3rd of January is here and we have a BANGER of a game to play at The Emirates this evening. The Premier League dark horses, Newcastle United, come to town and this is the lowkey grudge match of the year.
Why? Because our season was crushed under the lights of St. James Park last season. We had top 4 in the bag, our rag-tag group of players were performing pretty well… then we were SLAMMED into the mud by a fiery Eddie Howe starting 11.
It stung.
We were meek.
We didn’t show the requisite bravery.
We blew our run to the top 4.
Now, there’s been a bit of a reimagination of how our ‘bottle job’ moment went.
Not many teams can absorb that many key players missing for a game like that.
Liverpool isn’t getting that treatment by the media right now and they have a squad of veterans.
‘POOR LIVERPOOL, THEY HAVE INJURIES, AREN’T BRENTFORD SIMPLY FABULOUS’
Regardless, the message was received by Arteta and he built out the squad this summer to make sure we never suffer like that again.
We already know how we’ve progressed, there can be no ‘THIS IS THE TRUE TEST’ because it’s not. But more than a point at home would represent a good mid-season restart for Arsenal.
There are no major injury concerns, but there might be a new face on the bench. Emile Smith Rowe was featured by the Admin yesterday, he was looking fit, and focused. I’m not sure the club would feature him if they weren’t trying to tease the fans with the possibility he could finally be ready for some action!
That really would feel like a £50m new signing for the second part of the Premier League push!
The stories on Mudryk are heating up. The fee is agreed, now the debate is about structure, that should mean we’re on a fast path to getting him over here.
Overall, I hope the fee we’re paying is lower than the £60m touted. It doesn’t matter if he desired the Balon D’or, we are paying huge fees for untested talent. The Premier League seems to be going out of its way to screw itself price-wise. I mean, look at Liverpool and Chelsea. Why did both teams think it was smart of spend £100m on two players that are rough diamonds? Enzo Fernandez looks a player, but how many players hit the ground running in the Premier League in midfield? It seems an absurd fee to pay for someone that isn’t readymade. As for Darwin Nunez, let’s be honest, the man who has missed the most big chances in the league has cost Liverpool a chance at a title push this season. £100m should buy you someone that can do the job NOW.
If Chelsea had put £106m the way of Barcelona, they could have had one of their crown jewels, with no problem. What made them spend that sort of cash on someone with under 20 games in Europe played?
Sure, it could work out for both of them… but think of the heights they’d have to hit to represent value.
Look at Antony. A £90m player who will never be a £90m player. Now clubs like Shaktar think that should be the starting figure for a player with very little experience. It’s nuts.
Crazy thing is most players that cost over £80m end up being absolute flops. I far prefer our approach of finding undervalued players. Though I do appreciate we are living in weird times when someone like Ben White now looks like a steal.
There’s a bit of confusion around the bookings suspension system. People hoping that certain players get yellows tonight so they take the ban against Oxford, not Spurs. Well, apparently, the rule changed, and yellow card bans are for the Premier League. BUT, red cards are for all comps. So if Saliba and Saka get second yellows, they’ll do their one-match suspension in the FA Cup.
Kind of absurb. But also, I don’t think Arteta is the guy to ask players to get bookings, I think he’d just ask his players to be careful tonight. That might be tough, the end of the Newcastle vs Leeds game was… feisty.
Still, suspensions are par the course. You have to take your medicine at some point. Though I’d prefer to drink it in after we’ve played United and Spurs.
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