In the title race, every weekend becomes a big one, so it becomes a bit repetitive mentioning it in every pre-game blog.
We are at home to Bournemouth whilst Manchester City host Newcastle.
By the time we kick off, we will already know the results of that game. I do wonder if players get told the results of games earlier in the day. Would you want to know?
As someone in a WhatsApp group pointed out this week: Focus on ourselves, one game at a time.
And that is how we will win the league.
There is no point getting ahead of ourselves, looking at those April games with fear. We should only focus on the next game. Todays game. Bournemouth.
I would only expect one change from the team that beat Everton mid week – Thomas Partey in for Jorginho.
The Italian (or is he Brazilian? I can’t keep up) has proved his worth in the least couple of games covering Partey, but we need to try and play our best XI as often as possible.
Jorginho’s place in Arsenal’s starting XI between now and the end of the season will be in the mid-week Europa League squad. Weekends will be Partey time.
Eddie Nketiah limped off at the final whistle against Everton, I expect Leandro Trossard to remain up front.
Nketiah has been class covering for Gabriel Jesus, but we have missed the way the Brazilian (or is he Italian?) drifts across the front line and creates space for others.
Eddie tends to remain central, which results in Bukayo Saka staying right and Gabriel Martinelli staying on the left, with Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka in behind. It can make us predictable.
When Jesus plays, he drifts left, right and deep. The space he leaves is then taken up by a team mate, leaving opponents not sure whether to follow Jesus or pick up the new man.
Trossard is similar, dropping deep and drifting out wide. It is no surprise that Martinelli has returned to goal scoring form with Trossard in the team.
Martinelli loves drifting central, but he can only do that if our striker has drifted out left. Trossard does that, Nketiah doesn’t.
Like with Everton, and every game between now and the end of the season, it will be about scoring first and scoring early.
We do that and it will be 4 or 5. We struggle to break them down and it will only become tougher as the 90 goes on.
Expect Bournemouth to follow in the footsteps of Everton, Villa, Newcastle and others and try and slow the game down at every opportunity.
We the fans need to ensure we do not get frustrated, as that frustration can filter down to the team.
Keep behind the team and we win.
Up the Arsenal.
Keenos
Our original #Arsenal beer mat collection sold out on launch. Maybe now is time for an upgrade with our ceramic coaster version?
Wednesday’s victory over Everton was our first home win in 3 games, and just our 2nd home victory in the previous 5 games.
Draws against Newcastle United and Brentford alongside a defeat at home to Manchester City saw us lose some of our advantage in the title race.
If we have any hope of winning the league this season, we need to convert out home advantage into 3 points.
That starts (again) Saturday when we face Bournemouth at home.
We also play Crystal Palace and Leeds at home in the next 4 games. The sole away game is a short trip to Fulham.
After the Leeds game, we will have 9 games to go. 5 away and just 4 at home. So we really need to build up the points over the next 3 home league games.
I have always had it in my mind that 87 points will be enough to win the league title this year.
For City to hit 88 points, they need to win 11 of their remaining 13 games. Not impossible but a tough task when they are yet to win more than 3 games on the trot.
Their best run of form this season over 13 games was at the start of the season. They got 32 points from those 13 games. A repeat of that will see them reach 87 points.
We have some very tricky games coming up. So for us to reach 87 points we need to win at home.
Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Leeds United are followed up with home games against Southampton, Chelsea, Brighton and Wolves.
7 home wins from 7 home games is what we need. That will be 21 points and take us to a total of 81.
Then it will just be a question as to whether we can get the remaining 6 points from trips to Fulham, Liverpool, West Ham, Man City, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Not an overly easy grouping of away matches. Three winnable, three tough.
Every point we drop at home between now and the end of the season will force us to pick up more points away.
Draw at home to Bournemouth Saturday, we then need to win another away. We would likely then have to get three points in Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle.
Both Arsenal and Man City have fairly similar final 5 games of the season. You feel whoever is top after the 26 April match will win the league.
The atmsophere on Wednesday was nervous, and it felt like the players felt those nerves.
So Saturday turn up and be positive. Cheer the team on, and lets make Emirates the fortress it was before the World Cup.
Keenos
Earlier today we released our limited edition #Arsenal hand crafred Anfield '89 artwork.
(4-3-3) Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Ødegaard (c), (Jorge Luiz Frello Filho) Jorginho, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.
Substitutes: Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Jakob Kiwior, Rob Holding, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner.
