With Chelsea losing yesterday, we are back in pole position to take the 4th CL spot and a win tonight would give us a very tight grip on CL football next season.
When United lost to Wolves, it gave us a free hit for the Everton game but now the margin for error is very small. I expect us to drop more points in the coming weeks and the likelihood is we can still afford to drop maybe 4 more points and still finish top 4, but it doesn’t take away from the fact we desperately need a win tonight.
For all the good Emery has done, I think we have somehow become worse on the road than we were under Wenger. I know the stats won’t suggest that but there is no stats for mental fragility, and I’m now starting to think that our problems on the road are majorly down to the mentality of the team, when under Wenger I always believed it was a lack of quality and poor tactics that hindered us. Let’s not forget, as Castor reminds us every week, that Emery went a full La Liga campaign without an away win at Sevilla. Surely, Emery himself must be doubting himself when it comes to setting us up to try win on the road?
I feel if we can’t break our away hoodoo tonight, we probably won’t win an away game for the rest of the season. Possibly at Burnley in what could be a dead rubber match. With all the media focus on our away run in, the players and manager must be feeling desperate more than anything, to get that W. I think another L tonight will be one too many for them, and would leave all our eggs in the Europa basket with a nerve racking trip to Naples to follow.
We desperately need to win tonight
posted on 15/4/19
We are virtually unbeatable at home in the league. It's hard to fathom why we are so bad away from home.
As for tonight, we have to go full pelt. If we lose then just give up on the league and focus on Europa
If we lose to both Watford and Napoli then Emery will have to answer a lot of questions
posted on 15/4/19
That's the thing. If we were just poor in general with our away form being worse but not significantly worse than home then it would in a weird way be more forgivable.
As in it would be clear either the manager or players or both just weren't on a level high enough to consistently win games.
But this is something else, it's truly pathetic the club can't perform when outside their own stadium when the players clearly are capable.
posted on 15/4/19
comment by TheSkins (U3865)
posted 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
It's ridiculous how we can be so bad away yet very decent at home. Seriously there's no excuse to be that different just because you're playing on a slightly different pitch...
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It's not just very decent, it's one of the best in Europe! Our home record this season is better than Barca, Bayern and Atletico for example. It's crazy how much of a difference there is between home and away performance (last season and this). I honestly don't understand it.
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It's that blue kit. Absolutely revolting
posted on 15/4/19
We basically have to battle for every ball away from home, we're too fragile when the oppo fans /team get on our teams back.
i'm very fearful about Thurs at the Napoli cauldron, they will all crack very easy under that type of pressure.
posted on 15/4/19
We may regret not scoring a few more past Napoli
posted on 15/4/19
At home Arsenal scored 39 goals from 83 shots on target attempting 224 shots. They conceded 12 goals from 63 shots on target allowing 190 shots so Arsenal score a goal every 2.13 shots on target at home and concede every 5.25 shots on target at home.
Arsenal away scored 26 goals from 60 shots on target attempting 157 shots scoring a goal every 2.31 shots on target. Arsenal conceded 28 goals from 85 shots on target allowing 217 shots. Arsenal concede from every 3.04 shots on target so Arsenal are very efficient home and away but only difference is the keeper isn't a lot of shots before conceding like at home.
Honestly amazing how Arsenal kept it up all season as well.
posted on 15/4/19
I think the difference in home and away performance is a combination of things. Teams at home generally set up differently to when they play away as the onus is usually on the home side to attack. This therefore has a knock on effect to how we as the away side play.
Also despite our generally superior players we clearly have a mental block to playing away from home and lack in confidence. I'd suggest that this sometimes means that players will take a safe easy option instead of 'going for it' like we would were we at home with the crowd urging us on.
Other factors of course are down to an unsettled backline which affects a less offensive away side more than a team playing on the front foot at home.
However, I'd be disappointed in Emery were this to continue next season as you'd expect the team to have bedded in to his style plus you'd hope he'd strengthen the defence in the next window and get rid of the likes of Mustafi who is a mistake waiting to happen. Others like Holding and Bellerin should also be back after injury.
posted on 15/4/19
Honestly amazing how Arsenal kept it up all season as well.
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It isn't though is it? It's just down to having efficient strikers who don't need half a dozen strikes for every goal like Lukaku and Rashford
posted on 15/4/19
It's a combo of things. Always very dodgy refs away from home especially. Also teams and fans get up for playing us as we have a rep for being weak away. Many Watford players and fans will genuinely believe they will win tonight and these small margins matter.
Need to be at our best tonight. Huge game
posted on 15/4/19
Need our strikers to really turn up tonight. Both have been poor of late.
If Auba starts, him in particular has to sort his sheet out. Often a bit of a powder puff players against a bit of physical action