Morning all.
Before the game, Niall Quinn said in order to win the PL, sides have to win when they are playing badly. He suggested that that is where both clubs in Manchester are superior to the rest.
They both have the ability to drag a victory from the jaws of defeat whereas most of the other top sides around them don’t.
Well well, what utter rubbish!
Manchester United didn’t even look like getting a result at Anfield, let alone getting one, they couldn’t even manage a goal, let alone a point.
Manchester City got played off the park by Stoke and were very lucky to get just a point and don’t forget they went to newly promoted Cardiff and lost all 3 points which were up for grabs.
Yesterday, I thought we were average at times and our passing was all over the place. Stoke even had the majority of possession at times, yet we scored 3 goals and secured all 3 points!
Winning ugly, well we did just that.
At times I thought we lacked a bit of belief, the players seemed nervous on the ball and all too often, passes went astray.
That makes yesterdays result much bigger and better. As the season goes on The Emirates has to become a place where players really do feel at home and results like we earned against Stoke will ensure it does.
A big cheer went out as Ozil’s name was announced by the man with the microphone but in all fairness, every player got his own cheer… Not Theo Walcott though, he was ruled out of the game just before kick-off, with Serge Gnabry taking his place.
Nobody seems to know what is wrong with Theo Walcott, not even the medics at the club:
He had an abdominal muscle problem, I don’t really know what it is. Nobody can tell me whether it is just a question of days.
He had a test before the game and I decided to play him but he had a little problem before the Marseille game (last week) and it then became a bit worse.
It’s a bit mysterious, because we don’t really know what it is.
Does beg the question why he played in France if he had a problem and why on earth was Arsene Wenger prepared to risk him again yesterday?
Back to the game….
Shawcross got a thoroughly deserved jeer every time he touched the ball….
But it would be the man brutally tackled back in 2010 who had the first laugh.
Jack Wilshere was fouled just outside the Stoke penalty area and Ozil fired in the subsequent free-kick. Begovic could only parry the ball back into the path of the oncoming Arron Ramsey and being in the form of his life, no way was he going to miss and he didn’t.
The perfect start…
Stoke from then on closed us down well at times, at others they just clattered into our our players, most noticeably Jack Wilshere who not for the first time, appeared to be the target for the opposition.
Just before the half an hour mark, Stoke equalised. We lost the ball out of the left and Nzoni found possession, his ball across the area found Arnautovic whose shot rebounded back into play off the post. There was Cameron to fire past Szczesny.
No doubt Steve Bould will be having a word with a few players after that!
Mertesacker looked to have put us back in the lead from an Ozil corner, but either Gnabry or a defender managed to get their head in the way. However, with ten minutes to go until the break, the big guy did get us the lead. Another corner from Ozil saw Mertesacker’s glancing header sneak inside the far post. Kos tried desperately to help the ball into the net, but it didn’t need his help.
2-1 to the good guys….
Stoke enjoyed many periods of possession in the second half but they never really looked like scoring. Szczesny made a couple of saves, including one which he pushed away for a corner but we always looked more likely to be the ones to score again and we had a few good chances.
Giroud, Ozil, Gnabry and Ramsey all saw chances either missed or saved but on 72 minutes, Bacary Sagna put the game to bed when he headed home an Ozil free kick. A very clever header which looped over the top of the helpless Begovic.
Before the game finished, Ozil left the pitch to a standing ovation having notched up three more assists. He was replaced by Mikel Arteta. Ryo Myiachi and Nacho Monreal came on for Jack Wilshere and Serge Gnabry.
Game over and another victory….
3 goals and all from set-pieces which makes a change…..
Robert Huth showed his true colours yesterday, his deliberate and clearly intentional body check on Serge Gnabry was ugly to say the least. He received a yellow card for the incident but deliberate actions such as that, deserve more. Within minutes, he went straight though the back of Olivier Giroud too and on a different day with a different referee, he would have been taking an early bath.
Gnabry did well, he stood up for himself and didn’t look out of place in the first team, no doubt his name game will be at West Brom in the CO Cup.
I’m sure there are many other talking points about the game, but I’ll leave that for the comments…..
Now for the Capital One Cup….
Have a good day all…
1st?
Seems you are edward, so prizes for that here though.. 😉
hiya Rico – funnily enough I never thought we had anything but complete control of them to be honest – we dropped off in the second quite intentionally in my view – ever time they got within 25 yards, we’d take it off them or get the all important foot in – Flamini was particularly good at this. We filled the lanes very well and yes they had a lot of the ball but were going nowhere IMO. I think many underestimated that display and it had Bould written all over it for me.
