With most Arsenal fans trying to make sense of the losses to both GNK Zagreb and Olympiacos in this Champions League campaign, one can’t help but wish that the unexpected results could turn out to be a blessing, enabling us to compete for the Premier League title.
However, I would be extremely surprised if these performances and results have not surprised Arsene Wenger. Notwithstanding the abysmal home record and an unwanted record of being the first manager to suffer half a century of Champions League losses, can Wenger truly afford a hefty loss against Bayern Munich tonight, thereby ending any hope of us making the knock out stages of the competition?
Irrespective of personal pride and the lure of just concentrating on the league title, I suspect Arsene and his back-room staff believe that we need to maintain the performance levels we are setting on the domestic front. A strong performance in this competition is paramount even though history tells us we have as much of a chance of winning this competition, as hearing Jose Mourinho admitting live on television that he envies the affection and respect Wenger receives from the majority of the footballing world.
One can only guess the mind-set of the team or how they will approach this Bayern game, especially taking into consideration our recent form against them.
Going into our last encounter against the Bavarians two seasons ago, we had lost 5-1 to the Liverpool at Anfield, drawn 0-0 with the Mancunians and then beaten Liverpool 2-1 at home in the FA Cup. This time around we have a team with a front three playing full of confidence after scoring six goals in the last two games, both without conceding a single goal.
Key to this current blistering form is fans favourite Alexis Sanchez, who was also signed by Pep Guardiola during his time at Barcelona at the start of the 2011/2012 season. With Pep knowing Alexis so well, I wonder how he will attempt to nullify the threat our Chillean will pose to either Rafinha or Kimmich at right back.
Going by how Pep has approached previous encounters against his old master Wenger, I suspect he will pair up Lahm and Rafinha on the right flank to ensure that Monreal and Sanchez do more defending than attacking.
Conversely, it won’t surprise me at all if Pep doesn’t pay any particular attention to our left flank, as it was allegedly reported that Pep didn’t rate Alexis as highly as we do now. In fact he considered him a one dimensional player during their time together. Considering the industry and commitment Sanchez shows when playing, it’s hard to believe the relationship between him and Pep was not always harmonious if those rumours were indeed true.
Pep often tried to deny any rumours of player-manager disharmony by making comments such:
I want to especially thank Alexis [Sanchez], he has played a fantastic game. He has stolen my heart.
He is very young, but he came forward and sacrificed himself a lot. He is a very humble person. I think the club has made a special signing. When he is fully settled, he will do even better”
However, the stories surrounding their difficult relationship never went away.
Rumours on blogs and in the tabloids suggested that Pep found Sanchez a very frustrating player who never stuck to his game plan. Matters were not helped when Pep lost his usually cool persona on the touch line in March 2012 when he yelled, ‘Use you head for F.. Sake, you did not have to play 90+ minutes for Chile in a meaningless game ’ as Alexis limped off during a Champions League game.
Following that incident, Sanchez was ‘in and out’ of the Barcelona line-up, with Pep using the excuse of Alexis needing to adapt to the Barcelona way of playing whenever question by reporters.
Putting aside all of the above, this game will showcase two of European football’s finest and in-form attackers in Lewandowski and Sanchez. Considering Lewandowski struggled to find the back of the net against a resolute Bremen last weekend, whilst Sanchez did not show any effects of his involvement in Chile’s world cup qualifiers, Arsenal fans will hope that Lewandowski endures another frustrating night tonight.
One thing is for certain, we can’t concede first! Arsene cannot approach this game in a tentative and predictable manner as he did in 2013 and 2014. Arsene can’t set up his team trying to second guess whether Alaba will take his place in central defence alongside Boateng or whether Pep will go with Javi Martinez who is currently not in the starting eleven. The reason for my statement is that I suspect that would influence Arsene’s decision on whether to start Theo or Giroud up front.
Unlike our midfield trio which currently picks itself, Pep can mix things up by calling on the services of Thiago, Martinez, Lahm, Vidal and his main man Alonso in his midfield. He could even confuse things by fielding Alaba at left back for the first time in over a year and dropping Bernat.
