Tag Archives: Europa League

Only The Arsenal matter

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Yesterday Liverpool proved that they are the greatest team of all time, with the greatest manager of all time. In Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain they have the most improved player of all time. The hyperbole from the media and fans was almost as cringe as Spurs appealing for a goal to be given to Harry Kane.

Fair play to Liverpool though. They were under dogs against Manchester City and performed well to knock them out – even though they got a huge slice of luck from the referee with a goal disallowed that would have made it 3-2 on aggregate.

Despite running away with the Premier League, Manchester City have now suffered 3 defeats in a row. 4 losses in 6 games, and 3 home losses on the trot.

It is not a massive surprise about Manchester City’s recent stumble.

At Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola’s side always seemed to struggle in the last quarter of the season

In 2013/14, Munich messed up a chance of an unbeaten season when they drew 1, lost 2 on the spin. In April they were also defeated by Real Madrid in the Champions League. A year later, they lost 3 on the spin in the Bundesliga and were once more knocked out of the Champions league at the semi-final stage.

Whilst in both seasons, the defeats happened after the title was sown up, it still highlights a fall off in performance at the later end of the season.

Pep Guardiola is so intense, his training sessions, the way he deals with players, etc, that it is only natural that they get burn out. We are maybe now seeing the same with Manchester City.

A defeat to Spurs at the weekend could see Man City not securing the league title until May. It will be a case of limping over the line for a team that was considered one of the greatest in history (after the current Liverpool side).

Anyway, I did not watch the Champions League game. I have no real interest.

Instead I watched The Island with Bear Grylls. Great TV viewing if you are not already on it. Hopefully in the next episode, whalers will come along and harpoon the 3 poor people. Workshy, lazy, overweight wastes of oxygen. They are a disgrace to working class folk who grind 10 hours a day to put food on the table.

All I care about is Thursday. The Europa League.

At 4-1, you would think Arsenal are comfortable. But last night Barcelona went to Rome with a 4-1 lead from the home leg. They lost 3-0 and went out on away goals.

This result could be good for Arsenal. Arsene Wenger should make players watch the game on the flight to Moscow, to avoid complacency.

To those going out there, enjoy the game, stay safe.

A final thought of the day…

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/983802816065097729

Up the Arsenal.

Keenos

5 reasons Arsenal will beat CSKA Moscow + Starting XI

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1) Arsenal are finally taking the competition seriously – Having limped through the group stages with a mixture of reserves and youth, Arsene Wenger has finally realised that the Europa League is the only way we will win a trophy and get back into the Champions League this season.

What this led to was a change of policy in the Premier League clash against Stoke City – where the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Granit Xhaka and Henrik Mkhitaryan were rotated out for not being 100%. Expect all 3 to start tonight

2) After a torrid start to 2018, Arsenal have hit form with 4 wins in 4 games. 11 goals scored and 3 clean sheets.

3) Can Moscow do it on a mild Thursday evening in Islington? They rely so much in the Champions League group stages of teams freezing in sub zero temperatures in Moscow, that playing them in April will be a different kettle of fish. It will favour Arsenal.

Even for the away leg, temperatures in Moscow will be positive, with them being as high as 17c next Monday.

4) Alexandre Lacazette returned to first-team action at the weekend, scoring a goal. His return is timely for the Europa League with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible and Danny Welbeck no good.

5) Arsenal will be out for revenge on behalf of every citizien of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the horrendous state authorised attempted murder of British citizens in Salisbury

Predicted Starting XI:

Ospina

Bellerin Koscielny Mustafi Monreal

Wilshere Xhaka Ramsey

Ozil Mkhitaryan

Lacazette

Keenos

What is left for Arsenal to play for?

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It seems to have been the longest international break ever.

With Arsenal out of the FA Cup, causing the game against Leicester City to be postponed, it has been 17 days since our last Premier League game. By the time Stoke City comes around on Sunday 1st April, it would have been 21 days since our last Premier League game.

We are going into the business end of the season, so, with our friends at 10Bet Football, we look at what Arsenal actually have left to play for.

The Europa League is the big one. Arsenal are 11/4 second favourites behind Atletico Madrid.

With a quarter final home tie against CSKA Moscow to come next week, Arsenal could well have one foot in the semi-finals before the second leg is played. With Moscow thawing (the weather, not UK relations), a trip to Russia is not the freezing away leg it often is.

If Arsenal go all in for the Europa League, we should win it. Atletico might be favourites, but we are the better side. And with Alexandre Lacazette set to return for the CSKA game, the damage caused by odd UEFA rule that leaves Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang cup-tied is limited.

The Premier League is out of Arsenal’s reach. I have not done the math, but the inability to find odds on us winning it mean that we are probably mathematically out of it.

Man City are 1/1000 to win. Anyone want to lend me a grand so I can win a quid?

Top 4 might be worth a nibble though.

We are 13 points behind Spurs in 4th, with 24 to play for, but having collapsed out of Europe, the Spurs wheels might come off. It would not be the first time. At 125/1, it might be worth a tenner – although some will just say you are throwing a tenner away.

The reality is that our Premier League campaign might be over. There is a reason we are 125/1 to finish top 4.

We should maybe go as far as putting out the kids for the Premier League games.

Give Ainsley Maitland-Niles a run out in the middle of the park for the last 8 games of the season. Play Reiss Nelson ahead of Alex Iwobi. Rotate either Rob Holding or Calum Chambers in at the back. Give these lads a chance to get another 8 Premier League games under their belt.

And then leave the big names for the first team.

At least with the Europa League, Arsenal’s season is not yet over.

Keenos