Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle & 1-1 Atletico Madrid: Winning Ugly, But Are We Winning Enough?
Let's start with Newcastle. We got past them. The Geordies made it a hard-fought 1-0 at the Emirates and honestly, it felt harder than it should have been. The goal came from Eze a beautiful smash from distance and you know what? He probably had an axe to grind after that duel with Nick Pope at St James' Park earlier this season. This time around he made absolutely sure to get one up on him. Tenth goal in Arsenal colours for Eberechi Eze. That is a proper return and we need more of it.
Now, the goal itself came from a short corner routine which, if I am being completely honest, is not exactly my cup of tea. The fans were groaning and rightfully so too but as they say, third time is a charm, right? The short corner was taken, Kai sold them the dummy with a nicely weighted pass to Eze and he does the business. Nice start. Now Arsenal go on to smash the Barcodes with a blitzkrieg and put the title race to bed on goal difference, yeah? Naaah. It wasn't to be. Like, did the team miss the memo about it being down to GD in a potential shoot-out with City at the end of this thing??
We won. I will take it. But we need more. Much more.
Now, Atletico Madrid. UCL Semi Final first leg at the Metropolitano. This was supposed to be different. A European night. Big stage. High stakes. The only problem is PSG vs Bayern served us something far too exciting the night before our game and it was a tough act to follow, honestly. Before I continue with our match review, let me just pay some respect to what PSG vs Bayern delivered. That was some wonderful end-to-end football. Attacking purists wouldn't want that game to end. Some poor defending scattered throughout? Yes. Know what? Who cares if you are a neutral. Whichever one of those two gets through to the final will take some serious beating. Proper European heavyweight clash.
Anyway, back to our game in Madrid. The Gunners got a 1-1 draw. Not the best result. Definitely doesn't serve up the same classical goal fest Bayern and PSG put on, but it was an interesting watch a far cry from the borefest most had predicted, fans and pundits alike. I suppose in a way that is supposed to be a good thing, init? We took the lead in the first half via a penalty Gyokeres won and he smashed it home. Cold. Clinical. That is what we need from him in these big moments and he delivered. Atletico Madrid came out flying in the second half. I guess Simeone had given his players a proper kick up the backside at the interval because they came out fighting and pressing like their lives depended on it. Then Ben White stuck an arm out in the box. Voila. Penalty.
In fairness, I wouldn't really complain about the talking points of this game. I think both penalties were correct calls. Benny Blanco had his arm out and by the letter of the law, it means it is a pen. Eze's trip and fall in the box which had to go to VAR was rightfully waved off. I know, I know... I am supposed to have my team's back at all times, but I hate soft penalties. I think a penalty has to be a clear foul, not just a fancy touch in the box. But hey, we see those given every single week so I can understand why Arsenal fans and Mikel feel aggrieved. Still, that wasn't a pen. Move on.
The bigger picture? We are still in this tie. 1-1 going back to the Emirates for the second leg. Atletico are dangerous, disciplined and they will come to North London to defend and hit us on the break. We have to break them down at home and that brings me to the elephant in the room that nobody seems to want to address properly. Seems like suddenly, we cannot score more than one goal per game right now. And that is a serious problem.
The Run-In: Squeaky Bum Time & The Goal Drought Nobody Wants To Talk About
Right. Deep breath. Let me lay it out plainly because if I don't say it, who will?
Arsenal are top of the Premier League on points and goal difference. But only just. Four games left. City have five. It is a straight shoot-out now to see who has the better goal difference at the end, assuming both teams win their remaining fixtures. This scenario has been aptly titled The Run-In and we have been here before, haven't we? The question is simple: Will Arsenal hold their nerve to stave off a City comeback after leading the league all season, or will they fold in April like they have done in the past? Here is the stat that is keeping me up at night. Our last two-goal game was against Everton. In March. March. It is now late April and we have not scored more than one goal in a single game since then. Last six games? One goal each. Newcastle? One goal. Atletico? One goal. Before that? One goal. One goal. One goal.
Kaaaiiii. How long can this keep us going? Yes, we are solid defensively. Yes, the back four and Raya have been brilliant. Yes, we are grinding out results and that is what champions do, blah blah blah. But you cannot continue to hope the luck of holding out in a title race where goal difference might decide everything. I say all that with the assumption that City win their game. They may be smashing teams. Haaland is feasting. We are... surviving.
I still believe. But belief without ruthless execution means absolutely nothing. The lads know what is at stake. Mikel knows what is at stake. It is time to stop talking and start finishing. Literally. Squeaky bum time does not even begin to cover it. #COYG
Arsenal vs Fulham Preview: Can We Get A Statement Win?
The Gunners welcome Marco Silva's Fulham to the Emirates in a late Saturday evening kick-off. The Cottagers are chasing a European berth so they have something real to fight for. And of course, Arsenal are gunning for a first title in twenty-two years. The stakes could not be higher. A win for the Gunners to keep up the title charge is a must and that is stating things lightly.
Fulham have proven to be a hard nut to crack in the past. They are well-organised, disciplined and they will come to the Emirates with a plan to frustrate us and hit on the counter. Marco Silva is a smart manager and he will have studied our recent form — one goal per game, struggling to break down low blocks, relying on moments of individual brilliance rather than sustained attacking dominance. He will set his team up to exploit exactly that. But here is the reality. The lads know they have bigger fish to fry on this one. A win is a must. A win by a couple of goals is what we actually need. Plus a clean sheet. Is that too much to ask? On paper, no. In practice, based on recent form? It feels like asking for the moon.
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