Morning all.
I don’t know about anyone else, but this was a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time. The return of Theo Walcott. He looked quicker, more focused and supplied Lukas Podolski with a great cross which he volleyed into the word work, nearly breaking the goal.
He, Welbeck and Sanchez together should put the fear into any defensive unit. Bring it on!
Devil has written today’s post – ‘A massive score of 3-0 from a paltry 32 attempts on goal’.
Burnley rolled back in town and for good chunks of the game we all thought that the groundsman had opened the gates for their club to literally park the proverbial bus in front of their goal.
The game began at 3pm, but the Arsenal team began playing much later when the screw began to be turned more than in had done in the first half. Burnley defended their goal as if their lives depended on it. However, the Arsenal team contrived to make it harder for themselves by being poor.
True, we had the lion’s share of the possession but as usual, the team couldn’t make it count. Fancy stuff, short passes, a vast share of possession (70% at one time) do contribute to showing that a team is better than the other, but it does not win you games on their own. If the players did not shoot or even attempt to, the ball will surely won’t go in.
Throughout the first half and pretty much for half the second, Burnleys defending frustrated the Gunners’ team (and us supporters as well) by defending manfully and keeping their rearguard compact, leaving no space behind them.
Make no mistake, Arsenal were struggling to fashion clear cut chances in the first half and when the second half began, it seemed that the same old story was going to repeat itself. It is already difficult playing 11 against 11 with two banks of players defending the penalty area, let alone having four officials using one law book for Arsenal and another for the visitors.
A stonewall handball in the penalty area went unnoticed by the match officials. Whether that was intended or a genuine mistake is a matter for another discussion. When will Arsenal eventually get a penalty at The Emirates?
In the first half I realised that the whistle would blow for a foul if and only if, Alexis had been chopped down with the same brutality that Eduardo, Diaby and Ramsey before him had tasted. So no chance of a penalty being given…
Around the 70th minute Arsenal began to turn the screw tighter and once the Arsenal players began discovering a cutting edge to their play the Burnley rearguard started to be brutally exposed.
A cross by Chambers managed to find a midget in the shape of Alexis rising in between two defenders to head home. A few Burnley heads went down. Two minutes later the rest of their heads went down as well when the Burnley defenders failed to defend a corner and Chambers bundled home after Heaton had saved from Welbeck.
Podolski and Theo came on and Heaton continued to show everyone why he should have been MOTM. The look on Podolski’s face when Heaton saved his left foot rasper at point blank range demonstrated that today the Arsenal players had played against another great keeper. Oh wait, is he a great keeper or do our players contrive to make him look great? Over to the discussion forum to decide.
The game was passing by and we were all wondering how on earth was it possible that with Arsenal having around 70% possession and over 25 attempts on goal they were only 2-0 up. Sanchez decided to take matters in his hands. He realized that he was a sharp knife, heated himself well, sharpened his blade and went through the buttery Burnley defenders as if they did not exist. His close control and quick feet juggled the ball between the left and right heels and he slid it home from close range after a Kieran Gibbs cross.
Arsenal won 3-0. A clean sheet and the first time this season that they had won a game at the Emirates without going behind.
At the final whistle the majority of us supporters were left scratching their head and wondering how on earth did the team manage to win this game with a massive score of 3-0 from a paltry 32 attempts on goal.
Written by DevilGunner.
Morning all.
Thanks for the post Devil, I enjoyed reading it even though I thought you were slightly harsh on our boys. lol
Mind you, only watched the highlights so no doubt saw the best bits and I thought we looked good.
Another day, a different keeper, we’d have hit double figures.
That about sums it up , Heaton made some great saves one from Theo in particular , but the one from Podolski he didn’t have a clue it hit his arm rather than he moved towards it, Still you have to be there , had it been two inches either side it would have gone in . The one that hit the post bought gasps from the North Bank with it’s ferocity and velocity. Wenger has to find a way to use the German for more than 10 minutes every other week. As expected we saw the best of Arsenal but it it underlined the worst , we really need to get more clinical in front of goal and if things are not working the manager has to change things earlier.
