WIN Arsenal 1 - 0 Newcastle | Premier League | Sky Sports | KO: Saturday 25th April 17:30 BST

Need a win here really, same team as vs City and pray we have some players back.

Let's goooooo.

vs

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

By having Eze and MLS, what does it tell us? It shows that we need a unique profile in our lineup.

The same bog standard 11 that Arteta uses, especially in progressing the ball, all are basic. Eze can pass but can also dribble his way out, MLS can pass but can dribble and run with it. Calafiori is a huge miss as he can pick them out but also makes clever runs forward.

This team needs to up its technical level, but we have enough in our ranks that are being underused.

Only reason I’d be weary to start MLS now is cause he’s gotten so little tick in midfield this season (also artetas fault). Can’t play a young guy like him (midfielder whose whole game revolves around willingness to take calculated risk) cold like that in the most important of the season, he will cost you points. His development next season needs to be a priority from the very ****ing beginning of the season

 

[gunman90]

I don't think he's ever signed a French player. Saliba was signed before he got the job. Not sure we've ever even been seriously in for a French player.

And that is a massive problem. French players are and have always been elite players. We had Olise wallowing at Palace. Why couldn't he have signed him one year and then signed Eze the next year? How many gems can we find in the Ligue 1?

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

It was a ‘I can save him’ galaxy brain Arteta signing, see Havertz for similar. Waste of money that could’ve been spent on a Semenyo. Also limited Nwaneri’s development.

The people signing the anti-Madueke petition last summer were not the villains they were made out to be.

He’s done that a ****ing ton during his tenure. Keeps collecting island-of-misfit-toys-ass-attackers but gets absolute studs defensively. Idk if it’s arrogance, disregard for the talent needed to win at the highest level, lack of respect for that side of the game, poor talent ID, or some sort of really niche advanced stat that keeps leading him and the decision makers at the club astray. Whatever tf it is, it has to stop

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

Newcastle had a couple of decent chances that another team could have easily put away.

I think the best chance was the Wissa one but tbf that’s not one of the easiest techniques to hit an overhead volley like that. Def got lucky there

 

[Tnegs]

And people are screaming for more goals. Newcastle are no pushovers. It is a well coached team with some good players. It was a game of small margins. We got lucky with the handball of Hincapie and Wissa 100% chance. They got lucky with the bad pass of Gyokeres and the yellow card for Pope. Only negarive player was Madueke. Hope Eze and Kai are not injured seriously, because that will end any chance to win PL & CL.

Newcastle are a team in terrible form having just lost 4 games in a row coming into this one. Barca did them 7-2 they will give up goals if you get at them. 1-0 is 3 points but we could have buttered up the GD nicely with a bit of balls.

 

[TerryHenry007]

Hard day to be an IKEA employee

 

[amigo]

Think Burnley at home is probably the only one we are winning out of the 4. This team and this rat Manager doesn't have the minerals to beat Fulham, West Ham and Palace

Last week I bet you thought we wouldn't beat Newcastle.

 

[amigo]

Good on Mikel calling out that both city and Newcastle should have got reds for dogso. It could have cost us again today after costing us badly vs a direct rival last week

It cost us. Playing against ten would have given us a better chance of boosting GD.

 

[amigo]

Hey moanmasters, if you're going to eke out an argument that after today City can go top with any win at least get off your backsides and do a bit of really elementary research - we play Fulham before they play Everton so no, they can't go top by winning that unless we lose to Fulham first.

Lazy bastards, lazy arguments.

I'm generally positive, but I made that argument, and you are right. That won't probably happen that way because we play again first. My bad.But my bigger point was we do need to start boosting goal difference because with only five games to go, there is a good chance goal difference will be the decider. We could both win all our games or make similar slip ups that leave us on equal points. And City has the goals scored edge. So, with fewer and fewer matches to go, that has to be on our mind, not just winning. We could win all our matches 1-0 only to find out it wasn't enough. We have to assume City will win their next five. So more is required.

 

[boonthegoon]

It cost us. Playing against ten would have given us a better chance of boosting GD.

Hmmm yeah back to back weeks it has cost us in different ways and it could have been even worse if they had equalized due to being 11

 

[myoldarsenal]

Some perspective as performances count for very little at this stage. Scraping by with a top strike is no different to what City and Liverpool have being doing in past seasons at this stage.

4 games left, guys with 4000 minutes in their legs and you want to cry that is wasn't total joga bonito.

The problem with your analogy is performances do matter when we will likely win or lose the title due to GD. Had we won against Newcastle and Fulham by 6-7 goals and improved our GD to 7, City would have had to not only win but overturn that against Everton and Bournmouth. They would have been under huge pressure. These dire 1-0 wins won't do now. It's this awful football which has seen us squander a 6 point lead to being level in the first place. You just win the three games at home against United, Liverpool and Bournmouth the title would have been done next week as we'd been 9 ahead. Instead we put out the same rubbish performances even then.

 

[BIoodBrother]

He tried to play it straight across which means even if it somehow went past the defender it wasn't going in the right place. Had to do anything except what he did. Sigh.

That is not true. The placement of the pass would have been ideal but obviously thats where and what the defender is trying to defend. He would have needed to play it even closer to Pope or harder and risk using too much power in the end.

Sreenshots make you think, players wont move when the ball will

 

[Ash10]

If we had Merino playing as striker we'd have won the game 3-0

 

[DanDare]

That is not true. The placement of the pass would have been ideal but obviously thats where and what the defender is trying to defend. He would have needed to play it even closer to Pope or harder and risk using too much power in the end.

Sreenshots make you think, players wont move when the ball will

Yeah, nah

He's got a massive channel that any pro should be able to pass in to. We're not talking De Bruyne corridor of uncertainty here lol. He's got two separate players the ball can land in the path of

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Must've been a treat listening to him try to pronounce it.

Merse did all right tbf

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Arteta also rightfully so go at referee last two games our opponents should be down to 10 men.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Only reason I’d be weary to start MLS now is cause he’s gotten so little tick in midfield this season (also artetas fault). Can’t play a young guy like him (midfielder whose whole game revolves around willingness to take calculated risk) cold like that in the most important of the season, he will cost you points. His development next season needs to be a priority from the very ****ing beginning of the season

Whilst I agree with you, at this stage I'm wondering if the risk is exaggerated. Yesterday and not for the first time, neither Rice or Zubi seemed to tackle to win the ball up the pitch. Any interception was chaotic instead of deliberate. Both seemed allergic to passing forward and their anticipation has disappeared. Rice actually had a chance to engage a Newcastle runner in the middle but backed away and got into position to defend the edge of the box! We kept a clean sheet so many will say we did enough but that's not wholly accurate.

 

[Iwobeast]

If we had Merino playing as striker we'd have won the game 3-0

I’d feel a lot more confident about the end of the season with him available

 

[Gooner Zig]

The problem with your analogy is performances do matter when we will likely win or lose the title due to GD. Had we won against Newcastle and Fulham by 6-7 goals and improved our GD to 7, City would have had to not only win but overturn that against Everton and Bournmouth. They would have been under huge pressure. These dire 1-0 wins won't do now. It's this awful football which has seen us squander a 6 point lead to being level in the first place. You just win the three games at home against United, Liverpool and Bournmouth the title would have been done next week as we'd been 9 ahead. Instead we put out the same rubbish performances even then.

Title isn't going to come to GD imo.

 

[Gooner Zig]

If we had Merino playing as striker we'd have won the game 3-0

I would have laughed at the 12 mo ago but here we are