So to beat the Toons, the doctor has ordered:
- The speedy recovery of our main CBs: Ben and Gabs…
- A resilient, focused, passionate, effective and yet calm performance.
- A clean sheet ideally but at least one more goal than the opposition
Well…easier said than done…
- We re still in the dark regarding Ben and Gabs so we will pbbly put together a makeshift team, not ideal
- We are under pressure after Tottenham’s victory yesterday and we have a history of cards…
- If we can’t play defenders in defense, we will let some goals in but it could be that we still score more than Newcastle
Since about 6 weeks, Newcastle has found its rhythm and shape. They have interesting players all over the pitch including Wilson, Joelington, St-Maximin, Guimares, WIllock, Lascelles, Dubrovka…Eddie Rowe is doing a great job there and I reckon that this summer they will add in British talent as well as some flair players that fit into the Newcastle culture to their squad.
For now, they have secured their place in EPL and want to finish the year positively but with the fight for relegation behind them, they may not be as hungry as a few games ago so they will play more freely, which is both good and bad for us…
Ultimately, we gotta win our last 2 games to secure the coveted 4th place…Anything else than a win and we will most likely have to settle for (already remarkable given our start of the season) a 5th place…
Predicted line-up:
Ramsdale – Tomy, Gabs, Xhaka – Cedric, El Neny, Lokonga , Saka – Odegaard – Nketiah, Martinelli
Predicted score: Hard to tell…I m not optimistic but I don’t want to be too negative so…a draw maybe?
COYG! Let’s beat those toons!
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
4:1 win to the Arsenal
3:0 up at HT
Scorers Nketiah, Odegaard, Nketiah, Saint-Maximin, Saka
I also predict that the grass will be green and that it will be a game of two halves…
COYG!!!!
From Jeorge Bird’s Arsenal Youth blog:
“Flores, Dinzeyi, Salah-Eddine, Patino and Swanson train with Arsenal first-team ahead of Newcastle clash.”
https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2022/05/15/flores-dinzeyi-salah-eddine-patino-and-swanson-train-with-arsenal-first-team-ahead-of-newcastle-clash/
Jonathan Dinzeyi, a CB, is available for selection against Newcastle.
Zak Swanson is a RB; Charlie Patino, Marcelo Flores and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand are midfielders.
Both White and Gabriel were not seen in training.
My starting team would be:
Ramsdale; Cédric, Tomiyasu, Xhaka, Tavares; Elneny, Sambi; Ødegaard, Smith-Rowe; Martinelli, Nketiah
Bench:
Leno, Dinzeyi, Swanson, Patino, Salah-Eddine, Flores, Saka, Pépé, Lacazette
Elsewhere, both Matteo Guendouzi and Konstantinos Mavropanos would join Marseille and Stuttgart respectively permanently next season.
Stuttgart avoided relegation from the Bundesliga, and now has an obligation to sign Mavropanos.
Our club should also see new signings from the MLS in Auston Trusty, a left-footed CB returning from loan at Colorado Rapids, and Matt Turner, a GK from New England, next season.
RC
Thanks for the post. Is it worth gambling with White and Gabs? If we win and they are then out for Everton, who still need points, would we be even more fed up with less than three points at the Home of Football?
I would! Provided they can turn out, let the adrenaline get them through, at least the large part of the game, AND be 3-0 up if they need to come off!😁
This is the classic game when we need those young, talented forwards to bubble over like an erupting volcano, and “”smother” the Toon effort.
It is also necessary to keep 11 men on the pitch, X!
ESR over odegard for me
I wouldn’t mind seeing ESR indeed either…but Odegaard has been so good lately too…tough choice…
Rumors:
– A. Hickey and G. Jesus strongly linked with AFC
Odegard for me doesn’t cut it when playing against a pack defense we need the directness of ESR IMO
Nice one RC.
Another game to watch from behind the sofa.
We need one of those fast starts where we blitz the opposition and get a couple of quick goals to settle the nerves.
Our players are good enough to do it, even with key injuries.
Come on you Gunners!
Go for it Gunners. Centre backs rule OK!
Gabs and Benny both start.
A risky gamble?
Could be, but this is such a must win game that it may well be worth it.
Of our final two opponents, Toon are the tougher challenge and we’re away from home.
If we have to face Everton with a weakened team at least we’ll have the terrific home support behind the lads.
If we end up with a result here, bear this in mind. Cedric, White and Gabs (both @80%), Tavares, No Partey in midfield and Saka probably at 80% also. Huge credit for a win – we have to expect to draw or lose in the circumstances. C’mon You Gooners !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another referee!!
Another referee!! Roughed up from the word go and encouraged by him.
