Conti Cup Winners – Next Up Milan
Mar 14th, 2018 by 'holic
I begin this preview during the half-time break in the Women’s FA Continental Cup Final. The Arsenal are 1-0 up against Manchester City Ladies which would be no mean achievement if they could maintain that advantage against the Cup holders.
In 24 hours The Arsenal kick-off their Europa League second-leg at home to AC Milan. I’m so looking forward to seeing them again. So many were quick to condemn them as a poor side after our impressive win in the San Siro. I believe they overlooked the fact that we played very well against a very good side. Milan responded by winning their seventh straight Series A fixture at Genoa. After a dreadful start they are now just six points off a Champions League spot.
The injury news from Arsene Wenger in his pre-match press conference is that apart from Alexander Lacazette (and Santi Cazorla, obviously) everyone is available. That gives the manager a serious option of playing a back three again although he is likely to go with the system that worked so well last Thursday. That would have David Ospina starting behind a likely four of Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, and Nacho Monreal.
The temptation to stay with the midfield and striker from last week must be strong, so Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey notionally behind Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshire, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Danny Welbeck must start up front as Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang is cup-tied. Alexandre Lacazette was back in full training today and should be available again after the international break.
Update on the Conti Cup Final. Goalscorer Vivianne Miedema has just been substituted with 18 minutes remaining. We are holding on to that most Arsenal of scorelines.
The manager was also asked about keeping Jack Wilshere beyond the end of the season. He repeated that there is an offer on the table and he would like Jack to stay. It is believed however that the offer is heavily weighted on the player being available and playing. There is a thought that Jack will receive considerably better from elsewhere as he is a free agent this summer. Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso’s assessment will have boosted Wilshere’s belief in his ability.
“He is a very different sort of player – he has got the personality of English football but with the qualities of a Spanish player. Two different cultures and I like him a lot. He may not be super-fast, but he has got great skills and is super-tactical. He has good ball circulation. When he gets the ball he knows exactly where to send it. He knows exactly the right pace and can change the pace of the game.”
The ‘holic pound
I don’t mind to retaining a little concern about this one. Milan are a better side than we allowed them to be last week. If they score first the game could turn into a very nerve-wracking affair. The bookies favourite scoreline is 1-1 which tells you they still consider Milan a difficult side to beat. I have decided to re-invest a little of my Cheltenham profit from the first two days of the festival on the second favourite, 2-1 to the Arsenal, at 15/2.
The Gunners Win The Continental Cup
As I type the Arsenal Women have been presented with the trophy after beating Favourites Manchester City 1-0 in the Final at Wycombe’s Adams Park. Congratulations to them on a fantastic achievement, and Joe Montemurro on his first trophy as an Arsenal manager.
113 Responses to “Conti Cup Winners – Next Up Milan”
ooh, an early morning wake up
and 1st in the drinks!
thanks for the preview as always
Guvnor. Might be a fairly open
game as Milan have nothing to
lose and may as well attack.
Your XI looks about right but I’ll
go with a 3-2 score line and
glory for Mr.Welbeck.
Going to be an interesting night tomorrow.
Do we sit back and play on the counter,or do we play on the offensive and try and score the early goal to kill the tie off.
I know my preference,be positive and play on the front foot without leaving the door open at the back.
We have the advantage from the first leg,so let’s use that in the right way.
I see another English domino has fallen by the wayside in the CL round of 16 tonight,so it’s not just us that cannot get beyond the first knock out round .
Congrats to the Arse Ladies,beating the heavy favs Man City to win the first silverware of the Domestic season.
With a home 1/4 final to look forward to at the weekend against Charlton in the Ladies FA Cup,and our young guns also looking at an FA Youth Cup final appearance if they can beat Blackpool in a 2 legged semi final,let’s hope the first team can step up and join the party by seeing off Milan.
You wait days and days for a post. Then 3 in 24 hours????
?
Nice preview H. We need the real Arsenal to turn up tomorrow and work hard for 90 mins. Milan will be no pushovers. A couple of early goals would be very welcome.
Enjoy boys and girls.
BT8 from the previous drinks. I salute your 13 year old daughter. Well done young lady.