Adam I replied to your last post on yesterday’s thread hope you get the time to read it.
Think you are right re Podolski – I was surprised he didn’t start yesterday tbh, same with Rosicky..
Great post Devil I agree one rule book for us the rest can make their own up as needed with he full agreement of the officials.
With the full…….
Joe, the penalty miss was farcical. How the ref and his linesman failed to spot that was shocking..
It’s not just yesterday Rico I have a mate another Arsenal fan who has been conditioned in to just excepting and expecting the biased referring as for me I still shout expletives at the tv or the game.
I know I sound like a broken record going on and on about the biased referring but I honestly believe over the years it has cost us dearly.
Morning All,
Good to see Theo back, As for Alexis, well there are not enough superlatives to describe the bloke…. All I can say is thank f’ck we have him…!
I have no time for the ref’s in this country Joe…
Morning Wath.. Awesome isn’t he!
Potter. Thank you. I just read it. As a guitar man myself I completely get that. Shame about your hearing though.
A great website that confirms all your refereeing fears is Untold Arsenal. We have already had at least 9 points stolen by the men in black this year.
untold arsenal preview every ref and predict how the referees well perform and normally are 90 pct accurate. Yesterday was hard to call as was the first time we had this particular referee.
#PGMOLCORRUPT
morning all
Playing with Arteta and Flamini at the some time, against Burnley, was in my opinion, wrong
Was the write game to play with two references in the área, and in consequence, give minutes to others players.
Jm, seemed odd to me too re Arteta/Flamini.
Surprised Rosicky didn’t play alongside one or the other…
Did he play flamini and Arteta to give us a stable base we have been conceding a lot of goals and it worked at Sunderland clean sheet.
Hardly playing Chelsea though Joe lol
Afternoon mates. Tks for the comments. I think the Flamini/Arteta combo has more to do with rotation and injuries than tactics.
And remember…. we were missing Kos, Ozil, Wilshere and Giroud. Aaron came on as a sub. Theo as well.
Afternoon Devil, could have gone wrong had one, both got injured or sent off. Then we’d have no Cdm lol
But getting clean sheets is a start your right Devil if everyone was fit both wouldn’t start
Afternoon all, Great to see Theo back, but a few reports irritated me this morning, the fact that walcott has told Sanchez to CHILL,out, “its a long season”. Now i dont know if that was taken out of context, But that is the last thing we want him to do, Walcott should be telling his team mates to start upping their game, and getting their finger out. Ridiculous thing to say, they should be giving their all, every game bar none. 100%.would you see the liverpool players goin to Suarez last season and telling him to” CHILL” out. I think that their worried that Sanchez is finally shown them up for the LAZY bunch they can be. burn out or not, I totally disagree with Walcott. sorry for the rant.
no. Playing wit Mets-Monreal Flamini-Arteta, like two horizontal lines of a square against Burnley at home, is wrong. Is playing with players with identitical characterits and drop recourses for the team.
This is not a question of rotation or tactic. It’s a wrong idea, a waste of time for making the right solutions and not give minutes for others players, here yes, in the sense of rotation but with logic and targets in mind.
Dublin I think he was referring to training rather than match day . Obviously he has a great engine but if he’s doing it seven days a week he will burn out eventually. I would rather that he kept it for the match and went 100% in all of those.
potter ,If thats the way the chap trains and plays, thats the way he trains and plays.. im sure he hasnt only started training like that since he,s joined arsenal. Sanchez is a big boy, I find it disrespectful, for 1 team mate to tell another to chill out , even if it,s on the training ground.
2 tickets block 10 , just gone on ticket exchange for Anderlecht.
Where has the Theo comments come from?
Just one of the many sites carrying the story.
http://www.givemesport.com/518286-theo-walcott-reveals-arsenal-want-alexis-sanchez-to-chill-out?autoplay=on
Goal.com posted that theo and other team mates have told to him to slow down, and the london evening standard, all can be found on Arsenal newsnow.co.uk website, posted that Theo has told him to chill out.
