How Are YOUR Nerves...

It has been quite an interesting and varied week for Arsenal fans in the whole, has it not? That comfortable victory over Fulham feels like a lifetime ago. Followed by the wonderful sight of Manchester City dropping points on Monday night. The euphoria of the Champions League semi-final. And all rounded off by the roller coaster at West Ham; 100+ minutes of mainly absolute torture, but with the right outcome in the end. Everything is back in these players' hands now, and Arsenal fans can get back to dreaming. Just three games left to achieve immortality.

Let's cover Monday night first. As, with the pressure on, City blinked first. Who are the bottlers now? At 0-1, I think we were expecting City to rack up the three points and maybe make inroads into the goal difference, but 13 minutes of madness - Guehi's horrendous misjudgement, 'Set Piece FC' and a bizarre third goal had Arsenal fans in rapture. Disappointing to see City peg it back to 3-3 late on, but we'd have taken that at kick-off, would we not? 

And here's an interesting thought. This season, Arsenal have lost Saka, Odegaard, Timber and Havertz for significant periods, yet still remain top of the pile. Yes, City have had Gvardiol and Dias out for a while now (causing them to chuck £60m at Guehi in January, the poor souls), but the loss of Rodri for just a few matches has rendered them vulnerable and semi-impotent; half the team they are with him. Although, to be fair to him, Jeremy Doku has really stepped up.

The significance of those dropped points stretches further than the obvious mathematics. With the final 1-2% of an elite professional sportsman's make-up being psychological, that result looks likely to be a killer blow for them. Plus it also elevates the confidence of the Arsenal players. It's as if they've reached the top of a mountain pass, and can suddenly see the green valleys stretching away in front of them. As a supporter - and whilst not getting carried away - this is where I am at the moment. 

And so to the second leg. Surprise from me that Arteta named an unchanged side, as I was convinced that Zubi would be back alongside Dec in central midfield. But the manager went with his gut, and MLS rewarded him with another excellent performance.

Prior to that, we saw some of the greatest fan engagement work even put together by the club - along with the admirable Red Action group. A large crowd greeted the coach as it arrived at the stadium, and the atmosphere built from fully half an hour before kick-off: all rounded off by that massive tifo (I could only see the back of it from where my seat is) and a stirring and raucous sing-song to round it off. Many more fans than usual were in their seats long before 8pm, and the place was as consistently loud as I have ever heard it! Our confidence was of course buoyed by the previous night’s result, but the hope and expectation were almost tangible.

In truth, from the moment that Starboy gave us the lead - the pre-assist coming from the excellent Gyokeres, Trossard jockeying for position to shoot and Saka pouncing on the loose ball - I don’t think that I was ever really worried. Sure, Atletico had the odd moment, as one might expect, but the Arsenal defence remained solid enough (of course, there was that one moment of panic when Calafiori's challenge would have led to a penalty if Gabriel had not already been fouled). 

And once Simeone blinked and took off both Griezmann and Alvarez - deciding bizarrely to go long ball to the one-dimensional Sorloth - I think that we all knew.

For all that the statistics don't tell the full story, I thought that this was Gyokeres best game for the club. He was running into the channels with the confidence of a man who knew that he was going to receive the ball, and he showed admirable strength to hold off Pubill and Le Normand. As many duels were lost as won, but he was continually putting Atletico on the back foot. It feels as if Arteta has finally worked out how to get the best out of him. It would have been lovely for him to put the icing on the cake with a goal, but Hincapie's cross bounced inconveniently in front of him and he lifted his shot over the bar.

Elsewhere, it was difficult to fault anybody, But I'll single out a few for extra plaudits. Ben White had his best game for a considerable while. Calafiori's movement and power kept the opposition guessing. MLS showed bravery both on and off the ball. Saka made his mark in the most important of ways. And Trossard looked back to his best (we have, of course, now found out why he's not been playing well over the past few weeks). 

By the end, both benches were trying to get onto the field to help, with bookings for both managers, and things got as fractious as one might expect when thinking about the characters of the two men. Extraordinary to see Simeone almost coming to blows with his old colleague, Andrea Berta. And when the final whistle went it was bedlam inside the ground.

An unusually large number of fans stayed to the end, despite the lateness of the hour, and they were rewarded by celebrations of the highest quality - both on the pitch itself and in the stands. The sight of the players running together towards the fans, holding hands, as the DJ blasted out 'Freed From Desire' was glorious. We are, indeed, on our way - although at ludicrous cost to those who do go. 

And it'll be PSG in the final. A chance for revenge after last season's semi final. But we can put that on the back burner for for a couple of weeks.

A quick detour to Saturday evening, and what looks on paper like a comfortable 3-0 win for Manchester City over Brentford. But if you've seen the highlights... City should have conceded at least one penalty, and had two men sent off; Nunes and Bernardo Silva (the latter twice!). 

I'm sure that they'll beat Crystal Palace, who have their minds on other things, on Wednesday, but following the FA Cup Final - a match in which I, for one, have zero interest as the two biggest cheats in English football clash - they have to go to Bournemouth. I wouldn't fancy that.

And following Arsenal's narrow win over West Ham yesterday the main prize feels even closer. It's all in Arsenal's hands. But boy; did we go through the wringer?!? And before I start, a quick mention to the West Ham fans who booed Declan Rice early on. Classy, as usual...

Arsenal, unchanged for the third game in a row, dominated the early exchanges and could easily have been three goals to the good - chances for Trossard and two for Calafiori - before Ben White received what looks like it may be a season-ending injury half way through the half. And Arteta made the most bizarre substitution at that point, choosing to bring on Martin Zubimendi and push Declan Rice to right back. As I said on a WhatsApp group or two at the time: 'What's he doing? That will upset the entire balance of the team. Just bring Mosquera on!' And the game swung immediately, as the loss of Dec in midfield meant that control was almost completely ceded to the home side. Having had 9 shots prior to the change, Arsenal had just a single further one before half time.

