Morning all.
Watching Unai Emery on the sidelines epitomises everything he’s brought to the club. The passion, the rapport with the fans as he urged them to be loud and then louder still. Waving him arms around as if the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were playing in front of him. Strutting his stuff around his technical area whilst barking orders which he probably knew the players wouldn’t hear. I doubt he cared, he was probably as anxious as many of us were, or at least as I was.
The Spaniard always looks up for a match but yesterday he seemed different. More animated perhaps, more determined. He’d said during the week that he wanted to create a new history, especially against the clubs around and above us. City and Chelsea came too soon, now was his chance against Jurgen Klopp and the team many in the media believe will be the ones to stop Man City from winning back to back Premier League titles. Arsenal are vulnerable at the back they say, they’ll never cope with the pace of Mané, Salah and Firmino.
The reality is though, they did and comfortably for most of the game. Firmino was virtually non existent. Salah and Mané enjoyed periods on the ball but pretty much everything they tried, we snuffed out. There was one particular tackle which Xhaka made on Salah inside our own box which was superbly timed and will stick with me for a while. No clumsiness, just perfection, another example of this new regime demands. Torreira was outstanding, Xhaka too and as for Bellerín, well what a different player he’s becoming. He must have been shattered when the final whistle blew after the shift he’d put in. Kolasinac too, especially having not played much over the last few months.
In fact pretty much every player put a shift in and played really really well. Being picky again, Mkhitaryan was the disappointment. A few bright moments yes but more and better from him would be most welcome. As would being able to beat the offside trap.
The progress of this Arsenal team/squad has been evident since the beginning of the season but yesterday was by far the best. Seriously, many of us believed we would one day be a much improved and more organised team yet for me personally, I didn’t expect that kind of performance quite so soon.
We pressed, pushed, passed, tackled, got at them and played out from the back calmly and affectively. My goodness, we were good. We could have made our possession count more but that’s me being picky yet again. Also, because I so wanted us to beat that lot.
They had a goal ruled out, we did too. They had a penalty shout turned down, so did we. Allison made a few good saves, Leno did too, his best was the tip over the bar which without would have almost certainly found the back of the net.
They scored after a slice of good fortune, we scored with a sublime strike from Lacazette. Fabinho was lucky to stay on the pitch, our players were fair but bloody hard with their tackling. We were very good for most of the game and not just for half of it.
While Aubameyang showed his disappointment at being subbed, Lichtsteiner showed his team spirit on the sidelines by urging the team on and offering up a drinks bottle. I hope the Swiss right back goes nowhere in the summer and I don’t think he will. In fact I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him hang up his boots as an Arsenal player.
I’m not trying to suggest we’re the finished article, far from it but if yesterday’s performance is anything to go by, we’re only going to get better and better. Stronger too in every sense as Unai Emery continues to build his own team. Emery deserves a lot of credit for what he’s doing at Arsenal, and he’s only just begun.
Maybe, just maybe, we really are getting our Arsenal back. The Emirates faithful certainly seemed to think so yesterday.
And so did I……
Couldn’t have said it better myself. A little hard on Mkhitaryan , he didn’t have the best of creative games but his work rate was phenomenal .
Thanks Joe and welcome by the way.
I didn’t see the work rate Mikki put in, thought he was our only slight weak link but that’s not to say I’m right.
Good morning Rico, your excellent post perfectly reflects my own thoughts. Great minds etc.
It’s amazing what can be achieved in a few short months with some decent coaching. If only the board had had the guts to sack Wenger a season ago we may have captured Emery before he went to PSG a, what a difference that would have made.
Good review Rico. How nice it was yesterday to be filled with hope before a big game rather than the trepidation of the last 7/8 years. Bring on the next lot. United , spuds? Looking forward to it.
Morning Cicero, billyboy, thanks re the post.
I guess that’s life re Wenger, at least the change has been made even though a few years too late.
It’s hard to believe the change in our players after such a small time. So many have grown into very good players, Holding, Iwobi and Bellerín especially. Xhaka, I’ve simply got to mention him. He’s far more controlled and together with The little terrier, our midfield is looking so much stronger. Even Mustafi is defending better than ever before.
That’s the best we’ve played for a long long time. Emery is one smart manager who isn’t letting the players dictate anything.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, well if the game was as half as good as your rip roaring post, then it must have been brilliant.
It sounded fantastic on the radio yesterday, not seen the highlights yet, but we competed, we went toe to toe with champions elect and gave them a right game. What is certain is that Chelsea, Tottenham and Man Utd won’t relish visiting the Emirates this season after that display.
I’m pleased that Aubameyang looked p****d off when he was hooked, it shows he cares and might have needed a reminder that he couldn’t fade out of games.
Another example of Emery’s ruthless attitude, if it aint working, change it!
I still hear negativity around Rob Holding, from pundits and Arsenal fans alike, but Emery likes him and he trusts him and up till now he’s not had any stand out cock ups that justify the faint praise, even criticism he gets, he isn’t flashy but he’s effective, you don’t really notice him and that’s because you only notice him when he makes a mistake.
