Halfway

 All but four teams have played 19 games now.  Here's where it stands:

80 points is not going to win the league.  It's quite congested at the top (we'll talk about the bottom later), so the eventual winner will have to go on an almighty tear at some point, as City did last season with their 11 game winning streak to bury Arsenal.  Most pundits think they're the prime suspects to do just that, although Liverpool could attract some betting interest.  Arsenal has to be no better than third choice.  We're finding ways to drop points.  No club is afraid of us, nor should they be.  For all the "control" Arteta craves, his men just can't score enough goals to sustain a title charge.  Every squad has been hit with injury; no one can use that excuse.  At this point, a top four finish looks like the best I can hope for.

The relegation battle may be another free-for-all.  14th is just four points better than 18th.  There are some teams down there (Palace for instance) that on paper are too good to drop out of the EPL, but they play on grass.  Sheffield looks sure to be relegated, and Luton and Burnley may never get out of the drop zone, but lightning might strike and one of those could start winning.  34 points might do it this year.  

ARS 0-2 WHU: If You Don't Score, You Won't Win

 Credit to West Ham, who executed their game plan very well.  They got a couple of breaks and cashed in on them.  The Gunners once again had plenty of the ball but never looked like scoring.  It's hard to see them winning the league if this is how they're going to proceed.

LIV 1-1 ARS: Fair But Disappointing Result

 In a very lively, watchable game, Both sides showed a lot of energy and there was plenty of action at both ends.  Gabriel's early header was matched by Salah's fine strike later in the first half.  The score could have been anything up to 4-4 considering all the chances the teams created.  I thought Havertz and Zinchenko had subpar games.

So, the top three all got one point this round.  City will be relieved, Tottenham hopeful.  Man U lost in limp fashion to West Ham and looked pretty awful doing it.

Roma 2 Napoli 0

 Napoli ended the game with only eight players!   Two red carded out and an injury and no more subs!  

CRY 1-1 BHA: Five Years of 1-1 Draws with the Seagulls at Selhurst

 There were only two goals in this hotly contested and very watchable game, both headers, and both excellent.  Ayew powered one in from a great cross from (I think) Olise as the first half was dying, and Welbeck's late equalizer for the visitors was perfect, looping into the upper right corner from about 12 yards out.  In a pregame online poll, I picked Palace to win, based on what Arsenal did to Brighton's playing out from the back.  Palace had some success with their press, but ultimately they could not maintain the energy.  The draw was a fair result, I thought, though as the game wound down at 1-1 it looked as though Palace was more afraid to lose than trying to win.  The referee allowed play to continue, a wise choice, because this game followed the usual pattern of chippiness and aggression.  While there wer at least five cautions, they finished with 22 on the field and play flowed.  

ARS 2-0 BHA: Back in First

 Due to Liverpool's scoreless draw at Anfield with Man U (a match I saw but which was not memorable), The Gunners are now topping the table by a single point over the Reds and Villa.  City is five points back thanks to Palace's fine work on Saturday.  Today, Brighton was outplayed, as their coach and captain admitted afterward.  But Arsenal did not score in the first half, despite some golden opportunities, and the stage was set for a potential smash-and-grab by the visitors.  But the tension was broken with Jesus's heading the ball into an empty net after a corner.  There was a scare, but Havertz sealed the points by slotting past (through?) the keeper when released by Eddie.

Speaking of smash and grabs, Arsenal Women got taken by Tottenham, for the white's first ever win over Arsenal.  This leaves us behind in the title race; we could have been top.  

Also, Notts County lost.

A bit of luck MC 2 CP 2

 IMO, MC played the better match, but CP showed resilience and spunk to come back from a 2-0 deficit against a match in which they were outplayed most of the way.  I was pleased and encouraged by their performance and comeback from what appeared to be a lost cause.  

More Complaints About Referees

 Crystal Palace was victimized by ridiculous refereeing in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool last weekend.  Jordan Ayew was assessed two very soft yellows, the first for having a ball kicked into him by van Dyck in a successful attempt to con the ref and the second for a normal challenge in midfield that was a foul but not a card.  Ahead by a goal at the time, Ayew's sending off changed the game totally.  Roy Hodgson, in an interview later, said he was sick about the sorry state of refereeing these days.  Managers are yelled at by the fourth official for talking to their coaches or leaving their seats.  Even with VAR, the PGMOL is apologizing for dumb errors nearly every week.  We all get angry about the bad calls that go against our teams, but lots of clubs have been robbed this season.  It does not always even out, either.  Ask Wolves fans.  In a league that hands out a ten point penalty for a financial infraction by Everton but has yet to do anything about 115 financial infractions by Man City, it rankles that important on-field decisions are being made incorrectly and in a manner that invites suspicion of favoritism for clubs owned by petrostates that grease the palms of referees with lucrative gigs in their domestic leagues.  Or maybe it's only incompetence, which is also bad.

AVL 1-0 ARS: Another early goal conceded

 It was a nice take, turn, and shot from McGinn, but it was too easy for Villa to get it to him in front of goal.  The Gunners made lots of good chances but could not convert any of them.  It's a tough loss to a close rival.  It underlines the view that this is a title up for grabs.  

I can't see Spuds winning the league, or Man U, and Newcastle has fallen off.  But the current top four are all in the hunt.  It'll come down to who gets injured when.

LUT 3-4 ARS: Are You F***ing Kidding Me?

 I expected a routine 2-0 or 3-0 win at the home of a team that has scored less than a goal a game this season, but instead I got a roller coaster ride courtesy of David Raya's awful performance and a determined, physical Hatters side helped by the home crowd and wimpy refereeing.  We were dominant for most of the game, controlling possession and creating chances, but sloppy defending on corners allowed two goals and a howler from Raya gave them a third.  It took some lovely work from our men and last second heroics to wrest all three points from Luton.  I was a nervous wreck throughout the second half, though not as nervous as Raya looked.  Ramsdale should start for a while.  

I read that eleven different Arsenal players scored our last eleven league goals before Havertz's.  Wow.  Havertz is finding his rhythm.  Really, all our guys were good except for our keeper.  We're five points up on Liverpool and six on City having played a game more.  It will be tough at Villa Park.  Arteta will be watching from the stands, having received a third yellow, this time for getting out of his seat after Rice's last second winner.  

ARS 2-1 WOL: Buoyant Start, Nervy Finish

 It looked like another blowout was brewing after a totally dominant Arsenal put two into Wolves' net in the first quarter of the game, but despite creating several more golden chances, they had to settle for those two goals.  Wolves made adjustments at the half and again on the hour mark, and came back into the game.  In the 85th minute, Zinchenko lost the ball in our penalty area and it was neatly tucked away by Cunha.  The next 15 minutes were somewhat nervy, but in the end we came away with three points, leaving it to City, Liverpool, Spuds and the others to try to keep pace.

ARS 6 - 0 LEN: Six Goalscorers Fire Gunners to Top of the Group

 Lens was shredded for four goals in the first half hour, and Arsenal cruised to victory over the club that beat them 2-1 earlier in group play.  There were some really nice goals, too.  This win means that we can rotate extensively in the sixth group game, since we're finishing top no matter what.  With a crowded December schedule and several key injuries, that's big.  Also big is the confidence boost that those goals give their scorers.  Havertz must now feel he's in a groove.  Odegaard and Jesus might feel they're back from their injuries.  Saka and Martinelli continue their fine form, and Jorginho got his first Arsenal goal.  I didn't read anything about new injuries (despite Lens's rough play) either.  It's all good news.

From the highlights I saw, Man U was very unlucky to be held to a draw at Galatasaray.  Only some awful goalkeeping from Onana allowed the Turks to get a point. They're now bottom of their group, but if they win at home against Bayern in two weeks, they may squeak through.  Bayern has nothing to play for in the group (and looked it today), and United almost beat them in Munich, so it could happen.  They'd also need a draw in the other game.  Long odds, but not impossible.  A loss would mean they were out of Europe entirely.

Notts County is still in the hunt for promotion, though it's way too early to speculate about their chances now.  They're clearly one of the better teams in League 2.

