Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

There is no denying that Mikel Arteta has already had an impact in just four games as manager at Arsenal. As impressive as their performances against Chelsea and Manchester United were, Palace serve as an important benchmark for Arteta. The Eagles probably ended up being the defining opponent of Unai Emery’s reign at Arsenal. The Gunners didn’t manage to beat Palace in three league outings under Emery, conceding seven goals in the process. That doesn’t tell the whole story. 

In the context of last season, Arsenal’s abject performance in a 3-2 home loss to Roy Hodgson’s men in April meant Emery’s men basically threw away a top four spot that was gifted to them thanks to the incompetence of others. In the context of this season, Arsenal gave up a two-goal lead and two points in the reverse fixture. This game was also infamous for the Granit Xhaka fiasco and looked at in totality, this marked the beginning of the end for Emery as mutiny at the Emirates gathered full steam.

The Eagles have undoubtedly scarred Arsenal in the past 18 months. If Arteta can come away from Selhurst Park with a point or three, it will go a long way to healing wounds and making the Arsenal faithful genuinely believe that change is finally here. No pressure then, Mikel.

Sheffield United vs West Ham

One of the most interesting sides managed by one of the most innovative managers taking on a team managed by one of the old boys club. A win for the home side will further cement Chris Wilder’s place at the vanguard of modern British managers. David Moyes would like to show that an old dog can learn new tricks. Add in the grudge factor from their acrimonious relegation battle in 2007 and this game makes a good case for Friday football viewing. 

Ndidi and Kante

The increasingly interesting Ryan O’Hanlon:

Since the 1-0 loss to Manchester United in the middle of September, Leicester have won 12, drawn one and lost three. Their performances have kicked into a much higher gear, too: They’ve created 29.9 expected goals and conceded just 20.5. At the heart of it all, Ndidi has been an absolute machine. Leicester average more possession than all but 13 teams across England, Italy, Spain and Germany’s top flights. Part of that is because Ndidi is able to keep winning them the ball back, but that also means there are fewer opportunities for him to make defensive plays.

Watching Leicester till October, I felt they weren’t playing the football that Brendan Rodgers truly wanted. Ryan is right to highlight the tactical change that has enabled the Foxes to come closer to Rodgers' vision, while deservedly crediting Ndidi’s role in the change.

I find the parallels that Ryan makes between Ndidi and Kante interesting. Are they the same type of player? Kante’s importance in Leicester’s title win is undisputed. However, Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes didn’t treasure possession, or at least they weren’t reliant on dominating the ball. Rodgers (and to an extent, Claude Puel before him) places a different emphasis on his midfielders, with vertical passing and ingenuity at its core. This is not to say that Kante can’t play in a Rodgers team. After all Frank Lampard has maintained Maurizio Sarri’s progressive take on Kante’s role in Chelsea’s midfield. I am just not sure Ndidi’s brilliance needs to be looked at through the prism of Kante’s role before him.

Zidane bringing back the winning feeling to Madrid

Sid Lowe with a poetic piece on ESPNFC on Zidane being back at Real Madrid:

Luka Modric, Marcelo, Isco: they were gone. And the rest. Modric, Marcelo, Isco … they’re back. And the rest, too.

I find it remarkable that Isco is now back to the form that made him the ultimate wildcard in Real winning the double in 2017. Zidane deserves immense credit for this.

There’s something of Spring 2017 about his team now: the one year of those three when Madrid won the Champions League and they won la Liga as well, the one year of those three when you could say, with some confidence, that they probably were the best team in Europe.

Sid makes an excellent distinction here. The 2016 Champions League winning team relied on graft. Many would argue that the 2018 team was just downright lucky. The 2017 team though, that had something special, the ability to beat and outplay any kind of team.

Real aren’t perfect as Lowe points out later in the article. But they are looking good, the closest I have seen to the 2017 gold standard. Whether Zidane has a clear playing identity is up for debate. What isn’t, is that he is unquestionably the right man for Real Madrid.

