Spudulike

Please don't be offended by my thoughts; they are not a criticism of CFC. I don't think there were any problem performances from individual Chelsea players, Moses aside. Collectively, the team was off the pace and 'laggy' in the first half. CFC were much better in the second half and, but for Moses being sent off, would have won, imo. As it was, Arsenal struggled against nine outfield players and Willian in particular was a handful. The Moses dive was an example of a player going to ground when he still had options, had he stayed on his feet. Being honest, I can understand (though not approve) diving when you've run out of options but Moses achieved nothing and a CFC goal was coming anyway [Second half, Arsenal were on the back foot until the sending off, imo]. The Final highlighted the biggest issue facing a successful team - complacency. That's not a criticism of CFC, it's just human nature. Conte will need to buy, pour encourager les autres. It was a great game for neutrals; sorry the outcome was not what fellow Shedenders were hoping for.

You are on form tonight

Effective but dull. It's not the Utd way, to be honest.

I still don't write off Ajax.

Only 20 mins? Come on, be honest!

Not even he'd be worth £34M. Oh to be a PL footballer for a year - I'd be made for two life times.

A £1, or cash out by stopping viewing for £10. "Take my £10 so I can stop watch this ****"

Yay - our season was a success after all

View to earn. You'll have to prove you watched every minute - £5 per every 15 mins.

No way will Utd keep this lead while having 33% possession. They are sitting too deep.

Come on United!!

I respect this decision and am impressed, to be honest. The police need to focus resources and there's a clear threat to public safety at the moment. Fair play to Chelsea for taking such a decision.

I don't like Gary Neville as a pundit.

Ah. Well, that sounds a good idea for him personally.

Just confirmed by BBC; a bolt from the blue as he turned the side around and they have potential.

Linked to that is Managers brown nosing fans. Like spending years implying that team X and their fans are idiots and then getting the manager's job and coming out with the 'Special team/fans/town/tradition, etc' stuff. 'Our fans are always passionate and well-informed' 'I've long respected the footballing traditions of Ekkersly on the Wold' 'It’s such an honour to manage... '

That's true. It'll confront Wenger (if it is him) with difficult choices: try to win the EL, and perhaps neglect the league as a result, or focus on the PL? The lack of CL football may also mean Arsenal find it hard to recruit, or retain in some cases.

Radio 5 are banging on about a stat which gives us the best defence and attack in the EPL. Great and all that but we're second. We've qualified for the CL, and developed as a squad, but we've won nowt. Arguably, Arsenal can win more than us, despite finishing fifth (hopefully not though). At the back of my mind I keep wondering whether this is a high water mark. We'll need a good start to the next season to overcome concerns about playing at Wembley.

Arsenal out of the top four; I can't adequately express how satisfying this is. On the flip side, they will be able to focus more on the league next season, as being in Europe isn't always a positive. Arguably, it can benefit a side not to be in, in terms of focusing resources, etc.

I agree that's a concern. This season, you've won - clearly - but the margin was narrow at times in the season and we failed at those times to catch up. They pressure told. I hope the squad will become mentally tougher with experience, including the experience of NOT winning the title. There's a delicate balance to strike between being pleased with a second place, but at the same time being gutted that we're second and that being a motivating factor next season. We want to avoid the Arsenal trap of seeing being second, third or fourth as a good result. Regarding leading the table, I agree. We'll have to wait and see and there are other concerns such as home games being at Wembley, the squad staying together, etc.

Depth to help sustain campaigns in Europe and the PL. I don't see any specific weaknesses except, as @charierrementioned, in mental strength which will hopefully come with experience. I take at face value Poch's comments about our transfer budget for the Summer. I've seen Barkley and Alves mentioned as targets but I'm not convinced that's more than rumours (and Barkley isn't worth £50M). The rumours about who might leave - Dier to Utd for example - are that until we get facts. I'd like to think that we might keep the squad intact but, being realistic, heads will be turned. I love Kane but what's he worth and can we say no to a serious offer? Speculation :-)

I can't disagree with that*. That's the unanswered question for next season too. *I'd like to have the evidence to disagree.

Blimey. A better end to the season than last year. Still, close but no cigar...

I tend to judge Arsenal on the question of how many PL teams would be nervous at the prospect of playing Arsenal? You can argue they've ceased to cause much fear among other top teams. Outside of the top six, many middling teams must fancy their chances, given some luck. Whereas, being honest, if CFC turn up you worry about the outcome for your team. Arsenal have a much reduced fear factor, which says something about how far they have fallen off the pace.

I'd rather Arsenal F*** things up as it could set off a chain reaction: Arsenal get fifth place and lose the Cup, God willing. Wenger has a double failure and leaves (just for that sake of argument). The assumption is that a capable manager, less set in his ways, will take over and turn Arsenal around. However, transitions are difficult. There's a lot to unpick at Arsenal. Pretty much their whole approach to football, their style, their dressing room culture, would go. And who of the current Arsenal team would you be gagging to have at Chelsea, aside from the obvious attraction? And he stands out like a sore thumb in a team of players who flatter to deceive and who often look as if they need a kick in the arse. Conte managed a quick return to form for CFC but he had a core of very good players who had sometimes played poorly, or more accurately, played in a poor system, due to a specific situation (the JM issue). The players were still good and, with Jose removed, and thanks to Conte's skill, they quickly put the bad performances behind them. I think that the departure of Wenger is likely to resemble the seasons immediately following SAF's retirement; despite issues with how Utd play, it's only this season that, imo, they seem to be making progress, or moving on. At Arsenal, it'll be very hard to unpick 21 years of being under one manager. That won't be a problem that Arsenal can solve just by spending, as Utd have shown. And I haven't even mentioned managing the expectations of Gooners who EXPECT fourth place at least and are increasingly impatient. I'm not a fan of the Scousers but their ambition seems greater than that of Wenger's Arsenal and, for that alone, I'd rather they got fourth place. Therefore, fifth place and Cup runners up and we could set Arsenal back years :-)