Well, back to the Gunners.  Sitting top of their ECL group and top of the EPL, they ought to be feeling pretty good about themselves.  Their defense is among the best in the world.  The attack is underperforming compared to last year, but as Arteta pointed out, Arsenal isn't sneaking up on anyone this year after the way they challenged for the title last year.  Almost every opponent sets a low block and hopes to poach a goal off a counter or a mistake.  Most clubs would be delighted with 0-0 against us even at home.  So scoring is hard work, especially without a dominant center forward.  But so far so good.  I don't know what might happen in the January transfer window.  Money could be tight.  We have great depth in defense (including the keeper) even with Timber out for the season, but the midfield might be a trifle thin if another injury strikes.  (Vieira is out for a couple months after surgery, Partey is always injured.)  Our wingers are world class.  But center forward is light against the top teams.  Jesus is excellent, but he's small; Nketieh is inconsistent; Trossard is not really a CF.  We never really replaced Giroud.  But who's going to part with a proven goalscorer in January?  I actually like our chances even without buying a big name (like Osimhen) who will probably be snapped up by Chelsea anyway.

BRE 0-1 ARS: Kai Comes Through

 The Bees had a great game plan and it almost worked.  They soaked up pressure (though truth to tell it wasn't intense) and looked for countering opportunities.  They also pressed Ramsdale every chance they got and he nearly gifted them a goal in the first half.  But the breakthrough came in the 89th minute via a superb Saka cross and ruthless header from Havertz.  We had to clear the ball off the line twice.  The Gunners were far from their best but it was good enough to leapfrog Liverpool and City, who drew against each other in the early game, into first place.  It's Lens up next mid-week then Wolves on Saturday.

This was Arteta's 200th game in charge of Arsenal, and has the best record in the first 200 games of any Arsenal manager.  Just the one FA Cup so far, but not too shabby.

Manchester City to Be Relegated?

 This guy thinks it's possible.

Geologists know that sometimes what appears to be an earthquake is only a prelude to an even greater seismic event. That is worth remembering amid the tremors of the decision to dock Everton 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). Because for Manchester City and Chelsea a quake of a far larger magnitude is potentially looming.

City, after all, have been charged with more than 100 breaches of Premier League rules over multiple years. Chelsea are under investigation for alleged financial wrongdoing between 2012 and 2019 – and, as the Guardian revealed this week, secret payments worth tens of millions of pounds appear to have been made by companies owned by Roman Abramovich.

Everton are the first club to be punished by the league for breaking profitability and sustainability rules, and the leading sports lawyer Catherine Forshaw believes that City and Chelsea will be fearing much more severe punishments – including potential relegation.

As I understand it, the charges against City are mainly about off the books payments to players and staff, whereas with Chelsea it's more about off the books infusions of cash.  In both cases, we're talking about far more serious infringements than Everton's.  Financial Fair Play has been a joke for a long time--Wenger bitched about that for years--but all of a sudden the Premier League is taking it seriously.  Juventus was relegated, but that was for match fixing.  Had City been docked points last season, Arsenal would be the reigning champion now.  It could have happened.  And anything can happen this year.

I don't really understand how FFP is supposed to work and why it is suddenly relevant.  But the basic concept is fairly simple:  the League doesn't want a moneybags owner to waltz in and buy championships with non-football money.  Abramovich and abu Dhabi did just that with Chelsea and City, starting 15 years ago.  It's weird that they were rewarded with multiple championships (all earned on the pitch) and now the hammer might fall.

ARS 2 - 0 SEV and ARS 3 - 1 BUR: Back to Winning Ways

 Sevilla was absolutely throttled Wednesday in a match that put the Gunners in the driver's seat in their ECL group.  I believe all they'd need is a draw in either of their last two games to ensure going into the knockout phase, and I expect them to do better than that.  Ideally, they'll win against Lens and finish top, so can play fringe players against PSV to keep them happy.  The score could have been worse for the visitors.

Burnley put up stiff resistance but were undone by set plays and brave headers in the six yard box, which did not happen against the old Sean Dyche Burnley.  Saka completed the set of EPL teams he scored or assisted against--24--that he's played against.  His headed assist for Trossard to crash in with his head (at the cost of a badly bruised forearm against the goalpost) meant that two of the smallest players on the pitch beat Burnley's defense in the air.  Trossard has scored seven goals, every one assisted by Saka.  Amazing.  Havertz was unimpressive again.  His replacement, Vieira, picked up a red card late.  With all the injuries, we need those guys to start contributing.  Maybe the international break will give our wounded time to recuperate.  We miss Odegaard most, I think.

Results elsewhere in the EPL were mostly gratifying.  Newcastle was beaten 2-0 by Brentford, and Wolves got two great goals in injury time to send Spuds to a 2-1 defeat.  Glorious.  Sadly, Notts County saw a very late goal that defeated them in League 2.  Juve won its fifth in a row.

The Corruption of EPL Game Officials

 The UAE owns Manchester City.  Saudi Arabia owns Newcastle.  The Premier League is insane to have allowed that, but money talks.  It's also talking to the PGMOL, referees from which have been paid handsomely to referee games in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and are being lured to work there with huge salary increases.  Dodgy on-field and VAR decisions are even worse this year than last.  It's at the point where the integrity of the Premier League itself is questionable.  I stewed about the obviously wrong calls in our game yesterday for 24 hours, and I can't think of any reason for those calls than fear or greed on the part of the officials that made them.  The owner of Newcastle tortured a man to death and had him cut up with bonesaws just because he annoyed him.  He's done as much to many others.  But he has a lot of money to hand out.  So, be nice to him--or else?  

I don't know how seriously to take this league anymore.  As Arteta said, it's an absolute disgrace.  They should just auction off the championship and stop wasting our time.

Out of Carabao, Robbed at St James Infirmary

NEW 1 - 0 ARS was a very entertaining game, but I insist that poor decisions from the officials cost us a point at least.  How Guimares escaped a red card for intentionally bashing Jorginho's head at a dead run with his forearm, but you know, VAR helps the Saudis again.  On Newcastle's goal, it was an obvious foul (two arm push in the back) on Gabriel and it should have been ruled out.  There was a chance at offside that VAR actually said it had insufficient evidence either way.  The Magpies defended well against our unimaginative attempts to probe for weaknesses.  There were several dangerous passages of play, but Newcastle was always where they had to be to get a block in or stay strong inside the box.  

That bit of larceny was preceded by our being chased out of the League Cup by a strong West Ham side.  I didn't see the game, but followed along on audio.  We weren't good.

Notts County won a five goal thriller over Crawley Town.

Wellington Phoenix romped over Brisbane 5 - 2.

ARS 5 - 0 SHU and What Happened to Rugby?

 First, some bits and bobs as they say in Merrie Olde England.  Notts County suffered a disappointing home loss to Wrexham.  Juventus won and now sit atop Serie A until the Milan clubs play tomorrow.  Wellington Phoenix won.  

The Gunners thoroughly dominated the Blades, as to be fair pretty much everyone does.  (They have one point in ten games.)  We rested Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Odegaard, and it was the former's stand-in Eddie Nketieh who was man of the match with a fine hat trick before the hour mark:  a super turn and finish, a smash into the upper right after the Sheffield GK's fumble, and a blast from 22 yards into the upper left corner.  A Vieira PK and a Tomiyasu hit off a corner gave a late gloss to proceedings.  We go to West Ham for a League Cup match mid-week, followed by a trip to Newcastle and a home game against Sevilla.  We're going to need Jesus and Odegaard in top form this season, so I hope whatever ails them isn't serious.  The emergence of Tomiyasu and Kiwior as solid defenders is great news.  As long as Rice stays healthy we will do well.

South Africa defeated New Zealand 12-11 in a drab game (don't believe the hype about a "thriller") dominated by refereeing decisions.  The clock was off for long periods as the officials conferred on real and imagined offenses.  There were four yellow cards, one of which was turned into a red, meaning the All Blacks had one fewer player most of the game.  They scored the only try of the game (their first was waved off for what looked like a BS reason to me) but missed the extra points that would have won the game.  The rest of the scoring was from penalties.  It was an awful game to watch, especially for a living room full of Kiwis (citizens and wannabes).  Rugby, in a noble attempt to make this quintessentially brutal game less brutal, has outlawed what would seem to fans of American football perfectly fine tackles.  Add video reviews that catch marginal violations of arcane rules about which direction the ball goes after every incidental touch and it becomes a barely watchable shadow of what it used to be.  I don't intend seeing another minute of rugby, ever.

