If Arsenal lose today and lose heavily on Wednesday they will be left with only the league to play for, with their confidence in tatters and the fan base in meltdown, baying for the manager’s blood.
At least that is the doomsday scenario that has been put forward by some, including John Cross and Paul Merson among many others.
They may well be right, but why is it restricted to Arsenal? It surely equally applies to City and Chelsea. Ok, they don’t face the Champions of Europe, but still.
Is it that for some strange reason our fans demand more than those of the two free spending oil tankers? Or are we more susceptible to fits of mass depression?
If Liverpool lose, what have they got left? The league? The much derided 4th place trophy? I think this game will be very difficult for us.
We beat them very comfortably in the league at home, but that was a long time ago. We were in much better form and had a certain young Mr Ramsey in the team.
Liverpool will be very confident after the thrashing they dished up to us last week and they are the form team in the country at this moment. Add to that they will play their best eleven and we won’t have anywhere near our best, on top of the obvious that will miss out due to injuries, and there will be quite a bit of rotation given who we play on Wednesday.
All we can hope is that somehow Arsene manages to find a balance in the team that has somewhat deserted us since Aaron began to tire shortly before his injury. I know we have been winning in that time, but it was not against teams in this sort of form.
I would love to write that I’m full of confidence and winning will be a formality, but that would be a lie.
Big test?
Indeed it is.
Positively Arsenal 
We’ll win today,despite the injurys,tiredness & drop in form of some players-why?-because despite recent results,it’s exactly the type of thing Arsenal go & do. 2-1 to us.
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It is natural to be concerned as to whether or not Arsenal will win, or perhaps implode and see our trophy hopes shattered if we lose against both ‘Pool and then Bayern in the next few days, but there seems to be an element of crying before we have been hit in that thinking.
Let’s be positive and see the other side, and that is, if we win those games anything can happen in Cup knockout competitions, and we could win both trophies.
Deluded? Maybe. But who knows – life and football are just not predictable.
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What Mel said
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Mel is right, you know. Every long-serving student of human nature in general and football in particular would have observed, that despite the emotionalism of fans, which is enhanced by the news media, a top ranked professional outfit (as is both AFC and LFC) are never as bad after a loss or even as good after a win as the fans are led to believe. Nut surprisingly over the past 8 days we have been treated to hundreds, even thousands of news articles, tweets, blogs bemoaning how poor Arsenal have become vs the growing colossus from Anfield. It is exactly the environment that leads to an immediate reversal of fortune. Think City v Chelsea yesterday.
This does not mean jumping to an equally extremist position and predicting that Arsenal will definitely turnover Liverpool. But there are a couple of things in the Gunners favor. The players will be motivated to prove they are not as bad as it appeared at Anfield especially playing at home. Conversely both Liverpool players and management seem to believe their own triumphalist press (Brendan speaking of Gerrard as the 2nd coming etc). The truth is, based on the season to date, both teams are close in ability. All things being equal, given the depth of squad and talent, Arsenal could claim to be better. The great leveler in the case of AFC is the impact of injuries to key players and the demands of competing in three competitions while Liverpool are enhanced with no European distractions (the “little chihuahua” effect).
The long and short is I expect it to be a closely fought game. As usual I expect a Gunners victory.
If we lose, don’t be surprised that many of our worthless fans will join the media to pile unto Wenger. These are the same people who have already excused Maureen’s failure vs City yesterday by declaring “at least Chelsea can now focus on the League.” For a club that has spent over a 1Billion on players over the past 8 years, don’t expect AFC to be judged by the same standards.
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“These are the same people who have already excused Maureen’s failure”
Is there any fig leaf left for the defenders of such *coughs* opinion? Are they not embarrassed by their own inability follow the example set by the great Bob Wilson (to call a coward a coward as he has done this morning)?
