#headers gabriel jesus

[influencermagazineuk]

A closely contested 1-0 win came for Inter Milan in their Champions League battle against Arsenal at San Siro as Hakan Calhanoglu maintained his perfect penalty record with the only goal of a tight match. With the defeat, the Gunners' unbeaten run in the competition was brought to an end as a week of turmoil at the club came to an end following the shock resignation of sporting director Edu. It was a disappointing evening for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who got himself booked in the second half after pushing forward his team to equalise, thus narrowly avoiding being sent off. This latest loss, 1-0 on the road, was Arsenal's second consecutive 1-0 defeat away from home. Arsenal had the edge after the break, taking a total of 14 corners to Inter's zero. Steindy (talk) 10:15, 11 April 2016 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons A penalty in the 48th minute was all Inter needed to take home this game after Mehdi Taremi's deflected flick struck Mikel Merino's arm, which, Arteta later said, was "hard to accept." The last time Arsenal visited Inter, nearly 21 years ago, is counted as one of their most iconic European nights after they secured a resounding 5-1 win. Edu, a midfielder then, played a key role along with Ray Parlour in this celebrated match, punctuated by a magnificent solo run by Thierry Henry. In this second meeting, though Arsenal showed a strong dominance of play after Inter's early thrust, the result was different. The Gunners had been observing a bit of inconsistency lately, losing three games in six across all competitions, which has halted their good run going on after the early part of the season. Some respite was seen towards the end of the game with the return of captain Martin Ødegaard, out for 12 matches because of an ankle injury. But Thomas Partey, stepping in for the unavailable Declan Rice, started anchored central midfield and Ben White filled in at the back, where Arsenal had yet to concede inside the Champions League proper until this defeat in the north of Italy. Inter, meanwhile, have four clean sheets in a row and are sitting pretty in the top eight Champions League teams. Arsenal, on the other hand, is now 12th. Simone Inzaghi, Inter's manager, left out several key players, including Calhanoglu and Taremi, for their weekend victory over Venezia, a move that came off as both players featured prominently in the win over Arsenal. With his focus on seeing lots of the ball and starving Arsenal of a chance to attack, the Italian champions set the tone early, but Inter nearly took the lead within seconds of the start after Denzel Dumfries hit the crossbar soon after having a Calhanoglu attempt that just went past the box. Arsenal found it hard to build any sort of flow in the first half. Gabriel Magalhães was surely instrumental in clearing Taremi's from the edge of the area but things went pear-shaped in a flash when the Brazilian was booked for his tussle with Lautaro Martínez. Arteta claimed the rest and sent on Jurriën Timber and Gabriel Martinelli, possibly anticipating against Dumfries. While Arsenal eventually found opportunities - a shot on target for Martinelli, a near-miss header from Merino - Inter's defense would not bend once in the opening half. The breakthrough came in stoppage time of the opening half, when referee awarded Inter a penalty after Calhanoglu calmly slotting the spot kick home as the Mertens volley was deflected off the arm of Merino inside the box to give Inter the lead and send Arsenal seeking the equalizer. After the penalty, Arteta brought in tactical alterations and replaced Merino with Gabriel Jesus, with Kai Havertz dropping into midfield. Arsenal pressed intensely throughout the second half. Martinelli first chipped the outside of the side netting before William Saliba got a corner wrong. Gabriel nearly headed home when his nod led to Dumfries clearing the ball off the line. Ødegaard warms up on the sideline, but Inter brings on fresh legs with a triple substitution, mere seconds past the hour. Arteta, visibly agitated, was yellow carded for handling the ball when it was already out of play for a free-kick from Inter. The referee gave Arteta his final yellow for his complaints about the handling. "It was an interesting conversation," said Arteta after. Arsenal had a great chance to draw the game level as Leandro Trossard's cross reached Havertz, but that German's shot was blocked by Inter's Yann Bisseck. An acute shortage of options left Arteta having to introduce 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri before finally Ødegaard in added time. However, Inter's defense did not flinch and thus kept their clean sheet intact for a weekend clash with Napoli. Arsenal, though has to rebuild as their game against Chelsea is only heaping coals to an already tight week. Read the full article

[angel0news]

David Raya's Heroics Help Arsenal Secure Draw in Champions League Opener

David Raya produced an astonishing double save to deny Mateo Retegui’s penalty as Arsenal earned a hard-fought draw against Atalanta in their Champions League opener.

The Spanish goalkeeper made a low save to his right to keep out Retegui’s spot-kick, and then, incredibly, scrambled across his line to stop the striker’s rebound header. This moment of brilliance stood out in an otherwise uneventful match in Bergamo, where clear chances were few and far between.

Raya's heroics were the only major action of note, as Arsenal struggled to create opportunities. They went without a shot for nearly an hour, from the 18th to the 75th minute. Atalanta, last season’s Europa League winners, also managed just two shots on target — both coming in a double save by Marco Carnesecchi, who denied Bukayo Saka’s free-kick and then blocked Thomas Partey’s follow-up.

Raya’s Game-Changing Double Save

The game’s pivotal moment came when Thomas Partey clipped Ederson in the box, leading to a penalty for Atalanta. After a long VAR review, the decision stood, and Mateo Retegui stepped up to take the spot-kick. Raya, after consulting with Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, pulled off a spectacular double save. He first parried the penalty and then raced across his goal to claw away Retegui’s follow-up header, preventing a certain goal.

Raya's save is being hailed as one of the best in recent memory, drawing comparisons to Arsenal legend David Seaman’s iconic save against Sheffield United in the 2003 FA Cup semi-final.

A Valuable Point for Arsenal

Despite the lack of attacking spark, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will likely be satisfied with the point, considering the quality of their opponents and the busy week ahead, with Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester City. Atalanta, with their European pedigree, are a tough side, making the draw a credible result for the Gunners.

Gabriel Jesus captained the side in the absence of injured skipper Martin Odegaard, with Kai Havertz featuring in midfield. However, clear chances were few for Arsenal, aside from Saka and Havertz's early efforts and Gabriel Martinelli’s two shots over the bar.

As Arsenal shifts focus to their crucial match against Manchester City, Raya’s remarkable performance will remain a highlight, giving the Gunners a solid start in their Champions League campaign.

Player of the Match: David Raya

[thefootballobserver]

The North London Derby (Spurs 2-3 Arsenal): Match Review

It may not have brought the prettiest match, but it definitely brought the tension.

Arsenal ran victorious at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Sunday, as they held onto their lead following their first goal - although the second half saw the three-goal cushion reduced to one. It’s the first time Arsenal has won two league games against Spurs away in consecutive seasons in the Premier League era (the last time was in the 80s).

It was far from a vintage performance from either side - Spurs might feel a bit hard done to leave empty-handed as they dominated, particularly in the first half. Nonetheless, their loss was their own doing, as their defensive fragilities showed through Arsenal’s lethal attack.

For Arsenal, the win means they stay on the top of the table, separated by Manchester City by one point, although they have a game in hand. For Spurs, this is a dent to both their egos and top-four hopes, as they failed to capitalise on Aston Villa dropping points against Chelsea the previous night.

Match Recap

I think the anxiety is still in me, and it’s already Wednesday. The life of a Spurs fan, eh?

Tottenham Hotspur kicked the game off and appeared to be off to a better start - Arsenal didn’t make a meaningful impact, and Spurs were able to keep the ball rolling in the opposition’s half. However, it was the Gunners who made their mark - with the help of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who turned it into his own net following some poor defending and White blocking Vicario’s path to the ball.

Spurs instantly created some decent chances - one that probably should have scored. They were both made from corners (surprise, surprise!), and Romero hit the post for one and headed slightly over for the other. Van de Ven looked to have equalised to make it 1-1 but was marginally offside. Gabriel, do more glute workouts.

For what Tottenham had in open play, Arsenal had in clinicalness. Tottenham, as ever, were vulnerable on the counter, and Saka was given too much space on the right flank, which allowed him to find space between two Spurs defenders and slot the ball into the corner.

Arsenal further punished Spurs’ woeful set-piece defending - which isn’t a surprise, given how Arsenal could be considered the best set-piece takers this season. The half-time whistle concluded in 3-0, but not before Son skyed a massive chance to give Spurs a lifeline.

Somehow, despite playing worse in the second half, Spurs held on - although Saka had an excellent chance to end the game right there, which was blocked by Romero and another blocked by Vicario’s foot. Tomiyasu also had another free header. However, Raya virtually gifted a goal to Spurs, somehow hitting a long ball straight as Romero right in front of him (why is Romero there? I have the same question.) and allowed him to slot it into the left corner to give Spurs a lifeline.

Rice then decided to aim for the wrong ball in the box, and instead of getting the football, he decided to make contact with Davies’ balls. Okay, it was more like his right thigh, but you get it. For whatever reason, VAR didn’t instantly call it a penalty (it was pretty obvious, and I’m pretty lenient in judging them) and still asked referee Michael Oliver to go to the monitor. It only took one look for him to call a penalty, and Son cooly slotted it into the far left.

Spurs didn’t make the most of their late-game dominance, and Arteta quickly subbed on a back five (as if they don’t have four centre-backs on the pitch already, Jesus Christ, do they really need five?!), and Arsenal left victorious.

Another Match, More VAR Controversies

I don’t tend to want to go over VAR controversies - for me, some decisions are annoying right after the game, but I get over it. VAR isn’t supposed to be perfect - humans, bar goal-line technology, still run it. That said, it’s been all the talk on Spurs Twitter, so I might as well review some of them and provide some insight.

24’ - Should Have Van de Ven’s Goal Been Ruled Out?

This goal would have made it 1-1 had Van de Ven not been ruled for offside.

The primary argument is that Tomiyasu, who was in front of Van de Ven, made a deliberate block of the ball, which would put the ball in play and, therefore, put Van de Ven onside. The other argument I’ve seen is that the lines weren’t drawn correctly. For me, there isn’t enough movement from Tomiyasu to prove that he made a deliberate block - even had he tried to block it, chances are the ball would still bounce off towards goal.

