I am really not up to this today. Are you any day, you might well ask?
I’ve been struck down with a terrible case of man-flu. Never mind though, I’ll struggle on [Takes out onion and weeps – Ed] because I know without my expert opinions you would not know what to think.
So we play Manchester City, the favourites to win the league, at their gaff.
Should we not take all the points that will be 3 games without a win.
I can feel the knives being sharpened.
Arsene said “We don’t complain about the fixtures”, which is his way of saying “City have a huge advantage and its not fair”
I have to say I was disappointed with our approach in Napoli. I don’t like it when we go all “Chelsea”, and I hope Arsene picks an attacking team up in the rainy city.
Given our relative fatigue I would take a point now and be very satisfied.
When it comes to team selection once again I don’t have a clue.
If I was doing the team talk I would say “go hard and fast in the hope of getting a lead and upsetting them, and hang on in the second half when your legs are weary.”
I know, I know – I’m a genius.
Lets hope for a great game of football and a positive result.
One thing is for sure, we will be top of the League come Monday.
And that can’t be bad.
Positively Arsenal 
I knw I’m not the only one who felt a little down after the match in Naples but dare I say it that I’m sure we’ll progress to the quarter final stage of the champions league irrespective of who we are facing in the next round. Afterall we are the ARSENAL and we can beat anybody at any given day.
As much as people has make ManCity something big @ Etihad, I’m still nt convince they can match us if we don’t play wit that dreaded handbrake. I hope the guys go out with the mind of extending the gap to eight points. Impossiblle is nothing. COYG.
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That’s a bugger I seem to have had a lobotomy and do not know what to think.
Damn that ‘flu.
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Naples was an odd and very unusual game for us; can only assume we played with little bit handbrake and one eye on Saturday’s ludicrously early kick-off.
TV companies’ call but not in their interest to trigger below par contests.
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A match with 21outstangingly talented players on the pitch. (I’m assuming Milner plays.) What’s not to enjoy?
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Manuel Pellegrini
“I don’t know if we play similar but both Arsène and me, we always try to play creatively and not to destroy what the other team wants to do…Both teams play as a big team.”
No fans or apologists for ‘shit on a stick’ in these parts.
–
It was Chamberlain and Walcott who played on the flanks during pre-season I think. Hopefully City will continue with Kolarov (Clichy was their regular LB when they won the title), and Walcott is ready to be unleashed.
C’mon Arsenal!
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and so everything is against us, once again we face our toughest opponents at a time we look the most tired. not so much playing with the handbrake on but playing with a big hole in the exhaust pulling us back and causing us to kangaroo up the road.
However this team has already proved we have guts, discipline and enough guile to outwit any team on any given day…oh and how we need this to be a given day.
The game in Italy looked a little like we didn’t know how we wanted to play it but I don’t think at any stage we were in trouble.
today we can put a big two fingers up to a lot of people with a win but even a draw would give us a feather in the cap and give doubt to any challengers.
our record at city in quite good so here’s to bringing home points
COYG
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A perceptive piece George and you highlighted all the key issues – truth, hope, knowledge, disease, love and death – the human condition
And Merlot – that is cruel (smiley thing)
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Cheers George, rest easy today.
City should be terrified of us.
A score draw says I, followed by a weeks rest and pummelled Chavs at Christmas.
Arsenal’s only worry is our traditional Christmas dip in form, which normally lasts a couple of weeks. And for crying out loud, even if Arsenal suffered that again this month, we would still be in with a great chance of winning this league.
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Citeh will be concerned about us too, and any adverse decision against them early on will put even more pressure on them.
Pressure – tension – for Shitty will work well for us, and I am hopeful that we will come away with a win to shut up all the ‘Arsenal are the underdogs with no chance’ media pundits, and those fans who are already practising their prose to put the knives in to ‘clueless’ Wenger, if we dare to lose.
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Exciting wait until the game. Good point about City’s concern’s Henry. We are a great team. Should be a good game.
Come on Arsenal!!!!
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concerns*
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Good to hear stories that Bac is going to extend his contract after all.
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Two of the best teams in the league in my opinion. There is no doubting City’s credentials, that is the least the Sheiks would expect after spending something in the order of £1Billion. The main thing going for us is their playing at home means they will be on the front-foot playing an attacking, expansive game which should make them vulnerable to our counter attacks.
I was out of town for the Napoli game. From all I have read and seen it may have been for the best.
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rumours Nacho to start not sure if its at LB or in front of Gibbs
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Bugger,
There goes my advice to the lads to just keep shooting at Joe hart until he fluffs something.
The canny city manager has dropped him.
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BBC announce arsenal team,
No surprises really:
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud.
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They’re attacking us with too much ease. Wilshere and Özil have been entirely too quiet. We’re also missing that pivot further up the pitch which Santi provides.
I hope Koscielny didn’t mess up his knee too bad. He’s been one of our best players thus far this season.
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Koscielny only has a cut.
