Every one of our games left this season is a cup final. It’s not going to be easy but hey, it’s about winning the toughest league in the world while competing against one of the best managers on the planet with one of the costliest squad assembled in history.
I have let go of my emotions and anger from last two games and looking forward to the rest of the season. It’s still not-all lost, and it’s still in our hand. And, it begins today against Southampton at home.
Arteta had some bad news in pre-match conference. Saliba is not recovering well and will need some more time. Zinchenko is out too for this game and may be for a few more. Tomiyasu is out injured, which leaves us with White, Gabriel, Tierney and Holding in defence. There are no other options, Kiwior is not ready yet.
It’s the midfield and defence which has let us down in our last two games. We need to stop leaking goals when 2-0 up. Conceding one at that stage gives the opposition a belief that they can do more. In Mikel’s world, we need to be ruthless, f*cking ruthless.
I’m hopeful today, I am sure players would have gone back to dressing room and wouldn’t have slept at night without thinking about their performances. When you are so close the title, you need to introspect what went wrong and fix it in the very next game. You can’t wait for a season, or a season break, or a trip to Dubai.
The most important piece of our playing XI is Partey. If he is fit, and playing well, he controls the game like no one can do. When he is in fine form, he improves players around him, be it Xhaka or Odegaard. It’s the drop in his performance that is affecting the team morale. One of the reason we need an upgrade in midfield, a better Partey’s replacement for games when he is not in fine form or when he is injured. We need an upgrade to Xhaka.
I can go on, but today’s not the time. It’s not going to change for last 7 games, so all we can do is stick to supporting the lads who have managed to stay ahead of Manchester City for a whooping 31 weeks (don’t care about those couple of days when City was on top).
We have done for 31 games. We can do for another 7. Our team needs our support and whatever be the result, they will get it.
Lets beat Southampton and go into the City game with 4 point lead, that would certainly put some extra pressure on them.
What’s your prediction today? It’s Friday, game is late night here in India and tomorrow’s off. Beautiful time to watch a game, and I will see you in the comments.
Cheers!
Like your positivity, Ambarish.
I’d definitely go 343 or 352 tonight as Southampton should be dominated in midfield.
Ramsdale
White Gabs KT
Ode Partey ESR Martinelli
Nelson Jesus Trossard
One can hope, but Arteta is predictable every game.
I’d see Partey playing more a 6 role, as there are enough chaos making players to hold the MF and create turnovers for our interchanging front 3.
Should be a game we can cope well with and win in style. 4:1.
From this morning’s blog:
KP
Really happy the Bluebirds are keeping their heads up towards safety. Have a great time in Catalunya in making headway for your end game move. Pumpkin cannot be at fault for Arteta’s poor squad management and repeat failures through making the same mistakes. I mean poor Pumpkin is not even human although sometimes I think he’s smarter.
At the time of setting the recorder Pumpkin will be pampered, scratched and sat before the Buddha shrine before going to bed with our daughter. Junior and I will watch early morning our time.
TRVL & Marc
Karen Brady is no fool who I would stay is in Marina G’s league for women in senior club football positions. Marina was reported to earn £34m for Father Ted’s deal with The Chavs before leaving. Nice leaving bonus.
Question is; is Rice double or treble the player Ben White was when he was bought for £50+m? Better yes, but not even double of our Benny Blanco. On this logic I wouldn’t pay more than £70 to 75m for Rice and would probably want Caicedo & Mitoma for around £100m and then go for a quality young RB.
Game Night
We need to come back and make a statement once again and prove we are worthy of our place at the head of the table. Anything less will be regarded as bottling with a capital B. If Arteta can’t produce a team and tactics to make Southampton look ordinary while scoring at least 3 goals, then Arteta should go to RM and the cheque book football that awaits him.
Fait Accompli for Arteta gaining his experience from us.
All I want to see is fight for 90+ minutes to at least give City something to think about for next Wednesday.
Whatever Saliba needs should be done now particularly if it means an operation. Forget Saliba for this season and get him fighting fit for next season.
Kilroy
Thanks for the Atheletic piece on Tony Bloom. What a difference between Ted B and Tony B as owners. Tony Bloom always look serious and businesses like even when watching his team intently. It came as no shock that Tony Bloom has his own algorithm for scouting. There had to be a technical digital stats’ based logic behind so many rough diamonds that BHA were finding.
Pedro will be all over this being his ultra fav: Stats. Yet all Pedro’s stats reek of Arteta agenda BS, so will never make sense to anyone other than Pedro and his Pedro-Pete bots.
I hope Tony Bloom has got his prized asset hack free.
Tony B has done what Edu has failed at: a conveyor belt of south American talent to make millions off and flirt with Europe places at the same time, as well as playing extremely attractive pacy football and are worthy of their PL position.
We’ll win tonight probably by a couple of goals but it won’t take much to make us nervous.
Wednesday night is the question get a point out of that and I can see us making a real run till the end of the season – get hammered and we’ll drop points in several fixtures.
Tony
I think the big question is (assuming we bought a CM) who does he replace and what will it take for Arteta to drop or sell Xhaka?
Marc
You’re right on both accounts winning tonight is essential and Xhaka’s 50 passes a game stats are propped up by his assists and goal tally. Of course, he’ll play tonight and Wednesday and in all the remaining 7 games.
Hope you enjoy the game and nerve jangling free with early goals for us.
Tony
I work local to the ground so in the Tolly already numbing the pain just in case!
Have a good one.
