Morning all.
It’s fairly continuous for the time being, and Mikel Arteta will maintain a press convention this morning forward of our third successive London derby within the Premier League on Wednesday night time. This time it’s Brentford who come to go to, and there’ll clearly be a lot to speak about after the 1-1 draw towards Chelsea.
Now that the mud has settled a bit bit, it’ll be attention-grabbing to listen to if he expands in any respect on the type of recreation it was. As I wrote yesterday, and spoke about on the Arsecast Additional, I feel this was a really intentionally aggressive strategy from Chelsea, and I feel on a few events it crossed the road. I famous the absence of each Gabriel and William Saliba maybe enjoying an element in how far they pushed it, and I assumed James’ description of them as ‘Arsenal’s bouncers’ on the podcast was spot on.
That mentioned, regardless of their finest efforts, Chelsea couldn’t rattle the replacements. We noticed how a lot Piero Hincapie relishes the bodily battle and the defensive elements of the sport. Not least when he received within the face of Pedro Neto after making a problem on the Chelsea winger in our field. And who was there to tug him away, and inform him to get his thoughts again on the sport and to give attention to defending the nook he’d simply conceded? Cristhian Mosquera. I assumed that confirmed a powerful degree of maturity from the 21 12 months previous, and the duo – whereas inexperienced by way of enjoying collectively – managed the sport and their bookings very nicely.
I’m positive Arteta can be requested about Saliba’s damage which saved him out of Sunday, so we’ll have to attend and see what the information is there. I feel, ideally, the supervisor would at all times need one among his two essential males accessible, however at the very least now he has actually stable trying choices at his disposal. Let’s keeper fingers crossed for our Large Willy.
I’m additionally curious to see how he’ll discuss doable rotation for this one. It’s probably not about seeing Brentford as an easy-touch so you possibly can shuffle your pack with out worrying, however we’ve performed three actually troublesome and intense video games in per week, and on Saturday we’ve an early kick-off towards a hard-running Aston Villa workforce. Now we have this massive squad at our disposal, and to offer ourselves the most effective possibilities of profitable video games we have to use it. So, let’s see what he says about that, and the way a lot we will glean from his solutions about what we’d count on in that regard. As ever, we’ll deliver you the tales and extra over on Arseblog Information.
Which leads me to final night time the place James and Tim have been in attendance for Arseblog on the FSA (Soccer Supporters Affiliation) Awards 2025, and I’m comfortable to report that we gained Fan Media of the Yr (Fran Merida of the Yr). At the beginning, due to all of you who took the time to vote, it’s massively appreciated, and it meant that we got here out on prime in a really spectacular area of nominees. So, congrats to Different Wales, Not the High 20, The Anfield Wrap, The Sq. Ball, and our pal Dan at HLTCO for his or her nominations. All of them produce incredible work with spectacular dedication, so to win it towards such stiff competitors makes it further particular.
I additionally should take a second to thank all of the workforce right here at Arseblog. I’m actually fortunate to do what I do, however that I get to do with nice folks makes it much more rewarding. I do know they know I like and respect them, but it surely doesn’t damage to say it out loud each every so often!
The schedule being what it’s meant I couldn’t attend final night time. I needed to, however there was a post-Chelsea Arsecast Additional required, and an episode of The 30 over on Patreon, and at this time we’ll have a preview podcast for our recreation towards Brentford too. There simply don’t appear to be sufficient hours within the day anymore. However that I couldn’t go is as first world an issue as you could possibly ever have. The very lucky job I’ve is to attempt to make the most effective content material – with actual, precise folks! – about this soccer membership as doable, and that’s not one thing I ever take without any consideration. Precedence numero uno, and all that.
In the end, a whole lot of this comes right down to you, the readers and the listeners. Every thing we do on Arseblog is supported by you. We don’t have any adverts on our web sites or our apps, to make sure that – with out desirous to sound too wanky about it – the content material is king. It’s not obscured by something, it’s not influenced by clicks as a result of we don’t generate income that means, and ensures editorial independence always.
We’ve been very lucky to have your continued help on Patreon which permits us to function on this means, and it’s additionally allowed us to make an actual distinction in the actual world too. Since 2022, Arseblog has donated €210,000 to good causes native and worldwide – yow will discover the breakdown of that right here. Each April we give 100% of our Patreon income to charities, and that’s a dedication we intend to take care of within the years to return. It barely scratches the floor of what’s wanted on the planet we dwell in, but it surely does assist, and possibly too it’d encourage different companies to comply with swimsuit.
All of which is to say, thanks once more for permitting us to do what we do. To deliver you blogs and information and podcasts and protection of Arsenal Males and Ladies and all the pieces else yow will discover on Arseblog. It’s a privilege to have the ability to do it, and we respect being a part of your Arsenal expertise a lot due to how necessary is. Hopefully, that is the primary trophy carry of the season.
❤️
ps – Meant to additionally report that Declan Rice and Alessia Russo gained the awards for finest gamers, so we’re in fairly esteemed firm in that sense too! Congrats to them.
