Now that the non-event (for us Arsenal supporters) known as the January Transfer Window has ended, it’s back to work with an important league match against Everton.
With the domestic cups temporarily shelved for a couple of weeks, we can focus on the league and picking up as many points as possible. Many of our first eleven were able to rest during the stuttering FA Cup fourth round win over Huddersfield Town just two days ago.
As such, our starting lineup for tonight consisted of Szczesny, Clichy, Djourou, Koscielny, Sagna, Cesc, Song, Jack, Rosicky, Robin, and Theo, with Almunia, Eboue, Gibbs, Diaby, Arshavin, Bendtner, and Chamakh. A formidable squad, even with Samir unavailable through the hamstring strain he picked up on Sunday. One of our better league wins this season was our 2-1 victory at Goodison Park; this evening we hoped for three more points, perhaps a little more straightforward than the fixture at Everton.
It was Everton that started the better. They pressured us, and kept us pinned in our own half for the first few minutes. Jack received an early booking for bringing Arteta down. From the tenth minute on, we upped our tempo and started to assert ourselves. On 13 minutes, the booking count evened, with Distin having his name taken for a foul on Sagna.
Just a couple of minutes later, Robin created our first real chance with a nice backheel, but Cesc could not connect properly and the chance was lost. After Theo forced a Howard save, Coleman passed to Saha, who collected the ball a couple of yards offside and finished past Szczesny. Our players protested, Saha was clearly offside when he received the ball, but the goal was allowed to stand, apparently because it came off Koscielny prior to Saha’s collecting it.
So we found ourselves 1-0 down after 24 minutes. We tried to respond, and Djourou nearly equalized at the half hour mark, heading just wide from a corner. Cesc was next to shoot wide, as we started to build once again. Everton were in no mood to surrender the initiative, and came close to extending their advantage as a Bilyaletdinov header forced a Szczesny save.
The half-time whistle went, 1-0 down to an offside goal. In fairness to Everton, they had at least two good chances – before and after the goal – to score, and looked more up for this than our players did.
Arsene did make a half-time change, bringing Diaby on for Song, who needed treatment after a collision with Szczesny in the first half. Straight away, Rodwell was booked after fouling Theo. We pressed, but Rosicky ended the attack by shooting way wide. Heitinga pulled Robin down on edge of the box for a free kick, but the latter drove it directly at the wall. We quickly won a corner, which Djourou headed over, and then Robin shot straight at Howard, ending a good move.
Shortly before the hour mark, Arteta earned a booking for bringing Cesc down, and shortly after Robin – who had just been involved in some nonsense with Heitinga – tangled with Arteta to earn himself a booking. At this point, a distinct lack of composure was evident; moments like this are when a firm, authoritative captain is needed; someone to settle our players down and refocus them on the task at hand – trying to retrieve the situation. As good as a “leader by example” as Cesc is, he is not that kind of push-prod-cajole leader these situations require.
On the hour Arsene brought Arshavin on for Rosicky, and the former set Robin up with a fine chip, but the latter mis-hit, sending the ball wide. On 67, Arsene made the final change, bringing Bendtner on for Jack. We finally drew level three minutes later, with Rodwell clearing a Cesc pass directly to Arshavin, who made no mistake! Three minutes later, Osman was booked for tripping Theo, and Robin’s excellent free kick forced Howard to tip it over the crossbar. From the corner, Koscielny’s firm header put us 2-1 up. In five minutes, we turned the match on its head – could we now see it out?
Moyes made a double switch with Jagielka and Anichebe replacing Neville and Coleman. We needed a third goal, but Everton went on the attack, forcing a corner and keeping possession in our end. We held out reasonably comfortably and saw this one through, despite five minutes of stoppage time. Clichy had a very late chance to wrap things up, but opted to pass when a shot was on. No matter, we got the three points in the end.
With United and Chelsea also winning this evening, dropping points was the last thing we needed; but for over an hour, that was what we did. Arshavin’s introduction made the difference – almost immediately, he set Robin up for a great chance, and while Rodwell will (not) claim an assist for the equalizer, Arshavin finished very well. There have been both signs and hopes that this was coming, so hopefully he can sustain this. Arsene stuck with both Robin and Bendtner when they were off-form, and he deserves credit for sticking with Arshavin too.
Everton deserved at least a point from this in my opinion. Even though their goal should not have stood, they created chances, showed more urgency through most of the first hour, and I thought generally outplayed us. Did they make some rough challenges? Sure – and so did we…Right before our equalizer, I thought they had weathered the storm and we would struggle from there.
