Arsenal has just relegated West Brom from the Premier League with a 3-1 win over the Baggies and even more importantly, they have earned a win to brighten the mood up at the Emirates.
It was a game that both teams needed to win, with the Baggies needing to win to remain in the Premier League for another week.
Arsenal started the game well and raced to a 2-0 lead before a fine Matheus Pereira goal cut the lead in half.
Willian scored another goal late on to help the Gunners confirm the win.
Mikel Arteta will have started making plans for next season already because their exit from the Europa League on Thursday means it will take a miracle for them to play in Europe next season.
Mikel Arteta used a defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding.
The Daily Star’s Ben Husband reckons the Brazilian will be a fixture in the Arsenal side for the long-term and Arteta just needs to figure out who would be his best defensive partner.
Husband writes: “Gabriel has enjoyed a positive first season in English football, despite struggling with a few injuries throughout the campaign.
“There are signs he could be a fixture in the Arsenal defence for years to come, but alongside him, there are still major question marks.
“Pablo Mari, David Luiz and Rob Holding have all had chances, but an upgrade is likely to be on Arteta’s radar.
“Bringing another classy defender in to play with the Brazilian could set them up for the next few seasons.”
William Saliba?
Pablo Mari?
What a tepid article. Our defence should now sounder than for years and we have Saliba and Maropanos plus Mari all top class. Right back is a big priority a quality midfielder like Peirera or Buendia and of course a striker of the level of Harland. I think there will be a massive clear out again inc Belerin, Lacca, Elnehny, Cedric, Cellabos, Nelson, possibly either Chambers or Holding and several loonies who will never make it. I would really like to sign Ramsdale or Johnson and sell Leno.i calculate that would net us £138 mill. Keep AMN and Willock .
I’m looking forward to Saliba coming back too but also think that Mari has shown as much if not more than Gabriel and in my opinion Holding has had a good season, if it wasn’t for the negative media surrounding all things Arsenal at the moment I reckon Southgate could do worse than to include him in his squad for the Euros
Perhaps we should be looking for a new partner for Holding as Gabriel was shocking yesterday.
Spot on Declan.Neither Gabriel nor Mari have convinced me I’m afraid.
look again at the baggies goal holding running around in circles not 4 the first time championship player
I must have been watching another match.Holding was picking up their C.F. and Gabriel as the spare man failed to engage Pereira.He has done this on a number of occasions this season and needs to improve if he is to make it in the Premier League.
You beat me to it Grandad!
I would be OK with starting next season with Holding, Saliba, Mari and Gabriel as our central defenders to be honest. Our defence hasn’t been too bad considering and I’d be OK with Chambers on the right covered by Cedric but we obviously need cover for Tierney without playing people out of position.
Laca has done his job up front, overall Pepe has had a decent season, surely Auba won’t have two average seasons on the trot and I reckon Martinelli will benefit from being eased back in this term. Eddie hasn’t really had a chance to impress or otherwise but we have Balogun hot on his heels anyway.
We do need to score more goals from midfield though, Ceballos, Partey, Xhaka and Odegaard don’t appear to be the answer, Willock and Elneny remain our top goalscorers from a midfield position this season.
I think that’s where we should prioritise with incoming myself but I wouldn’t say no to an out and out proven goalscorer up top as well!
I think we have a good defense this season
We also have Saliba
Center back is the only position we have covered.
Gabriel and Mari on the left, Holding, Saliba, Dinos M. On the right and I am not counting Chsmbers or the promising youngesters like Ballard or Mcguiness and others.
With no Europe, we do not need a huge squad.
Oddly enough, Arsenal’s best and most consistent defender this season has been Rob Holding, not Gabriel. David Luiz would be second-best, with Mari in third.
Gabriel’s been caught out, been positioned poorly, and been rash; all flaws common to young defenders. The idea that Arsenal need a partner for Gabriel is a little silly; though given the fact that Arsenal have seven center backs on their first-team roster, it is not a surprise that no one, not even the arsenal coaching staff, knows who the best pairing it.
William Saliba is returning from his loan spell in Nice, Luiz is out of contract, and Konstantinos Mavropanos is another loan player returning to the Gunners in June. Who the final pairing will be is a bit of mystery, but given performances and investment, it seems that a rotation involving Holding, Gabriel, Mari, and Saliba is likely; with Luiz and Mavropanos leaving the side and Chambers pushed into a reserve right back role.
Spot on Paul.