From Palace To Paris

A quick review of the draw with Palace to start off. Followed by a tactical analysis of the big game on Tuesday. If you don't want to read the Palace review - ancient history and all that - then scroll down to the photo of Emirates Stadium at night.

Just a few days after singing the praises of an Arsenal side who looked to have elevated themselves mentally following victory in the Santiago Bernebeu, we need to reflect on a sloppy performance at home to Crystal Palace that indicates that - however great a side one may purport to be - there is no escape from the need to work hard. Following on from two fixtures against Real Madrid where we saw Arsenal players run further and harder than their opponents, we saw them drop those levels; and pay the price for it. For all that Crystal Palace had an FA Cup semi final at the weekend, it was clear from very early on that, despite having literally nothing to play for in terms of the Premier League, their players wanted it more. 

Perhaps, having scored very early - Kivior's header from no fewer than 12 yards had Henderson rooted to his line - from yet another set-piece (olé! olé!) - Arsenal thought that it was going to be easy. But that was not the case, as Palace pressed in a manner that we've not seen from too many other sides this season. They hunted Arsenal down in packs, hustled them into errors, and were never out of the game at any stage.

To be frank, it was clear where Arteta's priorities lay as - whilst Saka's knock in the previous game may have precluded him from starting this match - the selection of the utterly ineffective Sterling told a very clear story. With Merino and White both sidelined, the team pretty much picked itself. But Arsenal were only in second gear - not wanting to exert themselves too much with the Premier League long gone and a massive game less than a week away - and paid the price. Eze's stunning volley from the edge of the penalty area following a corner levelled things up midway through the first half. Eze... now there's one fine footballer.

Trossard again (olé! olé!) as Arsenal took the lead again just before half time. A fine finish from the edge of the penalty area, with a slight deflection wrong-footing Henderson. And that was a relief; not least because it felt a little undeserved, with Palace clearly having put in more effort throughout. As far as Leo is concerned, however, that made 4 goals in 4 PL matches as - even with Partey suspended for Tuesday - he is making a decent shout for a semi final start.

I'm going to chuck in another piece of PGMOL controversy here before I go on. A scooped pass from Odegaard saw Timber - apparently in an offside position - nudge the ball back from the bye-line into the 6-yard box, where Martinelli tapped in from around a foot out. A drawn-out (of course) VAR check for offside, and as it turns out Timber was ok. But, in what looked like a piece of guesswork from the VAR, the goal was ruled out for the ball being out of play. And I really don't think that it was. I still remember the controversy at Newcastle a couple of years ago, so this was further irritation with the incompetence of officialdom.

Saka, who had replaced Sterling but who found even himself almost completely sidelined throughout the half hour he played as he saw very little of the ball, nonetheless had a chance to sew up the points from a Martinelli cross, but Henderson saved well. And then - to add to the catalogue of dropped points due to officiating this season - Mateta equalised. I'm stretching things, of course, because this was completely down to a mistake from Saliba - a second one leading to a goal in three matches from the generally immaculate Frenchman, who must cut this out. I imagine that he's probably feeling fatigued at this stage of the season - now with the extra mental strain of babysitting Kivior - but this isn't what we've come to expect. Saliba's misplaced pass let in Mateta, who cleverly lobbed Raya - a long way out of his goal as usual - from 25 yards. Annoying all round, and yet another draw to add to the tally. Although Arsenal should, technically, have been 3-1 up and out of sight at that point if the officials had done their job properly instead of guessing.

Now Mateta is an interesting one. Lacking the profile of the more talked-about centre forwards in Europe, he is vastly improved this season, and is a constant threat to defenders. He is big (I mean, really big!), strong and not lacking in pace. Nor skill. A dark horse to be picked up by a bigger club, perhaps?; along with Eze and Wharton - Palace's three best players. I rather like him.

So two more points dropped; leaving Liverpool with the simple task of not losing to Tottenham in order to confirm their title; and leaving all those associated with Arsenal to wonder about what might have been. Say no more... but further taunts from the unbelievably infuriating Palace fans of  'Second again - olé! olé!' rang hollow when, once again with a 'lesser' club, one looks at their PL position. Nonetheless, I really hope that they win the FA Cup, which would be the first big trophy of their history.

Second place is not quite sorted, so Arsenal must keep half an eye on that. But the biggest game of the season so far is almost upon us. PSG in the Champions League semi final. And, if my analysis is correct, this could be a decent match-up for Arsenal. Or a disaster... 

Let's have a look at the opposition.

PSG are a completely different outfit to the team that Arsenal beat comfortably in the group stages in the autumn. Similar personnel, but whilst Luis Enrique was searching for answers back then, he has since mostly found them. They were awesome against Liverpool in their last 16 match-up - the aggregate scoreline didn't come close to reflecting their superiority - but they had a surprising struggle against Aston Villa in the quarter finals. Particularly in the latter stages of the second leg, where Villa put them under considerable pressure. And this is perhaps where Arteta will look to exploit weakness.

Enrique's tweaks eventually led him to start Dembélé as his 'false 9', with Barcola and Doué on the flanks. The addition of the exciting Kvaratskhelia in January added a further threat - he looks like a very good player. But just as key was the decision to let the leash off of left back Nuno Mendes, who joins his right-sided counterpart Hakimi as dual attacking threats; thus continually overloading opposing defences. With Dembélé shifting out wide, the full backs run forward and infield and dovetail with their wingers. It's difficult for defenders to see the patterns. With three skilful midfielders backing them up, they generally dominate the ball and force opponents back.

