Just Arsenal

On Tuesday night, Arsenal Women were victorious against Italian giants Juventus, picking up a 4-0 win over the Italian side.

That win, which is Arsenal’s second in their last seven away UEFA Women’s Champions League games, came at the right time. The victory coincided with the Gunners’ upcoming North London derby.

Arsenal go to the NLD on the back of a 5-0 win over Brighton and a 4-0 win over Juventus. Tottenham Spurs women’s fans might feel this isn’t the best time to face Arsenal women.

Even so, our Gunner women will not be overconfident going into this NLD. Renee Slegers, their interim manager, asserts that they will maintain their humility and avoid losing focus; even in the event of victory, they will continue to strive for excellence. She further reveals that they will rely heavily on the relentless support of their fans to paint North London red, with Arsenal tickets for the NLD this weekend selling out.

The Arsenal women’s interim manager admitted, “We have to stay very humble as well, because the next game is Spurs away, and it is going to be very hard. We know we will have the support of the fans. I think we have sold all our 3,000 tickets, and the fans today here in Italy, we could hear them, and that is brilliant. The girls show humility today, because I see when we are leading 4-0 that they are still defending the box and defending corners, how they are communicating till the last second of the game, and they invest their recovery runs.”

Last time Arsenal Women faced Spurs away at the Tottenham Hotspurs stadium, they managed to outwit our Gunners, picking a 1-0 win. This time, the two teams will face off at Brisbane Road. A win there would not only be perfect for avenging that defeat last season, but it would surely be the perfect turn around for our Gunner women, who had a tough start to this season.

What do you think? Can we paint London Red Gooners?

Michelle M

Follow JustArsenal’s Gooner Women on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!

According to Sam Allardyce, expect Leandro Trossard to start for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Arsenal have a mini-injury crisis, as they will be missing top central midfielders Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, and Declan Rice. Mikel Arteta’s greatest strength heading into Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspurs is his squad’s versatile players, such as Leandro Trossard.

With the absences expected, many anticipated that the Arsenal technical bench would capitalise on the services of the Belgian star, who consistently rises to the occasion, in the event of a tactical change either in the midfield or the attack. The missing players may have forced a tactical switch that led to him potentially starting on Sunday, but Sam Allardyce believes Mikel Arteta would have still played the ex-Brighton man even if he had a fully-fit squad.

According to Allardyce, Trossard expressed his frustrations about not playing after coming on in the Arsenal versus Villa game, where he scored to break the deadlock but didn’t celebrate. He claims that Arteta noticed Trossard’s expression and is excited for the forward to play more.

“The rest of the Arsenal team is fixed, but I think he will go for Trossard to stop him sulking. He had a big sulk on didn’t he when he came on and scored, but you could see in his face that he wasn’t very happy. I think Trossard will start there,” Allardyce said on the No Tippy Tappy Show.

Since joining Arsenal in early 2023, Trossard’s goals and assists have carried this Arsenal team. When Arsenal needed goals, he always stepped up and delivered. It’s pleasing to see Arteta finally demonstrating willingness to give him significant playing time, as evidenced by his start against Brighton. To reward the managers faith, he must rediscover consistency and demonstrate that he can still deliver when called upon, as well as debunk accusations that he is only a super sub.

Daniel O

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Playing Jesus from the start will be a mistake in the spurs game.

The Gunners will be hoping to get any boost they can ahead of the trip to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, given the number of absentees we’ll have for that game due to suspension and injuries.

Mikel Arteta signing a new contract extension over the week will provide that lift a bit, however it is the return Gabriel Jesus that will give us that much needed boost, having been out for almost three weeks now with a groin injury suffered ahead of the game against Aston Villa.

The Brazilian is now back in first team training with an eye on potentially starting at the weekend. Given the number of absences, it’ll give us wiggle room to make more adjustments that will allow a certain German (Kai Havertz) to be available to provide an option in midfield.

However any plans to start him for the game against Spurs should be put on hold right now because it will be a mistake ,potentially doing worse instead of bettering the situation.

Thrusting him into a game of this magnitude without the fitness and match sharpness will most likely see him perform well below his best and not be able to give a 100 per cent on the day. There’s also the risk of going straight back to the treatment room owing to the fact that it will be a very physical match which will be very grueling and demanding and might prove to just be too much for him when he’s just returning from an Injury.