Turns out it isn’t so easy after all to get past the last 16 of the Champions League.
Congratulations to Arsenal Women on their League Cup win. Silverware is silverware.
Good preview, ‘Holic. Milan may prove a handful. And despite our last two performances there is always a 3-0 defeat waiting to be found in that team. As Steve T says, an early goal (or two) would be welcome to make sure it stays hidden.
Now here is a stat: Arsenal and Man City are the only clubs to have won the women’s League Cup since it started in 2011.
Excellent preview Guvna. As Steve T points out, as ever it depends which of the Arsenals we have seen this season turns up.
I’m with Clive and want to see us start on the front foot. As the Guvna implies, the first goal is critical. I really don’t want us to start the way we did v Manure. If we do, we are out. Let’s get a couple of early goals before we relax.
COYG.
thanks, holic. i like that format with the current events interspersed. i’d like to see a first quarter hour like that against watford, please. in fact, if we could just do a repeat of that performance i’d be a happy man.
bt, congrats on having a sane daughter. we need to change things so in america we eat fewer of our young.
for those of you who felt it was the end of the world when that man moved to the red side of manchester in january, i offer this: http://www.football365.com/news/f365s-early-loser-the-ridiculously-bad-alexis-sanchez
COYG!
Dumped out in the last 16
by Messi. If it wasn’t the Chavs
I’d empathise but it is so I’ll
laugh happily instead.
It seems the touted PL revival
after the 1st legs will have to
wait a bit. In fact Porto and
Basel were the only teams
beaten by PL clubs – oddly
enough Milan are probably a
little better than both of them.
thanks scruzgooner. A bit of a
hatchet job on Alexis but I’m
sure we can all recognise the
failings mentioned. I wonder if
we got his best seasons. Bit early
to tell I suppose.
You have a 13yo daughter with a mind of her own, bt8? Good luck with that my friend. You have a very fine line to walk over the next few years, but I have every confidence in you!
Thanks for the preview Holic and the news about a brilliant victory for our ladies.
Suck it up Citeh! Go out and buy yourselves another team .
Clive,
Sorry to not reply to your post about the youths. It is a balancing act at that level and on top of this Smith – Rowe is seriously injured so let’s hope we get can beat Blackpool and get Emile and Reiss Nelson in for the final.
I am very hopeful tomorrow. I still believe we will be playing in the CL next season and the Totts won’t !
Time to switch the blog to cover the women’s team only. Winners > Losers 😉
Speaking of losers, imagine being a fan of club and being delivered a saviour by your board.
And it’s Mark Hughes.
Lovely blog previous to this one by the way.
Re: the “ridiculously bad” Alexis Sanchez:
He seems to be settling for the quality of his surroundings as described in yesterday’s ACLF blog:
“Alexis looked on in disbelief each time Sevilla scored, wondering how it was possible that a team could play worse and act more cluelessly than Arsenal in the Round of Sixteen. A dawning realisation that Manchester City’s salary offer and medals were worth more than the reported £600k per week salary he draws at United spread across his face at 2 – 0.”
Sanchez never struck me as a Mourinho-type player, too individualistic too error prone, but he is one of those players who gets goals out of nothing and there will come a time when he does that to save or win a big game and he will become a hero to fickle Man U fans.
Re Jack being out of contract very soon. I honestly believe that if we let him walk away for nothing then it will be one of the biggest mistakes that we have ever made.
We will have to part ways on that call Steve.
If it wasn’t for injuries to Rambo,Jack would still be warming his arse on the bench for the first team.
He is not up to the pace of the modern game.
Too slow/keeps falling over/living on memories.
He could have been a contender,but injuries have fucked him.
He won’t be at the Club next season along with a few others.
We are going with a full complement of Gooners tonight so I expect a packed Emirates and a bulging Hemmingford pre game.
Let’s not get carried away but this is a tie we should win IF we cut out the errors and don’t loose the ball in their box with our defenders out of position to cut out a counter, something we are prone to do.
I am a 4/3/3 fan which might give Mo a start and hopefully Mustafi, Nacho and Hector are in the starting line up.
