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Jon Brigden

@briggysmalls.bsky.social
177 followers 373 following 1.1K posts

Arsenal fan, tech PR guy, and Twitter/X refugee. My employers have asked me to make it clear that they want *nothing* to do with any of the dull, tedious nonsense I say on here, as they are apparently “far too cool” for that sort of thing.

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Reposted by Jon Brigden
Arsenal {bot} @arsenal.xmirror.bot · 14/10/2026
Victoria Concordia Crescit.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Bergkamp-esque from Jurrien Timber. And I don’t say that lightly.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Every win City get this season is going to feel hollow and tainted as a result of the Premier League guilty verdict - but when they get them, like today, as a result of such strange, soft refereeing, you can't help but wonder what's really going on (particularly in light of Billy's points below).
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Just watched the Oasis documentary, "Don't Look Back In Anger" on last year's live shows. Some great stuff in there, but far too much filler showing people around the world demonstrating their fandom. Also, weird they didn't show any footage from Wembley (mainly because I was at one of those gigs!).
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I thought Guimaraes was the difference for Arsenal today. His quality on the ball is outstanding and his ability to play forward is a game changer (literally). Strangely, I think the Brighton game was better suited for Myles to start, and today was better suited for Bruno.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The brilliant thing about this is that Etihad haven't been named in the verdict, and say they weren't approached by the Premier League to comment...which kind of makes you wonder if they might be protesting a *little* bit too loudly at this point.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Get in!
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Right then. Gordon off, go to a back five and defend for 45 minutes, yes?
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Mark Guehi has started here like he has something else on his mind…
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This guy has some *serious* Bond villain energy.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Appreciate I might be asking too much, but might be nice if the media now shifted their negative narrative away from the young, successful team with a manager who occasionally steps outside his technical area and scores set piece goals to the club that cheated on an unprecedented financial scale.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Will be interested to see how the Premier League handle the sanctions now with Man City. If the process allows, I hope they can impose their punishment immediately, to motivate City and their lawyers not to drag their feet and further prolong the process with an appeal.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Nice to have some good news on a Friday afternoon. Now throw the book at them and relegate these cheats down the divisions to set a proper example of them.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Still, at least the international teams - of whom we’ve heard such painfully little news of in recent months - will finally get their time in the spotlight and a chance to shine.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Looking forward to a quick response from Arsenal when they next take the field in… [checks notes] …the year 2073.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
If I’m honest, I think half of the problem I had with Tzolis’s performance today was that he wasn’t really suited to the game. I think it maybe highlights why moving on Martinelli without bringing in a pacy, wide player to act as an out ball behind a high defensive line may have been a mistake.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Felt like everyone was a yard or two off it from an Arsenal perspective. Of particular concern were Bruno Guimaraes, who never quite seemed able to get on the frequency of this match, and Tzolis, who was predictable in his unwillingness to go on the outside when dribbling from deep.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
As poor as Arsenal were today, you have to say Brighton were excellent. Outplayed us, wanted it more, and were more precise in everything they did. Not many times Arteta will have seen that happen to his team.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Inexplicably poor first half from Arsenal. Two good goals from Brighton, which were difficult to do much about, but Arsenal’s sloppy, casual, and even nervous start to the game gave them the encouragement they needed to take the game to us. A rocket from Mikel needed at half-time.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Thought for a moment there that Sky were going to give the Player of the Match award to Bruno Fernandes…
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Well done Mikel Arteta for calling out that bullshit Sunderland penalty decision. Far easier to do it when you win. It’s an important point to make though - this ref looked like he wanted to give Sunderland decisions and you can’t blame their players for looking for them. Ref wasn’t strong enough.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
This sums it up…
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I think that’s the third Premier League game out of four we have had a bizarre refereeing performance (for both sides, not just Arsenal). What is going on?!?
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
To be fair, Villa fans gave Konsa a great reception on his return to Villa Park last week. But I take your point. All fun and games, isn't it?
