Fine Margins; And Loaded Agendas

A disappointing result at Anfield. But there's absolutely no need for Captain Hindsight to make an appearance. And there's certainly no need for anyone associated with the club to take any heed of the drivel spouted by the likes of Neville, Carragher and Keane - I certainly didn't!

There's no need to go through a timeline of the match, as you've all watched it; so I'm just going to launch into my view of the events - and what could have been done differently. 

Now I personally had very little issue with the line-up selected by Mikel Arteta. The two slightly controversial selections could easily be justified. And even though it has been levelled at Arteta on many occasions that he is too conservative in general... well, this was Anfield. 

Yes, of course you want to go there and win. But it isn't that easy. So for pundits to suggest that in order to win the league you HAVE to go there and win?... well, that's nonsense. Pep Guardiola's record at Anfield is P10 W1 D3 L6!

With Odegaard not deemed fit to start, Merino was a perfectly sensible replacement. Anfield is probably the most difficult away PL ground for any side. Merino scored home and away against Liverpool last season. Arteta wanted somebody to lead the press - from the very position that Odegaard would have been - and there was nobody else to do so. So any suggestion that this was a defensive decision can easily be pooh-poohed. Sure, Nwaneri could be regarded as a more adventurous and progressive selection, but he is 18 years old and in my opinion not quite ready to start at Anfield; and certainly not to do the job that Merino was charged with doing. Plus - and I cannot emphasise this enough - with key players such as Saka, Odegaard and Havertz unavailable, looking to contain Liverpool for 65 minutes and then go for the win is not actually a bad strategy!

As for the selection of Martinelli, we should not forget that this was the player who dragged Arsenal back into the corresponding fixture last season, as we came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. Sure, he had another poor game, and I think we can all agree he is going to find himself well down the selection pecking list now as a result; so perhaps this was the beginning of the end for him at Arsenal. He certainly isn't kicking on at all from the player he was a couple of years ago, and his best contributions yesterday were defensive. It was his running power and ability to track back that got him the nod in the first place, in my humble opinion.

If I am going to criticise the Manager - and I am not going to do so anything like as much as many others have done - I would have liked to have seen Eze introduced at half time. It was clear that Martinelli - probably due to his own indecision and lack of confidence - wasn't getting any change out of makeshift full back Szoboszlai; there were two decent first half opportunities where his decision-making was clearly lacking. I had certainly seen more than enough at half time. Judging by Eze's 25-minute cameo, we would have got more down that side of the field with him there for the entire second half. The question of whether Eze ought to have started is being posed in hindsight - the guy will have had a handful of training sessions to get used to a complex system.

So, having dealt with those queries... another injury. And Arteta should probably have pulled Saliba from the game after the warm-up. As it was, he lasted barely 5 minutes due to a twisted ankle, but in truth we had nothing to worry us on that score as Mosquera dropped into the role almost seamlessly. Sure, he's not as accomplished on the ball as Saliba - but he looked quick, strong and confident throughout. Clearly an excellent purchase. 

It was clear to see from the start that Liverpool were as worried about Arsenal as Arsenal were about them. The match was cagey. Sterile. Nothing like the chaos we'd seen in Liverpool's two previous matches. And here's where it's a real balancing act.

Does anyone want to go to Anfield and play an open game? Aren't you just asking for trouble if you do? They rattled up 4 goals against Bournemouth, and scored two at Newcastle on Monday. By opening yourself up to the threat, you're asking for trouble! And so Arsenal played in a restrained, methodical way; restricting Liverpool to little or nothing, and - insomuch as one could call it that - dominating the match. One just has to look at the match statistics to see what a good job they did as a whole. Liverpool were restricted to just 0.45xG (a mere 0.09 in the first half) - and you'd have to go back a long way to find any match where they were kept that quiet. They barely got into Arsenal's penalty area, and managed just two shots - both off target - in the entire first half. True, Arsenal didn't do too much either; but they forced a number of corners and had the only shot on target of the half when Madueke drew a decent save from Allison. It changed in the second half - but I'll come to that.

Now; corners. A big problem for Arsenal yesterday as in the absence of both Saka and Odegaard there was nobody to take an inswinging corner from the right; thus nullifying much of the threat posed. If We'd have had that number of corners from the left, with Rice able to whip the ball into the 6-yard box, then perhaps things would have worked out differently. Liverpool, to be fair, coped well with the physical battle from corners… there was no way, of course, that any VAR checks for holding were going to be any more that cursory.

One other thing - and something that bothers me. We see Raya trying to draw opponents onto him, and then playing out from the back with intricate passes into midfield, but sometimes Arsenal get caught. As we saw once here when Van Dijk pounced on a dangerous vertical ball in to Zubimendi (in my opinion fouling him, but different rules apply to the Dutchman, as you well know...). He passed when he could have shot from the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, and the danger was averted. But here's the thing; Arsenal seem happier to take risks in their own third of the field than in the opponent's third; which makes zero sense. As I said no more than two posts ago, what I really want to see is the team playing more high tariff passes high up the pitch - because they can be pretty secure in the knowledge that their incredible defence will bail out any loss of control.

So half-time was reached with very little to report. Not the kind of match that a neutral would have enjoyed, and much resembling a game of chess - with neither manager prepared to launch into an attacking strategy. Liverpool's most-used passing combination by that point had been Van Dijk to Konate and back again... And the second half started in a similar style. But I can pinpoint two moments that changed the balance of the game - and one of them is going to be quite controversial (and if any match-going fans want to contradict me on it, feel free).

Liverpool did get the ball into the net in the 60th minute as Ekitike slotted home from the otherwise almost anonymous Wirtz's shot - but from a clearly offside position. Fortunate for Arsenal on two counts, as Raya brought Gakpo down in the melee for what would have been a clear penalty.

The first change that Slot made was Jones for MacAllister. And this made an almost immediate difference to the home team's style of play, as the more progressive Jones starting making runs into areas that hadn't been occupied by the Argentinian. With Szoboszlai able to start displaying a range of Trent-like passing from right back, into areas with which Zubimendi and Rice took time to adapt to, the flow changed somewhat. Certainly, Jones' link play was far more effective in the attacking sense than MacAllister's had been.

Secondly, in the 64th minute the Arsenal fans piped up with our version of one of the Liverpool supporters' favourite songs. 'We won the league at Anfield. We won it at The Lane...' And the affronted response was immediate; 'We conquered all of Europe' makes those Arsenal achievements look small in comparison, and the 4000 Arsenal fans were immediately swamped by a wall of noise from The Kop. You can hear the change in decibels very clearly on the television coverage. The Liverpool fans, who had had little or nothing to get their teeth into, had been roused. And they began to drive their team on. Tell me I'm crazy if you like; but I spotted it as it happened. Did you?

Within a minute, Jones drove onto a clever pass from Szoboszlai and fed Gakpo, who shot at Raya. Moments later Gyokores was booked for (accidentally) bringing down the angelic Van Dijk. And they started getting Salah onto the ball more frequently. This was the moment for me. The moment when Arteta needed to act. Which he did, to be fair; Odegaard and Eze replacing Merino and the disappointing Martinelli. 