Hoping for a good performance and a 2-1 win, everything crossed.
COYR
Nicely set up, Holic and 2-1 sounds like a winner to me. I’ll be asleep and will look forward to your write up of who scored for us and how Mustafi screwed up for their goal 🙂
Steve, if Jack believes he’s both good enough and fit enough to play regularly in the first team, then, on an appearance driven contract, he should earn as much as he’s likely to do elsewhere. I wonder if he believes that? If he doesn’t, he’ll walk. If he doesn’t, why should Arsenal?
I hope he will stay and return to the level he reached at 19. BUT, I watched him closely in the Osterunds game where he ought to have shone like a magnesium flare. He didn’t and played at West Ham/Stoke level at best. I think Clive’s assessment is likely to be the picture that unfolds.
Enjoy the game tonight, Holics.
Welbeck in the England squad. lol
The family who were holding up Chelsea’s ground redevelopment have withdrawn their objection. That letter from the Novochiok, Novochiok and Novochiok law firm must have been the deciding factor.
(please note lawyers, this is a joke).
BtM and Clive.
The club obviously want to keep Jack. If they didn’t then why offer him a deal in the first place? I fully get that he has been riddled with injuries but let’s be honest, he’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last. The money we have squandered on players in the sick bay and on our next best things is frightening.
Jack for me should be the future of the club. A fit and strong Jack Wilshere can still boss games and could still be the linchpin of the side. The one player whose creativity can unlock a defence.
With all the money in the game to effectively offer a pay cut to someone of his age and someone we want to keep is embarrassing for me. My honest opinion is that we are trying to appeal to his loyalty and love of the club, therefore getting him to sign on the cheap. What was our final offer to AOC before he decided he didn’t want to stay?
Make him a sensible offer, whatever that is in today’s market. If it doesn’t work out then sell at the end of next season and get a significant sum for him. Very much like we did with Theo.
Personally, I would give him the armband next season. Now, that is the kiss of death.
We are in the interesting position of being able to lose our 7th straight home European game and still go through.
Will anyone mind if we lose 1-0 tonight?
I will be bloody annoyed even
if we go through. I’m heartily
sick of losing at home.
Ta ‘H –
‘ere’s a hopin’ the ol’ team weren’t teasin’ us with the other week’s AC performance/reeeeeeeeeeeezult combo, thus possibly unleashing new ways to torment us & break us ‘earts – all over again. Darn it – nish, nein, no – I’m sure thems weren’t/wasn’t/isn’t/couldn’t be/can’t be – maybe … hopefully … thingies cwossed.
Up The Arse!
Was at Adams Park last night with my Arsenal mad 11 year old daughter.. Official attendance was given at 2000 and was 90% Arsenal – although the Manc contingent in one corner were vey noisy. Afc ladies bossed the first half and the standard of football was excellent from both teams. Miedema’s goal was the least the ladies deserved at half time after thumping the bar and creating numerous chances. Roles were reversed in the second half as City dominated restricting afc ladies to the odd counter attack. Things got very tense in the last 5/10 minutes as City poured forward : but the girls hung on like a George Graham era team for a deserved win. After the trophy and medal presentations several of the Arsenal team came over to the Youngsters gathered at one end and spent a good 20 minutes signing autographs and posing for photos. Really special memories for my daughter and a really nice touch from afc. All in all a great night out and anyone who still derides the womens game needs to leave the stone age…
As for tonight – think we will get a draw and I will take that !
And Xhaka starts again. The immovable object in Wengers starting 11 if only that was an apt description of him as a player.
Fucking useless being more accurate.
I also noted Alexis pulling his exasperated face a few times the other night. The ‘I’m the only one trying look.
What a diva
Come On!
I’ve returned from Cheltenham, liver bruised but intact and wallet….bruised but lighter.
I hope the team manage the game tonight and get through. If we can win it means we would have a three game run and some momentum building. I’m sure we can but in truth Im too ‘ relaxed’ after a day at the races to mind too much.
COYG!
Boring game this.
This is gold, however
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HslUy28LJdM
Welbeck kicks himself and dives. Awful refereeing but really… do we mind?
