A guest post from @anicoll5
Good morning from a sunny and mild Norfolk morning. Very pleasant.
A fixture we had all marked in our diary has finally arrived, and for that I am thankful.
Reading the media this week, and dipping into the frantic noise that makes up the sporting social media, I was struck by the Chelsea v Arsenal game broken down by contributors into a series of contests, the gigantic and the personal. The final Clash Of Footballing Civilisations, Good v Evil, The Oligarch v the Self Sustainers (Roman v Stan), Loyalty v Lucre, the beautiful football of Wenger pitted against the pragmatic brutalism of Mourinho etc. And then of course there is eternally circular the Fabregas/Smabregas theme.
Underneath the avalanche I sense a whisp of fear among some Arsenal fans, still reeling from the lashing of the 22nd March. I spy with my little eye a Chelsea quietly confident that they will sit nine points above us by 4 p.m. today
Resist this nonsense if any exist among you Positivistas, put aside anxiety.
Two very talented football sides will take the field this afternoon, both packed with players from all over the planet who have developed and perfected their skills for just this day. And each player knows he will have seconds, literally just seconds over the 90 minutes to display their talents. Chelsea are the bigger, the muscular, of the sides, but with the ugly rapier of Costa as their weapon of choice (hamstrings permitting). We have the speed and the quality of sharp passing, sufficient to open the lock on the gates of St Peter. Eight goals on our previous three games suggests that we know where the goal is. Two strong defences, two good keepers, little to choose between them.
Where will the contest be decided then ?
It will be decided in the collective mind, among the players who temper the quality of their play with discipline, who take the fleeting opportunities that will come their way, and chances will come as they always do for both sides. And should misfortune come their way, a stray pass intercepted, an ungiven foul, even worse a goal conceded, it is the side that ignores that setback, does not panic or lie on the ground waving their arms and yelling at Fate, or Martin Atkinson, that will prevail this afternoon.
“There are no tricks in plain and simple faith.”
So let that brotherhood of thought and mind be Arsenal this afternoon.
Enjoy the game !
Positively Arsenal 
Nice one Andrewnicoll5
I couldn’t bring myself to do a match preview today on GunnersoreArse. The psychological scars are still too deep from last seasons result. But if I had done yours would have been the template. Instead I’ve looked at the future prospect of SWAT. Sanchez, Welbeck And Theo. A much easier option.
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I have had a read NB and you, rightly I’d say focus on our speedy attacking trio and the damage they can do to the ageing legs of Terry and Cahill. As you say a point would not be too bad, in fact from what we have seen from Jose a point at a top four competitor away from home is the height of his ambition. With Theo’s return not far off we have much to look forward to.
Voila le boudoin
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Cheers Andrew.
Chelsea have done absolutely noting so far this season to warrant the tag of being huge favourites to win today. They have played Burnley and Cardiff – Arsenal haven’t.
The team we are putting out today is stronger than last years, and isn’t suffering the psychological damage and metal tiredness the team were feeling around the time of the corresponding fixture last season.
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Nice one A5, glad youve told me to stop feeling anxious because like all matchdays i was. However I am not doomridden and perfer to focus on the huge positives any sort of result would bring us today. ARSENAL winning today would not only produce a fantastic upper for our side but also create a large shadow in the minds of the chelski players for the rest of the season, quite simply there is more to be gained than to be lost today COYG
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Thanks Andy Nic: top post as ever, and much to think about pre-match. I’ve spent a bit of time on Twitter this morning and the consensus would seem to be that we might as well just give them the points now, but I doubt it seems quite as simple as that to either manager right now. I just wish those fans that prefer Cesc to Ozil, Costa to Welbeck and Jose to Arsene would follow the logic and simply defect to the Bridge themselves. I think everyone would be happier that way to be honest.
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Cesc vs Santi is going to be a good match up. It’s going to be a good game today.
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It’s too close to call. Howeve, we are perfectly able and capable of beating Chelski, we simply must not lapse for even one second in midfield. I’m looking forward to this. Good one ‘Coll….
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We few, we happy few. we band of brothers.
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Come on the Arsenal!
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Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
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game delayed by 20 minutes
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Flares ?!
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common arsenal!
big big big big game..we will win today i think..like i always do.
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Let me remind you that the pessimism felt by the majority of gooners, PA excluded, is a contra-indicator. The hyper-emotional majority are always seeing doom in the midst of opportunity as well as excessive optimism in the good times. They were the same majority that didn’t give us a chance vs Galatassaray. Look how that turned out. This is no super-secret observation; it is well known in behavioral science and one of the tools of successful investors. But it is difficult to not get caught up with the herd. One has to have a steely grip over one’s emotions and an objective assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of AFC. Our greatest strength is our manager who has a history of building great football teams who overcome adversity.. Let us see if this unfolds today.
