Category Archives: Arsenal

Introducing the 8.5, the hybrid role that is shaping the Premier League title race

“This season’s battle for the Premier League title is now unquestionably a three-horse race. In May, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will become the first side in English football history to win four titles in a row. Or Jurgen Klopp will win his second Premier League title before departing Liverpool. Or Mikel Arteta will lead Arsenal to their first league title in two decades. Whichever outcome transpires, the victorious side will have depended on a player who has fulfilled an unusual role this season. …”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

The chaotic 24 seconds that showed Arsenal how fine the Champions League margins can be

“Welcome back to the Champions League knockouts, Arsenal. Given the club’s lack of recent experience at this level, this was always likely to be an educative evening for Mikel Arteta’s team. Unfortunately, this learning moment made for a particularly painful lesson. Of Arteta’s starting XI, 10 were playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time. Only Kai Havertz had featured in a tie of this magnitude before. Porto, by way of contrast, had a 40-year-old Pepe anchoring a significantly more experienced side. …”
The Athletic

Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool? The Premier League’s title race analysed

“The maths are pretty simple. Only two points separate the top three with one-third of the season remaining — three points, if Manchester City win their game in hand against Brentford on Tuesday. For the first time in a long time, it looks like we have a proper three-horse race on our hands. There is just a small snag that someone might want to share with Messrs Guardiola, Klopp and Arteta — three does not go into one. So who are the favourites to win the title? …”
The Athletic

Bayern Munich are… boring. How did Europe’s most thrilling club become so safe?

“… Bayern weren’t bad. No, it was worse than that — they were boring. Watch the Champions League for any length of time and the favourites settle into predictable roles, like a high-school rom-com: Barcelona are the pretty ones, Manchester City the nerds, Paris Saint-Germain the rich kids due a comeuppance, Real Madrid the awkward main characters everyone knows will get a third-act makeover and live happily ever after. …”
The Athletic

Jurgen Klopp knew exactly what Mikel Arteta had planned, but had little solution

“A month ago, Jurgen Klopp complimented Mikel Arteta’s tactical approach, even as Arsenal were eventually eliminated by Liverpool in the FA Cup third round. ‘It is difficult to prepare for what Arsenal did tonight, especially in the first half,’ Klopp said. ‘Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, more or less as ‘double 10s’ in a 4-2-2-2.’ So, for Sunday’s league fixture, Arteta did the same again. …”
The Athletic

Arsenal 3 Liverpool 1: A twist in the title race? – The Briefing

“The wry smiles from Jurgen Klopp perhaps summed it up best. Arsenal pounced on two defensive errors to beat visitors Liverpool 3-1 and move to within two points of them at the top of the Premier League table. The home side went ahead through Bukayo Saka and dominated the first 45 minutes. Yet a mix-up between William Saliba — under pressure from Luis Diaz — and David Raya meant Liverpool were level by half-time without having had a shot on target after Gabriel Magalhaes had the final touch on their equaliser. …”
The Athletic
Guardian: Gabriel Martinelli runs Arsenal show by mastering moments of chaos

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2: Home side wasteful again as Alexander-Arnold impresses

“Two of the sides fighting for the Premier League title engaged in a very enjoyable FA Cup encounter on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal hosted Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, with both sides signalling their intentions by naming strong XIs. Mikel Arteta’s side dominated the first half, hitting 13 shots, 11 more than their opponents, but — as so often recently — their finishing repeatedly let them down. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Why buying a new striker is not the answer to Arsenal’s scoring slump (Video)

How often do Premier League champions score last-minute winners? Less than you might think

“Trent Alexander-Arnold smashing home a late winner against Fulham in front of the Kop. Declan Rice clambering above a defender to nod in against Luton Town. Or Rice, for that matter, striking late against Manchester United back in September. We see these goals and we think of Steve Bruce’s header against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 or Federico Macheda’s curler against Aston Villa in 2009. We’re conditioned to think that late goals are a regular feature of title-winning champions. But is that really the case, or do we simply remember a few standout examples and exaggerate how frequently champions rely on late winners? Let’s look at the numbers… ”
The Athletic (Video)

Why are football stadiums so expensive to build?

