Morning all.
Southampton did us a bit of a favour yesterday afternoon by playing out a draw against Man City. We’re still be in second place regardless of what happens later this afternoon but then we will in all likelihood, need maximum points from our final two fixtures.
In today’s matches, Newcastle Utd and Chelsea go head to head and Nottingham Forest host Leicester City. A draw in both would certainly help us out but then so would an away win for Arsenal at Anfield, a game which takes place later in the afternoon.
Injuries:
Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel are ruled out.
With Alexander-Arnold leaving at the end of the season, Arne Slot confirmed that Connor Bradley will start at right-back this afternoon. Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton are ruled out.
If my maths is right, we need four points to secure second place which in terms of Champions League football alone, would be the best outcome for the club. Talking of which, Renée Slegers and her players secured second place in the WSL yesterday by beating Man Utd 4-3 at The Emirates.
The Arsenal players need to pick their chin off the floor for today’s game. Yes, the PSG defeat will have hurt but there’s still a job to do in three more matches. Today’s game against Liverpool is going to be difficult, of course it is but there are points to be won and we need them.
The last couple of seasons has seen this fixture end with the points shared so if we can manage to repeat that again today, I for one would be happy. Happier of course if we can take all three points.
In his pre match press conference, Mikel Arteta spoke about giving Liverpool a guard of honour:
They deserve that. They’ve been the best team, they’ve been the most consistent, and what Arne and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating, it’s been really good. They fully deserve it, and that’s the sport. If somebody’s better, you have to approve and accept and try to reach that level.
On using the guard of honour as motivation for next year:
Yeah, something has to drive you, motivate you, and pain for this is a good one to use sometimes, you know, when you really want to do something, but it’s the right thing to do, usually as a motivation for next season.
He’s right, Liverpool do deserve a guard of honour because that’s how football is and regardless of how they won the league, Arne Slots first season has been a good one. Whether or not they’d have won the league had they been officiated in the same way Arsenal have is a totally different matter. Even so, we cannot blame the officials for our own level of football or our inability to convert good goal scoring opportunities into goals.
Talking of officials, today’s are:
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Lee Betts
Fourth official: Craig Pawson
VAR: Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR: Mat Wilkes
Might Arteta be tempted to bring Jorginho, Tierney and Calafiori into the side today I wonder. Will Rice start again or will he be given a breather before we play our last home fixture against Newcastle next weekend? Will Merino play up front, or Trossard and will Nwaneri give Saka a break? What about Odegaard, is this the day to give him a breather? I doubt it. I think Arteta is more likely to field the same eleven which faced PSG. After all, there are only three fixtures left to play and they have a week to recover before the Newcastle game. I bet every one of the Arsenal players want to start this match too and I suspect they’re desperate to beat the newly crowned champions, especially on their own turf.
At least I hope that’s how they feel….
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico, I think this is a good time to play Liverpool, they may well have their minds set on sunny beach at some over priced luxury resort and with little or nothing to play for their commitment and concentration could be well below par.
For me, it’s impossible to predict the outcome.
It seems incredible that it’s forty years since the horrific fire burnt down the main stand at Bradford’s Valley Parade ground with the loss of 56 lives.
Morning Cicero, I had hoped during the season that this might be the title decider but that hope soon fizzled out. A bit like Arsenals domestic season really.
I saw a report on the Bradford fire in the week, it still shocks today. The speed of the fire destruction was just awful.
I just heard that a win today would guarantee at least 5th,I think we’ll finish 2nd or 3rd anyway but a win at Anfield sounds good.
I think maybe Calafiori and Trossard will come in,apart from that full strength.
Morning Rico, I was never strong in the maths department so I’ll bend a knee to your 4 points, personally 5 points is my guess, but whose going to fall out over 1 point, not me. 😁
Morning Kev, Limey..
I’m sticking with 4 as Newcastle and/or Chelsea will drop points today. 😜
Plus we have a better GD than the rest.
I’ll have a recount though Kev…. lol
Ok, I concede, it’s five. I forgot about Newcastle and Chelsea still have three games and not two. Let’s hope they draw later.
Plus Forest play Chelsea on the final day,either will drop 3 points or both will drop 2.
That could end up being a shootout for 5th.
