Morning all.
When Sokratis Papastathopoulos opened the scoring within the first five minutes of the game, I thought we’d go on to dominate the game and win at a canter but it didn’t quite go that way. Qarabag were a poor side but even so, they gave it a go and we let them roll right through. They created chances some after a tidy passage of play, others were of our own making. We looked all at sea at certain times, especially in the first half. The second half was marginally better but even so, mistakes were being made.
But, as I kept telling myself, this was a mix and match team which included players who really haven’t had much time on the pitch together. In training yes, but transferring that into a game takes time.
Later in the evening I watched quite a bit of the Chelsea match and like us, they were up against a team they were expected to beat with ease. Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to a goal late in the game and they needed to bring on Hazard to ensure the got the right result. Videoton, a team from Hungary created enough chances to have got something from the game, mind you, Chelsea did too and more.
i guess my point is that not always is a game as easy as it looks on paper and both London clubs proved that yesterday but the most important thing was the result. Our next Europa fixture is against Sporting Lisbon, they’re much better and we’ll need to be a lot more concentrated and organised if we’re to keep our winning run in this competition going.
So back to our match and what a great night it was for a few. Bernd Leno kept another clean sheet and there was a first goal for the club from three of our players. Sokratis, Smith-Rowe and finally, Guendouzi.
The first goal came from a corner. Elneny put the ball into the box and at first I thought it’d clear everyone but up jumped Monreal to head the ball towards goal and Sokratis guided it into the net with his chest I think.
We had to wait until the second half for goal number two. Smith-Rowe had had a chance to get off the mark earlier in the game but he just couldn’t get enough of his boot around the ball. It would have been a nice goal had he scored but his shot went into the side netting. Credit to him though for his determination to get there in the first place. We’ve seen a few Arsenal players in the past who possibly wouldn’t have even bothered trying. Another chance came though and this time he made no mistake. You could see how much it meant to him too.
It feels good to have got my first goal today, and the three points as well. It’s just a dream come true really!
I feel at home in this team. I train with them every day and everyone’s so welcoming. I’m just happy to [be here].
I actually thought he was struggling to begin with as he looked tired and not moving so well but overall, he did pretty well. He certainly has no fear and isn’t afraid to run with the ball.
Neither is Guendouzi, our final goalscorer and again the first for his club. Occasionally he tries to go by one player too many perhaps and loses the ball but otherwise I think he’s an exciting player to watch. He’s certainly a busy player. Another nice strike to make it 3-0.
Dont believe the stories about the Qarabag keeper being awful!
Game done and dusted with another victory despite not really playing that well. Certainly not as far as the defensive side of our performance goes.
But at least we’re winning and on the road too and that’s a good habit to have and hopefully, a hard one to break.
Finally, some more gossip:
Miguel Almiron, no, I’d never heard of him either, has a deal in place which will see him move to England according to his current clubs Darren Eales.
Eales told FOX Deportes USA via 90min: “Almirón’s future is already decided and will go to England in the European winter market.”
We’re just one of a number of clubs interested in the 24-year-old Paraguayan but it seems like he’s made up his mind on who his next club will be. The guys over at TeamTalk write that that club is Arsenal.
He’s got Sven Mislintat written all over him hasn’t he?
TGIF, enjoy it…
Morning Rico, nice post, I really enjoyed the game, maybe our midfield was a bit too open at times and the three at the back didn’t really go as well as we might have hoped but credit to Emery for being flexible enough to try it.
Lichtsteiner looks as if he needs more games, but that’s unlikely so he’s always going to look loose at time, but I like him.
Sokratis and Holding are developing a nice understanding, enjoyed the way they defend.
Morning Rico and all. Good write-up there.
I suppose we are working towards joined-up performances sometime later in the season but I see a lot of frustrating things happening like a lack of tackling and closing down. Where the famous Emery pressing game is I have no idea. I shall console myself with the fact that we are winning and hope that, when we meet the big boys, they bring the best out in us. We look a bit ‘bits ‘n pieces to me as far as overall performances go.
Morning Kev, Adam. Thank you.
Not sure if I can say I enjoyed the match, in fact at times I thought it was last season all over again. I’m with Adam re the bits and pieces view. There’s something lacking imo.
Watching Chelsea later in the evening in a similar kind of game as far as creating and taking opportunities goes, but the way they play is so much quicker than us, they press off the ball and everything seems to flow. I don’t think our game flows well at all.
I fear for us against Liverpool next month.
Morning everyone. Am I the only one who wanted to take Ozil off straight after he came on? He lost the ball right away, and didn’t bother to press the opposing player at all. He looked really uninterested. Even after the Gouendouzi scoring, he didn’t even bother to celebrate, or even look like he cared about the goal.. Put him on the bench for a couple of games, maybe that’ll wake him up…
Adk, I wish he’d go, I really do. Great player as he is, he doesn’t fit imo.
