Morning all.
It’s hard to believe that the end of this 2021/22 season is nearly over yet there’s still so much on offer for a number of clubs in England and abroad. The Premier League is a two-horse race between Man City and Liverpool which could yet go down to the final game, fourth spot appears to be between ourselves and Totts with Man Utd and West Ham battling to secure the final Europa League place, joining whichever of the two clubs who finish fifth.
At the other end of the table, Everton could find themselves in the Championship next season if they’re not careful whilst Burnley, a club heavily criticised for sacking Sean Dyche, have climbed out of the relegation places. Just.
In the Championship, my local club Reading, despite a huge points deduction, have managed to avoid relegation but in the top of the top half of the table, Bournemouth and Huddersfield are scrapping it out for second place and automatic promotion to the Premier League. Otherwise, the playoffs will be their only hope. With two games in hand over Huddersfield, the south coast club look favourites to win that little battle. It’s funny though how things go in football as Eddie Howe, sacked after Bournemouth were relegated, is now at one of the Premier League’s richest clubs, Newcastle Utd. But for their takeover, they’d probably be heading towards the Championship by now.
This week it’s all about European football as both the the Champions League and Europa Cup semi-final first leg fixtures take place.
Champions League
Tonight – Man City v Real Madrid
Tomorrow – Liverpool v Villarreal
Thursday – Europa
RB Leizbeig v Rangers
West Ham v Frankfurt
Europa Conference League
Feyenoord v Marseille
Leicester City v Roma
In one way or another, all the fixtures above are of interest to Arsenal. Leicester City and Liverpool have to play Totts in the league, we have to play West Ham, Unai Emery and his club face Man City and William Saliba along with Matteo Guendouzi will be playing against Feyenoord. AMN could make an appearance for Roma and lastly there’s our old left back, Giovanni van Bronckhorst who will be hoping to win the Europa League with Rangers. Ok, I’m scratching my head over the City v Real interest, other than it should be the best game to watch out of all of them, on paper at least.
Is it wrong for me to hope for an all Spanish Champions League Final and an all German Europa League Cup Final? Feyenoord for the Europa Conference Cup too because Reiss Nelson is on loan there.
One Premier League fixture takes place this week as Chelsea travel to Old Trafford on Thursday. A Chelsea victory would pretty much end Utd’s hopes of getting into Europe next season and help Arsenal in securing theirs. Aim for 3rd of course, but if it’s 5th, so be it. As long as we put up a good fight in each of the remaining fixtures left. Mathematically, top four is in our own hands but I still think ourselves and Totts will drop points when least expected. Whichever group of players wants that 4th place the most will play its part, as will the officials no doubt.
Thomas Partey is ahead of schedule with his recovery according to NewsNow headlines. He’s back running but even so, there’s a vast difference between running and playing. If he’s back for the last couple of games it’ll be a huge bonus, if he’s back for the NLD, even better but that fixture is just two weeks away so it’s very unlikely.
See you in the comments guys.
Morning Rico, I was thinking of Remi Moses, a dirty little git, him and Norman Whiteside were a nasty pair of assassins, I remember them doing Steve Williams at Highbury.
Good post Rico, I’d like to see the English clubs win all three as long as it doesn’t affect Arsenal’s position. Leicester and West Ham in Europe next season will put a strain on their resources in a season when Arsenal will have to be dealing with extra games, hopefully?
Reading? They’re bust by all accounts. The only thing saving them is Derby being even more bust. How Derby were allowed to stay in the Championship with all that debt etc is a complete joke.
If clubs can’t afford to pay the monthly salaries they need to sell the players or fold. That’s how business works.
Maybe the new ‘fan-led’ governing body will shake things up a bit. I’m not holding my breath though.
Going back to yesterday for a moment, Burnley have a Pope in goal. 😉
‘morning Rico ‘morning Kev.
@Kev
Norman Whiteside – what a nasty piece of work. One of the dirtiest players of the 80’s. Out of the game at 25…what a shame…
There’s footage of a game at Old Trafford v Arsenal in 87 where he should have been sent off multiple times, but somehow stays on the pitch.
Morning Kev, thanks. I forget about him. There’s been and still is, a few nasty players around..
I think the English clubs winning will effect us unless we secure 4th.
Reading need a new owner Pete, some of the goings on with players has be4n terrible. It’s not been the same since Madejski sold up.
Morning Cicero, ha ha re Pope.
Hi Rico
Reading were bankrolled by your Maj for a long time. The current owner sounds half Chinese half Welsh. Unlikely to be around for a long time.
A quick look at the figures: £100m in debt, outgoings twice income. I expect they will be in League 1 very soon.
It’s about time clubs started to follow the rules of business and lived within their means. Players are paid artificially high wages that clubs cannot afford.
There’s footage of a game at Old Trafford v Arsenal in 87 where he should have been sent off multiple times, but somehow stays on the pitch.
Par for the course at Old Trafford , Fergie had a stranglehold on the referee community as witnessed by game 50 . This why Scholes and Ferdinand are so upset as Liverpool have taken over as the PGMOL’s favourite team.
Hi Pete. I agree re the spending, 100%. What irks me is lower league clubs receive points deduction whereas the big clubs seem to get away with it.
Football league / Premier League . Different attitudes to the game I am afraid . Premier league is all about the money.
Totally agree. Whatever happened to fairness eh..
Good points, Rico. We have a statistical 75% probability for a Europa Conference League winning Arsenal player, even if we exclude Guendouzi.
Regarding the CL I would rather see a Man City Villareal final.
I wouldn’t mind that final Pbarany.
@ Pete
The game I’m thinking of was the last season with Don Howe in charge, John Cartwright was the Coach, it must have been 1985/86, Whiteside, Robson and Moses targeted Steve Williams and I think we lost 1-2, but Paul Davis was brilliant as I recall.
Evening all.
Nobody mentioned Abraham, in yesterdays post. I would have done so but I couldn’t get my keyboard up😵💫
The City v Real game was entertaining, I didn’t expect that scoreline. The Oilers will struggle to get through to the final. Great goal by Jesus.
Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores was pictured in training with Mexico on Monday, after receiving a call-up for their upcoming fixture.
Mexico will play a friendly match against Guatemala at 01:30 BST on Thursday, 28th April, and Flores is part of a 20-man squad preparing for the game.
Given the club season is still going on, it’s not going to be a full-strength Mexico side. But it’s another opportunity for Flores to show what he can do with his national team.
Flores made his senior international debut in a friendly match against Chile in December, coming off the bench for the final minutes of a 2-2 draw.
The winger has since been involved in Arsenal’s Premier League squad, making the bench earlier this month. Though he’s yet to appear on the pitch for the Gunners.
With a total of 19 goals and assists for the Arsenal academy this season, Flores has been catching the eye at youth level. There’s talk that he might get a chance with the Arsenal first team in pre-season.
(From: Daily Cannon)
Real’s defence was pretty porous too so the return will be interesting . If City go forward it could be another high scoring result.
Good afternoon Rico and all
Is there any news about Saka injury.
I hope no English sides win Europa or champions league so that way there is no chance of us missing out if we finish 4th or 5th not to mention listening to the Liver pool fans carrying on about how good they are.
Morning Geoff, all.
New post up now