Morning all.
Possibly the most ridiculous question Arsenal fans were asked yesterday was “Are Arsenal going to win the Champions League?” Imagine if one of them had replied “No, because PSG are too good.”
Do I think Arsenal can beat PSG? Yes I do if every player Mikel Arteta selects, including substitutes, hits peak form for 90+ minutes. The reigning champions are beatable as Chelsea proved last summer and other clubs have in the early stages of the competition this season and domestically and I’m sure this week, Arteta will have studied those games as he conjures up his approach to tonight’s match.
Logic suggests be strong defensively, mark Dembele out of the game, Kvaratskhelia too because both are the French team’s dangerous players. Not that the others are weaker of course but those two always seem to be hitting the headlines.
The midfield battle will be crucial too so whether it is Myles Lewis-Skelly or Martin Zubimendi who partner’s Declan Rice, they have a big job on their hands. Stopping the supply to Dembele and Kvaratskhelia is paramount.
Three of the back five are nonnegotiable in my opinion but the two fullback positions are not as clear. Will Jurrien Timber or Cristhiain Mosquera start on the right? Will it be Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie on the left? My hunch is Timber and Calafiori, at least until Timber has played 50 odd minutes and if Calafiori picks up a booking. Ideally, he will not, but he so often does.
I think Martin Odegaard will get the nod over Ebe Eze for this one. I hope Viktor Gyokeres starts up front and I think he will. European football has his name all over it, especially against a team which likes to play on the front foot. I think Arteta will continue with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard either side of him.
The season has already been an excellent one for Arsenal but tonight presents an opportunity to do something do do something even better. An opportunity to complete a what would be a remarkable “process” under Mikel Arteta. For now though, it is just an opportunity albeit one which every Arsenal fan would absolutely love to see taken.
So far, Arsenal have been the standout club in the competition and that is not being arrogant, results prove how good this group of players have been. Not having to face a “low block” in each game has made for more entertaining and exciting football. Until the semifinal anyway.
PSG’s journey through the competition has not been quite as easy, needing a playoff to reach the knockout stages but like Arsenal, they came through a tough semi-final, albeit they conceded a few goals over the two legs. It’s conceding those goals which gives me hope for tonight because regardless of who starts up front, there should be plenty of space for them to work their magic. In fact, the same applies to any player who finds himself in and around the box. We, and by we I of course mean the Arsenal, just need to be clinical when chances do arise.
PSG know how to win big matches, last year’s semi-final and final is proof of that, but we can not forget the chances we created against them. We are in my opinion, stronger this time around. We had no Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly was at left back. We had academy players on the bench, as well as Raheem Sterling!
I want this trophy to go to Emirates Stadium because it’s missing there. We touched it before – we were 13 minutes away from winning it – so you want it to happen this time.
I’ve always said that you work in a club to make sure it’s in a good position to continue to progress. Overall, I believe this is a stage where we can grab it. I still believe it’s 50/50 in the final, and if I had to bet, I would bet on Arsenal more than on Paris Saint-Germain.
The players trained yesterday and Mikel Arteta spoke to the media too. Everyone bar Ben White is fit and available which suggests Jurrien Timber might start.
Whoever starts, I hope they go onto the pitch remembering all they have done and how they have played to get here. They wholeheartedly deserve to be in this final because they’ve earned it. Just go out there tonight and play the game they will have been working on all week. Play with belief and freedom. Go and do to PSG what they did against us last year. Win..
Good luck Mikel, good luck to the players.
Catch up in the comments.
Kev, I bet Eze is livid with himself too. I feel desperately sad for him and Gabriel.
Morning guys.
New post up.
Unfortunately, couldn’t see the match but still proud of the team, it’s a bummer to lose that way but much better than getting beat 4 nil, and hopefully this will give them more hunger next season.
