ARS 2-1 CHE: Excellent Game, Great Result. Plus, AMN!!

 Chelsea was a real test for the Gunners.  The Blues had five shots on target, and of course one of them went in 77 seconds into the game.  We don't have much experience at coming from behind, so it was great to see us do it today.  Both managers set up their teams to spring surprises and create overloads.  Defenders took advanced positions almost all game.  In the end, Arsenal's defensive stability was the difference.  All three goals were very good.  They hit the post once, and we had one ruled out (correctly) for offside.  Martinez and Raya were called into action quite a bit, and there were some top class saves for both.  On balance, I think we deserved the win.  The xG was heavily in our favor, but I don't believe you can say we were exactly comfortable.

Konsa was fine.  Our midfield was better than theirs but didn't dominate the way I hoped.  It was a really good day at the office, though.  It's a worrying sign that Gyokeres got on late again but was a total nonfactor, losing the ball a couple times when he shouldn't have.  Tzolis seems to have bounced back from his schooling from Matty Cash last week, but picked up a dumb yellow card, which I believe makes it two already.  Arteta made the same subs he did last week, except that Eze didn't get on the pitch.  He's going to have to rotate against teams that aren't as strong as Chelsea, or we'll burn out his first choice players.

Well, we and City are perfect so far, which is an early indication that these are the teams to beat if anyone else has hopes of winning the title.

Arsenal academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored the goal of the season so far to steal a point at home for the Toffees against Man U.  It was only the second he'd scored in his career.  Everton grabbed him very late in the window for $6M.  He's earned it already.

The first half of that game was pretty bad, but it sprang into life early into the second half, after which it became a great watch.

No Striker for You, Mikel

 KSE just bought the Los Angeles Angels for a few billion dollars.  So Vinicius Jr was probably never a real possibility.  Stan Kroenke has built a real sporting powerhouse.

KSE’s full portfolio is wild: the Rams (NFL), Nuggets (NBA), Avalanche (NHL), Rapids (MLS), Mammoth (NLL), Arsenal (Premier League) and now the Angels (MLB). Add in Altitude Sports & Entertainment, Ball Arena, DICK’S Sporting Goods Park and Outdoor Sportsman Group, and you are looking at what Forbes has called the most valuable sports empire on the planet.

AVL 0-1 ARS: Just Enough to Win. Again. Dammit.

 Clean sheets are good.  They also seem to still be necessary, because we just can't score many goals.  The winner was slick and required the assister and the scorer to beat their defenders to the killing touch at full stretch.  Class all the way.  The rest of the game was something less than that, but the important thing is that we got the three points.

I don't know if a new marquee striker would mean more goals for Arsenal and easier viewing for me.  Maybe we were just a bit off in the attack, and subsequent weeks will bring better connections.  But this should have been more comfortable.

ARS 3-0 COV: Premier League Champions Overpower Championship Champions

Frank Lampard's Coventry did what they could, but integrating their new players probably cost them some fluidity.  They seldom threatened and the Gunners brushed them aside.  Our new man Tzolis was immense on the left wing.  He had lots of space--Calafiori's buccaneering approach helped with this--and was key on our first two goals, scored by Havertz and Saka.  Odegaard scuffed in the third, wrongfooting the keeper by hitting his shot off his standing foot.

Few of our games will be this easy, but it was a great way to kick off the season.  The drama was in team selection.  Martinelli and Jesus were not in the squad.  Neither were Guimaraes, who took a knock in the Community Shield, and Konsa, who was introduced to the cheering throng as our newest player.  Gyokeres, Dowman, and Nwaneri were unused subs.  

It seems to me that Madueke's function is simply to give Saka a break.  The stats say he created chances, but I saw just one.  Most of his possessions ended in our losing the ball.  Why not give Nwaneri a chance there?  A good showing might help him get a better loan move.

It's Villa in ten days.  Maybe Konsa will start against his former club.

