On to the Semis: Sheffield United 1 - 2 Arsenal

It was an ugly game, with injuries, niggling fouls, haphazard officiating, and other assorted annoyances.  But in the end, a tough opponent was seen off and we're going to Wembley again.  The bad news is that we'll face City, who thrashed us at the Etihad not long ago.  Maybe they'll be overconfident, or de Bruyne will miss the team bus.

Credit Mikel for realizing he had to use three center backs to counter the aerial threat.  It wasn't hugely convincing, but it was just good enough.  (Mustafi, Kolasinac, and Luiz may not have been the three I trust most, but they managed not to concede a PK.)  I'm getting very peeved at the way opponents foul to stop our counterattacks but the refs don't always pull out a card.  These days, the counter is our best shot at scoring.  Our passing is ponderous and frequently mistimed or off-target, so buildups generally go nowhere.  That's worrisome, because we have some real talent out there and we ought to be able to find more space for Pepe's shots or Saka's runs.  

I still believe in Arteta's ideas, and eagerly await his molding of our young midfielders into slicker passers and better defenders.  We're not winning the league any time soon unless Stan has a dramatic change of heart in Arsenal's favor, but better days are coming if we keep the faith.