xG TABLE FLAMED + RACE FOR TOP 3 GETS SPICY

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GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL!

It’s a huge day for our shared agenda.

Spurs go to Anfield.

Liverpool needs to keep their title fight alive.

Spurs need to take at least a point to keep Thursday spicy and open.

The Premier League this season does not give a fuck about what you think will happen, it works to its own beat, so don’t write of Antonio Conte. He’s a lucky manager, Spurs have been lucky all season, they could easily walk away with 3 points from 1 shot all game, such is the qualidee of Son and Harry Kane.

Then tomorrow, we have to fight for our lives and bring home the 3 points, no question.

The biggest threat Leeds pose is twofold:

  1. They will fly at us regardless of the personnel
  2. They have so few players to choose from it’ll be hard to predict their line-up or tactics

There are also annoying narratives that favor them: they haven’t beaten a top 6 side all season. That’s usually a sign to the footballing gods to work something our way.

Am I thinking about Mark Viduka? Am I thinking about Harry Kewel scoring and running to the corner flag? Am I thinking about David O’leary ruining the Arsenal party of yesteryear? Maybe.

My Uncle, total geezer, major Leeds away day fans, reckons they’ll get slapped. He has zero faith that his team can do anything and he’s not playing games. Says they don’t have the quality to do what they did to us in the past.

Leeds lack top playerrs, they have very little experience, and their defence lives for giving up spaces. They are a club that is pretty incapable of delivering a deep-block for 90minutes. My uncle is adamant that Leeds are going to go down this season.

Mikel Arteta needs to have the team super focused. I’m quite confident we’ll create lots of openings because we tend to do that in most games. In front of our home fans, in the sunshine, with an electric atmosphere, it’ll be very hard for Leeds.

I’d love Eddie to head into his log cabin, chop up some wood, and put a mile-high stack of chips on his shoulder. Leeds treated him badly. He was moved there, he should have gone to Dusseldorf, his career suffered when he sat on the bench. A hat trick would be NICE.

I’m not sure how Arteta will line-up, I’d love to see ESR back in the starting 11, his form has been a bit up and down, he’s clearly not fully fit, but now would be a great time to make a case for the Thursday game.

NO INJURIES is mainly where I am on secondary hopes and dreams.

What is even more tantalizing is that Chelsea dropped 2 points from a winning position against Wolves. They were dreadful again, Thomas Tuchel is overseeing a car crash by Chelsea standards, so a win at Leeds could very much open up the idea of a 3rd place finish.

Also, United losing, AGAIN. Remember how many people thought Ralf Rangnick was the silver bullet they needed and that it was curtains for our challenge?

Tomorrow is a big, big chance to attack a higher position.

It’s a HUGE chance to change how we approach Thursday. If we beat Leeds, Spurs HAS to come and play against us because a point won’t be enough.

This is exactly what we wanted at the start of the season. For our games to matter heading into the final throes of the season.

Before we go, I do want to quickly reference some cheques I’ve been cashing. Remember when we went on an exceptional run of wins after we lost the opening three? And people started throwing around the xG table as a reason to be terrified? I do.

I penned an article about the weaponisation of xG. People went at me about it. DATA IS OUR GOD NOW, PEDRO. But, turns out, my new turn as a data non-believer has led me down a righteous path.

Now I’m cashing cheques, people are all like, ‘oh no, we were just having a rational conversation about xG’… no, we weren’t.

Here’s what was missing from being concerned that we were 5th, but playing like 16th.

There was no context in the xG for the covid outbreak

No context for a newly assembled young team dealing with the top 3 teams so early

No context for game state: xG stated that we lost against Spurs and LCFC. If you watched those games, you’ll have remembered we battered them early, then sat back

There was also a lack of understanding about how young teams perform in general, and teams under Arteta had developed (season prior, post December, we went on a tear).

  • Arteta has a very specific playing style
  • His ideas are complex
  • He relies on automatism that come with time
  • Top young players get better

People couldn’t get that info from xG, but it was clear to anyone paying attention post-December was going to be a lot better, which is why the xG pearl-clutching was bollocks pushed by people who wanted to throw shade at the progress.

xG is a guide, not a god.

Points on the table are more valuable than theory points on an xG table.

Most people cannot be trusted with free data.

Arsenal wouldn’t have spent time fretting over that xG table because they knew what was going on.

We move.

See you in the comments, pray to the gods of gegenpressing, and hope lady luck isn’t in cahoots with Unai Conte this evening.

x

 

 

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Berg10kamp

Eddie needs a fat new contract. He does the business and can challenge for a starting spot with our shiny new striker next season. How he hasn’t managed more games is beyond me.