My concern at half time was that should it all go wrong at that point, then this strange choice might end up defining Arsenal's season - and perhaps, at a stretch, Arteta's entire career. It was a relief to see Mosquera stripped off for the second half, and of course it remains to be seen if - as Arteta said afterwards - Calafiori is really injured... Either way, Dec went back into midfield; but it barely stemmed the flow as Arsenal struggled to reimpose themselves. What looked like it would be a routine win during the first quarter of the match was suddenly anything but. Calafiori's marauding runs were certainly missed, with MLS reverting to his role of last season.

As you all know, the match hinged on 4 incidents. Firstly, David Raya's incredible save from Fenandes. It felt as if time stood still as he went through on goal via a clever 1-2, but our keeper stood up tall and forced him into a decision. His reactions to clear with his left leg from almost point blank range were astonishing; yet another brilliant intervention to add to the list.

Not long after, Trossard's goal. I'd been calling for Odegaard to come on from around 55 minutes, as I felt that Eze's low-touch game wasn't getting things done (for all his undoubted skill) and that we needed a busier player on the field. Odegaard occupies different spaces on the field too, of course, and this would also mean someone getting closer to help out the unusually quiet Saka. By the time the goal came, Starboy had been replaced by Madueke but it was Odegaard, driving into the space on the left of the West Ham defence having played a 1-2 with Rice, who cleverly lured defenders towards him before laying a perfect pass to Trossard. Who duly crashed the ball home; probably via a slight deflection, but who honestly cares? My celebrations were immediately followed by a lingering look at the clock on the top left-hand corner of the screen; and it seemed to be moving very slowly...

Special mention to our skipper here; he has had a really difficult season, and been questioned in many quarters, but he is absolutely crucial to this project and this felt like a small slice of redemption and point-proving to those who doubted him.

6 minutes over (as I'd predicted out loud to the otherwise empty room two seconds before it appeared on screen). And in the 4th of them a brilliant block from Gabriel prevented an equaliser. We've seen this countless times in the past, but this one felt huge! And the ball spun out for a corner. Last chance? Quite possibly.

Goalkeeper up. And in it swung. Something looked a bit off as perhaps more than the usual grappling commenced, and following some pinball Wilson smashed the ball over the line, despite Dec's best efforts. Utterly deflating, with prayers replacing hope.

But I'm sure that you, like me, would have been a lot more hopeful having seen just a single replay. There was definitely a foul on Raya (as it turns out, there were actually two!). The only question now was whether the VAR decision would go our way. And the fact that it took so long - and so many replays for what looked to me like a clear and obvious foul - was starting to worry me; with my pulse rate heading towards 140! But Darren England as VAR had spotted the issue, and whilst I guess that he 'chickened out' of making a decision himself and left it to the man on the field, referee Kavanagh eventually announced the good news, and all was well in the world once more.

There are, of course, numerous issues around all this. Especially noted in some of the salty reactions of fans of rival clubs. West Ham fans were rightly disappointed. And fans of teams like Spurs and Chelsea felt the need to express outrage. There were certainly other things going on in the penalty area that could easily be penalised (and there always are); although when there is more than one it's the one with the 'material impact' that takes precedence - in this case the foul on Raya. 

And the thing is this; this whole situation at corners has got completely out of hand. Regular readers of this page will know that I have been calling for Law changes almost all season, despite Arsenal having been the first to master the current Laws and to have taken the most advantage of them to rack up the goals. 

Goalkeepers are continually impeded. Players have their arms wrapped around each other prior to the kicks being taken, and long after too. Often, people aren't even looking at the ball! There are often half a dozen possible infringements at every single corner kick event. It's madness, and it can not and should not continue. Rival supporters are saying that Arsenal are the biggest beneficiaries of VAR calls at corners, and yet here we were moaning when a decision went against us. That Arteta - all compliments to the officials after the game - would have behaved entirely differently had the same thing occurred at the other end.

And the problem is really just as much the application of the Laws as the Laws themselves. Inconsistency from officials is what has made this all such a minefield. Bu the only really comparable one I can think of is when an Arsenal goal against Leicester two seasons ago was ruled out for the same reason as this; Ben White had his arm wrapped around their goalkeeper's, preventing him from jumping cleanly for the ball. The rest - the impeding and blocking off - is not currently against the Laws. Although it should be! 

I thought that former top Referee's Assistant Darren Cann got it spot on on MOTD2. 'The main situation - the foul on the goalkeeper - was picked up and ultimately we end with the correct decision.' Nail on head. I would imagine that as a consequence of the significance of this call (completely correct as it was), things will change for next season. As they should.

Now people call Arsenal fans paranoid. Because we supposedly think that everyone is out to get at the club. But there is definitely a different agenda when it comes to Arsenal in the written and spoken media, and especially on Social Media, than there is with literally any other English club. Perhaps it's because agendas will have to completely change once the players finally win a big title, and new targets will have to be found. I know that in a much smaller way Tottenham winning the Europa League last season tore out a little piece of my soul; suddenly I had one less thing with which I could take the p*ss out of them. 

And the thing about this paranoia in the Arsenal community is this; we don't think that they're out to get us - we KNOW that they are! So winning one or two trophies this season will feel great not just for the winning itself, but for getting these imbeciles off of our backs! Although, as Taylor Swift once so eloquently put it: 'Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate...' What we will be doing if and when the trophies come our way is shake it off.

Anyway, we move on. Everything is there for Arsenal now. Home to Burnley, and then away to Crystal Place three days before the Conference League Final. All in our hands, with no excuses. There's nothing Manchester City can do to stop us.

More injury worries, of course, and whilst we wait on Ben White it's probably worth mentioning that we ought to be able to cope with a makeshift right back for the final two league games. However, with PSG and in particular Khavaratskhelia heaving into view in three weeks' time, it would be really, really helpful if Jurrien Timber can regain fitness...

