Morning all.
The Carabao Cup might not be at the top of the priorities list for Unai Emery, perhaps not the fans either although the chants of ‘Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal….. one could hear above the Anfield crowd just before kickoff would suggest otherwise, a victory would have done us the world of good. It should have been a victory too.
I kind of felt sorry for Mustafi when he gifted the home team their lead but if he will go to ground instead of staying on his feet and watching the ball, things like that can happen. Even so, from trailing 1-0 we raced into a 3-1 lead thanks to Torreira and Martinelli and the absence of VAR. Marriner waved away the claims for a penalty when Bellerin could so easily have been penalised for handball but within seconds, his whistle blew and he pointed to the spot. Martinelli was adjudged to have caught the ankle of Elliot. 2-3 going into the break.
2-4 soon after the break when Milner played a short back-pass to young Kelleher in the Liverpool goal. Maitland-Niles was on it in a flash but his first touch took him wide. Ozil, who’d more than justified his starting place, showed his class with an amazing little back pass to not only keep the ball in play but put in on a plate for AMN to score. Ozil will earn great praise for his skills and rightly so but AMN was smart too for getting into the right place to finish.
Two quality goals from the home team levelled the score at 4-4, the stand out being from the boot of Oxlade-Chamberlain, the second wasn’t bad either from Origi. Question marks over our defending in the buildup but then when isn’t there?
The best strike of the night though restored our lead. Joe Willock took control of the ball, went at the Liverpool defence before unleashing a top corner bound strike which was stunning. All we had to do was hold on for a few minutes and the game was won. We didn’t and subsequently lost on penalties.
A great game of football for the neutrals, it really was but for both sides, it was a combination of brilliance and errors. I’m still wondering why Mesut Ozil was substituted and why Ceballos was the guy to replace Torreira.
Alan Smith said in commentary: “When you see Ozil in this kind of form, it does make Emery’s decision to leave him out look like a strange one. He is making the team tick and has shown fantastic vision.”
Whilst I’m not underplaying the impact Mesut Ozil had on the game and how substituting him played into Liverpool’s hands, we weren’t playing their first team. Let’s see our German maestro dictate a game against a tougher opposition before getting overly excited about his return. What I would say though is surely he did enough to deserve the chance to do so? If Granit Xhaka can be our captain because he’s well respected by the players, why can’t the same luxury be afforded to Mesut Ozil. After all, his teammates love him don’t they?
I thought there were plenty of positives to be be taken from the game. Martinelli really should have bagged his first Arsenal hat trick but having scored two, it’s be really harsh to single him out for criticism. He’s going to be a great player if he carries on as he is. AMN had a good game too, certainly on the attacking side of his game and Ozil of course, he did ok didn’t he? Lol
Five goals at Anfield should be enough to win the game. Five goals against any opposition should be enough to walk away victorious but the defensive side to our game yet again proved otherwise. Even Martinez had a stinker last night. Holding and Bellerin might be forgiven because of their previous time out through injury but even so, their mistakes can’t be ignored any more or less than Mustafi’s. Same for AMN, Ceballos, Kolasinac and Saka who all could have done more to prevent Liverpool from scoring as many goals as they did. Every player could have done more to ensure we hung on to that 5-4 lead with just minutes left on the clock.
But this is us under Unai Emery – a disorganised defensive chaos and yet again, it’s cost us a victory.
Just written and posted this on yesterday’s blog. Still seems relevant.
Agreed Kev. Emery is walking the title rope of employment, imo.
His behaviour on the touch line is detached, he’s looking at the game but it all seems to be passing him by. He seems thoughtful but I don’t think there’s much going on upstairs. The substitutions seem pre arranged in his head and nothing will alter his ‘game plan’ ! The choice of who he hooks is most likely personality based. It may be a bit of spiteful revenge. If he has lost the dressing room then hooking those individuals he considers responsible for his loss of face/power/control off field, he is getting his way on the field of play demonstrating to all the players that ‘he is in control’, when in actual fact he is not!
If all of that makes sense.
In any event I did enjoy the game despite the loss and the countless simple passing errors, poor defending and lack of any real plan but, an end to end bonanza!
Morning all. Cold, crisp and sunny here, a nice day.
Morning Wavy, all again.
Has Emery been relieved of his duties yet?
Our next three matches are tricky I think. A defeat in all three with an anticipated spanking at Leicester, he won’t survive surely.
Thanks for the post Rico.
