Finally. 1-0. Bournemouth have been rubbish as you say and didn't really deserve it.

Heartbreak for Spurs fans

Actually, I think it s a bit of a fad. It has its origins in Barcelona with Pep bringing it to City and Klopp also adopting it. Ajax do it too. I think it's completely unnecessary and *%^@ to watch. Real Madrid and Juve don't go in for it at all and they've not done too badly in the last few seasons.

As it happens, Arsenal were dojng more of it at the start of the season. As for our attacking play it is more direct than the last few years of Wenger. It's not exactly dynamic or exciting though. Ball down the line for Kolasinac to hit it first time and heaven knows if it will find an attacker.

Yes, I take full credit for the Bournemouth winner

Spurs have lost their last 6 away from home in the league. Not that the media would actually report and criticise it.

Once again, spurs lose their sh*t and start kicking lumps out of an opponent when things don’t go their way.

If you get the chance to see the penalty not given for Bournemouth today for the foul by Dier on Wilson then make sure you do. It’s got to be he worst decision this season - and there is some healthy competition

Wouldn't it be funny if they contrived to drop out of the top four ...

Yep. Dier got it all wrong and just whacked him. Terrible miss by the officials. The Totts have lost 13 league matches this season. How bad are Chelsea, Man U and ourselves?

History may repeat itself (Keegan) if this scoreline stays (:28th minute) and the Toon army may end Liverpool's title hopes.

haha...that didn't last long.

So Alexander-Arnold handballs on the line and Newcastle scores the rebound to make it 1-1. Obviously the ref waited the couple of seconds and realised there was an advantage as Newcastle scores anyway.

However, considering Alexander-Arnold would have had to have been sent off and the penalty would have been given - you have to ask which is the bigger advantage?

20 mins in to a game and you’re 1-0 down. Do you take an equaliser and play the remaining 70 mins 11v11, or take the red card and pen, no guarantee you score the pen but you are guaranteed to play v 10 men for the remaining 70 mins.

I wonder if the situation could arise after the event where the ref asks the captain of the team who scored which decision he wants?

Guarantee if it was Arsenal it would be a red card and penalty... but I think a goal is the more 'football friendly' decision, surely there should be some guidance in this situation anyway??, it's not that unusual.

You can't ask a team which option they would prefer. The ref makes the call. He chose to let the goal stand, in which case he should have booked Trent Alexander Arnold. They changed the rule on this. Previously, the ref couldn't play advantage after a red card offence, I think. It's a tough one. If it's the last minute, you take the goal. If it's early in the game, I'd prefer the red card and peno. It needs looking at though, because if Arnold is sent off he gets a suspension so it is more than just the match itself that is impacted.

Would everyone be happy if we spent £60m on Fraser and Zaha for two new wingers this summer?

Salah coming off on a stretcher. That's a shame for a tremendous player.

I think they'd cost more than that. But Zaha I would like, Fraser is decent but is he really the top quality we need?

Sometimes teams do make a referee give the decision instead of playing the advantage. I’ve seen it when someone is fouled dead centre but 25 yards out and the attacking team still have the ball maybe out wide so they stop and effectively demand the free kick

That’s kind of my point. Fraser certainly isn’t a star name but he’s proven in the prem, quick, direct and gets goals and assists. What is it Arsenal fans want? We can’t afford any big names so are we more happy with a player we know from the prem or do we want one of those ‘foreign’ players we all know little about?

Fraser will only have 1 year left on his deal so could be us for £20m I reckon. Plenty of value in signing from clubs below us. Man U did it for years and Liverpool have done it a lot recently

Fair play to Liverpool for finding a way to win. Another excellent game between these two clubs.

Yep, they are forcing a fantastic title race.
Whoever wins it will have to have won maybe 10 straight and win it by a point - so had zero chance of a slip up. Whoever finishes 2nd will have been one of the most unlucky runners up.

