4 points dropped from two away games when leading 2-0 in each. Arsenal haven’t blown it yet but they’re second favourites now
Not even blowing a 2 goal lead for the 2nd game and missing a penalty can clear the gloom of our current ****show
Nah, we've blown it. You can't defend the way we've done and expect to win the title. Our defending since the turn of the year has been shambolic, and our flurry of goals were masking the deficiences, but it's starting to catch up with us. It's inexcusable to do what we've done two consecutive weeks in a row. Just need to focus on finishing the season on a high, plan for next season and strengthen squad depth. But I promise you - if Rob Holding is still an Arsenal player in the 2023/24 season, we are going to win nothing and achieve nothing yet again.
I think you're seeing how incredibly fine the margins are at the very summit of the league. You've done very well since the turn of the year. You've only lost twice (once to City) and have actually kept more clean sheets than them. You're missing Saliba but I think the past two games are more to do with game management than specific moments in defense. Title challenges are simply relentless these days thanks to the absurdly high standards set by City and Liverpool, so much so that whereas a point at both Liverpool and West Ham aren't actually that bad on paper, they could prove to be enormously damaging.
Saliba and Zinchenko were huge misses, as they are both crucial to our build-up and progressive passes. However, getting a two-goal cushion against an out-of-form, low on confidence West Ham side sitting 13th in the league, and not seeing it out, is inexcusable. I think the pressure has gotten to the players today, just like it did at Anfield. We were in cruise control of the match, then we gave them a sniff of an opportunity, which they gladly took and we never seemed to recover from that. Saka missing that penalty - when he'd previously had a 100% success rate from the spot for Arsenal - typifies that. We've got the second youngest squad in the league, with many of these players having never felt the pressure of being in a title race. But when you're up against a well-oiled (no pun intended) machine in City, who have the knowhow and experience of winning 4 of the last 5 league titles, and they add a giant cyborg viking freak scoring goals like it's nothing, then the margin for error is virtually non-existent. We've had a superb season overall, but it's going to be extremely deflating to have nothing to show for it.
And in absolutely astonishing news..... Penalty not given against ManU.... Seriously, and I actually mean seriously this time, how many points swing does pens given / not given for / against ManU give them each season?
A place in the champions league is not a trophy, but will be reward for what has been an excellent season for you.
Going from 5th to (likely) 2nd is certainly a significant improvement, and we'll see if we can continue building on what we have. However, it's extremely difficult to accept knowing that we had a big (albeit unforeseen) opportunity to win the league, yet we appear to have crumbled in recent weeks. I know this gets said every year, so I could easily be wrong, but you do get the feeling that more teams are going to be improving this Summer. Newcastle and City are oil clubs so will have their pick of the bunch, with United also looking strong under ten Hag. Meanwhile, I don't envisage Liverpool or Chelsea being as bad as this season. With Spurs, it's difficult to tell, but it all depends on your managerial appointment and whether that manager has a clear identity that will be supported by the recruitment team in the Summer. As bad as things seem right now, I wouldn't entirely rule you out of the CL race for next season. I guess the point I'm getting at is that it feels like a wasted opportunity. I'm not sure when we'll be in this position again. So it sucks to be throwing it all away.
The basic premise on paper is that it brings in revenue that can be used to strengthen the squad and maintain/improve competitive performance. They are painfully aware of what 6 seasons without that money does on that front.
Yes but you must not waste that money like we seem to.We are in great need of a very good,bossy center half to name just one!
Arsenal fans turning on Partey right now ...for being at fault for the opening goal, as opposed to the reason every other set of fans turned against him since last summer and once again three weeks ago
