Morning all.
Five fixtures, sixteen days. Burnley, Olympiacos, Toots, Olympiacos and West Ham. Win them all and Arsenal will be in a good place both in the league and Europa as we head into the international break.
First up is Burnley. It’s funny because being an I’m A Celebrity viewer, I always smile when I hear or read ‘Turf Moor’ and think ‘happy place’ – only Sue will probably know why. In truth though, Turf Moor has often been Arsenal’s happy place as well as Jordan North’s as we haven’t lost to Burnley away from home for years now. Not in eight fixtures and not since 1973. Mind you, I don’t think we’d lost to them at home for a long time either before the arrived at The Emirates back in December 2020.
2000 fans were at the game that day. 2000 fans saw Granit Xhaka sent off and Arsenal lose the game. The performance and the sending off epitomised where Arsenal were back then. 65% possession, 18 shots, 6 on target. 2000 Arsenal fans booed the team off. At that moment, Mikel Arteta must have been relieved that the stadium had been empty for most of the first half of the season. Not only did Xhaka have a bad day though but Aubameyang too. He scored Burnley’s goal and missed a golden opportunity to an equaliser right at the end of the game. A game we created enough chances to win.
Xhaka was stupid to react to aftermath of his challenge but, just like the Wolves game, we should have put the game to bed long before VAR suggested Xhaka’s initial booking should be upgraded. To be fair, they had little choice after Xhaka put his hands on the Burnley players neck. Anyway, let’s hope for no similar shenanigans today because Arsenal need the points. Provoke, but don’t react. Isn’t that what many other teams do to us?
I know results have been mixed of late but I do think there’s been an improvement. Individually if nothing else. Against Leicester, we finally saw Pepe cause his marker problems, Willian was moving the ball forward and in general, we looked more dangerous up front. We played with purpose. After we’d conceded I mean.
Burnley are struggling a bit. They need points to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle. Just six points sit between them and Fulham in eighteenth place. Scoring goals has been a struggle with not one player managing to get more than four so far this season. The last time they won at home was in late January when they beat Aston Villa 3-2 so there’s a warning that on their day and against a good team, they can win.
As far as injuries go, Arsenal are likely to be without ESR but that’s it. Unlikely Burnley who had a fixture on Wednesday night, Arsenal have had the luxury of a week off. Seven days for players to rest their tired body’s so there’s no excuse if we start slowly. We simply cannot afford to gift Burnley an early goal because if we do and they shut up shop, I think they’ll be more difficult to break down than a tired Leicester City team.
I’m feeling positive though so of course, I’m going for an away win.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico/everyone
Yes this is a fixture that’s been hard fought but one Arsenal usually win,a lot of 1 goal wins if memory serves,I’d be delighted with that,if we can improve our goal difference,and make Dyche fume even better.
COYG
Morning all.
Rico, I think we have a very happy squad now, especially compared to even a few months back, and the frustration is gone.
Even when we don’t play well this past month or two, there’s no silly antics, no arguing amongst the players which are very good signs.
It’s important we win this!!
Good morning Rico and all.
The figures you need to know from the recently published Arsenal accounts.
£47.8 million loss for the year after tax.
£35 million loss attributable to the coronavirus pandemic.
£19 million in cost savings , including pay reductions agreed with players and executive staff.
£63.6 million player sales and incoming loan fees.
£10.4 million exceptional costs due to changes in first-team coaching staff.
So the sacking of Emery and his team cost the club over £10 million.
10 million well spent, imo Cicero.
Morning Limey, Scott, Cicero and all.
Scott, I’m keeping that thought until the end of the season.. lol
I suspect Dyche is still angry about ‘that Koscielny’ winner…
£10 million for sacking Unai Emery isn’t that bad I think. Not compared to what other clubs have had to pay out. Mourinho springs to mind.
Thankfully, a few of the players/staff who helped get him the sack have also gone.
On those figures , If we kept Emery we broke even.
Good Morning everyone
Today’s line up …….Leno, Chambers, Luiz, Mari, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Willian, Odegaard, Saka, Aubameyang.
Chambers at RB. While I do want him to play I feel that he should be played at CB not at RB
Substitutes: Ryan, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Elneny, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette, Martinelli.
I do watch the odd bit of news from Australia on You Tube occasionally Scott and you have the same issues with middle class woke socialists down under as we have up here. They’re the same kind of champagne socialists who worm their way onto local councils and vote to close through traffic from all the posh streets where they live and force it and the pollution onto the main roads where local businesses are affected or down streets where the estates and poor people live – come the revolution eh?
