Well, we all knew that this was going to be one of Arsenal’s toughest games in the title run-in, and we all know that Unai Emery has got a great record against the Gunners, but NOBODY really believed that Aston Villa would destroy us at the Emirates.
But so it has come to pass, and all we can do now, is live in hope that Man City drop points, which is MORE than unlikely, especially with Liverpool losing earlier today.
We can all make excuses like we had a very intense game against Bayern in midweek, but I really hope we are not going to be knocked out of both competitions in the same week; there will be a LOT of unhappy Arsenal fans on JustArsenal, and we will not be surprised.
But we are Gooners and we don’t give up. The lads will just have to pick themselves up and try and believe that they can come back against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, then just pray that Man City drop points.
But also, we should realise that we have had a fantastically exciting season, that we haven’t had for a very long time, and console ourselves with the fact that Mikel Arteta has made us competitive again.
We must NOT give up, strange things have happened in the Premier League before, and it may happen again this season.
Let’s sit back relax, and get behind the boys for Wednesday…
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
Starting line up cost us, we had months of evidence that Havertz in the middle 3 just does not work. For those sensitive souls I am not scapegoating Havertz, he plays well in the front line, we don’t function properly with him forced into the middle 3!!!
We should’ve made changes much earlier, you could see it wasn’t working. Partey should’ve come on to sit with Rice in front of the back 4 ESPECIALLY with Zinny in the backline
I still don’t understand why Eddie wasn’t sold and how on earth he justifies his salary, absolute mugging of the AFC funds.
Credit to Villa and Emery, fantastic manager and well set up team.
If we don’t pull off a miracle against Bayern there’s going to be a ton of questions and rightfully so.
It worked well in the first half, we created enough to be ahead. Kai, Saka, Trossard and Jesus were not clinical enough and in the second half we got tired.
Blinkers off now
Why would there be questions if we don’t beat Bayern away? Is that a joke?
Arsenal are a million miles off Bayern’s level in European competition, and we saw that at the Emirates. Arsenal are a nothing club in Europe, especially in the CL.
I think they’ll knock us out, but I hope we’ll at least go down fighting.
I wonder ooo
They almost beat us at home
And some fans till thinks we’re better than them
It’s like no one is aware and understands that good pedigree counts for a lot, irrespective of form.
Who said we are better than them? Having to beat them in 1 game vs being a better team overall are 2 very different things. What do you think pulling off a miracle means??
Comprehension……..is needed but is lacking 🙂
Based on your own words, comprehension……..is needed but is lacking indeed!
Because you said questions should be asked if we don’t beat Bayern, which by itself means, we should be beating Bayern.
Now you’re claiming that it be pulling off a miracle beating them. Meaning we’re not expected to beat them, hence the word miracle! Which would not render the defeat questionable.
For a few reasons young Jen….
– no win in 3 games if that happens in the “usual” period around April
– win 2/3 games and we in the UCL final
– shows the mentality we’ve been crowing about having but haven’t shown it in the exact game we needed it…..after Liverpool dropping points and City being ahead of us
Well MA has MASSIVELY upgraded our mentality from the trash we’ve been used to since 2006, but can he get us over the final hurdle, which will always be the toughest, that will be the question.
My worry is, If we don’t perform against Bayern, M win Epl or UCL. Question would be asked by fans on why Arteta should still remain as coach after 5 seasons in a big club like Arsenal.
If Arteta is considered a “tactical genius” then how good is Emery? Simply owns Arteta without spending 800 million. Did him in Europa, and has done the double this year.
Simply not good enough.
Switching Havertz to midfield and Jesus as striker was stupid. Jesus can’t score in a brothel with a trunk of cash. Injured again, time to sell this Summer.
Zinchenko, oh my only thing shocking is thinking he could do a job and contain/manage anything on the left.
Liverpool stumble, we have a chance to go 3 points over them AND goal difference, and we bottle it.
So what if UE keeps beating MA? Admit we made a hasty mistake and get him back?
👍 Durand
You’re so spot on. The set up was wrong from beginning.