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COYG!
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Has Wenger ever shoved anyone before this?
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wilshere needs to step it up. common arsenal
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Good half. Santi is proving to be the difference. Cahill needed to see red. Oscar should be on a yellow.
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Steady boys steady
Very even game so far, very controlled from us, Hazard saw a half opening and went through, we need to do the same.
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yeah referee is pathetic..too fucking weak. even with the most neutral lens on it is clearly a bias against us.
but i’m sry to say some of the players really need to step it up..i would hate to hear the “mental barrier” arguments all over again.
fucking common arsenal!
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i cant believe how the referee is conveniently forgetting all of their off the ball fouls..fucking pathetic..
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Atkinson with 10% possesion and 100% tackle completion rate, untold right about just how just how biased he is another roman employee. chelskki hard enough to beat without having to beat he ref as well.
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having had my moan I think were playing well COYG
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hazard is clearly the difference..what a brilliant player
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we are on top..need a goal..COYG
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oscar continues to snap at our heels knowing he is still yet to get that yellow..disgusting i say..fair play to arsenal players for not play acting. football is dying..teams like chelsea with that kind of approach will continue to beat us
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Fuuuuuuuuuck. We were much better than Blue Stoke.
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Call for Kanu
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Chelsea were plucky today
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What has me upbeat about this victory is the fact that we were superior and we have room for improvement. Jose will not be able to get away with this snatch and grab tactic all season.
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Looks like you added a p there.
We played well but both goals conceded were poor. All in all an improvement on last years big away games and if we keep playing like this well be close, problem is chelski look solid
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Chins up Positivistas a very very long way to go this season, we all know Chelsea were flattered by that result.
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I wrote plucky on purpose. Plucky is how inferior teams play against superior ones. We were without four starters and they parked the bus at their ground with a full strength team.
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I don’t see too many teams living with the movement Alexis, Ozil and Welbeck provide us. I think we can go on a good run of victories and be within a few points of the top by Christmas.
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no Gainsbourg69,
they wont follow the snatch and grab approach all season..only against us and city. they have terrific attacking talent otherwise. they are looking strong..but anyway i couldn’t care less about those hooligans.
they might have won but not in my head.
i care about Arsenal. of course my chin is always up and i will always be proud of supporting Arsenal..we played well..we played good football..but we were playing to win? i dont think so.
i hold Arsene with utmost respect because he doesnt let the idiots around him dictate how we should play..we dont play act nor we park the bus. i believe he lets players express themselves on the pitch..team them how to play football effectively and beautifully without micro managing…and what do the players do? they dont repay the great man’s trust..they fuck up..they simply wont learn.
a. dont play act but be smart..if the referee aint calling it fair make him know..all great players do it..take what you deserve …grow some fucking balls.
b. did you see hazard..we couldnt foul him even if we wanted to..why? he is agile [not quick] he thinks and reacts..can you say that for all of our players? why not ? they are just as talented but they were over whelmed.
c. and i dont think our players understand what it takes to play good football against the big teams..you just cannot expose your defenders so many times..you attack with 11 and defend with 11..when you know the other team has good players..every pass you make must be intelligent..every movement you make has intelligent..all those speculative attacks with no clear purpose ..why cant we eat the possession and dictate the game..why do we have to bombard them with mindless attacking moves when there is such a low percentage of the move coming good..why cant our passing be as accurate as it should be possible? i’d love to see some discipline in these players to refrain from conceding possession so many times. its just too annoying to see our naivety costing us time and again.
i am only ranting because i never felt at any given point did we have any understanding of what it takes to win against that team i despise.
the positive side is its just one defeat and the season is still very young..we can still catch up..I know arsene will restore the teams morale again – taking all the blame on himself as always.
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Real snatch and grab by Chelsea at the end. Just as I was about to say Costa was kept quiet; we press for the goal leaving 2 at the back, lose it in their 3rd, counter-attack, perfect pass and goal. Difficult to swallow and now we have to endure the idiot punditry praising the Mou’s cowardly tactics. So the victors write history, no matter how tainted.
We are a better team this year but our execution needs to be more efficient. Going close doesn’t count for much against shithouse teams like Chelsea.
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Much as it grieves me to say it the better side earned their points today with Chels that bit quicker, stronger and able to covert the scraps that fell their way into good possession and, crucially, that opening goal.
