Right, we are out of Carabao Cup and FA Cup, but not everything is lost. We are 11 points clear of Man City in Premier League and we can take that lead to 12 points if we beat Bournemouth today. City do have 2 games in hand, but if they win both, we will still have a 6 point lead with only 6 games left for the season. In Champions League, we have a 1-0 advantage against Sporting and the second leg is at home. If we managed to get at least a draw, we will be playing Atletico (most likely) in the semi finals. I would rather play Atletico than Flick’s Barcelona.
The chance of lifting a trophy is still a possibility. And a win today will improve that possibility even more. Bournemouth are sitting in the bottom half of the table, and I hope we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot today.
Playing XI is out and I still don’t understand what has gotten into Arteta’s mind.
Why is Martinelli in the playing XI when you have Hincapie available. It’s not the time to be concerned about the injuries, because a loss in any of the games could mean a title. I’m OK with rest of the selection, Eze could have played ahead of Havertz but I’m not sure how much of his fitness is back.
I don’t understand the fact that we spend more than 250m on midfielders (Rice, Zubimendi, Norgaard, Havertz, Odegaard) and yet, we always have 2 DM-profile players and an option to choose from a non-performing Odegaard with a out-of-form Havertz. Anyway, that shouldn’t be a problem for a team sitting on 1st, playing against a bottom half team I suppose.
We need to win today. Man City has to visit Chelsea tomorrow and though I don’t have much confidence in Chelsea beating them, anything can happen. In last 3 seasons, we have always been the favorites going into last 7-8 games but have given it away. There are 7 games left, and 7 test of whether we have learned something over the years.
Right, game starts in an hour. See ya.
The Miam F1 Sprint race was at the same time and is far more interesting then the boring horseshoe of sadness Arteta ball. F1 Qualifying to start in an hour. Actually ATV+ $100 for a year quite good deal for all they offer.
Agree
Found Fulham unusually devoid of any ideas or determination. They played a very passive game.
Guess the bots will be on staccato mode tomorrow .
Hoopah—how could they possibily resist the temptation to tell us how they went out on a limb and predicted a win against what they’ll view as a very game Fulham…whenever someone is bloviating about the parity in the PL just suggest that they take a gander at today’s performance by the visiting side…we’ve seen a shit ton of those silver platter affairs this season…all that said, it was nice to see VG get a brace and for Saka to be wheeling around the pitch with a big smile on his face
possibly
So it’s over to city to try and win their next 2 games against Everton away and Brentford home before we play west ham away.
2 tough games and the hardest one could well be Brentford who are sitting in 6th place. They are a team in the Bournemouth mode who play without fear, are strong and physical and are prepared to throw men forward in search of a goal , City won’t be able to take any liberties that’s for sure.
Before that city play everton on Monday night and conveniently Michael Oliver has been put in charge so I doubt if he will do Everton any favours going by past history when refereeing city games.
It looks like Arteta may have stumbled on a midfield that works very well , Rice sitting in front of the back 4, Skelly playing on the front foot and Eze the creative spark.
Today’s performance has given the club a lift at the perfect time, 3 superbly worked goal , a high energy first half to kill the game off and then a sensible approach to the 2nd half to see the game out.
The doubters will of course say that Fulham never turned up but that is a lazy narrative as we showed today that we are more than capable of winning ouŕ last 5 games of the season , I see no reason why we can’t finish the job.
The return of Skelly to the side in a midfield role was a surprise and he didn’t disappoint, brave on and off the ball with a superb 97% passing rate as he his definitely not a recycler of the football and is more of a risk taker.
Arsenal fans could be in for a treat in the next few years as we could have a number of hale enders cementing a place in the first team.
Saka
Dowman
Skelly
Nwaneri
These are all players that have been brought up the Arsenal way and have superb technique and importantly are brave on and off the ball and are fearless , Saka will guide the younger one’s so it will be down to Arteta to show trust in our young players coming through.
A positive day, first chilled afternoon in ages. When we’re doing “we’re the North Bank/Clock End” at 65 mins, it’s a job well done.
Fulham are knocking on the door of Europe and spots, 3 points off sixth, and we did well to see them off.
Lots of good things about today. Playing on the front foot, Lewis Skelly, Dowman cameo to gild the lily and of course Gyokeres with MOTM level display, Two and an assist with a reverse pass. You’d be fibbing of you said you saw that coming.
Fair play, he set himself up to be that battering and ram and plain pest and worked his socks off. Perhaps the penny’s dropped and he realises that the minimum is to put that effort in to compensate for technical shortcomings. If he’s prepared to take the lumps he took, and they were pretty rough with him, hands round his neck and the like, and keep going back for more, he’ll become an asset.
Smart subs with an eye on Tues. Smiles at the stadium.
It’s a little simple to state we won because Fulham are kack or their manager messed up but I get why people need to work their cope levels with that type of reductive commentary.
It had been suggested on here previously that ESR would thrive at Fulham under a better manager than Tets, I saw little evidence to support that but I was glad we could shoe our appreciation when he was subbed off with a rousing rendition of Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. I hope it wasn’t dispiriting fir him as, in the words of Bachmann Turner Overdrive, any love is good love.
Hopefully this result hasn’t upset too many on here and they find some way to enjoy being top of the league and pulling ahead on GD and GS.
Hopefully spuds crash tomorrow so we don’t need conflicting emotions beating the Spammers.
