In terms of “here and now”, we cannot view this evening’s win at FK Partizan as anything but a good result: Six out of six points in this season’s Champions League competition, our first away win in said competition for a year, a good rebound win following Saturday’s shambles. These are all things we hoped the team would accomplish tonight, and they duly responded. Longer term, however, I am not so sure if this was the best thing for us.
Covering tonight’s events very quickly, we were lucky to even play the match, as the floodlights failed earlier in the evening. Lights were (sorta) restored shortly before kickoff and Referee Stark gave the go-ahead. Arsenal, though, started the match as though they were counting on not playing. At least three times in the first ten minutes, our sleep-walking side was sliced open all too easily. Djourou was lucky not to concede a penalty, although Boya embellished the contact, no doubt convincing Stark not to point to the spot. Then Denilson had to clear the ball off the line, and Fabianski had to bail Squillaci out after the latter had sold him sort with a poor back pass. Still, Arsenal took the lead out of nowhere with a quarter of an hour gone, as Wilshere set Arshavin up. We took complete control from there, as great chances came, and great chances went. When we are in that sort of magnanimous mood, there is always the fear we could pay for it, and so we did when Denilson undid his good earlier work by allowing his arm to make contact with the ball in the penalty area. Cleo sent Fabianski the wrong way from the spot, and we headed into the interval 1-1. We’ve seen that before, haven’t we?
Eleven minutes after the restart, we had a chance to put ourselves back in front, when Jovanovic brought Chamakh down in the area, earning a red for his troubles. Arshavin squandered the penalty, firing it too straight and too close to Stojkovic, who saved with his legs. I know that one great game does not a world-class keeper make (more on that in a minute) but I felt that Stojkovic did very, very well tonight. Arshavin may not have converted the penalty, but the damage was done with Partizan a man down. There was a sense of inevitability looming, and the second goal arrived on 71, when Chamakh cleaned up after Stojkovic had tipped his header onto the bar. Another header – this from Squillaci eleven minutes later – gave us a two goal cushion. Being that we are Arsenal, we had to make it hard for ourselves. Barely two minutes later, Gibbs brought Stevanovic down in the area for another Partizan penalty. This time, Fabianski made amends with a fine stop to deny Cleo; Fabianski did even better in stoppage time, denying Iliev with an excellent save from open play. And so it finished, Partizan 1, Arsenal 3. We defended poorly enough to where Partizan had great chances not just to equalize, but actually win. Two games with defensive displays like this is a definite cause for concern – I think our defensive personnel are better than before and I consider the stories that Arsene does not have the team practice defending absolute myths – nevertheless, these two performances look worryingly like last season.
Step forward Lukasz Fabianski – as the headline says, “Credit where credit is due”. I will admit to not being Fabianski’s number one fan, but he had an excellent game today. I thought he was sharp, alert, assertive, and ready for whatever came his way. He looked a completely different player from the wreck who was shoved around at Ewood last May. Ah, but…What goes for Stojkovic goes for Fabianski: “one great game does not a world-class keeper make”. I give Fabianski a ton of credit for holding his nerve and preserving the win, in an intimidating atmosphere against a tough team. He did this in spite of a defense that started and finished as poorly as what Almunia had to suffer on Saturday. He did this in spite of almost certainly hearing the collective groan that went up from the Arsenal Nation when Arsene announced that Fabianski would start tonight. Well done, indeed!
Our problem is: what will this count for if he reverts to form against Chelsea on Sunday? Goalkeeper is a confidence position – for our first and second choice, it is a confidence burden. Mistakes seem to stay with and Al and Fabianski longer than other keepers I have seen. Perhaps Fabianski really is turning the proverbial corner – I need more evidence than tonight, to subscribe to that theory.
