It’s morning everyone.
After two cup defeats in a week, the next game always becomes a bit more important, and as it happens, this is the North London derby, already one of the most important games of the season. The need for Arsenal to respond and hit back is clear, but the fact that Liverpool dropped a point last night and we have a chance to close the gap a bit gives this evening’s game even greater significance.
I can’t see much of a spin on this. The manager said Jurien Timber’s problem on Sunday was cramps, so I expect the same will be true for the back four, with Riccardo Calafiori still out and Oleksandr Zinchenko heavily linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund this month. I think we’ll be looking at a midfield trio of Partey, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, and the manager doesn’t have much to choose from in front of them.
As I wrote yesterday, delivering in this game will help Kai Havertz put a difficult week behind him, with two of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling playing alongside him. For obvious reasons we have no bones going forward and I wondered if Arteta would be willing to start Sterling to keep a more ‘reliable’ man on the bench if needed. Martinelli and Trossard haven’t been outstanding, but we know they can find the net. We don’t really know anything about Sterling yet. It might be risky, but it might be something he’s considering to bolster the bench.
What else should we say about our approach? I think everyone was frustrated and disappointed by the cup run. Reasonably so. But tonight, as our old friend Goonerholic says, we’re turning the guns outward. The team’s quick start can energize the crowd and get everyone involved in the action, with Arteta commenting in his pre-match press conference:
Our aim is to create the best atmosphere we have ever played in at the Emirates. That’s what we control. The players, the staff and everyone who shows up tomorrow. This is something we can do, so let’s do it.
It is a two-part thing. The team must deliver and the crowd must respond. But there is no doubt that once the first part is completed, the second will follow. And if the team needs spectators, I’m sure they will provide that support. We know how this competition is going to try and play, and there will be more room and space than any other game this season, so we’re ready and hope we can make the most of it.
But ultimately, no matter how we do it, it’s important that we take all three points tonight. There is more interest in the league following the cup competition and another opportunity to get closer to Liverpool should not be missed. I think this team will be absolutely fired up for this game and looking to right the wrongs, and a win tonight will help soothe some of the hurt from last week.
Fingers crossed!
—
Elsewhere, it has been officially confirmed that Gabriel Jesus has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and will now be sidelined for an extended period of time. It’s a truly cruel blow for a player who has struggled with injuries and fitness issues since suffering an injury at the 2022 World Cup. It is believed that the tournament has played a role in causing many major injuries to players since then. Still, I think I need to look into it in more detail. He went through terrible devastation, but found some form, purpose and happiness again in his game, and now this. Terrible.
He will undergo surgery and then begin a long and difficult rehabilitation process. All we can do is hope for a quick and simple recovery for him. But it clearly puts the team and squad in a more difficult position, and when asked whether the club would respond in the transfer window, the manager was a bit more open-minded than he had been in previous press conferences.
The fact that I love our players so much doesn’t mean we don’t do anything to improve. I’m not that stubborn. We are actively researching the market to improve our squad and this has been the same since day one. It would be naive not to do so, especially since it is an opportunity to develop the team and improve the squad depending on the situation. Yes. We’re looking, we’re trying, and we’ll see what we can do.
The truth is that you won’t be able to see Jesus for the better part of a year now, and even then, you have no idea how long it will take for a player to get back to his best form. Arteta also said this.
We have a very clear idea of ​​the players we want.
Now the question is whether they can make it happen in January. Whether it’s an out-and-out striker like Benjamin Sesko or someone more versatile, this team needs additions to the forward area, so let’s keep everything crossed so it can happen sooner rather than later. There are two weeks left, but there are still plenty of games to play this month, so you can get someone in better shape sooner.
Afterwards, an interesting story was ‘leaked’ about how we basically agreed a deal for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zuvimendi (presumably to put out the fire after the Manchester United game). He is a player we have been waiting for for a long time and one that both Liverpool and Manchester City have tried to sign. I think he’s great and would be a very good addition to a midfield that will lose two out-of-contract veterans in the summer (I think this is the right thing to do).
Zubimendi would be a great way to offset this churn, and on that point I agree 100%. There will be those who question the signing of another ‘defensive’ player, especially after having already spent over £100m on Declan Rice. I understand that, but if you lose Partey and Jorginho, you’ll need to bring in a midfielder, so why not? You ask for the best you can and he has the best there is? What it means for Rice moving forward is certainly an interesting topic, and any concerns about signing a midfielder when much more going forward could be offset by the arrival of one or two in the meantime, so we’ll see how it all plays out. . But if we can do it, he is a very good player and would be a solid signing.
—
Okay, let’s leave it there for now. Later you can join in on the live blog coverage and get match reports, goal clips, reactions, player ratings and more from Arseblog News.
Welcome, commies!
