DRAW Premier League: Arsenal 2 - 2 Crystal Palace | Wednesday 23rd April | 20:00 BST | Sky Sports

*** The Ian Wright derby ***

The final game before our 1st leg CL SF against PSG. We need to be resting as many crucial players as possible, but we should still get a home win.

Raya
White Saliba Kiwi KT
TP Ode Zinny
Nwaneri Trossard/Merino Sterling

TP is suspended for 1st leg against PSG, so it's reasonable to play him here & give Rice a day off. I would be interested in seeing Zinny in the 8, with Trossard or Merino up front, as this may tell Teta whether it can work, whilst also not causing too much disruption to a unit which has worked well in the CL recently, with Merino as a false 9.

Three points helps secure our 2nd place in PL, & will put 10 points between us & Newcastle in 3rd. A good win will keep the confidence high & the momentum going.

Let's goooo



Another 5 goals will do nicely please





(Sorry this is not quite up to the standards of AM matchday thread don @Oxeki , but it's my first one, so be gentle )

 

[grange]

Players need to stay match sharp. Training is fine but it's not the same intensity.

Do the same sort of thing we did vs Ipswich. 60-70 minutes for the main guys and 20-30 for others off the bench.

This but also doing this will cause a Wednesday Whingefest which will be funny too.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Crystal palace have next week maybe the most important game in thier recent history so they either gonna rest thier key players or thier manager going to ask them to not spend energy. So it should be another comfortable game for us but like Ipswich game be professional get 3 points and then prepare for psg

 

[Tom Mix]

It's not just about resting players. It's about protecting the from the kind of "tackle" inflicted on Bukayo yesterday.

If we lose one of our key players (Raya/Timber/Saliba/Rice/Saka) , we lose the CL. It's as simple as that. You'd need to be pretty daft to risk that to keep them match-fit against a Palace team ho have their biggest game in decades next weekend. Expect some yeomen to come into their team wanting to make their name by scything down our stars.

Only the CL matters now this season.

 

[Rasmi]

It's not just about resting players. It's about protecting the from the kind of "tackle" inflicted on Bukayo yesterday.

If we lose one of our key players (Raya/Timber/Saliba/Rice/Saka) , we lose the CL. It's as simple as that. You'd need to be pretty daft to risk that to keep them match-fit against a Palace team ho have their biggest game in decades next weekend. Expect some yeomen to come into their team wanting to make their name by scything down our stars.

Only the CL matters now this season.

It’s also crazy to think guys who been playing since August will lose match fitness for not playing 8-9 days

 

[Dokaka]

It’s also crazy to think guys who been playing since August will lose match fitness for not playing 8-9 days

This is not how match fitness (or fitness in general) works. What you did many months ago means sweet **** all, you can feel a significant drop in mere days if you aren't staying active in the right ways. It's also not just a physical thing. Many footballers have talked about how they often felt "off" after being rested and needed a few games to get back into the routine. There are obviously reasons to rest at times but match fitness is a fickle thing and some of these guys are just now playing themselves into absolute peak form.

The players are literally surrounded by some of the best physiotherapists in the world with the singular focus being to keep them in the best shape possible to compete.

 

[squallman]

It's not just about resting players. It's about protecting the from the kind of "tackle" inflicted on Bukayo yesterday.

If we lose one of our key players (Raya/Timber/Saliba/Rice/Saka) , we lose the CL. It's as simple as that. You'd need to be pretty daft to risk that to keep them match-fit against a Palace team ho have their biggest game in decades next weekend. Expect some yeomen to come into their team wanting to make their name by scything down our stars.

Only the CL matters now this season.

Exactly. Last thing we need is another hamstring injury.

I could be misremembering, but even Wenger rested players before our cup finals. It would be typical us btw to go balls to the wall at Anfield and suffer injuries before the second leg at PSG.

 

[HattoriHanzo]

Exactly. Last thing we need is another hamstring injury.

