Morning all.
Having been 3-1 up against Southampton with just over fifteen minutes to go, Tottenham ended up drawing 3-3. Antonio Conte went into meltdown in his ten minute post match press conference. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching just for it’s entertainment value.
I’m not used to seeing this type of situation. I see a lot of selfish players and I don’t see a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [in]. They are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important here. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.
Tottenham’s story is this – 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.
Brutal, honest, embarrassing but hilarious in my opinion. Such comments which should never be made publicly. I’ll be amazed if Conte is still the Totts manager on the 1st April let alone the last day of the season but perhaps that’s what he wants. The sack.
In the FA Cup yesterday, Man City battered a Burnley team which is highly likely to be playing Premier League football next season. 6-0 including another hat-trick for Haaland. The more fixtures City play, the better.
The only Premier League fixture today is ours against Crystal Palace and it kind of feels like a big moment in our season. A win before an international break is always important but after Thursday’s Europa League Cup exit, this group of players need to make sure they don’t let the disappointment affect the rest of this campaign.
Crystal Palace sacked Patrick Vieira this week, a crazy decision in my opinion, so under 21 manager Paddy McCarthy will be in the dugout after having just a couple days to work with the squad. Palace haven’t won a game in 2023 but it’d be foolhardy to believe this in any way reflects the quality of players at the club.
Only once this year have Palace been beaten by more than one clear goal and that was against Tottenham. Man City, Utd, Chelsea, Brighton and Aston Villa only managed to score one goal. Newcastle didn’t manage that and neither did Liverpool. Their last match was was away against Brighton, another 1-0 defeat but only because they couldn’t convert any of their eleven shots at Brighton’s goal. The story of their season really and let’s not forget that it wasn’t that long ago we needed a very late goal to secure a point against Palace at The Emirates. Yes we’ve beaten them since but…
Paddy McCarthy on Arsenal:
We’ll try and implement an aggressive style out of possession in different ways. We’ll look to be aggressive when we don’t have the ball, and we’ll look to progress the ball up the pitch in possession. That obviously said, we’ve only got a short amount of time to implement a few ideas, so I don’t want to flood the players with too much information. But ultimately, at this football club, part of our identity is that we’re aggressive out of possession, and certainly quick and fast in the attacking third.
The officials for this match are: Referee: Stuart Attwell Assistants: Lee Betts, James Mainwaring Fourth official: Andy Madley VAR: Darren England and Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.
Crystal Palace haven’t lost at The Emirates for a while. The last four being three draws and a win. McCarthy could be without both of his senior goalkeepers so 19 year old Joe Whitworth could start. Sambi Lokonga is illegible to play.
Eddie Nketiah and Mo Elneny are still recovering from injury and both Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba are expected to miss today’s game too.
I’m sure we’d all prefer to see William Saliba alongside Gabriel but I think it’ll be Rob Holding. I suspect the rest of the team will be the same as the one which blew Fulham away last weekend. Perhaps if there is change, it’ll be Gabriel Jesus in for Gabriel Martinelli with Leandro Trossard playing on the left – after all, the latter played 120 minutes of football on Thursday night. Talking of Thursday, we cannot afford to start today’s game in the same fashion as we did against Sporting. We’re the home team, come out of the blocks with intent and don’t allow a good defensive team, time to settle. Otherwise it’s going to be a long and frustrating 90 odd minutes.
As Mike Arteta said on Thursday night, we now have eleven cup finals to play. Not literally of course but I know what he meant. We all do.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, I do enjoy a little schadenfreude with my tea and toast and the poor old Spuds supply it in bucketfulls. Conte is definitely looking for a way out of the club and is hoping that his comments force Levy’s hand who will have no alternative than sacking him and paying up his contract. Of course if Conte had any principals at all he would do the honourable thing and resign. Patrick Vieira is currently available, he wouldn’t be the first ex Arsenal player to move down the road as manager. George Graham did it as I recall and didn’t Terry Neil do it too.
