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.
—
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
Ramsdale is reported to have said:
“‘I think it’s an easy way out – just a quick, cheap narrative from certain people who have not actually gone digging into stories of what we have achieved,'”
Well it’s not quick because I’ve been supporting the club for years, my season ticket isn’t cheap and picking up 9 points from 21 doesn’t take too much digging.
You’d have thought with the media training etc they’d know better.
Marc-it’s clear he was slurping the Kool-Aid at the time, which certainly isn’t that surprising…I wouldn’t be shocked if he had an Arteta-based PR brown-nosing clause within his contract, which btw functionally doubled his wealth
Perhaps that reassurance explained why Arteta was on particularly good form, going into detail about the influence of a chocolate labrador named Win that he has integrated into the Arsenal training ground. He said Win is “the perfect representative of who we are right now” and also revealed an arboreal influence on his team’s endeavours
This from today’s Guardian….It’s not the first of April right? t’s no wonder we’re laughed at by other fans as a soft touch. A chocolate labrador that appears to cock it’s leg and piss over the trees at London Colney is our secret signing. Never mind getting some proper midfielders.
Nuno Tavares will at least be hoping to return back from his loan now so he can give the ridiculously named ‘win’ some deep throat luvvin. And we might re-sign Alexis Sanchez so they can do a piano duet in time for Christmas in matching Arteta jumpers. What the fuck have we become? Can you imagine George Graham – he’d have a snarling, muzzled Doberman with sharpened teeth chasing Tony and Ray Parlour around the pubs in Essex.
For those who don’t know the UK dog food market(!), there is a brand of hard, dry dog biscuits called ‘winalot’. You’ll notice Arteta stopped short of calling the dog that because, er, apart from one FA Cup, it looks like Arsenal won’t win a lot during his tenure.
I hope the poor bastard gets canine counselling and treatment for his damaged ‘minced morsels’ (another British type of scooby snack of unknown meaty origin) after uncle nuno comes at him/her with his big Portuguese boner/bonio!
Yes, I’m going to end up in hell. 👺We have a shit manager and a therapy dog in his backroom team. Stuivenberg and Round will be expecting their p45s any day now.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/19/arteta-targets-crucial-summer-of-tough-decisions-to-take-arsenal-to-next-level
Here’s the whole article if anyone can be arsed. I was reminded of that boy band lyric from Almunia’s side of the Irish Sea while reading this (Boyzone? Westlife? Both of them ‘in collaboration?)
You say it best…. When you say nothing at all.
At least it’s a distraction from all of the shite Grimsdale was spouting yesterday.
Interim Chelsea manager Frank Lampard says he tried to sign Norwegian forward Erling Haaland during his first stint at Stamford Bridge, before the 22-year-old moved to Borussia Dortmund (BBC)
Does this remind you of anyone? 4 clues
– He looks like a 6 ft 2 chihuahua
– Crap at zipping up coats
– Always talked shit about mental strength every time it was lacking
– Described finishing 4th as a trophy
the anti-Partey campaign is well underway, which is likely a sign that he’s on the chopping block…our club is certainly not opposed to using various mediums for the purpose of planting seeds…whether to gauge fan sentiment before making any definitve decisions or to manufacture support for some sort of club-based initiative, this PR-driven chickenshit maneuver rubs me the wrong way…a similar approach was likewise adopted when we orchestrated proactive smear campaigns against both RVP and Sanchez, under Wenger, then again whenever Arteta was trying to drum up support before ousting anyone who wouldn’t kiss the ring…I certainly hope I’m wrong and that these are just a natural outgrowth of his recent benchings combined with the time of year, but it feels a little too familiar for my liking…even if we’re really serious about our pursuit of Rice, of which I’ve got mixed feelings about, I would much rather have Partey for cover/positional competition purposes than a mixture of Jorginho and Elneny, especially with Champions League on the horizon…I’ve never seen a club/manager exert so much energy trying to feign transparency, except you know who, before he said fuck it and got all disrespectful towards the fanbase
KP-you’re on fucking fire today
Olive trees and fucking support animals, I’m never been more convinced that the treble is in our immediate future
regardless of my views towards the manager or his locker room antics, I wish nothing but the best for our boys in the match today…unfortunately I won’t be able to watch our rare late Saturday gig, as in my part of the world our fixture starts just after noon and I have to make an appearance at the wedding of a business associate…I guess that’s the only saving grace of our second-half bottling, as I would have been so fucking pissed if I had to watch a taped version of a title-clinching affair
on a bit of a side note, MA can talk all he wants about how we can still set a club record for most victories, but no one with the power of sight and a functioning brain will ever look upon this season as one of our greatest ever, unless City somehow cocks things up even worse than us
KP
Excellent puppy love song.
OK, going to hold my hands up here and say I miss Pumpkin’s presence and character and find myself looking at places he’d laze about the house, as I walk around internally. He’s had a profound experience with the connection he has with my daughter.
However, only my daughter needs Pumpkin as a life cat. Is this what our players need now? Life dog called Win? I just don’t see how that works or the rubbing hands and silly speakers at the training ground trying to recreate the Anfield experience, when the players all knew Anfield anyway and why not do it at the Emirates on the PA instead of disco speakers on sticks.
I’m all for Arteta thinking outside the box but not the planet. Thinking inside the box using reality and rational thinking with greatly improved squad management/selection and in-game management would be of far better use. It’s where we lost the title.
The bottom line is we don’t have a layer of hair from the doll face Persian covering the floors with assorted toys. Sure, we miss the little blighter, but he’ll never improve our business dealings or junior’s education – he’ll just be a very cute furry fellow.
