So at last we come to the last game of Arsenal’s scintillating season where the Gunners were bang right in the middle of the fight for the title until the final few weeks of the season.
Today may not mean much but Mikel Arteta was keen to put on a show in front of the brilliant home crowd to celebrate reaching the Champions League at least but the Boss did tinker with his starting line-up, with Partey being used as an inverted wingback.
Arsenal certainly came out the blocks with intent and it only took Arsenal 11 minutes to open the scoring with that man Granit Xhaka of course getting on the end of a Gabriel Jesus cross to head to ball in.
The Swiss international was playing like a man possessed and it took him just 3 minutes to double our lead with some fancy footwork in the box.
Before the half hour mark the game was already decided when Leandro Trossard fed Bukayo Saka to make it 3-0 with still an hour to play!
H/T: 3-0 Arsenal
Xhaka with two, Saka with the other. Classic end of season stuff. Just need a Xhaka hat-trick goal to round it off in the second half. pic.twitter.com/1WuleRGFGn
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) May 28, 2023
Arsenal were obviously enjoying themslves and just 8 minutes after the break Thomas Partey had the ball in the net, but this one was ruled out because of a foul on the keeper.
Thomas Partey scores but the goal was ruled out for a foul on Jose Sa#ARSWOL https://t.co/H7IBO3ZzcF
— ArsenalVideo (@arsenal_video) May 28, 2023
But it still only took another 5 minutes for Gabriel Jesus to put us 4-0 up from a great cross from Trossard! The fans are getting a proper send off at the Emirates this evening.
9 – Since his Premier League debut for @Arsenal in January, Leandro Trossard has more assists than any other player in the competition (9). Classy. pic.twitter.com/0orm2pkiku
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 28, 2023
Of course Granit Xhaka had to come of with 15 minutes left to get his standing ovation and Odegaard followed him off the pitch.
Granit Xhaka leaves the Emirates pitch. pic.twitter.com/CC6EuWkTZZ
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) May 28, 2023
Very quickly after all that noise Jose Sa made an awful error and the goal was given to new-boy Jakub Kiwior who smashed it at the keeper, who could only palm it into the net, for his very first goal in an Arsenal shirt.
i'm crying man how is it possible to be this bad 😭😭#wwfc pic.twitter.com/CFe6705iUe
— dylan (@dylanwwfc) May 28, 2023
Everyone wants to have a go, and the Wolves fans must be cringing as the scoreboard puts up 5-0.
Eddie Nketiah, who came on for Trossard, should have made it 6-0 in the 84th minute but he comehow missed a sitter.
But it surely doesn’t matter as the party has already started in the stands, and I’m sure there will be a long time before the Arsenal fans go home tonight….
If they can’t celebrate 84 points and an amazing 88 goals with this young side, when else can they?
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
I simply can’t wait for next season…..
Entertaining game. That’s what happened if the opposition let Arsenal play futsal with almost no rough challenge involved
Apparently Leicester City is relegated, so Iheanacho, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Soumare and Ndidi could be available cheaply
Gai
84 points since the invisible era.
Well-done to the boys. Now Xhaka will be more missed imo he seem to have left a big shoes for other players like ESR, Viera etc Arteta need to sign a good replacement. It’s nice to see Pathey improved in the inverted right back and also seem we shall see a better Kiwior next season. Well-done Trossad.
Yeah, it’s quite an achievement and hopefully Smith-Rowe can fill Xhaka’s shoes. If we sign Rice, I think he’ll play false-CB as Stones does for Man City
Yeah!
I dnt care what anyone says, this season has been a success. Am satisfy bcos I know d boys gave their best.
What we need now is another successful transfer this summer. And we go for everything next season
Harvey Barnes too
Precisely 👌
On the season gone by, if MA can recognize that Zinchenko is not a left back, and play him on his true position, the xhaka position. Letting Tierney go, our best left back is a rookie mistake and we may regret sooner rather that later. Ramsdale also needs to be benched if not on form, persisting with an off form player caused our final collapse. MA needs to learn to rotate players, so that when injuries strike, we rely on experienced players, it’s pure stupidity to expect players to go for 38 games injury free, they need to be rested. Jesus on centre forward position, he is just all over the place, Nketiah more suitable. Arsenal should stop getting rejects from Man City, MA should trust our own Juniors. My piece of mind
When it mattered most the coach ran out of ideas. What purpose did yesterday’s game serve ?Spend another 250 million to earn 158 million and come back with lame excuses.
So Arsenal ate the dead Wolves today 5:0. But who really cares. NO PRESSURE!
Great season! Well done boys! The most fun I’ve had as an Arsenal fan since 2006.
Man City played their part and dropped five points in the final two games.
Arsenal finishing 2nd is one prediction I’m certainly not proud to have got correctly. Dropped too many points unnecessarily. We only have ourselves to blame.
https://www .justarsenal.com/how-confident-are-arsenal-fans-for-the-new-season-and-what-are-your-targets/315128/comment-page-1#comment-1637268
My summary:
Fantastic ending position from what most expected at the start. That being said, we mustn’t let the good 2nd place position paper over the many cracks we have.
