Arsenal vs Sunderland a few quick thoughts
Dan Tracey
May 17, 2017
1,965 Views
- The race for the top four is going to go to the last day of the season as Arsenal managed to heap the pressure on Liverpool with an eventual win over Sunderland at The Emirates last night.
- It may well be an outside chance what with Liverpool only needing a win over Middlesbrough but the hope will be that once again Arsene Wenger’s men can snatch a Champions League berth on the final day of the season
- The other option will be regardless of how Liverpool do that they could still leapfrog Manchester City into fourth place
- If that is to happen then Arsenal are going to need to put a decent score past Everton while hoping that Pep Guardiola’s men slip up away at Watford on the final day
- And with the form that Walter Mazzari’s men are in as of late then that is going to be something of a big ask
- Basically Arsenal are going to be looking for favours from unlikely sources
- And if they do not come to fruition then it’s a first ever appearance in the Europa League for Arsenal
- I would reference Arsene Wenger but who knows if he will still be the manager by the time their next European campaign begins
- The one thing they needed to do last night was score a hatful of goals to put even more pressure on both Manchester City and Liverpool
- But credit must go to Sunderland for at least offering something of a dogged performance
- Alexis Sanchez was once again the difference for The Gunners as his late brace meant it was not going to be one of those nights at The Emirates
- A very sparse looking Emirates is must be said
- The empty seats were in apparent protest to the managerial situation and the fact that Arsenal might not make the top four
- Sense of entitlement much?
- I mean what are they going to do if they do qualify for the Europa League, not turn up for every home game
- The message to Arsenal fans is that you may just have to grin and bear it
- Once again it was a performance that showed Arsenal digging in when the opportunities have passed them by
- Yes it may well be a win that continues the momentum in the run up to next Saturday’s Cup Final
- But where were these kind of performances on so many other occasions this season especially away from home
- You only have to look at the defeats at places such as Everton and West Brom as perfect examples were they have gone missing at the wrong time
- As for Sunderland although they came away empty handed you do get the feeling that had they played like that throughout the season then they would have at least a fighting chance of staying up
- Jordan Pickford again kept the scoreline respectable as he was kept busy throughout
- You do wonder if he will stay at The Stadium Of Light during the Summer
- The question he has to ask himself is whether or not he is better suited to warming the bench of a bigger club or continuing his development at Sunderland
- At his age he needs game time and although he has probably earned a glamour move, is that necessarily the best move career wise
- Sunderland will be loathed to lose him as he is one of only two players who have come out of this season with any real credit
- But you cannot blame the youngster if he does decide to move on
- Sunderland’s season has been long since down an dusted and the rebuilding job now starts in earnest
- While for Arsenal it is now last day drama, they cannot surely pull off another top four finish.
- Can they?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
