Morning all.
One defeat does not a season make! I know we have had more than one defeat this season but if one took any notice of what the football outlets have to say, Arsenal might as well give up on the three competitions we as a club are still in. Will the title race be affected by our loss in the Carabao Cup, will Southampton suddenly thrash us off the park and will we lose our next few Premier League fixtures and hand title on a plate to Man City? It seems the answer to all three is a resounding yes. It’s not of course, as in two weeks time it’ll be back to business for Arsenal because that’s what good footballers do. Head up, keep calm, carry on and do not let one defeat in a Carabao Cup Final define a season.
The media are simply judging this Arsenal on previous seasons and how we faded away when the going got tough. Of course time will only prove whether or not today’s Arsenal is stronger and more prepared but one thing we do know is that the squad is stronger and deeper than it’s been before under Mikel Arteta. What we saw on Sunday though, in my opinion anyway, was a lack of flexibility from the sidelines. All it needed was a message from the manager or his staff about how to beat City at their own game. They packed the midfield, we resorted to hoof ball in attempt to bypass it. It didn’t work, in fact it played into City’s hands. Arteta appeared to have no answer which I think is a concern. Something to work on over the next two weeks perhaps.
Jurrien Timber and Ebere Eze missed Sundays match through injury as a result of which neither have been called up for their respective countries. Yesterday, Gabriel, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard withdrew from international duty too, all three having picked up injuries. Allegedly.
Many other Arsenal players will be away on international duty though. Ben White has finally been welcomed back into the England camp but he won’t see Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice right away as they won’t be joining their teammates until the weekend so thankfully, will only play one fixture at most. David Raya, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Christhian Mosquera will all be away for the next ten days. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Tommy Setford will be with the Under 21’s while Max Dowman will be with the Under 19’s.
Most, if not all of the above fixtures are friendlies, so I really hope the international managers are sensible with their team selections over the two games.
Our next game is on the south coast against Southampton. The only positive I can think about them is that they are fighting hard to end the season in playoff spot which might be a distraction going into this game. They currently sit 6th but with Wrexham level on points, Derby County just three points behind in 8th and with just seven games to go, I’d imagine promotion is more important than the FA Cup.
Likewise, I’d imagine both the Premier League and Champions League sits higher in the list of priorities for Mikel Arteta. However, if you were in his place, would you field our strongest team on April 4th, including David Raya in goal?
Lastly, good luck to the women’s team who take on Chelsea tonight in the Champions League quarterfinals 1st leg at The Emirates. Disney+ are broadcasting the match which is good news for Sky Sports subscribers as they’ve added Disney for free…
Catch up in the comments.
Morning, love the old photo. Rix, Rice and knew the face, then maybe it came, Brian Talbot?
For me Raya all the way now, shame for Kepa but Arteta owes the fans more than 2nd goalie.
Morning.
Going forward Arteta has to play his best players from the start to get those goals in within the first 45 mins to put on pressure. No letting the heart rule the head. Not to leave changes so late in the game if it is not going to plan. Fix it there and then if it is not working – don’t just stand there hoping it will right itself! Let the Caraboa Final be a lesson.
Now is the time to prove everyone wrong – they have not bottled it!
Raya HAS TO BE our Goalkeeper for every match. It is now tough so Arsenal need to be tough. This way we can win the Prem as well as the FA Cup and The Champs League. They just have to put their minds to it and play with aggression, style and confidence throughout each match. Yes players make mistakes, but if any one of them does, they need to get a grip and get back on board asap.
Come on Arsenal show the world what you are really made of. You know you are so capable of winning silverware so get on with it!
Haha, hovered over the photo with mouse and all was revealed 🙂
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, good post…
I’d pick Raya in goal for the rest of this season but I suspect that Arteta will pick Kepa at St Mary’s, the rest of the team should be heavily rotated because the main dish on the menu is our visit to Sporting on the 7th April, two weeks away. I doubt that the Sporting manager or his players have the same acumen to replicate what Pep and his mob did to us at Wembley, but I saw them whop the Scandinavians in the last round so they’ll be a tough assignment.
Morning Andrew, Laura, Kev and all.
I’ll find a few more if I can Andrew. 😂
Raya for me too and pray he doesn’t get injured.
Like you though Kev, I think Arteta will go with Kepa.