“Manchester United and Chelsea share a problem they cannot hope to run away from. Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge might be able to narrate storied chapters of the Premier League’s history, but neither can project a compelling future. At least not in their current states. The famous homes of Manchester United and Chelsea have become weights that threaten to hold back their owners. They are not fit for an elite long-term purpose. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Arsenal have accepted how they must play to win a Premier League title – Jonathan Wilson

“A sign of champions, the theory has it, is winning ugly. No side can be at their very best all the time and so, over the course of a season, there will be occasions when a team that is going to win the league has to gut it out, to keep going with their plans, to keep believing, whether that means withstanding pressure or burgling a late goal. Not all points are won with beauty; some have to be fought for or stolen. In a title race, character matters as much as ability. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Is the Premier League ready to embrace a substitution revolution?

Jürgen Klopp hugs Diogo Jota as he leaves the pitch during Sunday’s game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
“José Mourinho wore many faces as a Premier League manager. Chameleon-like, shifting from rambunctious to cantankerous. If Chelsea’s 2015 Premier League title win had all the hallmarks of a Tom Wambsgans redemption arc, his 2004 to 2007 incarnation was defined by his Logan Roy lead character energy. Every game felt tinged with Mourinho razzmatazz – good or bad. No wonder, then, when Chelsea lost to neighbors Fulham for the first time in 27 years on 20 March 2006, Mourinho preserved his role as chief headline maker. …”
Guardian

Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal: Palmer stays right, goalkeeper glitches, Arteta’s game-changers, handball?

“Arsenal came from two goals down to take a point against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a thrilling game which saw former Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino draw in their managerial head-to-head. A first-half penalty from Cole Palmer following a William Saliba handball and a Mykhailo Mudryk strike, with what looked to be a cross, put the home side in command just after the break before Robert Sanchez gave the ball away and Declan Rice scored into an open net from distance on 77 minutes. Leandro Trossard then tapped in from close range seven minutes later to give Arsenal a share of the points. …”
The Athletic

To the Arsenal 1-0: An Alternative Match Report

“There are certain sport fixtures that carry with them the weight of history, of tradition, of rivalry, and of intense, often irrational emotions, including unavoidable hurt. For someone initiated into football during the peak of the Sir Alex and Arsene years, it was Arsenal versus Manchester United. Even now, it’s the win I want most—yes, ahead of Spurs! …”
Football Paradise

How the sole of the foot sparked a tactical revolution in football

“Antonio Vacca can remember the moment well. In truth, the Italian is unlikely to forget it anytime soon, given he not only gets to see his ‘little theory put into practice’ every time he watches Brighton & Hove Albion play on television, but he also has Roberto De Zerbi’s initials tattooed on him. The story Vacca recalls goes back to De Zerbi’s time in charge of the Serie C club Foggia, between 2014 and 2016, and an incident in a training match that fundamentally changed how the Brighton manager viewed build-up play, and, ultimately, contributed to one of football’s modern tactical trends. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Arsenal 1 Manchester City 0: A title ‘moment’, Saliba tames Haaland, lucky Kovacic

“It may have lacked the fizzing energy of title battles of previous seasons, but nobody from Arsenal seemed to care. A first league victory over Manchester City since 2015 felt like a statement of intent from a side that had been humbled twice last season, particularly as it inflicted a second consecutive defeat on Pep Guardiola’s side in a competition they have made their own in recent years. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Arsenal v Manchester City 2.0 – a world of set pieces, tough tackles and dogged defence – Michael Cox
The Athletic: What to look out for in Sunday’s showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City

US owners understand profit but do they appreciate clubs’ tradition and values? – Jonathan Wilson

“It’s just over a year since Gary Neville declared US owners of English soccer clubs ‘a clear and present danger to the pyramid and fabric of the game’. The comment provoked a furore but the former England full-back turned high-profile pundit was unrepentant, insisting that if profit is the priority, there are vital aspects of the roles of soccer clubs that risk being lost. …”
Guardian

Keeping the threat alive: The importance of the second phase at corners

“When a stat about goals from corners pops up during a Premier League match, a common question from viewers is why the number of goals their team has scored from them is higher than they expected. Any confusion generally arises because of goals that are scored in the second phase of corners. The second phase starts when the team taking the corner quickly collects the ball after it was cleared — or in some cases overhit — and is in position to attack again with most of the attacking players still in the box. …”
The Athletic

