Well, the race for Top 3 didn’t take any gratifying twists last night. Spurs and Chelsea both eased past Palace and Brighton respectfully. That means we’re back down to 4th, level on points with Chelsea and one behind Spurs… obviously with a game in hand over both of them.
This is the part of the season where things start to get a little bit jittery. Here’s the thing though… we have very good players. This run-in isn’t the last 4 of the Champions League. Mesut Ozil isn’t going to have the 2019 dash for Top 3 in his career highlights reel. They just have to do a fairly decent job against middling clubs for 7 more games.
Everton at the weekend really shouldn’t be that much of a big deal. Marco Silva, a man many thought should be the next Arsenal manager, really hasn’t made an impact at Liverpool’s second club. They’ve won 3 from their last 5, but we really shouldn’t be suffering against a team that’s sitting 10th in the table… especially considering our incredible form of late.
Emery told the press that he thought the two most players were….
“There are some players maybe you can see this year this improvement – Lucas Torreira, Matteo (Guendouzi).
“The first time in the Premier League, in this difficult competition, and they are improving I think well.
That’s a good shout. Both are very young and have dipped in and out of form this season. I think LT has been the DM we’ve been looking for in that deep role for years. I think he’s been overused, because he certainly looked less active in the back half of the season. MG is just on the track that young people go on… one minute he’s incredible, the next he’s teeing up assists for the opposition. Wait until next season… he’s going to be a monster for the club.
Sammy Umtiti is staying at Barca next season according to Marca… I am in shock. Total shock. Who saw that coming?
That said, we are going to need to do some shaping of the defence this summer. Mustafi absolutely has to be jogged on. Kos is likely to leave. Mavrapanos doesn’t appear to have the sauce if his lack of appearances is anything to go by. Then we have Holding coming back, but he might come with a slow return. Monreal getting older. Jenks likely off. Plenty of opps to bring in some new fast talent on either flank… though the right is starting to look tasty with AMN proving the case for a future.
Right, short post today. I am going out to the shops to buy some gloves because it is seriously cold here. It SNOWED yesterday. Mad fam.
Finally, check out the below interview the chaps at COPA90 have dropped. 👇👇👇
Morning
2
Hello
Tr4phy
Pedro, please fix time zone settings!
Also, is the title a Usual Suspects reference, or am I overthinking it?
So quiet here today!!!!
“we’re back down to 4th”
Old habbits…
“Who saw that coming?”
Only you Pedro, I would say…
We have a good record at Everton so we just need to be focused. The two matches that bother me the most are Wolves and Leicester away. Hopefully Wolves will have their minds on an upcoming Cup Final and drop off a level or two. By the last game of the season Burnley should be safe and again will hopefully have one foot on the beach are a long hard season.
Even if Everton are average this season, this would be a strong message to send for the top 4 race.
PedRo – raises a particularly salient point ( amongst others) about our young Greek centre half. What on earth has happened here…? He looked a prodigious talent last season.. A real find… Is it injuries, attitude or politics that he finds himself out of The Arsenal first team/squad… Surely pairing him with his fellow Greek – the superbly underrated Sokratis would be the way forward. The Two Spartan Warriors- would be perfect antidote to combat the difficult/physical away games that lie in wait( everton/Watford/Leicester/Burnley). Let’s hope Emery can incorporate him – back into the first team picture ( like he… Read more »
*3 points away.
The premier league has some serious problems
How can a fixture list end with Spurs 5 home games-2 away games & Arsenal 5 awaygames-2mhime games?
Dissenter,
Don’t start, you’ll get accused of being a conspiracy theorist!
dissenter
I totally agree,
Absolutely farcical.
Sporting integrity completely ignored.
Arsenal FC -( and other clubs) are in total dereliction of their duty- in allowing this . Surely they should have finished their campaign at Wembley- and started afresh in the new ground next season.
One other thing of note,.
Watching the highlights of the Spurs game .
Spurs fans in the lower tier- were all on their feet- in clear breach of health and safety laws.
how have they got their safety licence through?
harringay council- shame on you.
CG – well spotted on the Health and Safety breach at the Spuds’ new stadium.
Disgraceful.
I’m off to Haringey Council to raise an official complaint!