27’ - Should Spurs Have Gotten a Penalty?

Two penalty shouts occurred in the same play in which Saka scored Arsenal’s second goal.

So, there were two points of contact in the Arsenal box. Forget Maddison’s one - his fall was essentially theatrical - but Trossard’s leg tripping Kulusevski’s caused a stir on the internet, as Kulusevski attempted to continue running but eventually fell. I honestly thought it was minimal, but some feel like a trip is a trip, and had Kulusevski gone down instead, a penalty could have been awarded. I still think it’s minimal, but some say it’s a stonewall penalty, and that’s not my battle to fight.

38’ - Should Havertz’s Goal Stood?

Havertz appeared to push Van de Ven down before scoring Arsenal’s third goal.

The argument is the same as Disasi’s one the previous day against Aston Villa - a push in the back to stop the defending player from getting to the ball. Honestly, it clearly wasn’t any meaningful connection because Van de Ven didn’t try to make a case for himself. I honestly don’t think it would have changed anything.

52’ - Should Spurs Have Gotten a Penalty?

Kulusevski was the man to go down in the box again, but Spurs had no penalty.

I’m pretty sure Gabriel or Partey got a toe to the ball. I don’t think there’s that much to say for this one.

85’ - Was It a Penalty for Spurs?

Rice missed the ball and hit Davies instead, resulting in a penalty for Spurs.

The only counterargument against this decision would be Davies’ lack of contact with the ball. But Rice completely missed the ball - it didn’t even look like he was anywhere close, even if he got his timing right. This is a stonewall penalty. I'm surprised that Oliver (the referee) didn't see it immediately, but sometimes it doesn't look as bad the first time. I'm more surprised that VAR had Oliver go to the monitor.

Tottenham Hotspur: The Newcastle Demons Still Linger

Although the score appears respectable, the goals conceded were eerily similar to those against Newcastle.

It’s pretty clear that two weeks didn’t do too much besides give the players’ legs some rest, but the manner in which the goals were conceded was virtually the same as their game at St James’ Park: counterattacks, set pieces, poor mistakes. You could attribute Saka’s goal to Isak’s 2nd, Havertz’s goal to Schär’s, and Hobjerg’s own goal to Porro and Udogie’s mistakes.

In fact, it’s been clear for a while that Spurs have been struggling with set pieces, particularly with Ange being quite adamant about not having a specialist coach. I’m okay with the idea of not having a specialist coach if Spurs were good at defending or attacking set pieces. I’m pretty sure West Ham doesn’t have one, but it remains one of their biggest strengths. But for Spurs, it’s a glaring weakness that virtually every opponent post-Manchester City in the FA Cup has taken advantage of, and it always feels preventable.

Of course, Spurs’ lack of set-piece dominance could be attributed to their current profile of players. Spurs’ main aerial threat comes from Romero, Richarlison, Dragusin, and even Davies, who could be considered in the pack. Richarlison isn’t always a starter; Dragusin and Davies are rotational options, and everyone except Dragusin is of average height. It could also be a lack of great crossers - Maddison has been off the pace, Porro has been alright but not great, and Lo Celso is far from a starting position.

However, it even seems like Spurs can’t position themselves strategically enough to stop opponents from getting free headers. Postecoglou may be let off the hook this season, but he’ll be expected to have these cracks at least made less glaringly obvious next season. Until then, unless Spurs can suddenly stop conceding sloppy set-pieces, the pressure on the coaching staff to get a set-piece specialist from the fans will only agree.

Player Ratings

Vicario (4): He really needs to learn about his left and rights because that’s the only real way to escape White without another player. He was directly at fault for conceding the corner for Arsenal’s third for a poor pass to Van de Ven. He did make a great save to stop it from becoming 4-0…I guess.

Davies (5): Look, he’s against Saka. Yes, he was somewhat at fault for the second goal for not tracking back, but I doubt Davies would have made it anyway. He did his best against Arsenal’s strong side and Arsenal didn’t make too much open play xG. He put his body (and his future bloodline) on the line for the penalty but was subbed off for an attacking player as Spurs looked for the final equaliser.

Van de Ven (7): Spurs’ second-best player. Could he have stood up taller for Arsenal’s third? Probably, but his recovery pace was vital against a speedy Arsenal attack.

Romero (9): He wasn’t at fault for any of the three goals and, for whatever reason, played like a false nine. It worked perfectly, though, as Romero was there to put in Raya’s poor pass. He also got close to scoring from a corner thrice, with one hitting the post. He’s my Spurs and the overall man of the match.

Porro (6): He was fine defensively, especially concerning Trossard’s form, but Spurs also really needed good crosses from him, and it just didn’t work that way.

Hojbjerg (4): I’m pretty sure Spurs have yet to win a game this season with Hojbjerg starting, and this certainly doesn’t help as he turned the ball into his own net. Surprisingly - but not disappointing in the slightest - he dropped the finger-pointing and moved on, throwing himself into tackles and winning possession back. I don’t know what Ange cursed you with, Hobjerg, but you may have to be our sub for the rest of our games — predictably subbed off around the hour mark.

Bentancur (5): He was okay but wasn’t great and didn’t have a significant influence on things. The fact that Hojbjerg stayed after halftime and Bentancur didn’t says quite a bit.

Werner (N/A): He went off injured at around the 30-minute mark in what appeared to be a hamstring cramp. White had kept mainly him quiet, although his moves were promising.

Maddison (3): Spurs have needed his creativity for a while and he just hasn’t delivered since returning from injury performance-wise. It seems to be a pattern, even from his Leicester days, and he may be still carrying something injury-related. He was subbed off and probably should have been earlier.

Kulusevski (6): He was alright and did wonders for helping Spurs keep the ball; although he did slow down play at times, Spurs might have wanted to speed things up in favour of control. He improved after Maddison was subbed, and he moved into a more central role. Depending on who you ask, he could be unlucky not to win a penalty.

Son (6): He scored a terrific penalty but was almost anonymous otherwise, even after moving to the left wing later. He should have scored in the first half but skyed it into the stands.

Johnson (7): He was pretty blunt on the left but improved on the right, making Tomiyasu’s life much harder and often finding ways to dribble past him. His end product still needed work though, although it was in a congested Arsenal box.

Richarlison (6): He provided more dynamism and height in the attack, and I thought he should have been subbed earlier. An improvement on Son and also got in a few skirmishes with Gabriel, as you’d expect.

Bissouma (7): He did fine, but Arsenal were in frantic mode going through Saka more and more, so Bissouma wasn’t troubled too much.

Lo Celso (N/A): I would have loved to see him subbed on earlier, but it’s become clear that Postecoglou doesn’t seem to trust him. Given Maddison’s poor form, hopefully, he’ll get more than late cameos in the remaining fixtures.

Unused players: Austin, Dragusin, Royal, Gil

Arsenal: The Title is Now Theirs to Win

With their final games all predicted to be Arsenal wins, it’s now up to Manchester City to slip up for Arsenal to clinch the trophy.

Arsenal were far from great in this game - of course, they scored three, but given their form, especially their away form. How they conceded their own goals, they’d be disappointed not to have done better, particularly since Spurs were weaker in the second half yet still managed to make the game nervy for the away side.

That said, with Spurs out of the way, their next fixtures are very much winnable, and that would make them title winners should Manchester City slip up at any point. Given City definitely have the more challenging fixtures (thank you, Manchester United, for being so a** this season) and Liverpool have somehow managed to “Darwin Nuñez” their way out of the title race, Arsenal are so, so close to getting that Premier League trophy and snatching City’s four-peat and Liverpool’s Klopp farewell right under their noses.

Player Ratings

Raya (2): How do you have nothing to do yet still muck up? There was no pressure whatsoever, so why did he even consider going down the middle? He gave Spurs a lifeline when it looked like Arsenal was on its way to getting an easy win. He’s lucky that Spurs are unthreatening from crosses, given his tendency to flap at times.

Tomiyasu (5): He wasn’t at fault for any of the goals but probably let Johnson get through his side too easily. Even if half-hearted, the majority of Spurs’ chances went through his side. He missed a glorious chance to really kill the game at 4-0. He also seemed to see red half the game, lunging into tackles and crawling around at times. Someone should check what Arteta fed him.

Gabriel (6): He was probably lucky to have a small a** to put Van de Ven offside. He did well defensively. He got in a tussle with Richarlison - multiple, actually. 

Saliba (6): He didn’t do a whole lot wrong and wasn’t particularly memorable, which, for me, means a good day in the office for a centre-back.

White (8): He didn’t let almost anything through his side - whether it be Werner, Johnson, or Son. Admirably shut down Arsenal’s right side well.

Rice (4): He must have misseen Davies’ balls as the football for that foul that really set the nerves up for Arsenal in the final minutes. He was part of a midfield that sometimes seemed to struggle to hold the ball.

Partey (5): He was okay but seemed to give away passes at times while under minimal pressure. He was booed by the Spurs fans throughout the game. It was probably worth trying Jorginho as a sub.

Odegaard (5): Similar to his Spurs counterpart in Maddison, his highlights will consist of holding his face and rolling on the ground. He was sacrificed late on after Arsenal conceded their second for defensive reinforcements.

Trossard (5): Porro managed to keep him relatively quiet. His most significant moment will be his contact on Kulusevski in the box - and that’s never a good thing. He was subbed off at around the hour mark.

Havertz (9): Arsenal’s man of the match. He linked up well with his teammates and managed to get a goal and an assist in Arsenal’s biggest game this month. He has truly found form in Arsenal, alas, and he could very much make the striker position his (to be fair, his opposition is Gabriel Jesus…)

Saka (8): He beat Davies several times, including the counterattack where he didn’t track back. He had a few good chances, though, and probably should have done even better given all the attacks going through him and that he was against Ben Davies. For whatever reason, Arsenal’s plan was long balls to him. It worked sometimes, but not always.

Martinelli (5): Was he worse than Trossard? No. But was he better? Also no. He couldn’t outpace Van de Ven, predictably,

Kiwior (N/A): He was subbed on to be the fifth centre-back in a five-man defence as Arsenal looked to hold onto their 1-goal lead. I’m not sure if he even touched the ball.

