I would have Nketiah now as only fourth central attacking player. I think Martinelli is now ready to play there too if needed.

False 9 is a very tricky tactic to get right, but I suspect it is the one that really can suit us, given how we play and the quality and attributes of the other attaching players.

I wonder if Arteta is still seeing Smith Rowe in the Xhaka role?

https://twitter.com/zak_afc/status/1635 ... 78464?s=20

Shearer looking at the possibility of White blocking Leno for our first goal. I think White is blocking Leno but I don't think it is a foul, he doesn't hold Leno, he stands his ground and he doesn't have to get out of the GK's way so the GK can come for the ball.

Yep, Casemiro would be a lovely back up for Partey to have. But the one I keep seeing on the internet is that Casemiro is by far the best defensive mid in the league - Man U fans wouldn't even debate that Partey is in the equation. Man U fans in particular have a huge tendency to overrate their players, some Man U fans will tell you at least 6-7 of their players are world class or the best in the league - if that were true they would/should walk the league.

For me Partey is clear above Casemiro right now, and Rodri.

What a great performance and result yesterday.

The 1st half was magical even if Fulham were not at the races. That left footed crossfield pass from Saliba was breathtaking.

Slightly disappointed we didn't add a couple more in the 2nd half but I was expecting this to be a really tough game so to come away with a 3-0 victory is just awesome.

Trossard was brilliant and Martinelli showed signs of recapturing his best form and could have had a hat-trick.

Jesus's little cameo was amazing, his touch, technique and awareness were on another level.

A very enjoyable game from the boys yesterday, thanks boys!
Trossard is a great buy. He worked so well in tight spaces.

Shearer is making it up. White doesn't even back into him.

Nowhere in the rule book does it say 1) standing your ground is a foul. 2) Goalkeepers are the exception to 1 and everyone must get out of their way.

Referees and pundits seem to think that the rule book is a just a vague guideline to be followed according to whim.

Hi AG,

The three away games at City, Liverpool and Newcastle and the home one against Chelsea are why I do not yet believe we will win the PL. In normal circumstances draws at Liverpool and Newcastle would be decent results but this may not be enough if we lose at City and fail to get 3 points against Chelsea.

I am hoping that City drop a few points before those games but I am not expecting them to.

The pressure on the last few games will be immense.

It’s going to come down to the city away game isn’t it,

If we get a point in Manchester we can do it but if we lose that one there’s no margin for error which is unlikely. The margins are so tiny.

Soc, I can definitely see why. I'm very fearful myself. No matter how bad they are, getting a win at Anfield has never been easy for us, even in our heyday we were getting a draw usually.

City has to drop points. I agree. And they were close to dropping against Palace. Beating Newcastle was massive for them. It was one of the bigger banana peels. They are home to Liverpool, away to Southampton and Brighton. If they win those games I don't think we'll get it. I'm thinking they'll need to lose one more and/or draw 2 games. Some sort of combination of that.

I also don't think we'll see a better opportunity to win the league for the next few years no matter how much we get better.

Liverpool will be back. It's a matter of when. Only them and City are capable of putting 7 past Man Utd. My guess is they'll be back next year. Newcastle will win the title at some point, my guess is within half a dozen years. Why? I've never seen a club who got that kind of money, especially from the middle east and did not eventually end up as title holders within a half a dozen years. Especially if the owners are hell bent on getting a title.
Chelsea, PSG, City, all got a huge sugar daddy who had a spend anything to win mindset and won titles. Leipzig being possibly the only exception if someone wants to count them and they have been 2nd or 3rd four times since '17.

If the Qataris buy Man Utd add them to the list and that happens I'll put them over City. Why? All things being equal they have the far bigger pedigree.

Yeah, the EPL is going to get very crowded at the top. City, Man Utd (with or without the Qataris they'll spend big), Newcastle, Liverpool and then us. And we'll be struggling to get great players. We may need one of those uber wealthy owners worth billions who is willing to spend whatever it takes to win.

