Chelsea have to take most of the blame for Arsenal reaching their first final of the season; that was \u2018pathetic\u2019.<\/p>\n
If you have anything to add on any subject, mail us at theeditor@football365.com<\/p>\n
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Jacquet required<\/p>\n
Jeremy Jacquet sounds like a name Bob Mortimer would make up.
Simon \u201cStolen from Twitter \/ X\u201d S, NUFC, Cheshire<\/p>\n
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Arsenal boring but blaming Chelsea..<\/p>\n
Good luck writing 16 conclusions (as if; this was a one piece kind of night<\/a> \u2013 Ed)<\/p>\n Were never escaping the accusations are we? That was hardly an enjoyable game of football for anyone I imagine. Oh well onto Wembley we go, results are what matters. I think because of our approach we don\u2019t have anyone playing in the number 10 space between the lines. So we\u2019re always outnumbered (see Gyokeres) when attacking and nobody is using the central space. It\u2019s by design, it mostly works but it isn\u2019t \u201cfun\u201d. Just effective<\/p>\n I see a lot of people saying Arsenal have the least likable team in the League. Then I watch Chelsea and think, are you serious? They are pathetic, constantly pushing and harassing off the ball, diving, shouting at refs. VAR didn\u2019t even look back at the wrestling move in the corner. Couldn\u2019t be happier to beat them. I cant think of a single player who appears even remotely likeable (maybe Palmer).<\/p>\n Also whilst I\u2019m here, can we veto Neville from commentating on Arsenal games. We know you hate us, we know you don\u2019t want us to win, but can you even pretend to be a little bit subtle. I might have to start illegally streaming so I can enjoy the football with the sound on. Genuinely dire. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026My favourite things are:<\/p>\n 1) The hearty laughter of my infant son Yours Sincerely, \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026Through to Wembley after probably the most dull game we\u2019ve played all season. I don\u2019t think there is a lot to take from last night but some observations on both teams.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to say after the event but Chelsea playing it safe suited Arsenal. We have a pretty good defence even when teams come at us, so to see Chelsea keep it tight and not come at us (not saying it was a low block) meant we were even less troubled.<\/p>\n The tactics from Rosenior were reasonable with the idea to try and score late on, but also energy saving for Arsenal considering we have a few big games coming up (Chelsea again, Spurs and City away). We avoided an expansive emotional game, injuries, and avoided extra time.<\/p>\n Arsenal played it safe, not overcommitting and it would have only taken one goal from the Chelsea diving squad to flip the game. Our biggest challenge was the nerves, and this does feel like a team that knows it needs to win something.<\/p>\n Eze had a very good game off the ball. He let Cash go for the away game at Villa park and his minutes in the premier league were noticeably limited after that.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to play in this team, you have to grind. Hoping Eza kicks on now, as that hattrick aside, it\u2019s been a relatively quiet start in an Arsenal shirt.<\/p>\n That was a stonewall penalty for Martinelli, if Chalobah doesn\u2019t clip his feet on the second challenge, Martinelli is in, how is that not given? Thankfully it was irrelevant.<\/p>\n The 6 minutes injury time can only have been for all the substitutions, but not getting that penalty made it a nervy finish. Nice of the ref to go over the 6 mins injury time allowing Kai to score against his old club. His return from injury is huge. Havertz movement and technical security will make us less predictable and harder to defend, it\u2019s been pretty stodgy at times this season.<\/p>\n Divers: Every team has players that go down easily, Merino is one for us but overall I feel most of our players are pretty strong in the duels and stay on their feet..Chelsea though, just pathetic. I thought they were pretty quick to flop under Maresca, it seems they are even worse under Rosenoir. They\u2019re so incredulous anytime a foul is given against them, and yet several of them dive at the slightest touch. Refs will surely notice what a lot of people can see.<\/p>\n Arsenal have a massive game on the weekend now. Beat Sunderland on Saturday and hope Liverpool can at least draw with City to give us some breathing room for the home straight as I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to blow teams away en route to a title. This is going to be a slog. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026Now this is going to be one of those \u2018I don\u2019t care about\u2026\u2019 and then I proceed to write extensively on the subject, but anyway.<\/p>\n I just don\u2019t think Arsenal are going to get any credit, no matter what they do this season. And tonight summed it up.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen a lot of \u2018Arsenal are so boring to watch\u2019 and whilst that has oftentimes been true, I\u2019m not sure the onus was on us to make this game fun tonight. Genuinely, what did people expect?