It's the hope that kills you.

I *%^@*** hate Palace.
At 0 1 I could feel the tide turning.
Their crowd were making more noise and they were slowly edging back.
We never seem to be able to beat them and with Zaha and Townsend they can always nick a goal.
I was really worried they would equalise.
Literally moments later they *%^@*** well did.
Infuriating.
Really thought we had blown the chance to at least take it to the last day.
Was gutted.
Palace are a real irritating team and I thought we had blown any slim hope we had.
Step forward Martinelli!!
Yesssss!!!!!!
God no VAR do not cancel the goal!!!!
Just our luck but thankfully it stood.
Then Pépé to make it 3!!!
Fingers crossed we can nick 6th
Come on West Brom!!!!

Right. It’s as unlikely as winning by two goals ay Anfield in the final match of the season. (he said hopefully).

Three big things our team is missing and would improve us immensely
1. A right back with attacking quality and true technical ability, especially if Arteta likes the opposite full back to tuck in to those midfield half spaces.
2. A proper partner for Partey. I'm convinced Partey is not the box-to-box midfielder we thought he might be once he was released from the shackles of Simeone's system. Partey should sit and protect the defence, take the ball from defenders and move it forward quickly. Get someone alongside him. A Cazorla or Modric type, good enough defensively and positionally to play in the 2 man midfield but technically good enough to dictate the game from deep
3. Extra creativity from a wide position. The wide areas is maybe the least of our problems on paper with Saka, Pépé, Martinelli, Willian, Emile Smith Rowe, Aubameyang all being able to play there, but I think the way to balance out some of the creativity issues the side has is to bring in a naturally creative player on the left wing. Someone in the Jack Grealish mould. Not a natural wide man, but someone who starts wide and drifts in creating numbers in the middle of the pitch, creating chances and scoring goals. I'd sign Grealish in a heart-beat if we could (which we can't)

When was the last time we scored a 90th+ minute winner?

We got a late equaliser against Fulham at home but I don't remember a late winner this season, or under Arteta at all?

To be honest if we spunked our entire summer budget on Jack Grealish and signed nobody else I’d consider that an excellent summers business. We are desperate for that type of player

That was shaping up to be a shitfest of a last half an hour.......too slow with our passing, no intensity, too many backwards and sideways passes, a lack of quality and invention in the final third, substitutions made too late in the game despite needing a goal........and then boom two late goals out of nothing.

Only Arsenal

You realize that would mean Xhaka starting every single game basically?

Emile Smith Rowe is of that ilk, I like the fact that he can run with the ball and make ground. Grealish is the master at that. Grealish would be a monster signing but, realistically, its not going to happen.

Not really El Nenny and Partey

Hard to believe but over the last 23 games in the league we're the 2nd best team in the entire division. Creating the cut off point of 23 games to suit the argument!

It’s never going to happen but I can dream. That would be some statement of intent and exactly what’s missing.

Definitely, that game v Spurs at home (bar the last 10 minutes) when we had Ødegaard central and Emile Smith Rowe playing in a nominal left wing position but with licence to drift was a very well balanced and good attacking performance.

Grealish seems like a pipe dream, but Arteta has come out in very vocal support of the Arsenal ownership in a way he certainly didn't have to. If the summer plays out like I imagine most Arsenal fans expect you have to question that to be honest.

With the players we have under contract, ignoring whatever may happen in the summer as we don't know, I would like to see us try a 4-3-3 at some point. It seems better suited to pretty much all of our current midfielders. Xhaka may step his game up further as the pivot with two strong midfielders beside him. Partey can focus more on the things he does best. Even someone like Willock may be unlocked when given more freedom to roam forward like he's doing at Newcastle. Could see Saka, Pépé, Smith-Rowe getting more of the ball higher up the pitch as well, where they can really hurt teams.

Not sure about Ødegaard. Silky touch but very, very left footed which slows us down at times.

I'm just not sure he's what we need at the moment or even if his game is suited to the pace and power of the PL, especially if he would cost £40m or something. That said, David Silva did great things and so is Phil Foden.

I know we lack that door opening quality around the box but I can't help but feel there are other priorities to explore before him.

Watching this again, it's actually incredible that's not deemed a red card considering the standard they've set for incidents like that.

People say 'the table doesn't lie' but ...
when we finished second a few years ago ... it was 'nah, the table is having a laugh. not a good season.'
or this season, if we do the improbable and finish in the top 7, it will be 'the table is generally honest, but it told a big fib at the end there'.

We've been a lot better than a mid-table club for the second half of the season.

That's a pretty good sample.
Its not like looking at just the last 4 games, for example
American Gooner will sleep easy tonight, knowing we have at least nailed down that coveted 9th place pennant. There will be moaning and gnashing of teeth in Yorkshire tonight.
Edit: I see they are only two places behind, so not quite time to pack away the rubber sheets!

Pépé's a striker or wide forward not a traditional winger, in my view.

