Tag Archives: Arsenal

Arsenal’s Mensis Horribilis

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Welcome to Arsenal’s Mensis Horribilis.

Under Arsene Wenger, no month has yielded a lower points per game ratio than November. Many a season we have been cut adrift in the title race in the 1st month of winter.

And it is not even close between November and our next worst month, August…

sport-wenger-month-by-month-part-1

The story of many a season under the Frenchman. A poor start, regain ground in the Autumn, throw it away in November, lose further ground over the winter, put a run together in spring, before ultimately missing out in May.

There is nothing to explain our poor form in November. Going through the games we played, it is often no harder than other months. The only explanation can be a few injuries piling up. November is just a shocker for Arsenal fans.

This season, November will once more make or break our title race. With games against Man U and Spurs, Arsene Wenger himself admits that the month will show us where Arsenal are;

“We now have difficult games coming up, with a difficult November, so by the end of November we will know more about ourselves,” Wenger said.

“The desire is there and the mentality is great, though. There is great togetherness, we have quality as well, so they are good ingredients.

“But we have to show that we can do it week in and week out.”

Alongside Spurs and Man U, we also host Bournemouth and a League Cup tie against Southampton. Making up the fixtures list is an away game against PSG.

An unbeaten November could see Arsenal top of the league, topping their Champions League group, and into the Semi Final of the League Cup. A disaster could see us needing finishing 2nd again in the Champions League, out of the title race and out of the League Cup.

Let’s get some positivity in the month and start it with victory over that lot up the road.

Keenos

Arsenal to play strongest XI against Ludogorets

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After beating the chicken farmers 6-0 at home, Arsenal have a chance of securing Champions League knock out qualification with 2 games to go tonight.

With Ludogorets missing the half dozen day labourers who have been unable to get the day off work at their London building site, tonight really should be a walk in the park.

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A victory for Arsenal, and as long as PSG avoid defeat against Basel, will see Arsenal through to the next round for the umpteenth time in a row – I lose count; but I do not really care as we never win it.

There has been a lot of chatter about what side Arsenal should put out tonight:

I am of the opinion that Arsenal should put out the strongest line up possible.

Firstly, the point about Spurs. We play today, we then play again on Sunday – 12 noon (pubs on Holloway Road open at 10am). That is a full 5 days between. Plenty of time to recover before Spurs. Obviously anyone carrying a knock after Sunderland should be rested if not fit to play, but there is no need to rest anyone before Spurs.

After Spurs, we are then into another international break (thanks UEFA!). We do not play our next game until November the 19th against Man U, so there really is no benefit resting and rotating now.

I would much rather we go and win this game, then rest and rotate against PSG and Basel.

But we want to finish top of the group you all cry.

Let me get something straight, I really do not care about finishing 1st or 2nd. At the end of the day, you have to play the top sides in the Champions League at some point if you want to win it. If you get knocked out in the 2nd round, the QF or SF against them, it does not really matter if you do not win the competition.

The only benefit of getting a bit further is a little bit more money. And a few coefficient points. There is no difference between getting knocked out in the 2nd round against Bayern Munich or getting knocked out in the QF against Bayern Munich.

And finishing top does not guarantee an easier draw. Last time we finished top (2011/12), we played AC Milan in the knockout stage. We lost 4-0. There side contained the likes of 32 Abbiati, Mexes, Thiago Silva, Van Bommel , Seedorf, Ibrahimovic and Robinho.

As things stand, if we finish 2nd, we could face the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid or Juventus. But we could also face Napoli or Monaco.

Meanwhile, if we top the group, we could end up with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or Sevilla. The other sides could be Copenhagen or Besiktas.

So it does not make much of a difference finishing 1st of 2nd.

Also, looking at Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, PSG is sandwiched between trips to Man U and a home game against Bournemouth, whilst a visit to Basel is after West Ham away, and before Stoke City at home.

Between the next international break and Christmas, Arsenal play:

Saturday
Wednesday
Sunday
Wednesday
Saturday
Tuesday
Saturday
Tuesday
Sunday

9 games in 29 days. A hectic schedule. Win tonight and it means that 3 of those 9 games we can play a 2nd string. It might be sacrificing top spot in the Champions League, but it gives us the best chance of getting top spot in the Premier League.

To those out there today (I imagine you are all in bars and not reading pointless blogs) enjoy the game. I am in now way jealous that I decided to go Sunderland away rather than visit Sofia.

Up the Arsenal.

Keenos

Arsenal Form, Chelsea & Newcastle / Sunderland

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Arsenal Form

DWWDWWWWWWWDWW

Since the opening day defeat to Liverpool, Arsenal have now gone 14 games undefeated in all competitions. We are in scintillating form. With some nasty fixtures coming up (Spurs, Man U, PSG) it will be a tough job to keep that run going. But with 2 of those 3 at home, we have a chance of following up an unbeaten September and October with an unbeaten November. Starting tomorrow with a trip to Ludogorets.

Chelsea

For me, this season has been defined so far by misreporting by the media. No more so when The Guardian announced that Liverpool and Tottenham are setting a thrilling Premier League pace – when they were 3rd and 4th. Spurs now sit 5th. Still unbeaten mind!

Another narrative written incorrectly was by those who were quick to write off Chelsea. Reports even surfaced that Antonio Conte was about to get sacked.

Yes, we dicked them, but 10 games in they sit 4th. Just a point off the top.

What has been interesting is that whilst a lot has been written about how Manchester City fans need to give Pep Guardiola time whilst he rebuilds the way they play, the same ideology has not been applied to Chelsea.

Conte has now moved to his 343 (or whatever!) formation that saw him so successful at Juventus and Chelsea have now won 4 on the spin.

With players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, Chelsea are in this title race. They should not be written off.

Newcastle / Sunderland

At the back end of last season, I posed a question when Newcastle and Sunderland were fighting for the right to remain in the Premier League.

Would you rather get relegated to the Championship, and run away with the league next year, or remain in the Premier League, and have another year fighting relegation?

My thinking was simple. People love winning. Last season Sunderland saw their side win just 12 games from 38 as they finished 2 points ahead of rivals Newcastle, who won 11 of 38.

Newcastle this season have already won 11 games. Sunderland still without a win.

Whilst Sunderland are now in a relegation battle for the 5th season in a row – the last 4 seasons have seen just 35 wins, Newcastle are having fun in the Championship. On course to come straight back up, as Champions.

I guess the best way to judge it is through attendances.

At 84.1%, Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League attendance table. Meanwhile, Newcastle are on average at 96.4% full to capacity. The Championship high. Proof, perhaps, that as a fan, the short term final day pain of relegation can soon be forgotten about by a successful season in a lower league.