Newcastle score after two minutes.
Just watched the Mings elbow on Shaw from yesterday’s game. It’s a shocker which went unpunished but fractured the Bournemouth player’s jaw….
How ironic is that, Jackson sent off for something not too dissimilar.
A draw at St James’s would be preferable, we need something at Anfield.
Can’t see a draw not Chelsea are down to ten.
Arsenal starting XI:
Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Merino, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Trossard
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Timber, Zinchenko, Sterling, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Franics, Nwaneri
Liverpool XI:
Becker, Bradley, van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Salah, Diaz
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Mac Allister, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah
Declan Rice absent.
Has Arteta given up on getting any points today?
Rice needed a break imo.
AFC.com say he’s injured.
2-2 at Forest now.
I’d put money on Saka burying that earlier in the season.
Expect nothing from this referee, he’s from Cheshire which is a close to Mersey as you can get.
Partey looks like he’s already on holiday.
So it’s ok for Robertson to pull Saka backwards whilst having his hands around his throat?
Shocking…
Most of them look like they’re thinking about sun, sea and sangria…
This could get ugly.
Total lack of awareness, you can’t just can’t lose concentration like that. Or like that 2 – 0 down. And probably in for a hiding.
well thats the story of the season . Three open goals missed and then the midfield gets over run
Why are all our attacking players stood so close together, it’s like under 10’s
do we have any attacking intent ?
No.
MLS the the first sub?
So tight looking for a one yard pass sometimes you have to attack at speed and hit the bloody thing
Linesman right near the Saka throat grab, but bookings coming for us, MLS the latest. What a cheating joke they are.
When they do hit it, there’s usually a few red shirts right in front of them…
The officiating is poor but we’re being totally outplayed imo.
Odegaard is just not at the races. Bring on Nwaneri after the break, and Calafiori for M L S.
Butler-Oyedeji too, he might actually try to score.
Crappiest 45 minutes of our season so far. The sooner this season is over the better.
Have to agree, we’ve been dire. Summed up when three players had a chance to score but they all left it for each other. Talk about lack of desire.
No changes,
The comeback is on 😜
Martinelli gets one back with a simple header from the middle of the box.
At least it shut their fans up for a minute
I trust FA will retrospectively take action against Robertson after seeing pics on x of the choke?
It was bad Andrew.
M L S has go right up Salah’s nose and he doesn’t like.
Whatever Arteta said….
Great reactions Merino..
Merino nods in a rebound off the “keeper. 2 – 2
TAA being booed, surprised Slot didn’t see that coming.
Good job we don’t manage in the game Cicero, we’d have half the team off by now. 😂
how many times is Raya going to play that stupid bleeding pass
What a plonker Merino.
Hand into MLS face not worthy of a booking at least?
That was some comeback from the team…
2 – 2
Two goals scored, two goals conceded one point, more than I expected
Raya put him in trouble , like he’s done it about half a dozen times before
2-0 down, best midfielder unavailable, referee ignoring any transgression from the untouchables, get back to 2-2, Scousers booing AlexanderArnold, looking set for an upset then we get a player sent off – who would have thought it.
On the back of a gut wrenching defeat in Paris that was outstanding
And Raya will do it again, many times I’m sure.
Certainly a game of two halves, we could have been more that two down by the break..
To be fair, Merino deserved his second booking but a couple of Liverpool players got away with some nasty stuff. I thought Partey got away with a card too.
Happy with the point though…
Didn’t hear anything from Carragher or Neville about the throat grab. Bias and blindness go hand in hand where Liverpool are concerned.
Nor much about the shove into MLS face…
Merino out of Newcastle game, also I’m hearing Trossard is injured, looks like Martinelli up front again?
That’s not such a bad thing. Martinelli up front I mean..
Game time for Nwaneri maybe.
Arsenal have submitted an offer to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Freddy Bernal, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea have knocked back Arsenal’s £1.25 million bid for sixteen year old U 18 international ‘keeper Freddie Bernal.
Setford, Nygaard, Porter, isn’t that enough goalkeepers to be getting on with for now?
Unfortunitly didn’t see the match, but one of best aftermatch interview Arteta has done.
It’s a senior quality keeper we need. Someone to really challenge Raya.
New post up.