Hi Oz, it was one of though games that I truly didn’t believe we’d concede in and only bad defending allowed them to equalise. I think there are many matches in which we will play much much better football but maybe not get all 3 points..
So give me a game like yesterday any day of the week. 😉
Agree re the second half, we were either tired or just took our foot off the gas to preserve energy. Hope it was the latter..
I was really surprised that AW didin’t take Giroud off and give Nik 20 mins of football before Wednesday.The only reason for not doing so has to be he didn’t want the home fans to batter him…
Morning all, Good report Rico.
Walcotts mystery gastric Problem sounds like a grumbling Apendics, if not Diarrea. I’m sure after a couple of days he’ll be back when we play a less phyisical side. Stoke is always a bruising affair lets face it we expected nothing else. Stoke are a very phyisical side but they also play a bit of football as well, apart from the set plays i would have thought that Hughes would have been quite happy but not with the result. Yes i think your right Rico, Jack does tend to be singled out for rough treatment whoever we play, but he is resiliant and he goes down well. Jack has become a target but often i feel he brings it on himself. Jacks forward runs usually end the same, and that is a heap on the floor, i must say he moans more than my old woman. Giroud got some very rough treatment but still he wrestles in every challenge. the game yesterday was like many others that i have seen this season Giroud flicks a ball on and nobody there to pick the ball up. Theo who wants to play as a second striker is never near Giroud and Serge yesterday was busy helping out Sagna. Giroud runs all day, yes his pace is not electric but his work effort is first class he need support as does Sagna. I know you mentioned Gnabry in your post and i feel he deserved the mention. He got battered many times but he just rebounded, i see a good futere for this gutsy youngster. I felt our defence worked well yesterday apart from the goal we let in, but the way their forward got his toe to the ball left Szezesney dead he missed it by a mile and also the rebound as well. But i hope he learnt something. Ozil made 3 goals but all from set pieces, I’m sure he will split defences in open play but at the moment i still prefer Cesc. As you said Rico at times you have to win ugly and if you play against ugly teams ugly results is what you’ll get. The Squad was up for a battle not pretty but a hard fought result and 3 points. COYG’s
Thanks Sp, I think TW may just have the bug that’s been doing the rounds. Hopefully that’s all it is. I can see him playing at WBA..
Good Morning to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – A fair summation of the game. Grinding out a result when not playing well is one of the signs of a champion.
With a number of enforced changes to the midfield we lacked some of that fluid interchange of positions that is becoming our trademark. Also, we missed Theo’s pace, which would have helped us breakdown their defence. However, Serge Gnabry did a creditable job on the right wing. He was cool, calm and confident in possession and wasn’t easily pushed of the ball.
Jack is still struggling to find his mojo and best position, but continues to improve; though he needs to get a rein on that temper of his. He was close to losing his rag on more than one occassion.
With so many regular first team players injured, unavailable or just starting to return; it was a good result. The team are building confidence and really starting to gel as a team and play for each other. The future looks bright.d
There were a number of differences between the way Serge and Theo play their game from the same position.
When TW gets the ball, he goes off down the wing yet Gnabry preferred to cut in with the ball.
Another was when Sagna overlapped with the ball, Gnabry dropped back to defend, where as TW stays up and is often found too close to Sagna to receive the ball…
Morning and thanks Cg.
I thought Jack was good yesterday, especially considering that most times he had the ball a Stoke player tried to batter him..
Another thing, Rooney may be hammering home the goals, but he doesn’t look at all happy – I reckon a a ‘proper’ bid for him in January would get him…
I think our resident diagnostician Dr. Palmer may well have the correct answer to Mr. Walcott’s mystery ‘illness/injury’. He does have a tendency to go missing in action when the game becomes more physical.
Theo should take note though, Serge could well replace him when pace on the right isn’t required. Serge wasn’t intimidated by some experienced ‘professional’ foulers. He stood his ground. A creditable job for a teenager with limited first team experience.
Morning Rico and all.
Nice write-up. I thought that yesterday we showed some real nous and that the 2nd half was a super exhibition of energy conservation after our midweek travels. Rather boring, but interesting nonetheless.
Shame about Il Duce’s sacking. Not.
I have to disagree, just can’t see any player not wanting to play just because it’s Stoke and certainly not Theo.
Serge did well, but we lacked the pace that TW gives us and the threat which keeps defences back.