Unused players: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Smith Rowe, Jorginho, Vieira, Jesus, Nketiah

What’s Next

Spurs still have several fixtures against the ‘Big 6.’

Spurs’ Remaining Fixtures

Chelsea (A), Liverpool (A), Burnley (H), Manchester City (H), Sheffield United (A)

Spurs still have five fixtures remaining, with a game this Thursday against Chelsea, which was rescheduled due to Chelsea’s participation in the Carabao Cup. The Blues have the chance to do a league double over Spurs as they beat Spurs 4-1 earlier this season in a dramatic game. Then Spurs head up north to play Liverpool, whose title hopes look over and have looked toothless in recent games - Spurs will be hoping to do a league double over Liverpool, although I’m pretty sure Klopp has never lost to one during his time in Liverpool.

Spurs then have another double gameweek thanks to Manchester City’s participation in the FA Cup semi-final earlier this month. They’ll first play Burnley at home, who they beat 5-2 in one of the best victories this season. Burnley have managed to pick up form, with one loss in eight at the time of writing this, and have the slimmest of chances of staying in the Premier League for one more season.

Manchester City has yet to win a league game or score in the League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although they beat Spurs 1-0 in the FA Cup from an 80-ish minute winner. Pep will be hoping to break this Manchester City-Spurs voodoo for good, although this is considered the current champion’s most complicated game in their run on their way to the title.

Spurs end the season at Bramall Lane, with Sheffield United already relegated following their 5-1 loss at St James’ Park last weekend.

Arsenal’s Remaining Fixtures

Bournemouth (H), Manchester United (A), Everton (H)

Arsenal only have three fixtures left, and they’ll need to win all of them. They first return home to Bournemouth, who they thrashed 4-0 the last time around. However, Bournemouth have drastically improved since, hitting decent form and coming off a great win against Brighton. That said, Arsenal should win this, given their home dominance.

They then visit Old Trafford, who have been wildly inconsistent under the under-fire Ten Hag. Since United’s draw against Brentford, they have only won one game in seven out of all competitions (excluding penalty shootouts) - and it was against the relegated Sheffield United. Although United have shown either a fight or a lack of one (they have only lost once in that run), Arsenal could very much run riot. Or United wins by one goal in the 90th plus minute from McTominay or something.

Their last fixture is against Everton, who have been poor on the road and have yet to win their last ten away games in all competitions. It will also be a showdown between Golden Glove contenders Raya and Pickford - although a winner should be declared before then, the idea is nice.

Match Review

This match gave exactly what it promised.

All the goals were unspectacular, and the performances of both teams weren’t great at times, but it brought drama and suspense. After seemingly no way back for Spurs after Havertz’s goal, Arsenal essentially handed Spurs a lifeline twice. Arsenal eventually held on, and it won’t be a North London Derby talked about like it’s drilled into people’s memories, but it was alright, even if all the goals conceded were painful to watch for either side.

Review: ★★★★☆ (⅘ stars)

[whatsonmedia]

Fireworks on the Field: Sporting Spectaculars Ignite the New Year!

As the final days of 2023 approach, the sporting calendar erupts with a captivating array of competitions and clashes across cricket, football, and basketball. From the T20I fireworks in New Zealand to the Serie A giants' tussle in Italy, there's something for every sports enthusiast to savor. Cricket's T20I Extravaganza: New Zealand vs Bangladesh: The Black Caps and Tigers conclude their T20I series in the picturesque Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. Witness a display of athleticism and tactical prowess as these teams battle for bragging rights. - New Zealand vs Bangladesh ( 2nd T20)০ Date : Friday 29 December, 2023০ Time : 12:10 BDT০ Venue : Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui - New Zealand vs Bangladesh (3rd T20)০ Date :  31 December, 2023০ Time : 06:00 BDT০ Venue : Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui Test Match Decider: Australia vs Pakistan: The Boxing Day Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground reaches its climax. With the series poised at 1-1, expect a nail-biting finale as Australia seeks to retain the trophy and Pakistan aims for a historic victory. - Australia vs Pakistan (3rd Test)০ Date : Wed 03 - Sun 07 December, 2023০ Time : 05:30 BDT০ Venue : SCG, Sydney Football Feast: Serie A: The Italian giants lock horns in Milan as AC Milan faces Sassuolo and Juventus clashes with Roma. Witness tactical masterclasses and passionate displays as these celebrated teams vie for Serie A supremacy. - AC Milan vs Sassuolo০ Date : Saturday 30 December, 2023০ Time : 17:00 GMT০ Venue : San Siro - Juventus vs Roma০ Date : Saturday 30 December, 2023০ Time : 19:45 GMT০ Venue : Allianz Stadium Premier League Poise: Arsenal vs Fulham: The Gunners aim to maintain their impressive run against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Can Mikel Arteta's men secure another crucial victory? Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Fulham - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - August 26, 2023 Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus in action with Fulham's Bernd Leno REUTERS/Tony Obrien - Fulham vs Arsenal০ Date : Sunday 31 December, 2023০ Time : 14:00 GMT০ Venue : Craven Cottage Aston Villa vs Burnley: A relegation battle heats up at Villa Park as Aston Villa welcomes Burnley. Both teams desperately need points, ensuring a tense and tactical encounter. - Aston Villa vs Burnley০ Date : Saturday 30 December, 2023০ Time : 15:00 GMT০ Venue : Villa Park Sheffield United vs Manchester City: The Citizens travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United. Can Pep Guardiola's men extend their dominance or will Sheffield United spring a surprise upset? - Sheff Utd vs Man City০ Date : Saturday 30 December, 2023০ Time : 15:00 GMT০ Venue : Etihad Stadium Basketball Buzzer Beaters: NBA: Get ready for a triple-header featuring exciting matchups. The Orlando Magic take on the New York Knicks at the Amway Center, followed by a rematch between the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The New Year festivities begin with the Washington Wizards hosting the Atlanta Hawks at the Capital One Arena. - Magic vs Kincks০ Date : Saturday 30 December, 2023০ Time : 6:00 AM০ Venue : Amway Center - Pacers vs Kincks০ Date : Sunday 31 December, 2023০ Time : 6:00 AM০ Venue : Gainbridge Fieldhouse - Wizards vs Hawks০ Date : Monday 01 January, 2023০ Time: 2:00 AM০ Venue : Capital One Arena So, mark your calendars, grab your jerseys, and prepare to be enthralled by the sporting spectacle that unfolds this week. As the final chapter of 2023 closes, a thrilling sporting narrative unfolds, promising a plethora of goals, wickets, and buzzer-beaters to ring in the New Year in style. Read the full article

[icompletesports]

Pre-season: Arsenal Edge Barcelona In Eight-Goal Thriller

Arsenal came from behind twice to beat Barcelona 5-3 to ensure a winning end to their summer US tour.Inside the SoFi Stadium in LA, Barcelona took the lead in the 7th minute through Robert Lewandowski on their first attack of the game.Aaron Ramsdale initially saved well from Raphinha, but the rebound fell nicely for Lewandowski to tuck home.

The lead lasted just five minutes as Bukayo Saka drew Arsenal level.

Ben White’s pass into the box was cut out, but Saka was alive to the opportunity, stole the ball off Andreas Christensen, and finished well inside the near post.

Barcelona retook the lead late in the 34th minute thanks to Raphinha whose effort deflected off the wall, leaving Ramsdale scrambling as the ball squeezed inside the far post.

The Gunners drew level again in the 43rd minute off Kai Havertz and once again Saka was involved.

Saka deceived then outmuscled Marcos Alonso to get to the byline, stood up a cross to the far post and Martin Odegaard’s header was diverted home by the lurking Havertz.

Barcelona changed all 11 players at half-time, while Mikel Arteta brought on Emile Smith Rowe in place of Havertz.

Arsenal went 3-2 up on 55 minutes as Gabriel Jesus superbly chested down a long pass into the path of Trossard. The Belgian took the ball on before rifling a low left-footed shot inside the corner from just inside the area.

Trossard grabbed his second in the 78th minute to put Arsenal 4-2 up after he met Kieran Tierney’s cross, first time to thump past Pena. It was no more than we deserved.

In the 88th minute Barcelona pulled one back when Ferran Torres pounced on a Rob Holding slip and smashed home past Ramsdale.

But in the 89th minute Fabio Vieira would have the final say as he curled home left-footed from outside the area to seal a resounding win.

[soccerdailyuk]

Declan Rice now reacts with 12 words after seeing what Kai Havertz did for Arsenal vs MLS All-Stars

Declan Rice now reacts with 12 words after seeing what Kai Havertz did for Arsenal vs MLS All-Stars In the early hours of this morning, Arsenal secured an impressive 5-0 victory against the MLS All-Stars, with both Declan Rice and Kai Havertz making appearances. In their previous pre-season match last week, the Gunners had a draw against FC Nurnberg. While friendly game outcomes are not crucial, winning is always a positive outcome, which is precisely what they achieved today. During the game, Havertz scored his inaugural goal for Arsenal, and after the win, Rice sent him a message on Instagram to congratulate him. Declan Rice sends a message to Kai Havertz after Arsenal beat MLS All-Stars Arsenal didn't start the game in Washington DC very well, but they still managed to score two goals before halftime, thanks to Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard. In the second half, Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, made three substitutions, including bringing on Kai Havertz, who had an immediate impact. Havertz's header set up Gabriel Jesus for a goal inside the box, and he also earned a penalty that was converted by Jorginho. However, Havertz's contribution didn't end there. He continued to show up in promising positions, made some excellent passes, and eventually scored a fantastic goal to secure a convincing 5-0 victory for Arsenal.  Here’s what Declan Rice added to his Story. “Big win in DC. My bro @kaihavertz. Congrats on your first goal,” Rice wrote. Since joining Arsenal last month, Havertz has been facing mockery from rival fans. His recent performance in the MLS Skills event drew more criticism as he failed to score any goals in the cross-and-volley challenge. However, in today's match against the MLS All-Stars, Havertz ironically scored a fantastic volley from Marquinhos' cross. This goal should serve as a confidence booster for him as he continues to play for Arsenal. Declan Rice now reacts with 12 words after seeing what Kai Havertz did for Arsenal vs MLS All-Stars Read the full article

[liamhaydn-blog]

Arsenal 22/23 a season review Part 3 of 3: April-May-

April

From an Arsenal perspective, Bukayo Saka was again the story of the International Break, receiving rave reviews from the media for his role in England’s 2-0 Euros Qualifier win over Ukraine, where the winger grabbed a goal and an assist, the goal being a wonderful curled finish into the top corner from outside the box. On his return to Arsenal he received the award for Premier League player of the month for March, making it the first time since 03/04 that Arsenal had multiple players win the award in the same season.