But... it's generally pretty easy in Ligue Un. Not quite so in the Champions League. And to my eye PSG's attacking patterns have the capability to offer opportunities for Arsenal. Win the ball back. Break the press. Because in transition Arsenal can expose them.

On the assumption that Arteta goes down the 'safe' route of dropping Rice into the 'number 6' role, and uses Merino and Odegaard as twin '8s', then I can see some interesting scenarios. Rice devours the ground and anticipates well, and whilst he lacks the cuteness in tight spaces of Partey or even Lewis-Skelly (I'll come back to him) he has the power to dominate his counterparts; as he did to Bellingham in the previous round. Freeing the ball to Merino - whose cute one-touch passing can be a real asset - or Odegaard - who is starting to carry the ball more effectively and decisively now that his mate is back in the side - can help break past/through the PSG midfield and give opportunities to the speedy Martinelli and the mercurial Saka. With Trossard dropping deep and perhaps taking a centre half with him, and with the PSG full backs perhaps over-committing, then I see exciting possibilities.

Whether you are watching or going to the game, expect to see PSG have more of the ball than Arsenal. I expect a mid-block from Arteta, and an attempt to 'rope a dope' the French side. Mikel will surely rely on his team's defensive solidity, and look to draw PSG on. Expect it to be cagey, and a game of 'transitions'. It won't be 'blood and thunder' - at least not to start with. The key will be not to let the wingers in behind, and not to allow the full backs to find space between Arsenal's defenders.

For me, a key battle will be between Kvaratskhelia and Timber. The winger can be devastating off of either foot, but he will be up against possibly the best defensive full back in world football. Saka will obviously be dropping back to help too, and Rice must hold his central position as much as possible. 

On the other side of the field, it will be interesting to see whether Arteta gives MLS license to 'invert'; the issue being whether this is likely to expose Kivior to Doué (who I'd imagine will start ahead of Barcola). Martinelli can be very important here, but perhaps with Rice's physical capabilities - greater than Partey's, for sure - maybe Arteta will ask MLS to rein himself back a little.

One area where Arsenal can dominate is at set pieces. PSG aren't the tallest or most physical of sides, and Donnarumma - whilst a world-class shot stopper - is not so hot on crosses. Corners and free kicks in the PSG final third may be key. Watch out for them.

Both sides have fallen away domestically recently. Arsenal's league challenge has been dying for weeks (and was finally put out of its misery on Sunday). PSG sewed up the title long ago, but were looking to go Invincible. They failed miserably in that quest on Friday, going down 3-1 at home to Nice in a game that they absolutely dominated. That may well end up as a template for the second leg for Arteta.

From my point of view, if Arsenal can come out of the first leg with any lead - no matter how slender - then I see the team being capable of defending it in the Parc Des Princes next week. A draw wouldn't be a complete disaster, but defeat may be. Either way, it's going to be a fascinating tactical battle between two coaches who learnt much as youngsters at La Masia. Both clubs - perennial Champions League under-achievers over the past 20 years - can spy a shot at destiny. PSG must be hurt from years of painful and embarrassing knockout defeats, and Arsenal - now back where they belong - must shrug aside thoughts of all those painful exits at the hands of Barcelona and Bayern. One of them will create their own history over the next 8 days - let's hope and pray that it's Arsenal.

If you're going tonight, be in your seat early. By all accounts it'll be worth it!

Oh - and it's probably pointless mentioning it here, but I'll have a go. The second leg falls on my 65th birthday. I'd love to spend it in Paris; so if you hear of a spare?...

Right then. COYG!!!

Arsenal’s New Aura. And Arteta’s Partey Replacement Dilemma

Nothing huge to report from a pretty routine win at Portman Road against an outclassed Ipswich Town; one major and a few minor talking points notwithstanding. But I did sense something different about the demeanour of the players just a few days after the win at the Bernebeu. An aura - a swagger, almost. A sense of them having hit a new level; psychologically at least. There’s actually no telling what beating Real Madrid might do for this group on a mental level as they move forward.

Of course a sample size of one is not statistically relevant, and Arsenal’s kryptonite - the low block - remains the final part of the jigsaw that Arteta needs to solve. But if they carry this aura on in the rest of the Premier League campaign - difficult matches against Liverpool and Newcastle notwithstanding - then perhaps taking the same attitude into next season and to whatever the opposition put up against them will turn out to be the answer.

What is for certain is that Ipswich had not a single answer to Arsenal, at any stage, and supporters in the ground would have ended up with cricked necks from watching pretty much all the play in one third of the field. But we don’t have to cast our minds back too far to remember recent struggles against said low blocks against Brentford, Everton, Nottingham Forest and others that in the end have cost the team any chance of vying for the Premier League title. 

However, I sensed something different about the team on Sunday; it was as if beating Real had elevated the group to a higher plane. Watch this space.

And so to the game itself. Arteta went strong to start with, wanting to burn the opposition off early, and the team delivered. The full backs and Partey were rested, however. First half goals from Trossard (playing in the false 9 with Merino dropping back into midfield) and Martinelli had put the game to bed long before the game’s major talking point. 