In my opinion, if this game is to be won, it will not be based only on who Arsene selects to start the game but the teams overall level of performance, their mind-set and their concentration throughout the entire match.
They say one makes his/her own luck but in my view Bayern have been lucky too often this season and its about time we end their good fortune.
Written by Tsgh
morning Rico and the house
good post ginge
i think we will turn on the style tonight,3-1 win for me..
Top job, Ginge.
We can win, but who bloody knows what will happen lol
Morning all.
Morning Mg and all again..
Nice one Ts, thank you…
Pressure is off us really as no-one other than Arsenal fans expects a win. I think the performance is more important than the result. And no injuries…
Great post Ts…
I sincerely feel confident Arsenal is beating Bayern today…we don’t have any likely starter that is not fit going into this match.
Today, like against Man U(even though Koscielny was not fit in that one) AW will show the world what he’d line out if he was in the UCL final.
No excuses of injuries or underrating any opponent. With backs to the wall, Arsenal under Wenger have always delivered. Tonight, I feel, won’t be different.
COYG
I’m not confident… 😉
Good positive post Ginge! I hope you’re right about the result!
I think 2-1 and we’ll just scrape it!
No win or even a draw and we’re doomed! (Pte Fraser voice)!
If Lewandowski has a bad game, I reckon we have a chance…
Afternoon Rico and the house.
Good post Ginge.
Nice sunny day at Boreham Wood for the u19 game against B/M.
No score after 10 mins
Afternoon all,
Thanks for the kind comments. Thanks as ever Rico or should I thank your editor? 😉
Hope all is well Rick?
Hi Rick, it is lovely and sunny, nice for my walk….
🙂 Ts, me I’m afraid…
Nipping off for a while, Fido has her legs crossed…
H/T no goals.
Playing well but missing Willick Hinds and Mavididi.
What a goal .73 mins Iwobi puts us one up.
It had Theri onhis feet.
Iwobi scores again .2-0
Afternoon all. Nice piece TS with some interesting info in there.
Today, is the day, if you are a shoplifter, a pickpocket, a burglar, a bank robber or a general crim…
Today is the day to fill your boots.
Do ‘that job’ you’ve dreamed of.
Make a small fortune, because you won’t get caught…
All the Old Bill are standing around outside the Houses of Parliament…
😐
Nice post Ginge, I’ll read it in a minute… 😉
Rick, is it still 2-0..?
Better read Ginge’s post or else I’ll get a knock on door later tonight…. 🙂
Kev finished 2-0 a very good result..
This was the first game they have played since the end of sept and they were a bit rusty.
B/M U19’s play in a league and in the same period they have played twice winning both.
I think Sheaf and Nelson were both outstanding today and Iwobi looks like he is coming back to form. His first goal is a contender for goal of the season,(i Think).
Tell ya what Ginge, that was a good read…
No, really… 🙂
From my own perspective on the game, I don’t go along with a lot of the nonsense in the Press about Afsenal going all out attack…
I actually think that all the pressure is on Bayern…
I reckon our team can relax and just play.
And what will be, will be…
Didn’t know that about Guardiola and Sanchez, Ginge.
Alexis won’t need any motivation then I guess, not that he ever does.
Cheers Rick…
I lost my previous comment, the site didn’t load properly..,
We can make a difference tonight with only pure desire Arsenal players bring with them and their uncompromising concentration on the pitch…
Both the teams have magical attacking players who can put the match to bed and composed midfielders who can control the game in centre of the pitch…
And that’s why tonight’s match brings so much importance…
Thanks Kev, Adam
Kev- since you refused to waive your flag at the mall earlier, you might receive a knock on your door from the PRC’s MSS…; my advice is not to order any takeout for a week or so… 😛
Evening all. What a beautiful day it’s been – hard to believe it’s late October…
Kev, you still moaning about HH…… 😉
Kev moaning…………………. Never Rico……….!
Are you in the Seychelles Rico? 😉
🙂 Wath…
I wish Ts.. It’s been 18 degrees here today, beautiful sunshine. Chilly now though….
Joking aside, it wasn’t too bad here until about 3 o’clock.
