Arsenal v Manchester City team news, team stats and latest manager rumour.

By Bulldog Drummond

The general feeling is that the injured list consists of Ceballos, Holding, Xhaka, and Tierney.   In addition there are doubts about Bellerin and Pepe.

Both sides include a currently top rated scorer (these figures and others below calculated before this weekend’s games).

Player Club
Nationality
Goals
1. Jamie Vardy Leicester City
England
16
2. Tammy Abraham Chelsea
England
11
2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal
Gabon
11
4. Marcus Rashford Manchester United
England
10
5. Sergio Agüero Manchester City
Argentina
9

But where Manchester City do beat us is with assists.  We don’t have anyone in the top 20.

Player Club Nationality Stat
1. Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City
Belgium
9
2. Son Heung-Min Tottenham Hotspur
South Korea
7
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool
England
6
3. David Silva Manchester City
Spain
6

Ederson in goal for City has kept five clean sheets, while we have just two.  But on the plus side neither club has any players in the top 20 in the Premier League for yellow cards.   Bournemouth who (at least until yesterday) were falling apart in the league under their manager once tipped to be the next Arsenal top man, are the current dirtiest side by a mile, having in Billing and Lerma the two of the top three collectors of the yellows this season.

Rodrigo is Manchester City’s top passer of the ball with 967 passes – putting him in 12th position in the league for passing.  Matteo Guendouzi is our top passer in 15th position with 905.  Top of that particular table is Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk with 1,190 passes.

But if you really want to know what it is that Liverpool are doing that keeps them at the top, it is touching the ball.   Three of the top four players measured by the number of touches in PL games this season are with Liverpool.  Guendouzi, is our top passer, which once again, given his low cost and the obscurity of his position before he came to us, shows me what a staggering buy he was.

The Statszone give us this line up for the game…

Leno;

Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Chambers, Kolasinac;

Torreira, Guendouzi;

Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli;

Aubameyang

The Evening Standard says that “Hector Bellerin withdrew from the side to face West Ham because of a tight hamstring in the warm-up, but may be back, and Shkodran Mustafi is available having been suspended in the Europa League.”

Their line up – which is identical to that published in the Guardian’s website on Saturday afternoon, is much the same but with a variation in the back four

Leno;

Bellerin, Chambers, Sokratis, Kolasinac;

Torreira, Guendouzi;

Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli,

Aubameyang

Squwaka goes with the same line up except with a back four of Chambers, Luiz, Sokratis, Kolasinac.

Currently (after Saturday’s matches but before Sunday’s games) our position is ninth, 24 points behind the leaders, seven points off the nearest relegation spot.

Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Liverpool 17 16 1 0 42 14 28 49
2 Leicester City 17 12 3 2 40 11 29 39
3 Manchester City 16 10 2 4 44 19 25 32
4 Chelsea 17 9 2 6 31 25 6 29
5 Sheffield United 17 6 7 4 21 16 5 25
6 Manchester United 16 6 6 4 25 19 6 24
7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 16 5 9 2 23 19 4 24
8 Tottenham Hotspur 16 6 5 5 30 23 7 23
9 Arsenal 16 5 7 4 24 24 0 22

One year ago after 16 games our position was fifth, eight points behind the leaders, 24 points off the nearest relegation spot.

Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Liverpool 16 13 3 0 34 6 28 42
2 Manchester City 16 13 2 1 45 9 36 41
3 Tottenham Hotspur 16 12 0 4 30 16 14 36
4 Chelsea 16 10 4 2 33 13 20 34
5 Arsenal 16 10 4 2 35 20 15 34
6 Manchester United 16 7 5 4 28 26 2 26

Two years ago we were also fifth, although 15 points behind the leaders in Mr Wenger’s last year, 16 points off the nearest relegation spot.

Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Manchester City 16 15 1 0 48 11 37 46
2 Manchester United 16 11 2 3 36 11 25 35
3 Chelsea 16 10 2 4 28 13 15 32
4 Liverpool 16 8 6 2 34 20 14 30
5 Arsenal 16 9 2 5 30 20 10 29
6 Tottenham Hotspur 16 8 4 4 28 14 14 28

I am not sure that losing two managers has given us much progress but it seemed to be what some people wanted.  Indeed as we have mentioned before, what has happened to Arsenal since the removal of the managers is what happens to most Premier League teams who change managers.  Things get worse.   That’s how it goes.

