Arsenal Face A Tough Start To The New Season

Was it only me who thought the opening day of the World Cup was a strange day for the Premier League to release the fixtures for next season. That’s just what they did though and it took our minds off the biggest competition in World sport for at least a few hours. It’s no so easy to get embedded into the World Cup when your country didn’t make it, but I’ve a feeling I’ll be addicted before the weekend is over.

I hoped to get a good team in my family sweepstake to peak my interest a little, but I can’t see South Korea making too much of an impression. There are prizes for the first three teams, the best goal and also the team that comes last so technically I still have a chance of claiming a prize. The last place prize already looks like it could be heading the way of my sister in law who drew Saudi Arabia.

I digress and it’s time to get back to the fixtures for the new season. Arsenal start with a game at home to last season’s record breaking champions and as games go it doesn’t really get any tougher. That follow that game with a trip to the Champions from the previous season as the pay a visit to Chelsea. It’s certainly a baptism of fire for new manager Unai Emery and he’s going to have his work cut out to get anything from those two games. 

The next few months bring a run of less high profile games with the exception of a home game against Liverpool in early November before we start December at home to Spurs and away to United within four days of each other. There are seven League games in December and the proposed winter break certainly won’t be happening this season. We finish the calendar year with the return trip to Liverpool before the return games against Chelsea and City in late January and early February. March starts with the return games against Spurs and United and we finish the season with a run of eight games which could see us go on a good run. 

Of course the dates of plenty of those games will change as they’re scheduled to go on TV and I expect our first two games to be shown live. Dates will also change due to Cup competitions for us or potential opponents plus the weather always seems to play a role at some stage in the winter. 

There are pre season friendlies to come before the season starts too and it’s great to see Arsenal heading to Ireland for the first time in over 30 years. I’ll definitely be at the game despite it being a work day and having work the next day too. I’m looking forward to the game with Chelsea as the opposition and I hope we play a fairly strong team with the new season starting 10 days later.

Finally for today we haven’t signed any more players since the arrival of Stephan Lichsteiner, but if the rumours are to be believed we have a fair few lined up. Players who do well at the World Cup tend to rise quickly in price and we would be better off snapping up the players we want before they can make too much of an impression on the biggest stage of all. Let’s just hope it can happen as Emery looks to build a team for the future.

That’s it for today.

See you tomorrow.