And Mustafi didn’t even play...

Embarrassing result for a club of Arsenal's stature. Only Arsenal could be the better side at halftime and end up losing 4-1.

Player's around the globe watching that debacle unfold are not going to be queuing up to join Arsenal I'm afraid.

Willock and Iwobi did more in 15 mins than Özil has done all season.

Kolasinic's final ball was just appalling.

So many late chances, just not clinical.

I said the difference between the sides could be who performed out of Hazard, Aubameyang and Lacazette and sadly Hazard put in a worldclass peformance on the biggest stage.

Those worrying about Čech should be grateful he played as they could have scored 8 but for him.

Willock is definitely an interesting prospect.

Felt like we played that game with 9 men. Kolasinac and Özil just consistently not having any impact on games.

Need to send the whole team to a psychologist because every time something goes against us we collectively lose the entire game in that instant by switching off and conceding again.

Based on our woeful defence and woeful finishing we deserved exactly what we got tonight. We also didn’t get the rub of the green with a couple of key decisions.

This was always going to be a do or die game, the season has to now be viewed as a complete failure. Small budget for the summer worries me less than the thought that Emery hasn’t really improved us defensively at all. There are certain things that money does get you but a basic grasp of team defence doesn’t need money it’s done on the training pitch.

It’s after nights like that that you realise how far back we were taken under the previous regime, mistake after mistake. All Emery has managed to do is stop the rot, but I don’t think we’ve moved forward

Well that was *%^@, then again Kroenke is the owner so I expect no less.

Midtable next season, hopefully our 'asset value' drops and then we can be sold off to someone who gives a toss.

ZZZZ.. boring boring Arsenal.

Mate, If someone served you up a shite sandwich you would still see the positive - nice fresh bread.

I am a pessimist by nature so I don't see any future for most of the team including all those on the bench.

Not that I’m really disagreeing or this is some ray of light but Nelson got 7 in a short time at Hoffenheim.

Individuals not good enough

Nice looking trophy. Maybe we'll get some sort of participation ribbon of sorts.

Edit - Oooh - Looks like a medal - I think they're filled with chocolate.

Did we participate?

Just to put things in perspective, a programme tonight about some poor lady in her thirties, completely crippled with arthritis and with three young kids. Poor hubby struggling to cope and no help available. That's real life.

That bunch of pansies that represented Arsenal football club tonight need to take a long hard look at themselves and the privileged life they enjoy.

No he has to be sold. Tonight had to be the final straw. He’s played exactly where he wants, as a 10 with two strikers, a total free role and doesn’t influence a thing. A teenager showed him up.
Sell Özil replace him in the squad with Willock and you immediately have an extra £18m in the transfer budget by shifting his wages.

Sad that Mkhitaryan wasn’t there tonight but he’s another not justifying his wage, that would be another £13m in the transfer kitty.

£31m plus whatever fee we get for them and no Özil or Mkhitaryan next year. Add in Čech, Welbeck, Ramsey wages and you add another £15m in the budget.

If we make the right decisions, promote the right youth players and buy the right players with the right attitude then there is hope.

Sell Özil for whatever we can get - pay the difference in his wages. Get him out of the club.

Ditto Mkhitaryan and Mustafi and sorry Xhaka too. He’s got that decent pass out to he left wing but unfortunately that’s to Kolasinac. Get rid him too. Have to hit the lottery on a CB purchase and fill the rest in with kids.

Eurgh this plan fell apart. Were f*cked

But isn't he a forward rather than a midfielder. I just don't see any speed, strength, creativity and goals in any of our midfielders. Maybe Guendouzi but it is time for a big turnover in the club and we don't even have anyone as head of recruiting at the moment.

Özil gets subbed and walks slowly off feeling sorry for himself. I I had been Emery I would have run on the pitch and dragged him off.

From the little bits I’ve seen of Willock, Nketiah, Smith-Rowe and Nelson I’d much rather have them in the squad than some of our more higher profile names.

Yeah fair, winger - Mkhitaryan type player.

So looking at young players did you think N-M and Guendouzi had a reasonable season.

Absolutely

How are you feeling if City are banned and we get the passed down CL place?

Sack the manager. He’s bang average managing a bang average team with an owner who is not committed. We’re going nowhere under him.

So Allegri has left Juve - he’s available. Do you ditch Emery and go for Allegri?
We all know Emery will be here next season.

At this point I'd take any kind of handout. We could then see how good we are in the transfer market with a half decent budget.

Other than that I'd throw in the kids next season and just enjoy watching them develop rather than watch this bunch of overpaid dross again.

Yes. The expectation levels for young players are lower, fans will forgive their mistakes if they see potential and them improving.
AMN has made some big mistakes in defence but he’s a central mid by trade and has been asked to fill in in all sorts of positions. Was one of the best players in the first half. Guendouzi has a lot of potential and a great season for a French league 2 player, so yes I think they’ve both had good seasons. Very few arsenal players have had great seasons

Allegri wouldn't come without a massive budget, he doesn't want to tarnish his reputation.

