I can only think there is so much effort and focus on the prem that the players are just switching off or easing off slightly for this competition. We haven't really played well in any of the games in Europa.

Next year we'll be back in the Champions League so we need to learn quickly how to turn it on in different competitions.

Going out early also really hurts our European ranking points which is used to seed teams in the champions league. If we win the league we'll be top seeds but that is the only way.

Precisely what I was saying yesterday. You bring in 1 single reserve and it messes up the whole system.

Wrap partey and Ødegaard in cotton.

For us to win the tournament we would have had to play another 5 games. It’s a screw up but honestly very rarely do Arsenal have a genuine chance of winning a title.

I think there were two that he'll think were saveable. The one he got a decent hand to and the one he went the right way but it was low and he didn't get his hand down to it quickly enough

If we do lose the league, which I think we will having seen the level of performance of our back-up options tonight, then we will look back on this shitshow of a performance as a lost opportunity.

City put Liebzig to the sword but we couldn't even get past a team 4th in the Portuguese league, playing at home.

It reminded me of champions league games under Wenger--contriving to play badly and lose to inferior opposition.

It makes sense, and I’ll agree - but maybe tomorrow…

One thing to note, a Xhaka/Jorginho midfield axis is so one-paced....very, very slow. Teams can just run through the middle of them. Partey's introduction was a massive step up in quality.

Too soon.

It's surprising because Ramsdale's reaction speed is usually pretty good but I thought his efforts to save the pens were very very poor.

No doubt that City wanted us to win that game tonight. In terms of the title race not having to play those midweek games is a big boost.

If you want to get in to the detail the QF of Europa are played on April 13 and 20. We are scheduled to play Southampton in the prem as the friday night game on April 21 - that game can go ahead at that time which it wouldn't if we'd made the QF.

Man City play as the last game on the sunday that weekend away at brighton.

Then the following Wednesday we go to the Etiahad.

So Arsenal play home to southampton - 4 full days rest then City(a)
City play away to Brighton - 2 full days rest then home to us

I do think you are right because it wasn't just the backup player who were careless.

In retrospect, Arteta should have put Partey on (preferrably for Vieira) sooner. That goal was coming.

By the way, taking that first penalty is a huge advantage. Studies of thousands of shoot outs show the team going first wins 60% of the time.

There are also studies showing the % of kicks scored or saved when your penalty is to keep you in the tie vs winning the tie and the results are as you expect.

Vieira did himself no favours tonight. Obviously very technically gifted but incredibly lightweight and a virtual passenger.

I'd have him on a muscle building programme before next season.

No sleep lost in this house.

Too true, and particularly with Vieira's defensive contribution being negligible compared to Ødegaard's

Sporting played really well in the second half, scored an absolute wonder-goal and their keeper made an astonishing save from Gabriel's header. This is a team that won the league two years ago, going unbeaten, so they are no mugs. We had our chances but didn't capitalise on them.

Yes I was glad to go out of both domestic cups for this reason, I wanted us to do well in the Europa though as I thought we had a chance of winning it.

I think it’s clear however, due to squad depth and rest times between games, we couldn’t win both europa and the league. So this is really the best result if we want to win the league.

But the extra time and injury to Saliba and Tommy have really pissed me off.

Yes it’s not exactly the done thing to bemoan your luck, but after everything else in the game we then lost two tosses of a coin in a row!

Completely agree in respect of the back-up players. Vieira was awful (I really don't get it) but Zinchenko, Zhaka and Martinelli were well below their best and White's passing radar was off.

And but for the recent rule change we’d have gone through on away goals. We’ve gone out to that rule a few times (Bayern and Monaco from memory) and one time we very nearly went out on away goals despite never actually playing at home - in the covid season we played benfica over 2 legs at neutral stadiums both games and so one was randomly declared the home leg for each team and we were close to going out before Aubameyang got a late winner I think

A few other things tonight. 2 early injuries in defence didn’t help. It meant Jesus played 45 rather than his planned 60. And it meant Arteta had to be cautious and wait a bit longer than he might have with his other subs.
We need Jesus, Nketiah, smith Rowe all properly fit for the run in

Our squad is strong but defeats and injuries show the weaknesses below the surface.
Some key areas to address in the summer if we want to take all comps seriously.
Central midfielder. Attributes need to be close to what Partey can do

No.8. This is your more dynamic Xhaka type.

