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.
just a smattering of comments made by various media outlets following our timid efforts versus Bayern:
“This was one of Bayern’s weakest teams in years. They were there for the taking, but Arsenal never seized anything. There was almost an inferiority complex”
once Bayern scored “Arsenal now had to respond. They had to rouse themselves, but they seemed too wedded to a controlled approach…Bayern were never really put under any pressure. It was telling that there was barely a major chance after the Kimmich goal. Arteta complained when the clock went up for a mere four minutes of injury time, but what were they going to do?”
“As in the first leg, Bayern so easily kept them at arm’s length. That might be fatigue. That might be inexperience. That might be a lack of ideas. Whatever it is, it’s elimination”
“this was as a case of ‘same old Arsenal’”
“this Arsenal side is so accomplished at rolling over lesser sides in the Premier League, but to defeat the very best, they need greater attacking threat. They need a predator to kill off the opposition in tight, tense encounters such as this”
reminiscent of “the flimsy Arsenal of Arsene Wenger’s latter years”
just food for thought
the one saving grace of this past week is the fact that it exposed Havertz for what he truly is, a part-time cog who can do a job under very particular circumstances…now it’s not a done deal yet that we will invest heavily in a readymade Striker, as there’s still ample time for the previous nonsensical narrative to reemerge, but we’re vastly closer to that potential outcome than we were at any point prior…difficult pill to swallow considering the finances and opportunity costs involved, but it could provide a much-needed light at the end of a tunnel that might not have come otherwise…I guess only time will tell
I’m setting up a benefit concert and would appreciate any help from the regulars on here. Its an amazing cause that has been overlooked for far too long. So people for the love of God put your hands in your pockets for Arsenal fans who can’t see the wood for the trees.
You can identify one of these unfortunate individuals but the following conversations.
“Fucking hell why does “insert player’s name here” keep doing that” but it has nothing to do with the manager who told the player to keep doing it.
“Why the fuck do we keep picking “insert player’s name here”” without it being the fault of the manager who picks the squad.
“”insert player’s name here” isn’t up to it why the fuck did we buy him / should’ve spent the money on a “insert position here”” without blaming the manager who controls who we buy.
“Marc I know you don’t like Arteta buy you’re wrong about him” after moaning for 5 minutes about us fucking up against Villa on Monday morning – genuine conversation I had and that’s before last night.
Marc
I feel for you having to deal with the blind, deaf and dumb Gooners. Might be better to set up a misguided Gooner/El B mental and emotional health clinic from the proceeds of the concert.
Confirmed Gooner music stars for the line up could include Mick Jagger, Rihanna (what a cool duo) Jaimie Fox falsetto R&B voice like Timberlake. Then Dido, Jay-Z, Roger Walters and John Williams.
Martin Kemp of Spandau. DJ Joel Corry can do fill in sets. Adding more variety should be Jess Glynne and Roger Daltrey where I assume the ‘Who are you’ chant comes from.
I had to kick in to be of help, Marc. I bet others here can add to the line up.
I’m sure Dido wrote this song for El B. White flag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7qudOefsUo
“The day when one of our top team tries to leave will lead to the dismissal of El B.”
We can only hope and pray. Norg
Tony
Nice idea mate, but Kroenke junior (the one with the silly fucking beard) is featured in the Guardian saying how he and his fantastically wealthy family are in it for the long haul. That may of course mean they’d sell but only if the price was right…
Any chance you could negotiate a leveraged buyout via the national bank of Thailand?
Marc and Tony
How about a ppv firing squad or stoning arena? A bit like mirkin wearing Kroenke senior’s plan for a big game trophy hunting channel. Odious old wanker.
Missing consonants.
Apparently Senora la Bastarda was livid with her diminutive eyebrow sculpted husband when he suggested she used dido to while away the quiet evenings while he was off losing in Europe this week. 🍆🥒🥕🥖
My tea’s gone cold…. so i better make another cup. ☕
https://youtu.be/1TO48Cnl66w?si=L-J9btK03yqGjJa7
My team’s gone cold I’m wondering why-y
I’m still in a job
The goals are pouring in past Raya
LiR thinks I’m a knob etc.
