We Nap In Peace After Impressive Gunners Book Semi-Final Berth
Apr 19th, 2019 by 'holic
There are worse ways to spend an evening than sitting with the grand’holics watching The Arsenal. Especially when The Arsenal are dishing out a masterclass to the team that were second favourites to win the Europa League ahead of the quarter-finals.
After all of our no-shows on the road in recent seasons there was something special about the win in Naples. This was no fluke, no one-off. Too many have cried that Napoli’s finishing was poor, although it was there was only one reason for that. The Gunners back three/five put them under so much pressure they were unable to function as they might have hoped to beforehand.
Following on from the admittedly less assured victory at Watford by the same scoreline it appears (oh what a test we face next week) that we have solved our away day weakness at a crucial part of the season. Wolves and Leicester lie in wait after Palace, so we shall see.
The stain on the evening was the sight of Aaron Ramsey pulling up clutching his hamstring. He has been the metronome of the team in recent weeks and it remains to be seen if he will ever pull the cannon over his chest again. Unai Emery sowed the seeds of doubt post match.
“It’s a muscular injury and usually it is going to mean some weeks outside the team, I don’t know if we’ll see him again before the end of the season.”
To say losing him is a blow is an understatement. It means those on the fringes of the team will have to up their game. Mesut Ozil? Henrikh Mkhitaryan? Alex Iwobi? The time has come for one or more of you to step up to the plate and deliver as we close in on potentially a much better season than many had predicted when the new head coach was installed.
Enough of the negative, and back to the wonderful last night. We won the match with a moment of Alexandre Lacazette genius. Hacked down just outside the box he opted to take the free-kick himself and rather than attempt to clear the wall he went around it instead. The goalkeeper, looking for the ball to appear from behind his defensive shield, took a fatal step to his right as the ball nestled in the net having been steered just inside his left hand post. Cue grand’holics, black labrador, and silly old sod celebrating joyfully.
There were other chances to record an even more impressive triumph, and only a magnificent save by Meret prevented Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from converting the best of them. Napoli never looked comfortable when we broke.
Yet this win owed far more to a defence much-maligned. To be fair there have not been too many opportunities to play Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Nacho Monreal together for various reasons this season. With Rob Holding ruled out for so long these are our three most consistent defenders. Last night they were organised, authoritative, and delivered on the big stage. Credit where it is entirely due.
The scene is set, therefore, for an all-London Final in Baku. The Arsenal have the small matter of Valencia to deal with in the semi-final. Memories of Brussels 1980 will always mean this old fella will want them to be put to the sword. Lest we forget, they denied us a reunion with Santi Cazorla for which the Grove would have become a serious place of homage. Can Eintracht Frankfurt deny Chelsea? Surely not. Premier League sides are seemingly dominating in Europe this season. Be glad we are one of them.
32 Responses to “We Nap In Peace After Impressive Gunners Book Semi-Final Berth”
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Unai’s not doing badly for someone a rather loud minority thought was out of his depth just around Christmas.
The fickle finger of football fannery
Indeed Cynic. Here’s hoping he can drag us over the line without Rambo.
Indeed. No confidence in anyone else being capable of stepping up to fill the gap, so we’ll have to hope we can get to the final and have him miraculously fit for that.
Great summary, ‘holic. We have much to be excited about, which at this time of the season is something we have seldom experienced in recent seasons.
Nice report, silly old sod !
Brussels 1980 was indeed not a happy place – on or off the pitch. Their fans are owed a large chunk of disappointment and we have just the fella to dish it up to them –
Laaacaaazette, Lacazette,
That’s a name you won’t forget,
Lacazette, Lacazette,
Loves to stick it in the net,
Etc. Etc …..
Great performance all round last night.
We have a manager who knows how to win this thing ?
Whisper it softly but AMN seems to make us more solid defensively.
Nice stuff H.
We look far more solid at the back with both Kos and Sokratis playing together. I know a number of us have said that more than once. It’s a simple concept really. Play two proper centre halves and that’s what happens.
I thought we were very professional last night. When we have players fit we have the right balance and good shape. Torreira means that Xhaka doesn’t have the same defence duties. That makes Xhaka a far more effective player. Nacho is a wise old stager who uses his considerable experience well. Kolasinac looks a disaster as a full back but excellent at wing back. AMN grows with every game. Laca and Aubameyang are a handful for anyone.
Final word re Rambo. Again, like many, unless total buffoonery is the answer, I have no idea we have got to the stage where he walks away for free? I sincerely hope this is not his last game for us. He deserves so much better than that. I really hope that it’s minor and he gets the chance to make at least one more appearance at The Grove before he heads to Turin.
Actually making the game on Sunday so hopefully catch up with a few of you then. H, is your “3 weeks out” now up? Hopefully you are now well enough to make this one?
Since Brexit I’m convinced the bookies know very little but rely on punters to do stupid things. ( 1/15 Remain at 3am)
Chelsea are favourites in Baku.
