Lovely to go back to Wembley again
Down side for me is I’m gonna have to find a sports bar in Lima Peru!!
The final falls in my vacation tour around South America
D
Commentators on my feed over here in the US were full of the Rosenior masterclass… keep it tight ….nil nil at half time and then bring on the big guns to finish us off
It was a running narrative that they kept repeating and by the 70 th minute I was brain washed and started to believe it and was waiting for Palmer to smash one in and go on to win
Well his master class got them what they deserved… sweet f.. all

I know it’s time to celebrate but the fixtures come thick and fast now and we looked a bit leggy … they interviewed Deccers after on US TV and he said “”I’m absolutely knackered “. “This schedule is tough”

Still great night. Well done to MA and the whole club
Onwards upwards.

https://x.com/sivvlp/status/20187898934 ... -j6VVZXEoA

By the way this ticks all the boxes for a penalty as well, arm above his head in an unnatural position and the ball clearly hits it. I can completely forgive the ref for not seeing it but what is var looking at. It’s not as blatant as the trip on Martinelli but it’s a penalty

Oh I loved that we scored and won the game for the record books even though it didn’t change the tie. A bit like the late goal Martinelli scored v Real Madrid, we can say we beat them in their own back yard.

I’m losing count of how many games that is now unbeaten against Chelsea…..it’s 10 games and 4.5 years since we lost to them

We need to rotate a few v Sunderland. I’d honestly be tempted by Nordgaard to give us some fresh legs in midfield. Tell Rice to go for 60-65 mins then bring Zubimendi on maybe.
White and Calafiori to come in at the back. Havertz and Trossard to start with Madueke up top.

https://x.com/ArsenalBallots/status/201 ... 12562?s=20

A peno was never going to be given for that. Once you get the ball and outside the box it would need something serious for a peno to be awarded.

If that lifted leg was done outside the box, I'm sure a freekick will be awarded. VAR officials didn't have the balls to make the right call.

Yep, it would take something like deliberately lifting your leg in a motion completely unrelated to your tackle because you could see the attacker still had control of the ball and would be able to take a clear shot at goal…..something like that I reckon

100%. Referees are generally cowards, and to some extent I don’t blame them given the scrutiny their decisions are under. Anything in the middle of the pitch with no chance of a goal being scored they’ll happily be very decisive.
There was an example in the Villa v Brentford game where Thiago went 50/50 with the Villa defender on the half way line and kind of bundled past him and would have been clean through on goal. In the refs mind he can give Villa a free kick, Brentford fans moan but because we never see what might happen the noise around it dies. But if he let Brentford play on and they score (a high probability) then his decision whether right or wrong is the main talking point.

If you wanted to you could ref a game and make sure any debatable decision was always given the way least likely to lead to a discussion about your decisions

https://x.com/afcstuff/status/201880650 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Slightly strange commentary after Havertz goal “they’ve clung on…clung on…and pounced at the end”
Was I watching a different game? I didn’t get any sense of us clinging on.

I do think if it even looks a little bit like what the preferred narrative is then it gets shoehorned in. We didn’t have attacking fluency so we’re open to that (wrong) analysis.

Havertz coming back is an extra goal scoring body so tha helps, but I’m not quite sure how we really hone this attack. Gyökeres pulling his weight would be a start.

I think our game away to wolves which was scheduled for the same weekend as the league cup final will now be moved to the same midweek as the champions league play off games - hopefully Tuesday 17th Feb. The game before is the Wigan fa cup game, the game after is Spurs away.

If Man City make the final I don’t think they can have their game v Palace moved to the same slot as Palace play conference league that midweek. So City v Palace will have to find another weekend.

Could be a good opportunity for us to get points on the board and stretch the lead. I’d rather have the points and played more games.

reminder for those with ST

Interesting.

Don't be surprised if demand for tickets is relatively soft. Assuming it'll be City we're playing, we may get more tickets than we expect. They've struggled in recent years to sell their allocations for Wembley.

Saw it being suggested we will get 30-33k ticket allocation which for a 90k stadium is pretty scandalous really so 99% of those tickets will go to the 48k gold members with a Smattering landing in silver probably. Red absolutely no chance

Both referee and VAR looked at it and they didn't think so. I thought it was a penalty but having looked at it again I realised those are never given by and large. It would be a generous interpretation if it was given.

Disagree. It’s not a common type of foul. The movement of follow through non tackling leg is so unnatural it’s a clear penalty. The referees are incompetent if they don’t give it.

I do wonder if he’s trying to get himself fired you know

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 14034.html

Well, it’s definitely going to be City in the final

Weird game. City very good attacking-wise but wide open defensively to counters and Newcastle should have scored at least 4.

No, you were watching THE game.
He was watching a different game, with tinted glasses on

Pep complaining about two things, (after his net spend ‘fact’ rant the other day)
1) the rules which mean Guehi is cup tied for the league cup final, City intend to write to the authorities to try to persuade them to change the rules and allow Guehi to play the final!
2) that City have to travel to London for the final and Arsenal only have to travel a short distance to wembley

I think they should just forfeit and stay home, gather in a circle and sing Kum ba yah. Tossers.

