PW

@SeaRobberZA @aliladiere

@tickerp @aliladiere do you blame him? what has this team done to warrant unwavering faith from the fans?

They’re going to go to the Etihad and shit themselves. It’s curtains when the lead drops to 3 points. I’ve seen this movie before.

@AFC12thman @SilverSaltire

@tickerp @SilverSaltire U haven’t a clue. Arteta has just about the same if not more power & influence than Wenger did. Difference is Wenger earned his power.

6 years and one league title should always be seen as mediocre for any Arsenal manager. 6 years and the most control and financial power of any Arsenal manager in history and one league title (if we get it) is serious underachievement.

I am beyond calm about Arsenal from here until the end of the season. Last night's emotional outburst from the masses was predictable, but also predictably illogical. In moments like this, true analysts comes to the fore and the weak are separated from the chaff. The charlatan's reveal themselves in broad daylight. Unfortunately, they take up 99.9% of the population. Anybody who complained about Arteta's system, the balance, certain players not succeeding because of the coach, or even those complaining about certain individuals not being up to par are almost all completely mistaken. We learnt nothing new about Arsenal last night. Not one thing. From a tactical or player-based point of view. The reality of the situation is that Arsenal came up against the most in-form team in England and played a rotated team due to injuries. This is not an excuse, as Arsenal should still be beating Southampton, but losing to them becomes less of a surprise when considering the context. Arteta's selection was incredibly balanced. I only saw one other analyst on this platform say this, and he is correct. Completely. Yet he is being 'dragged' for it. The first half performance proved that to be entirely correct, too. Arsenal were dominant against a Southampton team who didn't press. However, Southampton did have some moments. Why? Because Mosquera, White, and Gabriel all made unforced individual errors which negatively impacted the flow of the game. That's football, and it can happen, but it certainly happened far too often last night which made the game basketball-y. Then, as the game wore on, Arsenal got weaker due to their injury situation. It was 1-1 at the time and Arsenal had Dowman in the #10 - a role that is instrumental to organising Arsenal's press and exerting control on the game. As good as Dowman is going forwards, his non-existent attempt at a counter-press for the first goal conceded, lack of defensive intensity, and immaturity to organise the press is why he will only be used as a wildcard late on in games against deep-lying defences or when Arsenal need a goal. Right now, he is a total passenger defensively. Then, to make matters worse, Gabriel came off injured and Havertz came off as well (no doubt to manage his load). Arsenal were simply not as well co-ordinated as they typically are defensively as a consequence of these factors all taken together. Arteta picked a rotated team which got weaker as the game went on. The second goal summed up their issues. Southampton kicked long from a goal kick down Mosquera's side, he failed to win the initial aerial duel, and instead of Arsenal having one of Rice, Merino, or Havertz to compete for the second ball on the left, they had Zubimendi, who also failed to win the duel. From here, Southampton scored in transition. Would that have happened if Arsenal didn't have injuries or need to rest Gabriel, Rice, Merino, or Havertz? No. But it did happen, and knockout football is ruthless. One loss and you're out. But does a rotated and injury-hit Arsenal team losing to Southampton mean that the club are in crisis mode? Or that the system is fundamentally broken? Or that there is genuine concern over the Premier League title race or the Champions League situation? Not to any attentive viewer, no, and here's why: In the Carabao Cup final, City surprised Arsenal tactically. Mikel and his staff should have come up with solutions at half-time, but they did not. Players also could have helped on the day, sure, but they suffered too. But, like I said at the time, would Arsenal rather be surprised tactically in the Carabao Cup final or in the league game against City? The answer is so obviously in the cup final. Now, when the league game comes around, Arsenal will be prepared to face that likely City set-up. Trust me on that. Plus, despite losing to Southampton, the balance in the team was excellent. We saw that in the first half. Just because individual errors and a weakened performance as the game went on may skew that notion does not mean that Arteta's system is flawed or that any individuals are not up to par or anything ridiculous like that. Remember, none of Raya, Timber, Saliba, Hincapié, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, and Gyökeres started. That is quite literally Arsenal's XI outside of Gabriel, and he came off injured too! Realistically, the argument being thrown about regarding the defeat to Southampton is that because Arsenal's second string XI lost, the entire season is in jeopardy. I mean… come on! What a lot of nonsense! Remove emotion from the situation. Zoom out. Realise that Arsenal are 9 points clear in the Premier League with 7 games to play. City have a game in hand, sure, but that game in hand is against Chelsea away. Plus, Arsenal have to play first in the Premier League against Bournemouth at home, giving them the opportunity to extend the lead to 12 points with 6 games to go. Arsenal are also in the quarter finals of the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon. The weakest team left in the competition. If you said this was the situation to any Arsenal fan at the start of the season, they would have bitten your hand off for it, and rightly so. Plus, I don't buy into the notion that Arsenal are in bad form as they enter the business end of the season. What a whole load of contextless nonsense that is. City sprung a tactical surprise in the final. Arsenal will be better prepared for the league game. Plus, against Southampton, Arsenal played their second string XI. They are one off occurrences. The only legitimate concern Arsenal have at this point is their injury situation. The likes of Timber, Gabriel, Hincapié, Rice, Saka, and Trossard are key figures who Arsenal need to be fit and firing to see out the season. Plus, knowing the freakish nature of these guys, I don't expect them to miss too much football from here on out. They are almost all athletic freaks and mental giants. Outside of that, I couldn't be more calm and confident about the situation. Plus, on a personal level, last night revealed that my mission on this platform is far from complete. I still have so much work to do to educate the masses. So, so much work. I feel outnumbered in this moment, but I will not waver. I never have. Not since 2017. And I am not about to start now. Signing out, EBL.

