'Arsenal have been fined £65,000 following their players’ reaction to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sending off at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The full-back, 18, was shown a straight red card for ‘serious foul play’ by referee Michael Oliver in the 43rd minute of the game on January 25 after a challenge on Wolves defender Matt Doherty.
A number of Arsenal players surrounded Oliver to protest against his decision before it was checked and cleared by video assistant referee Darren England.'
No matter how much the Transactional pom pom girls want to take away Mertesackers input in producing gems including the ones that have gone to man u, it is crystal clear Arsenals future is better because of him.
Well said. Sterling and Trossard (when he was up front) were terrible. I know others says Sterling was getting caught offside all the time, but the truth is he was only called offside twice and one of those was level and the linesman should at least have waited. Trossard though was offside buckets of times. Regardless of offsides, both played really poorly, saved only by Nwaneri and then Merino.
But it's all about guts in games like this. I really think Liverpool might crack in the next few games, meaning we just need to keep our chase alive, by hook or by crook. It's unlikely we'll be champions in May but you never know....
I think that we need to be realistic. Liverpool as I have posted have lost one EPL game all season.
You can argue that we have been treated badly by referees or unlucky with injuries etc, which
is why we are 7 points behind them.
However, the facts are that we have lost three games this season against Newcastle. None of those results were the result of poor referee decisions.
Also only 3 games which we drew or lost were drawn were impacted by red cards.
Perhaps the one major criticism that I would make about Arsenal this season is that they have
failed to address the one major weakness in our squad and that is the recruitment of a quality
goalscoring striker.
All teams with serious aspirations to win league titles whether in England, Spain, Germany or Italy have got a top class goalscorer on their books. We have not.
We have lost twice (no idea where you're getting 3 times from) all season. Makes no difference on whether or not Liverpool will drop points. We're at the business end of the season and they are playing a lot of away games against tough teams trying to gain points and move into CL places. This does not make it impossible to not catch and overtake them. We have easier games and are in a block of games playing less. They are playing every 3 days. We're not. They will drop points and we need to capitalize every time they do. Your post sounds like an end of season one where Liverpool have already won the title. We have a huge chance with enough games left to rewrite the script that they have already won. Until its mathematical impossible there's a chance. Liverpool are no prime Man City.
We're still scoring goals so that doesn't wash. Trossard is a finisher once he starts scoring freely again, we'll all forget how average he's been. Big Gabi can score. Nwaneri scores. Merino shown he can score from defensive lapses which every team shows in this league. 13 games is a lot to still do damage.
realistically we have a margin of error of 1 game, at most 2 (if we win at anfield). we are capable of winning west ham, forest, united and chelsea, then we have saka, gabi back. opta gives us a 10/1 chance but if you look closely they put pool on 87 points. winning all puts us on 92, so we could be fine with 2 draws. 7 GD plus means we need to win our games by a bit but not impossible goal difference. it isn‘t impossible but surely hard
Whatever else happens at least there'll be some good to come out of this season and that's MLS and Nwaneri. Big steps made this season for the both of them.
The success of any academy player that makes it to the first team has little to do with the incumbent manager. Many, many youth coaches, parental support, good genes etc. have far more influence. It’s a minor miracle that we have two outstanding talents coming through, with Saka firmly established already and with strong hopes for another.
Maybe only Barca has a better immediate future with their academy. I’m pretty sure the manager (Head coach) of Barca, just like Arteta would take little credit for the presence of such talent. Mertsacker amongst many others are doing a really good job but luck does come into it too!
Anyways where's rap with his complaints about our scheduling? Got Liverpool playing a bunch of tough games every 3 days here the next couple weeks while we don't. Perfect time to capitalize but will we?
If you were to 'even' out possible reds, soft or otherwise, there is an argument that the points advantage Liverpool are currently enjoying would be limited to a point or two!
I have Liverpool supporting friends who agree that VVD has been lucky to escape red on more than one occasion and that we were unlucky with the reds in the first few games.
Sure but without wishing to state the bleeding obvious, the winner of PL will be decided over 38 games. There would be no gap if those three red cards had not been awarded. Apart from the the dropped points in those three games, it also meant that Saliba missed the Liverpool game where his presence might have made a difference in the 2-2 draw.
