Author | Lightnews

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 47m

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 5h

I like Annous too. Just think Mikel won’t throw him in from the start. But I like what he gives us, I like the profile of the kid a lot, and can see him having a real future with us.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 5h

Both very valid points. I would like to see us rest Rice for this one as the last thing we need is him not being available for Bayern, so I’m fully for a Norgaard, Merino and Ethan midfield. I had Eze on the left and Leo at false 9, but the beauty of the selection is we can swap them over as needed.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 5h

I think Trossard works better as a false 9 but I can see arguments in favour of both. And the kid looked decent against Brighton, maybe not to start, but to take minutes at the end of the game.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 5h

It’s a wonder we have so many injuries with so many experts in the fanbase…

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 7h

Really? I took Arteta saying it was a “niggle” to be indicative of something minor, and I fully expected him to be fit in time for Sunderland. I

know some will say we should’ve bought a CF when Kai was injured, but I disagree; if all 3 of our CFs were fit, we’d have a logjam if we signed a 4th.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 7h

In light of the injury news, I’ve changed my mind. Rotate the heck out of the team tonight, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, MLS, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Dowman, Trossard, Eze, and hope that when we get the guys back after the international break we haven’t lost anyone else.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 8h

Welp…there goes that idea…

bsky.app/profile/gunn...

Gunnerblog @gunnerblog.bsky.social · 8h

🚨 Viktor Gyokeres & Gabriel Martinelli out until after international break.

Arsenal hoping to get both back in time for NLD on Nov 23.

Martinelli left out of Brazil squad & Gyokeres undergoing further assessment on muscular injury.

@theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...

Arsenal hopeful of Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli returns for north London derby

Arsenal are also optimistic they may have Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard back for the November 23 game.

www.nytimes.com

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 10h

Barbarian works too 👍

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 10h

Yeah, I hope so too, I’m just wary of writing off Slavia as a game we can rotate in (especially with the current injuries we have), and see Sunderland as the more suitable game for rotation (especially as I think Gyokeres might be back for the weekend). Zubi’s going to get some rest tonight too.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 11h

While Inter is in January, and I remember what the congestion last January did to our squad. I want to be rotate heavily for both those games because I think the consequences of having to win them and going strong with selection could cost us players for the second half of the season.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 11h

Worth pointing out that the Bayern game is between Spurs and Chelsea. Of course we can beat them but the risk is we have to and therefore have to go strong, push our squad to breaking for the second half of the season, all because we were stressing that a 6/7 point lead wasn’t enough.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 11h

I think suggesting a weakened side could handle Slavia but not Sunderland is kinda wild. One is a Champions League team. The other a side that needed a playoff to be promoted to the Premier League. Don’t think either will be easy to beat, but I think there’s a tendency to devalue “lesser” leagues.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 22h

Anyone who read Arteta’s comments knew he was actually saying the right and moral thing, that fixture congestion affects all teams and clubs have to work together if the powers that be keep piling on more games in order to protect the players. Arteta has always prioritised player welfare.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 22h

Honestly, Welbeck makes *much* more sense than Henderson. He’s on fire this season, and other than Kane there isn’t an England qualified striker in better goal scoring form. Whereas England are pretty stocked with younger talented midfielders.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 23h

I don’t think Clive was suggesting Mourinho invented it, I think he was actually making the same point as you, that teams are more organised now and Mourinho was a manager who showed with Inter that organisation alone could beat a much more talented Barcelona side.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 23h

Think a lot of our fans are taking Slavia and Brugge lightly. There’s a reason they’re in the Champions League and Sunderland needed the playoffs to get promoted. Not saying they’ll be easy to beat either, but I think a lot of our fans are too dismissive of clubs from “lesser” leagues.

Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 23h

The other way around for me. Take a draw against Sunderland knowing Liverpool and City play each other and someone (maybe even both) is dropping points. But if we lose tomorrow night, we likely have to beat Inter or Bayern or face an extra two games in February. Brugge away won’t be easy.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

Absolutely, and like I said, he definitely had his daft moments. Just wanted to point out that his cards record can be misleading.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

This is beautiful.

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 1d

This from @lewisgoodall.com

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

Nope. We’d be 6th or 7th without set pieces. They’d be 14th without Haaland.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

Brugge have been brutal in this year’s competition too. They battered a Monaco side who drew with City.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

Vieira got a lot of bogus cards, and players would deliberately target him to try and get him sent off or carded. He clearly had his moments of poor discipline but they were fewer than his number of cards would suggest.

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

I think it’s a valid question. Only Vieira comes to mind as having the complete game Rice does and there are things (set pieces) Rice does that Vieira didn’t (admittedly he played in a team with Dennis and Thierry so set pieces were covered).

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Hazbro @hazbro.bsky.social · 1d

Once again, some absolutely sublime writing by @amylawrence.bsky.social. Evocative, original, creative, facts seamlessly woven into a beautiful narrative (a much nicer use of that word too). Many of her colleagues could learn from her:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/676...

Arsenal don’t give a damn

“I think the first half was one of the best that we've played,” said Mikel Arteta of a display of dominant relentlessness

www.nytimes.com

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