I just feel as if Rob is maturing nicely into a no nonsense stopper, still only 22, a baby in centre half terms but an Arsenal captain in the making.
Morning Kev, trust me, the game was better.. lol
Seriously, we could so easily have beaten them. The critics might say we should have too. Regardless, the energy and competitiveness in us was brilliant.
Agree Cicero.
Really Kev? Holding was very good yesterday I thought.
Morning all.
Good summary of our manager’s gymnastic hands and arms, Rico. He was, perhaps in the signal corps as a younger man, trouble is, what did it all mean? He might have been trying to get the crowd to raise the roof but, if he was, at no point did he look at or turn to the crowd. So, was he chivvying his players? I think he was but, just to repeat myself, what did it all mean? Actually it’s really refreshing to see someone animated on the sidelines trying his best to get the maximum out of his team. Far better than sitting po faced and fiddling with an uncooperative zip!
Like Joe, I thought Miki had a pretty good game. He tracked back, covered the ground purposefully and when with the ball always looked to play it forward. Not perhaps his most creative game but what he did was all pretty sound, imo.
As for the performance it was as good as we’ve seen this season and for ninety minutes not just 45! If we play as well as this, week in and week out then who knows where we will finish? I think the measure will be when we play manure, or rather what scurrilous things the poison dwarf has to say about our new manager. If they are all attacks on the fibre of his body or how lucky he is as a manager or whatever insults he can throw, this will be a measure of where we might finish. Fourth at worst, I should think and at the expense of the midget’s team!!
Final comment. Lacazette’s goal was yet again a thing of beauty. Is he Henry in disguise???
Sadly, gloomy here although it is still dry.
Kev, Rico Holding has benefitted from some good coaching and playing alongside Sokratis this has given him the confidence to take the improvement into games where he is playing alongside Mustafi, which in turn has built Mustafi’s confidence in Holding. A good outcome all round.
Arguably, the player who has benefitted most from Emery’s coaching is Xhaka. He has improved no end and seems to have shaken off the fear to tackle which, in the past, made him unsure what his role was. I believe that the number of red and yellow cards he amassed in his early Arsenal career led Wenger to tell him not to tackle, rather than to coach him how to tackle.
The think whole team has benefitted from the introduction or Torreira the Terrier to our midfield. He looks like becoming the most significant signing for several seasons.
Thanks Wavy, I think a lot of the hand waving is just second nature for him, other though was about the fans. I wanted them loud and proud and they responded. Fans feed off the team, the team off the fans and having a look at Twitter this morning, it’s clear the players loved the fans behind them yesterday.
Talking of which, the players social media comments are very different these days.
Hi Rico
Great post and I agree with you about the fans role. Although we will always support the team we don’t do it blindly and have the right to have our say when things aren’t right. The negativity of the last few years is now quickly becoming a memory, and as you said we have our Arsenal back.
Re the match, I thought Miki had an effective game without quite coming off. I can see why Unai started him instead of Iwobe, he has a harder edge to his game which was needed today.
Hopefully we will have a few more of the injured back on Thursday.
Brian
Two new things in the “new” Arsenal: a) Arsenal makes a high pressure on the opposing midfield more efficient and effective. b) The mananger conveys claw and force into the field, even at less good heights.
Hi Brian, thanks. I’ve been reading elsewhere and it’s funny how some people’s view differ. Maybe I was too concentrated on Mikki’s negative stuff.
I was wrong, wrong, wrong about the Pool game. I thought if we got away a couple of goals down we’d have done well. I thought their attack would go through our defence like hot knives through margarine.My eldest son who is a Pool supporter (you love ’em, you care for them and they betray you!) Thought exactly the same thing. My two younger sons who are Arsenal supporters (the true faith) thought the same as me which, at least, caused the whole family to be of the same mind.
The shock has caused me to revise all my opinions, economic, religious, moral.
Our performance showed skill, grit and passion
I am confused, but happy in a hope for the future.
Ha ha Dick, so did Merson. He thought we’d get well and truly battered.
Hi Rico, all.
Am intrigued by yesterday’s display. We won all the loose balls. Having Salah and Firmino quiet for long spells is an accolade our collective defence deserves- especially everybody having written them off.
I’ve never seen arsenal play an ‘in your face’ game for a long time. Even with a goal down I still fancied our chances.
In Leno we have a phenomenal goalkeeper.
Afternoon Rico and all. Excellent display yesterday right through the team. I wonder just how that old sop Merson continues to get punditry work when he is quite clearly extremely poor at it.
Emery deserves a lot of credit I reckon. As do the squad.
At last, Nobbs finds the back of the net. 1-0
And then concede!
Afternoon Marshall, Adam.
I fancied us getting a second Marshall.
He’s admitted his error Adam. Lol
Rico. It’s not the first time though. He’s been doing the club down for years.
Playing his employers theme Adam.