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Love that Bruno’s first goal for Arsenal - an absolutely exceptional strike, by the way - will have billed the piss not only of all the Sunderland fans booing him, but also of the Newcastle fans who sent him such torrid abuse for leaving. What a player.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The Sunderland penalty, by the way, was ridiculous. The Sunderland forward grabbed Konsa’s shirt, pulled him on top of him, and the ref fell for it. World class save from Raya meant justice was done.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Seriously impressive win there by Arsenal, playing against a physical Sunderland side, a hostile home crowd, a partisan referee - who seemed to take a strong dislike to Gabriel for no apparent reason - and the entire TNT Sport commentary team. Very, very satisfying 3 points.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Bruno Guimaraes becomes the first player to score for Arsenal despite Arsenal never having put in a bid to the club they bought him from.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
You’re welcome, Newcastle fans.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Not sure if it’s my memory playing tricks or not, but I can’t remember Arsenal playing so high up and penning the opposition in quite so intensely, or aggressively last season. It feels like the centre backs are playing as no. 8s and refusing to let the opposition get any hope of getting out.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Seriously though - Merino, Saka, Madueke, and Hincapie all missed absolute sitters…and there were other chances besides. It could have been about 7-0.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
What an incredibly impressive performance that was from Arsenal. Can’t remember any team going away from home in the Champions League to a decent European side and so thoroughly dominating, suffocating, and outthinking them. All with a rotated side. If we could finish we’d be dangerous!
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Got to say, I’m not going to get tired of looking at pictures of Arsenal players with those gold Premier League patches on their sleeves anytime soon. Absolutely love it.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
This is what’s known in the manuals as ‘good coaching’. A small detail, that I’m sure hardly anyone in the ground will have witnessed, but I think it’s an interesting way to look at the way Arteta influences games with very small details.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Interesting to note that around 30 seconds before Ødegaard’s goal, Arteta pulled Calafiori over and clearly made a gesture with his arm, telling him to run in behind the Chelsea back line. He did it immediately, took away a Chelsea defender, and left Havertz - then Ødegaard - in acres of space.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Huge win today, and an excellent, fluid attacking performance in particular. Responded well to the early setback, and I thought Havertz, Myles, Rice, Ødegaard, and Tzolis were on a different level. A big shout out too to Konsa for an extremely impressive, crowd-pleasing debut.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Two big final takeaways from tonight’s match. 1. There’s still a LOT of room for improvement - some of Arsenal’s passing was very sloppy and they looked off the pace in the 1st half. 2. We have SERIOUSLY impressive depth. Eze, Zubimendi, Konsa, Guimaraes, and Merino all came on tonight.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Interesting - and very bold - move at half time from Arteta I thought to move Eze inside alongside Havertz as a second striker and pushing Calafiori on to occupy Cash. It changed the game.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
If Mosquera now has a hamstring injury, then those questioning the Konsa signing are going to look a little silly. Very skinny at the back there now with Timber, Saliba, and Mosquera out - worth also bearing in mind White’s injury record too.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
That’s a massive 3 points for Arsenal, showing patience, discipline, and a lot of muscle in hostile conditions. Villa didn’t threaten Raya aside from a first half effort against the bar that I think would have been pulled back for a foul had it gone in.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Seeing big improvements from Sp*rs already in that first half. The main one being that they were only 2nd best over the 45 mins as opposed to 17th.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Lovely way to start the season - very impressed with Tzolis and Ødegaard, while the midfield options are [chef’s kiss]. Difficult to read too much into a game like this though - City looked very undercooked.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
No gratuitous TV shots of the Man City fan with the Arsenal bottle today? Disappointing.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The need for the first alert was debatable. Was there REALLY a need for a second one saying the exact same thing?!?
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Good luck with the tidy up operation!
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Anyone else just shit themselves when that alert came through? No? Just me then.
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Sitting out on my balcony during an eclipse, silently judging all the people waving about their colanders in the apartment buildings opposite…
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
*shakes fist angrily at the sky* “CALL THAT AN ECLIPSE??!? Ow, my eyes…”
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Jon Brigden @briggysmalls.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
@arseblog.com @gunnerblog.bsky.social With Saliba out injured for 3-4 months, could the arrival of Bruno G. allow Rice to be drafted in alongside Gabriel in some games to aid build-up from the back? Particularly against low blocks where we would miss Saliba's ability on the ball... #arsecastextra
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