It’s the final Premier League game of the season, as we get ready to face Everton at the Emirates on Sunday.
Arsenal know they have to win, and for Liverpool or Man City to drop points/lose, if they’re to finish in the top four next season.
Arsene Wenger has provided the latest team news & injury update, and there remain doubts over skipper Laurent Koscielny who is struggling with an Achilles problem.
“Chamberlain is still out,” he said. “We have uncertainty about Koscielny, he will have a test today and tomorrow and I will make a decision then.”
Asked about Aaron Ramsey, who went off during the 2-0 win over Sunderland on Tuesday, there was good news.
“Aaron Ramsey is all right,” he said.
Which is good news, and hopefully he can combine well with Xhaka and keep this momentum going.
I put Coutinho as captain in my fanny football in an attempt to nudge the football gods towards a Liverpool defeat/0-0 draw
Good man
Hmm, good idea. I should probably do the same.
Ahh.. The old reverse jinx.
Well played.
I don’t think it works if you do it on purpose AND tell everyone. What you are waling right into there is the reverse reverse jinx.
*walking
I saw you and raise it too. Have a tenner on liverpool to win
I put a fiver on ARSENAL 3-0 Everton, Watford 2-0 $chitty, and Liverpoo 1-1 Middlesbrough. Got 9,000/1.
The most Arsenal of results would be for both us and Liverpool to lose.
Ya gunners Ya!
Mesut shouldn’t you be practicing or something?
Bench ramsey and start Coquelin
If you mean to rest him for the final you should have said that. Then the reaction wouldn’t have been that bad I guess. But if you honestly think Coquelin is a better player you deserved this reaction, my friend.
Thing is Ramsey is playing well again after a really long time and we know how confidence based his game is. So I don’t think we should get on Coquelin’s back. He plays his heart our for the club and is one of the few defensively minded players in our midfield. That said, at this moment in time Ramsey is playing better and should start if fit. I agree that Ramsey’s inconsistency and extreme swings in form are a major concern.
I think everyone is just enjoying Ramsey in a more free role where he can hurt the opposition further up the pitch without the usual frustrations.
Coq has been great and we should keep him in the squad, but to be at our best at this moment in time, Rambo and Xhaka need to start.
Coq was fantastic against the orcs. Even his passing was improved. Someone’s been doing the homework….
Yes … i think that coquelin is a better player than ramsey
Much better player
If we need to improve our field in the summer, we must shift some dead wood. Ramsey tops that list.
Its not better or worse, different. Coquelin is more protective and aggressive. Ramsey is a bit more creative and better at passing but can over complicate. If we want a bit of competitiveness and caution, it may be better to start Le Coq and then let Ramsey come in later when things open up. Its the same with Giroud and Welbeck. Giroud isn’t terribly mobile but he is more efficient with movement and makes good runs into the 6 yard box plus he has been more efficient than Welbeck who misses easy chances. Start Giroud if we feel they will… Read more »
Agreed on this perspective. And even as one of Coq’s biggest boosters (oh, sorry, that doesn’t sound right…), I say you have to look at things situationally, and playing at the Emirates against a team that has been adopting a rather defensive posture in games like this, I think you do have to start Ramsey if he’s healthy.
And I like the idea of starting Giroud in this one, too, for the reasons you mention (and Everton not being the best at defending in the box).
“..or MC to drop points”? MC are 3 points ahead so there is no chance to overtake them. We’re in fight for Top4 only with Liverpool. Correct?
We could still beat them, but they have 5 better GD than us so we would need man city to lose then beat everton by 4, or any other scenario that sees the goal difference gap closed by 5. We would then have same GD but we have scored more goals, so would finish above them
Except if we win by exactly one goal, $chitty lose by exactly four goals, and we score exactly one more goals than $chitty (i.e., 1-0 and 0-4, 2-1 and 1-5, etc.). Then we and $chitty are tied on points (75), goal difference (+32), and goals scored. There would have to be a neutral-site play-off for fourth and fifth places (or third and fourth, if Lverpoo also dropped points).
Man City would have to lose heavily and we win to tie on points and overhaul their superior goal difference (or end up in a play off – http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39944529)
City lose and we win, with a 5-goal swing in the GD column and we overtake them.
Or there is an (unlikely) scenario where we could end up level on points, GD, and goals scored and have to have a play-off with either Liverpool or City
No going to happen, but imagine the feeling. Almost as big as Aguerro’s famous last minute winner… 😀
Very unlikely to catch MCITY.
We will at best be level on points and the GD is an issue.
Liverpool is slightly more likely but they have shite opposition in Boro which is the issue.
Its all highly unlikely we will get top 4.
Best to resolve to Europa now. We still have FA cup which will be massive against Chelsea going for the double.
We are going for the history books in that competition (again) and wenger will be going for the most successful gaffer in that cup.
Chambo would be devastated if he miss the cup final. One of the few players that deserves starting in the final and with his performance in the last few months 1st in the list of starting along with alexis.
*Insert comment about how shit Ramsey is and we’d be better off without him
100%
But what team would Tony Adams pick? He’s the top manager that has the track record to criticise Wenger. Must be nailed on to replace Arsene.
How dare anyone criticise lord emperor Wenger?!?!
Adams ‘claims that Wenger “couldn’t coach his way out of a paper bag”’
Spot on, what has Wenger ever achieved? Whereas Adams…
Adams has a book coming out, btw.
It isn’t just anyone either. It is the former pride of Arsenal and now a doomed envious bitter hack who was being laughed at for his antics at Granada. Seen the pics?
BTW would love if Adams does a proper-coach-like breakdown of what’s ailing our team. We need more of that. Usually it’s just ‘They just don’t have leaders’ ‘Get an enforcer like Pat Vieira’ ‘Ozil is lazy!’
There seems to be quite a witch-hunt being conducted. The scavengers have already started to circle the club. With a visibly increasing percentage of fans that have become disgruntled, a rabid media (they’ve hated Arsene since he arrived) and now, ex-players who feel they haven’t gotten their due, it really shatters my faith that we will escape this…this vortex of negativity. And no, a change of manager is not the get-out-of-jail-card that many believe it to be. These quotes from Big Ton’ himself!! Proper legend, yes, but with the club reeling from several setbacks and going through a tumultuous phase,… Read more »
Great comment! I couldn’t have said it better myself… This negativity is only playing into the hands of our rivals and will inevitably give them the edge of the coming years if we let it continue to rot our fantastic club. What big players will want to join a club which has such scorn directed at it from all directions!
True that. Everyone has a right to criticise. When they stoop to assholery they need to be told to shut up. Arsenal doesn’t need one legend shitting over another.
Here’s to hoping Tony Adams’ book gets no second print.
The team picks itself really…
Back 3 IMO should be Holding…Mustafi…Gabriel (unless Koscielny is 100%)
Left wing back I prefer Monreal. Right wing back Bellerin.
Might be a case for Granit and Coquelin. Le Coq has been excellent since switch to back 3. Ramsey can also come on and affect the game later.
Alexis and Ozil are given.
Up top, I’d go for Giroud. He is still more efficient affecting the game than Welbeck and he presses into the 6 yard box better. If he doesn’t do the business, Danny can come on when legs are stretched.
We are of course heavily reliant on a bit of a miracle from Boro.
Calum Chambers please stand up.
A draw will be sufficient but Boro will have to play for their lives because Liverpuddle will be at them hammer and tong.
Given they are already ‘on the beach’, its a slim shot at best.
Doubt City will drop the ball against Watford and our GD comparative will make it hard.