Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup despite playing 60 minutes against 10 men as Manchester United survived the second half expulsion of Diogo Dalot to claim victory on penalties at Emirates Stadium.
On a night to forget for the Gunners, Gabriel Jesus was stretchered off with a knee injury before Bruno Fernandes and Gabriel Magalhaes’ traded strikes. The Gunners should have won the game in normal time but Martin Odegaard missed from the spot before Kai Havertz did the same in the shootout after a drab 30 minutes of extra time.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of the action…
Arteta on another bitter defeat…
I’m pretty amazed how we haven’t won the game comfortably. With everything that we’ve done, the way we played, dominated the game, the amount of chances that we generated, big open chances and the fact that we didn’t concede anything. It’s a very hard one to take because, as I said to them, I love you guys because you are a joy to work with every single day. Individually and as a team, incredible after two or three days, how you perform again after a defeat that you didn’t deserve at all because you were much better than the opposition as well.
Source: Arsenal.com
__
Ruben Amorim on sensing it was his side’s day…
Sometimes we have the feeling that everything in the end is going to be okay. I felt that since the beginning of the second half, even after the penalty. I think the Arsenal team felt that maybe today is not their day. I’m really pleased for the way they controlled the game without the ball. We defended very well, set pieces we were really strong. It was a good day but now I’m thinking about the next game and worried about the next game.
Source: BBC One
Martin Odegaard on missing a penalty in normal time…
It’s not good enough from me, I have to score that one. I think it was a crucial moment as well, so it was a tough one to take. That’s it.
Source: Arsenal.com
__
Bruno Fernandes on United suffering their way to the win…
Obviously the circumstances of the game we played with one less we suffered a lot but we sacrificed a lot as a team and at the end you get this.
Source: BBC One
Arteta on Odegaard missing from the spot but volunteering for the shootout
The first one that happens, when you want to take responsibility and leadership in a team, it can happen. He missed it. What I loved is that when I asked them, OK, who wants to take it? He was the first one in the sheet because I want to take it. And that’s the players that we want. You’re going to have difficult moments. It’s how you respond to them. and he’s the captain and he’s the leader. And I love that he’s done that today again.
Source: Post-game press conference
__
Odegaard on what Arsenal are missing in the final third…
It’s hard to say at the moment exactly why, but I think it’s small details; the last pass, the finish, the decision-making. Again, I think we did more than enough to win this game – I don’t know if they had a better chance than the goal and we created enough to score. Me with the penalty as well, that should have been a goal.
Source: Arsenal.com
Theo Walcott on Arsenal’s football…
Arsenal have gone from being a free-flowing forward line, exciting the crowd to going a bit stale at the Emirates. They want to be hard to beat without creating too much right now. You need players to do something different and they haven’t got that at the moment.
Source: BBC One
__
Arteta on whether Arsenal need to sign a striker…
No, but I mean, we miss from various ways, from different plays. And I understand guys that, but I cannot love our players more. And I focus very much on the ones that we have to perform at the highest level. That’s it. The rest is not in our hands, in my hands.
Source: Post-game press conference
Alan Shearer on selecting United keeper Altay Bayandir as the man of the match…
Altay Bayandir was absolutely outstanding. He holds his nerve [in the shootout], he doesn’t blink first. It was a three-way tie between him and [Matthijs] De Ligt and [Harry] Maguire who I thought were also superb but just because of his penalty save, I thought I would give it to him [the man of the match award]. When you get given an opportunity, you have to take it and he took it today.
Source: BBC One
__
Martin Keown on Arsenal’s performance…
It was like being at the dentist when they went down to Manchester United. The longer it went on it looked like Man Utd’s evening – respect to them.
Source: BBC One
Raya was doing my head in!
Yes, in the shootout he was diving two weeks before the ball had been kicked.
Definitely the weirdest shoot out I’ve seen. Just don’t get how he kept going the same way before the ball was kicked.
This is quite unusual from him I believe. I was hoping he would bail us out like he did against Porto but the opposite happened.
Normally you have assume the penalty will be scored. However, Raya would stand a better percentage chance by delaying when he dives a bit.
