We have a game against PSG on April 29 and Thomas Partey, due to his idiotic yellow against Real Madrid, will be suspended from the game. Mikel, in his last press conference, wasn’t sure about Jorginho’s availability for the PSG game. So, we don’t have a DM for the biggest game of our season, the semi-final in Champions League. However, the positive thing is that we can use today’s game and the game against Crystal Palace on 23rd to find a solution.
There’s a problem as well to this. We are sitting on 2nd position and Liverpool has a 13 points lead with 6 games to go. We won’t catch up to them, lets be real. Also, there’s a very good chance (still) that we end up outside top 5 and don’t qualify for the Champions League next season . Forest is sitting on 5th position, only 6 points behind us. We have to not only prepare for the PSG game, but we have to make sure we don’t lose games, confidence and our form while doing so. A conundrum Mikel needs to go through!
Ipswich are a tight team. They will most likely get relegated after a sensational Premier League promotion but they can make fun of you sometimes. They don’t have anything to lose and this gives them some freedom to cause chaos. We have to manage this chaos, from the midfield. I’m a big Partey fan but we have only 2 games to find a solution for PSG game, and I would rather let him sit on bench. There are a few options we can try –
Move Timber to LB, put Ben White back to RB and promote MLS to midfield. A midfield of Odegaard, Declan Rice and MLS should be able to hold the fort against Ipswich and if it clicks, we find a solution.
The second option is to keep the defence line as it is, with Kiwior + Saliba as CBs, Timber on the right and MLS on left and introduce Nwaneri in the midfield. This is the best solution according to me, we are disturbing only 1 position (Thomas Partey) and keeping the rest of the winning squad in their position.
Mikel might also bring back Merino in the midfield and put Trossard up top, this is the most likely solution but I have never been convinced with Trossard as a striker. Against PSG, with Donnaruma in their goal, he wouldn’t be so much effective.
Back to today’s game. Calafiori will not be available along with the usuals – Havertz, Tomiyasu, Gabriel M and Jesus. It’s Ipswich last chance to survive the relegation and I am pretty sure they will put up a fight. This is the third consecutive year where we are playing on a Easter Sunday, and we have drawn the last 2. It makes me nervous a bit, but we should go through.
Also, it would be exciting to see one of the Nwaneri or MLS start in the midfield, because (I know you will come after me) ultimately we would have to improve on Odegaard.
We need to win, and we can do that in first half. Lets start the usuals, score couple of goals and then introduce Nwaneri / MLS in the midfield. We can start with that line up against Crystal Palace to practice one more time.
What’s the weather there? We have been suffering with this heat and the only thing keeping me sane is football. See you during the game, I have my set up ready.
Madhu
What a terrific result for Arsenal women this afternoon. I’ve got just back from my first cricket match in 20 years. We lost by 3 wickets to a pretty good side. I was stumped for a duck. 🤬🤬🤬
KP been there mate. Good on you to play after 20 yrs. It’s been 17 yrs for me and I wouldn’t dare. Badminton is great for me nowadays.
Madhu
If you ever find yourself in south west Wales on a summer Saturday, I could try and get you a guest slot! 🏏
Thanks for the offer KP :).
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/28/mikel-arteta-arsenal-psg-champions-league-semi-final-fans-emirates-stadium
Look at the photo…I think hand holding must be worse than hand rubbing. One can only imagine what the Labrador must think as he realises he’s been sidelined for a game of ring-a-ring-a-roses. What a monumental new age twat.
it should be an interesting 1st leg, as we’ve fared much better, offfensively that is, in Europe than domestically…why that’s the case is quite simple really…firstly, very few clubs we’ve faced hunkered in and forced us to create chances that typically yield lower percentage results, whereas in the PL opposing sides will oft-times low block us to death…secondly, the style we’ve played, especially more recently. isn’t really “on brand” for MA, in that we’ve conceded more possession to the opposition, we’ve counter-attacked more directly at times, with both pace and numbers, and we’ve devoted considerably more players in and around the opposition’s box…let’s hope that our little cock-up King continues to second guess his first instincts
Sorry for not match day blog today. I have been living off meds from last 3 days and can hardly concentrate on any screen without a severe headache.
Bloody viruses.
Good god our bench is weak tonight.
How the fuck can you spend so much money on top of inheriting some good players and have a bench so lacking in choices?
Marc—the loss of Partey could have a massive impact, especially if MA has Rice in the 8 and Merino in the 6, which would see both being deployed in their respective weaker positions…I think it’s important to remember that Merino was the regular 8 at Sociedad, with Zubi as the 6, and we paid 100+M for Rice because he was widely recognized as the 2nd best DM in the footballing world…I only say that because I feel like this matchup will be decided by whomever dictates things in the midfield and if MA shoehorns too much we could find ourselves on the losing end of that all-important battle…all that said, I still favour us to get a positive result at home, especially considering PSG’s poor recent run of form, as I very much doubt they will have the intensity/swagger they displayed against Pool a few rounds back…hopefully MA watched the 2nf half of the Villa tie and follows suit when it comes to attacking them in a more direct fashion
Ambarish—get well soon…swimming in meds is never an enjoyable gig, especially when the drugs in question are of the prescribed variety…Cheers
Ambarish
Very sorry to hear you’re unwell. Take it easy mate. I’ve got a feeling Martinelli and Saka are going to put a smile on your face. Get well soon.
Get well soon Ambarish
Timber’s a fucking liability at the moment – if Arteta had any balls he sub him off before he gets sent off.
Thanks everyone. So far we have been very poor, missing Thomas Partey and Timber is shite today.
We don’t have a midfield presence without Partey. Rice loves an aggressive role, not the play maker one.
Great save by Raya.
Ambarish
I think even with Partey we’d still be second best – this PSG team play at a phenomenal pace. If we go in at half time at only a goal down it will be a result.
We’re being shown what a real manager can do.
Do they keep having to show shots of Enrique in an Arsenal technical area – it makes me want to cry over what could have been.
So, the 2 best chances have come when Saka enjoyed some freedom and drifted in the middle and Martinelli gets a brilliant pass from MLS, who again enjoys some freedom.
We are wasting 2 world class footballers bt asking them to hug the line. Saka still gets his minutes in the middle, but Martinelli NONE.
Marc
We still got this.. if we can keep the momentum from last 10 minutes into the second half.
Problem is, I don’t think 1-1 would be enough when the second leg is in Paris.