A defeat to a side like Palace was always going to happen eventually. I don't mean how they play (or anything specific to Palace) just that we were never going to turn over every side that's worse than us on paper, it's simply not how football works.
We were on a great run generally, consistently getting results which is all it will take to grab the converted top four spot this season.
What's concerning are the injuries and how we bounce back after this. It shouldn't turn our side into the trash we saw before December 2021 but that's my fear right now. When every piece isn't in place that Arteta's Arsenal will revert back to dross.
Top 4 is still very much in our hands and it would be a failure not to take it from the position we've got into (as harsh as that may sound given it seemed miles away at the start of the season). Bar a rival like Spurs going on a massive run of wins, if that happens and we just miss out having played well throughout the run-in it'll be extra painful but forgivable from a managerial POV.
Crumble though and I think that should be Arteta's time up.
What do you think? Happy to keep Arteta regardless or do you also see this run in as largely make or break for him?
(I imagine the club will keep the faith regardless, this is about supporters views)
Now's the time for Arteta to earn his place
posted on 6/4/22
Sides chasing 4th by their nature are a bit inconsistent, if they weren’t they’d be title challengers. So a defeat to palace at this stage isn’t end game territory, as you’d expect the other chasing teams will also have the odd slip up. The response now is key, win next 2 and we’ll be looking ok again.
I don’t think not getting 4th will be an absolute failure. Say if we get a very good points tally but are pipped by 1 point or goal difference, of course it’ll feel like a huge disappointment, but you can also look to a big points gap we’ve made up. That can’t be totally thrown aside, especially if it’s one that would usually get a team 4th. So in that instance you can make a case for Arteta to give next season a go with some more signings.
Im more concerned by the injuries than the palace result, we’re now missing 3 hugely important players. If Tomiyasu and partey are out longer term, we will have a huge challenge to get 4th
posted on 6/4/22
comment by Posh Mufc Great Hafi Not Arrogant Just Better (U6578)
posted 5 hours, 32 minutes ago
I now think Spurs could pip Arsenal to 4th on goal difference.
Man Utd will be lucky to scrape 6th as we can’t finish chances and our attackers are defenders for opposition.
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Is this based on your expected indirect free kicks analysis Hafi?
posted on 6/4/22
Spurs can score recently a lot of goals.👍 That will fire them for top 4.
posted on 6/4/22
comment by Luke Combs (U3979)
posted 8 hours, 20 minutes ago
Arsenal still massive favourites for me.
Spurs have had a few good games and are looking sharp but they are just as like to fall away as Arsenal.
I think Arsenal win the NLD and that'll pretty much sort it out.
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Don't under-estimate the ability of this Arsenal to totally mess up this opportunity to finish in the top-4!
posted on 7/4/22
If we fail to get 4th or better this season then there's no way it can be called anything less than massive (I'd say gargantuan) management failure. Don't forget he's already thrown away one season and CL entry through his incompetence and petty vendettas producing one the most ps poor AFC final team performances ever. Basically underlining the entire ps poor club season preceding it. This season he's blown 150 million quid on transfers, had way less games to negotiate and a pretty much gift of a fixture list, primed for us to take advantage of the extra games the top sides and rivals had to play. So no even being pipped to 4th after playing well, will not be forgivable by any stretch of the imagination.
Given the advantages gifted him at the start of this season by fate and finance we should already be sitting pretty in 3rd not worrying about this crap at all. Artetaball has thrown away points against sides we should be slapping, time and again this season. His way of playing INVITES losses to mid to low table sides due to their extra 'hunger' to beat the big boys. Personally after this boring ass season watching boring ass games, I want the sacked even if we win every game left. But even an unbiased view has got to see that 5th or worse MUST equal the sack for Mikel Arteta. What will/would be his massive failure, can't be rewarded again.
posted on 7/4/22
comment by WB2 {Tackle Like Tierney} (U8276)
posted 15 minutes ago
If we fail to get 4th or better this season then there's no way it can be called anything less than massive (I'd say gargantuan) management failure. Don't forget he's already thrown away one season and CL entry through his incompetence and petty vendettas producing one the most ps poor AFC final team performances ever. Basically underlining the entire ps poor club season preceding it. This season he's blown 150 million quid on transfers, had way less games to negotiate and a pretty much gift of a fixture list, primed for us to take advantage of the extra games the top sides and rivals had to play. So no even being pipped to 4th after playing well, will not be forgivable by any stretch of the imagination.