The Redzone sports science experts who can be seen to hate Arsenal football club (consistently), and the Arsenal manager, and the owners (can’t imagine why!) would of course make excuses for such a flat performance from Gazprom. Whilst ignoring what the City manager himself said after the game: that the mid-week rest for his players had a huge impact upon the game! Why ignore the City manager’s own explanation? Strange, no?
You could not make up such embarrassing and revealing gibberish. Not if you tried. Really hard. With all your will and effort.
It takes some beating.
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Expect a delightful game of football. Two close enough sides, second and fourth. Pool’s form (substantially at home) and old fashioned dual-striker system, so beloved in English football lore. Arsenal’s midfield. Arsenal’s class. I anticipate an Arsenal win. Why? I highly doubt Pool will be able to attack in quite the same way, or have such an easy ride as last time. Failure to score will unwind them. Arsenal will score.
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I get nervous before most games. Bolton, Barcelona, doesn’t make any difference it’s all the same to me.
Liverpool are the form team, Arsenal have to rotate. Should be interesting.
Brendan would have enjoyed his first victory after four games against the Gunners. He’s not shy so I’m hoping he slips up after that victory. Overall of course he’s doing a good job, offloading Carroll at such a loss was a brave and necessary decision* and whilst it was clear from the 2-2 last season that he was taking his team in the right direction he has made some big errors too, like they all do.
*the evidence is probably out there to indicate that the Groaners are convinced that Carroll’s ponytail as well as his price and his agent’t cut, is divine. Which, as all football fans would know, is blasphemy.
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I also happen to think, unlike many, that Arsenal’s type of game against Yoo was the correct response to Pool.
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ARSENAL fans are indeed bipolar and certainly have all the characteristics of a manic depressive. Win and we are the best team in the world and anything less than winning every game would be a failure. The goal scorer is normally the best in Europe, the MOTM is normally world class, however if we lose we are relegation fodder and our players are not fit for a Sunday league team.
The media have to sell their medium and so have bullshit automatically inserted but fans who see their team every week and have more access to the workings of the team than ever before, should be more objective.
unfortunately like I said the fans are bipolar and you never know what mood tomorrow will bring.
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Rumours are that Ravel Morrison has been ostracised by West Ham because he wouldn’t change his agent.
Again I find it strange how much effort our expert Groaners put into avoiding any discussion of this side of the industry, given Arsenal’s own history and their own expertise. Bullying players into changing their agents is common practice in some places, that is not a revelation (e.g. see Mikel transfer to Chelsea) However the Groaners remain mighty keen on giving some (or any!) agents the clubs hard earned Wonga. Hmmmm.
Ravel should have come to the Arsenal.
UTA
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COYG
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My TL is hilarious at the moment. I make a point of following all sorts because it amuses me to do so, and because otherwise I would seldom have the chance to see the confused way people think, and then way they are so easily manipulated. At least they provide their mums with more clean sheets on laundry day now they are so busy with their twitter opinions.
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*Groan* Olivieeeeeeer. WHY?
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Sanogo gets the start ahead of Biggie B! Interesting. Otherwise as expected.
COYG
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I suppose there will be those complaining over the line up for a competition that has just lost it’s sponsor.
The times, they did change.
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Zim and Fins make good points. So both Ars and Pool had hard games on Wednesday and may not be as fresh as City were yesterday. Interesting to see their respective approaches. Seems to me the team that rotates best will have the advantage.
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Like I said punters exaggerate both wins and losses. Closer game with the edge to the team which scores 1st. Arsenal just needs another.
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I may get in trouble for giving this opinion but hey it needs to be said. We are a better team without Wilshere giving away the ball in midfield and half-ass defending.
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Agger is certainly finding Sanogo to be quite a handful.
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The Arsenal passed the test.
–
…with the edge to the team which scores 1st. Arsenal just needs another.
Yup!
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See what a fresher Arsenal can do with speedy runners for Ozil to set up. This time Liverpool does not get all the luck as Webb victimized both teams; 1st no pen for Suarez on Ox, 2nd for Cazorla on Skyrtl. Note they could only score with a pen as between the defenders and the keeper we stopped them in open play. Both teams are closer than emotive fans are willing to admit.
