Arsenal’s win over Everton today proved to be pointless with no Champions League place earned, but the match has also cost us two of our defensive stars.
We had to go all-out today for the win to have any chance of qualifying for next season’s elite European competition, but also needed either Liverpool not to win, or Manchester City to lose, with a reasonable shift in goal difference,
We did our bit, but both of our rivals came away with comfortable wins, and we will now have to settle for a season of Europa League instead, but our fixture today has left a bitter taste in our mouths for more than just that.
Laurent Koscielny got himself (stupidly) sent off today with a sliding challenge early into the game, and will now miss next weekend’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, our last chance for silverware.
The Frenchman is not our only loss from today’s match however, with Gabriel also expected to miss the trip to Wembley after picking up an injury today, with Wenger confirming his knock will likely see him miss out. He said: “Koscielny’s red? It was harsh but we have to accept the decision.
“Gabriel’s injury looks quite serious, especially for next Saturday.
“We lost two centre-backs and that’s a big blow.”
We will likely have a back three of Rob Holding, Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal starting against Chelsea next week, but any more injuries and may have to play Francis Coquelin or an inexperienced player against this year’s stand-out side.
Our hopes of winning next week were already slim, with Chelsea playing the best football for most of the season, and without Koscielny, those chances are even slimmer…
Can we overcome the Blues without our stand-in captain? Will this be Holding’s chance to make a name for himself? Or will Mertesacker return for a glorious finale?
Pat J