He’s a warrior, He’s a player who’ll be happy to carry on regardless of pain, but Mikel Arteta and the club needs to be sensible here so as not to risk a recurring injury. There are fine players such as Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and even Gabriel Martinelli who can still fill in at center forward while Havertz moves into midfield so there’s no need to rush starting him back in the Spurs game straight away.

Who among the aforementioned trio would be the best option to use at Center forward if Havertz is deployed in midfield?

KENNETH BENJAMIN

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Should we revert to a back three for the game against the Spurs?

The gunners are gearing up to participate in the first North London derby of the new campaign, this also representing the second huge test of our title credentials after the game against Aston Villa. We passed that one with flying colors and will be hoping for more or less of the same when we make the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

The club will be boosted by Arteta putting pen to paper on a new deal recently even if we’ll be making that short journey in less than ideal circumstances. Circumstances caused by the absence of key players especially in the middle of the park, indeed we’ll be without the ever reliable Declan Rice through suspension, and our very own Maestro & skipper Martin Odegaard through injury for the huge clash on Sunday. Add to that the injury to Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori over the international break then a little tinkering might be needed from Mikel Arteta for us to get the win.

One way in which he could adjust the team to cope with Tottenham’s high press while simultaneously exploiting their highline would be to revert to a back three, a switch that has brought him success before during the Fa Cup win in 2020 where we shored things up at the back before using our pace and directness to cause havoc on the counter.

Taking into account that we’ll be losing our best presser in Odegaard and our midfield engine in Declan Rice, then it would be a good idea for Mikel Arteta to go with a back three with more conservative wing back so that we can cover for the aging legs of potential starters Jorginho and Thomas Partey.

Along with helping us defensively, going with a back three will also help us to cope without a central creative force in the squad by allowing us to play direct and on the transition when needed given the large space Spurs will leave in behind due to their highline. It could be a quick fix for just a game until Rice is back though.

However I know that Mikel Arteta can be sometimes adamant and stubborn about not changing his philosophy but he should adapt to the circumstances and try something which has served him well in the pass before.

Should Arteta go back to a back three for the game against Spurs?

KENNETH BENJAMIN.

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Saints 0-1 Man United

I felt sorry for Casemiro a couple of weeks ago. It’s always sad to see the pace of the sport catch up with a great player. The issue is all the signs were apparent, that was the case last season. I assume Ugarte makes his debut Saturday?

Isn’t that Man United’s issue in general?

We are seeing the same issues and therefore having the same conversation.

Sometimes it’s like Ten Hag doesn’t understand the size of the club he manages. You can’t lose 3-0 at home to your biggest rivals then boast about what Cups you have won.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a smart enough businessman though, that having made a decision not to change managers in the summer to not panic after 3 games.

Will scrape a win here without playing well

Brighton 2-1 Ipswich

The next test for Fabian Hurzeler is to cope with a fixture where the expectation is to win.

To handle the different mindset of being underdogs at the Emirates to favourites on Saturday.

Seagull fans will tell you this is an actual issue over the years. They watch their team punch above their weight yet struggle when the onus is on them.

In other words, it would be very Brighton-like, having taken results against Man United and Arsenal, to then slip up against a newly promoted side.

Ipswich might cause a headache

Crystal Palace 1-1 Leicester

In case you missed it during the international break Leicester were able to find a loophole to ensure they won’t get any sanctions for breaching PSR regulations.

Essentially, they were able to legally argue that they were officially not a Premiership club at the time of their rule breaking.

The Prem will quickly rewrite legislation to tidy up that policy, but it is a shame staying in this division might come down to who has the best lawyers.

That makes the Foxes the most likely of the promoted sides to stay up.

I think Edouard on loan could give them goals but obviously he can’t play against his parent club.

Ayew can though. Palace have given Leicester two of their attackers!

Had to make room for Eddie!

Fulham 2-1 West Ham

Still yet to see a dramatic increase in entertaining football at West Ham since David Moyes left.

To be fair most Hammers seem to accept it will take time, and the longer Lopetegui has on the training pitch the better.

Fulham might just be more settled.

Will Reiss Nelson make his debut? It’s now or never to prove himself.

Bet he starts on the bench.

Liverpool 3-0 Notts Forest

When you are winning 3-0 at Old Trafford and it feels routine you know you’re in a good place.