The Guardian adds,

“Freddie Ljungberg oversees his fifth game as Arsenal’s interim head coach and the scalp of Manchester City would present a compelling argument for him to be offered the role on a longer basis.”

Meanwhile Talksprout says,

“Arsenal plan Nuno talks after speaking to Roberto Martinez about taking over”

but don’t worry – it was only Talksprout.

49 Replies to “Arsenal v Manchester City team news, team stats and latest manager rumour.”

  1. OT: About 10m into early games

    ManU 0 0 Everton

    1 yellow to Everton on 5m, fouls are 1:2. No treatments yet.

    Wolves 0 1 Spuds

    Spuds with the goal on 8m. Fouls are 0:2, no cards. No treatments yet.

    It is fine for Everton to get a yellow on 2 fouls, but not the spuds.

  2. OT: About ,id first half into early games

    ManU 0 0 Everton

    1 yellow to Everton on 5m, fouls are 3:3. ManU have inflicted a treatment on Everton, and the player had to be substituted. Oliver, the PGMO twit, sees nothing.

    Wolves 0 1 Spuds

    Spuds with the goal on 8m. Fouls are 2:3, no cards. No treatments yet.

    How can ManU kick an opposition player off the park, and not even give up a foul?

  3. Spuds Moura pulls fouls a wolves attack in front of the Pigmob ref but a talking to all he dishes out for a yellow card offence. Ali diving forever as is Kane. Cheating is part of their makeup. The Wolves supporters singing that Kane is a wanker!!

    The Pigmob official is cheating wholesale but then what’s new?

  4. Handball by Ali which the commentator reckons its his chest!! A penalty for any other officials but not the PIGMOB.

    Kane fouls and its strong but not a foul another pile of hogwash.

  5. The spuds are allowed to stand 8yards or less in front of Wolves free kicks. The New PGMOL Laws of the Game.

  6. OT: Half time in early games

    ManU 0 1 Everton

    ManU scored an OG at 36m.
    1 yellow to Everton on 5m, fouls are 5:4. No other treatments.

    Wolves 0 1 Spuds

    Spuds with the goal on 8m. Fouls are 2:4, no cards. No treatments yet.

    How can the spuds have committed twice as many fouls as Everton had (both are visiting teams), and not be carded?

    In WSL play, it is half time with Chel$ea visiting Liverpool. Liverpool have been a tough nut for all the WSL teams to crack, their problem is that they seldom score. But at half time, it is 1-1.

    In earlier games, Arsenal were away to Everton and won 1-3. Man$ity was home to Brighton and won 5-0.

    Spuds scoreless at Reading. The other 2 games are postponed (too much water).

  7. Hmmm. Freddie Ljungberg seems to be putting a part of his faith in Arsenal youth players whom he has coached at the club’s U23 team squad when he named James Olayinka 19 on the bench in Arsenal ELC away match to Standard Liege last Thursday night in Belgium. But Ljungberg didn’t play Olayinka in the in the match who I think I once watched play expansive football for Arsenal in one of their preseason games in July this year. But I believe Ljungberg knows his football strength far far better than me.

    And what of Robbie Burton 19 who I’ve not seen played for Arsenal again after his penalty miss for Arsenal against Real Madrid in an ICC match during the Arsenal preseason matches.

    I think there are these 5 Arsenal academy school graduates of: Smith-Rowe, Saka, Nelson, Martinelli and who again, 8urton? But I am sure, who have been integrated into the club’s senior team squad this season.

    But I don’t think Ljungberg will be audacious to make changes to the above Statszone’s Arsenal starting XI for Man City which I’ve adopted as my Arsenal starters for our Man City match, and bring in both Olayinka and Burton to start in the match or at least introduce them into the game at some point in the match as substitutes. But if he named them in his 18 for the match.

    Anyway, but has Mesut Ozil gone Islamically political in his lack of metal focus for Arsenal in their today’s big home game match against Man City to caused a marketing problem for Arsenal in China on the social media? Where the Chinese football watching audience who are watching Arsenal matches in the PL week in week out is huge huge I would think.

  8. What a difference when Spurs foul to when Wolves foul – Stuart Atwell books the wolves player rapid but the usual chat with the Spud!!! Atwell waits a long time before booking Sanchez and is so quick to book Jony of Wolves.

