Morning all.
Arsenal have announced that as a club, we have donated to Save the Children’s DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and is asking supporters around the world to donate what they can when they join our newly formed Arsenal Ukraine Supporters’ Club.
- You can sign up to Arsenal Ukraine Supporters’ Club here.
- You can donate to Save the Children’s Ukraine appeal here.
Both links are from the official Arsenal website so they can be trusted.
Before kickoff today, our first home game since the conflict in Ukraine began, there will be a ‘moment of solidarity’.
If there had to be a winner at Old Trafford yesterday evening then it was better for Arsenal that it was Manchester Utd, and it was. Just. Arsenal have four games in hand over Utd, two over Totts before this afternoons fixture kicks off and a three point advantage. West Ham are at home to Aston Villa and Chelsea face Newcastle Utd and then the big match of the day is Arsenal v Leicester City.
Takehiro Tomiyasu remains a big doubt for this afternoon but ESR is back in the squad after missing the last two with Covid. Leicester City have just Jamie Vardy ruled out.
We lost this fixture last season after having a good goal disallowed and a late goal from Vardy won the game after Rogers had parked the bus in front of Kasper Schmeichel. Fast forward to the fixture at the King Power Stadium and it was kind of roles reversed. Gabriel fired home a header within five minutes and ESR doubled our lead on the twenty minute mark. Aaron Ramsdale made a superb save just before halftime and then somehow managed to stop the home team from getting something from the game.
This is a big week for Mikel Arteta and his players. We play Leicester City today, Liverpool at home on Wednesday and then Aston Villa away at the weekend. Three really tough fixtures before the final international break of the season.
Leicester City played in Europe on Thursday and do so again this coming Thursday and I’d imagine Rogers fancies his team’s chances of going all the way. If Leicester want to be in Europe next season, winning the Europa Conference Cup is looking likely to be their only route in. Brendon Rogers’ team have won their last two League matches but before then, they’d struggled. To be fair, even their two victories didn’t come easy, especially their last, a 1-0 victory over Leeds Utd at the King Power Stadium. Leeds had something like 20 shots on goal, Leicester had less than half the amount. But, if a team can’t score, it’s tough really. Their other win came at Turf Moor when the introduction of Maddison and Vardy from the bench, made the difference.
Arsenal are on a good run at the moment, although during our last match against Watford, we weren’t focused from the get go and there were moments in the game when the defending was a bit sloppy. The game was far too open and Arsenal lost their shape a bit too often. Any team which allows Sissoko to score needs to go away and think long and hard about how they let it happened. LOL
Seriously though, focus is the key word for today’s game. We know this Arsenal team has quality because we’ve seen it and with ESR back, he only improves us. Leicester City will make it tough I’m sure, especially if Rogers parks the team bus in front of Schmeichel again, but it’s up to us as the home team to find a way around it.
The season has a few twists and turns in it yet I’m sure. Just not today I hope because in a week which has two away fixtures to come, winning at The Emirates with 50,000 fans behind the team, would be the best way to kick it off.
See you in the comments.
A little bit nervous about todays match, more than once they have pinched a goal against the play or scored in the dying minutes to win .
As for playing against Liverpool I have pencilled in a loss but hoping for a draw or praying for a win.
Tommy seems to be taking his time back from a small injury, I hope it’s only because we have been winning that Arteta is giving more time to rest for the final run home.
Me too, Leicester are very unpredictable at the moment I think. At least there’s no Vardy but they still have a lot of talent imo.
Liverpool is at home Wednesday Villa away on Saturday..COYG
Hi Rico.. Typical that Leicester and Villa have found form just before we play them. Massive week ahead; if we’re serious about top 4 then we have to go for the jugular today. Glad red bull Vardy’s out.. although
Daka hasn’t scored in a while (oh no 😳)..
As for last night, I found myself chuckling at Maguire’s face (after the OG) and the Spuds at the final whistle! Ronaldo certainly still has it! Real entertaining game – hope today is 🤞
Looking forward to it – have a train to catch.
Catch ya later, Rico COYG
United with Ronaldo are a different animal. He has always been a game changer and he did that on his own last night.
Whilst I think that it’s unrealistic to expect 9 points from these games 6 or 7 would be a good return, starting with 3 today .
A Vardyless Leicester should be beatable especially at home. Today would give us breathing space and we will need it .
Thanks Gary.
Hi Sue, I think you’re being kind to Leicester 😆
Hope it’s a great game and you take a few arsenal goals with you on the train, we need them..
I’d be pretty happy with 6 from the next 9, 7 would be a big achievement bearing in mind Liverpool’s form.
By the time we play Utd, Ronaldo might be injured. Lol
Good day Rico and all.
If we are to get three points this evening we need to play from the first whistle to the last. Total concentration, total commitment and total belief.
If we do get the lead and need to “manage” the game we must not drop back into our own penalty area, but keep the ball around the halfway line, and pass, pass, pass until the Foxes are run to earth.
Morning rico, housers. Lowering the bar, think I’ll take 5 points, three today and draws with Villa and Liverpool, would be a reasonable outcome!
Afternoon Cicero, Andrew.
Five points certainly wouldn’t be a disaster but Villa are beatable imo.
You’ve got the next two fixtures mixed up. We play Liverpool at home this Wednesday and Villa away this Saturday lunchtime.
I don’t have the same opinion. Yesterday, Fred had to run for 2 because Ronaldo does not enter the defensive process. For me and overall, Totts were superior. Fortunately they lost. We have to do in these 3 games, as many points as possible. I think the most difficult game is the last one in Vila Park because in addition to being the last one, Villa is strong and motivated. However, yesterday in Germany, there were 2 games postponed due to covid: 1 from the 1st and another from the 2nd.
