WIN Premier League: Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham | Saturday 4th October | KO: 15:00 BST

Predicted Lineup

Prediction
Arsenal 3-0 West Ham

 

[boonthegoon]

I actually think the admins should do a cull and get rid of the obvious trolls and wums. At least the lads who support other teams are honest and generally respectful. But the slime-bags who are pretend Arsenal fans and just brimming with malevolence and deceit... if this was my site they'd have been booted out long ago.

I have been telling this for a long time. I called out @Entropics long long ago much before many realized he's a boring troll. Still given a free run here.

 

[fathergoon]

This what I mean by the balance thing though. One of Rice / Zubimendi miss out and they’re just too good at what they do respectively.

No Zubi and you lose you DLP, Ødegaard starts dropping deeper to compensate.

No Rice and you lose all your running power, no one’s making those difficult to track runs in to the box and no one’s covering space on the counter like he does.

I hear @Clrnc point about Martinelli over Trossard with it though, he brings the running power at least. No point having a heap of creative players if no one’s making runs for them.

I think this was absolutely the intention with having Ode instead of zubi. For Martin to dictate from deeper. I liked and wanted a similiar lineup for this game. But having seen it for the first 30 minutes. Defensively I 'felt' an inbalance. Rice was in for his running power and the threat of west ham countering us. I figure that was the way they could possibly hurt us. As you mentioned.

 

[db10_therza]

I think this was absolutely the intention with having Ode instead of zubi. For Martin to dictate from deeper. I liked and wanted a similiar lineup for this game. But having seen it for the first 30 minutes. Defensively I 'felt' an inbalance. Rice was in for his running power and the threat of west ham countering us. I figure that was the way they could possibly hurt us. As you mentioned.

Yeah it’s just one of those things you might think on paper it’ll work but actually in practice in just throws the balance off a tiny bit and then you start compensating in weird ways and that throws something else off.

I’m a big big advocate for a DLP+B2B+CAM midfield trios.

 

[HimalayanGooner]

Saka should have let Gyokeres take the penalty. He can score without it. But Gyokeres is not getting the service he deserves and is used to make space for other players. He ahould be rewarded for the hard work he is putting. I have noticed that teams does not double team Saka anymore because of Gyokeres presence in the box. However, Saka isn't making use of that and don't even make the effort to dribble past a player 1v1.

If it was already 2-0 then yes, but at 1-0 if it was a miss that would have put a lot of pressure on the team and also on Gyok. The team already did that when Havertz was struggling, but we were already 2 or 3 nil up then if im not mistaken.

 

[Kuroske]

If it was already 2-0 then yes, but at 1-0 if it was a miss that would have put a lot of pressure on the team and also on Gyok. The team already did that when Havertz was struggling, but we were already 2 or 3 nil up then if im not mistaken.

Gyökeres is the first-choice penalty taker, if I’m not mistaken. I heard Saka took it because of some marketing thing due to his goals/assists milestone and all the festivity around it.

 

[bastun]

There's been multiple online discussions about our dire atmosphere in the Emirates for quite some time now. Is there any forum member who goes to all our games, who can confirm/ deny ?
What is the cause of it ? I know english and Arsenal fans in particular are super reactive and support depending on how the games turn out , but still... Is this because of the ballot system or ashburton army ticket allocation ? I know it cannot be like Germany or eastern europe where they sing no matter what, but it can be better.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

There's been multiple online discussions about our dire atmosphere in the Emirates for quite some time now. Is there any forum member who goes to all our games, who can confirm/ deny ?
What is the cause of it ? I know english and Arsenal fans in particular are super reactive and support depending on how the games turn out , but still... Is this because of the ballot system or ashburton army ticket allocation ? I know it cannot be like Germany or eastern europe where they sing no matter what, but it can be better.

I go occasionally; my section was pretty poor on Saturday.

London fans are too cosseted these days — more concerned about matcha tea and bagging a table at the latest must visit small-plates restaurant than cheering on their team. Northern fans are forged from coal and steel; football genuinely runs in their veins. The Ashburton Army thing was influential on crowd volume for a few seasons, but that seems to be on the wane. I know their allocation was reduced, reportedly for an anti-semitic comment on a WhatsApp group. IMO the new ballot system means the tickets are more broadly available to a wider range of fans, some who may not have attended very often, no idea if that affects the noise.

Arsenal away fans though, totally different animal. They’re like a pack of rabid dogs: mad day out, singing and standing the whole game.


PS: If anyone wants small-plate restaurant recommendations near the ground PM me.

 

[Nunowoolmez]

There's been multiple online discussions about our dire atmosphere in the Emirates for quite some time now. Is there any forum member who goes to all our games, who can confirm/ deny ?
What is the cause of it ? I know english and Arsenal fans in particular are super reactive and support depending on how the games turn out , but still... Is this because of the ballot system or ashburton army ticket allocation ? I know it cannot be like Germany or eastern europe where they sing no matter what, but it can be better.

@Beany is a regular at The Emirates. There will be others, but I know he goes as he always leaves photos of the match day on these threads.

I went 3 times last season Vs Wolves, PSG, & Sp**s & thought the atmosphere was good tbh, albeit a small sample size.

 

[Beany]

@Beany is a regular at The Emirates. There will be others, but I know he goes as he always leaves photos of the match day on these threads.

I went 3 times last season Vs Wolves, PSG, & Sp**s & thought the atmosphere was good tbh, albeit a small sample size.

