Despite the depressing nature of our last two fixtures, our top 4 fate remain in our own hands.
Win our game in hand and we go joint on points with Spurs who we still have to play.
The only issue being our game in hand is Chelsea at the Bridge.
4 out of our final 8 games are against teams in the top 7, 3 of which are away from home.
A few weeks ago, trips to the Lane and the Bridge looked like games not to lose …. now they appear must-win.
We would have to play a lot better then we have in the last week to get the results needed. If we didn’t have the mentality to cope with the pressure at Selhurst Park and at home to Brighton, it’s hard to see us suddenly finding our mojo against Chelsea and Spurs with the stakes so high.
The Gunners have won 3 times at the Bridge in the League since 2008, that’s how rare an occurrence it is. Last year’s victory was our first at their ground in almost a decade.
We won twice in the Premier League at the Lane since 2007, the last in 2014.
In fact, you have to go back to the 93/94 campaign for the last time we got three points at both the Bridge and the Lane.
So, to finish above Spurs, we might have to get results we haven’t got in nearly two decades.
That’s why the defeat on Saturday was so painful
Be Kind In The Comments
Dan Smith
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I would put my trust in our academy graduates for the upcoming fixtures. We can field Patino or Azeez in the midfield, Need to field Ogungbo in the left back. They might not have a better time to prove themselves than now. What’s the loss I mean. Top four is a pipe dream and rather than pushing our core players to further subject them to demoralizing defeats and destroy their confidence next season, this is the best playground to field the firing youth squad to let them prove their worth. We can also add Flores to the mix. Our core players confidence is shot big time and it would be mistake to expect a miraculous turn around from them. Momentum is everything in football, especially when we lack experienced players.
Chelsea have a great CF in Havertz. If he gets injured, Lukaku is available and he was one of the best CFs in Euro/ Serie A
Whereas Spuds have Kane, one of the best CFs in the world. If he gets knocked, Kulusevski could replace him and he’s been thriving under Conte’s system
Conte’s tactics have been mostly successful with that strong CF type, namely Vucinic at Juventus, Costa at Chelsea and Lukaku at Inter. Unfortunately, Arsenal chose not to sign a new CF in January and we’re starting to get the consequences
they won’t even get a single draw against those teams (Chelsea and Tottenham)…
I totally agree, Chelea and Spurs draws would be wonderful results
3 days of official mourning over. Time to roll away the stone. Time to move on. Arsenal’s maximum points total is the same as Spurs 78.
Focus on the next game. 3 points at ST Marys. We can, we must and we will make top 4. COYG
Eh, LOL no they can’t
We are doomed. I can see us only getting 10 points from the remaining 8 matches. It is so disappointing when it was in our hands. But who to blame? If we buy bad players is it their fault? Playing players out of position? Selling our only striker. Laca stinks. And don’t get me going on Arteta! White for £50m, really??? Brighton must be laughing at us. Odegard is good, but would he get into a top 4 side. Question how many of our players get in to top4 teams?
A few of us said in January the difference of having a top class manager against one who is quite frankly learning his trade on the job would show as the season unfolded ,where as conte strengthened in January we thought it would be a great idea to trim our squad to the bare minimum,hoping injures wouldn’t occur,now the tables have turned in favour of the spuds and now they are looking really strong while we struggle.
We even had fans suggest last week that we had a couple of free hits against Chelsea and spuds without taking into consideration what might happen before we even met them .
So much wrong at this club starting from the manager and the type of players he as decided to bring in or keep .
It’s worrying when you here rumours that the club are going to extend his contact because from where I’ve been watching it’s been nothing but a waste of 2-3 years and upwards of 400 million spent over the last 4 years without anything in return .
Hear *
One thing that bothers me is how weak the shooting abilities of our players is, seriously I could be the GK and would have better chance of stopping the shots than our players scoring. What are they trained at? No power behind the shots at all. It’s ridiculous actually, you can’t just ignore that there is a GK at the post and you can’t just touch the ball towards the goal and hope GK doesn’t move.
I look at Son and Kane and wonder what the spurs are are feeding them. Just getting the frustration out of my chest but it’s really concerning. We just don’t lack a good striker, our every other player is so bleak in front of goal, only when they get the technique right, we score. Shooting power is the factor that doesn’t factor at all in the arsenal training grounds it seems.
Against Spurs and Chelsea we have to be ruthless. We let Palace and Brighton harass us and break up our game with physicality and guile to accommodate their own games. We didn’t want to compete with them and got to the point of not having any idea what to do. Although for the last six minutes against Brighton, we did put in a bit more effort and were more offensive… albeit too late.