I could be misremembering, but even Wenger rested players before our cup finals. It would be typical us btw to go balls to the wall at Anfield and suffer injuries before the second leg at PSG.

Anfield is after second leg at PSG

 

[Kuroske]

It's not just about resting players. It's about protecting the from the kind of "tackle" inflicted on Bukayo yesterday.

If we lose one of our key players (Raya/Timber/Saliba/Rice/Saka) , we lose the CL. It's as simple as that. You'd need to be pretty daft to risk that to keep them match-fit against a Palace team ho have their biggest game in decades next weekend. Expect some yeomen to come into their team wanting to make their name by scything down our stars.

Only the CL matters now this season.

Every player who started against RM is our key players. We do not have enough good quality off the bench is one of them gets injured.

 

[Tom Mix]

Every player who started against RM is our key players. We do not have enough good quality off the bench is one of them gets injured.

No. We have several players who have no adequate replacements due to injuries or size of squad. Bringing in White, Nwaneri or Trossard is not the same as bringing on Butler-Oyedeji.

 

[Rex Stone]

It's not just about resting players. It's about protecting the from the kind of "tackle" inflicted on Bukayo yesterday.

If we lose one of our key players (Raya/Timber/Saliba/Rice/Saka) , we lose the CL. It's as simple as that. You'd need to be pretty daft to risk that to keep them match-fit against a Palace team ho have their biggest game in decades next weekend. Expect some yeomen to come into their team wanting to make their name by scything down our stars.

Only the CL matters now this season.

That tackle was an absolute horror show from Davis. Obviously got the red card but wtf was he doing?

 

[freeglennhelder2]

That tackle was an absolute horror show from Davis. Obviously got the red card but wtf was he doing?

Trying to put our best player out of our biggest game in 18 years with an unnecessary tackle on someone going nowhere with zero chance of getting the ball, even Roy Keane called it “crazy”

Imagine if he injured Saka. Absolute minimum of all sort death threats online, who knows what else He would have actually become a martyr.

 

[Rain Dance]

That tackle was an absolute horror show from Davis. Obviously got the red card but wtf was he doing?

sabotaging our team

 

[Wright_I_am]

Exactly. Last thing we need is another hamstring injury.

I could be misremembering, but even Wenger rested players before our cup finals. It would be typical us btw to go balls to the wall at Anfield and suffer injuries before the second leg at PSG.

Pool game is after the PSG tie, relax.

 

[squallman]

Anfield is after second leg at PSG

Pool game is after the PSG tie, relax.

That's a relief.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

The only thing standing between Liverpool and the title is sp*rs. Mind you we are not in contention for the title so sp*rs don't have to throw the game, they might actually play well!

Therefore, the league will be won & their foot will be off the gas to some extent when they play us.

 

[grange]

It’s also crazy to think guys who been playing since August will lose match fitness for not playing 8-9 days

You're the expert. Thanks, mate.

 

[Rasmi]

You're the expert. Thanks, mate.

Not expert. Just using logic unlike your emotional asss.

 

[grange]

Not expert. Just using logic unlike your emotional asss.

Has Saka been playing since August then? That seems to be the major point of contention here. People are hiding under the covers worrying about another injury to him.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I was thinking if Sp**s could cause an upset and delay Liverpool's title celebrations. Then I had a look at their results against the decent sides in the league These are their results against the current top 6 in the table:

vs Arsenal 0/6 points
vs Chelsea 0/6 points
vs Forest 0/6 points
vs Newcastle 0/6 points
vs Liverpool 0/3 points
vs Man City 3/6 points

So they picked up 3 points out of 33 and that was against City when they lost the plot and literally everyone was beating them. So they are crap against the weaker teams but even worse against the better teams. It's actually a wonder they aren't relegated.

 

[Rasmi]

Has Saka been playing since August then? That seems to be the major point of contention here. People are hiding under the covers worrying about another injury to him.

Saka don’t has to play vs Palace. He has played enough last few games to have found match fitness. Now you save him for psg