Folarin Balogun continued his incredible Ligue 1 scoring run with a hat-trick as Reims beat Lorient 4-2 at the Stade Auguse Delaune.
In the process, the Arsenal striker took his tally for the season to 14 and climbed to the top of the scoring charts in France ahead of a few names you probably recognise.
Reims, who are currently managed by Will Still – a 30-year-old Englishman who doesn’t have his Uefa Pro Licence – have now climbed up to ninth in the table.
1️⃣4️⃣ 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘀@balogun, nouveau meilleur buteur de @Ligue1UberEats 👊#SDRFCL #Triplé #TeamSDR pic.twitter.com/ipUREcqwGi
— Stade de Reims (@StadeDeReims) February 1, 2023
Losing 2-0, Balogun grabbed his first of the night from the penalty spot sending ex-Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone the wrong way.
He then secured the win after Kamory Doumbia had equalised on 51 minutes, striking twice in three minutes.
The 21-year-old swept home a deflected cross at the near post and then found the net with a stunning first-time volley as he connected with a floated diagonal ball.
Having bagged a stoppage time equaliser against PSG on Sunday night, he’s having a pretty good week.
Chapeau, Folarin. Chapeau.
Ligue 1 top scorers
1. Folarin Balogun – 14
2. Kylian Mbappe – 13
3. Neymar – 12
3. Jonathan David – 12
3. Alex Lacazette – 12
3. Terem Moffi -12
7. Wissam Ben Yedder – 11
8. Breel Embolo – 10
9. Martin Terrier – 9
9. Mama Balde – 9
9. Lois Openda – 9
12. Lional Messi – 8
(goal tallies correct at the time of writing)
Awesome!
Totally agree!!!
Will it be a case of keep Eddie or Balogun or keep both?
Fantastic headaches for the manager 😎
Keep both and we dont need to buy a RW cos gab jesus can cover there.
Tross can also play there – as 2-footed as The Great Cazorla.
A friend shared last night and I thought he was pranking me! The young man won’t sit on any team’s bench ever again at this rate…. we’ll be forced to sell one out of our 3! Gabriel Jesus that’s supposedly the best may not even be the best finisher! What a wonderful problem to have…..
We keep all three. That’s what big clubs do.
Spot on. 👏🍺
Wecome back, matey! Wondered where you gotten to?
Took some time to chill.
I kinda lost my shit the other day – just really disappointed.
Still, it’s done. We have to move on with what we have
I took over for you and took the heat 😉
Always respect those that aren’t afraid to speak their minds though. We’re all pumped for what the team is doing and where we are going, but doesn’t mean we can’t be critical when we start turning to those blue fks for their offal. Over to Jorg to prove us wrong and win us over.
Yep, he’s one of us now, so it would be churlish not to get behind him 100%.
Let’s hope he can still do the business when required, because all said and done, he’s got the medals and experience; credit where it’s due.
‘Foward.’ 😊👍
Or….
If he worth 40M
and if Nuno Tavares worth 20M
Plus we would have been able to pay 70M for Caicedo or Mudryk…
It would be quite nice to see a trio behind Saka and our 2 Gabriels, that consists of…
Odegaard,
Partey
Bellingham
This 1000x over. I cannot begin to understand why the topic of selling 1 of those 3 is even being brought up.
Exactly – sell ’em and then buy whom? Some ‘star’ who…
Keep ’em and celebrate ’em – they’ve earned it!
Good of them to play in red and white as well. Should make adapting when he comes back easier
Top Work
I guess we can forget about Vlahovic etc on the summer transfer window. Hale end presents an internal solution for our attacking need. I am so happy for him. COYG
Him and Patino next season. Going to be brilliant if they can step up for us like they have for their clubs this season!
Better Arsenal kit than our current strip.
Sadly, you’ll probably remember our “ugly” kit for decades, since we’re gonna win the league.
My thoughts too! 😂
The grass is always greener at the other end, eh?😜
I think we should bring back the bottle green and navy away kit design from 1982/83 at some point – maybe as a third choice.
The ‘Bluebottle Kit’ as it became known. I can see Tony Woodcock, Lee Chapman, Graham Rix, Kenny Sansom and Brian ‘Noddy’ Talbot running around in it now. Only lasted one season but there was something about it – it was quintessentially ‘Arsenal’
The colours were great.and it was different. Unique.
Talbot – what a machine! I remember him having to be treated for exhaustion of that FA Cup final.
Bred ’em tough in them days.
‘after’
He collapsed with heat exhaustion on the team bus leaving Wembley in 1980 after the ball hit Trevor Brooking on the head and if fluked past Pat Jennings. Don Howe had got the lads under the showers at half time to try and wake them up but those three replays against Liverpool and the Cup Winners Cup semi win over Juve had knackered them out. They were running on empty already and Wembley was a fucking furnace – ridiculously hot for May. God that was one of the worst days of my young life. But I held the tears back… Read more »
The Arsenal current vibes:
“EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!”
