There I was, sitting on my computer, all depressed… then BANG… Mikel drops an injury surprise for the ages.
Kieran Tierney > in contention
Auba > in contention
LACA > in contention
What in the damn name of horse placenta wizardry is this?
Now, who knows if any of them start, but someone did send me some information on Kolo that stated he was fit a week after contracting malaria. Auba as a #9? Oof… sexy times at the Hotel Ceramica.
Those three players, regardless of the start, give the Villareal tie a whole new dimension this Thursday.
I caught a bit of all the games at the weekend. It is worth noting that not one club in the semi-finals mustered a win. All played out drossy games. Roma lost to relegation fodder Cagliari. United drew to Leeds United with the title still on. Arsenal lost to Everton. Villareal lost to Barcelona.
I watched some of Unai Emery’s offering at home to Barcelona. It wasn’t great. Clearly, it’s going to be a tougher game than the Slavia Prague one. If we show up like we’ve won, we’ll come away with nothing. That said, we have the quality to win, of that there is no doubt.
Barcelona got in behind them with ease an uncomfortable amount of times in the opening 25 minutes.
Their defence didn’t look particularly organized, they’ve conceded over a goal a game this season, so not really a shock. Villareal’s off the ball work felt very much like it did when Emery was at Arsenal.
The two goals they conceded had a soft, warm, comfort I was familiar with. Goal #1 was a long ball over the top, Griezmann a sublime chip to finish. The second was an Arsenal special, a poor defensive back pass that slipped in Griezmann for #2.
We’ll cause problems with our movement. Ideally, we’ll go there with pace through our #9. I’d certainly weaponise the pace of Gabriel if it’s on offer. His runs and explosive energy could be bothersome. If we have Auba available, we need to surround him with energy and ideas. Nicolas Pepe would be well suited to a team you can get in behind. So would all the younger forward players we have. We need intelligence in there though, ESR, Saka and Odegaard pulling strings and interchanging positions will be a lot for them to handle. We will absolutely create chances.
Arsenal will have to really think about the way they defend. Villareal have ideas from set-pieces, it’s almost classic English football at times. They created 3-4 really good opps and Chukueze really is a live wire, the sort of player that can create something out of nothing. His pace up against Xhaka would be a very big concern for me. Emery, a man who has very little love for Granit, will no doubt be hoping that’s how we line up.
Our approach has to be about goals, no 0-0s or playing for one goal. Take advantage of the away goals, don’t leave with a result that puts us on the back foot. If we score 3, it’s going to be very tough for them to come back into the game. I don’t think that is beyond us.
What is not beyond this Arsenal side is a dull and lifeless performance with an early error.
I really hope the flat performances in the league are because the players are thinking about making a Cup Final. We need to leave everything on the pitch, Arteta needs to have the players fired up, the fans need something to feel good about.
No one wants to spend the next week wondering if a 1-1 draw is enough.
Unai Emery is a beast in this competition. We all watched him out-think Klopp a few years ago. He let Liverpool explode at them for 60 minutes, then turned on the afterburners when they were knackered.
We are not beyond a beating on Thursday night. There’s something extra on this for Unai. He’s a wounded animal, we need to be fucking sharp.
The press conference gave me a bit of heart. Arteta doesn’t look phased. He’s confident, he was using words like ‘excited’ to describe the atmosphere and he seemed very at ease. Not the look of the man we saw before the Chelsea game.
Hopefully, our players are feeling it. The fact that Tierney, Lacazette and Auba are all in contention tells you this: the players are behind the project. Putting your body on the line when you could easily sit the game out is a real boost as far as I’m concerned.
So let’s do it. Let’s get through this week in good spirits and finish the job next Thursday. We need a big effort from minute one to whenever the game finishes out. We are good enough, let’s see that convert on the pitch.