Wavy, he’s been there before a few times hasn’t he, on the cusp of the sack, so I guess he must know the signs. A vote of confidence from Josh wasn’t great news was it, why did he need to even mention it at all?
Rico, if we fail to beat Wolves this weekend then the alarm bells will go off.
KSE don’t panic, they take their time over things but the empty seats is the catalyst to me.
Another crowd of around 45,000/50,000 or less and the ballon might go up…
Wolves aren’t a massive draw and if it’s a bit cold a few thousand fans might give it a miss?
‘morning all.
Never mind the result, what a game of football. Goals galore and myriads of mistakes.
The stand out player for me was Mustafi, the epitome of poor defending. An own goal, I’m practically certain that he ducked out of the way of The Ox’s shot and plenty of panicky attempts at clearances. Is he the clumsiest Arsenal centre back since Ian Ure?
A tough night for both ‘keepers picking the ball out of the back of the net nineteen between them. The one redeeming feature for Martinez was that he didn’t slavishly follow the idiotic trend of always playing out from the back.
I expect Willock to be disciplined, one just doesn’t go storming up-field and hit a screamer into the top corner from thirty yards, that’s certainly not in the Emery playbook.
Not the best result for us, but that’s football for you. 😉
They certainly should be Kev although they should be already. I think judging how the kroenke family will react is difficult because when they took over, not only was their ownership shared but they had Wenger to deal with and that was tough no doubt.
It’s their club now, their money Emery is playing with, their sole responsibility.
They might react quicker than we expect..
Hi Rico and all, thanks for the post.
Well I’ve already had a bit of a moan on the last post, but why stop there?
Our defending is atrocious, I think we all agree. But when I watch the team and especially last night I do think we have too many gutless players.
Martinelli and Tierney would run and tackle if their feet were bleeding, but very few others will go in for a tackle, apart from defenders.
They trot back to look like they are making an effort, but never put a foot in.
If you watched the Liverpool lads, all of them were willing to get stuck in.
The ease in which teams run through us is embarrassing. There is no doubt that we are a soft touch.
Hi Mike.
I don’t think they’re being drilled to defend which i know sounds daft as it should come naturally as a footballer but some, they need reminding.
Liverpool are blessed when they play us they always get late equalisers and penalties . Plus I am so sick of our panicky guttless poor defending in the last 12 or so years Emery has made it worse imo.Get rid.Crap manager.
Our defending is so bad when we were 4 – 2
Up you knew we would not win.when it was 5 – 4 you knew we would not win same as against palace 2-1 you we would nor win.. Emery defensibe game is non existant.He is so f–ing poor. Make Freddie manager with Keown as coach that would sort a lot of things out imo.
I’m all for Freddie too Stevey and good shout re Keown, or some one with his defensive knowhow.
Unless the mourinho rumours are true, he should be able to get us defending a lot better than we are.
I’m sure you’re right Rico, Maybe we do need to employ Sam Alladyce in our training camp to show us some back bone and defensive drills. His teams were boring , but they could all defend a lead.
After so many years of crap defending, surely now we must see it’s down to our training / managing. Steve Bould was a great player but maybe he is not a great tutor.
I’m not convinced Bould ever coached Mike. One of the first things he said after returning to the under 23’s was something like how glad and happy he was to be back coaching…
Oh sorry , I thought he was our defensive coach even under Wenger. He blimmin’ well should be then ! lol
Something has to change though Rico.
I think many of us assumed he was the defensive coach Mike, I know I did…
Shh! whisper it quietly, we may yet get a quarter final place in the Carabao Cup. Liverpool have said that unless an alternative date can be found that does not clash with the FIFA World Club Cup they will not be able to play their fixture against Aston Villa. The Quarter Final place could go to Villa by default, or be handed to Arsenal.
Afternoon everyone, good comments one and all.
Only watched the game from 3-1 up and by the time we arrived at 5-4 with extra time I had this deep seated feeling that we would conspire to allow Liverpool back into the game because it’s in our DNA, with a manager that persists with individuals who have patently shown they are not up to the job. Captaincy? Xhaka? “are you serious” ?
Xhaka, according to all the reports is liked and loved by his team-mates because he’s a likeable guy. And why not? But, that’s not what this is all about, is it? We’re talking leadership, ability, tactical awareness and, very few mistakes, which are all in short supply with him. Gary Neville is absolutely right and we the fans (well, some of the fans that vocalise on this page) on HH, would rather he was elsewhere. Mustafi can join him too.