But whilst the Norwegian looked energetic and tried to drive Arsenal up the field, Arsenal's attacking was almost all long ball - trying to hit Gyokeres or the wingers; whereas Liverpool were playing between the lines and looking to - and for the most part succeeding in - bypassing Rice and Zubimendi. Tactically, this was key. Eze did add some dynamism down the left, in what was a promising start. One piece of skill on the byline almost took my breath away. 

The key moment of the game came about as Jones - taking up a position behind Zubimendi - was fouled by the Spaniard 30+ yards out and very centrally. Not necessarily a position of undue danger, but... Szoboszlai's kick was magnificent; over the wall and curling right into Raya's right hand side-netting. The shot had to be pretty much perfect, and pretty much perfect it was. No blame whatsoever attached to Raya (as verified by Joe Hart on MotD2 that evening) and - as I posted on one or two of my WhatsApp groups immediately - 'You have to say that that's magnificent.' A moment worthy of winning any football match, and very much up alongside Rice's two efforts against Real Madrid last season.

From then on, naturally, Arsenal upped the pace. Eze had a chance to get a shot away from fairly close range almost immediately after the goal; but it wasn't a massively high tariff opportunity. Nor was he likely to get a penalty from Gomez's two little digs at him on the way through. Not at Anfield. And the best chance followed soon after as Madueke's cross was brilliantly intercepted by Gomez, who stood his ground in front of the predatory Gyokeres at a vital moment. Of course, as a result of upping the tempo Arsenal left themselves more open at the back; that's a risk you take against this Liverpool side if you want to try it - and it's a really difficult balancing act. The current buzzword; transition. And that's where Liverpool can be so deadly.

Arteta's final change was fascinating, as Dowman came on ahead of Nwaneri and Trossard. He had little time to make an impact, but didn't look fazed in the slightest by Anfield. Interestingly, Liverpool immediately tripled up on him; as if he was the second coming of Bukayo Saka; or even Lionel Messi. What a remarkable prospect he is.

Despite Arsenal's desperation, they couldn't trouble Allison in the final few minutes, and that was that. And whilst it's massively disappointing to have come away with nothing, all the signs were there that Arsenal and Liverpool are going to be engaged in a titanic battle for the title this season. In my view, had Odegaard been fit enough to start, or had Eze had an extra week's training with his new team-mates and therefore been deemed ready to start this match, we would have seen something quite different from Arsenal.

As it was, it took a moment of sheer brilliance to separate the sides. With Liverpool pretty much at full strength, but Arsenal missing 4 starters. And going forward... well, fitness is going to be key as the season progresses. Yes, Liverpool have paid a ludicrous £130m for Isak, but they can only put 11 players onto the field at once. And the collapse of the Guehi deal has certainly left them light in defence. They have to come to The Emirates in January - whilst AFCON is on; so no Salah. It's game on.

What we certainly don't need to listen to is Northern pundits and their pathetic anti-Arsenal agendas about Liverpool having more about them or more ambition than Arsenal. I'm not buying in to that. And nor should you. They're certainly not saying any of that if it ends up at 0-0!

We're now into one of those irritating Interlulls. It's never nice to go into one n the back of a defeat. But we're back on home ground when we return. So keep the faith. COYG!

If Carlsberg Did Saturdays…

Arsenal's first home game of the season. Always a moment of great anticipation and hope; and this time tinged with extra excitement. From the moment the rumours started circulating that we should get to our seats early, and right up to and beyond the final whistle, it's difficult to imagine that the day could have gone that much better.

On social media, round about lunchtime, I started seeing stuff that indicated that what we were all hoping for - the pre-match introduction of Eze - was going to take place. I messaged everyone I knew would be there to get there early, and told my family that we needed to leave earlier than normal for the game. This was going to be great; a real feelgood start to the home campaign.

We were in by 4.15 - and whilst the concourse wasn't packed there was already plenty of singing - the Gyokeres song being the most prominent. Good to see that there have been a few changes of note on the catering side; Asahi Dry definitely being an upgrade on Camden beer; but I'm not sure how good the Guinness is likely to be if they're switching the pipes on and off every few days... reviews to follow, I'm sure. A new food range too. Good to note that Arsenal are listening to their match-attending supporters.

I had brought my Liverpool-supporting mate, Tim, to the match. I'd promised him an Arsenal experience, and was curious as to his perspective. As a starting point, he appreciated the Asahi Dry. Also my view from the West Lower; but not so much with the atmosphere in general - but that's Arsenal fans for you... 

Nonetheless, by 5.15 the stands were pretty packed and the sense of anticipation was growing. And then there he was - our latest signing. Out of the tunnel to rapturous applause, a huge grin on his face, to chants of 'Arsenal! Arsenal!' and then 'Are you watching, Tottenham?' Much to everyone's pleasure and amusement. And here I'll deviate from discussing the match, because the significance of the signing bears discussion.

I'm sure that you know about Eze's 'previous' with Arsenal. A fan from a young age, and released from Hale End when he was just 13. Which is of course shattering for any young lad; and yet he worked hard to make a career for himself and - via QPR and of course Crystal Palace - has finally realised his dream. And the iconic number 10 shirt to boot.

We'd heard rumours all summer that Arsenal had been looking at him as the type of maverick footballer who could add something into the metronomic mix of Arsenal's general play. But it looked for all the world that he might be off to Tottenham before - if we can believe the story - Havertz's injury and the player's last-minute telephone plea to Mikel Arteta before he signed on the dotted line for our local rivals tipped the balance and caused Arteta and Berta to follow firmly through on their earlier interest. From the speed of the move, it seems clear that a lot of the work on the deal had been done, and perhaps Berta had been more focussed on departures at that point. But the prodigal son - if I can call him that - has returned. And, truth, be told, this was his last opportunity to come back; he is 27, there was no way that Tottenham would have sold him to us and - most important of all - he would have been miserable there, wouldn't he? 

On the subject of Tottenham, the social media meltdown has been a joy to behold. The video channels have been highly enjoyable viewing, as their supporters have vented at Daniel Levy. Not that their fans can be disappointed at the start they've had to their season, of course. 

But now all that remains is for Eze to have a real impact on Arsenal's immediate future. Which - as a result of the shoulder injury suffered by Martin Odegaard in the first half - may be sooner than we thought.

Anyway, to the match; and perhaps a minor surprise with Madueke selected on the left in front of Martinelli and Trossard. Otherwise, the team was much as suspected, but with a frisson of excitement at seeing Max Dowman named on the bench. My wife and I speculated on if/when we may see his introduction, and we settled on 3-0 up and 10 minutes to go... and we weren't that far out, I guess.

Extra fireworks pre-game added to the atmosphere, but the match itself settled into a fairly familiar pattern, for all that Arsenal were moving the ball a little quicker than in recent times, and were also looking for raking diagonals in order to upset Leeds' equilibrium. An early shot from Odegaard and a ball clipped over the top from Rice that almost let Saka in were early decent signs, before Leeds' abject failure to play out from the back led to Gyokeres snatching at a chance that with a little bit of composure would have been a tap-in.

