Arsenal and Manchester United shared the points in the Premier League this evening.
With Liverpool winning, Arsenal started the game determined to secure three points, and Mikel Merino fired an early warning shot at the Red Devils, but his effort went wide.
United had lost key defenders to injury, but they were well-organised in defence, allowing Arsenal to dominate possession. However, whenever the Gunners approached their goal, they were met by a wall of red shirts.
The home side recognised Arsenal as the superior team and were prepared to endure pressure as the visitors controlled possession, though they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
It was a challenging encounter for Mikel Arteta’s side, but United posed little attacking threat in the first half—until Ruben Amorim’s team unexpectedly took the lead just before the break through Bruno Fernandes.
Arsenal were stunned but began the second half strongly, with Martin Odegaard forcing a superb save from André Onana early on.
United grew in confidence, and Noussair Mazraoui had a chance to extend their lead, only for David Raya to produce an incredible save.
Five minutes later, Joshua Zirkzee tested Raya again with a powerful effort, but Arsenal responded with an equaliser, as Jurrien Timber set up Declan Rice for a well-earned goal.
Gabriel Martinelli had a golden opportunity to win the match but squandered his chance. Manchester United also came close, with Rasmus Højlund and Fernandes missing late opportunities as both teams ultimately settled for a draw.
I chose not to watch the game because I did not see us winning and assumed it would be the boring, robotic football I’ve seen from us in the past. Our season is already done so for me I’m thinking of the next one. We could possibly be wasting next season if you ask me.
15 yrs back when van Persie was there and the midfield was amazing as well, there was no defence. Now that there’s a defence and midfield there is no striker.
It seems like Arsenal management are solving a centuries old unsolved math problem
I applaud you.
There is no chance of arsenal winning it in 2026 . Liverpool will get stronger; mancity will be better next season; Chelsea will spend another 1 billion 😃; but arsenal will get another nketia and prioritize another midfielder ( if the zubimendi report is to be believed). Season is done and the players are only motivated to go further in the champions League. That itself might be a tragedy because the winner of tico/ Madrid will be waiting. It’s depressing times like this that makes one to appreciate the conundrum that the Spurs fans are going through too
Olumuyizi,
Don’t forget a left back, Arteta loves a left back. 😂😉👍
Ahhhhh , another left back..I had forgotten 😃😃 califiori looks more like zincheko in midfield. He is a waste at LB. Miles skelly will own the LB next season but am afraid arteta might still look for another Spanish one . A sporting director is needed ASAP to sort out transfers. Hope arteta won’t raid the Madrid teams for castoffs 😃😁😁😁
How do you classify a”cast off ” Olumuyizi?
Martin Odegard is over rated, Declan Rice will be our captain fantastic in my opinion.
I totally agree
I totally agree. Odegaard couldn’t lead a piss head to the pub.
I remember the time when everyone was crying out for solidifying our defense yet we got Amunia as our goalie. It seems our team often stays at a half baked stage.
I stopped watching our game as Arteta has achieved his goal of making Arsenal unpredictable, we are so unpredictable and predictable at the same time. Arsenal is. In a Shrodinger state now, well done, Artera.
well spotted mate! I think Arteta recognized this issue early on, and his first priority was to build a strong defense which has been brilliant.
All we need now is a quality striker up front and a couple of attacking midfielders to strengthen our creativity and finishing.
I have a feeling that all the teams are going to spend heavily, making next season even more competitive and challenging. I hope we dont loose any more players to injury next season.
Luckily City lost so they are still 8 points behind. Our top 4 rivals are they, Chelsea and Forest.
Lets hope they stumble as well because we will as well.
Another frustrating result to stomach, but we keep moving. PSV next, COYG!
A couple of take aways from the match .
Calafiori Is dog sh1t at LB ,personally thought he would be a good CM but pretty sure he’s just sh1t
Odegaard is overrated ,takes command of every dead ball situation (including direct free kicks )I believe he’s knocked one in in 4 years ,he’s a busted flush .
Arteta is the biggest fraud ive ever seen at this club .
Obviously just my take and I hope no one takes it personally
Can not argue with that.
Why would anyone take it personally when Arteta does not even know if their existence?
The substandard manager will give one big win and all will be forgiven.
Harry Kane is about to have a last laugh against Arsenal fans who as per tradition we keep rewarding, defending, cheering, accepting and embracing mediocrity.
Is it a wonder we get what we deserve?
Mate you know me HH ,obviously I was hoping someone would take it personally.
Same old tired excusers ,give it the best they can ,probably wake to see The good old Arteta 6,sure David will be front and centre .
Arteta is a 🤡and his worshippers are even worse 🤢
The excuses usually come the next day or after a one off win. Wait until we beat PSV on return leg even Arsenal1886 will show up and worse still having the audacity to question critics.
Funny thing is we might lose 5 games in a row and the minute we win 1 they will come out proudly as if we have achieved something significant.
The Kroenkes are doing a terrible job of keeping this substandard manager, the counterfeit Pep, yet his followers act like they they have a say in it!
Totally agree mate ,just waiting for the
“ I ban everyone “poster
The kroenkes are terrible at almost every thing HH. They lack ambition, they don’t care what fans go through, if they did surely they could have gone all out for a striker and midfielder. Everybody who has a clue about football knew we needed that.
Tell me which of his signings is spot on consistently, none except Saka. It’s time one pauses and reflects on what could have been if Arsene made way for Klopp
Dan Kit,
I agree with your post wholeheartedly.
And here’s a couple of points from me. What was Rice doing after he scored his goal, instead of giving it the big one by shushing the United fans he should have been getting the ball back to the Centre circle. Because if Arteta and the players are to be believed, we’re still in the titles race, (NOT).
My second point is for the Arteta fans out there who get gassed up on Arteta’s personal records at Arsenal. Here’s one for them, he sit fifth in the all time ranks for Managers who have managed 200 games, (118 wins). Although I believe I’m right in saying that the club don’t get a trophy for that. I’m sure that the Arteta- rettes as I like to call them will be well and truly gassed at this monumental achievement.🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Very depressing
Those are the only words in my head right now
We should be better than last season but we aren’t
Because it is important to keep things in perspective let’s note than Martinelli was offside when he blazed over in the dying moments, so if he scored, it would be been ruled out. Raya saved the draw twice, once against Mazraoui and another double save off Fernandez’s late run from midfield. United were getting more, better chances in the game’s dying moments.
Assuming the Gunners win their game in hand, they are 12 points back, or 4 full games with nine to play. There are 4 teams within 9 points, or three games of Arsenal for second, with nine to play.