SEV 1 - 2 ARS: Road Win Puts Gunners Top of Group

 The conventional wisdom about group play in Europe (and the math) is that if you win your home games and draw away, you're going through to the knockout stage.  Halfway through group play, we're topping the group with two of our last three games in London.  We should be in great shape, barring a collapse.  The Lens loss (in France) was a worry, but this win in Spain put us on track, especially since the other teams keep playing draws with each other.  Sevilla is in 13th place in La Liga, but have a new manager and were eager for an upset.  Two fabulous plays from Gabriel Jesus were the difference, the first a dazzling turn and pass to Martinelli, who raced half the length of the field, rounded the keeper, and slotted home easily.  The second was a wonderful curler into the top right corner from 20 yards out.  Sevilla got one back off a poorly defended corner, but we closed things out.  Tomiyasu and Rice joined Jesus as standout performers.  Raya was inconsistent, giving the ball away in a very dangerous area early and nearly punching into his own net late.  Odegaard had another weak game, which is a worry.  But three points is great.  We host Sevilla for the next ECL game.  In the league, it's Sheffield United at home and Newcastle at St James's Park the next two weekends.  In between, we go to West Ham for a League Cup match.  Well, we have a big squad and I like our depth.

Notts County is 2nd in the League 2 table, three points ahead of Wrexham (the other team promoted from the National League this season), who they play this weekend.  Their number 9, Macauley Langstaff, has ten goals.  They're playing with confidence and flair.

CHE 2 - 2 ARS: Great Game, Fair (Though Disappointing) Result

 Full credit to Chelsea, who stifled us for 75 minutes and nicked a pair of nice but fortunate goals.  They started cruising a little early, though, and Rice pounced on a horrible pass from the keeper to get us within one, and Trossard finished beautifully a wonderful cross from Saka.  The Gunners were sloppy in possession and couldn't generate much on offense, largely because Cucurella did a great job on Saka.  I was mentally composing this blog post at the hour mark and was going to write how Chelsea deserved the three points, but then we found another gear and Chelsea tired.  Considering the opposition and the circumstances, I call this a point gained rather than two dropped.  We'll be in third after the Spuds play, but in the mix and undefeated.

Notts County beat Gillingham 2-1 away, and remains near the top of the League 2 table.  It would be spectacular for them to be promoted again, but it's enough just to know they're competitive and certain to stay in the league.

USMNT 1 - 3 GERMANY

 The Germans could have scored twice as many goals had their finishing been better.  The US defense was horrendous.  We could have scored one or two more as well, but we were definitely second best on the day, by a wide margin.  Poor display.

ARS 1 - 0 MCI: Curse Lifted

 Twelve straight league losses is a very ugly record.  That streak was emphatically broken today as the Gunners just barely earned three points against the champions via a deflected strike from returning star Martinelli, subbed on at the half because he's back from injury.  City should have been down to ten men by then, but Kovacic escaped a straight red and then escaped a second yellow for late studs-up lunges into the ankles of Odegaard and Rice.  Earlier, Arsenal was very lucky not to have been scored on as they were very shaky for twenty minutes or so.  It was a team effort and everyone played their part.  Martinelli got the man-of-the-match award from Sky Sports, but for me, Rice was more important and Saliba was imperious as he completely shut down Haaland.  Arteta was beaming in the post-match interview, and who could blame him?

The less said about our limp performance in France the better.  A 2-1 loss to Lens isn't fatal, but our two games with Sevilla now loom large.  Anything less than two points from those games will leave us in perilous position.  

Benteke

 Former CP player Benteke has 14 goals and leads in player ratings for DC United.  I am happy that he is doing well, at the ripe old age of 32,  but DC United is still not a very good team.  

BOU 0 - 4 ARS: A Good Weekend

 The only blemish for me was Notts County's going down 4-5 to Colchester.  I will have to see the highlights of that one.

The Gunners dominated the Cherries after the opening minutes, in which the home side was lively.  Arsenal cut through the Bournemouth defense time and again.  We got two PKs for just the eighth time since the Premier League started, both obvious.  Bournemouth never looked like scoring.  Saka, the default penalty taker, handed the ball to Odegaard for the first and then to Kai Havertz for the second.  Arteta had no input, but was delighted with the team-building effect of this unselfish gesture.  It meant a lot to Kai, who was mobbed by his mates after he put the ball in the net.

Man City lost, and nine man Liverpool was defeated by the Spuds, meaning Arsenal trails City by a point, level on points with Tottenham with 'Pool one point behind.  City comes to the Emirates next weekend.  Early days.  But time may be running out already for Chelsea, who desperately need to win some games.  Man U is also massively underperforming.

Injuries can always derail a season, but so far Arsenal is coping with the loss of important players like Martinelli and Jesus for several games.  Arteta has the squad he wants now.  It's deep, versatile, and playing well together.  Smith-Rowe is easing back, Tomiyasu looks like his old self (i.e. very good), and Jesus is nearing 100%.  Saka took a knock and should sit out Lens on Tuesday.

I wonder about the goalkeeper situation.  I thought Ramsdale would start today.  Raya's distribution hasn't been much better than Ramsdale's.  Well, it's all working out so far.

CP 1 MU 0

 A bad day for both Manchesters, City also having lost.  CP defended well the whole game, and held on, despite several close calls.  The first winning result against the big six in a couple of years.  Maybe we can even dream of  a top six finish. If we can avoid any more last minute collapses. MU crushed us 3-0 just three days earlier in the week, in the EFCL, so I was hoping for just a draw.     

BRE 0 - 1 ARS (League Cup): Heartening Defensive Performance

 Tomiyasu shone in a sterling defensive effort against the lively Bees.  Reiss Nelson tucked away a great chance off a terrible backpass purloined by Eddie Nketieh in the 8th minute.  I did not see the game--it was not televised even in Britain--but from all accounts it had a lot of action.  The Gunners dominated the first half but Brentford pushed us to the limit in the second half.  It was one of those games that could have been 3-3 if the keepers and defenders hadn't made some spectacular plays.

The best part was that we won without so many important players.  Rice, Saka, Saliba, and Martinelli weren't on the team, and Zinchenko, Jesus and Odegaard came on for just a few minutes near the end.  Charles Sagoe Jr, a 19 year old making his first appearance in a senior game, played in Saka's position.  Emile Smith Rowe finally got a start and looked quite good.  Reiss Nelson, the game winner, was valuable at both ends.  Jakub Kiwior was solid in the back.  Ramsdale was superb, making an astonishing save that Raya would not (IMO) have touched, and distributing well.  He should get the start this weekend, but we shall see.

On to the fourth round.  Arsenal has not won this competition for 30 years.  Wenger had no respect for it.  I hope Arteta targets this bit of silverware.  It's a great start.

ARS 2 - 2 TOT: A Fair Result

 It was a messy game with all the goals coming from mistakes.  The Gunners did not have the cutting edge they displayed against PSV, and Spuds curtailed their swashbuckling ways out of pragmatism.  Several players were replaced due to injuries, I hope minor, and that may be the big story in the end.  Man City was the winner of this game, as two of their closest rivals remained unbeaten but dropped points.  Liverpool is still on their tail.

I should note that Notts County is in first place again in League 2, with Wrexham (the other team promoted from the National League) just a couple points back in fifth.  

ARS 4 - 0 PSV: One Happy Return

 From all accounts (I saw only the highlights, having been on the road), Eindhoven was naive and tried to play the Gunners straight up.  The result was a thorough whomping, starting early and continuing throughout the game.  Individual brilliance was on full display, as all four finishes were excellent.  Team play?  Check.  Solid defense?  You know it.  I'll be surprised if PSV tries this at home.  All three of our forwards scored, as well as MOTM Martin Odegaard.  Jesus was in full flow, and looks fit for the Spuds game.  Trossard slotted in for Martinelli and we didn't lose anything by it.  Smith Rowe got some minutes, and a huge ovation from the supporters when he came in.  I suspect we will need him to step up multiple times as the season progresses.  Reiss Nelson was very lively after replacing Trossard.  Tomiyasu played 35 minutes.  It was all good.

I don't know what to make of the goalkeeping situation.  Ramsdale will have to be disappointed to have been usurped by Raya so early in the season as first choice between the sticks, especially after not having done anything wrong.  Arteta has been very forthright about his ideas, saying that he treats every game as different, and will play the keeper who he thinks is best suited to help win it.  Raya's stats show that he is the better long range and short range passer, which Arteta values very highly.  Ramsdale, it seems to me, is clearly the better shot stopper, but Raya has so far been more assured on crosses.  It looks like a changing of the guard, but there is no way Ramsdale will be sitting on the bench all season.  He will get games, and Arteta said there will even be times when he replaces a keeper mid-game for tactical reasons.  We have two top keepers who'd start for most other EPL clubs, so why not?  The competition will make both of them even better.  They're professionals and are not going to start whining about playing time.  As Ramsdale said when Raya was brought on, Ramsdale had come in and replaced good, established keepers, so why would he think it couldn't happen to him too?  I doubt this arrangement would work for more than one season, but if anyone could make it work, it's Arteta.