Oh jeez
Don’t think there was enough contact for the penatly but I’ll take it
Very soft indeed Cynic
How many cast iron pens haven’t we been given in the
Premier league?
Let’s face it. Mike Dean would never give us a penalty like that BUT would 100% give that handball pen against Chambers!
Wouldn’t have given that penalty myself
🙂
Even Dele Alli would be embarrassed by that effort.
Great strike by Jack and save by their keeper, we were gifted a penatly and only then pushed forward for a second. It’s a shame we have to go down to start palying at one nil to them it’s a different game ball.
Not sure why we waited to have go at them.
Dead Shot Danny Does a Dele.
We look so vulnerable at the back.
Steve T @ # 24 above – “Jack for me should be the future of the club.” Are you serious? How do you build the future of the club on the back of someone that is always injured? I don’t get it.
Tapera.
Very serious. Tonight is his 31st game for Arsenal this season. Not too bad I would suggest?
If Araenal adequately strengthen the squad in the summer when the new manager takes over. It would be nice if Jack is still on the pay roll but he wouldn’t be a starter. Not if we were being serious about wanting to compete for shit.
Xhaka’s speculative shot goes in thanks to their goalie’s howler! 2-1.
that should be that, now get the win
Come on Arsenal!
Wenger is going fully defensive, Kolasinac on for Ozil.
Finally a header from Welbz
Even Welbeck couldn’t miss that 3-1.
Good work by Elneny and Wilshere leading to the goal.
Danny the scoring machine
Da da da da… Danny Welbeck!!!
5-1 aggregate win, can’t really
argue with that.
2 for Danny tonight, can’t argue
with that either
Well done and on to the last 8
– been a few years since we
typed that in Europe.
Dortmund is our as well they drew 0:0
Great result. Who would have thought we would score five against Milan.
Now for 15 days of boredom.
our=out
Eight years to be precise, OM.
But job well done in the end.
Great result in all honesty lucky with the pen because we don’t get that and it could have been different. Nonetheless we put 5 past them and the better team won and is going through.
Onto the last 8 then!
Forgot to add another win on the trot should give us a boost I hope ?
I like Welbeck.. one of the hardest workers… closes the opposition down. That’s what we need. So happens that he starts scoring now too.
😀
Athletico Madrid, Leipzig, Red Bull, Marseille, CSKA, Sporting and Lazio also through. Wouldn’t want to draw Ath Madrid or CSKA. Even Leipzig would be tough.
Lyon lost too…
Should be an interesting next round.
Wilshere should be offered a proper contract.. he’s fit these days.
Some tough looking potential draws in the quarters. Need to avoid Athletico Madrid and then in descending order, the two RBs, Marseille, Lazio and Sporting Lisbon. CSKA Moscow is probably the weakest side to go through, but this probably isn’t the best of times for an English club to be going to Russia.
I only saw the first leg but conceding one goal over two legs is most definitely a good thing.
Dreams do come true, Matt. A Danny double … as you have predicted regularly in previews. Gotta beat the odds sometime I guess. 😀
And I hope yours comes true with Jack, Steve T. He still has much to offer, including an instinctive urge to surge forward most times he gets the ball which gives me a lift every time. And note he did get the armband today (when Kos went off) and it wasn’t the kiss of death.
motm has to be whoever decided Danny should take the pen … such incredible optimism deserves recognition!
“Danny Scores With His Foot” Read all about it!
Sorry, Danny, I think you’re a top bloke and a decent winger, really I do.
Good win tonight. I’ve only seen the highlights. Welbeck’s dive was appalling and will stoke the anti- Arsenal bias of rags like the Mail but we won deservedly, comfortably and move on .
Re the comment by Tapera it is ridiculous to label someone who played most of last season for Bournemouth ( until he broke his leg) and all season for us as ‘always injured’. It’s a cliche but it’s not accurate.
I’d make Wilshere captain next season. New contract please.
If we kept him it would be for all the wrong reasons. If he had pace, both physically and between the ears, he’d be amazing but he’s just too slow and often doesn’t see the pass early enough.
