Sorry but I’m struggling to get my head into football mode for you this morning. Don’t panic, I haven’t gone all Jose Mourinho, I don’t regard the final fixtures of a season as any less interesting or important than the first, it isn’t that. I’m just buried in another project and it’s demanding all of my time. I’ve missed watching the last three matches live and may well be working while watching this one so it’s becoming something of a habit as we hurtle towards a football free summer.
Luckily enough there is a website which allows me to watch the games without having to wait for the club to put them up and of course without knowing the result – something the official site seems to delight in sharing. I’ve had my suspicions after each game that we had won because one of the young men I support from time to time is an Arsenal fan and he can’t resist texting me a simple ‘Up the Arsenal’ message at around the time of the final whistle, something I suspect wouldn’t happen had we lost.
I shall at least be working from home this evening and so ought to be able to keep one eye on the action. It’ll be interesting to see if the game follows the pattern of our recent outings. Seems to me Arsène has bemused opponents by being less direct, less gung ho from the kick off playing a little deeper and gradually winding up the tempo as the game goes on. Teams who set out to park the bus must be confused to find their opponents content to slide the ball around among themselves as they peer from over the barricades wondering if the attack will ever come and if so, how it will transpire.
When your entire strategy is based upon tempting nine red and white shirts forward then instigating a long ball counter attack designed to drag the remaining central defender wide thus leaving a hole for others to romp through, it must be at least a little disconcerting to suddenly find three centre backs facing you and two wing backs pelting home to help them. It certainly seems to be working.
It needs to work twice more and we need City and Liverpool to screw up for our league ambitions to be realised. We all know the history, it’s happened before and who’s to say it won’t happen again? Of course it’s unlikely but if we don’t allow our dreams to draw us forward then our fears will surely drag us down. I would love another nail biting last day like last year, it rounds off a season rather wonderfully to confound one’s critics at the death. It would certainly provide the perfect aperitif to the cup final feast.
Standing in our way this evening is a Sunderland side who have had the kind of season they’d want to forget. It is in fact the kind of season that the small minority of so called fans, that gibbering, Wenger hating flock of self aggrandising, self important, attention seeking, septic sores on the beautiful face of our great club, seem to think Arsenal has endured. Having said that even if we were rooted at the foot of the table they’d still be over the top in their criticisms, so far from reality have they strayed.
Poor Sunderland are actually in the mire for real and not just in the imaginations of a few escaped lunatics. They cannot save themselves, their future is in the Championship but then so was that of Newcastle at a similar stage of last season and look how they performed against a certain Middlesex team who had it all still to play for. It’s a curious time of any campaign and weird results can and do happen. I just hope they don’t happen to us.
My real concern is the fitness of the players after a gruelling run of matches. There must be tiredness in some of the legs and with the cup final looming it would be such a shame for any of them to miss out. It would be especially galling for Alexis as he has just returned to form. Much like Aaron Ramsey the Chilean has that tenacious quality to keep trying to play his best possible football even when out of form and out of touch. Neither player likes to look for the simple option and both keep their heads up and keep plugging away until their natural game returns. Both have shown signs of getting back to their energetic, creative best and I will be keeping everything crossed that we see them at Wembley.
Sorry there I go again getting ahead of myself. It is difficult to maintain focus with an FA Cup final just around the corner. Even though Arsène keeps on getting us to Wembley I never tire of the occasion. However, Champion’s League qualification is, in some ways, as big a target and one we cannot give up until all hope is gone. Three points tonight keeps the flame alight and a favour from that most unlikely source – a certain Mr Pulis – will make the last day anything but boring.
If you’re at the match have a wonderful evening, if like me you’re watching online I hope the God of the dodgy internet stream smiles upon you and keeps you virus free. For the penultimate time in this league campaign I shall bid you farewell. Up the Arsenal!
Positively Arsenal 
Hello.Hello, anyone here?
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Good morning Stew, good morning George
To my shame I allowed the mundane to interfere with my proper duties this morning. I am in the ‘Que sera sera’ mode for the remaining two PL games. It seems inconceivable that either Liverpool would mess up what should be an easy three points against Boro, or that we would be so remiss as to not batter the Black Cats and Everton to ensure that if the crack in the door was open we would not slip through it.
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Good stuff Steww.
Think our last three games have been among our top ten performances/results this year. City in cup was as well, so if we maintain it, that’s nice form heading into the final.
Also makes it four of seven games, since switching formation, being among the top ten. Think that highlights what a success it has been.
While on subject of lists, Ozil’s at weekend means he has two of the places in my favourite three goals this year, with Giroud’s the other obviously. Think Ozil played a pass somewhere in that one as well. Wonderful moments.
