Six reasons Arsenal must look to progress tonight

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Our European journey continues tonight as we look to progress to the quarter final of the Europa League.

There is a school of thinking that it “will not be a bad thing if Arsenal go out tonight”. That is the wrong mentality to have.

Momentum

The defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup was the beginning of a 4 game run without a win. We have re-grouped and are now 6 unbeaten (5 Premier League victories and the draw in Lisbon).

I always think when games are coming thick and fast, you keep the pedal to the metal and push through.

Resting too many tonight will not automatically result in a victory on Sunday against Crystal Palace. Nor will it guarantee us the league.

Feeling unbeatable can add extra to a player. Confidence rises any athlete to another level. We can not afford for any of the team to begin to doubt that they belong.

We have a strong squad filled with top players, and whilst Mikel Arteta will shuffle the pack, I expect him to maintain a 50/50 team. 50% starters, 50% 2nd string.

That should be enough to see us through tonight and maintain the momentum.

Keeping the fringe fresh

You never know when a fringe squad player might be called upon. It is therefore important to keep them fresh and sharp.

Training can only take players to a certain level. But they need games to be match sharp.

The goal conceded against Sporting from a corner was probably a result of Matt Turner and Jakub Kiwior not being match sharp. We have also recently seen Takehiro Tomiyasu struggle when he came in for Ben White.

Getting the likes of Turner, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Tierney and Vieira game time will mean that if they are needed against Palace or beyond, they will be closer to being match ready.

The quarter finals of the Europa League are on the 13 and 20 of April. If we make it through tonight, then many of our fringe players will be playing 4 games in 4 weeks. That will keep them fresh and ready for the Premier League if called upon.

Are we a top team?

Manchester City (at the time of writing) are chasing a historic treble. Man U chasing a Btec treble.

Napolo are leading Serie A and still in the Champions League. Real Madrid looking to add the Champions League and Copa del Rey to a couple of Super Cups.

Barcelona are chasing a domestic league and cup double, whilst Bayern Munich are on for a treble.

Top teams fight on mutiple fronts. And if we consider ourselves a top team, then we should be looking to win both the Premier League and Europa League.

Back up plan

We have been brilliant this season in the Premier League, but it will mean nothing if we end the season without a trophy.

We lost in the League Cup 3rd round to Brighton at home. That was very disappointing, especially after we took the league.

Had we won, our path to the final would have been Charlton, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.

In the FA Cup, we rested a lot of players against Man City. Pep put out his strongest XI and they scrapped to a 1-0 win. City have since played Bristol City and next face Burnley.

Man U, Brighton and Fulham are the only other remaining Premier League sides left in the FA Cup.

Let me paint a scenario: we finish 2nd and Man U win the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup. I know whose season I would have preferred…

We have thrown away two good opportunities to win a trophy. We should not let a chance to win a European cup slip easily through our hands.

UEFA Coefficient

Due to getting nil point last season, we have dropped to 23rd in UEFA’s Coefficient Ranking.

That means we will likely be in Pot 3 in next seasons Champions League – drawn against the Champions League winners, Europa League winners and Champions of Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Holland.

Pot 2 will then be filled with the next top 8 sides in Europe.

That would potentially be Real Madrid, Roma, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig and Benfica.

If we win the Europa League, we go straight into Pot 1, meaning that we miss the champions from around Europe.

A semi-final defeat could be enough to see us jump into pot 2.

If we want to avoid having 2 big guns in the Group Stages of next seasons Champions League, we need to progress in Europe.

Starved of European success

European trophies is the only stain in our history.

A club the size of Arsenal, with the domestic success we have had, should have won more than the now defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and European Cup Winners Cup.

In my lifetime, I have seen us runners-up in the Champions League, the UEFA Cup/Europa League (twice) the ECWC and the European Super Cup. I want to be in Budapest in May.

Keenos

When will you start to believe?

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It started against Fulham…

And now you’re gonna believe us, And now you’re gonna believe us, We’re going to win the league.