Ifs and buts of course but if VVD had just been given one red for Liverpool for violent conduct ( there have been 5 opportunities for reds which if they’d been given, they would have been far less controversial than ours), apart from the game itself, he would have missed three games subsequently.
We’ve had too many draws, Villa, Everton, Fulham and Brighton (twice!) were a fuck up but Liverpool have dropped points too.
I don’t think we’re likely to win this year. I just hope fate allows us to win next season. Nico Williams, Isak( an alternative top striker) Zubimendi additions would certainly give fate a hand as well as PGMOL to raise their standards
Very odd messaging around here almost like people are afraid to come out of their waco compound and talk to people. Way I see it is the problem isn't will Liverpool have a wobble at some point but moreso will we be able to benefit from it? Through the month of December and January really we haven't been able to make up the ground when they have slipped up with some disappointing results for us and really are still in it thanks to them not winning their game in hand.
‘Shut the fuck up and support what we have’ couldn’t have put it any better 💪🏽 cmon the boys!
Fuckin’ el have things gone against us this season but we’re still in it! 👊🏾 somehow 😅 let’s remember how much we love the club REGARDLESS and get right behind the boys
The EPL Title is out of our hands. If Liverpool keep on winning or we do not close gap they will win title.
Our focus and priority is now to finish in top 4 and qualify for Champions League and in the summer deal with the weaknesses or necessary replacements required in our squad.
We are short of two players in our starting lineup next season, which needs to be focus of our transfer business this summer. The club needs a reliable goalscoring CF whatever cost and the DMF will need to be replaced if Partey leaves.
Disappointed with the pool game as I was pretty convinced their patchy form and recent performances would bite them in the ass, but wolves are just too poor these days
They were poor, had 0.00 xG in the second half (historic achievement) with 0 attempts to score to 10 for Wolves.
Pool got away with it with another portion of shady refereeing (pens, yellow cards, red cards, you name it), poor finishing from Wolves probably due to having all 3 of their CFs injured - Strand Larsen, Hee-chan and Kalajdžić (Cunha had a smashing game again).
Their 2nd half was embarrassing and Wolves had 2 clear cut chances to score from but missed.
That was their easiest game mind you.
Trips to Villa, City and a home game to Newcastle in the next 9 days.
Arsenal have promoted this season from Academy two home grown players who are outstanding
talents. Both players are frankly good enough to play regularly in starting lineup, but I accept that because of their ages their time on the pitch should be restricted and they should not be
overplayed.
LEWIS-SKELLY
His favoured position is DMF but he is currently playing LB to which he is well suited as well and
in all probability is the position where he should compete with Calafiori for starting position.
NWANERI
His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder, but historically he has the versatility to play
on wing and as a striker at Academy level. He has in my opinion the talent and technical ability
to play in all three positions. Where he is potentially better than Saka and Odegaard is as a
clinical finisher and goalscorer and that is a commodity which is in short supply.
What is crystal clear to me is that both players will expect to start regularly in the first team next season and probably play also in England's senior team as well.
This brings me to Arsenal's future recruitment from Academy. Some questions need to be answered as to why OBI-MARTIN and HEAVEN left the Club this season and were sitting on the
bench at Man Utd yesterday.
Obviously there needs to be a regularly pathway into first team as Josh Kroenke expressed on
more than one occasion. If we assume that the requirements of first team squad is 25 players
then it should be possible to promote annually at least 2 Academy players.
I would start this summer by adding a goalkeeper. The third string which most clubs in EPL have
is either a player in his 30s or a super talented youngster. Let's be realistic the third string goalkeeper will seldom get a game, but he will gain experience from being in the training set up
and sitting on bench.
It has been also suggested that MAX DOWMAN is an exceptional talent. However, he plays also
in AMF and RW positions. He has just turned 15 and has already played in England U17 team as a 14 year old. So the question will need to be asked when will he be introduced to first team and
perhaps more importantly how will we accommodate in future Saka, Nwaneri and Dowman in same team. Having these players in the same generation is going to be a dilemma which will
In five years, I would like to see Saka and Dowman as 8s with either Rice or Myles as 6. Nwaneri as right wing, I think that he will have more goals in him from there than Saka, at that point in their careers.