CG, great sport, it is a disgrace. We get told to sit down. Absolute legal ignorance down there.
Words
I would to,
but too far away.
Charlie George
‘What on earth has happened here…?
He looked a prodigious talent last season..
A real find…’
These are choice words to use to describe a young player with two competitive games, one of which ended in an early shower.
I think it’s the Mislintat link that got people excited as well as the long Greek name. Would he be getting so much raves if his name was John Smith?
Emery shouldn’t play him until he’s ready for action. That’s the same thing he’s doing to Suarez.
Words
The league needs to get their priorities right
They won’t assist clubs in European competition with a relief on their schedule but will assist clubs with major delays on white elephant projects.
The European competition success gives the league more gravitas than any boondoggle stadium can ever achieve.
They just have to do a fairly decent job against middling clubs for 7 more games.
My sentiments exactly. We need to take it game by game but we have more than enough to get through these fixtures relatively unscathed even if we drop a few points here or there.
Realistically, we can probably drop 4 more points if we want a top 4 finish.
The premier league has some serious problems
How can a fixture list end with Spurs 5 home games-2 away games & Arsenal 5 awaygames-2mhime games?”
Nobody was complaining earlier when we had most of our games at Home. This is the result of that.
Last seven games; W5, D2
That should be enough
All six teams in the top 6 are still in Europe… that will also determine who qualifies.
@Dissenter
There you go again obsessing over Spurs new stadium lol.
Tits
We weren’t complaining because we just played who was next on our schedule.
Imagine if two teams are competing neck and neck for the title. Do you think a schedule like this would create bad press.
They have bowed to commercial interests and ignored basic competition principles.
Dissenter, I think if we manage what you’ve proposed we’re looking at a top 3 finish. I think for 4th we may need 75-76 points.
There’s a few ways we can look at it.
If we win all of our fixtures we’re in the top 4. If we can match Chelsea and United’s results in the run in then we have a top 4 position. They have (and Spurs) far more daunting fixtures than we do.
Dissenter, yeah agreed that the PL’s view of its self-interest is narrow and short-sighted, and they abolutely refuse to have any scheduling flexibility to assist teams competing in the CL, viewing the CL as simply a rival competition.
At the moment, they probably think that it doesn’t matter, given the amount of EPL teams doing well in the CL.
But that won’t last forever…..
Left side
The Everton game is also crucial because three of the four competing teams( United, Spurs and is) have to play Everton
Everton is not going to lose all three games
Thomas
Aren’t there lively Chelsea fan blogs to troll on?
@Dissenter
Tits
We weren’t complaining because we just played who was next on our schedule.
Imagine if two teams are competing neck and neck for the title. Do you think a schedule like this would create bad press.
They have bowed to commercial interests and ignored basic competition principles.
___
You do realize everyone plays 19 home games and 19 away games right. Obviously it’s going to balance out at some point.
Thomas, Steve or whatever, please f*ck off.
The fixture list was deliberately “rigged” because of the Spud’s new stadium. The PL agreed to swap some of their earlier home matches to away to allow for the proposed mid September completion date. Now you can argue that it’s given them an advantage but you could also argue it’s worked in our favour. If we get enough points in the remaining away fixtures to qualify for CL football it would be easy to say that by moving fixtures around it gave Emery time to get the team performing better in away matches – if we’d had some of those… Read more »
Whichever way it is cut, having five PL home games in succession must be an advantage. Imagine if Man C or the bin dippers had this to look forward to in the title run in. The betting companies for one would be up in arms.
Marco Silva, a man many thought should be the next Arsenal manager
Eh
Lets hope we dont fuck up against Everton on Sunday
I mean you may have a point and then you think to yourself where were these complaints when Spurs were losing 4 of their last 5 games while we were winning 4 home league games in the last 5.
Marko
It’s not an ideal situation and shouldn’t be allowed again but in hindsight it may work in our favour – we’ll find out over the next few weeks.
Arsène Wenger: “When I hear a player explain bad results because of a lack of confidence, I do not agree. Imagine if a heart surgeon said “I am not feeling that confident at the moment but I am going to do my best.” Doesn’t happen”
This lad needs a job pronto. He’s dying of boredom.
lol another classic wenger quote.
