Arsenal fans right to be excited by defensive improvement… and FA Cup win could make Aubameyang stay put
ARSENAL’S defence was magnificent in their two totally unexpected victories against Liverpool and Manchester City.
There hasn’t been many times this season when we have associated The Gunners with great defending, togetherness, team spirit and organisation.
But in those last two performances that was exactly how it was. If Mikel Arteta can make that the norm he will be a very happy man indeed.
Yes their fans can get excited because they are now in an FA Cup Final and what a chance for the Spaniard to make an impact in his first season.
If they can win that it will mean European football against next season.
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Away from their defence the key issue right now with Arsenal is what is going to happen with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored those two superb breakaway goals against Manchester City at Wembley.
His contract is up in 12 months’ time and looks like the saga of whether he signs a new deal could drag on through the summer.
Sixty-six goals in 93 starts is quite some record for a team who have not exactly been flying.
One of the many impressive things about Aubameyang is he has still got that blistering pace, even at 31.
I suspect Arsenal winning the Cup could help persuade him to stay.
It would be a massive blow to the north Londoners if they lose him, not just for his goals but also it will take an absolute fortune to replace him.
As for City, it was another one of those days where they couldn’t turn all their possession into goals, very similar to what happened when they lost to Southampton.
At least Guardiola and his men can now focus fully on the Holy Grail of the Champions League and that mouth-watering home tie against Real Madrid on August 7.
PEAR SHAPED
I’M amazed Watford have sacked Nigel Pearson.
When he took over in December they had seven points from 15 games, and were eight adrift of safety.
They have taken 25 points, from 20 games played, since Pearson’s first match in charge.
That’s more points than Leicester (24), Newcastle (21), West Ham (21) and five other teams over that time.
Yes, they have had a wobble or two - and the 3-1 loss at West Ham on Friday was a poor display.
But it looked like he was going to do the job he was brought in to do and keep them up.
I suppose though I shouldn’t be surprised with the number of managers the Hornets have been through - three alone this season!
Their owner Gino Pozzo has shown plenty of times he can be ruthless.
But the timing of this latest sacking is strange to say the least.
The new man in, Hayden Mullins, has two games to go - tough ones at home to Manchester City tomorrow and then Arsenal away on Sunday.
They might not get anything out of them, which could have also been the case if Pearson hadn’t been sacked.
But despite that, this just doesn’t sit right at all and I wouldn’t blame the players one bit for being angry and upset at seeing their boss axed in this way.
He’s done an excellent job in very difficult circumstances and he will get another club for sure because it won’t have gone unnoticed how well he has done in difficult circumstances.
Watford have done this sort of thing so many times now and it will come back to bite them one day - and that one day could be next Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
TAKING THE LEED
IT WAS a sad day for me in 2004 when Leeds were relegated from the Premier League - because it cost me a few goals a season!
I bagged 22 against them, including 20 in 19 top-flight matches.
It is my best record against any Premier League team but, to be honest, I have no idea why I liked playing them so much - whether it was with Southampton, Blackburn or Newcastle.
Highlights against The Whites include a hat-trick for Blackburn in the 1993-94 season in a 3-3 draw at Elland Road and then both goals in the reverse fixtures, which we won 2-1.
I didn’t do them any favours in the season they went down either, getting both goals at their place in a 2-2 draw then claiming the only goal of the game at St James’ Park.
The Premier League will be a better place for having Leeds in it. They are a big, big club with a huge fan base.
They have been through some difficult times - 16 years without being in ‘The Big League’ is a long, long time - and they blew it last year when things were going really well for them.
But they’ve bounced back well and shown a great attitude and their manager, Marcelo Bielsa, will be an interesting addition too.
He has got the team playing a high-pressure game, with tremendous work-rate and energy.
The Argentine still doesn’t talk the language but in terms of what he has done and what he is doing, with his style of play, it will be really interesting to see how he goes about it and how Leeds go about it.
I don’t think his style of play will change and we will have to wait and see what impact the coronavirus has had on their finances and what they can do about making signings.
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But there is no denying they deserve their place in the Premier League and Elland Road - when fans are allowed back - will be quite something.
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Having played there many times I can testify it is a great atmosphere although the Leeds fans probably don’t like me at all after all the goals I scored against them.
They used to give me plenty of stick, but that happened at every ground I went to!