Arsenal head to the Stadium of Light today looking to break a clean sheet record and maintain dominance in the Premier League.
This is how we design:
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Lintasa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Merino.
subtitles: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Hincapie, Mosquera, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Dowman, Harriman-Annous.
As fans, we’re tense… because of the clean sheets. A bad day for us at the moment is a shot on target. My father gets really angry at the thought.
*grabs a white leather glove and waves it at you in a dramatic 1920s fashion*
Go back to planet earth, friends… we worry about things that don’t matter. We worry about normal things that happen in games. If we don’t return to reality, we will really struggle with a bad moment.
The most important thing that needs to happen today is for Arsenal to leave block 4 of the season with maximum Premier League points. The run went well. Nothing comes easy in the Premier League, but in this series of games you wanted to see Arsenal play to their maximum potential.
Sunderland are going to bother us today. Their home ground is fierce, their form is very strong and the Granit Xhaka story is bubbling.
This Arsenal team hasn’t succumbed to that kind of nonsense so far. We are professional. We interrogate our opponents like a boxer, and then we beat them up. That’s what we need from Arsenal today.
The injuries piled up, we heard rumblings that Noni was fit, but unfortunately not. It would have been a much-needed return to a forward who has welcomed Mikel Merino into the number 9 position he has looked so damn good in. We are in good shape no matter who plays there. Trossard, the 30-year-old Belgian, has provided four assists and three goals so far this season. His setup for Merino’s first goal was fantastic last night.
Zubi is back in the mix and gives us legs and precision in midfield. Sunderland are like most teams coming up… physical and very fast on the break. We haven’t really suffered from transition this season, but at any moment something crazy can happen and the Arsenal aura of invincibility can emerge. It takes time to build trust, but my word: it can fall apart quickly… especially after a great run. Just look at Liverpool.
I’m hoping for a big game from Eze today, he’s been good, I’m waiting for him to play that game where you say, damn, this is the man. He will have plenty of minutes on the ball today, with Sunderland likely to dig deep to frustrate us.
The key to all these games: patience. Don’t do stupid things. Take the points in the games that are expected of you.
If you’re a bit of a table lurker, then you’ll have noticed some nice subplots. If we can increase our lead today we will go ten points clear of third place, which is incredible sauce at this stage of the season. United and Spurs signed in hilarious fashion. Richarlison broke the game in the 91st minute and celebrated like a champ… after which De Ligt made them dirty in the 96th minute. A draw was not good enough.
City play Liverpool at the Etihad tomorrow. Actually, we would like a Liverpool win. But I fear it will be a masterclass from City. Arne Slot doesn’t like fast balls over the top for quick strikers, and no team in the world has that tactic better at the moment than Pep G. I think Haaland will beat Virgil tomorrow and we’re going to be looking at a two-horse race, because 10 clear is quite a big number for Liverpool to make up.
Entering the international breakthrough on a high is really important. Two weeks of flying high and feeling unstoppable is something I hope for. BIG GAME.
I’m going live with Johnny after the game today, so if you want some podcast action, subscribe to Le Grove and catch us after the game!
Okay, see you in the comments. X
#MATCH #BLOG #SUNDERLAND