    The wait encourages Wolves complaints that will obviously get a yellow for disscent.

    Traore gets one back for Wolves with a beauty.

  9. I’m a Christian but I support Ozil in his tweet against the Chinese bully boys and the Uigurs. Any Nation that picks on minorities should be brought to book at the UN.

  10. OT: About half way through second half in early games

    ManU 0 1 Everton

    Everton get the second yellow at 58m (not to same player), fouls are 7:6. ManU still without a card.
    ManU kick another Everton player to the ground at 56m, Oliver doing his Sargeant Schulz impression. Everton inflict a treatment on ManU at 62m, and Oliver the clueless still does nothing.

    Wolves 0 1 Spuds

    Spuds with the goal on 8m. Fouls are 8:6, and cards are 2:1 (all 3 cards in 5m). No treatments yet.

    Just as I am finishing, Wolves score. (And ManU get a card. And a spud gets carded.)

    In WSL play, it is in the second half with Chel$ea visiting Liverpool. Score apparently still 1-1.

    Spuds have scored 1 at Reading.

  11. Spurs continue play even though they are off side with a flag up (no whistle). The VAR check is for a penalty!! and not for the off side.

    The Wolves supporters sing ‘fuck VAR’ aas well as ‘Fuck Mourinho’.

  12. Allow me please to make corrections on my above previous comment posting as seen in this my posting that’s now followed.

    Hmmm. Freddie Ljungberg seems to be putting a part of his faith in Arsenal youth players whom he has coached at the club’s U23 team squad when he named James Olayinka 19 on the bench in Arsenal ELC away match to Standard Liege last Thursday night in Belgium. But Ljungberg didn’t play Olayinka in the match who I think I once watched play expansive football for Arsenal in one of their preseason games in July this year. But I believe Ljungberg knows his football strength far far better than me.

    And what of Robbie Burton 19? Who I’ve not seen played for Arsenal again this season after his penalty miss for Arsenal against Real Madrid in an ICC match during the Arsenal preseason matches.

    And I think there are these 4 Arsenal academy school graduates of: Smith-Rowe, Saka, Nelson, and 8urton? But I am sure, who have all been integrated into the club’s senior team squad this season.

    But I don’t think Ljungberg will be audacious to make changes to the above Statszone’s Arsenal starting XI for Man City which I’ve adopted as my Arsenal starters for our Man City match, and bring in both Olayinka and Burton to start in the match or at least introduce them into the game at some point in the match as substitutes. But if he named them in his 18 for the match.

    Anyway, but has Mesut Ozil gone Islamically political in his lack of metal focus for Arsenal in their today’s big home game match against Man City to caused a marketing problem for Arsenal in China on the social media? Where the Chinese football watching audience who are watching Arsenal matches in the PL week in week out is huge huge and financially rewarding to the club I would think.

  13. Wolves unable to beat the PGMOL slope, specially with VAR to support the cheating in the middle.

    I like the heart of the Wolves supporters.

  14. OT: Nearing end of game in early games

    ManU 1 1 Everton

    Cards are 1:2 and fouls are 11:12. The inflicted treatment by Everton on ManU, required a substitution.

    Wolves 1 2 Spuds

    Fouls are 12:10, and cards are 4:4. The spuds inflict a treatment on the wolves goalscorer on 89m. Spuds go on to score shortly after that (wolves player off the field still).

    In WSL play, Liverpool hang on for the 1-1 draw with Chel$ea. Chel$ea still have a game in hand, but they are now 4 points adrift.

    In the Reading v spuds game, 12 minutes of extra time were played, with Reading leading 2-1 going innto extra time. The game ended 3-1, Reading scoring at 10m of extra time. The referee still played another 2m of extra time? hat on Earth happened in that game? Ghost of sir red nose present? Good for you Reading.

  15. Tierney is the twit for PGMO.

    XI: Leno
    Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Chambers, Kolasinac
    Guendouzi, Torreira
    Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli
    Aubameyang

    Beach: Martinez, Lacazette, Luiz, Nelson, Willock, Smith Rowe. Saka

    COYG!

  16. Statszone has correctly predicted the Arsenal starting XI for our Man City home big game match today who I’ve in my comment posting today given my backing 100%.