🙂 wath
Once the sun starts to go down, it gets really cold… Nice though…
This mob will be a real barometer not that manc shower of shite we thumped the other week.
At least Pep can have another good look around his next club!
I’m with Rico I’m not that confident but unexpected losses to Zagreb and the bubbles we’ll probably go and win in true Arsenal style!
Theo needs to bring his “A” game along with Ozil………
How are you feeling Lee?
Really hope Coquelin has a great game and shuts his critics up once and for all…
Good Afternoon Rico and All.
Interesting read TS. I’m keeping my expectations close to my chest. But it will be be very good if 11 Sanchez shows up with their work ethics. It’s 11 vs 11. More than anything, we need to focus. I hope Sanchez still carry a grudge.
Evening Ng….
I just want to see a good performance and none of the sloppy defending we’ve seen in the last two CL matches..
Just about to take my seat…
Hope they don’t go gung ho or it could all be over very early…
Attack by all means, but don’t forget to defend…
1-0 is enough…
A goal in the 89 th minute is enough…
Patience, discipline, concentration….
COYRRG
No I am not moaning Rico/Wath 🙂
But Lee is…..
Blimey, I can blog from inside the ground…
Must be because they got rid of their adverts
Great post ts…. I’m going for Score draw tonight. Imo i wouldn’t have went with mert in this game i think Gab would have been better suited…
I still feel crap Rico…..I never take time off of work and I’ve not been in this week yet.
My daughter just pulled a wobbly front tooth out…..ffs it’s like an episode of casualty at chez Lee’s!!!!!!
Kev if you see a disturbance in the crowd it’ll probably be Mrs A kicking off……again!!!
🙂 Kev….
Lee, that’s not good to hear, you must feel absolutely rubbish… 🙁
Can’t believe your little one has tugged her tooth out ? Bless her…..
Weren’t we linked with Costa? Lol
Great save…
Evening Rica and all, good save by Cech, thats the benifit of having your number 1 keeper in goal, Arsene.
Nice touch by the Arsenal fans showing support to the Munich fans for the protest action taken.
Sorry Rico, spellcheck
Evening Dublin.. Agree re the fans… Love the away fans having their own conductor lol
There was me thinking you were thinking about Joel Dublin… lol
We have no one to keep the ball…
Where are those fans who were so loud when we played the mancs?
we,re showing them too much respect here, we must come and play FFS. playing like the away team. Bellerin needs more support
We’re getting toyed with tbh… we’re just to shy atm
That’s more like it Arsenal… neuer you fecker
Theo has to score from there. were looking Dangerous, but have to be taking these chances
Another inch Theo…. Great save though….
I’d credit the keeper there Dublin, was a good header…
Bollox, I have a migraine coming… Bed it is…
Night all….
That was top top draw save….Theo couldn’t of done anymore, imo!
Best keeper in the world imo… we got dominated for most of that half but we certainly look dangerous on the break.
Shame you live so far away Rico, there’s definitely a spare hospital bed here! 🙂
my initial thought was should,ve scored, seen it again it was a great save,
Looking very dangerous going forward, more of the same.
I agree Kel, Bayern don’t deal with Theo’s pace though….
Bloody hell I missed their pen shout….
Michael Ballack or is it Bollock?
I think we need a little more bite in midfield lee to win that ball back. Theo is definitely a worry for them he’s faster than anyone in their backline..
A Viera would do the trick…
Haven’t had a sniff in this half as yet… total domination and now Ramseys hamstring has went fs…
Sanchez, please stop giving the ball away
Lack of the right level of quality in CM
Ozil wrking hard off ball though
I think Wengers tactics, make sure we don,t concede, too many dropping off. dangerous game. not the same urgency at all in this half.
BM is really using the wings.
Alexis looks wrecked imo… I’d bring Giroud on for him start pumping a few long balls.. we’re not good enough to play through them.
Kosser so so under rated.
Great save cech..