Arsenal have a six-pointer against Chelsea with Nottingham Forest playing Ipswich for the closest thing to a gimme game in the Premier League. City have a winnable game against Brighton. As a result, it is entirely possible next weekend will have Arsenal at 55, Forest at 54, and Chelsea at 52, and City with 50 with nine games to play.
That scenario, which is not unlikely, makes it much more likely that one or two of those teams, if not all three, will catch Arsenal and haul them back into the Champions’ League qualification melee.
Arsenal are starting to look like one of those nature channel gazelles where the lion has leapt onto them from behind and has its claws sunk deep. You keep hoping the poor thing will escape, but deep down, you know the camera will pan away with the Chelsea/Forest lion muzzle-deep in the Arsenal gazelle’s entrails.
we need three wins to get top five, maybe four. Hopefully we can accomplish that – sadly we can lose to anyone but even scratching ties against other top four rivals helps.
And we have some fortune in that the other top four teams are inconsistent.
The big game against PSV means we get a date with one of the Madrid clubs which gets us more CL cash. We won’t be beating either of those teams even if Saka is back by then.
Here’s hoping we can hold on and eek out ties and a few wins so we are in CL again.
Then we can start arguing/discussing transfer strategy. Maybe, just maybe they will actually decide to get a striker…
Looking at the comments, I might be the least disappointed. Considering the absentees upfront and the fact that we generally struggle against low blocks which is how Man United set up, I wasn’t expecting much. There’s only so much a 17 year old, a midfielder who doesn’t have much experience at centre forward and Trossard can do against ten men standing behind the ball.
It’s a good thing Martinelli is back. As expected he looked rusty but he should improve with game time. I’m sure he’ll add another dimension to our otherwise lackluster attack. Might be an unpopular opinion but I think the draw was a fair result all things considered.
It might be unpopular but, i thought we were lucky to get a draw.
@Onyango
I agree with your assessment.
The problem is that some of our fans refuse to accept injuries and super early red cards should change anything.
Personally, I think MA has done well to keep us in 2nd place, and it will be an excellent achievement to maintain that position until the end of the season.
For those who disagree, give Liverpool a ton of injuries, including Salah off for hamstring surgery, and 5 reds, and lets see where they’d be in the table. We can see where City are because of injuries as a great example!
Agree. Onyango generally gives quite balanced assessments.
We’ll need to keep going whatever the case. The CL will be the main thing for now but we will need to pick up wins in the PL over the next couple of months to maintain our position.
The injuries have highlighted the relatively limited depth in the squad which will need to be addressed in the summer.
Well said, Lucy78 & Onayango! Its good to see that some people can recognize the reality of the current situation.
Gunner, the reality as I see it is, 3 matches ago we were 5 points away from Liverpool now we are 15. Another reality is as sad as our injury crisis is it is our coach that is responsible for that. He ran Kai to ground by playing in 3 positions every game. You will see him in attack, midfield and defense. Same thing with Saka. How many epl matches the boy missed before his injury since 2020.?
The coach did not keep us in second place. It is more like the team behind us are equally bad. We have lost 7 points out 9 in the last 3 games and city is 8 points behind us because they also lost 6 out of 9, So Lucy, David the rest should stop giving undue praise to the coach because he has done anything extraordinary this season. This team performance compare to the performance of his team of last season and before is poor.
Adiva,
Unfortunately the names you mention are Arteta-rettes, they’ve been infected with the you mustn’t criticize the Arteta gene. It appears to be terminal, so all we can do is hope that the prognosis is wrong. 🤣😂😉👍
I am not saying Arteta is without fault, or that he’s doing an extraordinary job, but given the circumstances, he’s doing well keeping us in 2nd place for so long.
As I stated, City have far better players, and manager, and more resources (as we saw in Jan), yet look where they are in the table. Injuries DO make a huge difference, AND so do 5 red cards, 4 of them super early, and all decisive in regards to the score lines at the time. That was 10 points dropped.
And like I keep saying reverse the roles. Give all of these problems to Liverpool and see how slot goes.
Or imagine The Invincibles with no striker for the final third of the season, Pires and Cole out long-term, meaning our entire left side would be destroyed. 5 reds, after 28 games! Tons of other injuries. No way we would be Invincible! Or even win the league!
Lucy78,
Another Arteta-rette has spoken. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
So where should we be in the league given all the injuries and the 5 red cards then?
Cannot wait to hear this one!
Lucy78,
Your argument is where would the invincible’s be if they had the injury’s that the current side have and you then praise the current team for keeping in second place.
Well going by that logic the invincible’s could have at least matched if not bettered it. As there squad was a better squad overall. And for the record I believe that the invincible’s would have beaten this current team without having to break sweat. 😉👍
The invisibles would have choked just as they often did in UCL.
Munster,
And so will this lot, just give them time. 🤦♂️
Excuses excuses, same old nonsense brought out season on season. ALL Arsenal knows we ALWAY have injuries yet no consideration was made for.
Red cards….silly ones this season. We have an even more micro manager this season…corelation?
Low blocks…where are the tactices used to beat them?. Quick movement of ball and players YET, our novice sets up the same tactics for every team. Slow sideways allowing the low block to reset
Ever notice, last season, we usually blitzed the first 15 minutes and scored then could play our possession game till he got scared and played not to win and we lost our pts buffer then ironically, he played to win but it was too late.. This season, he has started games with his neg tactics….we need to start like we did psv who albeit were poor.
Against manure, Merino had a shocker in midfield yet bought to play there. Martinelli was poor but excused as 1st game back in weeks ,odegaard weak again but why have they all regressed? We aint winning the epl so maybe STOP your micro management….it doesnt work…you aint a pep g
Should have lost against a poor utd team yet alls ok?? Sad….
Gunner,
👍👍👍👍👍
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!!!!!!
Onyango, who’s fault is it that we are looking upto a 17 year old. That’s a solution that had to be sorted in the transfer window and what did we do? We let the window pass us by!
Not the best performance against a very poor utd team. I don’t think i have seen such a bad utd team since they were relegated. Our play, tactics and approach was very laboured. This season in the cups and premier league have been a hard watch. Its like they are playing in slow motion. At times, its like walking football and personally i don’t think it will ever work and i do not enjoy watching it. 2 points dropped, not one point won. But that has been our season.
Ten draws Reggie, that speaks volumes. Win Half of those and we are on 65 points with a game in hand!
Our season.