But the best early chance fell to Leeds, with Raya's spectacular save from Struik's header preventing them taking the lead. In truth, from the 15th minute until Arsenal took the lead everything seemed a bit familiar, with the opposition coming into the game a little bit too much for our liking.

But Set Piece FC struck yet again; Rice's perfect whipped 34th-minute corner glanced in by an un-marked Jurrien Timber, to celebrations tinged in no small way with relief. These corner routines are really interesting, with opposing defences being pulled around in all directions due to the unpredictability. And when I say unpredictability, I mean of movement in the box. There's nothing unpredictable about the brilliance and consistency of Rice's delivery.

Odegaard's loss to a shoulder injury was annoying and a little worrying, with so many difficult early matches to negotiate. Ethan Nwaneri was entrusted to take his place, which was good to see; but Eberi Eze is hovering in the background now. In truth, I have been a little concerned about the positions that the Norwegian has been taking up early on this season - he's been dropping too deep for my liking - especially with Rice and Zubimendi now clearly being instructed to work as a double pivot. So let's see how this changes how Arsenal play if he's out for a while.

But by half-time, the lead was 2-0. And the goal was interesting from the perspective of seeing Arsenal lose the ball and then immediately pounce to win it back. Nwaneri lost the ball, Rice immediately won it back, and a combination of Zubimendi and Timber set Saka free to blast the ball home (with his wrong foot!). All of which made the break far more comfortable.

And before many had taken their seats for the second half it was 3-0. It has been noticeable that Arsenal are still getting used to Gyokeres' style of play, and getting themselves used to playing with an out and out centre forward. It was obvious that Arteta had made that point to the team at half-time, as within seconds Calafiori popped an early ball over the top of the Leeds defence into the space in Arsenal's inside left channel, and Gyokeres was on to it. A twisting run past two or three half-hearted attempts to stop him, and he fired the ball in at the near post for his first competitive goal for the Gunners. In truth, this was a trademark Gyokeres goal; highlight videos will reveal him scoring this goal again and again in his past. Anyway; cue probably 40,000 supporters doing the Bane celebration (and yes, I have to admit that I was one of them...). A good day was getting even better.

But every silver lining has a cloud. Moments after the third goal, Bukayo Saka sat down on the turf, and was soon replaced. It's a hamstring - thankfully not the one that cost him three months last season, but still a worry. The good news is that he may only be out for a month (and Arsenal do have some depth in forward areas these days). But that's now Norgaard, Havertz, White, Odegaard and Saka lost just two matches into the season. I wonder if Arteta may have run over a black cat recently... Trossard trotted on to replace Starboy; with Madueke switching to the right hand side.

Moments later... 4-0. Another Rice corner - another Timber goal; which, along with his assist and clean sheet will have made anybody who has him in their Fantasy Football team a very happy man. Again, naivete and confusion in the Leeds ranks, they failed to clear their lines, and Timber bundled the ball home. And relax...

To complete an almost perfect day, Arteta saw fit to introduce Max Dowman as part of a triple change. I had thought he may get a quarter of an hour, but he got double that. And made the most of it. It is clear that if you're good enough, you're old enough, and young Max gave Gudmundsson a hard time from the get go. He looked completely unfazed by the stage he was taking, showed bags of confidence, had two decent efforts on goal amongst all the dribbling and drops of the shoulders, and won the injury time penalty that enabled Gyokeres to double his tally. It is clear that he has a glittering future ahead of him; I remember being excited by what Nwaneri could do no more than a couple of years ago, but this is something else!

What a pleasure, by the way, in this age of daft stuttering penalty run-ups, to see Gyokeres just run up and blast the ball into the corner. That's one penalty out of one, to add to his 27 of 28 for Sporting. It remains to be seen if he has now taken over the role of Arteta's designated penalty taker from Saka; they'll both have to be on the field for us to find out.

And now for a little detour into the twisted mind of Gary Neville. He'd spent most of Arsenal's game at Old Trafford having a dig at Gyokeres, and continued it from that start of this game. He then accused Dowman of diving - way to go; having a go at a 15-year-old! Only both times having to eat his words - in this case a double helping of sh*t soup! We all know that you've got an agenda against Arsenal, Gary, but you'll get a lot more respect from all football fans if you reined it in and showed a little bit of impartiality.

But enough of that. Let's reflect on a quite sublime day (despite the injuries): Asahi Dry. Eze. 5 goals. Set Piece FC. Dowman's debut. Top of the table (irrelevant as that may be at this stage). Can we ask for more?

And so to the first major test of the season. I'd been waiting to publish this post until after Liverpool had played Newcastle; and I'm glad that I had. For although 'Lucky' Arne somehow managed to pull a win out of the ashes of a mixed performance, it must be said that his team is not playing well. They appear to have a number of defensive issues, with Konate in particular looking well off the pace. They may have scored more goals than Arsenal this season - one more; small sample size - but have already conceded 4 in just two matches. Not the form of Champions. And looking especially dodgy against fast breaks (against Bournemouth) and set pieces (against Newcastle).

Arsenal also remain a work in progress, with Rice and Zubimendi still working out how to get the best out of each other. Although the signs are promising. I reiterate again that I'd like to see Odegaard keeping out of their way, and staying closer to the forward line. It remains to be seen how Arteta is going to employ Eze - is he there to play on the left wing, or in the left 8 role that he played at Palace. Because there's a log jam of players for the latter role. Either way, I suspect that he'll bring some jazz hands to the party. Which I cannot wait to see.

As far as next Sunday is concerned, I'd suggest that despite the likely absence of three starters Arsenal match up pretty well against this iteration of Liverpool. Salah has yet to hit his straps, and will have a combination of Calafiori and Gabriel to keep him in check on Sunday. Wirtz is yet to settle. Gravenberch and MacAllister (I presume) are going to have to work hard against Rice and Zubimendi. And behind those two Kerkez will be up against Madueke, who gave him the runaround last season; and a combination of Konate and a makeshift or inexperienced right back is going to have to try to deal with Gyokeres.

Now I'm not saying that Arsenal are going to go to Anfield and win. But...

COYG!

At The End Of The Day...

Arsenal have historically found wins at Old Trafford hard to come by. In fact, before this weekend they had managed just 5 in the preceding 30 years (all, coincidentally, by a 1-0 scoreline), and have often looked overawed by the arena and forgotten to play the team in front of them.

I've personally lost count of the times I've watch Arsenal outplay Manchester United at Old Trafford, yet draw or lose matches they ought to have won at the supposed Theatre of Dreams, and there has also been a(n un)healthy dose of absolute humiliation on more than one occasion.

And make no mistake; whilst Manchester United were terrible last season, they've had a proper pre-season under Amorim (who, you may recall, did not want to join them mid-season last season, as he knew that he was on to a hiding to nothing), have far fewer fitness concerns now, and whilst they still have plenty of 'dead wood' to move on they have bought well in attack, and are entitled to feel optimistic about this season. So this was never going to be easy in the circumstances.

