BlueCo FC v The Arsenal - 5:30 PM 21 October - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

BlueCo FC v The Arsenal - 5:30 PM 21 October

RocktheCasbah

Amazed there's no match thread for this yet.

Arsenal have won all 3 of their last trips to the ground formerly known as Old Ken's Used Car Lot.

Apparently, Arsenal could create a little Premier League history IF they win tomorrow without conceding a goal, becoming the first team in top flight history to win their first 4 without conceding. The fact that Arsenal chose to release this news yesterday tells you we will probably both concede and lose tomorrow - as we did when on the same run at Chelsea in the 95-96 season. I don't remember this happening, I assume I was probably drunk in Leeds.

Arteta's press conference is here, it seems like Bukayo Saka is in contention to start the game, as is William Saliba. BlueCo FC have had a rough start to the season, but if Saka and Saliba are fit to play, then for me, they have to start. We'll need everyone fit and firing tomorrow - and how great is it that having Declan Rice now means we're not sweating on Thomas Partey having been been able to sit properly on a plane back from Africa this week?

goon

Raya

White - Saliba - Gabriel - Zinny

Ode - Partey - Rice

Saka - Jesus - Martinelli

= dominant win.

QuincyAbeyie

I think this will be a tough game. Chelsea's underlying stats suggest that they aren't as bad as the results tell us.

goon

QuincyAbeyie

They've got a good midfield that will be able to enjoy themselves against most teams (and they've statistically had the easiest set of games so far) but are lacking at either end of the pitch. That's a recipe for being 'better than results suggest'. Unfortunately for them our midfield is better than theirs, so they'll have nothing going for them in this game.

KingslandBarge

Certainly could be a tough, tight game, with a potential upset too. Palmer has given their attack an injection, maybe reintegration of Badiashile, Caicedo boosts them too.

Still, they've had the easiest run of fixtures so far this season, and there are several holes to exploit across their side, especially if they go with a back-three. We should be ripping them to shreds.

goon

KingslandBarge

Nothing to do with Palmer or the others. Their whole attack is basically just Sterling reproducing his golden years.

Qwiss

I'd go for

Raya

White - Saliba - Gabriel - Tomiyasu

Ode - Partey - Rice

Saka - Jesus - Martinelli

GooneriC

I'd worry about Sterling and also Mudryk. We should have enough to beat them though

Panda

White getting literal with his hair 😱

Meatwad

looks like an anime character.

Burnwinter

Meatwad It's very Dragonball

KingslandBarge

Meatwad if White is aware to this likeness, he could give some good banter to Mudryk who I believe is an anime enthusiast. For me the look veers just as much toward a post-menopause Karen.

lorddulaarsenal

Might be the first time since the invincibles that we have a more physical team than them.

RocktheCasbah

lorddulaarsenal last year we definitely did too. I couldn't believe what I saw in this fixture last season.

Gazza M

time to enact the partey, rice, ode protocol

this is the way for away games

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Very glad I'm no longer going to this. I'd have been with the Chelsea fans ffs.

Bit nervous but we should win if we put a functioning attack back in the side.

I'd actually put Havertz at 9 and Jesus on the right. I imagine saka isn't 100% yet, and he can come on at 60 minutes to win us the game if things haven't worked out until then.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

So many times in the last 20 years we were nervous going into this game with Chelsea always being the favourites and we would be mainly happy with draws etc (esp under Mourinho’s two eras there).

Now the shoe is on the other foot and it does feel strange (after so many years of their dominance) but we should enjoy this and try snd give it to them just like how it was when they were our bitches pre-Mourinho in the Wenger years.

Basically, when you are in top in a rivalry make it fucking count.

I would def start Havertz as number 9 just to give them and their fans some nervous energy in the stadium in case he scores etc. Wonder if the rent boys will boo him?

banduan

Why such a late match ffs.

awooga83

This is the exact kind of game that we need to come into switched on. That city result was a big one but now we have to be up for this one in no different way even if it has looked like we should be better has to be earned on the day. Sometimes in our past we let the games we think we should be able to come through get away from us.

lorddulaarsenal

So pleased to have Sir Declan Rice. Just the type of player you want for away games