Chris

From here I think we can do some smart game management.

We are in complete control. No need to over exert ourselves. Let’s keep it simple and keep the players fresh for Thursday, bring some bigger players off as soon as is practicable.

It stays like this, most of not all the pressure is on Spurs on Thursday. And we wont be as stressed all week as we could have been!

China1

Great great half. Just what the doctor ordered

Re the red card, it’s absolutely embarrassing that var had to review the easiest red you’ll ever see for a solid 2 mins then get help from the ref who also had to watch another 8 times to reach a decision.

Unreal incompetence. Absolutely unreal. It was blatantly two footed, dangerous, out of control and studs up. If you need 25 replays to determine that’s a red you have no place anywhere near a football pitch

Berg10kamp

At least gabi megged ayling before he got sent off. 😀

Hitman

So the striker solution was always hiding in plain sight.
Yip generational genius.

Johng

Great half for us, Eddie and Martinelli have been excellent.
In total control. Let’s get a couple more early doors second half then get a few off for a rest for Thursday night.

China1

Eddie looks like a man these days. Very much gone are the days of Bambi

Nelson

Arteta should have a non-negotiable. No pretty GF. You can get distracted.

Nelson

Tomiyasu doesn’t seem to be fully fit. He trips over his own leg a few times.

China1

If I were arteta I’d have the team push hard for an early third then immediately take Saka off.

3-0 and a man up the game will be truly dead and we need him for the Spurs game. As well Leeds are dirty today and pissed off, we don’t need to let him face any more dangerous of a bad foul than is necessary

Nelson

I would replace Xhaka by Lokonga

Nelson

China1
Yes. Bring ESR in.

MidwestGun

If Martinelli and Eddie can have this understanding and relationship in every match..our attack would be rolling. Hopefully more of the same this half.

Tony

Great to see the old lads from 71

Rich

Hopefully we can get a third, then get Tomi off, only his second start since January, and we have another 2 games in the next 8 days

raulishuss

i remeber tr7 rap and the arteta and arsenal is shit gang trying to tell us that the system was holding auba and laca back now it’s eddie was the solution all along. this guys have no shame for real..,

Nigel Tufnel

Yeah were those all Ben Whites wags? The smile on that brunette.

Sly

Great half from the lads
Nice seeing the ‘71’ team and graham also
Why replace xhaka? He’s doing well

Tony

Take Cedric off and bring ESR on. Go to a back 3

Sly

Interesting that arteta moved elneny into the partey position and moved xhaka to a left 8

MidwestGun

Yep Tony… Charlie George in the house.

Samesong

Let’s see how good we are against low block.

Dissenter

Elneny has shown real class since he came back into the starting 11
You won’t find better coverage than Elneny

Samesong

I want to see.Gabriel move inside more and unleash a shot.

LoveSausage

Ode needs to more in this half. This is the sort of performance where criticism is fair. His stats will probably look good but he isn’t influencing the game. So far, Granit has looked like what we expect Ode to be.

Gonsterous

Can xhaka calm the fk down? Whys he trying to act like a tough guy all the time.

Dissenter

Why is Xhaka getting involved
Asking for a friend

MidwestGun

Whoaaa Marti juked Raphina out of his shorts.

Sly

He’s a bird brain🤦🏽‍♂️

TheLegendaryDB10

Xhaka, please don’t find a way to fuck things up by getting yourself sent out.

Sly

Elneny has improved his game
I’m giving arteta credit for that
I think we should keep him

Jonko

That was smoothly worked..good to the eye

Gonsterous

Imagine laca leading the line. Jesus, his injury was the best thing to happen to the team this season.

Jonko

Gabi MOTM so far

Sly

Calling it early
Martinelli for motm
Deserves a goal also

Nigel Tufnel

Xhaka getting heated is like watching a car crash in slow motion. I’d sub him.

Samesong

We don’t look like scoring another goal.

Jonko

Waht a move

Samesong

Pathetic.

TheBayingMob

Ffs

Jonko

Told ya 2 nil is dangerous

Dissenter

What a calamity
Absolutely damning defending

Ash79

And that’s why u kill off games chaps…..

TheLegendThatIsDennisBergkamp

And that’s what happens when you cruise a two nil.

Samesong

So much for the ‘tough game’ doomers!! 🤣🤣

I can never take people like this serious.

Ash79

First goal conceded from a corner this season?

London gunner

I told you guys we wouldn’t score a lot we just can’t put teams to the sword too many matches where we should be aiming for a 4 or 5-9 win but end up with 2-1

TheLegendaryDB10

Damn it

We need to score that 3rd goal now to put this away.