GET DA FUCK IN THERE….. YAAAAAAAA
OG12 you beauty
So says neuer never makes mistakes? lol
Come on boys…
wenger out. you can’t be getting you substitution spot on…. lol
TS. AW is just lucky with his substitution. 🙂
Ffs ts don’t be starting all that wenger out wenger inn carry on… lol I aint got the energy tonight 🙂
ha ha ha Ng… 70th minute.
Actually ts it’s about time your favourite came on… Arteta…
Lol kev. OG12 is rubbish you know that. lol
what did Cech do that for?
Only AW and his student pep will play Alaba as a central defender.
pep has only 1 senior central midfielder in his whole squad. If AW did that he would be lynched.
central defender even
what a save. what a save?
Ozil…………..
Fucking hell…. what a finish to a game lol
Bellerin, Ballerin
Damn what a win…
But the usual suspects have to stay hidden until another lose… lol
Who could have dreamed it? Not me , honestly.
TS. Do you expect them to come out?
MOM Kosser, Bellerin or OG12
Kosser for me Ng.
He played like Desailly in 1994
Cech was very influential tonight…
Bellerin was brilliant
Ozil pure class….
A great shift from all the boys and wenger.
Wow still buzzing! How did Bellerin got around with that pace in the 92 minute?!
I never thought we could keep Muller of all people quiet.
As I said in my post BM has been very lucky this season…
How Pep can go into a season with one central defender but he can still be considered a top manager whilst AW gets slated for not spending £40m on average players is beyond me sometimes I must say… still
What a win. Well done boys.
Would a player like kramer or krychowiak cost 40m ts. 😉
Not those 2 Kel.
But we placed a bid for those 2, several seasons ago. why they did not join, we probably have to wait for AW’s book. lol
Fantastic result, still a long way to go to get out of this group, A win for Olympiakos at home to Zagreb in 2 weeks will put them on 9 points with 2 games left, so we,ve still a mountain to climb.
But for momentum and belief it,s the perfect result.whether tactics were forced upon us or whether it was the game plan, it worked, played for long periods without the ball, but defended well and made sure we did not concede, and struck with 2 goals we thoroughly deserved, what a run from Bellerin, and Cech was immense too, still up against it, but what a win, delighted.
Kel- what I am alluding to is AW gets accused of negligence quite a lot when we do not know the ins and out whilst Klopp started seasons with only 2 centre backs at BVB and Pep has gone into seasons with 1 central defender but there is no mention of it…
Bayern are cash richer than us as well btw…
Kel who gives a fuck we’ve got £200m in the bank? Spend some of it 😉
Cech was the bollocks tonight, we’d be higher up the table if he’d played in our other two games.
Big fuck up from Wenger IMHO. But he got it right tonight!!!
Agreed there Dg
Yeah I remember you saying that ts I personally rate krychowiak I think he’d be great for us..
I understand that ts about pep and klopp i don’t know what’s being said on Bayern or Dortmunds blogs etc im sure there is some or was some disgruntled fans. I taken your point that wenger sometimes gets a raw deal I myself have been harsh on him usually outta frustration.
Credit where it due, the boys really put in a shift. Tactics were just right considering the result.
Where is Scott, btw.
Well we beat arguably best team in Europe atm. I’m sure the boys will be buzzing in training the rest of the week…
Dg. You’re right about a long way to go if the Greeks win at home I think we might end up in the Europe league…
good 🙂
Ng- Scott those the grave yard shift as you know… lol
We all give Aw the hard time sometimes kel. Its through pure frustration…
those=does
Yippee
Ruben Neves (Porto) has today become the youngest captain in the Champions League. (18 years)
Our next DM? ( 🙂 )
Sugar coat it all you want tsgh but didn’t Arsene go into the season with only 1 defensive midfielder, forget about all the other clubs, it’s only Arsenal that matters.
Tonite only went to show what Cech brings to the team, when your in the shit and need to take your chances a world class keeper can make all the difference at the back no matter what all the boof heads will try and brain wash you into believing.
69 % vs 31 % possession, over 600 passes to our 175 tonite , nice to see us turning the tables on the opposition for a change.
3 priceless points, game on.
rico, you need to woman-up gal, apparently man-up is’nt politically correct anymore lol.