Zlatan at Milan

James Horncastle comes up with a pertinent question on his latest piece on ESPNFC. Milan really have put themselves in a bind with all sorts of different approaches over the last three seasons. Heavy spending has been accompanied with significant wages and large contracts, yet there is no sense of direction. There is no denying Zlatan is a gamble, but Milan are in such a precarious position that they need an instant boost to at least qualify for the Europa League. The bar is set low, but in the half an hour that he played against Sampdoria, Ibrahimovic immediately upgraded Milan’s attacking threat even if the team didn’t score. Milan’s next four fixtures are against Cagliari, Udinese, Brescia and Verona. It isn’t the toughest set of games and one would think Zlatan can make an impact in them. If he doesn’t, one wonders how low the Rossoneri can go this season.

The League Cup Paradox

I support the growing calls for axing the League Cup. After all, why does England need two cup competitions? It seems unnecessary. And after a hectic period of fixtures, including the increasingly maligned third round of the FA Cup, a two-legged semi for what is ostensibly England’s fourth tournament in terms of importance, genuinely feels like overkill.

Yet, when said two-legged semifnal comes around, I can’t help but actually look forward to it. This may well be, because like cup competitions on the continent, it takes place in midweek. In fact, this is probably the reason I generally tend to like this competition more than the FA Cup. It doesn’t take place at the expense of league fixtures.

There’s also the fact that these semis have consistently delivered compelling contests. Last season we had Chelsea vs Spurs face off over two legs, the season before that Arsenal vs Chelsea and this season both matchups are derbies. One can’t deny the allure of big teams taking on each other in quick succession for an aggregate victory. The story seems that little bit longer, a few more twists and turns to relish. It’s almost like the perfect appetizer in January, before the main course of two-legged European football commences in February. I may well forget the significance as early as April, but I for one am hoping that we will get to see four entertaining matches featuring City, United, Leicester and Villa.

A statement win for Conte

Inter hadn’t won in Naples this century. Yes, Napoli are having one of their worst seasons of recent times, a team shorn of confidence and belief with no clear idea of how to get out of their rut. But this was still a team with Lorenzo Insigne, Jose Callejon, Fabian Ruiz, Allan and Kostas Manolas playing at home. I had predicted Inter would draw this match because I felt Napoli would start the new year with motivation and focus. The home side had a bit of the former for the first ten minutes and then a bit of the latter in the last ten minutes of the first half. Other than those twenty minutes it never felt to me like Inter were going to drop points.

It bares repeating, Inter hadn’t won away to Napoli this century. In that context, even if they had a smash and grab, hanging by the skin of their teeth win, it would have felt significant. But this was more than that. Inter were tactically more astute than their opponents. They were faster to every ball. They made better decisions throughout the pitch, led in particular by their brilliant front two. And once they re-established a two-goal lead in the second half, they closed out the game with composure and ease. If matters on the pitch weren’t positive enough, there was also the return from injury of the trio of Nicolo Barella, Stefano Sensi and Alexis Sanchez. It’s the perfect tonic for Inter in what promises to be a real tussle for the Serie A title from now till May. Make no mistake — this was a statement win for the Nerazzurri and perhaps the most significant win of Antonio Conte’s brief reign. A timely reminder that Conte after all, does know how to win this league.

La Liga Picks Round 19

League football returns to Spain, albeit only for one round before the new contrived Super Copa takes place in Saudi Arabia next weekend. Real Madrid were unable to finish their chances leading to three successive draws going into the break. The bad news then is that their next opponents are Getafe at the Coliseum and they are few sides better at making life difficult than Jose Bordalas' tough nuts. So expect another scrappy draw. The other highlight fixture is the Catalan derby, with bottom of the table Espanyol on their third manager. Logic suggests a Barcelona romp, but Abelardo does have a knack of bloodying noses, hence it wouldn’t surprise me to see his men give the Blaugrana a run for their money. Sevilla host Athletic in what looks like a tricky test for Julien Lopategui’s men. Athletic have the 2nd best defence in the league and Sevilla are not exactly rampant goalscorers, so this could turn out to be a tense battle of attrition. Finally, for the purists, I am expecting an exhibition of technical attacking football when an artistic Sociedad welcome a gung-ho Villarreal. Let’s live a little and hope for a crazy high-scoring draw!

