Following Arsenal’s exit from the FA Cup at Championship side Nottingham Forest, we are now faced with the prospect that within the next ten days we could be out of all competitions and no longer in the top-four.
Obviously, we would still be in the top-four race but a loss to Tottenham on Sunday and we would be below them having played two more games.
Liverpool, stronger than they would have been last week, will be favourites to progress to the Carabao Cup final, even without Sadio Mane and Mo Salah and that means our next three games could be season defining.
Being positive, one could argue that we beat Tottenham and we start to negate the advantage they have with games in hand and this is probably the perfect time to face the Reds.
But the problem we have is that the performance against Forest, even with fringe players shows that we still have that inconsistency about us and we do have a habit of collapsing each season around this period, usually in February and March.
In conclusion, the next ten days will determine how much progress we have made as a club, how stable Mikel Arteta’s position really is and how much confidence the fans retain in the process.
Beating Liverpool and spurs are two big asks. I’m not sure we could beat either of them on current form.
That’s a tad harsh given our current form prior to the FA Cup. Unless current form only refers to the last game. If that’s the case, I agree, on current form we won’t beat either and would struggle to beat a pub side.
On the wider issue, losing these three games won’t define our season unless your definition of success is winning the League Cup and doing the double over Spurs. There will still be a bucket load of points to play for in the PL.
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Stay optimististic bro,the team will need it
one bad day at the office doesnt define current form.
I don’t really care about the minor competitions, but we have to win all EPL games before Man United come to the Emirates
I believe the January transfer window will strongly affect our results this season. If we don’t loan at least one player, we’ll have to rely on our youngsters
A true fan will care about us winning competitions “minor” or “major”
We should care about every match that Arsenal plays
Would you care if we play in Europa Conference League? I just focus on EPL this season, because we could get a CL or an EL ticket from it
agree as much as i would have liked to stay in fa cup, we are still in league cup, and still within top 4 reach. if we got a trophy and top 4 that would be an A season. would be nice to also win a trophy we havent touched since ’93. for the sake of the future of the club tho, UCL football would be the dream target that we can hopefully achieve this year. will have to act in the transfer window tho if we really want it.
After Tavares’ outburst, we signed a 16 years old LB from West Brom
gai When will Arsenal learn how many more players are going to walk away for free Ramsay Ozil now Lacca, Auba could both walk away for free
As predicted by Wenger, the superstars prefer to move as a free agent nowadays, to get big signing fees and huge salaries
Pogba, Dembele, Zakaria, Kessie and Lacazette are just some popular players who follow the trend to get more money, which has been happening in the last few years at many clubs
Please add Mbape to your list bro. Salah might be planning some freebie thing. No more loyalty. Players are only loyal to money.
Mbappe will surely make PSG furious by the end of this season
I’ve always seen the EPL and FA Cup as priorities and the League Cup as a great comp for the youngsters.
Now that we embarrassed ourselves in the FA Cup (credit to Nott For) I believe we should be all guns blazing for the 4th spot now. If we win the League Cup I’d say 5th place is acceptable.
There’s no excuse now, no European games and out of the FA Cup as early as possible…all the other teams going for 4th spot will have a lot more games than us this season so it’s our best chance for 4th spot in years.
I’m confused, I can’t seem to understand why Arteta let Maitland-Niles go with games like Liverpool and spurs at hand, yet we are not linked to any concrete news, I struggle to believe we won’t loose 3 games in January,
Arteta should be creative, he can play Ben White in midfield with Xhaka and play holding/chambers with Gabriel in defense,
Our team for this period should be :
Ramsdale
Tomiyasu- Holding – Gabriel- Tierney
White- Xhaka
Smith-Rowe / Odegaard
Saka- Lacazette- Martinelli
4-3-3 / 4-2-1-3
That would require a degree of flexibility from MA
True, the only certainty is that Xhaka has been locked in to start every game.
We just have to get spirited in order to come top amid this tough schedule
Wouldn’t be the first time our season ends in January!!!!!!!
How on earth are we going to win matches with lokonga and disastrous xhaka if available? It was a big mistake letting that Niles of a guy leave.
Niles is so over rated he is simply not good enough to be a starter week in week out he plays 1 decent game in every 5 but nothing special should def cash in while we can!!
The very fact that we dont have European games and out of the FA Cup as early as one can possibly go out, we have no other option but to win as many games of the EPL and win all the games in League Cup to get something from the season. We are Arsenal and the way things have gone the last 2 seasons we are making a mockery of ourselves. Arteta must motivate and rejuvenate our squad and we should go all guns blazing in all our future games, not have a lacklustre and careless attitude as was against Forest. The players must buck up, they are playing for Arsenal.
We need one or two robust midfielders at all cost to get through this period, knowing how we think we are not going to sign Geoginio from PSG, Arsenal will think he is too old and short term, maybe even Rodriguez from Real maybe too old that leaves us with Bruno from Lyon, and the 20 year old from Brazil, Palmaries if I get the name right , so 40 mil now for Bruno is a no Brainer while we continue to work on the striker.
Am not seeing the urgency being payed to the defensive midfielder position as the striker.
A keep saying top up the agent and the job done for this Dustan guy, he really looks like a beast and must have sport a very strong mentality.
I must admit he is perfect for the red and white of London