Jamie Redknapp has told Arsenal that their real test will come next weekend against Tottenham Hotspur, and they shouldn’t get over-excited just yet.
The Gunners enjoyed a thoroughly impressive debut outing for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Everton on Saturday, with their new look attack helping the North London side to five goals, and that will most certainly have excited the faithful.
You would have to expect that our new signings would take a little time to settle in their new side, as they learn a better understanding with their team-mates, but that didn’t stop them from hitting the ground running.
Jamie Redknapp has now insisted that Arsenal made the best of a tricky situation regarding the Alexis Sanchez saga, but mustn’t get carried away with their recent win.
“Arsenal made the best of a bad situation in the transfer window,” he said.
“Even at £56m, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a snip. He is one of the world’s best forwards and has the potential to become a true Arsenal great.
“As sensational as Arsenal were against Everton, though, it is far too early to say they have turned a corner.
“If they want to be a great team, they must find the desire and aggression that will make them hard to beat away from home.
“Their resolve will be well and truly tested against Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday.
“Arsenal still need a defensive midfielder who can perform the role Fernandinho fulfils at Manchester City.
“Their back four still does not look capable of consistently keeping clean sheets.
“Yes, this was an improvement. But the challenge for Arsene Wenger is to build a team who can deliver these wonderful performances every week.”
Can Arsenal use the weekend’s win to propel them to another victory at Wembley on Saturday? Will our new stars only get better for us in time?
Pat J
We shall see.
2 points out of 6 against Chelsea
0 points out of 3 against United
0 points out of 3 against City
1 point out of 6 against Liverpool
3 points out of 3 against Spurs
Appalling record to say the least. Not to mention we have conceded more than any other top 6 team.
Redknapp is right. If we can have a good game and a win at Wembley on Saturday, then I too would start to believe. Until then it’s fingers crossed
Agree, if Arsenal cannot win at Wembley, the top four race is over for them. And Carragher’s analysis is spot on:
“Arsenal still need a defensive midfielder who can perform the role Fernandinho fulfils at Manchester City.”
Would we find that DM in Kolasinac, Mustafi or Maitland-Niles? In addition to that, Arsenal still does not have explosive inverted wingers that can cut inside and score many goals from the wings, like Salah, Mane, Sane and Sterling.
Agree. We have needed a top defensive midfielder for over a decade. Wenger has completely forgotten how important Viera was for us.
But him saying recently that we are an attacking team leads me to believe he hasn’t learned anything and won’t get one. Chelsea won the PL with guys like Kante, Mekelele, United with Keane, Scholes, Carrick, City with Toure, Arsenal with Viera, Leicester with Kante. We need either a defensive midfielder specialist or a box2box player with strong defensive skills.
Im convinced that a team can not win the Premier League without a top defensive midfielder. He is the link between attack and defense. He gets the ball back to start attack
Arsenal won it with Gilberto as DM
Exactly right John; Gilberto was the DM, Viera was the CAM albeit with very strong defensive capabilities.
Vieira was not a defensive midfielder. He was a box to box midfielder.
Vieira played alongside Petit and Gilberto, two more defensive minded midfielders.
I think clubs will look at Arsenal abit different after the way we tore Everton apart & the new signings having a great home debut. They will be very wary of Aubameyang no doubt, with Ozil & Mhikitarian behind him they will have to be on it at all times as these are 3 world clsss forward players!
The only corner we have turned is now the players are all playing for the team & not themselves… hint hint Alexis!! Xhaka is a liability but if he can do what he did v Everton & sit there infront of back 4, it will have to do until the summer. Jesus id even take Lemina from Southampton to slot in alongside Ramsey (home games) Or Jack (away games). He is an option, anyone else think of realistic DM targets?
Also a new GK & CB in the summer would near set us up for a good go at it next season. Any suggestions in these 2 who would make a difference to Arsenal? Would throw in another wingback if money was available! Only problem we have is a winger for a different set up.