Chelsea are more technical but we shouldn’t try to play them at their game and get into a footballing chess match, especially when they are more adept and we’re lacking the personnel to be able to do it effectively. Chelsea could give us more time with the ball but I expect that they too will use Palace/Brighton tactics knowing that we don’t cope well when under relentless pressure. Tottenham are more industrial when it comes to their method of play. They play hard and dirty and will also put us under huge pressure and be very aggressive and physical. Then they’ll use Kane’s passing ability and range to feed Son who is clinical, especially against a defence that plays like ours.
Arsenal against both Spurs and Chelsea have to really take the game to them. Don’t be gentlemanly with pretty looking, technical football and hope it will be reciprocated. Be prepared to be harrased, chased down, kicked and manhandled and where necessary, do the same, not just take it and rely on the goodwill of the opposition and match officials.
We were the hunted in our last two games. We’ve got to be the hunters from now on. If we have to forego our normal, placid type of football for the remainder of the season, then so be it. Let’s use all our resources to negotiate to the best possible outcomes in the remaining fixtures. Let’s earn a possible reward of a top four finish through a bit less craft and more graft.
Agree. Our players need to rely on their wits to play than their technique. It’s as simple as this: if I’m really good at dribbling or passing, no other player will try to compete me at that thing, They will not let me do my thing. That’s what our player need to realize. To not let other teams play to our vulnerabilities and in fact take keep the game at our advantage with our plus points. And yes arsenal can’t play negative football at all in the coming fixtures. They need to lead the matches and let other teams adjust. I doubt we have that caliber in our squad, but it’s more of matter of mentality than technicality.
Somebody shuld pls tell Lacazette that at least he shold be so professional with his current contract with club, and stop being the devil towards the club top four Ambiton.
Somebody shuld pls tell Lacazette that at least he shold be so professional with his current contract with the club, and stop being the devil towards the club top four Ambiton.
Both games are derbies i don’t expect us to give it away,not without a fight.
Unfortunately you’ve hit the buffers at the same time Conte has finally got Spurs playing the way he wants them to. Momentum is against you.
Spurs fans seem to always believe that there are better players available out there than the ones they already have. Arsenal fans on the other hand seem to always believe that the players they already have are better than they really are. That leads to their managers getting criticised more than they should be in my view.
The reality is the current Arsenal squad is limited in quantity and quality. The lack of a proper centre forward maybe the biggest deficiency. Think of Spurs when Pochettino first arrived, that’s pretty much where Arsenal currently are. As Poch showed its possible to rebuild in two or three seasons even on a limited budget but to do that you need to have a clear view of where you want to go, a decent scouting system and to keep the same manager. If Arteta isn’t right then bring in someone else. But whoever you go with will need two or three seasons to properly sort the squad out. Of course United have the same issues but a bigger budget.
I take it you’re a spurs fan jod?
You say limited budget but Arteta as spent 250 million while recouping peanuts and since Wenger left we have spent going on 400 million so money isnt the problem .
And comparing poch with Arteta is like comparing chalk and cheese .
Watch us give ur side the disgrace of their life.
I really don’t believe our lack of a good CF is the reason we are where we are,
We are where we are because we ain’t ruthless, we have a weak midfield, our AMs and CMs are not strong enough,
We hardly shoot, very lazy in shuffling,
IMO, playing Azeez-Elneny-Xhaka is our best hope, Oedegaard and Smith-Rowe need to come off the bench.
To do so, Arsenal would need both Tomiyasu and Partey fit and back in the team. If they are not available, then Arsenal should consider Sousa at left back, while Xhaha and Elneny in midfield and Pepe upfront. Or Arsenal should look at the best options available from the academy. I think Nketiah should start instead of Lacazette for the last eight games, while Pepe must be given more minutes.
There is still a possibility of finishing in the top 4 but the odds are definitely against us now. I can’t see us beating Chelsea at The Bridge but a result at Tottenham is achievable. They are not exactly the consistent of teams.
Even if we make the top 4 we are going to struggle next season with this current squad which, apart from 3 or 4 players, is fairly average. So far MA has invested heavily in defensive players of which £80m was spent on Ramsdale and White. Personally I don’t think Ramsdale is an upgrade on Leno and spending £50m on White when Saliba was available is questionable. £80m would buy you a quality CF.
We need to go back to basics.
Newly promoted Brentford went to the bridge and left with a very convincing victory
Man for man is Brentford a better side than us ?
No more square pegs in round holes.
Have seen great escape in my life time with far inferior squad , against similar opposition,
One gooners said here, eight games left, back the team, then poor your misery here.
.