OK; relax. Deep breaths. As a mere afterthought, Spurs are still in deep do-do. 

COYG!

Myles Better!

I’m writing this on Bank Holiday Monday morning, so I/we are yet to go through the ups and downs of watching Everton vs Manchester City. For the moment, however, things are considerably rosier in our world than they were a week ago.

This thanks to a thumping 3-0 win over Fulham; one that saw a late change of direction from Arteta - one that may yet have repercussions for years to come if he sticks to these guns. I’ll come back to that later.

Yet again, I was unable to make the game. The previous one out of choice, but this one out of necessity as I am currently out of action due to a nasty little hospital procedure I went through last week (I’ll spare you the gory details, but hope to pass an LFT - late fitness test for the uninitiated- in order to attend the Atletico game tomorrow). So my wife plus one daughter were in attendance in my place; both coming home to tell me how much the stadium was buzzing - and that as a consequence I was banned from going back as it could surely be no coincidence! Harsh, I feel.

Team news - surprising and exciting! Of course, it wasn’t good to have lost Odegaard yet again (those who moan about him, by the way, don’t know football in my humble opinion). However, the various decisions Arteta made on changes to team structure looked on the face of it to be highly significant.

When up against a mid-table side with little to play for, the choice of a finally fit again Calafiori over Hincapie (for whom I do not have a single bad word, by the way) looked obvious. Further forward, Bukayo Saka was deemed fit enough to start; and it wouldn’t be rocket science to say that he could be the key to the rest of Arsenal’s season. Elsewhere, Havertz’s unavailability meant another start for Big Vik, Trossard was back in the side for Martinelli, and most interestingly of all the manager chose to rest the jaded Zubimendi but not play Christian Norgaard in his place - instead plumping for MLS! Bold… an ‘eureka moment’ in fact; and should it have failed leaving Arteta open to criticism - and MLS himself to a possible ‘sliding doors’ moment in his career.

Fulham were apparently decimated by illness - and all pundits should caveat thoughts on this game with that - but history suggested that Arsenal were very likely to triumph in any case as the away side have NEVER won away to Arsenal. A remarkable statistic.

MLS helped set the tone from early on. Having broken into the side out of necessity in an alien role last season, this was the first chance he had had to start a first team game in his ‘proper’ position - central midfield. Along with the imperious Declan Rice, Myles helped Arsenal dominate the game - as they did almost throughout - from the very start. He kept things simple: recycling the ball from either between the centre backs or slightly further forward. His passing accuracy was 97%, and his Super Power - protecting the ball and winning duels and free kicks - was 100%. Whilst I sense that Zubi will be back on Tuesday against more serious opposition in Atleti, MLs will have certainly given his manager something to think about now. 

We should not analyse this game without giving some attention to the choice of wingers. Instead of the ‘headless chickens’ - Martinelli and Madueke - Arteta went with Trossard as the foil for Saka on the other side of the pitch. The selection of two more cerebral, tactically aware players over the ‘mercurial’ (I’m being polite) two Ms could again signal the way forward for the rest of the season. Fulham were presented with problems all over the pitch, and with Gyokeres having his best game in an Arsenal shirt they were really up against it. 

I won’t go into a minute-by-minute analysis here - there’s no need, as you’ve seen the game - but I just wanted to home in on a few noteworthy issues:

Firstly, Bukayo Saka makes a massive difference. As I’ve said, that’s not rocket science, but his ability to receive the ball on the half turn and keep his marker guessing make a huge difference when compared to the hit and miss dribbling qualities of the two Ms. In this game - and possibly for the first time - we also saw a real connection with Gyokeres. One that led to two goals.

Secondly, I really liked the offensive balance of this team. With Eze in the 10 role, there was a fluidity to Arsenal's attacking play that we have not seen for a while. The combinations of White and Saka on the right, Trossard and the unpredictable Calafiori on the left, Eze knitting it all together from the centre, Gyokeres’ intelligent movement and the dynamism of Rice - backed up by MLS - made for an irresistible mix with which Fulham could not cope. There was much more of a Cherki/Doku/Semenyo vibe to it, and I for one really appreciated the change in focus.

Whilst this shape may need to be reviewed for Tuesday - and should Arsenal reach the CL final - this surely makes for a blueprint to use against the remaining three inferior domestic opponents. The shackles had to come off at some stage, and perhaps Arteta has belatedly solved the puzzle that has been bothering him all season. With Havertz, Odegaard, Timber and maybe Merino to return, it is just possible that the squad are going to be at full throttle at precisely the time that they need to be.

This could also influence transfer business going forward. Whilst Arsenal have looked ponderous and predictable over the past few weeks in a different shape and with a different emphasis, it’s just possible that the manager has stumbled on some internal solutions which could save the club a lot of money going forward. 

We’d expect certain players to depart in the summer; Jesus, the under-used Norgaard, probably Ben White, one of Trossard and Martinelli, maybe Madueke and perhaps even Martin Odegaard too. But where we had probably been expecting much more churn in the summer it’s just possible that - having seen what MLS has just done - the reintroduction of Nwaneri, plus the raw potential of Dowman may - should Arteta decide to put his trust in them - mean that transfer funds could be used far more selectively. The ceiling doesn’t need to be raised by that much - Arsenal are, after all, top of the PL and in the CL semi finals - but a strategic raising of the floor that could see the manager have the confidence to rotate more frequently could be the missing element that could turn this side into a dynasty. Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself, as they’ve still won nothing this season. 

But for now the focus switches firmly back onto Manchester City now. They find themselves 6 points and 4 goals behind, albeit with two games in hand but with undoubtably trickier fixtures than their rivals. Starting with Everton away, and including a perilous-looking trip to in-form Bournemouth. And with something of a fixture pileup to boot. Psychologically, a switch has been flicked. And if Arsenal negotiate Tuesday successfully that will give them a further boost.

