MATCH DAY BLOG: NOTTINGHAM FOREST (A) | DYCHE DERBY
This is a big bad game against a manager who has nasty intentions when it comes to Arsenal.
Sean Dyche wants to invite us into his home, strip us of our dignity, and send us packing with a small sliver of wet fish hidden in a sock.
He’s a dastardly fella. Capable of maximising misery in any moment. Has he lost 6 in 10 in the league? Yes. Is the form dreadful? Yes. Does he mispronounce Edu’s name in meetings to get under his skin? I can’t say. But if having a feeling was evidence of a crime, let’s just say he’d be in big trouble.
The thing with Forest is they are, at the moment, a team that is far too good to go down. They have some brilliant players who are underperforming and probably not loving the medieval management system they’ve been put in. Zinchenko has gone from dining in Gymkhana to eating out of the fat bin behind a chippy… it must be depressing, but his treatment is how it goes when art clashes with the guy who draws inappropriate tags on dusty white vans.
Arteta hinted at returns from injury. Mosquera and Dowman should be back in the mixer very soon—and Calafiori is likely to be on the bench for United, but who knows, maybe sooner. I don’t know why Arsenal are mentioning Dowman; he’s not really been involved since a great preseason, and you’d imagine if Ethan can’t get time, it’ll be hard for the even younger winger.
But having Mosquera back on the bench would be great. Ben White, three games a week, is not a good idea. I really hope Arteta is careful with what he does today. If someone is injury-prone, you can’t will that away. Better to manage it. Especially as it seems Mosquera isn’t the most robust either.
The biggest challenge Arsenal have today is fatigue… United are besting City all over the pitch today and just went one down. It’s quite clear the players didn’t fancy Amorim in the same way they end up not fancying any of the managers they play under. Main point here: City have been dreadful. You could say they are leggy, but I also think most Arsenal fans don’t watch them regularly, because I see greatness going forward, but they are a messy bitch of a side when it comes to defending. Donnarumma is dreadful from set pieces, they can be scythed open at will, and they make a lot of unseemly errors… struggling to see how one centre-back is going to solve for all of that.
This is your reminder: Arsenal are the best defensive team. We conceded the least big chances, half of Man City. We have the second-highest xG. We give away the least xG. We have made the 3rd most big chances in the league. The 2nd most shots behind United. We’ve had the worst run of injuries. Our squad is nearly fully fit. We’ve been playing the whole season with a striker who is in the worst form of his life.
Why are we fretting? Because we’re emotionally rattled. We’re taking mental health days off work and citing Arsenal as the reason. We refuse to believe that this season is actually different, and as a result, we can’t enjoy what is happening.
Ok, that’s me done for today. If you want The AOP in your ears, sign up for a BIG On The Whistle right after. x