Arsenal are not bottlers; they are just exhausted | OneFootball

Arsenal’s win over Sporting prompted nothing but silence; it was another tired performance but they got over the line.

We have cobbled together a Mailbox. Please send thoughts on Liverpool and more to theeditor@football365.com

Why Arsenal are losing football matches

With the caveat this is coming before the Sporting game.

Paul – Arsenal haven’t been much fun to watch the last couple of months mostly due to player exhaustion imo – lots of players out injured, lots redlining/playing through injury.

Criticisms always abound, but Arteta is basically using the whole squad available to him the last couple of months without significant drop off in results (bar losing to the second best team (who currently have a fresher deeper squad) in a final due to backup GK error and our back-ups losing to Southampton), which are at this point all that matter. It feels a little unfair to hold a ‘win at all costs’ stick against us whilst simultaneously beating us with all the other sticks.

RSA – Referee clearly saw Martinelli’s actions as non-aggressive/impetuous (trying a quick restart, impulsively pushing) vs hostile/antagonistic – fwiw as an Arsenal fan his impulsiveness in these moments is clearly a negative (although I will defend his general character). A case of personal discretion defining the action which is definitely fortunate for us, but at the same time, I think people saying it must be punished and is a bad example which will filter down to kids etc are wide of the mark too.

General post-Southampton reflection – this isn’t bottling, just clearly a very exhausted side whose ‘relief’ players (Jesus, Norgaard, MLS, White, Kepa etc) aren’t stepping up in key moments, which is clearly a worry but hopefully there’s enough gas in the tank to get it over the line. Not worried yet – predict Arsenal will get 2 wins and 2 draws from their next 4 games to calm everyone’s nerves a bit. Tom (tempting fate with that last bit) Leyton

How can anybody cheer on Man City?

Having a read of the Mailbox this PM (whilst snaffling down lunch at my desk and gazing longingly at the brief spell of sunshine out my window), Paul’s missive on Arsenal’s taint staining his desire to see them win anything, shifting his support to City did make me want to write in.

And for clarity, I’m NOT a Gooner and I do not have any particular desire to see them win anything, OTHER than to deny Man City win ANYTHING.

And the reason why – well, in fact 115 of the sodding things.

The blatant doping of their team via financial benefit (time and again), and being caught RED HANDED, has still not resulted in an outcome is a farce. Its also a massive injustice and a slap in the face to the rest of the entire football league, as everyone from 1st in the PL to bottom in League 2 (and beyond) have paid the literal price for City cheating.

And no right-minded “neutral” should hope for them to win anything until its been resolved. Dan G, LFC

Fanmail from X

Arsenal living rent-free etc

While I appreciate this mailbox is becoming a complete brain melt for those that don’t support Arsenal and those that do…might I enquire why ‘Disgruntled RSA’ is seeking an Arsenal fan to explain why Martinelli should not have seen a red card and not seeking the explanation instead from the PGMOL or Ref Watch (lol!). Arsenal truly are living rent free in many people’s heads. Colin Dublin AFC

Bottle service

Dave Chappelle walks into a bar, and the bartender asks, “The Usual?” He says, “Yes, and 4 bottles for every Arsenal fan… Muthama Gitonga, Nyeri (Mount Kenya)

A couple of things that have really irritated me these last few weeks…

1) How was that Kilman challenge on Stach not a penalty?!? The VAR reasoning that the collision was inevitable and the player got his shot off is utter nonsense. The collision was inevitable because Kilman threw himself at an opposition player in the box. What happens when a defender is putting his foot through a clearance and an attacker (usually trying to block said clearance rather than sliding in a wiping them out) just catches the defender (who goes down in a crumpled heap having kicked the attacker)? He gets a free kick every time. Getting the clearance away counts for nothing there.

2) Why is a defender allowed to ‘shield the ball out’ for a goal kick using his body in a fairly forceful manner, and yet as soon as an attacking player’s hand goes on said defender (who once again crumples in heap*) it’s a foul?

Yep. Was a quiet few weeks. Gary AVFC, Oxford (*Konsa is one of the worst for it)

Liverpool football hard to support now

Slot delivered league title for Liverpool last season which we celebrated, enjoy and supports the coach and the players to the last league match. Now when the football is very bad to watch and failed to deliver, fans shows unhappy reaction in different ways. And I see labeled of unloyal to the club and coach because they reacted to the very bad football Liverpool serve all season.

In recent years football is not about blind loyalty again, it is primarily escape source from distress, pressure and economic hardship that want to swallow all the world now for many fans including me.

More than two decades of supporting Liverpool from one corner in Nigeria with dream of seeing Anfield one day. Watching Liverpool now brings no enjoyment and excitement for me in any ways is like torture watching Slotball because nothing to hook you with, costly errors every matches, no any attacking patterns, lazy pressing, most painful for me is no opportunities for youth players when established ones need rest and reset.

I will always be a Liverpool fan no matter how many banters throw at me in football viewing canter and all other platforms but we need to shake hands with this coach and sporting director very quick and move on. At least there is hope that Arsenal will do unthinkable and bottled the quad which means our lazy title defend will be forgotten.