I see no issue with the atmosphere tbh - sure, we’re by no means the most vociferous crowd in the country - we pretty much revel in that reputation - but when we play well and score early, or in a big game, the aptmosphere is banging. When we’re struggling against a poor team, or it’s tense because the goal won’t come, people get a bit frustrated and shuffle in their seats a bit, whilst club and box level rattle their jewellery. I thought Saturday was decent, consistent songs of encouragement/celebration throughout and the ashburton army more than did their bit (though maybe we rely on them a bit much these days to get things started, which is harder now they are smaller presence in the stadium). It just wasn’t a huge or impressive game - West Ham didn’t lay a glove on us tbh, it was really obvious and at times it played out like a training game, once we’d scored.

 

[bastun]

I see no issue with the atmosphere tbh - sure, we’re by no means the most vociferous crowd in the country - we pretty much revel in that reputation - but when we play well and score early, or in a big game, the aptmosphere is banging. When we’re struggling against a poor team, or it’s tense because the goal won’t come, people get a bit frustrated and shuffle in their seats a bit, whilst club and box level rattle their jewellery. I thought Saturday was decent, consistent songs of encouragement/celebration throughout and the ashburton army more than did their bit (though maybe we rely on them a bit much these days to get things started, which is harder now they are smaller presence in the stadium). It just wasn’t a huge or impressive game - West Ham didn’t lay a glove on us tbh, it was really obvious and at times it played out like a training game, once we’d scored.

Thanks a lot for your insights. Appreciate it.

 

[MikelHadADream]

I see no issue with the atmosphere tbh - sure, we’re by no means the most vociferous crowd in the country - we pretty much revel in that reputation - but when we play well and score early, or in a big game, the aptmosphere is banging. When we’re struggling against a poor team, or it’s tense because the goal won’t come, people get a bit frustrated and shuffle in their seats a bit, whilst club and box level rattle their jewellery. I thought Saturday was decent, consistent songs of encouragement/celebration throughout and the ashburton army more than did their bit (though maybe we rely on them a bit much these days to get things started, which is harder now they are smaller presence in the stadium). It just wasn’t a huge or impressive game - West Ham didn’t lay a glove on us tbh, it was really obvious and at times it played out like a training game, once we’d scored.

I think people make too much of the atmosphere tbh. Arsenal have never been the loudest crowd in the country. Highbury wasn't called the library for nothing lmao.

In general the atmosphere in the last few years under Arteta has been the best its been since I started going (first game was in 04).

 

[freeglennhelder2]

I think on average all London Prem crowds are a bit meh. Palace seem a bit noisier than most.

 

[Rain Dance]

Another premier league team who didn’t have a shot on our goal. That is so impressive and overlooked.

music to my ears

 

[MartiSaka]

I see no issue with the atmosphere tbh - sure, we’re by no means the most vociferous crowd in the country - we pretty much revel in that reputation - but when we play well and score early, or in a big game, the aptmosphere is banging. When we’re struggling against a poor team, or it’s tense because the goal won’t come, people get a bit frustrated and shuffle in their seats a bit, whilst club and box level rattle their jewellery. I thought Saturday was decent, consistent songs of encouragement/celebration throughout and the ashburton army more than did their bit (though maybe we rely on them a bit much these days to get things started, which is harder now they are smaller presence in the stadium). It just wasn’t a huge or impressive game - West Ham didn’t lay a glove on us tbh, it was really obvious and at times it played out like a training game, once we’d scored.

Too much corporate and high end hospitality at the emirates. Being in London means this is even more accentuated than other major non London clubs i.e. Pool for example. Improves the matchday revenue but degrades the atmosphere. It feels as is ashburton army did have some impact on the atmosphere for a while but it seems to be shrinking annually as the club try to maximise profits due to ticket demand in the affluent market they reside in.

Alan Davies used to always conplain about "where are all the lads from the local estates?" at Arsenal games these days on the Tuesday club, its a bit ironic coming from him and his friends.

 

[Beany]

Too much corporate and high end hospitality at the emirates. Being in London means this is even more accentuated than other major non London clubs i.e. Pool for example. Improves the matchday revenue but degrades the atmosphere. It feels as is ashburton army did have some impact on the atmosphere for a while but it seems to be shrinking annually as the club try to maximise profits due to ticket demand in the affluent market they reside in.

Alan Davies used to always conplain about "where are all the lads from the local estates?" at Arsenal games these days on the Tuesday club, its a bit ironic coming from him and his friends.

Yes, corporate (which I’ve very occasionally used when offered) is mostly soulless albeit the “environment” is nice). To be fair to Alan Davies, I occasionally spot him in passing with his kids at the games - somewhat bizarrely I once went to a corporate lunch at the club (non-game day) for the 79 cup winning team - he was there and I ended up sat opposite him in the pub, with most the 79 team. He’s a real fan, sits in the standard seats (or he did then) and knows his Arsenal history.

 

[MartiSaka]

Yes, corporate (which I’ve very occasionally used when offered) is mostly soulless albeit the “environment” is nice). To be fair to Alan Davies, I occasionally spot him in passing with his kids at the games - somewhat bizarrely I once went to a corporate lunch at the club (non-game day) for the 79 cup winning team - he was there and I ended up sat opposite him in the pub, with most the 79 team. He’s a real fan, sits in the standard seats (or he did then) and knows his Arsenal history.

Sits in the standard seats or in Frank Warren's corporate box based on the Tuesday club. At least he does take the piss out of himself when he does the later.