Round 19 Picks

Valladolid 0 Leganes 2

Sevilla 1 Athletic 1

Valencia 2 Eibar 0

Getafe 1 Real 1

Atletico 1 Levante 0

Espanyol 2 Barca 3

Granada 3 Mallorca 1

La Real 3 Villarreal 3

Alaves 1 Betis 2

Celta 1 Osasuna 1

Serie A Picks Round 18

Italy’s finest return to action after their winter break with a tasty round of fixtures across Sunday and Monday. Recent history would suggest that Napoli vs Inter takes top billing even though the two teams are 18 points apart. I think the Partenopei will at the very least strive to start the second half of the season with a motivated mindset, which will lead to a share of the spoils with title chasing Inter. Then there’s Zlatan’s second coming which should inspire Milan to a better performance than their last outing when they were routed by Atalanta. Speaking of Atalanta, they welcome a tricky Parma side and their on-loan hotshot Dejan Kulusevski, who has just been sold to Juventus. The hosts should be favoured, but Parma have been excellent against those above them so I am going for a draw. Cagliari were the surprise team of the first half but they just started running out of steam and I expect Juve to have too much for the Sardinians at home. Finally, November and December saw the two Roman sides probably play the best football in Italy. Though they face tricky opponents, I am expecting Lazio and Roma to get wins.

Round 18 Picks

Brescia 1 Lazio 3

SPAL 1 Verona 1

Genoa 2 Sassuolo 1

Roma 2 Torino 0

Bologna 2 Fiorentina 1

Milan 2 Sampdoria 1

Atalanta 2 Parma 2

Juventus 3 Cagliari 1

Lecce 0 Udinese 0

Napoli 2 Inter 2

And Breathe

The Premier League festive fixtures have ended and I for one, am thankful. By the time the new year’s fixtures came around, matches seemed to morph into one another. Can anyone really tell me the difference between Liverpool vs Wolves or Liverpool vs Sheffield United? Was Arsenal vs United any different to Arsenal vs Chelsea? Those who earn their bread analyzing the game of course have the thankless task to continue to do so with repitition. My only analysis is that the players were out on their feet by the end. You just get through this period. There’s nothing else to say.

On Haaland

Erling Braut Haaland’s move to Borussia Dortmund thankfully saves us from what was likely to be the most tedious story of the winter transfer window. There’s plenty to read and consume on why the Norwegian chose BVB over United and Juve. To me it seems obvious that Haaland has made the most pragmatic and sensible choice.

I am now interested in how he fits into Dortmund’s system and Lucien Favre’s tactical framework. The conventional wisdom is that Dortmund are such a good attacking team that they will always score goals. Dig a little deeper into their results however, and there have been a lot of games in the Favre era that have been decisive because his men have missed chance after chance. Their last game before the winter break was a perfect illustration. After dominating Hoffenheim for 80 minutes but scoring only once, BVB contrived to lose 2-1 in the last ten minutes of the game.

Favre has always preferred a false nine instead of a conventional striker. It’s one of the reasons why, even when he’s fit, Paco Alcacer hasn’t started many games despite his fantastic goals to minutes ratio. Irrespective of this signing, Favre is unlikely to shift away from his preferred 4-2-3-1. If Haaland is to be a regular starter, Favre is going to have to compromise on Marco Reus playing as the false nine, instead moving the captain to the hole. Considering the fact that Jadon Sancho is an undroppable, how Favre deals with Julian Brandt, Thorgan Hazard and Mario Gotze fighting for one position is anyone’s guess. It would be safe to assume that there will be at least one attacker outgoing in January to alleviate the increased competition in the final third.

If Haaland maintains his exceptional scoring rate amidst the higher standards of the Bundesliga, then any tactical adjustments would be worth it for Dortmund. It doesn’t however negate the fact that this a very young player making a huge leap at a club that isn’t without its own set of high expectations. It may be prudent to expect a period of adjustment. Haaland’s signing is undoubtedly an exciting moment for the club. It will however still need good management to make it a success for both, individual and club.

Premier League Picks Round 21

If the last round of fixtures was a nightmare to predict due to almost universal rotation, this last set of holiday fixtures isn’t going to be any easier. I am not picking any huge upset this round, but with Brighton, Southampton and Watford all improving it wouldn’t surprise me if they stopped their visitors from higher up the table from taking all three points. David Moyes should expect to lead the Hammers to a stifling win over the Cherries on his return to the London Stadium dugout. There’s also Pep vs Ancelotti with the various ways their story is linked and while the Toffees have improved since Marco Silva left, I think the Etihad with KDB in sublime form will be a bridge too far. Arsenal vs United is always intriguing, even if for the wrong reasons in recent times. Third time’s a charm for Arteta say my instincts. Finally, when it rains it pours. With Sheffield United finally losing away from home for the first time this season against City, I am expecting their very next away fixture at Anfield to also end in defeat.