And the key circumstances are this; there have been major changes in two key positions - one in particular - that are going to involve evolving to a different style of play, and this is going to take time. Not necessarily ideal when Arsenal have to play 5 of last year's top 7 teams in their first 7 matches, but they'll just have to crack on with it. And Arteta will have learned a huge amount about what is required from what he saw yesterday! 

I'll crack on with my thoughts on the game itself now. 

White was preferred to Timber, and Calafiori to MLS; two interesting decisions. Personally, whether I'd have made those calls for a difficult away game I'm not sure, and to an extent they fed into some of the problems that Arsenal had during the game. Timber is certainly a more positionally disciplined and solid defender than White, and whilst whoever plays left back has licence to invert, Calafiori is much more of a maverick in that way. As it turned out, Mbuemo had all sorts of room to run into down their right for a good portion of the game, and Cunha had one massive opportunity attacking the 6-yard area at one point (great save by Raya, who I shall come on to). At centre-half, Gabriel and Saliba often found themselves exposed by the nature of United's forwards progressive runs - which were generally from the semi-vacant wide areas into the middle - and both had a pretty torrid time. There is, however, a fairly simple fix to this, which I will discuss later on.

In midfield, Zubimendi took up a lot of really interesting positions and pockets of space, and in general moved the ball more quickly that we have been used to seeing from Partey. However, it is going to take some time for those in front of him to get used to that. 

Alongside him, Declan Rice had an absolute stinker of a game - one of the worst I've seen him have in an Arsenal shirt - and that was never going to help. With Zubi taking up some of the positions he is used to taking, and Calafiori perhaps impinging on the left 8 area as well, he may have felt somewhat lost. 

The third member of the triumvirate, Odegaard, showed glimpses of getting back to his best (especially on a couple of occasions in the first half), but for me was actually guilty of dropping deeper to receive the ball than he needed to, thereby losing his ability to link midfield and attack at times. Like the defensive exposure issue, this can all be fixed.

Further forward, it was also pretty dysfunctional. Saka was well below his normal levels, Martinelli had an absolute shocker of a game, and poor Viktor Gyökeres was often left isolated as his runs were often not seen or ignored. He was also up against an inspired De Ligt, who made him work very hard for everything. But this was just one game; Arteta needs to persevere and ensure that he gets the service he needs.

No amount of pre-season work can drill the requirements of a new system into players who have been used to playing in a certain way (and the Swede had very little of that, frankly), so whilst there was promise in the type of runs that he made plenty of work still needs to be done. Certainly, Arsenal look much more like they knew what they were doing when Havertz replaced Gyökeres in the second half.

All this whilst coming up against a Manchester United who looked completely transformed by their new signings. They have a complete new forward line - former Arsenal target Sesko made a late appearance, but clearly still need at least one new midfielder (what is going on with Mainoo?) and - and this is glaringly obvious - a new goalkeeper.

Fortunately for Arsenal, they got the crucial first goal; as early as the 13th minute. Another Calafiori raid meant the concession of a corner, and we saw a new routine as the players lined up completely differently to what we've been used to seeing - on the edge of the penalty area as opposed to beyond the back post. Rice's delivery was exquisite - right under the bewildered Bayindir's crossbar. Saliba occupied the hapless keeper, he flapped at the ball, and it was probably going in anyway until Calafiori applied the finishing touch from around 6 inches out (gotta love the close up screenshot btw).

A big moment. Because for all that Arsenal were disjointed throughout one thing they can do is defend. Even though Saliba and Gabriel were exposed at times, they are excellent defenders, and what they failed to turn away David Raya dealt with. No less than 7 saves from the Spaniard, of which one was superb and another - down low and right at his feet from a Cunha shot - was absolutely world class. And so, whilst I started to pace up and down in front of my television during the second half, I don't suppose that I ever truly felt that Arsenal would actually concede. They remain defensively strong, but there are ways to prevent some of the jeopardy they suffered repeating itself as the season develops.

So... what can Arteta and his staff do to make the unit more functional? Let's have a look:

Firstly, there need to be strict instructions to the full backs that they cannot both go upfield at the same time. Whilst Zubimendi or Rice can drop back in to fill the vacant spaces, against teams who are prepared to attack or counter-attack them they ought to be taking it in turns so to speak. I recall one moment in the first half when I remarked that White was alongside Saka, and Calafiori was galloping into the left 8 position at the same time. Far too risky; and also perhaps occupying spaces better taken up by other players.

Watching how Liverpool play, they do that on the counter-attack, not in their primary attacking phases, and that's different. Interestingly, we saw some evidence of Manchester City - now with Klopp's former assistant Lijnders assisting Pep - doing some of the same on Saturday evening. And Arteta should learn from that. I understand the desire to dominate opponents, but getting caught with too many defenders upfield is a recipe for disaster.

In midfield, the coaching staff need to work on positional rotation. There was an element of clockwork for Rice and Odegaard when Partey was alongside them, but Zubimendi is different - especially in his desire to move the ball on quickly - and they need to be prepared for that. Rice needs to find fresh spaces to operate, and the skipper needs to stay closer to Saka and Gyökeres.

Further ahead it was something of a disaster. Saka needs to either stay out very wide to stretch the defenders, or to come inside and overload alongside Odegaard - thus perhaps leaving White the room to operate. On the other side, the coaching staff need to find a way to create space for Martinelli to run into. Or take a different route as regards the Brazilian, who is becoming extremely disappointing (Madueke wasn't much better, frankly, when he came on - but did manage to miss a late sitter that would have made the last 5 minutes of the game a lot more zen than they were).

As for our shiny new striker, the key must be to look for him early, and get him to work his defenders. To drag them out of position and for the likes of Saka to exploit the space that is left. He looked lost, frankly, but one game is a very small sample and there is no need to worry at this stage. None at all.

The squad have a full week to work on all this, and then a relatively 'easy' game at home to newly promoted Leeds United. However, we are going to need to see a good deal of improvement - and quickly - because the following week involves a visit to Anfield!!! And here I'm going to chuck in a PGMOL conspiracy theory - may as well start early... The referee for the Leeds game is Liverpool-supporting Jarred Gillett, who on Saturday will have the opportunity to send an Arsenal player or two off, and thus render them unavailable for Anfield. Call me crazy if you like...

I now have a message for those fans who have been moaning about the performance on Sunday. About how Arteta doesn't know what he's doing. About Gyökeres being useless and a waste of money. About how terrible things are in the world of Arsenal. And it's quite simple: big personnel changes, which look to take the team in a new direction, take time. There will be teething problems. 

But... and this is the most important thing... Arsenal left Old Trafford with a clean sheet and all three points. So f*ck Manchester United; and f*ck you - because there's no pleasing some people. That's two more points than Arsenal took from there last season, and things can only, and will only, get better. Get over yourselves, and take some pleasure in the result; for all that the performance left a lot to be desired. 

Yes, it wasn't pretty, but you'll hopefully be looking back in 9 months at the old adage that playing badly but winning is the mark of champions. Of our main rivals, Liverpool looked really vulnerable defensively - especially on the counter-attack - and one match is no sample size whatsoever on which to judge Manchester City (upon whom disciplinary action for their financial misdemeanours must surely fall at some point this season in any case).

