Arsenal Thread

I think Chelsea are there for the taking to be honest, I think if Arsenal are brave they can could beat them quite convincingly.

Chelsea lack of top quality forward will be the problem, no Drogba to terrify Arsenal this time.
 
Arsenal - Wall ?
Chelsea had more shots on goal...and although indeed they played more defensive.
I'm sorry but Arsenal were not good enough to win this match...
All in all a draw is not a bad result.
 
gerd said:
Arsenal - Wall ?
Chelsea had more shots on goal...and although indeed they played more defensive.
I'm sorry but Arsenal were not good enough to win this match...
All in all a draw is not a bad result.
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Almost all Chelsea chances were counter attacks. We played against a perfectly organised wall, typical Mourinho teams, always very strong in the defence.

On the other hand, somebody need to tell Wenger three substitutions are possible in the Premier League.
 
Chelsa actually almost scored, just the woodwork saved Arsenal.

but as commentator said, the winner tonight is Liverpool...
 
The penalty is 50/50 given or not. That tackle should of been a :R1 (Obi on Arteta) . Arsenal didn`t take their chances and its obviously we need a finisher! Mou won imo Wenger lost this...the only thing to do is beat WHU on boxing day!!

Action-Areas_3056686.jpg
 
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As debatable as it was, I think the pen was more the wrong decision than the tackle. Both players went flying in studs up so if Mikel deserved a red then probably so did Arteta. Booking for me.

Don't want to sound like a broken record but... Ozil went missing again. You expect more from a 42m star signing. Some foreigners need a season to settle in the PL but, I don't know, I'm not convinced the issue with him is one of settling. The Pl is more demanding than LL and he seemed to get subbed an awful lot at Madrid due to him waning quite badly in the 2nd half of games. He obviously has quality but, like I said, you expect more

Over the last few games I think it could be argued that Sagna has been your most potent attacking threat. It would seem he's getting back to the player of a few years ago when he was arguably the best RB in the PL. Some of his crosses are simply brilliant
 
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Ozil is 25 and he`s just part of the puzzle. He may not be impressing you at all, but his presence has everyone playing better. We've been top of the table for a good few weeks. The depth in quality is not the same. We had 2 back2back tough opponents .Before that Napoli, the worst is hopefully over :))
 
dplane said:
Damn you Arsenal.. Letting Pool be up top. I'd rather see City sitting up there, that's how disappointed I am.
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Why ?

Because Liverpool are the traditional rivals of Man Utd ?

Scores traditional rivalries.

When i first saw it, i also thought it was a penalty. After seeing it a couple of times more, i'm not so sure anymore...i think the ref made the right decision.
Why didn't Wenger play Cazorla ?
 
Cazorla didn't play in 2 matches. City n Chels. Last night he was warming up I only knew this because the stadium got loud singing his name. Hopefully he plays vs WHU n Newsc.
 
Well that was...disappointing. Jose showing his true colours - that was text book Mourinho. Bore the other team to death, then try to break or score from a free kick. If the other team starts to play too much football, force the game to descend into a bad-tempered, foul-ridden farce.

But he got the draw, so I guess it's tactically spot on.
 
beachryan said:
Well that was...disappointing. Jose showing his true colours - that was text book Mourinho. Bore the other team to death, then try to break or score from a free kick. If the other team starts to play too much football, force the game to descend into a bad-tempered, foul-ridden farce.

But he got the draw, so I guess it's tactically spot on.
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Frankly, Chelsea could have won this match. They had more clear cut chances than Arsenal.
I wanted Arsenal to win, but they didn't do enough.

Lampard almost scored a fantastic goal, that pass from Hazard was pure genius...
 
For me, it was a 100% clear penalty. Willian went for the tackle and came in completely late much after Walcott had moved the ball away with his touch. There is clear contact between Willian's foot and Walcott's and the ball is no where near. That is the definition of a foul.

For me, a foul is a foul regardless of where on the field it happens. A penalty doesn't warrant a 'stronger than regular' foul for it to be called a penalty. Willian's challenge would for sure have been reprimanded if it were outside of the box.