Players were operating like a Ferrari with parking brakes on.
I wondered why Arteta changed it up with Harvetz and created a laboured attacking set up.
Trossard is a proven impact player but never delivers when he’s started.
Rewarding with a start because of the Bayern game was wrong.
Arteta should have maintained the first 11 thats been winning games, not tinker with the line up.Trossard is an impact player and shouldn’t have started. Kai ought to have kept his position, Kiwior starts ahead of Zin..Martineli was sleeping on the first goal, very casual and didnt keep eye on his man and that cost us the match
It’s down to a lack of a top striker. We dominated the first half and should have been 2-3 goals ahead, but Kai and Jesus are just not good enough against better defenders. Such an unnecessary loss, that really gives City a clear shot at the title.
They are not strikers. SIMPLES
Exactly….and all the short sighted people going on last month, “we are scoring more than anyone in the EPL by far, why do we need a striker?”
Given up trying to explain to them, the need for a striker doesn’t show in games you win 4-0….not sure why people can’t understand that
👍
👍👍Arsenal’s forward players need too many chances to score. The goal total this year should have been considerably greater with clinical
forwards, given the chances created by midfield.
We need a striker when we can’t score, we don’t need a striker when we can score, we need a striker when we can’t score…that’s our story. A funny bunch we are
Any how one look at it, Arteta is to be blamed. Arteta should have known by now that the team struggles each time Harvertz plays in the midfield. Records are there to prove that Trossard is a super sub who makes much impact from the bench. He should also have known by now that Jesus is wasteful since he came back from injury. Zinchenko ofcourse, is a liability and a burden in the defense. If he must play him, why not in the midfield where he excel? This obsession for inverted wing back role is not doing us any good especially, as other teams knows the antidotes.
Why would Arteta and his boys be toying with our emotions towards the end of every season? Why would our players play as if nothing was at stake? When are going to have a team that will be business -like 90 minutes? When are we going to have a coach that will get his team selections right according to opponents. When are we going to have front line that will be ruthless and take their chances.
Well, I just hope this is not a repeat of last season’s horror.
A manager is ultimately in charge of the team, so credit to him when we win and naturally blame too when we lose. I would personally cut MA some slack for the purple patch we had a couple of months back. Did we peak too early? I hope not.
The wheels started coming off with 10 games to go last season. How we respond in the next few games will show if we have improved from last season. Let’s hope City drop points soon
False 9 has worked with Harvetz.
That’s where he got goals from.
Arteta changed it up and just set up the team wrong
Zinchenco out, lucky it wasn’t 4 nill. Worst player by far
Zinny? EVERY Villa’s close attempt (maybe aside the Watkins goal,) came from directly from him or from his side. Had the bar and goal posts not been our friends, it could have easily been a worse scoreline. I thought Tommy was coming on for White, but…
And I thought Pablo Viera would be introduced to help Martin out to create better chances.
I think Mikel screw things up with the subs.
All is not lost YET, and I PRAY we take our chances against Bayern; else we may just finish 3rd in the EPL.
Thought Tommy was coming on for him (Zichenko), until i saw White taken off.
Boy was poor today.
Meanwhile, Granit and Leverkusen has been crowned CHAMPIONS! Anyway, we head to Germany to take on Bayern munich next, COYG!!!
And have it at the back of your mind, that we will win the league.
That was on the back on my mind since day 1. Certainly wasn’t hoping to finish 2nd again
Happy for Xhaka!!
👍me too!
Let’s hope Bayern spend more time crying than preparing for the game against us
You could tell the way the second half was going we were never scoring, I was just hoping that we could at least hang on for a draw.
I don’t usually throw in the towel until it’s mathematically over, but we all know it is now given our run-in. I will be stunned if City don’t go and win all their games from here on in, and we will drop more points, and most probably at Old Traffold.
Hopefully we can maintain solid consistency and finish second again.
Below are my views.
Zinchenko should not have started.
Trossard should have come off as a sub
Havertz should have played as a 9.
We must win the remaining 6 matches.
Man City will drop points against Spurs.