So, quite simply, lets remain optimistic... We will see improvement on Saturday; that I can guarantee you.

COYG

It's Prediction Season!

As the 2024/25 season - punctuated by several highs, and many lows - becomes a distant memory, it's time for me (like so many others) to look forward to 2025/26. 

And so, without further ado:

I'm not going to speculate or get too fixated on what other clubs have done over the summer, and how this may affect their progress this season; except to say:

Liverpool - won the league comfortably by jumping into an early clear lead, and never looked like getting caught. Recruitment appears slightly lop-sided, with more focus on attack; both full-backs are better going forward than defending and they do appear light at centre-half. We also cannot know how the tragic loss of Diogo Jota may affect them. Keep your eyes peeled for Florian Wirtz

Manchester City - had a major drop-off last season, yet still finished just three points behind Arsenal. The retirement of KDB should mean a change in style, but they appear to have recruited well in Cherki (especially) and Reijnders. The addition of Ait-Nouri should see Gvardiol back at his optimum position of centre-half. They will certainly be better this season

Chelsea - their Buy Two/Sell One policy continues, and I'm pretty sure that they must be strengthening every season; although it's difficult to see the wood for the trees. Their progress will depend on how quickly Maresca identifies his starters, and how quickly they gel. But they still have ground to make up on the main contenders

The rest - whilst the general quality of the league continues to go up, I can't see any other teams getting close to the main contenders. What appears certain is that former giants Manchester United, and would-be giants Tottenham Hotspur, will be better than they were last season. Although that's not saying much...

But now onto our main focus - the mighty Arsenal:

Recruitment 

So far, this appears excellent! Reading from back to front:

a) Kepa the keeper has filled an important hole. Trustworthy, and will enable Arteta to give Raya strategic breaks. And at £5m a bargain!

b) Mosquera looks to be precisely the right profile of defender to cover multiple right-sided positions, and give Saliba some time off

c) the losses of Partey and Jorginho have been addressed with Norgaard (solid and reliable) and particularly Zubimendi, who has looked world-class in pre-season and who should help evolve Arsenal's playing style (I'll come to that further down)

c) the signing of Noni Madueke caused an initial social media meltdown amongst fans! Tainted with being ex-Chelsea, this saw fans taking an irrational and instant dislike to the move. However, a further examination of the player reveals his skills and metrics to be precisely what the team requires, and even at upwards of £50m this actually look the right price when we see the prices involved in other winger moves this summer. Early signs are promising

d) the key move was always going to be for a centre-forward. I initially expected this to be Sesko (who has now set his career back at least three years by signing for Manchester United), but when negotiations with RB Leipzig became fraught the club soon switched to Viktor Gyokeres. 

Now, Gyokeres may not necessarily have the qualities and silky skills we may want to see in an Arsenal centre-forward, but he is a single-minded beast of a player! What he may not quite have in terms of the very top level, he more than makes up for in other areas. He is quick - both of mind and of foot - he will drive defenders to distraction with his non-stop movement, and he loves to get a shot off! His addition, alongside that of Zubimendi, should see a different look to the way Arsenal attack this season, and I cannot wait to see him in action. No more 'false 9', and wingers crossing into an empty penalty area; as we saw against Bilbao last week.

What the signings of the likes of Zubimendi and Gyokeres clearly indicate is that the hierarchy at the club are in Win Now mode. Now is the time to deliver. And we can expect them to make every effort to do so. 

Sales

Whilst Arsenal have already spent almost £200m in the current window, and now have two 'starters' for every position, I think that we all feel that one more addition would be a welcome luxury. I'd heard a month ago that Eze was pretty much done, but the vibes don't appear anything like as strong now. Talk of Rodrygo appears somewhat fanciful, but that cannot be entirely written off either. What we can all accept is that any further move will be dependent on sales, as nobody has moved on from the first team squad at the time of writing.

And so, whilst we can admire the decisiveness and quality of Andrea Berta's work so far - not just in getting the above signings over the line, but in getting several players to put pen to paper on new contracts - it is now time to see how well he can sell players. And here I'm talking about those who appear to have little or no future at Arsenal; the likes of Hein, Zinchenko, Vieira, Lokonga, Nelson, one or other of Trossard and Martinelli, and perhaps Kivior. £100m+ of incomings, hopefully? 

I cannot see any more incomings until very late in the window now, with sales looking to be the current priority for Berta. But, even if nobody else comes in, Arsenal really ought to have more than enough to push hard on all fronts this season (injuries and lunatic refereeing decisions notwithstanding).

Player Development

Even with all these new additions, and the return to full fitness of those lost to serious injury in the spring (I'm talking Calafiori, Timber, White, Gabriel, Saka and Havertz here), there still appears to be plenty of room for playing time for some seriously talented youngsters. MLS has signed a new contract and already appears to have made the left-back spot his own (but will face stiff competition from Calafiori). Nwaneri has also put pen to paper, and now appears to be the Odegaard alternate as well as being capable of playing anywhere in the forward positions. And then there's Max Dowman...

He's 15 years old - putting that into context, he'll be starting Year 11 and studying for his GCSEs at school next month - and yet from what we have seen of him he makes Nwaneri look almost ordinary! We have had some exceptionally talented youngsters come through the ranks at Arsenal over the years - the likes of Fabregas, Wilshere, and of course Bukayo Saka - but I think that we can be as excited about Max as about any of them. 

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that he can currently be bracketed amongst such teenage superstars as Owen, Rooney, Mbappe, Yamal and (yes, I'm actually going to say it) even Lionel Messi for potential. An absolute gem, but one that needs careful polishing and protecting. We have already seen him make an impact in pre-season - winning two penalties and consistently embarrassing seasoned professionals - but we must temper our enthusiasm because of his age. Saying that, I'd like to see him on the bench on Sunday!

Playing Style

It has clearly become as evident to Mikel Arteta as it has to us that Arsenal's playing style has needed to evolve. Attempts to stifle and dominate opponents have been mainly successful, but we have all known that there has been something missing. The tempo has been largely too slow, and I'm as sick as I'm sure you are with watching umbrella-shaped passing moves in front of massed defences, with little movement (or room to do so) from the forwards. And at the same time leaving the team open to swift breaks. If Arsenal had turned half of last season's draws - many from winning positions - into wins they'd have won the title. 

If you'd have been paying attention to Liverpool's style of play last season, you'd have seen that Slot was prepared to lose possession as a result of the dynamism of his side's play, secure in the knowledge that the class of his players meant that when they turned the ball back over, they'd be able to exploit the space inevitably left by the opposition. More of a counter-attacking style of play than of the stifling football developed by Guardiola and copied by his acolyte Arteta.

It feels to me that Arteta has picked up on that. Arsenal have bought players to augment the qualities of the squad, and so we should see much swifter recycling of the ball from Zubimendi than Partey and Jorginho were ever capable of, and with Gyokeres (and LANS Havertz) up top there will be considerably more movement for the likes of Zubi, Rice and the full-backs to hit. Hopefully, Arsenal should be prepared to lose the ball more often, secure in the abilities of our defenders to do their jobs, in order to create space and opportunity.

