Arsenal finish in the top four of the Premier League, it is what we do. Sometimes it is a bit of a close call and needs the team to put in a great run towards the end of the season, but our consistency in qualifying for the Champions League every year since Arsene Wenger took over is why the football media have hilariously dubbed it the Wenger trophy.
The fact that we failed to win a real trophy for nine years did not help of course, but the Gunners finally saw that right at Wembley last May, adding a fifth FA cup win of the Frenchman’s reign. That was supposed to be the first of many, which it still could be, and also the sign that Arsenal were ready to challenge for the title again, which does not look likely this season.
In fact, our injury problems and some poor form in the first half of the season has meant that we are locked in a struggle for fourth place again. With Southampton showing little sign of faltering, Man United finding their feet, Liverpool rediscovering their spark and Tottenham starting to respond to Pochettino’s management, it was beginning to look harder than ever for Arsenal.
If you want a good indicator, however, look at the odds, because the bookies do not get much wrong. It costs them money after all. And, perhaps because of the new Arsenal tactics and resolve that was on show away to Man City, they seem to have no doubt that we will be there again at the end of the season.
In fact they have us about even with United for third place, at around 6/4. For the top four, they also have us both odds on at around 2/5, with Southampton next at about 6/4 before Liverpool slightly shade the spuds at around 5 or 6 to 1.
So if you believe the bookies, Arsenal fans, you can relax and plan for another year in the Champions League. We can’t mess it up now can we?
Villarreal coach, Marcelino: “If both Gabriel and the club believe that sale to Arsenal is what [is] best for everyone, we accept it.”
€20m is the mentioned release clause, so it seems Arsenal paid it, according to Spanish radio show, El Larguero, of Cadena SER only work permit should be needed now
Oh Leo! Leo!!! My dearest Leo!!! From whence comest thou? For Long so has thy presence us not greeted. Thou fetcher of transfer tidings, I bid thee welcome.
@leo, another report told that villareal manager never said that. (If) Arsenal pay his buy out he will go to them was the gist of it which is true for all players when bigger club calls.
We hav always Done It. We wil kip doing it.
#coyg
Arsenal looking to strike a pre-contract agreement with 17-yr old PSG attacker Jean-Kévin Augustin, say ESPN France
great more kids
we do not need anymore kids.。。。the academy shld be disband and no more u21 team
The house of Rahman has spoken!!!
Simpler said than done. The EPL has home grown rules. 8 of your squad of over 21 year olds. If you listened to Greg Dyke’s proposal about how to improve English football there was talk about raising this to home grown rule to 12. We already pay over the odds for homegrown guys, look at Shaw for 30 mill. So closing our academy will make it worse.
Bielik will be counted as homegrown if he starts now and stay in England till his age of 21.
Paulista will sign today
Source?
@ BOLLY please answer @MUDA
I hope we will move forward from Sunday. ….I have always believed that we have the talent but we just lacked hunger, leadership and experience….hunger from Alexis. ..leadership from Le Coq (he did Marshall his troops we all saw it despite his age)…..experience from Santi and that raw talent that does not care what’s your name and how much u earn from Bellerin…..With all of this I believe we can be a ream to be feared again
Okay can we just stop the celebration now? For f*ck’s sake we beat a top team, dint win a trophy. Okay we should be happy , but we should put a stop to it now and focus on the usual top 4 finish . #BackToReality
ha everyone bangs on about us not being able to show up in the big games then when we do and the fans are happy about people now moan about that ,, funny lot ,,
There is a thin line between “Being Happy” and “Celebrating like we won a trophy”. Remember what Frank Lampard(when in Chelsea) said “I hate losing to Spurs because they make CDs of it and see it for decade”. So now what ? You want to make CDs of the match too ? The reality is even after beating the best team in England , we will still scramble for 4th place finish. Let that sink into you for a while!
@leo. Strange one, jean kevin from psg was rumoured to be a west ham target. Wonder if wenger is messing with wh re’ jenks and reid? What’s holding up bielek?
we have also held talks with dybala for summer move PSG too wants him as for this kid we have had talks with his agent
Gabriel Paulista: “If I go to Arsenal it will be excellent. But if it’s not finalised then I am relaxed. I am focused on my work here.”
ESPN reports(reliable) that Arsenal have opened talks with Gabriel Pulista. I have never seen this guy play. How is he ? Any idea ? Is he an upgrade on Koscielny or downgrade or almost as same ?
not even a full brazilian international……that tells alot….
we shld be signing world class brazilian CB like Luiz or Thiago instead
Luis thiago …. Is that the defensive spine that conceded 7 over the summer to the krauts ….
it not like bookies are done by angels or some super beings who know the future 🙁 🙁 🙁
Who is Gabriel Paulista?? GK or CF??
He is a coach !
The win over City is significant.
It was achieved with 9 top players
not starting. Clean sheet as well.
For a decade the team has been riddled with self doubt
by management players and fans alike to the point
where 4th place was the limit. Just what happened
during the lost decade may never really be fully explained.
But the win v City has injected a jet of confidence
where there is now a genuine belief that Arsenal
can beat any one, any where any time.
Yes but in all fairness we do usually perform very well against city and maybe the luck just wasnt there in past, or they were sharper in front of goal. I am delighted in the way we beat them but in my opinion we already had the beaten of them. Against che is when i want to see Arsene get things right, the manner in which we did city just might do it… then again its mourinho. Also in all tough away grounds we need to see some more restraint, and not just when our cl place is at risk.
4th place is our Birth Right.
The bookies set their odds so they cannot lose money whatever the result. If the odds shorten on Arsenal to get 4th place then it just means that more money has been placed on this result.
It’s the punters placing bets which determine the odds. The odds shortening on Arsenal to get 4th place probably just means that us fans are placing more bets in the euphoria following the Man City result. It’s nothing to to with the Bookies having the ability to predict the future better than most people.
It would be stupid to jump to the conclusion our form has changed after 1 match. Our problem has come against mid table opposition getting in our faces. We’ve yet to string together 3 wins in the EPL. I’m not being negative, but realistic. If we are going to use this as a springboard we’ll have to keep it tight at the back and be more efficient going forward – against City we could easily have dominated more if our passing and play had been on point. I think we’ve got a good chance of getting third, and if we can play to our ability consistently then there is a high chance we’ll achieve that.
Our problem will come if we get more injuries. We’ve played this whole season with our backs to the walls with a lack of consistency due to injury. We NEED to be careful and rest players while keeping a consistent team as well – a very hard ask. Comparatively the other big clubs have not even had a dent in their team from injury (bar Man Utd who still pale in comparison). We MUST keep players fit and get our form together over a group of matches, not just 1.
That’s until we have another bad game then the doom and gloom situation is back.. The bookies go game by game when it comes to Arsenal. We lose and we are slight favorites, if we win then we are massive favorites.. Lol
And it is so depressing that yet again we are fighting for 4th…