But that’s just my view 😉
Rico – Other than a wonderful free kick, Vain Wooney wasn’t banging in the goals yesterday. Manure had absolutely no creative spark in the midfield. Vain was starved for service and ManUre were being outshot 4 or 5 to 1. He truly looked dejected and frustrated.
Morning Adam, thanks..
3 points at the end of the game is sometimes all what matters, yesterday was one of those games..
I thought you’d be happy with that news….
Morning all.
Damn, fans over here are rather excited atm.
There is obviously a long way to go, but even playing a less flashy game but getting the wins is a damn good sign.
Let’s hope we are in contention come Xmas and get another top player in January….or two 🙂
Rico – I’m sure Theo will be subjected to a full battery of sophisticated scans and analysis. Let us hope it isn’t as hard to diagnose as Thomas’ ligament problem. That took more than a year to sort out.
Adam, was there much chat about Bendtner being on the bench?
Replay is on and guess what….Ramsey just nailed another one 🙂
Morning CG, hope i find you well mate so no need for a diagnosis 🙂 Serge may just be on a surge for a wing position, more competition 🙂 Ryo came on he looked fragile but he tried his best and challenged more in this game than Theo has all season. Theo’s pace and his ability to be in the right spot at the right time would still make him favorite for a start, but with Serge and Ryo breathing down his neck he doesn’t need to many sick days.
A very fine write-up from the Boss lady…
Interesting comment about the difference between Theo and Serge play… I think you are spot on again…
Morning all btw…
Just a quick turn around… later all
Rico. Only that the bench is is the best place for him,
I just think it’s a bug Cg, one which will see him recover before the weekend or even Wednesday…
who’s bench Adam? 🙂
I’m watching too Scott, whilst ironing 😉
Thanks Ts..
I’d have to agree with that Adam, sadly I suspect he’ll start Wednesday.
How is sunny Scotland Ts?
Dr. Palmer – I’m in fine fettle, thank you. Although Kev is trying to convince me I’m in need of the brainwashing he experienced.
It is good to see that Theo has some competition among our Young Guns. Serge did well for being called into the team on 20 to 30 minutes notice. As for Ryo, it is difficult to judge a player on a few short cameos like he has had. I’m hoping the team has a long run in the Capital One Cup, so we can see some of them play for a few games.
Moyes is treading on eggshells with Ronkey he boosts his ego all the time, Van Persie was dropped in my opinion and Moyes is trying to win Rongkey over. Moyes has made a mistake and he knows it, i just hope Uniteds board have the same faith in Moyes as they had with RedNose but footballs changed now and Moyes days are numbered.
Rico, can you hear it…the crowd is actually making a hell of a noise 🙂
Serge is very pacey though from what I have seen of him at junior and international level. I think he is playing within himself as a young man promoted into the team… he is playing it safe.
I personally prefer his style of play in that he does not take the ball forward just for the sake of going forward…
In my view, that is one of the major tactical awareness continental players who are Dutch, Germans and Italians have over us the Brits…
So far as the British fans and pundits keep on going on about players like Ox and JW being exciting just because they go forward and lose the ball, outr national team will go no where imho…
Most English players go forward even when it will be safer/sensible to recycle/retain possession by going backwards or sideways and restarting instead of losing the ball…
Any but ours Oz.
Rico-Grim but on a top floor office missing the best blog on the planet!
It was great to see the Emirates crowd aknowledge Mesut and make him feel appreciated and wanted.
Cg-Did he intend to kiss the Nike logo or the Arsenal crest? hmmm
I can not remember the last time i heard our home crowd so vocal….
Oz. 🙂
CG, Kev has had 8 years of brainwashing to get out of his system, if were still in contention by Christmas (which we will of course) he will be back to just plain AK.
I said in a comment a while back that Spuds will be on our shirtails all season, i didn’t expect them to be clinging quite so hard though 🙂
At least you have a computer in front of you to post Ts 😉
My re-run has now finished Scott, how did Ramsey blast that one over the goal towards the end of the game, it was on a plate for him 😉
Piers Morgan tries to rewrite history;
Celebrity Arsenal fan Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) is thrilled to see Ramsey get on the scoresheet again: “BOOOMMM!!! 1-0. Unbelievable – @aaronramsey AGAIN. Thank God I saw his potential last season and stood by him. #Afc”
Only last week a number of fans dredged up some of tweets from last season to take him to task for condemnation of Aaron. He must think that if he repeats his lie often enough Arsenal supportes might start to believe it. He must be more stupid than he thinks the average fan is.
Keeper got a touch Rico…you are very harsh.