Unfortunately for them, Moyes did not exactly cover himself in glory with his post-match rant about Cesc. If you are going to open that can of worms, might as well mention what Cesc is alleged to have actually said. I say alleged because Arsene says that Cesc didn’t say a thing to the ref – so who is wrong here? Besides, it is not as if Moyes himself has never had a choice word or two for the officials, is it?
Anyways, we’re done with Moyes and Everton for this season, so it’s a non-issue. We won while not playing particularly well. Hopefully Song will be ok, and on to Newcastle this weekend…
Written by Oliver
Morning all…
just watching the game, what a shocking decision for their goal, thought offside was when the ball is played – and how was advantage not played just prior to that when theo was gone up the wing…. shocking..
Thats the most important statement of your write up:
”Hopefully Song will be ok…”
He has become irreplaceable, especially when we see Denilson as his potential replacement!!!
My God, i cant bear to imagine Denilson against Iniesta and Xavi!!!
morning to u to rico!
morning RJ, i’m only watching now as couldn’t last night but what a fiesty old game – same old us unable to convert our chances but yes, the song injury is a worry, we should hear more today and fingers crossed….
If Webb is a Manc fan
Mason just has to be an Everton fan, how Rodwell wasn’t booked when Cesc was away up the wing???
I think its time for the league to ban managers from interviews straight after the game. Allowing time to cool down and remember what really happened would be of benefit to all. Cesc , our captain, was naturally furious that once again a shocking mistake by officials put us behind with a mountain to climb. Whilst I hate to see players mothing off to officials, it is usually the only time this bunch of over protected actors get blasted. The last thing I want is to see our players become ‘Rooneys’ , he can F & Blind all match at officials and is never hardly punished….(but he is Northern so its alright).
Moyes will regret making such stupid comments and showing little grace considering his side was ‘given’ a goal start. I expect more from him.
The game went the normal way for us having to fight against Everton and the officials, but quality won the day.
Finally, I hope you all saw the stupid rant from Cascarino ( the ex Chelski superstar of such fame) bringing up Monaco’s tax dodges of the 1970’80’s to justify Chelski /Manshit & Manure & Liverpool & Spuds, spending money they have not earned? All Arsene rightly said is ‘it is unfair to allow clubs to spend £50 mill to buy success when they post £70 mill loss as a club’ . Makes sense to me but Im a Gunner and we live by a different standard to the rest.
Hi Pete – good comments and did you know that torres alone cost 10 million more than our starting eleven last night acoording to some reports?
i can understand our players being furious, yet by the letter of the ‘Blatter’ law, their goal was legal, according to some….
Its quiet this morning, anyone would think we lost 😉
incidentally, i also missed watching this game Rico! my first miss of the season!!
for song, we should keep everything possible crossed, if not for Song then just to keep Denilson out of the team!!!
😆 re Song and Denilson, RJ – just finished watching the highlights, readful officiating, yellow cards should have been awarded to a couple of their players and rodwell could easily have been given two yellows…
but i guess what we can take from that is a gutsy come back when so many times previously that kind of game would have seen us drop points..
Again though we created many chances, just couldn’t finish them, one day we will and that day needs to come sooner rather than later…
oliver – top write up again, thank you 🙂
Missing 14 games. Right now, Arsenal has played more games than all its competitors. I worry too much yellow for the game, some very early, with implications for the performance of players. As has been proved, there are players out of form, cond by their injuries or downslope of his career. Arsenal have to impose your game regardless of your opponent and his league. And playing well means the preparation, patience and creativity. Forget football direct, physical, and shaky. In the majority of teams in the league, we can win by the class and not by similarity. If Arsenal match to a team worse is it unnecessary to grant an advantage. The difference between MU and the other is zero in the losses they have. If you do not miss at least five games by the end, the championship is delivered. 14 games is 42 points. Whoever gets to 76 first wins the championship.
First off. Good morning all.
Secondly, what the hell line was that lino watching?
Thirdly, 16 – 6 – 2
Finally, if Moyes is going to open his mouth, back up your claims with facts son.
Hi JM and Will
One of the worst ref performances by a group of officials in a while…….
I like AW comments, go find the film and you’ll see what happened in the tunnel…..
Anyone here still think we don’t need a clinical striker?
