Wednesday night kick-off at 7.30 PM, we are going to play Crystal Palace in the Carabao (EFL) cup quarter finals. We have probably got the easiest draw out of the 8 teams and as frustrated as I am with our Premier League run and football we are playing in general, there’s still some hope. I had written enough about my frustration in my last post so it’s time to see the brighter side in this one.
First, we are doing well so far in Champions League. If we win another game there, we will most likely qualify for round of 16. Though we have been shit in Premier League lately, we are sitting third behind Pool and Chelsea and on a 6 points difference to Liverpool who have a game in hand. Lets say they win that and we would be 9 points behind but there is still 22 games left and it can go any side. We should be concerned about our game and the way we have been dropping points against small teams but it’s not over yet.
I’m sure you would agree to me if I say that Premier League and Champions League takes the priority over Carabao Cup, but there’s a very important factor here – CONFIDENCE! If we win against Crystal Palace at home, it would not only put us closer to a title where Newcastle, Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool are competing but can also give us back some of that confidence which we are lacking lately. A loss would further demoralise the players and the manager and there’s a hell lot of game still left that will decide our season in December itself.
So, lets go out and win this, and let us use that confidence of a win in Premier League games.
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Carabao cup is interesting this season. No nonsense in quarter finals.
Newcastle will take on Brentford, Liverpool will visit Southampton and Man Utd and Spuds will compete against each other to make into the last 4.
The single biggest reason we should try and win this, is that Spuds are in contention and we don’t want them their hands on a trophy however small it is.
In the team news, we won’t have Ben White or Calafiori available. Mikel subbed Declan Rice against Everton due to a nibble so he would probably get a rest. Jorginho can start along side Partey and Odegaard and frankly I want to see us field the best XI available simply to win this and grow our confidence back but Nwaneri has been dominating the Carabao Cup for us with 3 goals and he deserves to bench Odegaard for this game. Ode, after back from an injury, shouldn’t be playing 2 games a week when there are much important games left plus Nwaneri has been very good so far whenever he has been given minutes. He is direct, looks more to score than Ode and we surely can develop him with these game minutes.
Injuries are a concern but if you were to play your best playing XI in a Carabao cup game against Crystal Palace at home when you are competing in both PL and CL, then you were wrong to begin with. Lets be clear here, our 2nd team is also a Mikel-bought one and if we are paying the likes of Jorgi, Sterling, Merino some good money and if they can’t win us a game against Crystal Palace, then the manager have to take the blame.
It’s a crucial one, this game. Lose and our confidence goes down through lift. A win here would give us some much needed confidence and that could help us play better in coming days.
Short one today, hope Winter is treating you well. See you during the game tomorrow.
generally speaking MA doesn’t see the big picture, so this is a real departure for him…I’m sure if there’s a possibility of winning this fixture, come the second half, he’ll use all 5 of his available subs
fucking Dazn had listed this as a 2:45 start, so I missed the first 15…how did Palace score their goal?
I want him to win this…
Arteta’s problem is if he loses this, has a poor result over Christmas in the PL which would include a draw and then gets beaten by ManU in the FA Cup and he’s fucked the domestic competitions in a couple of weeks.
And we are playing Palace next on this weekend at their home. If they win this, they will make it more difficult in the next one.
Ambarish
Remember Palace also beat Brighton at the weekend.
Their confidence will be sky high.
So you are losing a game at home, against crystal palace, in a quarter finals.
It’s a shame. Doesn’t matter who is playing from that 24 men team. And can we sell Jesus on Christmas?
Shit show. Poor passing, no energy nor movement. He should picked a stronger team and rotated after we were well ahead.
We would have never been ahead, not with set just pieces. He has a reason now!
we’re spending too much time with the wrong players on the ball…instead of trying to get Sterling and Jesus going, how about we create some time and space for Ethan, just like we would Ode…it’s like MA has set them up to fail…notice how the crowd reacts to any corner or set piece…that’s who we are now
we would with Ode
KP—I’m not very confident that we would have been well ahead regardless of the selections…it was infinitely more important that MA devised a tactical plan that made the most sense for the players who were going to be on the pitch, which clearly didn’t happened
MA has already subbed Ethan…hardly a surprise…this should have been the time when we saw both Ethan and Ode in the midfield
Last 5 min looks more lively.
Jesus saves the day.
Lovely finish.
Not yet completely but it’s a start.
If it’s draw on 90 does anyone know if it a replay or extra time followed by pens?
penalties, I believe
Arteta is literally pointing at where he wants the ball to go from the sidelines…what a micromanaging fucktard