    You know what, if Arsenal will raise up the level of there game that is average in my own thinking to a very high standard quality far above the quality in big game match far above the quality of playing in the match that Man City has to themselves in the match, i am more than confident to say Arsenal wull this evening at the Emirates Stadium beat Man City in the match unfailingly.

    Therefore, All Arsenal hands at the club’s hierarchy, in the Gunners team, in us Gooner should on Arsenal deck to pray for the Gunners anfield give the rousing supports that the need to overcome the challenges that Man City will pose them in the march and surmount them successfully to beat Man City and beat them totally in the game and in the match in all aspects of the match.

  17. Drat, they scored on 2m.

    We don’t have any cards yet, and we do have 2 shots on target.

    COYG!

  18. We are being split open like a christmas presents. Our marking is just non existent.

    They foul at the right times; we just move away from tackles.

    0 -2 and we are not trying to damage their defence.

  19. Guendouzi was kicked on his foot and went down. It should have been a penalty. The open eyed didn’t see it.

  20. The referee books Roderigo for a foul that could have been a red. Walker got away with nothing for a doul that should have had a yellow.

  21. Kolacinac was fouled and cannot continue. It is truly an indictment on the officiating and VAR that didn’t look at the foul for a red card.

  22. Drat, third goal at 40m. Fouls are 2:12 and cards are 0:2. Shots are still 2 (to Arsenal) and now 4 to Man$ity. Possession is about even.

    COYG!

  23. The treatment for Kolasinac was at 35m. Arsenal were playing short handed when Man$ity got their 3rd goal. Kolasinac replaced by Saka. Hopefully Saka doesn’t feel there is something wrong with this substitution today.

    COYG!

  24. Nope, Kolasinac was on the field during the goal. Sorry. And possibly a foul was assigned to Man$ity for the treatment?

    COYG!

  25. Another treatment to an Arsenal player on 48m, twit sees nothing. Two more yellows for Man$ity, giving them 4. We still don’t have one. Fouls are supposedly 7:17. And we still only have 2 shots on target.

    COYG!

  26. Sokratis gets carded on 73m, with 8:18 fouls count. We still only have 2 shots on target. Hard to see how we might tie this game up, if we don’t shoot.

    COYG!

  27. Not much chance of shooting when our midfield pass the ball backwards from everywhere on the park.

  28. Why does a team supposedly at the top of our league need to resort to constant fouling especially the opposing team are attacking and in full flow?

    They chalked up 24 fouls. That must be unacceptable.

    We lost fair and square, but why do refs allow this cheating to go on?

    I am also unhappy about the penalty call, which, at 1 0 may have made a difference. Sky showed it once, in slow motion, and it clearly showed a foul and the commentators said it was not. If so, why was he not booked?

    They did not even show it again or discuss it at half time, but with the biased commentators and pundits, is that surprising?

    At least that one is out of the way.

  29. jjgsol
    It was definitely foot against foot, but the way that Guendouzi threw himself down made it look like a dive (as the co-commenter said), but I’d also liked to have seen it again at half time.

  30. jjgsol

    I don’t think it was a penalty and could of been a card for a dive, though he didn’t appeal when he realised he wasn’t caught.

    As for their fouling. Absolute joke.

    But I listened to Arsenal.com and during the after match analysis they were admiring City for their fouling suggesting it was clever tactics and something we should do !!!!

    Do they not realise if we committed that many fouls we’d be down to 6 men ?

    When our own TV people cant see what’s going on what hope have we got.

    And by the way, I’m not suggesting the ref was why we lost because it wasn’t, but it’s still a joke that a team of Cities class have to resort to those tactics, and more, to know how we’d be crucified if we did it.

    But as I say, the biggest joke is our own pundits not seeing it.

  31. Man City still smarting from “surrendering” the title before mid-season had no choice but to show no pity on a convalescing Arsenal.

    We are disappointed but we must understand that these are two teams on different paths. Man City may be less strong and less consistent than last 2 seasons but they have not stalled and still have the capacity to inflict maximum pain.

    Arsenal on the other hand are struggling to come up for air. A return to anything like our confident selves will take some hard work. However, no amount of booing or negative reporting will speed up the process. We need to humble ourselves (fans included) and fight to reclaim our seat at the high table.

    The “noise” (negative media, stadium, twitter etc) went up decibels tonight, and the volume would remain turned up for quite while, we just have to ignore it and move on. There is work to be done with or without fan support.