Given the advantages gifted him at the start of this season by fate and finance we should already be sitting pretty in 3rd not worrying about this crap at all. Artetaball has thrown away points against sides we should be slapping, time and again this season. His way of playing INVITES losses to mid to low table sides due to their extra 'hunger' to beat the big boys. Personally after this boring ass season watching boring ass games, I want thesacked even if we win every game left. But even an unbiased view has got to see that 5th or worse MUST equal the sack for Mikel Arteta. What will/would be his massive failure, can't be rewarded again.
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Are you seriously suggesting that in August, with the signings United and Chelsea added to their squads (having ended 2nd & 3rd last season) that you expected to make top 4 above them.
I can understand how failing to get top 4 now will seem like a failure as you have occupied that position but only for a few weeks. Spurs were in a position 9 points ahead of you at one time, and equal with you with 2 or 3 games in hand, so its not like Arsenal have sat in 4th or better all season long and then choke.
I think there is something to admire about a manager who makes a strong decision against a 'disruptive' big player' Since Abu was sidelined & then sold by Arteta, Arsenal's form has improved massively and the squad seemed galvanised. There is a lack of quality & depth for sure but with what you have available, top 4 would probably have been the very best you could have hoped for. The teams above you have better players all over the pitch and bigger squads.
I personally think Arsenal have made decent progress this season and should be glad to find themselves in the running for Top 4 at this stage. Same for Spurs, after the mess of last season, a summer of new manager none sense and Kane speculation, and then Nunos sacking, most are delighted to be fighting for stuff at the sharp end of the season
posted on 7/4/22
A spurs fan talking more sense than some Arsenal fans! If we end missing out 4th by a point or so, I don’t think it’s necessarily a seismic failure from where we’ve come from. I remember at the start of the season, the absolute best most fans hoped for was a top 4 challenge, realistic expectations were 6th. To me this season isn’t like the Emery season where we just missed out on 4th. Despite coming close, we were a chaotic mess filled with various player issues and no clear direction. It’s not like that now, you can see a path to improvement, and I don’t think it’s worth sacking all that off if we end up missing out on 4th by a point, especially if it’s combined with a vastly improved points tally. Of course my view may change if we totally collapse, but If there’s signs of progress you have to try stick it out. I’ll be hugely disappointed if we miss out on 4th, and it will be a failure, but we’ll have to see the whole situation before deciding to once again reset everything.
posted on 8/4/22
Devonshire, yes I was demanding 4th or sack his ass right at the start of the season knowing full well the squad upgrades for the others.
But that was mostly due to the fact that we had no european games and a GIFT of a fixture list. Fate/PL computer gave us a golden opportunity to coast into CL places.
NONE of the top 6-8 teams should be failing to achieve 4th with no European fixtures to contend with. Their top end quality plus the additional rest at critical parts of the season just gift too big an advantage for any of the better sides. And any manager unable to capitalise on that advantage with one of those sides should be sacked because he's useless.
posted on 9/4/22
comment by Culèr The Brand ✅ (U9489)
posted 3 days, 4 hours ago
There's no way you guys are finishing above us. You've thrown it away and in a few weeks we will do you at The Emirates. Fourth spot is ours. Can people please forget Arsenal and forget Tottenham???
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So where is might mouth Culer after today’s result?🤔
posted on 9/4/22
Mighty!