“ don’t just stand there hoping it will right itself! Let the Carabao Final be a lesson.”
Well said Laura.
G’day all.
100% Raya all the way, all the games. If we’re five nil up with ten minutes to go, perhaps bring on Kepa, or better still, Tommy Setford.
Ben White has come in for some, unwarranted, stick this morning over his World Cup walk out in Qatar in 2022. At the time it was announced by the F A and Arsenal that it was due to personal reasons. Now, however, The Telegraph’s Jason Burt is hinting that may not have been the real reason and wants Ben to talk to the press and explain exactly what happened.
Well Mr Burt you can stick your big stirring spoon where the sun doesn’t shine!
Incidentally, the Arsenal/Chelsea match is live on BBC 2 too.
Even better Cicero, no adverts. Thanks.
Totally agree re Mr Burt, whatever went on, it’s none of his business!
Better still Rico no Gary Neville. 😉
Wtf is Jason Burt? Who decided to make him the NUJ spokesman (or person, I don’t wanna trigger any snowflakes – well I do actually).
Don’t click on the Telegraph website, don’t let them earn revenue off of the back of our misery.
Jason Burt
,
Born in Scotland worked for 3 years for the Liverpool Echo but strangely is widely believed to be a Millwall supporter.
Work that one out.
Good point Cicero. Lol
He speaks with forked tongue….
Thanks Rico. Fine, encouraging post. You are right, Southampton have every chance of making the play offs and are likely to have only one eye on the Cup game agin us.
I see PSG are up to their old tricks seeking to get the Lens fixture postponed so they can be fresh for the Liverpool encounter. They managed to get a postponement for the match v Nantes between the last 16 games v Chelsea, but now, it seems the French League are standing firm. UEFA should really step in and make a ruling here.
I recall LG commenting back on BK on how the likes of PSG and Bayern come into the knock out phase of the CL as lean mean rested machines due to a number of circumstances including some which most certainly give them an unfair advantage over the English clubs.
Carabao? We got schooled by a Godan, a 5th dan black belt of a tactician. Right from the off when he named Trafford early, Pep was in charge of this match. Putting aside the fact that he has always coached monied clubs the man has an undeniable genius for football.
Our saving grace? We won’t get caught like possums in the headlights again. Mikel is an obsessive learner. This “ouch” moment is a step forward on the learning curve.
COY Lady G’s. We have the match on ESPN down here, and it’s a rainy day, so I have every excuse to be indoors in front of the telly…
Don’t they all do that Stuart, barring the PL clubs of course.
I hope Arteta has learned from Sundays experience, his first time of losing at Wembley apparently.
It was, Rico, and he will. He has pulled five of our starting X1 out of the internationals, showing some cojones in the process. Zubi could have done with some rest, but like Declan will likely only play one of the games.
Southampton, Sporting and then a game v Bournemouth which, win it will take us 12 points clear. Chelsea play City that matchday and Spurs could drop into the bottom three.
The past is another country, mate. The future is all red and white.
Unless you are a rugby fan, and then the future is All Black. Right, LG?
I hope it’s a case of just withdrawing from International duty to be smart rather than players actually being injured. I thought that last time but it turned out the injuries were real.
I wish I could share your optimism about Arteta learning…
Salah has announced he’s leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Chloe Kelly, what a strike! 2-0
Set piece goal, too, Rico. Fine performance so far.
Don’t have the ESPN subscription, so no WCL for me tonight.
It so happens I’m watching the re-run of Waratahs-Blues on Canal, Stu. Your boy AJ Lam is frighteningly good, isn’t he?
Rumour has it he’ll play in the Top14 (Clermont?) next season; if this is true he just might take ’em back to Bègles-Bordeaux and Toulouse level …
Couldn’t quite believe that VAR decision tho’, Rico.
Yeh, LG. Lam is a name familiar to Blues fans. Nephew of Pat Lam. He’s a big lad and came through the highly regarded St Peters College academy.
Me neither Stuart, very soft.
Lovely strike from Russo. 3-1 to take to the Bridge. Our ladies love this C.L.
Great result…
Worrying rumours that Eze could be out for between 4 to 6 weeks, so for pretty much the rest of the season given that he isn’t going to return as sharp as he was and when he got injured as it will take a couple of games for him to get anywhere close to his recent form. fml…
Meanwhile Ethan is twiddling his thumbs on the Med
Good morning all.
