Morning all.
No upset for Arsenal last night despite a number of young ones in the side. Having only seen the highlights, I can’t really comment on the way we played but a 4-0 away victory in the Cup isn’t to be sniffed at. The goals were all very good too. Xhaka blasted in another rocket from distance, Perez didn’t faff around with his spot kick, his second though was the best for me. The determination shown to get the ball, keep the ball and score was something we haven’t seen from a number nine for a while, loved it. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal was very well taken too.
Poor old Nikki B didn’t have a night to remember in fact the only thing worth noting was that he got booked. Funny how he chose to wear the number 14 shirt for his new club….
All in all a great night for Arsenal with so many youngsters getting a chance to show how good they are, or could be. But let’s not forget Arsenal were playing a Championship side so it’s hard to judge how these younger players would stand up in the Premier League and that’s not me knocking them, but we’ve seen many times before that having impressed in the league cup, many players go on to move elsewhere because they couldn’t quite make the step up. But if only a handful of Academy players succeed, Arsenal will truly benefit. Iwobi proves that if they are good enough and have the right attitude, Arsene Wenger will play them.
Not sure this was needed after the match though, especially after the Leicester players recently said that it was our ‘selfies’ after a victory which drove them on to win the PL last season!
Tonight the draw for the 4th round takes place and by then I hope both sides in Manchester have been knocked out and if Gillingham cause an upset at WHL, then all the better.
Chelsea on Saturday evening will be a much tougher game and the bad news for us is John Terry is expected to be fit enough to play and having been in the news after losing at the weekend, Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down against Leicester last night, to win 4-2 in extra time. Fabregas came off from the bench with a point to prove having played very little so far this season and he made a difference. Mind you, Leicester were down to ten men by then.
The Chelsea defence last night was all over the place last night and our attacking unit should be rubbing their hands together at the prospect of facing them at the weekend.
I’m actually looking forward to the next match……
First.
Second.
Third.
It’s a trophy!!
That’s just where we’ll be in May Scott, 4th! lol
Good time to play Chelsea,Kanu has been training ever since The Legends match,
Really Kelsey. how old is he now?
Come on Rico, get positive lol.
I have a good feeling.
I think Kanu is 39…….I’m pretty sure that’s what he said after the game.
Good post Rico…
I guess you’ve just gotta keep a lid on thinking that we’re better than we are, the same as we aren’t as bad as we think when we lose…
Chelsea are gonna be a tough nut to crack, they still have a squad of winners, so if you offered me a draw now, I would take it…
Costa got another defender sent off so it’ll be interesting to see how Mustafi copes with his shenanigans..?
Fabregas, Terry, Ivanovic, Hazard, Matic, they’ll all have good memories of visiting the Emirates so it ain’t gonna be easy…
Btw, I really can’t see, with Xhaka, where Ramsey is gonna fit in..?
A bid of £35/£40m and he could be on his way in January?!
A 4-0 thrashing of a Championship won’t convince me to be overly positive Scott…
Rico, not overly excited, but excited, nonetheless.
Kev, Aaron still has his place.
If, and touch wood we don’t, lose Mesut for any period, he slots in.
We don’t want Costa to be the new Drogba,always our nemesis.
Conte is still experimenting,dropped Fabregs who had shown little interest,then brings him on last night and he ran the show.
In all likelyhood we appear to play with more freedom Away as we have a very critical Home crowd when things go wrong or we aren’t performing to our true ability.
Team selection will be vital that AW gets it right and if subs are needed he for once doesn’t wait until the 68th minute.
I think the game wil go to the wire propably into added minutes but hard to call.Both teams can come on strong in the latter parts of games so we have to remain focussed which is easier said than done.
Thanks Kev, depends how we play when we lose… 😉
To be fair, Costa was elbowed in the face so perhaps for once, he didn’t cheat to get a player sent off but I bet he tries to get one of ours sent off on Sat…
Nah, we need to keep Ramsey but he needs to up his game now with Xhaka and Elneny in there..
He already is kelsey…
Don’t understand,Rico
Costa kelsey…
Let them just keep their heads down and play their normal game facing Chelsea.
I can’t be overly excited for our saturday game. Last season it was ‘perfect’ time for us to play Manchester united at O.T. We went there with a mentality that we’ve already won…well you know what happened… We have the quality to do them one but let us not take it lightly.
Perez fought tooth and nail for his second goal. I honestly don’t remember the last time I saw our striker do that. Not bashing Giroud but abit of shoving he’d have been raising his hands to the officials. Perez wouldn’t be bullied esp by a thug like J.Terry
Thanks Rico !
How old`s Kanu ?……….39BC more like it !
