Last Night, Saturday Night and The Friday After Next

Well, Manchester United & Lyon have joined Bayern Munich and the soon-to-be-winners in the quarters. Presumably (although you can easily be too presumptuous in the champions league), Bordeaux, Barcelona and Sevilla will join them whilst Chelsea V Inter is too tough to call.

Bordeaux, Lyon and Sevilla would be the obvious ‘weak’ teams but would all be a more severe threat to us than Porto were or could have been. All three have better teams on paper and perform in better better leagues. Whilst Lyon have had another disappointing (by their standards) Ligue 1 season, they are always impressive in the Champions League and showed this last night and in the previous leg. Sevilla have a formidable strikeforce, with Fabiano, Kanoute and Negredo all proven goal-scorers. Bordeaux are top of the league, and despite a recent blip (they lost 1-2 to Auxerre) they are favourites to win and regain the title.

Thereon, we have Chelsea and Man U, whom Wenger said he would be more than happy to play and I would agree that we do not want to create a feeling that we cannot beat them. However, a draw to either would not set my nerves at any ease. I’d be marginally more confident against Inter Milan, as they cannot be as prepared to face us. They are still a great team though and like Barcelona (who are even better), would be an absolute test of our ability.

Bayern Munich go in the middle in terms of ‘hardness’. They wouldn’t be the worse draw and certainly not the best. They have fantastic players like Ribery, Robben and Lahm but weaknesses in defence like us. They also lack pace up front and so I’d happily play Campbell if Gallas doesn’t return soon enough.

If I had to pick one team to play it would be Bordeaux because of their little experience in the Champions League and their lack of obvious brawn. Sevilla would also be a reasonable option but I would be wary of their strikers. Lyon, I would be keen to avoid given their giant-killing ability.

Anyway, whoever we draw we’ll destroy so it doesn’t matter!

Arsenal V Hull then. This could go one of two ways.

One: They park the bus to perfection and look to sneak a goal. If we play like we did on Tuesday it shouldn’t be a problem. If we deteriorate, it will be a nervous event.

Two: They play two strikers and don’t quite park the bus often or efficiently enough and we quite comfortably win the game by 2 or 3 goals.

Either way, the onus is on how we perform. If we play like Arsenal then we’ll beat a team who plays like Hull City. I’m predicting a 4-1 win as I don’t see us not making any mistakes but I also see our confidence as sky high and I can see any of our attacking players scoring at the moment. Arshavin will get a few I reckon, Bendtner one, and Theo will grab another.

Oh, and who wants to beat that orange-faced twerp. (And I’m not talking about the cage fighter and BB winner Alex Reid – who is also a twerp, but not a Swine (like Fil Bran): 2.  informal – a person regarded by the speaker with contempt and disgust : what an arrogant, unfeeling swine!

We have been crawling up to Man U and Chelsea and are now just yards away. A major slip or two and we will overtake them. Of course, if they don’t slip up, then they deserve to win it but I can’t imagine either team not losing at least one game by May. And they still have to play each other (a draw or a Man Utd win will suit us fine).

How much more enjoyable is it to be in a title race, eh? Obviously, failure will lead to worse pain, but who wants mediocrity anyway? A Coventry football fan today said to me “I’m happy with how we’re doing” and I don’t understand that. Sure, if they were in the play-off positions he could be happy at the hope of promotion. But happy at another mid-table season? Not for me. Hopeful, yeah, as they could yet enter the play-off positions but from him to then suggest “it must be frustrating to be an Arsenal fan” was laughable.

Anyway, keep the faith strong, create that positive energy and lets bloody well win something! (Not you, Arsenal Woman’s team – you’re doing a fine job)

Pass It Sooner, Be  A One Touch Gooner.

(Unless you happen to be ready to mesmerize a defence with a Nasri-esque run and finish. That goal was phenomenal |fəˈnämənəl|adjective 1 very remarkable; extraordinary,  : the town expanded at a phenomenal rate.)