“”They have bowed to commercial interests and ignored basic competition principles””
i agree- and been totally spineless to boot.
Without sporting integrity- the essence of supporting your club is a complete waste of time.
i hope there is litigation.
Litigation for what?
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/11683981/tottenham-set-world-record-annual-profit-of-113million
“Mauricio Pochettino’s ability to bring young talent through from the academy”
I can think of Winks and technically speaking Kane. Those records obviously boosted by zero signings last summer it makes for good reading if you’re a Spurs fan but in all honesty it’s a false dawn for them. Not only will they be playing at a stadium smaller than Wembley (Wembley helped double their matchday receipts) but they’ll be hamstrung from that billion pound that they just spent for years to come. If they miss out on champions league they’re proper fucked
“When I hear a player explain bad results because of a lack of confidence, I do not agree.”
But he was the first to give this excuse for justify some poor performances from his own players, indeed.
Sometimes I think Arsene’s greatest skill lies in his ability to get people talking about him. He’s still doing it even after effectively retiring
“How can a fixture list end with Spurs 5 home games-2 away games & Arsenal 5 awaygames-2mhime games?”
Because so far Arsenal have played 17 home games vs Spurs 14
Huge week coming up.
Desperately need 2 big away wins, but have a very tough game against Napoli in between.
I said a few weeks back that going full steam ahead for the PL and EL was not a great idea.
Will be interesting to see what happens.
I read that if PapaSok doesn’t get another yellow for the next game, he’ll have another six yellows to play with. It may be advisable to rest him for next game. We need him to play against those bully from Watford.
Gambon
“I said a few weeks back that going full steam ahead for the PL and EL was not a great idea. ”
But it is very entertaining for the fans though.
“I said a few weeks back that going full steam ahead for the PL and EL was not a great idea.”
So we should have intentionally gotten knocked out by either BATE or Rennes??
Seeing how you reacted to losing one leg in those ties i wonder what your reaction would have been to losing the tie as a whole.
I repeat we are doing the right thing staying in both competitions, serious football clubs don’t “throw” competitions, we went out of the domestic cups early and most of you were beside yourselves in fury
I think the Watford game on the Monday night could be beneficial to us. All goes out the window if we don’t beat Everton though
No one ever said we should intentionally get knowcked out of the EL. What does that even mean? Go and score 4 own goals in the first leg? However….playing a full strength team and losing away to BATE was nonsensical. Playing a full strength team and losing away to Rennes was nonsensical. Finishing 5th in the PL and not winning the EL would be a fucking shambles, and as things stand that is 100% what I am expecting. We are about to play 7 games in 22 days, 5 of which are away, with 2 big league games coming 3… Read more »
Just have to keep the players fit and hope when Torreira is back from suspension that he’s balls out for the rest of the season and it should be enough knock on wood. I’ll be honest it’d be devastating if we missed out on it now
“Even someone as demonstrably stupid as you can understand this, you just spend all day every day on here looking to argue with every point that anyone makes.”
What a load of rubbish
Understand what?? What sense do you think you are making you pompous old fool
You are making zero sense and only invade this place with your negativity and so called high standards
Every team we are up against for the top four place are still very much in Europe and also have tough games to play so shut your hole
“Finishing 5th in the PL and not winning the EL would be a fucking shambles, and as things stand that is 100% what I am expecting.”
And you are expecting this because the team happened to play two first leg games with full strength squads…..what a load of rubbish
If you do not want your silly views questioned keep them to yourself. This is a public forum
“Every team we are up against for the top four place are still very much in Europe
Yes, and have you ever heard of the word “advantage”
Advantage – a condition or circumstance that puts one in a favourable or superior position.
You aren’t making sense …less sense than usual actually. Do yourself a favor and shut it.