How Spurs’ excellent Udogie recovered from his early struggles against Saka

“Fourteen minutes into the north London derby on Sunday, Destiny Udogie flew into a tackle on Bukayo Saka. It was a genuine attempt to win the ball, but it was late and an obvious yellow card. For the next 75 minutes, Udogie had to face arguably the in-form winger in the Premier League in the knowledge that another foul could be the end of his match. After Tottenham team-mate Emerson Royal’s daft dismissal in this same fixture last season, it seemed history might be about to repeat itself. …”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

The art of publicly criticising players: Why do managers do it and does it ever work?

“… One way to look at things is Ten Hag was simply answering a question honestly and straightforwardly. Another is that the United manager saw a passing bus and chose to throw Sancho under it, that he could quite easily have fobbed the question off with benign platitudes and avoided potentially alienating one of his squad. It does raise the question: is it ever justified for a manager to single out an individual player for public criticism? What purpose does it serve? Is it just the boss lashing out in frustration, or is there a more deliberate purpose to it all? Does it actually work? …”
The Athletic

Tactical Analysis: Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United

“In the vast theatre of human endeavours, where the pursuit of meaning often reveals itself in the most unexpected of places, we find ourselves drawn to the sacred cathedral of football. In this timeless ritual, where passion transcends reason, and the spirit of camaraderie meets the cruelty of fate, a tapestry of narratives unfurls. Picture, if you will, the canvas of a stadium – a canvas that bore witness to a spectacle of Shakespearean proportions. It was a game that encapsulated the very essence of existence–the agony and the ecstasy. …”
Breaking the Lines
YouTube: Tactical Analysis : Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United | Arsenal A Cut Above

Arsenal 3 Manchester United 1: Rice delivers, VAR controversy, Hojlund’s lively cameo

“Arsenal’s meetings with Manchester United always tend to deliver drama and this latest instalment in one of the Premier League’s longest-running rivalries did not disappoint. Some fine goals, a late controversy involving the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Declan Rice’s stoppage-time winner… it all added up to another memorable encounter. …”
The Athletic

Premier League hope-o-meter 2023-24: How every club’s fans are feeling

“If you think you’re excited about the start of the new Premier League season, you should speak to an Aston Villa fan. They’re about ready to pop. All of them. Well, almost all of them. In a survey conducted by The Athletic this week (before the developments on Thursday and Friday which brought the transfers of Moises Caicedo and Harry Kane closer to being completed), we asked how supporters of each of the 20 teams are feeling about the new season. Ninety-nine per cent of Villa respondents said ‘optimistic’, making them the most positive bunch in the division. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Why so much stoppage time is being added on to Premier League matches this season?

“The new Premier League season has begun, with reigning champions Manchester City beating Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor— and top-flight games are about to become longer. The game at Turf Moor had five minutes added on at half-time and six minutes added on after the second half. Additional time played at the end of each half will increase under a new directive for 2023-24, and the expectation is that 100-minute matches will become the norm this season. …”
The Athletic

2023-24 Premier League – Location-map, with 3 charts

“… The map is a basic location-map, with an inset map of Greater London. Also shown are small labels which point out the three promoted clubs (Burnley, Luton Town, Sheffield United). And there are three charts… The Attendance chart, at top-centre of the map page, shows 4 things for each of the 20 current Premier League clubs…A) 2022-23 finish (with promotions noted). B) 2022-23 average attendance [from home league matches]. C) Stadium capacity [2022-23]. D) Percent-capacity [2022-23]. At the right-hand side of the map page are two more charts. The chart at the top-right shows Seasons-in-1st-Division for the 20 current Premier League clubs. …”
billsportsmaps
W – 2023–24 Premier League

Where Does Your Team Need to Strengthen? One Solution For Every Premier League Club

“The summer transfer window is hotting up. Every team is spending (or preparing to spend) millions of pounds to try and improve ahead of next season, while managers and coaching across England will have put in hours of work to try and find a way to get even more from the players already at their disposal. Each team has a weakness – yes, even Manchester City – that the staff will need to address this summer, either through recruitment or tactical tweaks on the training ground. Here, we have highlighted an area of the game that each Premier League team could do with improving (that they haven’t already addressed) ahead of next season. Read on to see where your team needs to strengthen. …”
The Analyst