Up the Gooners.
Just back from pub as don’t have BT. Top top performance, congrats to AW and all the lads. Kos, Cech, Bellerin, Montreal, Coq and Walcott first half especially. Also terrific Giroud the time he was on.
tsgh, only Ozil’s second win against Bayern in 16 games, the hattrick is on November 4th !!!
Will Munich fans spend the next 3-4 weeks complaining about Neuer mistake in tonight’s game the fact is goalkeepers make mistakes.
Ospina is a good keeper Neuer is a world class keeper and he still made a mistake in CL match.
Loved the post tsgh well done
The fact is the Bayern fans won’t spend the next 3-4 weeks blaming the referee lol !
What a result!
The moment Arsenal lost to Olympiacos, I started telling whoever cared to listen that we’d beat Bayern…but oddly not many people cared to listen. Not even Rico!
Put on talkshite arsenal fan rang the station to complain about us beating Munich poor old Webber can’t win ?
Tailored ??
Wenger. ….
Tai beating Munich was such an Arsenal thing
Lee, when the 2nd goal went in, I saw this powerful woman, up in the dear seats, jumping around with a bottle of Cava, and it wasn’t Rico…. 🙂
That, was, a classic, European performance,
never mind all that pointless passing and fancy tippy tappy football,
that was right out of the ‘George Graham, I Couldn’t Give a Fcuk’ the result is what counts book of football…
Even the free kick for the first goal has echoes of George Graham at his best…
I bloody loved it…
Bollocks to the entertainment, save that for the EPL.
The CL is all about performances like that…
Now let’s see them put in three more like that and who knows?
Petr Cech was MotM for me…
It was a tough hill to climb, and not for a second that I thought we’ll nullified them at almost at the end of the game the way we did. With Arsenal, any thing is possible. All you have to do is lower your expectations.
Morning all.
I was working when the game took place, but with an ear to the ground 🙂
Great result, and sounds a damn intelligent performance.
Keep this intensity up and who knows where we will finish.
Morning Rico and all. What a night at the Emirates. Great game and a privilege to watch both teams. Arsene got it spot on. Brilliant rope a dope tactics. Proud of them all.
Hope you’re feeling better brudder.
Morning Rico, Adam and all…
Micko, I am beginning to think you write Jose’s script for him… 😛
Danny Mills on talkshite still have to take a swipe at AW and Arsenal… lol
well well well….i guess my new german gf won’t be with me much longer..hahahaha…AS a die hard Bayern Fan who works with maradona coaching the womens UAE team, she has not answered my 5 messages of rubbing it in! loooooolllll Like Kev said earlier-it was so George Graham like hahaha….Can’t contain my delight…morning gooners ! isn’t it a lovely morning?
Lol George its grey and damp where I am now but it feels bright nonetheless after that win…
You should ask your gf why she does not support the classier BVb? 😉
Morning all.
Arsenal.
That is all hahahahahaha hahahahaha
Ginge, id be asking her why she’s not going out with a classier guy than George bahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Sorry George, but it had to be said 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂 good one Scott.
How are you doing buddy?
Ginge….i miss those backs against the walls performances…Arsenal of old.
If she respinds to the calls i will ….still wearing the biggest grin from ear to ear
Exactly Scott! 😀
When you meet a bird at a Oktoberfest tent in Dubai doing the conga… classy gets assy
Hahahaha George…well in lad lol.
I’m always well, Ginge 🙂
Shame about Aaron but it happens.
Lol George, you still always looking for the next party? :-). Any more POF parties recently?
Oktoberfest in Dubai? you lucky fella.
Shame about AR16, Scott. he will be back stronger…; he probably needs some time off to help his expecting Mrs…
POF in London was scary stuff Ginge lol….Always scouting.
Ramsey will be out for at least a month. This will mean more game time for the Ox on the right. Ramsey wasn’t really fitting in there.
Has anyone seen the schocker Chez had for Roma last night?
Morning Adam, Ts and you all…
Micko, you’re a hard man… 😉
New post up now…
POF parties has a reputation mate… I need to check it out one day.
Just snippets George. The german outfit played well