Morning all.
It was the night Bukayo Saka returned…..
I didn’t watch the game, just the briefest of highlights. Any three points at this stage of the season when securing second place is the best Arsenal can realistically achieve domestically are welcome.
Mikel Merino scored our opening goal before the boy wonder came off the bench to head home our second. It’s a good job he did too because Fulham scored in the dying minutes of the game.
Whilst the focus is likely to be on Bukayo Saka’s return, let’s not forget Mikel Merino’s impact on the game. He’s being asked to play in an unfamiliar position in the team and yet again, he delivered.
Right after scoring, Saka ran to the Arsenal bench to give Sam Wilson a big hug. He’s the guy who has helped our winger through his recovery.
Mikel Arteta on the reaction Saka gave to Sam Wilson after scoring:
As a manager I’m part of the staff. We all love this kind of recognition and gestures because it goes beyond the professional side of it. There is a connection there that is so necessary and to be able to appreciate as well the amount of work, stress and responsibility that they have to go through because they will be like this. I hope everything goes well and the work that we’ve done is going to work. So, I was very pleased with that.
It’s great to see Saka back where he belongs, even better to see him score but sadly, this turned out to be a game which saw both Gabriel and Jurrien Timber suffer what appear to be serious injuries. A hamstring injury for Gabriel, a knee injury for Timber.
Just like that, we’re scuppered in defence.
The thought of facing Real Madrid without the above two is scary, heck, it’s scary to think of playing Everton without them at the weekend, especially as both Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are unavailable as well.
This season has been one of the worst for injuries, if not the worst. It seems each time we get ourselves into a good position, injury strikes. We had it with William Saliba a couple of seasons ago, last season too with Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber missing most of the season and this time around, well, it began with Merino and hasn’t let up since.
If Ben White doesn’t fully recover in time for the trip to Everton, it’s likely we’ll be back to seeing Thomas Partey at right back which isn’t good for him or the team. Jakub Kiwior will step in to the centre of defensive I’m sure and one can only hope he does really well.
Short one today, life sometimes gets in the way. Lol
Catch up in the comments.
Kiwior scares me to death when he meets pace , he strikes me as a good player when things are in front of him but his peripheral reading of situations seems to be lacking . It becomes more of a problem when Partey is around because his major problem is losing players and often he is a yard behind them when they go past him towards goal.
Real have the forwards to expose this with pace and skill and despite the return of Saka we don’t really have the forwards to get a good lead .
I can see a tight game at home and a really difficult match in Madrid. I can’t help feeling that our best hope is to make sure that we stay in second and pray that the wheels totally fall off at Anfield .
I’m of a similar opinion re Kiwior, a situation which is made even worse if Partey plays at right back as our midfield will be less effective.
Zinchenko or Tierney could play right back or Tierney at centre back with Kiwior at right back. Perm any two from four.
‘morning all.
Good point but will Arteta be that adventurous? Tierney out of the two, at least he has some pace, unlike Zinchenko.
Much depends on White’s fitness I guess and whether or not Timber’s is just a knock as he’s an option centrally.
Last night’s atmosphere at the Emirates was electric when Saka came on and then again when he scored. Are we now going to see Arsenal back the way they were before he got injured. Lets really hope so.
It was very slow the first half, sadly seeing Arsenal not at their best. Great to see Merino score which lifted spirits from a quiet stadium.
Fingers crossed Gabriel’s hamstring and Timber’s ankle injuries are not too serious. If both have to be rested until 8th April’s match then so be it. Am sure Arteta can figure out his team for the Everton away match this Saturday if they cannot play.
Hopefully, Liverpool will not do so well tonight!
Kiwior reminds me of Rob Holding in that he’s a popular player and capable of the odd good game but way below the level of our regular centre backs. It’s not even close. Our injury situation is a nightmare. We have to hope that maybe we were being ultra cautious. Normally at this time of the year,hamstring and knee injuries would mean the end of the season.
I’ve only seen brief highlights but it looked like we were in control but the late goal meant a nervy finish.
Stats can be misleading (XG always makes me think of 1970s maths) we had 4 shots on target,they had 3,even that can be misleading as shots blocked on the goal line don’t count as on target.
Mikel Merino has shown himself to be a good finisher,I was looking at his career record,he usually gets 4/5 goals a season. He must be way above that already so Arteta should take a lot of credit.
I still hope we bring in at least 2 forwards though,perhaps a central striker and a wide forward.
He reminds me of Xhaka Limey…. Lol
Stepanov?
That’s a bit unfair because Kiwior can be very good.
The start of their goal was a Fulham player on their right wing totally unopposed. Where was Skelly? It’s ok to invert as long as there’s an understanding that a fellow player will cover him!
Xhaka Limey, I’ve forgotten all about Igors…
Ha ha
Dick, two nil up heading into time added on, there has to be a balance between improving goal difference, which could be critical at the end of the season, and protecting the three points. It comes down to game management which is the coach’s call. Personally I was appalled last night that Arteta did not, apparently, issue instructions either way.
Good evening Rico and everyone
Personally I will go for MLS on the right. He is good and can adapt to any position in the FB areas and CDM. Not tall enough for a CB though.
At least I hope we don’t see PArtey at RB. We need him in midfield
Evening Devil..
Come on Everton. 😂
It’s oh so predictably boring, even the relegation trio are done before Easter, there ya go PGMOL, thanks for helping to make this season a non-event.
Couldn’t agree more…
What a boring old season this has been..
There seems to be a lot of transfer rumours being put out in the public domain (very unArsenal), with certain deals (via Ornstein) seemingly in the can, namely Gyorkeres, Zubimendi and now Williams from Bilbao, could all this be PR by the club.
Just think, season ticket renewals are only a matter of weeks away and despite our hopes we’re probably going to end this season empty handed, again!
Then imagine watching Liverpool lift, what should have been our, EPL title and then Man City or Villa lifting the FACup, possibly Chelsea winning the Europa and/or Tottenham (perish the thought) lifting the Conference, they’ll all be laughing at us especially if we finish below Forest?
Worst case scenario? Perhaps, but whatever happens it’s going to be a long summer of reflection.
It needs to be a summer of reflection to Kev, in fact that reflection should already be happening. I know we can’t do anything about the officials but the management team can do a lot more both on and off the pitch.
There’s a new post up by the way.