ISAK NON-COMMITTAL

Friday started with some lovely news: Myles Lewis-Skelly landed his first England call-up under Thomas Tuchel.

What a moment. A year ago, people said Arsenal hated academy kids—now we have one in one of the best national teams on the planet. Tremendous news for the player, the fans, and people like Per Mertesacker, who must be thrilled.

Part of me kind of dislikes the news because it’ll add to the load on a young body, but how can you deny this isn’t a massive positive for the Arsenal project?

Ethan Nwaneri was likely under consideration, but it’s probably fair to say the competition for places on the right for England is quite high, and he’s only just started taking on that role for Arsenal.

Having two teenagers capable of reaching the England team is probably the biggest win of this season… so far.

We still have the Madrid game in the Champions League to navigate in three weeks. This is a game I don’t think we have enough to win… but if we can find some magic and make a semi-final, that’s a pretty decent season. Beating Madrid could represent a real shift in how people look at Arsenal. Make no mistake—we’re actually far better than the pundits and YouTube bores would have you believe. I don’t think Madrid will be looking forward to playing against us. We have more power than them, I think our system is stronger than theirs, but that’s because Madrid’s system is simply having the very best players in the world in every position. When it comes down to it in football… the best players usually win the most things.

For me, this game is the best defense in the world versus the best attack in the world.

Do well-built defenses win you big trophies, or is it all about saucy attackers and the goals they create out of nothing? Can we keep Vini Jr. and Mbappé locked down over 180 minutes? Can a team without a focal point, like Kai Havertz, work its way around Madrid? Can our P&P midfield take advantage of an opponent missing its best No. 6, with a 39-year-old still pulling the creative strings?

Loads of questions, and we’ll start getting some answers in just three weeks.

Arsenal vs. Chelsea is on the mind. Cole Palmer’s form has nosedived, and so has Chelsea’s. The "Maresca hit phase 5 in a month" crowd is awfully quiet as the overall direction of the first team comes under question.

Sunday’s game is going to be huge for both teams. If Chelsea win, they get closer to the promised land of a top-four finish. If Arsenal win, we push ourselves out of the Champions League qualification mosh pit. Notably, Arsenal could help Chelsea get back into the Champions League by securing an extra place for the Premier League—by beating Madrid.

The good news for Arsenal is that we heavily rotated for the last game. That’s important because Chelsea roll out their second team for Europa games. Arsenal should be fresh, fit, and explosive. That explosiveness depends on where the players are mentally. They weren’t at it against United. But now they’re playing for a role in the Madrid game—maybe performances will kick up a gear. We really, really need to head into the break with something to show for it.

When you land a big job at a new place, you have three months to assess what you’ve inherited and six months to prove your value with a big swing. You can fire people, hire big names, or execute a massive program or idea. But you have to do something.

Andrea Berta will have to make something big happen in the summer. That could be… Alex Isak. The Swede had this to say about his future:

“I mean, that is why I came here. I have said many times that I don’t really think too much about my future.

I have said many times I am happy here, and we are competing for titles, which is what you want as a football player. We have been to one final, and now we are in another one.

The chances are there. We should look at it one season at a time, and this season we can win a trophy. I have said many times I am focused on doing a job. All of our focus is on Sunday and bringing a trophy back.”

I’m still not sure Arsenal will be in a position to pay close to £150m this summer, but man, if Berta could bring him to the carpet, he’d be an instant hero. I’m still putting my money on Šeško, but one can dream.

Isak is going to agitate for a move if Newcastle can’t match his ambition by securing Champions League football and surrounding him with a world-class squad. That’s going to be difficult with their financial issues. Who knows what will happen with their summer? A lot of their best players probably already have their agents activated for moves.

One to watch.

Before the Whistle dropping later. Happy Friday. x