On the goals; Arsenal’s right hand side, with Saka almost back to full power, looked irrepressible, and Starboy had whoever faced up to him on toast. Whether he went inside or outside, they had no answer, and there is simply no doubt now as to his importance to the team - nor to his standing in world football. Add in his link-up play with Odegaard, and we’re looking at questions that any defence in the world are going to find it difficult to answer.

The second goal, by the way, was a thing of complete beauty. Saka, released by Trossard, burst down the right and crossed; where Merino - rotating with Trossard - sublimely flicked the ball to the onrushing Martinelli, who passed the ball into an open goal. I'm sure that Merino meant it...

Of course, the major talking point from the match was the horrendous challenge on Saka from Davis, which sent Starboy 5 feet into the air. The defender raked his studs down Saka's achilles - and if you've ever had someone do that to you, then you know how painful it is. Davis simply couldn't have been going for the ball - it was too far away - so that was deliberate; and he got exactly what he deserved in the shape of a red card. Impact injuries are of course easier to deal with than muscular ones, so the application of ice to the point of impact would have helped Starboy's recovery, and I do expect to see him in some capacity against Crystal Palace.

Following lengthy treatment, Saka was able to continue. Bizarrely, the Suffolk inbreds decided that the best course of treatment for Saka for having the audacity to be fouled so horrendously was to boo his every touch from then on. I have no idea whatsoever why they should choose to do so. But in the space of the next 10 minutes Starboy missed a hat-trick of what for him were more than presentable opportunities to score (at the same time making a mockery of my decision to make him my Fantasy League captain for the week). Close-ups of Saka indicated that he at least saw the funny side of it, but on another day Arsenal could have been 5-0 up at half-time.

The second half was as much a formality as the first, with Arsenal doubling their lead via goals from Trossard (again Ole Ole) and Nwaneri - via a couple of deflections - both from short corner routines. Saka had long departed, but the dynamic of the game hadn't changed; as Odegaard pulled Arsenal's strings. There was almost a dream start to the Premier League career of Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (NBO from now on!), who finally made it onto the pitch following a dozen appearances on the bench, as his very first touch was a rasping shot from the edge of the penalty area that had Palmer at full stretch to palm over.

And that was that. Ipswich have been doomed almost from the start, of course, and will along with last season's other two promoted sides be going back down from whence they came. The gap is simply too much for most promoted sides. Although this may change next season, as both Leeds and Burnley have recent Premier League experience and better squads than this season's lambs to the slaughter. If that's the case, then hopefully Tottenham's recent slide down the table can continue into the 25/26 season and see them in a real relegation battle; as it stands they are likely to finish 17th this season - saved from ignominy only by the lack of quality of Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester. 

Whilst Spurs have somehow found their way into the Europa League semi-finals - along with the other Banter Club Manchester United (we're all lovers of Bode/Glimt and Bilbao, are we not?) - Arsenal have much bigger fish to fry next week as they come up against PSG in what could be a classic Champions League semi-final matchup. Mikel Arteta does, however, have a dilemma to solve, due to the idiotic booking that Thomas Partey picked up late on in the Bernebeu. The Ghanaian is ruled out for the first leg, and those are big boots to fill. With Jorginho and Califiori both still out, this will mean that the Manager has to be creative.

There are a number of ways to skin this particular cat, with the easiest one appearing to be dropping Rice to the number 6 role, Merino to left 8, and sticking Trossard up top. This is by no means perfect, however, as it will restrict the influence of Rice; and also leave Trossard dwarfed by the PSG centre backs. There was plenty of positional rotation on Sunday, but Ipswich aren't PSG, and Sam Morsy is no Vitinha!

What we did see on Sunday was Arteta experimenting with his midfield, We saw first Zinchenko and then MLS move into the number 6 role, with Tierney coming on at left back, and this is certainly another alternative for the Manager to consider, but it's a risk against such a potent midfield. I suspect that Arteta's natural conservativeness will see Rice start at number 6, but there will be wriggle room as the game develops. Interesting. 

For me, PSG are a decent matchup for Arsenal. They are an entirely different outfit to the one that Arsenal completely bossed in the group stages of the tournament, and they certainly won't be looking to sit back in a low block. It ought to be a game of attack and counter attack, and the best defence - Arsenal's - can hopefully expect to come out on top. Two games to really look forward to.

Meantime, it's Crystal Palace first; the match brought forward from Saturday with Palace in FA Cup semi final action at the weekend. Arteta and Arsenal may well have their minds on next week, but Glasner and Palace will have their weekend even further at the forefront of their minds. Hopefully we won't see Eze, who is their main creative threat, and I don't really want to see Mateta either. But, having thrashed Palace 5-1 at Selhurst Park in their first meeting this season, I don't expect that Arsenal should have too much difficulty with them. Frankly, Arsenal still need the points in order to keep their challengers at bay - the likes of Forest, City and Newcastle continue to nibble at their toes - so Arteta cannot afford to rotate his starting line-up too much.

We shall see. In the meantime... COYG!

The Colossus Of Madrid

History buffs will know that the Colossus of Rhodes was a gigantic statue of the Greek Sun God, Helios. It was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Last night, Declan Rice bestrode the Santiago Bernebeu like a giant himself, dominating Real Madrid. A colossal performance from somebody who we know already was a fine player, but has now announced his brilliance to the world.

Rice completely outshone Jude Bellingham (whose petulant behaviour during and after the match meant that some Arsenal fans have now dubbed him Jude B*ll*nd). He was up and down the pitch all night, getting tackles, blocks and interceptions in as required, but not afraid to break forward and help set the tone for Arsenal moving the other way. A performance that reminded me in many ways of peak Steven Gerrard.

