This international break could be perfect for Arsenal’s run-in, especially away from home

Away form will likely decide how our season ends. by Konstantin Mitov

Hello lovely Arsenal people! It’s that dull period of the international break and while I mostly think it’s a huge waste, I’m actually enjoying the fact that we aren’t playing. What makes it even more enjoyable was seeing United drop out of the FA cup and Chelsea losing to Everton!

Some people may say this break comes at the wrong time for us, but I actually disagree. We had a very rough run in of games and we came out almost perfect from that. This is very exhausting and physically demanding and a break might be just what we need to power up for the tough run in we have in our bid to finish in the top 4.

Although we don’t play the top 6 anymore, I disagree that our run-in is easy. We have to play 5 away games and we’ve only won 5 of the 14 we’ve played so far. That is still so far 1 better than the total of 4 (yes four!) away games we won in the entirety of last season. Ironically, half of those (2) came at Burnley and Everton. Two teams who are always difficult to play away, as one is fighting for survival and the other despite having an indifferent season, still managed to hold Liverpool.

The others include Leicester which is never an easy one and they do have a new manager in Brendan Rodgers, as well as a trip to Watford who beat us last season. To cap it off we go away to a Wolves, who were seconds away from a win at Chelsea, threw Man Utd out of the cup and are one of only 3 teams to come away undefeated from the Emirates – the other 2 being City and Liverpool.

So despite the fact that we might go above Tottenham as soon as the next round comes, as they visit Anfield and we all hope, they’ll lose, while we host Newcastle, we should take nothing for granted. Spurs then only have a tough trip to City who they also drew in the champions league, but their other league games aren’t that difficult.

Chelsea still have a game in hand and despite United catching up to reality, we can’t underestimate any of those teams and just focus game by game (as cliche as it is) only on the next opponent. Our away record will have to improve if we want to secure one of those 4 places. And we’re still the only team without an away clean sheet, which is astonishing really, and that’s another reason why I believe this break could benefit us. We can take the time to look into this and improve for the final run in.

In the Europa League, luck didn’t favour us in the draw, as we go in a tussle with Napoli, but I actually think it’s not that bad. Sooner or later we have to face a decent team and if we return to the Champions league, those are the kinds of teams we’ll be playing and these are the kind of games we should desire.

As much as I respect Bate Borisov and Rennes, I want games that matter to the fans and make them proud. Games that’ll fill the Emirates. This will only happen in the Champions league or at the very late stages of the Europa league. So let’s get that top 4. It’s huge.

Just imagine what it would do to Tottenham if we knock them out of the top 4. With no money to spend this summer and a new stadium loan, it could force them to sell. If Chelsea miss out again with a potential transfer ban coming who knows what state they’ll be in next season. This is a chance to boost ourselves at the expense of our rivals. I believe we can do it, we just need to transfer to the away games the character we’ve shown at home and we will make it.

Wish you all a happy international break!

Konstantin

28 Comments

  1. Chelsea lost their game in hand on Sunday!
    No happy international break for me – soooo boring! I am longing for April 1st…… hope all our players come back fit, well & raring to go!

    1. No Bernd Leno tonight in Germany squad, even Kevin Trapp is ahead of him! Ridiculous Lowe hasn’t a clue what he’s doing if Leno played for Chelsea or spurs he’d be number 1 Manuel Neuer is over the hill too! Roll on April haha

      1. Yes because Low is too busy scratching & sniffing ?
        Well no Leno is good for us… but not so good for him, surely it’ll just be a matter of time before he is picked though? I don’t like Neuer… comes across as such a cocky, arrogant sod! I remember when he saved Ozil’s penalty ?
        I know you shouldn’t wish your life away.. but I just can’t help it during these 2 weeks John ?

        1. Leno is on world class form and some has been from Frankfurt is ahead of him it’s laughable! Couldn’t agree more Sue and he’s past it, I wouldn’t take him over Leno! Haha I know what you mean Sue I hate internationals! It’ll be all Harry Kane, Southgate and Hudson Odei news for the next week and Declan Rice the best defensive midfielder in the game! He shouldn’t be even playing for England he already played for Ireland what next Lucas Torreira playing for Brazil ?

          1. Oh jeez a week of Gareth, Harry, Dele, Jesse…. ? it’s enough to drive you to drink ? may have to go to the cinema to watch Us… rather be scared at the cinema instead of scared in my living room with that horror show on the tv!!
            So I saw a trailer for stranger things 3 earlier… omg I can’t wait!! Plus a trailer for Toy Story 4 (June 21) looks good ?