Maybe the club sees that writing on the wall, maybe not. If we don't win this season I fear even if we get better, we won't do better than runner up for now. We have a small window. Maybe a similar window next season if a lot of 'ifs' happen: Man Utd are still rebuilding, Liverpool need another season to get out of their funk and back to challenging for the title, Newcastle are just top 4 but not contenders, Chelsea don't bounce back for now.

So this year and next at best and after that, we can be great and finish 4th or 5th.

Gary Lineker reinstated

BBC forced to apologise for defending nazi behaviour

One of the very many things that work well with Trossard is his ability with both feet. That is really problematic for defenders and he doesn’t have to cut back for his stronger foot.

Yesterday’s assists were a perfect right footed corner followed by two superb left foot passes.

I've seen some rival fans bemoan how poor Fulham were....'they rolled over for you'. I think that is always easy to say when your rival wins comfortably, but the reality is we were just too good. When Fulham tried to get in our faces and play with tempo and a high press we simply played through it and scored the 2nd goal. Is it any wonder when we're that good that teams are scared to engage us?

The last small genuinely two footed player we had....Cazorla!

Those are the 4 for us for sure.

City have Liverpool at home which I expect them to win but it is one where i'll be hoping they drop points. City also have Chelsea at home like we do there is no reason to think we can't match whatever result City get there.
We have to look at City's away games:
Brighton (a) is a must drop points
Southampton (a)
Fulham (a)
Everton (a)
Brentford (a) on the final day

I don't think City have been consistently convincing away from home all season.

I still can't get away from it all coming down to the result at the Etihad
City win = City title
draw = 60/40 City title
We win = Arsenal title

What was the likelihood of us even getting a draw at Liverpool in '89, if not a win?

Every single league goal scored by Saka this season has been either the opening goal to a match, an equalising goal in the match or the goal that puts us back in front from a drawing position.

ie: every single goal really meant something - not just sticking in the 5th goal in a 5-0 win

I think there was some stat about Liverpool not losing by 2 goals at home for 10 years or so....

I know but weren't the reigning champions? Also, and I don't know the stats but before that game when was the last time we even won at Liverpool? I'm going by how good Liverpool were in the '80s and we were still building. Yes, we had cup win over them but at Anfield? I say that to say that you never know what may happen when we play City.

So what team does Arteta go with for Sporting on Thursday? It is a short turn around for the Sunday game at home to Palace but I think he has to rotate. Saka desperately needs a rest. Are Smith-Rowe and Jesus fit enough to start?

It is difficult to even pick some who definitely have to start. I'd say Tierney, Tomiyasu, Vieira should start and we need one of Saliba/Gabriel to start probably.

Turner, Tierney, Gabriel, Holding, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Xhaka, Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Jesus, Nelson

Is that too much disruption?

I would be shocked if Jesus starts and would expect to see Trossard again. I’d suggest there’s a decent chance Tommy, Tierney, vieira and Jorginho could start but I’d be surprised if he changes it up as much as you have suggested here.

Any comparisons with Leicester's title winning season are quite far of the mark.
1) Leicester were 5000/1 outsiders who just escaped relegation the season before - we were much shorter odds
2) You only needed 72 points to win the title in Leicester's season - it really was the perfect storm of big 6 under performance

72 points would have got you 5th and 4th in the 2 preceding seasons, and 6th and 5th in the 2 seasons after

If he can get anywhere those heights then we are in for a treat.

As long as we don't lose we are okay, doubt we'll see 2 goals out of Sporting. They have to attack. They have to win the game.

Although we have not been the soak up the pressure countering team this season, and I'm not saying that, I will say we will have space up front. Martinelli centrally maybe? He has the pace and engine to go one and one with their last man.

Holding and whomever needs the most rest out of Saliba or Gabriel. Smith Rowe for sure. Reiss Nelson for sure. Jesus but no more than a half. Last 30 minutes. I don't know if he has the wind for most of a match. Nketiah still hurt? Xhaka has played a lot of games. He's an iron man but still.

I'm good for a good :30 seconds of quality.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i7I7LEn6mPk

Sporting don't have to attack and Arteta will surely want to rest Martinelli.

He would be a great option if we go ahead and Sporting do need to go for it.

Zinchenko has only made 2 fouls in the league this season - he has been booked for both of them.