Chelsea and Liverpool have very attack minded managers.. Emery isn’t like that. He likes to control the games, with a very balanced style imo.. It’s giving us results at the moment, but it really is kinda dull…
Rico, tbh I would rather have a player like Payet than Ozil. He’s such a talented footballer, but seems so slow and uninterested.. Giving him 350K a week is insane.. Complacency much?
I’m not so sure. Didn’t Emery say he’d rather win 5-4 than 1-0? I think he likes to attack but hasn’t got the players to do so.
As would I Adk. He’s one of the most talented footballers but certainly the most lazy. If he didn’t play again this season, I wouldn’t miss him..
Well so far, we haven’t seen any of it.. I’m not sure if he hasn’t got the players.. But let’s see how the season develops.. I still don’t believe in a top four finish, but i’d be happy to be proven wrong..
That’s how I see it. He has square pegs at the moment, he needs more players with pace, wingers and something exciting in the team..
‘morning all,
“It’s giving us results at the moment, but it really is kinda dull…”.
Some people need to wake up and smell the coffee. We have a new manager, a few new players and a few who still cling to Wenger’s style and philosophy. It will take time to sort things out and repair the damage wrought by our previous manager, but eight wins on the trot should tell you something about the progress Emery is making.
Thanks for the post.
Weather here is too good to waste, off for a six miler this morning, laters.
Morning all. A very good summary of last night’s game. Thanks Rico.
I watched bits and pieces of the game and concluded that it was a bit of a bits and pieces kind og game. When breaking from the back we are quite exciting again. The goals were good the second and third were good old fashioned counter attacking goals. The sort we used to score with a gratifying regularity, Henry, Pires. Freddie et al. That aspect of our game is good and getting better. One memorable ball played out by Leno to Lacazette whose first touch was deep in an almost under ended Qarabag half, should have finished better, with a goal obviously! But didn’t.
As mentioned earlier, the speed with which we move the ball from player to player is painfully slow. The slick one two touch football seems long forgotten and rarely seen from our current teams. Our play is all too predictable, especially when we play out from the back. The players are cautious and slow, and revert more often than not to a tika taka formula which seems and usually is, ponderous and not very progressive.
Still, no matter how we play currently, there does seem to be some sort of improvement. At least, the results seem to suggest that we are on the up. After all winning is everything! Nobody remembers a loser, so………..is Dick taking us on the road to redemptions? I think maybe he is, but we are a very long way from being the finished article. But here’s hoping.
Dull, cloudy and cool here. Shame, still I expect the Cornish Riviera is in much the same ‘boat’😎
It is dull though Cicero, but I think most of here understand how difficult it must be for Emery. I’m more frustrated with some of the players than I am Emery but I’m hoping they’ll soon be gone.
Thanks Wavy, you’ve summed up my thoughts rather well there. Imo I think Emery will get there, I really do but as we all knew, it wasn’t going to be great overnight as you know who left a mess behind…
Sorry. It seems like I’ve contradicted myself re ,”breaking from the back”. The first reference should have read, “when we counter attack” etc etc
Morning all.
The future under Emery really is a mystery, but while the results are decent, we can at least hold on to the hope that things will get better.
I’d say if we were losing or drawing some of these games, most of us would be excusing the results by suggesting Emery is dealing with the Wenger hangover, so all things considered, I’d say he’s getting a pass mark, atm.
Long term though, who knows what will happen?
Very true Scott. I’ve just written my thoughts into a post for tomorrow so I’m saying no more.. 😉
Have to be careful what I say then , don’t want to usurp tomorrow’s missive .
In my humble opinion Emery is doing all that can be expected . I always said his contract is for two years with an extension should both parties want it. His target to get us back into the champions league.
Apart from his first two games where the odds were stacked heavily against him , he has bought a different attitude to the club. I remember reading that when he was at Sevilla he said that it was neccessary to get the fans onside , when he arrived that was not the case but it seems that the majority are now saying ” give the guy a chance “. and that is exactly what we need to do . So far so good in my opinion.
Well, we’re winning so he’s got to be getting something right.. 😉
And let’s be honest, we had chances in both of our opening games to get something from both games..
Evening all and thanks Rico.
All this winning whilst playing unconvincing is rather strange and imho we are going to get hammered sooner or later…………………probably the Bindipper game as you say Rico.
We could look at it in another way and think it`s just deserts for all the games we have controlled yet lost…………………ManU at home last season comes to mind with over 70% possession and more shots than John Wayne at the Alamo.
I`m a bit with Adam in where has Dicks so called pressing game gone ?