I`m going against the grain here with my thinking head on…………..we need all the big teams and Spuds to do well in this minor trophy so that they play more games, it`s bad enough that Manshafter and Chavs are not in the CL with no distractions, no League Cup and they have a free run until the FA Cup in January, they need fixture congestion !………………..saying that I will laugh my head off if Manshafter and Spuds lose tonight, but that`s me thinking with my heart and the deep hatred of the bastards !……………….I need to be more Christian like !…………………..find a Spud slap him in the face and then slap it again !.
Good point,Marshall.No one answered me in the previous post.As he scored both goals with his left foot is he left footed or not.I read he was adapt with both feet but one would assume he used his stronger foot for the penalty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6X4cnIy_Y0
He`s as 2 footed as Nigel Winterburn, Kels` 😀
Marshall, I thought the same re Perez second goal, a bit ore of that from a few others wouldn’t go a miss…
Work rate and effort…..Perez seemingly offers both, and that’ll do me any day.
I agree Rico and cant understand why our players are not allowed to wear knuckledusters !…………..I like to keep a pair in my van in case I see someone in Cornwall with a Spud shirt on !………..haven`t seen any in 25 years down here, but I`m forever vigilant !
Yesterday I see what I thought was a fellow gooner in St. Ives, then when I got closer it was a man wearing a Fleetwood shirt !………………….I wasn`t having that and flashed my knuckledusters at him……………..” How dare you copy our shirt and take the name Highbury for your ground !……blasphemey !!! “……………..he said…………” imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we think of Arsenal as our soft spot team and I we Totnumb as well !”
I released my vice like grip on his throat and said…………….”OK !, that`s a good answer !…………you may caress the cold steel of my ` dusters !”
I was still deliberating though as he spoke with a northern accent ! hahaha
“and hate totnumb as well”
11.53 LC – good point. The more they play, the more injuries hopefully… 😉
I hope they all play each other and we end up at Wembley… 😉
Wenger himself praised Lucas’ contribution – even if he did highlight the Spaniard’s apparent over-reliance on his left foot.
“He did well,” Wenger said. “He’s quick, he’s determined. He uses well his left foot – a bit too much in my taste. He doesn’t use his right enough. Overall he’s like all the left-footed players, you know.
“But I like his second goal because he has shown not only technique but determination and fight for the ball and finishing and I like that. The part he played in the goal of [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain shows his awareness of other people and it is intelligent play.
(it’s hard to satisfy everyone all of the time 😉
You’d have thought Wenger would have known that about his new striker….. lol
One we let slip perhaps?
http://www.squawka.com/news/liverpool-debutant-ovie-ejaria-hailed-for-his-huge-development-this-year-by-reds-coach/777820?
If you really want to see Perez’s determination, in a game last season he went through 3 Athletic Balboa players on the by-line, really special. Two very encouraging sign last nite was Gabriel, very solid and Aldeline, who I rate ahead of Iwobi – what a talent.
Why is this fear about Chelsea? The only thing I fear about Chelsea is AW selection. Play Xhaka n Coq, bring in Elneny at 60min and rotate Ozil with Santi at 60 min, Theo and Sanchez on the wings and Perez up top and it’s an easy win. I know people are reading off Chelsea names, but Chelsea is not very good atm. I watched all their games this year, only one player shows up every game – Willian.
Kel I think he’s two footed. Not as good as Cazorla’s little feet but they do the job. He’s stronger on the right though, how he is using the left one is probably cause he’s hanging with mr BoomXhaka alot 🙂
I bet someone sticks to Xhaka likes mud if he starts, which I hope he does… Chelsea certainly won’t be giving him as much space as Hull and Forest did after his two goals from distance…
Obi, for me, am definitely not afraid of Chelsea as I know we can beat them. But there are certain teams that really show up when we play against them (like Soton, Utd) not sure if it’s mental block or they practise specifically for our matches or they have had us figured out.
Good thing is depending on our selection, we won’t be predictable. Perez and Sanchez can fight and cause havoc and when they are waiting to close us down their box we can have a lefie thunderbolt enough to take Luiz’s leg on it’s way in.
Marshall I agreed with you. And I also think that the addition/ use of Xhaka, Elneny, Mustafi, Holding, Perez, and Iwobi has given this team a tougher mind set, shall I say mental toughness..lol. The boggie man effect is gone.
Unlike you optimists I am bricking it !…………….I know it`s in the head, I just hope it`s not in the players heads and please will someone tell our players that Costa will try and wind them up to do something silly !……………..dont be so gullible !……….wind him up instead !.
All the players should be learning Portugese for …………..” Your muvver, your sister, your wife/girlfriend is a whore !…………….and if he bats for the otherside ( I say this because, I dont know if any of you watch Big Brother, but there was a gay guy in the last series….not the celebrity one……who said that he was sleeping with a Chelsea footballer, but obviously didn`t say who !……really surprised it didn`t appear elsewhere on the news ! )……..your boyfriend is a whore !
Simeone has cut his contract to 2018, is anyone adding one plus one here and it adds up with him being at the grove next season? I only wish..
