Sudhamshu

I remember when Dan Ballard signed a pro deal at Arsenal someone who’d worked with him told me “he’d stick his head in a lion’s mouth to clear the ball”.

I was a bit sceptical of him then. I’m not now.

Such a scrappy game. Barely any team could keep the ball for long. So many fouls. So many headers. So many hits on the head. That's how it ended too. Overhead kick that caught Gabriel in the head. 2-2 it ends.
Sunderland were too much for Arsenal today.

Sensational goal by Trossard! Simply sensational! He's been extraordinary in the second half tonight! Completely deserved! 1-2

A lot of focus on referee calling fouls, but Arsenal haven't found an answer to Sunderland's aggressive pressing. The moment an Arsenal player gets the ball there are 2 players jumping down on him and snapping at his heels. It's relentless.

That's pretty much the ideal half for Sunderland, a scrappy, stop-start physical game, and they've scored so now have something to defend.

Arsenal lacking any real craft in that first half, which is a worry because there's not much on the bench to try and change things.

A lot to improve on.

"Painfully dull" Arsenal currently have:

🔺 Highest defensive line in the Premier League
🔺 Most touches in the opposition penalty area
🔺 Most shot-creating actions in the league
🔺 Second-most goals + third-most total shots

With Havertz, Madueke and Odegaard all injured.

A marginally nervy end to the game. But 1-0 it stands. Good to hear the song "We are top of the league. We are top of the league!" coming from the stands.
Liverpool lost yesterday. City have lost to Aston Villa. Chelsea los... naah.
Great team effort. Thank you Eze!

Declan Rice is subbed. He is explaining what happened to him to everyone who won't ask him what happened. Hope it isn't serious.

Saka is subbed. So rare to see. He was marked out the whole game and barely got a chance to threaten Palace. Martinelli comes on. Let's hope he has more threat than Saka.

Eze scores! A karate kick! Eze doesn't celebrate!
Will it count as another goal from set piece? Who cares! A goal is a goal!

Crystal Palace are well organised and are following a plan very well. Keep a midfield block. Do not allow wing play. Press on the wings. If you get the ball, attack, attack, attack!

Arsenal attack can best be described as blunt so far. Viktor has no service. The moment the ball gets to Saka, there are 3 Palace players surrounding him. He's been suffocated. No penetration from Trossard either. They're left to play centrally, and Eze has not found much joy there.

Comic. Two-column table. Column A lists planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Column B has checkmark boxes for whether the planets have rings: the outer planets’ boxes are checked, and Earth has a red check. [Earth with a ring with an array pf points around it. An arrow labeled “Geostationary Satellite Bel”t points to the ring.] [caption] Astronomy fact: A century ago, Earth didn’t have rings, but we have one now! It’s where all the satellite dishes are pointed.

Planetary Rings

xkcd.com/3156/

I read Barney Ronay's take on this issue and I was wondering who could write a better piece and the first person that sprung to mind was Jonathan Liew. He doesn't disappoint. As much nuance as there's fire ! 🔥

(Can't understand the gibberish he is writing in subsequent messages, though)

Arsenal are seven points better off versus the equivalent fixtures from last season.

1 MUN A (+2)
3 LEE H (-)
1 LIV A (-1)
3 NFO H (0)
3 MCI H (-2)
0 NEW A (+3)
0 WHU H (+3)
1 FUL A (+2)

#FULARS

A tough day, but three points at a ground where we've taken just one in the previous two seasons.

Like Newcastle away and West Ham at home, we're up on points from these fixtures last season.

Saka the stand-out player for me today, and Trossard with another important goal.

Top of the league!

Huge 3 points. The game might not have been easy on the eye but Fulham have been Arsenal's bogey team who have taken away important points in previous seasons. Getting a victory and seeing out the threat is really good!

Or ... Just be Set Piece FC! That will do!

This is what I feel too. Question is, which players can make an impact as a sub? Zubimendi & Rice are complementing each other doing similar tasks but Eze has no service. So Merino or Nwaneri to break the midfield block. Maybe MLS for Ricci too.

Fulham unwilling to initiate a press beyond 2/3rd of the pitch. Arsenal trying so hard to create space in the middle of the pitch. All chances seem to come from direct long balls.

What?

Last season Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam & their fans went on an anti-Arab rampage. Throwing rocks at homes displaying Palestinian flags, attacking Arab taxi drivers & chanting “Let the IDF win and f*ck the Arabs” and “Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left there.”

@beastoftraal.bsky.social Hello! An article from ToI just popped up showing your image and that you had to get stents. It made me worried and I'm here to just wish you good health.

While the perpetrators of Gaza’s genocide pose as its saviours, survivors return home – to a wasteland | Nesrine Malik Western leaders attending the Sharm el-Sheikh summit have enabled and sponsored this slaughter. They are in no position to build a Palestinian future, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

While the perpetrators of Gaza’s genocide pose as its saviours, survivors return home – to a wasteland | Nesrine Malik

You're right about Sterling's pace. It was vital while he was at Liverpool, not so much at City.
I surely hope Saka has a fantastic career and has a legendary status at Arsenal.

Feeling bad seeing Sterling there. Similar attributes as Saka. When people say Sterling's career has tapered off because he played too many games at a young age, I don't find myself agreeing to it. But if there's any truth to it... Let's just enjoy Saka's form now.

Saka is the seventh youngest player to reach 200 Premier League appearances. Would be higher on the list but for last season's injury.

Atletico dominated the derby by exposing Real Madrid in the channels Diego Simeone's side thrashed their city rivals by going back to basics — as they often do in the 'derbi'

Atletico 5-2 Real. Loved this game. That said, none of the goals really came from the interesting things about the tactics, which is a shame if you're writing about the tactics.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Saka said that little things like VAR go against us. How many games is Howard Webb going to ban him for it? He called VAR a little thing. Webb will take it like it was a personal insult.

Only four players have scored more headed goals in the Premier League than Gabriel Magalhães since the Brazilian joined the club.

18 Kane
17 Wood
16 Watkins
15 Haaland
13 Gabriel

#NEWARS

Arsenal dont throw in the towel