Regardless of what happens in the Pool-Spuds game tonight, Arsenal can keep ahead of our bitter rivals, and with that keep the pressure on them, with a home victory v Leeds. I think this will be vital for the NLD on Thursday. We need them to have to get a win rather than the other way round. But this is going against my OGAAT principle. The only thing we can really influence right now is tomorrow’s game against the precariously positioned Peacocks, who will be fighting for league survival.
So this is a big game that needs total focus. Leeds are a strange team, at times magnificent and at times naive and more porous than pumice.
I have enjoyed watching them this season, a breath of fresh air with their adventurous and entertaining style of football and fearlessness, and I hope they will survive by beating the Chavs midweek.
They will play at a high tempo and try to disrupt our passing game. The Peacocks will press high and everywhere and they will create decent chances. So we need to play at our best and get those vital three points at our penultimate home game.
Who is going to start for us tomorrow?
It will depend on fitness levels but I expect White to be back and Saka and Tomi to be fit too. So here is my predicted….
Lineup:
The Ram
Defence: Shinkansen, Big Ben, The Beast, Alfa Pendular
Midfield: The Hoover, The General
Attack: The Force, The Magician, The Goal Thief, The Pouncer (CF).
So an Elneny/Granit midfield, Saka and ESR on each side of Martin, and another start for Eddie the Eagle. Oh and Tavares to start again too.
Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners!!!! 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩
By TotalArsenal
Bergkampesque 
Chavs drop two points
Mancs lose badly
Will we get a third present tonight?!
Spuds holding their own against the Scousers, to be fair. Its been nearly end to end at times, with ‘Pool trying to play on the break at times.
It is only the first half. Expect the home side to turn things up in the second.
Agreed, TA. Leeds won’t be easy, irrespective of the result at Anfield. Unless we get an early goal, there would be some anxiety if the game wears on goalless because we would know what a win could bring.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” would be my disposition to this game. So, same starting line up as against the Hammers, Tomi being the one whose fitness I am not certain about. Holding over White, fir me too, but I would be indifferent on that choice. The game would suit White but Holding’s desire would be an advantage. We just have to match them for pressing and aggression and we should be good.
Good points, Eris. Tomi will be fit I feel. White is important for build up on the right, so I will prefer him to Holding. But you make a good call for him.
Spuds take a point or lose two, it all depends how you look at it. A win tomorrow will give us wings. CoyGs
Leeds will be fighting for epl survival.
Expect crunching tackles
Shinkansen- I love that one.. I call him the great wall of Japan.
Of course Liverpool turn into a bunch of crossers/tossers against the spuds. What is that about?
I’ve seen Man City throw up bunches of high crosses like that, but never Klopps Liverpool.
We have to do it all for ourselves from here.
Jnyc: I know I couldn’t believe it last night, cross after cross just headed out. Why would you play like that when you’ve got such fantastic ball players as Mane, Sarah, Jota & Diaz.
At least it leaves us knowing what we have to do, win today & Thursday and Top Four is wrapped up!
Smart playing cedric on the left. Don’t want to see nuno up against rapinha.
2-0 to the Arse
32 Ramsdale
18 Tomiyasu
16 Holding
6 Gabriel
17 Cedric
34 Xhaka
25 Elneny
7 Saka
8 Odegaard (c)
35 Martinelli
30 Nketiah
Substitutes
1
Leno
69 Swanson
20 Tavares
87 Patino
23 Lokonga
65 Oulad M’Hand
19 Pepe
10 Smith Rowe
9 Lacazette
Well it seems I was right about Eddie all along. That second goal is the type that he brings that we haven’t had in such a long time.
He has turned down a deal as it is about playing time rather than money for him. Hope this proves he is good enough to be 1 of the 2 strikers at the club.
He will get playing time next season in one of the 4 competitions we are going to be in. Plus he is homegrown and has a good link with the other hale end boys.