SOMEONE please tell Arteta that it’s the team who puts the ball in the other teams net MORE TIMES than they put it in yours who WINS the game…..
Forget all the fancy stuff, it’s really a simple game!
It’s all about the xG. 🤪
A frustrating evening and if we’re honest it felt inevitable after a while. This Arsenal side might be hard to beat in 90 mins, but we lack killer instinct and we have become so predictable. It’s great that players like Lewis-Skelly are coming through, but he’s not what we need at left back on a regular basis. If you’re a team playing Arsenal you know that exactly how they will play and what players you need to nullify. Sterling’s slight unpredictably caused them the odd problem but we desperately need a new spark, a plan B and someone determined to… Read more »
Without Saka, this team is unfocused and pushing too hard. Discombobulated, as my Nana would say.
For now I am disappointed in Declan Rice. I love his desire, but, in honesty, I was expecting someone who would be seeing the field much better.
We need a world class striker or mid-fielder now, or one ascending the cusp.
That’s me officially done with arteta now, that abrupt “no” …..it’s arrogant and biting your nose to spite your face, you’ve been told for 3 years what the problem is so now you fail to admit its a problem because you denied it all this time
Look beyond the no. Look at what else he said there. Read between the lines.
Unfortunately I think most « supporters » never go beyond the quotes. Just have a look at the ball discussion following Wednesday’s loss. I think this is self-explanatory.
Definitely should’ve said this Yoda style!
“In my hands it is not.”
“not in MY hands”
Eejit
Theo, Theo!
Altough Theo played on the right, he was better than Martinelli.
Walcott played for 12 and a half years and scored a hundred goals. That averages out at 8 a year. Let that sink in. He played with Henry, Van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo, and utterly failed to learn how to finish. He spent much of the time hiding on the right wing, taking up positions in which he couldn’t be passed to. When he hit the ball, a large percentage of his passes were straight back to the full back who had given it to him. When he had a bad game there he’d say he was a centre forward. When… Read more »
But he was one of ours.
Being stretchered off with another big injury, he still had the class to stick the two, one fingers up to the spud fans as he is carried off . He will always have credit banked.
I think it was 2-0.
Of all the goals Walcott scored it was almost always a couple when the team won by 4 or 5. I don’t remember many games when he scored the only goal and it won us the game
Thank you for speaking sense about Walcott. He was not a good player. I think overall, as an actual footballer, he’s one of the worst we’ve ever had. What’s crazy is if you were to look at his highlight reels you would think he was one of the world’s best ever. He scored a lot of great goals and his pace when he used it well was exhilarating. However, when watching him live it was readily apparent he had no game sense, technique or fight. He was a passenger in the team most of the time, contributed nothing to the… Read more »
He barley played is first few seasons. There were injuries. And then his last few seasons he also slowed down. Havertz, Martinelli and Trossard won’t reach 100 combined during their time at Arsenal.
Barely played his….
Theo scored 21 and 19 goals in his best seasons. Even Sterling who was a top top winger in his prime did not. Saka obviously will but hasn’t done that yet.
Raheem scored 20 goals in 2019/20 🥸
Most overrated and frustrating player.
We’ve come full circle.
After five years in charge Arteta sends Tierney on to run down the left to whip crosses in to be met by nobody!
Progress?
There is clear progress though. from 6th and looking really poor to being top 2-3 in the league for 2 years. If that isn’t progress, I don’t know what is. 😀 Rough day today though and the injuries this year have been rough, really disrupted any flow
Tierney presented the best crosses. I would have put him on corners, because the deliveries were poor on the whole. We’re not even set piece experts now.
Can I just say that I am extremely unhappy about the team in the last week. But I cannot and will not accept the abuse of Kai Havertz’s wife and I am sure I speak for every genuine fan on here. Enough said.
Who’s abusing his wife?
Scumbags on socials.
We already talked about this kind of situation after Newcastle but unfortunately it is what it is. I don’t think it will get better with Meta’s latest decisions. Just happy there is some moderation here.
