Morning all.
I always thought the saying was ‘three and easy.’ Well last night it was six and easy. It really was one way traffic from start to finish apart from the odd occasion BATE ventured forward which to be honest, wasn’t that often.
Mathieu Debuchy, who I thought had a good game, opened the scoring with a really well taken goal. Credit to Theo Walcott too for his involvement in the buildup. Walcott then made it 2-0 before Wilshere scored a cracker just before halftime. A lovely finish, in fact they all were from open play. Yep, even the own goal which came shortly after the break. Ollie grabbed himself a goal from the penalty spot before Elneny made it 6-0 with yet another lovely finish.
We knew BATE were the the whipping boys of our group but regardless, at times I thought we looked good, certainly until the changes were made when perhaps we looked a tad disorganised. Add to that the players knew the game was won so the performance dropped off a bit. At least I thought it did.
The match made enjoyable viewing for me, just a shame The Emirates was missing a few thousand fans but to be honest, it was no surprise. The game was a dead rubber, the night was cold and with Christmas looming, people perhaps other things to do. Either that or people just don’t want to watch a reserve side get a run out. Reports suggest around 30,000 were at the match which is the lowest attendance since we move to The Emirates.
We knew before the game that it meant very little other than pride and a few players trying to impress Arsene Wenger in hope of a first team return and perhaps one or two did. Wilshere certainly, Debuchy perhaps and even Walcott showed signs of being the player we wished he’d been for the last ten years. I know people will say it was only BATE, but these guys still had to put a shift in and many did. I especially liked the way Walcott didn’t get bullied off the ball prior to Debuchy opening the scoring. The Englishman could have been awarded a penalty but he stayed strong to win the ball which then fell into the path of Debuchy and his strike was pretty special. The goal Wilshere scored was a corker, in fact all four from open play were good, Walcott’s for a different reason but at least he was in the right place to fire home after some dreadful defending. Giroud scored two good penalties. Having been made to retake his spot kick for some reason, he stayed calm for his second one. Even the own goal was a good. 😉
As said, I enjoyed it regardless of who we played and how easy it was….
Morning Rico and everybody.
The crowd? I wonder what size it would have been if we had been playing Bayern or Barca in a CL ‘dead rubber’? Not 30,000 I’ll be bound!
Wenger maintains that we will not lose out by not playing CL football. I beg to differ. How can the Ropey cup have the charisma, magnetism or the tingling down the back kind of reaction that a good CL game brings.
Much talk of Wenger going all out to win the cup so to make certain of next year’s qualification and right to play CL football. I shall be delighted if we do but less than surprised if we don’t. I mean, Wenger winning a European cup? It’s just not credible! However, last night’s win was satisfying despite playing a league 2 side!
A covering of snow here accompanied by bright blue arrested skies. Col, crisp and biting but beautifully wintry.
Morning all.
Damn, we scored some good goals and regardless of the competition, it was great to see a few shots from further than 10 yards out!!!
Morning Wavy and all.
I suspect you’d be right but then I think both sides would rest a lot of players if it was a dead rubber..
That game was what it’s all about these days at the Emirates .I will be more impressed if we put 5 past Southampton !
Some good goals scored but our players won’t get that sort of time on the ball against top sides that’s why they never score 5 goals against them these days .The fact that Jack and Wally are still trying to stake a claim for a regular first team place after all of the these years under by trying to impress Wenger in a dead rubber game says a lot about his management.
Surely we can’t compare last night to Saints on Sunday. Two very different Arsenal teams will have been on display.
There’s a number of players who we may believe should have been gone a long time ago and that’s always been one of Wenger’s many bad points but aside from that and taking last night on it’s own, we played well and scored some good goals which can only be a good thing I’d have thought?
The summer may well see a few depart, finally.
I reckon the result last night would have been similar Rico even if Wenger had played his first team .First team ones have nothing to prove in meaningless games and would hardly have been busting a gut to do so.They have a lot to prove on Sunday though after failing last Saturday to hack it again against a top side when the pressure was on them.
Agree re Sunday Jeff, it’s a massive test. Especially as we’ve not done so well down there for a while..
Good write up Rico, 6-0 eh, it’s gonna be quiet on here today… ?
BATE played as if it was the Emirates Cup in pre-season, no injuries is always good and thankfully they succumbed with some grace, no Paddy McNair moments.
Perspective is needed with this result, yes, but let’s just enjoy it for a change, doesn’t mean we’re gonna win the treble but it was nice to see some quality goals, and the crowd looked less than 30,000 to me, a wake up call to those in charge?
The only sour note to me was Danny Welbeck, why didn’t they let him take the penalty?
He so needs a goal, it’s painful to watch a good player struggling with his confidence.
Morning Rico. An enjoyable watch for sure. Not much to be read into it though.
Still, you can only beat what’s in front of you, to quote an old football cliche.
Thanks Kev and yes, it’s bound to be quiet after a good win… 😉
I feel for Welbeck too, where has the real Welbeck gone…
Kev/Adam,
Well said.
Sometimes we should just enjoy it for what it is.
Rico, I think the Soton game will tell us more than any of our last few have about where we will finish this season.
If we show some character and win, 4th is more than possible-not great, but a pass mark.
If we lose, who knows, as our recent form will have been a mere glitch.
Afternoon Adam, agree. It was nothing other than what it was..
I think we’ll be ok against Southampton.
But I could be wrong. 🙂
Agree Scott.
Ha ha Adam, and there’s the problem with this Arsenal…
Rico, that’s one of the problems with this Arsenal 🙂
Night all.
Big game Sunday regarding the 4th place finish a reality check here is that we are 15 points adrift of City and just 3 points ahead of Burnley.
Jeff, I’ve just accepted things will remain as they are on the pitch until AW leaves. Expect little and don’t be disappointed . Changes are clearly being made behind the scenes, so that’s the positive I hold onto these days..
Interesting Rico, to see Chambers and Holding in a back four, makes you wonder if Wenger sees them as a long term option in a 442 or was just giving them a game?
If it was the latter then why no Mertesaker, he must need a game.
I’d like to see them play in a back four against West Ham (Lge Cup) and at Nottingham Forest, in more difficult circumstances to see how they go.
Chambers and Holding are the future but presently need the protection of the full backs and defensive midfield. I thought that even taking Bate’s shortcomings into account they looked quite good together.
I’m still not convinced by either Kev..
Night..
Seeded: AC Milan (ITA), Arsenal (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Athletic Club (ESP), Atletico Madrid* (ESP), Braga (POR), CSKA Moscow* (RUS), Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), Lazio (ITA), RB Leipzig* (GER), Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS), Plzen (CZE), Salzburg (AUT), Sporting CP* (POR), Villarreal (ESP), Zenit (RUS)
Unseeded: AEK Athens (GRE), Astana (KAZ), Celtic* (SCO), Crvena zvezda (SRB), Dortmund* (GER), FCSB (ROU), København (DEN), Ludogorets (BUL), Lyon (FRA), Marseille (FRA), Napoli* (ITA), Nice (FRA), Östersund (SWE), Partizan (SRB), Real Sociedad (ESP), Spartak Moscow* (RUS)
Morning Kev and all.
I bet we get Napoli…
New post up now