We’ve played really well at home this season (even against dirty mancs) it’s our away form that has been terrible.
We’ve got a good record at Wembley though…. beat the spuds earlier in the season. They have a midweek game, we don’t.
Everything is set for it to be a belter & I really hope we come away with the 3 points!! COYG
We dominated Sp**s at The Emirates earlier this season and with better finishing and composure in the second half we could easily have doubled that score.The team were focused and kept a good shape all through the game.We should not need motivating for a game as big as this.The fact it’s a NLD is important enough but 3 points will put us in with a chance of getting back into the mix for a top 4 finish.Anything less and we will struggle.
AFC will be finishing the season with a stronger squad and better team than when we started and that is in spite of only having Europa League on offer.We all know we need GK CB CDM and a Winger.The type of players we need will be easier to recruit if we are in the CL.
IN comparison can you imagine those Dustbin Lids if they only have Europa League on offer for their first season at the new ground?They are going to have a fight to keep hold of some of their players as it is due to most of them only on contracts slightly above the national minimum wage.With no CL and reduced revenue they will struggle not only to keep what they have but to attract the quality to improve.
This is a massive game for both clubs and it’s one we MUST win.
I really hope we can fit in Lacazette, Makitaryan, Ozil, Aubemeyang, and Ramsey…Then any mistake they make we shall punish them hard and tough
Agree with redknapp totally. In fact even during the game against Everton, I was watching our defensive players and thinking ‘fuck, Tottenham are going to dick on us’ now i know that might seem pessimistic, and it is. But Arsenal will need to up there defensive game massively to come away with anything at Wembley. It’s very doable, but the defence will have to be on top form.
we can always score hand full of goals to teams that give us space or play open game like Everton did,
the difference now is that with the new additions we have so many different options of attack its crazy and must be a worry to other teams on how to defend even if they park two double decker buses,
this is almost what we wanted from AW for years in buying quality and in depth up front and midfield but we now need to strengthen DM, CD and a must must a new top Goalkeeper,
if AW can buy three needed TOP TOP players to become a top team in the summer then there is no reason for “ME” to wanting him out for another year or two and only because we would have the TOP players, also we should not forget we play in a certain way not many managers would be able to succeed in emulating and improving, a new manager would have to change half the team to play in a different way, the only manager that could step in the arsenal team and succeed is Guardiola
good thing we still don’t have thumbs down 🙂
tas, You are yet another”IF MECHANT” rather than a fan who coolly looks at past evidence-as I do- and does not expect a cat to bark or a mouse to roar. Wenger DOES NOT DO DEFENCE at all! Ever! He has saddled us with a succession of clowns masquerading as DM’s since Gilberto left a decade since. What on earth makes you think this same manager will now do things the way a proper manager would do? Do you not understand that Wenger IS the problem, despite all the years of past evidence of his defensive failure? If you don’t then you should take a look at yourself , frankly! Our defence, thanks entirely to Wenger is a joke and has bewen so for many years past. Where have you been while this was going on? In a cave maybe?
“In a cave maybe” @Jon There is no need for any insults mate, Tas was only giving an opinion on WWenger’s philosophy. In fact you will find an article on this subject this afternoon, but please don’t abuse the writer!
You’re lucky the thumbs down is not still functioning.
You are always quick to caution any insult directed to blind arsene supporters and you outrightly ignores the insults on constructive arsene critics. So pathetic!
Mr Admin, You really are in danger of being thought a snowflake and perhaps would be better suited to administer in a country like Russia where free speech is not allowed. What I said was in NO WAY abuse but mere dramatic licence and as an admin you should be clued up enough to know the difference . Had I sworn or called tas a foul name , then you might have a point. But I did NOT! Your draconial attempts to stifle educated, well laid out free speech , taking to task those with whom one disagrees , is in danger of neutering this site and making it not worthwhile. And while I am on the subject, whatever happened to the renewal of thumbs up/ down which you stated would be renewed last Thursday? Care to answer please? And as you well know, many others also want to know why it has not returned!
