Vic

I've seen it in a few articles and on podcasts, so it's out there.

I think we're a much more interesting story (multiple recent near misses, 20+ year wait for a league title, etc.) with a fanbase that basically gives any media outlet poking us free engagement.

Arteta would never go for this much change, but here is what I'd love to see us do tomorrow.

Maybe even start Max instead of Trossard and move Noni to the right?

Either way, lots of rotation please #Arsenal!

Everyone is comparing us to City and Liverpool as they are now - more established recent winners - and by this measure we're "nervous"

Would it be more appropriate to compare us to 2019/20 Liverpool & 2011–12 City, who went down to the wire to win their first league titles in ages? #arsecastextra

If this game doesn't shift some opinions on Gyökeres, I don't know what can.

Scored 2 crucial goals, kept defenders busy to allow Eze to score.

Now has 14 for the season, 10 in the league (same as Ekitike btw)

It’s possible that Arteta is an excellent coach to raise the floor of a team, but one that’s not able to raise the ceiling to win the biggest trophies.

He’s the best manager I’ve seen at Arsenal (I didn’t see good Wenger) but it could be time to part ways if he wins nothing this season.

If we go from being favorites for winning every competition that we're in this year, to winning absolutely nothing, it will go down in history as the worst bottle job of all time.

It's gonna take us years (decades?) to move past a collapse of this magnitude.

Attack has been underwhelming all season, and that's on Arteta.

We are not as strong defensively as we were at the beginning of the season, and that's on Arteta.

The players are struggling with the weight of the title challenge, and Arteta has to manage that.

Can't keep playing like shit and expect to win the league.

Took some digging but here are the 6 players who played for both #Arsenal and #Wolves:

1️⃣ Jérémie Aliadière (2001–2006 / 2005)
2️⃣ Vince Bartram (1994 / 1996)
3️⃣ Emmanuel Frimpong (2011 / 2011)
4️⃣ Oleg Luzhny (1999–2002 / 2003)
5️⃣ Emiliano Martínez (2014–2020 / 2015)
6️⃣ Jermaine Pennant (2001–2004 / 2012)

I think this is very much the price of success. I came across this excellent form table on The Fishy, and it shows that Arsenal travelled the most for their games and also played SIX games in 15 days, compared to most teams playing 3-4 games.

As much as dislike anyone associated with that club, Ange and Frank are absolutely not as bad as the results they produced. There is something completely rotten at the core of that club and I can’t see how plugging in yet another manger fixes it.

I’m all here for this collapse, popcorn in hand 🍿

The year is 2031, United are still looking for that elusive 5th win in a row, poor Frank Ilet is now 90% hair 🤣

A lot of punditry has become more focused on narrative and entertainment, and less on actual football insights

Ekitike had a very bad day at the office. Could and should have had a brace at least in this game.

Rules are applied differently depending on the ref, teams, where it’s played etc 🤡

Even if City win this, they do not look like the robot team that’s gonna put together 10 wins in a row in the league this season. It’s very much still on for us.

Sloboslai goes from hero to villain, playing Silva onside there

Gotta beat the best to be the best ;)

Also, Newcastle play out of their skin against us, so I actually think both matchups would have been a tough test, but I think #Arsenal are favorites either way

Exactly!

I also think that if we win the league, no one is gonna care that Gyokores scored 10 or 20 goals. And if we don't win the league, I wouldn't put all the blame on him either.

He's a solid option up front, not a world class striker, but not a bum either.

Haaland warped our expectations of center forwards.

The overall trajectory has been to share the goals around, rather than a traditional #9 converting most of the chances.

So Gyokores having 11 goals in all competition, with a chance to hit 15-20, seems a decent return for his first season.

Goodly morning gents!

The discourse on Gyökeres feels harsh given he’s on pace for 20 goals in all competitions, our joint 5-year individual high (Saka 2023/24). Is the "underwhelming" label fair?

Goodly morning gents!

In light of Merino’s unfortunate injury, and with De Zerbi resigning, should we recall
Nwaneri from his loan to provide cover in midfield? #arsecastextra

I really hope we stop seeing the narrative from #Arsenal fans about how we could have been X points ahead of City if we did better against [insert opponent here]

No matter what happens, we end this week with a decent cushion, let's celebrate and enjoy it :)

My daughter just asked me who I want to win this game.

I told her I wish there was a way they both lose.

It is a bizarre feeling to sort of want our hated North London rivals to beat City to aid our title challenge.

If it stays like this, I expect opinion pieces all over the place about the lack of City's mental strength, how they are bottling it, nervous energy, etc. etc.

Clearly something completely broken at that club. Needs a full reset and maybe an exorcism...

Only 18 wins in their last 62 games in the league. Complete and utter garbage, no matter what manager or players they have seemingly.

Roney’s column was pretty unhinged but there is one part that I can agree with. We haven’t been a great open play attacking team this season.

We’re a one of the best out of possessions teams in the world. Our set pieces are insane. But we are not a swashbuckling, free flowing attacking force.

For me, the Saka injury highlights two things:

1) Injuries are inevitable, regardless of how meticulously you manage minutes.

2) Our squad is now deep enough that I didn't panic; instead, I was genuinely excited to see how we adapt and how Madueke and others step up to fill the void.

#Arsenal "bottling" it in the Premier League

1st in the table
7 points clear of 2nd place
Best goal difference
Fewest losses
2nd highest goals scored