Arsenal thread | 2025/26

[mancboy]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

Your first paragraph confirmed that like most aftv idiots you have zero objectivity and are a blinkered moron.

 

[Newman Noggs]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

I haven't seen enough of Arsenal to make a comparison between teams/squads but, as an opinion, I don't see anything outlandish in that.

 

[bridgeno1]

Your first paragraph confirmed that like most aftv idiots you have zero objectivity and are a blinkered moron.

Go on mate, say what you think, don't hold back!

 

[urban genie]

I turn 50 after christmas

for 40+ years I haveonly wver really hated/dislikedc3 teams:

The rags, obbvious they are them
Spurs - I was a child when that cup final happened and had to live my youth watching that villa goal
Middlesborough, never seen a bigger bunch of cuunts visit maine rd bar rthe rags than them.


scouser, gobshites always were no intrestest they are benath my time

Arsenal, never cared, a team with aveage attendance or fame bar a few cup finals, definately not as known or revelant as spurs i. my time geowing up, then nowt more than Sky/prem darlings with the new tv focus over realitt, still uniteresting.

But the last 5 years when I have had to notice these cunts no more entitled than us, villa, everton etc I have discovered maybe the most mard, entitled, thick, blinkered, arsehole, self absorbed set of wankers in all football.

I despise arsenal (fans btw) only sligh less than rags

 

[mancboy]

Go on mate, say what you think, don't hold back!

I did just like you and i think i was closer to being factually correct than you're blinkered twaddle

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Choosing to play on Saturday night at Everton instead of Sunday at 2pm is certainly a choice.

Crazy decision. They have the squad to change the entire first XI for the Carabao and still put a side out capable of progressing. Now they have to face an absolute bear pit of Toffee fans who have been on the lash all Saturday.

 

[Andy TheCatalyst Morrison]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

Stopped reading when I got to “team of the season”. I mean, wtaf? We’ve had 11 games. What utter nonsense

 

[No One Understands]

Choosing to play on Saturday night at Everton instead of Sunday at 2pm is certainly a choice.

Some players' welfare is more important than others

 

[Vienna_70]

Cheating Arsenal fans cryarsing on twatter, because Phil is getting more attention than their two goalscorers for England.

In my opinion, there are several reasons for this:
1. Phil was criminally misused and played out of position by Sir Waistcoat to accommodate others, Bellend in particular.
2. There has been a debate about whether Phil should be in the team or not.
3. He was played out of position again by Tommy Toucan, even if it was in a central rôle.
4. He did more in the 25 minutes that he was on the pitch than some of the others did in a full game and created havoc in the Serbia defence.
5. He set up England’s second goal with a perfect and perfectly weighted pass that made it extremely easy for Eze to score from.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

A depleted squad? For a depleted squad to put out a team which cost in excess of £600m sounds a little rich. For what it’s worth I reckon we’ve had more injuries than you so far this season.

 

[Gingers Dad]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

City would have 6 players in a combined 11 - Donna, NOR, Nunes, Foden, Doku and Haaland. Typically as an Arsenal fan you're obsession is with City. 2nd again I reckon.

 

[urban genie]

A depleted squad? For a depleted squad to put out a team which cost in excess of £600m sounds a little rich. For what it’s worth I reckon we’ve had more injuries than you so far this season.

we have

 

[bridgeno1]

A depleted squad? For a depleted squad to put out a team which cost in excess of £600m sounds a little rich. For what it’s worth I reckon we’ve had more injuries than you so far this season.

Not according to this https://www.physioroom.com/advice/premier-league-injury-table/

And you can add Gabriel to the list as he has 20 mins ago suffered a nasty injury playing for Brazil and was taken off in distress. In a bloody friendly too.

 

[bridgeno1]

City would have 6 players in a combined 11 - Donna, NOR, Nunes, Foden, Doku and Haaland. Typically as an Arsenal fan you're obsession is with City. 2nd again I reckon.

Like I said it was opinion. And BTW I didn't mean Haaland would be the only City player in a combined XI I meant he'd be the only one that was so obviously better than his Arsenal counterpart that it's a no-brainer whereas for other players it is a tighter call.

That being said in your list you are essentially saying Doku is better than Eze (ok that's possible) and Nunes is better than Timber (I'm sorry but in no way is that possible!). The rest is a matter of opinion but I'd not be disappointed if those players played for us.

 

[bridgeno1]

Cheating Arsenal fans cryarsing on twatter, because Phil is getting more attention than their two goalscorers for England.

In my opinion, there are several reasons for this:
1. Phil was criminally misused and played out of position by Sir Waistcoat to accommodate others, Bellend in particular.
2. There has been a debate about whether Phil should be in the team or not.
3. He was played out of position again by Tommy Toucan, even if it was in a central rôle.
4. He did more in the 25 minutes that he was on the pitch than some of the others did in a full game and created havoc in the Serbia defence.
5. He set up England’s second goal with a perfect and perfectly weighted pass that made it extremely easy for Eze to score from.

Yeah that 10 yard pass to Eze that made it 'easy' for Eze to curl it on the half volley into the top corner from the left side edge of the box.....

 

[Vienna_70]

Yeah that 10 yard pass to Eze that made it 'easy' for Eze to curl it on the half volley into the top corner from the left side edge of the box.....

It wasn’t the length of the pass; it was the accuracy of it.

Eze hit it perfectly, because it was exactly where it needed to be, in order for Eze to hit it perfectly.

 

[CPPSC]

Yeah that 10 yard pass to Eze that made it 'easy' for Eze to curl it on the half volley into the top corner from the left side edge of the box.....

What about the chipped ball from the edge of the box to Eze to miss from 3 yards?

 

[jimharri]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

Clearly, it was beyond you!

 

[Danny Tiatto]

I'm biased as I'm a Gooner so I'm going to try to be objective but take what I say with a large dose of salt.

Doing an 'eye test' on Arsenal vs City would currently lead to the conclusion that Arsenal are in general finding it relatively comfortable in their matches (with some exceptions) whereas City seem to be in more jeopardy at times. On top of that Arsenal have been winning with a depleted squad, many of whom are on the cusp of returning. Finally, objectively if a team of the season was put together now, more Arsenal players would be in it than City players.

This doesn't mean anything for what happens moving forward but as a Gooner what gives me confidence compared to previous years is Squad depth and quality of our 1st teamers compared to what we are up against. I always felt in previous seasons vs City that your 1st XI was better than ours. I don't feel that's the case today (again this is just a personal opinion, I've frequently been wrong before and frequently will in future). I suppose the one nagging doubt I have is the one player in the City side who I think would be an absolute no brainer to get into a combined City/Arsenal side is Haaland and he is so good that it's like having another 4 City players get into that side. What I mean is the differences between some City/Arsenal players might be 5-10% but Haaland is like 70% better than his Arsenal counterpart and that differential might be enough to win the league on its own.

What a load of dribble.

You have won nothing in 5 years. As it stands I wouldn’t want any of your serial loser players anywhere near my team. What was it Mourinho once famously said? Specialists in failure? Come back when you actually win something.

 

[bridgeno1]

It wasn’t the length of the pass; it was the accuracy of it.

Eze hit it perfectly, because it was exactly where it needed to be, in order for Eze to hit it perfectly.

Hey I like Foden and want him to do well. He did ok when he came on. O'Reilly was superb all match however.