Scorers: Bukayo Saka (40 mins), Gabriel Martinelli (45+2 mins), Martin Ødegaard (71 mins), Gabriel Martinelli (80 mins)
Arsenal Possession Percentage: 73%
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett
Fourth Official: David Coote
VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR Tony Harrington; AVAR James Mainwaring
Attendance: 60,213
For tonight’s match, the medical team will continue to monitor Thomas Partey, who made his comeback from a muscle problem as a substitute in our victory at Leicester last Saturday, and as such, will be on the substitute’s bench this evening. Sadly, Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Elneny remain sidelined by knee injuries for tonight’s game against the Toffees. Of course, as we know only too well, every match is a “must win”, and this evening’s encounter is no exception, as we desperately need those available three points to place further air between ourselves and Manchester City.
The visitors had the best of the early exchanges, however, as early as a few seconds into the game, when Gabriel caught Amadou Onana whilst he was airborne. Although he got up and carried on, Everton were buoyed up by this innocuous exchange and Neal Maupay had two good chances which were excellently saved by Aaton Ramsdale. We recovered and won two corners in succession, which although went nowhere, the important thing is that we are bringing the game to the opposition. Gabriel Martinelli met a beautiful cross from Bukayo Saka that went wide, which although was offside, it was still a great chance to score. We tried different ways to get through the Everton defence, but our men were narrowly caught offside. Amadou Onana was accidentally caught by Granit Xhaka, and as such play was stopped for a little while by referee Michael Oliver due to the fact that it was a head injury, and after the Everton medical team attended him, and following the usual drop ball that quite naturally went our way, the game resumed after a little while. Abdoulaye Doucoure found Neal Maupay with a ball from the left wing but Gabriel slid in to stop the Everton striker shooting, thankfully, and a couple of minutes later, Jordan Pickford ran off his line to dive at the feet of Gabriel Martinelli, who was running onto a through ball. We look very frustrated tonight, as we are finding it difficult to break down a stubborn Everton defence, despite some sterling work by Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has covered an incredible area of the pitch tonight. However, with five minutes of the first half remaining, Oleksandr Zinchenko found Bukayo Saka in some space within the Everton penalty area and he absolutely thumped the ball over Jordan Pickford and into the roof of the net to open the scoring tonight. As normally happens when a goal is scored, the opposition launch themselves at us, and tonight is no exception, as Neal Maupay flashed a wild shot wide from about twenty yards as Everton looked for a quick equaliser. We composed ourselves and reimposed ourselves on the opposition, and during injury time Bukayo Saka took the ball off Idrissa Gueye, passed the ball through to Gabriel Martinelli, who ran on to it and drove it home to make it two nil to us at the break.
The second half started with Thomas Partey replacing Jorginho, and we started the game in the same spirit as we finished the first. Our captain was brutally chopped down by James Tarkowski, and shortly afterwards, Martin Ødegaard found Bukayo Saka, whose shot was blocked, and then the waiting Leandro Trossard, who did not make firm enough contact with his volley, which went narrowly wide of the post. Aaron Ramsdale parried a strong shot from Dwight McNeil and after a Gabriel Martinelli header that went narrowly wide, referee Michael Oliver booked Ben Godfrey for a foul on Leandro Trossard, who needed treatment from our medical staff. With nineteen minutes of the game remaining, we sealed the match when Leandro Trossard, ran onto a ball down the left wing and cut it back for Martin Ødegaard, who simply and elegantly swept the ball into the back of the Everton net with a first-time effort from twelve yards, via a slight deflection. Eddie Nketiah and Fabio Vieira replaced Leandro Trossard and Granit Xhaka with about fifteen minutes of the game remaining. The third goal did wonders for our confidence, and game management suddenly became the order of the day which left Everton chasing the match forlornly. Eddie Nketiah almost made it four nil but his shot was saved by Jordan Pickford and Fabio Vieira blasted it over the bar with the rebound. However, with ten minutes of the game remaining, Oleksandr Zinchenko played the ball through to Eddie Nketiah, who pulled it back to Gabriel Martinelli, who scored quite easily from close range. This fourth goal utterly destroyed Everton, who look thoroughly dejected and demoralised, and simply cannot wait for the final whistle, which mercifully (for them) came without the humiliation of leaking a fifth goal.
This superb victory tonight keeps us five points ahead of Manchester City, going into the Bournemouth game on Saturday afternoon. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were outstanding tonight, as was Oleksandr Zinchenko, but overall it was an incredible team effort this evening. Although the first half was patchy at times, our second half performance was exemplary, and was a fine example of how great we can be when all cylinders are firing, which tonight was certainly the case. Keep going chaps.
Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: AFC Bournemouth at the Emirates on Saturday, 4th March at 3.00pm(Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Steve
Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon
LIIMITED EDITION SUBBUTEO ART
Arsenal fans, we have something unique for you!
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She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 