Round 21 Picks

Brighton 1 Chelsea 1

Burnley 2 Villa 1

Newcastle 1 Leicester 2

Southampton 1 Spurs 1

Watford 0 Wolves 0

City 3 Everton 1

Norwich 2 Palace 1

West Ham 1 Bournemouth 0

Arsenal 2 United 1

Liverpool 2 Sheffield Utd 0

Last Round Score - 4/10

Season Score - 9/20

Premier League Picks Round 20

Non-stop Premier League football means non-stop fun with picks. While we can derive some semblance of form for the big teams in the festive period, its much trickier to predict the form of the rest of the league when the fixtures are so cramped. For my upset of the round, I was going to predict Burnley beating United but can that be considered a shock? Instead I am going for the unpredictable Hammers to beat the Foxes. In the big London derby, I am expecting Mikel Arteta to build on a great opening performance and get the three points against Chelsea. I think Liverpool will get the better of Wolves and I am trying to not let the last result influence me, but I feel Sheffield United will maintain their unbeaten away record this season by getting a point at the Etihad.

Round 20 Picks

Brighton 2 Bournemouth 0

Newcastle 1 Everton 1

Southampton 1 Palace 1

Watford 2 Villa 1

Norwich 2 Spurs 3

West Ham 2 Leicester 1

Burnley 2 United 0

Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1

Liverpool 2 Wolves 0

City 2 Sheffield Utd 2

Last Round Score - 5/10

Premier League Picks Round 19

Having some fun with making picks for the Premier League programme during the holidays. I am not going to go into elaborate reasoning, this is meant to be fun after all. My expectations are that Liverpool and City will both win their tricky away tests and my one upset of the round is predicting Southampton to win at Stamford Bridge considering the hosts shaky home form.

Round 19 Picks

Spurs 2 Brighton 0

Bournemouth 1 Arsenal 2

Villa 2 Norwich 2

Chelsea 1 Southampton 2

Palace 0 West Ham 0

Everton 2 Burnley 0

Sheffield Utd 1 Watford 1

United 1 Newcastle 1

Leicester 1 Liverpool 2

Wolves 1 City 3

A genuine big game but a contrived title decider

I am looking forward to Leicester vs Liverpool at the King Power Stadium. Or is it more accurate to say I would have been excited about this game regardless of the league table? Games between the Foxes and Reds have always been fun to watch. Last season’s game in the Midlands featured a memorable Alisson error that sent the goalkeeping community in meltdown, while up North, Claude Puel’s men were arguably better than their hosts in a 1-1 draw.

This season’s reverse fixture saw some late drama when Marc Albrighton fouled Saido Mane leading to a late penalty and a deserved win for Liverpool at Anfied. Leading up to that game, the general consensus was that this was a tricky game for the Reds to navigate and rightly so. It wasn’t billed as a title clash. Then Leicester’s 8-game winning streak happened. All of a sudden the Boxing Day game is being billed as a title decider.

Leicester are a good team. On occasion, they have been genuinely enjoyable to watch. On occasion, they have also been pretty clueless. Leicester are second in the table, but are they genuinely the second best team in the league? In my opinion the answer is no. Even if the Foxes win tomorrow, I would not consider them title contenders. Liverpool are far ahead in the journey and have done the hard yards to establish thamselves as contenders since 2018. The hosts are undertaking a refreshing new journey, but even Brendan Rodgers realizes his side are barely at the halfway stage of their development. If we do feel the need for a “title race” my money is still on City being Liverpool’s closest contenders. Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy the game tomorrow simply because its Leicester vs Liverpool, Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp pitting their wits against each other, the four best fullbacks in the league, Salah, Mane, Vardy, Tielemans, etc. I dont' need a contrived narrative.

United as equals

Manchester United and Newcastle United have had their fair share of classics including some good ones on Boxing Day. Whether its going to be a game for the ages this time around is debatable considering the styles of both teams. Nevertheless the fact that they enter the game on equal points is simply remarkable. It speaks to the underperformance of the hosts and the overperformance of Steve Bruce’s Magpies that frankly no one saw coming. We know we can count on Bruce to have his team defensively organized and resolute. Unless United can come up with the magic early, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this turned out to be another frustrating, yet riveting evening at Old Trafford.