Finally, Daniel Ek spoke to biz news about his desire to buy Arsenal. I’d love to think he had a chance, but the main question he can’t answer is ‘how do you make non-sellers sell’ and there’s not a view on it. Publicly gunning for KSE doesn’t feel like a strategy married to who they are as people. But hey, who knows, I’m not a billionaire, so I’ll leave it ot them.
Not sure ‘thoughtful offer’ is going to move KSE. pic.twitter.com/ughHQX7JN0
— Le Grove (@LeGrove) April 28, 2021
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He should have been ours,,,,, Mahrez
shit man
Damn… that was tricky… Thought for sure Kdb was going to take it. Shit wall and there you go… this might be Pep;s year.
Poch gonna Poch.
What a collapse.
Pep V Zidane
Here we go…
PSG basically giving another goal to Man City.
Schoolboys are taught to stay together in a defensive wall and not split.
All three goals tonight have been very poor from a defensive viewpoint.
A Chelsea bus City CL final, hypothetically speaking would favour Chelsea at this moment in time as Tuchel seems to have the edge of Pep right now, the FA cup semi final showed that. Pep would have to bring something different to the party.
Red card.
Wow… game over.
Awful tackle from Gueye, the kind that should be punished further following on from the game. Not interested in the ball at all. Shocker.
PSG’s head have gone here
Football such a crazy game, PSG in cruise control and one mistake and the game is turned on its head.
City will probably go on to score a 3rd now and wrap up the tie.
City vs Chelsea would be such an underwhelming final
Lol everyone bigging up PSG look at them now.
Some players never change
Idrissa made these tackles all the time in the premier league
This is what happens to PSG, they implode when up against it.
Mentally weak- its been a hallmark of this over emotional team.
Oh well…. City v Madrid in the final
He stepped on Gündoğan’s back leg from behind. MC may lose him for the season.
tbf said from the beginning that Man City were actually playing the better overall team football in regards passing but of course many times it is dismissed as tippy tappy and is disliked.
PSG have that typical french mentality always throwing in the towel l. Bunch of surrender monkeys
PSG … came out too passive after the half.. City are used to low block.. defending as they see it every week in the PL. And then PSG could never step it back up… after the luck goal. and now they have just lost their mind trying to get the ball back.
All PSG need is an early corner in the second leg with Man City again showing they are fragile defensively from setpieces and the tie is alive again.
Zinchenkos so good with the ball…last week of the transfer window there was a light rumour that we were in for him…now we have Xhaka playing there lol
I’m surprised Gundugan was able to run off that tackle
Would hate eithet man city or psg to win the cl both plastic teams backed by evil middle eastern regimes.
But if I had to cboose would prefer psg to win. Too many english clubs have won the champions league chelsea liverpool and united cant stand if city win it to.
lol Bakker is not looking so good now.
Looks a bit ruffled in the second half.
Man City are getting more support around Mahrez in this second half to attack Bakker.
London gunner
I’m surprised that a proper Trumpist like you has become moralistic against Middle East money men.
And Mahrez isn’t looking so ‘lightweight.’
So the fashion is no striker in your side for these EPL teams still in CL.
Let’s sell Auba and Laca and go with the fashion.
I’m sure Arteta is all over this one being generational and on the pulse.
Thars football…one lucky goal can turn a match on its head
Navas blunder was the game changer.
You’d ecpect PSG to have more composure than that though, lot of experience in the ranks.
Buzzy
You might want to check about Pep. Pretty sure he’s considered a great manager and probably in Top 5 of all-time.
“And Mahrez isn’t looking so ‘lightweight.’“
Maybe Bakker has run out of breath, can’t blow him away anymore
Mahrez is good but he isn’t top tier there is a reason he is rortated in and out of the team unlike kdb who when fit is always on the starting sheet
Weagle
“And Mahrez isn’t looking so ‘lightweight.’”
Because he has had support in this half and not isolated.
One on one he is a weakling.
And of course his freekick shot for the goal should not even had gone through to Navas. Criminal PSG wall. Shocking PSG wall.