It’s amasing isn’t it.
Lacazette and Sanchez not doing too poorly in the league there either. Laca on 12 and Sanchez on 7
Glad to hear it’s going well for Lacazette back at his old club. He deserves it.
“Everything is Awesome! / Everything is awesome when you’re top of the league!”
*is
awesomecoolIt would be a perfect song for our lego haired manager!
Imagine Emirates rocking it and everybody dancing like legos!
Act fast! Special price only for you Mr. Boehly. £200m.
He just put in a £100m bid for one of our promising reserves “Jorginho” or something like that.
😂😂😂
Jonathan Lieuw’s excellent piece in the Guardian is well worth a read, lads.
His drippingly delicious satire puts the ‘Boehly Alley’ into stark relief.
https://bit.ly/3HR2M6K
Third goal: https://twitter.com/Calmpleasure1/status/1620870070229667841
Great goal. Reminds me a bit of Song to Van Persie against Reina in stoppage time at Anfield in 2011 or 2012.
that’s one of my favorite goals ever
Yeah me too. But strangely I feel doesn’t get the recognition that the one he scored at Emirates or for Manure does. I think its better than both. Side foot, near post, at Anfield, last minute. Arguably RVPs best goal and that is saying something. Arguably top ten Premier League goal for me.
RVP’s best volley was the Charlton one. It’s criminal that it gets overlooked for the Utd goal
He could smash a volley, that lad!
That was a proper stonker!! The enigma that was Alex… could be utterly sublime at times but just not consistent.
Sensational hit. You can’t really teach that because not many people have the technique.
Wow, go on, slay them son, you are definitely coming back home next season, like Saliba, and we are all wanting for your return 😁
That’s the spirit. 😊🍺
How many of them were penalties?
A much lower fraction that thna Hairy Kant at s***s.
One. Now how many were world-class full-speed volleys that only about 5% of strikers could ever score?
I don’t understand why so many down votes on what looks like a genuine question!
Assuming Christco is correct he’s really smashing it, particularly given he’s playing in a lower-mid table side.
Seems the whole side is over achieving. Perhaps we should be looking to add their coach to our staff when Balogun comes back in.
Lol. So many downvotes. It was a genuine question. I’m happy for Balogun, bit at the same time I want to temper my expectations. This is the league Pepe scored 13 league goals (19 if you count penalties) and our Lacazette is currently on 12.
Let it go, Bro.
I take your point but Lacazette’s playing for a moderately better side… Balogun’s directly contributed to 15 of Reims’ 26 league goals. He seems to have real physicality. He could overtake Nketiah in a year or two… but it’s difficult to see him ousting Eddie and Jesus next season… I have a feeling the club will cash in but I’d be very curious to see him come back.
Your question is valid, I don’t understand why some people think you’re been negative. It’s a simple question to evaluate how well he’s doing.
I assumed he had read the article, since it says right there in the text that one of the goals was a penalty. I also forgot to mention that the volley he scored on the run was with his fuckin off foot. Kid is the real deal
Maybe all European football is just ex, current and future Arsenal players kicking it about.
Those that aren’t ‘ex, current and future Arsenal players’ are players Wenger ‘almost’ signed.
Flo, Laca, Pepe, HFB, Gnabry (also has a cheeky 8 so far)… probably 50 goals in that bunch!
That third goal is exceptional. Can score belters with both feet! This guy is special. Hale End does it again!
No surprise there. The top 2 players for the Balon D’or this year are all on that list so that’s immense talent there. Shame they won’t follow merit
Folarin Balon D’or
Balogunner
Eggsellent!
Amazing tekkers
Brilliant
Let’s bid 85 mill for him in the summer. Guaranteed to get Turd Boily to slither in with 180 mill and a fifth-year contract for the kid.
I’ll see your 180m and raise you 200m
Curious what the plan is for Balogun next year. Does he stay as a third choice striker behind Jesus and Nketiah? His value will likely never be as high as it will be after the loan spell ends. Do we take advantage of that and try and sell high? Interested to see what Arteta and Edu have up their sleeve
Think he’ll have 2 years left on contract. Get him extended & loaned out to pl club for a year
I remember when we used to put Henry, Bergkamp, Kanu and Wiltord (or Suker when he was here) on all at the same time. That was always exciting. We could also play Jesus, Eddie, Saka and Balogun potentially too, in an attacking 4-4-2.
Having three excellent and relatively young strikers is a position we haven’t been in for as long as I can remember.
I say keep them all.
