Apologise from Steve, no match report today due to family commitments for the Kings coronation, im sure we can all forgive him a game off !
Here instead are GC’s player rankings..
Ramsdale – 10th away cleansheet this season (a joint record), Newcastle did hit the post twice, but plenty of great saves.
Zinc – With Newcastle hugging the lines it wasnt the best idea to invert as much, did us a big favour when KT came on
Gabs – This man constantly handing out 8/10s another better than average game
Kiwior – Despite being left footed he played as the right CB and its ok to admit he proved people wrong yesterday.
White – Mr reliable both defending and attacking yet again.
Jorginho – What a Jan signing hes been, a very intelligent senior player who makes up for a lack of pace with an almost physic ability to read the game, well deserved MOTM.
Xhaka – Did some proper game slowing stuff, great sliding block Vs Wilcock and yet again the man I’d want next to me in the trenches.
Ode – 15th goal of the season and he bought much more, yet another game he led by pure example.
Martinelli – Does not stop running, some very useful defending too, yet again not scared to try a trick in the danger area and despite looking a bit greedy at times, i love that cocky self belief in a forward.
Jesus – Great team performance without really threatening to do what a 9 should be doing, scoring goals.
Saka – If ever a player has given his all in a season its him, but wasnt his day yesterday really, the lad looks shattered.
Arteta – Good call on the starting line up and quickly realising Newcastles game plan. 1st half we certainly could’ve scored 2 more minium with the quick ball thro the middle, only for good saves from Pope (newcastle motm). I’d of liked to have seen KT come on earlier for Zinc, other subs just freshing it up and winding the clock down.
Overal St James is becoming a hard place to visit(and i dont mean them blinking stairs), only lost twice at home all season and one of the loudest home supports. But not only did the team get in top the away support was top class, when Newcastle fans start rating us best away support this season thats high praise.
Before we start a quick though: had we beaten both Southampton and West Ham, we would still second.
Manchester City are on a 10 game winning run. That is 10 wins from 10.
In those 10 games, we have won 21 points. The equivalent of an 80 point season.
Our title hopes always required City to drop points. And they do not look like dropping any. They could finish the season with 16 wins from the last 17 games…
Big game today. Although that is not really huge breaking news.
Newcastle have lost just once at home this season – to Liverpool. Although they only have the 5th best home form in the league due to how many draws they have had at St James’ Park.
After dropped points against Southampton and West Ham, we can not afford to only draw today. That will lead us to being the aggressors, and pushing hard for the win. A tactic that will play into Newcastle’s hands.
They are a very good side when they sit deep and look to hit their opponent on the break.
With Alexander Isak, Joe Willock, Miguel Almiron, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin, they have a dynamic, direct, quick attack.
I would not be surprised if Saint-Maximin starts, although he is returning from injury. He has the attributes to cause Olexsandr Zinchenko havoc, exploiting the space the Ukrainian leaves when he drops in the middle.
Whilst we need to be aggressive and go for the win from the first minute, we need to ensure we do not leave the back door open.
I think one thing Arteta has done poorly things season is not changing his tactics to suit the players.
When Saliba got his injury, he tried to keep playing with his hybrid back 4. That left us exposed as Gabriel had to over-cover to the right due to Holding’s lack of pace. That left too big a whole to his left as Zinchenko continue his inverted full back role.
In hindsight (and football is easy in hindsight), when Saliba was ruled out, we should have gone to a more traditional flat back 4. And that is what needs to happen against Newcastle – especially with Saliba out and Gabriel doubtful.
That could see Zinchenko play as a more traditional full back in a back 4 alongside White, Holding and Kiwor.
Ahead of them, it will be interesting to see if Thomas Partey returns, or whether Arteta sticks with Jorginho.
The former Chelsea midfielder had a great game against his old team, and he could be better suited for the Newcastle game.
If we are to sit a little deeper in an attempt to protect the back 4, Jorginho’s range of passing and control will be an asset. And with a deeper defence, his lack of pace will not be as exposed.
I think if we do not win today, that is that for our title hopes. But we can still be proud of what we have done this season.
UTA.
Keenos
Arsenal fans – have you checked out our pet collection yet?
A later than usual blog today. One of them mornings where it was a struggle to get out of bed!
This weekend could see any remaining hopes of us winning the title wiped out. A weekend where Manchester City could take a huge step forward in being crowned kings of England.
That is enough election / coronation puns for this blog. Maybe.
City host Leeds at 3pm, with the game on TV. It shows that the 3pm TV blackout rule can be disregarded if the authorities choose.
Each League weekend fixture round will see 10 live EFL fixtures shown. I am not sure how they can fit them in, alongside Premier League football, without having them at 3pm.
Arsenal fans – have you checked out our pet collection yet?
If they do try and fit them in at all different hours, it will show once again that the broadcasters care little for match going fans. All the furore after the European Super League was only because they were not invited to the party and not because they wanted to speak up for fans.
Will be interesting to see how that social warrior and voice of the normal people Gary Neville responds to more games being moved away from 3pm. Surely he will speak up for match day fans? Talk against his employer?
Anyway, I can not see anything less than a City win today against Leeds. That will put them 4 points ahead with 4 games to go. We then face Newcastle tomorrow.
St James’ Park will not be an easy place to go. They are 3rd in the league for a reason and have only lost to Liverpool at home this season. Expect Newcastle to sit deep, and look to break quickly.
Arsenal will need to be the aggressors as Newcastle do not really need to win. This could lead to plenty of space at the back for Alexander Isak, Joe Willock et al to run into.
I think if we lose tomorrow, it would not make sense to try and bring Saliba back for those last few games. Let him go on his summer break a month early so that he is ready for next season.
Gabriel went off injured against Chelsea, and faces a fitness test today. If he is out, it will be Rob Holding and Jakub Kiwor at the back. And we need to back the boys.
For those bemoaning our lack of depth at the back, consider this.
Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwor and Holding combined cost us around £75million combined. Ruben Dias cost Manchester City £65million on his own.
Manchester City’s 5 central defensive options (Stones, Laporte, Dias, Ake, Akanji), have cost them a combined £255m. That is £180m more than our 4 options. Even if you throw in Ben White as an option, Manchester City have spent more than twice as much on central defenders.
And it is not just the transfer fees, but the wages too.
City’s 5 cost a reported £825,000 a week, Arsenal’s 5 (including White), cost £280,000 a week. That is a difference of nearly £30million a year in wages.
It should be no suprise that that City have greater strength in depth than us when you consider what they have paid for players, and what they pay for players, in comparison to Arsenal.
The Premier League does risk becoming like France or Germany, with City financially blowing everyone else out of the water, winning every season, and every other club just playing for 2nd.
If we do win tomorrow, it will put our title challenge right back on track.
Victory will keep us a point behind City, with them having a game in hand. We have 3 fairly comfortable games to finish the season (2 at home), whilst City still have tricky trips to Brentford and Brighton.
They also host Chelsea and have a trip to Everton to contend with, mixed in between the Real Madrid double header.
Three of their last 4 games are at home.
If they do win all 4, and today, that will be 94 points and a 14 game winning run, and 49 points from a possibile 51 in the last 17 games of the season. Incredible form and we can have no complaints finishing 2nd to that.
Enjoy the King’s Coronation weekend.
Keenos
In celebration of the #KingsCoronation, we are offering 20% off everything in our Union Jack collection
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 