Yeah, it’s sad and tragic. Maybe it’s time for the club to hire a psychologist full time for the abuse players receive by some scumbags from who-knows-where… 😴
It’s clearly wrong and stupid, but maybe it’s time for Havertz to have a look on YouTube videos of Romário, Suker, Batistuta, because it’s getting inexcusable and horrible this sitters he’s been missing.
He was banjaxed by Flu. His first game back you could see the brain fog….again yesterday. He is clearly not 100% yet. But he has to play as we are running out of bodies.
He must have had the flu all his life then because he has never been any good. A 65 million £300k a week waste of space. As for the so called abuse he received on social media – here is a suggestion – if he doesn’t go on there he will never get any abuse ! What a simple concept.
Havertz deserves a level of abuse – not the kind directed at his family but a level of heavy and truthful criticism. He should not be at the club on that salary.
Imagine thinking you know enough about football to have an opinion that matters.
i quit and recomend to do the same! no need to see hate all day…
I don’t know what you mean. Doesn’t everyone do this. When my co-workers put in a mediocre day at the office I always make sure to abuse their wives on the socials…
We live in a normal world.
TF is she doing on FB and X (formerly known as Twitter 😁)? Delete that shit, come hang on Arseblog to support hubby anonymously, and all is good.
👏👏👏
The sad part is we could have played another 60 minutes and we still wouldn’t score. We are definitely playing the same tactics arteta used when he first joined Arsenal. Pass right, pass left, pass back, pass back again, pass to the keeper, pass left, bring it forward, lump it in the box, only on Arsenal players in there with 4 defenders. Ffs.
Can we squeeze a trip to Dubai in before Wednesday please?!
Margate?
Sure, u paying?
We need somebody who can sit Odegaard down more even than a finisher. It’s all very well that the stats say he is creating chances for our players, but if he was at his best (or close to it) he would be taking more of these chances himself.
I hope they take Martin aside and just repeat shooting until he becomes more reliable. Everything else is there, but his finishing has gone backwards for a player with such talent.
He’s a bit Ozilesque with his shooting, allergic to it.
Yes, but he had a good season when we played more free flowing football in 22/23. It’s the safety first approach with exhausted winger from defending that ruins us.
Also, he would be in goal for the pens. And sell merch at halftime. Both creating all those chances and taking them himself? The last guy I remember doing that regularly at that level is Zidane. He retired.
Never understand why at least once the keeper stays put until the kick is taken, surely has a better chance at stopping some of the shots than he does diving well before they kick the ball.
White shirt needs to go, it’s a footballer Jonah.
Dress like Spurs, play like Spurs.
Can’t help wondering if it was always Saka + 9 others.
Ødegaard got injured and though the quality dropped we still remained competitive.
Have we won a game since Saka got injured?
It has been 10 fucking days into the transfer month and no fucking sign of any activity. I like what the blog said in the recent post, Rice is just a high note, not a regular one.
Hi, I need a hard cunt centre forward who could have literally scored 20 goals this evening. There.
I watched Dortmund-leverkeusen this weekend and Patrick Schick matches that description perfectly 💪
If we sign Schick you’ll have dozens of people crying here over his injury record..
… and lack of scoring…
Mikel, you may love your players, but unless they put the ball in the net, your love means only something to your players.
The boys are in a funk, and they need a spark. Jesus potentially down for a while, maybe it’s time for a a new striker.
We will win the league this season.
That’s the spirit!
This is the type of unpredictability and chaos we need on the field 😂
We will be lucky to be top four with Havertz in the team.
🙏🏻
XG does not take into the account the quality of the player in those positions who score. The majority of the time it is wingers and strikers. So the XG is calculated on that basis. Our wingers and strikers at the moment are not goalscorers. Ergo the data comes out always that we have a gap between XG and goals scored. That, categorically, is because we do not have the right quality of player in the position. I mean I would literally consider underscoring XG over the long term to be as close to statistical proof of needing to buy… Read more »
Simple as if Xg is higher than conversion, the shooters were not good enough, if lower the shooters were better than average
Love your players all you want. It wont stop them leaving.
That is a valid concern. Will Saliba, Gabriel and Saka stick around?
Walcott said it perfectly.