Here’s a quick (and somewhat childish and pointless) look at the remaining fixtures - with score predictions:

Everton 1 Manchester City 2

Manchester City 3 Brentford 1

West Ham 0 Arsenal 3

Manchester City 6 Crystal Palace 0

Arsenal 4 Burnley 0

Bournemouth 2 Manchester City 2

Crystal Palace 0 Arsenal 3

Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 0

This gives Arsenal the title by two points. But if City also go 100% also gives Arsenal the edge on goal difference. I’d rather be playing West Ham and Burnley than Everton, Brentford and Bournemouth! 

Let’s see. City do have a Terminator in their ranks, after all… But one thing is for sure; they have to play catch-up from here on in. But maybe - just maybe - these next few weeks won’t be the hard watch that we were all expecting them to be just a few days ago.

Perhaps we can genuinely start enjoying watching Arsenal again. I sure hope so.

Just a couple of quick things before I go. Firstly, great to see a presentation to the BFG; a real club man who has served Arsenal brilliantly; firstly as a player and latterly as Academy Manager. Thanks for everything, Per.

And secondly a word for Unai Emery, whose Aston Villa side put in a putrid performance at home to Tottenham yesterday. For a supposedly 'elite' manager, you'd have thought he'd have worked out how to juggle domestic competition and the latter stages of European competitions. But he managed to do what nobody has done all season - make Spurs look good. For that, he deserves to fail on Thursday, and to finish 6th. Pathetic.

Still, Tottenham are very much of secondary interest. Let's focus on Arsenal.

COYG!

So It's Going To Be Like This, Then, Is It?

Three hard-earned points at home to Newcastle. And it's clear that we're going to be put through the wringer for another full month. That last couple of percent for professional sportsmen that is in the head, not the body, is kicking in - for Arsenal and also for Manchester City. Let's hope it's worth the mental anguish come May 24th.

Before I give my thoughts on the game - and a few other things - a Disclaimer: I always write my weekly piece BEFORE I read, watch or listen to any punditry, articles and podcasts. I want my thoughts to be mine alone; not influenced by the opinions of others. Because what would be the point? - I'd be wasting mine and everyone else's time if I just regurgitated other peoples' views. 

This was brought home to me after I'd written last week's post and when I started devouring the press and social media, as successive podcasts (from people closer to the club, and with arguably better credentials than I have) echoed many of my views almost to the letter. I feel vindicated, of course, that my opinions match those of others; but I don't want you to think that I'm plagiarising anyone else's work. This page is ALL my own. I hope that clears that up.

And so to Saturday evening. Made doubly difficult for me, as I could not be there in person and had to watch the game on the television (Gary Neville warts and all...). My wife and I had a long-standing arrangement to attend the 60th birthday party of one of our closest friends, with a 7.45pm start, so as soon as the game was moved to 5.30pm that was that. Annoying, to say the least. And it's not the same at home; privileged as I know I am to possess a season ticket. But anyway...

Team as expected, I guess. Still no Timber or Calafiori, and so frankly I think that the eleven picked itself. It's the one I'd have chosen, anyway. But with the added frisson of excitement at seeing the name of Bukayo Saka finally back in the squad. This contrary, of course, to some nefarious rumours about him possibly being out until the start of next season. Thank goodness that those were wrong.

And so to the game. And there's very little action to discuss. Decent chances for Newcastle very early on as they pressed Arsenal high (for Osula and the returning Guimares), and some bizarre action at the other end. We have, of course, to give massive credit the Nicolas Jover for doing his homework on the opposition, but at the time the crowd were utterly bemused that a team so well-known for its set-piece goals were persisting on a short corner routine. 

A sequence of three corners from the right in the first 8 minutes. From the first, Odegaard's pass in search of Eze was cut out. Cue puzzlement from the terraces. From the second, he found Eze, whose left foot shot went wide of the near post. Muted booing for not getting the ball into the box. A slightly different routine for the third, as (amidst crowd frustration) Madueke found Havertz instead of Odegaard, and presented a different angle for the lay-off to the lurking Eze. Whose thunderbolt found the far top corner of Pope's net. All forgiven, and relief all round at the early lead. Eze's 10th goal of the season, by the way - and every one a cracker.

And after that? Well, very little indeed from Arsenal, as Newcastle dominated possession. Look, I know that the first objective is to ensure the three points, but a second goal would/could have, in these circumstances, changed the entire complexion of the game. However, the team looked fraught with nerves as it reverted to its pre-Etihad funk, and that transmitted itself to the crowd and got bounced to and fro from pitch to terrace. For me, the team cannot go on like this. If, as it appears, they are mentally incapable of imposing themselves upon what will be essentially inferior opponents between now and the end of the season, then they will surely pay the price. Something in the mentality needs to change, and I believe that it needs to come from a change in the pattern of play. 

Arsenal are too intricate in playing out from the back. The midfield thence ends up too deep, with a disconnect to the front line. All of which leads to turnovers, and an inability to keep hold of the ball. Thus piling the pressure back on. A self-fulfilling prophecy. Arteta surely needs to get them playing more quickly and positively - as they were doing so successfully in the autumn and going on a long winning run. But if they carry on in this passive manner then - mark my words - they will not win the title. And the maddest part of all this is that the one game in which they looked like the Arsenal of the autumn for whom I desperately hanker was away to Manchester City. The madness of the hive mind...

Of course, it will not have helped that they lost Havertz on 33 minutes with what looked like a groin issue, and then Eze early in the second half with what must be another muscular problem. Just what the doctor did not order. But despite the loss of two of their most skilful and intelligent players, they should have been aware that they still have more than enough for the likes of a struggling and out of form Newcastle.  

