Connolly Warns Dublin Must Brace For Armagh's 'Swashbuckling Chaos' At Croke Park

As Dublin prepare for a pivotal showdown at Croke Park, six-time All-Ireland winner Diarmuid Connolly has issued a word of caution that fans of the Boys in Blue won’t want to ignore.

With the fallout from a shock Leinster defeat still fresh and the battle for group supremacy heating up, one Dublin legend believes their next test could bring fireworks – and potentially expose lingering cracks in their game.

We caught up with Connolly, a BoyleSports Gaelic Games Ambassador, ahead of Dublin's massive clash with Armagh at Croke Park, and he was brutally honest about the challenge his county are up against this Sunday.

Diarmuid Connolly: Dublin Starting To Stir – But Consistency Is Key

Dublin bounced back from their provincial disappointment with a narrow win over Galway, and Connolly sees that as a potential turning point. But he warned that one performance isn’t enough to declare Dublin “back.”

“Dublin’s demise has been well documented over the last half a decade with so many big players leaving,” Connolly told BoyleSports.

“They went down to Wicklow early in the Championship this year and struggled for large parts. Then Meath came out and bossed the midfield and as a manager, a player and a dressing room, all you’d want is a reaction.

“They had a long gap, but what we saw against Galway was that reaction. It looks to me like they’re starting to build something. It’s only one big performance and it was a one-point win at the death, so we won’t be getting carried away. But it’s a good reaction to the Leinster campaign.”

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“Swashbuckling Chaos” Awaits Dubs At Croke Park

Connolly believes the clash with Armagh will pose a very different type of challenge — one Dublin aren’t used to facing.

“Armagh are going to pose a completely different set of challenges for this Dublin side,” he said.

“Galway aren’t as ‘in your face’ as Armagh. Dublin won’t be as used to that northern style of football which can be aggressive, swashbuckling chaos.

“They’ll have to play toe-to-toe and you could see a real high-scoring game. The consistency is important because if they can’t produce that back-to-back performance, they’ll be up against it when they face Derry in the last game.”

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Watch: Connolly & Kernan Preview The Race For Sam Maguire

Don’t miss this exclusive discussion with Diarmuid Connolly and Aaron Kernan , breaking down the contenders for Sam Maguire and what to expect this weekend.

Armagh Slight Favourites As Oddsmakers Struggle To Separate Sides

With both sides pushing to top the so-called “Group of Death,” Sunday’s clash could be decisive. BoyleSports traders make Armagh 10/11 favourites, with Dublin narrowly behind at 5/4 in the latest match betting.

All-Ireland Odds Highlight Wide-Open Nature of Football Championship

Connolly’s comments come as BoyleSports cut Dublin into 11/2 to lift the Sam Maguire, joining Armagh and Donegal on the same line – all chasing favourites Kerry, who remain strong at 9/4.

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