Tony
Some other musical gooners off the top of my head.
Ray Davies
John Lydon
Tony Hadley (who I’d regularly spot walking to Highbury as I was leaving my flat at Highbury Barn to join him). Some – but not all – of the Madness boys were Gooners too right?
Many, many more. I used to like reading about celebs who were Gooners, eg the Queen, Fidel Castro, Osama bin Laden and J Corbyn. Oh, and the Conservative Party’s soon to be new PM Keir Starmer, with whom I used to go to games in the 90s and play football with when he was a bit more of a lefty, even though we argued relentlessly about Tony Blair’s credentials.
KP
Alan Davies & Dara O’Briain are serious Gooners. Not sure about Charlie 3 but his Dad and Mum were Gooners – especially Phil.
TRVL – the high profile name to leave will be Saliba.
KP some brilliant venting that only you can do, and why we adopt your global linguistic creations, such as El B. I’d kick the Madness tours off from the Archway Tavern for the tour bus meeting point. Oddly, football was rarely mentioned on tour or in studios/rehearsal rooms if at all. The ex Stiff GM and WB exec told me about 8 years ago that Suggs was a Chavs fan, so clearly made better music choices until RA rocked up.
Thai banking is a law unto themselves. I have to wait for a level 3 or something person to answer even the lowest level of questions when said person of suitable superiority is free to make calls. I’d need the level next to god or higher to put your buying Kroenke out there. That could take years just to get the call returned by the right person; daddy K would likely be dead by then and Viking wannabe Josh fancies himself as the next coming of Ragnar will be in movies or trying to be.
That was some real acting chops shown in the All or Nothing by Josh. I mean the velocity of the El B high fives left me wincing they were so real. I’d back Josh to take Zales Zalewski out on the evidence of the Colney canteen’s best high-5 moments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbnN1asWiY0
About the El B PPV stoning? Why not make it more interesting and add Pedro for a 2 for 1 and use the 1000 cuts version at prime time. Paper cuts could be added to the oooooooohhh value, me thinks.
It would actually be a very cool line up if our famed Gooner warblers did a charity concert at the Emirates.
I think Marc has actually hit on something for a summer concert for the pay-off-the-leverage-debt concert? How would that income be counted by FFP? I mean it’s gooners generating income from streaming the next best thing since Live Aid for all football fans. The extravaganza being the first would get other club fans grudgingly adding to our coffers with their subscriptions.
Only at LIR can we let loose our spectrum handbrakes and let the silly goodies out for us all to enjoy.
Speaking of such comedy, Almunia are you well and and in the right mood for one of your brilliant satirical moments for us to savor? I know it’s all a bit one sided and the level of creativity needed because I read about it, so, I’m wondering if we had a Guinness whip round if that would help.
I mean let Ambarish add a buy Almunia a Guinness pint mug to keep you juiced when writing? Me and KP would have great fun keeping you topped up. We realise when it’s completed you’ll need to dry out – so remove the pint mug then?
How many pints can you drink a night? Asking for a friend.
Forgot to add the One Step Beyond album was final mixed a Martin Rushent’s studio while we were on the road in America.
Martin was a really good producer especially of bands you liked:
“Martin Rushent began the ’80s as a wealthy, in-demand producer and studio owner. Having helped the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks, Generation X, Altered Images and the Human League all achieve massive chart hits, he seemed to be riding the crest of a never-breaking wave of success”
https://www.soundonsound.com/people/martin-rushent-producer
A good read from my world
AINM -yes please to another chapter about the dark halls of Colney.
KP – El B’s punishment -forget the stoning and firing squad – just leave it to Mrs El B after you whisper in her ear that El B is shafting Cedric’s wife.
