Morning all.
What did we expect him to say, or rather, they expect? ‘I love not playing and much prefer to sit on the bench?’ Or ‘I’m so happy when the boss takes me off during a game because it means I can watch instead of working hard for the team?’ Seriously, I’m pleased to hear players say they could be happier if they played more because it shows they care about the job they get paid to do and more importantly, to help the team win. I’m talking about Alexandre Lacazette of course, one of the hardest working strikers we’ve had in recent years. In my opinion anyway. I also like what he said about Unai Emery, the tactics and working hard on the defensive side of the game. I’m sure our defending as a team has improved, but of course, there’s still work to be done. Just as there is in other areas of our game. Perhaps though this is near to the best this group of players can be? Perhaps as Unai Emery adds more players of his choice to the team/squad, the level of our game will go up a notch or two. That’s for the summer though.
Today we face Crystal Palace, one of a number of clubs who we’ve dropped points against away from home this season. We’d been on a winning run but two penalties awarded to Roy Hodgson’s team ensured the spoils were shared. Having gone behind late in the first half, Xhaka and then Aubameyang gave us a 2-1 lead. Xhaka went from being the hero with a stunning free kick to being the villain when he gave away the late penalty. Mustafi was guilty for the first. We came away with a point after a pretty dire performance. It’s been that way for most of our away fixtures. At The Emirates though we’ve been good, sometimes very very good and that’s what we need today in what is our penultimate home fixture.
No Ramsey today as he’s out for two or three weeks and no Sokratis either. They’ll be missed but we have Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Guendouzi or even Willock if Unai Emery opts to be bold but I doubt he will though, not with so much at stake. I guess Mustafi and Koscielny will be our two central defenders unless Mavropanos gets another start. Isn’t it refreshing though not really knowing who will definitely start? It’s easier to guess a few when everyone is fit but Emery isn’t afraid to mix things up, to rotate. To select who he believes to be right for the game on the day. Xhaka and Suarez are doubts too.
Wilfried Zaha. He’s a good player, of that there is no doubt but he’s also very lightweight. So much so that if any of our players breathe outwards with too much gusto, he’ll go over. Especially in the penalty area. Don’t give the officials a decision to make!
Winning this one is crucial. For momentum of course but also to keep our place in the top four. Right now it’s in our own hands where we finish the season. The Toots loss at The Etihad made sure of that.
We’ve had a great week so far with an unexpected yet much welcome three points and a clean sheet at Watford followed by a superb result together with a smart performance in Italy. But we need a perfect week and that means taking all three points again today.
Enjoy be game guys, see you in the comments….
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Morning, good report rico. Be nice to have a resounding victory to round off the week. Not liking fixtures after this one, so very important today. Just watched an interesting video interview with out performance director on Twitter. He said in training, the two most impressive players were Torreira (not unexpected) and Xhaka (more surprised!) Both make the most of every minute in training, gym etc and hate anyone going past them.
Morning Andrew, thanks. I’m not surprised by either. Xhaka doesn’t like losing I think, he’s just not the quickest or most talented but I think his ethics are there.
I’m more confident now than before re our away fixtures.
Morning Rico, from a very wet and windy, Costa Blanca – something to do with a “split jetstream” so London should be warm and dry? We got the short straw.
There’s the problem 1313, “hate anyone going past them”. How do you stop them? A rugby style grapple, miss the ball and take the legs away, grab the shirt………….all of which will land you with a yellow card. Smarter surely,as a defender, to ensure that whenever a ball is played towards your goal, you ALWAYS have some space between you and your opponent, It gives you just enough time to deal with the situation, especially if it’s Saha who is very quick and, he’s always going to be looking for a penalty. Players like Mustafi are brain dead because the ONE thing you should not do in your penalty area is wildly tackle someone. The coaches should be drumming this into the likes of him and Xhaka – be cool and be smart.
What worries me is that most of our defenders have very poor spacial sense and awareness of who is behind them and between our goalkeeper, in the general vicinity of our penalty area.
I agree Rico , Laca is the best forward for some time who actually helps out, tackles and, can score goals.
Auba is, in my opinion, just a bit……….erm, too casual with his finishing which is why he didn’t score that “easy” opportunity the other day. I reckon he has missed too many opportunities .
This IS a MUST win match today with at least a two goal advantage – we need to negate Spurs goal advantage.
How come my name popped up Rico instead of my “Andorrabyte” – just so I don’t get a ticking off!! haha!
Morning Rico. Getting to Squeaky bum time now this season. The games are coming thick and fast and everything is still on a knifes edge.
Morning Rico and all. Yes, a comfortable win this afternoon would be most welcome. Zaha is one of the PL’s leading cheats. He falls over after just about every tackle and sits there, arms outstretched, looking at the ref.
Morning Andorra, not sure re your ID, must be your end so to speak.
Lacazette is one of my favs, he could do with getting more goals but it doesn’t help his cause when he’s having to put the work in which really, our midfielders should be doing. I’ve often suggested that our midfield is unbalanced. As good as Torreira is, we need a Fernandinho (spelling) kind of player in there too.
Morning Hobart. I would say it’s exciting but it is as you say, squeaky bum time. The best ending to the season for us would be getting third, winning the Europa and Barca or Ajax winning the CL.
That would be worth popping a cork for. 😜
Morning Adam. Agree re Zaha. If he stayed on his feet he could be a really good player. I’d like him at Arsenal though…. Lol
If he stays in the PL, VAR will soon sort him out, or at least it should.
Good morning Rico and all, from a sun drenched Norfolk.