I did not join in. And looking around the away end, many had the same view as me. It was too early.

That is not to say that I am criticising those that did sing it. I admire their optimism, and am certainly not going piss on their parade. Positivite momentum will be an important wave to ride in the run in.

There is still a lot of football to be played. And personally it is just too early to be saying we are going to win the league.

I am a cautiously positive person by nature. I try to temper my expectations in everything, but understand the importance of a positive mental attitude.

I always said that talk of us being in the title race had to wait until we had played Manchester City. And that if we were above City come the first game against them, then I will consider us title challengers.

City beat us back February, leaving us with 3 games without a win. The defeat also saw them overtake us for the first time since the second game week of the season.

Despite us dropping to 2nd, we were clearly in the title race. But I still do not believe we will win the league.

City have a slightly easier run in, the deeper squad, and the championship winning experience. They are still favourites to me.

When will I change that opinion? Probably after we play them for the second time.

If we are still 5 points ahead of them after game on 26 April, then I will start to believe (8 points if they have a game in hand).

After that match, we will have 5 games remaining. 3 at home, 2 away. a 5 point lead, whilst not impossible to claw back, should be enough.

It is easy to be caught up in all the excitment around the club. But for now I will not allow myself to believe. But that could change in half a dozen games.

When will you start to believe?

Keenos

Trossard concerns no more as he proves to be the right man for the job

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I am not the only one who was concerned when we bought Leandro Trossard.

There were plenty of indicators that he would be a good signing, but also a few red flags.

His attitude was a huge concern, having pretty much downed tools following the World Cup.

A war of words broke out between Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi and Trossard’s agent agent, which resulted in him beind dropped for disciplinary reasons.

“Leandro isn’t in the list of players for tomorrow,” De Zerbi said before the Liverpool game

“He left the session without saying anything to me. And it’s not good. I spoke with him and I explained this attitude, this behavior, I don’t like.”

This had to be tempered with the fact that he was no Mario Balotelli. He did not have a history of a poor attitude and had previously worked with AirPod Albert when at Genk.

I also wondered whether he was actually good enough to push us to the title.

18 goals in 100 Premier League games before this season did not exactly lead to too many rivals knocking on the door last summer.

This season he scored 7 in 16 Brighton – although 3 of those came in a single game. 4 in the other 15.

I questioned whether he was just an average player who has had a good spell?

There were plenty of reasons to support the signing, however.

He covered left wing, right win, upfront and in behind a striker. He had also played over 120 games in England.

Trossard would not need “time to settle” like Mykhailo Mudryk or Fabio Vieira. He would be ready to step up straight away. And that is exactly what has happened.

In 390 minutes of football for Arsenal, he has one goal and 5 assists. He has proved himself useful cover and competition for Gabriel Martinelli, and also further cover for Gabriel Jesus up top.

You have to think that he is the first choice replacement for Jesus, Martinelli and Saka. If any of them are injured, it will be Trossard that steps up to take their place.

He has shown an intensity in attack, mixing up hard work with a delicate touch and eye for a pass.

Playing down the middle, he has also allowed us to return to a less predictable front line.

With Eddie Nketiah down the middle, Martinelli always stayed left and Saka right. Jesus would often pop up on either wing, allowing the wide forwards to drop into the middle. It made us a lot more threatening up front with players finding the space their team mates had left.

Trossard is more like Jesus than Nketiah. And it is no surprise that Martinelli’s form has improved with the support he gets from the Belgian drifting left.

Whilst Mudryk might become one of the best players in the world one day, Trossard will be a key player in the here and now for Arsenal. He will play a big part in this title race.

It is time fans stopped over reacting to players being bought, or missed out on.

Edu and his team have shown time and again that they get it right.

From Ramsdale to Gabriel, Zinchenko to Odegaard, Jesus and Trossard. They have a growing hitlist.

Ignore the noise, back the boys.

Keenos