The substandard manager get all the praise when we get good and big wins even though we have injuries to key players but the moment we lose (which is often in the 5 years he has been at the club) injuries becomes a factor.
He didn’t have much injuries last 4 seasons did he? Where are the trophies then?
He managed to beat the Champions 5 goals and set a European record without same key players. If he could do that why not on other games?
Because he can’t that’s why. Because he is not consistent and never will he be. The same story 5 years on its like repeating watching the same movie over and over again.
Cheers to the next two trophyless seasons until we see the back of him.
Good job Kroenkes!
“ He managed to beat the Champions 5 goals and set a European record without same key players. If he could do that why not on other games?”
Because he’s a kN0b .
Never managed that with all our invisibles in Europe. Guess we had loads of knob managers.
Hear! Hear!.
Get it??
We went from complete domination in the first half, although be it without any real edge, to scraping through in the end against possibly the worst Man Utd team ever in the PL. Exasperating!
The match further underscores my belief that we’ll never win the league with Arteta in charge.
The lack of a plan B, obsession with possession based backward and sideways passing football and a lack of urgency(slow build up).
Last but not the least, is the obsession with inverted fullbacks
Hope the new DoF with change something about Arteta obsessions and poor tactical approach in games.
Sincerely we’ve become uninteresting and too predictable.
And so say all of us ,except from his fan group.
Can’t believe some still defend January
The evidence is right there that It cost us everything
Indeed Dan, those injuries to four of our strikers are there for all to see, with Havertz and Jesus out for the rest of the season, Saka still not ready and Martinelli only just making the subs bench.
Unbelievable that some can’t see how that changes everything and might cost us everything.
But then use the window to help the squad ?
By trying to sign Watkins from villa you mean?
So when Villa reject that Ken go and get someone else lol
In theory Dan, that’s a good idea and we were led to believe that the club were trawling the market in search of a suitable alternative after GJ’s injury in mid Jan.
Logically to me, signing rather than loaning was a non starter because of the length of contract, wages etc., whereas a loan with no obligation to buy was the only answer. I’m presuming that other clubs had a head start in the transfer window because – as I keep saying – Arteta said that solutions would have to be found from within – right at the opening of the window. In lay man’s terms that meant no signings. Other clubs such as Villa were obviously in the market from day one. They and others secured their targets.
I know how little you rate Nketiah. Hypothetically, would you have asked Palace to loan him back to us for the remainder of the season?
Couldn’t agree more
You could tell within the first couple of minutes that the slow build up would grind to a halt
Utd were terrible until Fernandes scored and then it looked more like damage limitation as they grew in confidence
Motm – Raya followed by Rice in second
Sadly the stubborn Arteta does not realize it.
Not an apologist at all for Arteta but calling him a knob, or a fraud or other such juvenile, disrespectful names is just ridiculous and well, juvenile.
That was just me buddy ,why not just call me
Out ,rather than making a massive deal
About the whole situation.
2-3 times tonight you have talked about juvenile behaviour yet you have the balls of an 8 year old when it comes to actually putting those big boys pants on
Big boys pants, really, and you are calling our manager a knob, yep really grown up, and you’re certainly not my ‘buddy’. Think you called yourself out there.
He is a knob ,what’s the problem .
Under Arteta, I’m finally enjoying watching Arsenal play again, no more getting thrashed by multiple goals.
Arteta all day, every day he’s brought a new sense of pride.
The other night, when Liverpool were saved by their keeper, we were told what a marvellous buy Liverpool made – perhaps we should recognise what a marvellous signing Arteta made, despite the flack he received when signing Raya?
Three World class saves that kept us in the game and, eventually, a point.
As a, seemingly, Arteta apologist, I do take into account the four attacking injuries that no one knew would happen and how long the players would be out… so, as a realist, I take that into account when discussing the match.
We are like a Jeckyl and Hyde club, with no recognised consistency in our play from game to game and that’s down to players.
Arteta selects the players he feels should win the game and, following the PSV game, who would have thought they would have been so different in delivering goals?
Six different players scored in the PSV game, yet none of them looked capable today.
Is that down to Arteta, the players themselves or even manure???
We are now looking over our shoulder at the advancing pack and the top four finishing positions.
there have been some good signings for sure, but there have also been a bunch of headscratchers. What they were thinking the last two windows, especially summer, without a striker is beyond me.
I would actually give Callifori a go up top as I don’t want to rely on him further back.
Anyway, fingers crossed that we can hang on to CL spots.
we cannot break down a set defense, it has been that way all year. We were having trouble even with people healthy including Saka.
We are so slow in moving the ball. We had a few flashes with a bit of speed and got closer to some chances but generally we just move like snails. I don’t mind losing the ball a bit if it is an attempt to go faster.
United had everyone behind the ball and then we plod along. Once we get in sight of the 18 yard line we put the breaks on.
PSV was stupid to go at us the way they did (although if they had bagged that early goal who knows).
Anyway, it is what it is and there is no point moaning too much. All I have is hope that we can get the wins needed to keep moving.
Am hoping that management really surprises me this summer with the needed signings but I have my doubts…
Ken, you are confusing PSV with Manure. Yes, they defeated Juventus but that doesn’t say much in itself. Yesterday Arteta simply didn’t get it right. You could see it in his like for like substitutions. He is not a crafty coach who can improvise. He needs his systems and the coaching team behind him. As for his signings he did get Raya right, I’ll give him that much although I would also put the house on Raya making a few more howlers over the next few seasons. It comes with the territory and pretty much evens out over a goalkeeper’s career. However, back to Arteta, he is simply clueless at identifying forward talent. Thus the over abundance of centre halves or preference for slow, supposedly one dimensional proven veterans such as Merino, Jorghinio and even Partey.
So who are the “crafty” coaches? Or the ones who do not need a coaching team?
And who would you consider are the managers who are not “clueless”?
Joe. S
No, I’m not confused in the slightest.
It was the same players who scored seven goals as those that scored one goal.
It was the same players who, up until manure’s goal, were playing the same type of football, but the difference was they couldn’t find the net!!
We could / should have been at least two goals up before they scored.
As I said previously, we played the same players, the same way, but didn’t score…. and Arteta was supposed to know this was going to happen in just a few short days it seems!!
I really don’t know if MA will bring any trophies to the club, but I do know he’s not a clairvoyant, so he selected the team based on the PSV performance and the players didn’t perform.
