So today is a “must win” game in what is an endless list of “must win” games, only one of which we have won. Not sure where that leaves us?
Newcastle are on a great run of form and we are in the middle of a crisis. So how the bookies have us at evens is anyone’s guess.
Aaron is injured (due to Arsene’s stupidity, I’m reliably informed) so that leaves a slot in the middle for Jack, Santi, Tomas or Flamini. The lack of choices is terrifying.
Everyone is in the red zone and should be rested.
Laurent might be fit and the skipper might be dropped.
Given that we had some 70% possession against West Ham everyone should be fine to play again. Or not?
If Newcastle come at us I think we will win, if they sit back I think we will win.
In fact , I just think we will win and reach the halfway point, having played no one, on top of the stack.
Poor old Arsene must be at his wits end trying to take on board all of the advice he gets from experts like me. I don’t know how he manages to sleep at night.
I just hope we are not 4 – 0 up at half-time and the Referee decides to make a game of it.
Up the Arse.
Positively Arsenal 
team spirit, what is your twitter id?
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Mou is playing an extra creative player because Ramires is suspended. What a sense of adventure that man has.
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Testing testing 1-2-3-4
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SA, @emed8
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What a great win. Just the sort of win we’ve been told for five years or so we were incapable of.
So, we reach the half-way point on top of the league.
Well, prediction is a mug’s game. Who knows what might happen in the second half? Especially when it’s so close.
What’s hard to fathom is why those who enjoy guessing the future gave us so little chance of being in this position at the start of the season. Had nobody noticed that we took 40 points in the second half of last season? And no-one of significance left in the close season.
It’s almost as though some people really believed the boloney that was being written about us during the summer transfer window.
Of course, I want us to win everything. And most of all the CL. It’s a mighty tough call, with so little to choose between us and a handful of other top European teams. But if ever a man deserved to have a CL win on his CV, it’s Arsène.
In the meantime, hats off to all those who went out after the opening game mugging by Anthony Taylor and backed us to win the EPL at 20-1 against.
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@ anicoll5, have you been in hiding? LOL
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Thanks team spirit. Following you now.
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Tanx SA…
Hear Webb continues to be a Man Y fan as he has been against pool all game…
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How is Mourinho any different than Tony Pulis?
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Those bad decisions against Liverpool are the reason we’re not three points clear of Man Shitty and four above The Chavs.
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@ Gains he is not actually except you count the fact he has the more expensive team and is thus liable to get more wins and hence a trophy now and again…?
Arsenal went from 4th back to first and pool from 1st to 5th in the space of 4 days… well!!!!
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Maybe Arsenal fans can use chants like “Are you Tony Pulis in disguise?” and “Are you Stoke in disguise?” when we next meet Chelsea.
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looks spot on…
BBC Sporf @BBCSporf 4m
BREAKING: Chelsea confirm their interest in signing Howard Webb on a permanent deal from Man United, after a successful one-match loan.
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The boys dug in and deserve great credit. We negotiated our two biggest tests of the holiday season Dean and Probert, with four points. I’m concerned about Jack he’s really off the boil atm.
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Great stuff “we are top of the league, say we are top of the league!”. Sorry George, I don’t mean to desert the site, but it’s a busy time of year and there is family to be visited, which is where I’ve been this weekend!
BRF, hopefully Jack is just having a minor dip and needs a few games to find his groove again. Totally agree with you about our toughest tests being Dean and Probert, so we’ve done well to come out of that lot with 4 points (should have been 6 if that obvious penalty had been called for the upending of Walcott). I’m also happy for Oli G that he got the winner after all the criticism he has faced recently.
Not to dwell on the transfer talk, but I think the manager has given a clue to the type of player he’s looking to bring in
“on giving Giroud a rest…
I don’t know. Every time I think I give him a rest but we have a team that is a bit short, lightweight and more focused on mobility and technical movement so he is the one guy who has that strength and structure for us. That fighting up front is very important for us.”
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-on-win-resilience-and-title-race
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Gains 3:10
?????
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Anybody else notice how pants Jack was today?
He just runs into traffic the whole time and losses the ball.
I expect the usual experts will blame Aaron.
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team spirit at 4:46 pm
@emed8: I am following you too.
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Beloved ARSENAL leading the pack . What a fantastic new years this will be. Woowhoooo
TOMAS is becoming our hitman enforcer. Hahaha. Go on mate, its payback time.