Come On You Gunners
Good post Rico, yes I guess that they had no choice in sending off Xhaka after reviewing it on VAR but how many times do we see players raise their hands and nothing happens?
How many elbows those Sadio Mane get away with before he’s sent off, if Xhaka throws an elbow he’s toast. If Luiz touches an attacker who falls in the box it’s a penalty, because as the refereeing expert said on TV ‘he’s got previous’ and that in essence sums up the whole rotten core of the PGMOL and it’s apologists…
Come on Gunner.
I go for a 5-0 win since we are away.
Had we been at home I would have gone for 7-0.
But I have to be realistic. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Kev…I can assure you that the PGMOL and its croonies do not come up with certain decisions for nothing and get just a smile and a handshake for it.
They get something in return.
Or else they are totally deficient and incompetent.
everyone to his own conclusions.
I hope Cedric is just having a breather rather than being injured.
Kev, they live in the city, and yet feel they can try and tell the rest of us how to live our lives, all the while complaining that their latte is 3 degrees to hot.
Wankers, ruined by the universities here and that’s a fact.
So many of our free thinking professors here are either shut down or just sacked, and it’s having a huge impact.
Then we also have the impact of the “participation award” generation where kids are taught it’s ok, all you have to do to win is show up.
No need for any effort at all as we don’t keep score.
You don’t even need to try as you’re all winners and you’ll get a trophy anyway!!!
Of course, the eldest of this generation is now in their mid 20’s and guess what, the dominant reason people between 18-25 head to their GP here in Oz is anxiety and depression.
Why, because everyone bloody baby sat them and sugar coated everything, they hit the workforce and for the first time are expected to actually contribute and can not handle it when someone puts them under pressure.
As a whiny little Swedish lass once said, HOW DARE YOU???
By the way, where is Greta?
We’ve had the coolest and wettest summer in 20 years over here, so I need to ask how they Global Warming situation is going.
Enough of that, we need a comfortable win today.
I feel better now hahahaha
Thanks Kev, that’s the same old argument isn’t it? The letter of the law applied to us yet other players get away with worse.
DG I think that Chambers is in for his aerial ability, every game throws up new problems and that’s why Arteta picks different teams and I like that because our team isn’t at a level to impose ourselves on opponents yet so Arteta has to improvise.
I couldn’t agree more Scott
Ah the Universities Scott, cowardly administrators have allowed the regressive progressives to take over, meanwhile the cowards in big business and the cowards of the political class say nothing, it’s us plebs who have to pick up the pieces I’m afraid…
You have the same self issues with ABC as we have with the BBC, entitled box tickers running the show and subsidised by us. Defund the BBC and half of them would be driving minicabs.
Yes Rico and I’m not at all confident in the wally we have with the whistle today, he kinda makes it up as he goes.
Me neither Kev. Not sure who’s running VAR. Probably Riley.
You are right Kev. But I prefer Chambers at CB not at RB. because it smacks of square pegs in round holes. I hate that mentality.
Then again…in front of him there is Saka….so the latter is protected as Chambers does not venture forward as much as Bellerin.
1-0 to the good guys
Willian drives at the Burnley defence before laying it off for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who manages to create space for himself before drilling past Nick Pope. That was lovely play by Willian leading up to the goal. He drove deep into Burnley territory before teeing-up his skipper.
I think DG that it’s a case of being secure at the back against the aerial threat whilst leaving our attackers to do their job, Saka can run the right flank and Tierney can run the left, Willian will come inside I’d imagine.
I agree Kev….and seeing how the team play is panning out so far I think you are spot on about being secure at the back.
If Bellerin goes and Chambers shows he is secure at the right back spot than it will be him and Soares who will share that position. So that only leaves the necessity of a left back.
I just hope that AMN comes back a far better midfielder from his stint at WBA
Don’t want to jinx it, but Chambers is looking solid.
Wasteful Arsenal again, you’ll see the difference in the NLD because Kane and Son will gobble them chances up…
Afternoon all. Not a happy moment! Surprised we have gone this far into season without it happening. Stupid stupid.
DG, I think if we get a decent offer that Maitland Niles goes…
1-1, there ya go, nobody quite wanks away games like this Arsenal team.
that was a damn right clanger.
But why do we have to shoot ourselves in the bloody foot every time?
I love clean sheets.
