It’s Champions League night and Arsenal go again in an attempt to win six from six. We are currently the only team in Europe to have won all their matches in the tournament this season. Quite an achievement, you must say. It also makes a mockery of these people who are currently criticizing Arteta for only being the best of both leagues. As a manager he has gotten the most out of his players, his coaching is of the highest standard and he has made many good decisions.
The only thing we can knock him for is how poorly he manages the players’ fitness. City keeps its players fitter than Arsenal and that also applies to Liverpool. That has to change if we want the Premier League or the Champions League to be ours this season. Don’t forget that last season we had to play PSG with Mikel Merino up front. It will never be easy.
Arteta is currently the best coach in the world. He just has to do his best and keep his boys fresher than a bag of Marks and Spencers lettuce.
The news from the training ground (because we always train) is that Declan Rice was not there. That doesn’t mean he’s broken and we all know the club can put together any story they want in the limited time the media gets to watch players. I hope Arteta gives him a rest regardless of availability. This match against Bruges won’t be easy, but they’re not the worst team you’ll face in mid-December as they don’t have the strength or emotional relevance of Bayern.
They are good on the counter, as Barcelona found out when they were locked to a 3-3 draw. They have a striker named Carlos Forbs who was excellent in that outing. We’re actually playing against a lightweight transition team. They look a bit Leeds-esque. I don’t want to downplay them completely, but they were beaten 4-0 by Bayer and also lost to Atalanta and Sporting Lisbon.
Arteta won’t be able to rotate fully, but this really should be a game where we don’t see Declan and, in my humble opinion, Zubimendi.
Noni Madueke has to start on the right. Get Martinelli on the left side. Start with the big guy so he can do some bullying. But if given the choice, I’d like to see Gabriel Jesus try because I think he’d be more useful at this point as our 9. In my defense, give me Myles, Hincapie, Saliba and White. Midfield? Norgaard, Odegaard and Mikel Merino.
I can handle that. Then we explode against Wolves on Saturday with all the well-rested pieces of the first team.
I’m not too worried about the ability to bounce back this season. We are a much more resilient side. The Villa game was not a shocking performance. It was an exciting match against one of the most in-form teams in Europe, which turned into a close margin affair due to form, lack of defenders and fatigue.
The cavalry will return in the coming weeks. Gabriel Jesus has been added to the Champions League squad and given minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Saliba will return soon. It won’t be more than two weeks before Big Gabriel returns. Kai Havertz should start before the month is out… and if he returns, there’s no doubt that guy is the best 9 we have at the club.
If no more damage is done this month, we can be at full strength on January 1st.
But that is the most charged of all time.
Let’s see what lessons Arteta learned tomorrow night.
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#CLUB #BRUGES #RETURN #JESUS