@Oh1997J @_PhilCosta Everyone is nervous and worried. That’s what makes winning feel all the better. No team that doesn’t go on to win is remembered that fondly.

@tickerp @_PhilCosta There is always a balance for league winning teams between playing well and getting the job done. We've done little of the former, that's why people are nervous and worried. We'll probably still win the league but if we don't this team won't be remembered fondly

I haven't felt good about Arsenal since the turn of the year but any and all concerns were constantly batted away. You just get a feeling watching a team - we haven't been playing well, we haven't looked good for months now. It's not negativity. It's just saying what you see.

@abhinavsing157 @_PhilCosta Was never just through corners and one bad result doesn’t prove anything

@tickerp @_PhilCosta Just getting the job done through corners is never sustainable and it shows now

That’s fair enough. I do agree that games have felt harder but I do wonder how much of that is projection of our own anxiety as we’re all so desperate to win. Breaking the trophy duck after so long was always going to be a struggle. More fluent times will come if we get over the line

@tickerp It’s not from the past two games because I’ve been saying it for weeks. We’re a really good team that’s capable of winning things this season - I think we will - but there are aspects to our play that I don’t like (at the moment). Pressure does things to people at crunch time.

@bpw07 @_PhilCosta We’re top of the league because we keep winning too. Not just because city have slipped a couple of times. They have momentum for now but let’s see…. All to play for!

@tickerp @_PhilCosta We’re top of league only because City have been dropping points but unlike us they have momentum now. If Arsenal don’t win league from hear I fear this team and manager never will.

@AFCAmzii @_PhilCosta Being dumb is not understanding someone else sees things differently to you. I don’t think we look inferior every game we play. I think that’s dumb. But hey. Like I say, you do you.

@tickerp @_PhilCosta There’s a difference between wanting your team to win every game and wanting your team to not look inferior against every other team they play against in 2026. Being dumb is not knowing the difference between the two

@aresn6ix96348 @_PhilCosta Hahahaha you can’t just double the defeats randomly!!

@tickerp @_PhilCosta We play to “not lose” We have 7 draws in the league which is like 5 defeats So in reality we’ve lost 10 games all season

@afc_mdrn @_PhilCosta You’re not speechless….. as you’re commenting

@tickerp @_PhilCosta If you genuinely do not understand the difference between a final/ a deep knockout game and regular league and quail games then I am truly speechless. Oh and the losses included Liverpool, United and a desperate draw against City btw. So it's even more fodder-taxed

@infraexplained @_PhilCosta I go every week. You?

@tickerp @_PhilCosta have you watched them? we were shit

@infraexplained @_PhilCosta Disagree

@tickerp @_PhilCosta we have been shit in all of 2026

@COYG316 @_PhilCosta Fair enough. A few people who sit around me think the same. I’m in the camp of “I like winning more than losing” so just fucking get it done. Just get over the line this year in the league or CL, ideally league or both. Don’t care how. Find a way. So far, in the main, we have

@tickerp @_PhilCosta I’ve not enjoyed the football this season and have been underwhelmed with the standard of our play. I’ve always felt we lacked control in games and regressed defensively as the season has gone on. Once the set price goals dried up we’ve struggled more. That’s just me though.

@ArsenalAnoop *you don’t have the minerals

We don’t have the minerals and the rivals are right. I don’t trust this team.

@AFCAmzii @_PhilCosta Every game is a must win when you try to win it all. Dumb is expecting us to win every game and screaming at others because you can’t understand their view. Dumb is calling others dumb when publicly saying you hatewatch zinchenko for pleasure. But hey… you do you

@tickerp @_PhilCosta If your conclusion from arsenals performances in 2026 is “well apart from the 3 games we really needed to win but we didn’t we got the job done” then you’re even dumber than I thought and you deserve what’s coming next

@gusfringldn “Captain charisma”

Winning the Premier League was never enough. He’s had plenty of chances to do it. It’s really nothing special if he wins the league. He still needs to go

@AFCAmzii @_PhilCosta I have a different view to you. You don’t even understand what results based analysis is and you’re calling me dense.

@tickerp @_PhilCosta Results based analysis is actually the worst fucking thing to ever exist oh my God you can’t actually be this dense

@TheSecretDoc @_PhilCosta As fans we always invest. Thats our job. Easiest job in the world to manage after a game or without inside knowledge. The manager and players have earned our faith and trust. We need to help push them over the line

@tickerp @_PhilCosta We are all naturally just worried because it feels like we’ve invested so much emotionally into this manager and these players. We need validation for that work with a league title.