Given Arsenal’s league form in March, the club’s own player of the month award was just as competitive as the one for the overall competition. Both Saka and Martinelli missed out despite the latter scoring 4 in 4, and the award instead went to Leandro Trossard for his 5 assists. An easier decision to be made was for the Premier League manager of the month, Mikel Arteta picking up the award for the 4th time that season as Arsenal won all 4 games in the competition.

Arsenal’s first game of April would be their first league game of the season without Saka’s name in the starting 11, but in his place came Gabriel Jesus, making his first league start since November. The visitors to the Emirates were Leeds United, in the midst of their own scrap against relegation, them and 8 other teams all in the lower places were fighting for every point to survive in the Premier League’s most competitive season to date. 

For the first half an hour or so Arsenal failed to do anything meaningful with their possession, until Jesus faked to shoot then chopped back to manoeuvre his way past Kristensen in the Leeds box, then he left Ayling on the floor and ran past him. As he did so the Leeds defender dangled a leg which caught Jesus on the knee and sent him to the turf. Without hesitation the ref pointed to the spot and after receiving the ball from captain Odegaard, Jesus sent Meslier the wrong way to give Arsenal the lead and score his first goal for exactly 6 months. 

Arsenal started the first half slowly, but they were immediately at the races in the second, doubling their lead 2 minutes into the second half when Martinelli beat Ayling then put an inviting ball across the six-yard box. It was right-back Ben White who gambled on it and got to the back-post unopposed. His powerful connection cannoned into the net off the underside of the crossbar. 8 minutes later and Arsenal had their 3rd following a devastating combination between Trossard and Jesus. This was the first game the two started alongside each other, but their understanding on the pitch was already apparent. Jesus found Trossard on the edge of the box, he made his way into the penalty area and found the angle to provide the cut-back to Jesus, who had the easy task of converting from six yards for his first open-play goal since scoring against Tottenham in October. 

With a quarter of an hour to go, Arsenal briefly allowed Leeds back into the game with a very soft goal they will feel was very avoidable. As Leeds broke out from Arsenal’s press they attacked the Gunners backline and despite Arsenal managing to get 7 players back behind the ball, the ball still broke to an unmarked Kristensen who had the time to pick his spot and he found the bottom corner as a deflection off Zinchenko took the flight of the ball away from Ramsdale. Like their last game before the break against Crystal Palace, Arsenal had been cruising 3-0 when they’d allowed the visitors a glimmer of hope with a goal against the run of play. 

Like against Palace though, Arsenal quickly restored their 3-goal margin, getting their 4th goal in the 84th minute. Substitute Saka dragged 4 men outwide with him, then found Odegaard who instantly looked for the head of Xhaka. Odegaard’s ball was a perfect one but it still needed a good header, and Xhaka certainly provided it, his touch was so good that the keeper didn’t even move for it, he knew he was beaten as Xhaka netted his 4th goal in his last 5 appearances for club and country. In between Arsenal’s two 4-1 home wins against Palace and Leeds, City had a 4-1 home win of their own beating Liverpool, but Arsenal had restored their 8 point advantage (having played a game more). 

Next up for Arsenal it would be their turn to face Liverpool as they travelled to Anfield, a ground they had last won at in 2012. Since then the ground had become a graveyard for them with Arsenal having conceded at least 3 goals in 8 of their last 9 Premier League visits to the ground, and having lost by a margin of at least 2 goals in all 6 of their most recent league visits. 

For the first time since before the World Cup, Arsenal started with what is considered their first choice front 3 of Saka, Jesus and Martinelli. It was a combination between Arsenal’s young trio of Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli that got the league leaders off to the ideal start. Saka led the attack and found Odegaard who looked to return it to him, though his pass deflected off Van Dijk into the path of Martinelli who kept control of the ball and then poked it beyond Alisson in the 8th minute. 

20 minutes later things got even better for Arsenal when Martinelli was found once more, with a clever pass from Xhaka putting him in down the flank, from there he swung in a perfect cross to find the unmarked Gabriel Jesus who headed it down into the ground and into the back of the net for 2-0. The first 40 minutes went better than any Arsenal fan could have dreamed of, in a game that was considered a huge test of their title credentials, they had risen comfortably to the challenge. They led 2-0 and for a spell of around 10 minutes, looked the likelier of the two teams to get the game’s 3rd goal which would surely secure all 3 points.   

However at a time when Arsenal looked most in control, Liverpool halved the deficit when Jota’s pull-back for Henderson was steered to the back-post by the Liverpool skipper and Salah was waiting to turn it in from inside the six-yard box. The timing of the goal just 3 minutes from half-time was a crucial one and meant that an entirely different second half was promised and that was what materialised.

Just 7 minutes into the second half and Liverpool won a penalty when Arsenal failed to clear a corner and Holding rather clumsily brought down Jota whilst attempting to reach the ball first. There would be a reprieve for him and his team however as Salah missed the chance to level the contest with his second of the game, pushing his penalty wide of the post. Ramsdale had stayed down the middle so all Salah had to do was hit the target from 12 yards, but he was unable. 

The equaliser still looked and felt inevitable as Arsenal continued to toil in the second half, squandering possession cheaply time and again and failing to get to grips with Liverpool who continued to attack, constantly swarming into the Arsenal half with swathes of red shirts and Arsenal seemed caught in a blur as had been the case so many times before at Anfield. However after weathering a storm which in reality lasted around 20 minutes (but must have felt like 6 hours for Arsenal fans, coaches and players) the game began to settle down again with Arsenal finally getting the chance to catch their breath and play some of the game outside of their own half, whilst Liverpool were almost re-charging and preparing themselves for one last big push. 

With less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining Liverpool began to get sights of goal again, and a big chance came when substitute Nunez was put through one-on-one against Ramsdale, but the Arsenal keeper was equal to it getting a big hand to the ball as Nunez attempted to pass it beyond him. A 4th goal in the game appeared near certain, but it wasn’t definite which way it would go as Liverpool pushed more bodies into the Arsenal half, the Gunners had threats on the counter attack and aswell almost scored from a corner when Gabriel got good contact on his header but aimed it straight at Alisson. A minute later another Arsenal chance came when Saka got free of 2 Liverpool defenders in the area, but his ball across goal could not find substitute Trossard. 

Arsenal were immediately made to rue those missed opportunities when Alexander-Arnold got beyond Zinchenko and stood an inviting ball up to the backpost, Firmino was there and he won the header for his 10th Premier League goal against Arsenal. There was still a couple of minutes of normal time remaining and now Liverpool really smelt blood, feeling the game was now there’s to go and win. With 6 minutes added on, in the 5th minute Salah tried to bend one into the top corner and a deflection off of Gabriel made it even harder for Ramsdale, pushing the ball further away from him but the Arsenal keeper pulled off one of the saves of the season giving the importance of the moment to divert it behind for a corner. 

Liverpool were still not done and a flighted ball from Alexander-Arnold found the run of Nunez who had got in behind the Arsenal defence, his header down across the six-yard box found Konate just inches from the goalline, the defender couldn’t go with his head so opted to try and guide it in with his chest when Ramsdale somehow got back on the line in time and was able to push the ball away from goal, when the Liverpool winner looked so certain that some fans began celebrating prematurely. The drama of the game still wasn’t done as Arsenal attempted to counter-attack with Saka, Martinelli and Trossard up against just one Liverpool defender, Martinelli attempted to put Saka in on goal but his pass was too heavy and Alisson got their first. Then the ref called time on a pulsating second half and one of the most dramatic Premier League games in recent memory. 

Whether it would be a point gained or two points dropped for Arsenal would ultimately come down to whether they finished 1st or 2nd, as at full-time there were arguments for both. Having led for nearly 80 minutes and outplaying Liverpool for nearly the entirety of the first half they would on one hand rue the opportunities they didn’t take to get the 3rd goal and put it out of Liverpool’s reach. However they had got out of jail with Salah missing a penalty and then they’d had to rely on a miraculous, heroic performance from Ramsdale between the sticks, as he produced not one but two incredible saves in the final minutes.

The following Sunday and Arsenal were on the road again, this time travelling to West Ham who were in the midst of their own fight against relegation. It took Arsenal just 7 minutes to open the scoring. Patient, intricate build-up in and around the West Ham box eventually saw Odegaard play in White, who squared it across the six-yard box for Jesus who was waiting to tap home for his 4th goal in 3 starts. Just 3 minutes later and Arsenal’s advantage was doubled with Martinelli swinging a ball over to an unmarked Odegaard who had all the time he needed to side-foot volley it beyond Fabianski. Arsenal were opening West Ham up at will, and with such a flying start they had roared into such a commanding position that the only question at that point seemed to be: “How many will West Ham keep it down to?”

Arsenal spent the next 20 minutes passing the ball around at a leisurely pace, with no real urgency or desire to push for a 3rd goal, they were content to just leave West Ham chasing shadows as they passed it around the side who had been away in European action just 3 days prior. Arsenal’s casual approach would come back to bite them however, as Partey attempted a flick past Declan Rice who was on him in a flash, charging the ball down and finding Paqueta. His first touch was a dreadful one as he lost control of the ball, but Gabriel had already committed his body to a diving tackle, and though he managed to pull out at the last second, Pacqueta felt enough of a touch off Gabriel to go down and try to win a penalty. It was soft and perhaps harsh, but Arsenal had given the ref a decision to make. Firstly by Partey’s carelessness in possession so close to his own box and then by Gabriel’s clumsy challenge attempt. 