            1. If I had of been a footballer I wouldn’t have played international football ? haha yes Sue some real hard Liquor ? what horror show ? I’ve never seen Stranger things, I got a text from my sister saying I should watch afterlife, don’t hear from her in ages and that’s what I get in a text not even how are you ? toy story ?

              1. Watching Harry & Dele (that horror show ?)
                Well your sister has good taste! You’d better watch it ?
                Can’t beat a bit of Buzz ??

                1. I think the Buzz Emperor Zurg scene is flipping hilarious ? buzz light-year must die lol. I remember Ali g interviewing Buzz Aldrin that interview was so funny, says at the end big it up for my main man Buzz light year ? haha and the moonwalk or Milly rock lol. I’ll give it a watch some time Sue ?

  2. Sue am not too sure Leno will get his chance soon,Germany have Marc Andre ter stegen who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now and he’s not even the number 1 goalkeeper for them,I remember Leno was given his chance at the last confederation cup which Germany won but he made 2 mistakes that led to goals in the First match,since then he hasn’t started any match for them and to be honest I don’t believe Leno is as good as ter stegen.

  3. If the news is to be believed, “nobody” can afford to attend any football match in the UK after march 29 😉 Or, they’ll be able to last the season but nobody can afford to renew, so every English club would have to start reducing prices and thus the quality of football on offer 😉

  4. Oh jeez if I was to see the moonwalk, I’d probably launch something at the tv ?
    So I didn’t have nightmares about Razor (phhheeewww!!!) did you?! ?
    There’s a super moon tonight ?
    So that guy you said about (De Ligt) Barca are interested in him

    1. You won’t see it because Lingard only scores against us lol speaking of Lingard I dreamt last night we beat Utd 7-5 and Lingard scored twice hahaha I’m actually deadly serious ? haha no Jesus that’s just scary ? is there ? Yeah the guy that was the new younger Mustafi and I didn’t know what I was talking about ?

      1. Haha what a nightmare, bet you woke in a cold sweat, but then remembered the score & all was good ??
        Well shame on whoever said that hey?! Barca don’t go after just anyone!!
        Tickets for the Palace game come out tomorrow ? ?

        1. Whoever it was said we don’t want de ligt to me will probably say he’s world class now and Emery made a blunder not signing him ? it wasn’t a good dream from what I remember I thought it was utd who won 7-5 ? guessing you’ll be going to that one ? What I wouldn’t give to drive a 67 Chevy impala it’s the Schwarzenegger of muscle cars ?

            1. You should get tickets for that Sue ? haha go to the Emirates in style ? I just love classic cars I’ll probably be 50 before I start my collection maybe Arsenal will have won a champions League by then ? what you watching Sue ?

              1. You haven’t got long to wait John ?? a programme – the house of extraordinary people. How about you?
                Of course we’ll have won the CL by the time you’re 50 ???

                1. Oh yeah haha ? never heard of that ? oh just Sky Sports news heard one of their reporters died Fraser Robertson ? well we aren’t exactly that good in Europe are we Sue our trophy haul proves that ?

                    1. Has to be true now Sue ? PL as well we are getting spoiled ? we could buy Tottenham’s ? They don’t ever win anything so put in a cheeky loan bid ?

                    2. Of course, where do you think they put the we drew at the nou camp trophy? ? well Sue, don’t you work too hard today Coco might want an extra long walk ? big program of football tonight Cyprus vs San Marino should be a classic ? haha have a good Thursday Sue ?

                    3. Haha a little flat pack cabinet from Ikea then ?
                      Thanks John… you have a great day too… San Marino v Cyprus… as much as I’m excited at the thought of that, I’ll watch the premier league darts instead ?

                    4. No he bloody lost to Rob Cross… he’s on a downward spiral now…. might not hear Ice Ice Baby for much longer ??

  5. I kinda hope spurs drawn then loss against liverpool. I still feel if city win the league, the rest of us so mortal peasants with realistic wealth to spend, can all still fight it out to be contenders. Although liverpool are them now, I don’t want them to break their premier league duck.

    Its interesting times. IF we say we didn’t loss against city twice, Chelsea, liverpool and saints and west ham and we won – we would be top of the league.

    Of cause we are a long way from that (being invincible) we now need to see the rest of the season as a league in itself. I don’t feel optimistic about our away form.
    Maybe if we know we can play Leno, Sokratis, Kos, Torierria, Xhaka together and feel with that we can’t loss, then we might have the confidences in the rest of the team to win win win.

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