Opponents can expect to have far less time to reset now, and I cannot wait to see this develop.The additions are going to enable us to watch the likes of Rice, Odegaaard and Saka become even better players than they already are.

We have already seen evidence of this in pre-season, and connections will continue to grow all over the field. The pressing will look different, and the speed of travel will do too. I am confident that we are going to see a far more exciting Arsenal in 2025/26.

And so to...

Predictions

Now, I am not going to pronounce here that Arsenal are going to win everything this season. That would be bordering on madness! In our own league, the opposition is as stiff as it can possibly get, and in Europe the might of PSG stand in all our ways like a gigantic Eiffel Tower; not forgetting the likes of Barcelona either.

What I would say is that despite all the injuries and other misfortunes of last season Arsenal came perilously close to glory in both major competitions, and that they have certainly taken steps to become even better. So they have never been as well-equipped as they are now since the early 2000s (when the likes of Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp and Henry thrilled us all) to challenge for all the major trophies.

The start to the league campaign is tricky for sure - with trips to Old Trafford, Anfield and St James Park in the first month, as well as a home game with Manchester City - but the Premier League will be fearful of what Arsenal can do. And so they should be!

We should be super-optimistic. The time is now. COYG!

Second Again Olé Olé!

Before I start: I am finishing typing this at lunchtime on Wednesday, and tonight, as I'm sure you are aware, is the night of the massive joke of a Europa League final between the two most disappointing teams in the Premier League. One of them has to win, I'm afraid, as whilst UEFA ought to be cancelling the match out of sheer embarrassment their own rules prevent them from doing so. To think that as a result of this match one of these two teams will qualify for next year's Champions League...

As an Arsenal fan, I can only hope for a thumping win for Manchester United; which is curious, because I have nothing but disdain for that club. But not as much as for their opponents. As reminding Tottenham fans about their single trophy this century is one of my reasons for living, I must hope that I can still do that in the morning. Follow follow follow!...

Anyway... that's second place wrapped up again for another year (barring a mathematical miracle, anyway). At this stage of the season it's nice - I guess - to have something to play for; although I'd prefer it to be more significant. But Sunday's win over Newcastle was tense, difficult and sometimes quite painful to watch.

There'll be plenty of time over the summer to think/talk about what we can expect before the 2025/26 season kicks off, but I thought I'd run through here some of Sunday's talking points - not just from the match itself, but also from what we heard from various club representatives in the immediate aftermath.

No surprises in the starting XI, with White deputising for the stricken Timber (now requiring an operation on his ankle; yet another injury to add to the list). Elsewhere, with Merino suspended, the team picked itself. And it was good to see Havertz back on the bench at last.

The first half was, frankly, not a pretty sight from an Arsenal viewpoint. Newcastle tore into the home side and had it not been for an on-fire David Raya Arsenal could have been three goals down in the first 15 minutes! From where I was sitting, it was clear that the opposition had set out to exploit spaces in the Arsenal midfield which - with Odegaard and particularly Rice pushing high up, and MLS otherwise engaged in full-time defending - was occupied solely by Thomas Partey. They were often able to pull even Partey out of position, leaving themselves acres of space to exploit. And exploit they did; constantly running through the middle areas of the pitch and creating havoc and some very decent chances for themselves.

Raya may have been on top shot-saving form, but his kicking left a lot to be desired. With easy out balls negated due to the nature of the Newcastle press, he tried to force a number of passes into midfield and on at least two occasions had them cut out; thereby exposing himself to great danger. At times the Arsenal midfield looked like it did in the 'peak' Emery era - completely devoid of red shirts. Barnes in particular appeared to have been awarded the Freedom of Islington for the afternoon. It was clear that something had to change, and I for one was imploring Rice to drop back and help out.

For Arsenal, there was some sporadic danger exhibited by Starboy, but in the main it was Leandro Trossard who almost single-handedly took the fight to the opposition. He was the home side's outstanding player of the half.

Half time; and it somehow remained 0-0. Newcastle had had a scarcely credible 20 shots by that point, which is pretty unprecedented. But in an interesting statistical anomaly they didn't have a single shot on target after the half-way point of the first half.

We were disappointed to see that Saliba had been withdrawn - clearly injured in some way - at half time. And we'll have to assume that as it's his hamstring that's his season done also. Based on what we'd seen in the first half, the loss of Big Bill looked like being decisive. But Calafiori came on in his place, Kivior shifted to right centre back and also took a good deal of responsibility on his shoulders, and Arsenal were rarely threatened thereafter until close to the end of the match. 

As in the previous game at Anfield, Arsenal emerged a completely different side to the first half. I can only assume that Arteta had to remind them of what they had to play for, and perhaps there was something of a question of a) professional pride and b) laying down a marker for next season. Whatever it was, the second period was chalk to the first half's cheese as the Arsenal we've been more used to watching made a reappearance, and took the game to the opposition.

The pressure was soon rewarded as a high press led to Gordon (modern football's answer to Drogba and Van Nistelrooy; have you noticed the number of time he throws himself to the floor, looking to buy free kicks? But I digress...) coughing the ball up 25 yards from his own goal. Odegaard rolled the ball into the path of Rice (with his right foot by the way), and Dec finished the move with a trademark whipped effort into the far corner of the net, giving Pope no chance. A difficult technique, and a sumptuous finish.

Arsenal continued to exploit Newcastle's left hand side, with the defensively flimsy Gordon and the ponderous Burn constantly exposed by Saka and White. Arsenal rarely looked in much danger from then on. Additionally, Califiori found the time to raid into enemy territory from left centre back as well as doing his defensive duties diligently, and Newcastle ran out of ideas and steam as the home side did to them what they love to do to us; which is take a lead and then waste time. And then a bit more... It was hysterical to see Howe and his perma-tanned pr*ck of a sidekick Tindall whingeing to the referee about time-wasting. Shoe. Other. Foot...

A few little moments gave us a frisson of excitement here and there. Havertz got 15 minutes. Tierney quite rightly got a few minutes in front of an appreciative home crowd towards the end on his final Emirates Stadium appearance. As did Jorginho. 

And I'll pick out two additional small moments for you; both involving the man - to give him his full title - known as Big Dan Burn At The Back. Firstly, we all looked on in awe as MLS won an aerial battle with the 6'7" colossus. 

And then we saw Havertz, who'd been buzzing around Burn since he got onto the field, fouled by the defender - who then threw the ball at the grounded German. Referee Hooper - not far behind the likes of Oliver and Taylor in my mind on the Over-rated Official Chart - failed to even admonish BDBATB; let alone take out his card to him. Although he still found time to book Arteta for kicking the ball inaccurately back into play. Thus demonstrating the full level of PGMOL anti-Arsenal bias (Arteta banned from the touchline for Sunday as a result).