Got to say I really didn’t fancy us tonight. After the defeat at Spurs and with Newcastle wanting to sign off on a high, I thought we would struggle. Such a shame that our season is wilting at the last minute, but the players really should hold their heads high for their efforts. I hope they can put in a big performance on the last day to give something back to the fans, and who knows, Spurs might just balls it up!!!?
No negative comments to make. 32 games we played our hearts out. First 3 and last two we were found wanting by not having our best players available. Credit to the whole squad (possible exception of Pepe who really is a poor player). Europe League still a great achievement. In the long run I think it will affect signing potential. But Rome wasn’t built in a day !!!!!!!!!!!
I think what has been shown this season is just how much deadwood we’ve carried over the last few years. It’s been a young, streamlined squad, being paid half of what we were shelling out a few years ago, yet it’s been one of our best seasons in recent times. We’ve wasted so much time and money or bang average players. I pray that Arteta and Edu don’t do the same this summer.
Think your comment is spot on Mike M. We have suffered through depth of squad, and had the young players fall off at the end of the season as well.
Pepe, what for?
Now we expect all the told- you-sos to raise their heads on this site – an Arsenal site – and prove their real colours.
Very proud of our boys.
If we’d had White, Tomi, KT and Partey in recent games we’d be home and hosed by now.
Plenty of grounds for optimism for next season.
Maybe Arsenal are just trying to get an amazing conclusion to their All Or Nothing series on Amazon, and will win on the final day as Spurs throw away fourth! Could you imagine that episode!!! 😂
Mike,
Yes, and no.
Arteta rotated nobody for months, injuries are what happens when players are in the red.
Very similar outcomes when looking at last few years goals scored, and goals conceded, so, no improvment on that at all.
However, draws are way down, points are up, but going to be 5th and in Europa.
Not that much improvment.
8th 8th 5th.
One more summer, AFC best spend well or going to be way worse next year.
Bruno Guimaraes controlled the midfield quite well, we could have used him for sure.
For, me the players tried hard, but the coach and staff let the squad down. Could have used another mid and cf, would have got it over the line easy.
For me, Arteta did not reach his goal- end of story.
As the disappointment sets in……..
….WHAT WAS MISSING, DEFINITELY AND POSSIBLY!
1. -Tierney, Partey, Tomi ( towards the end of season)
2. – Mavrapanos, Saliba, Mari.
3. – size and steely power and strength that keeps possession or wins it back, in almost all positions.
4. – a consistent goalscorer.
5. – the ability to shoot on target.
6. -the ability to come back from a goal down ( see 3)
7. – a real leader on the pitch.
Apart from that everything is fine! Happy summer AA ers.
Rocky, I envy you that you could be proud of the boys.
Honestly, I’m not trying to be either neither funny nor sarcastic, but after giving it a little more though I don’t envy you.
AH! HINDSIGHT. WHAT A WONDERFUL ATTRIBUTE.
I’m with Rocky, but first a bit of CONTEXT.
Back last August, what were your predictions for Arsenal’s season? What were the predominant predictions?
After three games at the beginning of September, try to remember the same question.
After the transfer window, ‘overpaying for White’, ‘bringing in an iffy goalkeeper’, ‘taking on an unrated Japanese fullback’, gambling on young unknowns, where did you have Arsenal by now (May 2022)?
Now we come to January, and the transfer window that mass hindsight today is branding a disaster. Well, to be fair, it was widely criticised at the time. But the management was clear, there were players they wanted, but for whatever reason they weren’t available. The club were not prepared to bring in players just to make up the numbers – a strategy of previous years which had been equally criticised by the (so-called) fan base – and admitted that by waiting for the summer, they were taking a risk with injuries and tiredness in such a small squad. The injuries tolled. Young, still-developing bodies grew tired.
We’re all miserable today, and it’s exacerbated by the crowing from up the road (I firmly believe if it were Leicester or Burnley about to trump us, we wouldn’t be feeling so bleak). There have been spells throughout the season where the team spectacularly underperformed, so it wouldn’t surprise me if last night carries through to Sunday against Everton.
However, one aspect of fielding such a callow team has not been explored. Repeatedly, they have faced shocking treatment by referees. Thursday against the chickens was another example, but as is frequently the case for Arsenal players, they have been on the end of many poor decisions, and much unmediated violence. Young, inexperienced minds can take such unfairness much more to heart, as anyone who has had children can attest, than more cynical older heads.
If you look at the sudden drops in competitiveness through the season, how often do they start with a spectacular injustice – a penalty given, a penalty not given, two yellow cards in five seconds, a yellow card for multiple offences at the first foul committed, a stamp on a face, a kick in the back of the legs, raking studs.
Despite this, and all of the above, we’re going to finish fifth. Who knew?
Let’s celebrate that.