It is here, another FA Cup final for the mighty Arsenal. We’re going for number 14. Mikel Arteta is going for his first as a coach. The young players are going for their first-ever trophy. We have Europe on the line.
It’s different this year and it’s a shame. I’ve never missed an Arsenal FA Cup final. I usually go with my football family, we meet up, get drunk, celebrate or commiserate together, and then it’s a beautiful memory forever locked (even the losses can be fun after).
My Uncle, who is a Leeds fan said to me a few years ago that trophies were about parties. If you’re having a lot of parties, life is good, but if you’re not, then what’s the point?
Arsenal fans might not have had a lot of major-trophy parties of late, but we’re certainly advanced in FA Cup shindigs. This is our trophy, no one has won it as often as us. You feel something in the air whenever we head to Wembley. Wenger took these games very seriously, he loved the FA Cup, and I expect some of that has rubbed off on Arteta, who played as his captain in a winning side. Let’s hope Mikel has a similar relationship with the trophy.
Today is going to be tough, we’re not favourites which is unusual, and the squad of players we have available can be a little bit like that box of chocolates Forest Gump always bangs on about. You don’t know what you’re going to get. However, after thinking about it, under Mikel Arteta, it is more likely than ever that we’ll be picking out a chocolate that doesn’t have a sour liqueur hiding inside.
We’ve beaten United, Liverpool, and City this season. Both our Chelsea games, whilst not optimal, saw solid performances. We’ve had some very good away wins in 2020 as well. Arteta tailors a game plan to the match, the players understand it, and if there are no mistakes, we usually have a pretty good chance of making it very difficult for the other side.
I think we’ll see more of that today. There are rumours that Kieran Tierney is being considered as a centre back today, Ainsley is apparently getting the nod, then it’s with the gods how we set the team up from there.
This isn’t the same game as City or Liverpool. Chelsea has a pretty exciting collection of players that can move the ball through midfield. They play very attractive football at their peak, they are quick on the counter, and they can also pick apart a deep block. They have Olivier Giroud, say what you will about him, but he’ll be motivated, he’s a brilliant link-up striker, and he can score outrageous goals. Willian is in blistering form and along with Kante, is in the squad today.
Their weak spot is in defence. Frank Lampard teams often have a soft underbelly through the middle of the park, and this particular team has struggled with the goalkeeping position. Chelsea actually conceded more goals in the league than Arsenal this season, clocking in at a whopping 54. That is a massive opportunity if you can deal with them going forward. Tough to see how we bring exciting football to unlock their defence after bumming around without a #10 for so long, but we have seen glimpses of good play, particularly the first half against Leicester.
Our challenge is defence, individual errors, and in-game management. We don’t have Mustafi and in this squad, that’s a problem. He’s been huge for us under Mikel, bar a couple of games I think he was fatigued in. There aren’t many good options for us, but nor was there in 2017 when Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding put in a BEASTLY performance for us. The individual errors issue always lurks, our xG has been shocking this season in part because of that, the players know this, and they have to be at their best today to avoid being ‘that guy’ in a final. I also think Lampard has been adept at times at changing things up during the game. Arteta needs to make good decisions when that happens today because Chelsea has more from the bench than we do.
In Arteta’s first run out in the league, a game I attended, we were really unlucky. Callum Chambers picked up a nasty injury, then Frank made some smart changes from the bench and got quite lucky with Jorginho staying on the pitch. The second game we managed to rescue the game with Xhaka and Mustafi sitting on the bench. This is our third crack at Chelsea, arguably the most important on, we have to deliver. Lampard will come with something interesting tactically and we have to counter it, and then move fast to deal with whatever he does in the second phase of the game.
Moments like today define managers and projects. A trophy in your first season, whatever it is, can be absolutely huge. It builds trust from the players, it bonds squads, it builds rapport with the fans, creates forward momentum, and it’s just a beautiful feeling to know you’re on the right path.
This is massive.
Enjoy the game, have fun with your friends and families, let’s make some memories of a different kind today.
Big love from everyone at Le Grove, COME ON YOU GUNNERS xx
Un –
How you feeling about Auba these days?
RED!!
RED. card.
Chelsea down to 10.
Xhara got yellow from that all the time. Chelsea’s turn.
Fuck the commentators. What poor decision??
Fucking hell..the nerves..im on the eighth fucking pint!
That’s a yellow
The ref is a bottler
That’s the difference between Bellerin and AMN.
ANM would never make that run at the point in the game.
Same as the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge.
Bellers one of the few big game players we have left.
RED card!!! Ha! Ha!
Granit did time at Hogwarts, good lad
There is no excuse not to win now. We believe Arteta. We showed some balls today.
Hahaha that was precious.. like it. Red card.
Class finish.
Rudiger and Zouma a complete farce.
Refs lost the plot embarrassing referee
in a final.
We’ll take it
Nice to see a decision like that go our way for once.
Xhaka sold that
Your faux-outrage towards fan bases you have had little/no personal contact with is weird.
You are weird
And a red for that Chekski scumbag.
Yes!!!!
FUCK. OFF. CHEKSKI!!!!!
Bellerin could have released Pepe.
WTF is going on??? Brawl?
Hope we don’t sit off now and get comfortable, need to push on and kill this one off.
That rule that substitutions can only take place over 3 changes should be looked on when the substitutions are made for injury and not tactical or time wasting.
Fuck off Danny Murphy you Spud! Yellow all day long.
Paulinho
I actually agree with you AMN is a too safe player hence he never does enough for me.