We should have played under strength squads in the EL to get advantage, yet you will lead the wailers if and when we crash out of said competition
And no, the reason I am expecting us to finish outside the top 4 and not win the EL is pretty simple: 1- In the EL, assuming we have a 50/50 against Napoli, an 80/20 in the SF and a 50/50 in the final, that gives us a 20% chance of winning. 2- In the PL we have 5 away games out of 7, we average 1.3 points away from home, and we have EL games in between all our league games. Our home form is the only thing that has got us into the top 4, and we dont… Read more »
However….playing a full strength team and losing away to BATE was nonsensical.Playing a full strength team and losing away to Rennes was nonsensical. It would have made more sense to lose with a second string I guess? Not like we did it on purpose. Also you saying that we shouldn’t intentionally get knocked out and then imply that we should have played a weakened team in the away games just seems silly. It’s complaining for complaining’s sake. We shouldn’t get intentionally knocked out but it would have been beneficial to get knocked out and we should have played with a… Read more »
“1- In the EL, assuming we have a 50/50 against Napoli, an 80/20 in the SF and a 50/50 in the final, that gives us a 20% chance of winning.”
For your mind now you made sense…… everyone is a genius in his own mind. 50/50 this, 80/20 that, what are these percentages based on exactly.
Coming from a guy that expected us to be smashed by Spurs and United permit me to take it with helpings of salt.
gambon
“No one ever said we should intentionally get knowcked out of the EL.”
I believe you did, in so many different ways before you then tried walking it back.
I agree with Gambon sentiments.
If we beat Everton – our biggest games for years .
We should then solely concentrate on the Watford game.
And that should mean the elnenys, Eddie N, Jenks and all others on the periphery play against Napoli.
If we get 6/6 against Eve/Watford
The Europa cup becomes irrelevant and should be binned…let Chelsea have it..
After all -Its the worst tournament in professional sport.
Yes we have a poorer away record than a home one but we have to stop complaining about it and just deal with it.
Next stop… Everton away. Not Bayern, not Barca, not even Tottenham but Everton.
Yes we must not underestimate them, but we must not conflate them either. Take it one game at a time… cut out our mistakes and control the midfield we have more than enough firepower to overwhelm them.
The poster Gambon gave up on the season as early as September He is only present here when we have a bad game or he wants to dampen expectations, he was here before the Spurs and United games to announce how we were gonna get smashed and fall behind on the face for top four He was here to celebrate loses to BATE and Rennes but now believes we should have played the U13’s in both matches in a bid to gain “advantage” He is so full of it i wonder why i even engage him He is a harbinger… Read more »
It really does boil down to this:
Can our first XI play 11 games in 33 days and expect to be on top form?
If the answer is anything other that definitely, then we have to think a bit harder about what competition we are prioritising.
I would say there is almost no chance we can play the same team 11 times in 33 days.
Who in there wildest dreams will even suggest that we tank a unique opportunity to win a European trophy and qualify directly into the CL group stages? I mean… we only have TWO European trophies to our name. The manager has to put out a full team for every damn game with careful rotations of the squad. He needs to include every player in those rotations. He started that already with Elneny on Monday night. Mykhi and Toriera have hardly kicked a ball in weeks Koschielny has been rested for a while. Playing “Eddie N, Jenks and all others on… Read more »
Funny thing is I actually get what you’re saying and kinda agree with you but it just comes across as ridiculous as you’re the type to come on here and throw up your skirt in hysterical fashion after a defeat and yet you’re saying that we would have been better off with those defeats. Also I think the recent away form criticism is not quite unfair but I’d say a bit blown out of proportion imo. Since the 22 games undefeated we’ve lost 4 away games in the premier league two of which were against Liverpool and City (to be… Read more »
“The manager has to put out a full team for every damn game with careful rotations of the squad. ”
Talk about Oxymoron.
I will take a draw against Everton, follwed by a very good win at home against Napoli.
That way we get some relief in the return leg, tht way we can still put out a very good squad against Watford.
The squad has to come good
United, Spurs and Chelsea all have difficult European games as well so no one is gaining any advantage yet. It may be different by the time the semi finals come up.
Marko
Fact is we havent beaten any of the top 6 away, and we’re about to go away to 7th , 8th, 9th, 10th
Lets not pretend these away games are against useless relegation fodder.
These are 4 games where we could quite conceivably win 0 and draw maybe 2.
Its going to take our best run of form for over 2 years to finish top 4.
“These are 4 games where we could quite conceivably win 0 and draw maybe 2.”
Now i am actually very confident about those games as your predictions are mostly wrong
Only on Le grove can Everton, Watford, Wolves and Leicester be made to look like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus
Dissenter
There is no glory or kudos in The Europa cup.