I mentioned this in preseason, not making many signings could turn out to be smart by Liverpool.

While the temptation would be to let Slot build his own squad, during a period of transition they have a settled group where you can rely on each player to know their job.

What is harder to deal with is Mo Salah telling the world this is his last season on Merseyside.

He knows exactly what he’s saying by putting the issue out to the public. He’s essentially putting pressure on the club to make him an offer.

He, VVD and Trent can all leave for free in the summer.

Man City 3-0 Brentford

Anyone else worried when they hear Haaland say this is the freshest he has felt since playing in England?

He is having a summer off, while so many of his peers were on international duty and could decide who are Champions in May.

I truly think the striker is the difference between Man City and the rest. No other club can boast a talent who has now scored in more Prem games than he’s played in. That’s scary.

On a side note, I don’t normally defend players in terms of the scheduling, but asking City to play a Carabao Cup tie two days after playing us is strange.

That will force Pep Guardiola to field an even more weakened team than usual which the sponsors surely don’t want ?

So, who benefits?

Villa 2-1 Everton

Because of whom their manager is I don’t think Everton’s owner’s panic. The worry is the one thing you associate with a Sean Dyche team is being hard to score against. That’s why conceding three goals in the last 9 minutes against Bournemouth would have hurt their confidence so much.

You don’t then want two weeks to sit and think about it.

Another heavy defeat at Villa Park will increase the chat that David Moyes will return to Goodison. That would be romantic and fitting in their last season at their home.

I don’t think it will be a big loss, simply because the home side naturally will have one eye on the Champions League which is why I think they will get some odd results while balancing Europe.

Not that they deserve a European adventure after pricing tickets that high!

Will be given a scare here

Cherries 2-2 Chelsea

Chelsea reminds me of Arsenal in Arteta’s first few years.

Good young players who sometimes you can see potential, other days rely on individuals, but because of youth will have their moments when it all falls apart.

That makes them a hard club to predict for every week.

Long term though, if you throw enough money at something, it will come good.

I agree with Cole Palmer not being submitted for their European squad, ensuring their best player only plays once a week at least till Xmas.

It’s not good for the image of the UEFA Conference but it’s only confirming what we already know. The Blues second string can easily finish in the top 8 of their European table and will only bring out the big guns for the knockout stages.

What made the Cherries first win of the season crazy is that for 90 mins at Goodison they truly were outplayed. So, need to be better here

Spurs 1-2 Arsenal

I’m going for an away win simply based on Ange Postecoglou tactics.

They dominated Newcastle and only lost because as soon as they gave away possession, the opposition were in through at goal because of a high line.

Rice would have been perfect for retrieving the ball, but Jorginho can spot a pass.

If I’m a Spurs fan I’m thinking that 2 of the best Gunners are unavailable. We also met fairly recently so Big Ange should be aware of our tricks at set pieces and desire to counter.

Yet the manager has always been adamant he won’t change his ethos. If there ever was a time to alter his principles, it’s Sunday. You’re just asking to get hurt by our pacey attackers.

If a coach knows that is an issue but refuses to change it, when does that become an issue

Wolves 2-1 Newcastle

My upset of the weekend?

I just don’t think Newcastle have played well this season, which highlights Eddie Howe’s tactical skills that he finds a way to get results.

Seriously they beat Spurs while being second best which is impressive. Will get caught cold here though.

Having conceded 6 in their last home game Gary O’Neil did well to calm things down and strangely I think Wolves need a game like this.

Sunday afternoon, flood lights on, fans behind the team with the visitors the favourites.

A result which will give everyone a lift

Top 36 qualify for the JustArsenal Champions League

The North London derby will be the highlight of Premier League Match Day 4 this weekend. Arsenal will make the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face their North London rivals, Spurs.

The Gunners will be confident going into that fixture after remaining unbeaten in the last four NLDs. They’ll be confident that they can go 5 games unbeaten against Spurs, establishing who runs North London.

The main concern for Arsenal is the number of injuries and “injury scares” they’ve had in recent weeks. Takehiro Tomiyasu is still recovering from an injury, Mikel Merino has an arm injury, and Declan Rice has a red card, thus he will not face Tottenham. We also expect Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, who sustained injuries during their international service, to miss that game.