Spurs vs Brighton

When Brighton dominated and ultimately defeated Spurs at the Amex in October, there was a genuine feeling that it was the nadir of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign. Tottenham welcome the Seagulls in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day, coming off the back of possibly Jose Mourinho’s own nadir in his nascent tenure. What Spurs served up against Chelsea on Sunday matched the worst of Pochettino and such cluelessness won’t be tolerated for too long by the Spurs faithful.

Spurs need only look at their North London neighbours for an example of what happens to unfocused teams against Graham Potter’s slick football. Arsenal were completely outplayed at home by Brighton and justifiably lost 2-1. In truth, its hard to see such a result being replicated away at Spurs. Mourinho may have his faults, but the pragmatist in him has always delivered against teams in the bottom half, especially at home. Heung-Min Son’s suspension will be felt, but I think his absence for three games gives Mourinho the chance to work on some alternative systems as well as players, with the midfield in particular needing some serious reconfiguration. It is this facet that I will be focusing on in this game.

Holiday Football

Depending on one’s perspective, this crazy period is either the most entertaining period of the calendar or the most challenging. I do love watching football over the holidays. There is a natural excitement knowing your favourite sport is going to be on continuously for a week. However, the increased intensity of football has made me appreciate the viewpoint on the continent that it can be overkill. Its probably why Italy and Spain have gone back to winter breaks after failed experiments with holiday football the past two years. Like every year I will be tuning into the mayhem with childlike excitement, but I will also empathize with the players who face the greatest risk of injury with 3 games in 6 days and the managers who will have to deal with the consequences.

Ancelotti and Everton

The always brilliant Gab Marcotti has written an excellent piece on ESPNFC about Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment at Everton. Of all the analysis I have read, heard or watched, I find myself agreeing the most with Gab. We simply don’t know how this will pan out, and looking at Ancelotti’s managerial history just doesn’t apply to this project. Everton have never had a manager of Ancelotti’s pedigree in the modern era, while the Italian hasn’t taken a job with a team so far from Europe in the last two decades. Let’s wait and watch.

Liverpool’s breakneck pace

Ryan O’Hanlan writing an interesting piece for ESPNFC on Liverpool’s pursuit of their first Premier League title. I have felt for a while that the Reds current point scoring rate won’t be maintained for the entirety of the season. However, I agree with Ryan that it will be largely irrelevant because of the gap they’ve already established. It’s now going to be interesting to see how they’re going to evolve with Naby Keita’s gradually increasing presence and Takumi Minamino’s arrival.

On RB Leipzig

Raphael Honigstein writing on the Athletic:

RB Leipzig is indeed an artificial product, but spending money in a way that produces good football is also an art in itself. And in comparative terms, it can be enjoyed relatively guilt-free, too. Werner’s and Nagelsmann’s artistry is not founded by despotic kings who have squeezed every last drop out of their subjects to produce frescos, palaces or churches, nor by autocratic regimes keen to wash their image in the age of sport as global entertainment.

I think Raphael makes a very salient point. This has been a dilemma I have been grappling with since Leipzig’s remarkable first season in the Bundesliga and I am still not completely sure where I stand. For many fans who follow the Bundesliga as neutrals, the fact that there is a challenger to Bayern’s hegemony in Germany — be it Leipzig or Dortmund — is something to be celebrated. However, for those in Germany that are ingrained in their unique fan culture, Leipzig are considered the bigger evil, regardless of how tiresome Bayern’s continued success may be.

On a sporting level, I welcome Leipzig’s challenge. If Leipzig do end up winning the Bundesliga, I am not sure I will be happy for the entity that is RB Leipzig. Even if I confer to the logic that I want a new champion for the sake of it (I don’t!) Dortmund would be my choice. I will however celebrate the brilliant management of Julian Nagelsmann, the consistency of Timo Werner, a revitalized Patrick Schick, a classy ball-playing centre-back in Dayot Upamecano and most importantly a championship for a passionate fan base in football crazy East Germany. Even with principles challenged, one can find room to appreciate excellence in sport.

