Matchday Notes: Preston vs Arsenal

After a long old drive I finally made it to Lancashire for Preston vs Arsenal

Hello,

Happy Wednesday, ahead of Preston vs Arsenal this evening.

I’m writing this from my very small, but perfectly formed hotel room in Southport, after having driven up from Gooner Towers this morning.

Why Southport?

Well, the prices that hotels were charging in Preston were scandalous.

I’m sure it’s a very nice place - I went to Arsenal’s FA Cup game at Deepdale back in 2017 - but even if I’d won the lottery, there would still be no way on earth I could countenance a night in Preston for the price of two nights in Milan, and a night in Newcastle. It’s not that nice a place.

So, I opted for Southport - 12 miles away - for a quarter of the price, and the chance to have a stroll along the beach and pier first thing tomorrow morning, to boot. Nothing like sticking it to the price gouging man, I say.

Hopefully I’ll be able to share my take on Southport on here before I embark on the long journey back down south after lunch on Thursday.

Despite heading here, there and everywhere during the season, I think the older you get, the more you want to explore places - rather than simply work out of a hotel room, and stadium.

Which is why I love writing travel pieces these days, such as this piece for the Irish Examiner during my trip to Bergamo for Atalanta vs Arsenal back in late September.

Anyway, here’s to a decent result tonight, ahead of three further tough trips to Newcastle, Milan, and Chelsea over the coming week.

In case you missed it, here’s what Mikel Arteta told me after I asked him for a message for the travelling fans ahead of four away games:

“Keep doing what you’re doing,” Arteta told me on Tuesday afternoon, adding that the fans have: “…been absolutely phenomenal.

“We really thank you for the time, the effort and everything that you invest in.

“We’re really grateful and hopefully we’re going to perform really well and give you a lot of joy.

……..

Can Arsenal add to their paltry two wins in the League Cup?

Good luck Tommy Setford

Good luck to Tommy Seaford, who will become Arsenal’s latest goalkeeping debutant, after Jack Porter’s fairytale first team bow during the hugely enjoyable 5-1 over Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates in the last round.

What a story that would be if he could match his younger, 16-year-old (SIXTEEN?!) colleague Porter, in coming away with a victory on his debut.

Let’s hope so. Or at the very least, he avoid any glaring misfortune that could harm his future career. Fingers crossed.

Come on Tommy!

PS:

Ruben Amorim

One of the unexpected delights of covering European away games is the you get to glimpse close up exciting new football coaches and managers on the continent.

(Not to mention experienced, wily ones as well, such as Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini for example in Bergamo last month, who dubbed David Raya, ‘The Cat” after his penalty saving exploits last month.)

Anyway, when Arsenal drew 1-1 at Sporting Lisbon a couple of years back, it was intriguing to attend Sporting boss Ruben Amorim’s pre-and-post match press conferences.

He was engaging, articulate and intelligent, holding court as effortlessly in English as Portuguese - not to mention possessing a ready smile - ingredients that can help a person be described as ‘charismatic’.

Of course, there are plenty more components required to really earn that epithet, but Amorim also displayed a key element called empathy.

Something Erik ten Hag, spectacularly lacked.

Will Amorim be a success in Manchester?

Who knows, he likes playing three at the back, with two dynamic wing-backs - whither the never fit Luke Shaw? - but I can imagine for United fans, Amorim will be far more engaging and interesting in press conference than their previous boss.

…..

Match report:

My Morning Star newspaper match report:

Brentford 1–1 (5-4 on penalties) Sheffield Wednesday: Report by Layth Yousif at the G-Tech Stadium 

Brentford keeper Mark Flekken was the Bees hero as Thomas Frank's side reached the last eight of the League Cup on Tuesday evening.

The 31-year-old Dutch keeper saved Liam Palmer's effort in the penalty shootout to help Frank’s side beat Sheffield Wednesday 5-4 on spot-kicks, following a 1-1 draw after 90 absorbing minutes in west London. 

"I went to the wrong side twice at the start. That doesn't help your confidence in a shootout but luckily, I saved the last one,” admitted Bees modest matchwinner Flekken.

Brentford had gone ahead through Kevin Schade’s early goal, before Djeidi Gassama’s excellent strike after the interval levelled for the visitors. 

Despite making five changes to the side that beat Ipswich 4-3 in a Premier League thriller at the weekend, Bees boss Frank picked a strong team to face Wednesday – with Ben Mee and Jayden Meghoma moving into the backline, while Mathias Jensen, Fabio Carvalho and Kevin Schade were drafted into attack

Owls boss Danny Rohl made nine changes from his team’s 2-1 win over Portsmouth at the weekend - with only Max Lowe and Anthony Musaba keeping their places in the visitors starting XI.

With the atmosphere still reverberating from an ear-splittingly rousing rendition of The Beatles’ Hey Jude, not to mention the vociferous travelling support from south Yorkshire, Frank’s side started with intent. 

The dominance soon told, when Schade slotted home on 11 minutes. The goal coming after Owls keeper Pierce Charles blocked the first attempt, but the ball fell kindly to the 23-year-old former Freiburg attacker, after the rebound hit Wednesday’s sliding No33 Gabriel Otegbayo, leaving the Bees No7 to make no mistake second time around. 

Eight minutes later the home side could have doubled their lead, but Keane Lewis-Potter’s looping effort from Bryan Mbeumo’s cross was palmed away by keeper Charles. 

Five minutes before the interval, Charles parried Mbeumo’s powerful low drive, prior to Mathias Jensen steering his effort narrowly wide moments later, as Frank’s side went into the half time break ahead, even if the scoreline did not reflect their clear superiority over the Owls. 

However, sloppy play from the Bees 12 minutes after the interval led to Gassama picking the ball up and drilling a low effort from distance that beat keeper Flekken to equalise – sending the vociferous travelling Owls fans in a crowd of 16,701 into raptures.

As both teams strived for a winner during an increasingly frenetic climax, Charles blocked Schade’s effort with only ten minutes remaining, after Yoann Wissa’s intelligent ball into the box. 

Wednesday swept up the other end forcing Flekken to tip over Johnson’s rising drive as both sides entered the dreaded penalty shootout having given their all. 

"It is one step closer to what we want to do, we want to go all the way," boss Frank reflected afterwards, adding: "Our mentality was great, the players worked hard. It was more [our] quality."