It’s a filthy tournament. Its total and utter garbage….
Thursday night tedium.
It has as much prestige as the 1970s Its a Knockout!
“Only on Le grove can Everton, Watford, Wolves and Leicester be made to look like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus”
Not surprised, you are a complete re.tard
We have lost away to West Ham, Southampton, BATE Borisov and Rennes this season, the idea that we are going to walk it against the 7th to 10th placed teams is the reason youre unemployed and spend all day on here arguing with people.
“The Europa cup becomes irrelevant and should be binned…let Chelsea have it..”
That’s the worst opinion I have ever read on a fans blog. Throw away a silver ware. That’s opinion from SPUDs fans.
gambon The defeatist oxymoron is actually you You wanted us to put out a weakened team against Bate You wanted us to out out a weakened team against Rennes Now you want us to put out a weakened team against Napoli Has it not occurred to you that having two bad losses [to Napoli] in the midst of so many games is morale sapping. You think players and fans can just turn off a bad drubbing home and away to Napoli? …You missed out the “with careful rotation” and full use of the squad. so typical of your minimalist thinking.… Read more »
Can our first XI play 11 games in 33 days and expect to be on top form? I mean I don’t see why it should be a problem. We have players coming back from injury (various people in defence) we have players finding form (Mhiki and Ramsey) we have players like Torreira being suspended for 3 league games and Lacazette being suspended for two Europa games forcing you to rotate we have players getting more and more minutes and we have players who haven’t been called up for international duty. If it’s a question of fitness that shouldn’t be an… Read more »
CG
“There is no glory or kudos in The Europa cup.It’s a filthy tournament. Its total and utter garbage….
Thursday night tedium.
The only European trophies in our cabinet are the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994
Both these trophies are Europa league level
FFS, what are you talking about?
Atletico won it last season and had a victory parade in Madrid
“We have lost away to West Ham, Southampton, BATE Borisov and Rennes this season, the idea that we are going to walk it against the 7th to 10th placed teams is the reason youre unemployed and spend all day on here arguing with people.” first off it’s you’re not youre..thought you were supposed to be English Secondly my employment status is none of your business..don’t you have a Vegas trip to make?? Thirdly that we lost to BATE, Southampton and Rennes away does not automatically mean we should soil ourselves over games against the teams just mentioned. You are making… Read more »
Winning decisively at home to Napoli is one of the most important goals in this busy run of games.
A good win gives the manager breathing space to handle the games that come afterwards
Spurs will get run to the ground by City with three games in 8 days
United will get battered home and away by Barcelona
Chelsea got the easy draw with Prague but still have Sarri to stink it up.
“Look those other teams have exactly the same problem as us”
He wants us to get an “advantage” but yet doesn’t want to throw the EL games
He is saying throw it but don’t throw it.
Be careful though, any minute now he will call you unemployed.
He is a big shot consultant and a Vegas high roller..he felt the need to drop this information here so he can make fun of others he deems beneath him
Dissenter
The Europa Cup is for losers and lightweights. Probably why Emery is so proficient in it.
The Champions League is for winners and heavyweights. The reason why the likes of Pep,Ancelotti and Mourinho etc are proficient in it..
I stand by adjective of it. Filthy!
Fact is we havent beaten any of the top 6 away, and we’re about to go away to 7th , 8th, 9th, 10th That’s very true. These are 4 games where we could quite conceivably win 0 and draw maybe 2. It’s also quite conceivably that we can win two and draw two. In fact you could say that any scenario is possible with regards to the away games at Everton, Watford, Wolves and Leicester. Let’s not forget about the home game to Palace. The question you have to ask yourself is are players fit or getting back? Are players… Read more »
“The Europa Cup is for losers and lightweights. Probably why Emery is so proficient in it.”
Typical CG comment…
“The Europa cup becomes irrelevant and should be binned…let Chelsea have it..”
Funny I feel exactly the same about the FA Cup and the Carling Diadora Cup
We have full squad bar Bellerin, Welbeck and Holding.
Everyone is [or will be] fit for this run of games.
So long as he rotates, there shouldn’t be problems.
“The Champions League is for winners and heavyweights. ”
That’s probably why Arsène won it so many times…
(lol)
HL
It was harsh.
But its undoubtedly true..
