Arsenal doing something twice in the Champions League that Chelsea haven't done? With Stina Blackstenius involved in one of the times? It's all awfully familiar.

I know it’s a 1000-1 chance, but I picked up a scarf around Block 525 at Wembley on Sunday. One of those sent out to Season Ticket holders a few years ago, with your initials on it… someone named BM. Anyone know a BM at the Final and who lost their scarf?? #COYG #Arsenal

Still, good result for Forest today

Now do Watzke

NEW: As an Arsenal fan there has been so much waiting. For a league title, yes, but also for a final, for a trip to Wembley, for a trophy with this incredible team. I won't be taking the League Cup final for granted this weekend: likeanewsletter.substack.com/p/wait-for-it

It’s been so long since Arsenal last won the League Cup, they let footballers do adverts for cigars.

That there Premier League must be really good if the reigning champions and current Champions League quarter-finalists can drop so many points.

Bruno Fernandes is, for me, currently the most impactful and important player in the Premier League. But it's a bit funny that all this set piece discourse is going on constantly and nobody mentions that his chase for the 'assists in a season' record is almost entirely powered by dead ball assists.

NEW: As an Arsenal fan there has been so much waiting. For a league title, yes, but also for a final, for a trip to Wembley, for a trophy with this incredible team. I won't be taking the League Cup final for granted this weekend: likeanewsletter.substack.com/p/wait-for-it

Either they've changed the goal the ultras are behind at Camp Nou or they've changed the side of the pitch the camera is on. Either way it's jarring.

As a Manchester United fan I rightly expect absolutely no sympathy for the abject state of my club. I will also say: Wenger's Arsenal overwhelmed Manchester United fair and square, while Chelsea and Manchester City didn't, and football as a whole is still paying a huge price for that.

Kinsky saves that, get him on

This, entirely. Because we haven't got over the line in one of them yet, it feels like we've been in a constant title race since the autumn of 2022.

When Max Dowman was getting minutes early this season there were some fans of other clubs (people whose opinions I respect) on here basically saying it was an inappropriate gimmick because of his age. There's nothing gimmicky about it, Arteta plays him because he knows he can make Arsenal better.

Don't know about you lot but right now I just wish Arsenal would score from open play and stop ruining the sport.

Wow guys

Eight finals, eight banana skins, whatever you see them as let's have it

Good XI, correct XI

Nervous as hell for the game later and that’s great, it’s what you want at this stage of the season. It doesn’t happen all the time, enjoy it 🙂

Signing Alex Popp the same week they're extending Nmecha's contract - at least they're making it very easy to find a quick alternative to focus on

Just really, really happy for Alex Popp to finally have the chance to make one of her dreams come true.

If I was Maya Forstater, and I had dedicated my life to decimating the rights trans people have in this country by claiming they pose some kind of safety threat to women, I probably wouldn’t pay money to be surrounded by a group I claim to be so frightened of and that pose an inherent safety risk.

Teams in champions League with their games played so far this season- Newcastle 48 Arsenal 47 Man City 46 Chelsea 46 Liverpool 44 Atlético Madrid 44 Barcelona 43 Tottenham 42 Real Madrid 42 Galatasaray 42 Atlanta 42 Sporting CP 42 PSG 41 Leverkusen 40 Bayern 39 Bodø/Glimt 15* different structure

The Premier League's strength in depth will be the reason Premier League teams don't win the Champions League consistently: PSG, Bayern, the Spanish giants can play in second gear in the league most weeks in a way the English clubs can't and it'll often show in April and May.

Outrageous assist from Courtois.

Clattered him, can't believe there's debate. Madueke lucky to walk away from that one.

Going well, then.

Keep these draws coming, I'm having a lovely time.

Not great but bad pitch, couple of young players, a few players short on minutes, completely unfamiliar shape. It was always likely to be a tricky game, especially at 0-0.

Key to this formation being effective and not exposed is to minimise turnovers. Keep the ball, push them back, one-on-ones out wide but not so much dribbling through the middle. Far too careless in possession so far.

First 10 minutes were a nice relaxing watch and I really appreciated that.

Imagine it'll look something like this... Kepa; Salmon, Mosquera, Calafiori; Norgaard; Trossard, Havertz; Martinelli, Dowman, Madueke; Jesus

If there was ever a game for three at the back and 80% possession it's this one. Three-diamond-three for life.

More and more teams are good at corners because: 1) It's harder than ever to be effective in open play 2) They've belatedly realised that they've wasted years not focusing enough on corners. Changing the game to the extent people pour like at the top level requires enormous changes in the laws.

If Pochettino does go back he'll have a great chance to finally win a trophy with them, good for him

🫢

Raya completed more passes to Havertz (7) than to any other player last night.

Passes completed (final third) before Havertz, Trossard, Calafiori were on the pitch at Brighton: Brighton 290 (76) - 170 (17) Arsenal After Havertz, Trossard, Calafiori had all come on: Brighton 124 (25) - 60 (26) Arsenal

One league game in the next six weeks feels strange now but I'm grateful for it. This 2026 run has felt all-consuming, never-ending. Breaking it up for a bit should be good for everyone. When we're back at it, four of the next five league games are at home, the other at City. I'll take that.

Arsenal need to lean into these "boring"/"time-wasting"/"Set Piece FC" accusations. Let the wider world sneer. Create a siege mentality. Dig in. Be mean. For around two decades they were accused of being too soft, now they are apparently the opposite. Ride the hate-wave.

Imagine a Spurs fan watching that Murillo block live. The double whammy of a potential Arsenal title and a potential relegation all at once. I'd never come back from it.

Should've tried harder 👍

That's a massive win. And it's the best Arsenal have played in the final 30 minutes of a close game for months.

The fun boat is the boat at the end of Cape Fear.

Bringing down the overall average so the late game mistakes don't stick out. Smart!

Arsenal Premier League pass completion this season: Overall - 84.5% 70' onwards when leading - 81.3% 70' when one goal up - 77.6%

Without Ødegaard there's just no way we can afford to experiment with the pair at the base of the midfield, that needed to happen more in the opening months of the season. Both Rice and Zubimendi are clearly knackered but it would've been mad to do something else there tonight.

please sum up the electoral bench of the contemporary Republican Party

Can I just say - sincerely - I liked what Arne Slot said yesterday? I agree with him and I thought that sort of honesty, without sneering or having a go at anyone, should be welcomed by all of us as football fans.