Liverpool has dropped 3 huge points at home to Crystal Palace. City are 2 points ahead having played an extra game than us. We win today and we go back to the top. We win today and we go three crucial points ahead of Liverpool with only 6 games to go. Every game is a cup final now for the boys and Mikel.
Team News
Strange decision to start Zinchenko ahead of Kiwior, because Kiwior has been doing better than Zinni and one bad game doesn’t mean we are going to hamper his confidence. If it’s purely for rotational purpose, I can live with it. Gabriel Jesus makes his way into the starting XI with Rice anchoring the midfield alone with Havertz playing the more forward role today. Trossard starts today ahead of Martinelli whom I think will come-in at some point to give Saka some rest.
Frankly, I had hated the concept of playing Havertz as CF but he has been doing better up top than he does in midfield. Gabriel Jesus does the dirty work but is not as clinical in front as you would expect your CF to be. Trossard gives me some hope though.
Liverpool is suffering the way we did last season. One loss and everything has gone bonkers for them. They were unbeaten at home from god knows when, and suddenly Atlanta wins 3-0 and they can’t even keep Crystal Palace to a draw. City, on the other hand, have gone full beast mode.
We need to win today. At any cost. First, because Pep is not going to drop any points now and the only way we win the league is by winning all our games. Second, I hate Aston Villa.
Right, a very short one today. See you during the game.
he’s a fucking bull in a china shop…likely trying too hard to prove his worth, now that others have emerged
TRVL
Some of that money will be recovered from Eddie’s and Vieira’s sale. If we get a CF, Havertz is permanent in that midfield.
this is the first time that MA’s actually played Havertz in a more advanced Xhaka role, which is what he should have done all along…like I said earlier, if we can present a threat from wider positions, that extra player can find themselves unmarked on a fairly regular basis…now if he could find a way to finish with even a modicum of flare/guile we could have something…even more so if we got a clinical Striker
Ambarish-I very much doubt we will be getting that much for Eddie, as he’s more poacher than bona fide Striker…as for Vieira, who the fuck would take him, unless we were willing to eat 25+ of the our original 35+ spend
This is too much chaos for my liking. We need to score and that too as early as possible to calm down!
My arse just let out a 100 decibel squeak and broke all my windows.
Ben White improves Saka so much. TRVL, again if Martinelli got that support at Left side!
Timber comes back soon.
White did well there. C’mon Arsenal.
KP the Israelis will be knocking at your door – you could be their secret weapon – meanwhile back at the Emirates Emilio performs the save of the season.
Someone needs to whisper into Jesus’s ear that it’s a CL game.. and he might score then.
Villa don’t know what to do with Havertz run. We should have made it count because he will regroup at half time.
We’re playing well and creating chances without fully ticking. Need to get more shots off and show a bit more composure.
hard to believe it’s 0-0 at half considering the back-and-forth of the last 10-12 minutes…everytine I watch Emi I can’t help but think of what might have been, especially with a spine than included him and Rice on either side of our backline
I woudl suspect that Villa’s defensive concerns recently, plus having no Luiz, was enough impetus for MA to pursue a more offensive gameplan…would like to see what this looked like with Marts out wide and either Tross or Havertz in that lane crashing role…frankly it’s a travesty that we haven’t tried it until the last month or so of the season
3 shots on target from 14 attempts is a little pedestrian for my liking…we simply have to get better inside the box…if it weren’t for Emi’s presence, Tross would have likely put us up by 1
Ambarish-have to disagree with your suggestion that White makes Saka better, as he doesn’t do enough to rid the latter of his normal double-teaming situation…like I said, he’s done an admirably job, but I would really like to see Timber on his natural side with Saka, once he returns from injury
we spend way too much time going to ground!!!
now that they’re man-marking Havertz more, maybe it’s time for Rice to make a run on the odd ocassion
if Villa keep trying to overplay the ball at the back we should get a gift or two
Zaniolo is the Italian equivalent of Havertz, as both were blue chip prospects of the highest order, but now find themselves in resurrection mode…to be fair, Havertz has been more impactful in recent years than Zaniolo, mind you the latter has been ravaged by injuries for the better part of his professional gig