Anyway, it's a rousing start to our UCL campaign, and a great confidence booster heading into Sunday's derby with the Lilywhites.

EVE 0 - 1 ARS: Finally, a Win at Goodison

 The weekend started poorly.  My blogmate noted the horror Palace experienced.  Man City and Spuds won despite going behind early.  Liverpool won.  Man U lost badly to Brighton at Old Trafford, taking the shine off ten Hag's success last year.  (What is wrong with United?  Antony, Greenwood, Sancho--the culture there is not healthy.)  But all is well, since Mikel Arteta's men managed to break through Everton's low block in the end via a wonderful strike from Trossard.  I'm traveling, so I watched the game later on the club site.  I thought everyone played their part.  Eddie had an off day, but everyone else was good.  Raya started instead of Ramsdale, which I don't think is a problem.  We have Champions' League on Wednesday and the North London Derby Saturday.  Rotation is normal, though Arteta is taking a flexible approach.  Raya was fine, though he had little to do that was at all taxing.  The bad news is that Martinelli pulled a hamstring.  This may open the door for Emile Smith-Rowe; we shall see.  Reiss Nelson is eager to play as well.

Aston Villa 3 CP 1

 Uuugh. A 1-0 lead, late in the game.  In ten minutes CP managed to find a way to lose,  3-1.  

ARS 3 - 1 MUN: Great Game, Right Result

 Both sides played well in a fascinating contest.  Arsenal had the better of the play all in all and deserved the three points.  VAR denied each side a go-ahead goal after 1-1 at the half, and it wasn't until the 94th minute that Rice slammed a shot goalwards and Jonny Evans deflected it past his keeper.  Jesus put in a late breakaway to add some gloss to the scoreline.  Havertz is still not doing as much as he should, and Saka had another poor game.  But the squad got the job done.

Notts County is top of the League 2 table!  Okay, they're only six games in.  But clearly County is comfortable and in little danger of dropping out of the league.

I Miss Rob Holding Already

 My favorite Gunner is actually Rob Holding.  He's not an important player for us anymore, but he's just so nice that you have to love him.  Crystal Palace snapped him up for 1M pounds, with another 2.5M in "add-ons" (whatever they are).  It makes sense for all concerned.  Rob gets to stay in London, Arsenal trims the wage bill, and Palace gets a solid defender who will settle them in back--and a great guy in the dressing room.  Rob was Bolton's player of the year when Arsenal bought him, and he's played about 160 games for us, including a couple FA Cup final wins.  I think he'll be a very good addition for the Eagles.

In other transfer news, we got around 35M pounds for Balogun, and loaned out Tierney and Tavares.  Pepe and Cedric are still on the books, but maybe a Saudi team will come up with a few million quid for Pepe before their window closes in a few weeks.

ARS 2 - 2 FUL: Courageous Cottagers Grab a Point from Mistake-Prone Gunners

 I have said it before, but I think this game proves that the Partey at right back idea is a poor one.  And Kiwior starting?  Nketiah on the bench?  Arteta cost Arsenal two points.  He's so damned stubborn.  He insists on starting Havertz, who has done nothing.  This is the third game he's started Partey at right back and Gabriel on the bench.  We could have lined up in a more secure fashion and worn down Fulham, but no, we showed them no respect and dropped two points.

The players contributed to this disaster, of course.  Saka's horrible giveaway, combined with Ramsdale's poor positioning and Partey's vacating his position, led to the first goal; and Zinky's giveaway when we were a goal and a man up led to the corner that wasn't cleared and cost the win.  Credit to Fulham.  They earned it.  But the first three games show that Arteta's not getting the most out of this squad, and if he does not wise up soon, he'll lose the players' and fans' faith.

Notts County won, anyway.

CP 0 - 1 ARS: Official Takes Center Stage

 There was a lot of excellent football on display today at Selhurst Park, but the officiating was dreadful.  Granted, it wasn't an easy game for David Coote (I don't remember that name), but I thought he got a lot wrong.  As with other games this young season, VAR was not much help.  The penalty awarded as the Palace keeper came out and tripped Nketieh was harsh, in my view.  Thomas Partey made Nketiah's run off a free kick an uncontested one by blocking a Palace defender, which would have been fine had he not used his arm to hold him back.  And the foul was one I always hate:  the attacker touches the ball, and in this case it would have gone straight out, knowing that the keeper has committed himself and he need do nothing more than fall down as his feet are taken out from under him.  Then there were the two yellow cards to Tomiyasu, neither of which was warranted.  That transferred the momentum to Palace, and they put the Gunners under immense pressure.  Eze went down after Partey made contact with his calf, and while I thought it would have been harsh to award a penalty for that, it was more of a penalty (IMO) than the one on Nketieh.  All in all, the referee influenced this game as much as the teams did.  But who am I to argue with the officials?  It's a valuable three points from a really tough game.  

Arteta has Partey play "right back" again, with similar results to the Forest game.  I didn't think Partey really added much to the attack but his abandonment of his defensive position gave Palace too much room to work with on counters.  Havertz was not doing the business out there, although he was working hard.  Rice was superb throughout.  CP's Mitchell did a great job keeping Saka quiet.  Nketieh was very good, I thought, and Martinelli dangerous.  It was good to see Zinchenko come in and play well near the end.  Apparently Arteta has found his penalty taker in Odegaard.  That was a fine PK.

I have to say that Palace looked very good.  they played the game they wanted to play and had the officiating been better I don't know what would have happened.  The squad is young, athletic, and talented.  When Olise is fit they'll be even better.

Spain Reign

 Spain deserved their 1-0 victory over England in Sydney.  They looked the more dangerous squad for most of the game.  The goal came from superb play down the Spanish left side after England's right back Lucy Bronze unwisely tried to carry the ball through the midfield and lost it.  The ball was quickly sent into the area Bronze had vacated (she was walking back, a cringeworthy look she won't want to watch videos of) and Olga Carmona raced up from her left back position to overload that part of England's defense, and she lined up and first-timed a marvelous pass into the far bottom corner with enough pace to beat the keeper--any keeper, really.  Before that, England had a shot hit the bar, and they had some good chances later, but Spain had 60% possession and more shots on goal for the game, despite England's efforts for well over an hour to equalize.

The USWNT coach resigned, and he has to take his share of the blame for the Americans' lackluster results.  I haven't really liked any of our coaches after Sundhage.  The job should be a very attractive one and we can surely do better.

Gunners Hit Target, Eagles Fly

 No Zaha, no problem for Crystal Palace as they raid the Blades' house and come away with three points.  Visiting Forest made it interesting late, but Arsenal's two goals in the first half meant Forest's second half goal was mere consolation.  Newcastle is top of the league on goal difference after their 5-1 demolition of Villa.

They're off

 and Manchester City takes off on top of the league with an opening win 3-0 over Burnley.  We will begin to see what has changed soon.  

Gunners De-Americanized, Weird Goalie Setup

 Matt Turner was sold to Nottingham Forest for £10M, a fair price for a 29 year old international starter.  I hope he has a great season for them, after Saturday anyway.  Auston Trusty went for £5M (a small profit) about a week ago.  The only US player left is Folarin Balogun (born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in England), and as soon as someone comes up with £35M he'll be gone.  That's a lot of shirts we won't be selling, guys.

Arsenal would not have let Turner go had they not secured the services of a top quality #2, and they certainly got one with David Raya, Brentford's #1.  He's joining on a one year loan for £3M with an option to buy for £27M.  The deal is structured that way, presumably, to avoid Financial Fair Play problems, in view of our spending in the last few transfer windows.  Ramsdale says he's cool with this.  After all, he says, he's come in and replaced other starting GKs and he knows it could happen to him.  But he is probably confident he'll be the league starter, and Raya will be the cup keeper.  What with the odd injury to one or the other, it means that we have great depth in a vital position.  Aaron and David are not just good, they are two of the best.  

ARS 1 - 1 MCI (4-1 on PKs) in Community Shield

 A late late Trossard deflected goal got us to PKs, and de Bruyne hit the crossbar and Rodri was saved, meaning Odegaard, Trossard, Saka, and Viera could wrap up the win early from the spot, which they did.  It may not mean a lot in the end, but it was an encouraging outing.  All three of our new signings started and played well.  Timber is a revelation.  He was at left back, inverting as Zinchenko did last season, and did a real job.  Rice played with Partey, as a "left 8," and it was OK.  Havertz was our central striker and did well.

