Morning all.
Not sure what to make from Mikel Arteta’s comment above. Could he mean he’ll make changes, giving fringe players one more match before the season ends, some perhaps their final game in an Arsenal shirt. For Rob Holding, another run out before playing in next week’s final, or will Arteta be keen to wrap him up in cotton wool in case of getting injured? Luiz too because with Mustafi ruled out for today and next weekend, our central defence is down to the bare bones. One injury, sending off or worse still, both, we’re looking at Medley and Sokratis facing Chelsea. Love or loathe Xhaka, our performances and results are better with him in the side. With Ceballos.
I suppose what I’m saying is, can Mikel Arteta afford to play the players he believes are his strongest to face Chelsea, in today’s game? It’s a tough one I think.
- Arsenal have been issued with 83 yellow cards in the Premier League this season, their most in a single campaign in the competition. Indeed, the Gunners have more yellows (83) and more red cards (5) than any other Premier League side this season, while Watford have committed the most fouls (469).
I’m sure Mike Dean can’t wait to add to our tally this afternoon.
Against Aston Villa, we were dire. We lacked creativity in a big way. Finding a way around a defensive setup was our Achilles heel yet again. Unlike when we met Watford earlier this season when we were 2-0 up within half an hour of the game starting. Aubameyang with both. But then it all went wrong. Arsenal went to pieces during the second half, certainly after Watford pulled a goal back. A late penalty made it 2-2 and to be honest, I’m not sure how we managed to hold on for the draw.
With all the fixtures kicking off at the same time, clubs with something to fight for can’t take chances. Meaning Watford simply have to go for the win. Which should play right into Arsenal’s hands….
Watford have many really good players. Doucouré is one of them, Sarr another and I wouldn’t be put it past Danny Welbeck to cause us a few problems either. Nor Troy Deeney, the kind of striker we probably all like to hate, yet the kind of striker we’d love to have. He’s a real aggressive menace who wears his Watford heart on his sleeve. Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Deulofeu and Isaac Success all miss out through injury.
This is it for the Premier League season. The last home fixture until September comes around. I hope we see a really positive performance, a hefty victory topped off with Troy Deeney knowing Championship football awaits him.
Enjoy the game guys, see you in the comments.
Good morning Rico.
Not a match with much interest for Arsenal fans, a win will see us finish on 56 points which if Burnley a Sheffield United do no more than draw will move us up from tenth to eighth. Hardly a satisfactory end to a poor season.
Whoever Arteta selects today will have at least one eye on next week’s Cup Final and the other on Mike Riley’s little, bearded helper Mike Dean and his yellow and red cards.
Nice one, Rico 👍 Well it was bound to happen eventually – Mike Dean and that ghastly beard officiating!!
He’d love nothing more than to ensure we finish top of the red/yellow cards tables!!
Because we’ve blown our chances in the league, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see us win and score at least 3 goals! It can’t be as dreadful as last week, can it??!!
Thanks Sue, morning to you, Cicero and all.
Dean will be desperate to cock up our FA Cup chances.
Deeney’s son is a gooner…. imagine the atmosphere in their house later… whichever team win!!
Hi Rico and All I would rest all the good players for the fa cup. todays match means nothing
David Silva to make his final PL appearance for City today…what an amazing 10 years he’s had in Manchester….and although, at times, I’ve been sick to the back teeth of seeing him line up against us, the PL will miss him! And so will my daughter 😄
Agree, Silva is a great player Sue, City will miss him. I hope. 😆
Arsenal XI: Martínez; Holding, David Luiz, Tierney; Willock, Ceballos, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles; Pépé, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Hector has a tight calf, so misses out…
If Bellerin is unfit why is Soares on the bench leaving AMN at right back?
Probably because he might be needed at Wembley Cicero.
City v Norwich is being shown on Pick channel… all I can say is thank the lord for Sky go!! Arsenal on the phone 😉 COYG
I didn’t think Soares was all that against Villa, Cicero…. maybe he’s saving him for the final though? Hope Ainsley has a good game today…
What’s ‘pick’ channel? Sky Sports are showing our game in west Berkshire 😂
It’s on freeview..I’m in a caravan 🤣
Ah, got it… 😂
Clear and obvious on show again then…
Keep them coming, Pierre!!
Did you see Mike Dean’s family e after he was forced to award the penalty? Talk about sucking a lemon.
I saw the look on his face Cicero. The bloke should be ashamed.
Face not family ffs
Yeah ashamed for having a face like that 😝
Gayle scored in the first minute 😳🤩
What’s up with Xhaka? He’s having a mare… lol
Nice. A first for Tierney.
Two nil, nice finish by Tierney.
Goal for Tesco 🤩 Nice one!
What a goal!
We’ve suffered from long throw ins for years, now we have scored a goal from one. Amazing!
Come on Pierre, the golden boot is within grasp!!
Hope Arteta doesn’t take him off, he’ll be well peed off otherwise…
Souness really is a bitter and sad old man..
He sure is, Rico… does my bleedin’ head right in!
He’s the worst Sue, close behind is Keane.
Not the best of games for Willock. Disappointing really.