Also, the refree didn't give some clear-cut cards. Azipiluteca (sp) had a really atrong tackle on Arteta/Ramsey (can't recall) in the beginning of the match. Should have been a clear yellow. Mikel's challenge is one where 8 matches out of 10, you get a straight red for. I understand if one says 'They were both going for the ball with cleets up, Arteta got there first, etc...' Ok, whatever. But not even giving a yellow is a freakin' joke. And 5 seconds later not giving the penalty makes me say WTF. In a tight defensive display like this, even a yellow early on makes a huge difference and can distrupt the defender's gameplan. Imagine Mikel and Azip not able to commit so much defensively, it could mean the collapse of Mourinho's gameplan.

It was clearly Mourinho's game plan to affect the game's mood and tempo with hard fouls. The refree promoting this by overlooking all the fouls was terrible management. As expected, the temper of the game rose afterwards, and Arsenal players as well began to go in for hard tackles, etc (no surprise about the Ozil-Ivanovic hustle). Of course these were all benefiting Mourinho and his 'grind-it-out' gameplan.

Usually, I don't pinpoint the ref. However, in a game like this, where one team is trying to grind it out second by second and play so negatively, even the tiniest detail makes a difference. Even one yellow not given can tip the scales in a game like this. Not to mention the penalty in a game where if you score one, you're basically guaranteed to win.

Also, it is normal for Chelsea to have more chances. They were defending 11 men and Arsenal naturally had to put everything up front. They were bound to give chances at the back, while Chelsea were likely not to give any. You can even consider it a shortcoming of Chelsea that they couldn't score against a team so willingly exposed at the back, while still giving Arsenal some clear chances. Remember, even that fantastic Barca team couldn't pass this cynical tactic in the CL a few years back. Considering how defensive Chelsea were, I think it should be commended that Arsenal still had some really important chances. Mainly, Giroud's two chances which were clear-cut. IMO, he had to put those away.
 
Same result last season at Boleyn Ground 1-3. All I have to say is Cazorla was huge today when playing in the middle:CONFUSE: Pod is our best finisher and Theo is starting to click 4 goals in 3 full matches.

Ramsey and Ozil need to rest and watch from the bench . :))
 
No news there for me. Cazorla will be wasted in the wings. Wenger needs to stop this and only use him there when there's no alternative.

Let's be frank here: Arsenal were not good against West Ham. We only turned it on around the hour mark. Our finishing in the first half was disastrous (when players actually took a shot on goal).

Our number of attempts just isn't enough, compared to the % amount of possession we have each match. There's not nearly enough directness about this team.

And what concerned me big time is that Giroud has been looking like a Championship striker in the last 2 or 3 matches. When Bendtner came in for him, we had more quality :SHOCK:

Still, somehow we're sitting top of the league. But a LOT of stuff needs to be corrected for the Newcastle game. They won't be easy like West Ham, and today many players had an off day. Far too many, in such a crucial period of the season.
 
I couldn't watch the game, but I'll take your word Rentboy as I end up agreeing with you almost all the time. I will watch the MOTD highlights later on.

Regardless of the quality of play, we all have to admit this win is very important. It was a much needed boost of confidence after the Napoli-City slump (Chelsea draw ain't too bad a result to be honest). Also, more importantly, we are back on top. With a win against Newcastle, who are on Everton-form right now, we will close the first half of the season as leaders. When was the last time that was true?

The return of Podolski is crucial. Yeah, Giroud has been rubbish for a couple of marches, but it was unavoidable that he eventually fall from form. He has been very important in the campaign and pulled a great deal of the weight in the beginning. Being without an alternative can wear you out. Podolski is what we have been desperately missing, more pure firepower upfront in the shape of forwards, not technical attacking midfields. Just look at Walcott's form. He seems to be stepping up just at the right moment, his return bringing a much needed burst. This is what squad depth brings to you. I almost feel ashamed for downplaying him.

Also, Ramsey is out for a couple of weeks.

Time for a bit rotation, and we will be vitalized hopefully. Walcott, Podolski, Cazorla back in the mix.
 
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