Take away the penalties and the team that were going to hammer us failed to score in open play. The game turned on refereeing decisions their penalty and the lack of ours. Throughout he seemed to give them the decisions in most 50/50’s
Enrique was like Simeone in the ref’s ear throughout the first half and the end of half corner fiasco summed up his antipathy towards us . I am sure that had it been the other end the corner would have been taken.
Still tomorrow is another day , and we have to start thinking about how we change things to maintain our standards and defend our title as champions . We cannot keep going one up and defending for our lives because all it takes is a deflection or a tangle of legs with a team that goes down too easily and a compliant ref .
VAR apparently thought that the Madueke incident was not a clear and obvious error . It would be interesting to know had the penalty been given would it have been deemed not a clear and obvious error or whether it would have intervened.
Rico, you have to hit the target and if the keeper saves then fair do’s, but wide of the post and over the bar isn’t good enough. Really disappointed in Eze…
It would me too Kev, I was surprised to see Gabriel take one. Mind you, I expected him to bury it, as I did Eze. I really don’t like the stop start run ups.
Maybe I should sleep on it but I thought that Odegaard was wasteful in possession a few too many times again and that Saka has lost his burst of pace against the very best.
Havertz rolled back the years and Trossard was excellent again whilst feeding on scraps, Mosquera was very good until he got booked – I felt that something was said to the referee at half-time, probably by some UEFA bureaucrat, or a high-ranking Qatari?
Hincapie gave us everything whilst Bill, Gabby and David were as steady as a rock.
I was quite disappointed in Eze, even before his penalty whilst Noni and Martinelli were not as effective as I would have hoped. In retrospect Merino instead of Eze might have been the way to go.
Good to see Timber back, but why didn’t he step up to take a penalty before Big Gabby?
Zubi was average.
Yes Myles had a great game and if I was Zubimendi I’d begin to worry about next season, but for me Declan Rice was enormously impressive.
Question: if you’re Mikel Arteta and you’re sorting out the penalty takers in a shoot out and Gabriel steps forward, whilst Zubi and Nono do not, then that would worry me?
Agree re Myles Lewis-Skelly, I thought he was excellent. Our defence too, top top performance.
I’m not going to criticise anyone, nor try to find someone to blame. P S G were marginally the better side, the ref was marginally favourable to P S G.
Perhaps we will do better next year.
Arsenal’s standout player was, without doubt, Miles Lewis-Skelly.
Yes PSG won the cup, yes they seemed happy.
Being overall favourites, everyone saying we will get walloped and murdered they should hang their heads in shame.
1-1. And they needed pens to win. They needed Raya to mark only one pen, with the rest of them Raya committing too early. They needed two of our players to shoot off target.
Do I blame anyone.
the answer is simple. NO
Arsenal and Valencia are the only two teams which have done the whole season unbeaten in the champions league and still lost the final on penalties.
We have nothing to be ashamed off. We hold our heads high. We should be proud of the team we have. MLS, still 19. We have a young team which can only get better.
After the subs we had taken 3 penalty takers off , I was never confident
The moment it went to penalties I told the missus that we will lose.
We gave it our best. We did not win the cup although unbeaten.
Did we deserve it?? No we did not. Yes we did. depends from what perspective you look at it.
Hope nothing serious Andrew..
That was a penalty on Madueke who got fouled from behind.
Had it been in our penalty area it would have been given.
Hincapie is injured
Meant to be taking it easy after an endoscopy and biopsies taken this morning.
This isn’t quite the calm rest needed!
Two poor corners by Madueke.
Extra time and then penalties. M LS and Havertz off for Eze and Zubimendi.
Would have settled for this at beginning, good test if our squad is as strong as we think.
Nerve wracking.
M & M’s getting on.
So the attack is now MGM
Martinelli and Madueke. Saka and Trossard are tired and have given it their all.
I expected Arteta to sub off Mosquera when he got the yellow card. Even the commentator said that it would be risky to play with a yellow card against Kvaratshkelia.
Gyokeres on now. we have tone 4-4-1-1
bollox!