Keystone cops at the back…
So long as it’s peed off and not PEA’s off. 😉
Is that Souness or Sourness
Funny enough Potter, auto text turned Souness into sourness first time.
Xhaka looks off the pace. Dean only needs one opportunity and he’ll take it.
Take Xhaka off before Dean does it for us
It’s gonna be Anderlecht all over again….
Manure get a penalty, there’s a surprise!
Eddie should have taken the shot.
Nketiah deserves a kick up the arse for not taking the goal himself.
I don’t like this… nervous as hell about next weekend now….. and KDB has equalled Henry’s assist record…..
Play like that and Chelsea will have an easy final imo..
Bye bye Troy, don’t forget to take your cojones with you 👋
Horrible.
Lots and lots to do.
Thank you Emi Martinez
Rico. I agree. What a shower of rubbish that was. Have these players got no pride? Such an uninspired, negative bunch today.
Pleased the PL is over.
Welbz today, Giroud next week (for sure)… Will Agent Luiz turn up? No Mustafi…. at least they’ve got 6 days to bloody well wake up…. huge sigh……
8th….
Tired, unmotivated, physically weak, we don’t shoot.
In the Final I hope that everything will be different and the end of the line for some players at Arsenal.
We have to play a lot more and be more assertive.
Quim, the important thing is we won, and didn’t pick up any injuries or suspensions.
Over to the cricket now, Windies on 4 for 1 chasing 399. Broad now has 398 test wickets.
Jammy mancs made it into the CL…. those 71 (😝) penalties they were given paid off then…..
6 for 2. Broad on 499 wickets, did I say it was 398? Silly me. 😉
Karma …………………say or do something bad and and it always comes back to bite your Arsenal……………..
Troy…………..it was always there waiting, your cojones have finally dropped!………………………….out of this league into The Championship!
Howdy partners, howdy Rico, 3 points and thank God that season is over…
Geoff, regarding what Arteta can or cannot say when the Press ask him questions about Mesut Ozil well just think about it with me for a moment?
Imagine if Mikel does as you suggest that he tells the journalists that he isn’t picking Ozil because he’s lazy or that he doesn’t fit in with what he’s doing or for whatever reason. Do you honestly reckon that the journalists are just going to say ‘Oh ok, fair enough’ no of course not it’ll be splashed all over the backs of the newspapers it’ll be all over the Web, everyone and their dog will have a flippin’ opinion and it’ll be negative, negative, negative.
And it won’t end there, the questions will continue endlessly in the remaining pressers, we’ll have Ozil’s agent in the Press then stirring the shit, we’ll have every pundit going, McManaman, Owen, Shearer, Burley, Souness, etc etc etc mouthing off about it.
Do we really need all that bollocks running up to a cup final?
Hi Kev, exactly re the press conferences. At least Mikel Arteta keeps things short, simple and polite.
Hi Rico, what an uninspiring game, in the Watford should have won, Martinez made some pretty good saves, but our defence, what a mess, I’m really worried about the cup final…
Our ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is still there. You only have to scratch the surface to see how fragile we are . Even 3 up against a relegation team and we can’t control the game.
Like every one here I fear for next week and hope for salvation.
Great effort by Stuart Broad, only 20 wickets behind Courtney Walsh’s 519 and by the look of him he seems fit and able enough to carry on for awhile yet and to catch and overtake Glenn McGrath on 563.
Test series vs Pakistan and India coming up before England eventually retake the Ashes…
5 – David Luiz has given away five penalties in the Premier League this season, the most any player has ever conceded in a single campaign in the competition.
I bet the chavs are licking their lips at the thought of facing him next week!!
None of us were particularly happy with today’s performance, but in all honestly what did we expect.
It was a nothing game at the end of a very intense period with games every few days and with the FA Cup Final only six days away.
Some players rested, a change of defensive formation and an opponent desperate for three points. Even so we won the game, got three points and managed to reach the giddy heights of eighth place in the league after a season of turmoil involving three managers, some serious and long-term injuries as well as our highest paid player sitting out most of the season. Not to mention the situation involving Guendouzi.
On another note, does anyone know which ref we are getting on Saturday?
It’s Anthony Taylor, Cicero
Hmm, not the worst.
Kev I think we will agree to disagree on this one but the problem is the press all ready write what they want so does Ozil manager maybe saying the truth about Ozil might give him the boot up the arse he needs to prove every one wrong and show he still has what it takes. other wise if Arteta is not not going to say any thing bad about him he needs to play him.
Now for The FA CUP and just quietly I think we can win this.
We will belt the Chavs!!
Dreaming again Scott?
Morning all, it’s raining heavens hard in Essex…
Morning Rico, I await with baited breath for your post, I sense a post of magnificence…
Just seen your 9.54 Kev. Good morning to you cheeky. 😂
Rico, we are the Cup Kings 🙂
Scott, we’ve lost our last two cup finals. 🤔
I thought it was just one we’d lost Kev, funny enough, against Chelsea…. ☹️
😂Sue.
New post up now
I’d love to belt Giroud (closely followed by Luiz 😂)