Ken I agree that the players didn’t perform but he should have been prepared for a different type of game where United were not going to allow themselves to be steam rolled. His decision to take off Califiori and Nwanery was also a weak like for like reaction. Simple mathematics . Straight up and down logic.You can argue that it got us a goal but we came away with a somewhat lucky point and our tails between our legs against a Manure team that had been on a losing streak. Ato Davi’s demanding to know who the “crafty” managers are, well on the day Amorine was craftier than our man, as have been the managers of Forest, Newcastle, Brighton etc. I can also think of at least five managers in Italian football who can do more with their limited recourses. I have no issues with assistants but the guys around Arteta are failing him. The amount of time that has been wasted on practicing set pieces has now reached a dead end and should be used for alternative more productive strategies.
But he’s bought trophy to the club if you care to check.
Ask yourself, why is that Liverpool still manage to get past teams even when those teams sit back and defend against them?
If you’re a deep thinker, this question should help you shed some light on what the real problem at Arsenal is.
I fully, accept the impact of injuries on our team, but the truth is; even with fully fit squad not much would’ve changed.
Since the beginning of this season, our style of play has left me longing for those quick direct pressing/ counterattacking football we played during the 2022/2023 season.
In those matches we constantly kept opposition defender’s on their toes, with players like Martinelli and Saka constantly running at and dribbling past them.
Remind me please. When was the last match our wingers successfully took on defenders and created chances?
What we’ve now become accustomed to is a playing style that indicates coach’s obsession with possession. The limitations of this style becomes obvious whenever we come up against teams who sit back and defend.
Our attackers simply do not take on defenders to create anything, they’re just comfortable passing the ball backwards and sideways to retain possession.
And to make matters worse, the inverted system preferred by our coach exposes our full backs to constant counterattacking threat by opposition wingers. Teams like Newcastle, Bournemouth, WestHam, Fulham among others have fully exploited this weakness.
You know what the saddest part is?
Our coach seems to believe this only/best way we can play and he won’t change.
Now, back to the comparisons with how Liverpool play. I believe I don’t even have to say a word about aspect of their playing style that ensures defenders of opponents in a low-block are constantly kept under pressure until they cave in.
At this point, I hope you’ll come to realize that the players are not responsible for the slow paced, backward and sideways football we play. If anyone should be held responsible, you know who that is.
And I still maintain my stand; we won’t win the league with this style of play.
You are progressing a narrative. You have mentioned injuries and then rapidly discounted them as if they are a mere inconvenience.
You have also provided no real insights into why we have ended up being a largely possession based team which struggles to break down deep defending teams.
You have mentioned Liverpool but provided no real insights into why they are able to play the way they do and why they have been one of the form teams not just in the PL but in Europe.
The point I made with the injuries is that, even with a fully fit squad I believe not much would’ve changed in terms of our standing on league table. Mainly due to our style of play.
I believe I don’t have to start explaining to you how we’ve become easy so easy to defend against.
About Liverpool, I decide not to say anything because I feel by the end of the comment, I believe the person whose comment I’m replying to already knew what I’m driving at.
Liverpool are everything we’re not (in the attacking sense). Just look at the points I raised above.
I stand to be corrected though, if I’m wrong.
Twinlights I don’t know man. With a fully fit squad,especially with Saka and Havertz , I think we’d me much closer to Liverpool. You praise Liverpool and rightly so but it’s worth noting that last season when they were plagued with injuries, they struggled just as we are now.
If I remember correctly, they had a healthy lead over us and City around the turn of the year 2024. Due to injuries,they ended up finishing 7 points behind us, even with their attack.
I will have a go on that one David – our squad building has been awful. In year one and two I can accept the need for radical change and cut some slack.
In years three, four and five I would expect strategic signings and strengthening. We haven’t done that.
We are always short, we do not have options that change a game – it is always like for like.
I know this isn’t a video game but look around the EPL and beyond to the players deemed not good enough and might some of them been helpful this year?
If Arteta and co had built better we would have been better able to withstand injuries and have the ability to change style (of course Arteta is so locked into his system that he can’t change).
There have been some good signings but there are a lot of head scratchers. Raya has done the job well, I am a Havertz fan (especially as part of a built-out team) and I think Rice is great. Odegard needs people around him but on the whole I think he is pretty good.
Merino is a stupid unnecessary signing – maybe Arteta was planning ahead when Partey and Jorghinio are gone but Merino hasn’t been very good – and we needed forwards right now!!! And we need to get at least one midfielder in the summer again, probably two as Merino has been bang average (hats off to him for trying to play forward).
He lucked into cover for Odegard for Ethan yet would not play the kid when Martin was hurt – that likely cost us a few points but it is typical of Arteta’s overly cautious nature.
Callifiori is a liability at the back, maybe that is the inversion fixation or maybe it is more.
Sterling cost us a loan slot and Arteta chose not to send him back to Chelsea, what a waste. He has had far too much faith in Jesus’s ability to lead the line.
And with all the work that has been done we are so thin in so many spots.
I know a lot of people focus on the tactics (and I get that) but the real problem has been how the team has been built.
We shall see what comes in the summer but I fully expect that we will dilly-dally around and not do anything til late. It was telling to me yesterday that MU actually had some options to change what they were doing and we had some left backs to play around with.
We have gone backwards and the injuries are a factor, but it is much more than that. From the end of Wenger to the first bit of Arteta we constantly moved the ball around and backwards (Granit used to drive me nuts with his back passing) so that the defense could be set up for us.
Then for two years we were faster, had a counter threat and were much more enjoyable to watch. It didn’t win us the title so we have reverted back to drudge? That was the only option.
Being really pessimistic you can say we need two centre forwards (one starter and a backup), two dms and maybe attacking cover and a back-up goalie – that is a lot of signings needed five years into a project. I would like to think that we have enough coverage at the back but I am sure a left back will catch our eye.
Well that was too long and probably a tad melodramatic but I am so disappointed in our play and our seeming direction.
If you need more insight, go and ask the susscessful Liverpool coach, I bet you will get any from Your Arteta
In 22/23 we took most teams by surprise. No one expected us to be that good,not even Arsenal fans. As a result, we didn’t consistently face low blocks like we do now in the EPL. Most mid to lower mid table teams know how good we are so they put 10 men behind the ball. This is why we struggle against the Fulhams and West Hams but do well against the bigger sides who play open football.
It’s almost impossible to play quick direct counter attacks when there’s no space to run into. The opponents congest the spaces with men and double team the wingers making it harder to beat fullbacks. Kai helped to create space with his movement but without him it becomes more difficult for the other attackers.
