Nketiah and Elneny must surely be playing the best football of their career right now. They both deserve all the plaudits they are getting. Both out of contract so could easily have their head elsewhere, they’ve both been really good.

I must admit I didn’t think either could play this well. Elneny was solid and perhaps the role he plays is a bit easier than the expectations of the role Nketiah has to play. I didn’t think Nketiah could be really good in the line striker role, I didn’t think he could hold the ball up well enough or be a player who is involved in the game until you put chances in the box for him. The last 4-5 games he’s proved me wrong.

Which brings me to the contracts. Nketiah wants game time. Elneny seems satisfied with a back up role. If we signed a single striker and a forward/winger in the summer might Nketiah be convinced to re-sign?

The rumoured fee of £40m for Tielemans is crazy considering he only has one year left on his deal. You need to be offering Leicester half that.

Hi Hazuki, I honestly don’t think “we could actually afford to lose” on Thursday. If we do our four point lead becomes a one point lead with both teams having a couple of games left.

Tottenham’s are home to Burnley and away to Norwich. I realise Burnley are fighting for their lives but I still make Tottenham firm favourites to beat them at home. Norwich are rubbish and are already relegated. The only thing they have to play for is a bit of self pride but any other result than a Tottenham win would surprise me greatly.

Arsenal’s two final games are Newcastle away and Everton home. All that I said about Tottenham’s Burnley match applies to Arsenal game against Everton. They’re fighting for their lives but I make Arsenal firm favourites to win. I really wouldn’t fancy us to beat Newcastle away with anything like the same level of confidence, which we’d have to if Arsenal lose on Thursday.

Spot on Bernard. I’m dead nervous.
On another subject I’m not sure White comes straight back in if fit . Holding hasn’t let us down and has a good temperament for what is going to be a mental WHL. Maybe White plays rb instead of Cédric or we play with a back three and two wingbacks.
Thursday I’ll be watching from behind the sofa.

Tomiyasu may have played left back today to combat the threat of Raphina on that side. I wonder then of Arteta will be looking to move Tomiyasu back to right back to combat Son who normally plays from the left.

Cédric at right back makes me less nervous than Tavares at left back, so we could keep it the same as the Leeds game. Perhaps White comes back in at RB and Tomiyasu stays on the left.

Another actor from The Sweeney is no longer with us. Dennis Waterman died today. He was only 74 which these days isn’t that old.

Watchedk the first half and was satisfied it was done and dusted. Went to bed as I had to be up at 5am. Bit surprised by the final result. Just watched extended highlights of the second half. There were no highlights. I worry about our inability to remain in control of games. Leeds had imploded and we failed to punish them. Still 3 points and it is totally in our hands. 3rd is now on as well.

Was thinking the same after the game today. Something has definitely clicked for Nketiah, it's like he's realized he's good enough to play in the PL and can cause trouble for defenders with his pace and energy. If we sign someone like Gabriel Jesus who can play across the front line, I like the look of our attack for next season if Nketiah extends. Saka, Martinelli, Jesus, Smith-Rowe and Nketiah covering those three positions gives us options with plenty of different qualities, and allows us to rotate with a more packed schedule than we've had this year.

It's obviously not done and dusted unless we beat Tottenham, but losing to them would still mean we're a point ahead with only two games to go - both against teams that aren't nearly as good as Arsenal. We would still need to turn up with good performances, but I'm also far from certain Tottenham wins their remaining two games after the derby.

Really really hope we can beat spurs and end this top 4 race.
Or a draw means we just need to win one of our 2 remaining games.
That Newcastle away game worries me.
They will be really up for it and a Monday night game in front of 50,000 Geordies *gulp*
I have no doubt that spurs will beat Burnley and Norwich. We would have to do the same and match their results if they beat us on Thursday and Newcastle is a very very tricky game.
Win and we are there.
Draw and we are nearly there.
Lose and we could be in trouble.

From where we were when we had lost to Brighton and spurs thumped villa later that day I honestly thought 4th had gone.
Especially when spurs had the opportunity to practically kill us off by going 6 points clear by beating Brighton.....they lost then we failed to take advantage against Southampton.
What was totally unexpected was making using of that difficult game in hand against Chelsea and actually winning which levelled it up.
We then went 3 clear by beating utd.
Another win v west ham and more dropped points for spurs v Brentford and Liverpool and here we are!
Considering where we were , taking a 4 point lead into that spurs game is huge.
It really is going to be a horrible 90 minutes on Thursday literally watching with your hands over your eyes. Please let us be smiling at the end.....

I was more worried about Leeds than I am about Tottenham. We don't get rolled over by the top 5 clubs these days. Tottenham has to go for a win, which is different. Yes, its a derby, you always want to win, but with so much on the line, they will likely be a wee bit more vulnerable at the back trying to score.

If they score first, they will do the 5 across, soak up pressure, counter with Kane and/or Son thing. The key is scoring first. Preferably in the 2nd half. But obviousy will take being a goal up at any time.

The question is how will Arteta set up the team knowing 1. Tottenham must win. 2. We don't have to win.

This is also tricky mentally. If the game ends in a draw, our side will be all smiles, Tottenham will be solemn. Even if they equalize on the last shot of the game which is usually cause for celebration. They will celebrate and be happy in the momeny but it will be disappointment not soon after.

It's tricky mentally for the team because they don't have to win. They had to win against the previous sides, or they felt they had to. If they drew, and Tottenham won, Tottenham got closer. Do they feel the same now? They draw and its a 'wash' as we say in the states (maybe you guys use the same term).

And we should have Balogun back next season too

l also loved him in Minder. He was side kick to 2 great british TV actors : John Thaw and George Cole. Yet you always remembered his part in the show as George Carter and Terry McCann. Sad to see his passing.