Will, of course we do but we haven’t got one and we can’t get one now so i’ve forgotten about that now…
What pleases me is last night was a tough game and a battle, one which we won in the end and but for a shocking decision we would not conceded.
Last season I am not sure if would have had it in us to fight back, last night we did. Winning has sometimes got to be ugly and last night it was just that…
No side right now is running away with league through top class performances and if we keep battling and winning we are in with the best chance in a long while to win the league.
We just have to wait for Man Utd’s luck to run out.
I just wish we had of bought someone.
16 chances, get half of those on target and half of those as goals and we score 4 and have not tense last 5 minutes.
To be fair Will, if we had to buy one player in jan, a striker would have been my last choice – a defender then midfielder were more important imho…
Manure luck will run out and just at the time that we find the back of the net more often, it’s got to happen one game soon….
I agree we need a defender but I am fed up holding onto a lead for the last few minutes when we should be out of sight.
Barca are lauded and rightly so for banging goals in left right and centre and they have created an aura of fear around them and it is one we could have if we put away our chances.
Imagine scoring 4 or 5 goals a game, teams would be scared before they got on the pitch and that would give us an edge.
I understand exactly where you are coming from Will but what can we do about it??
It frustrates the heck out of me to see chances go begging, look at Cesc again last night, he had at least two where it looked easier to miss…
Nikki’s overhead, if that was a player in form or full of luck that would have gone in…
But no matter how much we want another defender, midfielder or striker, we are not going to get one, my hope is that the ones we do have suddenly find better form in front of goal but that isn’t just the striker who need to do that, so many of our side get chances, they just need to start burying them….
I just get so frustrated. We have all the possession, easily double figures in chances created and yet, we hang on at the end of too many games.
Trust me Will, I get your frustration but at the end of the game we got all we could and that was three points… 😉
This is true and hopefully, we can come good soon and batter some teams.
Bonjour Housers!
Will, if you are alluding to a Henry’esque type of striker, then we certainly do need one to bang in 25 goals each season…
But you also forget that it would lead to a post 04-05 kinda situation where there is an over-dependence on one single player which would in-turn lead to only one possible route to goal & quite frankly boring football compared to the one we’re being treated to this season
In the current system that Arsene employs, the onus is on team work and precise passing to create clear-cut openings for any of the 4 attacking players (including Cesc from midfield)..
I agree with you that our forwards should make light work of despatching easy chances that they get in every game but U can’t possibly want us to be reliant on one striker for our goals
We need a clinical striker Rennie.
16 chances created last night resulting in 2 goals. Plainly not good enough.
But can you actually single out one player for missing out on those chances?…
Last night if I can remember correctly Cesc missed one, so did Robin & Theo, Rocky thumped one from 40yards, and finally Clichy bottled the easiest of the game.
See, that’s my point U can’t make a case against one striker to say that we need to replace him with a more ‘clinical’ striker.. If so then we’d have to replace them all including Cesc who is making a habit of ending very good runs with a miscued shot!
IMHO simply bringing in new players will only disrupt the team ethos that Arsene has so patiently built up in the last few yrs. We have to find the right sorta striker to fit into this team. Take Barca for example, bringing in Ibrahimovic was supposed to take them to a whole new level. Yet Guardiola recognized that it was disrupting the team he was trying so hard to build (inspite of Ibra scoring goals & Barca ending up with the title that seson) & replaced him.
Hi Rennie..
guys, my internet keeps crashing again so off to phone bt 🙁 🙁
So Rennie, you are happy watching Nik B hit daisy cutter after daisy cutter at the corner flags and holding on in the last 10 minutes of way to many games when we have had almost 60% possession and easily double figures in chances created?
Because I am not.
good day all good result last night. someone should remind SW53 who our players are. he injured LF21, BS03 and now Song.
Also can someone explain how Clichy have a go at goal from more that 20 yards and then minutes later failed to shoot from less than 6 yards?
morning all…good win last night, not so encouraging news about song and theo, we will have to see how it goes. thanks for fielding the comments rico…
interesting discussion on a striker – most teams can use a 30-goal guy, not least us. but i think we have more pressing needs, particularly if song is set for an extended absence. i thought diaby did reasonably well in the half he played, but his body of work suggests he will struggle to find such form consistently…
i had the opportunity yesterday to watch the game via a poor link. i decided that i am going to watch it anyway despite the freezing/buffering etc. while cursing at first i stopped after i realised i got the chance to analyse where the players are after a pass was made etc. you did not need this to confirm that the goal was offside, even stevie wonder could see that. but when plays were made to look at the cover or lact thereof was interesting at times. while i think Diaby did well he basically slowed the game down at times and did not track back fast enough (again i know he is just coming back).