Tony
Another one bites the dust – Dickey Betts.
Norg
Sad loss I love the Allman brothers. I’ve got most their discography in Hi Res DSD files. When Steve came over to tune my room with me we did a collection swap that hugely enhanced already incredible catalogues.
I’m continually collecting from FLAC file and above. I prefer DSD PCM WAV & AIFF in that order.
I miss my old Rega Planner and good 90s stylus but when I could I digitised my collection. Still have a lot of Bluray and DVD but now I think about 14TB with it all digitised.
Worth looking at Duane’s slide guitar work guesting on Clapton and many other equally great guitarist.
Clapton with Joe Bonamassa live at the Albert Hall is a must watch. The BluRay is excellent and Bonamassa at his best for me.
Typical ADHD data gathering: Betts, Duane Allman, Clapton to Bonamassa in seconds in my mind.
Sorry KP don’t mean to trigger your Eric discord.
Just realised the wolves game is 0130 hours for me, so probably Sunday morning is better and a good nights sleep.
Cheers Tony
I’m suitably untriggered. Beautiful weather here so not even thoughts Sturmbahnfuhrer Clapton can get me down.
good banter today boys…my time zone issues precludes me from actively participating, but an enjoyable read nonetheless
should be a rather one-sided fixture this weekend against another injury-decimated squad, but I guess you just never know…this is the kind of match where we should be looking to create even more separation from a goal differential standpoint just in case City shit the bed, which seems unlikely considering their CL ousting, but that’s why you play the games
let’s hope that our gangly faux forward Havertz doesn’t get a couple poacher specials so that the whole “we don’t need a Striker” narrative doesn’t return in full-force
TRVL
That’s the question over Arteta now – can he at least make it a tight finish? A real winner would take a view that with City not playing in the PL this weekend and us having 2 fixtures before they play in it again, then we play before they have their next match it’s worth putting pressure on them and seeing if even the mighty Pep can feel the heat.
I wouldn’t bet on it though.
can he at least make it a tight finish
Marc
Now that he’s introduced his better half to Dido, I doubt it… (fnarr fnarr).
Let’s be honest, we probably ain’t winning the title, yet again. The only way we can is to go on another post Dubai rip and hope that the RM defeat has put the zap on Guardiola’s bawheid brain.
I hate to say it but I fear a sagging, flaccid finish that leaves Arsenal lovers unfulfilled. It’s what he does.
Sexual innuendo Saturday.
Hi Vieira
KH isn’t only a faux forward – at times, he’s a faux footballer. He – and several others – need big games tonight against a depleted pack of Wolves.
After Munich, I watched a second pub team game last night. Pembrokeshire league game final at County’s ground in Haverfordwest. Not the best, just like Wednesday, and I’m there for another one tonight. I’m hoping they invent a tablet to combat footballitis soon.
Also got my ticket for the annual end of season away day for Cardiff fans.
Drum roll please……. 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁
It’s (already relegated) Rotherham! Looks like an interesting ground, and the high point is they play in Arsenal colours. 4th of May. Hoping we can do better than last season’s finale which was a three nil defeat up at Burnley.
Oh, and tomorrow it’s a 70 mile bus trip (not driving so that junior and I can have a few pints) to Penybont (Bridgend) to see if County can win and get into a Europa Conference play off.
NORG – and that’s your fun-packed installment on Welsh football for the week. 😊
Looking back I think Ode and Saka weren’t anywhere near their best for large parts of the first half of the season. Both players, Ode in particular seemed to really up their games after our mid season break but have looked jaded in the last two matches.
Arteta not knowing how to rotate players is beginning to look less like a problem and more like a permanent brick wall that sees us collapse in the final run in.
Is it really going to take another season of the same thing happening for the fans to click?
“not driving so that junior and I can have a few pints”
Drinking before a match? Not something I can condone.