Like it or not, I think Fabianski is our first choice for the near term – and I am not sure Almunia will supplant him when he is fit again. During the summer, I thought that all the goalkeeper speculation and (non) moves suggested that Arsene wanted to cut Al loose, not Fabianski. I still think that is the case – I think his injury may well be legit, but I also think that Arsene has been waiting for an opportunity to move Fabianski up. He has it now, and Arsene is predictably calling tonight’s performance and result vindication. I do not see it quite the same – until Fabianski proves me wrong with a measure of consistent excellence, I see tonight as the aberration. There are simply too many recent memories of bad performances for me to jump on the bandwagon. This is where we are right now: Fabianski gets another chance to prove the rest of us wrong, and we just hope it does not cost us dear. Whatever happens Sunday at Stamford Bridge, count on one of two things: we win and Arsene continues to heap praise on Fabianski; or we lose and Fabianski “had a solid game”. Arsene has traveled too far down this road to change his tune now.
Written by oliver
Morning all –
Thanks oliver for the match report, sums it up perfectly.
I am also far from being convinced by a one off display but if Fabiasnki plays like that until Christmas then maybe I will re-think.
Did I see Little Jack giving the ref what for last night, having had one of many decisions go against him the camera did a close up on our little man, ‘ref you F*****G S**T’ he said…
Mind you – he was right….
Didn’t think much of Chamakh’s antics for the penalty and sending off….
I think it will be suicide to have Fabianski as our number 1. He wasn’t excellent last night, he was good yes but there was no need to come so far off his line (on two occasions when the defender could take care of it. Even Sagna gave him a look. I think AL is still the better of the two.
We need like 5 consistent perofrmances to even think of joining that band wagon. They ought to be 5 tough games starting with the bridge.
The chance is his to screw up.
Hey y’all hows it going?
I agree with the post, I’m more than happy we won, Arshy, Chakakan and Squiggily-didly all getting on the score sheet. I’m also happy for Flappy Hanski for having a positively memorable even (a 1st in so many games? Dvd on the way shortly)but till he does so consistently,I am still of the view that he aint the right man for the job.
Hi cassius and brian…
Just the five brian, even that wouldn’t convince me…
cassius, wenger has yet to confirm who will play on sunday, if almunia is fit i’m sure he will start… that of course is assuming he hasn’t been dropped…
however, either will struggle against drogba and co unless they perform miracles…
Hi T-buzz, oliver is right, its far too early to jump on any ‘fabianski is world class’ bandwagon, the wagon i want to see is the one carrying both him and almunia to the airport 😉
Morning all.i have always rated fabianski;all he needed was confidence.i was so happy for him as he shouted his lungs out after saving the pen as you could see it meant the world to him.i said he had superb reflexes yesterday and he didn’t disappoint.lets hope this is his turning point.
Perspective: Chelsea lost two games in 5 days! Arsenal won 1 and lost 1. Liverpool lost 1 and drew 1. Man United won 1 and drew 1. I dont see where this ‘Arsenal in crisis’ is coming from. Football is a sport and no one is guaranteed to win every game or expected to always perform at ‘perfect’ levels. Surely no one knows what the next game will be like because every game has its own dynamics. If it were possible to know how results will pan out; where exactly would be the enjoyment? Now that Chelsea has lost two games in a row who out there can guarantee that Chelsea wont lose anymore games or not go unbeaten from this point in time?
Morning KTR7, if its only confidence he needs then last night will have done him the world of good – i still don’t rate him though 🙁
Morning Rico, and well written Oliver, a good summing up. 🙂
There were at least three positives coming out of the game, apart from the brilliant result, forecast by you know who! 🙂
Djourou, after a slightly shaky start, went on to win every ball in the air. Ah the benefits of height!
Gibbs showed great concentration and proved he is far better than nervy Clichy.
Flappy has started the long road to re-establishing himself as a good GK, with a v. assured performance. I know most will still want to hold back from praising him until he does it week in and week out, and understandably so. We are quick to criticise so we should not knock someone when they are doing their best to respond.
We need to give the team and Flappy a break.