Auston Trusty has been sold to Sheffield United (for a small profit) in a deal that suits all parties admirably.  Inter Milan is getting a little desperate for a striker and they really want Folarin Balogun.  That ought to net us about £35M.  It seems that we'll spend most of that on David Raya to be our cup keeper, leaving Matt Turner surplus to requirements.  We shall see.  I believe the Lokonga situation is unresolved.  We still need to offload at least another half dozen players, either on loan or sold outright.

Arrogance Gets Its Comeuppance as USWNT Crashes Out

 Sweden played good enough defense for 120 minutes to deny the dominant Americans, and in the penalty shootout, three US players managed to waste their PKs.  Rapinoe had a chance to win it and blew it, skying her attempt, and Sophia Smith also had a chance, banging it off the post.  Naeher saved one and scored one, and nearly kept Sweden's winner out--it crept in by a millimeter.

Do you remember the promo ads aired by the networks?  US players were trotted out to tell the world "Good luck" trying to oust them from the tournament.  Well, cue the pratfall and laughter.  I know the players didn't write those lines, but there is no way in the world I would have smirked arrogantly on camera and declared my team unbeatable.  It was fitting that Rapinoe, who has made herself the center of attention for a decade, was the one who choked this one away.  Her wry smile after her awful miss said it all.  She doesn't really care, not the way the others do.  I trust she won't be getting endorsements so much now.

Andonovski has to go.  He's not the only issue, but he has not got the best out of these players.  I don't understand how Alex Morgan always starts up top, for instance.  She was a dud in every game.  

I'll be getting more sleep now.  I suppose I'll root for Australia from here on.

USWNT 1 - 1 NED and Arsenal Friendlies

 This was a really good game.  The US had most of the ball, but the Netherlands (packed with Arsenal players and ex-players) was full value for their point.  They defended very well and showed menace when they broke out of their half.  Since they had the early lead, they were happy to allow the Americans more of the ball.  Both teams pressed energetically and both dealt with that press pretty well.  This was important experience for our squad, and I really felt they played at a high level all game.  The ref left a lot go and it got very physical.  Tempers flared, blood flowed.  The Netherlands tired as the game went on and they were glad to hear the final whistle.  If we play this well from now on, we will win the World Cup again.  Sophia Smith was 

We got beaten by Man U 2-0 and won 5-3 over Barca.  Managers at this stage are trying various player combinations to get them used to the way they want their squads to play.  I think everyone learned a lot.  Saka just gets better and better!

Zaha headed to Turkey

 Here's wishing him well.  He gave Crystal Palace many good years.  

MLS All-Stars 0 - 5 Arsenal

 You never know what you're going to get with these exhibition matches.  The mass substitutions, the odd lineups, the fact that the all-stars don't normally play or train together and that this is Arsenal's second preseason game guaranteed that there'd be some sloppiness.  But both squads took this match seriously.  There was a record total of yellow cards for this fixture, and a few injury stoppages.  The Gunners took this game by the throat early and never let go, with Jesus scoring in the fifth minute and Trossard after 20.  A first minute handball in the second half gave Jorginho his chance from the spot, which he converted.  Martinelli and Havertz scored late to embarrass the MLSers, who got their first shot on target in the 86th minute.

Trossard, Saka, Odegaard, and Timber were especially sharp, I thought.  Kiwior was misplaced in the Zinchenko role and was dispossessed repeatedly.  The all-stars should have punished a couple Arsenal mistakes but couldn't finish their chances, while every Arsenal goal was very well taken.  Rice played about a half hour but didn't really feature much in a game played mostly in the offensive half.

USMNT Ousted by Panama; Gunners Get Their Men

 Turner couldn't bail us out this time, saving one PK while his opposite number saved two in the shootout.  Few of the MLS players in the roster for this Gold Cup can say they sealed a spot in future World Cup qualifiers (if any--the US, as co-hosts, is an automatic participant this cycle).  Ferreira scored a lot of goals.  Turner was always a lock.  The rest gave energetic performances but didn't stand out.

....

The lawyers took a week to draw up the paperwork, so Declan Rice's welcome to Arsenal happened today, though everyone knew it was coming.  Jurrien Timber arrived from Ajax a day earlier.  £200M has bought us three big pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that just might look, when assembled, like a trophy celebration.  Our first choices in every position save center forward are first rank, and there is more than adequate cover for them all, with the possible exception of Rice.  Xhaka is gone, and Partey expected to follow (though it's not certain).  Were Rice to have to miss a big game, we could go three at the back, or repurpose a defender (Timber?) as a holding mid.  Either one would be fine with me.

We'll have to sell, and there are some fine players who will attract significant offers.  Balogun should go for £40M, Holding for maybe £5M, Cedric for almost nothing, Tavares and Lokonga for something between £5M and £10M each.  If we sell Tierney, he should bring £25M.  (All those are guesses; Transfermarkt thinks I undervalued a few of those players.)  That can either be reinvested in another good player or return to Stan Kroenke's piggy bank.

Speaking of our esteemed owner, I owe Mr. Walton an apology.  He's a winner.

In 2022, Kroenke experienced a unique feat with three of his teams winning championships in the same calendar year - the Rams winning the Super Bowl (February), the Mammoth winning the NLL Championship (June), and the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup (June).^[56][57]

In 2023, Kroenke's Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship, giving him four different sports titles in a 16-month span.

Now he seems determined to back Mikel for a run at a major title for Arsenal--maybe more than one.  In the past, I have criticized him, but he's done well in the last three years.  I believe he has confidence in our manager and Edu, the guy who does the transfer deals.  We got Martinelli for very little and he's an elite winger; Edu had proven his worth. Now it's on to the next step.  If there's no silverware for a third year running, it will be a huge disappointment.

Matt Turner!

 The US #1 and backup Arsenal keeper was the hero last night, saving two shootout penalties from Canada and watching another one hit the crossbar.  One American blasted his PK over the bar, but the next three scored theirs.  The USMNT dominated statistically but could not score until the 88th minute.  Canada equalized on a handball PK in stoppage time.  Each team scored in the second OT period, Canada in the 108th on a fine shot that took a deflection and the US on a Canadian own-goal under extreme pressure.  Turner saved from Vitoria, who tried to repeat his "up the middle" PK in regular time, but Turner got a strong hand on it and kept it out.  His other save was on the second attempt, going down to his left for a two-handed block.  Turner has an excellent save rate on PKs--40%.  The fifth Canadian taker may have been influenced by Turner's prowess and he put an otherwise fine attempt an inch too high, so it bounced down and just out.  Panama is next up for this group of young players, who are showing Berhalter he has options.

More Movement on Squad Building

 The Havertz deal is done, and the Rice and Timber deals are all but done.  Xhaka is departing for Leverkusen for a £21M fee; Mari has already gone to Monza for about £6M.  Arsenal just re-signed the out-of-contract Reiss Nelson, who seems really happy about it.  Balogun is going to tour with Arsenal for the off-season friendlies, so maybe Arteta is thinking about keeping him, or perhaps putting him in the shop window anticipating a fee in the range of £40-50M.  I've heard nothing about Tierney for a while.  I'd love to keep him, but Arteta just won't start a traditional left back, preferring to use Zinchenko as a spare midfielder.  I expect Holding will go somewhere he can play, and he's a very good option for teams that want to sit back and defend.  He'll win headers all game, but don't ask him to track speedy forwards into the midfield.  There's some noise about the Gunners wanting Southampton's Romeo Lavia, but if Partey stays I don't think they'll go in for him.  Partey was thinking about a move to Saudi Arabia, but that's gone quiet lately.  Tavares will probably be sold, and should bring in a few mil.  We might be able to get a case of beer for Cedric.  Pepe, Marquinhos, and Lokonga should be moved on; they'll never play another minute for us and are quite decent players.

What all this means is that Arsenal has improved qualitatively already, with more possibilities to come.  The major questions are around midfielders Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith-Rowe, to my mind.  The former hasn't in his first year fulfilled the hope Arteta had for him, and has to improve.  ESR has to show he's back to the form that won him the #10 shirt two years ago.  If either of those things happen, our midfield will be awesome.  If not, it'll be excellent but subject to an injury crisis.  I keep forgetting that we bought Jorginho as insurance in central midfield, and he's been really good.  Obviously, at his age he's not going to be around much longer.