Time for MA to seriously hit the drawing board and stop copying Pep, he needs to be a manager now. He can’t hide behind a rookie tag anymore, he certainly can’t say he hasn’t been backed either. I believe he’s intelligent enough to develop his own style and be able to change tactics when required.
Next season is going to be extremely tough, time will tell if we learnt. COYGs
Thank you Granit for always giving your all, for finding it in your heart to forgive and forget. A true gunner, a true leader, a true gentleman. The Man of Steel.
Wishing you all the best and happy life wherever you go.
All the best to Granit Xhaka wherever he goes to play it was a pleasure seeing you play for arsenal 🙏🙏🙏
I’m just delighted that there has been no cause for complaint
Clean sheet
Five goals
Xhaka possibly leaving us on a high
Whatever Arteta decides to do with incomings and outgoings, I’m behind him for next season
this guy, Xhaka really made me proud today.
William Shakespeare wrote a play titled “All’s well that ends well’ and so it is with Granit Xhaka. Here is a man who moved from being hated by our fans to being loved and heartily cheered on his last Arsenal game. This is almost a miracle! Very few people can achieve such a feat in real life as it mainly happens in plays and movies.
I join the Arsenal fraternity in wishing Granit the best of luck in his new career. He was indeed a good servant and a true sportsman who observed real professional ethics.
Given the season Xhaka has had we should really try to keep him for a further season. His turnaround has been truly amazing. One really has to respect the player he has become.
Am so glad that he is leaving, I was never a fun of him as a player. Kondw
It will be very hard replace him with a player who will have similar level of fitness to remain injury free most of the time.
👍Remarkable availability from Xhaka
except for the red card suspensions.
And if we can’t make it when the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and man city plays their worst season around, then it will never be anything.
Arsenal and Dortmund are like brothers in football. Bunches of bottles.
That is negativity gone mad.
So respectability has been restored to our campaign as it concludes
A clearing of the deck must now be carried out and new incomings brought in to take us to the next level.
Balogun £ 35 Mill AC Millan
Tierney £35 Mill Newcastle
Smith Rowe £30 Mill Aston Villa
Vieira £20 Mill Aston Villa
Tavares £15 Mill Marseilles/ West Ham
Xhaka £15 Mill Leverkusen
Eddie £15 Mill West Ham
Lonkango £15 Mill Burnley
Pepe £15 Mill Nice
Holding £10 Mill Sheffield
Mari £5 Mill Monza
£200 Mill minimum should be realized from the above sales.
The likely incomings should be
Vlohovic £90 Mill
Rice 90 Mill
Caicedo £80 Mill
Raphinha £55 Mill
Simaken
If Saliba leaves Tapsoba should be his replacement
Mr Gunsmoke my good man. As you know I like your wholeheartedness and good nature, but I have to take issue with you on this matter. You have suggested outgoings and incomings. However, have you realised that you want to get rid of 11 but only bring in 5 ? Wouldn’t this lead to a very small and insufficient squad my brother ?
In the world of Fantasy League (Dream Team) footy three of the incomings would do nicely but I’m afraid we may only get one of them (if we’re lucky). I hope I’m wrong and that you are right as Rice, Caicedo and Raphinia (if his attitude turns out to be good) would be lovely to have. I wish I could be as optimistic as your very good self.
It’s a shame we paid thirty odd mill on Vieira.
Unai Emery has a knack of developing young talents, he is going to have a say as to who lifts the big jug in the next campaign.
Evgunner note nearly fifty percent of the players on the list have not kick a ball for us in this campaign, the other fifty percent sits on the bench and are going to die from ring rust as the gaffer don’t trust them.
My honest opinion, it would have been better to promote some of the kids from the academy than what am seeing going on.
But it is rumored Man u will dump up to thirteen deadwood in the summer market?
G – it’s so difficult for us to know what goes on behind the scenes, which is the reason we are always kept guessing as to why MA does (or doesn’t do) what he does (sorry that doesn’t make sense does it ?). I agree that many players on your list have to go. You know what, my biggest wish regarding the players on the list is that Pepe somehow comes back to us an improved player and is re-introduced to the squad as effective cover for Martinelli, Saka, and Jesus. That way he wouldn’t have been such a loss to the club. There was a player in him somewhere you know (imo).
You’re right he doesn’t give a kick to many of them. Guardiola finds a way to keep all his players on board (except Cancelo) so that when he calls on them they are ready and able. Gundogan being the prime example. But you see not only is Gundogan good, intelligent and able, he also has an understanding with PG, and that’s why he was brought there.
Remember what I told you about Ferran Torres, it would seem that “understanding” was not there in that player because he didn’t last too long, much to my surprise. Man U probably need to get rid of a number, but what they do doesn’t matter to us.
I’m looking forward to next season.
Gunsmoke have a look., below, re:Pepe
There is no way Unai Emery will pay £20 million for Viera, as he recognizes good midfielders and Viera isn’t one!
He seems to need a little bulking up for the league
👍Gunsmoke, off season in the weight room, plus attention to diet.