Liverpool have been successful because they have something we don’t- runners. Saka is more of the playmaker type of winger. We need someone more direct to complement him. Many times we press well and win the ball but we don’t have the players to make these turnovers count in transition. Think of direct players with composure in front of goal like Son, Salah, Mane and Dias. We lack that kind of profile in the squad. I thought Martinelli would be this kind of player but his composure is sometimes lacking. Maybe this why Arteta tried to sign Mudryk?
Another remedy for low blocks is of course the good old old-fashioned centre forward. A big physical presence upfront will course chaos for centre backs and score the scruffy tap in or a deflected shot. Sometimes it’s also just about floating a good cross into box and the big guy can nod in. One of our weaknesses is also that we are shot-shy. We don’t take enough shots in the penalty area or outside the box. We need another attacker who isn’t scared of taking shots. Most of our attackers are facilitators and would rather pass to the next guy.
In summary,I don’t think there’s anything seriously wrong with the tactics. We just have a skill gap in our front line. We need two profiles to complete the attack- a fast dynamic wide forward with good finishing and a powerful centre forward. These, in addition to Saka,Havertz,Martinelli and Nwaneri would be awesome.
I keep asking myself why we can’t sign the so called “runners” you highlighted above.
Why our coach has fallen in love with signing slow and less creative players like Trossard, Merino and Sterling.
The whole thing still point to the style Arteta wants to play.
A style with less emphasis on “running” instead on a slow paced build-up and possession.
Thank you for reiterating “the truth” for those of us not thinking deeply. 🤦♂️
You have obviously forgotten our home game with pool Twinlights.
We were by far the better team in that game.
Why do pool get past teams that sit back and defend?
The same way as we did before our injuries, that’s why we were the only club actually challenging them before our devastating injuries to the four front men within weeks of each other.
If you were a deep thinker, then you would accept that as a very simple fact – take out pools four attackers and the game you see them play that impresses you, would have to change – would you put that down to you know who’s fault?
Arteta has got many things wrong, but there is no doubt in my mind that, if he could field a squad that had no injured players out, we would have been capable of winning the PL and, possibly, the CL as well.
Yes we were Ken1945. The key point came when Gabriel was subbed off through injury and Liverpool took advantage late on. Oh, those injuries also affecting Timber and with Saliba suspended too.
👍SueP. Important details (excuses?) which highlight more of the story but at the same time serve to call into question other narratives on the matter.
👍
Arteta is to be blame for all this imagine all the players he sold and loaned out,who did he replace them with,Sterling my gra ma,after d 5_1 against city,your diluted coach turned down making signing players,hw is the biggest F in football history,imagine slot coming from to carry league and the second highest coach assuring us that he has not giving up carrying the league
The system is a problem because Arteta made it a problem.
Watch- Arteta will roll out everyone for the PSV game, including Saliba, Gabriel and Timber!
Arsenal prob have couple titles if they kept Giroud.
I just want to know why nwaneri was substituted that early ?? bcoz of martinelli, I know martinelli was shit before his injury so why d rush bringing him back to replace nwaneri. Nobody even celebrated his return and d idiot went and squandered a clear chance and it matters not dat he was offside. Nico williams for martinelli, a balling midfielder to support odegard coz he is overrated and a cool finisher. Then we good to go. Also arteta is not fraud nor substandard or anything like dat. Now we dont get bullied and get trashed heavily again like someone posted earlier. COYG
Thank you matchgoers, so pleased that I didn’t see the game😉.
Be best you don’t comment on it too, what you commenting about if you didn’t even see the game
Of course, why on earth would I do that?🤔
We really need to revamp the team. It’s too weak now. Here is how I hope our team be next year.
Raya
White Saliba Gabriel Timber
Rice Zubimendi
Saka Odegaard Semenyo/Kluivert
L. Martinez
Subs : Sesko,Martinelli,Nwaneri,Vieira,Partey,Calafiori, Merino,Hato,MLS
Ins :
Martinez – 80mil
Sesko – 60mil
Zubimendi -50mil
Kluivert – 40 mil
Hato – 30mil
Total – 260 mil
Outs
Havertz , Jesus, Nelson, Jorginho, Kiwior, Tomiyasu,Tierney,Trossard.
Surely can recoup at least 100 mil from these players. We should be good to go next year
@Prehm,
Impossible that L.Martinez, sesko and Kluivert/Semenyo are all signed at the same time.
Prehm,
Nice thought, but I suspect that you’ve been at the sherry again. 😂😉👍
United always up their game whilst playing against Arsenal, so it is no surprise they gave us a good fight. That said, we must now purely focus on the CL although the PL cannot be taken lightly since Forest and 5 other teams are fighting for a top 4 finish and arsenal have to perform consistently well for the remainder of the season. There is still a lot to play for this season.
trossard this season is more a liability. he scored less goals than his errors leading to goals. i assume too skinny players are unfit to survive in epl. his performance does not correspond with his experience. ayden handball was a penalty all day long. Manchurian ref taylor would have awarded it a penalty if it was against Arsenal. too many corners but jover again non existent. he exhausted his tricks, fire him asap. arteta gave more thoughts for food for his doubters.
You’re suggesting we sack the set piece coach because we haven’t scored from many corners recently?
We are all disappointed, mate, but that’s a real head’s gone statement there.
Your comments on Trossard are completely accurate though and I have said it all along. He simply isn’t good enough and no team with aspirations of winning the league is going to do it with Trossard in the first XI.
Even when we had our complete first XI, we often struggle to score goals against teams that play the low block. Teams like Newcastle, Westham and now Man Utd have perfected its use against Arteta’s ball.
We need to discuss how to overcome this system because it keeps plaguing us every season; our passing the ball around trying to find space to shoot or score rarely works and leaves us vulnerable to counter attacks. Most small teams will play the low block against us because it gives them a chance to get something from the game.
The low block is the ultimate Arteta’s antithesis.
We can’t afford to drop more points if we want to finish in the top 4.
Not winning the EPL for the third try in a row is heart breaking, BUT not qualifying for next season’s UCL would be a CATASTROPHIC DISASTER!!!
This was a dismal performance to say the least and we were lucky to get out of there with a draw, thanks only to some sublime goalkeeping from Raya.
Once again a lapse in concentration from Trossard ended up costing us dearly, although MU had a lot of chances to add to their tally in the 2nd half.
It is a low point in this season where a team that fielded Lindelhof and Yoro in defense and a midfield pairing of Erikson and Casimero was enough to limit Arsenal to nothing more than half chances.