  32. Nitram, They showed it briefly only once, and dismissed it as nothing. It looked to me that it was a trip.

    Throughout the game there was repeated stamping by their players. Martinelli had his hand and foot stamped on in 2 separate incidents that resulted only in freekicks.

    I also do not blame the ref for the loss, but he did play his part.

    Virtually every one of our attacks as stopped by a foul.

    The miscreant then usually smiled.

    The ref should have taken action to stop it, but, I agree, had we been doing it he would, most likely have done so.

  33. OT: Parliament has “No Confidence” in The (sweet) FA.

    https://wellstonjournal.com/fa-receives-vote-of-no-confidence-from-mps.html

    Dated today.

    However Conservative MP Nigel Huddleston defended FA boss Greg Clarke, saying the ‘institutional inertia‘ in football governance made it difficult for the FA chairman to act.

    Yes, The (sweet) FA has been like a pig at the trough for so long, that is feels it is forever entitled to continue feeding at the trough.

  34. Jigsol, you’re right. Coming from a top-of-the-range team, it is completely unacceptable to spoil an opponent’s attacks with the kind of fouls we have seen. And even more unacceptable to see a referee let it do it.

    About this match, Arsenal was not the favourite of course and I was afraid that the result would destroy the beginning of the confidence and the improvement of the game that you could feel in the last matches.

    Finally, losing by three goals doesn’t reflect the match, at least not in the first half when I found that the midfielders and attackers were playing pretty well and finally gave us a good football.
    Let’s hope that players can step back and put things in perspective. We felt that there is an improvement, that there is even a strong potential. But they need to regain their self-confidence. And the defense needs to be reworked, of course!

    BUT it is not the attitude of some so-called fans that will help! After Xhaka, they attacked Ozil today, then left the stadium ten minutes before the end of the match…. A bunch of whimsical freaks who don’t see that they’re destroying their own club. That’s the image they give to the football world.

    Do they realize that they will be largely responsible for the failure of this club? Do they realize that some of our best players will end up going elsewhere and it will be because of them. Do they think a “super coach” would want to risk an adventure and agree to run a club with such lame fans?
    In French, we have an expression: “they are low on the ceiling”. I don’t think it has the same meaning in English. Here, it tends to express what little space they have in the cranium box… We could also say that they are “slow on the uptake”

    It makes me sad to see that I share my passion for Arsenal with such idiots.
    I would even suggest them a song they could sing:
    “We’ll break any hope in your heart and you’ll always walk alone”.
    At least it would be clear!

    Well, this game is over. Freddie needs to boost the team’s morale. The next games are an opportunity to regain confidence.

    COYG!

  35. So they got four cards. That will be the PGMO defence. SERIOUSLY!! 24 Friggin fouls in one game. That’s both a footballing disgrace and a refereeing disgrace.

  36. jjgsol

    You may be right about the penalty but it’s not how I saw it though as you say it was only the once.

    You also make a good point about the referee ‘contributing’ to the result, because as Alex Dieuzeide and Mikey say:

    “Coming from a top-of-the-range team, it is completely unacceptable to spoil an opponent’s attacks with the kind of fouls we have seen. And even more unacceptable to see a referee let it do it.”

    “SERIOUSLY!! 24 Friggin fouls in one game. That’s both a footballing disgrace and a refereeing disgrace”

    But as I have said, what really irks me is the way our own arsenal.com actually not only condone it but suggest we should copy it !!

    Really?

    Not only would I be ashamed if we stooped to that level, but have they not seen how we get refereed ?

    These people seem quite happy to see our club bent over and shafted on an almost weekly basis by the PGMOL and referees alike, without muttering a word of rebuttal.

  37. jjgsol and Masterstroke

    I didn’t listen to the commentry or the HT or FT analysis so I didn’t know it wasn’t shown which suggests there may be more in it than I thought.

    Cheadle

    You make some good points.

    Despite their patchy form City are still a quality outfit assembled at 100’s of Millions of pounds.

    And as you intermate they are smarting from the loss of the Manchester Derby which effectively ended their title challange.

    We are woefully short on confidence.

    Today was always going to be very tough.

    But despite everything I am still happy to take the positives out of the game, which for me was a plethora of young talent looking pretty comfortable against top top opposition.

    Every cloud and all that !!!