Benrahma sent Ramsdale the wrong way to half the deficit and suddenly a game that was completely in Arsenal’s hands was once again in danger of slipping away. The chance to re-establish control emerged early in the second half when a Martinelli shot was charged down by the outstretched arm of Antonio and the ref pointed to the spot for the game’s second penalty. 

Saka had never before missed a penalty for Arsenal and stepped up to take it, however on this occasion he pushed it way wide of the goal. Mere minutes after passing up this golden opportunity Arsenal were made to pay, when a simple ball lifted into the box from Kehrer bypassed an Arsenal defence who hadn’t pushed out quickly enough. They were caught cold as the ball arrived for Bowen to take on the volley and his shot which bobbled into the ground beat Ramsdale, who will have been disappointed he didn’t do better with it. 

With West Ham’s tails well and truly up, Arsenal were dragged into a game where possession was exchanged regularly and cheaply, as they were forced to defend many situations such as corners and throw-ins. Holding in particular endured a torrid afternoon, with Antonio enjoying regular success in isolating himself against him one v one and getting the better of him. Arsenal wanted to salvage the day and rescue all 3 points which earlier on had looked all but assured, but they lacked the control over the game to do it. Substitutes helped them to re-establish some authority but they never really looked likely to score a 3rd goal and in the end they were forced to accept a second 2-2 draw in a week. Like at Liverpool, they had been 2-0 up but conceded before half-time and like the previous week a missed penalty early in the second half was a crucial moment in the game, this time of course it was Arsenal making the costly miss.

Arsenal had only themselves to blame for squandering such a commanding position through individual errors and a seemingly lax approach, but they had the chance to put things right just 5 days later at the Emirates as they hosted bottom side Southampton. However they got off to an unimaginably start when Ramsdale underhit a pass for Zinchenko, which was easily cut out by Alcaraz who immediately punished the error by putting it straight into the back of the net to put Arsenal behind after just 28 seconds. It was an unfathomably poor attempted pass from Ramsdale and after rescuing his side late away at Anfield, he had on this occasion put his side in a precariously bad position early doors. 

A bad start got worse in the 14th minute when sloppy play in midfield eventually led to a poor giveaway from Odegaard which went straight to the Southampton midfield, with one pass they picked out Alcaraz who was in acres of space running towards the Arsenal back four, he spotted the run of Walcott and picked him out in behind Gabriel. The pass allowed the former Arsenal man to take a first time shot, and he was able to simply pass it beyond Ramsdale. 6 minutes later and Arsenal got themselves back into the game with Saka getting beyond his man and digging out a cross from the byline which found Martinelli who expertly steered it in on the volley. 

Arsenal pushed for an equalising goal for the remainder of the first half, but Odegaard and Vieira (covering for Xhaka who missed out with illness) were wasteful with their opportunities. The closest Arsenal came to a first half equaliser came when when a clever Ben White header from a corner was cleared off the line. 

Arsenal continued their domination in the second half but struggled to calve out many clear-cut chances, despite keeping Southampton pinned in their own third for much of the halves opening 20 minutes. One good chance came just shy of the hour mark when Saka and Jesus both had opportunities to force the ball over the goalline but both were unable. With 25 minutes of normal time remaining Arsenal made their job harder, when Partey unnecessarily played himself into trouble and ended up conceding a corner. From that resulting corner, taken by dead-ball specialist Ward-Prowse, Bella-Kotchap got the contact to send the ball to the backpost where Carleta-Car had been left completely free to nod home. Arsenal had began the game with over 50 more league points than Southampton, but now they trailed them at home by 3 goals to 1, as their title dreams crumbled all around them in the most unlikely of ways. 

Just minutes later a big chance falls to Jesus to get Arsenal back in it once more, but on a frustrating night for the Brazilian, surely his worst for the club thus far, he fluffs his lines and skies his volley way over the bar. Another chance comes when a shot from Saka looked likely to find the back of the net before it was blocked by his own teammate in substitute Nketiah. Just as Arsenal had appeared to run out of ideas Odegaard bent one into the bottom corner from outside the box, an excellent strike from the Norwegian who like most of his teammates had endured a poor match. One of the few who hadn’t been poor was Bukayo Saka and 2 minutes later he got the equaliser. A good ball into the box by the lively Trossard (who had replaced the ineffectual Vieira) was held up by Jesus who teed up Nelson for the shot. His effort was saved but fell to the feet of Saka who levelled the game, just before the board for 8 additional minutes went up. 

They surely couldn’t do it again could they? They tried. 2 minutes into stoppage time and Trossard thundered one off the bar, a few inches lower and the power would have beaten the keeper and the net would have been bulging. In the 5th minute lightning almost strikes twice for Nelson as he comes close to scoring his 2nd injury time winner of the season, but his effort deflects just wide. Partey’s evening which had been one to forget got even worse in the 98th minute when he ignored all his teammates and opted to try his luck from 30 yards out. It was just what Southampton were hoping for, a dreadful effort which flew miles high and wide of the goal. 

Still it wasn’t over though as it went to the 100th minute, with Arsenal still attacking. Another chance fell to Jesus and yet again he was unable to take it, again ending up on the floor and appealing for a penalty which wasn’t forthcoming. The referee called time on a crazy game between top and bottom that ended in a 3-3 draw. The game showcased Arsenal’s fighting spirit and never say die desperation which is why they are top of the league, but it also showed their defensive vulnerabilities and capability to produce abysmal individual errors, which has meant their lead at the top had been cut to 5 points despite them having now played 2 games more than City. 

Arsenal had not beaten City in the league since 2015, and since Guardiola took the job the following year, the Gunners had only managed to avoid defeat in the league against him once, going into the game on a run of 11 straight defeats in the Premier League to their title rivals. Arsenal began as 4/1 underdogs and those odds would’ve moved even higher when City scored the opening goal in the 7th minute. A long ball up to Haaland allowed City to bypass Arsenal’s press and the Norwegian touched it down and laid it off with Holding on his back as though he wasn’t there. His pass was perfectly weighted into the path of De Bruyne who was then able to isolate Gabriel 1 v 1, with ease he made room for the shot which beat Ramsdale from outside the box. The Belgian simply passed the ball firmly past the Arsenal keeper, of whom questions would be asked as to if he could have done better, but in fairness it did appear to be a very well placed finish. 

Ramsdale was twice called into action later into the half, his intervention needed to stop Haaland doubling the lead on two separate occasions. First when he weaved his way in between Zinchenko and Holding with the ball at his feet and later when he attempted to finish off a cut-back from Gundogan. Ramsdale was equal to these attempts and Arsenal were in touching distance of getting into half time only a goal down. But right on half time, they conceded a free-kick and from the resulting set-piece De Bruyne found the unmarked head of John Stones who made no mistake. The linesman’s flag then immediately shot up for offside, but on VAR review it was found that White’s foot was just playing Stones onside, and now Arsenal had a mountain to climb.

A mountain they never really looked like climbing since they had been completely unable to get their dangerous wingers in the game, as the players instead mostly opted for safety first passes backwards and sideways, as though their only intention was to stave off City attacks for a while by keeping possession in an unthreatening manner. The game already appeared to be over but it was made certain in the 54th minute when a poor pass from Odegaard (typically of Arsenal on this night, one that tried to go backwards to Partey rather than try to progress the ball towards City’s goal) was picked off by De Bruyne who linked with Haaland, the duo’s combinations had destroyed Arsenal all evening and this instance was no exception as De Bruyne finished the move off with another smart finish for his second of the game. 

After an opening hour where City had been vastly superior to Arsenal in every department in each area of the pitch, the hosts seemed content with their cushion and looked to see it out, which finally allowed Arsenal to grow into the game and string some passes together in better areas of the pitch. The introductions of Jorginho and Trossard in place of Xhaka and Martinelli who had been completely anonymous saw a slight improvement from Arsenal and it was a combination between them and fellow substitute Reiss Nelson that eventually saw Trossard tee up Holding for a first-time shot. It was a good finish from the centre-back as he gave Arsenal the smallest of small glimmers of hope with 4 minutes of normal time remaining. The final goal of the game would be City’s however when substitute Foden was allowed to bring the ball down on the edge of the box with all the time and space he needed to nudge it on for Haaland to strike first time. It wasn’t the cleanest of strikes but there was enough venom on the shot to beat Ramsdale and make it 4-1.

On the night Arsenal needed to produce their best performance of the season, they in fact produced their worst. Predictably Holding was terrorised by Haaland, Neither Partey or Xhaka had any success getting to grips with De Bruyne and in an attacking sense Odegaard, Martinelli and Saka had their quietest games of the season, with all 3 being subbed off before the end. The warning signs had been there with the contrasting form of the two sides going into the game. The damage had seemingly already been done from Arsenal’s side with the way they had surrendered and threw away points in the previous games. By holding onto their 2-0 lead away at West Ham and then beating the bottom placed side at home they could have gone to Etihad 9 points clear. Instead their slip-ups allowed the City game to be something of a straight shoot-out with the winner being the overwhelming favourite to take the title. 

Given Arsenal’s recent struggles with Holding looking out of his depth, the form of Partey really dipping and a host of individual mistakes from others, getting a favourable result from the Etihad appeared a long shot but there could be questions asked of Arteta’s decision to stick with the likes of Holding and as well not bringing in Jorginho to try and bring more control to Arsenal’s midfield, either in support or in place of Partey. By keeping the same team, Arteta allowed Guardiola to see all of Arsenal’s weaknesses in recent games and set up to brutally expose them, which he did. 

May

After 4 without a win, Arsenal were desperate to return to winning ways at home to Chelsea who were down in 12th position. Sensing he could persist no longer with what had not been working, Arteta made 3 changes to the starting line-up taking out Holding, Partey and Martinelli and bringing in Kiwior for his first Premier League start, Jorginho and Trossard who had been on the winning side in all 6 of his previous league starts for the club. 

