Brentford away a difficult begin to the brand new yr

Morning all, and comfortable new yr.

We start 2025 with a difficult away journey to Brentford. Regardless of a current 2-0 defeat to high-flying Nottingham Forest, they’ve the joint greatest residence document within the Premier League, garnering 22 factors from their video games up to now – degree with Liverpool (and simply 1 level greater than us).

A function of their performances at residence this season has been quick begins and early targets, one thing we want to pay attention to, and it’d inform our beginning XI to an extent. When he picks his crew right this moment, will Mikel Arteta convey Riccardo Calafiori again into the fold at left-back, or persist with Myles Lewis-Skelly? They’re going to share the video games in January, that’s a no brainer given how hectic the schedule is, however maybe sticking with the participant who has a little bit of kind and rhythm is perhaps the best name when going through Bryan Mbeumo on Brentford’s proper.

I think we’ll see a change in midfield, with both Thomas Partey or Mikel Merino most popular to Kai Havertz in there, however I count on the German to maneuver up entrance with Gabriel Jesus dropping to the bench. The damage state of affairs means we’ve virtually nothing in reserve. Ethan Nwaneri was the one nominally attacking sub we had towards Ipswich, and whereas that’s in all probability a threat you may take for a house sport towards a crew within the backside three, it is advisable have some approach to change the sport in fixtures like this, so beginning Havertz and Jesus collectively doesn’t make sense to me until the Brazilian is chosen in one of many broad positions.

That stated, I count on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to play on the flanks, and Arteta was fairly attention-grabbing on the Belgian who he referred to as a ‘little bit of a moaner‘ … however in a great way! These two are those on whom a heavy burden falls within the absence of Bukayo Saka. After all goalscoring is a collective accountability, however their output this season hasn’t fairly been the place we’d need it, so upping that throughout the Zero Saka weeks goes to be necessary.

I believe we are able to count on Brentford to press excessive, so that may present alternative if we are able to bypass it and use the house that leaves behind. They’re good at it although, they do in an lively and coordinated manner, and even in the event you do beat it, they’ve such good organisation they drop again shortly and make it arduous to interrupt them down. This sport final yr was a wrestle, it took a really late purpose from substitute Kai Havertz to take all three factors, and I don’t count on it to be any simpler right this moment.

Let’s hope we are able to kick off the brand new yr in the best manner, with a very good efficiency, however most significantly all three factors. This sport feels a bit bizarre, out on an island of types when it comes to timing, with everybody else having performed two or three days in the past. I don’t know if that makes it any harder or pressurised, nevertheless it’s a bit odd. Anyway, it’s what it’s, we’ve a job to do, so let’s hope we are able to do it properly.

Proper, I’m gonna go away it there for now. We’ve a preview podcast accessible proper now on Patreon. Be part of us later for stay weblog protection, plus you’ll get the match report, purpose clips, response, participant scores and way more over on Arseblog Information.

Till then!