Morning all.
The penultimate day of Arsenal’s season is here as we face Manchester Utd at Old Trafford. Win and there’s still an ounce of hope, draw or lose and that’s it. Lose and we’ll need a win on the final day to secure second place should Liverpool beat Villa tomorrow.
Utd have had an awful season as far as Premier League goes with their last ten fixtures pretty much summing things up. Just two wins have come from those games, the worst result being at Crystal Palace when they were battered 4-0. Ten Hag has had to deal with a number of injuries of late but it seems that a few will be back for this match. Rashford, Mctominay, Fernandes are likely to be in the squad but Martinez isn’t ready yet according to ten Hag and Mount and Shaw have been ruled out entirely. Kambwala, Lindelof, Maguire and Varane are expected to be missing too.
Arsenal have a couple of injury concerns too as Bukayo Saka is feeling the after effects of a few hefty challenges during the Bournemouth game and Takehiro Tomiyasu missed midweek training. Late decisions will be made on both.
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke has given his tactical assessment of Utd on Arsenal.com:
Ten Hag has yet to implement a clear tactical philosophy, so it is not easy to pin a label on United. In some matches they dominate possession, but in others they play on the counter. On occasion they press, but they don’t consistently apply that approach either. What we do know is that they usually start in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and looking at their other home fixtures against the leading sides, I would expect us to dictate the pattern of the game. Ten Hag does have a plethora of talented players, and that is the biggest cause of concern. Fernandes has created more chances than anyone else in the Premier League this term so needs shackling, Hojlund and Rashford have pace to burn on the counter, and no-one across the league has created more chances from ball carries than Garnacho.
However, conceding chances and goals has been a huge problem, and the Red Devils have at times looked disorganised and very uncertain in their off-the-ball work. Opta’s expected goals against metric claims they should have conceded at least 15 more times than they have – this is the largest discrepancy of its kind in the division. United’s defending has been poor in recent weeks, with many players looking disillusioned and way below their best. If we can move the ball at a high tempo, with as much quality as we have seen of late, then I would expect us to comfortably create 20-plus shots. It feels like a great opportunity for us to claim a rare win at Old Trafford.
Man City won their game yesterday as I think every Arsenal fan assumed they would so we need a win just to take the title challenge to the final day of the season. Scrap that, blow the title challenge I just want Arsenal to rock up at Old Trafford and tear ten Hag’s side to pieces. They’re in a mess, their season has been average and on the pitch, they’ve looked lost and out of ideas.
But, they’re still Man Utd, we’re still playing at Old Trafford and one just knows that for this game, they’ll be a bit more motivated. I don’t think for one minute that Utd fans will care if City win the league as they’re probably used to it by now, they’ll just want their team to beat us today.
One can hope the Utd players couldn’t care less about today and play rubbish, especially if the rumours about them being fed up with ten Hag are true but expecting that of them is nearly as bonkers as believing Totts can beat City on Tuesday. Expecting ten Hag to be thinking about the FA Cup Final rather than today would be foolhardy too. He needs a response from his players after being humiliated by Crystal Palace and the media afterwards.
Today is about Arsenal turning up and getting the business done confidently and convincingly before leaving Manchester with another three points in the bag.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico.
A win this afternoon guarantees us second place an outcome any of us would have gladly taken back at the start of the season. It would also add a bit of pressure on City before their Tuesday night trip to the wrong end of Seven Sisters Road. Should they drop a point or three it would make the title ours to lose.
Whatever the points tally from our two remaining matches we can only be proud of the way our club has performed throughout the Premiership season.
Can we win this afternoon? YES WE CAN!!!
Morning Rico and all,
Looking at the way Fulham played and allowed city to score and considering how the league have docket Everton and Forest but taken no action against city, explains why they are happy for city to break records and add more silerware to there collection.
Morning Cicero, Geoff.
I think so too. I thought after last season’s disappointing end, the players might feel a bit downbeat but instead, it’s been the opposite. Having an almost fully fit squad for much of the season has helped, as has the signing of Rice and Havertz.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Arsenal do this summer..
Morning Rico and Congregation…
Play the team not the shirt, that should be the mantra, but if you’re a Man United player or fan you’ll put all your differences to one side today because it’s Arsenal.
They would love nothing but to be the team that ended our title hopes (50th game anyone?) and their prick of a manager has this ego thing with Arteta even if he uses Arsenal as the cover stick or schtick.
EtH looks a very very odd man, the kind of picture you would conjure up in your mind to how a kiddy fiddler would look. He’s had this obsession with Arsenal since Man Utd kicked lumps out of us last pre-season, treating a tour match as if it was a title decider and I expect another robust performance from the Salford Cloggers this afternoon.
Man United will be up for the game, the Old Toilet fans will be up for it too and the referee is Mr Dodgy himself, Paul Tierney, so it’s a perfect storm.
Given the emotional blow of seeing the 115 cheats go above us and the bear pit we’re going into it’s impossible to be confident because a PGMOL sponsored by Middle East money will always make you suspicious of nefarious forces behind the scenes spinning it’s web.
Arsenal have to be true to their style, dominate possession and above all be clinical in front of goal. It’s going to be a tough tough afternoon, edge of your seat stuff and that’s why I’m going for a 0-4 win for the Gunners.
Morning Kev.
Did you see the Dermot Gallagher ref review of that 50th game? Talk about adding insult to injury.
I hope your score prediction is somewhere near the truth..