Arsenal seem to be going in the same direction they went in during the final two years of Wenger’s reign – a stubborn refusal to address glaring issues in the squad.
The difference is that Wenger had fantastic success before his downfall which earned his time, whereas Arteta does not..
Hardly a downfall. 2nd in the league. 3rd in Champions League. Captain injured for weeks. Saka out for months. White, Califiori and and and.
The squad is too thin and no quality replacements on bench.. We can afford to our two big centre half.. No quality sub for saka
Go and check all the past winners of the EPL they all won it with a proper strikers who scores 18, 20 to 30 EPL goals alone but not with an experimental misfit striker like KAI.. Its not a criticism Kai has always never being a striker and he has a weak conversion rate and goals scored, I think he only hit more goals in his career since he joins us, is trying but never the solution for this great team who truly needs a proficient striker that the team will look up to and know that if he got… Read more »
It’s the striker but also title winning sides have a more potent attack all around, or at least their best players stay fit the whole season. Really more often it’s that they have 4-6 players who it’d be no surprise if they decided a game. Liverpool have it now, City had it during their titles. An assortment of attackers that if even two of them hit form you’re sailing. And that’s with the group already at a higher level. Who did we go into this season with that you could truly count on to change a game? Saka for goals,… Read more »
Arteta knows. The board know. Everyone knows. Press conferences are about the public. Arteta cannot come out and say we need a striker. Not good for team morale, even though OF COURSE they know better than all of us what an elite striker would do to the team. Arteta cannot say “I asked the board and they said no,” as that implies the Club is divided. His praise is a bit OTT for me, and it wouldn’t hurt to clearly acknowledge opponents who played well. He KNOWS we’re turgid and it’s almost entirely due to the low blocks. Regarding his… Read more »
Apart from sponsorship deals, and new supporters and extra merchandise, one position on the table is worth around 2 millions, TV is by games played, so being in race for title is same as winning it
Yup, 2M, thank you. Now, would the Kronkes be chomping at the bit to spend 150M to increase the probability of winning the league from, say, 50% to 70%? Especially after how much they’ve spent already? I reckon they’d be more than happy with top 4. To massively boost profits, they would need to attract a bigger international fan base like Liverpool and ManU did in the past, and like City expanded theirs recently (although of course not at the level of the other two teams). In the absence of another generational talent, this degree of success would need huge… Read more »
Arsenal’s commercial and retail income for 23-24 was 190M. Even if this goes up by a whopping 30% by winning the league, it would still take almost 3 years to recoup the 150M spent for, say, Isak. So I reckon max spend on a striker will be 60-70M. We get the best we can with that decent chunk and I think that’s as high as it goes.
I don’t think creating 0.3xG is playing well.
They held the draw for 60 minutes with 10 men. If it was the other way around we’d be full of praise for our defensive effort.
We all get frustrated, we are all disappointed, but end of the day we all love Arsenal no matter who the manager is, where we finish, who we buy, next season is another chance. But there should be no room for abusing players and their family. The mental harm this does to the the player and the team is not acceptable. These people should be banned from all football platform, arrested and forced to watch sp*rs.
@ forced to watch Spurs 🤣🤣🤣
Summer plans
-sell Trossard, Partey, Zinchenko, Jesus (no chance if injured)
-buy at least 2 attackers with one being striker, creative midfielder, all around midfielder, one defender who can play a few positions
LOL
Meanwhile in the real world….
Impossible to imagine a scenario where someone buys Jesus.
Or Partey considering he’s out of contract.
Whether is was a pen or not, and I’ve seen these given for less, two united players should have been sent off. Ugarte and gernacio for grabbing havertz by the neck before Havertz fell. Look, we didn’t deserve to win. But the media narrative is that Arsenal tried to cheat their way to victory. I’ve seen worse dives for crying out loud. Plus, Maguire did throw an arm at him.
I fucking hate that White kit, no good has come of it. And if I was playing Football Manager i’d be docking two weeks wages of our entire front line.
There is something I find very odd about the main photograph at the top of the page.
The contrast between the facial expressions of Trossard/Tierney and Odegaard/Havertz is bizarre.
Yeah, it looks super weird! 🤷♀️