Arteta needs to sort this out and quickly. The team is far too slow and predictable, and whilst I’m not suggesting I could do a better job I can at least think of alternative approaches to how he might set his team up at the moment with so many players put.
With us forced to play Merino as a striker I would prefer MA play Tierney at LW and Martinelli at RW with their sole objective to get crosses into the box for Merino to attack but alas Arteta will not vary from his preferred methods at any cost it seems.
He did take off Partey, which seemed an attacking move, only for Merino to drop back and for Trossard to go up front. Why not play them both as orthodox strikers when we are in the gritty end of a game we should be winning?
It’s this ultra conservative approach that will and has ultimately cost Arsenal the last two seasons and even more so this season, along with bizarre commitments to training in 40°C to please unseen faces in the Middle East.
Football is utter nonsense now and Arsenal under Arteta optimises everything that is wrong with the Premier League. I hate the way the team plays. I’d prefer her just play 6 at the back as well we have is defenders, at least that way you could excuse the dreadful forward play.
Team for next game:
Raya
Timber
White
Saliba
Gabriel
Calafiori
Martinelli
Rice
Odegaard
Tierney
Merino
Can’t be any worse. Absolve Martinelli and Tierney of any defensive responsibilities and just leave them on the halfway line when defending so Raya can throw it long and they can run onto it.
The season is over, so may as well mix it up and see what happens because at this rate we should be looking over our shoulders at those behind us playing better and not at Liverpool who are so far in front they are a dot to us.
amorim words speaks volumes. he said arteta can stay at ease at Arsenal despite not being successful. other clubs do not offer this luxury. arteta knows that being a mediocre manager will not cost him his job. tbh i used to trust him but i am now a doubter in chief in his ability. he spent more than 700m stayed 6 years but boasts only an fa cup. dismal record really. do Arsenal players really believe in him? do they deep down believe he will lead them to winning major trophy not emirates cup? oh Arsenal
many thanks mate. i was incensed tbh. maybe went too far to demand jover sack. he was always on the touch line when Arsenal scored corners. deservingly flamboyant. are his methods use and throw ones? no variety? double digit corners in west ham forest and utd games but not a single corner goal? is it not scrutinable by itself? he can’t be a sacred cow
Oh, I totally agree. But just imagine where we would be without those corners and set pieces… It doesn’t bear thinking about.
I really dislike how Arteta makes me feel, because on one hand I have to acknowledge that he has returned the club to the near-summit of the Premier League and finished as runners-up two years in a row. That is no mean feat and we were very close to winning both years. Had we won at least one of them, then perhaps the discourse around him might be slightly different, but we didn’t, so here we are.
On the other hand, despite returning Arsenal to contenders for the league each year, he has somehow managed to do it in the least satisfying way possible. I would be ok with challenging and falling short were we playing exhilarating football and smashing teams, but we aren’t and we don’t. It’s slow, dreary, ultra conservative rubbish that is frankly unappealing to watch.
So, yes, Arteta has done a good job in getting the club back to the top of the league on a consistent basis and has actually overachieved given the relative quality within the squad, but now his lack of adaptability and tactical flexibility is being exposed in a pretty horrific manner. He needs to demonstrate that he can get this team firing again. He’s shown us he is more than capable and willing to cut out what he deems to be dead wood, so now it’s time he applies that same brutality to his own tactics.
Now that, Ben, is a very sensible post and, in the main, sums up my feelings towards MA – either a half full or half empty cup!!
Where I would debate further with you though, is the obvious way our horrific injury problems have interfered with this season.
We are continually being told we need as out and out striker and I agree with that.
But we have the second best GF in the PL as we had last season and, I believe, the season before before that.
Our goals in that time, was spread around four or five players and we were playing a brand of exciting and attacking football…. that continued at the start of this season and I can back that up by asking you who was the only team challenging pool at the top of the PL and which were the two top teams for goals scored?
There is no doubt in my mind that the loss of Saka, Martinelli, Havertz and Jesus has derailed our season and, of course, our style of play.
But isn’t that making an excuse Ken1945?
SueP, is it an excuse or an explanation?
Therein lies the difference of opinions on the subject.
I’ve seen enough of Arteta’s management over the last two and a half seasons, to think it’s an explanation – but I won’t start calling out those who think it’s an excuse with silly little names etc etc
What about you?
👍ken1945.
I prefer the explanation, explanation Ken1945
Typical Arsenal, go away in Europe and bang in 7 and then go to the worst Man. United in living memory and only get a draw, pointless 🙄
So what’s the real answer to the puzzle? Just “oh, it’s MA being an incompetent manager” one week and a genius the next or vice versa or are the reasons for varying results from game to game or in this case league to league just a little more complicated even if fully (which imo is never the case) understood?
Arteta is clearly a competent coach, as he has finished as runner-up for two consecutive seasons with an inferior squad to City. However, he seems to lack tactical versatility and is either unable or unwilling to adapt and find answers for teams that set up specifically for the way we play. There is no flexibility in his approach. Man’s got a whole tool box but thinks every job needs the very specific tools used in the exact same order regardless of the job.
Your points may ultimately prove to be spot on. However, I believe that when you have the unexpected significant injuries and other disruptions to the team personnel that there simply is not enough training time during the season to adjust to much of anything other than trying to do the same thing you were trying to do but with different personnel and combinations thereof.
I haven’t seen much evidence of his tactical versatility either but then I wouldn’t expect much given the situation and that, as you mention, the club was coming off two runner up seasons. Should he have prepared more in preseason and the summer for possible changes needed? Seemingly, yes.
What it comes down to imo is that team continuity is of the utmost importance and that simply hasn’t been possible this season. If you look at just the injury issue among City, Pool and Arsenal over the last 3 seasons, you would know what the final tables read without looking at anything else.
Of course, there are many factors at play when comparing results against different opponents from game to game all the way down to what was eaten for breakfast by each player or their spat with their significant other the previous evening. That’s why a club high in the table can lose to any other club on any given occasion and you see it regularly in the PL and other leagues.
Ultimately of course regardless of anything else, MA will be held accountable for the adequacy of results by the owners, fans, and other stakeholders.
But Ben, he hasn’t got a full tool box, as four of his attacking spanners are missing!!
That’s the point some of us are making, only for those who disagree to come out with silly little slogans about being Arteta apologists.
He knew how important those four spanners were, why didn’t he have suitable back ups for at least two of them in case injuries happen? Instead we have 4 left backs!