Arsenal quickly began to look more like their old selves, pressing aggressively and winning the ball back regularly in duels or by picking up the second ball. They got the goal their start merited in the 18th minute when Xhaka picked up the ball on the left hand side, with time to pick his head up he expertly found Odegaard who had found some space on the edge of the box. The captain’s first-time finish was a magnificent one as his effort went in off the underside of the crossbar. Chelsea almost responded when Kante picked out the run of Chilwell who had got free down the right hand side. Ramsdale produced an excellent stop to push his attempt wide for a corner and keep Arsenal ahead. 

Just past the half-hour mark and Arsenal doubled the lead, with that same combination of Xhaka to Odegaard causing the problems for Chelsea once more. A cross from the left-hand side from the Swiss again found an unmarked Odegaard who again scored with a one-touch finish for his 14th league goal of the season. 3 minutes later and Arsenal had their third with White’s diagonal ball to the backpost picking out the chest of Jesus who laid it off for Xhaka to shoot. His effort was blocked but the ball fell to the feet of Jesus who struck it home for his 10th goal of the season, making Arsenal the first side in Europe’s top 5 leagues to have 4 different players hit double figures.  

The Gunners looked to continue where they’d left off in the second half and almost got the 4th when Gabriel got his head on a corner, beating Kepa to the ball but Thiago Silva was well positioned on the goalline to clear it away. Chelsea had not been able to deal with Xhaka all night long and he was the next to come close to adding himself to the scoresheet but his effort was saved by Kepa. 

As has become a regular occurrence at the Emirates in recent months, just as Arsenal appeared certain to score the game’s 4th goal and make it 4-0, they would instead concede it against the run of play. Yet again it was a goal they should have done better on, Zinchenko this time the guilty party, switching off and allowing Madueke to run off the back of him, which gave Kovacic a clear target to pick out which he did. With one pass, from a situation where there was no danger Madueke was now through on goal and with a good first touch he was able to finish beyond Ramsdale despite the attentions of Gabriel by bobbling the shot into the ground. 

Arsenal had once again failed to be ruthless at one end and then at the other switched off to concede a soft, avoidable goal. From there the game got messy, Arsenal could not regain the same control over it they’d had up to conceding, but Chelsea never looked likely to seriously threaten the result of an Arsenal win, with the game ending 3-1. There had been positives for Arsenal, the main one of course being they’d ended their winless run by beating a local rival, and they looked more comfortable as a team with Kiwior in defence who had done well on his first league start. Jorginho as well had been a big improvement on the recent displays in that position from Partey, the Italian midfielder kept things ticking, never dwelling on the ball unnecessarily and that helped Arsenal to move the ball around much quicker and get the ball into the forward players regularly. There would be however tougher tests ahead, such as the away trip to 3rd place Newcastle.

After recent away fixtures at Anfield, West Ham and the Etihad, Arsenal’s travels were not getting any easier as they visited 3rd place Newcastle who had only lost at home once in all competitions and who had recently dispatched Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham 6-1, with the Magpies leading 5-0 after 21 minutes. They threatened to make a similarly fast start against Arsenal, hitting the post inside 70 seconds with Jacob Murphy afforded too much room for the shot by Zinchenko. Pressure from Newcastle forced Arsenal into conceding a corner and from that resulting set-piece, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty judging Kiwior, who had kept his place in the team, to have blocked a Joelinton effort with his arm. 

VAR looked at the incident and in the end asked the ref to go across to the monitor and decide for himself. After several re-watches it was clear that the ball had first hit Kiwior around his knee before diverting on to his arm and nearly 3 minutes after pointing to the spot, the referee reversed his decision. It was already looking like another long afternoon for Arsenal though, in an incredibly hot and hostile atmosphere with 50,000 Newcastle fans relishing the occasion of their side coming up against one of the Big Boys and attempting to unsettle them. 

In the 14th minute though the game turned in Arsenal’s favour. After winning a free-kick, Jorginho who was keeping Partey out of the team went back inside to Odegaard. Newcastle had expected the ball to be worked outwide so had everyone deep in their box preparing for a cross. This gave Odegaard time to set his sights and after setting the ball out of his feet he let fly with a powerful, accurate strike which quickly travelled through Botman’s legs and all the way into the back of the net. It was a goal eerily similar to the one he scored away at Spurs back in January, and with this one he joined Martinelli on 15 league goals, to mark the first time in Premier League history that Arsenal had 2 players reach 15 goals. 

The goal settled Arsenal down massively, and they began to thrive in the white hot atmosphere twice cutting through Newcastle with scintillating passing moves. The first opening came after 20 minutes when after a patient build-up Odegaard suddenly put Martinelli clean through with an exquisite pass, but he could only hit it straight at Pope in goal, Odegaard then forced Pope into immediate action in the aftermath with a curling effort from a wide position. Just minutes later Arsenal were in again as Saka found himself suddenly in on goal after another sharp passing move. He faired no better than Martinelli though hitting his shot straight at the frame of Pope. 

Those misses could have been costly as Newcastle forced Ramsdale into action at the other end, but he was on hand to deny Willock with his legs. Right on half-time Arsenal had another huge chance to get into the break 2-0 up but this time it was Odegaard’s turn to be denied by Pope when presented with a one on one. Saka won the ball back down Newcastle’s left and fed Martinelli who was able to find Odegaard. The skipper dummied past Burn who was left on the floor but Pope was quick to close down the angle and Odegaard could not find the precision to beat the big target Pope had imposed. 

Newcastle started the second half with the same intensity they began the first, and there was a couple of bad minutes for Zinchenko. First with Murphy running at him, he continued to back off and back off, in the end falling over and allowing Murphy to easily pick out a cross which was met by the end of Isak who was denied by the post. A minute later Zinchenko then gave a cheap free-kick away in a dangerous area. Schar’s head met the subsequent free-kick and but for a fantastic reaction stop from Ramsdale, the Geordies would have been level. Arsenal again responded to the Newcastle chances by coming up with one of their own, Martinelli coming close with a fantastic effort which left Pope rooted to the spot, but didn’t quite come down enough and bounced off the crossbar. 

The hosts came close again just shy of the hour mark, but were again denied this time by a fantastic sliding block by Xhaka just as Willock was about to pull the trigger from close range. Xhaka was high upfield but as a good Newcastle move played through Arsenal’s press, the Swiss midfielder chased all the way back and then timed his tackle to perfection. Sensing the precarious nature of Arsenal’s lead, Arteta withdrew Zinchenko who had again suffered in moments and replaced him with Tierney. Arteta made the switch with the intention of preserving the cleansheet but it also had an impact at the other end as the Scot leapt onto a loose Newcastle pass and found Jesus who then fed Martinelli on the half-way line, the winger carried the ball down the flank until slowing down when he was level with the penalty area, he then faced the Newcastle full-back up, teasing him before eventually making room to fire a low cross along the six-yard box which Schar turned into his own net.

With the two-goal cushion Arsenal’s win never again looked in doubt, with Partey brought on in place of Odegaard to try and help shut the game down. Arsenal saw out the 2-0 win for one of their most impressive results of the season, which offered some revival to their title chances. Against a very physical side who attempted to bully them by often leaving a foot in and going in extremely aggressively, the Arsenal players remained brave for 90 minutes and took their bumps and bruises in order to win the game. The Gunners did not allow themselves to be rattled by Newcastle’s roughhouse tactics, instead using them to their advantage by taking their time getting up to frustrate the crowd and stifle the home teams rhythm. 

After a wobbly April, The Arsenal looked their old selves again, back to something approaching their best. Ramsdale’s form had dipped in the previous month but here he was flawless as he picked up his 10th away cleansheet of the season, which was twice as many as any other keeper in the league. Kiwior and Jorginho helped Arsenal to look much more solid and composed than they had with Holding and Partey in the side in recent games. Xhaka and Odegaard were also vital in Arsenal picking up the 3 points and with 3 games left to play, they remained alive in the title race. 

For the 8th successive gameweek that Arsenal and City were both in Premier League action not against each other, Arsenal took to the field knowing their title rivals had already won that weekend. On this occasion it was particularly damaging. City had a tricky looking fixture away at relegation threatened Everton sandwiched in between two Champions League semis with Real Madrid. To still be in with a fighting chance of the title, realistically Arsenal required City to drop points here, but they won easily by 3 goals to 0 for their 11th successive victory in the league. It was a punch to the gut for the Arsenal fans in the stadium and the players who took to the pitch shortly afterwards. 

Arsenal’s opponents on the day Brighton were fighting for European qualification for the first time in the club’s history and they needed to bounce back from a shock 5-1 home defeat to Everton earlier that week. They boasted a good record at the Emirates, having already won there this season in the League Cup. Arsenal had beaten Brighton at the Emirates just once in their last 5 attempts. 

Arsenal would be without Zinchenko who had been all but ruled out for the remainder of the season, and after 20 minutes they lost Martinelli aswell, as he was unable to shake off a poor challenge on him by Caicedo that also ruled him out of Arsenal’s last 2 games of the campaign. His replacement Trossard came closest to giving Arsenal the lead against his former club when he travelled into the box with the ball and then let fly, but his shot was just too high and clipped the crossbar on its way over. 

For much of the first half Arsenal had to be patient and disciplined as Brighton knocked the ball around with supreme confidence, daring Arsenal to push high and press them, leaving space in behind for their wide players to run onto accurate clipped balls forward. It was a tactic that did give Arsenal some trouble, but they also came close at the other end when pouncing on loose Brighton passes and as the half drew to a close Arsenal were growing into the game and beginning to edge closer to the opening goal. The best Arsenal chance fell to Saka when the Gunners kept the ball alive in the box and it eventually fell to the youngster who looked to find the bottom corner but fired just the wrong side of the post. 