We played well in most departments today,very well in some, but dod not look like opening up the home defence at any point. Very frustrating in as much as Cahill, after his fortunate early yellow should have been targeted. I never felt the lack of pace of Terry and Cahill was ever prodded.
A lack of guile in the final third sunk us, and when just a chink opened, like for Jack in the first half, a poor first touch. Let us not however forget the opposition are quite good at defending.
Having got the autopsy out of the way I also think tat the game was probably our best 90 minutes of football this season. For all the incessant abuse Flamini takes he was excellent today, never stopped running, tackling, and never lost his head, Jack and Santi shone and Chambers, although skating the thinnest of disciplinary lines stood up well.
Learn the lesson and on to Hull
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Mou will struggle against teams that park the bus against him just like he did last season. I don’t see them opening up a huge gap on the rest of the following pack.
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I agree, Shotta. This was The best football we’ve played all season. Now imagine what this team will do with Theo, Ramsey, Arteta, Giroud and Debuchy in the team. But you will not see this if you’re moaning about not buying Cesc and congratulating Mourinho for wrapping up the Costa deal early on.
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It’s done with. Now to gobble up points with some reasonable fixtures ahead.
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I don’t think it was the best we’ve played all season because we didn’t create that many clear cancers and put many shots on goal. But we fought hard and were not overmatched. They made the most of the few chances they created, had a bit more quality when needed and had WS busier, but by and large it was even and in some phases and parts of the match we were clearly better. I feel a draw would have been perfectly reasonable a result and with a bit of luck a win wouldn’t have been unjust because we really played well.
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Cancers? Chances, chances!
Very fair comment from Anicoll. I think it safe to say that we played better v. Galatasaray. But certainly in the league, this match is up there. We are stronger away this season; that’s good. But we really haven’t been as clinical at home as we need to be–the run of fixtures ahead may help.
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I feel strangely unbothered by that game. Is meh the right word? We were good and forced them to play well, but I always had the sense that we were at full stretch to be like that whereas they had a bit in reserve. We are nearly at the same table, but not quite and I think that we have to realise that. I enjoyed watching our efforts, enjoyed the sense that 1-1 was a possibility for so much of the second half but reluctantly had to say well done to them for being more clinical than we were.
And credit where it is due, Podolski looked interesting in the few minutes he had on the pitch.
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It was close, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth…..Chelsea had a slight edge in terms of tactics and discipline. Koscielny should have been aware of Costa at the end….
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Chelsea are a more settled balance team at this moment,
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I wound not disagree that we have played better in parts of games LG and at times against Gala and against Villa were were very good. The slightly different point I am getting at is we played consistently for 94 minutes today, concentrated, stuck at what was a difficult job and against strong opponents, away from home. That is a step up in quality.
We could have nicked the draw but it was not to be.
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anicoll5, good analysis of THAT game.
Mourinho, plays the percentages, waiting for the mistakes. Rough up the opposition, and certain individuals will crack and make mistakes. Oscar, was excellent in testing a certain referee, in accordance with Mourinho’s instructions.
The Arsenal players need to be more aware, on how to hoodwink the match officials?
Limestonegunner, enjoy your games, as The Arsenal will prevail!
COYG.
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Limestone: “I don’t think it was the best we’ve played all season because we didn’t create that many clear cancers and put many shots on goal.”
I think this was the best we’ve played because we were more dominant in midfield and moved the ball forward just as well as we did against Galatasaray. Further, Chelsea didn’t slice through our midfield like Dortmund did a few weeks back. Were it not for a couple of bad touches here and there, we would’ve equalized and ended with a much better result.
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Put it this way, we had a fairly decent game away against the league favorites despite missing five of our best players. What this game showed was the way in which this team is coming together and how they will go forward from here.
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Good post. I wish I had seen it before the match!
I have just returned from the seventh circle of hell. Yes, I have sat (or, rather, stood) in the Matthew Harding Stand and watched the game unfold, as I have done for the last several years for this match (don’t ask). All I can say is that the home fans were distinctly worried until the Costa goal. There were maybe two songs the entire second half until the second goal. It was following the same pattern as the 5-3 from a few years ago: boisterous support initially followed by quiet as Arsenal became increasingly threatening. Where the games differed is that Arsenal did not take the lead, and, as a result, the Chelsea fans did not turn on their team. However, I’m here to tell you: they were not far off. Had Arsenal taken the chances that came their way, we would all be celebrating at worst a draw, at best a famous victory. This team is not far away. Keep the faith.
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