LoveSausage

I’m not even sure who to blame for this goal. Every aspect of it was pathetic.

Thierry Martinelli

Yeah, let’s keep managing the game. Let’s even rest some players for Thursday.
We need goals…. Thursday will be dealt with on Thursday – not today

Spanishdave

That’s what happens when the boss tells you to tippy tappy.
Generational

Left Testicle

Squeeky bum time.

Dissenter

2-0 is not a dangerous score line with us having a man advantage

Now Leeds have to come out and play so we’ll, get more chances

Samesong

Why are we so soft bellied? when it comes to having a lead why can’t we punish teams ffs.

Un

Big Rob showing why he’s our best cb

Guernsey+gun

Ffs this is going to be shit 30 mins.

Samesong

2-0 is not a dangerous score line with us having a man advantage

I’ll be careful what you say here.

Dissenter

Martinelli should have scored one of those many chances he wasted

Left Testicle

The Lesser Spotted Pepe!

Samesong

Diss

All it takes is one set piece and their level.

rollen

Don’t fuck this up

Samesong

Why we have slowed the pace down is beyond me.

TheLegendaryDB10

We are/ were getting too comfortable with the one mam advsntage despite some good posts for a 3rd goal.

We need to push for thst 3td goal.

Good call to sub off Saka for Pepe.

Left Testicle

You can hear the nervousness in the stadium.

Dissenter

Samesong’
If we can’t win from being 2 goals up and one man up by the 12th minute at home

…then we don’t deserve to be in the CL

Jonko

Dissenter a man less doesnt really matter on set pieces..thats why 2 nil is still dangerous when up a man too…thats exactly what happ there

TheLegendaryDB10

One man advantage

Posts = efforts

That 3rd

Spanishdave

Arteta wants to copy Peps Wednesday night’s collapse!
Speed the game up not slow it down

LoveSausage

Stop with the crosses ffs.

Samesong

Diss

Let’s concentrate on Leeds first. This is a mentality thing with Arsenal we always go into comfy mode. Without creating any big chances.

Ash79

Oh ffs Ode

So much for bump up the GD

Dissenter

Jonko
We need to stop being so wasteful with our chances

Spanishdave

Ode could have passed that into the net, plonker

Dissenter

Leeds are going all out so we’ll get loads of chances
Problem is …can we finish our chances

WengerEagle

I dont give a fuck how scrappy this one is, we need to get over the line here and take the 3 points any way possible.

Nelson

We play really slow after they went down to 10.

TheLegendaryDB10

ESR coming on!!!

Dissenter

Martinelli was wasteful in front of goal
He had a good game though

Samesong

I dont give a fuck how scrappy this one is, we need to get over the line here and take the 3 points any way possible

Feels like this game is going on forever..

Jonko

Seriously got a bad feeling about how this is going to end

Samesong

What position is Tomi playing?

China1

How is it a player who is probably the worst crosser on pitch allowed to chuck in 50 form crosses per game AND take corners?

It’s so poor I’d start docking cedrics wages every time he puts in a cross because they’re fucking hopeless

TheLegendaryDB10

Hang in there Jonko!!!

Dissenter

Jonko
Take a purgative to get rid of you bad feeling. It’s something in your colon
We are more likely to score than concede

Sly

Odegaard early days yet but he’ll prove to be way more influential than ozil ever was

Samesong

China

His crosses are ok we are shit in the air.

TheLegendaryDB10

Samesong

Tomi is at LB.

Dissenter

Leeds have to do kamikaze attacks now
They have nothing to lose now but going all out

James wood.

Is that his betting slip.?

Nelson

We are playing slow and soft.

Thierry Martinelli

We should have put Leeds to the sword

TheLegendaryDB10

That player lying down blocking the low shot, if we shoot and hit his arm, is that a pen?

Dissenter

If we show up like this at the toilet bowl we will get smashed

MidwestGun

Haha James ..was weird.. I think it told Leeds who they were marking on set pieces. or something. Never seen an actual hand written note before being passed around.

LoveSausage

Much has been made about how we’ll improve once we have a better CF but I’m not sure how much difference it will make. Unless we’re playing on the counter against a better team, we only know how to play horseshoe football in 3rd gear. It’s so predictable. ESR is the only player that breaks patters and he gets benched.

TheLegendaryDB10

We can hang on!!!

Come on The Arsenal!!!

Dissenter

Why did Tomi do that
He didn’t have ti

Dissenter

Pepe is brain dead
Didn’t he know the goalie was up for the corner

Soham

Pepe is shit

MidwestGun

Shoooot!!!!! awww damn.. that could have been a 60 yard goal.