Wenger had a wealth of strikers in the mid-2000s. I remember a match against united in which Arsenal ended the game with Henry, Van Persie, Adebayor, and Baptista, with Henry scoring a stoppage-time headed winner
RVP broke his foot celebrating the equalising goal I think. I remember that game. I was waiting to play a sweet gig on Vancouver Island and had a mate at the game who was texting me. No Live blog in those days. I was jet lagged as fuck. Just remember standing on my hotel bed silent screaming when the winner came in.
Yeah why not. bench Saka and odegaard
Without wanting to rain on the Arsenal feel-good, I’ve a feeling we may see Eddie depart..
Bit like Martinez when Leno returned, I can see Jesus getting back into the team, and no chance will Eddie be satisfied with 10 min substitute appearances and group games given his age. If another prem club comes in with £40m+ (as I think they may well do this summer), I can see us and Eddie seriously considering it.
I don’t see the logic there. Having 3 quality strikers who can also play wide will be invaluable next season when the CL kicks off again. We’re already in a situation of having to play Eddie in every game because of one injury.
Well said, spot on. 👍🍺
I certainly think that’s what Arteta would want, I just get the feeling Eddie will want first team guarantees, and Arteta as a man of substance won’t be able to.
I really hope I’m wrong! Just a worry.
Eddie is doing great and I’m delighted for him. He is back up to Jesus. Simple as for me.
Those discussions about guarantees has happened before signing the contract. Obviously chances were promised, now chances are being given.
Having 3 top center forwards remain happy and motivated would require them agreeing to get rotated during games and competitions. Injuries, Winning, Arteta and the new 5 subs might make that possible but odds are not in our favor. Champion forwards like playing.
Jesus stayed at city for 5 years and was never a regular starter in that time. He stayed cos they were the champions. We are changing mind sets. Zinchenco is leading the way and he was same as Jesus at city.
This was actually the same dilemma as Saliba. I’d go towards a premier league loan ideally if not, another top flight league with higher quality like Germany or spain?
He doesn’t need another loan. He’s smashing it! I think he’ll be ready.
No, he’ll be ready in August to start smashing it in the Premiership and the Champions League. Probably from coming off the bench at first though.
And definitely starting in the League Cup and FA Cup.
Agreed – he’s big strong lad and has all the technique. He just lacked confidence on the big stage (which was fair enough). If he keeps this blitz going, he’ll come back to us more than ready.
Surely if (when) were in champs league there’s enough games for 3? One injury and suddenly he becomes invaluable – plus great to have a different dimension to bring off the bench.
I think your right – and don’t call me Shirley!
Who downvotes this? Maybe people have bots set up to auto-downvote your posts Fats. Which is kind of understandable.
Probably some miserable sod who didn’t think Police Squad/Naked Gun was funny.
Or Airplane
Call him Piers.
Amen brother
Sell? Are you mad? We’ve got a gem on our hands here.
Sell him….?!! Whaaaaaaat…..?!!
Give him out on another year long loan- prep up big time for the EPL.
It’s odds-on that we’ll have CL football next season. We will need him.
And we can then spend the Vlahovic/Omsihen money on Declan!
Getting the top ligue 1 scorer this summer for free. Edu playing 4D chess!
I mean we all probably thought we’d need a striker and back up for Saka, but in reality Eddie and Balogun probably fill those needs (with Jesus becoming Saka back up when needed) for absolutely no money. Could free up cash for us to go big on two midfielders in the summer.
Yep. What Flo saves us in the transfer market could help enormously with strengthening elsewhere where it’s genuinely needed – decent back up for Saka, Partey and Xhaka.
Well done Flo. This performance over half a season is exceptional.
Worth £200m of anyone’s money surely? But I’d rather see him reintegrated next season.
Enough of the cashing in already. How about we let this lad come back and help us win the EPL and the ECL….?
This obsession with our bank balance….🙄
That’s some seriously good hand eye coordination, awareness and quick thinking, to put in two volleys like that, one from a deflection. At this pace he’ll leave both our current strikers rotting on the bench next season.
Isn’t it Foot eye coördination?
doh, yes *face palm emojji*
limbs, you know, they’re kind of uh, the same, all 4 of them innit, we came from apes and all
(you can probably tell I grew up with basketball)
We have to sell him for £50+ million this summer. Our spending in recent years is just too much and we have two great strikers in Jesus and Nketiah. No point in hindering the development of our third choice striker.
Or we could play him and let him fulfill his potential…
We’ll likely be competing in the Champions League next season as well as looking to make better progress in the cups. We’ll need a lot of quality players for that.
Being in the Europa allows us to play lesser players. We can’t do that next season so internal solutions will help us in not investing in traditionally the most expensive position on the pitch.
Agree. He’s the youngest of the 3 so still has most room to improve, he might turn out to be the best of all of them, might seem unlikely at the moment but you never know till you give him a chance and there will probably be chances to be had next season
Wrightey reckons he’s going to be an absolute ringer.
