Before Bayer. Back to enjoyment

The first leg of the Champions League play-off sees the lads head to Leverkusen.

The win against Mansfield (which I missed for the number of reasons including the usual broadcast nightmare) was a proper chance to see if Max Dowman can do a job for us in the run-in. We are crying out for players who can provide that bit of attacking flair and play without the weight of the world on their shoulders. If Dowman can show the same bottle he had at the start of the season—remember him causing all sorts of problems for Liverpool at Anfield? He could be a real weapon off the bench, especially if we’e chasing a goal late on.

One of Max’s biggest strengths is that the rest of the league hasn’t got a clue how to handle him yet—there’s zero data on how to shut him down. That’s the big difference between him and the likes of Saka, Trossard, Martinelli, or Eze. He can just go out there and have a free hit. As long as the ref isn’t one of those sadists who lets defenders kick bits out of youngsters just because they’re new to the scene, Dowman is well-placed to cause absolute havoc.

The latest graphics from CannonStats show that Max was actually our most industrious creator against Mansfield. He even nearly bagged a great goal after dancing through the defence, so I’m full of hope for the lad.

On the flip side, the same stats highlight Gabriel Jesus as the biggest disappointment of the day. I get that it’s a tough pill to swallow going from winning titles at City to only getting a look-in against lower-league opposition in the cups (even if he did start at the San Siro against Inter not long ago). But look, as one of the senior pros and highest earners, he’s got a responsibility to deliver whenever he’s called upon. Period.

He should know better than anyone how much a squad effort matters for overall success—success he’ll get a medal for at the end of the season, even if it’s not the starring role he fancied. It might be that he’s already got a summer move lined up and is terrified of picking up a knock. Even if that’s the case, there are levels to this game, and the gap in quality between him and Mansfield Town is massive. He should be running the show without even breaking a sweat, just like Madueke and Eze did with their goals.

We’ve absolutely lucked out with the FA Cup quarter-final draw. After getting the second-easiest draw in the fifth round (while Chelsea got the easiest, naturally), Southampton at home is a result. They can be a nuisance, sure, but it’s miles better than a trip to City or Liverpool. The nightmare with the FA Cup when you’re chasing big trophies is that these rounds fall right in the middle of the title run-in and the Champions League business end. They can be a massive distraction, but so far, the balls have been kind to us.

I don’t know how many bellies Arteta has been rubbing lately, but between the FA Cup and the Champions League, the draws have been incredibly generous. Meanwhile, City—the only side really breathing down our necks—have a proper month from hell coming up:

It can only be described as a brutal run. If I were a City fan, I’d be fuming at the disparity in the fixtures. And I know how that feels because we were in their shoes two seasons ago when they seemed to dodge Big Six clubs in the FA cup entirely.

Coaches and pundits love the cliché that winning big games builds momentum, but the truth is those matches take a massive emotional toll. It’s exhausting to go again and again in high-stakes fixtures, especially when you see teams like Bayern Munich strolling through their league and resting half the XI whenever they feel like it.

Anyway, back to tonight’s Champions League clash (in that annoying early kick-off slot). I’ve heard people claiming our draw is easier because we topped the group. Honestly, those people don’t have a clue. We were in the same boat as Bayern, with a 50/50 chance of ending up in the ‘bracket of death’—the one that forces you through the winner of City/Real Madrid in the quarters and then potentially Liverpool, PSG, or Chelsea in the semis. For my money, the teams to avoid were City, Liverpool, and PSG. The draw means we only have to face one of them at most. But first, we’ve got to deal with Leverkusen.

The real perk of topping the group is having the second leg at home. It takes the sting out of the away leg because the lads know they can finish the job at our place. For Arsenal, that psychological edge is massive.

My theory is that our patchy league form—where we’re struggling to create clear-cut chances and missing the ones we do get—is all down to the pressure of the title race. In the cups, that dark cloud seems to lift, and the players remember how to actually play football again.

I reckon we’ll see a much more composed performance tonight. I expect us to control the ball, boss the physical battles, and get ourselves into the right areas to test the keeper. It’s time for the boys to just go out there and enjoy it.

Arteta will likely stick with the XI that started against Brighton. Leverkusen aren’t exactly famous for parking the bus and suffocating creative players, so Martinelli and Gyokeres should find plenty of grass to run into. Saka and Eze won’t be facing the same level of physical bullying they get in the Prem, either.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Bayer nick a goal in front of their own fans, but if our group stage form is anything to go by, we can see this out for a comfortable 2-1 or 3-1 win. That would put us in pole position to wrap things up in the return leg and claim that quarter-final spot.