NLD Is Red!!: Are Spurs in Freefall?
That was smashing, just what the doctor ordered. Five straight NLD wins by the way. Are Spurs really going to go down this season? I really don’t know, sha. But what I do know is that Eberechi Eze again came up with the goods vs Spurs, and Tottenham Hotspur fans are double livid with Levy and co for failing to get that deal over the line which then allowed us to hijack it right under their noses.
Anyway, before we get carried away with the buzz of the North London Derby win, let’s remind ourselves, we haven’t won the league yet or anything yet, so let’s temper the excitement a bit… right. Back to Spurs though, City must be wondering how this team took four points off them this season. Crazy stuff football is. Spurs are currently 16th on the #EPL log, four points off the relegation zone, and somehow in the Champions League Round of 16. They haven’t won a single game this year, and their last home win came in December. Football is just something else. As for Arsenal, that was an accomplished and comprehensive win against your little bro type club, our noisy neighbours type rivalry. Not like they are ever challenging us for titles or anything. The last time they came close to challenging us for anything was in 2015/16 when Leicester City won the league ahead of us.
The manner in which Arsenal FC took the game to Spurs and delivered that smacking was telling. It showed the huge gulf in class between both teams. Man for man, Spurs were no match. The usual suspect was Eze again. He does have a thing for Spurs who must be sick of him now. He followed that imperious Wigan performance with this one, pulling the strings, opening the scoring and being instrumental to Viktor Gyokeres’s first. Both players, much maligned this season, quite unfairly in my opinion, decided this was their party to shine. The second goal that restored Arsenal’s lead was a proper striker’s goal, arguably his best goal so far this season in the #EPL. Eze added another one where he was again instrumental, pinching the ball in midfield, getting a nice flick back from Gyokeres and being on hand to finish following the block on Saka’s shot. Martin Odegaard then came on and supplied the pass for Gyokeres to get his brace.
The good was that we spanked Spurs, especially after the lacklustre draws versus Brentford and Wolves. We bounced back to winning ways in our hunt for the #EPL title. The bad was that we should have scored more. Declan Rice played us into danger and gave away a cheap goal scoring opportunity that led to Muani’s equaliser. So much for stay focused guys. Big Gabby got away with one on that disallowed goal which I thought was really soft. Gabriel, you are a beast of a defender, could you stop falling over at the slightest touch. If I was the ref, I wouldn’t have disallowed the goal. That said, I also think that push by Ekitike on Romero should have been a foul, the goal disallowed. Both can be true.
We also almost gifted Spurs another one which David Raya duly cleared off the line. Raya is definitely worth his gloves for Arsenal. The only goalie I’d have over him in the #EPL is Alisson Becker and that’s a close one. Lastly, the ugly. It’s ironic that Rice was the one who switched off in a dangerous area leading up to the goal we conceded. Life can be funny. He has been very vocal of late, giving interviews and having a go at anyone who isn’t switched on. I get it, you want to win the league after coming painfully close three times, but we have to stay level headed and not give into the nerves of our emotions.
Champions League Draws: A Path Opened, Focus Required
Let’s move on to the Champions League. The draws were held midweek and Arsenal couldn’t have wished for a better lay of the cards. We have to beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen, or else that would be disastrous. Liverpool last season, anyone. The lads need to stay focused on Leverkusen first, then we can project ahead to the last eight, then the last four, then the final, and then the trophy. All that said, Mikel would be looking at the path to the final Arsenal is on and saying grace. We know no team is a pushover. Don’t let me hear you call anyone small. They earned their stripes and deserve respect.
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| #UCL Draw |
Last season’s run ended 3–1 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain. I would expect the team to be buoyed by the prospect of going two steps further this time. It’s going to be tricky balancing the demands of the Champions League along with the EPL because in the knockout stages you only get one chance over two legs or you are out. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has been very feisty in recent days with Manchester City. Not his usual calm self. From political call outs to saying he has no advice to give Mikel Arteta at this juncture, it’s a different kettle of Pep. Maybe he really is leaving at the end of the season and wants to sign off with a bang. Unfortunately for him, standing in the way of that legacy is his own apprentice. Anyway, I want a champions league win above anything else, its an itch Arsenal needs to scratch, tick it off the to-do list. I know some would argue how much of a travesty it would be to Win the UCL but lose the title to City especially after leading the log and being the better team for most of the season. I know and I get the gripe, I am just saying, if it came down to choosing one out of the the two, its UCL for me. Arsenal ladies, did it last season, it would be nice for the lads to back it up with a win.
Chelsea Preview: Arsenal vs Chelsea, No Room for Nerves
To the #EPL. The Gunners are back on home turf after a run of three straight away games where we picked up just five points from nine. We have City breathing down our necks. Beating Chelsea FC on Sunday would certainly stamp a statement of authority, especially if City win the day before. Arsenal have to win against Chelsea. No sugar coating it. Chelsea dropped two serious points recently and if you check their next five games you will understand why that may be damning for their Champions League hopes. They have Arsenal, Villa, Newcastle, Everton, City and United coming up, with games running out. They have also collected eight red cards in the #EPL alone and eleven in total this season. Every time they’ve gone down a man, they have drawn or lost, never winning any.
Kai Havertz is still not back which is a bummer for Arsenal. Chelsea have their own issues with injuries and suspension, meaning another makeshift backline. They do have Reece James back though and if his game against us at Stamford Bridge is anything to go by, that’s a huge boost for them. I would still give it to Arsenal as favourites here. If we turn up like we did against Spurs, hungry, energetic and aggressive in a disciplined manner, we will suffocate Chelsea into costly turnovers for their loss. If we allow the nerves to kick in, Chelsea may get the fuel to play spoilers and return City a favour....(naah) I would like to see Norgaard in midfield ahead of Zubimendi. I like his connection with Eze and he has barely put a foot wrong. Zubi might need a breather. Even though we have had seven days between games, fresh legs for that physical midfield battle wouldn’t hurt. Play Eze on the left, Saka in the ten and Madueke on the right. Arteta will probably not go with my tinkering, but it’s a nice twist if you ask me.
Gyokeres has ten league goals so far this year and fifteen across all competitions. Not bad for a guy who runs like he has on a bag of jeans, as Paul Scholes would say. Bottom line, if Arsenal want to win the #EPL title, this is one of those games. Beat Chelsea, hold your nerve, and keep marching.
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| #ArsChe |
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