Wenger’s gamble i think has backfired. He is always saying he has Song that he is able to deploy as a CB, well with him out until whenever AW says multiplied by 2, we are one JD20 injury away from doom (too pessimistic i know). this is the 2nd game i think that JD20 injured his shoulder, am i the only one that wont be surprised if he gets injured shortly?
I really hope that Wenger’s transfer window prudence doesn’t de-rail our season, but early signs don’t bode too well…Squill misses next two games, Song is out,Denilson out (blessing though)and rumours that Fabianski out for the season….
Boo, hopefully a very kind man in India now has me back up and running – well, so to speak 😉
Colin, i think Squilli is only out for one game and thats served now…
Hi there Rico, but even so we are too light at CB cover, it really pisses me off! Unless TV5 is alot closer…..
Hi oliver and Coadsi
I’m pleased with last nights result and the way we dug in and fought hard to get it, especially after a bad decision against us…
not happy about song and theo 🙁
Yes we won a hard game and that’s all that matters, especially with Manure Utd firing yesterday we had to keep chasing.
And catch them we shall.
Moyes was just gutted they lost and he didn’t know how to react.
Well our players have finally matured , if Fabregas really said hash words to the referee then i am happy , that is what you want from a captain.
Roy Keane did that many times at Manure utd and changed turned things around many times.Roy Leane didn’t even stop in the tunnel he screams at referees on the pitch as well.
A captain must protect his team at all times on the ball, off the ball, on the pitch and off the pitch.
Well done FAB Capitan.
Colin, i agree re the defence and i keep telling myself the only reason AW didn’t buy is because TV is soon back, he bloomin better be as one injury to either Kos or JD and i fear the worst…
Hi SD, as long as Cesc doesn’t cross the line and get sent off, all’s ok… but we know the FA just love picking on us….
Moyes should be grateful they got a goal, any other ref wouldn’t have given it…
i guess you are right Rico.
Fabregas is FAb and towards the end of the season we need leaders right now and if Fab is one and RVP was the leader at play on the pitch it was yesterday that it dawned on me that we really missed him last season.
I pray he stays fit this time arround .I cant wait for Chelsea to beat MAn Utd 2wice.
Bye guys
I was just about to answer you SD but you have gone 🙁
I also wanted the chavs to beat the mancs twice but then Will rightly pointed out, they are not far behind us and with their new edition we need them beaten a few times before they beat the chavs, otherwise two draws would be better for us….
We don’t want Chelsea to beat Man Utd twice.
Actually, I would like us to stop their unbeaten run with a dive for a soft penalty.
Just like they did to us Will, bloody Rooney the cheat…..
Exactly Rico, poetic justice.
i hope they get beat before then though….
Yes and no and you knwo if they are unbeaten by the time they get to us, the ref will give them something.
thtas why i want them beaten before we play them, bet your bottom dollar webb will be the ref for our game….
Good to see the FA are taking no action against Cesc…. Bet Moyes is happy 😉
Where is evryone today, its been so so quiet…..
Rico, how can the FA do anything, it is only Moyes saying something happened. Even the ref aid nothing happened. I think now the FA have to ask Moyes tp bring evidence to back up his claims or fine him for bringing the game into disrepute.
Moyes suggested he ranted in the tunnel Will, Mason has not submitted any report to back the allegation up, that’s why no action….
It’s down to Mason…..
Will, i am sure cesc would have said something, he had fire in his belly and eyes, rightly so too but maybe Mason knows he mucked up and let it go….
But while admitting in a statement on his club`s official website that he did speak to Mason during the interval, Fabregas insists he did not overstep the mark.
He said: ‘There has been much talk about me saying things to the officials at half-time on Tuesday night. All I can say is that I have respect for all match officials. Their job is a very difficult one and their decisions are final.
‘Yes, I was upset at half-time. So too were about 60,000 Arsenal supporters in the stadium. We were one-nil down against a very good Everton side to a goal which we felt was offside. Of course I am going to be upset. Players from both sides were saying things as we came off the pitch, and this always happens in football.
‘I’m passionate about this club and like all the players want to win every single match, so many things are said in the heat of the moment.
‘Clearly the officials feel that nothing serious happened, as I understand the referee has not included anything in his match report.’
Hello any body there Let’z celebrate a win!!