Afternoon guys…
Marshall, wishful thinking indeed, I reckon it’ll be two more years of Wenger, at least….
This kel and kelsey gets very confusing.Can you change your nam.Age before beauty 😉
Stick a Jack in Kelsey… Lol
Marshall and he is learning English. It was reported by BBC sports. MU, Chelsea, LPool, City are set…so that leave who? Or just maybe he’s going to MLS….lol.
He’s stubborn rico, he won’t leave until he’s added the League Cup to his CV ! Will this be our year ?
Or outdone Fergie as the longest serving PL manager Micko…
🙂 re the league cup….
Hi all,
I watched the game last night.
We were a bit disjointed at the start but got more slick as the game went on.
Lansbury was on a mission to hurt our players and really got away with it.
Elneny was the one controlling the midfield more than Xhaka and really pushed ball well. Connected the defence and attack well.
Giroud would’ve been blown up if he did what Pere did because, well he’s Giroud and refs don’t give him the run of the green.
Akpom worked hard for the team and played the wing when he had to. Performed well.
Good to hear Brad, really pleased Akpom had a good game..
Didn’t realise Lansbury played in such a fashion, I’m quite surprised….
Imo, Elneny and Xhaka are our best central pairing, just wish Wenger would play the pair of them in the league….
Going back to Wenger’s after match interview re Perez, surely he knew Perez was mainly left footed, or was it a rush buy ?
Said the same earlier Kelsey. But in all honesty, I don’t believe he was a panic buy.
Kelsey, that french bloke who scored a shed load of goals for us a while back, wasn’t he originally a right footed left winger !
No sure Micko !…..never really analysed Sanogo that much ! 😆
Now, now Le Coq, you know it’s not proper etiquette to poke fun at the flying postman !
Conte has no Bunnuccio or Cellini (spelling) to set up the way he wants imho…
I think og12 starting might surprise them.
Evening all
Agreed tsgh, he’s slower than he looks !
Anelka Micko….? Lol
I’m sure Girouds nail varnish on his big toe will be drying on Saturday Ts…
Haha rico, getting warmer.
Wow LC @ 7:04, when Sonogo comes good next year, I will treat you just like Pep is treating Toure, “you can only play if your agent apologize”. In your case, next year you can only mentioned Sonogo’s name on HH, if you send an apology….lol. For those who think Sanchez will go to City, look at Yaya..Pep get rid of players for a reason.
re Rico, 6:43, it was a tongue and check comment, AW being AW – he has followed Perez since PAOK…..thats going back to 2013. He knows.
I’m stuck now Micko….. Maybe Alialialialidiere? Lol
Obi, I truly believe Arsene wanted Perez, but I still think he had other strikers in his mind before…
How do you know Marino needs a win? 129m team against a team that was almost in administration.
Night guys, have a good one…..
Come on Gillingham…. 😉
It`s Wiltord Rico !.
If Sanogo makes it big, Obi !…………………I will make it my life`s work to help in your escape from the mental asylum ! 😯 😆
LC….. am done with you bro…LOL.
Rico-og12 using nail varnish? Prosperous
Micko you know og12 is a game changer so stop hating!
Looks like we got our “heads on” wish, Rico…………………..West Ham Vs Chavs………………….Manshafter Std Vs Mansour City……………………….Liverpool Vs Spud Bastards……………and we have Reading !………………might go to that game, usually a £10 ticket game so only have to buy enough hay for the horse and cart to get me to London …………………..I`ll be leaving tomorrow then and will make it just in time for Kick off !.
Arsenal vs Reading…..ahem, say no more !
Nite Gooners.
Well as far as Cup draws go you can’t really ask for more…
Three of the best teams left in the competition will go out, Arsenal are home to a team that they should beat comfortably with basically the same squad that beat Forest, so plenty on opportunity to rest players and still progress.
Maybe as with the FACups of 2014 and 2015, our name could be on the League Cup?
I know it’s not a competition that means a lot anymore, but I’d take it…
Morning all
Could it be possible we remain injury free, rotate exactly for each game.Are the gods being kind to us.Is the double on or even the treble on.. Are we going on a run of getting a penalty every game.Shall I wake up now. 😉
Kelsey, it’s the honeymoon period Hahahaha
Morning all.
Morning all…
🙂 LC, we did but not sure Reading is such a good draw, especially at home…. Jaap Stam has turned them into brutes….. lol
Kelsey, maybe it’s our turn to win something…. lol
Was it 20 years ago today that Arsene Wenger signed up as manager of Arsenal?
I think that’s right, Rico…
Morning all, the gods are continually doing us favors. We got reading while our rivals are pitched against each other. Or Wenger is paying his dues to the FA?
Where have those years gone Scott, incredible…
We’re getting old, Rico 🙂
Does make you wonder Marshall..
You might be Scott… 😉
I definitely am lol
New post up now..