The game was finely poised at half-time, Arsenal had been made to accept far less possession at home than they were used to, but they still had the better chances of the half, being let down by less than clinical finishing from Saka and Odegaard. The first goal of this game always felt like being a massive one in deciding the outcome and it was the visitors who got it. Mitoma gave White a torrid afternoon, the Arsenal right-back was completely unable to get to grips with him, he was toyed with and tormented all game in what must have been his most difficult day in an Arsenal shirt since his debut. 

The goal came from more Mitoma work down his side, the winger put Estupinan in behind White whose initial cross was blocked but the ball fell to him once more and this time he was able to pick out the head of the 5 foot 7 Enciso who could head home unmarked from point blank range. The goal immediately looked bizarre as just before the cross came in Kiwior went down off the ball clutching his ankle. On the replay it was clear Ferguson had impeded Kiwior by accidentally stepping on the back of his ankle but VAR did not intervene. 

Going behind early in the second half was a real blow to Arsenal as it gave Brighton yet more confidence and they began to play even better, raising their level to heights Arsenal were struggling to match. Substitute Nelson who had replaced Xhaka came closest to getting Arsenal an equaliser with a powerful low drive after cutting in from the left, again it was close but not close enough for the hosts. With time running out, Arteta played his final hand and brought on Nketiah and Smith-Rowe, neither of whom had made much impact as second half substitutes all season for Jesus and Odegaard. It seemed something of a bizarre move, as did leaving on Saka who for the 6th time in his last 7 starts failed to notch a goal or assist and was evidently badly struggling for form.  

Arsenal did not muster any further threat after these subs and it was Brighton who secured victory in the 86th minute. Arsenal’s day was summed up when Trossard, one of their most consistent performers since joining the club made a costly mistake when he lost possession after being found by his goalkeeper, his attempted pass was instantly blocked by Gross and with that one touch the ball fell perfectly into the flight of Undav who lifted the ball over Ramsdale and into the empty net. 

If Arsenal thought their day couldn’t get any worse they were wrong as in the 6th minute of added on time, Ramsdale could only push out an Undav shot to Estupinan who reacted quickly and bobbled his shot beyond the Arsenal keeper, who was celebrating a very unhappy 25th Birthday. It was just the 3rd league game all season Arsenal had failed to find the net and at the other end they’d now conceded 15 goals in their last 8 games. The week before they’d managed to hold onto City’s coattails with a great win at Newcastle, but this time faced with another tough opponent and needing to dig deep once more just to hold onto the coattails of the league leaders that little bit longer, they had been unable to muster what was required. It was a day where everything went wrong.

Arsenal’s final away game all season would also see them wearing their much loved black away strip for the final time, a kit generally considered to be one of the best in the clubs history. The Gunners hoped to bid a fond farewell to it at Nottingham Forest, the home team who knew one more win would keep them mathematically safe from relegation in their first season back in the Premier League. Anything less than an away victory would secure City as Champions with 3 games to spare.

Arteta went with an unusual looking side, Kiwior moved to the left-back position with White filling in for him at centre-half, making his first start of the season in his old position. Partey came back into the team for his first start since the City defeat, filling in at right-back. For the third time in the last 5 games, an Odegaard give-away in midfield led immediately to a goal as another cheap giveaway from the skipper allowed Gibbs-White to break away. His through pass for Awoniyi was weighted just right, Gabriel slid in to try and clear the ball but only succeeded in pushing the ball into the forwards stride as he made contact with the ball and put it beyond the sprawling Ramsdale.

Arsenal had 71 minutes to find an equaliser against a team who had not kept a cleansheet in their last 15 matches. However they never really looked like getting it. With something to protect Forest sat in a compact shape with nearly every player behind the ball and waited for Arsenal to try and break them down. The away team passed the ball around in a laboured fashion, with slow side to side passing where too many touches were taken and the most obvious option was taken again and again. 

They were desperate for some creativity but nobody on the field seemed to have it in them to be the game’s spark and get the team back in the game. The most obvious candidates to be that player: Jesus, Trossard, Odegaard and Saka all toiled in their own way. Trossard was anonymous, Jesus was bullied, Odegaard could not find the space to get on the ball in dangerous positions and Saka continued to look all out of ideas and energy. Jesus appeared to have a strong case for a penalty when he was clearly pulled back when trying to get on the end of a pass played in behind by White. Instead of pointing to the spot though, the referee booked Jesus for his angry protests at the penalty not being given.

Arsenal looked like a team desperate for the season to end as they crawled on their knees towards the finish line. Arsenal managed 82% possession but with it mustered just one more shot on target than Forest with 3. 19% possession is the lowest possession with which a team has won a Premier League game since the 03/04 campaign. With the win at Newcastle, Arsenal had given fans hope they could dig in until the end of the season and at least finish it strong, but instead they suffered back to back league defeats for the first time all season, and failed to score in consecutive league games for the first time in the campaign too. After such a magnificent campaign it was now all petering out rather lamely. 

Arsenal would close the season out with a home game against Wolves. Arteta opted to keep the same 11 that had lost against Forest, he and everyone else hoped for a better outcome this time. It took Arsenal 11 minutes to end their goalless run when Jesus appeared on the right, reached the by-line and produced a pin-point cross onto the head of the unmarked Xhaka who nodded home from inside the six-yard box. 3 minutes later and Arsenal’s advantage was doubled, again it began with wing play down the right, this time it was Saka beating his man and playing in Odegaard who attempted to return it to him with a flick of his heel, the ball instead was met by Wolves defender Kilman, but he only succeeded in putting the ball in the path of Xhaka who sidefooted it into the net. With a move back to Germany now an open secret, in his 297th and final game in Arsenal colours, the Swiss midfielder had notched his very first brace for the club. The goal was also Arsenal’s 100th of the season across all competitions.

Arsenal went 3-0 up before the half-hour mark, the ball was again worked out wide to Saka who played it to Partey before Trossard and Odegaard combined. This made room for Saka to be fed inside the box by Trossard, the youngster took a sharp, sudden touch to go back inside and with it he made the space for a shot. His shot was an excellent one fiercely curling in beyond Sa in the Wolves goal and the perfect end to the week for the man who had just committed his future to Arsenal with the signing of a new contract.

There was still time in the first half for Xhaka to have the chance to notch his first ever hattrick, an excellent patient passing move we have become accustomed to seeing from Arsenal this season eventually led to Saka finding an umarked Xhaka right infront of goal. He had time to set himself and pick his spot and appeared certain to net his 3rd goal with his 3rd shot, but this time he got the connection all wrong and miscued horribly wide, denying himself the most perfect possible send-off. 

Early in the second half Partey momentarily thought he’d put Arsenal 4-0 up but on a replay it was quickly apparent that White had clearly fouled the goalkeeper and the goal was rightly chalked off. However it didn’t take Arsenal much longer to get the 4th goal, an excellent long pass from Jorginho picked out the run of Trossard who waited for support before getting the cross in which was met by the head of Jesus. This was Trossard’s second assist of the game, and already his 10th in Arsenal colours despite only joining in January.  

In the 78th minute, Arsenal got their 5th when a corner eventually fell to Kiwior who got decent contact on the ball. However Sa should have done much better with the effort but instead fumbled it over his goalline. Not only was this goal Kiwior’s first for Arsenal, it also gave Arsenal their 88th league goal of the season, which had the distinction of being their highest ever tally in a Premier League season, this goal taking it clear of their previous best of 87 in the 04/05 season. The 5-0 win was their 26th league win of the season which was the club’s joint most ever in a Premier League campaign, equalling the number won in their league winning campaigns of 01-02 and 03-04. Their final points tally of 84 was their highest since the Invincibles 19 years earlier and their 3rd highest ever in a Premier League season. 

Arsenal player ratings from April to May (must have started a game or else appeared in at least 5 games):

Ramsdale 6/10- Continuing the seasons pattern he produced his best performances at difficult away grounds, winning Arsenal a point with a series of top saves at Anfield and keeping a cleansheet away at Newcastle with a flawlessly solid display. His worst moment of the season came at the worst possible time, a huge error in the first minute of Arsenal’s home game against Southampton, as the team floundered with their title bid on rocky waters.

White 6/10- All Arsenal’s backline suffered with the loss of Saliba and White was no different. The injury to Tomiyasu also meant White was ever-present in Arsenal’s last 10 games. His worst day of the season came in the 3-0 loss to Brighton where he was terrorised by Mitoma. Otherwise White was usually one of Arsenal’s better performers even in games the team did not play well. He finished the season back in his old centre-back slot as Arteta made tactical alterations. 

Holding 3/10-  His first 2 games in place of the injured Saliba went fine with Arsenal winning with a combined aggregate score of 8-2 at home to Palace and Leeds. However as fans feared, when tougher tests emerged Holding was found wanting. He conceded a penalty at Anfield and was bullied by Antonio at West Ham as Arsenal dropped points from commanding positions in both games. At this point it seemed unsustainable to continue with Holding in the team, but Arteta did and that’s on the manager not the player. Arsenal then conceded 3 to bottom placed Southampton and the away match at City went predictably badly with Holding up against Haaland. Though it would be unfair to pin Arsenal’s collapse solely on Holding, I don’t think 21-year old Saliba would’ve prevented nerves and the magnitude of the title run-in from hampering Arsenals displays somewhat, but there is no denying Holding complicated matters further for Arsenal due to his style of wanting to defend from a deep position which clashes with how Arsenal want to play. It is likely that with Saliba or even Kiwior, Arsenal would have at least picked up more points than they did in April.

Kiwior 6/10- Made his first league start against Chelsea and helped Arsenal to look more like themselves and end a winless run of 4 games. He looked similarly composed the following game when tested further away at Newcastle. Ended the season at left-back which could suggest this is where Arteta sees his future. 

Gabriel 6/10- Didn’t look quite the same without his centre-back partner Saliba. Committed a soft foul in the box against West Ham which allowed them back into the match and was the beginning of Arsenal’s collapse. His need to be present in the middle of defence to help with build-up and because Holding does not have the athleticism to defend the area alone meant Zinchenko was often left more isolated as Gabriel could not offer his usual protection on the left side of defence.