Furthermore among those 4 injured attackers, 1 is injury prone, 1 has being struggling for form and the other 2 have been ran to the ground due to our over reliance on them. Why was there no provision for back ups in the January window? These injuries to our attackers are no coincidence and could have been avoided if the right things were done.
Topman,
Arteta hasn’t addressed the attacking areas of the team for three seasons now. And in the main doesn’t get called out on it by some fans. They find it easier to blame the injury’s which while being a legitimate argument, could have been a softer blow had the manager done his job in addressing the attacking part of the team over the last three seasons.
So what do you suggest, a back up for every position that would be of equal ability?
How much would that cost the club in fees and salaries?
Tell me, Toomsn, how could these injuries have been avoided?
Which one was struggling for form?
Overplayed? Can’t see the likes of Salah being dropped to avoid being “overplayed”, while Saliba, Gabriel, Rice and Raya have managed to stay fit…. while Saka has said he wants to play in every game as he doesn’t feel the need to be rested.
As I say, no team could stay the same if they lost four of their attacking players within weeks of each other and no club could plan for that kind of eventuality… but name me the four players YOU would have signed up in January, their cost both in transfer fees and salaries and your assurances that they would accept playing second fiddle IF and I repeat IF four players got injured at the same time.
Over to you Topman…
Look, I completely agree, Ken. He isn’t playing with a full tool box at the moment, which is exposing the team’s lack of depth in certain areas and Arteta as a coach by trying to play the same way without our best attacking players.
It clearly isn’t easy, as we have seen the great Pep flounder without Rodri. So simply trying to play the same way without the very players that make a system work isn’t a realistic option. This is why I am advocating Arteta try new things in attack.
Our defense is good and should probably see us over the line as runners-up again. But no use constantly banging away at that nail if all your hammers are broken. He must adapt and improvise and simply chucking Merino upfront doth not make a tactical wizard.
No, they got a point Dave.😂😉👍
You have a rather pointed argument there Derek.
Bruised Banana,
👍👍👍👍👍
In life,success can only be measured by the progress one has made over a given period of time.
The Arsenal case is a curious one.We can correctly say that after the turmoil we had in Wengers final stretch at the helm,its Arteta who has brought back some sense of stability&competitiveness to the team.We are now a hard nut to crack mostly due to the teams defensive unit,and M.A deserves an applause for that.
However,it’s 4 seasons now with virtually no trophies in our cabinet.Bearing in mind that M.A is the most supported manager financially by the Kroenkes,you would expect that with the money he has had at his disposal for that period of time, another manager would be winning atleast something every other season.
The rate of inconsistent performances from our team is wanting. You just never know what you get from M.A.
This is largely due to the pool of players he has assembled. They have made the team average and so imbalanced to win silverware.
I can confidently say that we are not winning anything in the distant soon with this group of players especially our forwards. Unfortunately all this are Arteta signings, playing under his instructions. That therefore leads me to question whether we can do any better with Arteta as our manager?And if I am brutally honest, from what I have seen so far,we ain’t improving anymore.
Something has to give,and in my opinion we should start the new season with a different manager and a new approach if we seriously dream of winning silverware.
Another great post Cliff and one I agree with up until the last paragraph.
How can we judge MA this season, when he has lost his four major attacking players within, what, a few weeks of each other?
What other manager would be able to overcome that kind of disaster?
I would also suggest caution regarding swapping managers, if only for the cost of doing so – it’s reported that manure had to fork out over £15, 000,000 getting rid of their last manager and, if his reported salary is correct, it will cost our club a lot more to sack Mikel Arteta.
Ken for me our injury situation is self inflected.
At the end of last season most people agree that we needed to upgrade on our L.w because am persuaded that both Trossard and Martinelli are average players who do not merit the first 11.
Secondly,it was obvious that we needed a capable assistant to Saka in that position.
Then lastly its unbelievable that we didn’t get an outright. CF.
We instead signed some players who were not so necessary for the team.All this is poor planning according to me,and Arteta can’t be exonerated from blame.
This is the main reason most our injured players have been overused and run down by the manager.
I actually have a feeling the Kroenkes put Arteta to task on why we are so lacking in our forward line that much with the resources availed to him.Thats maybe why they never sanctioned a transfer in January even after M.A literally cried out for help.
I actually wouldn’t understand if they will stick with M.A when it seems they no longer trust him on how he spends on transfers.
There is also an issue with M.As ability to flex his tactics depending on the opponent and whenever a match is not going as per the plan.Case in point we have failed to overcome those teams that are deemed to play low blocks. I doubt Arteta has it in his locker to adapt to other realities and make us as unpredictable as we ought to be.
Cliff, if you believe the owner doubted Arteta, why did he give him an extension on his contract?
I wouldn’t have done that, would you?
We haven’t adapted to teams that play the low block game, because of out injuries – for the last two seasons and up to January, we were the second highest GF in the PL and were second in the table.
Martinelli? Don’t agree with you, while Trossard is a very effective squad player.
Nwaneri is the player MA saw as cover for Saka and his judgement has proven to be correct.
The loan of Stirling hasn’t worked out but was that really a gamble, as we are only paying 30% of his chelsea salary (reportedly) and it was a move that would have helped our attack… something you wanted!
I do agree that a world class goalscorer would have been an obvious choice, so can you name me one who was available from the club he currently plays for and who wanted to come, wasn’t overpriced and would guarantee to score goals in the PL immediately in order to fill the absence of four injured attackers?
I can’t think of one who would have fitted that criteria in the January window, but there might just be one or two come the summer window.
By the way, Arteta has made some awful decisions, like square pegs in round holes, but I’m just being realistic, in my opinion.
So lets keep a manager who is continually failing, just to save some money. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Who said that Derek?
Or is that your suggestion?
You said it Ken1945,
You obviously know it was you I was referring to, hence your reply to me.
So show me where I said it then?
I didn’t and that’s why I asked you who said it – not that hard to follow really 🤔🙄👍
“I would also suggest caution regarding swapping managers, if only for the cost of doing so – it’s reported that manure had to fork out over £15, 000,000 getting rid of their last manager and, if his reported salary is correct, it will cost our club a lot more to sack Mikel Arteta”
And where in that statement are the words “So let’s keep a manager who is continually failing, just to save money”
as said by Derek HH.
I look forward to seeing you reply, but be “cautious” how you go about it!!
Is there any other interpretation of your statement other than what Derek has said above?
Ken1945,
You were cautioning the club on the risk of sacking Arteta and then mentioned the cost of United sacking their manager.
