DRAW Champions League: Atalanta BC 0 - 0 Arsenal | Thursday 19th September | KO: 20:00 BST | TNT Sports

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1836823865890160818

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1836824935404294253

Champions League is back but on a Thursday let’s go!!

First and one of the hardest games in this initial round that we’ll have with a trip to Bergamo to face last year’s Europa League champions.

Lot of injuries at the back still but hopefully Saka just had a customary limp and will be fit for this although it sounds pessimistic for Ødegaard, Calafiori and Zinchenko.



May be a very big stage for Ethan so probably use Trossard in midfield again although we will have Rice back crucially for this.

Martinelli looks shot form wise in front of goal so may be a good full debut for an experienced CL player in Raheem.

We’ve never faced Atalanta before in a competitive match so here’s a bit about their start to the season…

Form Guide

Mixed start to the year after winning the Europa League last year getting pumped by Inter and needing a huge come back against Fiorentina yesterday.



They’ve been busy in the transfer market… made one of their stars last year De Ketelaere a permanent signing and even added Ben Godfrey from Everton with former PL players Cuadrado, Zaniolo and Rui Patricio.

They lost the heartbeat of last years team though in Koopmeiners to Juventus who was incredible in both league and EL which may explain the iffy start.



Danger Man

Back from injury on the weekend for his first game of the season and bagging a goal and assist against Fiorentina it has to be last year’s man of the match in the EL final Ademola Lookman.



Also keep an eye out for new signing Mateo Retegui up top who’s bagged four in four so far this year and is top scorer in Serie A…

 

[MA08]

Man just watched Arsenal score more goals than they've ever done before in a season and his soul is being destroyed after starting the season unbeaten with 3 tough away games, a raft of injuries. Honestly...

Nonsense peddlers, most of these are.. No coach, not even Mourinho had to deal with this Man City, for example, if Fergie was United coach now, he would not be winning much...

 

[quattro]

Nonsense peddlers, most of these are.. No coach, not even Mourinho had to deal with this Man City, for example, if Fergie was United coach now, he would not be winning much...

That's because when Mourinho and Fergie were ruling it in the Prem, they were literally the resource hogs whose money gave them the ability to do what others in the league simply can't. In short, they never had to deal with "this Man City" because they were "this Man City" when they were winning here.

 

[Diesel]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1837027770024571003

You gotta love it

That guy needs to go on a lean meat diet.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

The amount of times Raya kept on pumping the ball long was weird. Arteta didnt trust us to play out of their press.

I noticed this and whilst we weren't overly troubled, if you compare us to Inter vs the City press, we weren't as good. Kai won a lot of the ball but the issue, as is so often, was the second ball. Nobody was in the space or place to receive it, didn't have the legs to collect it or the brains to anticipate it. It was a horrible watch tbh.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

It's clear to me that Tets is looking to build a strong base in this first tough run of the season. Don't concede, scrap for a point, maybe score on set pieces. That's why he's not willing to risk Nwaneri. Playing more expansively would risk us going behind in both title race and CL early and that's not an option for him.

I hear you but playing this way might also result in us dropping at least two points per game. I never felt that we would score last night and scoring still feels "unnatural" despite the stats.

 

[Diesel]

I think a lot of our play against Atalanta fell down because we weren’t able to connect better between the lines. Too many lost balls in possession, opening ourselves up to be transitioned on.

We need those connections back, crisp passing and finding our players. Ødegaard is really missed in that sense.

Still early in the season though, there will be improvements to come. Just like last season things will get into gear when it matters again

Yes and no. Our philosophy is to really only commit 3 guys forward with maybe a later runner as 4th. I like Marti but Sterlings footwork and control will be better suited for this window without Ode. We need to get the ball to our attacking players. Up to rice and Jorg/partey. The midfield dropped in quality from the weekend to Thursday but could have been due to our game plan.

Getting the ball and then turning toward a CB or GK was so infuriating. Maybe a test run because we have city Sunday. Would make sense of we tried the exact same thing. But Atalanta isn't City and we should have had better attacks against them.

 

[andeoch1]

It does sure, but not as much as we think.

The season begins in December, our job now is to stay in touch with the leaders

If we don’t start creating and putting away more chances we will be outta reach by December. I can only hope and pray things click, and soon

 

[El Realista]

Our problem is simple really.



We have square pegs in round holes all over the pitch.

Right footed cb at beft back
40 year washed DM
A very Good DM playing as an attacking 8
A striker playing as an attacking 8
A player that should have a striker playing on the wing.
And A player that should have never been a striker playing up.


It's had to play fluid football and creat chances when the team mix is all wrong

That's Arteta, always complicating everything

 

[SA Gunner]

 

[Macho]

That's because when Mourinho and Fergie were ruling it in the Prem, they were literally the resource hogs whose money gave them the ability to do what others in the league simply can't. In short, they never had to deal with "this Man City" because they were "this Man City" when they were winning here.

The amount of people that don't get this is a bit worrying. They were City but imagine with no FFP. If we had VP now I don't think City could buy him like Utd did to us back then.

 

[redanddread]

Fair point to a degree

But I am not just talking about numbers, I am mainly talking about the quality and consistency of our football... it's never been great to watch really under Arteta, bar 22/23.

