Note to Emery: The biggest mistake you can make is to repeat it.

By 1970's Gooner

The obvious strategy for Emery and Arsenal is of course to not prioritise one of the two routes to CL status for next season. Not unless one becomes out of reach.

You can say that for both options Arsenal's fate is in its hands. There are 4 PL games and 3 Europa league games left so the task in terms of number of games is about the same. But which of the two is the harder to win? I would say, marginally, the Europa league due to its higher degree of difficulty and its knock out character (for the semis).

So if your chances are split then you don't prioritise either competition AND you play each game selecting your best available team. Rotation will be a big mistake as you can end up with nothing. Especially if your second string are not good enough....

Rotating in the PL has proven to be almost fatal for Emery. He got away with it at Watford where playing with a player more for most of the game we were under the kosh and were very lucky to hold on.

But of course if you are lucky one time there is no guarantee that your luck will be repeated. And so the home Crystal Palace game proved to be a step too far for Emery.

He of course made the same selection mistakes at Everton previously (esp playing Guendouzi and Elneny) and the one nil score line was kind to us.

So the only viable strategy for Arsenal will be to play the best team for every game barring injuries and suspensions.

Considering the PL, Emery has to also play an attacking formation with the two forwards of Lacazette and Aubameyang starting and another creative midfielder behind them. 

This is because his recent rotationally influenced dreadful selections have resulted in us loosing very valuable points and now we have to recover them with only a few games left. Especially as the other competitors keep slipping up.


                     Leno

        Socratis  Koscienly Monreal

Maitland Niles  Torreira Xhaka  Kolacinac

                   Ozil

   Aubameyang  Lacazette


Note to Emery: 

The biggest mistake you can make is to repeat it.

Change of players or change of attitude against Watford?

By 1970's Gooner

This game against Watford is the most crucial game for Arsenal in the race for the CL spots.

Loose it and to all intends and purposes you are out of the race for the top four. This is because the dreadful away form that all media and pundits are correctly talking about will become the norm of what to expect from Arsenal for the rest of the remaining games. And the remaining games contain another 3 away fixtures (Wolves, Leicester and Burnley)….

Beat Watford and the mood changes, the media and the pundits change their tune and more importantly the players begin to believe that they can win away. And they can carry this belief  forward.

This is why Emery should choose to play to Arsenal's strengths and not overdo the attention he gives to combating Watford's threats and physical approach.

Arsenal's strength lies in attacking play and controlling the game from midfield. Just as they try and do at home games. Changing the personnel (as he is thinking of doing) and the style of play for the away games will not work and evidently has not worked up to now.

This is why he has to select his best 11 and go all out for the win at Watford. He should treat it like a Cup final.

This means that both Lacazette AND Aubameyang have to start tonight up front.

Torreira and Xhaka (or Guendouzi) can play in front of the defence. Ramsey a bit further up with Ozil rested.

Unfortunately Mustafi will have to come in alongside Koscienly and Monreal with Maitland Niles and Kolasinac as wing backs.

                 Leno

Mustafi  Koscienly   Monreal

Maitland Niles  Torreira Xhaka Kolacinac

                Ramsey

Aubameyang  Lacazette