I wrote a 500 word article about the things Pep taught everyone around him and then it hit me that you can’t beat him to his own game, so I started fresh.
Two managers, playing the same brand of football with equally technical players drilled for years are set to face each other in a major cup final for the first time and we will see who outclasses whom. Both of ’em have been fighting for the Premier League with Mikel falling short of his guru every single fucking time – but could this be a season where he can win the title and a beat him in a cup final? It starts today.
First, you can’t beat Pep to his own game. If Mikel has a game plan totally based on what Pep taught him during his City game, it’s not going to end well for us. He has to ‘unlearn’ some of that, take a leaf out of Wenger’s attacking football, score a couple and park the fucking bus like Mourinho used to. If you can’t score one, you have your own set piece strategy, make use of that. I won’t mind us winning 1-0 from a corner because it has been ages since we won something of importance.
Some Pep v Mikel stats
Ever since Mikel took over as Arsenal manager, we have faced City 12 times in the Premier League, Pep won the first 7, while in the last 5 games – Mikel won 2 and we have shared points the other 3 times.
In the FA cup, Mikel beat him in the 2020 season semi finals when we went ahead to win the only title under him. We lost to them 1-0 in 2023 though in the 4th round.
In the Carabao Cup, we only faced City once where Pep outclassed Mikel in a thumping 4-1 win in 2020.
The only other game where they both faced wach other was the 2023 community shield which ended in a 1-1 draw and we won it with penalties but I don’t give a fuck about it. Let Pep count it as a major trophy because he believes it counted as a quadruple for him.
9 wins for Pep, 3 for Mikel while they both shared points for the other 4 times. Mikel has been able to get points of the City in recent years so it’s not as bad as it looks. There’s a chance today.
Team News
We look fine. Except for Odegaard and Timber, everyone is available while both of them will be assessed before the game. I think Eze will play ahead of Ode even if the captain is fit but we do need Timber to make it. White had looked rusty, I love him but I have more confidence in Timber recently.
Kepa has been the keeper of the Carabao Cup. The tradition calls him to play today while a team that’s looking to win a trophy should play the best XI available. Is Mikel picking up Raya ahead of Kepa – it would be an interesting decision from him. I would go with Raya. There is no need for emotional crap when there’s a trophy on the line. Pick your best XI and Kepa will get his medal if you win.
Gyokeres is certainly starting for me. I won’t mind if we go with Madueke in place of Saka since the starboy has struggled a bit recently form-wise.
Wrapping Up
Right, a win today will boost the confidence of the lads and will motivate them to win some more. We are doing well in all 4 competitions and today could be a deciding factor of how we end up in PL, CL and FA Cup.
We are already competing with City in the Premier League – 9 points difference with 7 games to go and City has a game in hand. There is an Etihad visit lined up for us, so they are still in the mix.
In the FA cup, there is a very high probability that we would face them in semis or finals. They play Liverpool while we are against Southampton in the Quarter Finals.
Today’s not the end of it. It’s only the beginning and whoever wins it, will count it as first and use it for motivation for the rest of the season.
See you during the game.
On another note, BBC and Netflix have ruined the Peaky Blinders movie. It’s shite.
Nice piece Ambarish – I assume your little one will be in her first Arsenal kit for her first final?
I have no idea about how today will go. To look at this from an Arteta / Arsenal perspective of course a trophy is good but its as much about momentum and putting the wind of winning in our sails as we enter the final run in for the PL.
From a City point of view its about causing us to wobbly and put doubt in our mind. Too many people in the media are talking about the PL as if its over “9 point lead” etc except that 9 point lead has City with a game in hand and Arsenal have to visit the Etihad. Win both of those and its 3 point lead against a manager with a history of bottling it.
The elephant in the room is City’s poor form this season – I’m becoming more and more convinced that something is going on behind the scenes and its affecting the City players. My guess is its either the players know Pep’s leaving at the end of the season (remember how ManU dropped off that season Fergie announced he was going to retire?) or they’re expecting a huge points reduction because of the financial case that’s due to come to a conclusion soon. If a points reduction was applied this season the PL is over – they wouldn’t announce it until the season is over because Sky / TNT would go apeshit. Even if they’re expecting the points reduction for next season (there’s talk of 50 or 60 points) how many players would be thinking about getting out rather than go through a non season.
I’m expecting a really tight match that will be quite bad tempered with both teams not wanting to give the other any advantage.
Hi Marc
She is, though she is enjoying at her Maternal place. I have been back to my work place for a couple of week to show my face and then I go back home.
Rightly said, it’s about the momentum. Whoever wins today will believe they can do in Premier League and FA Cup.
If City wins their game in hand, we have got two game buffer as we are better on goal difference. So, I would say it’s ours to lose. The problem, though, is that we have lost it 3 seasons in a row from similar points and either players would have learnt by now to cope with the pressure or they make it 4.
Also, Silva will be a cunt again today.
Marc
Kepa or Raya?
I don’t think this particular match will have any impact on the rest of the season unless we cave their heads in or vice versa…in all of Eurpean football no one has more pressure on them to win things than MA, so it will be interesting to see how adventurous he’s willing to be…that said, Pep has been in a tactical blender for the better part of 2 years, so it might come down to who’s the least gutless fuck tonight…what a sad state of affairs considering the monies spent by both…what we need more than this bottom of the barrel cup win is to prove that we can win a match that “matters” while playing a positive brand of football away from the confines of the Emirates…now that could have a positive impact on the rest of the season and beyond
Ambarish
Difficult one – I can see the argument on both sides.
Ultimately (and Forest score get in there mother fuckers) I’d go with the player who’s got you there.
Right on the stroke of half time as well.
TRVL
This could easily go down as the most negative cup final between two top teams in modern times.
No Eze – that’ll go down poorly with the fans. Kroenke will be apoplectic, if we don’t win they’ll be a serious rant coming in.
Looks like Eze is injured as he hasn’t made the bench either.
Are we playing today? I hadn’t noticed in all the excitement of Spurs getting fucked by Forest.
If only the Hammers can get something out of that Villa game. Lots of cutaways to some suicidal faces in the Spurs seats.
Kepa
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie
Zubimendi, Rice
Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Gyokeres
–
So, Havertz in the midfield?
Exe is not on the bench, so probably yes – he must have an injury..
Spurs are SHITE, nothing new.
not great lineups from either side from a neutral observer perspective…that said, it should be to our advantage as their backline is bang average…Silva is their weak link, so if we don’t allow Cherki space and time, we should dominate the midfield…this could be a blunt instrument wet dream affair with Havertz, Rice and VG as our spine
Spurs…they’ve given me a lot of pleasure over the years including that night they got fucked by Liverpool in the CL final, but this is sublime. The gulf between us has probably never been wider.
Didn’t realise it had ended 3 nil to Forest – that’s borderline catastrophic for the Spud’s.
KP—I would be enjoying this Spursy collapse a lot fucking more if Levy was still in charge, after all this is his fucking mess and he should have to own it
Spuddies superior goal difference all but fucked by that result.
TRVL
Or you can look at it as they’ve replaced some useless cunt with some more useless cunts.
Marc—maybe we trojan horsed tham with our former fucktard Vinai…if only we were that savvy…regardless, it seems to have done the trick
How did we miss that..