ARS 5 - 1 EVE, Thoughts on the Season

 I don't think Gunners fans are really upset about not making Champions' League; it's mostly disappointment we lost the last spot to that lot and so late.  I was hoping for 5th or 6th before the season started, and that's what I got, so color me satisfied.  With just a +13 goal difference, we are not ECL material anyway.  The near-collapse of Manchester United was a surprise; I did not think we'd finish above them.  Spurs finally hired a guy who could do what Pochettino did for them, and they can convince themselves they'll make another long run in the ECL--but I doubt it.

Arteta and Edu were playing with fire when they slashed the squad so ruthlessly in January, and we were fortunate to only get singed, as West Ham, Wolves, and Man U all faded late on.  Even keeping Maitland-Niles on would, I think, have seen us get 4th.  But as injuries piled up, we had to rely on backups, and they were backups for a reason.  Arteta made some naive tactical decisions in crucial games, too.  But all's well that ends well, and I'm happy with where we ended.

The decks are cleared and we can take on several transfers to complement the core of the team.  The major questions are about injuries, and about our loanees.  Will Saliba play for us next year?  Can Tierney spend more time on the pitch?  Can Partey stay fit?  Tomiyasu?  White?  We're looking for the same high quality players everyone else is, and they won't come cheap.  I'm content to wait and see.  With European football, we will have more game time to keep youth and fringe players sharp.

Crystal Palace ends with a win and a loss

But not the win and the loss I expected.  

Everton very much needed the win, Manchester United had little to play for. I hope that no punitive actions will be taken against Viera for his loss of patience with Everton fans gone to excess harassing him.  

Arsenal disposed of Everton 5-1, but lost to Newcastle, having had reasonable hopes of winning both. and this season is done.  The Europa League lies ahead for Arsenal. 

What a Game! EVE 3 - 2 CRY

 Fan belief, and some tactical brilliance from Frank Lampard, pulled Everton to an unlikely turnaround against a Palace team that dominated them in the first half.  It was a great spectacle for the neutrals.  I will confess to a fondness for the Toffees, plus I wanted them to have nothing to play for against Arsenal Sunday (though Newcastle had nothing to play for and killed us).  Everton showed enough life in the first half to make watching the second half seem worth it, so I did, and I was glad.  It was end to end in a very open game.  There was some question as to whether both teams, and especially Palace, would have eleven men on the field to the end, the action was that intense.  Even the scrappy goals were watchable.  And the jubilation of the home fans was an amazing sight.  Well, they'll be in the top flight for a 69th successive year.  Well done blues.

Palace was very dangerous too.  They had a few gilt-edged chances in the second half but hit straight to Pickford, who did not look very sure of himself.

NEW 2 - 0 ARS : Bonesaw United Dominates Shorthanded Gunners

 It's not looking good at halftime.  Newcastle is on top and I don't see us turning it around.

And so it proved.  If not for Ramsdale, it could have been 4-0 or 5-0.  We had just a couple of decent chances; Newcastle had dozens.  Fair result, and the end of our Champions' League dreams.  Norwich is not going to beat Spuds at Carrow Road.

When you look at our goal difference this year (+9), it's clear that we are not at the level of the other Premier League squads in the top four.  Europa League is a competition we might go some ways in.  We'll see.

I won't bother to rate the players.  The whole team just plain got embarrassed today.  The Magpies came to play, and they crushed us.  Everton must be encouraged by what they saw and think they have a safety valve to avoid relegation.

TOT 3 - 0 ARS: A Game Not as Close as the Score Indicates

 A lack on Arsenal's part of composure, and attention deficit syndrome, assisted a sharp Spurs side in demolishing the Gunners and making it as tough as possible for us to win both our remaining games.  In this loss, Holding was red carded, Gabriel had a hamstring injury, and Ben White was not fit enough to replace either of them from the bench.  So next game, we'll be without any senior CBs.  Tomiyasu can play there, and then we have an outside back problem and are still short a center back.

The game was a bit more affected by refereeing than it ought to have been, but Arsenal can't claim it was an unjust result.  It could have been worse and not overstated the dominance of Conte and his men over Arteta and his. We did not take care of possession when the game was competitive.  I disagree with Arteta's decision to make the game open early.  It exposed Holding to being turned or sprinted behind by Son.  It is not Holding's natural inclination to get that tight so far out.  He must have been instructed to try.  It's not his game.  He'll shine when we're on the defensive and repelling cross after cross.  But in transition, he's not fast or quick enough to be pulled so far out to mark one that closely.  He knew it, and Arteta should have known it.  The second yellow was just nasty from Holding and could have been a red.  He made those fouls, but playing in a way that did not suit him at all.  Dreadful performance.  Cedric wasn't so hot either.  Gabriel was OK before his injury, and Tomi was fine.  Our mids coughed up the ball a few times under little pressure.  There were only a few moments of real danger to Lloris's goal.  This strangulation of an inferior opponent was what Arsenal was incapable of against Leeds, down two goals and a man and still got to 2-1 at our place.  While the boys up front played some good football, we never looked like scoring.

