Id much rather Forest get in the CL than Chelsea.

Newcastle and Villa (and probably Chelsea) - all really need CL money for their finances.

Spurs and Man U could get in via the back door Europa win but whilst the money boost will be massively welcome for both neither are ready for CL football and both would be better off next year with just the prem to concentrate on. What use is the extra money if the extra games takes it out of your team and you stay way down the league.

Our win today has confirmed that Man U and Spurs are officially safe from relegation this season.

Kieran McKenna says Arsenal are the highest quality his team have faced all season.
Everyone inside the game continually talks about how excellent we are. Yet Pundits delight in any bump in the road declaring us finished

Leicester goal disallowed for a nudge on Allison. It’s the kind of free kick that GK’s get but you’d never get if you were a defender.
I can’t decide if I agree with that sort of free kick for gk - I think if I had to choose I think they are free kicks as a gk going up to catch a ball is not in a position to protect himself

Its certainly the best Arsenal team in the last 20 years, with the potential to be the best that I've ever seen.

The Leicester disallowed goal was harsh. Ndidi was shoulder to shoulder/torso to torso and wins the ball. No way Raya gets that free kick.

https://www.skysports.com/football/vide ... -liverpool

This PGMOL statement is an absolute joke saying that Daka made no attempt to play the ball, he clearly won the ball by getting his body in the right position to play the ball! Why on earth the referee has judged this a foul? It's as if Alisson has a divine right to go for the ball and is not allowed to be challenged! Bias.

I do think there is a difference when it’s the gk. If Daka made a jump for the ball then he has a better argument for no foul. But he puts his body in to the gk rather than challenge for the ball.
If it’s a defender rather than gk then it’s much less likely to be a foul.
But again, it’s a marginal call that has gone for Liverpool even if I think it’s the right call.

Like the royal family.

I see your view, and it kind of argues me over, the issue is I just can't see us getting the same call this season. Referees seem intimidated by Van Dijk, he seems to command too much respect, we've seen it with his repeated violent conduct being largely ignored by referees.

Van Nistlerooy has been a terrible appointment by Leicester. He’s made them worse and is breaking records for how bad they’ve been.

I do wonder if he wasn’t an ex Man U player and (for some) prem legend and great goalscorer whether he’d be getting more criticism. Vito Pereira has done a fantastic job at Wolves, but I imagine if he had the record Van nistlerooy had he’d be being hammered by the media

Pope Francis has died at age 88

RIP. Seemed a decent chap.

I watched MOTD2 analysis of the Man U game and showing how the wide men weren't aggressively attacking the back post when the ball is on the other side. In total contrast to how we are. I think it was a feature of Arteta as a coach at City as he was credited with Sterling and Sane amongst others getting at least 5 goals a season by just being at the back post to take tap ins rather than being 15 yards away.

When you look at Nico Williams, supposedly our top wide man target, he's only scored a career high of 6 league goals in a season but I think it's easy to see how him or any wide player might score more simply because of the way we play and the way Arteta forces his wingers to attack the box

Its remarkable how good Saka is, and how he's been immediately the best player on the pitch in big games after 3.5 months out injured.

I came across some videos of when Saka played left-back at 17/18 and I actually think Saka would be the best attacking left back in the league if he played there permanently.

I still think Saka is massively underrated. I think part of that is the benchmark people judge players on is ridiculously high and has come from the years of Messi and Ronaldo type stats. Also I think Saka doesn't do things that are flashy, he doesn't burst with electric pace on to balls over the top (but he's quicker than most players), he doesn't do multiple stepovers, tricks and back heels (but he beats defenders with body feints). His greatest abilities for me are ones that people don't rate highly or don't see when they watch football - but those in the game would know. He's incredibly strong and protects the ball so well, both with the balls up to him and also on the dribble, his decision making is top class, is intelligence/football IQ is brilliant, he can actually go left or right - not many wingers do this, and has an incredible mentality.

Rich…his first touch is top class….whatever the pace or the trajectory of the ball out to him…he kills it dead…even in tight spaces ….this, I think, is the springboard to his effectiveness….gives him time to adjust his body position before making decisions….usually the right one

Mind you his finishing was like mine yesterday!