Nice one, Rico 👍
Our game isn’t being televised, urgh, going to have to find a stream, would rather be at the stadium but tickets are like gold-dust – only been once this season ☹️
Gutted about Saliba and as you say we’ve not beaten them at home in a while, I’m nervous and hope we haven’t got a hangover from Thursday.
Was happy for Theo and Ainsley yesterday – once a gooner always a gooner hey?
Nice post rico, although some of the stats make me a little nervous! Good morning all.
My wife had a lovely Mothers Day surprise last night, 2 tickets to today’s match. Nice timing for me too, my first trip out since Cataract/Lens implant surgery a few days ago, good job my vision has returned in time! As well as my son who got the tickets, my daughter is also at the match in stand above us with her partner, its the first time in 30 years (when kids were Junior Gunners) that the whole family will be at an Arsenal match. Didn’t think this would happen again, although different stadium obviously. Hoping its a happy reunion in the pub afterwards 🙂
This run in is likely to be a close run thing , We know that we have 11 games to play 6 at home 5 away.City are getting quite congested 5 home with 6 away including a match at home to West Ham to be arranged plus 2 matches against Bayern and a cup semi final to fit in .
They have 8 games scheduled for April but one of those a trip to Brighton to be re-arranged too.
As much as we know that they have a bigger squad a couple of injuries could seriously derail them
If we beat Palace this afternoon we will be 8 points clear , it’s going to be tight but City have got to win it more than us to lose it.
I reckon 85 points and we creep home
Morning all. Thanks re the post Sue, Andrew.
I’m nervous too, not sure if it’s a good or bad thing we’re not on TV.
Fantastic to hear that Andrew. Hope you all have a lovely afternoon and see the boys win as a family..
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Holding, White, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Jorginho, Walters, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Kiwor, Jesus.
Let’s hope the Totts don’t have the “unfortunate” idea of picking up the Sporting coach…
I’m going to watch the game on TV but unfortunately I can’t invite you.
I’m worried because Palace have been making surprises in recent years at the Emirates. Coach change is always bad for the 1st opponent. Let’s hope the response to the 5th elimination (and not defeat) is positive. By the way, I have read that there are Totts fans making fun of our elimination by Sporting. It is worth remembering 2 things: a) We didn’t lose any of the games b) That the Totts played this season with Sporting and the results were: 2-0 in Lisbon and 1-1- in London.
When did we start winning youth games?
Scary moment early on when ball hit post, rebounded off Ramsdale then went past post. But all good since.
Nice first half, 2 nil, it could have been 4-1. But a nice save by Ramsdale let’s hope we score more goals in the second half
Nice link up play leading Xhaka a lucky goal
Sloppy defence from a corner just cost us a goal,
Jesus on let’s hope he can score a goal and break his drought
Saka again was left in space to score his second goal.
Nice win but a great team performance,
A valuable three points and an opportunity to improve our goal difference.
Four goals, three points. JADATO. 😉
Andrew looks like you and your family picked a good match to see live, hope you enjoyed the pub after
Just the job 🙂 Happy Martinelli got on the scoresheet. Saka; what a player!
Dangerous plays in our area follow one another. In the first hour we dominated and shot 1 or 2 times. Palace, right in the 1st shot, hit the ball to the post. 3 more points. Cool!
Sporting postponed this weekend’s game.
Thanks rico, Geoff, in the Islington Bar and Grill, all met up, deafening versions of Angel and We’ve got Super Arteta getting louder and louder!
First hurdle negotiated , next up Leeds , they have Liverpool and we both walk on International eggshells . Nobody said that it would be easy although it’s hard to remember that 4th was the target .
What a great result and let’s be honest, results are what matter for the next two months. Nerves are bound to kick in so the odd dodgy performance might crop up..
Saliba has withdrawn from the France squad.
Things go awry for Fulham , Willian red carded for a handball apparently dubious (havent seen it ) Mitroviic off for pushing the ref and to rub salt into the wound Fernandes who got off scot free for pushing a linesman aWeek or two ago steps up and scored a penalty
Let’s hope a few weeks rest, rico, will do the trick for Saliba
Fingers crossed Andrew.
New post up now