Morning all.
The penultimate home fixture of the season takes place tonight with Bournemouth heading to town for an early evening kickoff. The south coast club are still in with a chance, albeit slim, of qualifying for Europe but to achieve that, they probably need to win all four of their remaining fixtures and hope clubs ahead of them don’t.
Our own position remains precarious as far as securing Champions League football goes as five clubs currently sat below us in the table can mathematically overtake us. A win today would certainly make things look better but Bournemouth will be out to do the same.
When the two clubs met earlier in the season at The Vitality Stadium, the game was ruined when the referee sent off William Saliba 30 minutes in after VAR advised him to review his decision to book him. I still don’t believe he stopped a goal scoring opportunity, not with distance to goal and Ben White racing back.
Guess who was operating VAR? Yep, Jarred Gillet, the incompetent referee who is officiating tonight’s match.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Mikel Arteta said that while Kai Havertz, Jorginho and Riccardo Calafiori are ruled out for this match, there is a chance not all will be ruled out for Wednesday’s match against PSG.
Martin Odegaard has been in the headlines this last week because of his struggles on the pitch. One of the questions put to him yesterday was about the squad depth in the attacking midfield position.
We have a lot of options there, Mikel can play in that position, Declan, we have Ethan there in his main position. We have players that can play in that position, we have Max [Dowman] coming up as well very soon as well so I think we are good in the position.
Pushed on whether or not Max Dowman is being considered for next season?
For the near future, yeah, let’s see how this evolves but we certainly have a big talent there.
I know nothing about Max Dowman other than what’s online which has only been positive and with Mikel Arteta adding his view, it seems that we might just see him make his senior debut next season. However, I don’t think the alternatives to Martin Odegaard which he mentions are a solution going forward, other than Ethan Nwaneri that is. I doubt Arteta truly believes they are either.
Back to the Bournemouth game and what we can expect to face according to Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme:
Iraola has used 4-2-3-1 in every single Premier League contest so far this season. He wants the Cherries to play out from the back and move the ball quickly through the thirds, but they are at their most dangerous from turnovers and transitions as they attack directly and at speed. The Cherries are a very strong, aggressive side when out of possession. Pressing is their core strength, and they go man-to-man from goal kicks, squeezing their midfield up high in a bid to regain the ball in advanced areas.
No top-flight side has won possession inside the final third more than Bournemouth, and Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie (ruled out of tonight’s match) are two of the division’s most effective ball winners. However when fatigue sets in, rival sides can pass through the thirds quickly to isolate their back four. They are also a side that loves to fly forward down the flanks, with left-back Milos Kerkez especially dynamic. The Hungarian likes to overlap and whips a lot of quality crosses into the box, while winger Antoine Semenyo has power and blistering acceleration when running with the ball down the side channels. Justin Kluivert is also particularly good at travelling with it down the spine of the field.
I’ve seen them play a few times and if they’re on form, our players are in for another tough game.
Even so, I think Mikel Arteta will rotate his players again today. Not that he has a lot of options but I hope Nwaneri, Zinchenko and Tierney start this one, giving Saka, Rice and Lewis-Skelly a rest. I think Sterling could start too although I hope not. Thomas Partey could do with minutes after missing the PSG game and it’s a toss up between Timber and White at right back. Had Champions League football for next season already been in the bag, perhaps a few of the younger players would start but I doubt Arteta would be that bold. I’d absolutely love to see Butler-Oyedeji start.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, I don’t think there is a lot of scope for rotation this evening, perhaps Ben White for Juren Timber, he had a nightmare against P S G, and Nwaneri for Odegaard, who seriously needs a rest. With Partey available Merino can play higher up the pitch.
Still what do I know, I thought Ronnie would at least make the final. 😉
Morning Cicero, Ronnie was a shock.
Goodness knows who’ll start, they all need a rest 😜
Looking at the table and the remaining matches for teams in contention for CL football next season, 70 points and we’ll be safe. N’castle, Chelsea and Forest will take points off each other and Chelsea might drop points tomorrow against L’Pool. We could finish on the same number of points as one or more other clubs but we’ve got a vastly better GD. Be great if we can bag the
necessary three points this evening.
That’s made me feel a tad better….
Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, M LS, Rice, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Trossard.
