Thought I would get this one done early, as my plans tonight include the odd beverage or two. The Gunners are feeling a little bit confident, even though they will be missing their manager. They are currently a top four team, which means they must be doing something right. An early kick off on New Year’s Day is not brilliant, and given the news overnight about Cancelo, I wonder what frame of mind the team will be in? It’s good that Walker is back in training, but I can’s see him getting many minutes tomorrow (if any). I am a little bit nervous I have to say.
COME ON CITY!!!
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Simon Long
Fourth official: Kevin Friend
VAR: Jarred Gillet
Assistant VAR: Derek Eaton
Team Selection
Ramsdale
White Holding Gabriel Tierney
Sambi Xhaka
Saka Ødegaard Martinelli
Laca
And the rest…
City are in scary form but their defense is quite shaky…I think for the first time, we don't really have cause to complain or give any excuse. We're playing at home and the crowd will be up for this. It's just a matter of whether the players don't **** their pants or Arteta telling us that it's a "free hit." Let's go for a win but a draw won't hurt. We have to start taking these sort of games seriously not writing them off before they even begin.
Have little confidence in front of this one. I would love a draw. Don’t think Arteta matches up well against Pep from a tactical standpoint. A win would be really sweet but struggle to see it happen.
No free hits here…We’re the home team, so we should have no regrets and attack them from the first whistle. If we just play cautiously and sit back, we’ll just be waiting for the inevitable.
Do exactly what Conte set Sp**s up to do against Liverpool, that is sitting back and counter attacking. This is what you do as an inferior team and you want the points. It’s not that deep.
This is the big tester to prove that this recent great form is the real deal. There can be no more writing ourselves off before a ball has been kicked. I don't want to hear Pep singing Arteta's praises again after smashing us 5-0. I want to hear him bitter and moaning about some refereeing decision after the game…I just want us to play well in a big game to prove we belong in that company. We've not done that for so long now.
Anything from this will be a bonus, they are simply better than us at the moment. Good test for the lads.
All I want is for us to go at them and not act like we’re the away side. Same **** every time we play.
Should be at least drawing against Man City.
Last 4 games against Man City:
Conceded in the 7th and 12th minute.
Conceded in the 2nd minute.
Conceded in the 3rd minute.
Conceded in the 23rd minute.
If Rodri missing here it'll be good for us because he been fantastic in midfield we'll need to deal with elite teams pressing we just can't handle when Liverpool or city do that to us xhaka Partey have important role to play here.
As If Rodri missing will make any difference. Even if they play Fernandinho or Gundogan there they'll still twàt us if they're in the mood.
Arteta first real test.
Not looking forward to this. City are just getting into the title winning stride, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go to the end of the season unbeaten. I’m super impressed with city, yes they have spent money but they are becoming the Bayern of the PL.
We have to go and attack them. Defensively they look vulnerable and Fernandinho is starting to look like an old man. Leicester pressed him heavily and got their rewards.
We have to do the exact same and then flood forward, **** thinking about defending. There should be no excuse for Arteta now.
Got a good feeling about this one. I think we might get a result here tbh…Be excited people.
Starting to dread this game more and more. At full strength it should have been an entertaining measurement of where we stand currently. But without Mikel and some of our players it’s starting to look more like torture again.
Apparently so. Tonight Brentford stayed in the game against City the whole match. When was the last league game we were competitive against City?
I don't want to sound negative, but city look to me are unstoppable 10th straight win they just look so good home or away. I'd love we stop their run.
A very poor Tottenham with a very bald man as their manager managed to beat and keep a clean sheet against City at the beginning of this season. There is no reason to pretend, like the Tetasexuals do, that this game isnt winable.
The bonkers way Liverpool and Chelsea are dropping points, a win Saturday and we'll start believing we can make 2nd.
Stop with this free hit bs, I hate it so much.
City didn't look great last night but as ever they did enough to win, clean sheet as well. With the Covid issues it kind of takes the piss that they can basically field 2 excellent teams. A win or a draw would be a fantastic result. If we get beat I want us to at least make sure we show that we belong on the same pitch as them. It's been so demoralising getting our arses handed to us every time we've came up against City or Liverpool lately.
This season is strange and the young gunners might be galvanised who knows. Logic says this is a free hit/survival job though, but Arsenal are the only team playing with confidence and poise at the moment so it's really hard to say.
We are Arsenal, not Norwich. There are no free hits.
Call this game off ffs.
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