Silly, silly error.
Why?
Just play safe when under pressure.
Still, we have goals in us, and if we don’t make any more blunders, we won’t concede.
We do make things difficult for ourselves. Why didn’t Leno just boot the ball upfield…
I blame Leno for that goal why pass that close to goal
Just a drop in concentration , Just because Xhaka shows for it , Leno don’t have to give it . Row Z sometimes is the answer . Once again we dominate for 30 minutes and cock it up and let them back into it.
Burnley cannot believe their luck and being 1-1.
I like Xhaka…. but this is his 8 howler which has led to a goal since he joined us. He always comes up with something new….does not disappoint us does he.
Xhaka….a new type of brainfart.
Geoff and Rico….yes Leno should have booted that upfield. With Auba lurking up there he might have outstripped Tarkowski and gone on to score.
Leno can get assists too.
I’m not worried.
We are by far the better side here.
Just control things in the second half and we will be winning.
Burnley are offering very little.
Scott…..I am only worried about our own brain farts. Honestly
Auba’s goal
http://arsenalist.com/f/2018-19/goal-aubameyang-0-1-2021-03-06.html
Xhaka-fart
http://arsenalist.com/f/2018-19/burnley-goal-1-1-2021-03-06.html
I am still nonplussed why Xhaka at least did not try to hit it harder and slightly below the belt. At least that would have been a painful reminder to their player for the rest of the game.
The Xhakafart …..
http://arsenalist.com/f/2018-19/burnley-goal-1-1-2021-03-06.html
I am still nonplussed why, at least, Xhaka did not hit it harder and slighly below the belt. It would have been painful for the Burnley player to score that way and would have served him as a reminder for the rest of the game.
And again VAR screws us over.
How the hell can we be denied the penalty-not the one off the shoulder, the first instant where the player has his arm out, he actually made contact twice and it’s play on?
It’s been a penalty all season!!
The new rule didn’t kick in til a July so that’s no excuse!
Piss the VAR off ffs
It’s an absolute joke and always has been!!!
Don’t know what was worse our 2 nd half or the VAR
Imagine we had no VAR?
We’d have won a penalty we didn’t deserve, and not had one we did deserve but in the end, justice would’ve been done.
With VAR, we lose out twice.
Geoff,
Burnley changed tactics in the second half, but we still created plenty towards the end.
We were flat for the first 35 minutes in the second half though-very disappointing.
Good point there Scott, plus we’d have been playing against ten men.
However, penalty decisions aside. Our front players were shocking today.
Rico, I still need to click on the link you left on yesterday’s post to access this one and then I have to refresh it to bring the comments up to date, is there something different from WordPress, have they changed something as those idiots are always doing something to diminish the blogging experience?
I too refresh the page to update the comments Kev but to be fair, I’m sure I’ve always needed to but I don’t understand why the new post is not visible. I find that once I login to WordPress it appears.
Finishing is our problem, it’s been our problem since Emery…
Aubameyang and Lacazette have camouflaged it up to a point but Saka should score twice, Partey should score, Pepe missed a sitter second half and there’s probably a few others. It won’t be solved until Arteta brings in better players or he does some serious work on finishing, in fact he’s got a dead ball coach so what about a coach who specialises on finishing as that’s quite an important part of the game.
Rico, and here I was a week ago applauding the fact that VAR worked.
Well, it would’ve works today if it were used the right way.
One other thing, that surface was as bad as any Indian Test match pitch.
It was like concrete but with I ever patched everywhere.
Woeful.
Scott I still recon we did not press them hard enough and gave them to many chances
We can find excuses like the pitch, VAR etc but ultimately we’re our own worst enemy. We created enough to win the game but I’m in agreement with Kev, until the club sign a more competitive striker than our lot, we’re always going to miss chances. Chances which today cost us two points.
The idiot operating it today Scott should be booted off.
After our goal we virtually stopped playing. There was no sense of urgency, just a feeling that we were going to see the game out at one nil. By half time Burnley had taken over both in initiative and possession whilst we just dropped deeper and deeper until Xhaka’s brain fart finally landed us in the s**t.
We only came awake in the 88th minute, but even then we were aimlessly passing the ball sideways in front of Burnley’s massed defence.
If Barcelona were interested in offering Arteta the job as manager, I’m sure that having watched today’s load of old pony they’ve had a rethink.
We need to stop using VAR to excuse our own failings, we waste far too many good scoring chances and today was no exception.