While Arsenal will be without some of their best players for the match, Spurs are also likely to be without their key players. Micky Van de Ven, Spurs’ first-choice defender, will also miss the NLD after suffering an injury against Everton and missing the 2-1 loss to Newcastle. In addition to the defence, Spurs’ first-choice attackers Dominic Solanke, who sustained an injury on Match Day 1, and Richarlison, who missed the Newcastle encounter, are both doubtful for the derby.

I imagine both coaches won’t have their best squads, but London bragging rights are at stake, so we can’t see anything else but an Arsenal win.

COYG!

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Tottenham vs Arsenal preview

Tottenham Hotspur look to improve on their lukewarm start to the new Premier League season with a win in the north London derby against Arsenal. Ange Postecoglou’s side have been a figure of inconsistency throughout August, winning one, drawing one, and losing one.

The Gunners head to the North London Stadium in hopes of improving their own fortunes – squandering precious points in the title race with a draw at home to Brighton just before the international break. And while that draw, which saw Mikel Arteta’s side reduced to ten men at the start of the second half, might not prove to be crucial long-term, it is hard to tell given the standards needed to lift the title come May.

When looking at the Premier League match odds, Arsenal are even money favourites at most of the brand new betting sites but Spurs on their day are always capable of picking up points, especially when there is the Derby factor to consider. ‘Big Ange’ is yet to best Arteta since his arrival in the Premier League, and he will be hoping to turn that around when the two sides meet on September 15.

In this article, we preview the first north London derby of the season and assess the key battles for both sides to kick start their seasons.

Arsenal dealt crucial early blows

The Gunners enjoyed their best-ever start to a Premier League season last term, picking up a record number of points and scoring a plethora of goals as they looked a more mature side to the one that capitulated in 2022/23. However, they still missed out on the title, and the draw to Brighton could well derail their third pursuit of a first title in 21 years.

Indeed, Arsenal know how consistent that reigning champions Manchester City are. Pep Guardiola’s side – top of the table at the time of writing alongside Liverpool – are virtually unbeatable come the business end of the season, and usually drop points in the opening weeks when their thin squad is at its most vulnerable.

However, the Gunners missing out on a perfect start has already hampered their progress, and with City bringing the likes of Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne back into the fold, they could already be fighting an uphill battle.

Spurs will not make life easy, and without Declan Rice, who was sent off at the Emirates for a second yellow, the likes of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegard will need to step in order to get three points.

New signing Mikel Merino was sidelined with a broken arm, being denied a first taste of derby action, and the holding midfield battle will be crucial in deciding who picks up all three points. If Arteta gets it right, expect goals to go in and the Gunners to win on the road.

Can Tottenham turn it around?

Spurs need to pick up the pace if they want to finish with European football back in the white half of London come the end of the season.

While last year we saw the nucleus of Postecoglou’s squad being established, playing some entertaining football that was brilliant for the neutrals and fans that had been deprived of exciting action following the bland styles of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, Spurs need to be more solid.

There are only so many times in a season that they can play gung-ho football without being punished at the other end, and that has been demonstrated in their early games – dropping points to newly-promoted Leicester City as well as Newcastle United.

Despite fighting their way back into the game at St James’ Park, the fragilities at the back were exposed for Spurs, and a side like Arsenal, who scored 91 goals last season, will inflict far more damage on a defence that needs a leader when Micky van de Ven is absent.

That said, there is plenty to be excited about when assessing Tottenham’s chances. Dominic Solanke has made an immediate impression with some clever movement and well-timed runs. If he can combine with Heung Min Son in the same way that they did in their emphatic away win against Everton, then they will cause Arsenal troubles.

The new man, signed from Bournemouth this summer for £60 million, has drawn blank in the five times he has played against Arsenal before, but now, forming part of a new-look attack for Spurs, has the chance to add to his 29 Premier League goals, and spoil Arsenal’s trip to their Nrth London rivals..

Prediction: Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal

While Arsenal have the superior squad to Spurs and enough to win the game on the road, missing Rice could be a crucial factor. This will be the first time since he signed that he is absent from Arteta’s starting line-up, and it will be interesting to see if Partey can handle the responsibilities that he has after a year playing in a more advanced role.

If not, expect Spurs to exploit the gaps and press high up the pitch, making for an exciting matchup.

