FA Cup winning duo set for Arsenal return

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Arsenal already knew they would be travelling to Leeds without Mohamed Elneny after the Egyptian tested positive for Covid-19 whilst on international duty.

It was also confirmed on Friday morning that Thomas Partey will be unavailable for the trip to Elland Road. He has not recovered from a thigh injury sustained in the Gunners’ last match before the international break, a 3-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Sunday’s game against Leeds is a must-win match for Mikel Arteta’s side. They have struggled for consistency in the Premier League so far this campaign, with four wins and four defeats from eight games. If Arteta is to guide Arsenal back to the promised land of the Champions League, his team must embark on a winning streak sooner rather than later.

Despite being a tricky one, the fixture against Leeds is an ideal place to start. Against a free-flowing team and the tactical nous of Marcelo Bielsa, who preaches an entertaining and expansive style, Arsenal can wreak havoc in attack if they play their cards right. The absences of Elneny and Partey, a duo who have shown themselves to be adept at breaking up opposition attacks, will be a big blow.

However, it might also result in a more adventurous approach from Arteta, the Spaniard favouring a counter-attacking style that prioritises pragmatism over attacking firepower.

Much has been made of Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal so far in 2020-21. They have scored just nine times in their first eight matches. A combination of the loss to Villa, as well as Partey and Elneny being sidelined, might have forced his hand into a more attacking game plan.

Arsenal’s shortage of midfield options mean Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos are likely to start. Arteta has made no secret of his desire to eventually switch a 4-3-3 and whether by coincidence or not, Joe Willock has excelled for Arsenal in the cup competitions. Whether Willock is ready for more minutes in the Premier League will only be known if he is given the chance.

Attacking duo Willian and Alexandre Lacazette have struggled for form recently and would be fortunate to see their names appear in the starting line-up on Sunday. Given Lacazette’s lack of goals, it seems like the perfect time to start Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been isolated on the wide left, through the middle. Eddie Nketiah scored again for England U21 in the international break, so the Hale End graduate presents another alternative up front.

Approaching his first anniversary as Arsenal manager, Arteta has demonstrated his ability to improvise and innovate in an effort to get the best out of a squad that is far from complete. In particular, he has responded well to defeats that have raised questions about Arsenal’s ability to progress with him at the helm. Their previous game aside, Arsenal have become far more difficult to beat, conceding the second-fewest goals in the league to date.

The next challenge Arteta faces is how to get his team scoring goals on a regular basis. After drilling his players about the importance of their positioning off the ball, it is time for him to start placing more importance on what they do with it. Thanks to Leeds’ willingness to commit men forward, Arsenal could find they have plenty of space in behind the Whites’ defence. When presented with attacking opportunities against a side as good in the final third as Leeds, Arteta’s side must take advantage.   

Goalscoring comes as a result of ruthless finishing and efficient execution, qualities Arsenal have lacked so far this season. With some stagnant performances where they have flattered to deceive, the time has come to break the shackles.

Caution doesn’t necessarily have to be thrown to the wind, because individual discipline has served the Gunners well to this point. However, if this Arsenal side are to evolve into a top team, Arteta must not be afraid of going full steam ahead.

Zac Campbell

Arsenal should cancel global pre-season tours if they wish to tackle climate change

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Arsenal have announced they are joining with UN to tackle climate change.

What a load of bollocks.

I am not a climate change denier. It is real and we do need to do more. But Arsenal signing up to the Sports for Climate Action Framework is just virtue signalling.

Every season, every clubs takes its brand across the globe for pre-season friendlies.

Australia, America and Asia, clubs will spread across the globe, playing in multiple different countries. Some clubs will even fit in 2 pre-season tours to 2 different continents.

These pre-season tours involve multiple long and short haul flights to numerous different countries. All to make money.

If clubs wanted to tackle climate change, they would halt these pre-season tours immediately.

Prepare for the new season in Europe, which will mean a shorter flight and less carbon emissions. Or even better do not go abroad at all. Go Centre Parcs of or something.

There is not physical reason to have a pre season tour abroad. It is just financial.

A couple of years ago Arsenal played Chelsea in Ireland. This would have led to both teams flying across to Dublin, as well as many fans.

