A guest post from @anicoll5.
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I can remember few games in which we found the opposition performance so tepid and toothless, in football terms at least. I can remember few Sunday afternoons during which, from the first peep of the referees whistle the game was so tilted in our direction and the result was never in doubt. It is untypical for me, and I suspect I was not the only one yesterday, to be not just glancing at my watch midway through the second half but wondering whether the battery had failed.
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But let us be clear my Sunday sojourn was not the result of the opponents arriving at the Ems as a bad side. This is the same Stoke who beat us fair and square at the Britannia a month ago and made us look very ordinary that day. This is the same Stoke who have won at the Etihad, the Lane and run Manchester’s second side ragged at Trafford Park since September. I anticipated a difficult afternoon, I really did.
No this almost entirely one sided contest was the result of our mastery, I shall say that word again loudly for dramatic effect MASTERY of every aspect of the game from first to last.
Santi, Tomas and the Ox fizzed, buzzed, clipped, probed and punished. Le Coq was entirely tidy, stayed up right and negated any threat through the middle. A more complete midfield performance is difficult to think of. Creativity in a spiral of energy. Was Bojan on the field yesterday ?
Our full backs, all three of them were excellent going forward and resolute on the back foot. Monreal looks twice the player who started the season. And our centre backs made Crouch and Walters look amateur for 90 minutes.
Ospina’s two ‘saves’ I suppose kept the man awake in what for him was probably quite a disappointing PL debut. With so little to do it was not a stage to show his wares to best effect. What he did do however he did well.
And that brings up on to our attacking pair of Giroud and Sanchez. Olivier had a fine game and will be disappointed not to be among the scorers. For Alexis the superlatives are just about exhausted. Another MotM performance from the Chilean. Even if everyone else had just about settled for the 3-0 he was still at it in the final two minutes winning a ball on the edge of the Arsenal box and haring off up field with it to set up Theo. It is not a question of what is in his batteries it is a question of what is in his head !
Because I am of a sporting disposition I invariably try to say something at least conciliatory about the opposition. It is a weakness I know but there we are. At the outset Stoke I think came with the notion of trying to play football. After the first goal went in, and Begovic was keeping them in the game, they recognised that would not work and turned petulant and nasty. When that did not work they gave up. Accordingly, and other than their keeper, I can give them no kind word. They may not have arrived a bad side but sure as Hell they left the Ems as one. Diminished, flattened, embarassed.
A solid few days of hard work in prospect before the contest at the Etihad. These are the games to enjoy our treasure. To prepare ourselves for the contest, to renew our commitment to the club, to this exceptional group of players and our manager I attach below a suitable text for Positivistas to reflect upon this week;
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24
Toodle-Oo for now
Positively Arsenal 
Thanks Andy: just the job. Your report as efficient and seemingly effortless as the side itself.
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Some very good observations.
But probably missing the main one, the sheer brilliance of team selection and tactics by the often maligned genius of our manager.
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A cracking post Andrew. You are consistently good at this blogging lark, an asset to George and PA. Apart from the predictable deification of Alexis, I was very impressed by our unsung heroes. Giroud proved to all he is more than a pretty boy, endearing himself to all gooners by bullying so-called hardman Ryan Shawcross who by the end of the game was reduced to a virtual kitten mewing for Mummy. Haring around behind the front three was our two wizards, Santi and Tomas, but I want to highlight the contribution of the Little Mozart himself who, at 32, was written off as past-it and a Wenger mistake to sign him to a one-year contract, by the usual pack of keyboard experts. Tomas once again proved that he is ready to lead the fight in the business-end of the season, just as he has done with distinction for the past two seasons.
From a tactical point of view I was impressed by our pressing in the midfield and desire to quickly win the ball back without losing shape. I hope we we can build on this and extend it on the road. All in all a very good day at the office. This was my happiest footballing day for 2015. Hopefully there will be many more.
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What a thoroughly enjoyable piece. I’m sure yesterday’s performance helps my mood but still, I very much appreciated that Andrew. I was impressed by Coquelin, I hope he continues to improve, I think it is already a difficult decision to drop him now.
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so all this guff by the cult of wenger out, that our wages are bigger than Chelsea’s is total crap, and in fact CFC wages is £27M more than AFC’s and our wages now are only at the level of CFC’s were in 2009.
Daniel Arsenal Cowan
@thedanielcowan
AFC wages this season are only higher than CFC in 2009! We’re 5 years behind in wages. Strange some people STILL don’t get that.
