Well that’s that then. We finally bring an end to this domestic season and whilst I’m not as glad to see the back of it as last year, it’s not really ended the way I’d have hoped.
In fact, the last few weeks have been pretty turgid domestically and whilst we still have an outside chance with Baku on the horizon, I’m glad this season is done because despite the slight progress we made in terms of points tally, it feels like a massive opportunity missed from Unai Emery and his team.
Especially when you think that yesterday’s victory against Burnley ensures that we finish the season just one point behind the Totts. That’s one point in which either Palace at home, Brighton away, or Totts away, could have secured Champions League football. We had it in our hands and it feels very much like we threw it away.
Yesterday’s performance was one in which honestly I could t really give a monkeys about, but what was pleasing to see was that Aubameyang scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the season and that netted him the golden boot along with Salah and Mane. And given how far ahead Liverpool are compared to us, this is quite some achievement I reckon, especially as we’ve been so poor for such large chunks of the season.
He’s now hit 31 goals in all competitions and you have to say it’s lovely that we have a player in that bracket once again. It’s been too long. Yesterday’s goals were two perfect poached goals. The first was a mistake by the Burnley centre half, of course, but when he raced through on goal you knew he was spotting that ball home. Auba misses his fair few chances but that’s the sort of goal he doesn’t miss and once again like I said above, to have a striker who is 1-on-1 and scores goals like that – when you know he’s putting it away as soon as he’s bearing down on the ‘keeper, it’s a comforting feeling.
Goal number two was a good finish too. Everyone loves to see their striker bag a volley every once in a while and this was no exception. Back post, dropping down over the shoulder, leathered in. Love it.
He’s a player who has been essential this season and with five goals in his last two matches I just have to hope that he’s in such a rich vein of form that if he gets a chance against Chelski, he’ll be taking it in a few weeks.
Let’s also give some props to Nketiah, popping up in the last minute to notch his first Premier League goal and whilst I am still to be convinced that he’s going to ever make it as a number one striker at The Arsenal, it’s still nice to see a young lad come on and bag himself a goal. That will have done him the world of good and will be a good way for him to sign off this season, assuming he doesn’t play in the Cup Final.
There doesn’t really feel like there’s much else to talk about in the game because quite frankly, as I said yesterday, it was a bit of a ‘meh’ match to me personally. We got the win, Auba got the goals, we conceded the inevitable goal from Burnley, that feels like it’s about it.
Unai can now fully turn his attention to Chelski. He can look at how to stop Hazard and focus on why the friar tuck we are so shoddy and what the friar tuck this ailing defence can do about it.
Back tomorrow with some more
Rambling thoughts.
Laters all.
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