Per The Athletic--
'Arsenal have been fined £65,000 following their players’ reaction to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sending off at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The full-back, 18, was shown a straight red card for ‘serious foul play’ by referee Michael Oliver in the 43rd minute of the game on January 25 after a challenge on Wolves defender Matt Doherty.
A number of Arsenal players surrounded Oliver to protest against his decision before it was checked and cleared by video assistant referee Darren England.'
--------------
The club should send that bill to Michael Oliver.
It should say 'wrongly checked and cleared' by an idiot.
Signing and playing Sterling ahead of Nwaneri is similar to signing and playing Willian ahead of Saka
No matter how much the Transactional pom pom girls want to take away Mertesackers input in producing gems including the ones that have gone to man u, it is crystal clear Arsenals future is better because of him.
Well said. Sterling and Trossard (when he was up front) were terrible. I know others says Sterling was getting caught offside all the time, but the truth is he was only called offside twice and one of those was level and the linesman should at least have waited. Trossard though was offside buckets of times. Regardless of offsides, both played really poorly, saved only by Nwaneri and then Merino.
But it's all about guts in games like this. I really think Liverpool might crack in the next few games, meaning we just need to keep our chase alive, by hook or by crook. It's unlikely we'll be champions in May but you never know....
Problem with that is Tross either scores or assists many times, and sterling?
Only takes up space.
I think that we need to be realistic. Liverpool as I have posted have lost one EPL game all season.
You can argue that we have been treated badly by referees or unlucky with injuries etc, which
is why we are 7 points behind them.
However, the facts are that we have lost three games this season against Newcastle. None of those results were the result of poor referee decisions.
Also only 3 games which we drew or lost were drawn were impacted by red cards.
Perhaps the one major criticism that I would make about Arsenal this season is that they have
failed to address the one major weakness in our squad and that is the recruitment of a quality
goalscoring striker.
All teams with serious aspirations to win league titles whether in England, Spain, Germany or Italy have got a top class goalscorer on their books. We have not.
We have lost twice (no idea where you're getting 3 times from) all season. Makes no difference on whether or not Liverpool will drop points. We're at the business end of the season and they are playing a lot of away games against tough teams trying to gain points and move into CL places. This does not make it impossible to not catch and overtake them. We have easier games and are in a block of games playing less. They are playing every 3 days. We're not. They will drop points and we need to capitalize every time they do. Your post sounds like an end of season one where Liverpool have already won the title. We have a huge chance with enough games left to rewrite the script that they have already won. Until its mathematical impossible there's a chance. Liverpool are no prime Man City.
I’d say we had more chance if our front three weren’t out!
We're still scoring goals so that doesn't wash. Trossard is a finisher once he starts scoring freely again, we'll all forget how average he's been. Big Gabi can score. Nwaneri scores. Merino shown he can score from defensive lapses which every team shows in this league. 13 games is a lot to still do damage.
realistically we have a margin of error of 1 game, at most 2 (if we win at anfield). we are capable of winning west ham, forest, united and chelsea, then we have saka, gabi back. opta gives us a 10/1 chance but if you look closely they put pool on 87 points. winning all puts us on 92, so we could be fine with 2 draws. 7 GD plus means we need to win our games by a bit but not impossible goal difference. it isn‘t impossible but surely hard
‘was about to post a quite peculiar stat I found about our captain but I'll save it for another day.
I'm doing it for Bob.’
Why live with such anguish? I say let’s see it, raps.
Unless it’s from the same source you get your VVD injuries and red cards, then no.
Not in my name…
Whatever else happens at least there'll be some good to come out of this season and that's MLS and Nwaneri. Big steps made this season for the both of them.
The f** kers have had an easy ride so far.So no.No sympathy whatsoever.Lets see how they handle it.Injuries incoming.Villa are physical.
I'm curious why your posts always seem to have a few words in green.
It's because he doesn't do spaces and with the dot it becomes a link.
Dont click on those links, they’re all porn sites
Thanks!
Thanks Marko.You learn something new every day so they say.😮
Do you though?
Think so Marko.Or is that hope so.🤫
😂
Me too Bob ?weird.
The success of any academy player that makes it to the first team has little to do with the incumbent manager. Many, many youth coaches, parental support, good genes etc. have far more influence. It’s a minor miracle that we have two outstanding talents coming through, with Saka firmly established already and with strong hopes for another.
