Arsenals Europa League campaign has come to can abrupt end after an extra time loss at home to Olympiakos. I didn’t manage to see the game in its entirety, just catching extra time so I won’t go into too much detail into the game itself. Unfortunately, I did have to witness that heart-breaking last minute goal.
With all the good work Arteta has done since he’s come in, this was at best a huge setback. It was the sort of result that stays with you for the wrong reasons. The Olympiakos goal will haunt us for a very long time. The players looked drained when the ball nestled in the back of Benrd Leno’s net and you could see the devastation on the face of every single player. Pierre Emerik Aubeyangs spectacular equalizer proved to be in vain and you really sympathised with the Gabon international when he missed the golden opportunity to put us back ahead on the night with just seconds remaining. If it felt gut wrenching for myself and most Arsenal fans around the world, I can only imagine how devastating a moment it was for him. Chances come and go and the best strikers miss big opportunities. Unfortunately, this was one of them. Of course he should have scored but he’s one of the few players who doesn’t bear any responsibility for the mess we’re in right now and to blame him would be ridiculous.
When Arteta was announced as Arsenal manager, most sane fans would have agreed that the remainder of the season would be about improving the level of performance and implementing Arteta’s system and tactics. It would have been ludicrous to expect him to take over a side sitting mid table in the premier league with a severely imbalanced squad and suddenly turn them into a cohesive team who are solid defensively. This was always going to be difficult and a job that will take time. We can be disappointed and angry about the result on Thursday but we also shouldn’t abandon that early optimism that Arteta brought with him. There is no doubt that this was a major step back in the new managers transformation but there was always going to be difficult moments. This will not be the last painful result but I’m also confident that there will be better times ahead if we give Arteta the loyalty and support he needs. This was never going to be a quick fix and long term planning and investment are quite clearly needed.
Our only hope of qualifying for the Champions League now rests on where we finish in the Premier League. 5th will be enough if City’s ban is upheld. If it is not, than we’ll have to finish in the top four which is highly unlikely at this stage. Qualifying for Europes finest club competition will be a difficult task and one that I don’t think we can be overly confident of achieving. The rest of this season should just be treated as a means of improving our position in the league. If that position qualifies us for the Champions League, great. That would be a bonus and beyond most peoples expectations. Wherever we finish in the league, it’s set to be a summer of change. The futures of Alex Lacazette and Pierre Emerick Aubameyeng have been brought sharply into focus while there’s a host of other names that could potentially head for pastures new. It’s unsurprising that a club in our position who’ve recently brought in a new manager are rumoured to be set for a big summer of change. While, I think it’s unlikely that we’ll see the level of overhaul that some are hoping for, I’d be surprised if there wasn’t considerable movement. Understandably, the big name strikers have been subject of most of the headlines. Lacazette has had really poor season, there’s no getting away from that. His 8 goals this season represent a pretty measley return and there’s a case to be made that we should cash in on him now. I could certainly stomach his departure more than I could Aubameyangs. I can see all the logical arguments for selling the Gabonese international. He’s 30, his contract is set to expire and despite this he would likely bring in a pretty healthy sum. However, he’s such a rare player and not one that you can easily or cheaply replace. He’s rescued so often this season and I dread to think where we’d be without him. If we can convince him to sign a new contract I’d keep him at the club but if he refuses then we may be left with no choice. It would make me very sad to sell a player who I’ve grown very fond of since his arrival from Dortmund. Sigh. ……..sad music……..
Despite all the disappointment of late, it was a relatively good weekend in football. Chelsea and Man Utd dropped points, Spurs lost and best of all LIVERPOOL LOST!!!!After all the disappointment of the Europa League last 16 exit, we needed something to give us a lift. Thank you Watford and I look forward to the unveiling of the Nigel Pearson statue outside the Emirates. It would be easy to forget that we’re still in with a chance of a trophy this season and we play Portsmouth in the F.A Cup tonight. I’d expect to see several changes to the lineup and perhaps the new boys getting a chance. Let’s hope for a good performance and progression to the next round.
Update: We’re Through to the Quarters!!
Image Credit-Sporting News
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