Madrid were very very poor!it was unbelievable what Mourinho has done to the goal machine Pellegrini had created.CR7 looked hopeless out there which wasn’t helped by the fact madrid started with 3 dms…Suarez was devastating for Ajax in their 1 all draw.he even managed to nutmeg the great nesta to assist for the first goal but ibra scored again.Flamini looked like an accident waiting to happen and was duly subbed early in the 2nd half.
Rico as a level 7 referee myslef I think strikers need to go down to achieve a penalty its a shame but thats the way I see it. the player made contact with Chamakh and it was a foul the player was last man back so its a red card. If Chamakh didnt go down he wouldnt of got the penalty and the player would be still playing I think the ref got it right
Hi RA, it could be a very long road for Fabianski, but yes he has taken his first baby steps and he can do no more until Sunday… 😉
1-0 wasn’t it KT, last gasp goal? As for Flamini, it’s karma….
Hi Briggsy, it was his theatrics after the foul, i don’t like seeing that, some refs would see that as a dive and give him the red, imagine if Atwell had been in charge 😉
Rico i can understand where you’re coming from but i hope he had a gomes-esque transformation since i personally have always know there is a good GK in him somewhere.AA was devastating last night as he took more responsibility.he has 5 goals now and so many assists.he is DECISIVE;magic in the final third.lets hope he shows up at the Bridge.
I am with Briggsy on the Chamakh penalty.
O.K. he did make a meal of it by arching his back and flinging out his arms, a la Drogba. The fact is he was fouled, and if he had stayed on his feet, he may or may not have been given a penalty.
Theo has often kept his balance and stayed on his feet in similar circumstances and got bugger all! I have often yelled to Theo (well to myself really) go down, go down. He doesn’t, he gets nothing and I then feel cross with him.
Yes rico it was di maria who scored after coming off the bench.Chavs didn’t cover themselves in glory either.they were poor especially in the 2nd half but i must say i hope sagna is at the top of his game since malouda is now their ‘fabregas’.mark him out with lampard missing we have a chance since drogba’s supply line will be diminished.we’ll also have to track essien to prevent him from releasing those cannons he is capable of.
Time will tell KT, I hope you are right…
RA, I understand what Briggsy is saying, we just don’t need all that stuff, we used to slate CR7 for doing that, I would hate if Chamakh played that way…
essien and malouda worry me too, and of course drogba who always seems to score against us… i think all of ours will need to be on fire, not just sagna 😉
fabianski did very little last night – i don’t understand the praise he’s getting. he had two tame penalties, one he guessed wrong, the other he guessed right. that’s what you expect from 50:50 odds. oh yes and he made a reflax save from a weak shot straight at at him at the end. big deal.
meanwhile he unsettled the defence twice by racing out of his area unneccessarily.
he will be a disaster against chelsea. i have zero faith in him.
I didnt give a penalty sunday due to a player not going down he stayed on his feet shot and keeper saved, I can not give a penalty after he has had a shot at goal due to thats a secent advantage. I told the playern he would of got the penalty if he didnt get away and had the shot. maybe we should blow straight away when contact is made but say if I did he blow he scored as I blowed then they miss the penalty? who gets chatised?
*Decent
mangetout – good to see you here
i thought he did pretty well in all honesty, couldn’t have been easy going into this game, but saying that, i dread seeing him in goal on sunday but then i dread seeing almunia between the sticks too…
Briggsy, its not the fact that he went down, it was a foul, but its the way he went over like he had been shot – the ref made the right decision, we just don’t want our players to get the kind of label that gerrard, rooney, drogba etc get, do we…
Chamakh is hard working and I personally think the penalty was legit though I understand where Rico is coming from as it was the manner at which he fell. It’s not an easy subject cos one often wonders, how do you fall in such a situation; your hands up in the air like Drogba/Ronaldo or like youre about to jump in the swimming pool like Bobby Pires and Klinsmann?
Denilson needs to come out and explain what the f*** he was doing by giving away a penalty. Brainless act.
Wilshere is also coming along nicely.two backheel assists in two CL games is no joke for an 18 year old.
