Before I start I want to thank every member of the 7amkickoff community. This may sound trite but you all make this blog worth writing. I love reading your thoughtful comments and often find myself changing my opinion based on the arguments you put forth. But more than just that it’s the respectful (mostly!) dialog and (mostly!) good faith disagreement which makes this group of readers and writers different from so many other places on the internet. I get a lot of praise for building this blog but I just set out a few basic rules (which I think should probably be universal, but aren’t) and you all do the hard work of policing those rules. I almost never have to ban people and even more rarely disappear comments or step in to tell someone to calm down. So, thank you for doing the heavy lifting of treating each other with respect and the dignity that we all deserve.
On a completely different note, I also want to thank everyone who donated yesterday. When Tom asked me to post my paypal link I thought one or two of you would donate and that I could use the money to pay for that transcription service. Turns out that 7 of you (yes, I know) wanted to donate and more than helped cover the cost of that service. So, I subscribed for a year and paid for a transcript. I’ll post that in a few minutes. But I just need to say thanks. You folks are so generous.
Now, this weekend. Burnley. Ugh. I hate when we play Burnley.
In a sense I’m paying them huge respect by saying that I hate when we play them. Arsenal have won 11 in a row and I still hate playing them. They are tough, they are organized, they have a plan, and they stick to it.
It’s actually pretty funny to see how they lineup the exact same way every game; 442. The leave a big hole right in the middle, split the two forwards, and the remaining 8 players cover everything else.
Think you’re going to score off crosses? Think again. They have the 2nd most crosses agains them into the box and their keeper the most claims.
Think you can score off a set piece? Unpossible! They have conceded just 2 goals off set plays this season (fewest in the League).
They concede a lot of goals but almost all of them come from open play. You just need to beat them in those one-v-one duels that open space in their back line. Which is why I hate playing them!
And they are on a good run with back to back wins over Leicester and Man U while Arsenal have drawn three in a row.
Of course, we are rebuilding. Arsenal also played 10 men against Chelsea in the previous match, and we have been missing our star striker (who returns for this match). So, while things at Arsenal look bad there’s a sense that we are getting better. We really need a win to cement that sense. And while this will be a tough match I think we should have enough to win it.
(If we show up, play hard, don’t take anything for granted, take our chances, play good defense, stay organized, maybe get a little bit lucky, make some key saves, and follow Arteta’s orders to a T.)
I also hope they are hungover from celebrating their Brexit victory.
Here here. I think this is comfortably the most generous you have ever been to Burnley (LOL). They are in good-ish form and there’s a lot of resentment built from previous injury time defeats and a good old fashioned sense of injustice (more LOLS).
We really could do with 3 points tomorrow. Whether that’s via a drubbing or a 95th minute scrambled winner I don’t care but it will set the mini break off on a high. COYG
With Chelsea, ManU, Wolves all drawing today and Tots possibly beaten tomorrow, it would be great to get 3 points tomorrow.
Also, the win would be a further step forward in the rebuild process.
With Auba back, I hope he starts upfront, with Martinelli and Pepe on either side. Who starts at the back will be interesting, with couple of loan signings added, possibly Kolasinac available, Arteta will have a nicer problem with the selection.
Midfield probably is obvious if playing at home – Ozil, Xhaka and Torreira. However, this will be tough physical test away, so wonder if it be Ozil or other.
After a long time, I’m looking forward to an away game, with hope of making a good impact on the league table.
COYG
Hahaha that last line is gold.
11 in a row? I believe you but that’s almost unbelievable.
I’ve got a good feeling about tomorrow. I don’t know why I just think it could be the start of a run.
thanks for the flattering words, tim. really, it’s you that give a bunch of soccer nerds a place and the opportunity to talk about arsenal. it’s not like i can talk to my wife about it. well…she would listen out of respect but i wouldn’t get much feed back with the passion of you guys; she really doesn’t care.
i haven’t posted over the past week, been crazy busy. exciting times with the loanees. the cedric loan is the weirdest but he gives arsenal cover on both sides. he announced he was leaving southampton a few months ago as his contract is up in the summer so it’s an opportunity for them to bring in kyle walker jr. i hope cedric does well but it doesn’t seem like arsenal needs him. we’ll see.