I'm not worried about the psychology of this loss.  They're pros and will focus on Newcastle.  I'm worried about our entire defensive first choice team being unable to play at St James's Park.  Lose there, and Spuds lift that fourth trophy, and I'll remind myself in consolation that I'd have been delighted with 5th place if offered it last August.  It looks grim.

Tottenham did what they had to do, and then some.  Credit to them.

A proposal for you, Char

Char, here's a deal for you. I will pay for tickets to you and I and your wife and my son to the next Crystal Palace – Arsenal game at Selhurst Park, but not your hotels, food, airplane tickets, etectera, We will stay at a nice place I know of in London, good and moderately priced, at Queen's Gate Hotel, in the Kensington area. Gloucester train station is nearby. I will get us good, but not the most expensive tickets, and make certain that you have access to them, once purchased, with or without me. If, of course, I can talk my son into it and your wife is agreeable, and the timing is not impossible. That hotel is near Imperial College, which has a nice museum. It will take some coordination, but I am willing to look into it. I am not going over $500 for seats. A fairly good seat should be no more than $250. Once seated, the Brits don't even leave the game to pee.

If your lads disgrace my boys, and you run afoul of my fans, and they get ugly, you are on your own, but we are not nearly as brutal as the Liverpool crowd. I'm an old man, and a few hundreds of wasted dollars are no big deal for me. If it would be fun for you. If I should not up and die, you could work it out with Randy. Money, at that level,  is of little concern at my age (80).  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_College_London

Arsenal 2 - 1 Leeds

 The Gunners made hard work of fending off ten man Leeds with a two goal lead.  That third goal never came and we coughed up our first goal of the season off a corner kick to make the last 20 minutes a whole lot more nerve-wracking than it should have been.  But job done, and we now sit four points better than Spuds.  Tottenham needs to beat us at home Thursday, and current form indicates that they ought to do that.  But I'm hoping we rise to the occasion.  A win and Arsenal will have secured fourth place.

Everton managed another three points today to pull themselves barely out of the relegation zone.  

Crystal Palace and Arsenal battling over Eddie Nketiah

 

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/05/05/report-crystal-palace-make-player-mikel-arteta-wants-at-arsenal-their-no-1-summer-target/

Coming up - Crystal Palace - Watford

 Meeting our old manager on the other side of the fence, Saturday.  I expect Watford, surely doomed to relegation,  to play well, maybe even to win  

European Finals Set; Astonishing Semi in Madrid

 Those who thought that the second leg of the semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City could not be more exciting than the 4-3 thriller in England were delighted to be proved wrong, as the Spanish giants scored three times after the start of the 90th minute to turn the tie around.  I almost turned it off with Pep's boys up by two goals on aggregate, and Real not having registered a shot on goal for a long time.  But two excellent goals from Rodrygo got the 16 time European champions to extra time, and a Benzema PK got them a ticket to Paris to face Liverpool, who had a scare of their own before reasserting their utter dominance of Villareal in the second half of the return fixture in Spain.  I am looking forward to that final.

There was less drama in the semis of the Europa League and Europa Conference League.  Frankfurt will meet Rangers to decide the former final, and the lesser final will be between Roma and Feyenoord. West Ham picked up an early red card, dooming their hopes, and Leicester never really got going.  Glasgow looked strong.

WHU 1 - 2 ARS -- Three Points Just Barely Earned

 Outplayed for much of the match, Arsenal managed two headers off corner kicks and kept pace with Tottenham, which had easily beaten Leicester earlier in the day.  I expected the Hammers to rest more of their important players before their crucial second leg against Frankfurt midweek.  But they put out a strong team and were very good.  Our man of the match, according to Arteta and me, was Rob Holding, who got his first Premier League goal in 81 appearances.  Credit to him for training and being ready to come in for the injured Ben White (hamstring).  He's not great with the ball at his feet, but he's become a reliable central defender with unmatched prowess in the air.  Ramsdale made a great save too.  West Ham scored at the stroke of halftime off a fine move and finish, helped by a deflection off Gabriel's butt.  Gabriel got our second, though, on a continuation after a corner kick, Martinelli putting in a wonderful cross for Gabriel to power home off Fabianski's knee.

There are four potential banana peels remaining:  Leeds, which will be desperate to avoid relegation; Spuds, who are playing better than us now; Newcastle, which looks quite strong currently; and finally Everton, who may also be desperate to avoid relegation then.  Up next for the Spuds is Liverpool.  Then it's us, Burnley, and finally sorry Norwich.