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I come home to this Racist shit?
Fuck off Gains you JohnTerry.
And PG you too.
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None taken
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I suppose I have to do the fucking match review too??? EH??? EH??? EH??
No rest for the wicked then.
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I said Szczesny was of Irish parentage when he kicked the ball into the face of Remy and the ball dribbled out wide. Luck of the Irish yada yada yada.
By the way, I have an Irish grandfather.
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Oh? I agreed because I though you meant all Irish were thick. What? WHAT?? What did I say?????
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I also have a grandmother who is a Lemko from the Carpathian mountains. I thought you guys should know that in case I insult any Lemkos who may be reading this blog.
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We’re not really fighting are we?
I’m ready for the best NY celebrations for years AFC back where we belong, top of the league baby 🙂
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Is double canister the guy who does the podcasts with you George?
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And how horrible is my English, eh? Szczesny kicked the ball into Remy’s face, not into the face of Remy.
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No Gains,that’s Bradeysque7
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GainsTerry.
No, Bradyesque is the guy with the dulcet tones.
No attempt at apologising? Have a long hard look at yourself.
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DC there is one one its way. A podcast that is.Not an Irishman
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@ shottagunna… yeah!!! the year ends nicer and nicer!
Common where did steww go to… he does these nice as the game goes on reviews!!!! Or else PG, its you the cap fits!
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Hinting at the luck of the Irish is a racial slur? Fuck me.
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Dont bite Gains,hes on a wind up.
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Steww has hung up his keyboard it appears .
Just me and Andrew left to hold the fort.
Because the rest of you freeloaders wont put your shoulders to the wheel.
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GainsTerry.
Yes. Fuck you.
You mentioned nothing about luck at 3:10.
I don’t like lazy cliches based on centuries of prejudice.
I was looking forward to some nice banter about how well Arsenal are doing.
My apologies to everyone else.
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Steady there.
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Oh… Stewww… Why why why and as the season gets nicer and nicer tooooooo… Come one get the keyboard out from under your bed!
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Hang on DC ,you assumed that was what Gains meant, he has said that was NOT what he meant. So if he didn’t mean that, then why should he apologise?
And I was not even agreeing with that particular comment,I was agreeing with the comment at 4.11.
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OK PG
No hang up with you. (being the master of the house here and all).
I think we can all agree that Shezzy was a dumbass Polack who got lucky on the rebound. There, that’s not going to offend anyone.
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Wait, are we fighting? Why are we fighting?
Nice win today. Going to settle in now and watch the second half, which I missed this morning, safe in the knowledge that we got the result. But it sounds like the last 15 will still give me heart palpitations.
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Right I have finished tomorrows missive. It will take me most of the night to edit it down to a manageable read,
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Gentlemen please cease. Its the holidays and great time for all of us due to how well the crew is doing. You are both dear friends and hot blooded gooners. Make friends and apologize for the hard feelings caused.
PG I know that you didn’t agree with GAINS 310. it was another comment , not that one , if GAINsee even meant it the other way. I agree DC , there shouldn’t be use of those old cliché sayings here amongst good friends.
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Leave it,Its done.xxxx everyone.
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What PG said.
Hatched buried.
Please, everyone else – let’s talk about one hell of a win!
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It’s hard that we are having to win these games despite the referees attempts to derail us. If we can keep this up until May, our victory will be even sweeter given the obstacles we have had to overcome – hostile home crowds, moaning twitterati, corrupt/incompetent officiating, dismissive plunditry and downright negative bashing from the media.
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Ok then… Great win today… LOL
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@ passenal, what is scary is when these 3 pts mean so much as per going top or being 5th, just ask pool, in the last 2 games! and as it gets nearer to may, its more frustrating… hope we can maintain our cool… and continue to win.
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It seems that Mourinho is truly Fergusson’s successor. Chelsea look like the new team of the establishment, the role previously inhabited by ManU. Either that, or they have all the luck in the world with referee’s because having two referee’s in a row in big matches that give everything your way seems a bit much, doesn’t it? Liverpool can feel rightly aggrieved at not getting away with a draw, just like we should have won against Chelsea and in both cases incompetent referee’s made the difference.
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Anyone notice Moe’s eyes?
Big brown sags under them, like he hasn’t slept in days?
Maybe shame on a conscience is finally catching up with him.
42 precious points, and despite the 6 goals conceded at M.city our defense is joint best with Everton’s.
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