He’s a very technically gifted player who’d do well in Spain, I reckon. Too slow for us though IMO, and tempo (or lack of it) in our play is perhaps one of the few things most of us agree on?
As a project (how I hate that term) I don’t see a side that has Ozil, Wilshere and that bloke whose name I can’t spell working very well.
Yes, we beat Milan but Milan are hardly Stoke 😉
@63
I wish I could say the time has
flown Ned but actually it feels
like longer!
I don’t much care who we get
in the next round even Athletico,
I think we’ll have to beat them
sooner or later to win it
But you don’t want to reach a final thinking the hard work has been done, Matt. We have taken too many lightweight teams too lightly lately.
@73,80
I’m on a role with the predictions
Chris as I nailed the 3-0 against
Watford and Danny’s glorious
double celebration of his deserved
England recall 🙂
Course no need to mention the
poor Milan finishing that thwarted
my 3-2 pre match stab in the dark.
@80
true enough, an Athletico final would
be more fun anyway
Jack’s injury record since his debut season in terms of games missed per season is:
4, 0, 60, 4, 13, 26, 47, 1, 1.
By comparison Ramsey’s games missed over the same period is
29, 1, 3, 21, 15, 11, 22, 10, 9
Thanks for this Ned
Very instructive and I think we have to think very carefully about the Ramsey situation this summer. He is another candidate for skipper but I’m not sure if he doesn’t unbalance the side as his role is quite specific.
Xhaka appears to have played well against Milan- and needs to although his goal was a pretty dreadful goalkeeping error.
I think we need a strong DM and I’d play Jack next to him. I was pleased to see Jack get back into the England reckoning although our World Cup participation is in doubt
We’ve lacked an inspirational skipper for
a number of years now. With respect to
Mikel, Per and Kos that wasn’t or
isn’t really them.
It’s not essential although I think it would be
a big help with this group of players.
But such a skipper has to be one of
the first names on the team sheet
as well as a leader –
that’s not Jack or Aaron to me.
Also while always injured is harsh,
imjury prone isn’t as we’ve seen
over a number of years.
Giving either an improved contract
and the captaincy would be an act
of blind faith.
Morning all,
Report to follow at some point of this evening. Will be a very strange one to review.
Interesting game last night. We were mainly ‘competent’ rather than convincing and ran out winners by virtue of 1) not showing our incompetent side that has been so evident lately; 2) a soft penalty at a critical juncture; and 3) an incompetent Milan strike force.
The most positive thing about last night’s performance was our not having the defensive melt-down after Milan scored that I feared might recur as it so often has this season. Heads stayed up and it shook us out of the evident complacency with which we had settled into the game.
There are better teams than us left in this competition and winning it remains a pipe dream but, hey, we are in the draw for the QFs so let’s hope we can find our mojo and get lucky.
As to the LJW debate, I think BtM’s analysis @ 21 hits the nail right on the head:
“if Jack believes he’s both good enough and fit enough to play regularly in the first team, then, on an appearance driven contract, he should earn as much as he’s likely to do elsewhere. I wonder if he believes that? If he doesn’t, he’ll walk. If he doesn’t (believe that), why should Arsenal?”
It’s a pity his clear early potential has been both interrupted and blighted by recurrent injury but are we really going to build our team round a player with that record? If we are then ‘the wilderness years’ are here for the foreseeable future.
Liverpool v Man City in CL draw.
So at least one English team in the semi final.
Barca v Roma
Juve v Real
Bayern vSevilla.
CSKA it is. Winnable
To Russia with love.
Disaster. My usual pre European game Greek restaurant is closed on Thursday April 5 for Easter. I hate change.
Any suggestions near to junction of Hornsey Road/Seven Sisters as a good alternative for pre match meal?
c100.
From several thousand miles away, my Google search tells me the answer depends on whether you like Ethiopian. I do, as a matter of fact, which is why I mention it. 🙂
I can’t imagine there’ll be
much love going round 🙂
But not a bad draw although
I’d rather be away first leg.
bt8. I know that place, it’s right by the ground. Never tried Ethiopian. Must look at the menu.