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MOTM: Fabianski. And to think some horrid bastards would get rid of such a talented goalkeeper. I also thought Sanogo did well for his first start. Not a bad debut at all.
Oxo is playing himself back into form. That assist for the Podolski goal was pure gold. He showed excellent vision and patience to pick out that pass.
I thought Jenkinson had one hell of a match as well. I don’t want to see Sagna leave, but if he does, I would be happy to have young Carl starting at right back.
Per and Laurent are, without question, the best CB partnership in the league, if not Europe. Suarez joined a stellar cast of characters who reside in Kozzer’s pocket. BFG should get the arm band.
Everyone else did very well.
Sanogo had a very good debut.
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Any volunteer to do the write up? I am confused .
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Shotta @ 4:56pm
Giving away the ball is a trait of many of the most talented young footballers.They constantly want to make something happen and they are still experimenting. Aaron used to do it and was criticised mercilessly for it. The best grow out of it – but they can only learn not do it by playing. In truth I wouldn’t swap Aaron or Jack for anybody you’d care to name. They are both improving by leaps and bounds and their potential seems limitless.
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Told ya!
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We love you Arsenal, we do. Will try to write a report for the morning.
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PG: I am not sure about volunteering as I am likely to repeat the same points I made this morning.
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Excellent game – two sides going all out and I did not see one player who did not give their all.
Very tense last half an hour but from intense battles like these are great achievements forged.
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Oh, this result hurts the doomers. Even in victory, they are giving kudos to Rodgers and dogging Wenger. That’s fucking unbelievable. At this rate, only a quadruple will calm these bastards down.
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Mark me in George -10ish ok ?
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Mel
you’re a witch
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Merlot – I am not slagging Jack but he gets an easy ride from the English press and his countrymen. He needs to work on his game or else he is going to cause many of us extra grey hairs before this season is done.
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Mel called it 100% just when you think your hearts been broken they give you a reason to fall in love all over again. Big games involving big teams are often decided by something smaller than a fag paper and today it could of gone either way but didn’t we work hard and in the end deserved that for halls alone. COYRRR
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Sorry that should read Balls
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Anicoll that’s peachy.I can have a lie in.
PS, if I get two reports I will happily do a double barrel article.
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The whole team played exceptionally. We rotated say 6 or 7 players to start. Sanogo got some mojo man, he’s a strong lad and unafraid. Flamini was a colossus. Fabianski brilliant. Arteta excellent and together. Well done! Their attack ran out of steam and we scored more. Ox and Lukas did a good job too.
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did u see sagna’s wife Ludiva respond to a cheeky question from a Chelsea fan (likely inspired by their classless manager no doubt). LOL
Chelsea Talk @ChelseaFC_Talk 1h
@ludivinesagna #askludivine Do you think you would be madly in love with Bacary if he wasn’t a Premiership footballer? Cheers. x
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Football ChatsㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤDean FairbairnDan Simpson! Grits ¡ #FDBHarry May
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ludivine kadri sagna @ludivinesagna 39m
@ChelseaFC_Talk Chelsea is a club that deserve better than such a shallow fan with silly questions. Cheers x
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The line-up, performance and result just shows/highlights how stupid most of our fans are. Some of them are so gullible that they believe any rubbish being spouted by pundits and journalist. Let’s hope they’ll learn from this.
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HAHAHA “Let’s hope they’ll learn from this.” HAHAHAHAHA
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Well done team and AW. I think the OX & FABULOUS FABIANSKI should share MOTM honors. OZI close second.
well done again and bring on the barbarians. ONWARD & FORWARDS!!
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@PG, you’ll assume they’ll learn to trust the manager and the players after today but I guess they’ll never do because they already have a pre-meditated agenda.
We’ll have the last laugh @ the end of the season.