Arsenal fans have largely accepted that Declan Rice will miss their Premier League clash against Tottenham after the international break.

However, there may be more concerns about the availability of other key players by the time of the fixture.

This match is crucial for Arsenal, who need to keep pace with Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. With City remaining unbeaten and leading the table, dropping more points could be detrimental, especially if City continues to win.

During the international break, Arsenal has closely monitored their players’ fitness, and the situation does not look promising.

Football London reports that, besides Rice, Arsenal is already missing Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, both of whom are long-term injury absentees.

Gabriel Jesus is confirmed as an absentee, and Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness is now in doubt after leaving the Italy camp due to injury concerns.

Jurrien Timber, who suffered a knock in the game against Brighton, could be another potential absentee for the Spurs fixture.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Injuries are a part of the game, but hopefully, we will not lose too many players to fitness problems before the game.

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Any option other than Jorginho against Tottenham would be a mistake!

We’re currently at the height of the international break with the fixtures in full swing however gooners cannot take their minds off the team, with discussions aplenty pertaining to who’s going to partner Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in the middle of the park against Spurs in our next game.

We were already aware of the injury to Merino before the Brighton game, however no one would have thought we’ll get to see another midfielder miss the spurs game.

We did however, with Declan Rice’s red card meaning that we’ll have a mini injury crisis in midfield ahead of the north London derby. Who will replace these two in that game has been a topic for debate among Arsenal fans with the likes of Havertz, Timber, Zinchenko and even young Nwaneri being mooted as potential replacement however the only player I think will be sensible to play in their stead would be Jorginho.

The Italian international has yet to play a single minute for us this campaign which has understandably led to him not being called up to the Italian national team this time around, he’s stayed behind getting more training time at the club so that he can be ready for the game against spurs (if in fact he does start). I believe he’s the perfect fit for this game amid the absence of key players because of the experience and composure he’ll bring to this type of game. A double pivot formed between him and Partey will also provide the necessary cover for our midfield, given that Jorginho doesn’t have the legs as Rice to get back and cover long distances.

Also his inclusion in the starting lineup against Spurs will be the only one that makes sense, given that firstly reverting Kai Havertz back into a midfield role will only do him worse given how he’s already nailed the striking position with some of the best displays in an Arsenal shirt coming in the Derby.

Secondly starting either one of Timber and Zinchenko would be an experiment too risky too use in a game of this magnitude.

Lastly I think it would be a mistake to use Nwaneri from the start, given he’s vastly inexperienced for a game of this importance, also we can’t risk it because a bad performance might damage him for life.

These reasons perfectly tell us why Jorginho would be the logical solution for the game, he was trusted at the base of midfield for most parts of last season and he repaid this trust by putting in solid performances most of the time, he should be trusted again versus Spurs in my opinion.

Do you think that Jorginho will be a better choice than the rest of the options at Arteta’s disposal?

KENNETH BENJAMIN.

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To aid his team’s selection for the North London derby, Mikel Arteta may receive a significant squad boost from an injury return. We expect the Arsenal manager to be without Mikel Merino and Declan Rice for the North London Derby.

So as Arsenal travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Spanish tactician must be innovative in how he lines up his midfield to compete with their local rivals. Who will join Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey in the engine room to complete the midfield? Well, there are numerous options available for Mikel Arteta to choose from, including Ethan Nwaneri, Jorginho, Jurrien Timber, and Oleksander Zinchenko. And the most recent injury update just gives him another option.

Charles Watts reports that Gabriel Jesus is likely to resume training this international break, and if all goes well, he could potentially play against Tottenham.

Watts said, “On the Gabriel Jesus injury… I have been told there is hope that he could potentially be back after the international break. He is stepping up his recovery plan.

“I haven’t got a firm date though, I’ve not been told a firm date. When I was speaking at the game at the weekend to someone, they were saying the hope is he might be able to join in training at some point during the international break and could have a chance for Spurs.”

Given Jesus’s return, wouldn’t it make sense to move Havertz to LCM and utilise the Brazilian in attack?

Havertz at LCM may be the last thing Gooner wants, but without Rice and Merino, he could be the Gunner to provide the physicality the club needs to win the battle with Tottenham. With the confidence he’s amassed over the last few months, he could do a better job in midfield.

Sam P

ADMIN COMMENT

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