A couple of moments of note late on to report, nonetheless. On 74 minutes, the otherwise almost invisible Gyokeres burst into space down the right channel (found beautifully by Odegaard's excellent clipped ball into space), where he was brought down by the onrushing Pope. Fully 35 yards from goal, and with a defender covering. I - like everyone in the crowd - was up on my feet screaming for a red card; but deep down I didn't expect it to be given. Yes, it was reckless from the goalkeeper, who lost his balance in trying to clear and hauled the Swede to the floor as he tried to recover his feet. But it was simply too far out - especially with Thiaw between Gyokeres and the goal - to expect the ultimate punishment. Reckless? For sure. But DOGSO? Nah...

To be fair to Gyokeres's apparent inability to influence matches, we saw in one single moment what the issue is with him. That he isn't trusted by his team-mates. This photgraph shows that Odegaard could and should have passed to him in the left hand channel, but instead choose to cut back inside and play a square pass. Yes, Big Vik is not the silkiest of players. But he ought to be trusted to try to do what he is best at. And he would surely have tested Pope there, had he been fed the ball. And that is a microcosm of his season.

As was the moment when he burst into the left channel, 30 yards from goal, with two team-mates on his inside and just one defender between he and they. The pass was shoddy and cut out, where a better one would surely have led to the decisive second goal. Infuriating is the word I'd use.

Not long after came Newcastle's best opportunity of the game, as two substitutes (Woltemarde and Wissa) combined for the latter to blast his shot over the bar from a mere 8 yards. Fine margins - and Wissa could/should have done better; thus displaying the inherent risk in trying to merely sit on a lead. 

And then the moment we've been waiting for for a number of weeks now. The return of the prodigal son. Arsenal's best and star player, Bukayo Saka, back on the pitch for the first time since the March Interlull. And instantly into the action and making a difference, with his presence changing the mood within the ground. The team looks different with Saka in it; crisper passing and movement was immediately evident. An immediate chance for himself, and then a set up for Odegaard to fire in a low effort. Such a massive upgrade on Madueke - what a lift to the group his return could be!

And so Arsenal held on, and the mental strain showed as the final whistle went and several red-shirted players sunk to the ground. They're going to make us suffer, aren't they?

One down. Four to go. Nip and tuck. Would I take 4 more 1-0 wins? Possibly... although we should reasonably expect to do better than that against Burnley. But will that be enough? But now thoughts need to turn to Madrid on Wednesday - and to be honest I'd willingly sacrifice a place in the Champions League final if that would guarantee the league title. But one game at a time it has to be.

Injury news is unclear at the moment. Eze's issue is apparently not serious, and we can only hope that Havertz's withdrawal was more precautionary than anything else. Great to have Starboy back, obviously, and Calafiori looks close. Jurrien Timber - about whom there appears to be radio silence - is nonetheless key for me. I guess that is a chance, however, that the squad will all be available over the next month. And that could be vitally important. 

What the manager and his staff need to work on just as much as any physical issues, however, is the state of the players' minds. They need to release the metaphorical handbrake; because if they don't do it now - if they don't go out and take what they deserve, instead of waiting for it to come to them - when will they ever do so?

Other matters now. Tottenham. Chelsea. Manchester City.

Aren't we fortunate not to be Spurs fans? Just think about the agony they went through between 4.30 and 4.50pm on Saturday. At 0-0 with Wolves, and with West Ham leading in their game. They finally take the lead, and then the news filters through of an Everton equaliser. Only for the Hammers to snatch an injury time winner. They simply had to win that game, but will it be enough? I certainly don't fancy their run in - starting at Villa Park next weekend. With Simons ruled out for the season now, they task has become even more difficult. And here's a dilemma for them; when Arsenal go to West Ham in a fortnight, what result do they want? - the one that puts them further into the mire. and the one that helps Arsenal win the title? Oooph...

Chelsea, eh. Who'd be a Chelsea fan? The inevitability of Rosenior's sacking in the wake of the abject defeat at Brighton was followed by them reaching the FA Cup final. Scant consolation for supporters of a club who can see how badly the owners' strategy is failing. And it couldn't happen to a nicer club... for it was Chelsea - and Abramovich - who first really polluted the financial waters of English football and who then paved the way for the sewage of the nation states to make their filthy mark on the Premier League.

Which brings me on to Manchester City, who Chelsea will meet in the FA Cup final. And there's a match that there is no danger of me watching. The two clubs that I hold in the most contempt facing off for a trophy. Talk about filthy lucre. But City do appear to be suffering a hiccough or two. Failure to beat Burnley by more than one goal may well bite them very hard in the bum. The loss of Rodri certainly had an impact on that, so we can but hope that he's out for a little longer. He is absolutely key for them.

All to play for. COYG!

A Strange Sense Of Calm And Clarity

Bizarre, isn't it? Whilst there will always be those supporters who react negatively to adverse results and start blaming all and sundry (and there have been plenty of them making their voices heard since the final whistle went) - from the manager all the way down to the tea lady and Win the dog - there really needs to be a sense of perspective following the defeat at The Etihad. And I feel strangely serene in the aftermath of such a momentous game. Because we now have clarity.

Admittedly, this was Arsenal's fourth successive domestic defeat (over three competitions), so one could hardly describe the team as in form, but there was plenty to take out of the game on the positive side. This was not - in the main anyway - the tentative Arsenal of the past few weeks. It was far more like what one would expect to see from prospective Champions/Champions League winners; especially at such a crucial time of the season. And I intend to dwell on the positives today.

Team selection: and whilst the continued absence of Timber, Calafiori and Saka is having a negative effect on a lot of what Arteta wants to do, the return of Odegaard was/is a positive sign. I was vastly cheered when I read the team news, as for all that he has had a difficult season, and has his flaws, his presence in the side has a critical influence on how Arteta wants the team to play. If he can stay fit for the next month or so, it can only be positive for Arsenal. Because...well,  just take a look at these staistics from the game:

In order to accommodate Odegaard's return, Arteta chose to go back to playing Ebere Eze off the left wing. Again, something I was pleased to see, as it felt key to me that he wasn't the player sacrificed to make room for the return of the skipper. And I was also happy to see Kai Havertz selected to play up top. The only big decision after that was the choice of right winger, with Arteta choosing to go with Madueke (recovered from the knock he received in the week). He could have gone with Gabriel Martinelli, of course... but they are both - shall we say - 'mercurial'. One is never quite sure what to expect from either of them. 