COYGs
Man City will not drop points against Ange’s Tottenham
They attack stupidly
Previous Tottenham have been beating City by defending like crazy and counter-attacking
But this current Tottenham keeps attacking even if they’ve conceded 10 goals
So, you are pinning your hopes on our next door neighbours. Im sure, they will be going flat out, trying to win the title for us. A bit desperate, if you ask me.
Reggie, Ange Postecoglou DOES NOT throw games. Just not in his DNA and Spurs are fighting for Champions League.
No but his team and supporters will not want to HELP Arsenal. Its not about throwing games but motivation.
All hail king Havertz!!! The highest earner, the game changer, the one to make the difference (against Sheffield and Luton).
Impressive what Emery has achieved with limited resources, without spending 700 million and ripping up contracts! If the board had backed him we would have celebrated the PL and CL by now.
We should have won this game because we have tough fixtures ahead. Though it’s still very far from over, the team and Arteta have to rise up to the occasion.
The remaining games are a must win or it will be madness to keep spending and extending contract without tangible results to show for it!!
Emery tanned Artetas arse again.
I guess going on your logic then, you should never complain when City keep beating us, because Pep has spent over a billion.
And during that period, what has he won? Share the list come on?
I am talking about Arsenal beating Man City, if you can read of course.
HH is talking about money spent vs winning trophies as am I, try stay on topic Jen
Unlucky, wrong again. And by the way, if spending tons money means success, shouldn’t Man U and Chelsea be miles clear of Arsenal?
And he won the treble alongside many trophies. Based on your logic since we are close in spending with them we should have at least a double.
I thought we had stopped conversing (at least I did) because your opinions are dishonest and full of agendas, as well as with the lies you told against me. I won’t reply to you again.
Your way of thinking is unique, let’s just say that.
Touché
You do not make an ounce of sense.
Coming from you? Oh dear!
But you don’t. Or you don’t read the posts properly?
Pray tell me what I have said that doesn’t make sense?
@HH
Real talk….When I exprothe exact sentiments, I was labelled an Arteta hater. I just thought we should have stuck with Unai and given him the trust and support as well as the time to turn things around. But most on here turned on him with a vengeance. Jus sayin…
👍NY_Gunner, I’m with you in that Unai Emery keeps proving that the Arsenal Board were premature in their action, after not backing him with money or decision making in the transfer market.
While Mikel Arteta is manager of Arsenal we will support him.
Sure.
Not only would we have won PL ans CL, we would have won every single game.
Theres are really clear indications for it.
After all, we were only in 11-12’th place, when he was sacked.
And by the way, Emery was heavily backed, when he was here.
Anders, you shouldn’t change their narrative 😊
The price to pay for some complacency. We’ve been doing well this year for a team without a stricker and somehow this success may have gotten into our heads.
BM won’t be easy either ……
City may not be easily displaced as our fixtures aren’t really the easiest as things stand.
I agree. I said few days ago playing without striker while it might work for sometime it is not sustainable. Once figured out it’s all over. Having a quality striker gives a lot of room for adaptability.
I still expected to win the EPL this season and adding a striker in the summer. We still can do.
Well, Jesus playing striker again, when, it failed last season. Jesus messes the whole system up. Arteta making the same mistake. Wobbly legs, trying to play a way, that has proved time after time does not hold up when the heat is turned up. Some bad performances today but Zinchenko, Jesus, Haverz, Saliba and Gabriel top the list. Not much better from the rest. Very fortunate to only get beat 2-0. We are not winning anything in the near future!!!!!!
Sounds like an almost perfect evening for you, Reggie.
What a Dick!!!!!
Problems with your writing today? We have lost one league match in 2024. Enjoy your evening 🔴⚪️
And No by the way. I am f*****ng angry at the same mistakes and philosophy that lost us the league last season.
You clearly know absolutely nothing, so let give you some hard facts!
Not one single fan, pundit or journalist had us in a title race last season. In fact, most thought we’d struggle to make the top 4, and even more so if we all knew of the crazy amount of injuries we’d always have to deal with.