burnley is a strange one indeed. i remember them eliminating arsenal from a cup competition a dozen or so years ago. they played proper football but, when you don’t have the requisite quality, it’s tough to stay up. ironically, i wanted their two strikers, chris wood and jay rodriguez, to come to arsenal. wood impressed me during the ’10 world cup. i asked another blogger called kiwi gooner about him (wood is from new zealand) and he said he didn’t think wood was arsenal material. i disagreed as wood was very young then and had all the properties to be developed. instead, arsenal signed chamakh.
when van persie left, i was saying arsenal should sign jay rodriguez as an rvp replacement as he was much better than people realized. everyone said he wasn’t good enough. a year later, he was in the england team but suffered a big injury and has only recently gotten back to his best. i wish arsenal had signed either of the two, preferably rodriguez as i’d seen more of him as well as seeing him play in the premier league. i think i read back then that rodriguez’ father was spanish. he scored a peach against man united a few weeks ago, lacing one past de gea high at the near post.
i don’t have anything to say about burnley. i watched their game against man united and against us. if i remember correctly, auba scored a brace against them. they were struggling and then they weren’t. we’ll see what happens.
No thanks necessary Tim
I feel while Arsenal can up their physical play , Burnley aren’t very likely to up their technical level and that’s why I like our chances.
If we match their effort and commitment there can only be one winner.
JOSHUAD, good shoutout to Rodriguez.
I remember he was outstanding for Southampton but the ACL injury that sidelined him for a season took some pace away from his game.
burnley supporters are more suited ti WWE or jack and the beanstalk at the adelphi theatre. after all the booing perhaps the odd chant of “it’s behind you” might be less boring.
Luiz was right anti football and anti football supporters.
Our entire left side was rendered ineffective when Saka came off at half time. I know at some point we have to start winning games and I understand the fan frustration but we also need to be able to find a core starting XI before we can really push forward.
Saka was a big loss.
Burnley are a new Stoke – players, coach and the supporters too.
For such a tough guy Dyche seems to spend a lot of time whining.
Auba missed some chances he usually puts away. Laca missed some he usually misses.
Our midfield is our weakness, has been all season.
That’s where we get overrun for lack of pace and physicality.
Where’s Pepe?
Absolutely hate the 90th minute subs to influence a game.
Clean sheet and good performance from the back four about the only positive.
The draws are killing us.
sterling just did an identical foul to aubameyangs red… var no sending off…
Ha, beat me to it.
Arsenal yellow cards per fouls is the worst in the league and we also should be higher up the table if all decision were correct according to ESPN ( +9 points)
I thought once Wenger was gone this bs would end but apparently not.
Like today the tackle on Saka that stopped a assist nothing but dirty old Ozil got the first yellow..
Same type of challenge Auba got the red for Sterling only gets a yellow.
VAR is useless
spuds 2 shots 2 goals.. man citeh 14 shots no goals.
another not so good weekend, top 4 isn’t a given for us. 😉
City threw this one away.
Sloppy last ball after cutting Tottenham open over and over.
Missed pen, boneheaded decision by Zinchenko to break up play on a yellow, etc
City don’t care . Their season is in the cups.
Mourinho will be taking all the credit Im sure for ………………having a huge silver horseshoe up his backside in this one.
So far during the Arteta era we have 1 win in 7 league games and remain stuck in 10th place. The last time I checked the math are actually collecting fewer points per game then we did during the Emery/Ljundberg era. . I am still hopeful we can find a good run of form and finish in one of the Europa league spots but it going to be tough to climb back into the top 6. Our ability to prevent goals against has certainly improved in these 7 games but our goal scoring has diminished. We have only scored 8 goals during those games so its not a surprise that we can’t win.
Yes!
Defense is a reasonably bright spot. If Mustafi can somehow reduce his catastrophic error rate, he’s a pretty solid defender. Bellerin getting back into it a little, and we have decent options on the left if everyone’s healthy.
Everything else, pretty dismal. Ozil was poor again. Now he’s even missing the passes he’d normally make. Lacazette needs to sit. And Pepe apparently is bordering on a lost cause. When one looks at the amount of wasted money in those three this season, it’s criminal.
We are about where we should be in the table, based on the injuries we’ve had and the way we’ve played. It’s awful for me to think this way, but absent winning the Europa and getting into CL for the money, we may be better off finishing out of the Europa spots. A solid summer of practice and a season not playing on Thursdays might be better at this point.