Afternoon Rico and the HousJust logging on
Can someone explain to me why, after Pieters deflected the ball over the bar and the penalty/ red card furore calmed down that Burnley got a free kick?
A free kick for what?
What happened to our corner?
Farcical refereeing?? we had them in our Invincibles season.
Bad decisions? We had them in our Invincibles season.
Red cards?? We had them in our Invincibles season.
Bad pitches?? we had them in our Invincibles season.
Mistakes done by our players? We had them in our invincibles season.
The press against us?? We had them during our Invincibles season.
Missed chances?? We also had our fair share of that during Invincibles season. We cant expect to score them all.
But we had goalscorers all over the pitch. Everyone chipped in. Everyone had a pressing attitude. We never carried any passengers. We had runners not tiki taka fancy ballerinas.
We set the bar back then. Now its up to us to reach it all the time.
That decision was hilarious in itself Kev. I just could not believe it. I thought we were going to have a corner at least but we got a freekick in our favour.
Kev, as the ref blew the whistle for the supposed penalty play was stopped at that point. After VAR ruled out the penalty the game was restarted with a dropped ball, but why the ‘keeper was handed the possession I’ve no idea and I would guess none of the following know either, Fifa, Uefa, Ifab, the VAR, the assistant referees, the referee himself or the man in the f*****g moon.
From the tone of my comments you may guess that I’m a little perturbed at the whole thing. In fact the entire match was a crock of s**t.
I can’t understand how Leno passes a ball, to Xhaxa’s right foot, with his back to the game, in front of the goal, positionally surrounded by 3 players, cutting the 3 possible pass lines. If there are 3 players here from Burnley, they must be missing somewhere or else, the rest of our players or are poorly positioned or not prepared to receive the ball. Inadmissible. As in 2 games we couldn’t beat Burnley.
The aim will be to maintain the 10th position, which is demeaning, humiliating and shameful. But for those who have 24 games, 11 wins and 11 losses, you can’t wait any longer.
As for the game: we insist on putting Aubeymayang as a center forward. I believe I have already made the comparison with Ronaldo: they both started to play for the wings, having different characteristics. Over time, and because the physical resources were being lost, Ronaldo evolved and established himself, and well, as an center forward; Auba, lost his characteristics that were never compatible with that of a center forward, He is “condemned” to play where he always played, with the physical restrictions of his age.
There is a penalty in our favor not scored; another marked, annulled, which, in my opinion, also seems to me to be so. In summary: we could have had 2 penalties, but the certainty is that Burnley would be playing with 10, because it was the same player, Peters, involved in both.
Afternoon Rick.
Wasn’t it a drop ball Kev because the ref had stopped play to award the penalty.
Saturday night is curry night, and curry night starts with a gin and tonic appetiser. Five pm is internationally known a “Gin Time” so I’m off to keep up the tradition. Y’all take care now. 😉
reviewing it now yes…it should have been a drop ball because the ref whistled when it went in the keeper’s hands.
Back then I thought it had gone in for a corner.
Cicero, I would rather trust the man in the moon than Kevin Friend, the Stockley Park pillock…
You should have trusted me Devil. Lol
Actually Kev, that’s a good place to stick Kevin Friend. He can take his little mates with him too.
I gather the Reff has said he was not aware of the first hand ball untill
he went into the dressing room at the end of the game.
Seriously Rick? Was game was he watching then?
Not sure how we can just dismiss poor officiating as a factor when it happens constantly, guys.
Don’t tell me the Invincibles never got a penalty lol
I’ve said repeatedly our biggest problem this season is wasting goal scoring chances, so I’m hardly blaming the officials for our record.
Rick/Rico, the ref may have had a bad angle, but isn’t that exactly why VAR is used, to stop the howlers?
That was a howler, and to compound the problem, the guy with the technology on hand didn’t use it.
Again I ask, what’s the point of it?
Until it’s used the right way, it’s a massive negative.
Brilliant read, imo:
https://www.unmodernman.net/var-the-death-of-footballs-passion/
Good morning Rico and all
It seems that although yesterday we dropped two points there was a big positive plus on our side.
After more than a year out Chambers, a new signing who has just been signed 🤣🤣🤣, had a very good game and was very solid as RB. Although I would love to see him in his natural position as a CB, I hope he manages to be consistent and make the RB spot his own.
https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/arsenal-fans-bellerin-chambers-burnley-19982888
I am still trying to figure out why many keep blaming Xhaka for his part in their goal (a very small part) and he has even apologized for it, but I keep getting the feeling that Leno is much more to blame since he had the whole field in his vision. Why did he pass to Xhaka who had an opponent breathing down his neck??
