Completely agree. Don't understand what ge is doing. All 4 players at the back are out of their natural positions.
And another thing is not being able to kill the game off. We waste time at 1:0 against Palace...

I think Partey has done really well at right back in the two games thus far.

Nketiah should absolutely start up front ahead of Trossard.

Also I think his tactics after the sending off won you the game you would have otherwise drew or lost.

He's gonna play an inverted fullback no matter what just hoping with Zinchenko back Partey moves back into the middle. The answer on Havertz is simple either upfront or on the bench nothing else.

comment by Croatian Gooner (U10698)
posted 23 minutes ago
Completely agree. Don't understand what ge is doing. All 4 players at the back are out of their natural positions.
And another thing is not being able to kill the game off. We waste time at 1:0 against Palace...
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It was quite something when he finally remembered he has a natural LB on the bench and brought on Zinchenko, meaning Gabriel could move to CB and White to RB, and suddenly we managed a few minutes of posession up the pitch rather than defending on our own penalty spot.

I'd assumed Big Gabby hadn't been fit, otherwise I can't understand what he's trying to do with that lineup?

Tomi got himself caught out, but if he's going to get sent off for breathing on Ayew, then Ayew shouldn't have been on the pitch after pulling down Saka while already on a booking. Most surprising thing about the game was the ref/VAR didn't give a pen for Eze diving over Partey's leg!

Rams, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinny, Rice, Partey, Odegaard, Martinelli, Trosard, Saka.
Simple.

Whats Gabriel not playing got anything to do with Havertz?

Can we just see zinchenko at left back, white at Rb, Partey and Rice in the middle and havertz on the bench v Fulham

We don't play with 2 sitting players. So why should we start now and go backwards?

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 41 seconds ago
Can we just see zinchenko at left back, white at Rb, Partey and Rice in the middle and sell havertz
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The defensive situation is really strange.

Should have started the season with

Tommy Gabby Saliba Timber with Rice and Partey in the middle.

If he had that like up Timber probably wouldn't have got inured as he would have been at RB.

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 5 minutes ago
Can we just see zinchenko at left back, white at Rb, Partey and Rice in the middle and havertz on the bench v Fulham
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Arteta completely lost his faith in our 2 natural LBs (Zinchenko & Tierney) somewhere around April.

We'll probably see Aaron Ramsdale playing at LB before any of those two.

Zinchenko has not been fit and hardly played any pre-season. Not sure why people think this is somehow permanent?

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 15 minutes ago
We don't play with 2 sitting players. So why should we start now and go backwards?
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We did last season but one was told to play higher up

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 0 seconds ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 15 minutes ago
We don't play with 2 sitting players. So why should we start now and go backwards?
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We did last season but one was told to play higher up
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We played 4-1-2-3 last season. Xhaka played no.8 alongside Odegaard and that's why we scored so many, finished second.

We've dominated both games without being at our fluid best and with 2 or 3 key players missing. Good start.

I would recommend moving Odegaard to the left and havertz to the right. Havertz and Martinelli do not mesh well together.

comment by Tu Meke (U3732)
posted 2 minutes ago
We've dominated both games without being at our fluid best and with 2 or 3 key players missing. Good start.

I would recommend moving Odegaard to the left and havertz to the right. Havertz and Martinelli do not mesh well together.
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No. Thats the problem with playing Partey as an inverted back instead of zinchenko.

Zinchenko went to CM, Xhaka went wide left and Marti moved inside.

This season Rice is behind Havertz who is making more runs into the box, forcing Marti to stay wider.

If we go back zinny in the middle you can replicate what we did last season because Rice will move to behind Odegaard like Partey did last season.

Arteta is trying to force Partey and Rice into the same team and we are getting bottled up.

Zinny is an attacking cm and Partey is a dm. Rice is also a dm.

6 points out of 6 you utter clowns

comment by The One (U22189)
posted 15 minutes ago
6 points out of 6 you utter clowns
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You need to look deeper than that there are valid questions to ask, why were we so poor in the second half last week given our dominence up to that point. Why is Arteta just so obsessed in using Havertz in a position he cannot play which is affecting the whole balance of the team. There is always room for improvement and I think there are some good questions that need answering.

I really don't understand the Havertz hate tbh. He hasn't been outstanding, but neither have Odegaard and Martinelli. Not sure how you can blame him for less than clinical display by attackers. And Havertz hasn't missed any chances that Marti and Eddie missed tonight.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 9 minutes ago
I really don't understand the Havertz hate tbh. He hasn't been outstanding, but neither have Odegaard and Martinelli. Not sure how you can blame him for less than clinical display by attackers. And Havertz hasn't missed any chances that Marti and Eddie missed tonight.
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Havertz has been non existent and has gone missing since he’s come to this league. He’s not receiving the criticism due to the only two games with us, it’s because he’s been a waste of a shirt since he’s come to England.
Everyone can see it.

Seems like he’s the type that’ll happily let others take the pressure and responsibility. Usually you can tell if a player has it in him but with Havertz his attitude and body language are telling. Quicker we get rid and replace him the better

This is a fresh start for him and you almost have to forget what happened before. Will he succeed ? We'll see. Havertz will predominantly be used in midfield so you have to look at the other aspects as well with equal importance. He did well pressing and contributed in the dirty bits of the game that gave us so much possession and Marti should have scored from his defence splitting pass. Havertz wasn't great but he was far from poor.

Havertz should play CF, and hopefully Zinny will be fit to start vs Fulham and Partey can go back into MF

I thought Rice was excellent. Really wish we’d gotten him as he’s showing how playing for a more positive side gets the best out of him while also doing what he does well in protecting the defence.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/fixtures-results/unseen-kai-havertz-moments-vs-27570667