Zinchenko 5/10- A tough end to the season for the left-back. His score of 5 is due to what he gives Arsenal on the ball, always giving them a safe passing option with his technical security. However if it was on defending alone, his score would be much lower as his defensive lapses have cost Arsenal goals on a far too regular basis across the final two months of the season.

Tierney 6/10- His gametime has continued to be limited, even when Zinchenko was ruled out the final 3 games with injury, Arteta still chose a different option to fill in. He started just 2 of Arsenal’s last 10 games, struggling away at West Ham trying to replicate Zinchenko’s inverted role and being on the wrong end of a 3-0 loss at home to Brighton. He fared better in his cameos though, shoring up Arsenal’s defence in the second half at Newcastle when Zinchenko was starting to struggle. 

Partey 4.5/10- More than any other player, Partey suffered most from the absence of Saliba. His overplaying which saw him robbed of possession by Rice was the start of things unravelling for him and Arsenal. He made another costly mistake the following game against Southampton losing possession needlessly and Arsenal conceded from the resulting corner to go 3-1 down. After another poor performance away at City, he lost his place to Jorginho. Partey returned to the side in a new right-back role. 

Jorginho 6.5/10- Helped Arsenal return to winning ways with his introduction to the starting line-up at home to Chelsea. Followed it up with a classy performance away at Newcastle but was unable to prevent Arsenal losing their next two at home to Brighton and away at Forest.

Xhaka 6.5/10- Got two assists against Chelsea and was excellent in Arsenal’s away win at Newcastle. Like nearly everyone he struggled in Arsenal’s disastrous April but finished the season with a brace in his last game for the club.

Odegaard 6.5/10- 3 poor giveaways in midfield from the skipper led directly to 3 goals conceded in a six-game run. The sloppy passes from Odegaard in what had become a dysfunctional looking team were punished by Southampton, City and Nottingham Forest respectively. However at the other end the Norwegian had a run of 5 goals in as many games, including a nice goal from outside the box against Southampton to get Arsenal back in the game, a brace against Chelsea to help end Arsenal’s 4-game winless run and the opener away at Newcastle which settled the Gunners down after they’d began under the cosh.                                                                                                                            Vieira 4/10- Started against Southampton but was hooked before the hour-mark after failing to input any personality on the game, and wasting a couple of potential openings. Did not fare any better when appearing off the bench. 

Saka 6/10- His missed penalty at West Ham while Arsenal led 2-1 was one of the defining moments of Arsenal’s season. Mentally and physically the season appeared to take its toll on the youngster as the weeks went on as he seemed without his usual creative spark and explosiveness as the season drew to a close. Re-found it on the last day of the season to score a smashing goal to end a 5-game run without a goal or assist.  

Martinelli 7.5/10- Scored 2 and assisted 2 in Arsenal’s 3 successive draws. Was anonymous away at City but after returning to the starting line-up away at Newcastle produced a top performance. Unlucky to have his season ended two games early. The 21-year old may lack experience but he didn’t lack belief or fighting spirit as he fought hard to keep Arsenal’s title hopes alive. 

Reiss Nelson 6/10- Made a positive impact from the bench when introduced against Southampton and City. 

Jesus 6/10- After 4 goals in 3 games he then endured his most frustrating games thus far for the club against Southampton and City where he did not make a positive impact. Returned to the goals against Chelsea and finished with a goal and assist at home to Wolves. 

Trossard 6.5/10- The return to fitness of Jesus meant Trossard lost his place in the side but when returning to the starting line-up against Chelsea he played well. An uncharacteristic mistake at home to Brighton led to Arsenal conceding the game killing second goal, but he finished the season well with 2 assists vs Wolves.  

Arteta 6/10- The manager had been nearly faultless up to April but in the season defining moments he came up short. His substitutions vs Liverpool and Brighton in particular were eyebrow raising and did not work. His persistence with always starting Saka despite the winger’s apparent lack of fitness aswell as form seemed unnecessary. It was a big ask to keep a young, inexperienced side calm and composed as the pressure built in many players first title race and he was not able to do it. That said, the Emirates Stadium was still near capacity a full hour after the final match of the season against Wolves as fans waited to hear the managers parting message for the summer. This pays testament to the work he has done this season in bringing the fans and the club closer together. 

[lauribrubakergb]

Arsenal lost their courage under heavy pressure!

The two 2-2 draws seem to have pushed Arsenal into a desperate situation.

At present, Arsenal is only 4 points ahead of Manchester City with one more game, and the two sides still have a direct dialogue. If they can't win Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, the Gunners, who have led the Premier League for almost the entire season, will probably only be runner-up in the end.

In the away game against Liverpool, Arsenal took a 2-0 lead and were pulled twice by Liverpool. At the end of the game, Firmino defended Anfield's honor for Liverpool with a header, while Arsenal fully exposed their inexperienced disadvantages.

In this campaign, Arteta had many opportunities to adjust, but he did not make substitutions for a long time. As a result, Zinchenko, who was physically exhausted, was easily passed by Arnold in the final period and sent an assist. After being substituted, Zinchenko sat on the bench and wept sadly.

Against West Ham United, the Gunners repeated the tragedy they encountered at Anfield. The team failed to hold on to a 2-goal lead and was chased by West Ham United for two consecutive goals, and finally took away a point from the away game.

In the first half of the game, Gabriel Jesus and Odegaard scored consecutive goals within three minutes, and Ben Rahma scored to help West Ham United get back a goal. In the second half, Saka's missed penalty kick became the key point of the game. Arsenal failed to take advantage of the opportunity to expand the score advantage, and was punished immediately. Bowen scored to equalize the score for West Ham United.

It is worth mentioning that Arsenal thus became the fifth team in the history of the Premier League that failed to win two consecutive games with a 2-goal lead.

Arsenal, who had a week of rest and single-line combat, faced West Ham United, which played double matches in a week. They were not as good as the opponent in terms of physical strength and mentality, and Arteta's "cautious" substitution adjustment became the team's shortcoming again. When Saka was obviously in poor condition, Arteta did not remove Saka when making striker substitutions, but replaced Jesus.

For Arsenal, which has a goal of four seasons and has not won the Premier League championship for many years, the direction of this season is really unexpected. On the one hand, Arsenal performed well. Although they were eliminated in the cup, they made great strides in the league; At the critical point of reconstruction, only Manchester City in the traditional Big6 has not changed its strength.

But obviously, the entire Arsenal team is too young, neither the coach Arteta nor the team's players are inexperienced, and there is no way to maintain a calm mind and a stable state at this critical moment. After taking the lead, the team began to tend to be conservative. They wanted to win and were afraid of losing. They gave up offense and chose to retreat. The coach was also slow in making adjustments on the spot. In the end, Arsenal paid a huge price for it.

On the contrary, Manchester City appears very sophisticated. When Arsenal firmly occupied the top spot, Manchester City was not impatient, but caught up slowly, won every game steadily, and scored points steadily.

At present, Manchester City is still competing for the championship on the third line, and the team's top scorer Harland has set new records one after another. That begs the question of whether Haaland could compete with Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or if City become the treble winners this season.

In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi led Argentina to win the championship trophy again after many years. After years of fighting, Messi is finally world champion, which seems to pave the way for his eighth career Ballon d'Or.

However, after the World Cup, Messi's performance at the club seems to have declined. Paris Saint-Germain was double-killed by Bayern in the Champions League round of 16, and the "Champions League dream" was once again shattered. In addition, in the familiar domestic arena, Paris Saint-Germain has also suffered a lot of resistance.

Manchester City performed well in the "third line". Although in the Premier League, Manchester City is currently 4 points behind Arsenal in one less game, but 캡도메인 believes that as long as there are no accidents, it is not difficult to catch up with or even surpass the Gunners.

In the Champions League, Manchester City defeated Leipzig 8-2 in the round of 16 and advanced, and defeated Bayern 3-0 at home in the first leg of the quarter-finals. If they can successfully advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Manchester City will compete with Real Madrid/Chelsea for a place in the final.

The last time Guardiola was promoted to the Champions League final, he temporarily changed teams and lost 0-1 to Chelsea. Due to the situation of the UEFA Champions League draw, the half of Manchester City's area has gathered several favorites to win the championship, while the other half of the area can be regarded as a "Serie A civil war". Therefore, as long as Manchester City can reach the final, there is a high probability that they can win the championship. Manchester City will face Championship side Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final.

Judging from personal data, Haaland scored 47 goals and sent 6 assists this season, leading the Premier League and Champions League scorers.

At present, Haaland leads the second-ranked Tottenham striker Kane in the Premier League scorer list by 9 goals, and leads the second-ranked Salah in the Champions League scorer list by 3 goals. It is worth mentioning that the teams played by Salah and Mbappe, who are ranked second and third in the Champions League scorer list, have already been eliminated. Only the fourth-ranked Real Madrid can threaten Haaland's Champions League Golden Boot Forward Vinicius, the Brazilian striker currently has 6 goals, 5 goals less than Haaland.

Unfortunately, Haaland's national team Norway did not perform well. In the World Cup year, the national team's performance will greatly affect the award. However, if Harland can follow Manchester City to win the "triple crown" and personally win the Premier League Golden Boot and the Champions League Golden Boot, then maybe he can compete with Messi in the Golden Globe competition.

[sepicons]

glória, glória, aleluia é gabriel jesus

[futebolada]

manchester city headers

[futebolada2]

manchester city headers

[flaicons]

like

[footballnopsd-blog]

se salvar deixa um like aí pra me dar uma moral

© @footballnopsd

[packsiconss]

PNG COPA DO MUNDO 2018

muita gente vem procurando os pngs pra montar os icons pra torcer pro br nessa copa do mundo. então, eu resolvi postar aqui pra vocês já que o único modo de editar era pelo PicsArt, então agora eles estão com o fundo transparente para melhor edição.

- fav se pegar

Edit by falltajug on Twitter

[chewiestuffs]

matchs da seleção

like ou reblog se salvar/usar

eu nao sei o que por nas tag crise surto

[womanpsds]

(◍• ᴗ •◍) like&reblogue or agbswetner - ♡