Last month we published an article predicting who would make the Champions League and Europa League finals and in all honesty, they were a bit of a miss.
In the Champions League, we went with a Liverpool v Tottenham final and in the Europa League, we went with an Arsenal v Eintracht Frankfurt final.
It looks very likely that the Champions League will see two different finalists but the predictions for the Europa League final are still very possible.
So, on to the semi-final second legs and this is how I see it unfolding.
Liverpool v Barcelona
I reckon Liverpool will win the game but have little to no chance of overturning the three-goal deficit from the first leg and will be eliminated.
Ajax v Tottenham
I just feel there is too much against Tottenham, they may have been boosted by basically finishing top-four but injuries and tiredness have caught up with them and at best they may get a draw but will probably lose. Either way, they will be eliminated.
Barcelona v Ajax final.
Chelsea v Eintracht Frankfurt
It has all come together for Chelsea at the right time, they are likely to finish third in the Premier League and do have the advantage over their German opponent’s thanks to the away goal and Eintracht got stuffed 6-1 yesterday in the Bundesliga. Chelsea will probably do enough to make the final.
Valencia v Arsenal
We are a different team in the Europa League as opposed to the sorry excuse for a team in the Premier League and I honestly do feel that we will do enough to progress to the final. That said, we may well lose the game at the Mestalla and it could be squeaky bum time but we will scrape through thanks to that last minute goal from Aubameyang last Thursday.
Arsenal v Chelsea final
Of course, Liverpool could mount the comeback of all comebacks, Tottenham could win in Amsterdam, Chelsea could easily lose at Stamford Bridge and Valencia are capable of penetrating our defence multiple times but all things being equalled I would be surprised if these predictions are wrong.
What is your opinion?
Liverpool winning tomorrow is impossible, not against Barcelona with Messi’s form.
Salah won’t play, Firmino won’t play, Van Djik is a big doubt, he couldn’t train today SNF you think Barcelona could go there to sleep? The Barcelona we all know? Liverpool will try hard, in as much as I feel pity for them because despite all the hard work and efforts they out into this season, they won’t lift a single trophy.
I’ve been comfortable about this since the game they played against Tottenham.
I bragged to all my friends and folks around here months ago, citing how happy I was that Arsenal won’t play any between City and Liverpool anymore, simply because whatsoever team they both play, the team will take the L no matter what.
I boldly predicted their win against Spurs and Chelsea, I boldly predicted City’s win against Spurs twice and win against United. and I predicted no matter how hard these teams would grind out the winning down to the last match.
I was happy we won’t be facing any of these two teams, not knowing Arsenal had a totally different plan to screw things up, to screw us fans up. really if any one really believes Everton, Crystal Palace, Wolves all have a better squad than we do then I can say that person is either stupid or very stupid.
They won those games because of their hard work and discipline, not as if they have better players.
Now they League is definitely staying at the Etihad, City won’t lose or drop a single point away to Brighton, a team we fúcked ourselves over.
First of all if we do get into the final of the Europa League and it’s Chelsea, will he play Petr Cech? A club he’s re-joining in about a month from now. The fact that it’s a final that we desperately need to win and the embarrassing possibility of Cech conceding a dubious goal, I’d play the inform Bernd Leno. Secondly all these tears about Aaron Ramsey’s departure, I said good riddance to Aaron a year ago when he held us to ransom after turning down a perfectly reasonable offer from Arsenal to stay on. At the time his goal scoring statistics were 37 Premier League From 240 games, well he actually finished his Arsenal career on 40 goals in 262 Premier League games. So no surprise there, he managed his usual 3 goals a year which he did throughout 12 years at Arsenal Football Club. As I said before, good riddance Aaron, you won’t be missed. Thirdly, what was Mike Dean doing refereeing the Manchester City game tonight. Being a full blooded scouser and with half of Merseyside praying for a leicester win the decision by Mike Riley to appoint him could have back fired and been controversial to say the least. However Dean swears blind that he’s a supporter of Tranmere Rovers lol and to be quite honest didn’t have a bad game. That’s all, still sick about Sunday’s result and the lack of professionalism shown by the awful Granit Xhaka. Surely his time is up and take Mhkataryan, Mustafi and Iwobi with you.
Kenny, totally agree on Aaron Ramsey. When asked about the Arsenal contract (which had been on the table for some while at that stage) during the preseason tour of Asia, he stated it was in the hands of his manager. He ran down his contract after years of being supported rightly by Arsenal through injury, but the club could have sold him as injury prone.
He and his manager have now gone to Juventus for a big pay day, with Arsenal receiving nothing but crocodile tears. I do give him credit for his on field efforts when he did play this season.
Agree Ozziegunner, I thought he showed professionalism in the way he played and also his workrate, however I also think he always planned to run his contract down, get an enormous payday and leave Arsenal with nothing at the end of the day. For that reason I never stayed after the game.
With you Kenny on RAMSEY all the way. Mediocre goals / assists stats at a top level club over a full decade. Missed far too many games through injury, even long after the Shawcross leg break was well behind him. Played selfishly for personal goals glory which I could understand were he a Lampard or Gerrard quality, but he is nowhere near either of those greats. HAD AMPLE CHANCE TO SIGN THE CONTRACT BUT GOT TOO GREEDY and a new more realistic regime called his bluff. Mere crocodile years at the near empty “lap of appreciation” on Sunday(which I also chose to miss, leaving in blazing anger at the final whistle) does not begin to change the fact that he was a sometimes only player, good in parts but overall NOT GOOD ENOUGH. NO TEARS FROM ME EITHER!
Seeing Miki in the list of the players you want out gladden my heart. I blamed him 95% for that penalty. He drew Litch way out of his position for that unsuccessful pass that he could not made any attempt to run back and he also stood there. He did the same against Wolves for their first goal. He lost the needlessly that others has to cover for him and conceded stupid fowl. He is a liability. As for Xhaka enough is said.
In form Leno???
Are you joking, he’s made 2 huge mistakes in the last 3 games. Luckily the chance he donated to Brighton wasn’t taken advantage of, but the guy seems mentally on the weak side. Not nearly as much as Mustafi, Xhaka, or even Mkhi, but too much for a keeper anyway. And he’s joint 1st in creating goals for the opposition this season.
I’d trust Petr over him in a nervous final any day. Especially right now…
You’re obviously a Petr Cech fan but let me tell you, he was finished the day he started wearing the skull cap.
Then you are a rank BAD judge of keepers!
Jon, do you remember the amount of mistakes that Cech made playing for Arsenal before Leno arrived and not only with his disastrous feet, plenty where he failed to come out quick enough. All because of a loss of confidence due to the head injury he sustained at Chelsea. Another wasted £10 million.
And if he’s that good why is he not first choice at Arsenal?