Morning all.
West Ham v Arsenal has thrown up a few classics over the years but last season’s was not one of them. Even Mikel Arteta admitted after the game that his team hadn’t played very well. We’d won, thanks to goals from Rob Holding and Gabriel but a classic it was not. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Arsenal manager said:
We didn’t play so well. If I have to use a word it would be we won ugly. Big teams have to find a way to win ugly when they don’t play well. We found a way through set pieces and defending strongly. To win here at West Ham is credit to boys and shows the spirit we have.
Back then, Arsenal were still in with a good chance of securing a top four sport and West Ham were not only still competing in the Europa League but sat in seventh place. Less than a year later, David Moyes side is in a relegation battle although they’re doing well in the Europa League and have a chance of progressing through to the semi-final if they beat Gent in London next Thursday. Personally, I think they’ll stay up and I hope they do if it means one of Everton, Leeds or Nottingham Forest go down. Leicester City and Southampton look as if they already have one foot in the Championship.
West Ham took an absolute pasting in their last home match as Newcastle Utd romped to a 5-1 victory. Apparently, David Moyes’ defence was all over the place and the defensive play in general was error strewn.
Arsenal’s defending last weekend wasn’t the best it’s been at times this season either. Gabriel will be disappointed he couldn’t prevent Salah from scoring and I’d imagine there was a conversation after the game about who should have been marking Firmino for Liverpool’s equaliser. Talking of which, William Saliba isn’t available for tomorrow’s game but in his press conference yesterday, Mikel Arteta hinted that he could be back soon:
William is still not available. He’s progressing well and we are hopeful we’ll have him available in the next few weeks, but we’ll have to see. He’s not far from starting to do that [return to training]. Obviously we need to be cautious because of the injury, but he’s evolving well.
Ideally, he be back in time for the Man City game but unless he makes an appearance on Friday in our game against Southampton, I can’t see him making the trip to Manchester. In my opinion, there is zero chance of Mikel Arteta taking any kind of risk with him, nor any other player for that matter. Also, when it comes to what Mikel Arteta tells the media, I take it most of what he says with a huge pinch of salt. He’s not going to let Guardiola know what his squad/team might be, just as he’s not going to give Southampton manager Ruben Selles any kind of hint as to who might play on Friday night. After all, it wasn’t long ago Leandro Trossard was rumoured to be out for a few weeks but in the next game, there he was…
One player who is definitely back fit and available for selection is Eddie Nketiah.
This is the penultimate London derby of the season with just Chelsea left to play and so far, we’ve not lost any. I’d be writing that we’d won them all had it not been for a huge VAR mistake against Brentford but winning the last two is crucial for our title challenge. We can’t afford to drop any more points.
Regardless of where West Ham are in the league, tomorrow’s game will be tough.
It will be a very difficult game. We know, we’ve been there a few times and we always find really tricky and difficult games. I know David really well and how he’s going to prepare for the game as well, and we are ready. It’s going to be a fight; it’s going to be another big derby for us and we’re going to be at our best to win it. Mikel Arteta
The same can be said about each of the remaining eight fixtures we have because other clubs aren’t going to step aside and let us breeze through to victory. We’ll have to fight hard for every point there is on offer.
Match Officials…
Referee: David Coote
Assistant Referees: Lee Betts and Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: Stuart Attwell
VAR: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis
John Brooks is the official Howard Webb had to punish after he inserted the offside lines in the wrong place when Brighton played Crystal Palace earlier in the season. The error cost Brighton two points on the same weekend Lee Mason made his monumental error for Brentford’s equaliser against us. David Coote officiated our FA Cup match against Oxford after which, the FA charged Arsenal for their protesting a decision with a bit too much enthusiasm. Bless him eh.
Anyway, Man City take on Leicester City later today, maybe new manager Dean Smith can cause an upset. Let’s hope so.
Catch up later.
Good morning Rico, all to play for in the rest of our games this season. We may well need a bit of help from other clubs that can take a point or three off City. Unfortunately I can’t sea it happening this weekend. Leicester’s new manager, Dean Smith, didn’t pull up any tree stumps while at Norwich City and, in the opinion of many Canary fans left the club in a decidedly worse condition than when he arrived.
Hi Rico and all you lovely Arsenal fans,
Hope you have been keeping well Rico,
The remaining games are all going to be tough, as all teams in the Prem are all, on the day, capable of beating each other. I think that we will go all out tomorrow to get the 3 points, following the draw at Anfield. Maybe Dean Smith and John Terry (🥴) can galvanise Leicester later, and get them playing with some pride and fight. Can only hope.
Morning Cicero, Marinello, all.
Didn’t Dean Smith do well in the PL before, before he was sacked that is. Lol
Not bad thanks Marinello, hope all is well with you too.
Morning Rico. Three points tomorrow and anything less in this game would be a disaster really. One game to the next now. Still, we have a lot to play for this season and though that brings its own pressures it’s where we need to be.
Newcastle really are a dirty side these days..
Morning Adam, yep, agree.
Great goal from Watkins after having one disallowed..
Afternoon Rico and all.
I always hate playing teams that are fighting for survival this late in the season as they seem to pick up that lucky win.
Is it better to play the teams struggling to avoid relegation, the teams competing for the top six, or the mid-table sides with nothing to play for which might lead us to take three points against them for granted.
Hi Geoff, I think any side is difficult to play against at this stage of the season. Even those with nothing to play for as with the pressure off, they can play better.
Welbeck has only been on the pitch a few minutes and he’s made it 1-1 v Chelsea.
Tottenham v Bournemouth 1 all at half time
Chelsea and Totts trailing 2-1..
Chelsea lose again… lol
Totts lost too.
One point away from St Totts Day. 😂
115 cheating charges and you still get all the decisions.
Yep, offside wasn’t it?
This could be double figures
I switched off Rico😀
Me too now Adam.
Well it looks like Dean Smith has failed to create any improvement in his new team. I’m sure the Leicester fans would have liked to see some sort of reaction from their team, but it looks like a “dead cat bounce” is the best they can expect.
Half-time 3 – 0 and City are coasting at less than half pace.
If the title does go down to goal difference we won’t be anywhere near a chance of winning.
Haaland is just incredible.
Surely today is St Tottsday Rico. They’ve played 32 games and have 53 points if they win all of their 6 remaining games they will finish with 71 points. We already have 73.
I thought they’d played 31 Cicero
Hopefully, it’ll be tomorrow. Not that I give a toot but I just want us to win.
City 8 -Arsenal 3 penalties that is.
Why doesn’t that surprise me..
I still think penalty goals should not be counted for the golden boot, they should have a separate section for the best penalty taker.
Bit unfair when someone scores say 15 goals in play and no penalty shots, then get beat by someone who scores 16 goals but 10 of them are penalties.
Geoff I agree about the penalties.
In theory if you get enough penalties over the course of the season again in theory the goal keeper could win the golden boot.