Morning all.
With neither Monreal or Kolasinac declared fit, Xhaka carried on where he left off on Monday night, at left back. Lichtsteiner gave Bellerin a rest and Sokratis returned to the defence giving Mustafi the chance to sit and watch on from the bench. As did Ozil, Lacazette, Iwobi, Torreira, Martinez and Jenkinson. The latter being a surprise inclusion but perhaps he’s just another who has been improving under Emery and the Spaniard feels he’s ready to play again. The League Cup fixture next week maybe. Welbeck returned to the side as did Ramsey who was handed the captains armband, and Elneny. Mkhitaryan was on the pitch too but I don’t think he had a night to remember.
Win in Lisbon? No chance, they don’t lose at home and Arsenal don’t win in Portugal. Pff!
First home defeat in two years and the team who beat Sporting back then was Barcelona. Arsenal have matched them, albeit our victory was probably not as entertaining as the Spanish giants. Who cares though, I know I don’t. Danny Welbeck scored the only goal. He should have two but for some reason, the referee decided to disallow it.
The game was scrappy, turned nasty by the end after Lichtensteiner was on the receiving end of a swift head butt. Scrappy though as it was, we got the job done and we’re well on the way to securing our place in the knockout stages of the competition.
I thought Sporting would present more of a challenge than they did but in all honesty, we didn’t ever look in real danger of conceding a goal. Sokratis could have been sent off after tugging down a Sporting player but I think it would have been harsh as Leno was already bursting out of his area in order to clear the ball.
After a slow old first half in which Nani blasted one chance over the bar and Aubameyang scuffed the opportunities which fell his way, we improved somewhat but the glut of goals we’ve been used to seeing didn’t arrive. Not for the want of trying though. Just the one, which Welbeck took really well, turned out to be enough. Three subs were used, the first being Torreira for Elneny, Lacazette for Welbeck and then Iwobi for Aubameyang.
It’d be easy to have a moan about certain players, this or that but I don’t really see the point. We were away from home against a side which seldom loses on their own turf in the league or Europe and we beat them so what’s not to be happy about?
Eleven victories on the trot too which Arsenal haven’t managed to achieve for the same number of years. As we’ve said before, tougher tests will come but as yet, we’ve not crumbled.
Crystal Palace up next on Sunday lunchtime. Another tough test for this Arsenal team under Unai Emery.
Have a good Friday guys, don’t forget the clocks go back this weekend.
Morning all.
Another positive result-things are going very well.l, at the moment.
As we’ve seen this past few years, attractive football doesn’t always win games so whatever Emery is doing, he’s doing very well, as are the players.
Seems we are grinding when we need to so that’s a massive plus and when we need to open things up, we’ve shown that we can be lethal in attack so it adds up to a reasonably formidable package, and one that can only improve.
Hi Scott, all.
Loved watching Guendouzi last night and as Kev observed, the naughtiness from Sokratis and Lichtensteiner- seasoned smart players..
Morning everyone. Good summing up rico. One thing I feel is different from the days of Wenger, is refs aren’t whipping out yellow or red cards to us like they used to. Now I never blamed Arsene for that, felt he was often hard done by.
But some decisions that could go either way, we seem to be getting a fair rub of the green. And we have actually got away with a few. Just a coincidence this season?
Thanks Andrew. I hope you’re still saying that after the Liverpool game. I bet Riley appoints either Taylor or Dean for that one.
Morning Rico. Not the most exciting game was it? Still, we won and I can’t imagine why the ref disallowed a really fine header from Danny. They were a spiteful lot. Particularly Coates who is an awful player and a cheat.
Average first half I thought and you can see that Ramsey isn’t playing for a contract renewal and that Mikhi is still looking for a role in the team. But once Torreira came on, once again he was the oil in the machine that let it function. Overall an important, rather than spectacular win.
I hope the club offer Danny a new contract.
Morning Adam, no, not exciting at all but away from home I’ll take that. Agree on Danny and perhaps the silence would suggest that’s being worked on. I hope he wants to stay but another club might offer him more playing time. I’d start him on the right ahead of Mkhitaryan most weeks.
Yep, dirty lot and I suspect Coates will be banned for the return game if his head butt is looked at again.
Afternoon Gooners, Rico and nice post.