Yet you have the cheek to complain about us massively overachieving last season.
@Reggie
Same here…😣
Apparently, Reggie’s an Arsenal fan!
Yet another Dick. I suggest, when the season before, you are 8 points clear and blow it, spend 250 mil in the next window, lead the prem again after March and then make the same mistakes. Then you wont win the league. And many Pundits tipped us to win the league but what on earth that has to with it, is beyond me. And I think so called Arsenal fans who call a fellow Arsenal fan a non supporter. Are the lowest form of person. What a sad person.
“Arsenal fans who call a fellow Arsenal fan a nonsupporter. Are the lowest form of person. What a sad person.”
What else can he say when after all the energy spent cheerleading there are still no tangible results to show for it?
There comes a point where without a trophy all arguments in defense fall flat.
We are in the 5th year now with massive investment when are we allowed to question how long should Arteta take to deliver trophies?
The narration has started slowly to change into trophies doesn’t matter. I have seen from two posters already. Don’t be surprised when we start to be told being competitive is a trophy enough.
The same people who still criticise Wenger and his 20 or so top 4s, praise to oblivion our top 4 finish last season, a first in 4 tries under Arteta.
Jen, who still keep smearing Wenger’s record even today in this thread is panting (like a thirst man on a desert) east to west north to south defending Arteta citing our European history from beginning of time, how great are Bayern etc..
Not winning champions league was Wenger inability but now it’s not Arteta’s, it’s our history in the competition. Getting knocked out by Bayern was Wenger’s inability but under Arteta it’s a mighty Bayern impossible to beat (even though Arteta has faced them when they are weaker than they have been for a long time).
He started defending Arteta in CL from the first game in the group stage if you can believe it!
Why would a person defend the manager exit in the competition when we are still in it?
It’s why I call his opinion dishonest and I don’t see any point debating with him.
The likes of you or me despite false accusations just say things the way they are. Arteta wins we praise, he loses we criticize. We don’t have any hidden or open agendas.
I don’t think there is a single Arsenal fan in the world who wouldn’t have wanted 3 points today, who doesn’t us to win every competition we are participants or who would like to see us fail.
If there is then he is not an Arsenal fan. How can he be?
But being an Arsenal fan doesn’t mean we have to be happy with a loss or accept it because Arteta is a Messiah.
Why should we?
Were losses accepted under Graham, Wenger, Emery, Ljungberg?
Why should they be accepted and tolerated now?
🎯Very well put…👍🏾
Well said HH. Said like true supporter.
100% correct
Reggie, you have to recognise that even constructive criticism of the team you follow is not acceptable to many in the Arsenal supporter base.
It makes you think some of us are following a cult not a football club.
Aren’t you lucky Admin isn’t removing your comments for personal attacks and foul language, which i thought was an actual rule on here?
The fact you speak like that tells us a lot about your character. Very low IQ, lack of knowledge of Arsenal and football in general, and generally a horrible person.
Well @Jen,
you inferred that Reggie was not an Arsenal fan, and he called you a dick.
“Personal attacks and foul language” are pushing that one a bit far…..
Calling me dick, just confirm my opinion about this Arsenal fan. My name is Didrik, it’s a Norwegian name, Reggie 😁👋👋
Even against Bayern at Munich, I doubt we will do anything than to get knocked out.
So sad it’s ending like this.
I hate it when the rival fans call us bottlers, it’s annoying seriously 😳
It’s better not to even come this far.
I think the manager should be thinking player clear out now. Eddie vs Watkins? Our kid is way out of his depth. If Jesus needs surgery in the off season, doesn’t it mean that his knee is shot and is never going to return to the firm he showed in his first few weeks after joining us. Also there are games when centre halves playing wing back simply won by work. One of Tomiyasu, White or Kiwior shot be moved on and a proper full back identified. I worry about next season because either due to lack of funds, fair play regulations orthe Edu- Arteta team’s inability to identify the right players we might be stuck with a similar line up, the same flaws and a season where we stand still.
all the money arteta could have saved if he just kept emi to me raya looks scared of EVERYTHING
Hindsight is not science, and the word “if” is a coordinating conjunction 😉
Didrik, actually “if” is a subordinating conjunction!
