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We only sing when we are winning The main ASCB home in Bulgaria is at The Academy in Dianabad, Sofia. It can host hundreds. We often get big crowds no more so than for Alan Smith as our star guest earlier in the year. It has massive screens everywhere so you can easily find a home to watch the Arsenal lose, sorry win, I meant win, I really did. But we did lose last night, victim to a team, PSG, who were content to use a low block, and outsprint our guys in fast breaks enough to score two top class goals and send us home crying. Yes, we lost We were too slow in breaking, our players should have been sprinting forward every time David Raya collected the ball, instead he was left with little option but to wait till everyone got in position before releasing the ball. Yes, we had chances, quite a few more than PSG and we should have scored more than the one we did. Declan Rice could easily have collapsed PSG’s resistance in the very early stages but decided it was too early to score so he headed the ball casually wide. Declan, what are you doing to us? Out, out , out and out We are out of everything now this year and that perennial dream of fans has resurfaced – next season. We will have x, x and x back and we will have bought y, y and y and we will have dumped u, u and u. U being for useless. We will be unbeatable. Oh yes we will. The team need it to win matches Last night our fans in the Academy were quiet, much quieter than I have ever heard them. The prevailing mood was pessimism. One or two, like me, were optimistic but most seemed downbeat. There was no singing, again for the first time for me. We did have 10 fans in Paris and maybe they would have led the singing, I don’t know. But we were quiet and even a great opening spell in which we dominated, and really should have scored with Donnarumma and the defence working very hard but needing luck or, to be truthful, our bad finishing, still only raised the decibels a little higher. Last night, the majority of ASCB in the Academy didn’t believe. And so they failed to scream at the screen which has been proven to lift the team to the greatest heights. And we lost. Unlucky Arsenal? Yes, we were a little unlucky over the two nights. We had some excellent periods both games. We should have scored more. Last night was the culmination of losing our entire forward line and our top attacking midfielder for long periods. We had no proper striker for most of the season. And the makeshift ones didn’t gel properly. That to me, was the true problem. Our attack just didn’t gel since before Christmas. We created lots of chances, but most were tippy tappy stuff and not as dangerous as if you had Henry and Bergkamp to turn chances into goals. That is why you have specialist strikers. That is their job. Otherwise you can create more chances than the other team but they punish us with maybe just the one chance. A rubbish Leicester scored two against us I was at Leicester in the Emirates early in the season, to illustrate my point. Leicester were poor, truly among the worst teams I have ever seen live at the Arsenal. We were two nil up at halftime and should have been four or five. It was boring and I expected more of the same in the second half but somehow Leicester got a break on 47 minutes and James Justin, the full back scored. Leicester improved but still seemed content to waste time and defend rather than attack. But they got another breakaway on 63 minutes and Justin again scored. We were tippy tappy, creating half or even quarter chances but not really looking like scoring until well into injury time when we scored two and made the scoreline look respectable. Leicester were terrible but we were twice caught with breakaways and had to scramble a win. Last night PSG also caught us with breakaways but they were a much better team than Leicester. Spoiler alert! We need to convert more chances I reckon most of our goals conceded this year were from breakaways and set ball positions often from lower teams. The lack of a coherent forward line meant we didn’t make the most of our territorial and positioning advantages. Our weakness to breakaways meant every team had a chance. The low block, coupled with waiting for our defence to be too far forward meant two or three good chances were conceded every game. We paid the price because we couldn’t outscore them and last night was the epitome of that. We had more chances and lost. The story of our season. Bye bye team when we are losing I suspect the Academy has seen its last big house this term. Quite a few left early last night when the second goal went in. The same at the Emirates, it will be easy to get tickets for Newcastle in our last home game. We probably don’t need much more points to qualify for the Champions League but to guarantee it at this stage we need three points from the last three. Liverpool away in holiday mood could be three and job done. Newcastle at home could be three and job done if we fail at Anfield. Then Southampton away and surely we can get the three points we need there? Chelsea are playing both Newcastle and Forest so points will be dropped and we have a far superior goal difference. And now the end is near? Will we need to win this for Champions League? It has been a strange season. We were mostly brilliant in Europe, even without a recognized striker. We beat Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League, something few clubs can claim. But it has all fizzled out. We have no trophy. We may still finish second but I feel our fans have become weary. At least those fans who think we should win everything. I will be an Arsenal supporter next year and the next. And so on. I have seen poor years and some were quite recent. We are up there now, we are competing, and when x, x and x come back, y, y, and y come in and we get rid of u, u, and u, we will have the best team in the world next season. The great days are around the corner, or there may come a time again when we are finishing 8th or worse. I do believe our team will be stronger come August, and if I am right, that means we will be fighting for all the major trophies for 2025/26. Up the Arsenal!