ARS 3-0 MCI (Community Shield)

 The Gunners played well and deserved to win, but this was one of those games in which the keepers were decisive.  Donnaruma was poor for all three Arsenal goals, while Raya made two or three stellar saves.  However, our midfield overpowered the Citizens.  Odegaard was in World Cup form (he was great for Norway) with a very good goal, Guimares was strong, and MLS had a solid game (and a fine assist for Calafiori's opener).  The second half subs did well, too, especially Rice.  Defensively we did the business, but the absence of Timber and Saliba was felt.  Doku beat White a couple times, and Semenyo troubled Calafiori off and on.  Haaland got no service, though, which was the aim.  Gabriel and Mosquera marshaled him well.  Up front, Tzolis assisted twice--a header to Havertz and a delicate cross to Odegaard--and took care of the ball, Havertz scored and was an effective target man, and Madueke was threatening without quite finding the final ball (again).  When Saka came in for Noni, he sported a new hairdo.

It was a good day at the office for sure.  It ought to give us confidence and I hope it convinces Mikel that Myles has to be on our roster.  Zubimendi was immense for us last season, but I'd rather he were sold if someone has to be.  Nwaneri could use another loan; there's no room in midfield and there are three right wingers ahead of him in the pecking order.  

(Highlights)

Preseason Friendlies and Transfer Stuff

 The games with Girona, Betis, Dortmund, and Como weren't great and didn't tell us much.  Arteta got a look at some of the academy products and he introduced some of the regulars into competitive games.  Is the Community Shield the last preseason game or the start of our season?  Arteta will want to win it.

We acquired Tzolis early in the transfer window and he looked really good in preseason.  He'll have to be, because he's replacing Trossard, who was sold.  The Vinicius Junior saga ended fairly quickly, fortunately. Of course he's a wonderful player, but the price and the salary would have caused problems.  Buying Guimaraes was a shrewd move.  He's an expensive 28 year old, but he provides more bite in midfield and has an eye for the killer pass.  Our midfield is incredibly strong.  We have excellent players who will struggle to get minutes.  Zubimendi, Merino, Lewis-Skelly, and Eze will have to scrap for playing time, if we don't sell one or two of them.  Another crowded position is right wing, where Saka is first choice but Madueke, Nwaneri, and Dowman will all feel as though they should be used there.  I'd love to see some rotation to keep Saka fresh and healthy while giving Dowman a chance to develop with us.  Nwaneri should be loaned out.  

Saliba's bad back has us looking to buy a center back, and with Timber and White having their own fitness issues, that center back will probably be a right footer who can play at right back.  Konsa is the target.  Marli Salmon and Christian Mosquera are great prospects who can fill the bill, but who may be too young to entrust with that responsibility just yet.  Hincapie is ours permanently now, and let's hope Calafiori stays fit.  We even strengthened at GK, with Meslier coming in and looking more secure than Kepa, who is still ours for now.  Neither will challenge Raya, of course.

Even if we don't sign any other players, I like our chances to retain the title.  We'd have to be the favorites now, but every squad has strengthened and I expect a real dogfight for top spot all season.  I'll leave you with this fashion bulletin.

World Cup Rambling

 FIFA tries and tries to ruin this tournament, but the football always bails them out.  Ad breaks, expansion to 48 teams (another 40 games in which to sell ads that run in those breaks), ticket pricing nonsense, etc. are annoying and make a mockery of all the records being set.  We've got top teams playing the #83 nation, and an extra game for all the good teams; of course scoring records will fall.  But once past the mostly boring group stage (little was at stake for any of the teams with a shot at winning the cup), the round of 32 has served up some really good games, most of which were real nailbiters.  

The Arsenal players in the tournament have done their part.  I was very impressed with Trossard taking charge for Belgium, and even more impressed with Odegaard's running the show for Norway.  Martinelli got Brazil's winning goal against Japan, and Gabriel Magalhaes assisted the equalizer.  Declan Rice is England's most important player.  Madueke does not look great to me even if he is energetic; Saka is obviously injured.  Eze is a bit player but a useful sub.  Gyok never really hit top gear for Sweden.  Saliba is his usual magnificent self.  Our Spanish players may get a shot later.  Havertz has scored for Germany but he missed a pen that helped Paraguay oust them.  Hincapie covered his mouth instead of uncovering his butt, and the ref gave him a red card out of disappointment.  Former Gunners abound--Kolasinac shared a postgame chat with Flo Balogun after the USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia today.  I love our players and want them to be happy, but I also would like them to get some time off from crunching tackles, so I'm conflicted.

England-Mexico looks like a good game in the next round.  I like the USA's chances against Belgium.  But France will probably win it all.  Argentina is the only squad that might stop them.