BOYS MUST BECOME MONSTERS
BOYS MUST BECOME MONSTERS
The quarterfinals are finally upon us, Arsenal are back in the big time, and we’re playing one of the giants of European football. Bayern Munich, the club Ivan Gazidis held up as the model he wanted to adopt at Arsenal 10 years ago, are coming to town. They elicit Bavarian pride, they are competitive, and they dominate the cultural landscape in Germany. Arsenal kinda move like Bayern these days. We’re hoovering up the best talent in the league, we play expansive football, and we’re getting close to dominance on the pitch.
This evening is a chance to show that we can be dominant on the biggest of stages.
Major questions around selection are all over the pitch because we have a fully fit squad to choose from.
Main points of contention are at left-back, where we could choose from Zinchenko, Tomiyasi, and Kiwior. Arteta favors the Ukrainian overall, but his load has been heavy, and that usually ends in injury when we roll the dice. Tomiyasu makes sense because he can look down pace merchants… but how would that impact Kiwior if he was unceremoniously relegated to 3rd place after some monster performances?
In midfield, the conundrum is whether Arteta opts for Jorginho on a run of big games – or he takes a punt on Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian at his peak is a monster match for any club. The worry is we haven’t seen Partey peak all season. He looked good in some of his cameos, but his pace isn’t there, nor is his game fitness. This is a game where his athleticism and incisive verticality could be very damaging for Bayern… but the same could be said for Jorginho’s ability to set the rhythm of a game we need to win.
What do we fear? Bayern Munich’s individual talent coming together to bury a green Arsenal time in the home leg of a game we really need to exit with some goods.
What do we hope for? A disjointed team with a manager on a long notice period showing up with unwarranted arrogance and getting their backsides handed to them.
A team like Bayern simply doesn’t have the tools or the desire to play like Porto. They’ll come to play. If they come to play, in the form Arsenal is in, it could be a very sorry evening for them.
Our secret sauce is we’re really f*cking good right now… and our atmosphere. Arsenal is encouraging fans to show up early, show up in red, and make some noise. We need to make this atmosphere feel big and give our players the edge they need to do their jobs to perfection this evening.
I’m excited. We’re back in the big leagues. Let’s see if the boys are ready to show they are MONSTERS when it matters. Have a fun evening. Come join us ON THE WHISTLE after the game.