It’s going to be quite tough this season, having to predict defeats, but much as I’d like a headline hitting 1-0 to the Leeds result, my heard tells me a 3-1 defeat. Without Ampadu, it’s going to be harder to keep a tighter ship.

The truth we also need several games yet to gauge where we are at with this team.

Thanks once again Earl for the Live Thread on match days. It’s a shame tha Highland, Harj etc. aren’t here to enjoy the top flight again with us.

Of course, my Dad also, taken shortly before the 6-0 win against Stoke.

I’m sure most of us realistically just want us to stay up one way or another, and even better if we have a fantastic season and finish lower mid-table.

Best wishes to you and your family, Real Estate, and to everyone who has lost a loved one in the past year. And thanks, Earl, for your excellent MDT's.
And isn't it great going into a match against a proper football team? It's like popping open the champagne after a year of your mate's homebrew.
There was lots to admire about our performance last week. The set-up, the tempo, the changes, all of them were spot on.
Arsenal away is a different kind of test and when you look at it, man for man, we are nowhere near them.
That said, they looked pretty ordinary against Man U, last week, and they are without some good players, Havertz, Ben White, Timber may all be out. But then, you have to look at who will be in - Saka, Rice, Raya, Djokeres, Martinelli, Odegard...the list goes on.
Farke has said it's not in our DNA to play an all out defensive game, so it will be fascinating to see how different we will look tactically. Will he go for the players who looked good last week? Will he stick to 4-3-3? Who will replace Ampadu? Will Bijol come in for Struijk?
I think we will play a much more defensive game, so I think out set-up will look like this (5-3-2):
Perri
Bogle Rodon Bijol Struijk Gudmondsen
Tanaka Stach Longstaff
Gnonto Piroe
If we can keep it down to 1-0, or even scoreless, we can bring on Nmecha and Okafor for the last ten minutes.
But this is why we fought so hard to get here. No more Stoke or Watford or Blackburn's for us. We are dining at the Captain's table.
Keep them out for the first thirty minutes, quieten the library down to a whisper, and we may just see them fray at the edges a little. Get to half-time at 0-0, and you never know. A game of football is won primarily in the mind.
In all honesty, though, this is a massive challenge for us, and while my heart hopes for a point or three, I wouldn't be desperately disappointed with a 1-0 loss. From a set piece. Typical Arsenal.

Live @ https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/469059
One match ban enabled

Morning all🌞 and thanks for the MDT Earl👍.

So, it doesn’t come much harder than this but we need to test ourselves against the very best and see where we are atm. At the very best (see what I did there?) I’m hoping for a draw but like most of us, I’m expecting a defeat and hope it’s not too heavy. 2-0.

Farkeness, I said on the Okafor thread I think 5-3-2 works for us. Wouldn’t have Piroe there. Would be better with Nmecha Okafor/Gnonto (preferably Okafor but probably too early). Piroe Gnonto will be so easy for defenders to defend anything in the air and they will both want to occupy the same space in dropping into y he pocket. Nmecha and Okafor together would offer aerial ability and pace and power. DCL won’t be ready yet.

I would be amazed if we do go 3 at the back though as haven’t seen any signs of Farke working on it and he doesn’t seem to be a manager that will change too much game to game. Maybe the interest in Hill at Bournemouth is a clue to us adding to a squad that will play 3 at the back though?

comment by Admin1 (U1)
posted 1 hour, 14 minutes ago
Live @ https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/469059
One match ban enabled
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Thanks Admin once again and much appreciated

Obviously one of the hardest matches of the season,I hope we don't suffer a heavy defeat that affects confidence for the next few games. Hoping we can get a result, I would be delighted with a draw.
Watched West Ham last night, they look relegation prospects, which is good for us.

0-0 would be nice

My head says we lose 3-1. My heart says 1-2.

Think about today from the players' perspective:
They won promotion in style. First game back was
at home with a brilliant crowd, great result. Second
game at one of the best stadiums in the Prem.

They deserve this. Bet the stomach butterflies are
going mental. Hopefully today, they continue to show
that they belong in the Prem. Great day.

I will enjoy the dream and wish of Leeds remaining unbeatable so will go for an earth shaking football World shocking and waking up to Leeds are back with a Bielsa-esque Stuart Dallas-esque 2-1 away win...but hopefully without a Leeds player sent off....Arsenal 1 Leeds 2

There won’t be many teams getting a result at the Emirates this season.

