With SAF retiring and Redknapp being relegated, it must be nice for Arsene Wenger to realise he'll be the only crazy old man in the EPL next season.

Depending on who you ask, he always was!

Ugh 2-2 this morning, now we definitely need to win these last 2 games. Sucks more that Adebayor actually was heroic for spuds

Happy with 2-2. Any result but a Sp*rs win was a good result for us.

Could have at the very least 4th wrapped up by this time next week with Sp*rs away at stoke on the weekend and us at home to Wigan on Wednesday morning 2 days after their FA Cup Final.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 9/5/2013 09:10:28 AM

just had a decent look at the table for the first in a long time.

for such an injury-plagued, chopping-and-changing, often shambolic defence - statistically arsenal have the 2nd best defence in the competition. that stat completely blew me away.

so am i right in saying that in the last two games, arsenal need only 1 win, and spurs to draw or lose once, and arsenal have wenger's 4th place trophy?

It's nuts when you think about how much you hear about how horrible our defence is, and at times it is, but fact of the matter is only Man City have conceded less goals than us this season and we have by a fair way the best away defensive record in the league.

Yep. Would prefer to win both games and catch Chelsea for 3rd, but may only need 1 win to wrap up 4th.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 9/5/2013 09:46:33 AM

Yeah I know - bizarre huh? Mertesacker has been brilliant since January...

Spurs cannot afford to drop any more points (unless Arsenal lose/draw both remaining games)
Chelsea 69 with Villa (a) and Everton (h)
Arsenal 67 with Wigan (h) and Newc (a)
Spurs 66 with Stoke (a) and Sunderland (h)
Given the superior goal difference of Ars and Chel Spurs have to accumulate more points than us or Chel.

If Chelsea win one more game they will make top 4.
If Arsenal win one more game Spurs have to win both of theirs.
If Spurs draw or lose one of their last two Arsenal and Chelsea only need a single win.

There are many more combinations and permutations beside but this is the crux of it.

If Spurs don't win at Stoke then a win at home to Wigan will ensure the '4th placed trophy' that Arsene so dearly covets...

Edited by quichefc: 9/5/2013 09:44:23 AM

Thanks for that quiche.
Not looking too bad, but both Wigan and Newcastle are either side of the relegation line so will be desperately motivated for points.

Hopefully it doesn't go down to the wire again like last season. That was too close even though it was very exciting.


You'd think with the amount of money they've spent on this deal that they'd put extra effort into getting it right....
But I've really liked the recent era of Nike kits so I'm a little wary.

Edited by neanderthal: 9/5/2013 11:44:49 AM

i really like puma, i think they'll do really good for arsenal. my only worry is, as stated, they'll go with a template kit. if they're spending a heap of coin, you'd imagine they'd want a kit to look unreal & then sell it as the "arsenal template", so they very well could do that.

i wouldn't put it past puma to put some subtle imprinting on the jerseys tbh - like the african national teams with their logos shaded in. liverpools new kit has "liverpool fc" faintly imprinted down it a lot - wouldn't be surprised for puma to jump on this for arsenal.

the good thing puma has going for them is a solid red/white design for home, i guess they'll still be rocking yellow/blue for away at that time, and arsenal don't mind going a bit crazy for a third colour usually. so it'll be exciting, hopefully!

Link? o:)

I reckon something like this, but in Arsenal colours (replace the yellow with red, black with white) would be absolutely amazing.

There are a few others floating around now but this appears to be the most legit rumour. It's not awful, just not great at the same time haha.

We are the aristocrats of London - we need a collar!

The good news is that if Newcastle get a draw this weekend they are safe if we beat Wigan so that may make the 6pts easier...

Regardless of ifs and buts - a win at home to Wigan is a must! Hope they beat City in the FA Cup then go have a big night and open top bus parade before coming to London... I'd sign for a 4-2 win like 2006!

Haha completely agree with the collar part above. But yes, if newcastle get a result this weekend, it is very good for us because it might mean they care less about their final game. It's good wigan is tired and coming off the back of a defeat as well as conceding 5 goals in 2 games. They've also got their 2 or 3 best defenders out I believe. I know for certain figueroa and Alcaraz were injured for the previous game.

Being linked to Lukasz Piszczek is nice. It's probably out of nothing but would be the most ideal option I can think of to replace Sagna.

Pisczeck is incredible in an attacking sense, but can be caught out defensively. Him and Jenkinson have a very similar style and engine.

I'd be happy with him, only problem is he will be 28 going into the next season and I don't see Arsene doing that.

If you want something done you have to do it yourself...

3pts v Wigan (h)
3pts v Newcastle (a)

Fair Play to Spurs they've had tough away games to Chelsea and Stoke and have not known when they are beaten coming from behind to get 4pts.

Seeing Wigan beat City will at least put the squad on notice that they are no pushovers but I fear for our away trip to Newcastle...

Does anyone know any lasagne chefs for the final weekend...???

Win against Wigan and our away trip to Newcastle becomes that little bit easier.

Newcastle are safe so hopefully that game will be a little easier, just need to take care of Wigan.

Newcastle aren't safe yet. If Wigan beat us they'll still be in trouble. We beat Wigan and save Newcastle and make it a lot easier for us on the final day. Although we'd also make it easier for Sp*rs as well by saving Sunderland.

Newcastle are safe.

Yeah realised after I posted that, forgot Wigan and Villa play eachother. It's only Villa and Sunderland who aren't safe if Wigan beat us

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 13/5/2013 04:50:46 PM

I quite enjoy wigan, but if beating them takes us to the top 4 and extra money, so be it.

Same, would love Wigan to stay up, but not at our expense :lol:

Wigan are 4 points below safety, I don't see how they can do it.

Win their last two games and they will be safe

Haha yes, I can count, it was more about all the football they've been playing, I don't see them physically being able to do it.

Well that was more comfortable than I thought it would be. Apart from the 10-15 minute period after HT I didn't ever really feel like we were in any real danger and in the end an excellent 8 minute period allowed us to cruise to the finish.

Winning by 3 goals also means that 3rd is still very much a chance with us just now 1 goal behind Chelsea on GD. Means that if we win by at least 2 goals and they draw we will finish 3rd and if they lose any win will have us finish 3rd.

Santi Cazorla, what a player. Just when you think he's done enough this season he goes and gets 4 assists :lol:

Interesting stat. Not since Henry has a player got 10 goals in his first league season at the club. This season Giroud(11), Santi(12), POldi(10) have all done it.