Morning all.
Manchester Utd did both Arsenal and Manchester City a bit of a favour yesterday by nicking a point off of Liverpool. Who knows what the two points Liverpool missed out on will do to the title race but for now, it means Arsenal remain top for a few more days at least.
Aston Villa, who were 2-0 up against Brentford on Saturday, ended up needing a late goal themselves to draw 3-3, are our next opponents. Ollie Watkins was honest after the game saying his team, himself included, lacked the ‘big club mentality’ required to see out results from a winning position. I’m not sure it’s a big club mentality thing, more like just self belief and inner desire. After all, Bayern Munich are a massive club but they couldn’t hold onto a 2-0 lead at the weekend either.
This time last season, Arsenal struggled to defend a 2-0 lead and on more than one occasion, didn’t. Fast forward a year, 2-0 up against a very good Brighton side at The Amex and not for a millisecond did I think we’d concede one goal let alone two.
Anyway, this week is Champions League week with Arsenal taking on Bayern Munich tomorrow night. The German club is going through a phase they’re not used to going through. As far as winning the Bundesliga goes, it’s over. Not mathematically but Bayer Leverkusen need just one more win to be crowned champions.
The Champions League is all Thomas Tuchel’s players has left to fight for. Tuchel leaves the club at the end of the season, a crazy managerial situation in my opinion, so as stupid, or as obvious as it sounds, the Bayern players might want to send him off with a big trophy, or they might not give a toss. Hopefully, it’s the latter.
We’ve seen what happens when players don’t care about what they’re doing or which manager they’re playing for and it’s damaging. Thankfully, those days are in the past and for the first time in such a long time, there’s many reasons to be positive ahead of tomorrow’s match. Not because Bayern are in a mess by the way but because Arsenal are in a very good place both on and off the pitch.
Bayern have a number of high profile players. Gnabry, Neuer, Sane, Coman, de Ligt, Muller, Goretzka, Upamecano and of course, two old Totts players in Dier and Kane to name just a few. Actually, to name just the ones I’ve heard of. Lol
Bayern sailed through the group stages of the Champions League, dropping just two points and then in the first knockout phase, they defeated Lazio 3-1 on aggregate. Kane with two of the goals, Muller with the other. I think it fair to suggest that their Champions League campaign has gone better than their domestic challenge. So far anyway. Wasn’t it back in 2011-12 when Chelsea had a poor league campaign but ended up lifting the Champions League trophy? My point being that sometimes poor form doesn’t transfer from one competition to another. Equally, just because Arsenal have been in superb form in the league, there’s no guarantee everything will click against a club from a totally different league.
I know I keep saying it but how long did it take Guardiola to conquer Europe with his Manchester City side? Yet he’s one of the most experienced and successful managers in the game today. Winning the Premier League was easy for him but Europe, well, it took Klopp less time to win it with Liverpool. Mind you, look who they beat in the final. lol.
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that whilst Bayern are struggling domestically, I expect them to be a very difficult opponent for Mikel Arteta’s team tomorrow night.
Catch up in the comments.
I agree with your closing paragraph 100% Rico. Can’t see this lot throwing in the towel when the C L is all they’ve got to play for. It should be a helluva game!
Me neither Anthony, plus there’s Kane, Dier and Gnabry who’ll want to beat us..
Good Afternoon Rico and Co
Bayern finishing 2nd in the Bundesliga is a mini-disaster to them such are their expectations domestically, but sod them, it’s what we do that matters.
You’re not going to meet poor teams in the Quarter-Finals of the CL – although Bayern are quite poor. So whoever you meet is certain to carry a threat, but Arsenal have The Red Wall, a CL winning defence if there ever was one. Even a narrow win at home could be enough because our team doesn’t concede. But the German defence is poor so they do concede.
I noticed after the draw this time that there were no condescending Tweets on X from the Bavarians, they know how good we are.
It’ll be an Emirates full of Gooners, no Bavarians as they’re banned for this game, we have the Coach, the team and the ability to put the tie to bed before we travel to Germany and frustrate the life out of them.
Why shouldn’t we be confident?
Afternoon Rico and all.
Bayern will not make it easy for us, and we need our fans to have a loud voice and take advantage of the home ground. hopefully win by atleast 2 goals as I don’t think a 1 goal lead for the return match will be good enough.
also if I am not mistaken, ain’t Bayern’s managers job on the line aswell so he want a positive result no matter what.
Afternoon Kev, I’m confident, just not too confident…
Afternoon Geoff, Tuchel leaves at the end of the season regardless, in fact I read this morning that fans wanted him out already in hope a new manager could lift them for the CL.
It’s a shame the ban for fans isn’t for the our away trip. That would have been amusing had we be given the ticket allocation instead.
Very wise Rico, very wise… 😉
G’day Rico. You made mention, yesterday of the passing of Joe Kinnear. I read this morning about his first press conference after being parachuted into the managers job at Newcastle following Kevin Keegan’s sudden departure. Joe started, and finished, with an expletive riddled rant at the local sports reporters, he used the F word 36 times, the B word 4 times, and the C word 6 times. Mike Ashley, his new boss, when told about the rant couldn’t stop laughing. Sadly Joe’s tenure at the club lasted only a few months before a heart condition forced him to retire. He has been struggling with dementia for a number of years, but passed away peacefully with his family around him. Another of football’s colourful personalities who will be sadly missed in the present woke dominated era.
Yeah, Dave Mackay was a bit woke.
One thing about Dave Mackay was that when Spurs used to come out from their corner , he used to kick the ball high in the sky and run to the centre circle and trap it when it landed.
I’ve been known to be wise occasionally Kev. 😜
Dementia is one of the most wicked and cruel diseases a person can get, that and MND. With so many diseases there’s hope, even if sometimes that hope is small. With the above two, there’s nothing…
Rico totally agree with your comments at 7:56pm, finding somethink positive from dementia, I can’t remember the name of the story as it’s a few year ago, but someone wrote a book about a young child daily living through 1st world war the story come from his mum when her mind slipped back to that of a young child. were she would talk about what they did and gave names of relatives that they did not know about.
Fingers crossed they will one day find a cure for Dementia, MND and Cancer.
Morning Rico and all.
So, Everton and Forest docket points for breaking FPR as this Evertons second time they should be religated as punishment, yet the FA come out said the reason City have not been finalised is due to the complication of over 100 charges what a load of s–t with that amount of charges and that they have laid them City should be relgated as we are not just talking about 2 or 3 charges, and take there trophies of them.
Dont worry Geoff the F a will bring in a new rule which absolves City just before their hearing takes place
Morning Geoff, Potter, all.
Thankfully Geoff the research is progressing on all three diseases so one day, there might be a cure. Too late for my family though as MND has taken one of them, dementia another and I still have two family members suffering with the latter. I don’t know what’s worse with dementia, having it or watching someone you love living with it.
Re City, I’m less cynical for once. I think the FA/PL want to get it right. They want to make sure City are bang to rights when the case goes to court. They will be going through every scrap of evidence with a fine tooth comb to ensure no surprises pop up in court later this year. It’s a massive and hugely high profile case which the FA/PL cannot afford to lose. For the sake of the game, they cannot afford to lose.