Emery v Sarri in a one-off game for a trophy Unai has won three times before? Our problem will be rotation and injuries but if we get Sokratis and Koscielny on the field together we ok very secure. Nacho could even have a five minute poo break mid-match!
Napoli would struggle in the Premier League and they are second in Serie A. Palace on Sunday will be MUCH harder
Yes Steve, attempting the comeback tomorrow. Still got a clogged lung so won’t be sprinting anywhere. Planning on doing The Gunners before the match and the usual haunt after.
Fine report, Guvna. I hope the labrador and grand’holics landed beneath you in the celebratory melee.
It was indeed an excellent performance and the game was effectively over after Lacazette’s FK went in. Brilliant game management thereafter – not something for which we have recently been noted.
In both legs Napoli failed to live up to the scary billing. While much of that is down to the way our players approached the game, it’s another demonstration of the relative strength of the PL and Serie A. Aaron will, fitness permitting, take Italy by storm.
TTG is correct that Palace will be a much harder task on Sunday.
Sokratis will be missed against
Palace and I’m guessing Kos will
be rested too as it must be a risk
playing him again with Wolves away
midweek. I think Nacho will have
to play.
Palace have more points away than
us and it might be a tricky game
with a weakened defence and that
divey bastard Zaha.
I suppose we have to take the risk
and start Mavro and Mus but it won’t
do my heart or blood pressure
any good.
I was drinking with a Juventus
fan last night and he wasn’t too
thrilled with the signing as he’d
heard Aaron’s often injured.
I wanted to say nice things about
Aaron but I didn’t want the bloke
to be happy about nicking our
player for nothing so I said “you’re
right to be worried, you’ll only get
4 or 5 good games a season out of
him tops”
I felt a bit disloyal but the Juve fan
looked disheartened and in the end
maybe it’s best that our enemies
feel unhappy 🙂
Fine report, ‘Holic and spot on to give props to the defence.
The bookies are offering almost evens on Valencia getting through to the final which suggests they think it is going to be a close run tie.
To Steve T’s point @7: Kos, Papa and Nacho have all played in only three league games this season: the 5-1 win at home to Bournemouth; the 1-1 draw away to the neighbors and the 2-0 home win over Man U. So two goals (and one a penalty) conceded in three games. In the Europa League, they have all played in five of our twelve games so far, and kept four clean sheets in those five games.
So, yes, we do defend better when we have all our best defenders on the pitch.
Who’d have thunk it?
As others noted in previous drinks, central defenders, Laca, Ramsey, etc.
We may not get to see Santi in the next round, but we will get Gabriel and Le Coq.
As bt8 says above, AMN is beginning to look like a proper footballer. Is Bellerin going to have a battle on his hands to retain his position?
Kos, Papa & Nacho
Speaking as a big fan of the three defenders mentioned I only wish we could turn the clock back three or four years on their careers. Papa will be 31 in June but Kos will be 34 in September and Nacho 34 in February.
Transfermarkt says we received more for Coquelin than we did for Gabriel, which surprised me slightly. Also, Coquelin is coming off an injury and hasn’t played a full 90 minutes since the end of February, although he played 58 minutes in their game on 14 April.
We won’t see Le Coq at the Emirates he is suspended.
For Clive
I mentioned Azeez the other day. This article confirms the plans tge club have for him
http://dailycannon.com/2019/04/arsenal-guarantee-deals-for-miguel-azeez/
A suspended Coq is not to be visualised.
Would have been nice to see
Coquelin again but it’s kind of
fitting that he misses with a
suspension
The 12th place club in the French league. Not only when provoked it’s Angers.
{Tiptoes out the door.}
bt8b@16: The length of time left on their contracts and salaries would have affected the transfer fees for Gabriel and Coquelin. Le Coq had three and a half years to run on his contract when he left, while Gabriel had a year and ten months. Wages were a wash: Gabriel was on £50,000 a week and Le Coq on only £5,000 a week more.
In the end, we got a couple of million more for Le Coq than his market value and sold Gabriel for a couple of million less than his. We instinctively think transfer fees are about a player’s intrinsic value, but in reality, they are just what can be haggled for at the time.
TTG@17: The Daily Cannon calls Azeez ‘the most talented player of Nigerian descent in the ranks of Arsenal u16s’. Is that a large set?
Yunus Musah is another 16-year old in our ranks to watch. Definitely ‘the most talented player of Ghanaian descent’ at the club.
But first-team futures seen for both midfielders if they can stay the course. The Academy is producing some real talent.
Another wonderkind: 15-year-old Marcelo Flores, who has joined from Ipswich.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/chance-meeting-in-cayman-islands-resulted-in-ipswich-town-signing-canadian-wonderkid-marcelo-flores-1-4863207
Particularly after cba’s benediction from a few drinks back, I am still planning to join the Men’s Mental Health awareness raising march tomorrow. What with climate change demonstrators etc. do we know that it’s still on? If anyone can confirm that it’s still on, or provide a link to details, I would be very grateful
If anyone else is planning to march, an eye peeled for a bald paunchy bloke with sister-in-law in tow joining at the Angel, may be rewarded with a sighting of the lesser spotted Pangloss.