I think I remember seeing that in the 7 full seasons Wenger and Mourinho were together in England, Jose's teams outscored Arsène's teams in 5 out of those 7 seasons...but we all know which team played the more attacking and enjoyable football, rather than just who scored more.

As I said I don't mind being the team that isn't the most aesthetically pleasing to watch, but I want trophies with it...I don't want to constantly be the worst of Wenger's team and the worst of Mourinho's team in one...poor overall football and no trophies too, that's like something Sp**s would do lol.

Just think we either need to get more creative or more ruthless, as we haven't fully grasped either one yet...and I want to be great at one of them.

Takes time.....trust the process! Team has constantly evolved to get to a point where we can consistently challenge Pep & City....don't frown at that. We're great defensively, that's something to get excited about......!!

 

[redanddread]

although he never really expounds on the headline title.....

 

[coleio]

As the match went on our players confidence got lower and lower as they are realising how hard it will be without Ødegaard against anyone

The real shock will be against Southampton home when people will realise we will struggle massively to do much on the ball

Another braindead take from Rasmi

 

[db10_therza]

Another braindead take from Rasmi

Actually I think he has a bit of a point here.

Since we’ve been without Ødegaard we’ve played a bunch of games against tough opponents where the game plan has been to absorb pressure.

It very much remains to be seen how we deal without our captain in games where the onus is on us to break down stubborn low blocks. A lot of us are pinning our hopes on a 17 year old kid who has never started a game for us. I think we’ll be fine but being nervous about that is pretty understandable imo.

 

[El Realista]

The amount of people that don't get this is a bit worrying. They were City but imagine with no FFP. If we had VP now I don't think City could buy him like Utd did to us back then.

United paid peanuts for him. RvP left because he wanted to win something and we didn't commit to that. Something could happen again if we don't win anything in next years when RM, Bayern, PSG come for Saliba, Saka or Ødegaard offering trophies.

 

[El Realista]

Takes time.....trust the process! Team has constantly evolved to get to a point where we can consistently challenge Pep & City....don't frown at that. We're great defensively, that's something to get excited about......!!

There is no such words I hate more, it's like brainwash literally. Like losing all your critical thinking and "just trust blindly". That's like religious fanatism. The process is a big bucle where Arteta is repeating the same patterns over and over. Everything starts since the transfer season when we always are short in players and squad and Arteta relies to injury prone players and don't get cover for key players and somehow we sign a new defender and GK. Then we get injuries and we don't have proper cover and of course he is reluctant to rotate and give chances to subs. Later we look disastrous in attack and lack creativity but we manage to get points in set pieces. Then we recover form, fight for the title and then bottled it in key games.

Some of these patterns happen more than once or twice in the season.

 

[MA08]

That's because when Mourinho and Fergie were ruling it in the Prem, they were literally the resource hogs whose money gave them the ability to do what others in the league simply can't. In short, they never had to deal with "this Man City" because they were "this Man City" when they were winning here.

They were good, Mourinho after his two seasons had to deal with Ronaldo's Man U. They were good teams, but could be beaten by other teams. Man City is a level or 2 above them. Man City will beat all of those teams week in week out. The only team that could come closer is Man U with Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, but even that team is a level below this

 

[redanddread]

There is no such words I hate more, it's like brainwash literally. Like losing all your critical thinking and "just trust blindly". That's like religious fanatism. The process is a big bucle where Arteta is repeating the same patterns over and over. Everything starts since the transfer season when we always are short in players and squad and Arteta relies to injury prone players and don't get cover for key players and somehow we sign a new defender and GK. Then we get injuries and we don't have proper cover and of course he is reluctant to rotate and give chances to subs. Later we look disastrous in attack and lack creativity but we manage to get points in set pieces. Then we recover form, fight for the title and then bottled it in key games.

Some of these patterns happen more than once or twice in the season.

I'm trusting the process that has us unbeaten this season and lost one of our last 22 games and almost won us the title last season.....you can think whatever you want to think and moan about whatever you want to moan about...I'm dealing with the facts that I'm seeing week in week out and the results that this team keep compiling. Hate on whatever you want to hate on but you're going to have to grasp that it has been a process and it's been a process worth trusting so far.

I honestly don't understand many of our fans.........put yourself in that category.

Don't let little words upset you.........appreciate what is happening in front of you.

 

[Nunowoolmez]

Missed the game & all the chat but a 0-0 away draw against a very decent Italian side is not bad tbh

Raya double save was epic !

*Back to the creativity drawing board for Teta tho. We need to find a solution & quickly (easier said than done mind!)

 

[TakeChillPill]

United paid peanuts for him. RvP left because he wanted to win something and we didn't commit to that. Something could happen again if we don't win anything in next years when RM, Bayern, PSG come for Saliba, Saka or Ødegaard offering trophies.

I disagree. The difference then compared to now, is that we are actual title challenges in every sense of the word.

If you look at the great klopp team they only won one league and a cl in the 7 years. For 2-3 seasons they were the bridesmaid like us to city before finally winning the league.

Other than Madrid I can't see our players leaving to somewhere better.

Also I fully expect Mbappe to be exposed at Madrid since the team is not built around him. It will showcase that leaving doesn't necessarily mean success.