We still have a Giroud-shaped hole in the forward line.  Arteta apparently sees no need for a big, strong center forward to bang in headers off crosses, hold up play, combine, and tire out opposing central defenders with relentless physicality.  Maybe he's right.  Havertz scores a lot of headers (he's tall) and I think he'll be crashing the penalty area on a regular basis.

It seems impossible for Saka and Martinelli to get any better, but they're very young and still learning.  If they and our other young stars (Odegaard, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, etc.) keep improving, we could be unstoppable.  Arteta is not the most astute tactician in the league, but he's pretty good and he has the players he wants.  They all seem to be behind him and happy to play their assigned roles.

I'd be crazy not to be optimistic about next season.  It should be fun.  We'll have to fight on four fronts.  Resting stars in Champions' League is not going to get the job done.  Squad rotation will have to be intelligent, and that's not been Arteta's strong suit.  But this is a team with enormous potential.

Pat Viera - new job

 Pat Viera is said to be new manager for Strasbourg on a three year deal.  All of we Palace fans wish him well.  

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12253897/Patrick-Vieira-set-appointed-Strasbourg-manager-three-year-deal.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490

Three Exciting Signings?

 Kai Havertz is already done and dusted, Julien Timber is not far behind, and it sure looks as though West Ham will accept £100 plus add-ons for Declan Rice.  All three are top quality.  Rice and Havertz are more than adequate replacements for Partey and Xhaka, both 30 years old now, if (as expected) they leave the club.  Timber is an upgrade on Rob Holding.  I'd keep Kieran Tierney, but I don't think he wants to stay; Pepe has to go; Tavares should be worth something; and Balogun should be a hot property across Europe.  We'll still need depth, so there may be another midfield or fullback signing, but then again we have some excellent youth players.  This is the sort of lineup Arteta can look forward to fielding:

Martinelli             Jesus             Saka

Havertz        Odegaard

Rice

Zinchenko   Gabriel      Saliba     White

Ramsdale

Trossard and Nketieh (and Nelson?) can slot in on offense, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, and Timber on defense.  This is a powerful squad.

USMNT Wins CONCACAF Nations League Again, With THREE Gunners on the Pitch

 Matt Turner started, and so did new man Folarin Balogun, who scored a classy goal.  Auston Trusty came on late to cover for an injured player.  The US, playing without Dest and McKennie (red cards in the feisty Mexico match), dominated Canada 2-0.  Gio Reyna got both assists, but had to be replaced at the half due to injury (he does seem to be a mite fragile).  The USMNT has the right age profile and with Balogun may have enough good strikers to score on a regular basis.  A few years ago, I was excited about Gedion Zelalem, then Arsenal's sole American.  But he has never played at the senior national level and is no longer a Gunner.  To have my club team own the rights to the USMNT starting goalkeeper and striker is fantastic.  Trusty, a defender, has had an excellent loan spell (though not as spectacular as Balogun's with Reims).  He was voted Birmingham's player of the year.  Unfortunately, both Trusty and Balogun are likely to be somewhere else in a few months, but you never know.  A sale of Balogun may well include a buy-back or sell-on clause, because he could be a very hot commodity.  The bidding should start at £30M.

DC United is not improving.  The Spirit is top of the league, though.  I really should see them at Audi Field sometime.

ARS 5 - 0 WOL and other good stuff

 I actually watched Peacock's Goal Zone show to see all the goals as they happened, and it was a super day for that.  Their feature game was Everton vs Bournemouth, which was a very good show as well as the most meaningful game of the day, given that the Toffees escaped relegation 1-0 due to the best goal of the day, a Doucoure screamer from 30 yards.  Plus, it had plenty of incidents and ten minutes of nail-biting injury time.

First things first:  Arsenal was magnificent in their final game, giving the fans a real show.  Xhaka, in his last game for us, scored two early.  Saka curled one in before the half, Jesus headed in from a Trossard cross, and Kiwior scrambled in from a corner for his first goal for us.  Fine end to a fine season.

Everton stayed up, which I wanted, and Villa kept Spuds out of Europe entirely by winning over red hot Brighton.  Leicester and Leeds got what they deserved, the former for not taking their danger seriously enough, and the latter for dumping Jesse Marsch when he might have kept them up.  Southampton went out with a bang, a 4-4 thriller against Liverpool.  City lost at Brentford, keeping their top players on the bench ahead of their ECL showdown with Inter.

Petty Concerns

With one game remaining, Chelsea and Crystal Palace are locked in a tight battle for 11th. Does this, should this, matter one whit?  Probably not, but it does to me, for reasons incomprehensible.  MU just demolished Chelsea 4-1.  That single goal equalized the goal differential between CP and Chelsea, but CP remains one point ahead, 44 to 43.  Why should I even care about such trivia, but I do.  No one reasonable gives a hoot who is number 11 or number 12, do they?   

The Slide Continues: NFO 1 - 0 ARS

 Arsenal never looked like scoring.  Arteta had us come out in a new formation that did not suit anybody in the team, no one played particularly well, and after a cheap giveaway from Odegaard led to a quick fortuitous 19' Forest goal, the outcome was inevitable.  Forest fans were ecstatic because it meant they are safe.  The game was meaningless for us, even though there had been a million-to-one chance for the championship had we won, and that's how Arteta managed and that's how we played.

Elsewhere, Spuds sank to 8th place as they were spanked by Brentford and Villa hung on for a draw.  A Man U win meant that top four is (almost) settled, so what remains is the scrap for European football, with 'Pool and Brighton in pole position for Europa League, with Villa, Spuds, and the Bees hoping to get into the Europa Conference League, and of course the relegation battle.  Everton got a last-second equalizer today that could be golden.  They're on 33 points, with Leeds on 31 and Leicester on 30, both with a game in hand on the Toffees.  Leeds plays at West Ham and hosts Tottenham; Leicester goes to Newcastle and hosts West Ham; and Everton plays Bournemouth at Goodison.  The Hammers will have a lot to say about who gets relegated, and they will be thinking about their June 7 Europa Conference final against Fiorentina, having secured safety a couple games ago.  I don't know how they'll approach their final two league games.

Notts County Is Back In The Football League

 In the most dramatic fashion imaginable, Notts County secured promotion to League 2, after five years in the National League, England's fifth tier.  They finished second to media darlings Wrexham, who got the automatic promotion slot, and had to go through the playoffs.  The came from behind in both playoff matches in the last minutes of regular time.  In the semifinal, they scored a very late extra time goal to avoid PKs.  In the the final against Chesterfield, they came from behind late twice (once in regular time, then in extra time) to force PKs, and won those 4-3 with the last kick of the game.

I came to follow County after meeting a transplanted Yorkshireman in New Zealand who was an avid County fan.  Notts County is the oldest football team in the world.  Their in-town rivals are Nottingham Forest, who seem likely to escape relegation from the EPL (though that's not assured just yet).  A succession of failed ownership models saw County sink several levels, but now they are on the up and will probably establish themselves as a mid-table or better League 2 outfit, and could advance further if their Danish owners invest more.  Anyway, I'm excited for their success.

Second place confirmed by dreadful performance against Brighton

 Fortunately, I was doing something else and did not see this mess.  I have to say that we looked as though we were riding our luck for stretches this season, and the team's mentality was worth a lot of points.  But eventually, injuries took their toll, and form was lost.  It was another late season collapse.  When a team beats you fairly easily three times in one season, as City did us, it's time to acknowledge that they're just better and deserve to finish above you.  The good news is that we were better than everyone else.

NEW 0 - 2 ARS (and ARS 3 - 1 CHE)

 I was at the beach for a week so did not watch either the City nor the Chelsea game.  The Blues are in such disarray that we'd have had to be in very poor form not to have taken three points off them.  We were good, apparently, especially in the first half, so we got back to winning ways.  I was not expecting such an easy time at St James's Park, though, and so it proved.  After ten minutes, I was telling my wife that we were being played off the park.  But the men turned it around and we got a well deserved three points in a very tough place.  This was only the second home game the Magpies lost.  Both teams missed very good chances to score.  Toon hit the posts twice and Martinelli hit the crossbar.  Both keepers made some excellent saves from close range.  It could have been 4-3 at least.  But as the game wore on, I thought the Gunners looked more in control.  Arteta finally switched Zinchenko out for Tierney early enough.  The Scotsman is a much better defender, and our Ukrainian was tired.  There was plenty of lovely football from both sides; it was one of the games of the season.