Not that I really care but how can it only be 4 mins of injury time. Wasn’t Gundogan down for 4 minutes alone?
Bacary
Not unless he wins a proper treble with the extravagance at his disposal
Emi needed at PSG too
Is mbappe injured seems well off the pace both figuratively and literally
Or does an invincibles
Hi quality game this
Buzzy
Maybe the reason he gets all the big jobs and big budgets is that he’s so good at his job?
Having seen these two european ties over the last two nights if this is the creme da la creme of european football then the overall standard is not of the highest quality.
‘One on one Mahrez is a weakling’
Haha literally one of the best 1v1 attackers in world football, but he’s not built like Adams Traore so let’s dismiss him as a weakling.
The internet is truly undefeated for football takes
Nothing stops PSG from winning next week
I’m not sure is that will be enough, depending on the score line.
At least the tie is still nicely poised, 3-1 would have been a killer.
PSG put 3 goals past a superior Bayern side in Munich so far from over this one.
They’ll have to be more adventurous though. Expect to see Draxler brought into the midfield.
Could this be another year where we have 4 English teams in the two European finals?
Ishola
You could just as easily say that Bakker was given no support and overwhelmed with Walker being more direct too.
Pepe or Mahrez 😂
Charlie
We see Mahrez get blown away regularly one on one with defenders. Comes to nothing.
Where he gets more joy is when he can combine quickly with a fellow player to beat an opposing player. Give and go.
I know he is one of those metrosexual players you seem to have a penchant for but the player has weak body strength for a top player. His legs are like twigs.
Cazorla
“It wasn’t even a navas error. He’s a keeper covering the percentages on a quality kdb ball in getting a touch off someone. It was an over hit cross basically gone in. That’s lucky not a gk error.”
so we agree on this?
My oh my
I hope Roma can manage to do a number on United over two legs
KDB is an amazing player, perhaps the most reliable and consistent player behind only Messi even though talent wise he may not be the second best.
Chelsea should have absolutely killed the tie against RM and PSG too should have at least drawn tonight.
Cazorla
So top notch that he is a rotation player as another poster noted.
It wasn’t an error of Karius proportions but he’s a top level GK, he cannot let that trickle in.
He had the time to get across, wasn’t particularly pacey a ball and it went past its intended target around the pen spot.
Put him in cotton wool and bring him in when you think the time is right.
Cazorla
You really want to bet your house against Mbappe scoring a hat trick against city next week
City should have lost at home to Dortmund but for fidgety referee that blew against Bellingham.
There’s no home advantage in these games
Come on now!
Mahrez is a hero for all skinny kids who play football. Like my son…
PS yes he is a lightweight…. but thats what makes him good!
Dissenter
I’ll have some of whatever you’re smoking.
City are 75% likely to go through here. So long as they don’t completely shit themselves.
Not dead but PSG have it all to do.
https://twitter.com/SwissRamble/status/1387289812282101760?s=19
There’s something wrong with the football model. Liverpool, winning Premier League, Uefa supercup, and fifa club world cup was still not able to make a profit (pandemic) but in otherwise very ideal scenario, they would have been up say 100m? What you can do with 100m?
Buy 2 players who might get injured and your season is done. Or buy one Van dijk and you are fighting for top6?
This is not good for long term.
PSG will come out at City. We know that City will wait, and counter them to death.
Even still, City have too much… PSG are really up against it. Need 2 nil to move on.
I can see City scoring at home. that should be enough
Mahrez has a good shot.
Wenger eagle
Those trickle in spot kicks happen a lot because the keeper has to anticipate that Stones may reach it at the fat post
Review the flight of the ball against, it was posted to the far post for Stones to attack. It was too fast for Stones but bent at the last minute
There’s a flukey component to it. Ben KFB wasn’t over reacting … he knew it was more luck than planning.
The way Man City conceded that Marquinhos goal though may be a worry.
That was awful defending. Really awful. Setpieces, corners and Man City may slop again. But we see PSG defensive blunders as well.