Letting Emi leave even when he showed better form than Leno was the worst turn we took in a while.
We have never recovered from it between the posts
A bad day at the office, especially in the second half. We looked tired and without creativity. It’s not finished but it looks like another City title 🔴⚪️
Sounds like a perfect evening for you.
What a come back hahaha!
Sorry, we have lost one league match in 2024 and we are two points behind Manchester City. Some of us have seen the fixture list and have realistic expectations. We need to get better and try again 🔴⚪️
Didrik, have to retain belief with the number of points still on offer. Who would have thought Liverpool would lose to Crystal Palace at Anfield? Last season Man City to Nottingham Forest.
I agree with you, but we have a challenging fixture list, and City do seldom mistakes in this part of the season. Yesterday we had one decent half and one bad, we dominated the game but wasn’t able to score.
We need to move forward and do better next time. Arsenal has lost one league game in 2024 and we shouldn’t be too negative.
Arteta the tinker man got it wrong.
Havertz should have started up front instead of the blank firing Jesus.
Jesus should have started on the left instead of Trossard.
Trossard should have started as a false number 9 behind Havertz, who should have started up front.
Arteta got those three positions totally wrong. If it’s not broken don’t try and fix it. Odeguaard was brilliant during the first half and Smith Rowe looked nervous and was negative in his passing. Should have brought on either Partey or Viera who are more positive and creative than the negative nervous smith Rowe. Also Saka lacked support from White.
Arteta the Tinker Man – What was he thinking!
Why? We were good in the first half, and created many chances, including three runs by Kai behind the line. The problem is Kai is so bad on the ball. It was obvious that if we did not score in the first half we were in for some trouble.
If Palace can win at Anfield, it shows that weird things can happen in the EPL. I don’t think it’s over with only 2 points separating us from Man City. Winning at Bayern on Wednesday would give us a big lift for the rest of the season
Agreed 👍
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. The rest just wilt.
Suppose one of our midfielders, such as Smith Rowe or Fabio Vera, played as the goalkeeper, would we miss Raya? It seems Raya’s only specialty is passing. We thought he was good at penalties but saw him diving while Kane was still warming up to take the penalty 🙄. He never saves us when the ball is in his court, both literally and figuratively.
Come on! That’s taking it too far. I’m not a big fan of Raya but this is way OTT
Sorry to be such a pedant (couldn’t sleep, so I got up & read the blog), but the ball is NEVER literally in Raya’s court…unless he’s playing tennis or badminton.
I knew we were going to drop points today i had my fears but i didnt forsee us loosing.
Havertz was wasteful today, trossard plays better when he comes from the bench in the second half and arteta should have subbed zinchenko when they broght in Leon Bailey.
But all hope isnt lost, this lose can actually galvanise the team to play with a little bit more seriousness and determination. We can still win the league 6 matches left and 2 pts on behind city. We can still do it only that it is longer in our hands. Coyg.
Does anyone else here actually honestly think City will drop points from now to the end of the season? Imo they will not, Spurs won’t be able to match them and their experince will get them over the line for a 4th year in a row.
Just like last season we didn’t take advantages of all the gifted opportunities to win the league, same this year and we bottled it. The league is over and if we manage to somehow get by Bayern in Germany, if we play like today will be a cricket score, then we have to play either Madrid or City and we havnt the legs according to today’s results and game plan
City might drop points yet. Who’d have thought both Arsenal & Liverpool would get beaten today? Weird things could still happen… in fact I’m relying on it.
Keep believing😃.
Always a first for everything. I believe it’s City’s turn to bottle it. Lol
Worry is Chelsea, Spurs and Man. U.can give us similar problems to what Villa did today. On this effort I don’t think we have the players to stay perfect over the next five games.
Joe.S. hopefully being worried will make Arteta and the Arsenal players will raise their levels of attitude, application and concentration to meet the pressure of the occasions.