As we moved into the seventh minute of 5 minutes of injury time (Raya also having been booked for what is fair to say was some blatant time-wasting), Newcastle won a corner, and I turned to those around me and said: 'Here we go. Penalty to Newcastle incoming.'. As it happens, Raya caught the ball, and there was a little fracas - handbags out - which led to a further two minutes of delay whilst the VAR searched desperately for a reason to award a spot kick. But there was none, the final whistle blew, and second place was secured. Just look at this photo of MLS enjoying himself in the middle of the rumpus, by the way. What a character!

Just a simple victory at Southampton to follow, I'm sure, to end the season. A bit of an anti-climax in the end, but whilst Arsenal have taken a step back in the Premier League, there has definitely been a progression in the Champions League. Bearing in mind everything that has gone against the team this season, it could have been worse. As Arteta said: 'Any other team; I've seen it. With one injury to finish 8th, 16th, 17th' - we know to whom he refers... I'll cover this post-season, but with all the injuries and setbacks second place ain't that bad.

I had a bit of good-natured banter with a Newcastle fan on the way out of the ground. With him and his mates chanting: 'Second again olé olé', and 'F*ck all again olé olé', I pointed out that it was a bit much from a team that had just won its first trophy in 70 years. He saw the irony, of course. And I know that it's banter, but all those supporters we've heard try to bait us with 'Second again'... well, most would kill for second place!

The talk post-game from Arteta, Odegaard and Rice was of disappointment, and of 'going again' next season. I for one haven't lost faith - I think that on the whole Arsenal have been particularly unfortunate this season, and we've seen squads who've suffered far less misfortune slip far further down the table - and with the required strengthening they'll be up there yet again next season. Improvement isn't linear - there will always be ups and downs - and I'll leave you with this: the last time that Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premier League three times in a row (1999, 2000, 2001) they went on to win The Double the following season!

So C. O. Y. G!!!

Mental Health Week

I've known some difficult times as an Arsenal supporter. My first cup final was the League Cup loss to Swindon (I was almost 8 - yes, I am indeed getting old!). I was there when Arsenal lost to Luton in another final of the same competition. Shock defeat to Birmingham a dozen years ago brought up that particular League Cup treble. I was in Cardiff when the referee and Michael Owen combined to rob Arsenal in 2001. I was in Paris in 2006 for the heartbreaking Champions League Final loss to Barcelona. I've sat through Roger Osborne's late FA Cup Final winner for Ipswich, Trevor Brooking's headed winner in another FA Cup Final, Nayim's freak goal in a Cup Winners Cup Final, humiliating 6-1 and 8-2 losses at Old Trafford, and embarrassing 6-0 defeat at Chelsea in Wenger's 1000th game. And all that's just off the top of my head...

But I don't think that I've ever been so down about Arsenal as I had been this past week. Perhaps it's 'recency bias', or all the accompanying social media exposure; or even the ludicrous Europa League Final situation - but these past few games have hit me hard. I've felt unable to read a single report on either the Bournemouth or (particularly) PSG defeat, nor listen to any of my favourite Arsenal podcasts. It's all been so depressing. And I was bereft at half-time of the Liverpool game. What on earth, I sat thinking, has happened to my boys for them to lose all sense of pride and self-respect? They're not Tottenham or Manchester United, after all. I mean; wasn't it motivation enough to have to stand there and give Liverpool a Guard of Honour?

So let's take a look at the full week through my personal lens:

Bournemouth at home. OK, so we had bigger fish to fry a few days afterwards, but there was a clear lack of intensity amongst the players. You don't have to be too many per cent off the mark on the work rate side to allow the class gap to close, and Arsenal were 5-10% off it. The away side looked continually dangerous on the break, and the dam finally broke with Iraola's intelligent substitutions (I'd add at this point, by the way, that I wouldn't be saying no to the summer arrival of Semenyo, of whom there have been rumours of interest. Although he may be a secondary target for Arsenal, he looks like a very decent player indeed!). Arsenal had looked to ease their way through the match, but it's very rare that one can get away with that in the Premier League, and there was continual danger; as there always is with a single goal lead. I myself was never comfortable watching it live. And those two second half goals also meant that the pack were closing in on Arsenal's second place...

But all that went on the back burner when it came to Wednesday. The biggest game in Arsenal's history for 19 years, and clearly a stiff task. Yet Arsenal were rampant in the first 10 minutes. Rice's header just wide, and then two saves by Donnarumma - the second, from Odegaard's shot, quite remarkable - failed to go in, and my excitement and ebullience soon faded as the game became more even and it looked like Arsenal had missed the opportunity to take advantage of their earlier dominance. You have to make it pay when you're on top.

And so it proved. A poor header from Partey following a corner, a deflected shot from the edge of the box, and it was 1-0. Once more I was cursing Arsenal's misfortune, as a very low percentage attempt took a deflection and found its way into the net. There was misery in my living room, as the first goal was always going to be crucial.

By the way, let's talk about ridiculous penatly awards. At least Vitinha did the right thing and missed it...

As time ticked on and started to run out, I could at least feel a sense of pride that Arsenal were competing with such a fine side as PSG. But a second goal - again following defensive errors - put the kybosh on matters. Hakimi's fine effort inevitably found a corner of Raya's net, and gloom settled once more on my sofa.

But then... hope as Saka finished off a fine move to give us something to cling to. And what did you feel in those moments when Starboy had a chance to level it up on the night moments later? That split-second as the ball was heading for Starboy remains ingrained on my brain. But over the bar the ball went; and that really was that. If that had gone in, who knows what may have transpired with such a momentum shift, but the game played out to an inevitable conclusion, and whilst the players were inconsolable afterwards, I was merely numb.

Before I go into all those thoughts that have been keeping me awake at night, I'll cover the Liverpool game too. Because part of that was a microcosm of Arsenal's season.

Yes, Arsenal were once more off the pace in the first half; perhaps an understandable hangover from Wednesday. Unacceptable nonetheless. And I don't often get angry or raise my voice whilst watching on television, but I was effing and blinding at the concession of those two first half goals. Poor, poor defending - and my wife came in to see what all the fuss was about. I was deflated and angry. As, of course, was Mikel Arteta.

Three big points to be made about this game:

Firstly, the fightback. Whatever was said at half time certainly did the trick. Along with the tactical move to switch Trossard with Martinelli (I'll cover that below; it's really got me thinking). I'm sure that Liverpool relaxed at 2-0, but Arsenal showed the fighting spirit that we really ought to expect. My pride in the players was restored. No quibbles with the late sending-off of Merino, by the way - he had to go.

However, there was inevitable refereeing controversy in this game too. Not one, but two incidents of assaults on Arsenal players that should surely have resulted in more action than Anthony Taylor (he whose whistle had robbed Arsenal of a very late winner in the first game between the two sides) felt the need to take. VAR quite rightly chalked off Liverpool's late 'winner' - but was I the only one who felt that Konate grabbing MLS's face deserved more punishment than the award of a free kick?

As for the early incident between Robertson and Saka; well... The defender had both hands around Starboy's throat, and threw him to the floor - literally in front of the linesman. Nothing given. The sort of assault that gets players sin-binned in rugby matches; yet neither linesman, referee nor VAR saw anything in it. The pompous Dermot Gallagher on Sky TV's Ref Watch said: 'Foul;' that's all'. 