If that as Theo, the pitch was uneven…ball was flat…boots had vaseline on them 🙂 🙂 🙂
CG…those tweets from Morgan have been going ballistic.
Absolute tool who knows nothng about the game but people actually listen to him.
I do not get it.
Ginge – Yes, Serge was playing it bit cautious yesterday, taking the safe route, but he did not treat the ball like a hot potato. He was calm and efficient in possession and shows great promise to develop into a valuable member of the squad.
Very impressive was Gnabry…..
interesting season in development – Chelsea are walking a tightrope City look genuine at times, Liverpool should get better with the master finisher back, Spurs are showing a resilience that may or may not stick, the United reign is probably over. All about the not allowing the apathy back in for us. January is huge if we are still in there, i just wonder whether Wenger will do his ‘we can get by’ trick. He’s had a few seasons facing open gates and has refused to push through them, i think the board might just keep pushing and i hope they do.
Agree Scott – he is capable no question
Oz, we have stability going for us, and i reckon that is huge.
It is shaping up as a very decent season.
Morgan is a plank Cg..
Scott, not to the one I saw, looked more like a conversion 😉
Off for an hour or so, night to anyone who departs in the meantime…
Night Rico.
Night Rico
Oz G. – Arsene is already on record admitting that the squad is a little bit on the thin side. He was trying to make a last minute move to get Demba Ba on a season long loan, but was undone by a worried Maureen Yo.
Arsene appears to have definite targets for a number of positions. The club did make bids for a number of players who opted to stay with their current teams or a ‘safer’ transfer to a team in their current leagues. Next summer’s WOrld Cup has made players unwilling to take risks with their playing time as they vie for places on their national teams.
Signing Mesut Ozul has shown the club has intent and may help convince other players we are seious about competing for honours. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arsenal sign another player or two in January. I think the era of make-do economy signings is coming to a close. That doesn’t mean that Arsenal will throw money around like some of the nouveau riche teams, but is willing to spend for the right players.
Well said CG.
Now could be the beginning of a very good era for the club.
Actually, it SHOULD be.
i hear you CG, the level of excitement is high. Wenger needs to keep it going. I am not convinced Ozil was the planned transfer Wenger would like us to believe he was. I thought there was a certain desperation about getting someone in who would be regarded as expensive. He’s great and a super buy but all the facts point to this being a spur of the moment thing rather than a planned target pursued and won. The club can prove this theory wrong in January. Remember Wenger missed every target throughout the whole of the summer. He won none of them, lets no forget. He had to go big even if it was overpaying, he had no choice. He was facing a summer with 2 rejects returning and a kid who spends 90% of his young career on treatment tables. No one body wanted Flamini or the headless bendtner. Now we’ll see the clubs intent and hopefully he will get us back on the trophy trails. It is not the first year we could have spent serious money and in truth 40m is no big shakes either considering the class we have seen him sell off. The next 6 months will tell us plenty about Wenger and his mojo, things have gone well for him again, the gate is there if he’s got what it takes.
Oz, no way i agree with him being a desperate signing.
Clubs do not buy a player of that calibre overnight….that deal was not done quickly, imo,
Especially Arsenal…….spending that much money without a plan?
He’s on record already saying his sunrise at how quick it all happened Scott – not open for debate that
He had 2 offers, neither of them from Arsenal a week before the window closed. He rejected both to stay at Real and I quote “my dream club”
I was not opportune to watch the game yesterday and what a match I missed.
Wenger described Walcott’s injury as mysterious. I hope it’s not a similar case to Fletcher’s abdominal problem. I hope he comes back soon and better. We need no more injuries. How well did MA08 perform yesterday? I think he will be pushed up the pitch as long as Flamini is doing good.
There’s news that Paolo Di Canio has lost his job. I sympathise with him,he’s been quite unlucky sometimes. Sunderland’s board does not have patient Directors. Isn’t it too early to sack a manager? He took them off the clutches of relegation last season.
Good to be back again
Oz, you have said 1000 times how Wenger lies, so why believe his one??
Xr!s, Di Canio is just MADE to be Chelsksi’s next manager haha
Anyway, we gt him, Real don’t and i am happy 🙂
I am also tired, so goodnight all.
I don’t but i do believe Ozil’s recollection of the events and they do tie in with Real’s statements on timing etc. The deal was only just done in time remember.
Aaaahhhh, but you are assuming the clubs did not have a deal in place without the player even knowing 🙂
me too, I love him already i just hope we don’t loose sight of what’s been going here for years. Follow him with others and Wenger has clearly promised him big things and we’ll all celebrating!!
