From the looks of the Arsenal players in their training session at London Colney yesterday, you would have thought it was the Gunners that were 3-1 up in the Champions League double header with Monaco, but unfortunately it is the other way around.
Maybe having the pressure off, with not many people in the football world giving us much chance against the miserly Monaco defence, is keeping the players relaxed and hopeful rather than tense and nervous.
Or maybe it is like Mesut Ozil said in a report on the Arsenal website. The tricky and talented German international was speaking about how belief affects professional footballers and clubs and how that belief makes everything seem more positive.
Arsenal have put to bed a lot of the doubts about our big game credentials this season, breaking the Old Trafford hoodoo and winning at Man City as well. We have ended the trophy drought and have a great chance of defending it and lifting the famous trophy for a record 12th time.
And as unlikely as progression to the Champions League quarters might be, the Gunners are still in with a chance. Ozil also spoke about tonight´s match and he certainly seems confident in our ability to get revenge on the French Ligue 1 club.
Ozil said, “It’s very important to score early, but we will remain patient. We want to fight and battle from the first minute until the last.
“This is a match that we are determined to win. We have to score three goals and our aim is to do just that while remaining tight in defence.
“If we play as we are capable of doing in Monaco, I still believe that we have a real chance to progress.
“We want to disrupt their rhythm and try to score as early as possible. It’s going to be difficult to score three times because they have defended well in the tournament so far, but if you look at our past matches and the way we played against Manchester United last week, I think there’s a chance we can still progress.”
“We have to believe in ourselves. When you believe in yourselves, a positive energy grows that you can achieve your aims. In football, things that may look unlikely can happen.
“I know that if we believe in ourselves and utilise our potential, we can still go through.”
So have Arsenal really got the feelgood factor back? Is that why the players were all grinning like Cheshire cats yesterday?
What makes them so happy? I’d say it’s the lack of pressure as everyone gives Monaco in the next round. It will actually not surprise anyone if Monaco will go through. I don’t think the level of happiness will be the major factor but the fact that they can be relaxed and go on the pitch with an attitude which will bring us some good fortune.
I don’t have high expectation from this game, well at least not as high as I had in the first round. All I know for sure is that we will win this one. Will this win bring the qualification for the next round? We will find out tonight.
If we do qualify, I will publicly denounce my father, call him a twat and take up Arsene as my surname.
Bold statement. Might hold you to that later.
So happy?Some one is taking their picture and they are smiling.
Yeah, yeah. Those smiles better yield goals, else…
We always did well with our backs to the wall, I expect us to go all out attack, early goal will help 20minutes or so. I think it will be goal galore unlike others think, 4-2 to arsenal. #COYG “if you don’t believe you can do it, you stand no chance at all”- ARSENE WENGER.
4 thump up and two thump down, which make it 4-2, you guys are making feel am right. Lolz
Man, someone better tell that German Rhino he’s no striker. I hope Gabriel is preferred to him today.
Thumb.
Come on you gunners, tear it up tonight. We are the arsenal!!!!
I so badly want Mesut to play a blinder tonight. I want Gary Neville to take back everything he has ever said about him, and any other United player for that matter. Mesut seems to have a bit of swagger back, and I just have a sneaky feeling tonight will be his night.
Ideally if we can score early goal it could make monaco very nervy and they may just try and defend which will play into our hands its vital we stay patient and keep our discipline defensively even if we are just 1 up after first half there is still plenty of time to score 2 goals if anyone is capable of doing this its us we have more then enough quality all we need is a bit of luck and more importantly take our chances do that and we will go through, Come on u gunners make us proud!
We’ve won 8/10 games and we finally seem to be finding some cohesive play. We routed West Ham with relative ease. We go into this game as underdogs and as someone who win/lose/draw is not going to see backlash for this game because the backlash has already happened. Easy to feel a little bit on easy street that way.
Hopefully this translates to free flowing, confident football…
Free flowing football is highly dependent on the state of the pitch. If that’s waterlogged then I guess only confident football will remain for us as an option.
I really hope we go through tonight, but sadly I think it will be like it always is with Arsenal in Europe these days. Basically throw away the tie in the 1st leg, battle bravely in the 2nd leg, but just fall short. Sick and tired of it to be fair. One would have thought Wenger would have realised the importance of the 1st leg by now, but no, we’re in the same position as always.
Another win tonight, even if we go out, will stull be a great confidence boost.
Hope we go through, but I’ll say Monaco 1-2 Arsenal.
While I agree in full and share the same frustrations, I find it hard to blame Wenger in this case. He put out a strong team that simply failed to perform. I think the players really let the club down with their performance. Hopefully, it was the kind of shocking experience that reminds them to keep their heads down and perform for a full 90 minutes or else suffer the consequences.
I have been really happy with the way the team has come back from that loss. It was easily the kind of game in past seasons that derailed our PL and FA Cup campaigns and this gives me that little bit of hope that the boys can pull through tonight.
I’ll be up at 4am watching and will hopefully wake all the neighbors with celebratory dances across my apartment.
So sad that we treat the first games of our last 16 legs like they’re a Sunday kick around and then play with passion and determination to win the second game but always by just not quite enough. Bet owt we win 0-2 tonight. If that plank Giroud had taken his chances in the first game we wouldn’t have this problem.
If play like we can then Yes we can do what Schalke did to Madrid at the Bernebau. The bigger issue is a clean sheet. The only way I see us getting through is a monumental performance from our back 4 and the midfielders really helping out too. In short, do the exact opposite of the first leg.
Key will also be missed chances. Gotta make the most of good chances. Giroud must be on target. Giroud, Ramsey, Santi, Alexis & Ozil’s assists must be capitalized upon.