Plus mannure in his boots, a bigger heart and a more comfortable cushion, for the bench he will be sat on all season. Not goid enough, poor buy.
Xhaka goes and I WISH HIM WELL. Though its the right time for him to move on , both for him and for us.
A man of character but limited natural ability ,judged at REAL TOP CLASS level. He has had only THIS season at top level Prior, he was a liability, more often than not .
He was put in his proper position years too late and at almost 31, his time at our level is up. He goes in good grace with our crowd though and such things matter!
Hi jon,
I agree with you 100% as par your assessment of Xhaka.
One thing I liked about him was his availability. He hardly gets injured. That fighting spirit as well.
He used the criticism to take his game to the next level. The physicality he displays.
I wish him the best in his next move.
I wished we had beaten Forrest and Brighton. we could have won the league.
I can say without mincing words, that if Saliba wasnt injured, we could have won the league.
All the same, it was a successful season. We have another chance next season.
Still is a liability. Would have been a perfect ending if he had won a title with Arsenal but it is not in his job description.
Face facts and don’t sugar coat. The title was lost by us not being able to take any points off Shitty, not getting the job done against Liverpool, Everton and Westham, Saka’s penalty miss, and the video refs blunder against Brentford. Hard on Saka, I know but why molly coddle. In a game of margins, it is what it is.
Joe – next season no more excuses for the lads (lads? no MEN, most of whom are on serious salaries). I don’t want to hear about them being “young”, or “inexperienced” or “injured”, “running out of steam” blah blah blah. We could have won the title this very season if it were not for some sort of surreal mind fog fragility.
I keep saying ManCHEATER City are not unbeatable gods, they are just well drilled players who make less mistakes than their opponents. Far too much hyperbole about them. There was no good reason for us to make all the mistakes we did towards the end of term, no good reason at all. I’m optimistic about next season though.
Joe.S, too little, too late. Where were these goals and this defence against Everton, Liverpool, West Ham, Southampton and Bournemouth.
Even if 5 points behind Manchester City State is respectable in the end.
We have to play with a different mentality and system. We play a totally different way when the pressure is off. Problem is, it cant be played that way under pressure. Players were flooding round the box yesterday. They DONT in pressure games. The system is not robust enoto play like that under pressure.
Over all good season for us even though was a bit frustrating at the end but sure there are lots who will disagree
Looking forward to watching the fans who have called our team bottlers fade in to the back ground for the summer
Extremely boring bridge who have nothing positive to say about life
Back to football manager boys and they will probably slag there self’s off for not winning the title.
Have a good summer all and the count downs is already on for the new season
we’ve just posted at precisely the same time.
Glad the season’s over even though it feels like I’m wishing my life away. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Arteta and Co. Hope they give us something to crow about. A Xhakaless Arsenal already seems like a new dawn.
Ultimately, this has been a successful season finished on a high note.
With a good transfer strategy we can look forward to the new season with renewed hope and excitement.
Disappointed, as someone who started following Arsenal 62 seasons ago, when they didn’t look like ever winning a title. Experienced the pleasure of Bertie Mee. George Graham and Arsene Wenger. It is great to see the Arsenal competing for the title again and the quality of football being played.
Hopefully the disappointment felt by all of us and expressed by Martin Odegaard and Mikel Arteta after today’s game, translates into proactive transfer business in the off season and hardened concentrated effort in season 2023-24. COYG.
Thank you Xhaka. I wish you good luck in your future assignments. I like you for your leadership, physicality and injury free. A true Gunner.
On the list exits above, I agree with all but Tierney and Smith Rowe. Arteta should do all he can to get Conciedo, Rice, Vlahovich or any other tall strong CF and CB if Saliba goes. Avoid the temptation of buying quantity. Learn fast and correct your mistakes. There should be NO excuses next year.
This was a great result to end what’s been a terrific season. Xhaka scoring two, and fluffing his hat trick chance, Kiwior getting his first goal for us (assisted by ESR) and Jesus playing as he did before the World Cup.
The stream I was watching on cut away before the lap of honour, so wasn’t able to see how Tierney & Xhaka reacted.
That majestic switchero between jesus and saka position totally hacked wolves players’ brains. We need more switcheros next season, other PL Defenders will sweat who they will face in st, rw or lw.
I for one. would want Xhaka to stay and play the CL with Arsenal, he deserves it. We ran City close for the title and were leading the PL for most of the season, so it has been a very successful season for me. With the right additions in the summer in key areas of defence, midfield and striker positions, Arsenal will be good to go again next season, challenge for the PL title, go deep into the CL and probably win the FA Cup and the League Cup next season. Glad for Kiwier that he got his first goal for Arsenal.
Truth is, i dont think City were worried at all. They chugged along behind knowing the right time to press the power button. They won in a canter and we never really put them under serious pressure. Yes we led for a long time but the time that mattered, we faltered. Lessons to be learnt. I am yet to be convinced they will be. This transfer window will tell a lot. NO 5’10” TECHNICAL PLAYERS NEEDED!!!!!!!.
What a way to introduce the new kit.