Seems it will be midfielder Youri Tielemanns then. For £40M. But, 4th place is of the essence, as Tielemanns wants CL football.

I feel like Balogun needs another year on loan. He’s done ok for Boro but he’d be 4th choice next year if we bring in a couple. He’s better with another full season on loan hopefully in the prem

I think Ian Wright made an interesting point on MOTD2 last night on Nketiah. If (and it’s still a big if) we get Champions League, are there any other champions league teams who Nketiah could go to and be first choice? So would he rather be in a striker rotation/competition at Arsenal in the champions league or be guaranteed first choice at someone like Brighton?

I actually can’t believe Man U are 6th, that feels like a false and elevated position for them. Every week I watch them, and this goes back a long way, and they are a shambles.

Saw an old interview with Elneny again recently. He basically says supporters need to support when the team or individuals/he is going through a bad patch or has a bad game. He says everyone will support when things are going well but what players need is that support when things don’t go well. He says it gives him confidence and helps him play better. I’m sure he’s absolutely right. It is tough as fans not to react to poor displays and actually I think this season more than at any time recently it has felt like the home and away crowds have been supporting the team to the hilt. The connection is better than it has been for 15 years id say

I accept anything can happen in one off games, so predictions can always be wrong. But looking at both clubs’ fixtures after Thursday’s game makes me think the most likely results for Tottenham are them beating Burnley at home despite the visitors fighting for their survival, and beating Norwich away who are simply the worst team in this season’s Premier League. That’s why they were the first side relegated which also means they have nothing much to play for. I think they’re reasonable predictions whether they turn out right or wrong.

Arsenal’s final two fixtures are Newcastle away and Everton home. I would say exactly the same of our game against Everton that I said of Tottenham’s against Burnley. Everton will presumably be fighting for their survival but an Arsenal win looks the most likely result.

That takes us to our away game at Newcastle. I agree that we are comfortably a better team than Newcastle. But since Howe was appointed, he has undeniably improved them and they’ve made signings that have contributed to that upturn. I feel much more cautious about our chances of winning at St James’s Park than you appear to be. For me, of the four games (two each) left for Arsenal and Tottenham after the North London derby, it looks the hardest to call.

If Tottenham win Thursday’s match, I think it reasonable to suggest we’ll have to win at Newcastle. That’s why I don’t share your view that we can afford to lose at Tottenham, considering our aim is to finish above them.

As Rich said, £40m is a crazy price for him if he’s one year from the end of his contract. Can’t help wondering if it’s clickbait.

I think it could be quite likely that everton are safe by the time we play them on the last day. Leeds have Chelsea next, everton have a game in hand and play watford and Brentford and palace next, the last 2 at home. If Leeds lose to Chelsea then everton would only need 5 points from those 3 games.

I thought we were poor and got lucky.

Pépé has become an abomination. No wonder Mikel doesn’t trust him.

At least it’s the result we wanted and now we can play on Thursday knowing we just need a point.

I see that Granit Xhaka’s goal against Man United got the Goal Of The Month in last night’s MOTD2. Nice one.

Leeds only had 3 shots all game and we let one in. So we weren’t that lucky. Leeds didn’t deserve a draw. It’s more that we should have put them away more convincingly.

As for Pépé……

North London forever. I think it might become a regular fixture. It grows on you.

https://youtu.be/agxpawc2Jb4

Honestly I had never heard of it but loads around me were singing it.

I think one of the good things about this forum is that the overreaction to poor performances is less extreme than others. But it does happen here as well. It wasn’t too long ago that some didn’t want Nketiah anywhere near the team. Look at how quickly that’s changed. Elneny is rightly being praised now. That hasn’t always been the case.

I think it’s reasonable to see Pépé as a poor signing, even though the cost of the transfer wasn’t his fault. I feel he has the attributes in terms of skill and pace to be a top player but has never quite showed it at Arsenal, at least consistently. But words like abomination are way over the top. Criticism can be expressed in far less extreme terms than that.

Overall I feel there’s too much overreaction to recent form. A fine performance doesn’t make a player brilliant or world class, just like a bad display doesn’t mean a player is rubbish or useless. As I say, it happens less here than on other sites. But it does happen.

Well it is understandable - he is so used to being at the top table...

If we qualify for ECL we should try to get Ronaldo for 2 years - the guy is still a great. London deserves to see him in a London shirt.

No way. It’s the polar opposite of the direction we should be taking.

Also the system we play requires an incredibly active forward.

Thanks TG - that's the one.

New to me too. Not exactly a toe-tapper, is it?

Dirge sums it up. Horrible.

Does anyone know why George Graham , Bob Wilson , Charlie George and a few others were at the game yesterday?

I rather like it. Just bought it on iTunes.

Weird seeing George back at Arsenal. I wonder if that’s the first time he’s been back. I can’t recall if he was at the Highbury farewell

Hi DD

I was in the bar at HT and I saw the screens but I didn't hear any commentary or announcements.

I surmised that it was the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Double which should've happened last year but Covid got in the way.

Now that Norn Iron is back in the spotlight, it occurred to me that I haven't seen anything of Niall for a while now.

Anyone know anything?

Hopefully this will be the case.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailys ... 906895.amp

He looked like he had really aged.
Understandable as many years have passed!
Forever a legend for what he did for us in 89 , 91 , 93 and 94.

Thanks DHD.
That makes sense.

I didn't realize that if we win we lock up top 4. Given that info, I think we will do no worse than a draw. For the last couple months we play well against any side in the top 5 or 6. Even in a losing effort, we made a good account of ourselves.