“Let’s sit back and relax” …….. 😂😂😂
It’s not over, 18 points left to play for. There’s a few more twists and turns left in this race. It’s the Premier league and it’s been proven countless times how unpredictable this league is. Let’s stay optimistic. Come on Arsenal! 💪♥️🤍
Statistically it’s not over but we have seen over and over again that our team fail to pick themselves up in these situations. And they are up against Man city who thrive in these scenarios.
100/1 for Bayern to win 5-1 on Weds. We may as well use the 20 years of seasonal choking lessons to make some money out of the inevitable.
We don’t simply lose a game and dust ourselves off, we go to the next game and play even worse.
We need to start having a proper go at the domestic cups before we can have any hope of not choking at the business end of every season.
The usual commenters, from over the top optimists before kick off, to doom and gloom pessimists at the final whistle.
A really bad day at the office.
Tactically, Aston Villa were very well set up and physically better especially as the game progressed.
We were better in the first half but a lack of efficiency cost us dearly.
Just ask the players to go watch Bayer Leverkusen fans celebrate their first ever title with the team. If they do not have the hunger like Bayer players, it is not worth playing the beautiful game.
I think everyone’s missing the point, it wasn’t that Aston Villa were any good – they weren’t, had we not been playing CL midweek, we would’ve done them 6-0. I think a Fulham or a Burnley could’ve turned up to this game and the result would’ve been the same. We were knackered, we needed to take advantage of all our chances in the first half. It’s no coincidence that they scored both their goals after Odergaard was taken off, as he was the only one playing to his full potential in the second half. Zinchenko was truly terrible, gifting them goals left right and centre. We don’t have a squad big enough or fit enough to do PL and CL, that is plainly obvious. We dropped off in the Brighton game as well, second half, it’s just we are knackered and internationals don’t help. We need a bigger squad or a fitter squad to do both.
So you think we shouldn’t have loaned out players like Tierney? Rotated more especially in games that were already won throughout the season? Maybe spend the money we did on players like Lokonga/Taveres/Viera on players we needed to compete this season?
Considering all the above + having very few games in EFL and FA Cup due to terrible performances I’d say our players shouldn’t be knackered but maybe they are.
I think everyone of our players in the squad needs to be equal high ability, so we can rotate, we can’t afford passengers in the squad. I think the answer is about rotation.
👍 PS-JA, agree Tierney should not have been loaned out, but retained competing for his spot. Lokonga, Vieira and Tavares are taking up budget and squad places that could have been used to buy better players, who justify playing. These players have diluted Arsenal’s squad depth, because they don’t have the quality to play.
Sorry @Gmv8 but I frankly do not agree with you at all.
Are we the only team playing in the Champions League? Didn’t Madrid rest players cos of their meeting with City and still won their match? Should every Champions League team make excuses for losing domestic matches?
We had early exits on the domestic cups so less games for the players.
And what’s all this about player quality? Over £700m spent. Pls that shouldn’t be a complain. We have quality enough, but for whatever reason, we’re still lacking that final edge (for lack of a proper word) that Champions have
KNACKERED?!
We played on Tuesday, they played on THURSDAY. We had TWO DAYS more rest than they did. AND they were without their talisman Douglas Luiz. STILL put a beating on us. They were FULL VALUE for their win and I’m delighted for Unai Emery and Emi Martinez after all the crap our fans have been giving them.
Have a little shame and do some reflection, with all due respect.
Gmv8, you are unfairly dismissive of Aston Villa’s performance.
Well
I thought we’d win especially after Palace beat Liverpool
I was on the golf course so fortunately missed it all unfold
Very glum indeed
Nothing that you’ve seen before. We started well in the first half but missed our chances and the 2nd half was as if players just wanted the match to finish. No urgency, no passion, weird substitutions. Everyone just running around like they are playing in a new team unsure of their role.
Did you shoot a good score at least? We need some good news!
35 points so average. The weather was lovely too
I might watch the match which was recorded for me
For SueP
Watch the Ist half. Don’t torcher yourself by watching the 2nd half. We were awful. AV fully deserved the points.