And I responded then lets keep Arteta to save money.
If I was the owner of this club, if I’m of the mind set that keeping Arteta would save me money. Why would I then sanction how many more millions of pounds for this man to waste on yet more dross.
In the long run, it’s cheaper to get rid of him. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
in the absence of a sporting director the kroenkes or garlick should not have stayed mute when people cite a lack of recruitment esp during winter transfer as a major reason for nosediving Arsenal. it is paradoxical spending 700m and more and yet complaining about lack of investment. Arteta however should have gone for quick fixes in January. when 4 strikers are abruptly injured it is no brainer to move sideways and look out for quick fixes to mitigate the injury crisis. Arteta can only silence us only if he eventually beats madrid clubs then one of epl clubs to be a finalist at bayer arena in ucl. gooner mates i might be too naive to think this wise but still achievable
What would your reaction have been if the quick fixes has failed to materialise the results you want – such as Stirling?
Why would any club let go of a player who would / could be a solution to our attacking problem?
Secondly, why would they be seen as of no value to their current club, who might also be presented with the same injury situation as The Arsenal?
According to TransferMarkt, £660m has been spent. Still a lot of money in anybody’s language
My view of the quick fix, is that it is a sticking plaster and not much more and in the long term could affect the outcome of the summer window and leave the club with player(s) who don’t fit afterwards. Add to that, the prospect of the player(s) not actually doing sufficient to have warranted the expense anyway.
There are many views on the veracity of the Watkins bid, but to have tabled a bid at all suggests to me that the club were (at a price) willing to do business but not at any price. The consequences are what most believe in their heart of hearts is an unlikely win in May. Even with Watkins, the prospect of a league title was in the balance after the injury to Havertz.
I have reluctantly come to terms with the situation and hope that the team can hang in there to finish in the top 2 and with a hopeful return for Saka to take on one of the Madrid teams – that is if we don’t collapse against PSV later this week.
I would suggest that’s the only way to look at it SueP – even though the PL is still not won.
I still believe that, if Havertz, Tomiyasu and Jesus remain as our only injured players, the CL is still achievable.
A lot depends on how the Madrid second leg goes, as I expect some fireworks during that game.
That 7-1 result gives us a chance to play our youngsters and rest some of the senior players.
It’s not all doom and gloom, but that CL spot is a must for MA, otherwise I can’t see how our owner will still support him, let alone the fans!!
dear gooner mate thanks. i am just talking about the january transfer not transfers made pre season such as sterling. for me smith rowe and nketiah should move elsewhere but nelson should have stayed as he was versatile enough to fill in voids in the left and right wings. anyways my quick fixes relate to the voids left by the injuries of strikers such as jesus saka and havertz. quick fixes utilising either free agent strikers or using academy players such as Ismael etc. i still believe we are capable of overturning the dark cloud via the possible results in ucl and with the advent of saka. in ucl after either of the madrid teams it will be either liverpool or villa in the semis. i believe historically ucl matches do not require world class strikers just stout defending. inter milan won ucl and then became finalists with defending prowess that arsenal is comparatively blessed with. i believe ucl will redeem arsenal’s season. i even imagine the finalists will be barca v Arsenal in repeat of the 2006 season after 19 years. sometimes foolish things happen miraculously. believe!
Good to see you still have the sense to realize our season is still not over Ambachew.
You see the CL situation just the same as I do and the Madrid derby will be very interesting!!
As for sticking plasters or quick fixes, that has never worked in a league so intense as the PL.
“if we don’t collapse against psv”. did i read it well? how suspicious or pessimistic we’ve become of Arsenal! anyways if arsenal find it somehow important it can be part II 7-1. psv is the arsenal version of eredivisie with too many injuries to key players leading them to lag behind the current leaders ajax. after utd game analysists told us from reading body languages of arteta and the players that they have covertly conceded the title to liverpool which truly emboldens them to fully focus on ucl. we then will have enough time to deliberate on the demise of Arsenal. coyg!
Ambachew
I am definitely COYG. I was attempting humour although I understand that with the level of disharmony being written since the ManU game that you could believe I was being serious.
thank you our SueP. i understand your stance and i am not too serious either. i am 58 and fotball at club or national level showed me a lot not to despair until i witness its final. messi’s argentina lost its first match to clinch the trophy at last. what i believe may not materialize later but it is still comfortable for me to think that wise optimistically. germans or who else say, as i reluctantly hear, it is not over until it is over!
thanks our ken1945. quick fixes sometimes may work as it is happening currently with villa. they brought in 4or5 players in january as covers for injured players. incomings include rashford ascensio disasi garcia etc. this emergency crew is now seen productive both in epl and ucl. Arsenal’s qf place is rest assured thanks to 7-1 but you didn’t specify which a madrid team you like arsenal to face in the qf? in sf it surely will be a grudge england derby match either with liverpool or villa. ucl and epl require different set ups and ingredients this is the reason for my fantasy like assumptions.
Villa didn’t lose their four strikers.
Real Madrid.
Villa in the semi final.
In the end, would Saka and Jesus have made a difference at Old Trafford? Saka would have run into the same dead end pockets as Nwaneri where he may or may not have produced some individual magic. And on any given Sunday, Jesus would have been a much better alternative to Merino by at least attempting to use his bag of tricks to make our opponent’s defence work, but what we were missing was someone to take the pressure off Odegaard to scheme and create. We don’t have such a player and it comes down to lazy recruiting.
Yet, while Odegaard was out injured earlier in the season (yet another injury for Arteta to contend with) we still maintained second place – funny old game!!
tonight our bogey team west ham utd doing in some other funny way to helping newcastle utd catch up arsenal? when will they let us go free? if i am not mistaken is it west ham utd that defeated Arsenal for the first time in the new emirates stadium aka abg? was it a bobby zamora goal? i am not sure tbh.
It is a funny old game, Ken but EPL is a slog and doing over the long haul. We weren’t playing particularly brilliantly without out Odegaard but picking up points. Our set pieces were paying off and our opponents were missing chances. There was a guy feeling that it couldn’t last and hope that our play would definitely improve once Odegaard returned. And hey, we still remain in second place.
Too many typos. It’s a funny old game, Ken but English football is a slog and it’s all about having a strong squad to go the distance. True early in the season,we weren’t playing brilliantly without Odegaard but still picking up points. Our set pieces were paying off and our opponents were missing chances. There was a gut feeling that it couldn’t last and our hope was that our play would soon improve once Odegaard returned. That hasn’t gone to plan but hey we remain in second place.