Further back, the manager chose to go with Mosquera at right back over Ben White. Something I wasn't sure about at all; contemplating the young Spaniard having to deal with Jeremy Doku had me in a cold sweat. I may have plumped for Ben White. A centre half playing out of position against one of the slipperiest customers in the league - not ideal... It is clear and obvious that the continued absence of Timber and Saka on the right hand side is having an adverse effect on the way the team is able to play.

The last thing I wanted to see was Arsenal merely attempting to hold off the home team; that's pretty much impossible to do. And it was important to see what Arteta had learnt from the Carabao Cup Final. And Arsenal did start positively, with the game pretty 50/50 early on. Although David Raya almost had a disastrous moment very early on as he dawdled and made a gigantic mess of a clearance - as if some of the lessons from Wembley had not been heeded - but he got away with it. Gary Neville on Sky, who is so very annoying and who I truly wish that I could mute, did make a fair point on this; that that sort of error is the thing that Arsenal most needed to avoid. 

There was also a 'heart in mouth' moment when Gabriel leant into the ball in the penalty area as he attempted to deal with a shot from Cherki, and managed to deflect it onto the post (and back into the grateful arms of Raya). A fair shout for handball and a penalty there, but perhaps it was his shoulder that made contact.

At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal were exerting pressure and forcing turnovers high up, leading to a series of corners. From one, Mosquera headed wide when he probably ought to have made the keeper work. The away side were taking the game to City when they could, combining well in the right areas of the pitch, with Rice and Odegaard firing the ball about, Eze showing off some excellent ball control, and Havertz making a real nuisance of himself. Compared to last week's insipid showing at home to Bournemouth, this was 'chalk and cheese'.

But, as we know, it was City who drew first blood. Hincapie could not head a clearance far enough away from goal, and Eze wasn't strong enough in the challenge as he looked to clear the ball further. The ball fell to Cherki, whose mazy run - reminiscent to me of Eden Hazard at his best; or even of Maradona! - bamboozled no fewer than 4 defenders. It looked like he had the ball on the end of a piece string, as he manoeuvered it from right foot to left and back again before stroking it between Saliba's legs and beyond Raya and just inside the far post. A beautiful goal, frankly; for all that there were a number chances to prevent it. And the last thing that Arsenal needed.

And yet... for all that David Raya had 'got away' with one early in the game, Donnarumma made a fatal error very soon afterwards. A mere 107 seconds of play later, in fact. Arsenal had gone long from kick-off, and conceded a throw in deep in the City right back area. Nunes chose to go back to the Italian, and a fatal mis-control of the ball allowed the pressing Havertz to close him down. The ball deflected off of the German's boot and into the empty net. Miracle of miracles... Arsenal were level! I had always thought that the Italian keeper, for all his superb shot-stopping abilities (remember how he single-handedly held Arsenal off in last season's Champions League semi final), was not a patch on the brilliant Ederson with the ball at his feet and was therefore a surprise choice for Guardiola to bring into the City squad. It took until April for me to be proved correct.

And so to half time. City certainly the better side on balance, with Doku making life very difficult for Mosquera, the imperious Rodri and the irritating little goblin Bernardo Silva setting the tempo in midfield, Cherki pulling the strings every time he got onto the ball and Haaland making Gabriel in particular work very hard; but - at that stage - the advantage was with Arsenal in the battle for the title. 

Martinelli for the ineffective Madueke at half time. And with Doku and his tricky feet continuing to give Mosquera - by now booked - a hard time, the Brazilian's defensive qualities looked like they would be called upon. Although he didn't start well; his first two touches of the ball causing problems for his team-mates. And whilst City continued well on top as the second half started, starting firmly on the front foot, Arsenal continued to pose a threat on the break, with some vim and vigour back in their interplay for the first time in weeks. 

Haaland almost scored following a corner (hitting the outside of the post), and moments later, on the break, Havertz missed a very presentable opportunity as Donnarumma raced out to smother his shot. An interesting moment not long afterwards, as Havertz, who had nipped just in front of Khusanov 25 yards from goal, was nudged off of the ball and to the ground. For me, that's a foul, and I was out of my seat and screaming at the television. Although it's fair to say that I'm probably biased. If Anthony Taylor sees it the same way as me, then Khusanov has to walk, VAR upheld the non-decision... but Havertz would have been clean through on goal. Very annoying. 

Not long after came what may be a season-defining moment, with brilliant play to create himself a yard of space on the edge of the box from Eze... and his curling low shot beat the goalkeeper, hit the inside of the post and rolled agonisingly all the way along the goal line. Wonderful play; and incredibly unfortunate for the buzzing Eze.

The moment that defined the game - and the final result - came not long afterwards. City were continuing to overload and underlap on the wings, and Martinelli allowed O'Reilly to stride away from him. Zubimendi could not get over in time to engage, and Mosquera was left one on one for the umpteenth time against Doku. The Belgian cut inside, where Zubi left O'Reilly in order to try to intercept the ball. But it bypassed him and found its way back to O'Reilly, and the young Englishman's pass across the area was met by Haaland. The result - inevitable. Although... was Haaland fouling Gabriel as he switched direction? He had hold of his shirt for sure.

From then on Arsenal were obliged to turn up the tempo, and to their credit they did do that. But City's central pairing continued to exert too much control for this viewer's liking. Nonetheless, chances were created. Gabriel's header following a free kick hit O'Reilly (I thought handball at first) and was deflected onto the post. How many times did the woodwork come into play in this game?!?

