There’s going to be an incredible amount of knee-jerk reaction and loads of ragebait nonsense on Twitter, Talksport etc. Twats like Neville / Carragher are rubbing their hands in glee. Social media is going to be a cesspit for the next few days.
Ignore the noise gents. We are 9 points clear in the league and have outclassed every single opponent we have faced in the CL, including Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Inter.
We’re really good. Don’t let the twats get into your heads. I won’t let it ruin my day.
We have a beautiful end to the season awaiting us. Enjoy your families, your friends and the 2 week break from club football.
We’ll be back again very soon and everything will be right again in the world.
Hate to say it but we should take notes on how the narrative shifted for City the past 2 weeks.
From chokers against Forest and West Ham, to embarrassing the PL against Madrid, to Pep being washed, to glory and plaudits yesterday.
This is only our 4th loss in the season, from a total of 50 games.
We’ve seen the boys being doubted before after bad results or even outright counted out just a month into the season.
They’ve earned our trust to make it right once we come back in 2 weeks.
There’s an inherent risk if you’re playing those chipped balls.
I think I’d have dropped Ben White deeper and gone into a flat back four with Kepa and Saliba as the central defenders. Hincapie pushed into the midfield line. Keep Saka and Gyokeres high and wide, and tell them to make darting runs in behind. Havertz and Trossard positioned centrally, but able to drop and drift into the wide channels in our own half and act as a pivot when building from their side. That might force the City defenders into a bit of a conundrum. If they follow, they leave space centrally.
So against City’s zonal forwards, Arsenal would have White at right back and Gabriel at left back. If the pass goes to the right back, the right sided centre forward provides an option to receive and act as a pivot. Zubimendi is already sitting behind the City pressing frontline, and becomes an option if Havertz provides a lays it off.
The idea would be to be fairly direct and to try to find one of the two forwards making runs in behind. That’s how I’d have game planned it. It works in my head, but in practices it probably falls apart.
It’s a shame we basically did nothing until 60th minute to counter the City trap. Hey-ho
Hairless Holding and Haired Holding are the two worst players of the Wenger era. I’ve got him lower than Sanogo and Jenkinson. It is a travesty that he played so much.
If we were going into the run in with him starting again, I’d be waving the red flag.
There’s the makings of a decent EPL side there. Tierney (not being injured), Xhaka, Saka, Smith-Rowe and Martinelli and on the bench Ramsdale and Auba.
But holy crap Mari, Holding, Cedric, Lokonga and Pepe are worse than what relegation favourites Spurs have starting for them now.
Pepe had 10 goals in 16 PL starts in his second season. There is nobody in that entire Spurs squad that has numbers or is capable of numbers like that.
Wow, good point. We’re basically saying that if Spurs had what was probably our worst signing of the post-Wenger era they wouldn’t be looking at relegation.
I have somehow overlooked how shit Spurs really are. For that, I apologise.
Now that the absolute fury over the league cup final has dissipated a tiny bit, I can finally bring myself to actually chime in.
It felt kind of like Baku. Whatever the opposite of a climax is. Makes you question whether it’s possible we could still bottle the league even with the lead we have.
What’s certain is some of these players are fucking cowards and wastemen (no disrespect to waste management, an honorable profession).
Kai Havertz joins the long list of fucking overpriced Chelsea rejects that we keep buying for what fucking reason no one knows. He wasn’t the only shit one though.
Kepa !!!
Everyone bar Gabriel and Saliba were worth a damn. Even with how shit we were they were immense.
And finally Mikel, stop being a fucking pussy punk bitch.
Of course we could. Until we get this across the line, that doubt will always be there.
I think Mikel can and will argue a case of how this game could have gone differently if some of the half chances were converted. In the end, I don’t see Mikel changing his approach in the big games. His approach has helped us get this far and in his mind, there would really be no reason to change things.
Being robust in the league makes sense and has us in pole position. I feel cup games need a different approach though. No need to go gung ho and throw caution to the wind but there should be an element of ‘we are better than you.’ That applies to any English team we play in a cup. Hell, we went punch for punch with Atletico and Bayern and mauled them.
Yeah, no reason to change the approach now and might even be counterintuitive if we do. Better to keep it tight at the back and try create moments in the game to win it. Given the lead we have and the fixtures remaining for us and City, we should see it over the line if we just play our natural game.
Lol players pulling out of international duty has been happening for literally decades.
What these dumb cunts don’t realise is that Arsenal have played 50 games this season already. Key international players are fatigued and need a rest. I think only Newcastle have played more games than us (51).
If you want Rice and Saka at something near their best in the World Cup, it’s in your best interest as an England fan to not flog them to death during the club season.
Let them rest, let them focus on winning the club trophies and they will join the England camp in better morale and better physical condition.
!!!