Of course, Rice wasn't the only hero of the evening. But what really impressed me most - apart from the utterly disciplined and professional team performance - was the bravery of firstly the Manager in devising the tactics, and then of the team - as a whole - in carrying them out to a 'T'. Not prepared to allow Madrid to dictate play, Arsenal chose their moments - especially early on - to press high. This put Madrid on the back foot, and prevented them from getting into any sort of rhythm. The drive up top in the press, especially from Odegaard, Merino and Saka, meant that Madrid couldn't develop any pattern of play. And with Martinelli buzzing everywhere, the home side really struggled and rarely looked like clawing back the deficit.  

There were, of course, a few moments that could easily have been turning points or momentum changers. Arsenal's early penalty - correctly awarded by VAR after the referee missed it - ought really to have settled the nerves. Who knows what Asencio was thinking as he hauled Merino to the ground at a corner? And frankly who cares? But we simply weren't prepared for what happened next, as Starboy tried something he'd never done before in a competitive match; a 'Panenka'. 

What was he thinking, we must have thought, as it went horribly wrong and Courtois saved easily. I'm very firmly of the opinion that the Shearer method is the way to go - aim for a top corner and hit it as hard as you can. But Saka's weak and misdirected attempt lobbed gently to the goalkeeper's right. 

My first thought was that the moment could a) be a momentum changer, and b) might affect Saka's confidence. 

• On the first count, when Mbappe threw himself to the floor a few minutes later - the referee buying it; awarding a very soft penalty - was that the two penalty incidents would be how the match would be remembered. Fortunately, the VAR alerted the referee to the softness of the award and sent him to the screen. It was clear that Mbappe had thrown himself to the ground at the slightest touch from Declan Rice, and following a 5 minute delay (ludicrous) the penalty award, and subsequent yellow card for Dec, were both rescinded. In the Premier League, that's not happening; the VAR would back his mate up and cite the lack of a 'clear and obvious error'. On the other hand, I don't think that Arsenal get their penalty if Asencio's foul on Merino occurs in a Premier League game. Maybe I'm paranoid, but for me these are yet another example of how poorly the VAR regulations are applied in England
• On the second count... well, not a bit of it. Starboy stood up tall and got on with what he needed to do; which was torment David Alaba (who, by the way, might easily have been sent off as early as the 8th minute for a horrific attempt at a 'reducer' that wiped Saka out). For me, it's never too early for a red card if the offence demands it. And Alaba wasn't the only Madrid defender who should have seen one!

Meantime, Madrid's aggression, which had already led to two bookings, had seen Rudiger haul Partey to the ground prior to a free kick. He was to repeat the action not once, but twice later on Timber, and also barrelled into Merino late; and was then inexplicably not even booked - let alone sent off - for a stamp on MLS's mid-section in the second half. It took until the 85th minute for him to finally receive the yellow card he fully deserved. Lenient refereeing; and B*ll*nd should also have seen yellow for also manhandling Timber to the ground, followed up a little later by a nasty tackle on his England colleague Rice. But as it seems is becoming prevalent in the refereeing world, foul play is not sufficiently punished, but Raya received a yellow for time-wasting just after the half hour. I can't get my head around this.

There was an interesting incident as the players walked off at half-time, when the injured Carvajal took it upon himself to try to get under Saka's skin; first verbally and then by laying a hand on his neck. Saka was livid; and whilst I'm not sure if the Spaniard was punished for it, he should have been! However, and as we well know, it's difficult to ruffle our Starboy. In any case, Arsenal had reached half-time safely at 0-0.

As the game wore on, Arsenal's tactics were clear. Happy to let Madrid have the ball in front of them in a mid to low block, they were doing to Madrid what so many do to them. And at 3-0 up, why the hell not? And Madrid seemed, frankly, devoid of ideas. They fell into the trap of lumping crosses into the Arsenal penalty area - something we've quite often accused Arsenal of being naive enough to do to certain teams - but with Saliba, Kivior and others looking solid, and space at a premium, it was doomed to failure. Madrid ended up with a total of 46 almost entirely ineffective crosses in the game. Chuck in a bit of gamesmanship/time-wasting, and the home crowd grew increasingly more frustrated. On the television, what we could hear alternated between whistles (at their own players) from the home crowd, and some of the all too familiar songs from the Arsenal cohort. 'Allez Allez' came out on several occasions, and we also got at least one 'You've only come to see the Arsenal'. I did get a little jittery, however, when the away fans began to 'Ole!' Arsenal passing as early as the 55th minute!

Arsenal killed the tie stone dead in the 65th minute. A delightful passing move involving Saka, Odegaard (twice), Rice and then Merino saw the latter cleverly slip Starboy in for a delicate chip over the advancing Courtois. A thing of beauty and my heart rate - which hit 80+ prior to the game and went over 90 during the penalty incidents - finally dropped back to normal. To put into context, when Merino scored Arsenal's third in the first leg it had hit an astonishing 160; but in truth I was pretty relaxed by the latter stages of the first half. Weren't you? And Saka, of course, had answered the question about whether his confidence had taken a hit from the penalty miss in the perfect manner.

