Didn’t someone say there might be more long range goals this season because of the puma ball? (Aware of the irony here)

Ref cam is just a new form of humiliation to beat the conceding team with. But taste of your own medicine Liverpool

Every time Garnacho gets the ball I think it’s Ukrainian Olympic sprinter, Mykhailo Mudryk.

Memorable seasons are built upon forgettable 2-0 home wins

Tired: Liverpool are missing Alexander-Arnold's ball progression Wired: Liverpool are missing Alexander-Arnold's defending

New Goal Difference now live and excitingly available for VIEWING. So anyone who has been struggling to distinguish between me and @lolakr.bsky.social, this episode is for you! Youtube: youtu.be/nTw4JSyBfEw Apple: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/g... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1H6M...

Very pleased/ excited/ proud to feature on ROUTE ONE today talking title permutations (already). Thank you @iainmacintosh.bsky.social for having me! Have a listen!

Good Morning! 😊 #Arsenal 🔴⚪

What I find so remarkable about that game is we were staring down the barrel of what's happened *so* many times before. Put Newcastle under early pressure, don't take our chances, they score, we struggle to break them down.

Not a foul apparently.

Unfortunately I quite like Nick Woltenmade. Seems like a decent bloke. Merino’s just better in the air.

NOTHING gives me more belief

So. Apart from double curse or VAR and me (sorry) Arsenal have done a lot right in that half. Combative, creative, much better midfield balance, and some good early shots. A lot to like. (Obvious a lot about this game to drive you insane as well.)

Jared Gillett. Can't referee Liverpool games because he's a fan, can be part of 66% of Arsenal's opening 6 games.

You're always up against two opponents at SJP. Today is no different. A shame to be behind because I think that's the best we've played this season. Especially away from home.

We are indisputably better at football than Newcastle. Forget the penalty. It’s on us if we allow their violence to rattle us. Time for calm.

Palace should be 4 up

Palace should be 4 up

If the players believe in the manager, the fans should as well…. Players are always the biggest indicator of where a club is going, so if new players want to come to Arsenal & existing players want to stay, it’s a massive tick in the box. Massive renewal….

Have that, big Willy here to stay. Konate to Madrid here we go! (I hope I don’t regret saying this)

Moan incoming (apologies). The Noni news just compounds growing feeling of frustration with this season already. Yes, we've 'injury proofed' but how long until Saka breaks down again because he's forced to play all the time coming back from a serious injury? It's like whackamole.

A story about Gabriel Martinelli, and Pep Guardiola the coward

New Goal Difference episode klaxon!! 😬 Is Arteta brave enough? 💎 Are Liverpool an uncut gem? 🔮 Yes, twin telepathy is real and me and @skrafc.bsky.social are proof! Apple: www.youtube.com/@GoalDiffere... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6bdaNKS... YT: www.youtube.com/@GoalDiffere...

I don't remember him saying this last season when Arsenal played away at Atalanta on the Thursday before playing away at City on the Sunday!

Is Madueke's story in black and white because he is mourning the end of his playing days? Black and white seems drastic for a week or two on the sidelines. I'm using the black and white-ometer to assume he's going miss months :(

Thoughts on the City game on my substack @FogginStandards also in The Gooner Fanzine. We were passive in the first half for sure. But it's hard to play against low blocks! Pep's biggest work of genius is not getting murdered in the press for doing so. open.substack.com/pub/fogginst...

Man, the uh... discourse on this post on the other site is LOUD. If I ask questions about teams, I am assumed to be Arsenal slant. When REALLY I am professional gambler slant looking for predictive indicators! VERY different stuff.

Liverpool are five points clear already, on a fairly average schedule, with metrics that are the fourth best in the league so far. It helps to have elite talent and real attacking depth, but idk... feels like the title this season should still be a dog fight.

Can't believe that after scoring the equaliser, Martinelli didn't grab the ball from the back of the net and bounce it off the back of a defender's head. I thought that was the done thing these days.

- Why does Timber not overlap more? - Not sure Arteta trusts Zubimendi to fly solo at the base of midfield, hence our sometimes double pivot. - Clearly we're learning on the job. But if we're nine points behind Liverpool by EOP on Sunday, that's a huge lead to overcome. Probably too big.

Some Arsenal hot takes/observations... - The only performance that has excited me was versus a Forest side in disarray. - Chance creation continues to be a major issue / horseshoe of death remains. - This team, playing this football, can't afford to accommodate such a low-touch striker.

This is bad football. And to top things off we got done on the break anyway!

Yep, especially if we lose.

Strange team?!?!?!

Genuine question: Should Van Dijk be calling himself the goat when LFC concede 2 for the fourth time this season?

3-2 Salah pen pending

Leandro Trossard has scored seven goals for Arsenal in the Champions League, the same number as Mesut Özil and Dennis Bergkamp. #ATHARS

On @skysportspl2.bsky.social yesterday they asked me if we could win the Champions League. Post glorious demonstration of squad depth feels a good time to share my thoughts. ✅ New ep of the Goal Difference is live now too! youtu.be/i_yYaG_Oxdc?...

The rise of the substitutions

He IS Brazilian! Vintage Martinelli.

Best defence in the championship against “the best attack in the world”

A Burnley capitulation after a Liverpool goal still feels an inevitability. Are Liverpool even trying to win this game though?

“The ball, it flies different”

Could be the start of a fabulous football watching weekend or one where I try to pretend it doesn’t exist. COYG!

Merino hattrick. The best ball striker we have. What a killer. It was maybe too conservative of Arteta taking off this elite goal scorer against Liverpool.

"In many ways it's as you were... best attack vs best defence". On @skysportspl2.bsky.social again. They asked me if I thought we could match Liverpool in the title race. I think we can!

The whole Luke Edwards thing this summer has been so weird. I know I'm not the first person to think this and I do feel sorry for him coming up against the sheer weight of ideological entitlement from LFC fans, but why is he biting when Paddy Power @ him on X?

Any critique of Arteta playing a cagey gameplan would have to be levelled at Slot, who did the same — except with all his best players, at Anfield. Anything else is post hoc fallacy.

There's an alternate reality where we played *that* XI instead, partied like it was 2023, got picked off, then had to listen to Roy Keane, (while his voice rises higher and higher til only the hounds in hell can hear) discussing our naivety. Gonna be a long season either way lads. Ain't it always.

Tough one to take on the chin right before international break. But it will feel a million miles away when we play Forest. Strange thing to get used to losing a big game, it’s been so long. I do think there are reasons to be cheerful, mainly: we don’t have to go back there!