At City in 76 games for them over 6 seasons he made 55 fouls and was booked 4 times.

Look up the ratio of Jesus fouls/cards in an Arsenal shirt vs a City shirt.

So can we rule out that our players just make silly, obvious yellow card fouls and City are just more adept and cynical fouls that don't attract yellows?

I love Xhaka's re-incarnation in this present player. I really do. However, I feel we have players who can play his present, more advanced role better. Better passer, dribbler and shooter. I could offer one or two players but won't as I think it would be a bit obvious. He does offer one intangible that no one else can fulfill in that role and that is grit and steel and perhaps that's why Arteta likes him there if he also sees someone technically better and more suited.

https://twitter.com/viparsenal/status/1 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Pep is talking more and more about us. Contrast to Arteta who gives the press nothing, never talks about titles or rivals just talks about us, our quality and the best game.

Notice also Pep’s pre-prepared “winner in the 96th…I mean 98th minute” comment. Pep is worried and a bit rattled

Tactically there probably aren’t many better right now in our current system. He plays as an advanced 8 but his natural instinct probably allows more control compared to someone like Emile Smith Rowe or Vieira playing that role. Those guys might give us more incision but we might lose some control.

Arsenal's wage bill grew by just 7% between 2017 and 2022.
In the same time period, Manchester United's grew by 45%, Chelsea's grew by 55%, and Tottenham's grew by 65%.

Obviously a few factors here. We were massively over paying some under performing players, and when we booted them off the books they were replaced by younger cheaper players.

It really is hard to think of too many decisions the club has got wrong in the last 2-3 years

Bet he ends up leaving.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21698065 ... -transfer/

The one big similarity is a stat I found about and posted on here during Leicester's title winning race and one would have thought I denied the trinity at a Catholic mass. I soon realized the commotion was more about who posted it, moreso than the the stat itself.

Until Leicester did it in '17 , was it? No team has won the title without finishing at least 3rd the prior season the EPL until Leicester did it. We can debate why that is but any stat like with a 100 percent record over 25 years and not done since is not mere coincidence if you study statistics.

"I would looove it, just looove it" waves at Keegan if we were able to do that as well. All that being said, both us were two of the most unlikely title challengers though. Maybe Tottenham one season where they were in the race till relatively late.

It has always seemed likely to me. His solitary appearance seemed like a desperate throw of the dice to influence him favourably rather than based on any other logic.

I'd like to see how Reiss Nelson does in that role. Not replace but for a match or two against weaker sides.

Yes I think that’s it. Putting a 15 year old school kid in the first team just seemed crazy

Surely moving to Chelsea for him would be absolute madness given what has happened to Hutchinson.

The club must have a bad feeling on the advice his parents and agents are providing him.

Given the mess Chelsea are in and the amount of players they have and the managerial round about it is the last club any talented youngster should go to. Unless of course it's about the ching ching.

First team game time is surely the best gauge for long term earning power. I can imagine him (his agents) citing players like Rooney playing at 16 as a reason for not being patient, rather than players like Ødegaard who made the biggest move possible as early as possible and didn’t get first team football.

I haven't personally heard Edu speak much. I assume most of you probably hear him on TV from time to time but even when he was a player, I don't recall hearing him interviewed much if at all that I heard personally.

Very impressive. The messaging is so consistent, and it feels like this genuinely comes from a shared vision rather than just marketing.

Unsung hero of the season so far for me is Gabriel. The job he’s asked to do at left CB is harder than 99% of CBs. It’s why I get annoyed when a good CB from a midtable team gets touted for a top team with the assumption that he can just do it at that level. Maguire is a prime example, asked to sit deep, move the ball on without pressure and just head, block, clear the balls that come in to the box should be pretty easy. But ask that CB to play on the half way line 1v1 against pacey forwards and be responsible for progressive forward passing it’s totally different.

In our system Gabriel has to play CB and LB, he’s the aggressor in the partnership with Saliba which for me is the harder role as it requires better anticipation, more aerial duels and more physicality - it also leaves you open to more obvious mistakes.

He’s the highest scoring defender in the league since he joined and no player has scored more goals from corners than him (tied with Kane)

He’s just been very very good 9 games out of 10