EPL - last gasp Lacazette saves point for Arsenal.
Oct 18, 2021 18:20:21 GMT
MrFurious, Carl LaFong, and 1 more like this
Post by staggerstag on Oct 18, 2021 18:20:21 GMT
13th playing 14th, for the right to go 9th, in Arsenal's case, or a notch up for Palace. The teams are middling, the weather is crap, but the venue will be Ye Olde Pubbe which, incidentally, has gone full on Halloween-themed at this ridiculously early stage, which might mean more to look at than in the game itself. As long as you don't find a plastic bloodshot eye at the bottom of your pint glass or the p*ss-pans draped in that decorative cobwebby stuff, we should be alright.
Let's go.
Arsenal (an invigorated 4-3-3): Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Aubameyang. Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Cedric, Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny, Martinelli.
Crystal Palace (an uncomplicated 4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Milivojevic, McArthur; Ayew, Edouard, Benteke. Subs: Butland, Tomkins, Olise, Kouyate, Hughes, Mateta, Schlupp, Clyne, Kelly.
Arsenal 3/5
Palace 5/1
Draw 3/1
Let's go.
Arsenal (an invigorated 4-3-3): Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Aubameyang. Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Cedric, Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny, Martinelli.
Crystal Palace (an uncomplicated 4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Milivojevic, McArthur; Ayew, Edouard, Benteke. Subs: Butland, Tomkins, Olise, Kouyate, Hughes, Mateta, Schlupp, Clyne, Kelly.
Arsenal 3/5
Palace 5/1
Draw 3/1
Preamble by Daniel Harris
I love the smell of narrative in the evening, which is just as well because the match that awaits us is absolutely dripping with it – even by the exulted standards of “this league”.
Patrick Vieira was and is an Arsenal legend, an exceptional athlete, highly-technical enforcer, and inspirational leader able to do pretty much everything necessary on a football pitch. Once upon a time we called that “a midfielder”, but more recently we’ve become accustomed to qualifying prefixes like “attacking”, “defensive” and “holding”, along with adaptations from abroad like “regista”, “interior” and “doble pivote”. Ultimately, though, the only thing you could really know Vieira by was “Vieira” because there was no one remotely like him.
Anyhow, he returns to the Emirates tonight, but as manager of Crystal Palace; the Arsenal job went to Mikel Arteta, who was and is none of the above. He did, however, play for the club and was respected for his football brain, so those who know him were unsurprised when he went into coaching.
Arteta’s Arsenal team play a style far more convoluted than that of Vieira’s. That might be because he received his football education in Spain and worked for Pep Guardiola; because the game and its fashion has changed; because he doesn’t have players good enough to just get on with things. But whatever the reasons, we’re set for a game of contrasts, Arsenal deploying a patient, lightly constipated approach, while Palace look to keep it loose. This should be a belter.
I love the smell of narrative in the evening, which is just as well because the match that awaits us is absolutely dripping with it – even by the exulted standards of “this league”.
Patrick Vieira was and is an Arsenal legend, an exceptional athlete, highly-technical enforcer, and inspirational leader able to do pretty much everything necessary on a football pitch. Once upon a time we called that “a midfielder”, but more recently we’ve become accustomed to qualifying prefixes like “attacking”, “defensive” and “holding”, along with adaptations from abroad like “regista”, “interior” and “doble pivote”. Ultimately, though, the only thing you could really know Vieira by was “Vieira” because there was no one remotely like him.
Anyhow, he returns to the Emirates tonight, but as manager of Crystal Palace; the Arsenal job went to Mikel Arteta, who was and is none of the above. He did, however, play for the club and was respected for his football brain, so those who know him were unsurprised when he went into coaching.
Arteta’s Arsenal team play a style far more convoluted than that of Vieira’s. That might be because he received his football education in Spain and worked for Pep Guardiola; because the game and its fashion has changed; because he doesn’t have players good enough to just get on with things. But whatever the reasons, we’re set for a game of contrasts, Arsenal deploying a patient, lightly constipated approach, while Palace look to keep it loose. This should be a belter.