I’m expecting a high scoring game in the second match.
Jumpers for goalposts.
Alright y’all … save some energy for the Le Grove Derby tomorrow.
Hope we have a Good Ebening.. score at least 2 goals.
We will hammer Villareal tomorrow
Mbappe was subpar today, no way he doesn’t turn it up in the 2nd leg, PSG gets the the first goal next week and its squeaky bum time for city
Tie far from over.
Arteta on Emery:
“He did many good things with the club. I don’t know why he was criticised.”
Emery on Arteta:
“It’s a question of patience. I think it’s a perfect marriage,” Emery said.
Masters of low expectations?
Dissenter
It was an inswinger and always curling left away from Stones and towards the corner.
It’s a blunder whatever way you dress it up. Happens and there’s a reason that GK’s are criticised for them, this one was worse because there wasn’t even a body in front of him obstructing his line of sight which is how they usually creep in.
Arteta on Emery: “He did many good things with the club. I don’t know why he was criticised.”
Is that Arteta calling Pedro out? Awkward!!
Its Dracula v Lego Hair,
Get em in the octagon!
Villarreal are no mugs Guns.
In Moreno they have a top class player that can really hurt us.
Toss-up for me but if we can get any kind of result tomorrow you would fancy us.
Pedro is nervous no doubt
I’d be concerned about the midfield against Villarreal as well as the LB position if Xhaka is there as has already been mentioned.
Villarreal are capable to take control of the central midfield.
I know the plan is likely to be quick counter attack anyway and that is probably the best way to go for Arsenal and not care so much about central midfield but if you get that platform from central midfield that can be helpful to a team as well.
why Pedro takes it personally against Emery?
The idea that Mahrez needs to combine with other players to be effective at beating a man is hilarious.
Such an Ishola take, backed up with the most embarrassing projection I’ve read in some time about a penchant for metrosexuals 😂😂 state of him.
Charlie
Man City are all about combination play around the opposition box.
Would be a bit strange wouldn’t it if Mahrez was exempt from their overall style of play.
Lol Charles.
The Xhaka fixation is starting to make a bit more sense now.
Weagle
You keep laughing about Xhaka and you keep on seeing us fail with him as a mainstay in the side.
Hilarious isn’t it.
And you will be laughing next season as well seeing us fail again.
But let’s fixate on the glory players shall we. The forwards. They will make all good.
These fanboys.
All you have to say is a player is weak physically and they are up in arms.
No way. He’s fantastic in every sense.
He’s a fantastic rotation player lol
Ishola never one to take a joke seriously.
I joke with you Weagle.
Jota being a prime example.
But I stopped because I could see it was pissing you off slightly.
Ishola
You didn’t like my N’Zonzi jokes either.
Shane really.
Shame*
N’Zonzi was only going to be a short term option wasn’t he.
And who is to say he would be any more of a handicap to this side than Xhaka.
Xhaka the player who can’t contest central midfield for any length of time.
We saw Jorginho last night. Now that is a passable regista. A regista that can actually contest the middle of central midfield for long periods and last night for the whole of the match.
I really hope that Auba is not a starter on the LW
I mean , come on.
IF that were to happen, then its 10 v 11
Bring him on as a sub against tired legs.
If its not him, I would start Pepe who seems to relish the EL this year
Ishola You can straw man until the cows come home, nobody talked down Mahrez’s ability to combine. It was you that said, and I quote: “We see Mahrez get blown away regularly one on one with defenders. Comes to nothing.Where he gets more joy is when he can combine quickly with a fellow player to beat an opposing player. Give and go.” That made me chuckle because Mahrez is absolutely elite 1v1, in fact I’d love to know who you rate higher than him in the PL against a fullback. The chatter about him being ‘lightweight’ is just bread and… Read more »
Charlie
He is better when he combines which is the Man City way anyway rather than going one on one and I have seen him many times get bullied off the ball when he makes the wrong decision and goes himself without support due to him being not the strongest.
