The late show … | Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

Morning all.

Soccer is scrambling my mind. I dreamed final night time that I used to be captain of Arsenal going into the play the FA Cup remaining, and I heard a pundit say one thing about how ‘Andrew Mangan’s males’ must step up and carry out. Then I realised if I performed on this recreation, I used to be going be on TV and I didn’t take care of that. Not solely did I not have any soccer shorts with me, my boots have been a pair of patent leather-based brogues.  Then Jimmy Kimmel got here in and served up what he mentioned have been hen wings however clearly they have been frogs legs in buffalo sauce and the remainder of the group have been very sad with me, despite the fact that it was all Kimmel’s fault.

I actually need Arsenal to offer me with some calm and assurance, and the one method to try this is rating plenty of targets in each recreation. Then you may put toad giblets in sauce and I wouldn’t care much less. I clearly wouldn’t eat them, even when they have been cooked by a late night time TV host, however I wouldn’t give a shit. So, for the sake of some restful sleep, I hope Arsenal can do this this weekend.

A bit afterward Mikel Arteta will meet the press forward of tomorrow’s go to to Leeds. Man Metropolis and Aston Villa don’t play till Sunday, so it’s a possibility to increase the lead and simply apply a little bit stress the opposite method, when it’s been utilized to us within the final couple of video games. The midweek recreation, as I mentioned, was a sort of palate cleanser after the defeat in opposition to United, and the actual response shall be required at Elland Street.

There’s been a lot dialogue of our title problem this season which, by any goal measure, is definitely going very effectively. Not completely, however then is there ever a group which doesn’t expertise a little bit of turbulence alongside the best way? I took a screenshot of this graphic the opposite day (by way of SofaScore), displaying our league place week by week, and what it tells me is that there’s a consistency to Arsenal this season that you’d affiliate with potential champions.

It solely issues the place you’re on the finish, however even with a number of blips alongside the best way, we’ve stayed high. In fact, it’s not simply us. We’ve been aided by these under us experiencing some turbulence themselves, nearly as if the difficulties of a aggressive Premier League usually are not the only protect of Arsenal FC. It simply feels prefer it, and I perceive that.

I’ve talked, most likely an excessive amount of, about why I really feel anxious. 21 years, 3 second place finishes in a row, blah blah blah. However I feel there’s a newer/present issue that performs an element too – conceding late targets. Scoring them makes you imagine that the fates are in your aspect, as a result of a dagger to the guts of the opposition once they don’t have any time to reply feels ruthless. The mark of champions and so forth.

Letting them in although? That’s one other factor. That undermines confidence, and when video games are sometimes as tight as ours are, you are feeling just like the worst might occur and that definitely performs into no matter sense of tension and nervousness you expertise in that context anyway. This season, we’ve let in late targets away in opposition to Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland; the house recreation in opposition to Wolves (which we responded to due to an personal purpose), and Villa at house (though it didn’t matter); then at house in opposition to United final weekend, and whereas it didn’t actually make any distinction in midweek, Kairat scored with principally the final kick of the sport.

I suppose the factor to say is that there’s no fastened method for this. Scoring late targets is just not a assure you’ll win the title. All of us felt one thing particular after Reiss Nelson scored in opposition to Bournemouth, and even when Danny Welbeck did what he did in opposition to Leicester in 2016. It didn’t work out the best way we’d like. So letting them in late doesn’t imply we are able to’t win the title, however it contributes to a way that we’re able to letting issues slip.

It’s not a serious, main downside, however it occurred with ample frequency this season for it to be an space of concern. Personally, I feel goalscoring is the foremost challenge, and if we clear up that we go a protracted technique to making any late targets from the opposition little greater than consolations. Which is why I’m curious to listen to what the supervisor has to say as we speak, however extra interested in what he may do along with his group tomorrow. If there’s one thing a little bit completely different about group choice, participant positions and so forth, it’ll be a reassurance that he is aware of he has to tweak one thing about how we’re enjoying proper now. Then it’s about placing that into impact, however we’ll discover out extra about all that at from 3pm tomorrow afternoon.

Proper, I’ll depart it there this morning. You may be part of us afterward Patreon for a Leeds preview podcast, for now, have a superb Friday of us.