We are the most in form club in the league. No other club has won 4 straight. Some good performances but mostly winning ugly. I'm guessing Arteta will buy himself another season. However, my guess is that if we are performing poorly after the first 2 or 3 months and seem to be in mid table he'll get fired. Top 6 or sacked is what I'm guessing.

Completely reasonable if not expected for Arsenal fans to play the 'if this happens then this' last match scenario regarding the table. I get it. I'd probably be caught up in that most years if not all. I'm not playing at that this game. Whatever happens...happens. I'm far more concerned with the summer transfer period and cutting some players loose once and for all and bringing in needed talent. Maybe I should be but I'm not concerned with 8th, 9th or 10th or whatever the final place in the table is. It won't change a cr@p season. No European football won't bother me. At least right now. We lose money and get a lower coefficient thingy but I'm concerned with the squad for next season. Even if no Euro football may damage us in buying players.

Hope Chelsea and Man Utd lose their finals. Frankly, semi finals is darn good considering the season we've had.

Watched the highlights and it is shocking officiating that Palace weren’t down to 9 men.
Schlupp on chambers was identical to what Aubameyang was sent off for.
Then Benteke throwing his elbow/forearm in to the chin/neck of Elneny, how on earth has that not been deemed violent conduct?

44 points in the last 23 games. Extrapolate that over the season and we have 72/73 points. More often than not that gets you top 4. We can’t expect Liverpool to have such a poor season next year but we need to be getting to that 70 ish point marker as a minimum next year

Thoroughly enjoyed Fat Sam getting relegated and his defensive and prickly interview after the game. He loves the idea that he gets under the skin of the big teams often giving them a bloody nose, which was only vaguely true 15 years ago. He hates that he’s stereotyped (rightly) by boring, long ball, percentage football and of course every team that beats his teams didn’t deserve it and we’re very lucky.
Good riddance

Just watched that interview. Wow. How many chips does he have on his shoulders? I had thought that he was better than that.

IMO, I would not buy Ødegaard. And definitely not in the expected high price to get him. We badly need an Ozil-type or Carzola-type player. Ødegaard had his chances to show he can be that player, but he isn't even close.

Well, to be fair he's better than Cazorla was at 22. Özil was world class at 22 though, possibly the best playmaker in the world at that point, so I don't think we can expect anyone to be at that level really. Going by paper talk it looks very unlikely that we'll sign Ødegaard anyway.

...which is spookily balanced by the fact we were worse than a mid-table club in the first half.

Weird, eh?

The ball for Martinelli's goal was magnificent. That's what you want him to produce and he did. I'd be delighted if we signed him permanently, but like you, I'm not sure it will happen.

Anyone going on Sunday?

Bern??

Hi DHD, I wouldn't call it spookily balanced. When we were a few points from the relegation zone in December, there was nothing inevitable about us having the second or third-best record in the league for the rest of the season. I'm quite pleased about it, and I think it hints at better times ahead in 2021/22 ... maybe.

Yep, I am. Are you? Got the ticket and printed it. Haven’t received the questionnaire yet but I think they’re sending them tonight.

I stand corrected. Liverpool has a better record in the last handful of matches. A draw and 4 straight wins to our loss and 4 straight wins. Be that as it may, we are on a roll. Wish we had this form for most of the season. We still look vulnerable but at least we are getting wins.

Apparently Arsenal have never lost a game when a teenager has scored for us. Apparently there have been sixty such games, of which we’ve won fifty and drawn ten.

How’s this for a brilliant suggestion for turning our fortunes around. The only players allowed to play for us after their 20th birthday are goalkeepers. Once any outfield players have their 20th birthday, get rid of them.

Fat Sam's main gripe is the influx of foreign managers into the league. He relied on foreign players, the effen hypocrite, but he feels foreign managers have taken the big club positions away from British managers. He hates Wenger because he was so successful he started a wave of hiring foreign managers. Yes, there have been foreign managers before but British managers regularly got the top jobs once they've proven themselves.

He's held a personal animus against us specifically since then. Even with Wenger gone. We had too many foreign players for his liking. Weren't we the first club I think to have an all foreign outfield players one match? Not 100% sure but I think I read that once.

G'Day McQ

We have been alarmingly mediocre for chunks of the season but like you, I'm pleased we're looking better in recent weeks.

I saw a quote from (I think) Arseblog who noted that from the 18 points available from our games against Villa, Wolves and Burnley, we took only 1. From our current perspective, you'd like to think that was a different team - but it wasn't.

No Bern. Never got around to entering the ballot. Can't be arsed with testing protocols.

How much are the tickets? Is the upper tier open?

I see Totts charged £60 a pop for last nights admission.

I'd have paid that to watch that comedy show last night. Would have been hilarious.

I’m not sitting in my normal seat but without knowing presume the upper tier is open. The seat was £35.50 but as I say, that isn’t for my normal seat.