Aston Villa 1 - 0 Arsenal

What a dreadful display.  Aside from Grealish, Villa did nothing especially good in the run of play, but they still were better than the outfit that beat Liverpool and City in the last week.  There's no point rating the players; the whole team was awful.  There was little chance for a 7th place league finish even had we won our last two games, so we lost just a few million pounds with this tepid display.  Tenth place...the table doesn't lie.We're not very good.

Arsenal 2 - 0 Manchester City (FA Cup semifinal)

I knew we could beat City, but I was not confident we'd win.  They're just so good.  However, we have the talent to get at their back line and in truth City could have shipped another two goals.  For all their dominance, they had (I think) just one shot on target, beautifully saved by Martinez with the game in the balance.  We were lucky against Liverpool, but we thoroughly deserved this win.

Every Gunner was magnificent.  It certainly looks as though the players are buying into Arteta's project.  The Brighton collapse, our failure at Tottenham, and the Nketieh red card (not a red for me) has made the Cup our last shot at Europe.  It will not be easy.  We aren't going to sneak up on anyone now.

Arsenal 2 - 1 Liverpool

Had we played decently last game and got the three points, or even one point, this great result would have been significant for our season.  I suppose it still could be if we get a lot of help, but odds are that it will be remembered very fondly by Reiss Nelson but will not linger long in anyone else's mind.  I do like that it will get across to the players better than any talk from Mikel that they can't ever give up, that anything can happen, and they can win if they do their jobs.  We looked dead and buried after the 'Pool goal, but this time it was our opposition's turn to self-destruct.

Anyway, we're still in the Cup, and it seems clear that Arteta's focus has shifted to that competition.  We can beat City on our day.  One step at a time.

Rob Holding finally started.  If only he'd been in the side the last couple games!

If Bernd Leno gets any more time this season, I'll be surprised.  It's pretty crazy how many excellent keepers we've had in recent years.  They had to be.

Spuds 2 - 1 Arsenal

Too many mistakes, starting with Arteta playing Kolasinac instead of Holding.  It could have been 5-3 Tottenham if the good chances had been taken by both teams.  This finishes us for Europa League, I think, barring a Cup miracle, though they'll keep flailing until the curtain comes down.  The table does not lie; we're a mid-table underperformer that will probably languish there unless we shore up a dreadful central defense.  Martinez was excellent again.

The Run-In

Here's the territory around us with four games to go:



United in 5th (58) is out of reach, and Everton in 11th (45) is not going to challenge for Europe.  Here are the remaining games for each of these teams:

Arsenal:  Tottenham, Liverpool, Villa, Watford
Wolves:   Everton, Burnley, Palace, Chelsea
Sheffield:  Chelsea, Leicester, Everton, Southampton
Spuds:     Arsenal, Newcastle, Leicester, Palace
Burnley:  Liverpool, Wolves, Norwich, Brighton

No one has it easy.  Our last two games may be against teams fighting relegation.  If we're fortunate, by the time we play them their fates will be determined and it may cost them an edge, but you never know, as Tottenham found out a few seasons ago against Newcastle on the last day of the season--the last St Totteringham's Day on record.  Obviously, our next game is crucial; losing at Spuds could all but extinguish our hopes for Europa League qualification.  Anything we can get from Liverpool will be precious.  Then it's a matter of not slipping on a banana peel in the last two games.  Ten points should be enough, maybe nine or even seven if we're lucky.  With three of the teams at a goal difference of exactly eight, running up the score is imperative if we get the opportunity.

Arsenal also has it in their hands to qualify by winning the FA Cup, of course; and if we don't, I think that means that 7th place in the table will qualify for EL qualifying rounds.  I am assuming City will once again be let off and allowed to play in Europe, otherwise maybe 8th place will do.  But we'll be aiming to maximize points and finish in 6th--just in case we can't dispose of City and Man U/Chelsea to win the Cup.

Arsenal 1 - 1 Leicester

First, credit both keepers for making some excellent saves.  Martinez also came outside his area to clear dangerous outlet passes at least twice too.  The result, I think, was unlucky for us.  Nketiah's infraction was borderline red.  He didn't leave in the boot and the player he fouled wasn't hurt.  But those are often given, so I can't complain too much.  Disallowing the Vardy goal would have been harsh.  I thought Perez slowed the ball's progress slightly with a grazing touch, but it wasn't obvious and apparently the VAR authorities weren't interested in that anyway, or so they say.  Before the game, I hoped for a win but I was not terribly confident about it.  A point doesn't do us much good, but maybe we can win three of the last four and that will suffice.

I was really happy with how we played.  The pace was fast, and there were misplaced passes from both sides.  Players were hitting the ground, Mustafi got kicked in the head and slammed to the turf, there were a lot of fouls (but few cards), and no one was moaning.  It's a damned shame we had to play short for 24 minutes, but the Foxes were getting chances when we had 11 out there in the second half, so I'm not sure we'd have done better had Eddie stayed on.  Kolasinac was decent but he really doesn't know what to do with the ball when he has it.  I liked Xhaka's play a lot.  It's funny how Saka seems to play better on the left.  Tierney once again was excellent.

No complaints, just a few regrets.  On to the NLD!

Wolves 0 - 2 Arsenal

This was a real test.  Two superbly taken chances won the points for the Arsenal.  Saka's was prettier, a lovely sweeping high volley just inside the near post, but I enjoyed Lacazette's even more.  The first touch was perfect, and the rocket off the inside of the far post unstoppable even though the keeper was in position.  The Gunners made Molineux look like a comfortable place to go, and deserved the three points from this hard-fought contest.

Four wins in a row definitely has improved my mood.  I really don't see us overhauling United or Chelsea, but it's not impossible.  What I really want is a European place, and Europa League will do if the ECL is out of reach.  We need the games for our young players and squad players.

Five games to go, including a high stakes North London derby:  Leicester, Spuds, Liverpool, Villa, and Watford.  Two teams at the top, two fighting for their PL lives, and rival Tottenham.  I think we'll be up for it.  The three at the back system we've been having success with does seem to have made us harder to break down with balls into the box.  Our GK has looked commanding on high crosses too.  Tierney and Soares are dangerous on attack and are proper fullbacks too.  (Hector is taking a while to regain his pre-ACL form.)

Midfield is still a worry but the back three gives the fullbacks more license to help the engine room.  I hope Torreira is close to 100% because we sure could use him.  If we can keep Auba, we have plenty of attacking firepower, though we never did fill that Giroud-shaped hole up front.

Please, boys, don't burst my bubble!  Sixth place should do it, maybe seventh, depending on a lot of things with the ruling on City and the FA Cup results.  Heck, why not just win that?

Arsenal 4 - 0 Norwich

Sure, we got two absolute gifts, easily converted by our top scorer, but pressure forces mistakes.  It wasn't total domination by any means, but the Canaries took Man United to OT in the Cup game a few days before.  Goals for Xhaka and Soares (on his debut!) were most welcome too.  We were due an easy win.  Martinez was sharp when he had to be.  The Arteta project is one I hope we follow through on.  Ozil and Guendouzi are being shown that they are not needed in their current frame of mind.  I'll miss the Frenchman, but am sick of the German.  How can he want his career peak to end like this?  Arteta is showing faith in the players, young and old, who are committed to his vision for the team and show it every day in training.  They are responding, too.