White replaced Mosquera. Trossard for Eze (much to my surprise and annoyance, as I thought that Odegaard was inevitably starting to fade), and finally - and probably too late in the piece - Gyokeres for Zubi. For City, Rodri was forced off; seemingly injured. As my father would assuredly have said were he still with us: 'I hope it's nothing trivial!' And Arsenal were pushing, as we prayed for just one more chance. Which came in the latter throes of injury time, as Trossard's superb cross from the right wing was met 10 yards, out, and centrally, by the head of the onrushing Havertz. A bullet header, but inches too high when he simply had to keep it down. And that was that. The final chance to shape the run in differently.

In the interim, the away side were very fortunate not be down to 10 men. Yet another in a series of tangles between Haaland and Gabriel - and there were many - saw them squaring up forehead to forehead. A little bit 'handbags', if unseemly, but Gabriel then moved his head onto the Norwegian. And here I have to admire Haaland, because I could name dozens of players who would have over-reacted/simulated in response; thus leading to an inevitable red card. Much to his credit, Haaland took the 'all's fair in love and war’ attitude, stayed on his feet, and Taylor merely pulled out the yellow card. Big Gabi does need to control himself in moments of stress... and that moment would/could/should have led to a three match ban.

But that was that. Yet another defeat. But strangely, as I say, this doesn't feel anything like as bad as did last week's. Last week's performance was insipid. Pitiful. Lacking in every conceivable way. This result left me with an entirely different feeling.

Before, there was despair. That yet another season was fizzing out into nothing. But I have seen some hope here. Because quite a bit of Arsenal's early season form felt like it was on its way back. A full week off now before Newcastle at home, before the first of the Champions League semi final matches. And still tons to play for. Odegaard on his way back. Hopefully some better news on the three missing players. Arsenal can still cross at least one finish line in front. 

Let's take a closer look at the run in now. Because it's all crystal clear. A straight shoot out. If both teams win out their remaining matches, it will come down to goal difference. And to me Arsenal's run in looks slightly easier. Newcastle are completely out of form. Fulham are on the beach. West Ham are fighting relegation; but they're doing that for a very good reason - they're not very good. Burnley at home surely a formality. And Palace away on the final day; and, crucially, we need Palace to reach the Conference League Final, because that's just three days later and they'll surely be resting lots of players... Meantime, City have to go to both Bournemouth and Everton, and face Aston Villa on the final day. It ain't over.

What I liked about this performance is that we saw some 'fight' for the first time for a while. Where it had gone, I wish I knew, but the team's mojo had been sucked dry by cup final defeat. I guess that confidence is like a tall building. You go up the stairs towards success, but come down much quicker in the lift... hopefully the players and staff will have taken the same positives that I have. One thing is for sure; they may not win anything, but they're not bottling it...

And to the naysayers I'll say this again. It ain't over until it's over. And it ain't over.

Just before I go, a few other bits and pieces. And I'll start with a word on Alex Manninger. If you weren't an Arsenal fan before the year started with a 2, you won't know who he was. But he played a crucial role in Arsenal's 1997-98 double winning season, coming into the side when David Seaman got injured. He played a key role, keeping numerous clean sheets; including in the defining 1-0 win at Old Trafford. And had the game of his life in Arsenal's FA Cup quarter final win over West Ham, making maybe 6 or 7 vital saves. RIP.

I'd now like to finish with a word for all you miserable gits who have given up on this side. You don't know how lucky you are to be Arsenal supporters! Imagine supporting That Lot down the road; deeper in relegation trouble with each passing week. Or a Chelsea fan, perhaps? That's now 4 successive league defeats without scoring a goal for them. Get over yourselves, and get behind the team.

COYG! 

It's Happening Again

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a huge sense of deja vu over what's been unfolding in front of our eyes these past few weeks. In truth, Arsenal haven't played well for probably two months now - the game against Tottenham notwithstanding; but, let's face it, they are garbage! And the performances are starting to reflect themselves in the results.

I can remember foolishly expressing thoughts (not on here) in early February that the title race was likely to turn into a procession. Boy; do I wish that I'd kept my trap shut! Almost since then, Arsenal's form has fallen off of a cliff; of course, at the very same time that Manchester City traditionally come on strong. And I think that this actually bears some analysis.

Year after year, we see Pep rotate his squad early on in the season - occasionally and seemingly inexplicably leaving players that we'd expect to be automatic starters on the bench for week after week. Results often reflect that, but they somehow stay in touch. And then, as the season heads towards its climax, he puts his best team out again and again and again. They hit form. They hit rhythm. And they look to be unstoppable. It does help, of course, when one can find £100m+ in January to pinch the best players from two other Premier League sides - and that's irrespective of the historical charges of financial mismanagement that continue to sit over both them and the league as a whole. But leaving that aside, on a sporting level they look absolutely formidable at the moment, with their midfield and wingers on fire, and Haaland reaping the benefit.

By contrast Arsenal look leggy. Fatigued. Lacking in drive and focus. With key injuries. Foggy of thought and deed. And this must surely be because when they looked formidable themselves in the early part of the season, Arteta played his best team again and again and again; wearing them out to a point when they appear to have nothing left at this crucial time. There would have been little harm in rotating one or two players out throughout the autumn, but he has run his key players into the ground.

Timber's muscular issue is down to exactly that. Calafiori cannot stay fit for more than a couple of games at a time. Hincapie pulled up in an international match with a muscular issue. The centre halves have been forced to have time out themselves. Odegaard has suffered innumerable injuries this season, and cannot stay fit. Rice is knackered. Zubimendi is out on his feet. Saka remains out weeks after we expected him back. Havertz is struggling to regain form and fitness. Eze is barely back from his own ill-timed injury. Trossard is unable to regain his early season form. It comes to something when such an expensively assembled squad seem to be leaning so hard on a 16-year-old to see them over the line!

