PSG H Big lugs Semi final first leg Tues 29th April KO 8pm

[xgtdec]

We just need a dose of optimism before the 2nd leg, it looks tough and doomed but not impossible, partey comes back and you never know we could nick something.

Far fetched as that sounds we rarely get this far so I’m loathe to let us go out on the whimper the team obviously want to go out on

[Linighans there!!]

We'll never sing that, We'll never sing thaaaaat....champions of Europe, We'll never sing that

[Arsenal Till I Die]

I'd take Luis Enrique in a fucking heartbeat, by the way.

[SteveO 35]

He gets the second leg of this match, the Summer window and the first 2 months of next season before I cast any sort of final judgement. There has been progress for the past 2-3 years and this is definitely a set back season. He has 2 choices - the Wenger option which sees him stick with pussies and make all the wrong signings, or make the ruthless calls on wankers like Odegaard and sign what's needed
This season has been boring as shit but could still be salvaged by the second leg of this game. If we go out like the Wenger limpdicks of old and he fails to address the obvious failings then he can follow Wenger out the door. Nobody has the heart for another wasted decade after putting up with that goon

[Perryashburtongroves]

Players aren't good enough for the style of play. If you want to pass it about with slow build-up play, you need a truly world class central midfielder who will find that killer ball when it matters or make that driving run to free up space. We have Ødegaard, the almost carbon copy of Hleb. It won't work. Get a proper goalscorer in, start putting crosses into the box and we'll have a different option. Get a proper goalscorer in and we'll have a threat over the top or through the middle. We don't have the quality to play this fucking slow, monotonous crap any more. Get a fucking goalscorer who can score 20 goals a season as a minimum and start going direct. It's the only solution to this cycle of predictability.

[rodders999]

I’m actually most disappointed with Saka tonight. All hopes rested on him producing the goods, your biggest and best player stepping up on the huge occasion and grabbing the game but he completely no showed.

I wasn’t expecting much from Trossard up top, Odegaard dropping yet another a disaster bomb is standard these days so wasn’t at all surprised he did the same tonight and sadly Martinelli is never going to the one to get you to the promised land so for those 3 to be meh at best and completely shite at worst wasn’t at all surprising.

But the Saka disappearance….that was really disappointing.

[Arsenal Till I Die]

He gets the second leg of this match, the Summer window and the first 2 months of next season before I cast any sort of final judgement. There has been progress for the past 2-3 years and this is definitely a set back season. He has 2 choices - the Wenger option which sees him stick with pussies and make all the wrong signings, or make the ruthless calls on wankers like Odegaard and sign what's needed
This season has been boring as shit but could still be salvaged by the second leg of this game. If we go out like the Wenger limpdicks of old and he fails to address the obvious failings then he can follow Wenger out the door. Nobody has the heart for another wasted decade after putting up with that goon

We've (not all personally, but the royal 'we') have said that, had read that/heard that for the last two years, to be honest.

It's an endless cycle.

[SteveO 35]

He gets the second leg of this match, the Summer window and the first 2 months of next season before I cast any sort of final judgement. There has been progress for the past 2-3 years and this is definitely a set back season. He has 2 choices - the Wenger option which sees him stick with pussies and make all the wrong signings, or make the ruthless calls on wankers like Odegaard and sign what's needed
This season has been boring as shit but could still be salvaged by the second leg of this game. If we go out like the Wenger limpdicks of old and he fails to address the obvious failings then he can follow Wenger out the door. Nobody has the heart for another wasted decade after putting up with that goon

We've (not all personally, but the royal 'we') have said that, had read that/heard that for the last two years, to be honest.

It's an endless cycle.

I hear you mate, I really do. In fairness the second half of last season was very good though. An amazing run of results and playing some really good football too. To me it's inexplicable how we've gone from that approach to this borefest season. I believe a full debrief and commitment to get us back to the levels of the previous season, 3 or 4 stellar signings and some ruthless culling and it can be corrected. Of course if none of that happens then he can well and truly do one.

The fans will turn too if we start slipping down and we'll have the same divided fan base as we had under Wenger and a half empty stadium after 70 minutes most weeks again

[Gunner Rob]

I’m his biggest critic on here but Partey was a huge loss tonight, and not just because he wasn’t out there but because it also forced us to move our best finisher back into midfield.

That then gets compounded by yet another Odegaard 0/10 disaster performance, combined with an anonymous Saka display and a now customary Martinelli gilt edged miss.