The issue I have with the analysis on the kind of red cards we saw yesterday is that most pundits and football commentators and ex refs I've seen have pretty unanimously agreed it was a red card. However, if the ref had given just a yellow card for this and var didn't recommend an overturn I can guarantee the same conclusions that it should have been a red wouldn't have been drawn.
There would still be those that said red, but there would be plenty who would have said yellow was enough, he's not gone to hurt him etc.

You only have to look at the reaction to a lot of the controversial decisions this season.

This 100%.

He has done it again and again and again, at every level. He terrifies the best defenders, and is dangerous even when teams put two men on him. He's done it a the highest level for both club and country. I think he'd be in the top world XI of many experts these days.

Yes, agree on the first touch - remember that 60 yard ball he just killed dead out of the sky for his goal v Spurs. I could have kept writing about things Saka does really well but tried to pick up the less obvious ones and highlight those as the reasons he's underrated by so many.

And I think he can get even better. I'd love to see him drift more in to those central positions when we're pushing high and attacking, the right back can hold the width. He was in the central half spaces yesterday for a couple of the chances he missed

His football intelligence is unreal - like Cesc - he never dribbles or holds onto the ball too long, a lot of the minimalist stuff is sot effective - there have always been fans favourites who can dribble but just run down blind alleys and don't actually achieve much end product, Saka is so lethal because he knows when to give, when to go and where to run

Leeds and Burnley could both be promoted to the Prem today if Burnley beat Sheff Utd. It seems only a matter of time for both anyway.
Play offs for (likely) Sheff Utd, Sunderland, Bristol City, Coventry - with Middleborough, Millwall and Blackburn close by

There is a growing gap between the championship and premier league.

The last 2 seasons the same 3 clubs that got promoted have been relegated.

Burnley's last 4 seasons have been relegated, promoted, relegated, promoted (likely)
Fulham went 5 seasons of promotion/relegation between 2017-2022
Norwich went 4 seasons of promotion/relegation between 2018-2022

Lots of yoyo clubs for the past 10 years. Credit to teams like Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth and Forest who have come up, stayed up and don't look likely to drop

On Saka I’ve said it here before. He isn’t a winger, he’s a wide playmaker. He could play 6 if he wanted to and he’s certainly a good enough player.

Martinelli plays his football on instinct, Saka play the whole game in his head. Saka is a Pires, Martinelli is an overmars.

Absolutely world class football player. To think people were suggesting he should be dropped for England for palmer. His contract renewal is absolutely essential, we aren’t the same team without him and the project dies if he left

One area of Arteta that is rarely talked about certainly outside of Arsenal is how he’s improved so many players. We’re talking about so many of our players as being world class, or at least in the top tier of players in their position in Europe or the prem. but so few of those players were at those levels when Arteta signed them.

Eyebrows were raised over Raya, people said he wasn’t an upgrade on Ramsdale, I think Raya is a top 5 GK in Europe now

Gabriel was raw and error prone, now one of the top 5 CB in Europe
Saliba was 18, sent on loan, developed and now the envy of every club in the world

Saka had potential no doubt but he was still only 18 when Arteta took over, no guarantees of greatness

White was expensive but young and no one considered him a top player for a top club.we took Timber, without much competition, still young and I haven’t seen a winger get the better of him yet.

Even Rice at £100m has been made better by Arteta

MLS, Nwaneri bought through the academy

Which brings us to the Merino redemption- not all players settle and play their best immediately, Arteta demands a lot and has a tactical system which is highly complex and technical, once you learn it you look a better player. Doesn’t help when players have stop start seasons as well. Arteta has shown his calibre for improving players we should be more patient (hard to do!) as fans with new players.

Isn’t it about time people stopped saying Spurs have good players individually. Save that for a player like Bruno Fernandes who is a genuinely good player in an awful team. Spurs are an awful team and their players are overrated individually.

Some are half decent. Kulusevski seems like an intelligent and determined player. The left back Udogie they’ve got looks talented - albeit used suicidally tactically. Solanke is a level just below top 4 class. Then some potential in young players and that’s it. I guess you’re right.

