James Benge

Salah at West Ham last season was one of the best displays I’ve seen in the flesh in years. I’m still convinced it’s the best individual season ever in the PL. Hard to believe a player of such talent is going on a free so soon after & that it makes sense.

Iconic crossover between a serial collector of medals to which he has contributed little and Scott Carson

At this rate I'm not sure we'll know the selection status of any Arsenal player after Mikel Arteta's pre-Southampton press conference.

@josteez_ This is one of Italy's biggest games in years. If they need Calafiori and if Calafiori is confident in his fitness, he should absolutely play.

@jamesbenge If Cala didn’t drain, he should simply withdraw too

Gabriel has withdrawn from the Brazil squad due to right knee pain. Since the EFL Cup final he, Saliba, Timber, Eze and Trossard have withdrawn from pre-tournament international friendlies. Calafiori didn't train today due to pain but more likely to be involved in WC playoff.

@Echoes_Highbury @BetDaNumber Not putting a timescale on it least beyond what Arteta said. The calf needing another scan next week isn't good news though.

@jamesbenge @BetDaNumber What do you mean Eze different ?

Leandro Trossard has withdrawn from the Belgium squad due to injury.

@BetDaNumber I'm skeptical that anyone who was on the field yesterday is dealing with much more than what is normal for any top player in late March. Eze a bit different.

@jamesbenge Are these long term injuries we're seeing or just knocks they're being allowed to recover from as many have qualified for the WC (i.e. Saliba)

@htomufc @afcjxmes All good! Happens to me all the time, I enjoy your work anyway

@jamesbenge @afcjxmes Accidentally didn't filter by game 🤦‍♂️ so that number was throughout the EFL Cup tournament, makes sense

@htomufc @afcjxmes Oh I understand the metric and saw plenty of stats that reflected how bad Arsenal’s passing was - I was posting some myself. It’s the City number that I’m skeptical over. It’s so high that it’d have to be 90 mins of the greatest passing ever. Or an aggregate of multiple games.

I think this metric is used to determine the gap bridged between the first third through to the opposition's half/box by 25% [writing in grey at the bottom], might be a slightly different metric if so. There are 100% more bits of data to prove how bad they were on the ball though.

@htomufc @afcjxmes I know there can be a few different definitions of progressive pass depending on where you get it from but from what I'm seeing on our Opta portal, it was 42 that City completed in that game.

@htomufc @afcjxmes Not saying you're wrong but based on the subheadings of the two images it looks like you've got Arsenal's progressive passes from the final and a broader sample of City's. I ask only because 181 is shockingly high -- 30 more than any top 5 European league game this season.

Ben White has been added to the England squad alongside Harvey Barnes

We (rightly) worry about younger fans not being able to get involved in the matchday experience at so many top clubs in England. Then they do, they try to make something that speaks to them and they get grief for not supporting the way their dad or grandad did.

It could be Arsenal's attempts to move the ball upfield in the second half. It could be a Picasso portrait. cbssports.com/soccer/news/ma…

In the second half, Arsenal failed to complete a progressive pass -- one that advances the ball 10+ yards outside the back 40 yards of the pitch -- until the 71st minute.

@PartyArty_ All this talk about insinuation because you’re unable to acknowledge that you thought I was talking about his role in the first goal, which hadn’t happened when I posted. I’m not trying to be a comedian, it’s just funny how you’re tying yourself in knots to avoid the obvious.

@jamesbenge You know what you’re trying to insinuated from the start. Instead of skating across my point either address it or move on with your day, you’re clearly upset now and trying be a comedian lmfao

Can't believe anyone, myself included, didn't realise that Kepa would be the EFL Cup Final main character

@PartyArty_ I dunno chief, it feels like you’ve finally worked out what had and crucially hadn’t happened when I tweeted. It’s not looking good for you, is it?

@jamesbenge Now you’re being disengenous, have a nice day 👍🏿

@PartyArty_ Just so we’re very clear, after what particular fact?

@jamesbenge Pretending it’s sarcasm after the fact is hilarious lol this team has had clear issues all year but one of the largest voices is resorting to scapegoating instead of all the issues that have plagued us for so long.

@UpTheGun86 When you’re as good as City were when they were good you get to say you performed well. And I suspect if you read the piece you’ve reacted so viscerally to, you might get a sense of when I think City were good.

@jamesbenge Took them 60 minutes to have their first shot on target and it came from an horrendous mistake from our keeper. This wasn’t some outstanding performance you seem to suggest it was.

A Manchester City performance so good that Pep Guardiola could scarcely believe it. In a word: fearless. Why? Because they realised how few weapons Arsenal had to scare them with. cbssports.com/soccer/news/ma…

@gingertom69 Do you think this might have been something I considered and mentioned in the piece?

@jamesbenge Lacking our 3 best AMs likely helped