Morning all.
Real Madrid v Manchester City last night has been dubbed one of the greatest Champions League semi-final’s in history. Having been 4-3 up from the first leg, Man City took the lead, leaving Real needing two goals to draw level and take the game into extra time. With 90 minutes on the clock, City fans no doubt already thinking about the final in Paris against Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti made a change by bringing on Rodrygo.
The Brazilian tucked home a close range opportunity and less than two minutes later, he did it again. With the aggregate score now level, another 30 minutes of football was required. Ruben Dias fouled Benzema in the box and the same played scored the resulting penalty. Man City were out.
Advantage Liverpool in the League? Perhaps as they will be upbeat and in a positive frame of mind after coming back from a 2-0 deficit on Tuesday night to secure their place in the final, whereas how does Guardiola lift his players after such a huge disappointment? With Liverpool taking on Totts this weekend, it’s good they’ll go into the game on a real high. Anfield should be rocking and if that means Totts take a thrashing, I’m all for it.
Ahead of every Arsenal game of late, I’ve found myself writing and reading comments saying “this I a huge game” and it’s no different this time around either because Arsenal playing Leeds at The Emirates early on Sunday afternoon, really is huge as far as chasing down 4th place goes. If we can win and Totts lose… well, it’ll make the NLD more interesting than it already is. But let’s see what the weekend serves up first.
Leeds have a glut of injuries. Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper, Patrick Bamford, Crysencio Summerville, Adam Forshaw and Tyler Roberts but they’re fighting for Premier League survival so it’s likely to be a tough game for Arsenal.
In the WSL, the title race is all about the final day of the season. Caitlin Foord’s double and a goal from Beth Mead gave Arsenal a 3-0 win over Tottenham at The Emirates yesterday which ensured they still have a chance of snatching the title from Chelsea. There’s just a point between the two clubs so if Arsenal better their rivals result this weekend, the big trophy will be back in north London. Chelsea play Man Utd while Arsenal face West Ham away from home. All the final day fixtures kick off at midday. If only Arsenal hadn’t been beaten by now relegated Birmingham earlier in the season!
If only the mens team hadn’t been beaten by a terrible Everton team, or Southampton and Brighton. Still, if West Ham lose their fixture tonight, I’m pretty sure Europa football is a certainty for Arsenal next season. Who’d have predicted that last year, let alone to still be in the race for 4th?
Not me that’s for sure.
See you in the comments.
Morning All, concerning the young Scottish left-back, he might be only 19 but he’s played practically a full season in Serie A and you don’t get a defenders role in Italy unless you know what you are doing, also he’s been developed at Bologna, where we got Tomiyasu, they’re a small club by Italian standards and survive in Serie A by being smart in the market and developing/selling players, so if you get a player from Bologna you get a complete player, well coached and hungry for success. I’d go for him, he’s only 19 so he’d be patient but if Tierney broke down I’m sure he would come in and do a proper defenders job and I’m old fashioned, I like full backs who are primarily defenders which I know is a bit off the wall in these days of flying full-backs.
Just saying 😉
Good post Rico, Liverpool play Saturday and so will have a chance to really pile the pressure onto a dispirited Man City therefore Anfield will be bouncing especially after the Scousers reached Paris this week.
Hopefully they’ll sweep Tottenham away and cut into their goal difference but we have to do a job on Leeds and as you suggest, that won’t be easy as Leeds seem a more organised outfit now under their new American Coach a man who likes to play a low block with great gusto.
Arsenal don’t always do that well against teams who do the low block like Brighton and Southampton, but we had Laca-threat up front in those games so hopefully Eddie can add a dimension that can break down a team that ‘gets behind the ball’….
Morning Kev, thanks. That’s us told then. 😂
Perhaps I think too much about where/how Arsenal spend money as I’d hate for us to go into another season without a strong force up front.
Good morning Rico, as someone who despises everything about Liverpool I’m happy that it is Real Madrid that they face in Paris. I believe the Spanish side have a much greater chance of beating the scousers than Guardiola’s somewhat flaky team.
The final might turn out to be a footballing fiesta, but there again I think it more likely to be demonstration of the dark arts with constant fouling, simulation and time wasting along with a plethora of yellow cards and an awful lot of referee haranguing.
Whichever way it goes it will be well worth watching.
Oh Rico they can’t win the quadruple… please god no!!!!!
Morning Cicero, like you I detest Klopp and his lot and I’d hoped Unai would get the better of them but I do think you’re right about the final.