How, finish them off.
Anthony Taylor is my new favorit ref!!!
Bellerin could have released Pepe.
WTF is going on??? Brawl?
Arteta booked too!!
Chelsea losing their heads now. Lovely stuff
Laca needs to hold his head
Oh dear. Perhaps the second yellow was for stopping an attack. Shame. Has been a good game, and if we win it would be nice if was against eleven men.
Arteta should watch it ooo, no red card please.
Yellow card festival today. got to keep cool
I agree get a goal and kill this one off. Their defense is too shit. and ours for that matter.
Lampard throwing in the kitchen sink.
3 subs in one go
Arsenal get fucked over in the league but get the calls in the fa cup.
Granit did time at Hogwarts, good lad
Did time at Julliard as well
Laca couldn’t trap the pass or it’s 1v1
Danny Murphy is such a tosser.
Bet he’s dying inside watching this.
Don’t care how many we are playing against.
Just win the Cup!
COYG
The ref is going to try to balance the game soon. We have to be careful about those dodgy penalties
By not bringing fresh legs in Arteta is gifting initiative to Chelsea. Those B are fighters when down
C’mon don’t fuck about in the back.
Holding again. Luiz too.
Not time to play games
Arteta should bring in fresh legs, we need reinforcements
Giroud has been shit
Barkley can score
STOP FUCKING PLAYING OUT OF THE BACK!!!!
Would get Saka on for AMN now, add some fresh legs wide
Kovacic off. Justice really because their captain should have been sent off with a red earlier.
Love it that the Chelsea favouring pundits are outraged…
Why Arteta keeps Laca there?
Comment on Bellerin on the goal yeah he did very well but those runs are few and far between and defensively he can be inconsistent and in that sense we need a new starting RB. You like that run though me too which is why I’d love Atal was signed this summer
Abraham is defo a threat. Make no mistake about it.
Holding is a worry.
Lampard throwing the kitchen sink and plunger at the game.
Paulinho.
I know you are talking about mentality here and I agree with you but I must add AMN is quite capable of making a run himself at least as far ability is concerned. That he does not do it is more down to him not being a regular 11. He is someone who always has a sword hanging over his head. One big mistake and he is out of the team in the next game.
One or two changes for the final stretch needed for freshness
Holding is SHIT. A defender who cannot clear outside the D. What point is a high ball.
Sell, Sell, Sell
Where’s our fucking subs!
Useroz,
He does not have the choice. He can make 5 substitutions but only over 3 changes. Because he has already made 2 changes for injury, he was forced to make 3 substitutions in one go.
Laca still a bit of nuance but can use a sub.
Not Eddie though. Useless in this tough games.
OMG. really the Arteta pet.
Var gonna look at that…
Take out Laca.
That was mighty close.
Pierre’s second favorite player incoming.
Arsenal looking to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
If I was saka id be pissed off.
The ball was in the box, it’s not where the goalie is …it’s the ball.
Don’t be defensive. Keep attacking and the ball in the Chelsea half.
Really? The Chelsea RED unlucky?? Fuck these commentators. Both studs shown and up!
Laca has been bang average today, missed a couple of moments he could’ve made a huge difference.
Don’t get sent off Eddie ehh
Don’t change it FFS
Sutton saying Auba dived for a penalty. I love these cunts roasting. YES WE ARE CHEATING OUR WAY TO A WIN.
Laca has no more energy left.
That was confident stuff from Martinez
Marko – It’s the timing of it. Easy to make runs when the going is good, but doing it when the game is in the balance is another level of temperament.
Saka on maybe??
Saka signed da thing. So…..
But Saka serves a different purpose to Eddie tbf
Ok. 10 more mins.
C’mon! Get one more goal
Hoddle very irritating on the BT commentary also. Can’t watch it on BBC due to the presence of Linekar and Murphy.
All the Arsenal hating pundits spewing their noise!
Saka in arteta’s bad books?
C’mon Eddie, make Pierre proud
Make us all proud
This is going to be a long 10 minutes.
So many 50/50 decisions going our way for once! This is a novelty.
Last ten mins, come on Arsenal!
Kovacic got his red as surmised on here earlier
Good effort Ceballos.
Press like hell and keep em from our half.
Just do it for Holding.
I think Eddie has been brought on for his engine and endeavour to hold the ball up maybe as well
Laca worked hard, we’re winning, not a problem for me. Nervous energy making us a little over critical – the fans that is.
Ten long minutes
Only Arsenal give me this anxiety .
Nothing else does. Just Arsenal
That’s commitment from Ceballos
The loanee gave more that the 350k weekly player
Cmon Auba get your hat trick
Pepe must’ve practised the left foot cross 999 times. They are quite accurate!
Eddie is an offside specialist.
Luiz trade craft kicking in. For you, Lampard!
Dani doing well again. Sign da ting
Sokratisssss
Kolasinac time
No high line again please
Need to Bring On torriera to see it out.
Dang wish Pochettino was still at Spurs. Imagine the banter if Arteta wins a trophy.
Fuck me, Sokratis with enough time to mug us all off
Ugh… come on Luiz.. we don’t need to add more injury time. Oops guess he is done. ?
Dont stop attacking them. We cannot shell up now….
Hope Papa keeps the wrestling outside the box..
please tell sokratis not to wrestle anyone in the 18 yards box
Lol, Ozil made the critical contribution once again by fucking off to Turkey…
To be fair on ceballos current level he is easily good enough as a cm for us.
Every game he seems to be improving