Ospina v Japan is Arsenal’s last chance of getting a first-round winner at the World Cup!

Arsenal only had nine of our players appearing at the World Cup in Russia, and only seven of them actually played for us last season, but it looks like most of them will be well-rested for the new campaign as not one of them has actually played and won a game in the first round of Group matches.

Mohamed Elneny got the ball rolling (haha) when Egypt lost 1-0 to Uruguay, then poor old Nacho Monreal saw his team Spain end up drawing with Portugal, but he wouldn’t have counted as he stayed on the bench for the whole game. But he definitely saw a great match!

Alex Iwobi was roundly slated (for a change!) when Nigeria got beat 1-0 by Croatia, and Joel Campbell came on as a sub as Costa Rica got beat by the same score by Serbia.

Mesut Ozil also got slated when the World Champions Germany lost to Mexico for the first time ever, but Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner had a brilliant result in drawing with Brazil, but still no win with an Arsenal player on the pitch.

We COULD have had our first winner if Danny Welbeck had have come on for England last night in their 2-1 last-gasp win over mighty Tunisia, but now it is all down to David Ospina.

Come on COLOMBIA!

20 Comments

    1. So Danny wasn’t a winner because he was unused substitute but England won and he is in England squad. You have to bend the rule so that you can write this agenda driven article.

  1. On the one hand I am of course interested in how Arsenal players perform at the WC. BUT on the other hand I am shunning watching all WC matches, England included, as I consider it a corruptly awarded competition by a corrupt organisation in FIFA to a corrupt country in Russia. Personally, I would have much preferred that the competion was boycotted by all countries and players and fans. But that is out of my control. People should of course have free choice(unlike so many Russian citizens and people who Putin and his gangster comrades consider enemies of his regime and who want true democracy in that despot run company). People have made their choice to go ahead with it and also to watch as fans. That is their right and this is how it must always remain. I exercise my own free choice to shun the WC, though in our 24/7 world , I am of course aware how results have turned out to date. After it is over, I shall of course have far less awareness than others of how our existing and prospective new players have done. This the price I , personally, am prepared to pay for not condoning corruption on a grand scale. I only ask that those who take an oppposite view to me, which all are fully entitled to do, allow me my own views and do not try to dictate to me why they think I am wrong.

      1. Good question. On QATAR, I will also shun the WC for similar reasons. The USA/ CANADA/ Mexico comp I have not really thought about as yet , though I have directly opposing views to Trump on almost everything. But were that happening today, I would still watch , as USA is nothing like Russia or Qatar in levels of corruption against the vast majority of it’s citizens. I despise Trump but compared to Putin he is almost an angel. Please note I do say BY COMPARISON only.

        1. Sounds fair. USA has certainly been controversial lately, but at least there are term limits (well Russia is supposed to have them too, but… well). I’m watching this world cup in Russia, but for Qatar one I’ll certainly be less excited for and follow less closely. Some of the people building those stadiums are essentially modern day slaves and hard to watch with that going through your mind.

          1. Yes , as you say, “essentially modern day slaves” and in this day and age of enlightenment, but only in the free world, this slavery is way beyond condoning. Much as I am in love with football and have been since a tiny kid, there are more important things by far to be concerned about. Perspective, in life generally, keeps us sane and hopefully decent, or at least relatively so. Bill Shankly memorable once said (approximate quote) “football is more important than life and death”. BUT HE SAID THIS FOR EFFECT AND WAS FAR TOO WORLDLY WISE TO ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT HIMSELF. NOR SHOULD ANY OF US.” I never forget though that the good guys world wide , vastly outnumber the bad guys. THAT IS OUR HUMAN SALVATION , ULTIMATELY.Sorry if I bore anyone, can’t think what came over me!

            1. ??as well as the corruption involved by FIFA granting the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, the OH&S for construction workers on the infrastructure has been deplorable. There have been significant numbers of deaths and maimings.

  2. Jon, as you have not been watching I think it’s only fair we keep you updated how Arsenal players are doing. Basically they have all been pretty sh1t, so no change there then. Ospina is currently doing his flappy handski impression. Good job Leno is on his way.

    1. What game are you watching. Up until 65mins that I stop watching he is the best Colombia player.

      1. If you look at the time I posted it was just after the second goal which was what I was commenting on, hence “currently doing his flappy blah blah”.

    2. Thanks Declan, Strictly, by my principles, I should be avoiding even commenting on the WC, but that would be going too far and I do admit being – like all sane, normal functioning humans are – a tad hypocritical. Just a question of degree and that could be a very profound debate but perhaps not deeply appropriate on THIS site. I have a host of people, family and friends, who are delighting in deliberately bombarding me with WC updates. Thankfully though , not on here. Til now. But I really appreciate your kind thoughts. I have just heard Japan beat Columbia. You can’t avoid news , unless you choose to love deep in a dingy cave in a remote, hardly populated, backward part of the globe. Somewhere like White Hart Lane, in fact!

  3. is arsenal ur stress,then checkout the 2018-19 setup:1.leno 2.lichsteiner 3.monreal 4.soyuncu 5.sokratis 6.torreira 7.mikhitryan 8.xhaka 9.aubameyang 10.ramsey 11.ozil, SUBS:13.cech 6.koscielny 23.welbeck 14.lacazette 17.martins 24.bellerin 25.banega

    1. AMN is twice as good as Xhaka and half the academy players are better than Welbeck. Time to get rid and start involving the youngsters, at least on the bench and introduce them gradually. They will learn faster than just playing for the academy.

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