History is on our side? We have only played them 5 times in competitive matches. And we have never lost. We have 2 wins and 3 draws. Does that bode well for the semi-final of the Champions League? Maybe. It can help to foster a negative mindset at PSG which could work in our favour. But the reality is that past results have no real power on the pitch. History doesn’t win matches, players do. Another two goals like these, please? Beating Real Madrid at the Bernebau has to be good for Arsenal’s confidence as few teams beat them there and they have a record of comebacks at home. As some may remember, I was at the Emirates for our last match against PSG earlier in the season, where we won 2-0. We had that score after 35 minutes and it truly was a nothing match as we were so comfortable. Donnarumma in the PSG goal allowed Havertz a free header from a Trossard cross after 20 minutes and then Bukayo Saka lobbed a hopeful free kick which Donnarumma somehow let in over his head and the game was over. I think we should have had more but PSG were very disappointing. It was like playing a bottom of the table team, they offered so little. A different Paris Saint Germain? I am certain that will not be the case now. They have got over their uncertain start and are now firing on all cylinders. We will need to be at our best for sure. Honestly, though, I am not sure I would swap any of our players for theirs so I put us ahead on that metric. Luis Enrique has had a strong season in the French league and they are now out of sight of their challengers. They are unbeaten, have 77 points from 29 matches with 82 scored and 27 conceded. Arsenal have 61 scored, also 27 conceded and 63 points from 33 matches so on the league metric PSG are ahead. The French league is not as competitive as the Premier league but I suppose I can concede that metric to them. I wouldn't swap our David for Donnarumma Our European record is greater as we have a Fairs Cup and a Cup Winners Cup to their Cup Winners Cup. We have also played far more games and won far more combined with a strong record of qualifying for the knock out stages. So despite their CL win percentage being a bit better I am going for Arsenal on that metric. PSG Pld W L D F A GD Win% European Cup / Champions League 167 89 30 48 327 191 +136 53.29 Arsenal Champions League / European Cup 223 115 47 61 381 233 +148 51.57 In the domestic leagues and cups our records are similar but a lot rests on how difficult each league is and nobody rates the French as anywhere near the level of the Premier league/old first division. They have 13 French titles and 15 French cups to our 13 titles and 14 cups. That metric has to be Arsenal’s. They will buy the top players, we won’t Where they do have an edge in recent times is in top players signing for them and huge transfer fees. Mbappe, Neymar and the incredible Messi have all graced their side over the past years. Arsenal have never bought the recognized greatest player in the world although Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp surely became contenders for that accolade while at Arsenal. Big time players, then, are another metric for them. They bought the greatest player in the world Luis Enrique vs Arteta? This one is very easy. You cannot compare their records. I am not going to bother listing Enrique’s trophies as he has so many whereas Arteta has really got only one, his FA Cup in his first season. Enrique qualifies as one of the great managers of modern times and Arteta has a long way to go to catch up. Another metric for them but records don’t win matches as I said earlier. We made the greatest player in the world That puts us 3-3 on metrics so far. On the pitch is where it will be won and I truly believe our players, as a unit, are better. Inexperienced players could be our key Both Myles Lewis Skelly and Jakob Kiwior played virtually the entire second half in the first match and that may be important. I am not sure we will have Havertz back but it may be possible. Kiwior could be key. He is showing that he has great ability and Skelly is a little monster. Injuries has thrown up a factor that I have long believed in and that is that with games, players get better. If Kiwior plays to the same level for the rest of the season and gets us our greatest trophy even Arteta may have a huge headache next season regarding central defence. Jakob Kiwior has proven he is a real player I think Skelly is undroppable but perhaps he will replace Partey next season? Fullback is probably not his position. A guy that can score goals like he does is not a fullback. I feel he is like our boy Declan though in how he plays, strong, aggressive, drives forward and can score. Can the two of them fit in midfield? Odegaard is a different type of player so he would not challenge for his position. Again another headache for Mikel. Good players have to play regularly. The same applies to Nwaneri. He has to play next season. He is too good not to. But where? I don’t know. Arteta has to work that one out. Forget the metrics, we can win The point being that Kiwior, Skelly and Nwaneri are here now. They will play their part in fighting PSG and any advancement in the Champions League. If we win it, they will make their case for next season. Of the three, Kiwior is the most vulnerable. The other two are in, for sure. I don’t think there are better players out there to be bought. The wily old fox or the young cub? So what do we have? The key is Arteta against the wily old fox Enrique. Last time out he was up against the wiliest old fox in football, Ancelotti, and came through with flying colours. They have never beaten us and that must continue. Two draws and a penalty shootout? Oh, very tough on all our hearts. What we need are the performances against Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon. It is this head to head that matters, not the history. Perform to our best and we are through. I am convinced of that. C’mon the Arse!