Maybe only Barca has a better immediate future with their academy. I’m pretty sure the manager (Head coach) of Barca, just like Arteta would take little credit for the presence of such talent. Mertsacker amongst many others are doing a really good job but luck does come into it too!
Anyways where's rap with his complaints about our scheduling? Got Liverpool playing a bunch of tough games every 3 days here the next couple weeks while we don't. Perfect time to capitalize but will we?
raps busy tallying up Pool’s red cards that weren’t.
I’m hearing VVD is on five already
If you were to 'even' out possible reds, soft or otherwise, there is an argument that the points advantage Liverpool are currently enjoying would be limited to a point or two!
Turn it around and we'd be in front!
Yes, you could make that argument, many have done so, Bob.
Only one problem though, Liverpool fans have their own litany of ‘bad’ calls going their way to counter yours.
I have Liverpool supporting friends who agree that VVD has been lucky to escape red on more than one occasion and that we were unlucky with the reds in the first few games.
Our red cards ,undeserved or otherwise , all happened at the start of the season, yet we haven’t closed the gap on pool since.
We were 7 points adrift after week 14, and we are 7 points adrift now, except with a worse goal difference.
The xG difference stat, one I’m not a big fan of at all, has also grown in their favor.
Not to mention their form in Europe.
Anyone denying they’ve been better till now is not serious.
Pool dropping points along the way has never been in question, said this much to Pedro after week 15.
The problem has been we’ve been dropping them at the same rate.
Sure but without wishing to state the bleeding obvious, the winner of PL will be decided over 38 games. There would be no gap if those three red cards had not been awarded. Apart from the the dropped points in those three games, it also meant that Saliba missed the Liverpool game where his presence might have made a difference in the 2-2 draw.
Ifs and buts of course but if VVD had just been given one red for Liverpool for violent conduct ( there have been 5 opportunities for reds which if they’d been given, they would have been far less controversial than ours), apart from the game itself, he would have missed three games subsequently.
We’ve had too many draws, Villa, Everton, Fulham and Brighton (twice!) were a fuck up but Liverpool have dropped points too.
I don’t think we’re likely to win this year. I just hope fate allows us to win next season. Nico Williams, Isak( an alternative top striker) Zubimendi additions would certainly give fate a hand as well as PGMOL to raise their standards
Nobody cares about other teams calls, Tom.
Football fans have always shown bias.
The only fan in the world who tries to be even handed is you.
Yes, it’s a fatal design flaw.
I blame god.
Pool will certainly drop points here, we just need to do our bit.
It's because of the League Cup final.
That weekend is a PL weekend so they are moving the game against Villa from the middle of March to this midweek.
I don't feel sorry for them cause that's how it is when you progress deep into tournaments. It is what it is.
It is what it is...indeed.
Very odd messaging around here almost like people are afraid to come out of their waco compound and talk to people. Way I see it is the problem isn't will Liverpool have a wobble at some point but moreso will we be able to benefit from it? Through the month of December and January really we haven't been able to make up the ground when they have slipped up with some disappointing results for us and really are still in it thanks to them not winning their game in hand.
Mertesacker is empathic with academy players and Not Transactional that why we are producing gems like Nwaneri and MLS
‘Shut the fuck up and support what we have’ couldn’t have put it any better 💪🏽 cmon the boys!
Fuckin’ el have things gone against us this season but we’re still in it! 👊🏾 somehow 😅 let’s remember how much we love the club REGARDLESS and get right behind the boys
Que Sera Sera [What will be will be]
The EPL Title is out of our hands. If Liverpool keep on winning or we do not close gap they will win title.
Our focus and priority is now to finish in top 4 and qualify for Champions League and in the summer deal with the weaknesses or necessary replacements required in our squad.
We are short of two players in our starting lineup next season, which needs to be focus of our transfer business this summer. The club needs a reliable goalscoring CF whatever cost and the DMF will need to be replaced if Partey leaves.
ES- you’re on a severe downer today. Get out of the gutter man.
I am not on a downer at all. Liverpool may not be playing particularly well, but they are winning games. They have lost only one game this season.
So you have to be realistic.
Let's see how they perform against Man City which is coming up shortly.
Arsenal have also got some difficult games including against Newcastle who have beaten us 3 times this season and we have not scored a goal.
