Brighton is a tough team to play against. They play high intensity, positive game and have Europe in mind. Having played 3 less games than Tottenham, who sits at the 6th position, Brighton could overtake them with a win. They are in a happy place but they know things can turn bad towards the end of the season, and won’t really be wishing to leave it to that. They will fight, and they will make things tough for us.
Today’s game comes with a relief for Arteta, both Solly March and Webster are ruled out of game and we are back in fine form. Saliba and Zinchenko are ruled out for the season, but Kiwior didn’t disappoint and Tierney is as good a player at LB. He might come up short in his midfield abilities, but I’m of the belief that a defender’s first priority is to defend well. Anything else is extra.
Having said that, I would really like him to excel in the three games left. Rumours about him leaving (or sold) is not a good news for me, I don’t know if we need to splash another 60m for a LB when we already have a lad covering it and doing well whenever given a chance. It would be like creating a problem and then fixing it.
For the rest of this season, we don’t have anything to win or lose now. I’m a generally optimistic person but everyone and their dog knows City are not going to drop points, and are not going to give away their 1 point lead with a game in hand. We feel the Liverpool’s frustration, in a short amount of time they have overtaken the title race. No doubt we have thrown it away ourselves by sharing points against the likes of West Ham and Liverpool after going 2-0 up, and against Southampton at home, but Pep is showing to us how hard it can be for any other team. Not only does he prepares his team tactically, he engrains in them a tough, winning mentality which allows them to perform at the top when needed the most.
It was nice till it lasted. It leaves us to the last three games, and I’m looking forward to finishing our season with 3 wins, and 90 points. It will keep the confidence high, make the incomings in the summer easier and gives us the confidence to pick ourselves up and retry again next season.
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Back to the game, I’m expecting a a back 4 of White, Kiwior, Gabriel and Tierney. Jorginho would probably keep his place after a good game against Newcastle. Xhaka starts because he always do. We would see Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli behind Jesus, but I would personally like to see Eddie given a chance today. We are at home, we are playing Brighton and Eddie can do a job.
Trossard would like a game too, but unless we play in 2 competitions, I doubt we will see much of him. Mikel has his favorites and there is nothing wrong in that if it works. The only problem is, it don’t keep people happy. We need a strong bench, but good players don’t like to settle on the bench. A conundrum Mikel has to overcome, and we still have ESR and Eddie waiting, Balogun, Lokonga and Tavares returning, Saliba and Tomiyasu injured.
I would love to see a clean sheet. It felt sh*t to David De Gea winning the golden glove. I wouldn’t have mind if it was Ederson or Allison but lol.
Right, a short one today. Lets beat them seagulls and continue the quest of being the best out there. If you are saddened with missing out the trophy after being top of the table virtually the whole season, here’s some positive – we will be playing in Champions League next season, we will be fighting again for the trophy, Spu*s might not even make to Europa and London is red through and through.
#COYG
Notwithstanding these last 2 minutes, this game is suggesting that we’ll only discover our intensity this afternoon if we ship a goal first.
Arteta needs to dust off his hand rubbing motivational speech. And Tony, get your best tinned salmon out at H-T for pumpers!
KP-agree with your “ship a goal first” sentiment…how we haven’t targeted Saka’s side with a vengence is mystifying…hopefully they don’t make the necessary adjustments, in that regards, and make us look late to the party once again
KP that’s tempting fate too much with Pumpkin’s lethal gas issues.
I thought it’d be a close game with with more goals.
TRVL
Their left back is a red card waiting to happen. He’s scared of Saka and rightfully so. If Saka uses his noddle, he’ll draw Estupinan into more fouls and the eventual card.
Where has our confident home flair gone? You’d think we were the away team.
Why isn’t ESR playing instead of Xhaka?
Oooooh yeah. Feline fartage leaves a lot to be desired.
We’re playing with 10 men with Xhaka
only a matter of time, although you don’t see that sort of switch off everyday
a few moments earlier, even if Xhaka were onside, he still wouldn’t have mattered because he made another bonehead play when he was 4 feet from goal…if that doesn’t show you the absolute insanity of his pass first mindset you must be fucking blind
Tony-I’m not even sure MA knows ESR is even available for selection…maybe ESR should post a reminder Tweet
We’ll win now with Xhaka off
Xhaka out in the 60th….never have I ever…for the love of god, is this a sign of things to come
Really poor. Unable to hold the ball and find space.
Someone give Arteta a zanax
Tony-I want badly to agree, but there’s no doubting that De Zerbi is looking to make us pay on the counter, with his Striker for midfielder subbing, so we better be savvy, as MA has left Partey in no man’s land again with no defensive wing man
TRVL
Arteta’s read making subs 101
that kind of touch is why Trossard has only scored once since arrving here…let’s remember he scored 7 at BHA
Tony-I guarantee he has a locked drawer in his desk which houses his leather-bound copy of Managing for Dummies
TRVL
Xhaka and Jorginho should have gone off with Partey and ESR coming on for a more mobile midfield. Arteta just can’t read games.
Saka has somehow done more tracking back than attacking in the 2nd half…WTF
I think MA is trying to appease a soon out of contract Nelson, so he will accept a ludicrous Eddie-like new deal…I have nothing against Reiss, as I felt he performed well at Feyenoord, but with no squad rotation this season it would be difficult to justify another substantial raise
Last throw of the dice rather than a plan B being changed to.
No anger, no response, no idea. Evocative of the worst performances under Wenger. Shite!
Caicedo is outperforming our starters in multiple positions…that’s another reason why we should have been far more savvy in our BHA approach, but those sorts of skills don’t seem to exist at the Emirates
I wonder if a neutral observer could tell who were supposedly chasing a title and who were hoping to eke there way into a Europa or Conference League invite
Ben fucking White!
if only Eddie knew how to draw attentions away from Nelson, instead of squeezing him for space
Junior says sorry 😞 but De Zerbi was going to be too much for us and Arteta.
At fcuking home as well.
Absolutely bossed. By Brighton! Another Arteta masterclass.
a bit of bad luck for Tross, but that’s the kind of cavalier play we expect from Xhaka in our final third…it was really only a matter of time, as we were outworked, outmanaged and eventually outscored…good night Irene?!? I would imagine so, even with 8 minutes left to play
So…in the last 7 days.
Everton beat Brighton 5-1
City beat Everton 3-0
City beat us 3-0
Brighton are beating us 3-0.
Let all that sink in. What a dreadful afternoon for Arteta.
Brighton and Reis Nelson are a fit, since anyway he is moving on a free. Brighton also would afford him.