Just a short post for you all on this momentous day because there isn’t much left to be said… it’s go time. Today is about character. It’s a group of men who are at the level to have a good day, going out and finishing the job against a team that has haunted them for the past decade.
This game isn’t going to decide the season — but it will probably go a very long way. Lose, and we invite the world to say the allegations about us are true. Draw, and it puts City in a no-mistake phase of the season… and it gives us a lot of wiggle room. If City lose, it’s over for them.
The best news we could have hoped for? Martin Odegaard is on the team bus or train heading up to Manchester. He trained on Friday and showed that he was ready on Saturday. I cannot tell you how big a boost that is to Arteta tactically, and for team morale. The captain has decided he wants to be a hero… and my word that improves our chances.
Defensively, I’d imagine the only big question is who plays right back… Ben White or Mosquera.
Then the only other question Arteta has to answer is who will play on the wings? My gut says against Man City, you need to have a speed threat and you need to have someone who offers control and magic. If Arsenal don’t have Madueke available, it’ll have to be Martinelli on the right for the defensive work he does and the blistering speed. On the left, I just don’t think you can opt to have Trossard there. It’ll be Eze on the left for me, all day long. He’s in great form, he’s a great outlet, and I think pairing up with Kai could offer some combinations we haven’t seen in a while.
We don’t even need to debate the striker. It’ll be Kai Havertz. He’s just the more complete striker. He can hold the ball up, he can pass round corners, he’s stronger, better in the air, he can pass, and he’s far more likely to bring others into the game, and do it at speed. 20 g/a in 36 appearances last season, don’t forget how good he is.
What do we want from the game?
Don’t concede inside the first 20 minutes.
No unnecessary risks - but be brave.
Make it really tough for them.
The longer Arsenal go without conceding, the more openings we’ll get.
The most important thing we can show is bravery early on… we can’t allow ourselves to get battered. We have to play through their press early on. Show them that we won’t be the same team they saw last time. The more questions we ask of them, the more the nerves will settle in.
This game is a psychological beast… but it’ll only be scary for them if we defend like monsters, and poke holes at their weaknesses.
This game is a coin flip. I am petrified. But as I write this, I’m feeling a lot of excitement. F*ck the media and how they’ve made us all feel about Arsenal this season. Because extreme views are rewarded, we normalise them. The normalised view of Arsenal this season is every shade of nonsense…
We play in the margins… yet we’re 2nd top scorers in the Premier League by one, the first English club to 100 goals in all comps, and we’re the only unbeaten team in the Champions League.
The football is unbearable… coming from folk that wanted us to hire Conte and Mourinho and lionised managers like that when we were getting beaten by them in the Wengerball era.
I’ve even read people say they’ve switched off Arsenal because of the style, despite us having a better win record than the Invincibles this season.
F*ck all those people, we don’t need them.
This Arsenal team is top of the league and they deserve to be where they are. We’re at the top of the food chain right now and we’ve done it the proper way. We have a group of players we love. A manager who used to be our captain. In front of a group of fans that has been through some horrendous years of banter era tripe.
Take a moment to think about how far we’ve come. We are at April 19th, and we are about to play the most important game of the last 25 years, and the whole world will be watching. Is this not what we wanted? Competitive at the highest level. Powerful, disciplined, drilled in the dark arts, capable of magic, all underpinned by the best defence on the planet.
We have a chance to own the moment. To make history. To be the team that lives on in memories for all the right reasons.
I couldn’t be more excited… this could be a glorious day. Let’s see if Arteta and the boys can make it happen.
See you in the comments. Make sure you sign up to the On The Whistle that’ll go LIVE right after the game. x