Arsenal have a habit of dropping points immediately after a loss so we must be on our toes against Shakhtar.
The Gunners are heading into the third round of UCL fixtures off the back of a loss to Bournemouth at the weekend and will therefore be hoping to use Shakhtar to get back to winning ways ahead of the game against Liverpool on Sunday evening.
After that stinging loss, we would’ve loved to have more time to lick our wounds but the fixture schedule says otherwise in what will be a busy season ahead. We missed the opportunity to stay close to the top two.
Today we have a chance to not make that same mistake in the Champions League. The Gunners are five places off the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16, and even though it’s still early days in the campaign, winning and staying close to those spots are imperative to avoid the extra games that the qualification play-offs will bring.
With that said, beating Shakhtar Donetsk will be a must, not only for our confidence but for the UCL campaign as well. However we must be on our toes due to our tendency of dropping points after a loss in the last year or so. Indeed since we beat City one nil last year, each loss we’ve had after an unbeaten sequence has led to dropped points in the following game, barring only the Porto game away from home last season, where we followed that up with a 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle at the Emirates.
We tend to let a loss get a dent in our confidence in the following game for a while now, so Arsenal should be mindful of that and just do what needs to be done for us to get the win. Any UCL game is a difficult fixture, but these are the sort of games we need to be winning consistently if we hope to potentially win this competition soon!!
Score predictions, gooners?
KENNETH BENJAMIN.
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The sensationalism and over the top panicked as always after a bad day at the office.
Anyone that thought or thinks that with a 38 game season you won’t experience a result here and there against any team is just a gullible sensationalist. We are going to drop more points as will Man City, Liverpool and everyone else as the season progresses.
That’s how the league and real life works. This week was our bad week, next week or a month later it will be Man City, Liverpool etc that might have their bad day.
What we need is the calmness that this team has shown us for the last 3 season. No need to panic as this is football and we know that these happens results are part of the football reality. Arteta and the players know that they can’t let emotions and panic overtake their rationality.
We’ve been here before..
Just keep calm everyone..
It happens every season to every team in the league. What
Yes we have been here before and we came up empty handed every single time.
Perhaps those who are not calm have over 20 years of memories to back them up?
Unlike those who will excuse losses because they have put the manager before the club?
What did your calmness bring for the past two seasons where we ended up with nothing in a two-horse race and what is the difference this season in a five-horse race so far?
Tell me Goonster what is it that give you confidence that this time will be different? give me concrete argument and data not hopes and wishful thinking.
@HH
This has been the difference between me and the likes of yourself. My personality, attitude and mentality is very calm, cautious and thoughtful. I don’t do group think or spontaneous thinking. I try to be as rational and fair as possible. To me Reactionary sensationalism is meant for young children and not mature adults that have had somewhat of a life experience.
We have not won anything yet but I have enjoyed the ride. We have came a long way from where Arteta found us as a club. That sense of pride, optimism, anticipation, joy and hope for the future is very alive around the club and fanbase. I know that we need to win some big trophies but some of you need to calm down with the never ending negativity / pessimism you have been treating is to for more than 4 years now. It’s energy draining.
And what has the sensationalism got you yourself since 2020 when you started your “Arteta is crap and will never take us anywhere” sensationalism? You predicted all kinds of doom and gloom prophecies regarding Arteta going back to 2020, but have you even ever been honest with yourself and acknowledged that may be a calmer, objective and more mature head is very crucial in this very complex world we live in? If the higher ups at Arsenal had listened to the likes of yourself from 2020 / 2021 they would have hired your favourite “BRENDAN RODGERS” etc. Or all the other Flavour or the season managers that you guys have recommended to us in the last 4 or so seasons.
Against @HH, I have never put an individual above the club like you want to claim. I remember from 2008 during the WENGER days people including my own father wanted him gone today, but I was right behind our manager. Me and my father would clash over Wenger every weekend from 2008. But I stuck with wenger even many labelled us as Wenger fanboys that put him above the club. I was a so called “Arsene Knows Best (AKB) until 2015. So you saying that putting Arteta above the club is nothing new to me.
That Same charge was thrown my way when I tried to stand up for Emery on here too. That I was making excusing for him. That I was lowering Arsenal standards in order defend Emery etc..
The same has been and continues to be said to me because I am backing our manager “Arteta”. That I am making excuses for him over the well-being of the club.
So I am used to that line of gaslight toward me. It does faze me anymore..
👍
@HH
The all round calmess that has been shown by the likes of The Kroenke’s and the likes of the fans like myself contributed to where we are today as a club. I don’t know where we would be with the many flavour of the moment / season managers that you guys continued to recommend since 2020, from the likes of Ten Hag, Brendan Rodgers, Vieira, Howe, Tuchel, Conte, De zerbi, Potter etc. Every manager that had a good few months would then be the next big thing that should replace Arteta season after season. “But but look at So and so at that club. He has done more in 3 months than Arteta had done for us in season. We should sack Arteta and appoint that manager.”. Then a few months later that particular manager is sacked for that particular club and the people that were pushing for him to get appointed for us go all quiet and move on to the next shiny manager having his 5 minutes in the sun.. Then that manager tanks a few months later and the same people go completely quiet but then jump on to the next shiny manager having his 3 months in the sun etc. Then the cycle carries on. Isn’t it?
And if your sensationalist nature was allowed was what was allowed to win out then we would have been this never ending “Hire and Fire the manager” cycle that the likes of Spurs, Chelsea, Man United etc have been in.
That kind of short sighted attitude: “I want it now and if not I am going to throw my toys out of the pram and have a never ending tantrum” causes a lot of chaos, mayhem, instability and problems in any walk of life.
A bit of calmness, Rationality, objectivity, Reasoning, Logic etc should always prevail instead of personal agendas, point scoring and sensationalism. Mature calm brains will prevail in the vast majority (aspects) of our lives. Less emotion, feelings and more Rationality is advisable.
That’s all I keep asking of you guys. No a lot to ask for is it?
Yes, I agree but we’re suffering from over-expectation up until the defeat. It’s obviously true that all the teams with title ambitions will drop points, often unexpectedly as Arsenal found out. However, you wouldn’t have thought it that likely Arsenal would judging by some of the articles and posts on JA prior to Bournemouth. It was very much “Invincibles MkII”, “the greatest defence”, “World class players” etc. etc. and all that with around 20% of games actually played.
The worrying factor this season for me is discipline on the pitch. Three red cards in eight games are unacceptable, along with yellows for time-wasting. You’re right that “we’ve been here before” but, of course, we didn’t win anything on those occasions, so Arsenal doesn’t need self-inflicted damage.
Am in agreement with Goonerstar above, we must pick ourselves up and go again, and I wouldn’t surprise we bounce b⁶ack to winning ways.