Marka Ragnos

I don't disagree. I hope we can at least do a bit of man-marking, too, although I also worry about knee injuries. Staying glued to an opposition forward is hard on the ACLs. Marking Haaland really seems to fluster him.

Omari? I also wish we'd been able to keep Philogene in the mix this year. Always thought there was something about him, but no use crying over it. He brought in some needed funds, presumably.

We are hurtin'. No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK ARG Emiliano Martínez(vice-captain) 2 DF POL Matty Cash 3 DF BRA Diego Carlos (vice-captain) 4 DF ENG Ezri Konsa 5 DF ENG Tyrone Mings 6 MF BRA Douglas Luiz 7 MF SCO John McGinn(captain) 8 MF BEL Youri Tielemans 10 MF ARG Emiliano Buendía 11 FW ENG Ollie Watkins 12 DF FRA Lucas Digne 14 DF ESP Pau Torres 15 DF ESP Àlex Moreno 16 DF ENG Calum Chambers No. Pos. Nation Player 17 DF FRA Clément Lenglet (on loan from Barcelona) 18 GK AUS Joe Gauci 19 MF FRA Moussa Diaby 22 MF ITA Nicolò Zaniolo (on loan from Galatasaray) 24 FW COL Jhon Durán 25 GK SWE Robin Olsen 27 FW ENG Morgan Rogers 29 DF ENG Kaine Kesler-Hayden 30 DF ENG Kortney Hause 31 MF JAM Leon Bailey 41 MF ENG Jacob Ramsey 44 MF FRA Boubacar Kamara 47 MF ENG Tim Iroegbunam

Some hot takes from the Bluemoon forum today, FWIW. I always like to lurk and take a peek at what the opp are saying. I won't say this is consensus, but I think it gives a snapshot.

That's exactly how I see it, too. We have the tactics, we have the will to win -- but probably not the personnel this week. I mean, Ødegaard and Rice were superb, fully matured midfielders, I thought, and when we have Kamara and McGinn, we can create a similar if different style of indefatigable, dogged midfield, but without them, well, Tielemans and Tim just don't have that intensity and experience. Dougie is great, so there's that. I don't think we're equipped to do an "Arsenal" midfield, but you'd think that Unai is wise enough not to try. He'll work with the tools we have not the ones we don't..

Nowhere I could find. It's sounding so far like a "grade 1" hamstring injury, I gather? Typically takes between a few days to a few weeks to heal. It's good he came off when he did.

They played “bad” only in wishful minds — and in their own players’ ambitions, which is understandable. Arsenal did an incredible job of acting fast off the ball and pressing. I understand why as Villa fans we don’t want to be in awe of anyone, but I have no question that Unai will be studying that city-arse match top to bottom, like he’s preparing for his calculus A-levels.

Is there really any doubt whatsoever about how this game needs to go? It’s real simple. We have to overrun them, or we will not get away with a draw. Once again. We overrun them, or we lose. That is all.

I didn’t think it was boring. I did think it was tedious at times, but I was really impressed at Arsenal’s midfield. They were incredible. It was really something to watch that.

If we can come away from the Ethiad with a draw this week, I’ll be thrilled.

Pep. He’s gonna get punched in the face by Grealish.

I thought Arsenal was pretty good today. They didn’t quite make it to the goal, but they were incredible at times. Odegaard was masterful.

I’m gonna be really sad if Arsenal loses this

It’s been a farce. Honestly, haven’t seen a premier league game this year that seemed less under control by the ref. Possibly when we played Brentford?

He’s stayed the same, and football has moved on. His legendary creativity isn’t anymore.

How the **** is that not a yellow card???? This referee is a fool or a coward or something. City is getting away with it with their cheat team again.

Villa helper of the day. .

Maupay has this incredible talent for looking like a boy who’s just been scolded all the time.

Oh yes!!!!!!

101st minute goal from McTominay.

Jeez. Maupay really took one. I guess I didn’t see that. To me I just saw him get hit in the chin.

Oh, Maups. You gotta love the delayed reaction to getting hit on the chin.

And on comes the most devious little shit in football. Surely he can make something happen?

Omg. Beeyond frustration.

The problem seems really simple. It’s not bad luck. It’s that Brentford can’t shoot for shit. They are really awful. They take lots of shots that have no chance or that gets skied. How many shots have gone over the crossbar today? It must be 60,000.