Caught In Two Minds

We wanted energy with composure. One of those was definitely on display. The Gunners won in late time with a class strike from Pepé and a late shot/pass/own goal from Lacazette. This is where the excitement began in this episode. These two scorers end up at the center of the debate between the two of us. Arsenal win 2-1! There’s still some floundering on whether Top 4 is a possibility. For all the Gooners, today was a good day!

There’s plenty to talking about but mostly the same old questions. What’s going on with the red cards? Should Martinelli have gotten sent off? And can he play up top as the striker? What exactly were the tactics today, Arteta? One of us was out on Xhaka once again. Can we keep pace for a 4th place finish? Plenty of topics and we hit these and more. Thanks for supporting Caught In Two Minds.

The performance was lacking by the Gunners. There were players missing from injury and stupid red cards. The fact is, there is no excuse for this performance against 20th place Burnley. Dyche was proud of his bruisers that beat up the Gunners. A draw isn’t the worse result. So why does it feel like a defeat? The consensus is that Arsenal didn’t start playing until the 60th minute. Not good enough, once again.

The effort looked lackluster. The FA Cup must not have been a priority with Arteta? There're some questions we ask in this quick episode about Arsenal’s depth and whether any player put in a good shift. Arsenal is out of the FA Cup and it seemed to be with no big fight.

Today is not the most cheerful New Year's celebration after being gutted by the ref and VAR. The Arsenal battled hard and never gave up. Saka the Starboy scored a one-timer and Arsenal looked up for the match. The ref changed everything, and that is never a good thing in a huge match. We lost. We played with 10 men and never stopped until the whistle. There were many outstanding performances, and it hurt to lose 1-2.

Today on the podcast Uncle E talks about Arsenal's 5 nil victory over bottom dwellers, Norwich City. E. talks about Ben White's versatility and his performance filling in at right-back. Partey and Xhaka have had a switch in mentality and approach for Arsenal and Uncle E. is loving it. E also declares Bukayo Saka is officially a "made man", and Odegaard's recent form is impressive but how he plays Saturday against Man City will let all Arsenal fans know if he is "the guy" or if he has the potential to be "the guy" or not.

A Dominating 4-1 victory to The Arsenal. There’s no doubt that more chances and creativity have emerged. Why do you think that is the case? Is Arteta’s vision getting across to the squad? Saka was great. Odegaard and Laca were silent heroes. Martinelli was a star and showed the league that he’s a force. Are you liking the Xhaka/Partey combo? All Arsenal and often silliness. -Come On You Gunners-

This was an impressive display of effort and hustle by Arsenal. The clean sheet was a group effort that Arteta went with same lineup. Praise for all the players but special shout outs to Saka, Gabi and Gabi. A great 2-0 victory for the Arsenal. And we ask, Do you trust the process? Thanks for the wise words from @adamkeys_

We are happy for a 3-0 victory and even more satisfied with the effort. Laca gets the start with Auba receiving disciplinary actions. What’s the future of Auba and who might be right for captain as a replacement. Recognition and some praise for several, including: Tomiyasu, Martinelli and Saka. Bigger fixture coming up Wednesday. Will we see more quick passing and closing down defensively?

Today on the podcast, we discuss the Everton vs Arsenal debacle. Arsenal lost 2-1 to Everton at Goodison Park. We also talk about the return of Xhaka and Tierney, and their impact on the match. Once again, Arteta's tactics come into question. Does Arsenal have a chance at a top seven finish? E says no, but Fitz still has belief the Gunners can pull it off.