Forget the oilers.How about Villa.They are physical.
Away to Villa midweek
‘If Liverpool keep on winning,or we do not close the gap they will win the title’…..No shit Sherlock 😂..who’d a thunk it!
ES…they’ve got some heavy games coming up-they will drop points. Did you watch the match yesterday?- Wolves were unlucky not to come away with a draw.
A bit testy Jonny, no?
At stroller no less, one of the most civil posters around too.
Was it the spelling that set you off?
See, that’s why this site needs a heathen like myself, so you can take your anger out without looking a bit of a dick.
Tom…Tot’num Tom no less…he didn’t spell anything wrong. Now you’re being a pedant.
I challenged him- just like you challenge people on here every day. You just don’t like it back. Pick a fight with someone else.
No Tom.We don’t.We really don’t.
I was about to post a quite peculiar stat I found about our captain but I'll save it for another day.
I'm doing it for Bob.
Very thoughtful of you
Do it for yourself so others won't think you're a bit of a dicksplash!
Too late for that
Boring Boring Boring. Give it a rest
It's a really good one though.
Disappointed with the pool game as I was pretty convinced their patchy form and recent performances would bite them in the ass, but wolves are just too poor these days
They were poor, had 0.00 xG in the second half (historic achievement) with 0 attempts to score to 10 for Wolves.
Pool got away with it with another portion of shady refereeing (pens, yellow cards, red cards, you name it), poor finishing from Wolves probably due to having all 3 of their CFs injured - Strand Larsen, Hee-chan and Kalajdžić (Cunha had a smashing game again).
Their 2nd half was embarrassing and Wolves had 2 clear cut chances to score from but missed.
That was their easiest game mind you.
Trips to Villa, City and a home game to Newcastle in the next 9 days.
Arsenal have promoted this season from Academy two home grown players who are outstanding
talents. Both players are frankly good enough to play regularly in starting lineup, but I accept that because of their ages their time on the pitch should be restricted and they should not be
overplayed.
LEWIS-SKELLY
His favoured position is DMF but he is currently playing LB to which he is well suited as well and
in all probability is the position where he should compete with Calafiori for starting position.
NWANERI
His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder, but historically he has the versatility to play
on wing and as a striker at Academy level. He has in my opinion the talent and technical ability
to play in all three positions. Where he is potentially better than Saka and Odegaard is as a
clinical finisher and goalscorer and that is a commodity which is in short supply.
What is crystal clear to me is that both players will expect to start regularly in the first team next season and probably play also in England's senior team as well.
This brings me to Arsenal's future recruitment from Academy. Some questions need to be answered as to why OBI-MARTIN and HEAVEN left the Club this season and were sitting on the
bench at Man Utd yesterday.
Obviously there needs to be a regularly pathway into first team as Josh Kroenke expressed on
more than one occasion. If we assume that the requirements of first team squad is 25 players
then it should be possible to promote annually at least 2 Academy players.
I would start this summer by adding a goalkeeper. The third string which most clubs in EPL have
is either a player in his 30s or a super talented youngster. Let's be realistic the third string goalkeeper will seldom get a game, but he will gain experience from being in the training set up
and sitting on bench.
It has been also suggested that MAX DOWMAN is an exceptional talent. However, he plays also
in AMF and RW positions. He has just turned 15 and has already played in England U17 team as a 14 year old. So the question will need to be asked when will he be introduced to first team and
perhaps more importantly how will we accommodate in future Saka, Nwaneri and Dowman in same team. Having these players in the same generation is going to be a dilemma which will
need to be resolved in next couple of years.
In five years, I would like to see Saka and Dowman as 8s with either Rice or Myles as 6. Nwaneri as right wing, I think that he will have more goals in him from there than Saka, at that point in their careers.
'how will we accommodate in future Saka, Nwaneri and Dowman in same team ?'
with great joy!
If they're all fit and available, Nwaneri covers both RW and AM, as would Dowman. A great problem to have.
Dowman will play only fitfully at least until 2026/27 season. A few cameos will about it. He only turns 16 on NYE!
Yes a great problem to have, but could result in player's dissatisfaction and ultimately their departure from club unless resolved.
That’s a far better situation to resolve than the one we’re in now.
Cross that bridge....