Good to know what players are allowed to get away with these days - I shall certainly file that away. And Saka is not the only Arsenal player to have been choke-slammed this season for no punishment, by the way. Serious foul play is something players can perform with impunity, apparently, but technical infringements lead to cards (Rice, Trossard dismissals earlier this season being cases in point). FFS, PGMOL - get your priorities in order! 

Finally on the Liverpool game, I cannot let pass the treatment meted out to Trent Alexander-Arnold by his own supporters. Yes, he could/should have handled his departure from the club better - especially as a Liverpudlian himself. But he's a young man, and perhaps not self-conscious or media savvy enough to deal with difficult questions in interviews with the required delicacy. 

But this is a player of exceptional talent, who has given his all for his home town club - and won every trophy he could on the way. Without him, the likelihood is that the club wouldn't have won those trophies. So for his home 'supporters' to boo him onto the pitch, on a day when they were supposed to be celebrating a title, was for me a bridge too far. 

Yes, Liverpool supporters have gone through some horrendous tragedies; but that does not excuse such entitlement and classlessness. Remember the death threats to Steven Gerrard and his family when he expressed a desire to leave? He was 'forced' to spend his entire career at Liverpool. Get over yourselves, Liverpool fans. This self-entitled behaviour mirrors that. The height of ambition for any footballer is to play for Real Madrid. Who are you to treat a club legend in such a fashion? Anyway, enough of that.

And so I've found myself thinking continually about how Arsenal have got to this point. Another trophyless season; which these players frankly do not deserve.  And it's easy to point to bad luck, but all teams have that (maybe not Liverpool; not this year anyway). It's also easy to point to all those incidents over the course of the Premier League season that have undermined Arsenal's points tally. Incompetent officiating - and there's been plenty of it. And all those injuries. But...

It's clear that the squad has been short of numbers. For years now, in fact. And that has meant players being over-played for match after match after match; probably for three years now. Whilst key players avoided injury in the main in the previous two seasons, all those stresses and strains have hit during this one. I don't need to list the names and amount of time they've had out - you all know.

But what we've known all this time is that the squad has been short or both quality and quantity in reserve. And that has left holes. You just have to look at Liverpool's squad, for example, to get a sense of where the opposition are in comparison. Arsenal are literally outnumbered in that respect. And, remember, the likes of Nwaneri and MLS have burst onto the scene almost out of the blue this season. 

And it's not just lack of numbers that have let Arsenal down. To expect to compete at the very top level with Havertz and Jesus as one's first choices at centre forward is delusional, I'm afraid, and this area has been neglected for maybe three years now. It's not that they aren't very good players. But they simply don't have the qualities one needs for that role at the highest level.

Two points on this: firstly, one just has to witness the exasperation on the face of Bukayo Saka , match after match, when his brilliant wing play and incisive crossing fails to be matched by those in central positions. The wrong runs being made. Or nobody there at all. 

And secondly - and this was clear to see against Liverpool - the choice of shape up front. Merino has done a remarkable job standing in for the injured players, but a centre forward he is not. So Arteta has rotated Trossard in and out of the 'false 9'. Yet desperation at 0-2 at Anfield led to something he'd been loath to look at, and showed what he'd been missing. He switched the Belgian and Martinelli, and Arsenal had a whole different threat about them. Trossard is a fully effective left winger, whereas I'd argue that Martinelli is not. Why Arteta has not tried Martinelli at centre forward at all is something I cannot fathom, because it was in that role that he broke into the team in the first place... and the goal he scored at Anfield was a carbon copy of one he scored in a European game 5 years ago!

All this squad frailty went through my head last Wednesday evening as the last rites played out. And again after the Liverpool game finished. Excuses? Maybe? But pretty damn factual. And finally Arteta has come clean about it (and, by the way, I believe that it wasn't for the want of trying last summer - and I've heard rumours that the real reason for Edu's abrupt departure is that he messed up no less than two deals in that window).

So expect departures and - especially - arrivals. Those leaving for certain will be Neto, Tierney, Jorginho and Sterling; also possibly Zinchenko, Kivior, Partey and even Trossard. The club can clearly not rely on either Tomiyasu (remember him?) or Jesus for the foreseeable future either. The likes of Lokonga and Tavares - forgotten and out on loan - will surely also depart. 

And coming in? Well, if Arsenal have been short of numbers then it's a question not just of quality in certain areas, but of quantity also. They must raise the ceiling, but also raise the floor.

It's not right or fair to pick a Best XI - because that's what a squad needs to be for - but for the really big games I'd be hoping to see this line-up next season:

Raya

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly

Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard

Saka, ???, ???

And White, Calafiori, Partey (perhaps), Merino, Havertz, Trossard and Martinelli on the bench. Not forgetting Nwaneri or even Max Dowman! And that's a proper bench, with proper depth.

Make no mistake - this next year is going to be make or break for this regime. For the Manager, but also a big test for Andrea Berta. With a squad made up of players approaching their prime - so many are 23-26 years old and some considerably younger - it's surely time for some Win Now purchases. I suspect that we may see quite a bit of Josh Kroenke in the news over the summer, too, as he'll have to sanction anything up to £200m of new players.

The squad is not far away. We all know that. But this summer they must - like a Panini sticker book - complete the set. Whether that's with the likes of Gyokeres and Nico Williams, or with alternatives, is up to them. But an upgrade on some starters is required, as well as sufficient depth for Arteta to be happy to rotate. 

We're merely fans, but I for one am ridiculously invested in all this. I really like this group of players - remember how unlikeable many elements of the squad were a mere half a dozen years ago? I want to see them succeed; for themselves and also for the well-being of those of us who love the club so much.

I cannot, before I go - and for the sake of my own mental health - leave without commenting on the forthcoming Europa League Final. A match to be played between the two most disappointing and embarrassing clubs in the Premier League, who have found themselves blundering to Bilbao mainly as a result of UEFA's rule changes with regards to the Champions League. I'll be watching with morbid fascination, in the hope that neither side wins, or that the trophy self-combusts.

I've had supporters of both clubs trying to convince me that if their team wins, then they'd have had a better season that Arsenal's. And I tell you this; I wouldn't swap Arsenal's season, with all it's disappointments, with either of those two clubs. Between them, they have loss 37 league matches out of 72, and it'll probably be 41 out of 76 by next weekend. Champions League? They are literally having a laugh!

Much as I dislike Manchester United, I will be supporting them. Because I never want to see Tottenham win a throw in, let alone a trophy! Fingers crossed for that. But I honestly believe that UEFA should simply cancel the Final out of sheer embarrassment. To think that one of those sides will be in next year's Champions League is frankly laughable.

Meantime, there are two games to go. In order to stay in control of the race for second place, Arsenal must at least draw with in-form Newcastle on Sunday. That's suddenly a much bigger game for Arsenal that we expected or hoped it would be.  After that we finish with the formality of a win at Southampton. So COYG!