Morning all.
Well I didn’t see that coming. A red card for Troy Deeney very early in the first half. Apparently he’d said something about wacking the first Arsenal player and see who wants it, last season that is after we collapsed at Vicarage Road. Last night he whacked Lucas Torreira and was sent for an early bath by Craig Pawson. I’m still not convinced he deserved a red card. Not for that one at least. We’d already gone ahead before that little incident though through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It’s normally one of our keepers being put under pressure as Leno already had been but Foster got too complacent. Aubameyang was on him in a flash and no sooner had their keeper tried to clear the ball, there was our number 14 to block it. Into the back of the net it went and we were 1-0 up. It stayed that way too until all 93 minutes of the game were over.
After Deeney saw red, I thought we might be in for a footballing treat. A goal fest coupled with some good Arsenal stuff. We created great opportunities to put the game beyond Watford’s reach yet time after time after time, we squandered them. Mkhitaryan had a night to forget, as he wasted a good opportunity to grab himself a hat-trick as did Aubameyang. Ramsey had morphed back into the Ramsey I won’t miss next season. But the others weren’t much better either. Iwobi perhaps being the exception but his final ball is still suspect.
Our play against ten men was pretty awful. Slow, sideways, backwards instead of taking Watford apart with sharp and smart passes. There was often little movement off the ball too which made it difficult for Arsenal, easy for Watford. It doesn’t matter now of course, not as far as the result goes but during the game, I didn’t think we ever looked fully in control. The stats alone suggest we bossed the game, peppered their goal with shots but in reality, it was nothing like that at all.
Watford played well I thought and even with the one man disadvantage, they created good opportunities to get some something from the game. The woodwork prevented what would have a superb goal to level the scores but in all honesty, they were as wasteful as we were with the few chances they mustered up. AMN came off the bench and his last ditch tackle/block ensured we kept a clean sheet for the first time on the road this season. I thought he was excellent again, his calmness is to be admired. Leno too had a really good game despite his early dodgy moment.
Watford might feel hard done by, Arsenal might feel a tad lucky but the game is won or lost on goals and it was us who scored the one which mattered. At this stage of the season, that’s all what matters. For the future, well that’s different. There’s a lot of work to be done on the way we play away from home.
Actually, there’s a lot of work to be done before Thursday because if we play like that in Italy, Napoli could have a field day.
See you in the comments guys…
Iwobi is a conundrum Rico , I am not surprised people see him as a bright light because he runs with the ball is tricky and catches the eye but that’s where it ends . What is the end product ? He doesn’t score goals , his passes go astray far to often , he runs up blind alleys and seems to cross without looking up and directing them at his own players. Other than that he is great. !
i wrote my thoughts last night whilst they were fresh in reply to Cicero to whom I was not having a pop in particular just looking at things from a different angle . The one thing I was most surprised to learn was that in the Aylsham area of Norfolk they actually have a bus service.
Isn’t he just Potter. I love the fact he isn’t afraid to run at the defence etc etc but in reality, unless he has Kolasinac on his side of the pitch, he comes to a dead end so often. Whether that’s a fault of his or the lack of options others open for him I’m not sure.
Apart from his dribbling skill he works hard and is strong on the ball which not enough of our team are.
Good morning all, for a good spell of the game we retained possession, passed the ball sensibly between midfield and defence and , importantly, conserved energy with Thursday’s game in mind. Even Smudger, in his commentary, praised Arsenal for doing so.
Deeney’s crass comments came back to haunt him, by making them he left himself wide open to punishment for what could and, indeed, did make the elbow look premeditated.
Potter, no offence taken, our excellent and free* bus service sometimes provides as many as three buses an hour.
*free to pensioners. 😉
Just saw the send off incident.
He meant it and I reckon got what he deserved.
Reckons he’s a hard man?
Please 🙂
Morning all.
One step closer to a top 4 finish.
Cicero. I think it’s called winning ugly. I’ll take that away from home until the end of 5be season… 😂
Morning Rico and all.