Let’s hope – he proves me wrong.
And he wins it- next season.
Who dropped the following quote less than 2 weeks ago as a retort to an innocuous opinion I expressed?
“What team do you play for Jamie? Arsenal? UTD? No…”
By that same standard, only football managers who have successfully achieved a top 4 finish can express views on how to best achieve a top 4 finish.
As you were.
Gambon,
Actually, there is no “first eleven”. Given Emery’s adoption of different formations and rotation of players, and the use of Cech as No1 Goalie in the Europa, it’s quite a bit more than a first 11. It’s more like a first 17.
In the absence of injuries, here’s who have been regular starters when fit and can be expected to play over the course of the next 11 games.
Leno Cech
Kos, Sokratis, Monreal, Mustafi, Kola, AMN
Guen, Xhaka, Ramsey, Torreira
Mikki, Ozil, Iwobi,
Auba Laca
Players like Elmeny, Jenks, and Lichtsteiner can be subbed in
Words
‘Players like Elmeny, Jenks, and Lichtsteiner can be subbed in”
That’s precisely what Emery will do
He subbed in Elneny on Monday and used the Dubai game to give a lot of peripheral players an opportunity.
Just checking out last two seasons against Everton away we’ve got a 2-1 defeat and a 5-2 win last season. Against Watford we’ve got 3-1 win and a 2-1 defeat last season. Against Leicester we’ve a draw and a 3-1 defeat last season. Burnley is two victories. You also have to factor in the new competent manager.
Marko
The two Burnely victories were dubious wins that negates the conspiracy theory that Referees have it in for Arsenal.
One was a last minute winner by an obvious handball from Koscielny
The other was a pat-on-the-back push on Ramsey in the penalty box
..don’t get me wrong, I ‘ll take that same type of victory this season.
I was more making the point that bar Leicester we were more than able to win at these away grounds and that was with Wenger in the last two piss poor seasons. We’re better now with a better manager and I wouldn’t dismiss those games as win zero and draw two so quickly. I can’t tell if gambon is setting us up to lose or if he genuinely expects it. He expected us to lose to United and Spurs so you’d hope he’d be holding off on the foregone conclusions for a bit
So the latest thing to beat Emery over the head with is he didn’t throw the Europa? hahaha Come on now.. No manager worth his salt is going to throw a competition especially when it gives us another opportunity to get in the CL. When you are climbing a mountain you don’t throw away your safety line. Maybe you have forgotten the winner gets in so it’s not just another competition. Also, Nothing good ever comes from losing as it changes how players look at things. You think top players wouldn’t know what Emery was doing if he started a… Read more »
Everyone have faith in our team! Keep positive. Emery knows the deal and he is working hard to prepare our team
I think we beat Everton this weekend
One game at a time, such a high level this season from the top down. Liverpool and City pushing each other on must wins until season ends, whose first to blink anyone’s guess. Battle for 3rd and 4th ratcheting up nicely with the 4 teams all within 3 points of one another. Nobody with an easy run, Spurs have City left in the league, Chelsea go away to Liverpool and United. United have City and Chelsea to deal with. On paper ours easiest barring fact were utter shit away from home. Everyone dropping points along the way, my guess is… Read more »
Everton’s the big one for me. I can’t help but think if we lose it the confidence that we can turn around our away form will just be destroyed in one game. Win it and we’ll have throbbing penises going into the Napoli/Watford games
I think the next game will be the “big one”, doesn’t matter who we are playing.
We need to take each match as it comes. Let’s win at Everton than look ahead to Napoli…
Although to give members of our first team a breather, it would be good to see Nketiah, W.illock Medley, Ballard and Saka make a step up into the first team during April.
Leeds is this really the time for kids???
Marko
You are wrong regarding our results against Rverton.
Last season we did the double against them winning 5-1 & 5-2.
Indeed Arsenal have lost only two games against Everton in EPL since 2007.
Similarly Arsenal have lost only one game against Leicester in EPL. We have
a very good record against them as well.
Also I don’t think that Burnley have beaten us home or away in EPL.
Although to give members of our first team a breather, it would be good to see Nketiah, W.illock Medley, Ballard and Saka make a step up into the first team during April.
nope we are a the business end kids can play pre-season.