Definitely Rico. They just can’t believe that we didn’t lose and they can’t forgive us for scoring. The whole slant of the interviews with Klopp and the scousers was. “I bet you can’t believe that you didn’t win that game after all the incredible chances you created”.
Exactly Adam. During the game the commentary was so biased towards the Scousers too. I liked what Rio said at halftime when he stood up for how well we’d played.
I like it when they keep us as the underdogs though. But no doubt they’ll drag up a few footballing corpses this week to let us know how badly the club have treated Ramsey.
I don’t doubt. Meanwhile, Utd have half a team out of contract next summer…
That will be an interesting one Rico. They were lucky again yesterday.
Weren’t they just Adam..
Have you seen the German midfielder we’ve been linked to play at all?
I haven’t seen that in the press Rico. What’s his name?
Kai Havertz Adam.
Don’t believe I have seen him Rico. I wonder if he’s a Sven spot.
Apparently so Adam.
Checked your WhatsApp lately?
No. 😝
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Read the report and decided to make my own mind up and watch the game twice !……………….and can concur that your report is spot on !
Very entertaining game and both sides would have been disappointed to lose, a fair result.
The Terrier is some player, I`d like two of him.
Always had faith in Xhaka.
Team is looking quite balanced and I think top 4 is a definate possibility, but no titles whilst we are light years behind CFG off the pitch which I`m afraid will translate to on the pitch by the quality available at a price only they can afford …………….that`s life and the rest of the wannabees are in the same boat as us.
FFP such a great idea, but sadly the lack of cojones by UEFA to discipline CFG and PSG etc`is it`s downfall, but what can you do against such wealth ?……….money is power !
Morning all.
All the talk of decent coaching, passion on the sideline etc etc is fair and relevant, but imo, not even close to having as much impact on the performances as Torreira does.
He’s the DM we all knew we needed, yet didn’t have for a decade or so.
When fullbacks don’t have wave after wave of attack running at them, they’re composed and find it easier to hold their formation.
Other midfielders are allowed to do their thing without quite needing to do so much defensive work as he’s covering them all.
Put simply, he is making nearly every other player on the park better and I doubt any of us really knew how much difference he’d make.
It’s incredible.
What a player and what a find.
If he wasn’t doing his thing, we’d still be struggling to a certain extent, so Emery and his men recognised what we lacked, went out and got us a ripper!!!!
Hats off to them all.
Torreira was certainly a great find Scott and his addition to the team has been immense but I think our coaching team has a lot more to do with us improving than just adding him to the side.
One thing that has improved is the players fitness levels, not that I have seen them do extra, but because the players themselves have said the training is more intense. Something I have always said that the better the athletic player the better the footballer.
This is one of the things that surprised me with Wenger that he didn`t train them harder when he was one of the first coaches in England to bring in the dietry stuff . As a peak conditioned specimen myself I know it`s about diet and fitness to have a body women want to ravish ! hahahaha
Actually to be honest the diet bit is the hardest part which most will agree with, the problem being with people who want to lose weight is that when they exercise hard it makes the more hungry, they then eat more !…………………discipline and will power are needed !
Rico, I never suggested that’s all they’d done, but I do believe his impact has been bigger than anything else as you can’t make footballers that much better in such a short space of time, just as you can’t ruin players in a few months.
It was only a week ago Xhaka and Mustafi were criticised for rash challenges.
Give them all time, and that includes Emery.
We are on a good run but if we are honest, we drew with Liverpool at home and need to be better to be title contenders.
When Emery has had his chance to really make an impact, hopefully, we are beating them and I reckon he’s got us on the right path to be doing that down the track but it’s still early days.
The signs are exciting and we are more optimistic than we’ve been for years so onwards and uowarda
I’m new to this blog but have been a gunner since their first season after WWII. Ted Drake was on everyone’s lips in those days and “gooners”
hadn’t been invented. Seen lots of ups and downs over the years but must say Emory has really impressed so far. With luck could even have taken Chelsea.
Thought Miki put in a good shift. could easily have had a penalty awarded him and made some really good defensive plays. No one in the team had a bad game although I thought Ramsey was the biggest disappointment. I don’t understand the fuss over Liverpool’s first goal being disallowed. Offside is offside and hitting the post doesn’t put a player onside imho. We had a player flagged offside before he even had the opportunity to touch the ball later in the second half. I thought that we would probably lose and was worried we wouldn’t put up a creditable fight. No worries. It was the best performance since we beat Chelsea in the cup a couple of years ago.
The future is definitely looking brighter. What we need now is consistency.
Welcome Reg. I’m with you re their offside goal.
As for their so called opportunities to beat us, they might as well hit the corner flag because they still missed. As you said, we had plenty of chances of our own too.
Good question Scott. Can’t see it unless Leno goes on a really bad run of performances.
Injury or suspension aside, does anyone seen Cech getting back to first team football in the League?
Morning Rico and all. The offside was correctly given I reckon.
Morning Adam. I think so too.
New post up now…