Hi Marc
The thing about Arteta’s constipation 💩 when it comes to rotating is that he’ll be given another 600 million to spend on players who’ll become his new favourites meaning that they won’t be rotated while the old favourites (Ode, TP, KH etc.) remain rooted to next year’s bench. Rinse and repeat. The rumours already seem to be picking up about (another) transfer war chest this summer. It makes you wonder what Old Man Kroenke is sniffing. Laudanum, mogodon and qualudes would be my guess, washed down with a valium protein shake.
I thought you had shares in the Tollington Arms?
A lot of the football I watch these days ought to come with free pints and chasers. Cheers!
“I’m hoping they invent a tablet to combat footballitis soon.”
Most certainly would be indica based as you can’t go anywhere sound the silly wobbly knees walk. Finding keys will get you to miss most of the first half, but you’ll be too paranoid to get out of the car which will take some explaining to junior and his mates.
I wouldn’t attempt running the line KP could get really messy. There will likely be times when you raise your hand without the flag only to be toilet breaks are not permitted during game time. I hope you bring a bottle.
Now if you use TRVL something thunder I doubt you’ll get off the couch but then Mrs KP maybe will be looking at you questionably as to why Junior has been wait in your car for 40 minutes?
It’s probably better to go to the games and accept footballitis is your thing, but knowing you have the empathetic support from us all here when things go due south at times.
Love your energy at 60 and know it will subside when you finally get to 69 being my tally this year.
Hoping to hear some comedic rumblings from the Emerald Isle.
There’s a lot to be said for being teetotal. No hangovers the next day being chief among the prime reasons.
No my cup of cha. Pun intended.
To tonight’s game, will you be home in time, KP? if you and suitably inebriated the old fingers should be pounding out some cool keyboard shit. My sincere apologies if I’ve cruelly misjudged you.
I’ll do my best to keep awake but it’s difficult when it’s a game that we should win in style. However, what toll to our mental strength has the Villa defeat, then a draw, and deserved loss in Munich.
How is our collective psyche? In the shit house once more and probably be easy break as I said as a kid. if Wolves turn up and turn on the pressure how will we handle that?
Rice, Ode and Saka looked leggy midweek, so that is only going to get worse. We might as well field a bench line cup with fit and green zone players with points to prove, but we won’t of course. Shop windows are for El B mannequins.
Will it be Zinchenko or Kiwior? Big Gabs is praying for Kiwior so he can concentrate on being the great LCB he is until El B expects him to cover LB & 8 with being a dynamic LCB.
Will Partey play instead of Rice? Would be the sensible call. ESR at 8 and shove Havertz into the 9 slot and pray he converts better than one in four guilt edge chances. Keep it on the ground as he is very aerially challenged and slow to get airborne normally preferring to go the penalty oscar route throwing himself to the floor a rising with a hissy fit arms a flailing windmill fashion.
Let’s put it this way if El B fluffs his Wolves lines someone should order El B a one-way taxi from the Emirates the next day after collecting his belongings where I’m more than happy to pay.
How about El B to succeed Klopp? Works for me. He’ll need five years to fcuk up 3 run ins after spending £600m+ and losing the club 100s of millions. We could pick off Mac Allister for about £10m within a year of El B managing the scouters.
They deserve each other. A Match made in heaven.
Message to KP junior.
Please make sure your old man gets home or will it be the blind leading the blind; with no doubt too many shots fired down KP’s throat. I hope you got your old man’s genes (no not Levis) because I believe KP is about 185 so, if you’re shorter, be careful if you hoist KP over your shoulder and perhaps do that on grass. By that I mean terra firma and not rasta fodder.
Visions of me once watching a huge president of a MC club stick out his size 14 steel toe capped boot as a pillow for a brother’s head who was collapsing drunk utterly out cold. “Better than the concrete” the Pres said rather vision impaired.
That would have been true had said Pres not been raising his boot at the point of contact. Timing was everything but shit. I decided just to laugh because it was really funny in my sober state because I had been filming.