Two weeks ago, Arsenal traveled to Molineux to face Wolves knowing defeat would see them slip below the midlands side.
A 1-0 win puts us 5 points clear, but tomorrow night’s visit of Wolves to the Emirates sees a repeat of the previous scenario. An away would see them go above us in the Premier League table, a win would reestablish that 5 point margin.
The importance of the game fixture is significant for our continued push for a top four place, and Mikel Arteta insists his players are fully aware of how much is riding on this one.
“They know”, said the Spaniard. “They know what every game means for us, we know where we are and that race is going to be run right until the end.
“You see a lot of clubs involved, you see very different results that you don’t expect, but we play at home and the importance of gaining points at home is going to be crucial to get to our destination.
“For the club this is where we want to play [Champions League], and this has to be the aim every year to be playing among the best teams in the world. That’s what we want.”
Asked what he was expecting from tomorrow’s opposition after their successive wins over Sp*rs and Leicester, Arteta said, “Nothing different really. They’ve been really consistent, I think the work the manager and coaching staff are doing is exceptional.
“They have a really clear way of playing, and they are a really competitive team. It will be tough tomorrow.”
Key match for us, I’m scared of Wolves!
Don’t cry Wolf
Fact is that we haven’t won our last 4 home matches versus Wolves.
Hope that changes…
Thing is, every game can be taken as ‘must win’.
Obviously, we’re going to drop points along the way. But this is the first season in ages where we’ve a proper chance of tangible success.
Add to this the fact we’re playing some really good football and there’s a lot to look forward to matchday to matchday.
F*ck Sp*rs. F*ck ManU. Five into four has its benefits come May.
“But this is the first season in ages where we’ve a proper chance of tangible success.”
I remember all those years ago when the sage – Arsene Wenger – was mocked by all and sundry for calling top 4 a trophy.
Now, it depicts tangible success.
Arsene Knows.
Top Four was abysmal under Wenger given that he would have fortified the team but didn’t. And please, don’t talk about lack of funds then.
Everyone seems to forget Emery’s first season. We finished on 70 points in 5th. Behind Chelsea’s 72 and S***s’ 71. We lost 3 and drew 1 of our last five games. Completely bombed that run in. And then also proceeded to loose in Baku.
But that was close AF.
Having said that… i get why everyone seems to forget it.
A loss would be too painful after the celebration gate. A win, on the other hand, would be incredibly sweet.
Tomi and Gabi are back, everyone is fit and firing. Make it happen boys!
I don’t believe the popular narrative that every game is a cup final. If you lose a cup final it’s game over, whereas in the race for top 4, every team will drop points.
That being said, we’re at home, and we have several more difficult games in the future, so I do see tomorrow as a must win.
But that’s the whole point – approach every game like a cup final where you either win all or lose all. That’s the mentality we want. I don’t see how the analogy is out of place
It brings pressure we don’t need, play to win but we don’t need to force things and make it harder on ourselves. I could feel desperation in our games against burnley and brentford
Champion teams do it intrinsically, playing to win and treating every game as critical, because of practice and lived experience, having had it drilled into them, having tasted glory and knowing what that requires – we haven’t been there in a long time so this might be a sort of bridging tactic. I guess as a club over the last decade or more we’ve been guilty of going into games ponderously and taking the whole first half to get going – clearly having more class and ability than opposition teams but not showing it on the day, instead being jaded… Read more »
Looks like a scene from Dirty Dancing up top. Nobody puts Cedric in the corner!
(Except for our set piece coach. He had Cedric take quite a few corners on Saturday.)
As good and difficult as Wolves have been, we made them pretty blunt in the away tie. I remember the commentator saying “Arsenal have reduced them to taking shots from distance.” That was how effective we were until Martinelli happened. Maybe playing away made it easier for us, but I don’t expect them to play differently. They won’t be brimming with confidence either; I suspect it is going to be ‘Safety first’ football from them. I believe we are a better team man for man, and should nick this. Unlike the Arsenal teams of Arsene’s later years and into Emery,… Read more »
They have been better away than at home this season, perhaps because a very conservative, defensive approach is more difficult with your fans demanding more. I think we will start quickly, put lots of pressure on them and, if we score in the first half-hour, we will win comfortably. Their fullbacks will have a lot of trouble with Saka and (I think) Smith Rowe, but they really clog the centre. So overlaps, underlaps, from Tierney and Tomiyasu rather than lots of crosses.
I think this is one of our hardest fixtures left.
Chelsea/liverpool <- tier 1 teams
wolves/united/shit <- tier 2 teams
If we can get the 3 points out of this game it will bode extremely well for our form and confidence going into the other games.
And West Ham away might be a tough one as well
Depends what kinda form they’re in by then. I went to their game with Watford(my missus is a Hammer) & they were awful. It seems that if you keep Bowen quiet then their attacking threat is nullified because Antonio is too busy throwing himself to the floor & fighting with the CBs & Benrahma seems to have forgotten he plays football
I think this is going to be a chippy game. Release the XHAKA! Haha.
Hopefully we get the ref from the Man U Leeds game where nothing was a yellow card. Insane watching those McTominey fouls. If that was Xhaka….
It’s Atkinson so that could go either way with him
Just blow the Wolves off the turf. COYG!!!