

Any true fan would not enterain an Arsenal and combined XI. The only right answer is XI Arsenal players (and for Tottenham fans reading, your combined XI’s should only have Spurs players).

I grew up an an era where you were taught the best team in North London was Arsenal. the second best Arsenal ladies. And the 3rd Arsenal reserves. Spurs nowhere to be seen.

After our U15s beat the ladies in a training ground friendly, you also have them up there.

As an Arsenal fan, you should never be giving Tottenham credit or praise. Ever. And do not dare have any of their players in your Fantasy Football team.

12:30 start on Saturday. Most pubs have announced they will be opening at 10, which surprises me.

Usually for these sort of games the police will get involved and force pubs to open at 12, meaning no-one can have a pint before the game.

Should be a good day. Just need that win.

Catch up tomorrow.

Keenos

Harry Kane v Thomas Partey – The Big North London Duel

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I can not beleive that is is already Wednesday of a North London Derby week and I have not yet begun blogging on it – probably highlights how the Nations League break has driven me too boredom.

Hopefully England’s relegation might see Gareth Southgate give fringe players and youngsters a run-out rather then the same old boring 14 or 15 names. Relegation could benefit England’s future.

Anyway, we move on.

So Saturday we face Spurs at home.

Since our 21 game unbeaten run against Tottenham ended in 2008, the North London Derby has more often than not been “home advantage”.

At White Hart Lane, Tottenham have lost just 1 of 14 Premier League fixtures – winning 9.

And our record at the Emirates is even better – also losing just once in 14 games and winning 8 times.

Two away wins in 28 North London Derby games. But of course, we go into the fixture knowing anything can happen.

And with it being a 12:30pm Saturday kick off, the result will either make or break your weekend.

Win and you will be on the beer in celebration. You will riding a cloud for the weekend and float into work on Monday morning with a smile on your face.

Lose and there will be a cloud over you for the weekend, and Monday you will be keeping your head down hoping no-one asks you about football.

Arsenal’s key player will be Thomas Partey.

Hopefully Partey should be fully fit following his most recent injury. He was selected by Ghana for the latest international games, but withdrew on the eve of the first game with injury – hopefully this was no more than a pre-caution.

They really do need to bring in restrictions on national teams calling up players returning from injury.

Partey has played just once in our last 6 games. Was there any need for him to be caleld up to the Ghana squad for friendlies? It shows the national team not looking long term – Partey has a history of breaking down again soon after an injury if rushed back.

It would have made more sense for him to rest and recover in North London for two weeks, building fitness for the World Cup rather than risk playing him and him having a recurrance of the injury which could rule him out the World Cup.

My mind goes back to December 2020.

Partey had missed four games through injury. He was then rushed back for the North London Derby but lastest just 45 minutes. Spurs scored their opener whilst Partey was limping off the field.

He went on to miss the next 9 games.

The big match up of the weekend will be Harry Kane v Thomas Partey.

Kane’s new role in Antonio Conte’s long-ball system is to drop deep and flick the ball on to Spurs’ speedy widemen.

If he drags a central defender with him, it gives Son, Kulusevski, Lucas Moura and Richarlison the space to run into.

To protect against this, it should be Partey that challenges Kane when he drops deep. That will allow Gabriel and William Saliba to drop off and be in a better position to defend the flick on.

Tottenham’s midfield is also their weak point. I would expect Granit Xhaka and Martin Odergaard to be able to dominate even whilst Partey is focused on doing a job on Kane.

You stop the supply to Kane, you stop Tottenham.

Enjoy Wednesday.

Keenos