Hope not Sue, I really do.
Following on from yesterday and well off topic for today . This quote from Tony Adams goes to show that Arsene was only interested in going forward and that defence was of secondary importance.
Great when you have the players to puillit off but not when you haven’t.
On one occasion at a training camp in Switzerland, the former England international fumed at his boss as he tried to ban offsides. The move benefitted Arsenal’s attacking players, but Adams wasn’t very impressed at what he described as “schoolboy stuff.”
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/tony-adams-arsenal-arsene-wenger-26877483
I saw the second half last night and thought that City had done it but they just switched off when Real made the substitutions. It showed that Klopp may not get it all his own way and that Ancellotti has a squad capable of springing surprises.
Wasn’t it Adams who helped improve Ashley Cole too rather than Wenger? I don’t think Wenger would know a good defender if he jumped out in front of him…
Crysencio Summerville – Not a name you hear every day.
Looked him up. From Rotterdam. Visited the city for a game in Euro 2000. Don’t waste your time. The armpit of northern Europe.
What about him Pete?
Afternoon Rico and all
On his day Tierney is a top player but as I have said be before should we sell him as he is injury prone and if Arteta is convinced that we should stick by him then we need a quality back up player how ever saying that I believe we need a top striker who can hopefully score 20 goals per season but find one who is available as a decent price is another thing all together
Interesting game tonight between Marseille and Feyenoord . The dutch 3-2 up from first leg. It will pit Reiss Nelson against Saliba and Guendouzi . I will try to get a stream to watch it . Kick off 8.00pm.
Potter I hope Arteta watches that match just to see if any one of them are worth looking at for the future.
Afternoon Geoff.
Yep, I’m going to try and watch that one, hope Reiss gets the winning goal.
Evening Rico and the House.
The Marseille v Feyenoord is live
on BTsport ESPN hd start 8pm
@ Rico 10.24
Just doing my job Rico, being pedantic as usual… 😆
Ha ha Kev.
Evening Rick. Thanks, I’d forgotten.
@ Rico 10.26
I don’t think we’ll skimp on the attack this coming summer Rico, last summer we had Lacazette, Nketiah, Aubameyang and Balogun so I guess the club took a decision based on the attack looking, as it did then, competent for the whole of this season. Nobody could have predicted Aubameyang going weird or Lacazette turning into Kaba Diawara.
Kev, much depends on how much money Arteta and Edu have to spend I guess. Lacazette has never been a great scorer of goals though since he arrived. Auba was an odd one but he’s always been a bit of a showman who goes awol every so often.
I am sure someone at the Arse will be going to the game and watch it live and probably get the Bien sports video too.
So far it’s nil nil half time Saliba looks good and Nelson is still very fast but not getting used as much most of Feyenoords play is going down the left and he is playing wide right . Guendouzi though looks like we have let one slip , very mobile , good on the ball and seems to have curbed his over enthusiasm.
More later.
Finished nil nil . Nelson went off after about minutes from the end as he looked completely spent having made a forward and defensive contribution . Saliba seems a very cool customer ,not spectacular but always seems to be in the right position .As tempers began to flare Guendouzi got booked and involved in a little spat caused by a Feyenoord player but football wise was one of Marseille’s best players going forward however the defence was too strong and once Payet went off injured Marseilles never looked liked scoring despite attacking for long periods.
Verdict Saliba should come back and get his chance , Nelson is still a bit light weight but as a back up is a hard worker and very rapid. Guendouzi the one that got away , seems to have matured and is still as good a central midfielder as the ones we already have. alongside Partey we would move the ball a lot faster . Certainly a step up as a fourth central midfielder.
Yeah I thought that Nelson was decent, definitely worth thinking about next season if Pepe leaves and we don’t sign another wide player.
Saliba was ok, didn’t do anything outstanding but didn’t drop any clangers although I’d have liked to have seen him in a back four where he would have been under more stress.
Guendouzi was his usual irritating self, falling over, waving his arms about, getting involved in any situation where he could be in the middle of a melee and running over to the referee complaining, he’s well suited to Marseilles.
We know that he has gone so it’s moot it’s just what we get for him The Saliba situation is different , here we have to persuade the player ,at 21 years old , that he should give the Premier a try . He can always go back to ligue un if it doesn’t work out , but unless he tries he will , as much as us , never know.
Morning Potter, all.
New post up now.