And they keep telling us that we are the masters of the dark arts.
Suddenly the PSG players are made of candy.
We need Gyokeres ASAP
It’s the side of his game I don’t like Devil.
I hope this isn’t a sign of the officials controlling the outcome. Two really dreadful bookings.
got to watch this ref now giving them everything
Gunners….do you know what lies beyond the next 45 minutes???
Immortality. Take it. It’s yours
Rico, whether or not Kai made a meal of it, what Hakimi did was not legal. It wasn’t an accidental strike….it was intentional and with the intention to stop him by hook or by crook.
They set the traps. But the earth belonged to the Lord
Eze I reckon when the changes come and give their defence something different to worry about by bringing on Gyokeres..
Havertz scores what do I know?
Halftime and we’re one nil up. We need a bit more creativity in midfield. I wouldn’t mind Eze or Marino on for Odegaard.
I thought Havertz made a meal of it.
Mosquera has had a good half, MLS too imo.
More of the same in the second half please Arsenal.
Great strike Havertz, I first thought from that angle it was side netting!
Losing midfield now though. Can’t defend for 55 minutes against this team.
That should have been a yellow for Hakimi, striking down Kai’s front neck with the inside of his elbow and with his hand raised
I would love us to win by a mammoth score in every game.
But honestly, nothing beats the crowd singing 1-0 to the Arsenal at the end of the match
Puskás still holds the record for most goals in a single final — 4 goals for Real Madrid against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 final.
1 down, 4 more to go Kai
HAAAAVVVERTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Well that’s shut me up… 😝
1-0
FORTH GUNNERLINGAS
TO THE KINGS
hope your right about Havertz but I dont agree
just like 1989 1 minute
My stomach is in knots.. 😂
But Viktor is the more clinical imo, a proper striker.
5 goals in his first season.
Here we are. Exactly where we wanted to be.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/960448196755183
Kai has 14 CL goals to his name, including a winner in the final, 8 so far for Arsenal. He’s the man.
Mikel’s first starting X1…
.webp
Me neither Potter.
Not happy with Havertz for Gyokeres 38 minutes
50 minutes, HH’ers. Windy down here in the Bay. If we have a power cut, I’ll go berserk. Seats are filling, fire in the grate, hot cocoa served, Kai up top, MLS living the dream…
Oo to be ….
48 and counting..
Sixty minutes and counting.
Gilberto looks like he’s fit enough to play 😂
Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Havertz.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Timber, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Dowman.
Afternoon Devil, guys.
I’m disappointed Gyokeres isn’t starting. Let’s hope Havertz has a cracking game, let’s hope every player has a cracking game.
Apologies to you all, kick off is 1700 not 1730.
One hour fifteen minutes and counting.
Afternoon all, feeling close now. No Timber, Havertz up top
Afternoon all!
Come on Arsenal!
Two hours and counting!
Nos Marchammos Kev.
I would love it if we became The Immortals.
22 years ago we had a squad that became known as The Invincible’s.
Last week we had a squad of players and fans who became The Unbearables to all our many detractors.
By this evening I’m hoping and praying that our amazing squad of players will have evolved into becoming
The Immortals!
We March On…
Apt Devil, Zinchenko’s nickname for Declan Rice was Horse.
Jurrien Timber posted this
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”
Good afternoon Rico and all housers.
A good prematch post Rico. I enjoyed reading it now.
Just back from the vet after rescuing the fifth cat this year. Been there since 9.00am this morning.
Will we put 5 past Paris today?? My favourite, VK14 its over to you. The last Arsenal striker to score 5 was Woodcock against Villa. May you equal that today. The last number 14 in the final missed two twenty years ago. Now its time to put that right.
Dreams can come true lady and gents. Fingers crossed they will.
We came……………………………….We Saw………………….We conquered.
