Morning all.
I’d imagine the Rennes camp won’t be a happy one. Alexandre Lacazette has had his UEFA ban reduced so therefore he’s back in the squad for tonights crucial Europa fixture. The Frenchman creates chances, he works hard and personally, I think he’s crucial to this Arsenal team. His conversion rate could be a lot better but that’s an Arsenal problem in general. We’re creating them, just not tucking enough of them away.
It’s simple tonight, we can’t concede goals, certainly not more than one and that’s only if we score more than three. We don’t want the game to go into extra time that’s for sure because just one goal from Rennes would be a disaster. With Sokratis banned for this one, we need a big game from Mustafi. Just writing his name brings me out in hives…
We need a big game from everyone, the kind of performance which saw us beat Man Utd last weekend, a victory the media still can’t seem get their head around.
An early goal would be the perfect start, two would be even better because Rennes will need to score to progress. A probable defensive setup by the visitors will have to change which will open up the gaps for us to exploit. Hopefully anyway.
Eleven v eleven at home should be a totally different game to the one which unfolded in France last week. Up until Sokratis was sent off, we were comfortable to say the least and a goal to the good. I very much doubt Rennes would have travelled to north London with such an advantage had they not been up against ten men. Admittedly, the way we went to pieces after the sending off didn’t help our cause nor did going in search of a goal at 2-1.
We’ll need to be disciplined tonight in every sense of the word. Tight at the back, win the midfield contest and for once, take the chances we create. Unai Emery has made it clear to everyone what he wants from tonight:
I want to play matches that are difficult, with difficult results or with difficult players. Tomorrow (today) is one match. We need to be together and create a big atmosphere in the Emirates with our supporters to help us to do the best performance possible in 90 minutes.
We need to play with high emotion with our supporters but taking decisions on the pitch cleverly with our mind. This is both important issues that we need to control over 90 minutes and maybe more. We want to control but we want to build on the game because this result is giving us one long match tomorrow.
Arsenal.com
In other words, he wants the home fans loud and proud, he wants the players ready and up for this match and for the two groups to feed off each other and get the job done.
Petr Cech will certainly be hoping we do, otherwise for him, it could be his last match before retiring in the summer. Personally, I think he’ll be playing a few more Europa fixtures yet…
We’ve seen some really good performances from Arsenal at The Emirates this season. I hope this one tonight adds to the list.
See you in the comments guys.
Morning Rico. We really need to win this one to make up for last week’s debacle.
I fear a grand hurrah with a late goal for Rennes leaving us deflated.. Maybe that’s me just putting up insurance against the feelings of despair that I will feel if I am correct.
Happy that I am with Lacazette’s availability I don’t think it will be enough to counter the failings at the back.
Personally I would play the best we have available and means that Cech would have to be sidelined . Tonight is too important for our future to sit on a pre season promise that he will play in the cups , we need our best to be our best to reverse the situation .
Sadly I can’t see it happening despite that I will be delighted if it did.
Morning Gooner’s
Morning Rico.
Arsenal have a terrible record in european football, I’m not sure why because I saw the way Liverpool dealt with Bayern and thought why can’t Arsenal do that, or have done it on a regular basis in the past, we’re a bigger club than Liverpool despite their European Cup wins?
But here we are, clearly worried about Rennes, flippin’ Rennes ffs, not PSG or Marseilles or even Monaco, but Rennes, the French equivalent of Crystal Palace. Why is this?
Personally I think we should be thinking in terms of putting 4 or 5 goals past them, after all we haven’t really tested their goalkeepers yet. They’ll know that they’re on the cusp of a famous victory so how is that going to effect them? Last week they had a raucous crowd roaring them on, this week it’ll be the reverse, how will their nerve cope?
I think we should go at them, all guns blazing, play Lacazette and Aubameyang, wing backs, Ramsey, Ozil even, but I’m sure that Emery will make changes, he always does…
Torrieira was next to Emery in his press conference yesterday, so he’ll probably start alongside Xhaka, with an eye towards protecting our Sokratisless defence…
Morning Adam, Potter and all.
Even with Mustafi, I can’t see us failing tonight. We’re different at home I think.
3-0 is my tip.
They’ll sit deep, we will ruin them.