Football must finally take a stand against antisemitism

“Football is rooted in love. As kids, we love the simple joy of the game, and as we grow alongside it we love how it melds with what we love – community, family and friends. Football is who we are. But where there are in-groups there are out-groups, and while as fans our antipathy to everyone who is not ‘us’ mainly constitutes harmless fun … sometimes it doesn’t. The WhatsApp conversations of the Ashburton Army, a prominent Arsenal supporter group, were riddled with antisemitism that included references to Israel, the Holocaust and circumcision. …”
Guardian
The Athletic: Marching with Arsenal’s Ashburton Army as they build Emirates noise (March 2023)

All 20 Premier League clubs’ 2022-23 season summed up in just 10 games

“Did the Premier League season pass you by? Can you barely remember what took place before the World Cup? Are you a bit unsure of what happened with Bournemouth? It’s difficult to describe a 380-game campaign concisely. But here is an attempt: all 20 Premier League teams’ seasons summarised in 10 choice matches… ”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

Premier League Team of the Season: OptaJoe’s 2022-23 XI

“The 2022-23 season has come to an end, with Manchester City winning the Premier League title for the seventh time in the last 12 seasons – five of those coming in the last six campaigns. Pep Guardiola has now won the title in 11 of his 14 seasons as a top-flight manager across spells in charge of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man City, with Arsenal forced to contend with second place despite spending 248 days atop the Premier League table – the most by a side not to win the title in English top flight history. With the curtain fully closed on the campaign, our data experts at OptaJoe have picked their Premier League Team of the Season for 2022-23 based on the data. …”
The Analyst

Myth-busting the 2022-23 Premier League storylines – what is true and what isn’t?

“Not only was a World Cup parked midway through this football season but — more importantly — it was a campaign of great change in social-media algorithms. The hunt for engagement has never been so furious. Some of the likes-gathering community have reacted in a dishonest way, shifting to a not-exactly-true model, an impressions-first economy. Given the fact that many millions have consumed this content it feels almost ungracious to confirm that, no, Arsenal were not 11 points clear with a game in hand when they signed Jorginho. And, yes, Ederson has conceded a direct free-kick goal in his career. And no, Trent Alexander-Arnold does not have the second-highest number of goals from direct free kicks in Premier League history. …”
The Athletic

Arsenal losing the league does not have to be a collapse of character

“In the moment of full operatic collapse, the pain of a season of dashed and throttled glory reaching its narrative end point, the Emirates Stadium was treated to the sight of Roberto De Zerbi doing a knee slide. A slightly creaky one but with sufficient momentum to get a little purchase on the lime green early summer turf, fist pumping, head up sedately. Brighton had just gone 3-0 up in this game, playing a lovely, breezy, light kind of pass‑and-run football. …”
Guardian
The Athletic – Roberto De Zerbi’s anti-Arsenal blueprint for Brighton: Be direct, be disruptive

The Premier League xG table: Evaluating the attacking performance of every club

“In case anyone needed reminding, scoring goals helps you win games of football. For those who like to dig a little deeper, it is interesting to see how often a team scores goals relative to the opportunities they create. Yes, your team might rocket a 40-yard strike into the top corner from time to time, but how sustainable is that method of attack across a season? That’s right, we’re talking about expected goals (xG). …”
The Athletic

Do football managers matter?

“Managers can’t perform magic, although some people seem to think they can. They’re not David Copperfield or Harry Potter. They can’t work miracles or sprinkle some magical dust to make players know how to play football. Spending hours on analysis isn’t very useful. It doesn’t put you in better conditions to win the game. The tactics, the schemes, they’re all bull***t. Of course tactics matter, but players win the game. For 45 minutes at a time, players make their own decisions. Football is a continuous sport in which the coach has barely any influence, less than in any other sport. …”
The Athletic

Arsenal’s spread of goals is the sign of a great team

“For all the similarities between this season’s two Premier League title contenders, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, there’s one obvious difference. It’s a philosophical debate as much as a purely tactical one: does adding one record-breaking individual to your attack actually improve the side overall, or does his brilliance come at the expense of others? …”
The Athletic (Video)