  38. What has this Arsenal 0-3 PL match lose at home to Man City told us the Arsenal faithfuls? I think on the strong physical side in the game, the Gunners were no match to the Citizens physicality as they looked to play the second fiddle in the game to their physical superiority in the match. I think Pep Guardiola out thought Ljungberg in the preparedness for the match by targeting Arsenal physical weakness. Kevin Debryne who scored twice in the match for Man City (no thanks to him) was the main architect of the brutal physical show of strength in goals scoring that Arsenal encountered in the match today. But the show of goals scoring physical strength that Kevin Debryne displayed for Man City to the humiliation of the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium to the watching eyes of the Gooners has underlined the necessity for Arsenal to sell one or two senior centrebacks in their 1st team squad but not Chambers, Mavropanous and Luiz. And sign 2 highly rated top quality replacements to them during the next January transfer window that is around the corner to plug the Arsenal leaky defence in PL matches where it matters most.

    Arsenal current defence as it’s presently constituted has unabatedly been leaking in goals in Arsenal PL matches since this season begun. But why did Arsenal immediately loaned back Williams Saliba to St Etienne where they signed him from for £27m transfer fee? Which PL club side has ever signed a player for this huge amount of money and loaned him back immediately to the club they signed him from after paying his transfer fee? Arsenal my beloved club are the ones that have done this baffling transfer business.

    By and large, i think Arsenal will during the January transfer window have to offload a super drainer of Arsenal financial resources to the tone over £18m PA in wages to a player who doesn’t give anything tangible in returns to the club football wise other than be making unproductive appearances in matches for the club. And to become a food giver philanthropist and an Islamic political agitator at the expense of Arsenal. He should not be allowed to remain at club by the Arsenal hierarchy beyond next January to relieve the club of the financial burden he’s costing the club. Getting rid of this huge Arsenal money consuming player will not only be a big relieve to the club financially and in abject football playing. But should allow the club to bring in a top quality rated defensive midfielder DMF in Patrick Viera’s mould who Arsenal lacked and urgently need to tighten up properly in shielding their defense-line. But to get a DMF of Patrick Viera quality could cost some money to sign. Save, if the club unearthed one internally to save cost. The club should therefore find out to see if one potential top rated DMF does exist unknowingly in the club’s youth schools.

    But it’s not only Freddie Ljungberg that should take all the blames for Arsenal 0-3 home big game match loss to Man City today. But to a large extend, Per Mertasacker too who was compulsorily given to Ljungberg to assist him in coaching the Gunners should share a big portion of the failure of Arsenal to beat Man City today. Like I’ve commented in one of my comments posting on this site and on Justarsenalnews when L learnt that Per Mertasacker has been drafted to the Arsenal senior team squad to assist Ljungberg in coaching the Gunners. I said I don’t for Mertasacker being Rhinoceros in defending when he was playing for Arsenal to go and assist Ljungberg. This is because Per could coach the Gunners the rhinoceros defending he was used to when he gets there. But the Arsenal hierarchy bosses did not listen to my words of advise.

    There is one big mistake that I think the Arsenal hierarchy should not commit themselves to make ever. And that is to hire Mikel Arteta as Arsenal substantive head coach to replace the club’s underperforming interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg W1 D2 L3. By Arsenal standard, are these 6 results obtained for Arsenal in their last 6 matches underperforming? Yes, in the affirmative.

    But which head coach will Arsenal replace Freddie Ljungberg with should the club have decided to relieve him of his coaching job at the club after he led Arsenal to a calamitous home loss to Man City today in the PL? Mikel Arteta? The answer is a capital NO!!! But for what reason have I said NO!!!? It is because firstly, I remember vividly how Arteta rejected Arsenal for Man City after Arsene Wenger, the former Gunners boss tried hard to keep him at Arsenal as one of the club’s coaches but to no avail. But why does Arteta who even has no head coach coaching experience at a top club now want to come to Arsenal? Secondly, he was so injury prone at Arsenal to chronic level while he was at the club playing passing sideways and backward to the irritation of the Gooners. Is that the game philosophy he’ll come with to AFC to coach? And lastly, the way he helped Guardiola to humiliate Ars today does not qualify him to come to them

  39. Hell guys I think we were all feeling the worst today. I couldn’t make it had a memorial to go to at lunchtime. Put my ticket on Arsenal ticket sale 10 days ago but no bite. Read the news guess you don’t lose 0-3 unless things ain’t good. Maybe we need to regroup ( a bit like Labour ) and come back a fresh . Disappointed but hey that’s life , can’t say I’m shocked but would like better. Merry Xmas everyone X

  40. It seems to me that FL cannot continue if we are to stop our decline and it is unlikely that we can get the new permanent head coach we want mid season.