Morning all
Kev, possibly because history says we’re poor in Europe. Our away form has been pants all season but at home, we’ve done ok, certainly after the City game and especially against the’better’ teams.
It seems to me that not all of our players can motivate themselves unless the game is a big one and it’s been that way for a long time.
This one tonight is big. They’ll be up for thins I reckon.
The only way we can win the game against Rennes is if we don’t put Cech in goal. We must have another goalie who can play and actually try to keep out the opposition. Cech has admitted that he doesn’t like the hard work that he has to do under Emery, so why doesn’t he hang up his boots now!
Didn’t he make a few crucial saves against them last week?
A high level performance is what we need. Nothing less. All the same, I can’t see Rennes beating us at home. It will, in fact be a herculean task for PSG which is on top of League one, not to talk of Rennes which is in 8th position. Score more, concede none and we blow them away.
I know that Rico, but why are we poor in Europe, look at Tottenham, they’re doing fine, Liverpool always do well, but we’re pants and I don’t know why?
We don’t seem to have any tradition in european competitions, I never hear Arsenal fans talking about or looking forward to european nights at Highbury/Emirates, it’s more about the FACup than europe, it’s all a bit odd if you ask me…
This season will mark the 25th anniversary since Arsenal won their last and only second european trophy, for a club of our size it’s pathetic…
Agree about our away form Rico, but it’s been pants for awhile, yet, long before this season. We still have the bulk of our players from the previous regime and what good memories do they have from previous away games. It’s not as if they can travel to the Etihad or Anfield or WHL or Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford with good vibes about those grounds. Funny how one of our best away performances was at Wembley, where we’ve had plenty of greats days to look back on and psychologically use as motivation and belief, not so Anfield, which has been a graveyard for Arsenal teams in recent years.
This season Arsenal went 9 games unbeaten after the loss at Stamford Bridge, Cech in goal and all, until we lost Rob Holding and were defeated at St Mary’s, not a lucky ground in recent years. I mean we won in Sporting, first ever away win in Portugal among those 9 games and with the notable exception of Anfield we’ve competed at the grounds of all the other top six.
I think a lot of the problems of our players are between their ears and it’s taken Emery all season to try and change that, it’s not going to happen in a few months.
You can see the psychological effect on Tottenham, builtto ultimately fail.
And Liverpool, who we know will blow the EPL at the 11th hour, that’ll be 29 years since they were champions. It’s in their heads…
If Arsenal could win a european trophy you’d see a different mindset from the players, staff and fans. Liverpool fans believe they can win the CL, they have history in it and they drive their players on accordingly, we never believed it and still don’t. It’s in our heads. 😉
I don’t have the answer Kev. It’s weird that’s for sure.
Just a thought Kev, perhaps it’s not so much the players but the manager. We’ve not had one who has won in Europe for years. Until now…
How can players believe they can win it if the manager hasn’t? After all, Wenger knew how to win the FA Cup.. 😜
Still struggling in coming to terms with Rennes even having a team playing in Europe if I’m honest !
Don’t know how we got the ban reduced, a big bonus for us, 14 goals & 11 assists this season ain’t so bad is it, the Rennes manager definately has the hump about it, Iwobi’s away goal could be crucial come the end of the nite,
rico, i’d take hives over heart palpitations any day of the week !
C’mon Arsenal.
Chelsea cruising this evening, the walking lamp post has a hattrick already.
Arsenal to win, but it could be close. I’m a bit nervous to be honest.
COYGS.
I’d rather neither Micko, however…
Here we go then, 90 mins of something.
2 down, 2 to go.
Jake Humphrey wants our second goal disallowed I’m sure. Chump!
Excellent result. Night..
Some good stuff. Some bad, but also some unprofessional nonsense too.
But we’re through.
We are through but I think the two last goals were off-side
Inter and Sevilha dropped.
No preferences for next round-
If Aubameyang takes those two late chances it’s 5-0 and Emery could light up a cigar.
Can’t do it the easy way can we, gotta keep us hanging on?
Anyway, we’re through and I would imagine most of the teams left won’t fancy facing us.
Whoever we get will be difficult, Napoli would do me…
Good result, just what we needed. Lousy WiFi here I’try again later.
New post up now.