Twenty years ago we lost Paris. Today we face Paris. Today we win Paris
For the time of our lives
Three hours and counting
So, Slot sacked and Iraola lined up to succeed him. I can only say good luck to him, he’ll need it. Half the Liverpool squad are jumping ship despite qualifying, just, for the Champions League next season. Whoever takes over will have to sort out an aging squad with just a few youngsters coming through. Priority will be to get Isak and Wirtz, two expensive flops, to actually play some effective football.
I look forward to Carragher’s next column in the Telegraph. 😉
Morning Geoff, I’m sure they will be. Just hope they quickly get rid of any nerves.
Me too Cicero, PL ones too and maybe a domestic cup or three.
Well the nerves are really building now,I hope the players are relaxed and confident,they’re certain to be nervous but what a great position to be in.
I was saying earlier,These are great times,semi final last,final this and Premier league champions too.
Still three and a half hours to go,time is going so slowly.
The first of many I hope, Rico.
Rico. Thank you and all who done the write up / Articles during this season
Morning Rico and all, a pretty good write up Rico. All players that Arteta picks should be weary of PSG but still feel confident that we can win the match.
Our defenders must be switch on from the start to the finish and be willing to back Raya up every chance they get as he will be a very important player tonight, Just wish I had the full Stan sports package to watch match not just the small package that only covers the EPL.
Slot has been sacked…
Lg, I wouldn’t 😂
Ha ha Stuart, you’ll be falling asleep during the game
Me too Potter, my stomach has at times been in knots just thinking about it..
It is Cicero..
As a matter of interest Rico is this your first Champions League pre-match post?
Well it’s the day of destiny , whether we consider us to be the underdogs or not it seems everybody else does and that alone should be enough motivation for the players to get the job done.
Just get the focus right, don’t show any nerves and play the game and dictate from the outset.
We are the champions of the hardest league in the world, This is proven by the fact that 9 teams have qualified for European football next season and in the ones remaining four or 5 cannot be considered as cannon fodder
Unlike the giants of France , Germany or Spain where they only have a handful of top clubs , we have a league bursting with them.
Some of us say that they are not nervous but I have to admit that I am. I wasn’t when we went to Paris and apart from the result I really enjoyed the whole trip . This time it’s the front room and whether it’s in front or behind the sofa remains to be seen .
I’d bet quite a few bucks on:
Havertz
Trossard-Ødegaard-Saka
Rice-Zubimendi
Calafiori-Gabriel-Saliba-Timber
Raya
(Kepa-Mosquera-Hincapié-Merino-LewisSkelly-Madueke-Eze-Martinelli-Gyökeres)
Nothing to fear but fear itself for such a squad imo …
But … (for what it’s worth, of course): one thing I haven’t seen mentioned, but which the boys should be ready for, is how PSG react when they have their backs against the wall, and tonight at some point, they will, I’m sure of that.
Just as there were hidden songs at the end of famous Lps (AbbeyRoad’s “Her Majesty, London Calling’s “Train in Vain”, etc.), under such circumstances it looks like Paris have (just as the latest successful version of Ancelotti’s Real had, actually) a kind of “extra, hidden gear” available, allowing them to do everything with more speed, focus, power, accuracy – if only for a few minutes.
The boys will look ‘em in the eye from the getgo, I have no doubt about that, but the outcome will depend on their ability to come out of these minutes of (organized) chaos, (methodical) madness, alive.
If they can, they’ll win this – as simple as that.
COYG
Morning Cicero, Stuart, all. Thanks Cicero.
Got my chores done early, and now I can chill. lol
“Belief and freedom”. Amen, Rico. I’m trying to get some shut eye, but keep waking up checking the clock… 6 hours 45 minutes to go…
Good morning Rico, another five star offering thank you.
We have a squad of seasoned international players and Mikelito, as he has always been known by his long time friend Luis Enrique, will have that squad in the best possible mental state to face the team most commentators see as favourites. Let them believe that if they wish, but I’m sure our players do not see themselves as underdogs nor cannon fodder for P S G.
Nerves? Naa, I can’t wait for kick off.