Oz, I don’t think Ozil was ever in the plans of AW, until the talk of Real having to sell to fund the Bale deal.
I think AW admitted that.
Gone again, housework won’t do itself annoyingly…
Good to see you back Xr’s
agreed Rico – again i am not being negative, we saw a chance and took it, one wonders where all the other chances over the summer went though right? One player was not enough, hopefully come January we’ll fix that and not with any more Gerviho’s and the like. It could be a real good year but time will tell. At least we have some optimism and rightly so with the way things have gone for the other big guns
Not claiming to be ITK but all summer I maintained Hig was not the target but Di Maria as I heard AW was looking for a left footed no.10… 😉
No one expected Ozil to be sold by RM but when Asier, Isco was bought and Ronaldo’s contract situation became desperate, the biggest sell-able asset was sold imho and we were very lucky to have Ozil.
Ozil was just the ‘roadside kill’ one may happen to come across… Texas style.. 😛
Was it coincident that Ozil said he join AFC because of AW and I was questioned on here with the remarks ‘which world class player would want to play under AW’ ?lol
he’s had a lot more walk out on him than arrive though mate 🙂
OzG. – I don’t think Ozil was one of Arsene’s original targets at RM. However, he is aplayer that Arsene had tracked for a number of years, even before he went to Madrid. I think Benzema and di Maria were his targets after he missed out on Higuain.
Real wanted to sell a player or two to balance the books after their summer buys, especially Bale. I seems neither Benzema nor di Maria were initially interested in transfers, like Ozil they wanted to stay and fight for their places in the team. Yet, when Arsenal became aware that Ozil may be available they made a move. Ozil seemed to see the writing on the wall as far as Real being willing to sell him and Arsene thought it was too good a deal to pass-up.
Ozil was popular with his fellow players, but not so much with the fans. I think the cheers that new signing Illaramendi got in his first game for Real and Mesut’s talk with Arsene in Mesut’s native German were the deciding factors. Quotes from Ozil indicate that the deal was not all done on deadline day, but had started prior to the weekend. The rest, as they say, is history.
Who we go for next is at matter of conjecture. A lot may depend on how the Young Guns perform in the COCbefore Christmas.
CG – agree with much of that mate, regardless of the young ones (if they are good enough, they’ll force their way in) we need more in January IMO no excuses. The squad is to light for the heavy fixture list success brings
Wenger was staring down the barrel. Wenger cocked the transfer window up but Ozil was a big enough buy to stem the tide for a while.
Have a great day fellow Gooners. Until tomorrow.
Keep the Faith!
spot on Adam me old China
catch ya later – CG
Later Oz… stay safe… a short flight to Glasgow in a bit for me.
On the squad being thin, I am not so sure we are that thin number wise with 8 players out including untested Yaya.
We could do with a striker but if B-something can contribute 7 goals before christmas I do not see the point in unbalancing the team imho…
We have Poldi, Sc19, Diaby, Ox, zelalem, Yaya, Frimps, La Mozart to name a few all out.
Later Cg…
Had a feeling Bendtner would be in the squad as he was shown in Official site training pictures the day before along with Arteta.. Odd that none of the press picked up on that?
Afternoon all….
From the Manchester derby..
Yaya Toure’s stats
Goals: 1
Passes: 52
Pass Accuracy: 86.5%
Accurate Opposition Half Passes: 28
Chances Created: 2
Fellaini’s stats
Goals: 0
Passes: 65
Pass Accuracy: 92.3%
Accurate Opposition Half Passes: 46
Chances Created: 0
Bollox to stats I say 😛
67.5% of stats are made up on the spot rico.
We’ve scored more premiership goals than any other team this calendar year but if your not up there challenging in May it don’t count for a lot does it.
It doesn’t Micko, means burger all in fact…
Just 67.5%?
Off to get dinner…
Mark Clattenburg has been appointed for our match against Swansea…
All quiet here so I’m off for a night of soaps and Dr Martin 🙂
Catch you tomorrow, night all or anyone 😉
rico 5.56, hunger is a great thing !
Nite Gooners.
Guys, i never suggested Ozil was in our plans from the start, i said he was not a last minute, desperate buy.
It was somewhere in the middle.
Evening all.
Morning all…
Theo Walcott out for two weeks according to the Mirror – stomach strain..
Morning Rico,
When is the Capital one game? Tonight?
Morning Bradster, no, its tomorrow..
Just ordered ‘Added Time’ & ‘Stillness and Speed’..
2 Christmas presents I know I will love…..
New one up..