Can Arsenal play every game like It’s the Europa League!
Another Thursday night and yet another comfortable win for Arsenal. Well we expected nothing less really!
A strong start from our boys would only really end in one result, as it has done so far in the Europa league, unless we are in the Premier League that is.
But the boys started as they meant to go on and a bullet of a goal from Alex Lacazette who scored for the first time in eight games put us 1-0 up, and it will surely give him the confidence he needs to go on and score more goals, and help the team and even Aubameyang to move forward and find that form that has eluded us for so long. We hope!
Our intensity was there from the off, and if reports of a “clear the air meeting” are to be believed then surely that is the reason why the boys came out looking ready and fired up!
Following Laca’s bullet, Pablo Mari also got on the scoresheet to put us 2-0 up with his first goal in an Arsenal shirt upon his return from a six month injury lay off. To rub even more salt into Rapid wounds, Eddie Nketiah then made it 3-0 before the end of the first half and really the points were in the bag with another half still to play.
A quick start by Rapid in the second half though saw them pull a goal back making it 3-1 and would have surely put some doubts in some fans, and maybe even Artetas, mind but of course it was gong to be our night, we saved ourselves from falling to a rather embarrassing comeback for Rapid and the game was wrapped up nicely when substitute Emile Smith Rowe fired into the net to make it 4-1 giving us maximum points again in the Europa League to maintain that top spot, that never looked a threat!
So a positive performance all round on a night that welcomed back 2000 socially distanced fans and what matters now is that they take that performance into the derby on Sunday to finally break the mould of losing in the Premier League on a Sunday this season to give us Gooners a little bit more of a reason to smile this weekend!
It’s the least we deserve as losing to Spurs is not in our DNA right Gooners? And as the Spuds are also a Europa League team, then we should approach this game like Thursday’s…
Shenel Osman
Spot on
No reason why not
If it’s not going to be our day, at least go down fighting on Sunday rather than with a whimper.
Even in the Europa league the performances haven’t exactly sparkled so the intensity and desire on Thursday night really made the difference. More of the same please
Interesting!
We just have to take advantage of the confidence of some of the “Europa league players” by starting them against Spurs- Niles, Laca, El neny and Nelson perhaps, get on the front foot and give it our all, we must not lose this..coyg!
Unfortunately we cannot second guess who Arteta will pick tomorrow and how we will play. Even at home, spurs tend to sit back and play on the break and in Kane, Son and Ndombele, they have the perfect players to do that. We can’t go gung ho at them or they will just pick us off. We need to be tight at the back, retain the ball in midfield and get our front runners in behind their defence.
Perhaps you could persuade spurs to pick Rapid Vienna’s reserve team too
We can’t do that since Spurs must have the complete analysis of our first team players and manager. Our only chance to score first is by surprising them with our midfielders’ movements, as what Maitland-Niles did in the last game and as what Willock did in the Dundalk/ Molde games
I’m not too worried about Spurs though, because our senior players would most likely show different motivation. The Gunners are always pumped up in big games, especially because this season is still long
A 442 formation gives both, defensive stability and offensive armoury. We should be careful of the Spuds attackers specially Kane and Son who can do maximum damage if they are allowed to roam free, mark them tightly and be compact in the defence. Also use the pace of Saka, Auba and Nelson to good effect to hit the Spuds on the counter. Also MA can spring a surprise by playing 343, but whatever it is MA should include Laca, AMN, Nelson in the team, they are all fired up and energised and will give the right boost to our team.
@gunner, nicely said, Maitland-Niles, Lacazette and Nelson need to play,
Saka needs to play in the attack to reduce he’s stress as he gets too much of the ball and gets tired quickly,
I hope Arteta players this youngsters, they are hungry and so daring.
Xhaka and Ceballos should be subs please.
Thursday was great – what I’d give to see us play like that in the PL!!
The team have talked the talk, now please walk the walk – tomorrow means everything! COYG