Those few ministers either side of HT were pivotal. Martinelli’s miss and the offside, score either/both of those and it’s a totally different game.

We got neither and here we are in a big bag of shit as a result. In huge games like this you need someone to stand up and grab it by the throat, sadly we collectively shit the bed from the off and looked like rabbits in the headlights.

Spot on - I guess we got to the stage where we were just missing too many players.
I only got carried away with the optimism pre match by coming on here really.

The problem I had with the Real Madrid match was that I always knew really that we hadn’t actually beaten much.
The reality is that we don’t have a striker - this champions league run has covered up Arteta’s limitations big time. He is unlikely to ever win a trophy again with the club.

[Retro Gunner]

About the best you can say is it’s half time and we’re still in it….just. That’s not said with any real sense of hope or optimism.

I was in the Clock End so have no idea about the offside goal, but assume VAR got it right? Took an age to decide.

Men against boys for the first 25 mins or so, then we clawed our way into it without ever playing well. Scrappy second half and they always looked in control. In fact, we got out of jail to get away with a 0-1 loss.

I knew they were technically good, but didn’t realise how physically strong they were and bullied us out of most 50/50s, especially in the first half.

No one played well, although Rice probably better than anyone else. This suicidal idea of Raya taking dead ball kick virtually at the halfway line and getting involved in passes way out of his box is gonna cost us.

Odegaard woeful again, creating nothing and giving the ball away. He’s had a piss poor season and needs replacing. We’re also desperately short in centre mid, as we all know. Imagine if Rice wasn’t there and it was any two from Merino, Partey and Jorginho, none of whom are good enough. The lack of a striker was more glaring than ever tonight, totally blunt up front and that failure should cost Arteta his job in my opinion.

[cameron326]

Best you can say is that Madrid weren’t waving the white flag when they lost the 1st leg 3-0. We are still in this - technically at least. We need to get in their faces in Paris. (yes I know that didn’t work for Madrid, but it’s the best I can come up with and I’m not on £10 million a year).

[Bradywasking]

After 20 minutes I would have settled for 0-1, as the game went on Arsenal did improve, but with the exception of Rice's run and Trossard's shot we were hoping for scraps, a mistake by them.A lot of effort, but repetitive stuff. You never fancied our front three to score. Even though it was a great save by the PSG 'keeper I wasn't convinced by Trossard going through, it wasn't like the old days when you knew Henry or Pires were slotting that home.
I through Merino was OK, and after a dodgy start Timber was OK too. Skelly was himself, Odegaard just want the extra touch or extra moment.He is so predictable now. Bringing Nwaneri on for injury time was a joke.
I'm stubbornly not giving up on this, I think our team will have a better balance with Partey back. However I'm not doubting how difficult it will be. Hope Kills.

[cameron326]

My only other slither of hope is that I think this is a team that can be rattled. Their support is noisy but I suspect fickle when things go against them. Big pressure on them not to fuck it up now. If - IF - we can get the first goal, they’ll be under big big pressure. We score first, pressure gets to them, and one of theirs takes an early bath? Not out of the realms of the possible.

[Topside Northbank]

Martinelli LW and Trossard starting CF with Odegaard once again anon, what little we created and in big games it's always marginal was wasted. Trossard forced their GK into a very good save but we couldn't build much pressure with those three for various reasons.

MLS what a player 18 and fearless, played our best pass of the night, Rice did what he could but tbh we chased shadows first 25m, they imposed their game on us and we simply had too many looking passive on and off the ball.

PSG will feel they are 80% through, first goal will be huge next Wednesday, Partey back, Rice higher up to run withthe ball and press them surely Merino at 9, who at least will win some physical battles.

MA wont drop Odegaard, many myself included would. i'd rather play one of Saka/ Nwaneri as the 10, faster feet and not scared to get on the ball.
Odegaard will start in Paris but another 45 as expected if we are still in the tie the manager has to do whats best for the team sub him, he was such a good player a lot of last season and 22/23 but hes simply being carried by his teamates. It's been week in week out.

Whatever happens a big summer ahead think Berta will hopefully be ruthless, move a few on. This season MLS, Nwaneri have been excellent but too many senior players have simply not performed well regularly.

[Retro Gunner]

Errrrr, I think we played with a little bit the handbrake on and also lacked a bit the sharpness up front.

But errrr you know, it was special circumstances.

Overall, a pile of crap.