It is a huge credit to Arsenal that Pep has decided to lower his credibility because he is fearful of us

Oh he, Pep, is desperate about that Carabao final. City the underdog.
Newcastle travel distance no different if they had won.

Final details …

https://www.arsenal.com/tickets/arsenal ... ester-city

https://x.com/chriswheatley/status/2019 ... -j6VVZXEoA

I’m sure people have seen this. It’s his little look straight at the camera at the end. Very David Brent. I don’t mind him but it does feel like he’s trying too hard outside of actually managing the game. Of course it goes without saying that the reaction if Arteta did this would be the biggest news story for weeks

Yep, very David Brent

Try hard

The glasses also just have this whiff of someone trying to look more intellectual than he is

.
Now we've made the final ; I sure as hell hope we show the world our Champions League form

.... and not the Arsenal that exchanges five million sideways *&&^^%$$ passes back and forth between the defenders ;

Where Gyökeres gets hauled off at the 70th minute mark having touched the ball twice .

Not sure whether we will be in the final. Pep might make an appeal to the English FA that our players over celebrated the goal.

who could blame the players for over celebrating that goal , it was relief more than anything

......... there sure wasn't much else to get excited about

We are in an incredible position, no doubt, fighting on all four fronts.

I do feel, though, that what might ultimately cost us in the latter stages of the cups is our attack, or lack of.

Even against Chelsea at home it felt like we lacked fluency and creativity in attack and, had Chelsea scored, where would we have found another goal from bar a corner?

Without Saka it just feels like we lack real stardust in attack. The sort that grabs a goal out of nothing at a pivotal moment.

Hey OMOH,

How's things?

We have to win tomorrow.

At this stage any drop points may be crucial but home games especially have to be won.

Sunderland are a good team and whilst their away record is not great, like most teams in the PL these days they have players who can hurt you if you are not at it.

No it wouldn't. It's a non-story on a slow news day for football.

I agree it is a non story, my point is I doubt it would be if Arteta had done it. You don't think if Arteta had told Chelsea players to 'get back in their f**king half' would have made a bigger story this week had he done it?....and then gone on to lose the semi-final....."Uptight Arteta transmits panic to his team......Arteta needs to control his emotions better to avoid bottling a semi-final.......Arteta should focus on his players not put energy in to something so trvial, its a clear sign the pressure he feels under'

What about if Arteta had complained about not being able to play a cup tied player in the League Cup final, or complained about the distance Arsenal have to travel to play the cup final....?

We've seen huge fall outs over whether he stays in his technical area and when he supposedly blamed the ball for our defeat to Newcastle (he didn't). Come on, everything Arteta does makes headlines, its the nature of a) us being the best team, b) plenty of jealousy from pundits who were his peers on the pitch and c) a general dislike of Arteta. Liam Rosenior has none of those things so he's asked about it but not criticised for it

https://www.football365.com/news/opinio ... ta-arsenal

If Arsenal avoid defeat against Sunderland, they will break the Premier League record for longest unbeaten run at home against newly promoted teams.

Arsenal currently share the record of 43 games unbeaten against promoted teams with Chelsea (2001-2015).

The last promoted team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates in the Premier League was Newcastle in November 2010.

38 Wins
5 Draws
0 Losses

There is a record for everything!

I think Xhaka is still injured, that's good for us, but a shame that he doesn't get to play on his return to Arsenal.

Given that Liverpool host City this is an absolute must win. This is the last of City's tricky run of fixtures for a while. Their next 5 after this are Fulham (h), Newcastle (h), Leeds (a), Forest (h), West ham (a). Maybe Leeds might give them a few problems but I don't see much there to worry them. It would be huge if we can win and Liverpool beat City to have a 9 point cushion on them. City's run in is for once not a walk in the park - chelsea, everton, bournemouth away - Brentford, Villa and us at home - all give rise to potential dropped points in a way I can't see their next 5 doing

Our fixtures are almost the opposite, we've got a tricky run coming up, but just when City's fixtures get trickier ours ease for the final 7 or so games. After Sunderland we have 3 away games in a row then Chelsea at home, Brighton away - that is a really tricky 5 game stretch. If we can maintain a 6-9 point lead after those 5 then it starts to feel very doable

Our away fixture at Wolves - due to be played on the Wemberlee weekend - has been brought forward to Wednesday 18th Feb.

That’s a really positive move. Last thing we need is a fixture pile-up in the latter weeks of the season.

Well done, Arse - and Wolves.

Hi Socrates - thanks for asking. Almost 76 years on the clock so a few inevitable creaks and indispositions, though as Steve Marriott once said "Mustn't grumble." Trust all is well with you and that you are enjoying our excellent team as much as I am. One trophy this season and I'll be happy - anything more, delirious.