We're still a point behind City and they have a game in hand.  They'd have to drop five points (a loss and a draw) or more in their final four games, and we;d have to win all three of our games, for us to pip them to the title.  Yes, thjey have to play Real Madrid twice in there, but City has won ten league games in a row and put Bayern Munich to the sword recently.  They will probably win all four of their games.  Newcastle is still in good position for top four.  Let's take a look at the table:

Brighton and Liverpool seem to have the best chance of overtaking either Man U or Newcastle to crack top four, but they'd need help.  Spuds have a shot, but a faint one.  Their most likely outcome is a date with the Europa Conference League.  That might actually give them their best chance at silverware anyway, come to think of it.  West Ham's deserved win over United today makes them safe.  Southampton looks doomed, so two of Leicester, Leeds, Forest, and Everton will be playing in the Championship next season.  With one point separating them, it's anybody's guess who will survive.

MCI 4 - 1 ARS: No Surprise

 On recent form, one would expect City to beat Arsenal easily at the Etihad, and that's what happened.  Pep's squad is so packed with talent and experience, and so deep, that over a season they are very very hard to top.  We had key injuries, and a few players are not fully recovered from them (like Partey).  But with both teams healthy, they're just better.  Only an unexpected points deduction penalty this season due to the numerous financial impropriety charges the FA has leveled could win it for the Gunners now, and that's a sad way to win a championship anyway.  Arsenal will play for pride through the end, but I expect they'll drop more points and City will finish seven or more points better.

There will be plenty of time to talk about improvements for next season, so I'll hold off on that.  It'll take a lot of money.

ARS 3 - 3 SOU -- That's so Spursy!

 We dug ourselves a 0-2 hole very early, gave away a cheap corner we misdefended in the second half, and could score three ourselves to at least come close to doing what they had to do: get the three points.  One has to say that this team, who could only match Liverpool, West Ham, and Southhampton, does not look like a squad that could stay with Manchester City.  There's no point reciting the horrendous errors made.  What bothers me most is that in these three draws, all Arteta could think to do is throw more attacking players out there instead of mids and backs.  He's not great at in-game adjustments, though he sure talks a lot to his players.  When he started Tierney last game, he had him try to do what Zinchenko does.  I understand the importance of system, but Arteta won't adjust for his players' differing capabilities.

I had not given up on our chances of winning the league before today.  It's not so much the dwindling lead but the way we're playing.  We give away goals.  We're too predictable.  We can't handle a good press (City has the best).  Maybe we've just been found out, the absence of Saliba being an important factor.  (I'm not criticizing Holding.)  We can't finish lower than 2nd.  Today was officially St Totteringham's Day, their being 22 points behind us with seven games to play.  We lost out on Champions' League qualification late last season, and I expect we're in the process of being hauled in by City for the title.

WHU 2 - 2 ARS: Two Points Dropped

 In a replay of the Liverpool contest, we went up 2-0 with ease early.  Then West Ham started playing, and they bullied us.  The only real chance we had after that was the handball PK that Saka sent wide.  Boy do we need a regular penalty taker with real quality, as Arteta was when he played for us.  You'd think he would develop one.  Even before this game, I was not confident that Arsenal could win the title.  There were too many games this season we won when we could easily have lost or drawn on the balance of play.  Leeds last fall. Bournemouth, Villa...well, it's catching up with us.  It's those sucker punch goals from errors and missed assignments.  Teams don't have to do anything spectacular to get a result from Arsenal--they just have to work hard and wait for their chances, and then take them.

Manchester City is a machine.  They shrugged Bayern Munich aside, while we lost to Sporting.  They can play in multiple contests and they expect to win them all.  They just might.  Arsenal can still win the league, but now they have to be perfect in their last seven games, including the one at the Etihad.  No one will expect that now, including Arteta.  I do want to note this, however:

To finish above us this season, Tottenham would have to win all seven of their games, we would have to lose all seven, and they would have to make up the goal difference, which stands at 31 in favor of us.  Effectively, this was St Totteringham's Day.

Palace has made themselves safe.  I would love to know what Vieira is thinking now.

LFC 2 - 2 ARS: Two Points Dropped or One Point Saved?

 Both, I think.  I can't explain why the Gunners dominated early and then Liverpool was the better team for an hour.  But though we blew a two goal lead, we were fortunate to have come away with a point on the balance of play.  It was a wonderful watch, with plenty of excellent goals, controversy, spiky incidents, yellow cards, and tension.  I don't have much to say about it except that Liverpool is a different team away than they are at home.

NCAA Championship

 Isn't it really no more than just an version of a Cup?  Is there really anything such as a No 1 team, in any sport, or is that merely an American myth?  Chelsea, for example,  won a cup in Europe a year or two ago, and far from performing like any world's best team, have tanked ever since.   Isn't it better based on long term performance?  Teams change, evolve, lose and gain players.  The awesome Liverpool of a few years ago, for example, is long gone.  

ARS 4 - 1 LEE

 Okay, it was Leeds, a relegation scrap contestant carrying several important injuries and which did not start its best eleven.  And yes, Leeds looked more dangerous than we did for much of the first half hour.  But class told, and Leeds simply could not keep us out.  Jesus won a penalty (the commentators were calling it soft, but Ayling deliberately put his studs into Jesus's knee as Jesus went by him.  And then he put the PK past the keeper for 1-0.  (highlights here)  After the break, Arsenal turned on the jets and we scored two very nice goals (White for his second for us, and Jesus again).  Leeds got one back off a deflected shot, but they were good value for their goal with some fine offensive work on several occasions.  Xhaka closed out proceedings with a delightful header off a great Odegaard cross.

So, job done today and it's nine games remaining.  Every team has something to play for, either to avoid relegation, a European place, or going for the league title.  There will be no easy games for either us or City.

Palace made Roy Hodgson's homecoming a happy one.  He started Eze, something I would have done every game, and it paid off.  Leicester is sleepwalking into relegation.  Villa humiliated Chelsea at the Bridge to put them in the bottom half.

ARS 2 - 0 BAY (2-1 agg), Women's Champions League

 We may be trailing in the league, but Arsenal Women have won the Conti Cup and are in the semis of the Champions' League.  Arsenal lost the first leg 1-0 in Munich, but played well and had confidence they could turn it around at home.  They did exactly that, in style.  Look at this fabulous goal.  Coming in the 19th minute, it set the stage for what was to come.  Just six minutes later, after sustained pressure, this goal put us in the driver's seat.  There could have been more, but we shut up shop in the second half and closed this one out.  Next up is the winner of PSG/Wolfsburg.

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There's some concern about Thomas Partey, who did not play in Angola because of a possible injury.  And Tierney took a knock from Rodri, the same Spain/Man City player who viciously tackled Odegaard in the last game (hmmm).  But everyone else seems to be coming back unscathed.  It won't be an easy run-in.  City's is not as challenging, but they will have to deal with cup competitions too and that's a major distraction for them.  Guardiola has spoken of how he needs to win the ECL for his legacy, so here's hoping he prioritizes that.

Balogun to USMNT? Please, yes!

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/03/23/folarin-balogun-usmnt-soccer-arsenal/ 

Balogun needs no introduction here.  He's a very hot academy product who will either play for Arsenal up front in quite a few games in the near and long term future or will be sold for a lot of money, I'd say about $50M, this summer or next.  The USMNT just can't score enough goals, and Balogun can fix that.  If he stays at Arsenal, he will have to compete with Eddie and Jesus as striker and that could be a roadblock for him.  I'd like to try it, but it might be awkward.  Arsenal would sell a lot of Balogun shirts if Flo is as successful with the USMNT as I think he will be.

ARS 4 - 1 CP: A Record Ninth London Derby Win* Keeps Us on Track

 I guess you don't get a new manager bounce with a caretaker.  Palace showed signs of life, but they had little of the ball and could not cope with our offense under sustained pressure.  Ramsdale was clearly enraged that his defenders allowed a corner to drop in front of his goal for Schlupp to poke in.  He'd done some good work to keep a clean sheet up 'til then.  But the outcome was sealed in the first half after two fine team goals from our wingers.  As in the Fulham game, every Arsenal player performed very well.  This is what we will have to do the next ten games.  Zaha might have given Holding a torrid time, but Rob did enough to keep Zaha's opportunities limited.  He still had two great chances and almost cashed in, but luck was on Ramsdale's side.  If Holding can keep playing this well, Saliba's injury won't necessarily be a disaster.

Watch the highlights here.  Arseblog's "By the Numbers" column on this game.

The Gunners now have an eight point lead on City, which has a game in hand and a game to play against us.  Palace is still in 12th but only three points from the drop zone.  Amazing.  They should be fine, but you never know.