T-buzz, just fall over 🙂 🙂
Look at the way Stevie meeeeee goes over, its hideous, Chamakh is playing well, especially as its his first season, just don’t want him picking up the ‘diver’ label – even though it was never a dive in a million years….
fa, apart from that i though denilson played ok… but gibbs also gave one away?
I think the solution to this “diving” issue is to recognise that most players do it, as they want to ensure the referee has a clear decision to make, as Briggsy says.
So, recognising that, I think we should adjust the rules and give marks for the artistic interpretation of the player, and if he scores enough points give him TWO penalties. If his dive is crap and he gets low scores don’t give him any penalty. Seemples! 🙂
just hope wenger doesn’t over play him KT, its the internation break after the chav game, so hopefully he’ll get a bit of a rest…
I’m surprised no one has highlighted this but song was shocking!i don’t know if he thinks he is the new maradona or what but he is going up so often trying eye through the needle pass all the time.at the bridge he needs to stay back and let the AM do the attacking.
we all know they all do it RA, just don’t want it to bite us on the bum, you know how refs love to ‘pick’ on us, and the media…
Fa,
If it was a brainless act, what is there to explain.
If he came out and had to explain his act was brainless or stupid or justified, what do you think he would say?
Song and Denilson do not go together……
Rico i bet you now wilshere will get an England call up.
Was it me or was Wenger trying to dispute Denilson’s hand ball with the 4th official? He kept flapping his hand in disgust like Mr Bean on the touchline….
Denilsong? 🙂
I understand what you mean Rico.
KT, I was dismayed at Song’s performance but did not want to spoil the feel good responses this morning.
But now you have done it, I totally agree with you. Song kept losing possession and he lost the ball which resulted in the move where Dopey Drawers gave away the penalty.
Song and Denilson were like book ends, two plonkeers at the beginning and end! 🙂
I hope not KT, he needs a rest – its only a friendly ins’t it?
T-buzz, i am surprised he could see it, he doesn’t usually 😉
Song misses Cesc, you watch him change his ways on Sunday…. if cesc is fit of course….
Song needs Cesc, Nasri or Ramsey alongside him, then he knows his own role….
I hope thats the case rico since we’ll need him to track essien who is in the zone right now.Big Jack Wilshere is going to be an Arsenal legend.the awareness he has showed in his two backheel assists aren’t taught anywhere,he was born with it.he is a one off player!
It could be Wenger plays Dennilson hoping that Song will start to be more affective up and down the pitch, but that won’t ever work imho as he’s not quick enough.
He’s needs to be left alone to play to play the defensive role, unless of course we are winning by a huge margin, then everyone wants to go forward 😉
KTR7, Song will be fine, essien won’t know whats hit him 😉
wish essien played for us though…. he has to be the best in his position right now…
Stuff to get done while the rain holds off, back in an hour or so….
Essien, Malouda and Drogba. If we can take them out then we have a chance.
Rico
If he makes five CONSISTENT performances and not five the whole season, then I might think twice. He needs to have a blinder at the bridge and be difference in us winning then he will announce his arrival between the sticks to the world.
Chamakh has been really effective for us.that goal he scored is very rare for us.he will have to occupy both Alex and Terry on Sunday.
brian, i am judging him on last night, he did well enough, but like you say, he needs to do that week in week out now, if he continues as the first choice…
TV is out for Sunday’s game…. 🙁
morning all…rico, thanks for using my offering today.
emmanuel, i am not sure how you take an “arsenal in crisis” tone from the above. one loss since the start of the season certainly does not constitute a crisis. but if you move from the actual results, we do have some problems – defense seems to have lost its collective confidence. goalkeeping is still in the spotlight, thanks to incidents in the spuds and baggies fixtures, and we have a very difficult game on sunday. if we lose, chelsea starts to pull away from us a bit. still early, and not necessarily a reason to panic, but we do not want to put ourselves in a sitution were chelsea and/or united open a gap up on us.
we are certainly not in crisis, but i think it is quite evident that we have some problems we need to sort through…
morning oliver, trust me, it was my pleasure, i thought you were spot on in what you have said. we all wanted fabianksi to step up, last night he did, long may it remain too. also, i agree, one good display doesn’t make him world class, no doubt if he puts a shift in like he did last night again we can come away fro SB with something….