Owner the same and team the same. I think we’re on a hiding to nothing if we do that personally. I’d keep him for another year.

Sadly, I agree with you about the team and owner.
Sadly I am starting to agree with you about Emry.

I think this transfer window will show if Emery is the real deal or not. Does he have the balls or indeed the power and influence to undertake the clear-out that is so obviously needed?

I somehow doubt it.

Yeah, I’m for playing the kids. So long as they’re round pegs in round holes. Id like to see M-N even once in midfield. Even Bielik you’ve got to think has got a shout to play Europa and league cup where I’d expect him to cope, and show if he can make the jump. Nelson I think is definitely going to get some games.

Decent start but didn't get the marginal calls (2 possible pens & lots of small Chavski fouls) when we were on top, and wasted good positions by not thinking quickly enough.

Chelsea slightly changed formation and started to take control before half time.

Excellent goal from Giroud from a nothing cross, but he only got there because Koscielny's acceleration went in late March and he's clearly playing through pain to such a degree that he might be done.

Once Chelsea had the lead it was crying out for a formation change, but Emery sat on his hands until 3-0. Sure, we looked vulnerable when we went more attacking and conceded a poorly defended 4th, but we also created 4 good to excellent chances.

Letting Chelsea outnumber us 3 to 2 in midfield cost us the game.

Killer was the second goal which was the direct result of a clear foul on AMN, and then came via his absented position.

Özil was isolated by the set up, but after the first 30 mins disappeared and by the end was causing more problems than he solved - once Chelsea scored he stopped trying to interrupt Jorginho and then the game became easy for chelsea. Iwobi and Willock had nothing to lose but made an impact, and despite Willock's awful miss, he made more happen in 10 mins than Özil did in 80 *(though partly the formation change).

If Bellerin, Rasmey and Holding were fit we play 4-3-3 and we win the game in my opinion. Emery felt he had little option tactically and it cost us.


Time to go full project youth - akin to when GG took over...we have the best crop of kids we've had since the mid 80s, and European clubs are sniffing around to take them off our hands.

Keep the strikers (unless an amazing offer comes in for any of them), Keep Sokratis, one of the left backs, Leno, maybe Xhaka. Everyone else over 25 can go.

Also, we'll win nothing until we get a top quality centre half as Kos looks done, Sokratis is a junior partner and Mustafi is a disaster zone.

I think every decision I’m football is a roll of the dice to some degree. City are rolling at a 99% chance of success, we’re somewhere around 30.. I just don’t think you beat the odds over a period of time. Could the season go ok next year, it really could, with the wages we’ll save from players going, and if Özil goes and we buy well and young gifted players step up. It really could be not too bad - but the chances really aren’t high.

They'll appeal and it won't kick in until next year.

I've always thought a lot of teams pass the ball better than us and in Hazard they had a player who has burning desire to create something .
We just don't have that type of player .

I've rabbited on ad nauseum .... spending a ton of cash on new players isn't the problem .
Our build ups remain too slow and our passing needs to improve .

Could have been the lost situation but our subs showed far more enthusiam .

..... but the bottom line was we were the far inferior team on the night .

It’s these games that players aren’t good enough in. We’re aiming above this level. It’s these games they’re judged on. And they aren’t good enough.

Goonie, how many of our players would get in Liverpool or City's side? How many would even get in the squad?

Because by and large they aren't. With a couple of exceptions, a shower of overpaid journeymen lacking creativity, in many cases basic skills, and no backbone when the going gets tough.

Dreading next season unless a miracle occurs during the off season, and don't even want to think about the potential horror of the CL Final.

Everyone expects their team to build and be better next season. Everyone. Clearly that can’t be the case. This year the majority of our good results and performances were with Ramsey in the lineup. Which, although surprising to me, doesn’t bode well for next season does it? You don’t automatically improve your position just because it’s next season, progess isn’t inevitable. It COULD be ok, but like I said, the chances are not good. No one else is likely to go backwards around us either.

Čech, Lichtsteiner, Ramsey, Welbeck, mustafi, Özil, Mkhitaryan, Kolasinac, ospina, Chambers, Elneny, jenkinson all OUT. Koscielny may move on if the club won’t offer him a new deal.

That’s 12 or 13 players

Promote Willock, Nelson, Nketiah. Look for good loans for Saka, Smith-Rowe, amaechi and look to integrate them in the first team next year if they do well on loan.

That’s 3 players who are ready to fill first team squad positions.
We then need these 9 positions
Left back, 2x CB, RB, wide left, 2 x attacking mid one who can play wide, box to box mid, back up gk

13 out 12 in. Have the club got the balls to do it? These don’t have to be big money signings, they need to be at the right age and have the right profile - pace, power, stamina, work rate, desire.

To be fair if Chelsea lose hazard and can’t sign anyone due to a transfer ban they are prime candidates for a team going backwards

He found himself in a great position with 5 or 6 games left in the PL. Tottenham had fallen apart. Chelsea were hugely inconsistent all year and Man U were just rubbish. He failed miserably to take that opportunity. Our defence is as bad as ever and we really have no discernible style of play.