Jon-Wenger inherited a defence when he first arrived.Dixon Winterburn Adams Bould Keown.ALL English and ALL proper defenders.By that I mean that while they could all play a bit they were first and foremost Defenders.In came Campbell for Bould.Again was English,a proper defender and knew his job in the team which was quite simply to DEFEND.
Wenger got every last game he could out of these players before having to replace them and the list of replacements belongs in a horror show?Cygan Steponov Squilachi Kolo Toure(who was made to look good only by Campbell and found out when he went to Citeh)Gallas only came because we were desperate to get someone in for Cole.Senderos Djrou. The results do not lie.
Wenger will NEVER EVER CHANGE.The new regime MUST dictate who comes in not Wenger (who is the one who really does warrant the title of Caveman)
PHIL, I could NOT agree more! But I guess you already know that. TBH, I am now only focused on whatever it takes to remove Wenger this summer. John Cross of Daily Mirror on Sunday Supplement(Sky Sports) yesterday thinks Wenger WILL Be sacked if we end up trophless and miss out on fourth place. I agree and think it 80% likely he will be sacked and cannot wait. I only pray he doesn’t, in the meantime, disillilusion and ruin the new signings as he is doing with AM-N and Reiss NELSON AND MANY OTHERS PAST AND PRESENT. I point out the new changes in backroom staff , Sven and Raul WHO IS , EFFECTIVELY A DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL, AS EVIDENCE FOR MY THINKING. There is no way that Wenger, left to himself would have ever got P-EA transfer done. A new wind of change is blowing through our cobwebbed club. So stay strong and believe. I do!
We can win spurs… As long as we don’t wear the cursed blue jersey
Also Wenger needs to let Bould earn his money and coach the team in defending in an organized, structured and disciplined way.
we should get Michel Arteta from City to be AW understudy, he must of picked up one or two tips from Pep and they play like us tiki taka but a bit better because they have a solid DM
I always hoped Mikel Arteta would have a place at the club. A real leader.
I think Wenger deserves one last chance if he buys a solid defensive midfielder and a CB next summer. Meaning stopping ‘Wenger Out’ chants and let him finish this last contract.
Although it seems we have spent something this time, in reality selling other players and savings from their huge earnings has made things even. There must be some cash to strengthen our defense.
The team looks better with new additions and it will probably take some more time for everybody to develop a better understanding. Finally, we seem to have a strong attacking force. With Özil staying, Wilshere being almost like another signing, Carzola set to return and hopefully Ramsey being consistent things are beginning to look positive.
And despite any outcome of this season, Wenger deserves one last season. This is also because although we may dislike him for his performance in the recent years, but in 30 more years from now when we will be talking about Arsenal and its history, there will be a mention of Arsene Wenger and probably we don’t want to hear that the longest-serving manager in Premier League history was sacked. For all good time sake and memories, he should be given next year with this new team and that should be the final goodbye.
I hope we wear the red and white. Spurs will have no doubt who they are playing.
Btw who picks the kit to wear. Please, anything but those blue ones.
Arsenal does have capable and exciting defensive midfielders………..Niles………Kolasinac………Chambers……..and currently playing the role….El Neny…………the problem is they follow Wenger’s tactics……….which is light on the defensive midfielder role………that’s why Coquelin left…….
What we need to be careful of is if we are winning they will start diving. They do it every time as seen at the weekend whilst playing Liverpool.
The press love them but they are mostly a bunch of dirty cheats. Hope we stuff them!
To Me elemny is a better option then Xhaka , ramsey and elemeny have to sit back and protect the back. I also like to see us drop Iwobi and replace him with Laccaztte ot jack,
I do not see Xhaka and iwobi adds any value to this team