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Morning/Afternoon folks! Its been way too long. I hope everyone is doing fine.
Disappointed so far. We are not defending well and we are sitting back too much and allowing them to pick whatever pass they would like. Too much nerves and respect, I say.
The linesman needs a big kick up the backside. The offside calls on Theo and Nacho were wrong and both times we were in good positions.
What on earth happened with Kos? Get well soon young man. For me he is the best central defender in the PL, maybe the world. What a player.
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Gains, whats up bro?
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Come on boys! Fuck them over! Show what Arsenal are. Dont be shy!
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blow wow!
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Come on boys!
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There yo go!
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What’s up Pauly?
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I’m here bruh! disappointed with our defending today.
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defensively poor today at key times in the game. with all city’s attacking flair and they very very good, it was us that made uncharacteristic mistakes to gift them goals. I felt poor nacho came in to the wrong game today and struggled.
however when you consider a major injury to a key player, several key wrong decisions and the week we’ve had, the way we kept going and some of the interplay was a major positive.
we were well beaten today but you can see so much to come from this squad and although gutted to lose I’m certainly not depressed anyway were top for at least another nine days and a victory over chelski would more than make up for today.
oh and get well soon Kos
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We weren’t that bad. We conceded some stupid goals and the game went tits up up after their third. We get to rest now.
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While we were screwed on some refereeing decisions, there were too many individual errors that led to goals or near misses. That is where we missed Mikel Arteta for his calmness, organizational skills and technical ability. Pointing and shouting and getting emotional is no substitute for Arteta’s sheer ability for correct positioning and to play the right pass out of defense. The know-it-alls both on Twitter and on blogs trying to put down MA8 will be simply ignored from now on.
Today’s result wasn’t fatal but it is a big blow to our confidence and the doubters are going to make hay in the next 9 days while we rest up prepare for Chelsea.
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Come on Chamakh!!!!!!
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Gains, I saw a lot from the team, there were some good signs going forward. I liked what I saw from Theo, Wojo and TV.
Flamini surprised me today, he was not he usual self.
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The boys were spent. I’m still not convinced by this City team.
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a_or_b and Shotta, whats the deal?!
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Well!!! That was Arsenal brought back down to earth. Don’t understand what could be wrong with Santi and Mozart. Arsene substitutions were puzzling. All the same, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. Let’s go shock Chelshit nxt.
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The boys did look half dead towards the end of the game. The goals were still soft all the same.
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a terrible week
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Welcome back Pablo. Tuff day to make your return. What a gwaan with you and family?
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Oh well. We pick ourselves up.
Come on boys! Refresh, restart run.
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Thanks Shotta. Yes, its rough but somehow I feel as bad as I thought I would. The boys are going to kick themselves when they see how simply the game could have been different. Simple things like closing down players and keeping your eye on the ball when it is being passed to you. A bad result but it was not due to a lack of talent on our side. Tired? Lack of focus? Too much respect for City? Maybe all 3. Not saying we would have won, but we not have conceded 6.
The Family and I are doing well. Finally settled back in South Florida.
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Silver lining: Theo got a brace in his first start for a few months. And one of them was as sweet as anything I’ve seen all season.
What a finish from Chamakh.
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The right result today and the better side won. Could have been about 10-8 on another day. Although we made a few Uncharacteristic errors I was not too disappointed with our performance.
As after the OT how we respond will determine a lot about the quality of the players. And we responded well after that setback. I can think of no team more likely to bring the best out of us than CFC.
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3 wrong off sides today against us, one was a goal.
I always thought the attacker got the benefit of the doubt but the linesman was having none of it.
Do you guys think we should have gotten the pen?
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Santi must have tweaked his ankle and Rosicky can’t play two in a row
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The other two were really good shouts too.
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We have eight days to rest, so I think well be more than up to it for Chelsea.
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alrighty folks! hittin the road for a sec. talk to you all later.
lets keep our heads up. The team will respond positively to this setback.
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Mertesacker told Özil off for not going over to the fans after the final whistle.
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I felt really shit after the defeat at ot, we struggled players suffering from flu and not starting till the second half but today seemed different. it is difficult to imagine the ref and the linesman getting more important decisions wrong and that would certainly made some difference. The defensive errors maybe were down to mental tiredness and nacho and tv5 coming in, although most errors were in midfield, the way the whole teams defensive link didn’t seem there today.
at times going forward we were fantastic and hearing people at chelski giving up season tickets because of the bus driver sending them to sleep makes me feel just how lucky we are. Even in defeat we were entertained by some great football and although I love a good organised a well timed defence you can keep all the sparklies in the world if it means us giving up our dream football. after spending billions on his toy roman must have looked at our game and then the dour game and shot the advisor that told him to buy chelski and then hire and rehire the worlds least entertaining caricature.
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Well I am looking forward to George’s post game blog. Something like: “We were beaten but not battered. Now time for some scapegoats. Over to you boys and girls.”
Smiley face banned.
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Its all gone a little quiet
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