Right wing/striker. Either sign a right wing to compete with Saka, or sign a striker and use Jesus on the right

CB. With white excelling at RB we need another top class CB, holding is a squad player, Kiwior is raw. Get a 3rd CB and use Kiwior and Holding in domestic cups and/sparingly

The rest depends on departures. Ie a new LB is needed of Tierney is sold

Tomiyasu on crutches, could be a serious injury.

He’s missed a lot of games since he joined us. Ditto Tierney. You wonder what Arteta thinks of players who miss so much time consistently. Sounds ruthless but do you look to move them on?

Yes. I like both of them but if you are missing games you are not at the races. Never happy to lose but I'll take it if it helps win the title. We have a great first 11. It#s the back up that's the problem. We will get CL so that should help recruitment.

I can't ever imagine Arsenal losing as a good result. Unless it directly led to United, Chelsea or Spurs being relegated. We have mostly shown good spirit in adversity this campaign, and we will have to again against Palace. I sense a draw in that one, which probably won't be good enough.

Oh well, now we have full focus on winning the EPL

I had no idea the rules had changed. I assumed the away goals rule was in effect.

Not good enough and surprised. Not sure what percentage of it is us thinking we'll go through or Sporting playing better than expected.

We will need other clubs to help us in the league.

Buying Savic would get rid of the Vieira problem.

We only have 1 mid week game left this season - City (a).

I think City have a minimum of 4 midweek games and if they make it through to the next round of the FA Cup and CL then they will have 6 or 7.

Tierney is a really good player - the problem he and we have is his style and strengths seem completely at odds with the style and strengths Arteta implements in his team.

If there are prem teams interested in him (Newcastle) then you really could raise £40m maybe, and then buy a LB to better suit the team but any new signing is a big risk and the likelihood is you’re buying another young player to be back up to Zinchenko. It would be a hard position to truly and immediately strengthen in the summer if we did get rid of Tierney

Timely reminder of whats going to be required in the champions league. Your not going far if you have to rely on the likes of vieira, Turner and Reiss Nelson.

We still have some way to go

Find it strange that Kalvin Phillips is still in the Eng squad. He’s played 56 minutes in the Prem this season. Would he still be in if those 56 minutes had been played for Leeds?

On reflection I think the player we need most right now is another Martin Ødegaard clone.

James Maddison maybe

Someone who can add dynamic moments in midfield.

I was thinking exactly the same this morning and Maddison was the most risk free option that came in to my head as well. I think he’ll end up at Newcastle.
We’ve had some success buying from the prem so I can see us going back for proven prem players again.
Maybe going back in for Caicedo again. The Declan Rice rumours won’t go away and whilst I prefer Bellingham I think Rice could be half the price and he would be a statement signing.
If we signed someone like him I’d be interested to see Partey play in Xhaka’s role and get forward more.

Hi Rich,

What makes you think that Declan Rice will be half the price of Bellingham?. He's english, PL proven and coveted by many teams.

Where does the figure of £80m even come from, I suspect that given the transfer market inflation caused by Chelsea's antics his price will end up being well over £100m.

Patrick Vieira sacked.

Sunday will be interesting

The Sporting CBs looked pretty good last night. Really quick, strong and athletic.

It's very possible we can end up runner up. It's also very possible that Man Utd ends up 3rd with 2 trophies.
If that happens who will have had the better season? Is the answer the same if we finish with the title?

Rice only has 12 months left on his contract and has shown he won’t sign a new one. This is West Ham’s last chance to get a few for him. Being in the last 12 months does drop your actual fee/value. I could see Dortmund wanting north if £130m for Bellingham. According to a lot of reports Rice is sold on us, if that’s true and we get a free run at him I think you could get him for roughly half of Bellingham’s price.