But Burnley can't string two passes together.

Ha!

I think he's a smart guy, and a smart guy avoids that club.

I appreciate why some Arsenal fans are still fond of Cesc despite him playing for them, but what will they think when he becomes their manager?

I always thought he was a very smart guy. Let's see if that's true.

No.

A thought I had today: if Arteta is known to over-correct year on year, does that mean that what lies ahead is a summer of buying genuinely world class attacking talent followed by a season of gung-ho attacking play?

Yeh, sure. I'd have no issues with the half time sub but didn't think he was the issue either.

Martinelli was not good and it's pretty typical for that to be so.

Mosq was fine defensively - Doku is a good player - but he's not at the others' level on the ball.

Can't say I knew enough about him to know either way. He's basically fine in a very, very narrow set of circumstances and that's a bit of a problem.

Of course, we might just end up buying the development striker this summer and not necessarily be any better off.

Yes. Thought we removed goal threat taking him off today.

Football is tense, so having a genuinely fun player is a good thing. Let's do more good things.

The benefit of VG is that there's clearly no promise of jam tomorrow. With Sesko, we might be waiting for development that never happens. His limitations means Berta and co surely know there's work to be done.

And we need to be lucky, starting with keeping the players fit and getting back some others.

No surprise we look a better side with some better players available.

At what point - not yet. But again, mileage will vary.

If they did want a change, there are vanishingly few coaches where the chances of getting better exist, let alone where it's guaranteed.

Yes, the performance provides genuine hope in a way that a bad performance with a draw might not have done.

See, I'd put that further over into the "less rational" column but everyone's mileage will vary.

Rational: Disappointing, but because of result rather than performance unlike in the cup where it was both.

Less so: get rid of Martinelli )so done with him), move on Trossard, get what you can for VG, and get the manager to teach an attack.

This is the way.

Yep, not yet.

I'll hold off on the proper schadenfreude for another 23 hours or so.

The ref really could have boiled some piss there. Shame.

Yellow for shirt off and yellow for into the crowd, right?

Well, it's clear that the PL has not had the financial muscle of the other countries while the rules have been in place🤪

Wonder if it's more common for Arsenal fans born in 1984 to have a similar view of Arteta?

I'm the same age, love a bit of public speaking, hate chit chat (it's boring and hard trying to find common ground with randoms), and never been more nervous than CWC cup runs of 94 and 95 🫠 (oh, the pain).

He was. He's also at his best when he moves it quickly.

Yep, he must not start. But if he can do that in some games for 15-20 mins, great.

Arteta's never gonna leave their side?

Well, I get why people are twitchy but that was fine. Just need to be efficient in front of goal (easy, right?) and I do think that comes when you have better players on the pitch (see:the end/injured players).

Wonder if it's injury management and he's having to play within himself? Otherwise, I don't get it.

The clamour for him to be a 6 just limits him when he should be Roy Race.

Rice's interview was serious, business-like. Like it.

Watched with the sound off and phone off. Anxiety much reduced. Even with mad errors, much better than the weekend because there were a few occasions when we passed the ball at speed.

The XI that finished the game (&Eze) had more technical quality and that has to be the blueprint from here.