Rather disconcertingly, Real equalised almost immediately, when Saliba dallied on the ball and was punished by Vinicius Jnr. In truth, whilst this and the penalty miss by Saka were big errors, they weren't anything like as critical in the long-term as the stupid yellow card that Partey picked up late on for reacting to the Rudiger infraction that finally saw him carded. I can forgive the occasional playing lapse, but a mental error like the one Partey made could yet cost Arsenal dearly, as he is now going to miss the first leg of the semi-final.

When Mbappe injured himself and limped off in the 75th minute, I literally put my feet up. Arsenal pretty much cruised through the rest of the match - Partey's yellow card notwithstanding (and Rice was absolutely furious with the Ghanaian!) - and the Arsenal fans could be seen partying up in their corner of the Bernebeu.

The icing on the cake was provided by Gabriel Martinelli. Yet another futile cross was headed out by Kivior, and Merino's threaded pass found the sprinting Brazilian. He outpaced Fran Garcia and finished in Henry-esque style into the far corner. Buenos Noches, Madrid!

So what can we take from this win? Well firstly, as I've already mentioned, they are superbly coached and organised, and even in the absence of Gabriel (and White and Calafiori) have a fabulous defence. Declan Rice was magnificent - again! - and rightfully received his second successive Player of the Match award, Of the others... well, let's go through them all:

• Raya - solid. Did everything he needed to do tidily; although I'm going to blame him just a little for playing Saliba into a bit of trouble for the equaliser
• Timber - another 9/10 performance. Saw Vinicius Junior off comfortably
• Saliba - despite the error, was outstanding once more. Took the brunt of the organisational pressure up on himself in the absence of Gabriel, and marshalled Kivior superbly
• Kivior - a really solid performance. Rarely under pressure, and rarely ruffled. He's slotted in seamlessly for Gabriel, and we're seeing the player that Arteta knew he was buying. A performance like this puts several million on his transfer fee, should Arsenal decide to sell him
• MLS - it's difficult to fathom that the kid is just 18. Another mature performance, both in defence and also with the guts and knowhow to feel happy to invert into midfield when he could. Superb
• Partey - an idiotic yellow card, yes; but otherwise did his job perfectly, Covered the space. Put his body on the line. Had 100% passing accuracy. Give him another year, Mikel
• Rice - what can anyone say? He was everywhere - snuffing out Madrid continually, and launching counter-attacks. A £105m bargain!
• Odegaard - a little off range with his passing - as he has been quite a lot this season - in the first half - but never stopped showing for the ball, and dovetailed well with Saka (as you'd expect). Covered more ground than any other player
• Saka - pretty much impeccable apart from the penalty miss. To think that he's still not fully fit! World class
• Martinelli - got the reward he deserved for his hard work with his goal. Right back to form now
• Merino - gloriously understated. Never stopped working, closing down and filling gaps. Got his just rewards with both assists, and is frankly doing a remarkable job in his new role

As for talk of a remontada (comeback) from Real - well, that was all it was; talk. They barely had a sniff. In truth, they're not a vintage Madrid side, and it's almost as if the acquisition of Mbappe - a fantastic footballer but not really a team player - has upset their applecart. Arsenal were playing history, and the aura of the stadium, as well as the 11 in front of them. They were largely unruffled by any of that, and fully deserved to go through.

And so we move on to PSG. Things don't get any easier, do they? But what do you expect - this is the Champions League! Still, we saw Viila demonstrate what can be done if you can get at them - they are not unbeatable; although I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from the fact that Arsenal have already beaten them comfortably in the Group stages of this competition, as they are playing considerably better now. But Arsenal can certainly overcome them.

I'd love to go to Paris. The second leg is scheduled for my 65th birthday! But with precisely zero away points my chances are low to zero. Still, if you hear anything...

Ipswich away next. Back to the grind of the Premier League. But Arsenal must keep going. Even with the three or four changes that I expect for Sunday, they should really have far too much for their soon-to-be-relegated hosts. In the meantime, bask in the glory. COYG! 

Brentford Bore The Pants Off Of Everyone. But Now It's Time For Some Spanish Hustle!

It was very much a case of After The Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday. A familiar story as Brentford - like so many before them - came to Emirates Stadium intent on looking to sit deep and hit Arsenal on the break.

I could almost rehash a number of similar match reports from earlier this season. Low block. Domination of possession. Chances few and far between. PGMOL let Arsenal down once again with inept decision. Goal finally taken, only for the opposition to equalise with their first shot on target. Familiar? Well, I’ll run through a few incidents before I wrap that up; but then it’s on to far more significant matters.

No surprise that Arteta chose to roll the selection dice, with no fewer than 5 changes (I might have made more!), but the two notable omissions were Sterling from the starting line-up (and he didn’t make it onto the pitch at any stage as it turned out), and the disappointing absence of White from the squad altogether. The latter is somewhat of a concern, and meant Partey at right back when I’m sure that Arteta would have far preferred to rest him for Wednesday.

The game started with Brentford clearly prepared to concede lumps of territory and possession, but to allow a minimal number of chances. I’ve lost count of the number of teams who have tried that this season; and unfortunately far too many have succeeded in escaping with draws. Something that Arteta simply must sort out for next season. 

A few half-chances were all Arsenal could muster, whilst the opposition fed off of scraps on the occasional break. Trossard had the first Arsenal shot on target late in the first half, but it was perhaps Martinelli who had the two best chances in an otherwise utterly uninspiring first 45 minutes.