Afternoon All.
Afternoon Rico.
It’s raining hard in London Town…
Great goal by Alexis.
Not sure, no actually I am sure, that there isn’t another player in this present Arsenal squad, who could have scored that goal.
You’ve gotta luv Sanchez…
Coach, really enjoyed your post…
Delighted to see Chambers get his first senior goal, that young man could one day be the captain of Arsenal (& England)…
Thanks – I’m not going to read much into any of it…
Afternoon Kev, you have rain, I have bleeding Internet problems, have done all day… Grrr
Sorry to hear that Rico…
Smalling off at Wastelands.
Now call me a cynic, but if Ferguson was still in charge, I don’t think Michael Oliver would have flashed the red card…
Mike, cheating bastard, Riley will not be impressed…
Oliver could find himself back in the Championship next week…
Only if he commits the heinous crime of going home on the bus.
Lets hope their not trying to bring him down to their mentality, They should leave the man alone, He just has a different mentality to them, He wants to give 100% every time. He,s a winner and we are so lucky to have him, Keep up the the good work, Alexis, Afternoon all.
Come on you Mancs/Oilers, really get stuck in, give each other a damned good kicking.
Plenty of hard tackles and cards.
Early days I know, but I do detect an improvement, as far as our players recovering from injury as well as recovering quicker…
Could the healing hands of Forsyth be working their magic already?
Healing hands 🙂
Good result at the Etihad…
Come on Villa….
1-0 🙂
Just watching yesterday’s game, the extended highlights on Sky. I know Alexis is awesome but how hard does Danny Welbeck work for the team…. He just never gives up…..
Two players in January would truly take this team to another level. And everyone know in which position I mean….
I’m all alone 🙂 🙂
I am here Rico.
Hoorah Adam….
Just doing a bit of cooking and glancing at the Spurs game while wishing them the worst. How on earth did we not beat that mob?
Is it still 1-0? Goodness knows how we didn’t beat them, they really are rubbish….
Morning HH….how is everyone? I missed you lot. Have been grieving. Cassie passed 🙁 haven’t been myself lately hence my absence. Am sorry. Hood to be back even though it’s so hard to move on.
Meant good to be back.
How shit is adethewhore?? Giroud anyday sorry guys.
Hi Goonster – I am dreadfully dreadfully sad to hear you have lost Cassie. My heart felt thoughts and prayers are with you…..
Evening Rico and Adam.
Shocking day down south its not stopped raining .
With Pool and Utd defeated and the spuds down it looks like a good w/end for us.
Mixed news on injury front, Hayden out for up to 6 weeks with ankle injury picked up in training the day before the Hull game. On the plus side Julio
is expected to play for the U19 if he is pased fit.
Thankd rico what hurts now is raising a 7 months old all by myself. Am distraught maam.
Stan. Mate, I am so very, very sorry to hear that terrible news. All my thoughts are with you. My deepest sympathies.
Adamant I need all the prayers I can get.
hi there… just a break because i’m working
Totts down 🙂 at the moment
MU said bye bye to the League 🙂
Arsenal must win next european game for be in the next stage and “relax” in the last one
Benteke sent off..
and the totts????
Evening Rick, that’s a bum for Hayden, hope Shad turns six weeks into three….
How are you doing and the missus?
Stan. You have them from my wife and myself.
Really really sad Goonie I’m sure you’ll cope, but it’s not the way it should be.
Not bad mate but we are thinking of you and Brianna at the moment.
Hi Goonster So very sad to hear of your lose. My thoughts and prayers are with you keep in there mate.
Thanks guys….it’s been really tough. Brianna has been a darling actually. Her innocent smile keeps me going. Don’t know what I ll do without her. Am thinking of visiting Arnhem pretty soon. Need a change of scenery.
Goonster, I sm sure you are, I feal dreadfully sad for you….
The ref just ruined the game. Neil swabrick? ? Is that his name? ?
What’s the score Stan….