Excellent result for our women, even better when we see how badly Chelsea are moaning groaning, they should be grateful that James wasn’t sent off for a second booking before she scored, that would have really pissed off the Chelsea head coach.
Fantastic goal by Chloe Kelly.
Perhaps we’ll see a bit more of Max Dowman, Kev.
I read the Eze story yesterday, I just hope it’s a load of tosh. If not then perhaps there’s an opening for MLS in midfield. That is unless Odegaard is close to a return and can be rotated with Havertz. Not that Odegaard is going to firing in all cylinders from the moment he returns.
Totally agree re Lauren James, another Chelsea thug in a football kit imo.
Morning guys.
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, I hope that the Eze story is an exaggeration but it was reported on the BBC website – mind you, they’re just as bad as everyone else.
Yes Rico, Myles in midfield might be the way to go, he’s been seriously underused as has Norgaard and to a degree Madueke.
Morning Rico/everyone
Good that so many players have withdrawn from these pointless friendlies,although as said you hope there are no big injuries. Even minor injuries can go on and on. If Eze is out (or even if not) we could do with Odegaard back,pretty sure we were told that injury was minor.
I was with my Grandchildren at the weekend,I didn’t see the game live. Son in law (Man United fan) kept me updated,from 0 – 0 at half time it seemed to be 2 – 0 in no time. I’ve seen the whole thing now,one of those days,just forget it and move on.
Gary Neville and his cronies can eat their words.
I would go with Raya for the FA Cup too,unfortunately I think Southampton will be right up for this one,the game is in the 8.00 slot which means their fans will be boozed up. The team are wearing a special kit because it’s 50 years since their famous FA Cup win,Laurie McMenemy anyone? What a character he was.
Having just watched the brief BBC highlights of the women’s game I’ve gotta say that Arsenal were lucky, Chelsea’s first disallowed goal was a goal whilst the second was borderline, I thought the Arsenal goalkeeper needed to do better with James’ goal and Chelsea hit the post twice!
This tie is far from over, but Arsenal’s first goal was a cracker and Russo showed the benefit of taking the shot early, one touch then bang, Martinelli take note…
Morning Kev, Limey..
As the saying goes, when one door shuts…
My worry is that either Havertz will be overplayed, Odegaard rushed back or worse still, Trossard will fill in as previously seen.
James’ goal landed in the perfect position imo, not sure even Raya would have got his fingertips to it.
I think Raya would have moved quicker and tipped the ball around the post, the shot/lob seemed to hang in the air for ages, it reminded me of Seaman and Nayim, mind you Nayim put some velocity behind his shot.
It was a good performance by the ladies team but Chelsea look stronger.
You’re harsh Kev. 😜
Harsh but fair Rico 😁
Well, that’s a matter of opinion Kev. 😂
You’re very harsh Rico 😂
Now now you two, play nicely. 😉
Good night Gooners, everywhere. 😴
Morning Gooners, it’s feels a bit like the close season to me with everything on hold. Given the world situation it’s quite busy in town atm but an increase of 30p a litre of derv is painful.
The term profiteering springs to mind.
Always Cicero. lol
Morning Kev, all.
Feels the same to me, a lull before the final two months of storm.
I see that Salah is considering a whopping great offer to sign for the Saudi Pro League, has anyone told him that there is a war going on in the region?
Hopefully it’ll be over soon Cicero, however…
Ukraine 1 Gyökeres 3
Nørgaard on the scoresheet for Denmark, too …
One a poachers effort running on to an early cross then a run into the box with defenders around and then a penalty that took the net into the stands .Keeper did well to avoid it , it would have hurt if he got in the way.
The second one was classy, wasn’t it?
The outside-of-the-foot first touch and the delicate TH14 special might have been his two lightest touches of the season. The way he went from the one to the other in no time, a one-step thing really, as well as the cool head and keen eye he kept, at full speed, with defenders breathing down his neck into a tiny pocket of space; well … I found all of this very impressive indeed.
That’s what I’d been expecting from him since day one. It’s never too late to deliver, and certainly not at the start of such a run-in for us. As for the pens, I really do love the way he takes ’em. I can’t stand those fancy runs, “Panenkas”, etc. etc. Run straight and fast, strike with venom-ferocity, score … No quantum physics degree needed, is there?
Morning guys.
New post up.