The only controversial moment in the half involved a nasty scissor tackle by Norgaard on Martinelli- a potential leg-breaker - which the referee deemed worthy merely of a yellow card. VAR inevitably backed him up, despite the evidence of his eyes. If it would have been the other way round, we know what would have been decided; it was a straight red in my book. As we've quoted on numerous previous occasions: 'If that's Granit Xhaka...' But there's no point stressing about PGMOL any more; although surely the clubs must petition for big changes.

Second half, and much of the same. Until, unusually, it was Arsenal who struck with a breakaway goal. From a rare Brentford corner, Raya plucked the ball out of the air and immediately found Declan Rice with a roll-out. Rice put on the afterburners, with Martinelli and Partey in support, running fully 70 yards with the ball before releasing it perfectly into the path of the Ghanaian for an emphatic finish into the top of the net. Devastating. 

https://x.com/SkySportsPL/status/1911114913977712724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1911114913977712724%7Ctwgr%5E36a70cd7bc56df954d163d150d15a3ce63e87c88%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Ffootball%2F2025%2F04%2F12%2Farsenal-vs-brentford-live-score-and-updates-premier-league%2F

But Arsenal couldn’t hang on. Poor defending from a corner saw Wissa hook the ball over his head to equalise. 

Thoroughly annoying - as much because this wasn’t the first time we’d witnessed it - and despite several further half-chances (Bukayo Saka must be annoyed with himself for squandering one excellent opportunity of his own making) Arsenal failed to score a second and the game petered out into another draw. 

Two depressing statistics for you: 

1. This was the 8th time that Arsenal had let a lead slip this season - imagine where they’d be if they had held on in those games (and there have been various reasons for some of those dropped points; many PGMOL-related to be fair). 

And 2. Brentford had a total xG of 0.19 in this match - the fourth lowest of any team in any Premier League match this season - yet came away with a draw. And of the three teams with lower xGs two of them - Everton (0.09) and Fulham  (0.16) - also escaped with draws against Arsenal. Boy, hasn’t this been a frustrating season?!?

And so the clock ticks even faster on Liverpool’s impending title. It looks like they may well clinch it with victory over Tottenham - which will, I’m sure, be a cause for celebration for not just their fans and PGMOL, but for their opposition's supporters too; pathetic as Spurs fans are (remember last season and Son’s missed chance vs Manchester City, and how their supporters celebrated losing to them! How has that worked out, eh?). 

But Arsenal now have bigger fish to fry - a massive one, coming fast into view as we head towards Wednesday night.

Memories of last Tuesday’s epic thrashing (or, to use a fish metaphor, battering) of Real Madrid remain at the forefront of our memories. And 3-0 really ought to be more than enough to prevent a turnaround. But the media have been full of suggestions that the tie is by no means over; despite how much Arsenal dominated the European champions last week. All we can hope is that Arteta and his staff are shielding the Arsenal players from the spotlight, preparing them for what awaits, and keeping them firmly grounded. And once they're out on the field, the message should be to play what's in front of you and cut out all the peripheries. It's 11 vs 11; and that's all there is to it.

Real are, of course, a threat to any side. Their forward line can be devastating, and I can’t see any way that Bellingham could possibly have as poor a game as he had last week. They’re at home, in front of a 100,000 crowd and with the roof shut (although, as @AFCMonty pointed out on Twitter, Rice cooks better with the lid on...). But it will be a cauldron. 

Camavinga out, but Tchaoumeni will be back. So there’ll be little change to their side, I’d imagine. There’s a fair chance that we won’t see Alaba after last week's humiliation at the hands of Starboy, though. I'd also expect to see them reverting to 4-3-3, with Rodrygo up alongside his attacking partners instead of dropping into a 4-4-2. And I'd expect Real to have the lion's share of the ball.

However... Arsenal don't let in many goals at the best of times. And certainly not as many as three in any game. On top of that I'm pretty sure that Arteta will be looking to use the dirtiest of low blocks; looking to cut off room to operate for the speedy Vini Jnr and Mbappe, to reduce the space behind, and to make Bellingham's task of threading balls through that much harder. Console yourself between now and kick-off with this infographic:

On top of that, I'm absolutely certain that Ancelotti will be conscious of the threat posed by Arsenal's wingers. Saka, on his way back to fitness, has the skill to pose all sorts of problems to the Real defence. But Martinelli's pace will surely be the most potent weapon of all. With Rice's ability to devour the ground in both directions, Arsenal ought to have more than enough to keep Real on their toes. 

And Real have stopped keeping clean sheets. Imagine what an Arsenal goal will do to them! Easier said than done, but keep them quiet early, notch off the minutes even 5 at a time, and force them to overplay their hand. 

Remember, it's 3-0. That's a big margin. Real may have done it before, but this really ought to be the case of them coming up against a pretty immovable object.

I wouldn't say I'm confident, personally, but I'm certainly more than hopeful. And you ought to be, too - despite all the background noise. COYG!!!

Alright Stop, Collaborate And Listen!

Difficult to know where to start. But what a night! Unquestionably the biggest occasion the stadium has ever seen. Bigger than that famous victory over Barcelona in 2011, and bigger even than the Bruce Springsteen gig staged there in 2008. And I'm a massive Springsteen fan! In truth, Arsenal have largely under-performed in the 19-year history of the stadium, despite the odd delirious high, and it needed a night like this one. A night on which to create some history. To - as Arteta had been drumming in to players and fans alike - Make It Happen. 