As I pointed out yesterday…why not shoot it upfield and hope that Auba takes it and outstrips the defence? Much better than faffing around the penalty area.
Arteta himself laid the blame on Leno and Xhaka.
so did both of them have a brainfart?
Scott, buongiorno, what I wanted to say when I compared the present team to the Invincibles was the fact that the Invincibles had the same problems as we do now. But they never shot themselves in the foot as we do with quite a mesmerizing regularity right now. Plus they used to stick in the chances that they had.
Right now we keep committing mistakes which leads us to concede plus we fail to score the plethora of chances we get.
The Wolves game should have seen us 5-0 up by the 30th minute. We lost
Morning Devil,
We can blame Leno and Xhaka for costing us one goal, or we can blame Auba, Pepe, Saka, Marriner and Friend for costing us several goals 🙂
We were robbed mate.
There is no defending the calls VAR did NOT make
Screwed over once again.
Yes you are right Scott. But we have to admit that failure to convert chances is what is costing us.
Yesterday Juventus had a penalty similar yours. And it was not given. And they were playing against Lazio not Burnley. Plus Ronaldo did not start match. Yet they still won 3-1. They simply took their chances.
Sorry, I think it was our failure to take chances,and the fact we gifted Burnley their goal that cost us.Anyway if the (handball) penalty had been awarded,as it should, there’s no guarantee we would have scored, the way the game was going we would either have shot wide,or the ball would have bounced off the post into the goalkeepers arms.
I’ve seen people on twitter blaming the pitch for being too hard and bouncy,that’s pathetic it’s the same for both teams,GET ON WITH IT.
Also lots of people saying we were by far the better team,I didn’t see it like that,we started brightly should have been 3-0 up by the time of Burnley’s goal, but from that point on it was even, Burnley had chances too,apart from the last few minutes when we dominated again while looking toothless.
One strange thing to me was that we looked lethargic, whereas Burnley were energised by our poor play.
Off to Athens,then the NLD so no feeling sorry for ourselves.
Looking at our last 11 games 6 are with teams below and 5 above. We are looking at finishing 8th same as last year. If we want to compete in Europe next season it has to be through the Europa Legue so go out of that and we are on the road to next season .
Limey, don’t complain about losing a test match v India because of the pitch as you all did a few weeks back.
How’s that different??
Horses for courses, and anyone could see our boys weren’t suited on that ridiculous surface.
As for penalties, why is it every Arsenal fan crucifies Xhaka, Leno and Luiz when they concede a penalty, and rightly so, yet when we do NOT receive an obvious one, they’re suddenly not game changing decisions and we should not use it as an excuse.
Pfft, how silly is that lol
Morning Devil, all.
My thoughts are in the new post which is up now.
https://highbury-house.com/2021/03/07/inconsistent-arsenal-costs-dear-again/
Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
IMO we cannot change the deficiencies/corruption of the PGMOL and VAR.
However we can change our chance taking, system and line up.
I like our current system. It’s balanced and can be tailored to opponent easily. It suits most of our players. It took a while to get there but I don’t want to change it. So without changing the system what can we change……The players!
We have several players in our squad that stand out to me as those that need to change.
Xhaka – slows our game by taking to many touches, always seems to want the ball facing goal rather than on the half turn, brainfarts and loses possession in dangerous areas far to often.
Luiz – slows our game by taking to many touches, brainfarts and loses possession in dangerous areas far to often.
Willian – seems obsessed with passing backwards. Also seems to choose passing to a teammate in trouble rather than keeping the ball himself.
There are of course others that could be improved on. However these 3 would improve both our attack and our defence at the same time.
True Scott but he’d have to been on a different pitch not to see that. Yes, VAR should have given it, but then if we use you theory of not having VAR until it’s staff are using it correctly, then how would Burnley fans feel this morning?
Re the pitch. Surely any home team create a surface which suits their style. This isn’t Arsenal’s first trip to Turf Moor and should have expected a bit more bounce. Personally, I think using the surface as an excuse is poor.
Rico, they’d feel blessed as they came out well in front on the balance of things.
Fact.
As for the surface, again I say you all can’t complain about the pitch in India when they’re cricketers smashed your lot.
Let’s not be hypocritical.