<\/p>\n If you recall, the first leg was a pretty open, fun game ending 3-2, which flattered our hosts and we should\u2019ve been out of sight. Because we weren\u2019t, we had work to do and, unfortunately for those pesky neutrals hate watching, a lead to protect.<\/p>\n The onus was absolutely on Chelsea tonight. Their tactics were actually ok; keep it tight for an hour, make sure we don\u2019t score again and then bring their best attackers on with the tie still in reach.<\/p>\n Except they did absolutely nothing. The comms wanted Estevao and Palmer to come on and be Maradona and Pele, but all I remember is one being booked and the other taking two minutes to punt a free kick into the wall. Kepa did not make a save, and in a semi final second leg a goal down, that\u2019s a disgrace. That 30 minutes from them was pathetic. I tell you now, roles reversed, people would be sticking the knife in and twisting it. Hard.<\/p>\n In fact, Chelsea couldn\u2019t even work an angle for a cross in stoppage time, such was the effort from our boys. To then go and nick it on the counter with Havertz scoring was too perfect an ending.<\/p>\n And so back to my original point\u2026 I\u2019ve not really seen anyone with a platform praise our defensive display or that we held them to under 1xG and that 9 of their 14 shots were speculative ones from distance. In fact, we\u2019re being criticised for how the game played out.<\/p>\n Analyse with your priors all you want. We\u2019re going to Wembley. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026Second legs of cup semi finals are usually exciting games, usually the onus is on one of the teams, one team will often know they\u2019re knocked out if they do nothing so you see some fireworks.<\/p>\n Clearly no one told Chelsea this. I\u2019m sure there will be plenty of talk about a boring game and Arsenal will strangely take face the blame \u2013 but once again the dullness of the game is far more down to our opponent than us. This has been proven in the Champions League where most teams attack and so far every team has been thoroughly well beaten by Arsenal in very much not boring games. Although I still look forward to the gymnastics some rival fans (and high profile pundits) will do to try to discredit anything Arsenal do.<\/p>\n So Chelsea turn up knowing they have to win the game and they play a back 5 and 2 defensive mids. Most of the game was a team who knew a clean sheet got them to the final vs a team who was too scared to go for the goals they needed for fear of conceding a single goal that almost certainly would end the tie for them.<\/p>\n Clearly over the two legs the better team went through, Chelsea were fortunate to still be in the tie after the first leg.<\/p>\n Head down for the league now for Arsenal before a cup final to look forward to, very enjoyable and very much not boring for us! \u00a0<\/p>\n Arsenal fans write at length to show they don\u2019t care<\/p>\n Need to send this out to all the Arsenal haters \u2013 you guys are really on one this season. Not unlike past seasons but now that we really look like we\u2019re gonna win it has reached insane levels of delusion. I feel like some Arsenal fans like me added flames to this fire \u2013 I was as critical of Arsenal after the United match as anyone since the performance really wasn\u2019t up to par. But mainly I just hate losing to them more than anything.<\/p>\n First, I want to reiterate my genuine love for the idea that somehow this season is indicative of a terrible league. What about last season when Liverpool had a free run cause City is no longer the City we knew and Arsenal just fell off the pace due to a variety of reasons (and Mo Salah had one of the all-time great seasons \u2013 I imagine last season would look much like this season for Liverpool if not worse had been playing like he is now). Or literally any United title from \u201996-\u201903 if Arsenal weren\u2019t at the races that year (cause who else was challenging those United teams, again?).<\/p>\n It\u2019s funny when Liverpool fans (btw, maybe this is me being an American fan but since when did our fan bases have beef like this? I always liked Liverpool and their fans until they all went insane after last years title and started talking way too much s***) write in about how the league is so weak as if the league is any different than last season in terms of overall performance \u2013 if anything the league is stronger than last season as indicated by almost all 6 teams being in the top 8 in CL (more on this later) and midtable positions shifting drastically after each matchday because there\u2019s a ton of quality in midtable.<\/p>\n Also, for those of a more data-minded persuasion, Opta\u2019s power rankings have 13 PL clubs in the top 25 (Brighton is right behind Real Madrid). Yes, these algorithms are not perfect but when data skews this heavily rarely is it ever a fluke \u2013 England clearly has an extremely strong league.<\/p>\n
Rob A (it may be boring but our defense is so so good, so so good) AFC<\/p>\n
2) A delicious beverage in good company and an atmospheric location
3) Basically anything that annoys Chelsea<\/p>\n
Niallo, Gooner, Uibh Fh\u00e1il\u00ed <\/p>\n
Strevs, AFC, Canada<\/p>\n
Joe, AFC, East Sussex <\/p>\n
Rich, AFC<\/p>\n