From the moment we started the walk to the ground we could sense it. The amount of singing. The queues that formed so early at the gates. The atmosphere on the concourses, and even in the queues for the urinals! The sense of anticipation as the seats filled up much earlier than usual. The on point music. The light show. The banners. The tifo display. The Angel being belted out prior to the Champions League anthem. The sense of anticipation at seeing such iconic names pitted against our boys. And the feeling of jeopardy felt by everyone (well, I say everyone... Sam, sitting next to me, told me he'd had a bet on a 3-0 Arsenal win. I of course told him that he was mad! - because this, after all, was Real Madrid).

No surprises in the team selection from Arteta. He'd expressed his confidence in Kivior the day before, and the vibes that Saka was going to start were very clear. The question for us supporters was how the team was going to cope with Real's pacy, electrifying forward line, but it was clear that there were weaknesses elsewhere. Carvajal, Militao and Mendy all out injured. Tchouameni suspended. Rudiger feeling the stress of a long season. The veteran Alaba barely back from injury himself. Goalkeeper Courtois had also been out for a few weeks. So there would be opportunities, and we sensed that. But...

And so to the game. Early nerves, featuring errors from Kivior in the very first minute (Mbappé‘s long-range effort was tame), Saka and even Saliba, who was momentarily wrong-footed by an errant pass by Kivior; Mbappé, on the end of Vinicius's pass, was offside before blasting the ball over (and here's something that annoys me abut that incident. Mbappé was clearly offside, yet the instructions to officials are to let play go on - I've never been sure why if the offside is clear - and so Timber took a knock from the Frenchman as he chased back. Fortunately, he was OK after treatment, by I've never been sure why such an element of jeopardy should be introduced). 

Later on in the half, Saliba stumbled and almost let Vinicius through, but Timber was there to cover. So for all Arsenal's possession and desire to take the sting out of Madrid's game, the threat on the break was always there.

But Arsenal had their chances also. Starboy, who cannot yet be fully up to speed, was causing havoc on the Arsenal right as Bellingham and Modric tried to stop him getting at Alaba. An early clumsy foul from Modric led to a free kick, but Odegaard's poor cross was intercepted and Madrid broke quickly; and the imperious Saliba dealt with Vinicius Jnr with the minimum of fuss. Saka then got another opportunity to run at Alaba, and his low cross caused confusion between Camavinga and Rudiger. The second of two successive corners saw Partey's glancing header blocked on the line - by Saliba!

A bit of cat and mouse followed, but there was more than a glimmer of danger when Bellingham robbed Timber and set the rapid - I had no idea how quick he was until I saw him in the flesh - Mbappé through. Raya, however, was once more comfortably equal to the attempted Henry-esque finish.

Towards the end of the half, Saka created two superb chances with low crosses into the 6-yard box. And we could all see his visual frustration as the lack of an instinctive centre-forward meant that the anticipation wasn't quite there for anybody to get onto the end of them - particularly the first one, although we had the joy of seeing Saka get the better of Bellingham before he crossed. 

The final meaningful action of the half saw the first really clear cut chance, as Rice met Timber's cross and his firm header was beaten out only to Martinelli, only for Courtois to complete the double save. Getting closer, but we turned at 0-0 and with the tension still palpable and the crowd still completely engaged.

Whilst the second half started as the first had, two things struck me. Firstly that whilst Arsenal were content to look to take the sting out of their opponents and work the opposition around, Madrid were as happy to go long early as they were to knock the ball around themselves. And with that pace in their forward line, why not? And secondly I was amazed at Arsenal’s energy levels; how quickly they were prepared to get back in numbers whenever they had to. I read later that Arsenal had run 1k more per man than Madrid, which tells a tale.

Just before the hour, the first decisive moment of the game, and a really meaningful contribution from Saka, who drove across the pitch with Alaba in his wake before drawing a foul around 10 yards outside the penalty area and fairly central. 

A clamour has been starting recently amongst Arsenal fans for Declan Rice to be given more opportunities on direct free kicks, based on a combination of Odegaard’s continued lack of success and the purity and quality of Dec’s corner and free kick delivery since the squad returned from Dubai last January. 

I, for one, was calling for Saka to defer to him as they stood over the ball and, whilst I don’t think that Courtois’s wall was either wide enough or well-enough positioned, the sheer purity of the hit was outstanding. Hit with pace, and a Roberto Carlos style curl that started the ball a good two yards outside the post, it was past the despairing dive of the keeper and nestling in the back of the net in a split second. 

What a hit! And the crowd went ballistic! Noise at levels I’ve rarely heard in the ground as the enormity of what Arsenal were doing began to hit home. Each replay was greeted with oohs and aahs of disbelief, and I was telling everyone around me that they’d have to go a long way to see a better free kick than that as long as they lived.

Buoyed on by a rampant crowd - one that had been backing the team loudly all evening and who now stepped up the volume even further - Arsenal began to pummel Real. The home team were suddenly well on top, and we soon saw a dramatic passage of play involving a triple block/save as first Martinelli’s shot was saved by Courtois, then Merino’s follow-up kicked off the line by Alaba, only for the keeper to beat out a third effort from Merino again. A remarkable piece of action, and we were ruing the ball not having found the net. From the ensuing corner, it was Bellingham this time who cleared a Rice shot off the line. The pressure on Real was intense, but around me we were wondering if Arsenal didn’t need to reflect their authority in the scoreline right then; or live to regret it.

