4 under 5

@NorthsideGooner So he’s already at his average season total with at least 7 games left to play? Not sure this makes the point you are trying to make.

People need to stop with the "over-played" crutch for Zubimendi. His is at 3744' in all comps. Last season for Sociedad he played 3954'. The season before that, 3737'. And 3753' the year before that. He started all 36 of Sociedad's league matches in 3 of the last 4 years.

@DigimonBewbz @TheStarwald same - though i'd guess it's more of "Sanderson does the first rough draft and his team takes it from there"

@4under5 @TheStarwald I even question if most of the latest Stormlight is ghost written.

Sanderson is one of my idols. His books have made a measurable impact on my life, notably Oathbringer, Way of Kings, and the Mistborn series. My first book ever published, Everfont, is extremely similar in prose and progression (albeit my attempt is much more fumbling and amatuerish). He to this day stands as one of my greatest inspirations. I think Wind and Truth, Rhythm of War, and Lost Metal are his weakest books. I don't know what changed, but there has been a notable shift in quality. I genuinely hope he is able to return to form. I've met him in person once before (outside of author/writing events) and he is a genuinely nice person. I wish him nothing but the best, as he is one of my heroes.

@PaddyArsenal You’ve got it right. This trophy has no bearing on the success of our season. If we win this but lose PL/CL, the season will be a failure. If we lose this but win PL/CL, the season is a success.

Am I deranged or is anyone else less nervous for this final than you are for every Premier League game?

@gunnerpunner do we need to have a discussion about the fact that we haven't been good in the last 8 games (other than lower league opposition and spurs)? I'm getting a bit worried.

You just can’t play a double pivot an have two defensive fullbacks

@gunnerpunner I think it's more that we don't have the technical quality to break down low blocks. the only technician we have out there is Eze

Everyone’s too scared of being the one who loses the ball. We lose minutes and minutes of games because we’re too scared to just try something.

@SemperFiArsenal Mikel Merino probably

Your player of the match so far ?

@AtlienGunner that was the chance...

Take that first time!!!!!!!!!!!!!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

@AtlienGunner we'll find out saturday. wish we would have gotten that pen to end the game 10-15 minutes earlier

@4under5 Fairly low event game. Hopefully didn’t take too much out of us.

We have a chance to virtually clinch the league this weekend, I don’t understand risking that to go this strong here.

@AtlienGunner at least he didn't start Havertz again - I was afraid he would.

@4under5 He picks teams like we’ve won it already man.

@NorthsideGooner I thought he looked ok here, wouldn't be surprised if he showed up well on the underlying stats. problem is that it was against Kairat, and this is the first time he's looked good in a long time...

We have entered the “squint hard to see it” stage of Eze cope.

@NorthsideGooner I'd say Zubimendi has also been good (a couple of brain farts aside). the only real asterisk-free successful attacking signing in Arteta's reign has been Trossard - who was clearly our second choice. concerning

To this point, the only Arsenal buy from this last summer who has met or exceeded expectations has been... Mosquera. People who were happy to see Edu go... grass ain't always greener.

@NorthsideGooner @fkhanage What do you think was?

@4under5 @fkhanage Plus, there were 4 full days off since the midweek match - plenty of time for any player who isn't in the red to recover. I do not believe fatigue was an issue today.

Two stunning finishes for United today. Three goals from 0.98 xG. We’ve got to fix up in attack, Arteta needs to be much better at rotating the squad and most importantly, the players need to be calm, composed, and focus on quality. Too desperate, too emotional. Lots to play.

@AtlienGunner Yes - the same mistake Arteta has made every year. He has been given this massively deep squad, and yet here we are again.

@4under5 I think he made a huge mistake prioritizing the Chelsea tie vs the Forest game. I think we also went too strong vs Inter considering we have a guaranteed place in the knockout round.

I still think Arsenal win the league this year btw, the centrist (at best) football we play will just make it much more difficult than it needs to be.

@NorthsideGooner @fkhanage Right - our best attacking player started in the carabao cup, was rotated out for the next PL game, then started again in a CL midweek where the result didn’t matter. I think that is bad rotation.

@4under5 @fkhanage No we didn’t. Leo, Big Gabi, Rice and Timber all did not start midweek. We changed strikers today. And Saka did not start last weekend.

@NorthsideGooner Ethan could have done what Eze has done, and that 65m looks like it could have gotten us Semenyo…

Are we ready to have the “was Eze an expensive mistake that fans goaded Berta into” conversation?

@3cbPerformance @scottjwillis I think 99% of the time when people say something was a bottle job, it isn’t true. Like the season it was actually about injuries. These last 3 PL games, I’m sorry to say, have been a bottle job.

@scottjwillis Never seen a team go up 1-nil at home and get that nervy. Defies all logic

The first half hour of the match was pretty exceptional. Put there for best control plus attacking pressure I’ve seen from Arsenal from this season. After the goal came, it just stopped. I am going to need to try and understand that better