Morning all.
It’s Champions League motion tonight as we tackle Lens. Arsenal’s flight to France yesterday was delayed as a consequence of inclement climate, so we didn’t get a full press convention with Mikel Arteta. Nonetheless, there have been some pre-game comments, and a few info on a few gamers.
After taking a kick late within the win over Bournemouth, it was good to see Bukayo Saka out on the coaching pitch, all smiles – and hopefully that alleviates some worries. On him, the supervisor stated:
He’s nice. He’s a lot better. It was an enormous knock however he has recovered nicely and skilled with us at the moment.
The opposite information was the return of Thomas Partey who hasn’t performed because the 2-2 draw with Fulham on August twenty sixth. With Man Metropolis on the horizon, it’s a well timed return for the midfielder, and Arteta is hoping to provide him some minutes if potential:
His development within the final week has been superb. He may need some publicity tomorrow relying how the sport goes.
The query about who performs tonight is a difficult one, and I do like that. If he made no adjustments from the workforce who performed Bournemouth, I wouldn’t be majorly stunned. If he made three or 4, now we have the standard and the depth to try this. He was requested if he’d have Man Metropolis in thoughts in relation to workforce choice this night, however I feel it’s most likely extra about how those that had been a doubt for Bournemouth got here by means of that sport.
I’d haven’t any actual concern to see the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior, and Fabio Vieira come into the facet, whereas gamers similar to Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe will proceed their push for extra minutes. Do you retain Kai Havertz in, hoping he can construct on the boldness increase his penalty can have given him? I believe it’ll be a reasonably sturdy facet for an away sport although, and let’s not overlook Lens are on this competitors as a result of they completed second in Ligue 1 final season, only a level behind PSG and 11 factors above third place Marseille.
Their begin to the season hasn’t been nice, they’ve gained simply two of their first eight video games in all competitions, but it surely was their final two. Arteta is anticipating a tricky sport:
What they did final yr is unbelievable to be inside a degree of the title. The way in which they did it, the shape that they had at residence. This season they’ve been actually unfortunate with a number of the outcomes they’ve had. At residence they’ve received only one level and I don’t understand how. So we count on an enormous battle tomorrow. We’re greater than conscious of it. We confirmed the gamers every part and now we have an enormous take a look at tomorrow.
Taking nothing without any consideration, and what we do in Europe – and the way we do it – is a very fascinating side of this season for me. The win over Bournemouth on the weekend was as business-like a efficiency as might have hoped for. I felt like we had a few additional gears if wanted, and maybe we’ll want them in a while. That is our third away sport in a row now, and of the 4 we’ve performed in all competitions, now we have but to concede a purpose. That’s one thing I’m positive the supervisor shall be trying to lean into, and there’s little doubt that now we have attacking gamers with the potential to harm the house facet this night.
Let’s see the way it goes. As ever we’ll have live blog coverage for you, and all of the post-match stuff on Arseblog News. Within the meantime, there’s an Arsecast Extra in case you haven’t had an opportunity to pay attention already, plus two extra podcasts over Patreon – a short preview of the Lens sport, and an episode of The 30, wanting again at a Premier League weekend with a number of speaking factors. Get them here.
Proper, I’ll depart it there for now. Catch you later for the sport. Come on Arsenal!
