RIP Steve

Now you’re talking!

fancy us to get a win today against the Combat 18 lot

I know we joke on left backs and gk but I think we do need one of each this summer. We may be able to forgo a left back depending on a) departures or b) signings in other positions but I think the summer could shape up like this.

Neto returning to Bournemouth so another GK will be required. Hein's contract expires in summer '25. So we need an experienced No.2

At left back Tierney is definitely gone, Zinchenko nearly went in January and it feels Arteta has moved past Zinchenko so I expect him to be sold to generate funds this summer. Similarly Kiwior is more likely to leave than stay in the summer in my opinion. Which leaves you with Calafiori, MLS, Timber, Tomiyasu as being able to play left back - again, this may seem like an embarrassment of riches but with those departures and that of Jorginho+Partey we will be asking Calafiori to be CB cover, Timber also, Tomiyasu's fitness can't be trusted and MLS could easily step in to midfield to cover as well. Versatility is great but when the squad isn't deep enough in the first place versatility only solves ones problem and creates another.

My guess at what Arsenal are planning for the summer would be similar to last summer:
GK - Garcia
left sided defender - ?
CM - Zubimendi
AM - Nypann as a developmental player
LW - Williams
FW - Sesko although Ornstein has said Isak is top priority, Sesko is more realistic

All that is probably £200-250m

Berta coming in as Sporting Director will work on these deals and it would apear that if this is the list then Arsenal have done a lot of groundwork on them already so perhaps Berta will have less of an immediate say. This summer where I'd like Berta to earn his money is getting good deals for outgoings players, getting key players tied down to new contracts and finding those young gems that can be bought in cheaper to supplement the depth of the first team squad as our quality still drops off beyond the first 14/15 players

I think people will look at Nico Williams goal record this year and maybe slightly turn their nose up, but I thin he's a player who opponents just won't be able to leave 1v1 so will attract players away from Saka. He's also a far more progressive and direct dribbler than anyone we have in the squad, he could add a big 1v1 threat and on transitions. His biggest test will be how he does against 10 man defences.

Fabio Vieira has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games for Porto. I think there is a strong argument for bringing him back in to the team rather than selling him next year. We've lacked creativity which he has and it terms of pure ball striking I think he may be the best in the squad

he should never have been loaned out. It was a bonkers decision. He’s a far better player than people realise. I fully acknowledge he’s lightweight a bit but nobody in our squad can break lines with passing like he can. Hes actually a better all round player than Merino. Merino has a ceiling but Vieira doesn’t.

Thing is why would he want to continue with us. We loaned him back so obviously don’t believe in him. I expect him to go back to Porto then potentially impressing and ending up at another big club with our fans saying “how did that happen”

ARS: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Ødegaard, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Merino, Martinelli
CHE: Sánchez, Fofana, Badiashile, Colwill, James, Caicedo, Fernández, Cucurella, Sancho, Neto, Nkunku

Nwaneri having his minutes managed as he's had a lot recently while still only 17. No Palmer for Chelsea. Not sure if that is a back 5 for Chelsea or a back 4 - James as right wing back or, as he's done more recently James playing in midfield.
Badiashile is a huge weak link in their back line, we must put him under pressure and not make him look good
As always at the moment, first goal is crucial

Disappointed to see Ethan only on the bench.

Areteta seems to be very conservative with his forward/attacking midfielder selections. Last season Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe struggled to get a look in. This season it took him forever to give proper minutes to Nwaneri, and Butler-Oyedeji doesn't even get 10 minutes when we are 9-3 up. If he is that bad, why is he even on the bench? And the persistence with Merino up front is also something I struggle to understand. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong today!

chelsea fans giving it the big un on the tube

Come on Arsenal. Do these hun bastards

Thanks for the reminder, Warrior. 20 years has passed so quickly. And thanks again for all your efforts to keep it going, despite all sorts of mysterious IT problems and attacks and having to deal with a bunch of technologically inept old codgers.

sleep well Stevie, god bless you warrior. Be well mate

Chelsea fans are so vile boreish and loathsome.

is it just me ? At least you know where you are with the totts. The combat 18 lot are all fascists wtf, you grew up in England mate. why are you channeling Hitler

Snappy start.
Trossard dithering unfortunately.

Handball by Cucurella. Very lucky guy.

We're on top. Sanchez in their goal looks like he has a mistake in him today

Looks like the Martinelli of old is back

Super Mickey Merino

MERINO!

Hello Set Pieces my old friend

They are all so happy for Merino

https://dubz.co/c/28a4f5

Clear penalty, deliberate handball and Cucurella knows exactly what he's doing here.

How on earth VAR decides this doesn't even merit a review just shows the utterly biased nature of the refereeing and how poor the process is. The managers simply have to have the right to appeal, as VAR just decides not to review a clear penalty, it's so so bad.

Cucurella was lucky to not concede a penalty for handball earlier - seen them given

Not a stonewall peno. He is falling and his arm hits the ball. Could have gone either way. Partey likewise got away with a VAR review and was very lucky. Nice to see VAR letting things go.

Just as I predicted!

Pretty similar (albeit not quite as blatant) as the penalty Liverpool got v Southampton recently. If it was given by the ref var can't overturn it - we're still so reliant on the on field decision.

Liverpool fan Gillett on var today.....

VAR again partial to Chelsea

Chelsea 4 fouls in a row ending on a blatant yellow by Fofana. Ref:” 1 free kick best I can do.”

Ref finally gets a card out for a Chelsea player - they've been putting in some rough tackles. Fofana got away with a bit of a naughty stamp on Rice - even if var didn't think it met the red card threshold it had to be a yellow from Kavanagh.

Woah - That was close ..

Martinelli ffs!

Chelsea players faking severity of the fouls. Angling for yellow cards to us.

Bring Nwaneri out for the 2nd. Move Martinelli to the left. Trossard looks off the pace and not with his shooting boots today.

The quality of our shooting has long been a bug bear. We balloon shots over the bar or hit shots which are a bit scuffy or don't get clean contact far too often. Occasionally the players will hit a nice clean strike but nowhere near consistent enough for professional footballers - it is a huge problem for our goalscoring.

He's got to be much more single-minded when the ball comes to him in the box. Just hit it!

Players exaggerating the severity of fouls is something that needs to be punished more.I think the law in relation to fouls should be that you must make an effort to stay on your feet.

Not to mention refused shots. Our ratio of shots to touches in the box must be very low.