Totnums just know how to ruin coaches don’t they? Last season I was so impressed with pochettino but now he’s a shadow of his former self.
Oh poopie scams just equalized. Chadli from a corner kick.
The swampies might nick this one. It won’t be fair.
They ve won it….Harry kane.
Toots 1-2 up…:-(
Via a deflection. So sad for villa. They deserve at least a draw.
I am off for the evening. Once again Stan, so very sorry. I am thinking about you.
Night all.
Bugger Stan! Jammy Totts!,
Night Adam….
Goonie whaaaaatttttt????? Cassie????
Poor chap. So sorry mate. So today no leg pulling for you. i’ll be thinking of you mate.
Rico….I dont think I was hard on the team. I felt I was fair…..for the simple reason that our players, for all their technique and nous still cannot fathom out how to outwit and outfox opposition defences especially when they park the bus.
I was astonished at some of the decisions that the players took when passing the ball, preferring to pass the ball safely sideways instead of playing it over the top diagonally in the space on the flanks. They wanted to walk the ball into the net….literally.
I also wanted to be a bit hard on AW, due to tactics and subs. I mean, in games like these why go for speed legs when you know that they will park the bus in the six yard box? Imo he should have rested DW23 and played Podolski with the added instruction to stay in the box and not venture out of it. Did we need the speed from the half way line when everybody and his dog knew that Burnley will not attack us much and will let us have the ball. And why not use TR07??? He is so much suited to the short passing game and short triangles. Why play Flamini or Arteta when TR07 could easily have replaced either one with better results.
Is AW cutting his nose to spite his face???
Ok Devil lol
Seriously though, I said the same thing to Kev, why on earth didn’t rosicky play alongside either Flamini or Arteta.
Also, why not start with Podolski and why no Campbell on the bench?
We all know alexis wants to play but how long before he gets tired or injured?
Welbeck too needs a rest.
Now we have anderlecht in a couple of days and we all know he’ll play the same side….
I would have gone with the following team……….
Ches
Bellerin, Merts, Monreal, Gibbs
Arteta, Tr07
Sanchez, Cazorla, OX
Podolski
Definitely Bellerin at right back, I’d have then paired chambers with merts. Monreal at left back.
Arteta/ rosicky, agree
But I would have Campbell in there…
I felt that Bellerin should have played yesterday. If not against teams like Burnley, when can he play?
I agree with your defence……but I would still have played Monreal at CB……he is getting better and better. And I think that him playing there is a plus. When Kos comes back he will get into the team, but Monreal will be a better back up defender than he was last season.
And with Chambers able to play at RB and CB suddenly we will be looking strong when Debuchy and Kos come back. With Bellerin getting match experience it will mean that suddenly we will be having 7 defenders available. And with Plezeguelo being promoted it means that LB will also be covered. I only hope that this does not mean AW not buying another CB
But for me Devil, Monreal could be a superb left back.. But yes, his performances in the centre are good…
My own view is chambers makes a better central defender than he does a right back and as you say, that was a game for Bellerin to play and gain more experience and confidence – same with Campbell, if he’s not even making the bench against burnley, when will he get a chance….
I’m off for the day. Thanks again for the post today Devil..
Night to you and all…
God bless you Goonster, stay strong……
Thanks Rico. I happened to have some free time yesterday…..that is the reason for the post.
Have a good night.
Brings home how precious life is when we hear that kind of news from Goonster…. Thoughts with you and the family mate…! Words seem meaningless…!
Dev, good post mate and hope you well……
Thoughts with Stan………………. Arsenal Family….!
Stan……..’death leaves a heartache no-one can heal, love leaves a memory no-one can steal’………thinking of you buddy.
Spot on Devil, possession doesn’t always win you games, being able to break down teams, counter attacking and scoring on the break does, how many times have we dominated matches and still lost 1 or 2 nil, defending well and keeping clean sheets has always been our achilles heal so the last couple of games despite all our injuries has been a real bonus.
tsgh, a footballing expert once told me if Wanyama was any good he’d be playing for a top 4 side, lol.
