Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026So the call was a combination of: 1. Tough angle to properly see the player proximity 2. Dorgu leg more outstretched than many of us processed initially 3. Enzo Fernandez not sufficiently active to be called offside himself First two combine to be objective; third is subjective (and wrong IMO) 171
Reposted by Bob HayesMatt Browner Hamlin @mattbh.com · 06/09/2026The whole “arsenal must buy a striker” narrative was built around pretending Kai wasn’t out injured for a long time but in fact available and contributing nothing at all. It’s the only way the urgency ever made sense. 261
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 23/08/2026What galaxy brain logic led Maresca to playing Guehi in midfield? So odd. Even given this XI, this is like the 7th most likely distribution of those players. 050
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 22/08/2026The best midfielder on the pitch has pretty clearly been Sangaré 010
Reposted by Bob HayesTariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 05/07/2026Trump called Infantino on Wednesday to get Balogun's red card lifted. Nice to ride alon with Tyler Pager on what will be seen (and is) in many parts as one of the biggest scandals in World Cup history. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/u...nytimes.comTrump Asked FIFA to Review Balogun’s Suspension. He Is Now Eligible to Play. 102783342
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 23/06/2026BBC going with the studio show for the entire halftime break is extremely refreshing. Actual discussion and analysis during a game! Clips of more than just goals! 120
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 17/06/2026It has somehow been memory-holed that Harry Kane was terrible at Euro 2024 and it was fair to wonder if, like, Ollie Watkins would be the starter in this World Cup 030
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Olise has been unreal over the last 15 minutes Mbappé is the best attacker in the world and I’m not sure he is the best attacker on France 062
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 15/06/2026This is both an underwhelming performance from Spain and one where they win this, what, 8 times out of 10 Celebrate Cape Verde hanging in there, figure out some personnel stuff with Spain rolling out an “oops, all midfielders!” lineup, and I think that’s all we need from this one 040
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 15/06/202648-team World Cup is a joke but seeing fans from places like Cape Verde going nuts over winning a corner is genuinely awesome 070
Reposted by Bob HayesMike Goodman @themlg.bsky.social · 30/05/2026I think all complaints about the lack of an aesthetically pleasing champions league final should be directed to PSG’s attackers and filed under S for “skill issue.” Which given who PSG’s attackers are is a damn fine accomplishment out of Arsenal. 58510
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 25/04/2026Gyökeres on for Havertz has reduced Arsenal’s performance from “doing some things but not quite getting the shots off” to “not doing anything” 150
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 11/04/2026Earlier in the season, I kept thinking “wow, Arsenal are not even missing Ødegaard that much!” That is definitely not true anymore. His absence has really been hurting. Just cannot get things going in possession. 082
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Having Calafiori and Havertz in there really improves the flow of the attack (as I have been crying for for a while). Still need just a bit more to get something over the line. 130
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 11/03/2026“The injured guy is the answer” is a dumb trope, but you can get far in a diagnosis of Arsenal’s attacking struggles (and why they’re boring) with 1. Ø is really important to things functioning 2. Kai/Calafiori out simultaneously adds to it 3. Eze/Gyök are not good, esp in controlled possession 250
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 01/03/2026Tottenham are terrible but I don’t think the juice is there in the chasing pack. This weekend is a microcosm, where one of their competitors got smashed by Liverpool and the other is losing to a Brighton team in woeful form. 230
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 18/02/2026It’s worth having a stare down Arsenal’s PL-only match log. In 2025, the team was rolling, and all bad results were some combination of finite, explainable, and inevitable. In 2026, they just haven’t really been at it. Even those big wins were flattering scorelines (and against far weaker teams). 150
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 12/02/2026Days since Eze last executed an action of value for Arsenal Football Club: [googles date of Arsenal-Spurs] [calculates how many days it has been since then] 031
Reposted by Bob HayesMichael Caley @michaelcaley.bsky.social · 04/02/2026there is some kind of mass psychosis going on in Arsenal fandom about Martin Odegaard he's an obviously highly productive football player who also works hard and also does beautiful things with the ball and people afaict disproportionately *within the fandom* have decided they think he sucks now 12656
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 03/02/2026The truly amazing part? He is the only one pronouncing it (essentially) correctly youtu.be/ScNovNeQUU4?...youtu.beHow to pronounce EVERY 2025/26 Premier League player and manager's nameYouTube video by Sky Sports Premier League 120
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 25/01/2026Arsenal conceding 3 is going to be a red herring in the reaction to this; the problem is more in the inability to create when needing to, plus some poor sloppiness in minutes ~30-50. 0101
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 25/01/2026I was hoping this was a good opportunity for Eze to do the thing where he does something (for the first time since November) but nope, more of the same 140
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 25/01/2026The frequency at which I oscillate between “Arsenal are the best team in Europe and are on their way to a historically special season” and “Arsenal aren’t very good” is troubling 170
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 11/01/2026That’s the fewest possible games for Manchester United in a season, confirmed No UEFA + elimination in their first game in both domestic cups 0131
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 06/01/2026Quietly, not only are all 3 relegation spots quite possibly already locked in, we might already have our final top 5. I’ll consult the models tomorrow but think the current bottom 3 may now have joint probability >50% to go down. I doubt we are there with the top 5 but don’t think it’s far off. 010
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Rotated every player they reasonably could, put up 3.3 xG / 3.1 xGOT, conceded on the only shot on target. I’m fine with either result here and the performance was good. However this falls, there’s very little to be upset about. 060
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Martinelli is absolutely cooking. Arsenal up to 1.5 xG, need to get one in the net. 130
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 22/12/2025The NFL quietly gradually moving toward the large majority of teams having domes -- including in geographies that do not remotely need them -- is a bummer. Too much obsession by the suits with year-round use and getting big events. Too much obsession by the coaches with controllable conditions. 030
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 14/12/2025The comparative npxG in Forest-Spurs and Palace-City are basically identical, and both games are 3-0 in opposite directions 030
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Arsenal’s key issue today was Gyökeres, Martinelli, Eze all seem to need transition to be effective, and it was a bus-park game …but also the opponent is terrible and those guys shouldn’t need more favorable match conditions to beat them 150
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Gotta figure out how to get Eze doing anything useful that’s not scoring a hat trick against Tottenham 120
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Kinda feels like all the attackers on the bench are better fits for this match than all the ones playing. I bet we will see changes quickly. 010
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 10/12/2025Playing in a winning game state in Bruges with a clearly weaker opponent trying to play in transition is the archetypal Gyökeres use case… and he did nothing 120
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 10/12/2025The contrast in take-on ability between Madueke and Martinelli is comical. Martinelli has just lost it the last couple seasons, especially against a set defense. 250
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Insane how much less cool (…and good) Isak is than last season 010
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 08/12/2025Prepare thyself for this to become a norm (even in freezing weather) with an ad break each time 040
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 07/12/2025Red Bull should have pit Verstappen in that window there where he still would have come out ahead of Piastri. It’s absolutely worth slightly decreasing race win odds to up the variance in the WDC race and ultimately increase WDC odds. 030
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 06/12/2025On both sides of the back 4, Arsenal are playing guys who could plausibly play CB or FB. I’d love to see them try out some fluid rotational stuff in possession (though unfortunately they have basically no time on the training pitch to game that out). 010
Bob Hayes @bobhayes.bsky.social · 06/12/2025[Looking at Group A:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group B:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group C:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group D:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group E:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group F:] that’s a weak group [Looking at Group G:] that’s a weak group 120