2 London clubs, jumping on planes to play a friendly in a different country.

Want to do something about climate change? Stop this nonsense.

Likewise clubs produce 3 kits a year, and multiple different training garments.

All of these involve a huge manufacturing process. And with the kits being made in China, Vietnam or some Asian industrial zone where cheap labour can be exploited, they need to be flown to the UK for sale.

Instead of developing multiple kits a year, why not return to 1 it every 2 years? Straight away that would reduce the carbon emissions produced from manufacturing the kits and exporting to them.

But of course, kits and pre-season tours are lucrative.

It is much easier for the club to sit there and lecture fans on how to behave and “be green” then actually take action themselves.

Remember a few years ago when the club flew from Luton to Norwich for a game?

Like many businesses across the country, Arsenal have transformed what they do in an attempt to help save the world:

  • Became the UK’s first football club to install large-scale battery energy storage in 2018. The battery storage system can power Emirates Stadium for an entire match, or the equivalent of 2,700 homes for two hours 
  • Since 1999, more than 29,000 trees have been planted at London Colney to create the Colney Wood
  • Have installed a water recycling system at our training centre to reuse water that comes from the pitch – recycling more than 4.5 million litres of water a year
  • Are the first Premier League club to switch to 100 per cent green electricity  
  • The first Premier League club to trial the reusable cup scheme during the 2018/19 season. This scheme became fully integrated at the start of the 2019/20 season, saving the use of approximately 20,000 single use plastic cups per game when Emirates Stadium is full
  • The  training centre is now 95 per cent single use plastic bottle-free
  • Have introduced more water dispensers across all sites – saving 150,000 single-use plastic water bottles per year 
  • Have reduced energy by installing automated LED lighting at all club sites

All of these actions should be commended.

But the carbon emissions from flying across the globe yearly for pre-season friendlies and manufacturing 3 it’s a year dwarfs the actions taken.

We recently saw a “European Super League” proposed once again. This would see clubs play more games abroad than in the current Champions League – which would lead to more flights for teams and players.

Likewise proposals to play domestic games abroad and not exactly environmentally friendly.

If Arsenal (or any other sports club) truly wanted to tackle climate change, they would look to reduce flights and reduce manufacturing.

But I am guessing they would not want to see their revenue drop as a result.

Profit is more important than tackling climate change.

Keenos

Break from Arsenal has come at the right time

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As regular readers of the blog might have realised (if I actually have any regular readers), I have not put pen to paper and writing a blog for a week.

With an international break coming up, now is a good time to take a break for another 7 days or so.

There really is not much to say or discuss with Arsenal at the moment, and everything feels a little negative out there, a little jaded. And I do not want to start every morning with a negative posting.

Twitter has become a dull place. A toxic negative place.

Overreaction to our defeat to Aston Villa has led to some slugs and their minions using it as an opportunity to spread their toxic negativity.

Remember, these idiots are not representative of the majority of Arsenal fans.

They are but a few hundred who huddle together on social media sharing views in their echo chamber. They merely shout the loudest.

The majority of Arsenal fans are backing Mikel Arteta, are open minded to the direction the club is going.

There is a huge difference between criticising the manager – and Arteta deserves criticism for the defeat to Villa – and sitting there all day, every day demanding his head, abusing him. That is the toxic negativity.

I feel for some of these people, they are in such bad places in their lives – probably living in homeless bedsits or banished to another country having had their loved ones in the UK desert them – that the only joy they get is by spreading negativity and bringing people down to their level.

It is not healthy and the only people’s mental health that will be affected is their own.

Eventually they will be standing on the edge of the motorway, family and friends having disowned them, wondering where it all went wrong.

The easiest way to block out their negativity it to turn it off. To walk away.

So a little break is needed.

There is plenty else in life to keep me occupied that drives more positivity.

From releasing our quiz book (pre: sale here), setting up a couple of small businesses, supporting the She Wore shop, as well as my actual day job.

It is going to be an extremely busy next few weeks.

So the blog, social media, must take a back seat.

Catch you all in a week when hopefully there will be something Arsenal related to discuss!

Keenos