You talk about him in elite terms but people inform me that he is used as a rotational player. How does that add up?
Ishola
So no names for who is better 1v1 in the prem?
“You talk about him in elite terms but people inform me that he is used as a rotational player. How does that add up?“
Not very well if you take 30 seconds to fact check. Here’s Man City’s attackers as per their number of starts in the PL this season:
Sterling – 24
Bernardo – 22
De Bruyne – 22
Mahrez – 21
Gundogan – 21
Gabriel Jesus – 18
Foden – 15
Ferran Torres – 11
He’s as rotational as the next star in their squad.
Pedro
The Daniel Ek interview is particularly depressing because of this: the second interviewer neatly sums up what everyone knows:
Stan doesn’t care about arsenal , which makes him inept but that is irrelevant because he doesn’t care. It’s a perfect circle.
KSE are shit. They’ve done a shit job since they got involved and they will continue to do a shit job.
What I fear is that Stan and co. will cling onto arsenal even if the club loses money and even if it makes sense for them to sell,-almost out of spight.
Aleanderhenry
I keep asking,
What is the reason KSE wants to keep Arsenal?
Given what we know of them, its a legit question.
I can understand if we were winning big titles, and making money.
We have not really.
They have owned us for like what ? 10 years?
What do they gain by this?
Its a legit question… clearly its not sporting ambition.
so what is it?
If its Vanity and Ego, which I think is part of it, then its too bad..too sad really.
If its bragging rights, its ego.
That is no way to run a team.
People like this dont care about doing anything with their prize possession. They only start to give a shit when someone questions them or rather, wants what they have .
other than that, its radio silence. We are the Bugatti in the garage that never gets driven. Just there for show
When I read yesterday that all the walking wounded were in training and in contention, my mind wondered if they were patched up as Partey had been before? Emery might not be a league program manager but, contrary to Pedro’s beliefs, he’s not stupid particularly in European cups, so he won’t be falling for Arteta’s subterfuge. Seems so Arteta and all a bit kids playground to me. My biggest concern is that Arteta will have too many choices and too little experience to find the right combo of experience and youth tonight. Arteta’s selections have been abysmal with the exception… Read more »
Which manager is favourite to win tonight? PL wise Emery has the better stats over Arteta today. Plus a 22 game unbeaten run whereas Arteta has lost 21 of his 51 games. That said I read that Emery lost 22 of his 52 games. Emery will make needed subs in the first half, while Arteta waits often to the 75 minute mark. The AKBs led by Pedro will claim the FA cup (forget the charity BS shield) trumps all making Arteta so superior and favorite. At the end of the day Emery has experience and a plethora of cup final… Read more »
Guns
Apart from very little fulfillment of ego building, owning Arsenal for the Kroenkes is all about money and prime real estate.
Winning competitions gives Stan bragging rights, but that’s not what drives him. Profit is his master and the higher the % ROI, the more Stan is happy.
Tony, if that were the case, then he should know investing in the team means more money via winning trophies, etc.
He somehow thinks that non investment will lead to more cups and championships
it makes little sense…
“The AKBs led by Pedro will claim the FA cup”
Do not use Arsene’s name in vain.
“The AKBs led by Pedro will claim the FA cup”
Think Tony meant Arteta Dark Hei
Samesong
I did mean Arteta.
Sorry Dark Hei if you thought I was being blasphemous. Hope it didn’t reignite your Arsne PTSD.
Lol, I know he meant Arteta.
Just pinning my colours to the mast.
Just find out the Villarreal striker, Gerard Moreno stats in LaLiga 20/21: 20 goal and 5 assist. Be afraid!
Just watched Danny Ek talk about Arsenal. I WANT HIM IN. Billionaires might be shady but compare him to Stan, we are a number on a balance sheet to him, he doesn’t give a shit about you, me, Charlie in seat 192, block D. Ek cares and he will make silly decisions like giving Mikel money to spend, lots of it.