Don’t be daft.
A potential world class striker on our hands and you want him sold….?
😂
The problem w hoping for £50m is that there are probably 5 teams outside epl who will pay That much for any player. So unless RM, Barca, PSG, bayern etc or a top 10-12 epl team wants him we aren’t getting £50M. And if arsenal wants to buy a 21 year old striker who puts up 20+ goals in ligue one we’d have to pay £80M+. So my hope is that we keep Balogun in house.. we can use 3 good strikers w CL games next year. Having 2 good strikers in addition to Jesus means our winger depth improves… Read more »
Trosser can also cover both flanks – he’s seriously two-footed.
No, we don’t have to sell him!!
It’s like watching Arsenal…
Good ol emery era scoreline to boot
Lookis like our forward options are going to be in safe hands for the Premiership Champions League and domestic cup campaigns next season. I’ve seen suggestions in the media about there not being enough room for Jesus, Eddie and Flo (like we’re not entitled to a big squad or something) and that either Eddie or Flo could be sold – which is, quite frankly, a load of jealous bollocks. Rotating those three lads in four competitions next season should be a whole lot of fun for Arteta – and save us an absolute fortune in the transfer market too. Another… Read more »
Agree with your points, but who is ‘Flo’?
Nevermind, Wikipedia filled me in.
The waitress from Mel’s Diner
Bod’s Aunt.
Either we’ll have someone more than capable of challenging Jesus and Nketiah for the number 9 role next season, or a very valuable asset in the transfer market. Hale End continues to produce.
Very good news, is this.
I’d like to see him come back on loan to the Premier League next season. The standard over here is much higher than the French and his development would therefore be hastened.
Then he could make a Salibaesque return to his parent club.
Agree with you partially. Though the standards are higher in the premier league, player development standards are higher in France. Flo is doing well because the club trusted him from the start as their number 9. They didn’t care if their opponents had Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. Premier league clubs have a lot at stake so if they are relegation threatened or lower mid table, they will take him, buy Ings and Charlie Austin and try the experienced route. Saliba good at Nice and better at Marseille because he was being played as a starter. I say give him a… Read more »
Makes a lot of sense. I’d only add that we insist on a ‘injury-recall’ clause in that loan agreement. Then we really do get the best of both worlds – he plays every week, until, and if, we really need him.
I love that part where we are also in the race. Very funny but true.
There some half decent players on this…. Not on Balogun’s level; though.
So going by recent prices, if we do sell, should we be expecting *1 billion pounds*
Very good! Top sensation 🎇🔴
Premier League clearly ruined my vision. I have watched plenty times and I can’t see what the pen was given for. I’ve seen our players fouled much more than any of those in the shot, and refs don’t bat an eyelid, VAR doesn’t check and even commentators and pundits give it no time.
Bloke on the far side of the box got Owen-Farrelled, man! It’s only our one-eyed VAR that ‘miss’ those kind of fouls.
Keep giving it to them, Balogun.
Still’s story was inspiring. A great coach in the making – still so young.
There is NOTHING I love more than seeing our Hale End boys come good. Going from where we were 5 years ago to now is so heartening. I always remember the Wenger quote – we don’t sign superstars, we make them.
I don’t care what anyone says, we are NOT selling this boy.
This is a good problem for Arteta to have. Imagine having TWO Hale End strikers amongst our ranks. HOLY SHIT!!
Glad we didn’t go for a striker in this window and are showing faith in Nketiah and Jesus plus Balogun for the future. Worst case we sell one down the road and get a sum for him. Best case we have already have our striker position cemented for years to come.
He should come back for another loan spell with a premier League team next season to further his development. He will do well again. He is a very hard working and humble background, similar to Saka and Nketiah. Don’t forget too that Jesus has a slightly worrying injury record at city, so Balogun would be very very useful to our team. All good.
That’s a great idea.
There’s that one PL club we could loan him to. They’re doing really well this season and it’s very likely they’ll be aiming to compete in the league, CL and both cups next season, so they’ll really need some depth in their firepower up front.
Can’t remember the name. Begins with “A”…
Love this lad… big, fast and strong, yet humble and level-headed. Get in there my son!
The future is rosy for Hale End.
We have Champions League football next season. Keep him and give him opportunities to flourish, if he’s good enough he’ll show it in training and get his minutes. Will keep the other strikers on their toes and constantly performing too.
Full highlights are well worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JADgQ-ylA94
Some real comedy from the Reims keeper leading to that 2-0 hole, and Balogun looked a real predator throughout, and could have scored more. Exciting!
Hey, Vito Mannone! Hadn’t thought of him for years. Always kinda liked him. Very busy little keeper.
Laca doing pretty good too, good for him.
Perspective: Lacazette – 12 goals