A request, guv’nor – in times gone by, I recall a section in the right hand sidebar with links to an archive of old posts by month. That seems to have gone by the board in one of the updates to the site. It’s probably not used that often, but when needed is very helpful indeed, please could it be restored? On the other and if this silly old sod (tm acknowledged) as overlooked it, a reminder of where it can be found would be much appreciated.
COYG
Spuds lost, good start to the weekend
Speaking of tired old refrains, and being bored with them, which I was on Monday, another whose roots are buried in the mists of time is “Don’t jinx it”. Well, sorry everyone, but automatic qualification for Big Cup via the Premier League next year is very much in our hands now.
During the last interlull, the Grauniad published a piece to which all their football correspondents contributed about who would end the season in the top four. As I recall only one of the near dozen writers backed the Arse and they had them scraping in fourth. The received wisdom of the rest was: “Liverpoo and Manchester Oilers obviously. Sp*rs are surely over their blip by now and will qualify, Manchester Rowdies have got Ole Gunnar Solkjaer and will push the Totts for third and, should either of them slip up, Chel$ki will come through, despite not being the force they have been reently. The Arsenal? no chance they are far too iffy away from home.”
Well, bollocks to that, say I. I hear distinct noises of sainted old bones beginning to stir.
COYG
I will, of course, be very disappointed should be miss out and mortified if I can be shown to have jinxed it, but I am sick to the back teeth with keeping quiet for fear of disappointment.
COY mighty G
Hear the mighty Pangloss roar the righteous roar, and verily may his pronouncement come to pass.
I see that Spurs, in the heat of their so-called “title challenge,” have gained a paltry 7 points from their last 8 league games. Title challengers you said? Just when they were supposed to put their foot on the gas they did the exact opposite. The problem has got to start in their heads.
Yogi at ACLF has made no post since April 13th when he signed off with “til tomorrow”
I certainly hope he is alright but he posts so regularly on a daily basis it makes me worried for him.
Pangloss
More power to you for joining the march tomorrow. An excellent cause. I’m not sure if it’s still on but it was certainly going to be held when I saw a Palace supporting mate for lunch on Tuesday. I’m driving a disparate bunch of individuals to the match tomorrow so can’t join you but it will be an important point of recognition.
And I’m very much of the same mind about the so- called experts and their predictions. If you look at the dolt Lawrenson’s predictions over the season we would be in 10th if they had come to pass. Chavski are apparently favourites for the Europa League. Did nobody watch Emery’s masterclass against Sarri in January? He totally outthought him tactically.
If we don’t get too knackered or pick up injuries to key players 3rd and the Europa League are well within our grasp
Pangloss
I found this online
https://theeaglesbeak.com/2019/03/24/support-the-mental-health-and-male-suicide-walk/
Fine and crisp report holic just like our defensive performance against Napoli.
I wanted to ask holic and other drinkers in the bar two questions:
1)Should Koscielny be given a one year contract extension given his consistent performances since his return from injury?
2)If we do manage to make it to the Champions League via either route, should Emery be given a two year contract extension? (Emery was signed for two years and a two year extension would mean the club backing him to complete the rebuilding process and beyond.)
I personally would offer Koscielny a one year contract extension because his performances merit it more than any other reason. But a contract extension for him has other benefits. He will continue to be the club captain during what would be another season of transition and squad building. It would also mean we can invest in other areas of the squad instead of being compelled to buy a central defender. A central defensive quartet of Sokratis, Kos, Holding and Chambers along with a younger understudy (Mavropanos or a new signing if Mavropanos goes on loan) would definitely be a solid combination despite not having superstar names.
As for Emery I personally believe he should be given an extension even if we miss out on top four narrowly. We all wanted a new manager who would micro-manage the ‘tactical’ aspects and who would perhaps be more unpredictable than Arsene was. Emery has been exactly that. He has had it tough in his very first season with three players Bellerin, Holding and Welbeck suffering long term injuries at crucial times during the season (and missing large chunks of the season). Arsene often used to say that the biggest test of a manager is when the team is going through a bad patch. The really good managers always manage to curtail the bad patch to just a few games and turn things around. There was a time in December/January when it looked like things could really go pear shaped. He certainly has changed things around substantially since then to lead us to the position we find ourselves in currently.
His handling of the Ozil situation has also been admirable because he has managed to bring Ozil halfway into bringing more defensive discipline in his game whilst not letting his initial exclusion from the team from turning into a saga. Another refreshing thing about Emery has been the fact that he absolutely never complains and just gets on with things. He has never complained about injuries, match schedules or even horrendous refereeing errors. Another key reason I would favor giving him a contract extension would be that he just seems to be the kind of manager who would be able to get results with a young/less starry team against bigger teams full of established star players. In the near future that is going to be the kind of teams we would have.
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