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“This was my happiest footballing day for 2015” IBSF
I remember Martin Jol drooling over the Cazrola-Rosicky combinations in CM early on last season after the Away victory against Fulham, which alongside the incredible unprecedented Özil signing, the politics involved with that transfer and the resultant decimation of Levy and Tottenham and the CL QL victories gave that squad a massive boost and sent them on that run to the top of the table. And Jol wasn’t the only one impressed.
The natural transition of Cazrola from the young player we saw rise to prominence as an AM and wide forward (if I remember correctly) under Pellegrini at Villareal into someone who can also play as a mature CM has been a joy to watch and is another credit to the coaches at AFC. We now have the option of variations in the combinations in CM, he can play there in the notional No.8 or No.10 areas alongside Rozza, Özil, Rambo, Arteta, Wilshere etc. so injuries permitting CM should be fun to watch for a while.
Yaya Toure is away at the ACN so we’ll be denied a re-run of the top top class duels we’ve seen in recent times between Rozza and Yaya (with Apprentice St.Jack doing a good job of filling in for his Master in the most recent fixture), that will be a very interesting game nonetheless (ignoring the PGMO bunglers).
–
Couldn’t find the clip of Koscielnt shoving Crouchy to the floor but I bet Andrew enjoyed that subtle (subtle for Koscielny haha!) moment of vengeance.
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Eduardo that’s via the financier (not accountant!) Swiss Ramble.
But to be fair even an idiot like me could’ve guessed that, no research required. Just a couple of football brain cells, a little friction and some sparks, and bobs yer uncle!
Anyone indulging in such lame confirmation bias deserves a rocket up the arsenal. Upon these pages we don’t care for it. This is where we come to get away from the mindless drones repeating the guff of blathering idiots like Hoddle and Barton.
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Nice one Andrew,watched the game again when I got back & can’t help but feel there’s so much more to come from this squad,Alexis,Santi & Thomas got the plaudits but the thing I noticed most was Kos & Per settling into their partnership more and more-gonna be important with trips to City and Spurs on the horizon,also noticed Theo and Mesut have bulked up-could be an exciting second half to this injury ravaged season.
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While it seems almost ungrateful to suggest something else to read when this post is so young, I do urge you to look at the piece by The Secret Footballer, which suggests it is not just the positivas who suspect something special is being put together.
http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/articles/the-secret-footballer/23352/something-fishy-about-arsene-wengers-red-herrings/
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Fins – Re ‘couple of football brain cells”: I jumped into an argument on Twitter last Saturday with one of those militant, know-it-all WOBs, who was wittering away with absolute certitude that there are so many better managers in Europe than Arsene Wenger. I politely observed that the only foreign managers who have succeeded in the PL, all had a bigger budget than Arsene Wenger whether they be Mourinho, Ancelotti, Mancini or Pellegrini. Needless to say it went completely over his head. I doubt whether the service rendered by Daniel Cowan in showing our current wages are at Chelsea’s 2009 levels will do anything to cure this brainwashing of the public that a self-sustaining club like Arsenal can be as profligate as Chelsea, Man City or even United. Every bubble has a splat, sooner or later.
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Foreverheady 2 2:04pm – I doubt any of these observations from the SecretFootballer will make a difference to the conventional wisdom that Arsene must spend heavily in this transfer window, no matter the quality, if AFC is to win anything. (By the way, these are the very same people who have already crowned either Chelsea or City champions so it is clear they don’t see us as eventual champions anyway.) It is the same thinking that had Chelsea and Liverpool splurge on Torres and Carroll respectively. That ended up very well didn’t it.
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Great blog. finsbury has already brought up the additional point about the short shrift Kos gave the beanpole. The public dumping was glorious but not the only occasion where he bettered him and his elbows.
May I ask who the two masters may be in this context? Gone right over my head has that quote.
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dc from previous blog – your two teams. Serious error in the omission of our new midfield dynamo and destroyer (like a new signing): Francis Coquelin.
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Thank you for your kind comments – and quite right Bob, Arsene played his cards very shrewdly as far as choice of players goes.
DK The two masters are , on the one hand, the material wickedness of the Etihad, the oilfield of immediate gratification, limitless funds and, trophies purchased and “I want it now” football supporters, and on the other hand our pure and cherished Arsenal treasure, nurtured to flower by the master French gardener.
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Just the tonic Andrew.
I fancy our home form for the rest of the season, I really do.