If only Arteta could get the basics right after nearly 4 years and when he does periodically where it’s not sustainable, so more consistency is needed.
Simples really.
TRVL
Steve Cooper’s battle cry today is, ‘we’re not the same team Arsenal beat 5:0 at The Emirates.”
I think it’s fair to say nor are we mentally and physically and fitting square plugs into round holes due to injuries to play this evening. I’ll keep my guns ho prediction of 3:3 and see you lads at the game Weddings and funerals my pet hates. Still, there is always keeping a live stream on your phone with and air bud in one ear.
Better than nothing and never easy when watching from the trenches or from behind the big weeping willow.
Marc
Ramsdale has never been the best decision maker. I’m surprised he was allowed in front of the cameras unsupervised by an adult. Arteta doesn’t count.
Tony
You should ask your daughter to set up a face call with the little fella. Sounds like you’re missing him man. I sympathise. We have a black and white cat, and the little fuckers grow on you.
As part of that Peter Grant type persona I painted of you last week, maybe you should replace him with a silver back gorilla, a couple of Komodo dragons, a pool full of piranhas and an exceptionally well hung tapir? What could possibly go wrong?
Win’s days will be numbered when he lays a cable (or dog’s eggs – whichever you prefer) in Jesus’s snakeskin moccasins while he’s training. He’ll be off south of the river to Battersea Dogs’ home (or nearby Stamford Bridge) before you can say ‘we’re not chokers’.
If we’re not ready for Forest, they’ll be all over us scrapping for their survival. Same as Brighton but on a million lines of speed (which was not too disimiliar from my experience the last time I was there…). Strange as it may seem, I think we’ll put out a Newcastle type performance and win easily. 3 nil! Jesus x 2 and Martinelli. It’s what we do best. Pyrhhic, pointless victories.
At least we’ll be guaranteed of one victory later. Winning the managerial beauty contest (I hope paranoid ped isn’t reading this and gets another flufftastic idea – pouting, eyebrow-sculpted Arteta (football’s answer to Rock Hudson!) lined up against poor Steve Cooper – THE ugliest manager in world football.
Tony
Agree fans might like his passion but when its turned on the same fans who are asking reasonable questions its immature at best.
I saw the story about the dog and thought “just don’t do it don’t say a word”.
For anyone who knows me that’s about as unusual as Arteta not being a cunt.
Kroenke
Can’t make my mind up about todays game and what we’ll see. No doubt Forest will be up for it, what Arsenal we’ll see I have no idea. The bottle jobs who now the pressure is off will win comfortably so everyone can say we were so close or a team who are on the beach now the season is over for us.
Marc
Fair points. I’m just being a baby. I want to be pleasantly entertained tonight rather than being made to feel angry. That’s all it comes down to.
Yeah, the dog. I just couldn’t resist it.
Talking of dogs (!) I assume you’re going to Wolves to watch the game and wish them all a happy summer of tea bagging. Be good to get your thoughts afterwards on the lap of (dis) honour.
I’ve had about as much amusement from Spurs’s awfulness this year as I have Arsenal’s many wins.
Spuds lost and Pool losing has a nice feel to it. Emery has got Villa playing well – we’ll never know how good Emery could have been for us if he’d get the players he wanted. Villa will be a good indicator next season.
KP
Rock Hudson was gay lmao and not adding to that. 🙂 YMCA anyone?
I think Martinelli is another out til next season casualty after Caicedo demolition of him. Ankle I think, so it’ll have to be Trossard.
It’s the little things cats do with perception. They sense when to be around and talk to you. The mock punch ups are fun with the way they retract claws as the paws hit you and nibble you for affection. All new to me and enjoyable.
Junior is staying with his sister and Pumpkin for the last few days and today in BKK. He’ll follow a live stream and do the Pumpkin honors before the game.
Tony-just about to head out the door, thanks for the “incognito” advice, but I’ve done that on a few occasions and it rarely ended well…usually I would get so wound up that it led to an extended doghouse stay…like I said, if this match had greater implications I would somehow weasel my way out of the whole gig, as this is his 4th time down the aisle…as for your Emery comments, I do wonder what might have been, especially if he had any say regarding personnel…that said, I just don’t see him so much as a front-runner, but more of an overachiever type, which likely would have resulted in a more Wengerian Cup feel with the occasional success on other Cup/Europa fronts…two observations from that match, Klopp looked as if he would literally bite the kneecaps off the ref, if given the chance, when Mings boot went high on Gakpo and only a yellow was shown and Kompany was cutting quite the Bond villian/Terminator figure in the stands
as for the Spurs showing, I almost wished they had won, as it might have muddied the managerial waters…Mason is no PL level coach, so I would much rather fan sentiment went in his direction than towards Arne Slot, or someone similarly progressive…it’s clear that the players have no interest in seeing Mason roaming the sidelines next season
looks like Tierney is definitely on his way out come the summer!!
TRVL
I agree Emery is more a cup winning manager than winning titles; I imagine his brief was to win the EL cup for us to go into the CL. I see Villa more in the EL than the CL cups and possibly bag another EL cup trophy for Villa.
Have a fun time at the wedding.
Xhaka picked at LB ahead of Tierney… Let that sink in.
And bench looks underwhelming.
Someone going down the aisle for the 4th time must be pretty good at getting married…
The reason we play in red us because we were given shirts by Forest I seem to recall.
KP
Professional and rich to survive 3 divorces I’d say.
Looks like KT is leaving and the line up confirms it. Maybe BL asked Arteta to show what Xhaka’s got left in the tank. Our slowest defensive liability benching our solid LB with greyhound pace.
As long as Xhaka goes, it’s up to Arteta to bring home the goods next season with his 4th year at squad management.