Officials for today…..
Referee: Paul Tierney (pictured). Assistants: Scott Ledger, Mat Wilkes. Fourth official: Darren Bond. VAR: John Brooks. Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis.
Can’t believe a referee from Manchester will officiate the Totts v City game.. Second thoughts, I can….
Should it be the case that Saka is missing it will be interesting to see how Arteta sets up and will give clues to exactly who is going at the end of the season.
Alternatives are to play Nelson , ESR , Vieira or switch Martinelli and play Trossard , the latter being what I would do although if they have Casimiero and Evans as their centre backs having Odegaard and Smith Rowe probing and passing more centrally might keep the pressure there rather than on Wan bissaka and Dalot.
But then what do I know.
Well we have Tierney today and he comes from Salford so why not a Manc for Totts match . Until the list of referees loses it’s Northern bias this will keep happening.
The one player I really hope doesn’t come in for Saka if he’s not fit is Vieira. As talented as he might be, away at Utd from the start would be a recipe for disaster I think.
Good point, I forgot Tierney is Manchester born, mind you, aren’t they all? The south really needs to up their refereeing game and level things up.
I would start Trossard,
Martinelli for me, he’s due a good game.
Saka will be ok
I think so, OT is his favourite ground so I doubt he’ll want to miss it. Lol
Afternoon Rico/all
So many reasons to want to beat the Mancs,
listening to the press conference Arteta and the players will treat it as just another game. I’m not quite as optimistic as Kev – I’ll say 3-0 and Spurs to get a draw Tuesday.
Afternoon Limey. Sadly, I think City will tear Totts to shreds but at least let’s get a win today, just to keep them wondering…
According to Sunday mirror reports, Arteta is willing to sell.
Ramsdale – ESR – Eddie Nketiah – riess nelson – Tierney – Tavares and Lokonga
if true it shows he has no trust or faith in the interchange Players
I wouldn’t believe all that the Mirror writes. They’re adding 2+2 as we all can. The same paper has done a loan review but I bet whoever wrote the article has not watched a single one of the players play this season. It’s stats based which anyone could do.
I guess what give the paper any legs is that Arteta has not given any of the players mention a good run this season, so why would they want to stay if they really like playing the game.
We should win tonight’s match, I going for 2-1 win
Afternoon all!
Come on Arsenal!
What a strike from Ella Toone in the WFA Cup final
Team to play Man Utd: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Partey, Odegaard, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Trossard
No Rashford or Fernandes…
Team to play Arsenal: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Evans, Dalot, Mainoo, Amrabat, McTominay, Diallo, Garnacho, Hojlund
Shame that little s**t McTominay is back..
Fernandes, on a good day, is a danger but Rashford has become almost embarrassing. Casimero and Evans must be the worst central defensive pairing in the Premiership.
United looking dangerous.
Trossard you beauty!
That’s the start we needed,
It was coming….. 😂
Gabriel going to give away penalty if he keeps holding there jumper
change partey and jorginho , Odegaard getting caught because Partey not showing for ball
When United keeper comes half way down the field we need to look at taking the long shot at goal straight over his head
We certainly need a second.
I reckon Partey is thinking about his summer holiday…
These sky sports pundits are desperate for Utd to score..
You mean Neville , Rooney and Keane very balanced
I just wish we’d be more ruthless when we have them on the back foot.
We Need to tighten up a bit and another goal will come
Great pass from Havertz for Trossard’s goal. Partey looking vulnerable, take him off for Jorginho.
Tierney needs to have a look at Dalot he’s getting away fouls on Saka and will injure him if he’s allowed to carry on.
Party looks like he thinking about were he will be next season
Partey again!
Arteta needs to get Party off
We are far too pedestrian
That’s them Potter.
Tierney is shocking full stop Cicero
We’re starting to let back in, with some lazy passes
Jeez, we made hard work of that but, three points is what mattered regardless of how.
Guaranteed second place, and still in the race.
One goal, clean sheet, three points top of the league.
Boy we made that harder than it should have been.
It’s 3:30am in oz good night all. I have to be up by 6:30am
they dragged us down to their level and we looked lacklustre . Saka took his regular hiding . I still dont know why our wingers dont swop over to give their defences more problems
Job done.
Who knows what next weekend might bring?
Night Geoff.
Agree, we started well but then it kind of went down hill. These players must be knackered though…
Evening House. On way home from Bruges, up at 2am for day trip including a 24 degrees 15k run through the city! Was stuck at Calais exhausting refresh button on BBC website, 90 plus 6 minutes, when got text from son who had gone up to match. Relief, great result, shall watch MOTD if coach ever gets home tonight!
It will be sanitised Andrew but 3 points at Old Trafford can’t be sniffed at. We are unlikely to get another chance to hammer them as their injuries meant that we were playing a severely weakened team that had we played them like this a few weeks ago we probably would have . It would have been nice to exorcise the 8 -2 but in the current situation the three points was all that mattered.
Looking back on the match I can only agree that the players are at, or close to, the limit. Some of the senior United player were way beyond that limit.
A gentle weeks training, with ice baths and massages will see them right for Everton next Sunday. Fatigue wise we have an advantage over City as they have to play on Tuesday, again on Sunday but also with their minds on the FA Cup Final the following week.
Some of these grounds need to fix the drop of from ground level to fence, should be all the same level Saka was lucky he didn’t injur himsself even more than he did
New post up
Getting a shove over the edge didn’t help.