The season resumes in two weeks after the international break, which I think comes at a good time for us.  Saliba may be fit to play in three weeks, and Jesus and ESR look at about 80%.  Maybe Eddie can get healed as well.  Tomi looks to be out for the season.

* This is the first time any team has won nine London derbies in one season.  Of course, there are seven London teams this go-round:  Arsenal, Spuds, Chelsea, West Ham, Fulham, Palace, and Brentford.  There usually aren't more than six, often five.  We'll have the opportunity to extend that record against Chelsea and West Ham too.

ARS 1 - 1 SPO* (3-3): Not Good Enough

 Sporting deserved to win this game.  They managed it better, they played aggressively, and they made all their PKs.  The conditions were not good (pouring rain) and neither was our passing.  There were too many cheap giveaways.  The Portuguese side was smart and played longer balls; we'd make fifteen passes and then miscue on one/  They shot when they had a chance: we were too cute and opportunities were wasted.  Their GK made all the plays; ours was caught out on a shot from the center circle.

Some might say that we're better off for concentrating on the league, but I say that losing breeds losing and this was a tie we should have walked away with.  Arteta rotated too much (though I bet Turner would have stopped that 50 yd rocket) and paid the price.  Saliba and Tomiyasu came off early with injuries.  The former would be a huge loss if it's a serious one.  Jesus played one half and looked good.  I thought Vieira for one was wasteful, and Zinchenko was not as sharp as he has been.  Maybe this game would have suited Tierney.

Anyway, a crap day and I'm going to try to forget this as soon as possible.

Fulham 0 - 3 Arsenal: A Dominant Performance

 I thought the Cottagers played pretty well for the most part, but it was nowhere near enough to stay in the game with a rampant Arsenal.  After a period of rough equality, with lots of pressing by both sides, we turned on the jets and blew them away.  Passing was crisp and we played at a fast pace.  Had the finishing been better, we could easily have had six goals.  Trossard had three first half assists, the first time a Premier League player has done that in an away match.  He looked fit.  Jesus even rose from the bench to play fifteen creditable minutes.  When we play like this we will beat anybody.

City won but Man U was held by bottom dwellers Southampton after Casemiro picked up another red card.  I guess they get the bad with the good with that guy.  It looks like a two-horse race for the title now.  City is so stacked that you can't rule out an 11 game win streak, and they have an easier schedule than the Gunners.  So every game is a must win for both teams, especially the game between them at the Etihad.  They beat us twice already, but there is reason to think that we can play with them and win.  It should be a good one.

At the other end of the table, a mere five points separate 12th place Palace (27) from last place Southampton (22).  It's going to be a mad scramble.  None of those teams are safe--two bad games can see any one of them in the relegation slots.  Wins will be precious. Goal difference could be crucial.  Palace ought to be in a good place now with their talent, but whatever Vieira is trying to do is not working.  I'd like to see him succeed, but how long will the owners give him?

Speaking of dominant performances, Arsenal Women crushed Reading 4-0 today.  They probably won't win the league this year, but they are lurking just behind the leaders and have to take care of business and hope for some help.  They also have a Champions' League game against Bayern Munich mid week.

Sporting 2 - 2 Arsenal

 Pregame:

I am not one of those supporters who thinks of cup competitions as a distraction from progress in the league.  The Gunners have underperformed in Europe for a very long time and it would be unseemly to tank in Europa League.  Barring a complete collapse, we'll be in Champions' League next year, so winning EL is its own reward, and I think a worthy goal.  There are challenges with this game.  Several players are sick, including Tierney, who must be desperate to show his worth in a meaningful contest.  He's been a victim of Arteta's system, which relies on our left back to drift into midfield.  That's not Tierney's game.  He's a better defender than Zinchenko and is faster, able to overlap and put in crosses and shots.  But Arteta wants someone who can combine with the other offensive players in sustained assaults on goal.  It's odd that just when we'd found that elusive dependable left back, we changed to a system in which he did not figure.

Eddie, Jesus, Trossard are all unavailable, I think, meaning Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson should start.  Saka needs a rest; he can sub in if we fall behind.  It's going to be a tough game.  It may be all we can do to keep it close so that we can win by enough at the Emirates to progress.

Postgame:

It was a wild one.  I could only listen to a play-by-play, but the participants were satisfied that the result was a fair reflection of the play.  Turner was iffy on Sporting's first goal and play was disjointed.  Surely our first eleven, or nearly all, will be playing the return match at the Emirates.  I think we ought to be able to get the job done at home.

ARS 3 - 1 CHE (Women, Conti Cup Final)

 Arsenal Women's first trophy in four years was won today at Selhurst Park.  All the goals were in the first half, and Chelsea's was first.  Congratulations to them.

ARS 3 - 2 BOU (FT): Disaster Averted

 Eddie had an ankle injury, and Trossard had to leave the game with what looked like a serious injury. Oh, yes--and we coughed up a goal after nine seconds.  The Cherries could have had two more on counters, too.  They packed it in and don't look like conceding any easy goals.  The Gunners have 45 minutes to turn this one around, but they look like a pale version of the City squad that brushed Newcastle aside in the early game.  Win or lose, this is a reality check on the league leaders.  Their bench is thin and they are not looking like a team that is going to have an easy time of it against anybody.

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Partey, White, and Nelson were the unlikely goalscorers in a(nother) wildly improbable last-minutes victory for Arteta's men.  The Cherries actually had at least three good chances to score more goals, and defended pretty well, but in the end it proved impossible to keep us out.  There were a half-dozen reasonable penalty shouts for Arsenal too; I've seen the penalty given for less than a couple of the handballs anyway.  (Bournemouth handled four times and committed two borderline fouls in the box.  None were given.)  A cracking game for the neutral, but nerve-wracking for supporters of either team.

It's very good news that Reiss Nelson seems healthy again, but I'm worried about Trossard and ESR's fitness.  Without them or Eddie or Jesus, we are very light up front.  I'm also concerned about how easily we conceded the goals and other chances.  Careless play.  This should have been a comfortable win, not a desperate last-gasp victory.  The Villa game was also way too close for comfort, and it took 40 minutes to break down Everton.

Tottenham lost again, and St. Totteringham's Day is drawing ever nearer.  It's been six or seven years since the last one.

ARS 4 - 0 EVE: Merseyside Burnley No Match for a Real Football Team

 Remember when Sean Dyche had Burnley overperforming so much he was dubbed "the ginger Mourinho"?  He's rehired some of his old players and turned Everton into a more expensive version of Burnley.  He's now 2-0-3 since replacing the clueless Frank Lampard, which may be good enough, if continued, to save the Toffees from relegation.  They beat us in his first game with them.  But they looked woeful yesterday.  The few times they did have scoring opportunities, and they had two or three good ones, they seemed too surprised to make the most of them.  Their focus was on keeping the Gunners from getting good opportunities, time wasting, and making the game disjointed, and it worked for 40 minutes.  With Saka's brilliant goal, that strategy went out the window, and after the error that preceded our second goal in first half injury time, there was no way back for Everton.  The second half was dominated by Arsenal, though Ramsdale was forced into a couple of smart saves.  Arteta had the opportunity to ease ESR into some late game minutes, and let Fabio Vieira show his stuff too.  Eddie reprised his role as substitute for Trossard's false nine and looked good out there, bagging an assist for Martinelli's second goal.  The commentators noted that Arsenal had beaten Everton 100 times with this game, the first time any team had beaten any other team that many times in the history of English football.  

Arteta will not be letting his guys get ahead of themselves.  They're only five points up on Man City and eight on Man U, and another run of poor games like we recently experienced will see those leads evaporate.  We have to play City again, and they've beaten us twice.  In our favor is that United and City have to play each other, and we all have to play difficult-to-score-on Newcastle.  I like our chances, but we're not prohibitive favorites (unless City gets a points deduction for their financial transgressions).  Arteta seems to have come up with new questions to ask of opposition defenses after they'd answered the ones we posed in the stellar first half of the season.

Congratulations to Erik ten Hag and his revitalized Manchester United, winners of the League (Carabao) Cup.  It's been an age since United won silverware in the minds of their supporters, and they'll be hoping this augurs well for their future.  They are still in the hunt for winning the FA Cup, Europa League, and the EPL, so they're entitled to dream big.

Arsenal Women have fallen apart.  They lost their two best players to season-ending knee injuries and their promising season is in ruins.  There's one realistic chance to salvage it, in the Conti Cup final against Chelsea.  I suppose I shouldn't rule out a Champions' League miracle.