Morning all.
Blogs is on the golf course early this morning, so that you’ve obtained me filling in from an oven-like London.
I assume we must always begin with the signing of Illan Meslier, whose arrival on a free switch was confirmed by the membership yesterday.
The Frenchman clearly misplaced his means at Elland Highway. He was Daniel Farke’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper earlier than a collection of high-profile errors throughout the 2024/25 marketing campaign noticed him taken out of the firing line as Leeds chased promotion.
By that time he’d made 215 appearances in English soccer, however final season he didn’t play a single minute, slipping behind Lucas Perri and Karl Darlow within the pecking order.
Should you’re among the many extra anxious members of the parish, which may sound a number of alarm bells. Personally, I’m undecided that is one we have to overanalyse.
Every thing factors to Meslier being Arsenal’s third-choice goalkeeper behind David Raya and Kepa, so the possibilities of him getting his gloves soiled on a matchday are fairly slim.
I had a fast look by way of the archives and the final time Arsenal referred to as upon a third-choice goalkeeper within the Premier League was again in 2016/17, when Emi Martinez performed a few video games after accidents to David Ospina and Petr Cech. The Argentine additionally featured in 2014/15 when Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny have been each unavailable.
Return just a little additional, and there are different examples of accidents and suspensions leaving us quick between the sticks. A few of you’ll keep in mind Jens Lehmann being coaxed out of retirement for that sport at Blackpool in 2011. He ended up being the fourth goalkeeper used that season. Vito Mannone, Mart Poom, Rami Shaaban, Stuart Taylor, John Lukic and Lee Harper have all had their moments too.
Fortunately, they’re very a lot the exception reasonably than the rule.
The home cups are a barely totally different story. Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta have each been pleased at hand alternatives to youthful or extra peripheral goalkeepers. Tommy Setford, final season’s third-choice keeper, made appearances in each the League Cup and FA Cup, so maybe that’s the pathway Meslier has been bought.
It’s not precisely a starring position, however as we noticed with Christian Norgaard’s arrival final summer time, the possibility to hitch Arsenal is a compelling one, even when common soccer isn’t a part of the gross sales pitch.
For his half, Meslier says he arrives with “anger and willpower” to get his profession again on observe. Working with Inaki Cana alongside two skilled goalkeepers ought to present the best atmosphere to rebuild his confidence. And if issues go to plan and he doesn’t play very a lot, he’ll nonetheless have spent a season at Arsenal, which could be sufficient to influence one other membership to take an opportunity on him down the road. At 26, he’s nonetheless younger by goalkeeping requirements.
Apparently, he’s already obtained a few connections inside the squad, having performed alongside Ben White at Leeds and William Saliba for France Beneath-21s. Acquainted faces by no means harm whenever you’re settling into a brand new dressing room, and the previous, who’s rehabilitating his knee, was there to greet him at London Colney on Tuesday.
He’ll have to attend some time for a reunion with Saliba, whose World Cup duties will proceed for no less than one other eight days. France made gentle work of Morocco in Boston, successful 2-0 to arrange a semi-final in opposition to both Spain or Belgium, who meet tonight.
Even when they fall within the semi-finals, France nonetheless have the fully pointless third-place play-off to barter earlier than Saliba can lastly head off on vacation and begin eager about the again downside that has been troubling him for months.
I do know they laboured just a little in opposition to a bruising Paraguay facet within the earlier spherical, however I don’t suppose it’s controversial to say Les Bleus have appeared the standout staff at this World Cup. They’ve scored 16, conceded simply twice and appear to have the bit between their tooth, little doubt fuelled by the reminiscence of shedding the ultimate to Argentina in Qatar 4 years in the past.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele each threatened early on, and it felt like solely a matter of time earlier than France broke by way of. It ought to have occurred halfway by way of the primary half when Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui clumsily chopped down Mbappe, however after three minutes and 12 seconds of VAR looking desperately for a purpose to not award the penalty, the Actual Madrid ahead did the officers a favour by lacking it anyway.
Often ice-cool from 12 yards, Mbappe appeared visibly irritated by the delay and produced a kind of hesitant little run-ups that appear to have contaminated fashionable soccer. The outcome was an underhit effort that Bono learn comfortably.
As somebody with exactly zero expertise of elite soccer, I’d like to supply a bit of recommendation. You’re 12 yards out. There’s one bloke in the best way. Simply completely twat the ball as laborious as you’ll be able to!
France recovered nicely sufficient. Want Doue and Lucas Digne each went shut earlier than the break, then Mbappe lastly obtained his reward after the interval. Saliba gained a header to maintain Morocco pinned again, Doue poked the ball into Mbappe’s path and the ahead curled a stunning end into the far nook for his eighth aim of the match.
Six minutes later it was sport over. Dembele surged by way of the center earlier than discovering the underside nook from the sting of the field with a superbly composed low effort. Bono obtained a hand to it, however couldn’t hold it out.
Morocco huffed and puffed with out ever actually trying like getting again into it, whereas Arsenal goal Bradley Barcola may simply have added a 3rd as the sport drifted to its conclusion.
There had been loads of concern beforehand that Paris might descend into chaos whatever the outcome, with round 8,000 police deployed throughout the town, however a fast take a look at the information this morning suggests the night handed with out main incident. The identical can’t be mentioned for London’s Edgware Highway, which appeared just a little full of life.
So Saliba’s quest to emulate Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit by successful the Premier League and World Cup in the identical 12 months rolls on.
As talked about earlier, he’s been taking part in by way of the ache barrier, with studies in France suggesting he’s barely coaching between matches as he manages the sciatica attributable to a decrease again subject. One journalist at L’Equipe even claimed this week that Saliba won’t make it to the tip of the match.
Personally, I’d be amazed if anybody voluntarily walked away from the possibility to turn out to be a world champion, so I’d absolutely anticipate to see him within the semi-finals. What occurs after that’s one other matter. If surgical procedure is required to handle a herniated disc, Arsenal could possibly be with out considered one of their most essential gamers for a major chunk of the season.
You’d think about Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have already factored that risk into their switch planning. Hyperlinks with Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa have surfaced, and I’d be shocked if he was the one contingency being mentioned behind the scenes.
Proper, that’s sufficient from me. If something Arsenal-related crops up throughout the day, we’ll have it coated on Arseblog Information. In any other case, Blogs will likely be again tomorrow. Catch you quickly.
