Me too. Although judging form today I'm not so sure.

He extolled giving Emery more time at Arsenal, but maybe he doesn't desire to work with him at Villarreal. He was the one who did help Emery prep for Arsenal job, though.

I've found Arteta's tactical strategies quite fascinating so far. He had the unbalanced formation with the left back pushing high, Xhaka filling in and the right back tucking inside. Now he's gone to a back 3/5 with a high press. It seems like the two shouldn't exist together.

What it has shown in the last 2 games is that Arsenal can play a high press, not necessarily with the intensity and swarm like approach that Liverpool do, but one where traps are laid and passing lanes are shut off. Having 3 or 5 at the back, and two good technicians in central midfield has meant the team can trust each other in possession deep in our half. It is no coincidence that Mustafi was phased back in and Sokratis phased out simply due to the ability on the ball.

What Arteta needs to solve now is when teams like Spurs don't press us, barely engage with us at all until the final 3rd. That's where we are lacking the guile and creativity at the moment. Also I thikn we lack the numbers in attack. If a team sit off us and we play a back 3 with wing backs and Xhaka+Ceballos there isn't much goals or creativity. It doesn't matter so much when you are able to bring the opposition on to you and use the attacking trio plus maybe one of the wing backs to form the attacks because quite often you will be attacking 4 v 4.

I'd make the argument that if a team sits off us so much we need to either move to a back 4 or start pushing a CB further up field. In yesterday's formation that could easily be Tierney taking a sort of inside left midfield position, allowing someone like Xhaka even to push forward more

I saw an article analysing the City game in the Athletic that said we did basically that. Out of possession M-N was part of the back 5, but in possession Tierney went to marauding wing back and Ainsley went into midfield.

It obviously didn’t happen loads as we had bugger all possession, but Ainsley’s contribution stood out to me on the day.

Lauren Bacall.

I haven't seen DeGea enough recently to know if the game last night was just a bad game or a pattern.

Movie - To Have and Have Not

Definitely a pattern

Lots of talk this morning of Chelsea being close to Kai Havertz signing, £80-100m. The kid does look the real deal. Chelsea could line up with Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic, Werner next season.
They need to replace Willian and Pedro, Giroud has done a decent job for them. It will push Mount and Abraham down the pecking order.
They still need to sort out the defence though, 49 goals conceded in the league (4 more than us). Azpilicueta is the only one they can rely on and they have a problem with their GK just like Man U.

I've been out of the loop for the last couple of days, so apologies if this has been covered.

If Chelsea finish 3rd, as seems likely, they're already in the CL so if they beat us in the Cup Final, they won't take up the Europa spot. Does that mean we would take the 'spare' place regardless?

The FA is busy at this very moment amassing all the possible computations...

I think it no longer goes to the FA Cup runners up, it goes to the league position.

So 5th place is Europa league outright
6th place currently will take Europa for Man City's league cup win (as they are in the CL)
So the final Europa league spot will be ours if we win the cup, or will go to the 7th place team in the league

So if we don't win the cup we need 7th. We have to win our last 2 realistically. We also need Wolves to drop 3 points from their 2 games. Goal difference has Wolves +3 ahead of us so we'd need to make that up if we only gained exactly 3 points on them.
We'd also need Sheff Utd to not win both their last games to ensure we overtake them as well
To overtake Spurs we'd need them to lose their last two games, or only pick up a point from those two games and turn round a +6 goal difference in their favour

I'm not sure what happens if either Wolves or Man U win Europa league this season, meaning they go in to the champions league. Whether that means 1 less Europa league spot for English teams next year I'm not sure. If it does then they need to decide which 2 of the 3 Europa places is lost, the league cup winners (defaulted to the league position), the fa cup winners or the 5th place team in the league.

All very complicated stuff

Q to Arteta: “That playing out at the back, it paid off for the goal, but do you get nervous watching that?”
Arteta: “No. I get nervous when we kick it long!”

Mustafi out for the Villa game. I think that should mean Holding coming in and Luiz and Tierney staying in the back 3.

Arteta's approach with the challenges he's setting the squad are very interesting. He turned around Xhaka and Mustafi, making them key components of the side.
He's laid down the law with Ceballos and AMN and both responded positively.
Lacazette was dropped for a few games and has been excellent recently
Luiz has been installed as a leader of the group

Guendouzi and Özil seemingly yet to respond.

It is win/win really, as long as you agree with Arteta's approach of asking for more from his players and that their efforts in training get them picked for the match day squad. If the players up their efforts we get a better player, if they don't then we can root out the players unwilling to toe the line.

Having the entire squad all pulling in the same direction and believing in the process and importantly knowing that players are picked on merit is huge for the progress of this squad

Watch this and try not to smile, and possibly also weep. Wow.

Actresses were so much more glamorous back then.