We need to be switched on every match as goal difference could be a major factor at the end of the season
One game at a time if you please, no point worrying about Liverpool and/or Aston Villa if we mess up today, let’s win this cup tie and then see where we are…
COYG
Darn it, both Chelsea and West Ham get late goals to win…
After the sanctions put on Chelsea FC, their main shirt sponsor 3 demanded that all advertising of their product should be removed from the ground and their logo be removed from the players shirts. Chelsea have pleaded with the authorities to continue to wear their existing shirts as they cannot afford to buy shirts without the logo. Nor can they remove all the hoard from the ground as they are not allowed to pay for anything outside of the normal daily running costs. Chelsea have also said they will be unable to pay players and staff beyond the next two weeks.
The players certainly need to take it one game at a time Kev. Every game is a cup final.
Excellent news Cicero.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Soares, Gabriel, White, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Oedegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette
Subs: Leno, Smith Rowe, Holding, Pepe, Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny, Nketiah, Swanson.
Hands up those who like me think that the foul on Martinelli would have been given as a penalty if it had been an Arsenal defender in our box on a Leicester attacker?
You just never expect them to be given in our favour these days so it’s almost beyond the stage where it pisses you off, you just shrug as this it the Riley era…
Good evening everyone.
Just popped in to say hi
We are winning atm….I hope it stays that way and Ramsdale keeps a clean sheet.
Next Wednesday we face Liverpool. Just to remind you that Liverpool still have to play against Man Utd (tba) while on 7th May they play Spuddies. So if we lose against Liverpool (which I honestly hope we dont …. even a point would be great) we need to remember that they have to play those two as well…….both at Anfield.
We are not doing bad today…..we need to keep hold of the ball and stop them from dictating the tempo.
I thought the Saka one was a pen.
Good first half so far, but it was high time for a break as we started to lose focus.
Winning this game will not be not, but far from impossible. Odegaard is great again, I’m impressed of Martinelli’s defensive work rate, and I’m happy for Partey’s header too, however I’m really looking for one of his long range shots to find the back of the net.
Saka is a bit rusty today, he might need some rest.
COYG
Hi Devil, good to see you.
Leicester are enjoying too much possession for my liking..
Laca makes it 2-0.
with regards shots we are superior to them so I feel we should have more goals
but I would prefer to keep the clean sheet…..better 2-0 than winning 4-1 imo. a clean sheet is a boost for the defensive department
I would vote for the 4:1 or even the 5:3, but I acknowledge it is subjective.
pbarany….I simply love clean sheets. that is why I always go for a 1-0, 2-0. they are better for me than winning 6-3, 5-3, 5-1.
Winning 1-0/2-0 means that the whole team is balanced…..clean sheet, attack scores, midfield links the two together……so a clean sheet is a must for me.
Perfect start to the week.
now we are in a great position in the league table. we have two games in hand over third place Chelsea….win them and we go to just two points below them. if Chelsea are deducted 9 points by the EPL because of their debts then better as we will be ahead of them.
We have three games in hand over Man UTd and WHU and both are below us. while we have one game in hand over Tottenham but ‘6 points ahead.
Am I concerned about the Liverpool game? No because as I pointed out Tottenham, Chelsea and Man Utd still have to play at Anfield. So its evens for all. I just hope we get a point or three….each point against Liverpool atm is a bonus
Hi Rico.. just got in, what fantastic seats we had – level with the halfway line (upper). Great result – Ødegaard is fast becoming my favourite player! So, so classy!
The table is looking good!
Hi DG, one game at a time, it’s my mantra atm, it’s a bit boring to keep on repeating it but it’s the best policy.
I don’t want to come across as hyper critical but I thought we were very wasteful when in the many positions we found ourselves in to really kill today’s game, just as we were at Watford, maybe that’s just the Guardiola way but against more ruthless teams it’s going to cost us if we don’t learn to make the most of these situations, it’s does my flipping head in tbh…
There, I feel better now… 🙂
yes one game at a time is the best way to look at it.
I hope the management and players look at it that way as well.
DG, I would appreciate overtaking Chelsea, but I would rather do it by beating them fair and square, and not by deducting points they rightfully earned with their on-pitch performance.
Kev, I agree with your caveats. I think it is quite something to beat a club back to back 2:0 that finished above us in the last 2 campaigns (and who have a slightly more valuable squad according to TM), but there is a lot of improvement potential in the current Arsenal team. Which is probably a good thing, at least I’m happy that we are far from our best yet.
I’m more of a planning ahead type of guy, so I don’t share the OGAAT principle, but it does bring good results on the short run; and who knows what could have been…?
Sue, I start to think that we have 2 players that belong to the top 10 in the world of their respective positions. I used to think only Tierney, but Odegaard is really convincing. I don’t think Maddison has anything on him, and Martin is still on the rise.
I’m not a fan of Maddison, pbarany, so was really pleased we opted for Øde; he’s been superb – his vision and skill is out of this world! I found myself watching him more than any other player today – wow, just wow! 23 years old – going to be a treat watching him for the next 5+ years 🙂
Odegaard was, quite rightly, given the MotM award but I thought Partey ran him very close. He was immense in midfield and was unlucky to get only one goal. I don’t know if the ACON affected him but since his return he has had his best spell since we signed him, and just seems to get better match by match.
Two goals, clean sheet, three points!
What’s more, no red cards, no yellow cards, no not even for Granit Xhaka. That’s three matches on the trot that he’s escaped punishment.
Bring on the Bin Dippers. 😉
Morning.
New post up now.
Sue, agree, he’s fast becoming one of my favourites too. One of a few. Lol