If we are to think that Dick needs time and a few transfer windows then let me remind you of our now only owners record in the money investment department………………………………..£0…………………………we have to compete with the EPL`s best ever team knowing that they will not sleep on their laurels and continue to invest money in the team even if they win every trophy in sight and then there`s their neighbours who will spend to rectify Moronho`s shambolic out of date style football when he gets sacked.
We will struggle whilst Kroenke is here for ever as it`s plain to see that Pep will spend more than us in one window where we are talking X amount of windows for Dick !
So in summary, we are fcuked unless Sven has some cheap gold nuggets hidden in his pants !……………which moves me on nicely to the weather………………………..think it must have been some kind of Guiness World Record attempt in St. Ives for the most populated town of Budie Smuggler wearers as I looked out of place wearing cargo shorts in the blazing sunshine………………………over to you Wavy and your Sherwood Forest thermal quilt wearing championships ! 😆
PS………………………..as I said previously, I`ll take these unconvincing wins all season long and reintroduce the name……….Lucky Arsenal……….or was it Lucky Old Arsenal ?…………………..my brains frazzled by the Cornish sun !
🙂
LC, I still hold Stan responsible for much that’s wrong, but we are stuck with him, and his ways, unfortunately.
Emery is up agains it, as will any manager be, when it comes to competing at the very top level but then, Stan doesn’t seem interested in that anyway, so top 4 will be the level of expectation from above.
I fear for us against Sporting in few weeks!.
Out of interest, does anyone know how much money the Liverpool owner has invested in the club? From his own pocket I mean…
Here’s the answer…
Net spend on players in each of the succeeding seven years after Fenway Group took over.
2011: Ins £109.95m Outs £79.1m Net spend £20.8m
2012: Ins £30.23m Outs £14.3m Net spend £15.93m
2013: Ins £65.3m Outs £28.7m Net spend £36.6m
2014: Ins £116.85m Outs £72.875m Net spend £43.975m
2015: Ins £88.5m Outs £76.02m Net spend £12.488m
2016: Ins £69m Outs £86.5m Net spend -£17.5m
2017: Ins £88.9m Outs £47.25m Net spend £41.65m
Total: Ins £568.73m Outs £404.745m
FSG net spend on players in seven years – £163.985m
Average per year – £23.426m
Doesn’t that prove that a club doesn’t have to spend hundreds and hundreds of millions of pounds to improve?
Rico, fair call, but they haven’t won anything so realistically, Citeh remain the benchmark, and their spending would tell a very different tale.
Morning Scott. That’s kind of moving the goalposts surely?
We’re talking about improving aren’t we, challenging the best and then one day hoping it all falls into place? Isn’t that what we all hope for first and foremost?
Well Liverpool are there imo, nearly won the champions league last season, beat City twice in the league and hard as it is to say, their football at times is as good if not better than City.
We can’t use City all the time just because it’s suits the Kroenke argument. In any case, who knows yet what he’ll do after becoming sole owner.
Another thing. People talk about City being the benchmark which I understand in terms of style of football etc, but even so, they’re not come even close to winning the champions league yet.
Yes they won the league at a canter last season but I doubt it’ll be as one sided this season. Not the way Chelsea and Liverpool are playing. But that 4th spot is very much up for grabs.
Last one I promise.
What exactly is wrong at Arsenal now? What is it that Stan Kroenke and KSE are doing wrong right now?
Hahahah-you’re on a roll 🙂
I meant as City are the dominant club atm,
They’re the benchmark, so to win titles,
Parts of what they’re doing must be replicated.
There are so many factors that come into player transfers and net spend.
For example, Buy a player cheap, sell him for 100 million and it makes the net spend look damn good-Suarez, Bale etc etc
On the other hand, pay good money for a player, let him run down his contract and lose him for bugger all as we have 🙂
Stan isn’t doing anything, really, so it’s hard to say he’s doing anything wrong lol
Seriously though, Leicester aside, clubs that have won the title recently have all spent a fortune, and Stan can talk all he likes about wanting us to win League titles, CL’s etc etc but he’s yet to really do anything to prove his aspirations match his mouth.
Time will tell if he does what’s required, but then, imo, having 11 players out on the pitch giving 100% will do me so that’s a starting point.
Morning Rico and all. The whole financial debate seems rather futile to me. We could have bought Hazzard and de Bruyne and even Salah when their prices were almost reasonable, but we didn’t. We could have sold Ramsey last season for £50 million apparently. But we didn’t. The lists go on and on.
Bloody power cuts!!
I just don’t buy into the theory Scott, no pun intended.
I think using money to hit Kroenke with is a poor excuse for Wenger’s failings in the transfer market, poor management of contracts etc etc.
Morning Adam. I’ve touched on that very subject today.
New post is up by the way…