The big difference for me is that Liverpool have had to grind or find a way to win games, late goals, opponents mistakes, whatever it is they’ve found a way and fair play to them....but city just seem so much more comfortable in the majority of their wins

Would there not be option to play advantage, award the goal and then issue a red for a deliberate hand ball.

That Aubameyang penalty miss against Spurs is looking very costly now.

If Arsenal gets 4th and also wins the Europa League, who gets the extra ECL spot? How does this work?

I think more of the younger players should come into the squad next season.
Buy experience and talent to fill defence and central midfield.

Kudos to both City and Pool for grinding out their wins week after week.

I really enjoyed the article and had a special like for this part of the article.

Graham was unwavering on his core principles. As he told a TV reporter: “I don’t think we should try and play the Continental style. I think we are used to playing a certain way in England. A lot of people talk in England about the passing game and all this, you know. Yeah you can pass and pass and not go anywhere. There’s got to be an end product to all the passing and that means efforts on goal, crosses - it means activity in the box. Because you can pass the ball all day long, but unless you get the ball in the box you won’t score.”

Kiwi will probably like this.

The rules say you can play the advantage, away the goal and come back for. YELLOW card, but not a red.

The free kick Liverpool scored their winner from yesterday was soft....when I say soft I mean it was a blatant dive.

We are really bad at this sort of thing. I watch Liverpool and look at the number of dangerous free kicks and pens the buy and compare that to us, the situations are the same but I don’t think are players are good enough at convincing the ref it should be our free kick. It can be the only explanation

So the door to top 4 is slightly opened again. All we need is for spurs or Chelsea to drop points in any of their 3 collective remaining games.

So will Emery put out a palace type team? I hope not. No problem with Iwobi and/or Mkhitaryan coming in to the team but no Elneny and no jenkinson. Play the best players put Brighton to the sword early on and then bring them all off for a nice rest before Valencia

Apart from yesterday, it is liverpool that have been winning more comfortably recently. Look at how they have narrowed City's goal difference and goals scored advantage.

If Watford beat City in the fa cup final then the team finishing 6th will have to start the Europa League qualifying rounds on July 25. Arsenal are due to play a friendly in the US on July 23

I was looking more across the season. Liverpool have score 90+ minute winners v spurs and Everton - both due to calamitous gk errors, 90+ equaliser away to Chelsea. Late winners v Fulham and Newcastle and late goals v Southampton and Man U to win those games.
I don’t think I can recall Man City games where they have scored late to earn points.

Barcelona are rumoured to be after Lacazette if they can’t get Griezmann. I think some on here were happy with selling Lacazette for the right price in order to raise funds.
What price is right?
Toget someone who does what Lacazette does for us would cost £70m in today’s market so it would have to be £120m to make it worthwhile - and there’s no guarantee any new striker does what Lacazette does.

Maybe actually signing some more creative players means Lacazette scores even more!

It’s got to be close to 100 million.

I wouldn’t sell though. He will be tough to replace

Indeed. They have had some incredible luck. The last minute winner against Everton is something you'd get every 3 or 4 years at best and they have two this season. Eliminate one of those and City are comfortable.

Re Lacazette, it would have to be £100m or more to make it worth our while. Not sure who's out there that would bring as much. Also he seems good for team spirit.

Re Spurs, Its astonishing that having been so far behind them and losing 4 of our last 6 league games, we could yet overtake them if Everton do us a favour. Remarkably yesterday they finished with 9 men, but were lucky not to concede 3 penalties and Dier should have been given about 5 yellow cards - and that's only looking at brief highlights.

Spurs are a dirty, cheating, diving team, and for all their excellence as a unit, are heavily reliant on 4 or 5 players.

Chelsea drawing at home - would be a great result for us. Would put us back in control of our destiny, while still leaving the possibility of Spurs not making the top 4!

Watford all over Chelsea first half. Could’ve been in front. Switch off at two set pieces and now down two nil.

That’s top 4 gone then.

Basically we need Leicester to beat them if we win both our games. They’ll get a point there.