The commentary I watched was saying “oh he’s caught him a little bit late”, “ he’s gone in a bit high, studs up, but not with intent to injure”, etc. that dirty a****** had every intention to injure should be banned for longer.

I’d take Garnacho and reckon he could be more productive than Martinelli with a bit of coaching.

Spurs have lost 4 more games this season than Arsenal have in their last 3 seasons combined

I dare say a number of players from spurs and Man U could be a lot better with a very high level of coaching, but right now we only can go on what we see and those players are where they are for a reason.
I think fans of those teams get drawn in and fooled by fleeting moments of brilliance but miss the horrid mistakes.
It’s similar to a lot of sports where the very best just make many more right decisions and hardly any mistakes.
Van de ven and Romero might make a few cracking last ditch recovery tackles but how often are they out of position, not pushed up high enough, lose a duel compared to Gabriel and Saliba.

Possibly the biggest difference is the gk. I’ve seen Onana and Vicario pull off some incredible reflex saves this season, but I’ve also constantly seen them cost their team goals. I can’t think of more than 1-2 goals where I’d lay the blame at Raya this season. Being a gk or defender at an elite club is very different than a middling club, spurs and Man U are often playing in a style that elite clubs do but it leaves the defence and gk exposed. We leave our defence and gk exposed, we have one of the highest defensive lines in Europe but you don’t notice because they are brilliant at all the things I list above. It’s why I’m always wary about a defender doing really well and standing out at a mid table club, Maguire is the optimum example, looked great at Leicester a team that defended deep and too his strengths, but put Maguire on the half way line and ask him to defend 1v1 or track in to wide areas because the full backs stay high and he’s a disaster.

RIP.

Very good comparison.

Saka's footballing intelligence and brain sets him apart. His control is immaculate, he rarely makes poor decisions and the execution of what he does do is superb. He is also deceptively strong.

He's a bit like Arjen Robben, every one knows what he's going to do when he cuts inside but no one seems able to stop him.

I do sometimes feel that too much of our play goes down his side leaving Martinelli starved of possession but I guess that's what happens when you have a world class player.

Merino is turning into a very good signing.

Like Xhaka in many ways, not the quickest but superb technically and with a great footballing brain and range of passing. Strong too, as you can see from the number of duels he wins.

Better in the air than Xhaka and more of a goal threat.

I hope Forest can finish top four.

I am intrigued to see what, if anything, happens to Chelsea if they fail to make CL. Will they be forced to offload players?

Exactly. He isn't the best in the world at any particular thing, but he can do everything to a high and consistent standard. Wingers who are brilliant at one thing will be devastating in some games and ineffectual in a lot more, because good teams will be able to counter their strength. A player like Saka is almost impossible to neutralise. If you get too tight, he's able to beat his man on either side. If you sit back and try to double mark him, he's very good at the intricate passing and is dangerous from outside the box. Not to mention his defensive discipline and physicality.

Well explained. His ability to go both ways is key, as you say, his crossing and finishing with his weaker right foot is very good.

Focusing on Spurs - they have some incredibly over hyped players - Vicario is awful aerially, Romero is liability, Udogie isn't that great - defensively they are weak individually and collectively and that's why they're down near the relegation zone.

Shhhhhhh, don't tell them. Let them believe they have fantastic players, so they won't change the team for next season.

Such a shame saints and Leicester have been so terrible otherwise spurs could have been a bonafide relegation battle.

I’m shocked Ange is still there to be honest. I can only assume it’s because they are working behind the scenes on getting a new manager and there is no point in changing.

Lovely mugging of Spurs. 4 shots (xg 0.56) vs Spurs 22 (xg 2.4). Lol.

Plucky effort from Spurs. Too bad it went pear-shaped yet again. Just no luck. Almost there ... keep it up and it will come right sooner or later!

Ange is on about £5m and his contract runs until July 2027. Who believes he'll get another job - anywhere? I don't think Levy can bring himself to sack him knowing that he'll be due about £10m in compo - plus there'll be an additional chunk for Ange's ear-licking team.

It's those long-suffering fans I feel sorry for.

Hee-heee.....

This is true but not Maguire's fault. He's being asked to do a job he cannot do. I have to say I like Maguire. He has always behaved with dignity and very professionally.