It is well and proper that Liverpool should play Manchester City in the Champions League. Let them gladiate and destroy each other to the benefit of everyone else but themselves.
c100. If you’ve never had Ethiopian, the food is great but wash your hands well because your hands are used as your forks.
Elneny should play every single minute till the end of the season
…and give him the new contract, please
Bath.
We clearly want Jack to stay. If we didn’t then why offer him a contract at all?
No one else is expected to take a pay cut. Why should he?
Jack does not pick the side.
BTM talks about Jack having to have accept a pay as you play deal. If he is confident, then he will sign? If that was really the way forward then why have we not offered others the same type of contract? There have been others that have spent literally years in the sick bay and still had their contracts renewed.
Jack has played very well in my opinion since coming back. As I said earlier, last night was his 31st game this season. He was handed the armband when Kos went off. I think it would be one massive mistake to let him walk away for free at the end of the season. That is both from a business and personal point of view.
At least Ramsey’s injury record has been relatively consistent over the past six years!
Out-assisting Ozil…
I can’t stop scoring!
Fair points Steve @97. I think the offer made does suggest that the club want him to stay but they are not confident that he will maintain his fitness to contribute. They will have a detailed medical report which will inform that judgement. You may be correct that it is a mistake and as a result he will leave. Time may tell.
A qualification I would add to BtM’s observation is that it is difficult for any player to take the risk that a new injury next week won’t put them out for months or indeed be career ending. Hence it would be difficult for any player, perhaps especially Jack given his experience, to sign a contract that specifically penalises him if that occurs. As a compromise I would suggest a small increase in basic rather than a cut and a heavily incentivised bonus scheme.
It would indeed be wonderful if Jack could fulfil that early potential, especially at Arsenal.
“I am become Welbeck, the destroyer of football”
As someone once never said.
Bath
“It would indeed be wonderful if Jack could fulfil that early potential, especially at Arsenal.”
And a total disaster if he is allowed to walk away for nothing and achieves it elsewhere.
Injuries as you say can happen to anyone. RvP, Santi, Diaby, Tommy R just to name but a few.
Give him a contract. Give him a contract on a par with others. If it doesn’t work out then sell him. If Gylfi Sigurdsson is worth £50 million then we will get a decent sum for Jack.
For me it’s a total no brainier.
Here’s a tidbit the monks were beaten to by the BBC dwarves:
CSKA Moscow are one of only five teams Arsene Wenger has faced more than once with Arsenal and failed to win against – Fiorentina, PAOK Salonika, Paris St-Germain and Port Vale are the others.
Port Vale!
When did Arsene’s Arsenal play Port Vale?
Steve @103, I think an issue for both sides would be, “on a par with which others?”
Played Vale twice in the cup in 98 and drew both times, going through on pens.
I think.
It is fairly unlikely that Arsenal will face Port Vale again before Arsene Wenger leaves Arsenal. But if we do face Port Vale in next season’s Carabao Cup you can depend on me going in with a hefty wager on Arsenal to erase this blemish on the great man’s record. Or not.
On this Jack thing. Is an armband given to someone because of how long they have been at a given club or based on leadership qualities?
Or do I not see Jack’s qualities because I only started supporting Arsenal in 2008 and I am based in the USA? Go ahead run with it.
I am beginning to think that some of us are so supportive of Jack because of other things other than football (I leave it at that for the moment).
Bath,
We played Port Vale in the third round in 1998 and got taken to a replay there which went to penalties. Bergkamp got a worldie for us but we conceded a soft goal- sound familiar?
Port Vale were beaten, btw. On penalties, true. But beaten none the less.
How could a team that comprised Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Keown, Winterburn, Hughes, Overmars, Parlour, Vieira, Bergkamp and Wright not beat Port Vale?
How did it even go to penalties, come to that? Even more amazing was that that team didn’t score in the first game at all and then not until the 100th minute of the replay.
Sorry it’s late. I’m still lapping up last night. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A more off-beat Wenger-has-never-beaten stat is that there are 19 managers who have faced AW in at least two games that he has never beaten but only one who he has faced more times with no success — Roy Evans, unbeaten in four. Amazingly, AW has won only one in six against Gareth Southgate of all people.