St. James’ Park hosts an 8pm BST/3pm EDT/9am HST kickoff. USA will provide the live pictures in the States. Well, that didn’t go as planned, and availability issues from injury and otherwise are piled high. No matter, we still have it in our hands. Win two games and we have St. Totteringham’s day. Let’s do these punks. Up the Arsenal.
I'm not sure I'll be able to watch this one. Work, and other priorities are not the issue, mind you. But with all that's on the line, and having to play a back 4 of Tavares, Tomiyasu, Xhaka and Cedric, I'm just not sure I'll be able to watch this one.
Truly. And it's all hands on deck, as well. Arteta needs his best strategy, his best training, and his best pep talk to see this project over the finish line. Come on lads!
Not to mention finishing Top 4 and playing in UCL for the first time in 5-6 years! p.s. With our emergency, make-shift, <100% fit, back line... is it bad of me to wish for training ground injuries to Saint Maximin, Almiron and/or Joelinton?
Just finished listening to today's AV pod and Clive said the rumors are the White's hammie is worse than originally thought. Without saying it explicitly, all his comments implied that we might be without him on Monday. In that case it would be either steal a MF-er like Xhaka or bring in some total kid. Oh boy... exciting times!!
I’ll be watchin live as I tend to. And this away game has exactly the same importance towards top 4 as the last away game did. But missing are the cup final nerves. For me anyway.
Gabriel and White to start at center back. Are we supposed to feel relieved, or be holding our breath?
I'm in the latter camp. I think both are not likely anywhere near 100% fit, so they're both risky calls. And with only 3 subs available in EPL... VERY much hope I'm being too pessimistic! p.s. Tim Howard thinks we'll win out our last 2 games. Sounds like the kiss of death to me.
If they're playing with a pair of wounded center backs, should Arsenal try to play more of a counter-attacking strategy to minimize their extended running about?
IDK. Inviting Newcastle on to us could also stress their bodies in other ways. But definitely it's hard to not focus on White & Gabi as a really major factor in this match and this XI. If we lose either one of those guys it's probably gonna mean some creative shuffling by Mikel, e.g. Xhaka moving back or Tomi moving inside. We only have 2 bona fide defenders on the bench (Soares & Swanson) and neither of them is a CB. I'm managing 2 concurrent feelings RN: 1) ... pray to the gods of soft tissue injuries, and 2) ... COYG!!!!
Not exactly a comfortable opening 9 minutes. Ramsdale nearly with a catastrophic error, White already on a yellow.