Our first tie of this calendar year’s Champions League competition, hosting the very team and favorites to win it all, the same side that eliminated us in the quarterfinals of last year’s competition. When this draw was made late last year, many (particularly in media) characterized it as effectively a bye for FC Barcelona. For […]
Category Archives: Match review
As we move in to the business end of this season, we can no longer consider any match as “easy”. With only four points separating United and us, with Man City, Spuddies and Chelsea all within six points of us, any more slipups can seriously dent our league title ambitions, while opening the door for […]
While not necessarily intending to go Nietzsche on everyone, I thought that one of the oft-quoted German philosopher’s better-known quotes may apply here…Before I begin discussing things, let me say up front that I am not going to sit here and unload on referee Phil Dowd and his crew. I think they did a poor […]
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 […]
I jest of course, to say we made hard work of the game is an understatement. The changes we anticipated took place. Three minutes in and Arshavin had the opportunity to give us the perfect start but a man so low in confidence fluffed his lines for not the first time this season, Bendtner followed […]
We are on our way to Wembley for the League Cup final, our first final since the inaugural 2006-7 Emirates season. As pleased as I am, I am probably more relieved at than anything else at this moment. Despite dominating from virtually the off, we labored and made heavy work. At the hour mark, I […]
“Al Habsi saves” – “Robin scores” Repeat the former seven times and the latter three times, and you have covered what transpired at the Emirates yesterday. While it does not quite tell the whole story, it accurately captures Arsenal’s dominance on the day… We could have had six in the first half alone – Robin, […]
A replay we didn’t need and as with our two recent cup ties, there was plenty of going-in speculation regarding the squad Arsene would name tonight. Our starting eleven consisted of Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Gibbs, Song, Nasri, Denilson, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner. Shea, Clichy, Eboue, Cesc, Jack, Theo, and Robin made the bench up. I […]
We certainly have three, possibly more magical players but this is not what I am referring to. Three points? We got them today, and certainly needed them. But with Man City winning earlier in the day, all these three points did is keep us in third place. Our magic three is three goals. So often […]
There is a saying which goes “There is no such thing as a sure thing.” Not even a team that just sacked its manager last week, was crushed 7-0 by Chelsea on the weekend, and is sitting in the lower reached of the Championship can be taken for granted. Only the Arsenal players who figured […]
Not since 1992 have we been knocked out of the FA Cup at this stage of the competition. Yesterday that so very nearly changed. Nine changes made from the side that started against Manchester City but when I saw the team I thought it was strong, certainly strong enough to get us through to the […]
So the grueling run of matches continues. No excuses, we knew this was coming and it is up to Arsene and the players to adjust. A primary concern remains rotating the squad enough to sustain a winning run, while still giving key players the opportunity for rest, and others the opportunity for much-needed match action. It […]