KP
A friend just bought me this Bluray and I immediately thought of you.
https://consequence.net/2023/04/everything-but-the-girl-fuse-interview/
my key concern for tonight’s affair is the likelihood that Southampton will be flopping/dropping on contact in and around the top of the box, so as to give Ward-Prowse as many set piece opportunities as humanly possible…first I would target the overly aggressive tendencies of Holding, as I think that would be W-P’s preferred set piece positioning, then I would look to goad some of our other foul-prone suspects, like Gabs, Xhaka and even Partey, into taking some unnecessary cheap fouls
hopefully Tierney will be far more profficient with his passing when he’s playing tucked inside, as he was telegraphing his intentions far too often in our last match…as for the other side of the pitch, it’s imperative that White continue to be aggressive when it comes to making some backside runs into the box…with the attention that Saka receives on a regular basis, this should have always been part of the plan, as not only will it pay dividends from a goalscoring capacity, it will likewise provide Saka with some much-needed space moving forward
continues
Seems like Xhaka didn’t board the team bus. If he is not part of the playing XI today, I would love to see ESR in an attacking mid role. Though I know it will be Vieira who will start ahead of him.
Ambarish-he’s probably in a private limo with MA and Edu LOL
😂
I think Karma will come back for us. 10 years from now, Xhaka will manage Arsenal. And I will take my retirement and move to South Goa for cheap beer and peaceful life🤣
Well, Vieira starts ahead of ESR, having delivered nothing great of a performance till now. A midfield of Partey, Odegaard and Vieira will get run over by any physical team.
Damn, we need someone in the mould of Patrick Vieira to bully others in the central area.
So, I typed above comment, went over to Facebook to scroll and the first post is from Arsenal mentioning,
PV4, Titi and Sol are in stadium today.
Once a gunner, always a gunner. ❤️
Nervy start…isn’t that why we got rid of Leno???
I want to see Vieira come good, as I think he’s got the biggest up-side when it comes to shooting from distance, but he lacks pace and he’s too complacent with and without the ball…not to mention, it’s difficult to have both Ode and Vieira on the pitch from a defensive balance standpoint…just think if we had sold ESR, who isn’t favoured by MA, and didn’t get Vierira, we would have had the monies available to pry Nkunku from Leipzig…imagine Nkunku, Marts, Saka and Jesus in advanced positions…it would have been a pick your poison nightmare for opposing defences
Vieira
I guess the only saving grace about going behind early is that there’s no chance now that we can give away a 2 goal lead again
What the fuck
now that’s embarassing!!
this could easily be 2-2 if Jesus had only passed to Marts right away, about 5 minutes prior to our 1st goal
holy shit we’re fucking frantic out there…if we can’t score a mitt-full against this shitty Hampton defence, then we don’t deserve to challenge for the title…I guess the bigger question is are we going to allow them to do likewise…based on this performance City might pot a baker’s dozen
we better get some more goals before they change their high pressing tactics…there’s no doubt that opposing manager’s know that MA has been piss-poor when in-game adjustments are required
that looked ugly…Marts really submarined that defender…he’ll be lucky if a card isn’t forthcoming
the commentators are talking about our lack of depth and the fact that we miss the required physicality with Vieira in for Xhaka…in regards to the latter, what a load of shit, in that there’s no reason whatosever to believe that Xhaka’s presence would have impacted the scoreline, considering how both goals were scored…as for the former, no shit Sherlock
1 bloody shot on target to their 5 thus far…pathetic against this atrocious swiss cheese defence
I worry we might need to take Zinchenko off at half, as he’s like a bull in a china shop out there…maybe he’s been in touch with Xhaka’s bookie
Looks like I did the right thing and tuned in close to half time, because it saved me some massive aggro. We are playing at home, right? Scoreline doesn’t reflect it.
Half time is not in our side..!
I don’t know I don’t have a good feeling about today. Walcot is looking dangerous every time he has the ball.
after the 2-0 start by Southampton maybe MA will show the boys some Pool and Hammer’s tape during the halftime break…sorry, too soon?
we must have the most blocked shots ever recorded over a two year period…I gues that’s what happens when your trained to close your eyes when you’re shooting
Killroy
Good for your heart too.
TRVL
And I think it’s high time we move Martinelli in the middle. He looks like the only one who can score. Jesus is absent.
DK
Certainly not. We need minimum of 2 goals in next 45 minutes. It’s as simple as that.
And I don’t wanna see Vieira anymore. Too lightweight, no shot in his leg.
Ambarish-in reagrds to your earlier Walcott post, those are words that haven’t been uttered in some time…maybe not since Walcott’s first Youtube video was released lol…half the reason why Walcott has been effective is because Zinchenko is too busy up the pitch or searching for his Ritalin dealer in the stands
not sure I would move Marts into more central positions, as he’s making hay out wide and he and Jesus are already rotating positions at times…I would say that it might be time to see if ESR can bring some more directness to this affair, especially considering that Vieira doesn’t appear to have his shooting boots on today…personally I fear that the bus parking iniative will begin after half, so hopefully MA has prepared for this eventuality, although I highly doubt it
regards
maybe White should try hammering in the occasional cross instead of pretending he has the required guile to pick out a specific player in the box
time to counter their changes with one’s of our own…not to mention we need Zinchenko out wide so that Marts has some help against a deeper-sitting Southampton
about time, now get Zinchenko the fuck out wide
Jesus’s first touches are troubling tonight
as long as fucking Zinchenko and White are tucked inside of our forwards Southampton can constantly doubleteam are wide side players…MA is so clueless tactically-speaking