What is - or was - the answer? Well, I'd never be one for wholesale changes at any point, but the failure to use so many of the squad players to rotate the starters out is frankly unforgivable; and is coming home to roost. Sure, the squad players aren't as good as whatever we all regard as the First XI, but judicious rests for one or two key players over the course of a week or two would surely have paid dividends. Mosquera could have played more. White, whilst never having regained his high standards of previous years, could have taken some of the burden off of Timber. MLS has been given little game time, and the lack of use of Christian Norgaard is negligence bordering on the criminal. Saka has been overplayed, and is suffering the consequences of that. Nwaneri sent away on loan. Merely swapping one or two players out at a time would and could have made the difference. Yet here we are.

I haven't posted on here since after the Cup Final. Which, on top of showing up how much the Pupil still needs to learn from his Master inflicted the sort of psychological damage on the Arsenal squad that only makes the physical frailties appear worse. Heads have dropped, energy levels have gone through the floor, and nothing short of drastic surgery is going to solve this. 

But the schedule is relentless. Don't get me started on the way the football authorities in England treat their top representatives compared to the French and Germans, by the way... It's the second leg against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, and then the season-defining return against Manchester City - which by the way I am dreading - on Sunday. City - now out of the Champions League - will have a full week to prepare for that.

So what would I do if I were the Manager of Arsenal for the week? Well, firstly I'd take a few chances on Wednesday, in order to keep some key players fresh for Sunday. For all that there's an opportunity to get to a Champions League semi-final, Sunday is far more important! We have the lead, and we should go for the jugular.

Sporting are nothing like as dangerous a side away from home as they are in Lisbon, so I'd take a few calculated risks (this without knowing how close the likes of Timber, Calafiori, Odegaard and Saka are close to returning). Start Mosquera. Keep MLS in the side in order not to risk further damage to either Ricci or Hincapie. Start Norgaard for Zubimendi (this is a must for me!). Put Kai up top to give Gyokeres a little break. Start Trossard in order to leave Martinelli as the 'finisher' on that side. And go easy with Eze.

Let's see.

Meantime, I want to take a quick look back at the defeat to Bournemouth. A defeat that said everything about what has gone wrong for Arsenal this season. Sure, Bournemouth are a decent side, and were well rested following the inordinately long break due to internationals and then the FA Cup semi-finals (whoever designed that weekend to have zero Premier League games needs stringing up!). But we are Arsenal! 

Make no mistake; Bournemouth were the better side. They exploited Arsenal's lack of zip, pressing the player on the ball, creating overloads and causing chaos throughout. They forced Arsenal into indecision, and into mistake after mistake. For their first goal, White and Saliba's relative positions were incorrect, and MLS failed to track Kroupi into the box. Sure, there was a really unfortunate deflection in there, but you make your own luck. For the second, pressure on Raya led to an injudicious pass, and to the ball not being properly cleared. They won the ball back, and a clearly suffering Zubimendi let Scott run off his back into acres of space. 

You could argue that these were two isolated incidents, but that's not the case. The lack of energy and focus was palpable. Most of the players seemed paralysed by indecision - starting with Raya! Arsenal could barely string a decent move together. Raya himself stood over the ball for seconds at a time - again and again. The defensive line couldn't beat the first press. And the time it was taking to get the ball back into play from throw ins was an embarrassment, as players visibly hid from the ball. Rice excepted - and with some help from Eze when he came on - the midfield was dysfunctional. Havertz had a shocker in there. Zubimendi's effectiveness was almost at zero. Martinelli was almost invisible. And Madueke had yet another one of  'those' games - although to be fair to him Michael Oliver ought to have taken action on his marker Jimenez early on. The ball would not stick to Gyokeres. 

And for all that the crowd were desperate to get behind them, all we ended up up was being frustrated time and again by the seeming lack of response from the players. My wife, next to me, did her bit, as did supporters in front of and behind me. But I could sense the mood and I became very introspective; something I am not proud of. The stats told me afterwards what I already suspected; David Raya made the second most passes of all Arsenal players, and received no less than 38 back passes. The amount of risk-taking that went on when trying to play out from the back merely heaped more and more pressure. So many players close to our own goal; thus bringing theirs up the pitch. And a virtually empty midfield. When you're going for a title, this is completely unacceptable. Forwards!!!

If Arsenal got a single thing right on the day, it was to ensure that when they were awarded their penalty that Gyokeres took it. I've not seen anyone hit the ball as hard from the penalty spot in my lifetime watching football. When Havertz picked up the ball, I was screaming: "Give it to Gyokeres!" He did; and the Swede smashed it home.

Arteta made three very early changes to try to change the course of the game, and it did help that Eze started to knit play together a bit more where Havertz had been unable to do so. But Petrovic in the Bournemouth goal hardly had a single significant save to make. In truth, it was fairly easy for the away side, and Arsenal got precisely what they merited from the game - nothing!

How did we get into this rut? Well, we can trace it back to the series of poor performances over the past couple of months. But the psychological damage from the Cup Final may be terminal. With the FA Cup defeat merely compounding that. Make no mistake, Arsenal are in a very difficult place at the moment, and Arteta needs to get them to bounce back immediately. 

A change of tactics may help. Less of the formulaic 'control' nonsense, and the opportunity to display a bit more flair, and play with more freedom. That may be what I'd be drilling into the players. I'm sick of the 'umbrella of death' tactics, and have been crying out for weeks to see more vertical passing, and more attacking through the centre of the pitch.

The other thing I'd like to see is some bravery. A willingness to take the game to the oppostion, and take them out of their comfort zone. There has simply not been enough of that at all for some considerable time now. Opposition teams have known what to expect from Arsenal. It's all too predictable. It's time to step things up; because not being prepared to take chances is simply not working. As Thierry Henry himself said after the game: "You can't be in a title race and play like you're protecting something instead of going to take it. If you keep dropping points like this, don’t talk about the title. You're giving it away. Again!"

All we can do is get behind the players, and try to drive them on by force of will. It's becoming more and more difficult to keep the faith, but a double is still on... difficult as that may be to believe at the moment.

I mean... it could be worse. We could be Spurs fans.

COYG!