SueP, move to Australia where the weather is frequently “lovely”, with great public and private courses.
I am sorry I disagree that Villa were not good they showed quality today just like when at home earlier this season they were beating City. Emery got his tactics spot on and Tielemans ran the midfield without Luiz. They actually dominated possession in the second half. Sure Arsenal did not play up to their standards but Villa also had something to do with that. Nevertheless the biggest decision that Arteta got wrong like others pointed out is if he was helll bent on playing Jesus it should have been on the left with Havertz up top where he has been performing his best. Respect to Emery he got them in the top four hopefully they keep Spurs in fifth.
They were not good, it’s just we were knackered in the second half. I noticed that at Brighton, but we took some of our chances in the first half, and scored on a break in the second half, against the run of play. If I’d noticed that, then other managers would, and go all out in that period. Man City beat them last week 4-1, and we are supposed to be near or on a level with Man City.
They were missing a lot of their best players, Buendia and Douglas Luiz , that’s like us missing Saka and Rice to them.
Knackered ? We played on Tuesday night and 4 days rest, Villa played on Thursday night and had 2 days rest.
Villa played on Thursday? I have to say that their fitness is amazing for the intensity they showed in the 2nd half
Yes, they played in the European Conference League.
Got to give it to them then. Fatigue from Tuesday was the best excuse I could come up with before I learnt that they played on Thursday
@Gmv8
They played in Europe on thurs. So, they should be knackered as well. Jus sayin
Looked like the boys were playing with one eye on Wednesdays game. Saving energy too? Shows we.just aren’t able to focus on the task at hand. Game by game..
The coach under rated Villa in team selection. Rice and Joghino or Partey in the midfield was needed. Zinny had a terrible day in office today. The experiment of Jesus at center, Havertz at 8 and Trossard at LW doesn’t give results always. It didn’t go well today. Looks Trossard is better coming from the bench.
Arteta’s arrogance cost us this game and the title. Begging for favours from other teams? Man Cvity has this. Get Arteta ass out of this club
Arrogance ? Care to explain ?
If AFC do not win a trophy either this year or next, than we do not have a generational coach but another pot’s.
A good coach who could not get it over the line.
We are finishing 3rd in the PL. Sorry.
Why was Ziny and GJ left on the pitch
The Trossard miss proved to be the turning point in the game and in the second half our key players such as Rice and Odegaard seemed to run out of energy whilst the Villa players gained in confidence and control.For the second consecutive match I thought our centre backs ,particularly Gabriel, were below par and the tactic of playing Zinchenko as an inverted LB has surely had its day .Let’s hope Arteta can somehow ‘re-energise his charges for the Bayern match which now becomes more vital as the prospects of our overcoming the mentally hardened Man City is now unlikely.
👍 Grandad
Majority of the players are tired. Rice, White, Saka, Jorginho, Gabriel and Saliba. I can see that these players intensity has reduced.
This is why we need more quality depth squad.
At least 4 signings should come in this summer.
RW, CM, CB, and most importantly ST
I was not happy when I saw the line up.
Havertz.
Jesus. Odegaard. Saka.
Rice. Jorginho.
Tomiyasu. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
Trossard, Martinelli, Partey, should have been brought in 2nd half.
This team would have played better together despite them being tired.
Well, this game is in the past now. They should go and rest and get ready for Bayern on Wednesday.
Arteta’s obsession should stop. He doesn’t have to start all games and play the full 90 minutes. He is not world class like that.
Jesus.
Trossard. Odegaard. Saka.
Rice. Partey.
Tomiyasu. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
Subs – Martinelli, Havertz, Jorginho.
This should be the team against Bayern.
*Arteta’s obsession for Havertz should stop.
Personally, I think his obsession with Jesus should stop. His scoring record as an out and out striker, is letting us down.
We ran out of steam when we went on that terrible run before we went to Dubai and recharged our batteries. Now we have run out of steam again. Didn’t help that a lot of our players played the full 180min on those friendly internationals, when they could’ve had a rest. If we are going to win anything this year, we have to concentrate on either th PL or CL. We can’t do both.
