It’s finally here!! The day has finally arrived! The Arsenal will start their defence of the Premier League title later today as they host newly promoted Coventry City in a game that it feels like I have waited most of my adult life for!!
The Arsenal team will start the season being introduced as the Premier League Champions, as they set foot on The Emirates turf, for the first time in 22 years and I have the absolute privilege of being in attendance for this moment in history. This is the sort of moment that I wish I could have shared with my late father, especially as it’s going to be on his birthday. However, the fact that my 10 year old son will be with my Dad’s in his stead, is something that I know would have made him proud, to see the Arsenal lineage passed onto another generation.
As Gooners, we’ve waited a long time for this moment – to finally silence all of that noise surrounding our great club – and I’m sure there will be countless other Arsenal fans who have friends or loved ones who they wish they could have shared this moment with, who have since left us behind. So this just means that we have to enjoy it twice as much, to make up for those who are missing!!
The match
Onto the game itself. I’ve seen too many first games of the season to let fanciful thoughts enter my head about the Premier League Champions dismantling a perceived weak newly promoted team and so on and so forth. The first game of the season is not about sending out a message. It’s only about one thing – get over the line. Doesn’t matter how you do it. Doesn’t need to be pretty, just get those three points over the line.
Look at last season’s opener away at Manchester United. An absolutely huge result. Truly huge. Especially given our Premier League record at Old Trafford. The performance though? I reckon it’s probably in our top 5 worst performances of the year. Too harsh?! Maybe, but I’m trying to make a point so let me exaggerate a bit!!
The point is, we just need to win today. I don’t care how, just please, please Arsenal – set us off with a win!
The lineup
The lineup should be fairly similar to what we saw in the Community Shield 5 days or so ago. At the time of writing, Ezri Konsa has not yet put pen to paper on his Arsenal contract, so he has no chance of being involved (I do hope to see an Eze like presentation pre-match though!), so the defence should remain unchanged.
Into midfield, there’s talk that Bruno Guimaraes is carrying a knock, so I would expect him to be rested for this one, with Declan Rice coming in to start in his place. Not a bad replacement, eh? The only other change may be on the right wing, with Bukayo Saka knocking on the door for his first minutes of the season from the start of a fixture. However, I think Mikel Arteta will resist the temptation and give Noni Madueke another chance to impress.
This would mean a Premier League debut for Christos Tzolis on the left wing, which I’m really looking forward to seeing.
Side bar – I obviously didn’t realise it at the time, but I was actually there the day Tzolis made his Premier League debut for Norwich City…nearly 5 years ago!! That was my son’s first Arsenal game and well, it wasn’t great, but we won 1-0. So there is some nice symmetry here, if we get to see his debut for The Arsenal as well.
After being left out of the squad completely last time out, there will be a lot of scrutiny on the Arsenal bench when the teams are announced, to see if either Gabriel Jesus or Gabriel Martinelli have made the cut. Unless Guimaraes isn’t even fit enough for the bench, I can’t see why Arteta would all of a sudden change his mind and bring them in, so I think they’ll both sit out again, which is sure to get tongue’s wagging in the press box. I do think that this is progress though, as we seem to have moved passed them both, as a team, so I don’t see the reason for all the drama that is currently surrounding this situation.
Lineup:
David Raya
Ben White
Cristhian Mosquera
Gabriel
Riccardo Calafiori
Declan Rice
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Martin Odegaard (C)
Noni Madueke
Kai Havertz
Christos Tzolis
Subs:
Arrizabalaga
Hincapie
Zubimendi
Guimaraes
Merino
Eze
Saka
Gyokeres
Dowman
Overall thoughts on the game
As I’ve already alluded to, I don’t think this will be an easy game for Arsenal at all. Coventry have waited a long, long time for this and will be giving it everything they have to make up for lost time, so we might not get it all our own way this evening.
What I’m really intrigued to see is how Arsenal approach the game. They were much more positive against Manchester City last time out, seemingly enjoying their football a lot more and playing with a degree of freedom that we’ve not seen in a very long time. Will we see this continue or will the dreaded horseshoe return?! Let’s hope it’s the former, rather than the latter!
What I’m looking forward to seeing
Everything. I’m looking forward to seeing everything. I’m looking forward to seeing that little Premier League trophy added as a trophy on the middle section of our stadium – it’s been far too long since it last made an appearance. I’m looking forward to seeing the trophy itself – is that a thing?! Surely it will be there on the pitch as the players come out, right?
I’m looking forward to just being at The Emirates again. I’m looking forward to hearing the PA announce Arsenal as Champions as they enter the pitch. It’s not really something I can see, but I’m excited about hearing the ‘Stand Up For The Champions’ chant for the first time in 22 years. I will be standing up for that one for as many times as possible. I might even be brave and try and start it at some stage!
Martin Odegaard. Definitely looking forward to seeing him and to see if the one from the Community Shield turns up. That’s a very exciting thought. I’ve probably missed dozens of other little things that I’m looking forward to seeing, hearing, chanting…I’m just really looking forward to football being back. Can’t wait for this one!!!!
Prediction
As usual, I’ll have to go with a win. I can see the defence starting off in the grand manor and keeping their first clean sheet of the new Premier League season, so I’m going to say 2-0 to The Arsenal. So good to have real football back!!
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