Moyes is just being a loser baby.
was Wenger defending Fabregas??
Hi STV, i’m here, i think AW was defending cesc, he said he was with cesc in the tunnel and he made no comment to him…
you wouldn’t want AW as your key witness in court would you 🙂
Will, a very sad and bad one…..
Apparently Moyes needed a red card too from referee apart from the free goal, that’s greedy.. 🙁
off for my dinner, back in a bit…..
If it includes FA defenitly RIco bet u too. 😉
hi rico…i respect david moyes, but have no use for this sanctimonious, holier-than-thou version. whatever happened inside that tunnel, he has more important things to worry about than whether or not our captain embarked on a profanity-laced tirade regarding the officials.
if the referee didn’t mention it, and the fa says that cesc has no case to answer, that should be the end of it…of course, it will not be…
excellent oliver..
informative, balanced post..
and a bloody good read to but..i said something similar to rico a long time ago that her posts were enjoyable because they were full of rico..her ‘riconess’
you are doing the same, i can now tell an oliver post a mile off its got your oliverness stamped all over it
well done sir..
i have two main things to discuss..
cesc…who gives a shit what he said, its decisions like that one that can lose you matches and it was an out ragious piece of officiating..piss poor…helen keller would have spotted that..these officials think they are untouchable sometimes and they think the fans come to see them…respect is due to them but they have to earn it..when u make decisions like that you dont deserve respect..if it would have been me im sure i would have been doing the same..
moyes said cescs views were digsuting…well so was the fucking decision…
secondly…hows song???
Oliverness.. that’s great, thanks for awareness JJ,It’s nice to see moaners moan if we wins.
saha was like 15yards offside…what were they thinking??? that kozz was playing a back pass???
fuck me…. wheres sian massey???
she plays a blinder, gets a tough decision right, gets slagged off by two wankers and we dont see her again yet i bet that lino will be running the touchline at OT or somewhere next week
the FA need to take their head out of their arse over the respect issue…they really do,,
moaners can maon all day long suhail..
as long as they back themselfs up they cant be critised, neither can the ppl who dont moan..
everyone has a right to a view..its their view..
as long as its not a one sentance comment saying ‘wengers a wanker cos he is’ or ‘akb for life cos i said so’ its all good..
it’s good
by the way Koss is really becoming a good asset
spot on oliver…..
kozz is the bomb..
its looking good at the back now..ches, jd, kozz, tv…
just need one more quality guy in there now pushing squidge down to 5th choice and we are set to go..but we will have to wait until summer 🙁
lets just hope we done have to use squidge and song too many times…
tv needs to get fit asap and kozz and jd need to stay fit..
oliver – i respected moyes… until last night, bitter man…
jj, and we all know you for your ‘jjness’ 🙂
STV, Kos does on the ground what JD does in the air….
🙂
evening jj, i am not so sure about waiting, i have a sneaky feeling that bartley will come back soon or we will see miquel……
there has to be a reason AW didn’t buy….
id rather see bartley than squidge rico to be honest..
a good season up at rangers..big club mentality and maybe a few medals he’ll come back a ready made CB…
hi jj and stv…thanks, and i can care less what moyes or anyone else thinks. did he not say that he felt their goal was offside? i expect that we will be bombarded from all sides regarding our players and conduct – hopefully it will galvanize us…
i’d rather see me in defence than squilli jj 😉
bartley is the way forward, if we suffer an injury we must get him back…
Looks like we’ll get Sakho in summer,then it’ll be a defense as stubborn as Wenger. He sees what we dont see..
Rico 😉
At least you’ll not get this much cards I know 🙂
Sakho STV, in the summer? How come?
At least you’ll not get this much cards rico I know 🙂
STV, i don’t even play cards 😉
we tried him in winter and source says PSG is uncertain over his contract extension, Arsenal offered almost double the salry
oliver – thats what i believe, the way our team pulled themselves together and end up winning showed something… thats all that matters to me about last night….
STV, don’t believe any of it, i have been fooled for many years now and no longer will i believe any rumour… when afc.com say something, then i will believe….
is that why he rejected psg new contract??
city and spuddies both leading their matches so far.
Guys, i believe nothing anymore re rumours…. 😉
I’m off for the day, having got up to watch yet another defeat in the cricket 🙁 I’m done in…
Catch you tomorrow….
oops, how rude…
nighty night all….
I am disgusted.
Morning Will, with what this fine day??
New Post up