Hope Tv along with theo and rvp recover over the international break.
what worries me more KT is cesc comes back for the chavs, then goes off on with spain and breaks down again….
three points against the chavs is important but not at the expense of losing cesc….
right now, i am just as worried about our defence, as i am about the goalkeeping spot. arsene has bascially forced himself to play fabianski – the only way he will lose his spot will be through blunders, almost certainly at the expense of points. so we basically have to support him.
as much as i hate to, i can easily envision a scenario where fabianski has a good game on sunday, but mistakes in other areas of the pitch sink us…i hope that does not materialize.
djourou worries me big time oliver, heaven forbid kos or squilli get an injury…
playing the chavs is a different ball game to sunderland, wba and last night, complacency has played a part in two i think…
they will be up for the sunday derby….
Sagna or Eboue on Sunday
Clichy or Gibbs??
KT, re your earlier about Chamakh, i like him too, we just have to convince Erick 😉
Sagna + Gibbs.
Sell Clichy; Sell Eboue! 🙂
Wow, RA, that’s unlike you 😉
morning ra. i like eboue, i think he is a valuable squad player. agag will not necessarily like this, but i think clichy has had his run. yes, gibbs gave a penalty away last night, but that is part of his eduction. until he becomes consistently error-prone, i think he is a better option than clichy.
eboue is not a winger – i kinda wish arsene had asked my opinion before picking saturday’s team. nevertheless, i think he is good cover, and a good guy to have in the squad.
Sorry Eboue over Sagna for me I’ve noticed several times Sagna’s reluctance to get back and defend once an attack breaks down. I watched him against West brom on the half way line whilst West Brom was attacking with his hand on his hips sorry but your a defender do your bloody job
i agree with briggsy, i thought sagna had quite a poor game against the baggies – both full-backs were poor, in fact.
Briggsy, I’m with you, just for this game I would play Eboue (i think) But, I would only ever play him at RB, he is not and never will be a winger …
will someone disagree with me I want a fight 😉
Briggsy, good to see you come back by the way, we get a few who just leave a comment then never see them again. Hope you stick around, we are a nice and friendly little site 🙂
Spooky Briggsy, we do often disagree here, we just never get the gloves out 😉 😉
well its getting a bit chilly fiver says Arshavin will have gloves on Sunday
Ha ha Briggsy, he will need to…
when AA is firing, he can destroy any team, i hope for an ‘anfield’ kind of display, the one where he scored 4 i mean 😉
oliver, re your 1.07, he could ask you, but any asnwer you give him would fall on very deaf ears…
rico, i doubt he would bother.
thats his problem oliver, he doesn’t listen to anyone i think…..
I will try and stick around but I tend to post more on an Arsenal forum
Look guys,
I was responding to the question of which of the 4 to play.
I would only keep Gibbs if I was manager.
The other three are dross. Sagna and Clichy are just not good enough, but Eboue? What actually is the point of Eboue? Can’t tackle, has no idea of defensive strategy and runs around like a headless chicken, while diving like there is no tomorrow. CR7 has met his match!
How’s that?
Sorry did i miss out that he can’t cross, can’t pass or engage brain.
Other than that he is O.K.
Sagna is the worse crosser the game has ever seen
No worries Briggsy, pop back anytime you like, we always here 🙂
RA, Eboue is one of our better crossers….. well compared to sagna and clichy..
Cross eyed do you mean?
Briggsy,
Can’t argue with that.
RA, no, Eboue puts in good crosses, sagna and clichy don’t…
I think all our fullbacks are vampires
If anyone gets to watch valencia vs mancs keep an eye on j.Alba and Ever Banega;two very good players.i know most of you already know of juan Mata.