Arsenal just did not know how to press Manchester City’s 4-2-4

“It was not a shock that Manchester City defeated Arsenal last night, and not a surprise they did so relatively convincingly, considering both sides’ recent run of form. But the nature of City’s tactical approach was a surprise. Having spent recent weeks building up with a three-man defence and pushing a defender forward into midfield, City played a simple 4-2-4 on Wednesday. Arsenal seemed unsure of how to press this system, and City were adept at progressing the ball through central zones and up to Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland between the lines. …”
The Athletic: Michael Cox
The Athletic: This is Manchester City’s era – there are only two ways that changes any time soon (Video)
The Athletic: Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal: Magnificent De Bruyne and fiendish Haaland clip leaders’ wings
Guardian: Manchester City took Arsenal to a horrible place and didn’t let them leave
NY Times: Manchester City, Relentless and Ruthless, Strolls Past Arsenal
Guardian: Kevin De Bruyne sees off Arsenal to give Manchester City upper hand in title race

How Arsenal’s tactics show Arteta’s coaching influences, from Cruyff to Guardiola

“With every recent Arsenal clash with Manchester City has come a predictable discourse — the relationship between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola. It’s the obvious way to go given Arteta’s journey to becoming Arsenal manager via an assistant management role under his fellow Spaniard and the pair’s early days together at Barcelona. And while Guardiola clearly has a huge impact on Arteta, in the build up to these matches it is often overlooked that the Arsenal manager has also drawn inspiration from a number of other coaches. …”
The Athletic

Trying to identify the masked rapper who claims to be a Premier League footballer

“There is a masked rapper who claims to be a Premier League footballer — and nobody knows who it is. By concealing his identity, Dide has created a wave of interest in his music. His first release, ‘Intro Freestyle;, has more than 130,000 views on YouTube while ‘Thrill’, a three-and-a-half-minute single, has over 740,000 views to go along with Dide’s 28,000 YouTube subscribers, 58,000 Instagram followers and 100,000-plus monthly listens on Spotify. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Premier League Title Race: Are Arsenal Crumbling Under the Pressure Again?

“Title races can take many forms; the runaway champions; a two-horse race; a surprise package. But it isn’t always the winners who make the main headlines, sometimes it’s the team that blew their chance that lives in the memory. Newcastle United’s infamous collapse in 1995-96 is probably the most memorable after they threw away a 12-point lead that they held in January after 23 matches, while Man Utd blew a 13-point lead over Arsenal in 1997-98 and an eight-point lead with just six games remaining in 2011-12 to give Manchester City their first Premier League crown (albeit their final-day comeback against QPR and Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp goal grabbed the headlines). …”
Thw Analyst (Video)

Is Arsenal’s defence actually struggling?

“Arsenal sit top of the Premier League, and are mounting a challenge for the title for the first time since 2004. However since the World Cup break, Arsenal have had a dip in their defensive numbers that has seen them concede far more goals from January onwards. Taking a look at the data and specifically their struggles with set pieces – how much of an impact is this going to have on their season? Jon Mackenzie writes as Craig Silcock illustrates, can they still get themselves over the line as champions this season?”
YouTube

Who will make Premier League top four? Analysing the run-ins of Champions League hopefuls

“We are on the home straight of the Premier League season and while the title might have become a two-horse race, there are still some highly lucrative spots up for grabs. There are arguably six clubs fighting for the remaining two Champions League spots, with fewer than 10 games to play. Newcastle United and Manchester United are currently leading the pack in the race for Europe’s most esteemed competition, but will it stay that way? …”
The Athletic

Liverpool against Arsenal dispelled a myth – it was proof tactical battles can be fun

“‘Intriguing tactical battles’ are generally considered to be a euphemism for matches that are tight, tense, and uneventful. This is something of a myth, however. Commentators, pundits and presenters refer to games in this manner when nothing else is happening, in an attempt to convince the armchair viewer that sitting through it isn’t a complete waste of their time. But Liverpool’s 2-2 Anfield draw with Arsenal yesterday was one of the most intriguing tactical battles you’ll see all season and one of the best games you’ll see all season. …”
The Athletic – Michael Cox

Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2: Firmino’s revival, Ramsdale’s rescue and a Premier League classic