Football Weekend Fixtures Dec 20-22

Its time to say goodbye to league football in mainland Europe for 2019. The last round of fixtures before the Christmas break takes place this weekend. There are some interesting tests along with a few relegation six-pointers, but not really any marquee fixtures on the continent this time around. However, we have some big matches in England. City welcome Leicester in what should be a gripping contest to determine the second best team in England. Everyone knows Jose Mourinho is looking forward to welcoming his former employers Chelsea to his new home in North London. Even before these two games, there is bound to be intrigue when the weekend starts at Goodison where we are likely to see two new managers, either in the boxes or the dugout. Should make for fascinating viewing ⚽️

Englische Woche

Nothing quite explains the Bundesliga reaching its halfway point better than the Englische Woche (which literally means English week). It is the penultimate round of games before the league takes its annual winter break and the stakes are getting higher. After the excitement of the early weeks when the table had so many teams hunced close together, we are now getting a clearer picture of who the genuine contenders are.

It goes without saying that the biggest game this midweek is between Borussia Dortmund and RasenBallsport Leipzig. Just when it seemed like BVB’s season was going off the rails, they have had a fantastic last two weeks on both fronts. Leipzig are also going strong on both fronts and seem to be getting better with each passing week. Dortmund are four points behind their league leading visitors. A draw would suit both fine, but neither team is inclined to play that way which makes for a fascinating contest. There’s also the small matter of the Bundesliga’s most unique team — Freiburg, hosting Bayern, who sit only two points above them in fifth. Meanwhile Wolfsburg will look to follow up their win over former league leaders Gladbach by trying to bring down another high-flying team in Schalke. When all is said and done, we should have a pulsating midweek of league football in Germany. ⚽️

Football Weekend Fixtures Dec 13-16

That’s a wrap for European action in 2019! On to the weekend featuring some very interesting games. We have Nigel Pearson’s return to the Premier League with Watford at Liverpool, the much-contrived yet genuine rivalry in the M23 derby between the Seagulls and Eagles and a game with serious relegation implications featurng Southampton and West Ham. We also have a battle between two sharp Portuguese managers whose teams are getting better as the season progresses when Wolves welcome Spurs. Even at their best, games between Arsenal and City have had an element of comedic defending, but in their current guise one can expect even more goalmouth action with some perverse thrills. Could Pep lose to another Scandinavian managerial novice?

Throw relegation trouble into a passionate derby and you get Genoa vs Sampdoria. Any game featuring Cagliari is a must watch and not many would have predicted that their game against Lazio would be a battle between 3rd and 4th in Italy. In some respects, Gladbach face a bigger test this weekend than their monumental victory overy Bayern, where it will be interesting to see how the Foals follow up at tricky Wolfsburg. Pride of place this weekend however goes to La Liga. Barcelona and Real Madrid seem to be gathering steam just in time for El Clasico in midweek, but before that marquee fixture both face extremely difficult tests away from home. The Blaugrana hate going to San Sebastian and now face one of the most exciting Sociedad teams in recent times. Real always find it difficult in Valencia and there are clear signs that Albert Celades' men are picking up steam and hitting form at exactly the right time. Roll on a cracking weekend of football! ⚽️

Arsenal's attack deserves ambition

The popular refrain around Arsenal’s mediocre start to the season has been that with their structural issues no manager can solve their problems. I agree that no manager can solve all of Arsenal’s problems with the current squad. However, many seem to miss the point that if all squads were well-balanced we would have 6-team title races every year. Arsenal’s main aim is to get back into the top four. For that objective you don’t need to have anywhere near a complete squad. Jurgen Klopp’s first full season at Liverpool is evidence. The Reds finished fourth featuring a defence and goalkeeper that could charitably be described as middling.

As witnessed in their 3-1 win away at a hospitable West Ham, Arsenal have an attack that is at the very least, of top 4 standard, while some individual components easily belong in the top tier. Yes, Arsenal’s defence is shambolic and even the best managers in the world will struggle to fix it. That being said, what’s been lost in the sea of negativity surrounding Arsenal in the past year is that for a while they haven’t played with the right tactical setup to make the best use of their strongest assets — their attackers. It might seem like Arsenal have a difficult search for their next manager ahead of them. If I was making the decision, I would base it on one criterion — that their attacking play is fluent. Many teams have achieved a spot in the top four on this basis, and in fact, Arsene Wenger got Arsenal into the Champions League many a time on similar foundations. The Gunners' season isn’t lost if their attack maintains fire till May. ⚽️