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Hi all – post match thoughts. I have stayed away from the internet/twitter/newsnow for most of this week, then logged on here today to read some rather downbeat thoughts from George. Although I understood where he was coming from, I was still hoping for the best. I was so glad the team didn’t let us down. I thought it was an excellent performance. Some early nerves gave LFC some chances but Fabianski was outstanding in his handling of the situations they created. That gave us the confidence to kick on and take our chances when they came. I thought Sanogo did really well given that was basically his first game for AFC. He looks very promising although he got nothing from Webb until late in the second half when he finally won a free kick for all the pulling and pushing around that he took – I think he almost got the loudest cheer of the day for that!
There were several candidates for MoTM for me today – I think Fabianski just shaved it, although Mesut came a very close second with his two pre-assists today. I thought he was really effective and decisive when it counted. Mertesacker was also excellent as was the irrepressible Ox. Kos did his usual sterling job of keeping the SAS partnership quiet and the Arteta/Flamini axis gave one of it’s best showings today. I’m sorry we won’t see a repeat of that on Weds against Bayern. Oh and Monreal deserves an honorable mention today as well.
The crowd was good today – I understand there was a mini-meltdown on Twitter when they heard the team selection, but none of that was evident at the game. The last 10 minutes or so with the ‘red army’ chant gave me goosebumps and was probably the best atmosphere I’ve witnessed since the spurs FA cup game in the last round.
Hopefully today will have gone some way to restoring confidence for the players and the supporters. Bring on Bayern!
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gains msge of 6:31 not to worry its only mad people on the internet or just bitter fools exactly what passenal says about the last 10 minutes..spontaneous and genuine i liked it … this is still the same week ( roughly speaking) were weve had a thrashing, a boring but difficult draw, and wenger being insulted by the cretin. perhaps the crowd shows signs of seeing through the bs and maybe they to believe now and appreciate and understand more…….but i will give an 11 out of 10 to geroge for comment 09.22
maybe the players as well feel like responding to wenger’s faith and trust a bit more seriously and with more conviction. considering how this run of games started teh psychology going into the bayern game couldnt be better…..
i noticed flamini reaction when webb ended the game and he is on his own yelling and throwing fists, noone next to him, on his own……how kosncielny dealt with luis today was unbelievable. and fabianski was incredible…he cant go…we should keep him..he has ramsey No2 written all over him…
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and sanogo wasnt bad at all today. he fought well with agger and skrtl.
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a professor of football who gives ‘lessons’ on how to develop players, teams, clubs. a guys whose daily checklist in his brain must include 150 bullet-points at least…like 4 pages of things to do if he kept notes in pencil and paper like some translators who are passed on as football managers thanks to other people’s money/cheques…
funny is how many have defended the cretin’s assault on wenger as not being a lie, banging on the 8 year drum. can it be they are that stupid/ignorant as to not tell the difference between a club investing 200m on players to win titles with a club that has to sell players to have a transfer budget in the first place? is it difficult to understand that those who govern arsenal ( not arsene btw) had different objectives than those that govern chelsea/united/city due to having to repay the stadium? is that still not clear to the children?
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I wanted to hold my comments until I had a chance to watch the game, which I’ve just finished doing. What a fight that was! You could see the lads went out there focused to give a response to last week. Lots of pressing, lots of tracking back, lots of energy. A bobble here and there, but overall a terrific performance.
I was glad to see Olivier come on at the end. He looks really down. He’s going to need support from his teammates to get through this. What a mess…
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Wednesday is going to be massive.
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I thought we always looked like we would win the game.
BR can say what he wants but I think the Ref saw two players running into each other. That’s what I saw in real tv time and I don’t really think he saw anything different.
TV replays can be used to suggest what anyone wants but the Ref called what he saw. Period!
And yes, SG could so easily have had a Red Card.
That said, you know what? If they had equalised by a second penalty I truly think we would have gone straight up the park and score the winning third goal.
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this is how I feel this morning
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oh and did anyone notice hunter setting off smoke bombs in the crowd yesterday
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