Also for someone who earlier compared how City thrashed Villa at home they forgot to mention Villa were missing Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez iJohn McGinn and Matty Cash while benching Tielemans. I would have gladly faced that Villa today even if you add Luiz (who has not been as good as Mcginn or Tielemans. Buendia was also mentioned in another post as one of their best players not sure I agree with that and he has been out since May 2023 just to get some facts straight.
Again not excusing our loss but City face a weakened team and Emery benched six players from the win the previous week while City left Haarland and De Bruyne out and had Ederson and Walker injured.
Spot on 👍👏👏
Do you imagine City would lose to Villa at home and away in the same season? We would’ve lost against Burnley today at home on that second half performance. If we are going to start excusing that performance, and going on about how great Villa were, we might as well all go back to thinking about top 4 qualification, rather than PL champions. Better to start thinking about why we have gone from hero to zero in two months. A big factor is the players are over tired, we need more rotation. We had a really solid defence, and since Zinchenko has come back in, we’ve shipped 4 goals, and Havertz was doing a lot better up top. Only outstanding playing on the pitch was Odergaard today.
Rotation and introduction of youth to keep key players fresh are blind spots for MA. It has been brought up many times in the past, but brushed off by some here that MA knows his squad best and playing inferior players is bad for confidence
Seriously cannot believe that you’re scared of McGinn, Tielemans and Matty Cash. Just to get some facts straight we were supposed to be contending for the PL title. What a pipe dream that was!
Tielemans has been better than Douglas Luiz? Not been following Villa, but I’m under the impression that Tielemans is crap from comments I read here when he was linked to us
Im not here to imagine or care who City lose to home and away not a factor the table says they are 2 points ahead thats all that matters to me but also pointing out they had a far weaker team when they played City that is facts not speculation and Martinez fell ill just before the game.
It doesn’t really matter does it? Both you and I know city would’ve beaten that AV team today. We were just plain awful in the second half. Chalk and cheese to the games we were playing a month ago. We need to find the reasons for that. I think it is a combination of factors.
We were comparable to that West Ham game that we lost 0-2, at home, that was clearly on tiredness, as we beat the 6-0 when we went there after Dubai, are you telling me that was down to a fantastic West Ham side as well?
haha making my point that Villa were weaker vs City has nothing to do with scared did I say Arsenal should not be winning I knew that would get lost in the sauce so I am not engaging with you in a back on forth on that im sure you have all the answers im just a poster on forum. Funny thing City did lose to Villa at their place even when they played these useless players you are ridiculing hmmm.
I dont honestly know what this argument is about, I was just trying to come up with why we lost to Villa at home, who aren’t a great side. When we did exactly the same thing against West Ham at home, when we were knackered, I think that is a reasonable conclusion. It certainly doesn’t mean either West Ham or Aston Villa are great teams.
By the way I’m not ridiculing anyone, just thought that we should be able to beat them on our own turf. If you think differently that’s your prerogative.
Ran out of steam? Didn’t Villa play on Thursday? We had 2 days more rest than they had
Think the Bayern match might’ve been a tad more tiring.
smh. I’ve heard them all now.
Well, at the end of the day if we can’t beat Aston Villa at home, it is debatable if we should be in the CL. Their game was in the conference league? Seriously? There is clearly some root problem here, and it’s better trying to find that, rather than slagging off Arteta, the players or trying to make out Aston Villa is Real Madrid.
2 more days of rest is a huge advantage
👍 They certainly did!
Don’t understand the changes made with Jesus instead of Havertz in number 9 nor Zinchenko as LB instead of Tomi. Villa put out their strongest team Arteta didn’t he tried to fix what was not broken. Unless he wanted to save our strongest team for Wednesday.
If true then he should have made his subs earlier when we got battered in the 2nd half, but then Arteta was never known for his in game management.
The big concern was that Arsenal, as well as missing gilt edge chances, were second best in most contests for the ball in the second half in particular.
Arteta was never better than Emery and will never be.We lost maybe City will drop points in another match