They were always going to be a bit too many for United, even if they had to scrape the barrel and use the likes of Draxler and di Maria ...

I agree with LTG that they will probably take this one on the chin and it'll improve their chances of getting 4th.

But it is highly enjoyable none the less. It would be lovely to see a full strength PSG absolutely massacre them in the return leg, mind you. Mbappe is a bit special.

Apparently Arsenal are commissioning another statue and are letting the fans choose from a shortlist - sounds good so far. The shortlist is
1. Ramsey's celebration to beat Hull in the FA cup final
2. Giroud's scorpion kick
3. Walcott and Mertesacker's 'bump' celebration

That is a bit of a sad choice of 3. Considering we have statues of Henry, Bergkamp, Adams and Chapman. I realise some are in action from great moments but not trophy winning moments but they are all in the top 5 or so Arsenal players of all time.

If that is the choice of 3 I'd rather we didn't do one. Or if it is just about great moments rather than great players do one of Thomas flicking the ball past Grobbelar

Imagine what could have been if Wenger had managed to persuade Mbappe to sign for us for £100k before he signed his pro contract with Monaco........he probably wouldn't still be with us but we'd be £150m richer

It’s a wind up Rich. I know the bloke who put out the original tweet. He’s winding everyone up.

maybe a statue of Silent Stan rubbing his hands together with a big grin on his face

Or more likely we would have let him run down his contract and watch him leave for free

Phew

That would certainly be more in line with our 'values' as a club, sorry corporation.

I actually think winning the Europa League is more likely than a top four place. Why don't you?

Have to admire Özil - not often I'd say this but he's played a blinder. Stared them out over his contract and Arse blinked first. They should've known. All those 'backaches' and 'sicknesses', not to mention the phoned-in performances.

He's lost interest in football. Just in it for the money now and doesn't seem to care whether he plays or not. Best of luck moving on that sort of player.

The only man to date to have made more money out of Arsenal than Silent Stan. Chinese football awaits surely.

I’m not sure about that unless you have heard otherwise ?

I heard he has been discarded because he walked out of a home appearance when he arrived at the ground to find out he was on the bench so left. That’s unacceptable behaviour and by all means fine him but at the end of the day even with his lethargic demeanour he’s still one of best first 11 players. I don’t believe it his choice to be dropped from all these games.

On the contract yes it was daft. It runs until 2021 and even if we sell him we will probably end up paying half his wages until then. What I don’t get is how these clubs don’t have gross misconduct clauses in these contracts to null them if the players start acting up.

I don’t know TG, but I think Özil has quite cynically made himself un-selectable. What Manager is going to pick a player who refuses even to turn up if he isn’t in the starting eleven? To select a player who’s prepared to issue that sort of ultimatum would be suicide for any Coach.

I don’t know, but I strongly suspect that Özil is quite satisfied with the current impasse – it’s largely of his own making, remember. I think he’s disenchanted with football generally, as evidenced by his self-proclaimed melt-down into martyrdom at the hands of the German FA, which he seemed to carry into his season with us. And there’s a fair parallel between the quality of his performances for Germany and for us. He didn’t like it when the Bernards called him out for lack of effort and he didn’t like it when the same thing happened over here. There was that time he was subbed – can’t recall against whom but as usual, it was because he was playing like a turd – and he took fully 2 minutes to trudge off. Face like a smacked arse. ‘Everyone’s against me’ – well, yes mate, they will be when you can’t be arsed to make any sort of effort to influence the game.

Özil is going to make £40m before his contract with us expires. Just think of that for a moment. Forty MILLION quid. For going through the motions at training and tweeting how happy he is to be a gooner. Never mind un-selectable, he's also made himself un-sellable; who the hell will buy him? And that's arguably a similarly cynical though far more lucrative achievement.

I think he’s angling for a juicy cash offer so that his contract can be cancelled - worked a treat for Jose Mourinho. Turkey beckons for 'em both.

It’s just staggering DHD

What I would say is that after last summer when he was attacked by the German media and footballing community and promptly retired with that ridiculous sob story (the most Özil thing of all time) he clearly had something to prove and an opportuntiy to prove doubters wrong, isn’t it just it soo “Özil” to follow it up with what’s gone on this season.