Nite Gooners.
Agreed Wath. Thoughts with Stan.
Night all, So sorry Goonster . No words suffice.
Goonie, so sad to hear about Cassie, thinking of you and Brianna….
Morning/evening all…..
Stan, it’s great to have you back, but the reason for your absence is terrible to hear.
Best wishes from all your fellow Gooners Down Under mate.
Goonster sorry mate my prayers go out to you and your darling daughter god bless.
Stan, what on earth happened?????
So sorry mate…
I don’t know what to say!
Night All
Stan thinking of you mate!
Morning Lee, Kev and all….
Morning Rico and all.
Morning people.
Bonjour munchkins and sweetie pies
Morning Adam..
Morning Scott/Devil…
All I can think about this morning is Stan.
Yes, Adam.
Same with all of us, I suspect.
Hope the FA throw the book at Fellani! Dirty horrid man…
There has been more eccentric refereeing again this weekend Rico.
What did the human microphone do?
Scott. If that’s Fellaini, he ‘did’ Aguero in the box which should have been a penalty. After it wasn’t given he leant over him and gobbed on him. Just to illustrate to the world the sort of person he is.
My overview of the game.
Poor first 20 minutes (feeling their way into the game)
After that we were a threat all afternoon.
Arteta and Flamini doesn’t work too well, no drive from midfield.
“Arsenal were struggling to fashion clear cut chances in the first half”
I counted 4-6 great chances in the first half, keeper and defenders clearing off line plus some misses
There was a brief 10 minutes spell where our defence was really shakey but they pulled through. Monreal sturdy at the back again but this is against weaker opposition (he does put his weight about and isn’t afraid to get stuck in)
There was no way we wasn’t going to score Saturday, Burnley began to look really tired and their shape did go to pot around 60 minutes.
Chamberlain has work to do if he is to keep Walcott out….which he won’t.
Adam, agree, City were robbed of a few penalties yesterday….
Fellaini spitting on Aguero was disgusting….
Morning Nickie.
Agree re the Arteta/Flamini pairing. With players coming back, I think others will step up their game. A bit of competition for places is just what they need.
Shame there’s not a ot more competition at the back…
Damn, i never saw any highlights, buts that’s just a disgusting act.
Sure is Scott. Sky Sports are replaying it this morning so hopefully the FA will pick up on it.
Be nice if that horrid player was out of our clash…
Ban the bastard for a year!
Certainly needs a ban of some sort!
Seems a shame that we have to rely on Murdoch to instruct the F.A now to act on such things. His organisation has already influenced the refereeing fraternity with their constant calling that T.V football is more entertaining if matches stay 11 a side ,which is why bookings usually take at least half an hour to occur but now we have to rely on trial by tele to get retrospective action taken.
Plus, Ryan Mason nutting Benteke whose reaction got him sent off. Don’t think Mason was even booked. One for the ‘retrospective’ committees?
Both managers are playing theFelatio incident down, God knows why!? Action or inertia? We’ll know by thend of the day!
When are the FA going to allow video replays to inform the on field incidents? They continue to live in the 19th century! If they would embrace the 20th century we would have made some progress!!
The 21st century technology is obviously way beyond them!
Morning all
SS’s suggest that Michael Oliver is one of the best referees in the PL, and that’s after yesterdays Manchester derby…. 😮
Video replays to make decisions for incidents would ruin the game. It would be like a game of Fifa. We wouldn’t have anything to talk about. Nothing to ruffle our feathers.
I am not sure that I want it used during the matches but subsequent action taken on off the ball incidents , diving , serious foul play i.e. leg breakers whether the ref saw them or not would have the knock on effect of bringing both players to book and the pressure to get things right would benefit referees as well.
I’d love to see technology used in the game. It’s good that retrospective action is taken but that’s to no benefit for the side who has just dropped three points….
win some lose some. it’s why football is unique
Morning Wavy..
Wonder why it’s only one of a few sports which doesn’t use technology though? Perhaps fixing the league winners would be more difficult….
New post up now….