“Arsenal withstood a blistering second-half barrage from Liverpool to salvage what could yet prove a crucial draw in their pursuit of a first Premier League title since 2004. Aaron Ramsdale conjured two stunning late saves deep into stoppage time to ensure Arsenal left Anfield with a point for the first time in seven seasons after blowing a 2-0 lead. Their advantage at the top of the table now stands at six points, with second-placed Manchester City — who host the leaders later this month — holding a game in hand. …”
The Athletic

Football Twitter, Arsenal, and Coming Back to Myself

“Getting older is a peculiar experience, particularly hitting 40. There are highs—a new decade, the chance for over the top and extended celebrations—and then there are lows— your mortality suddenly hits you over the head and won’t leave you alone, you feel ‘past it’, angry that you’ve not done nearly enough in your life nor are the person you thought you would become. Suddenly the cliche of a midlife crisis becomes clearer, more understandable, perhaps more desirable. After going through various phases in my 20s and 30s, I felt like I wanted to reclaim myself, to become more me, whatever that would end up meaning. It was football that helped me come back to myself. …”
Football Paradise

Stone Island, cravats and rollnecks: Does it matter what managers wear?

“‘It is very methodical. I am a very methodical, routine person.’ Mikel Arteta could be talking about any number of things there. What formation should Arsenal play? Is this the time to rest key players? How should he mix up training this week? It was none of those. He was, instead, talking about his choice of touchline clothing. …”
The Athletic

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

“… 5) Howe eyes revenge – and McTominay. Newcastle may have lost February’s League Cup final to Manchester United but revenge against the same opponents at St James’ Park on Sunday would be particularly sweet for Eddie Howe’s side. While a home win would bolster Newcastle’s Champions League qualification hopes significantly, a key subplot of the match itself could involve central midfield. …”
Guardian

Premier League predictions: Arsenal to edge title race but Manchester City to lift the Champions League?

“Will Arsenal hold on? Can Thomas Tuchel turn Bayern Munich into Champions League winners? Who will finish top four in the Premier League? And who will go down? And just how many league goals will Erling Haaland finish on in his first season at Manchester City? Oliver Kay, Daniel Taylor, Sarah Shephard, Nick Miller and Dan Sheldon assess the Premier League run-in and pick their Champions League and Europa League champions. …”
The Athletic

Premier League accounts: Latest finances for all 20 top-flight clubs

“It’s that time of year again. No, it’s not the dawn of spring with birds chirping and daylight actually lasting longer than the working day, it’s the end of the financial year and that means Premier League clubs must present their full accounts for the previous financial year — essentially the 2021-22 season. …”
The Athletic (Video)
YouTube: Football Club Accounts: Explained

Taking on the powerhouses: Grimsby’s golden age in the FA Cup

The 1939 FA Cup semi-final between Grimsby Town and Wolves carries on after the crowd had been on the pitch at Old Trafford.
“It’s hard to know what, in the year 2023, looks more far-fetched. That when Grimsby play Brighton on Sunday they will be attempting to reach the club’s third FA Cup semi-final, not the first; or that the previous runs to the last four, which included wins over Manchester City and Chelsea, had nothing to do with David or Goliath. Grimsby’s semi-final appearances in 1936 and 1939 were highlights of the greatest period in the club’s history. …”
Guardian

Why Arsenal and Zinchenko make so much sense

“When Arsenal signed Manchester City pair Gabriel Jesus and Oleksander Zinchenko Arsenal fans hoped they would take them to the next level. Jesus would provide goals from the central forward position, but it was unclear what difference Zinchenko would make. Jon Mackenzie explains that Zinchenko’s unique tactical profile has given Arsenal a level of control they wouldn’t have otherwise. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner.”
YouTube

Nelson’s winner for Arsenal was ludicrous – and may prove to be 2023’s Ulloa equivalent

“Mikel Arteta was at the Emirates Stadium for five years as a player, and has now been here for three more as a manager, and he hasn’t experienced anything like that. ‘That’s probably the loudest and the most emotional moment we’ve had here,’ he said after his Arsenal side turned a 2-0 deficit against Bournemouth with half an hour to play into a momentous 3-2 last-gasp win. …”
The Athletic