I can’t deny that I didn’t enjoy all the shithousery of Sokratis and Lichtsteiner, so often we’ve allowed european teams to upset us in these situations and it’s cost us.
Emery won’t approach these games naively, he knows how to encourage his players to work the referee. I noticed Sokratis calming down Holding when our young centre half was letting his composure slip, I do like Sokratis, he knows all the tricks.
Every time Lichtsteiner falls over I just laugh, he’s a total wind up merchant, another one who knows all the tricks, although I think that head butt was genuine and that the Sporting player should cop a 3 game ban in retrospect.
How good was Welbeck, unlucky not to finish with a hat trick.
The contract situation with him is odd, he seems to be enjoying himself so it can only be with Emery and where he wants to reinvest over the next two Windows. Danny isn’t going to join a better club than Arsenal, although Chelsea could probably do with an upgrade on their strikers.
Afternoon Kev, thanks.
Sokratis really has come on strong hasn’t he. Holding and Mustafi are benefitting from him imo.
I think Welbeck will stay. Ramsey won’t though. Too late imo.
G’day to you all and a very fair post Rico, thank you.
One nil to The Arsenal and a not very attractive game, who gives a s**t, I certainly don’t! Three points trumps a losing Wengerball game anytime. Last night, a win where we had never won before, three points when many were predicting a lot less and extension to the winning streak.
Crystal Palace, Blackpool and Liverpool will be sitting up and taking note. Push overs? Not any more!
Spot on Cicero…
Adam, “you can see that Ramsey isn’t playing for a contract renewal”, is that a polite way of saying he was crap from start to finish?
Ramsey has a poor game, Guendouzi on the other hand..
Why Ramsey was given the armband lord only knows. The bloke is putting money over the club.
I thought that Ramsey wasn’t bad and he wasn’t great, he was ok, average I guess.
He did some ok things, didn’t make any glaring mistakes, he could even be worrying about his new twin boys, who knows, he still joins in with everyone, is still part of the squad, I just see it as the team evolving and leaving him behind?
Maybe if Wenger takes a new job in January the first player he tries to sign could be Ramsey?
I’d rather he went abroad when he leaves Arsenal.
Kev, “Ramsey wasn’t bad and he wasn’t great, he was ok, average”, that almost says it all. Add in can’t tackle, doesn’t have great pace, rarely makes a telling pass. How much longer can he live on his FA Cup goals, how many years ago was the last?
Agree re Ramsey joining in, he’s certainly enjoying training as they all are..
Abroad for me too but I suspect he’ll want to stay in the PL..
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6320111/Aaron-Ramsey-says-Arsenal-left-guessing-new-deal.html
Ramsey on his contract.
Evening Rico and the House.
Kev M Niles is playing for U23’s tonight.
Ben Sheaf and are back and are on the Bench
Evening Rick, how are they doing?
and bramall
Evening all and thank you Rico.
Must say I`m a bit pissed off after reading that Ramsey link that Arsenal have not given him a reason why the contract was withdrawn, not classy imo. Nothing to do with whether or not I want him to stay, I just thought we were better than that.
I`m sure any of us would want to know why a contract was being refused if it was ours .
On a brighter note, it was just said on Sky Sports News that The Spuds new toilet wont be ready until sometime in 2019 !…………………………………..lets all laugh hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Not so good Rico.
It was a 1-1 draw against a poor Swansea team.
Niles was very rusty and Eddy had a poor Game.
The team miss Nelson and Smith Rowe and I think they will find it hard without them.
I thought Medley had a very good game and has improved a lot.
Ben Sheaf played the 2nd half . Everyone has forgotten about him, hope
he now has a good run without injury.
Thanks Rick, just saw the result.. Not so good.
Ben Sheaf is not a centre back, I wish the coaching staff would wake up to that, he’s being wasted and will probably see his career go down the pisser due to mismanagement…
Glad to see him fit for sure Rick all the same.
Both Ballard and now Medley have had good performances recently, now they’re proper centre half’s and Osei Tutu is fit again, wonder if he’ll get a game next Wednesday. I’ll be at the Blackpool match Rick, so I’ll do a post on it…
Morning.
Unlike this new setup to muck about with player positions Kev.
New post up now..