The bonkers thing was we passed up the opportunity to resign Cesc because we had him and if we had he would never have been offered that ridiculous contract because as far as I’m concerned Fabregas is twice the player he was

Agree wholeheartedly TG

My top ten arsenal midfielders of all time. (Doesn’t include players that could be considered wingers e.g merse or overmars)

In order

1) Patrick Vieira (the king)
2) Liam Brady
3) Cesc Fabregas (will anger some but it’s my list)
4) Emmanuel Petitt
5) David Rocastle
6) Steve Williams (why did George sell him, he seemed a very George player)
7) Paul Davis (criminally under rated I thought)
8) Mickey Thomas (I’m so tempted to put him higher but he could be such a lazy git sometimes but that was the conundrum about him as a player )
9) The invisible wall
10) Kevin Richardson (that was another odd transfer, wins a title and puff he’s gone to Spain,)

There will be plenty on honourable mentions potentially for Alan Ball (a favourite of my dads ) and others but this was aimed at players in my arsenal supporting era

Oh you just knew it!

It’s that *%^@*** stupid team with the 2 left backs and Mustafi in it,

Well do them anyway but ffs

I’d probably have to consider George Eastham, Stroller and Alan Hudson but PV4 would always be head and shoulders above them all. Liam and Cesc would be scrapping for second, albeit a distance behind.

Chance to test a new formation but he goes with the same crap. Maybe he values the Europa more than the league?

1Cech
20Mustafi
6Koscielny
18Monreal
15Maitland-Niles
29Guendouzi
34Xhaka
31Kolasinac
7Mkhitaryan
9Lacazette
17Iwobi

Substitutes
4Elneny
11Torreira
12Lichtsteiner
14Aubameyang
19Leno
22D Suárez
49Nketiah

If Özil was making himself unavailable for selection the club would make up some bogus back injury as an excuse. It's pretty obvious that Emery just doesn't want him on his team. He was on the bench at City and Emery chose to bring on Denis Suarez. He left him out against Bournemouth because of their physicality. In other games it's been due to "tactical" reasons.

He doesn't really fancy Ramsey either. Iwobi and Kolasinac are more to his liking.

I

I think your right it’s not Özil making himself unavailable it’s Emery and probably the board working to make Ozils position untenable.

I’m not sure it’s a case he likes Iwobi and Kola more, in fact I think he doesn’t like many of this squad to be honest. He’s got Hobson’s choice but he should have played Suarez today and the decision to loan Nelson and even Emile Smith Rowe looks *%^@*** ridiculous right now. Just look at that bench. No pace no incision

Wot? No Peter Storey?

Or John Jenson! Great goal that one !

The pitch is horrible

The game plan worse..................

Watching the Arse these days is fecking tedious.

1-0 ffs

This rubbish is doubly painful having watched Spurs destroy Dortmund last night.

Is there any team on this planet that couldn't score against us

I reckon Islington girls under 7's would knock a few past us.

If it ends level or a goal down I think we’ll be fine at the Emirates. Well we’ll get through, fine is clearly pushing it way too far...

Their centre forward has moved up to adult size 1 in shoes though so it’s not a fair contest, and don’t get me started on the financial doping in Haribo StarMix div 2.

Laboured.

Tedious.

Clueless.

We'll win the home leg








2-1☹️

Let's hope that's rock bottom.....................

That was the footballing equivalent of painting by numbers.

Tedious, predictable, formulaic and certainly not going to produce a masterpiece.

holy *%^@ its diabolical !

Basically Emery has placed our entire season on Iwobi and Mhikitaryan and their ability to unlock defences

it wont happen.

We will win the second leg but those 2 guys won't do it against anyone decent

I have zero criticism for Lacazette at all. World class finisher looking at the shod next to him i'd have clubbed a baby kitten to death by now.

I understand not liking Özil Emery but at the cost of your job?

please end this season now

I'd say he has a bit to go before his bank balance matches Wenger's courtesy of Arsenal.

How long before Lacazette and Aubamayang start looking towards Manchester or other locales with 'big' clubs? This summer most likely...

i do think one of the problems with Emery is his english

Not because he can't speak it but because he clearly can't articulate how frustrated he is. Imagine Mourinho or any other manager at this point. Eggs are out of baskets, state the friggin obvious, chuck the board under a bus.

i'm not sure if Emery is a good manager anymore (this is what Kroenke banks on) but I am sure he will never get the chance he needed