Anything other than a pasting is a positive in my view. Arsenal are buzzing right now and I think this will be their season.

That said, we have to be hopeful. Early season games are more likely to throw up a shock result, lets see what we can do!

Hoping we see DCL & Okafor today. May well be
just as 70th minute subs. But, hey come on Daniel,
give them a run out.

Bet 365 current odds ‘not to be relegated’

Leeds 1/3
Brentford 4/11
Wolves 4/11
West Ham 2/5
Sunderland 1/1
Burnley 11/4

Would love us to beat that mob as i cant stand them or their supporters and that whinging kant arteta really grinds on me. Blames everything and everyone when they lose. The way he goes on you would think only arsenal suffer dodgy ref and var decisions and as for those dodgy balls arsenal are forced to use whilst others obviously have a better ball but its nothing to do with a bad day at the office or a better team oh no arsenal are always robbed. That said would be very surprised if we get anything today and would be over the ,moon with a win or draw but cant see it happening

Well, I'm off to the Emirates, will have to sit quiet as I will be in the home end but it's better than nothing.

Quite excited none the less.

Largie left out of the travelling squad, tipped to go out on loan to Rangers, any thoughts?

comment by Elsbels (U21658)
posted 6 minutes ago
Largie left out of the travelling squad, tipped to go out on loan to Rangers, any thoughts?
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Farke never warmed to him. Did his part well when he played. If Okafor turns out decent then it would soften the blow.

Thanks for the MDT Earl.

Here we go again. Hepworth is right that this is one of the toughest fixtures ahead of us, but I think going to the Emirates now is better than going later in the season. Agree with Hayemaker that if we come out of this with a point, I will be ecstatic.

Even so, I remain quietly confident in our investment in defence and midfield. I think we'll be tough to break down.

Bring it on!

Re Largie, he's no doubt a gifted player but does he work hard enough? It's really surprising that he hasn't been used more regularly so there must be something. I am not convinced Farke's the sort of coach who makes decisions based on his personal preferences or any sort of favouritism. Largie's doing, or not doing, something that Farke doesn't appreciate? Who knows. but maybe a loan spell elsewhere would do him good if he can't get game time with us.

comment by HaveFaithInLeeds (U8688)
posted 4 hours, 25 minutes ago
Farkeness, I said on the Okafor thread I think 5-3-2 works for us. Wouldn’t have Piroe there. Would be better with Nmecha Okafor/Gnonto (preferably Okafor but probably too early). Piroe Gnonto will be so easy for defenders to defend anything in the air and they will both want to occupy the same space in dropping into y he pocket. Nmecha and Okafor together would offer aerial ability and pace and power. DCL won’t be ready yet.

I would be amazed if we do go 3 at the back though as haven’t seen any signs of Farke working on it and he doesn’t seem to be a manager that will change too much game to game. Maybe the interest in Hill at Bournemouth is a clue to us adding to a squad that will play 3 at the back though?


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He's already changed to 4-3-3 Faith, why wouldn't he change to 5-3-2? It's not a huge step. And he made subs much earlier in the Everton game. I think he has to, just to give us a fighting chance. Nmecha for Piroe is a big call, though. He can hold the ball, but I like the look of Piroe and I think he will get sharper and sharper, with more games under his belt. This is a low-risk game for us, so why not give Piroe more minutes, maybe bring Nmecha on for the last 15? Okafor sounds like a butterfly. I'd rather have him start in a light breeze against Wolves than in a thunderstorm at the Emirates.

Square Ball said that Farke didnt like that Largie loses the ball quite often which we can get away with in the championship but wont in the PL. I like him a lot but that their take on it.

comment by Elsbels (U21658)
posted about an hour ago
Well, I'm off to the Emirates, will have to sit quiet as I will be in the home end but it's better than nothing.

Quite excited none the less.
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good luck on staying quite when Leeds score Els.
Keep safe.

Cheers Earl.

This is the one I'm apprehensive about, main reason is, as I've stated before, when we were in the top flight, the better half is a life long Arsenal fan.

She isn't a glory seeker as she was born and raised in Islington and is a life long Gooner, just like myself being originally born and from Leeds and having supported my home town club all my life.

The key for us to getting anything at the Emirates today is for Arsenal to be in 'Early season' not up to top gear mode and tge front 3 looking a bit off the boil, like last week against Manu.

Absolute No N to try and play football against them. Just hope for the odd break and capitilising on the odd dead ball situation.

At best 1-1 , realistically keep it respectable and perform the best we can in the circumstances.