I don’t do Facebook, Twitter or any of these other Social Media outlets (apart from WhatsApp) and those sportsmen and women who do, are open to abuse so perhaps they should take more care. I find a lot of the abuse (nazi salutes, references to the players background etc) is reprehensible and those that are responsible should be singled out on Matchday and be banned for life from gaining entrance to the grounds.
Most of the comments on UE are, I think, spot on – he looks a worried, nervous man whose team choices and tactics are not working, and wondering if he’ll still have a job in January?
YEP Andorrabyte, that horrible knowing deep seated feeling that we were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! (i stole that from someone)
I think you can organize really ordinary players to defend, but Arsenal obviously can’t. Are the players stupid? are they listening or can they understand Emery? Who Knows, but as you say , it’s not working so it could well be time for someone else to have a go.
We are the experts at losing from a winning position. At 4-2 I thought we’d need two more at least..
Three injuries picked up according to NN.
Cicero, I’m sure a date will be sorted for Liverpool.
I know Rico. 4-2 and WE ALL knew that we would need more goals to win… If it wasn’t so depressing it would be laughable.
How many games is that now this season that we have blown a 2 goal advantage ?
I thought Kolasinac looked injured , but two more ?
Not sure Mike, I just saw the headline. Tierney took a knock though, Willock could be the other one.
We’re all depressed Mike. What I’d have liked to have seen, when we were 5-4 up from that fabulous goal from Willock, was a quick huddle with Xhaka in the middle, telling the team that it was ESSENTIAL they didn’t leak another goal to Liverpool and, concentrated on DEFENDING.
Sorry, I got carried away there…..lol
You did Andorra as Xhaka wasn’t out there… 😆
Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has given an explanation of why he gestured towards fans and swore at them, after he was jeered as he was substituted during their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
In a statement on Arsenal’s official Twitter page, he revealed he and his family have been targeted on social media.
“After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than a quick response”
“The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply. I love this club and will always give 100 per cent on and off the pitch.
“My feeling of not being understood my fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply.
“People have said things like “we will break your legs”, ‘kill your wife’ and ‘wish that your daughter gets cancer’.
“That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday.
“In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that supports our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That is not my intention and I’m sorry if that’s what people thought.
“My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let’s move forward positively together.
“Granit.”
Rico, as stated previously, I reckon I’d have reacted a hell of a lot worse than Xhaka did, and this rubbish that he should hold it in because he’s the captain is just that, rubbish.
He’s a man, husband and father before he’s a footballer or captain.
This was clearly a build up of frustration and never merely a response to being subbed.
Not one person here could say with any certainty they wouldn’t have blown up.
Opinions on his ability to play or lead aside and surely nobody would lack at least a little sympathy for the man.
With all that has gone on Scott, I’m surprised Emery didn’t take him out of the firing line. Maybe something could have been said by the club before it blew up…
Very true, Rico.
The club, Emery, fans and Xhaka all player their parts here.
There’s still a part of me which thinks if he’d left the pitch a bit quicker, the jeering wouldn’t have started.
I agree, Rico, but with this build up of abuse he’s copped, there’s no way his head would be in the right place, imo.
Anyway, hopefully fans back off a bit, and Emery takes some pressure off the man.
I think you’re wishing for a lot Scott. Lol
Really hard situation this. Everybody has a breaking point and obviously Xhaka had reached his on Sunday.
He might even know that he’s been playing crap, but if Emery picks him he’s not going to say no is he,
Considering Arsenal is supposed to be a big family, I find it astonishing that the manager was unaware of all the rubbish Xhaka was taking.
I don’t think he can be captain anymore (i don’t think he’s good enough to get in the first team) But whatever , let him have a few weeks out of the limelight , sort himself out and go from there.
The more that I see happening at the club the less man management skills Emery seems to have.
After reading Granit’s statement I can easily understand his response. People who are responsible for saying those awful things about him and his family are sick pieces of shit in my opinion. They bring shame on the club and I hope they find that there’s a price to pay for their disgusting behaviour.
Totally agree Adam , these people are a disgrace to humanity.
Cowardly Scum that I’m afraid are multiplying.
Arsenal Women show how it should be done in the WCL, second leg Arsenal 8 – 0 Slavia Prague. Arsenal win 13 – 2 on aggregate.
Goodnight Gooners, everywhere.
Why over complicate things, Granit is one booking away from a suspension, play him this weekend against Wolves & let him do what he does best, factor in the International break and we won’t see him again until December, I’m a very big advocate of mental well being in the work place & I don’t say that lightly.
New post up now