Subs: Setford, Tierney, Zinchenko, Clarke, Merino, Nwaneri, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Sterling.
I thought he’d make more changes than he has.
A shortage of wood on the bench, no Timber. 😕
Not surprised after Tuesday..
As strong as he could have gone. Just Merino for Trossard or Martinelli and its first choice.
Must admit, Tuesday now is a longshot so I guess we must do all we can to get an important three points, with very difficult fixtures next.
I wondered if Arteta thought the same as you Andrew.
At last 😀
Odegaard is looking better today.
Rice ice baby…
Lovely goal. Pleased for Odergaard as well, he’s looked sharper from the start.
A special goal from Rice.
That movement by Rice is just what Odegaard needs in front of him.
1 – 0 halftime, so far so good. 100% concentration in the second half!
We’ve drawn too many recently from leading, let’s get that second goal.
Partey been very good, always available especially covering when other players out of position. Will Zubimendi be an actual improvement?
Replacing Partey is a bit like trying to replace Vieira imo. Patrick I mean, not Fabio 😜
Sloppy goal to concede..
We’re going to lose this if we’re not careful.
Merino on soon I reckon
Odegaard not strong enough there and Var rule out a handball another dodgy decision. 1 – 2.
Without the benefit of 20 replays, even i could see that hit Evanilson’s elbow..
All will be fine, Sterling is coming on…
If I was at the ground I would have walked out by now.
What a load of rubbish..
Handball or no handball…
Me too..
Evanilson always scores against us, we should buy him.
I thought we looked gassed in thd 2nd half.
Everyone will bum up Bournemouth (not least because they beat Arsenal of course they will) and they did play well, but we’ll see their true level and depth next season if they get into Europe.
Shame we couldn’t take a couple of the good chances in the first half.
I don’t think they’ll get into Europe..
To compete in two competitions you need strength in depth, to compensate for injuries and you need to do serious business in both windows. This is the third season in a row where we’ve reached this stage and looked knackered – we’re knackered because Arteta doesn’t have enough options, but he also doesn’t rotate enough in games that don’t matter. He needs to learn and club needs to get serious in transfer windows because City will be back next season…
Not sure Rico, if City win the FACup then that’s another Europa place available in the Prem, same with the League Cup place if Newcastle finish top five
I reckon we’ll finish 3rd if we beat Newcastle otherwise we could finish 4th
What to say after that , apart from the season’s gone and we will have to ;look carefully at other teams fixtures and results rather than ours. I will be surprised if we get three more points this season ,so in my opinion it is where 70 points gets us. Wiggy Stan will want champions League money , he may not get it . The repercussions of that could be profound.
Once again we are a nearly team and the butt of every bottler jibe , and it’s difficult to argue that we are not .
It seems like deja vu , forget that we have long term injuries when you look at the bench you realise that along with the first team players being knackered there is very little apart from one or two that could be considered to actually change a game . However when he does make changes why wait until the 85 th minute .
If he was trying to protect players for Paris then it was way too late and if he really thought that he wanted to retrieve a point they should have come on as soon as we went behind..
I know that This is a frustrated reaction but seriously just think about the individual mistakes made by Raya , His distribution and the inept receiving of Odegaard coupled with Partey losing the ball , White looking unfit and losing his pace , Trossard slowing things , Martinelli needing shooting practice and Saka back from injury too soon and looking dead on his feet.
Next season is shit or bust for Arteta , that’s if he survives the end of this one.
I forgot that Kev.
Potter, you’ll be surprised to know that I agree with nearly all your views.
I wonder how many times Arteta has used all five subs in a game this season.
I agree with Potter and he took the letters off my keyboard.
I will wait, calmly, for the end of the season.
Apart from Rice’s three great goals in the last few weeks, we are not actually very good are we?
Ben White has lost a yard or two of pace, maybe it’s rust, maybe he’s still feeling the effects of his injury, something is not right with him.
Odegaard is just plain knackered, by fifty minutes he was done and if Arteta couldn’t see that he should phone Specsavers for an urgent eye test.
The upcoming transfer window will fully demonstrate the Kronke family’s ambitions for Arsenal, are they content with just C L qualification or will they buy the players to take the club to the level of genuine contenders.