We made that so hard for ourselves but got the win we wanted. Now if we beat spurs we can confirm champions league football at spurs stadium.
Nervy win but a win all the same. Over to the Derby now. The next 3 games are touch compared to Spurs so better seal the 4th at Spurs.
Unfortunate for Arsenal Women bitter dissapointment losing the league on the last day by a point.
Very happy with the win. Plenty to analyse from the game but the boys did the job today. Eddie…. Well done, mate. You are delivering and we are proud of you.
Nervy nervy time here at Casa Angus. Those Leeds fans deserve to stay up, even if their team doesn’t. Astonishing 95 yellow cards for Leeds already this season. They need to take some of whatever Granit is on. Crazy tackle by Ayling.
As for Pepe, Total. No, he has had his moments but he has lacked consistency.
That’s quite some stat there, Stuart. Leeds don’t even look a dirty team but I guess the work ethic instilled in them by “El loco” Bielsa results in them getting stuck in, this racking up those numbers.
Speaking of stats, does the goal conceded today count as having come from a corner kick? I ask because it did come after a touch by another player. It would be our first in the EPL this season. I read some place that As at 21st March, 2022, we were yet to concede from a corner kick, having faced 121 corner kicks up to that point i the season.
Happy with the 3 points, by the way. For this game and with the derby in the horizon, I didn’t care for a Cricket score. I had hoped for a clean sheet, though. On to Thursday. Spurs will be nervous…..
Need to convince Eddie to stay. If he continues strong through the next 3 games, bump up the contract offer. Have to convince him that he’s going to get plenty of opportunities with 4 competitions and 5 subs next season. Champions league or not will be the most important factor.. otherwise he can go and start every game at Palace or West Ham level. He knows we’re looking to sign a big striker.
Good win, for 60 minutes it was a Man City type of display (16-0 shots on goal, domination at both ends of the pitch). Eddie scored a well-earned brace and made his case for a hefty new contract at Arsenal or, hopefully not, elsewhere. Martinelli looked lively but his shooting technique needs improvement. Saka was his usual self, I can’t believe he is so good and so young at the same time.
I’d sign up for a draw at Toilet Seat. Spuds gave Liverpool a good battle and managed to stay undefeated. Kuluševski, Son and Kane are formidable trident while Ben Davies gave a MoTM performance as LCB. Liverpool had most of the ball but very few chances. Spuds were closer to win the game.
A victory would seal us at least 4th place but, as I said, a draw would do just fine.
Oh dear – in the end that was a very nervy squeaker but I’m happy we have the 3 points in the bank. Now it’s in our hands 6 points out of the final 9 and we are back in the CL. However Newcastle are a very large banana skin and if Everton are still fighting for survival in the EPL then that game will also be very tough.
Meanwhile Spurs are all but guaranteed to get six points against already relegated Burnley and Norwich..
GN5, Burnley are not relegated yet. They will fight for their lives v Spuddies.
All agreed Big Apple J 🙂
Admir,
The Spuds are good when teams push up. Italian managers love that sort of space to attack in and their attackers are made for it. But they will have to make play v Arsenal and leave space for us. This should suit us nicely.
This morning I did a 100% audit of the season to date totals and discovered and corrected my errors. It turns out that the individual position have not changed but it does put OX10 a lot closer to Eris than previously reported.
Here are the results for last weekend:-
For the week:-
1st Stuart with 3/6 and most correct predictions = 7 points
2nd GN5, Total, Eris, Madhu & OX10 with 2/6 = 2 points
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Season to date:-
1st Eris – 182.39
2nd OX10 – 161.06
3rd Madhu – 150.46
4th Total – 143.56
5th GN5 – 138.03
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Next weekends selections:-
Chelsea v Liverpool – FA Cup Final *
Tottenham v Burnley
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Manchester City *
Everton v Brentford
Newcastle v Arsenal *
Great stuff, GN5. Bar a miracle Eris will win it.
New Post 🙂