Okay, a quick match day blog so you can all leave some completely rational, non-cramped comments throughout the match.
Arteta has put ALL the fancy toys on the pitch for this match. He takes ZERO chances at Burnley, where Turf Moor is closed in the Premier League.
Things that worry me: They have conceded two goals at home in the Premier League this season. The 5-4-1 formation will be deep, so we will have to be very patient with the team today. Beating them 4-0 because they didn’t play in the league last season is unrealistic.
They also have 12 goals from 7.4 xG – they are the second most clinical team in the league. Not sustainable over the course of a season, but a warning: one mistake and they’re in penalty mode in front of goal.
They have also scored in nine of their last ten competitive matches. They progress very quickly and they have quality.
The last thing we need to sort out is the home crowd. Burnley has fanatical support. The ground is small, the fans are close to the pitch, and if we let the crowd do that twelfth man thing with an early goal or an errant red card, we could be in for a long afternoon.
My biggest concern for the afternoon is that we don’t have many attacking options on the bench, apart from two teenagers and Mikel Merino. Not bad options, but not entirely ideal if you have Martinelli, Noni and Kai out of the team.
This is a huge game. We have set the tone for the weekend. If we manage to get three points, the focus will shift to City, who have a very good Bournemouth, and Liverpool will play an irresistible Villa team. The best derby is also Spurs versus Chelsea.
This is a huge day for the diary. That agenda is for Arsenal to win the league. Okay, grab a warm cup of raw milk and let’s have a nice day.
There is also a lot to do for AOP membership. After the match we will go live to the members. You also get access to Discord, ad-free work and bonus content. There are a lot of hours per week in that deal; people say this is the best deal online.
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