Listening to some of the talking heads, on the radio this morning, it seems that the controversy over recent VAR interventions add to the excitement and drama of the game. Silly me, I always thought the best referees were the ones least noticed during a game, the ones that didn’t make a meal of their decisions. Now VAR is part of the entertainment. No doubt it will soon be a major part of highlights programs, perhaps even have it’s own TV slot, VAR of the Day anyone?
For definitive line calls VAR is fine but subjective calls should be left to the on-pitch referee, who should be able to review the action on a pitch side monitor without hearing the comments and opinions of the VAR team.
Morning Cicero. Isn’t that exactly how VAR is going to run though? Penalty decisions etc will be left to the referee.
I hope so Rico, but he/she will still hear and, possibly, be influenced by the opinions of the off field officials.
Not sure they’re meant to Cicero, don’t they just suggest it needs to be reviewed? I’m not sure but I expect the rules etc will be clear before the start of next season.
Morning ALL. ..Fine post rico. Fingers crossed the referee today will not be influenced by the theatricals of Zaha, especially when he enters the penalty area.
If Mustafi plays, he will have to be careful, as Zaha will undoubtedly play on his inability to defend with guile and craft. I feel we will have to score three to combat the falling/diving Wilfred Zaha.
We need to start with both our top strikers, Auba and Laca.
Looking at the remaining fixtures of Us, Spurs, Chelsea and ManUre i see it as. =
Arsenal getting 8 points.
Chelsea getting 10 points
Spurs getting 12 points
Manure getting 5 points.
Squeky bum time indeed.
COYG
Listening to ex refs Hackett Halsey etc it seems that it will be used as you described in everywhere but England as Riley has developed a system of his own.
Obviously wants to protect his officials from being exposed too often.
I`m still in a Psychiatric ward because of my one man crusade convinced Totnumb are run by aliens intent on ruling the world and even worse involved in a conspiracy that will make them CL champions ……………….
Watching Arsenal Women Vs Everton on BBCi player…………..2-0 at half time.
Thanks Vcc, only 8 for us? I’m more confident than that. 12 I reckon if not 15…
Surely that would raise questions Potter, at least it should. VAR should be the same worldwide otherwise European and WC football etc will be a problem.
2-1 to Goonerettes………………………….one win from last two games will win league !
We do make things difficult for ourselves at times…
Benteke hasn’t scored for nearly a year yet he gets one against us…
Hi everyone. Well that’s Mustafi for ya. The man is a disaster. He’s the one directly responsible for the goal.. And we haven’t created anything at the other end either. Let’s hope for a minor miracle in the second half..
Man Utd. slowly disappearing from view except that, knowing this result, we are losing to Palace!
I am watching the text version on the Beeb and apart from a few off-target forays into the enemie’s territory. we are second best
Cor, we just scored = yesssssssssssssssss!
And we concede again. Wtf was Mustafi doing?
Ah, the “M” word again Rico.
I seem to remember that Scott Dann was on Arsenal’s radar once upon a time. One goal back…can we draw….or even turn it around?
It often is Andorra…
What a joke, just after Utd result. Hopeless defence it sounds.
I want to win every game.
I want to finish in the top 4.
I want to finish above spurs.
I’m not fussed by the Uefa cup but I’ll take it.
However sometimes I watch a game like today’s and wonder if we deserve it.
Dreadful result.
I watched a decent feed and it seems as if Mustafi is bringing back the bad old days of shocking defending. Moss gave us absolutely zero too.
Well, that went well then!
Still fourth though……hurrah!
As old Victor Meldrew used to say…”I don’t belieeeeeve it!!”
I have no fingernails left.
This is torture…cannot we muster enough resolve to accept a simple challenge, at home. and take third place?
Obviously not. What a shambles.
I’m going to open a nice cold beer………..and fervently hope that a few of our less- favoured Arsenal representatives don’t wear the shirt next season.
Thanks a lot Arsene.
Classic Arsenal , Mustafi at fault for two of them and Iwobi sidefoots when he should have put his foot through it . I knew that as soon as I saw Moss with the whistle that it would be a match of free kicks and hold ups. He is a ref tailor made for Zaha , lets all the push and shove go until someone falls over
. Feeling disgruntled about the two non penalties but in the end we lost because of a lack of drive from the midfield . Elneny is a neat and tidy player that keeps the ball but will always find a safe pass rather than try to expose a defence and Guendouzi that runs forward but generally runs into trouble .
We talk about Ozil and his abilty to break down defences but he needs more creation around him and cetainly more movement otherwise he has nowhere to play the ball . And Lacazette double marked most of the time needs more help in the middle , we missed Ramsey today and and with Sokratis instead of the hapless German we would be looking at a different table tonight.
We have just done 6 games in 20 days and have a further 6 in the next 21 . I know why he is juggling the team but it is exposing the squad’s lack of strength . i fear a collapse towards the finish of the season but then I am a born pessimist.
Thank goodness Sokratis is back on Wednesday.
looks like we’re doing are best to throw top four away just what was emery at…
starting elneny, guendouzi, jenkinson along with mustafi.. did he think this was a league cup game or something terrible decision imo just terrible.
mustafi is fuckin useless he’s on par with cygan and stephanos I doubt very much if we could sell him at all… i don’t think we could give him away.
need a minimum imo of 4 pts in the next two games.
I’d say we need six from wolves and Leicester, however….
Elneny and Guendouzi starting was suicide.
Very, very disappointed. I’ve seen nothing of the game and read only a brief report of it. The stand out words in that report we’re “Mustafi’s mistake led to the goal”.
Moss is one of many Premier League referees who might find that VAR forces them into early retirement…
New post up now.
Morning Brian, Adam, Kev, Scott and all.
We sure missed Sokratis and our midfield is at its worst when there’s no Xhaka and Torreira. Imo anyway.