Deeney set the tone with his stupid comments. He wants to be thought of as some kind of footballing hard man but he is actually a thug as his criminal prison record would suggest. He was out to give some stick to the Arsenal players and picked on Torreira, even going so far as breaking his stride to swerve towards him before aiming his elbow into his opponents face. Gary Neville summed it up well by pointing to Deeney’s right knee lifting off the ground to give him the leverage required. Even fence-sitter Alan Smith could see the intent. It was a totally well-deserved red card and if one of the Arsenal players had done it I would consider it both stupid and irresponsible.
I was surprised at the Pulis-ness of Watford’s approach. All the old adages of ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em’ and ‘We’re gonna get in their faces’ or “I’ll give ‘em a smack and see who fancies it’ reared their old heads last night and I had thought that Gracia didn’t buy into the rather Neanderthal approach exemplified by Deeney and Dacoure and of course resident weirdo Will Hughes who should also have gone for a whole series of spiteful fouls.
We were pretty awful last night but that’s nothing new. Mikhi, Iwobi, Ozil, when he came on, Mavropanos, who I felt was plunged into the fire a bit irresponsibly were very poor. Leno and Kos were good and even Mustafi didn’t do too badly.
With every passing game it seems clearer just how much work needs to be done at Arsenal. Whether Emery is the right man is a whole other debate in itself.
Rico I prefer to think of it as pragmatic. 😉 As long as we keep winning, home and away, I’ll be happy whatever it’s described as.
Morning Adam. I’m still not convinced he meant it… Watford are certainly a big side. I wouldn’t mind a couple of them in our team…
😂 Cicero. I think we’re good at home, but away yep, I’ll take those kind of performances but it’s hard to watch..
Rico. It would have been remiss of him not to have meant it, given his previous.
I know he’s a bit of a thug but… His comments were stupid and since he made them he’s missed a penalty and got sent off against. I’d say that’s karma…
Moving on from Deeney… 😆
Anyone think Xhaka looked slower than he normally does?
I thought he was more disciplined, more defensively minded than usual and had a good game Rico.
Troy Deeney got exactly what he deserved. If that was an Arsenal player doing the same he would have got sent off 100%. Troy Deeney is/was a bully so Ive no sympathy for him.
rico “Anyone think Xhaka looked slower than he normally does?” NO. he’s always slow and dithers far too much on the edge of our box. Other teams target this trait of his.
Mikhi and Iwobi need to go at the end of the season……thats if we can get a buyer, which I very much doubt.
Whats the odds on Manchester United wanting a reverse swap between Mikhi and Sanchez? Absolutely NONE, they were glad to get rid of him. Championship quality at best on his showing last night.
We will need to up our game if we’re to progress on Thursday night.
Shame he hasn’t got a right foot Cicero.. lol
Maybe that was it, more disciplined…. 🤔
Mustafi got his head to a lot in our box too. As Adam said, he did ok last night.
Vcc, I honestly thought he looked even slower..
Can’t see anyone wanting Mkhitaryan, not on his salary and his age. Iwobi though would be popular I reckon. He’s still young enough to learn.
I would really like the wish of so many of our fans to be fulfilled and Iwpbi goes. Then many will realize how much of a folly it was to throw him so much stick.
Same happened with Chamberlain. And I remember some Arsenal fans regretting letting him go to Liverpool after seeing his performances as a CAM.
Mkhitaryan’s contract runs until June 2021 and he is getting a lot of money so I can’t see Raiola getting him out just yet unless they both get a pay off. He who sups with the devil needs to keep a long distance . Raiola screwed United and us on the Sanchez swap deal . he is solely money motivated and a dangerous man to do business with. Bring back Barry Fry and Stan Flashman , at least you could get a ticket for most matches in the Kings Head.
Our best player was Leno,AMN too when he came on.
Unfair to single anyone for criticism – the rest were all poor, like the Everton game.We must be so easy to play away from the Emirates, Watford showed greater commitment and desire.