Briggsy, you really do want a fight don’t you 😉 😉
Sadly KT I have never heard of Juan Mata, is he any relation to Wats de Mata? 🙂
Who’s looking for a fight?
look at my name its was always Briggsy the bully in the beano etc lol
Briggsy if you want a fight just say denilson is an excellent player and wait for the backlash…
RA I thought mata is well known by now or is it just me?
Who is Denilson? I only know a mixed raced chap called Dean Nelson who claims to be brazilan
put em up 🙂
Where have you all gone?
Rico i know i am v slow today but i am trying to remember how to touch type again.
i have been using two fingers for two long and now i am trying to do things properly. 🙂
i need it for the new work i am about to do. it’s painfull, but it is coming back slowly, oh so slowly. 🙂
just as well you cannot hear the swearing! 🙂
KT,
about earlier, i was joking, “what’s the matter” = “Watts de Mata”. Geddit? 🙂
Sorry.
Does anyone else on here touch type or are you all two finger merchants? 🙂
I’m here KT, just busy busy too 🙁
have a go, and type;
eighty puppies ate the squishy supper superbly.
no cheating! 🙂
RA, toucn tpiyist me – but badly 😉
Sorry Rico,
no more typing comments from me. i was only looking for the sympathy vote. 🙂
BTW,
i bet you are a v good typy touchist!! 🙂
Did some1 said Jessica Alba will play against the Mancs
I am so watching the game then 😀
Steff you are as bad as KT, who is Jessica Alba. Does she know Juan Mata.
I suspect I have blown any street cred I might have had! 🙂
Hi Stef, pleased with last nights game?
Hi Rico I am pleased we win it wasn’t perfect performance.
Arshavin and K-TR7 😀 needs to practice penalty shot.
I don’t understand how can a great player take penalty like that.
Fabianski wasn’t the MOTM at all he had couple blunders managed 2 saves, at least he wasn’t at his worst it could of been 3-3.
RA really 😕
Stef,
I think she might be another plastic American actress.
I saw the factory they make them in when I lived in LA briefly. They are known as “Barbie Dolls”! 🙂
afternoon all….
RA, the difference is she isn’t plastic all natural 😉
listen that Alba I defended you 😀
Watched the interview after the game and people over exaggerate about Wenger, he said Fabianski had a good game, he didn’t said excellent or world class.
Stef, not a great place to go though and at least we did what was needed 🙂
jack would have to my MOTM again, i think Fabianski got it as everyone was in shock 😉
Hi Oliver,
Despite a good win for the Yankees, it looks like the Rays have got it.
You are right Stef, Flappy isn’t world Class and Arsene did not say so. But credit where it is due, he did not let the team down, although many thought he would.
Didn’t you RA??
No, Rico.
If he plays for the gunners I haven’t and never will pre-judge any player. 🙂
Plenty of others will do that! 🙂
Come on rico it’s rude to point fingers 😀
RA – You must be the only Arsenal fan who thought that yesterday 😉
i totally expected him to have a nightmare, that’s because recently that is what he has done. There was nothing from that game against Spurs that lead me to believe that he had improved….
Stef 😆
About the Belgrade trip some of the Arsenal fans from Macedonia that traveled to see the, game report that they had a police van `support` from the border to the stadium.
probably for their own protection Stef…
I know `gravediggers` aren’t exactly the sweetest fans out there 🙂
My point was Serbian government did some measures not to repeat the previous incidents.
😳 sorry stef….
I am surprised that you are surprised about me, Rico. 🙂
Me too RA, and there was me thinking i was getting to know you, silly me, eh 😉
Fair minded, supportive, non-judgemental, doesn’t sound like me, you mean? Maybe. 🙂
that sounds nothing like you RA.. 😉
Well on that note, I will love and leave you. 🙂
Have a good evening RA….
Guys and Gals, I’m off for the day too, see you tomorrow some time
Night all, stay safe 🙂
night all, sweet dreams
Morning all,
Neww post up