Abacus

If we sold him, we really would need more in midfield in the summer, to state the obvious. A real squad overhaul. I like him as a player but he doesn't seem able to stay fit and is too inconsistent to be someone we can rely on if we're going to try and compete around the CL places. He's good for where we were, but maybe less so for where we're trying to get to. Somewhere like Palace might well suit both parties. It's going to be an exciting summer, and obviously so much of it hinges on grabbing that CL spot. It was the trigger for buying Tonali last time and one or two more of that calibre instead would make such a massive difference.

Lack of class from Arteta there. Best team he reckons. Just needs a striker

Keown was moaning that Arsenal needed a striker. Didn't mention him by name, but Merson will be on it in 3...2...1

Wish this was a bit later than 12, but hopefully we'll be right up for this one. End of the day, if we want Champions League we need to be better than these especially at home. It's going to be one heck of a game.

I always think back to what some of the players said when we were struggling. They were talking about 5 a-side training matches and who was the first player you'd pick for your team. It was Joelinton, because he absolutely never give up and was a nightmare to play against. Think other teams have seen this now. Then I remember how he got his own personal trainer to help turn his career around. He's unique and I'm not sure who you'd even scout if you were looking for a replacement. Get well soon big fella. You're a huge miss, but come back when you're ready.

I'm hoping you're right and thinking you are. If this season has shown anything it's that we can turn up when it matters. I had no idea how much that cup run and win just showed how much our mentality has changed.

Watching the match in real time, I kind of thought a draw was a fair result and also a good one. This morning I watched match of the day 2 and they clearly thought we were slightly the better team, which the stats seemed to back up. I'm not getting into a stats debate, still think a draw was just about fair. Maybe Barnes could have swung it our way, thought he was excellent. The point being that we played well and a loss wouldn't have felt right. Quietly confident of CL now, but the Chelsea game at home is going to be huge. Think we'll turn up again for that, even though they're a good team.

I suppose you're just advertising that development.

Edit just answered my own question

So is Mike Ashley. Not sure if anyone knows for sure what PIF/Ruebens are in it for, though we can all have a guess. Fully likely in the case of PIF they want to be involved with a successful team in the most watched league in the most popular sport. Also a chance, though, that their investment was to buy a club that's value could be increased massively. However, those two don't need to be mutually exclusive. Anyway, with the league being an increasingly closed shop to new entrants, I've been idly wondering about parachute payments and interactions with PSR and squad cost ratio. The idea of a parachute payment originally being to allow new clubs to spend a bit to compete, in the knowledge it wouldn't wreck them long term, either to not go bust or so they can rebuild the next season in the championship at unarguably an advantage to the others in the championship. And if they did stay up, they retain that crucial TV money, so could in theory carry on. But then, I'm wondering if that's the best plan - carrying on, I mean. Because if they did stay up, the season after that they don't get that one off protected spending boost and for PSR reasons may even have to sell some of their players who kept them up, in order to take their squad further, with a few gambles on who they replace them with. So actually, is really the best strategy to become a yo-yo club for a good while instead, because in the event of staying up you don't then get a second chance of further investment? If you stay up you're always guaranteed a certain amount of money and maybe if you're the one in a dozen to get it right, that just means maybe you then have a chance of competing in the lower half of the table but not going much further or breaking the next glass ceiling, because from then on, you're playing with the big teams, and it's unlikely your revenue is going to be able to compete to match. TLDR I suppose what I'm saying is which has already been discussed by others, the combination of parachute payments and PSR /squad cost only serves to maintain the status quo. Which isn't really exciting is it?

At the time, I was cheering on every word and it's an all time moment however you look at it. Legendary. Later on, people pointed out to me how it showed how the pressure and the baiting had finally gotten to him. Why do I get the feeling this would have been Howe's response?

What's gone on here?

This is the correct opinion, although Stiff Upper Lip was something of a late return to form. Come to think of it, Ballbreaker is a pretty good name for Tonali's strikes.

At the time I thought it was a daft charge out by Pope, but in no way thought it was a pen. The ref didn't, the players didn't. And even from the other end of the pitch it looked like he made contact with the ball. Then the VAR review, taking an age. So first of all not a clear and obvious error. Then, the length of time it takes while you're in the middle of the pitch having someone mark your homework, with them having had the benefit of already watching it multiple times before you've got there. It's going to take a brave ref to decide that they were right first time which is why it almost never happens. In which case, the whole pantomime of sending the ref to the pitch side monitor is completely pointless and just amounts to a public telling off. But if you'd got the original decision right, which I think was the case here, and then change your mind after VAR intervenes to then come to the wrong decision, you just look like even more of a fool.

Wow. Reckon we're on for this now.

Can't believe Eddie is not constantly on the phone here

Tonali - A

You never expect an injury update on your manager I think this will be a tough one - Lyons weren't great and nor were Man City but that's what's in front of them and they have ground out OK results. Not sure how much the league means to them now is the only thing.

Woof, that's another corker

Oh my word what a goal

laughing at your last sentence

Ooof

Cracking goal. Emery not getting carried away, I like that

Utterly ridiculous if true. Surely nobody believes in this farce any more.

Had to listen on the radio tonight and then watched the highlights later, so maybe this is nonsense. First penalty shout I thought would have been very soft. But if it was given, I can't see it being overturned either, so agreed that was daft. On the second one, even their manager didn't really dispute it - but it was an on the edge challenge where a fraction of misjudgement means a pen. He was just on the right side of that one, but it was still reckless. In general it sounded like Tonali was running the show, never mind that amazing goal. That fair?