Rest easy people, the nature of doing well is big games come thick and fast and we have a huge one on Tues. You may even want to consider getting behind the team for this one rather than supporting the oppo. But we live in a democracy and I respect your right to choose even when those choices seem a bit silly to proper supporters. I doubt that anyone at the Ems on Tues will be willing AM to win but I recognise that online role play is a different beast.
Wicket
About the Arsenal kids brought up to play in the legendary Arsenal way ,
If they get pushed down to 3-5 in the pecking order order like Newari they will leave. And we will be left with dreams , and the next guy without tools.
Players need playing time . It is unfortunate that gets reduced to luck like in the case of Odegard which is obvious and and also Saka . Both would not have come up without cojones in the Manager to give them chances
And 😂😂😂allow them to express themselves so Arsenal can progress like they have done now.( that includes giving Jover the field to do his thing. About OG it comes down to to Catalan luck I guess )
Sorry it is Wicksy , not the cricket thingammy
Damn spellcheck
I haven’t been too complimentary on Gyokeres this season , his , technique, movement, anticipation, link up play and heading have all been found wanting.
Yesterday was very different, I don’t think he can be faulted , I especially liked his movement and anticipation for his first tap in goal , plus his link up for the saka goal was perfection , and for his 2nd he didn’t get involved with the defender and the excellent trossard delivered a perfect cross for gyokeres to do what all good strikers should do in that position , which is to head the ball back where it came from, excellent performance from him though I would still have been inclined to give the man of the match to Skelly.
Hoopah
Although I don’t agree with the treatment of nwaneri, Arteta has shown previously that he can rectify his mistake by making what looks like an outcast ,as in the case of saliba, become a first team regular , Skelly is similar as in all honesty he hasn’t covered himself in glory playing at left back this season so it is understandable why Arteta has been reluctant to use him .
Skelly looked comfortable in centre mid as he has the ability and desire to drive forward through the heart of the midfield which creates space for others..
Nwaneri, Skelly and Dowman are all still teenagers , their time will come hopefully, though it will be tough as we should now be in the market for the elite players.
Wicksy
Skelly was only in the team because Zubi needed a rest – Zubi providing he’s not injured will be back mid week and for the West Ham match (which West Ham will turn up?).
Nwaneri will also be sold in the summer to raise funds unless a new manager is in place and decides he wants him.
Marc
Fulham fucking chucked it yesterday. Now why we know they got Leno for only £3 million
And don’t be surprised if they get first dibs on Nwaneri in the summer either.
Burnley at least gave Manchester City a game.
Thats what this cunt has had reverted to do , to win.
Cunts.
Leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth, if we are going down the same road as on the continent, where inducements are normal practice.
Hopefully West Ham show show fight next week.
Marc
“Skelly was only in the team because Zubi needed a rest – Zubi providing he’s not injured will be back mid week and for the West Ham match”
If as you say Zubimendi needed a rest then the obvious choice was Norgaard.
I suppose the question that the Arteta detractors will ask is why hasn’t Skelly been given the opportunity in midfield prior to yesterday, which is a fair point but for me it was a brave decision to start Skelly ahead of Norgaard and Arteta was rewarded for showing trust in Skelly, but yes I tend to agree that Arteta may have wasted skelly’s ability to break the lines in midfield especially as we have been so one dimensional recently.
As for Zubimendi coming back to replace Skelly for the remainder of the season or at least the 2 matches this week , I’m not convinced that Skelly won’t start at least one of those games and I definitely think he he should play at home to Burnley when goal advantage will be crucial.
Skelly may have played his way into the team or at the very least will be first option if a sub is needed in midfield.
You fraud
Bitter and twisted springs to mind when reading your posts.
We are at the stage of the season in the league where you need players who play with confidence and are brave on the ball.
Yesterday it was in the main the Hale enders coming in who made a difference.
Saka was superb , Skelly played with great maturity and was never afraid to put his foot on the ball and attack the space , also Dowman’s composure on the ball stood out and for me should be first choice sub ahead of martinelli and madueke who looked nervous yesterday.
Trossard looked back to his best and calafiori gives the team something extra going forward and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.
Odegaard being injured was a blessing in disguise for Arteta as it allowed trossard to come in and Eze to play in his most Influential position , though I have seen him have better games..
Wicksy
Norgaard has played a total of 56 minutes in the PL this season in 6 substitute appearances including 2 of 1 minute.
Pretty sure Arteta doesn’t think he’s a good fit for the PL. If Skelly is putting in a good shift in training etc and earnt the chance to deputise then good on him but let’s not try and make out it was some tactical masterclass. Zubi has looked fucked for a while now – its his first season in the PL and he’s played a lot of matches. Giving him a break before he got injured was not rocket science.
10:59—“Michael Oliver has been put in charge so I doubt if he will do Everton any favours going by past history when refereeing city games”—tin foil hat brigade nonsense
11:12—“may have stumbled on a midfield that works very well”—you do realize that we paid 100+M for Rice to be deployed in that very position, as he was 2nd highest rated DM in the world at the time…furthermore, if you think Skelly is the future of our midfield based on a decent one-off late season appearance against a going through the motions side, after being ignored all year long, then you’re fucking high
11:24–“97% passing rate as he his definitely not a recycler of the football”—no one hits the 97th percentile without being a recylcer of the ball…btw Ethan could easily be sold off in the summer and MA has never properly incorporated any academy pieces into his lineup, so why would that change anytme soon