    We need a temporary fix until the end of the season and I believe we should go cap in hand and apologise to Arsene and ask him to come back until the summer

    Fourth place and an FA Cup seems like a dream now

  41. Yes we lost but I thought there were a lot of good things to take from the match. Our young players all showed they have what it takes to become top players so I think we must show patience whilst they develop.
    We played some good football today and as others have pointed out a lot of our most dangerous attacks were snuffed out by rotational ‘professional’ fouling by the Man City thugs. Top class players they may be but thugs none the less. Persistent professional fouling as witnessed today should be dealt with a lot more severely. Yellow cards and fouls are entirely insufficient when these types of disruptive fouls are committed as blatantly and regularly as they were today.
    We often hear the commentators and pundit saying ‘he took one for the team’. Well maybe the time has come for the ref to say ‘you want to take one for the team so here you are have a red one, your off.’ The nasty foul that took out Kolasinac was the ideal time for the ref to say I am not putting up with this shit any longer and sending the culprit off.
    I must admit I had a long standing soft spot for Man City but that has completely gone after today’s cynical display.

  42. There is something that needs to be said – towards the end of the game the whole stadium were singing ‘we love you Arsenal we do’. It was the true supporters who stayed to express their love for Arsenal.

    The foul on Guendouzi was a penalty as his foot was kicked, bringing him down. VAR with Riley’s instructions didn’t see it. The foul on Kolasinac was a red card offence. Walker fouled Martinelli several times kicking him from behind a cardable offence but not according to PGMOL. I commented on it during the game.

    I honestly think that Guardiola advised his team to go easy in the second half, because they were not as slick as they were in the first half.

    There was a marked difference in the confidence of the team with kids playing and it shows what a bright future we have with Wengers legacy.

    Just to prove thuggery pays the SPOTY winner is a fine example.

  43. While in all honesty , I did not expect to win , yet I was hoping for a better showing from our team . I do agree that the youngsters did us proud , but the constant fouling from City was truly beneath them.
    It was a suprise to see the Arsenal crowd showing their love to the team. As for those who left , at least the were not around to further boo the team. Hope they felt the pinch , and will give up their seats and stay away.

    Now to regroup , and try harder.
    Up the Gunners !

  44. I see that as well as the lads on arsenal.com Freddie is suggesting we should do more cynical fouling !! Ffs.

    Is it me or are they blind ?

    We are not cynical and by all accounts a soft touch yet we still have more cards than anyone else.

    What good is ‘rotational’ fouling when you get booked for your first foul as our boys so often do ?

    Jeez if we were ‘cynical’ I dread to think of the amount of cards we’d get.

    Can our club not see that ?

  45. And one more point. Isn’t a cynical foul what used to be a professional foul?

    Isn’t a professional foul an automatic card?

    Begs the question how City ended the game with 11 men.

    I knew with a 24 card count we wouldn’t of.

  46. As usual football should take a leaf from the way rugby is refereed, which deals with professional rotational fouling in a far more severe way.
    In rugby after a few suspected ‘professional’ fouls the referee speaks with the captain of the offending team and warns him that the person who commits the next foul, irrespective of who it is or the severity of said foul, will receive a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin. Additionally if that foul in the refs opinion prevents a possible try from being scored a penalty try can be awarded.
    Now that is a case of the punishment well and truly fitting the crime.
    Why the heck can’t football do something similar.
    I suppose the trouble is none of the experts or pundits seem to think there is a problem as I see absolutely none of them talking about it this morning.
    Maybe they would take notice if it were to happen to Liverpool or any of their other favourite teams.

  47. MickHazel

    On the face of it, it would indeed be great, alas, who do you think would concede the first ‘Penalty Goal’?

    No prizes for that one Mick.

    It would be just another stick with which to hit us with I’m afraid to say, as I predicted VAR would be.

    Now that is a case of the punishment well and truly fitting the crime.

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