Still will settle for scrappy 1-0 at this stage,and the look on Deeney was priceless…
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico,
I like Iwobi, but then I’m like that, I liked BFG and even Willie Young back when everyone hated him, I guess I just feel sorry for some players, especially if the cop a lot of stick, maybe it’s my female side? 😄
Mkhitarayan could an absolute baller if he could finish, he definitely could/should be a nailed on 12/15 goal a season player, but he seems to lack that killer instinct.
I saw someone post that he reminds them of Arshavin and that says it all really.
I heard an interesting critique of our team on a podcast the other week, it was suggested that the areas in the team that we should strengthen and the players we replace over the next few transfer windows, should be based on how those players perform away from home.
To me, that makes a lot of sense…
Afternoon Kev. A lot of what Iwobi does is good imo but as said earlier, his final ball is lacking but then again, who does he look up and see when he goes to cross? Usually red shirts being marked. A broken record, but the movement off the ball away from home is pants. No doubt that’s why we’re often passing sideways and backwards. At least Iwobi goes forward with the ball.
He and Kolasinac seem to work well together…
Henkamp, not everyone wants Iwobi gone. Personally, I think there are others who could be out the door before him.
Makes sense to me Kev. Pretty much all out then…. 😜😜
Henkamp as I’ve already mentioned above I actually like Iwobi, I think that there’s a really good footballer in him, but I have to say, that I’ve yet to meet an Arsenal fan on my travels, who says to me; ‘Blimey Kev, I really miss the Ox, I think we did a really bad move selling him for £40m to Liverpool’ – or words to that effect…
That doesn’t make me right, but it’s my experience!
Rico 2.12pm, that’s very harsh imo, surely you don’t mean Ozil as well? 🤔
Adam will be devastated… 😁
Nice one Rico.
Afternoon guys.
As last week, missed the first half and wasn’t aware immediately that we were playing ten men. Spent that half though, cursing the ineptitude of “TheTurquoise Boys” at their very amateur attempts to find the net. It was such a shambles, that I thought Watford would sneak a draw and we’d have had egg on our faces yet again. Luckily for us (apart from that paint-removing, peach of a shot from the opposition) Watford were wayward in their finishing too.
Mkhitarayan? HOW much do they pay him?
Somehow, I reckon our coaching is POOR.! iwobi, for example, is quick, runs at the opposition and exhibits some close control ball skills BUT, we are all agreed that it’s the final ball or thought process that is his undoing? WHY does “someone” not take him aside and tell him that cutting inside from time to time on his favoured (?) right foot and hammer it goalwards or something more subtle curled into the far top corner ? He either runs into a blind alley or slips it left
to either Kolasinac or Monreal to centre it.
Auba needs to be TOLD that being caught offside so many times is not clever. You don’t need an ‘A’ level in positional sense to take that on board, surely?
He could give most defenders a yard start or more and just cruise past them.
How come we scored just one goal………………..?
Iwobi at least moves the ball forward quickly.
Unfortunately when he gets near the goal he displays as much calm and poise as you would see from a headless creature running around a farmyard.
Especially Ozil Kev. 😜
Lets get it straight I am not saying that Iwobi must be sold but i am saying that he needs help with his decision making , knowing when to release the ball and when to dribble and take players on. Finally he needs to learn that it is not incumbent of him to pass whenever he gets into a shooting position .
Thanks Andorra. Iwobi will improve I’m sure, as will many of the younger players. Imo, more chance now than before and I reckon Iwobi is better this season than last.
It’s the more senior players who frustrate me more….
Utd 2-0 down.. 😂
https://twitter.com/afcDW/status/1117918174916349952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1117918174916349952&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Farsenalarsenal.net%2F2019%2F04%2F16%2Fwatford-0-arsenal-1-player-ratings-deeneys-misdemeaney%2F
Make that 3 – 0, 4 – 0 on aggregate.
Great result by Ajax, maybe Arsenal should think about doing their summer transfer shopping in the Eredivisie as I would quite happily take 2 or 3 Ajax players…
New post up now.