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“If we don’t allow our dreams to draw us forward then our fears will surely drag us down.”
That Stew. And absolute truth in life and the football context of there being no point in supporting the Arsenal if you cant even get yourself to believe in them.
Great read and here’s me and I’m sure all of the PA community contortioning ourselves to finishing this season off with a bang!
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Morning Stew, George, Andy, Rich and Lance. Thanks Stew as always for taking us into the action.
COYG!! Up and Mack’em! They like it Mack’em!
Viva Las Wenger!
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In the words of Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over til its over.”
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I hope Wenger’s comments about some teams already being on their holidays does not come back to bite us tonight. It was an odd time to make such a remark with us playing an already relegated team, and with everton next, a team that can not go lower or higher than 7th
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In the words of Yogi “I don’t care what happens, I’ll moan”
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PG: All them bloggers, without exception, are convinced we will never make top-4. Apparently they are also mathematically challenged.
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Carmon Arsenal. Carmon!
Click, Click, Click!
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…are they convinced because the pessimistic outlook means less disappointment should it not happen? Pessimism means always more suffering! What in Yogis hamper? Roast Spud?
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Ed-do you think AW was talking about West Ham when he meant some teams are on their holidays already?
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The real Yogi:
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“its not the honour you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind”
Jackie Robinson
“theres always next year”
Dem Bums.
Get the Dodgers back to Brooklyn!
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While all eyes seem to be on Liverpool, I think the team we are most likely to overtake is Man City. Yes, assuming we win our 2 remaining matches, all we need to overtake Liverpool is for them to draw against Boro. It is true that this is the more mathematically likely of our chances but I strongly doubt this outcome. I think Liverpool will give it their all and bar for extraordinary amount of bad luck, I think they will get a win. In fact if they get an early goal, it could end up a bloodbath for Boro.
Man City on the other hand must get a win tonight and at least a draw at Watford on the last day. If the fail to get more than 3 points from both encounters, we head into goals difference territory. If this happens, and we have win our 2 games, we cut into Man City’s +4 advantage and we could score enough against Sunderland, we might just be okay.
I this second scenario is more convoluted but I have a lot more faith in Watford beating Man City. At least they have their fans to please with an end of season performance while Boro have nothing going for them.
Come on Arsenal, let’s do this!
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Ooh sorry good evening everyone, got one foot on the beach syndrome down here!
I’d say Sunderland are one of our bogey teams so let’s watch out. Admittedly we usually beat them pretty well in London but I’ve seen us draw a disconcertingly high number of games with them over the years so it’s not sensibly possible to take anything for granted here.
But fascinated to see our team lineup tonight, could be one or three rested … even if our opponents left for the beach some time ago.
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How eerily quiet is this site. Before the cannons roar!
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COYG
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Come on you Gunners!
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We playing Blackburn?
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Sanchez / Ramsey axis looking smooth already.
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with that foul call on gibbs its clear what we can expect from roger east tonight
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alexis shot hits giroud on the arm and goes in, east rules it out
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WTF? Oh handball. Darn it.
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All right Eddy? Just you and me tonight it seems.
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Quite quiet in the Arsenal stadium tonight. Have the Groanhog day crew gone on holiday by mistake?
One rule for Crouch, one rule for Larry?
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Sorry Millsey – didn’t see you sat over there. Good evening.
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Giroud oh so close, pickford with a fine save
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Bet you say that to al the girls Stew! Evening to you and Eddy.Hope youre both doing well.
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Rambos looking good!
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Holdings looking good!
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right here… since I can’t watch and BBC commentary is suspect
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Evening TS. Rampaging Rob Holding run just now. Quite open game, they’ve had half chances too,
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Would be nice to have a goal fest for the Gunners tonight, five or so.
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evening Steww… well done with the preview as per usual. well done with commentary so far
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Score in a minute, we’re gonna score in a minute etc
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Some lovely movement out there.
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we aint getting a penalty tonight
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Ramsey held in the area after phenomenal skill from Giroud. No pen.
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Bellerin booked for a handball
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Rueful shake of the head from Bellerin as he’s dumped on the floor and only a throw in given
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Ever, Greatest @FaithInWenger 4m4 minutes ago
Ref just explaining to giroud that he plays for arsenal, so of course the defender can do whatever he likes to him
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Ramsey never under hits a pass does he? Absolutely thumps the ball to his team mates.
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Xhaka angry with himself so kicks a Sunderland player.
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Just off the boil at the moment.
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gibbs with contender for worst cross of the season
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sunderland in too easy there
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