As it turned out, I got my free kick prediction completely wrong, as we had to wait fully 12 minutes after the first for Rice to better the previous one. Saka repeated his drive infield, and this time it was Camavinga who brought him down (the subsequent yellow card thus ruling him out of the second leg; but more of that later). And then…

Pandemonium, as the Arsenal half of the wall split and Rice’s effort crashed into the very top corner of the net. Top bins, as Jimmy Bullard used to say on the now sadly defunct Soccer Saturday, and two goalkeepers wouldn’t have kept that out! Cries of ‘Declan Rice - we got him half price’, rang out as the television cameras showed the reactions of a number of players. Odegaard and Saliba with their hands on their heads in disbelief. Bellingham and Mbappé in shock. 

These, by the way, were apparently the first direct free kicks scored by an Arsenal player since October 2021 (I’m not quite sure about that stat though). And the first - and second - direct free kicks scored by Rice himself in his entire top class career of 339 matches. Remarkable.

Interesting to hear what Rice himself said about his free kick technique after the game: ‘When I look up quickly I don’t get quite the same consistency as when I just focus on the ball… and keep my head down’. A perfect comparison with one’s feelings when standing over any shot, as all amateur golfers would testify. A dead ball is a dead ball, no matter what the sport is.

The coup de grace was delivered by Merino following a fluid move involving (inevitably) Rice, Trossard, MLS and then finally the Spaniard, whose clever first time finish from the edge of the penalty area wrong-footed Courtois. To add to the remarkable statistics, this means that Merino has scored more goals against Real Madrid than any other opponent. And that makes 6 goals in 10 matches since he was forced up front by the injury to Havertz. Astonishing, frankly. Although anybody who suggests that Arsenal don’t need to buy a centre forward in the summer will get short shrift from me; and from you too, I suspect.

There remained time for Camavinga to receive his marching orders for kicking the ball away. But also for Bellingham to somehow avoid a yellow for a series of tugs on Odegaard’s shirt that would have ruled him out of the second leg - although Arsenal do have a 3-0 lead, it would have made their lives a lot easier next week were Bellingham to be unavailable.

Those last 15 minutes of the match were played out to a background of celebration. The Arsenal version of Liverpool’s ‘Allez Allez’ song rang out loud and clear, before being followed up by a side-splitting rendition of ‘Are you Tottenham in disguise?’ The ignominy! Oh how we laughed! On the sidelines, Ancelotti’s lugubrious bulldog face looked more and more glum as time went on - as it happens, this may well be his final year at Madrid if, as looks likely, the club exits the Champions League at what is a very early stage for them, and also fails to win La Liga. That’s the harsh reality of life at the very top of club football.

So how did Arsenal achieve this result? Well firstly, as I have been banging on about in my last two posts, Madrid have injuries (don’t we all; unless we’re Liverpool), have got in the habit of letting in too many goals and are frankly in relatively poor form; and even look mentally fragile to my eyes. But this is Real Madrid, after all - all that aura and history in the competition must weigh down on opponents, so that’s not to take anything away from Arsenal.

Coached masterfully by Arteta, Arsenal essentially had Real where they wanted them. They exploited the spaces in midfield left by Real’s midfielders having to double up on the wingers, with Partey (if there’s an option of an extra year on his contract, Arsenal should be sticking the paperwork in front of him right now!) putting in a typically understated but highly efficient performance. He was joined frequently by MLS in order to create further overloads, and Real couldn’t cope. When they realised that they needed to concentrate more on the middle of the pitch, it left the wingers one on one with the full backs. 

All Real had to work with was the occasional swift counter attack. With the crucial difference compared to Premier League games being that domestic opponents are used to playing in - and indeed set out to play in - a low block against Arsenal that is frankly anathema to Real Madrid.

The extra space then left Odegaard (still a little way off of his best) and particularly Rice to drive through - often ahead of Merino - and put pressure on the back line.

All over the field, Arsenal were in charge almost throughout. As I’ve mentioned, they ran harder and further than Madrid, and seemed to want it more than their opponents. It’s difficult to pick out any individuals - although Rice was magnificent and will rightly take the plaudits - but I was also particularly impressed with the unrufflable Saliba, MLS, Partey, the selfless Merino… and with Saka, who is still on the comeback trail and ran out of energy after 70 minutes - but not before putting his stamp on the game by tormenting the left hand side of Madrid’s defence. 

3-0. And it could have been 5. I just hope that Arsenal don’t regret that in a week’s time, but for me (tempting fate here) the tie is pretty much dead. For all that Madrid will try everything they can - including gamesmanship - to get back into the tie, and they can expect nothing from the officials in Madrid, and the pressure will be immense, Arsenal haven’t let in three goals in a single match since December 2023 - and they still won that one 4-3! We should also bear in mind the amount of jeopardy that Real will be in - Arsenal will have sufficient pace on the counter-attack to hurt them, so they will have to be mindful of that. 

The best thing to do is not think about it, because the more we do, the more we will worry. But - believe me - Madrid know that they have a gargantuan task on their hands next week.

Meantime, I’m expecting large-scale rotation for Brentford on Saturday. Starts for White, Tierney, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Trossard, Sterling and Nwaneri for starters. Maybe even a rest for Raya. Nothing should be left to chance. Let’s keep this going - Eurostar tickets, anyone! 

COYG!!!