re: Arsenal 2024/2025 Season Thread: It’s time

Yess

All time performance.

Give Max Dowman his debut at the Emirates return leg

Haha

Maybe if we get into a shootout and it comes to that.

What in the world happened today

One thing I’ll caution is:

1 PSV is a bad defensive team
2 PSV played us in a way that allowed us to move around and attack

I expect United is going to play a mid/low block and it’s going to be a slog

There’s only been a few teams that allowed us space in the midfield: PSV, PSG, Liverpool, and City. We won 3 of 4 and probably should have beat Pool.

What happened today doesn’t have a lot of bearing on future results, because we won’t play many teams that give us that space that today resulted in. Was a joy to watch though

This just highlights the needs in the summer: Ball carriers/winners in the midfield and half spaces and guys that can operate in those conditions on the front lines and get balls on target, and guys that allow us to counterattack effectively and get these teams out of these ultra defensive setups

The defense is good enough, but we still don’t have reliable ways to break down mid/low blocks with our current crop of players consistently

When/If Saka comes back I’d like them to figure out a way to involve all of Saka, Nwaneri, Odegaard, Rice, Timber (or some combination of) in midfield/central spaces. Would require an overlapping RB (Benny Blanco) and probably the same on the left (Cala). Arteta going to have to make some tough lineups decisions for sure, but it gives us options in guys that can beat folks off the dribble AND fight through contact in the midfield areas, and still maintain scoring threats from those same central areas, which is what this team lacks when teams squeeze us

I think you could convince yourself to have Saka be the CF, Ethan RW, Martinelli LW and Ode at AM

Probably our best attacking quartet

Wouldn’t mind giving Cala a run at CF as well, he’s probably the best ball striker we’ve got on the team right now

ETA: as good as Saka is as a winger, getting him more central and becoming the main central area creator (until we get another) would allow him to flourish even more I think

The league is what it is. Just don’t lose games and we will be alright.


But I feel great about the cl now. We are probably going to get real so might as well get that one out of the way. And I don’t know we cant play up to our potential against them. They are another team that won’t sit in against us.

quote:

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This is long term thinking but do you baws feel like Nwaneri, Saka, and Odegaard can coexist in the team together?

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Nwaneri is so young they aren’t going to play him 90 min of every game.

Martinelli came in and scored a bunch of goals his first season in the bit part role and in the Europa league and he still wasn’t starting a lot after that. He had some injuries. But at first people were saying Arteta hated martinelli or didn’t rate him.


So I think at least for next season you will see him rotating in. He’s already had little injury. They will prob protect him a bit still.

Beyond that I don’t know.

I assume we will buy a cf. But that means he’s not playing there next season. And prob won’t the season after. So do you play him and Saka on the wing?

What happens if they buy Williams? Do you move one in the midfield?

Or do you not buy a winger. And the big signings are the cf, zubimendi or other cm, and I hate to say it, that GK.


I don’t think that’s enough. I would like to see an attacking midfielder that can play on the rt or left of our midfield. That way you can get odegaard some rest or have someone to play there if he gets hurt.

Just wanted to say holy shite that was unreal.