It would be great if we could find a way to loan Ceballos for another year. The last 5-10 games he's really started to click for us and what Arteta wants. If we can loan with an option to buy we could keep our limited funds for other positions.
Lots of players seem to be moving closer to definite keep or definite sell as Arteta gets to know his players. One who I'm really not sure of is Torreira. Perhaps he doesn't fall in to either category but in a separate one which is if a really good offer comes in then we will sell and replace.

Sheffield United lose now we need Palace to beat Wolves and we should move up a couple of places.

Not looking good. Two down now.

So as Sheffield Utd lost this evening to Everton, a glimmer of finishing a mighty 7th has opened up! But if we win our two games and Spurs only draw we will finish below them in 8th on goal difference!!

Unless we can score 7 unanswered goals over 2 games!!

Edit: But obviously if they win we’re stuffed either way. FA Cup glory it is!!

Pep Guardiola: Manchester City boss in 'respect' jibe at Arsenal https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53479675

The words Pot kettle and black spring to mind you greasy, petrodollar, human-rights-violations-apologist-when-it’s-convenient-to-you, lickspittle.

Once you get past the unbelievable irony of city complaining about Arsenal’s off field behaviour I find it brilliant that Arsenal are being attacked. Jose did it the other week, now Pep. Managers don’t attack irrelevant clubs and don’t attack clubs they’re not fearful off.

One of the most painful things in the late wenger/Ferguson years was that Ferguson didn’t see us as enough of a threat to regularly attack us like he used to!

Morning Ash.
7th is still doable!
But.....
We need to win our last 2 games and hope chelsea beat wolves on the last day.
Wolves GD is about 5 up on ours.
We need to win the 2 games with a plus goals of about 4 and of course a wolves defeat takes theirs GD down.
We MUST win tonight.

Well said!
Hypocrisy of the highest order.
Who was it that recently overturned a FFP ban again.......Hmmmm

What all this does show is how critical goal difference throughout the season is. As I’ve said before, every single goal scored and conceded during the entire league campaign affects every clubs’ goal difference. It’s not something that can or should be ignored until the final game or two. Because what happened in games during August And September count just as much as what happens in May or June towards points accumulated and goal difference, as do all the matches from October to April as well.

So from both your posts, I’m assuming that if we lose the cup final, we have to finish 7th to qualify for the Europa League. Is that right?

Hi Bernard
Agreed about goal difference.
Yes if we lose the cup final we need to finish 7th to qualify for Europa league.

We're on the list. Deservedly? I thin some context is needed.

Thanks David.

Noticeable that both our remaining league games are against relegation strugglers. On the face of it, that sounds a positive as it suggests they’re two of the worst teams in the table. But on the downside it means they both have something to play for. Villa and Watford will presumably be fighting for their lives.

Might have been better to play someone mid-table with nothing to play for. Considering their current form, Palace look an obvious example.

Or to be a pedant, fail to finish 7th and we have to win the cup final, as league positions will be finalised first

If we win our last 2 games with a combined +4 goal difference any loss for Wolves will do on the last day.

Sad that its come down to us chasing 7th, but it could be quite exciting if Wolves are losing and we're winning on the last day both knowing that goal-difference will come in to it.

Afternoon David, yes I hadn’t spotted Wolves were within reach too if they lose! I won’t real out focus too much on that as it’s out of our hands, and we have to beat Villa and Watford, probably fairly handsomely, and they’ll both be fighting for survival. I’m just grateful it’s still exciting and we have something to play for this far into the season.

Not got super high hopes of beating Chelsea still even after the stellar City result. As well as we played, I don’t rate Sterling anywhere nearly as highly as everyone else seems to, and for me he lost that game for them. Bad crosses and passes, missed with Martinez stranded and even an air shot in there. He’s good but technically miles below the very best.

I've written this season off anyway. If we go a season without European competition so be it. We have had a fantastic run. Since '98 was it, that we've been in Europe? Well over 22 years. Fantastic. Not sure if anyone else can boast that long of a run.

We are in transition and it may do us well. It will hurt us getting certain players perhaps in the transfer market but there are plenty players who will see the opportunity to join us for the potential payoff, competition wise.

I hope to get into Europe. But, is it the end of the world? It may even force Kroenke to look up from the blueprint of the stadium in California wearing his LA Rams hat to give us some extra money to get back to winning ways.

Spot on Bernard.
I was hoping by the time we played both villa and Watford they would both either be relegated or safe. I feel very very uneasy about tonight as villa and Watford become very dangerous literally fighting for their lives. Villa know this is their chance to save themselves and they will go all out for it. We need to win for our own hopes but will villa want it more considering their precarious position. I hope not.
Will certainly be nervy.
Come on Arsenal!!!!!!

Oh God
They said Samata hasn't scored in 9 appearances... you know what that means....

Another goal conceded from a set piece. Really poor

Good goal.