The Premier League runout songs – from Star Wars to the Stone Roses

“One of the most memorable and/or toe-curling scenes from the documentary series Sunderland ’Til I Die came when budding Ministry Of Sound DJ/new club director Charlie Methven discussed mixing things up music-wise. To replace Dance Of The Knights, the foreboding Prokofiev piece which had been a staple at the Stadium of Light since it was built in the 1990s, Methven got out the figurative glow sticks and suggested they play Tiesto’s 2005 club smash Adagio For Strings. All while affecting a ‘Yeah, sure, I used to spin a little in my time… before I went to work for JP Morgan’ vibe, which didn’t quite mesh with the locals. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Ain’t Got No History? The Most Successful English Clubs

“A football club’s history is wielded as both a source of validation and a sad lament for the passing of better times. Arsenal fans concerned that their club haven’t been league champions for 17 years should think about how Sheffield United supporters feel about the 123 years that have passed since their club finished top of the pile in England. Can we definitively prove Preston supporters think about the year 1888 more than anyone else? No, but it’s true. …”
The Analyst

How Arsenal control games

“Goals win games, and defences win titles, as Sir Alex Ferguson once said. But when a team concedes, or scores is just as important as conceding in the first place. In the first half of the season, during Arsenal’s ascent to the top of the Premier League, there has been a distinct pattern to when their goals have been scored. Jon Mackenzie analyses the data and suggests why Arsenal are so good at managing their games. Written by Henry Cooke.”
YouTube

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

“1) Potter faces uphill task to convince fans. Stamford Bridge was not a happy place after Chelsea’s insipid defeat by Southampton. There was no holding back. Loud boos greeted the final whistle and the mood near the dugout was ugly. A fair few fans were bellowing abuse at Graham Potter and the worry for Chelsea’s head coach, who has been in the job only since September, will be that he has already lost the crowd. Chelsea supporters loved Thomas Tuchel and many do not see Potter as an upgrade on the German. …”
Guardian

European Super League: This week was a glimpse of what that world could look like

“Liverpool vs Everton, Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich, AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal vs Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea, Barcelona vs Manchester United. From Monday to Thursday, this week’s football fixtures have offered night after night of glamorous, high-profile match-ups between some of European football’s elite clubs. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Premier League: Who is your club’s ultimate cult hero?

“It was Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, so what better time to uncover the unsung heroes that only supporters of your club actually care about. Here’s who our fan community chose. …”
BBC

Arsenal’s consistent selection has helped them but evolution may be required

“In the first half of the season, the consistency of Arsenal’s selection provided the foundation for their success. From pre-season through until January, manager Mikel Arteta was largely able to keep his preferred XI on the field. But after taking just one point from their last two Premier League games, Arteta must be toying with the idea of whether to twist rather than stick. …”
The Athletic

Manchester City are winning, but have problems in possession

“The problem for A-grade students all over the world is that a B on any test raises eyebrows. Despite their recent victories, Manchester City’s performance on the ball has not been as convincing as it was early in the season, or recent years. The movement and the dynamics against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Sunday felt like City were picking up their rhythm, but against Arsenal it was off the pace again. …”
The Athletic

Premier League mid-season review: Who wins the title? Who gets top four? Best signing?

“Will Arsenal hold off the challenge of Manchester City to win their first Premier League title since 2004? Who has been the best signing of 2022-23? And what about the worst? What’s been your goal of the season? And how about your favourite game? We asked a group of our writers to review the Premier League season so far — and their responses feature a lot of Mikel Arteta and Erling Haaland… ”
The Athletic

Arsenal’s clever corners and their importance in the Premier League title race

“On April 10, 1993, Manchester United needed a win to regain top spot in the inaugural Premier League season. A draw against Sheffield Wednesday would not have been enough to return to the summit with only five games remaining afterwards. The final minutes of that game played a major role in United’s first Premier League title. …”
The Athletic

Why Man United’s poor organisation out of possession was likely to end in tears

“If Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon felt particularly momentous, it’s because it was essentially two types of big win combined. On one hand, it was about Arsenal completely outplaying United, dominating possession and territory, and creating far more chances. On the other, there was the drama of a late winner providing a definitive, exhilarating moment. …”
The Athletic – Michael Cox
The Athletic – Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United analysed: Are Arteta’s men really going to win this title?