Hi Capt

I have been trying to get a Black is back t-shirt for ages. They use to sell them on Oxford Street but I guess a long time ago. Can’t even find them on Amazon.

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Good result for them

Discipline again. Though three points despite John Moss being on the whistle must be a positive. He tried his best though.

Seems like going down to 10 makes us grind results out, but it really isn’t pretty.

Fink, Michael Oliver was the ref.

Another ref mightn't have sent Martinelli off but both were cynical and yellow cards. He could have stopped it after the first one and booked him though as it may have resulted in a foul throw. A little unlucky but a lot more stupid. No complaints. Don't get why Arteta is talking about VAR when it was two yellows and VAR wasn't involved?

A good result and defensive performance but Wolves aren't that hard to defend against. Another set piece goal from a CH and a worrying lack of potency up front and inability or lack of any intention as a team to hold onto the ball when under pressure. Doesn't bode well for top 4 aspirations. Doubt it would have been much different in the last 20 if we had 11. Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs games all to be rescheduled.

I've never seen it before - that's because it's extremely rare that a player gets a chance to commit the second foul before being booked for the first one. They were both stupid. He had gained massive ground on the player for he second one and if he'd kept going he would have been goal side. The player wasn't about to pass or cross the ball either but he just barged into the back of him.

A lot of Arsenal fans bleating like children that the refs are against us. I can't think of one red we've got this season that we can complain about. In nearly all cases there has been a high level of stupidity from our players and we can and should be complaining about that. There have been a few where opposition teams should have got one but didn't, that's about it.

Gabriel damaging the penalty spot, Xhaka and Partey against Liverpool in the LC, Xhaka two footed against City, Martinelli last night. That's all of them this season. Criticising the ref and not the player for any of them is not being a fan it's being an idiot like the player.

Best league in the world my arse.

Great atmosphere last night. Good win against a very organised and determined side. Think 4th is achievable, but it will be touch and go.

I can't think of one. It's as much to do with the quality of the other sides going for 4th tho. Wolves are still in contention despite losing to us twice and only scoring 24 goals in 25 games!

We are very consistent against teams below us in the table, which we nearly always were under Wenger and last season too. Don't think our highest level has improved very much tho, we'd still get KO'd from the Europa before the SFs imo. Can't seem to win any game comfortably.

Arteta will get more time now regardless. He has never signed a striker, so that is the next test. More goals are needed to move to the next level. Still think he might sign Laca on a bumper contract but he'll have to give him Willian wages as he's already on about 180k a week. He has got rid of every player on those wages, so perhaps not. It would be a big mistake, better to spend on youth.

Spirited performance last night but severe lack of quality until Pepe changed the game. Hopefully he gets more of a look-in as I think we'll need him given the lack of quality up front. Wolves should have gone for a second but got what they deserved in the end.

Great going forward. Best for a long time. Poor at the back.

Final CL spot will be touch and go. Spurs have a much easier run in than us and our ‘games in hand’ are, on paper, our most difficult ones remaining. Still, makes a change from the ‘Arteta out’ narrative.

Another great atmosphere inside the ground yesterday. Good performance, though Leicester were understrength.

Huge test on Wednesday against a top, top side. Will be a more accurate measure of where we actually are. ‘Pool odds on which is fair. Hope we can put in a performance regardless of the result. If we get rinsed, it could be a big blow to this group of young players.

See how we do against Liverpool. Nothing else is really a barometer as we were beating the other teams consistently in the second half of last season. We showed a lot of improvement against City the last time tho and that was encouraging.

Man U Leicester and Spurs are all having mare seasons, so no surprise to see us closer to 4th after a lot of spending and no midweek football. Overall, I don't see much improvement yet. Pretty toothless in attack most of the time despite the players we have up top and still very reliant on set-piece goals.

makes a change from the ‘Arteta out’ narrative.

I did an Arteta Out thread myself, but I don't think he should go now. I like the decisions he has made in the last few months, prioritizing players who should be reaching the peak in 2/3 years and building around them, not looking to give huge contracts to talented older players that have not brought much success.

I don't think Top 4 is that big of a deal really at this point. Of course it does no harm, but getting too excited about it could perhaps bring back the '4th Placed Trophy' mentality, which is what brought Arsenal to their relative low ebb of the last 5 years.

Arsenal being in the Champion's League between 1998 up to around 2010 was exciting, as there was always the possibility they could go all the way, although they never really fulfilled their potential. But the last 6 or 7 years in the competition under Wenger was not enjoyable at all; tedious group phase, then a hiding in the L16, then a 2 month battle to secure 4th and repeat the whole process again. Every summer there would players in or around the starting eleven that would be coming near the end of contract, that were clearly not good enough to compete with the best teams, who would be given new 4 year deals, because these players were good enough for 4th, and 4th was the ultimate prize.

Saka and Smith-Rowe may be excited about getting 4th this season, but - assuming they fulfill their potential - when they are 23/24 they will not be excited about 4th place/Last 16, because they will look around at Foden/Grealish/TAA and see them every April challenging for titles and CL Semis and wonder why they can't be doing that. If the likes of Xhaka are still around in 2024/25 because 'we got Top 4 with him' then it will be clear to Saka and Smith Rowe that 4th is the ceiling of the club and they will be looking elsewhere.

When you look at the Brighton and Brentford model, which is really good based on a good business model, are clubs like Arsenal, West Ham going to become an upmarket version of these, but going to have to play second fiddle to the sheikhs money teams?

Even money for Arsenal Top 4 is utterly ridiculous. A great lay.

Arsenal weren't going to move forward with Aubemayang, though he is better than what they have there now.

They were never going to move forward with Auba in a false 9 system, yes, but best to change the system to suit him, given the likes of Saka, ESR and Martinelli who could be coached to create chances for him.

Best not to give him a new contract on 350k a week if you are not going to play him in a system like that. Assurances were likely given to him to get him to sign too, as he was almost immediately unhappy and could have gone to Barca on a free instead.

Not saying Auba would make a difference now. He wouldn't. He would still look like the visibly depressed version he was when he played under this manager.

Time to ditch Pep's cone man methinks.

Looks like the season will go out with a whimper, for sure. I posted on 17 March that Spurs were more likely to achieve 4th than us given the respective run ins when we were trading at 1.6.

Where to from here? If we get 5th or 6th they will argue that progress has been made, despite a squad lacking quality. A more ruthless board would probably show Arteta the door, but I can’t see that happening. Needs a Summer of investment to move forward again, midfield and striker being absolute priorities. Shame if we don’t take advantage of this opportunity. Can’t see United in particular being as poor again next season.

Clowns will back him again in the summer. They need to develop a ruthless streak but not just at the end of the season. The likes of Tuchel and Conte were available mid-season, need to fire the manager and get someone like that if and when available. But there are no alternatives left really and the fans seem happy generally so no need for them to change.

Squad depth is as bad as ever and attack weaker than ever.  The way the manager plays in the final third is the real tell, zero improvement in 3 years and little desire for a 2 goal lead. Selling Guendouzi on an £8m option looks like a real f up too. Could have had some real quality in the team and great cover too if the manager could man-manage better.