We have Villa, Leicester, Everton, West Ham. Liverpool, Sunderland, Chelsea, Swansea and West Brom to come to the Emirates.
9 games.
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andrew – thank you for the enlightenment.
God be praised.
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DK
Le Coq is LANS, as will be Diaby- if he can ever recover some fitness.
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I really have to give credit to OG and of course AW’s tactics – out handsome French Bloke relishes a physical battle, and whilst he dragged Stoke’s defence all over the lace, he created so many holes for our little fellows to run into in his wake.
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“He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; and who so breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.”
More gardening tips for the WOBs
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Remaining league away fixtures:
Man City, Tottenham, Palace, QPR, Newcastle, Burnley, Hull, Man Utd.
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A new species of dolphin-like sea creature named ‘Dearcmhara shawcrossi’ was discovered in the Isle of Skye
A giant killer reptile which resembled a dolphin merged with a crocodile once roamed the ancient seas around Scotland.
The new species of ancient sea monster that lived around 170 million years ago has been identified from fossils found on the Isle of Skye.
It is believed that descendants of the monster now inhabit the Stoke region.
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They have eyes, but cannot see.
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“Not that kind of reptile” according to his Mum
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Something about yesterday’s game which is getting very little mention is the way Santi, Rosicky and Alexis defended with the English grit everyone always accuses of lacking. For his part, Santi completely dominated Steve Nzonzi and made him a non-entity. There was one play in the second half where Santi totally ragged-dolled him off the ball. It was funny to watch this huge guy get pushed around by a player a foot shorter than him. Rosicky, I won’t bother counting how many passes he intercepted or how many times he forced the Orcs to play bad passes. Everyone knows Rosicky puts a shift in whenever he plays. I just wished he could have had a goal for all his effort. And then there’s the triathlete who plays football on the side. Most of the pundits were praising Alexis for the way he set the tempo up front, but I think he set the tempo for our defensive work as well. He was up and down the wing tackling, marking, pressing and making a nuisance of himself. The guy just didn’t stop.
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But there were tears in his… oh.
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Very enjoyable match yesterday. The Arsenal engine was simply purring.
Enjoyed your article too anicoll. Thanks
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PGMOL doing their bit for Man City, they have appointed Mike Dean as the ref for Sunday.
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http://untold-arsenal.com/archives/31693
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an interesting point I seen mentioned about the Debuchy injury incident, many of those complaining about the Stoke guy not getting banned, had a real go at Giroud for getting himself sent off for reacting to a similar push in the QPR game, wanting to know why any player would react so much to a push, well maybe now they will understand it, but I very much doubt they are intelligent enough to link the two incidents.
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well… this is out match… Mike Dean or not… we are winning that!
Andrew… very enjoyable writeup!
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Great post Andrew, spot on.
I enjoyed the game yesterday, as did you clearly, from whistle to whistle. Why on earth folk persist in ill informed, insightless, negative nonsense when they really should just enjoy what we have is beyond me… but hey ho, sod them and their incestuous twitterings and forum rants, I’m enjoying the ride and cant wait to see whats round the next corner.
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Excellent post Andrew. It was really fun and there were a few moments of the slick passing and Wengerball that we love but have seen all too rarely this season. If we can get all our key players fit and firing at the same time – the world is our oyster!
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http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/12/why-arsenals-mathieu-debuchy-should-tell-marko-arnautovic-where-to-stick-his-meaningless-apology-5019063/
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thanks anicoll for a great post.
i have three or four points to make of the game last sunday.
the first point is about debuchy’s injury. but the article by hurley in link by rantetta have said even more than i could. but the only thing he failed to add is that ANALtovic must be banned for violent conduct.
the second point is about ospina. its like most people are of the opinion that he was not tested in the game. that is rubish. i was even afraid before the game because of his small frame against goliaths from stoke but he handled himself well. didnt give them any clue of a weakness thay could explore. when are arsenal’s keepers tested? has any been tested this season? if i have to go back to any game our goalkeeper was really tested, i might have to go as far back to last season against spuds away. its not as if we are manure or chavs whose keepers have to make saves after saves. its about being ready when you are needed. and when he was called upon by ireland towards the end he was up to it. this season and many other seasons, it has been arsenal conceding goals n almost the first real attempt on the goal. against manure, it was their only two attempt that they scored from other than that ourgoalkeeper was on holiday. so was against city until the last minute when we gifted them the equaliser. in a whole season i can barely count like four games. even if we lose those, we’ll be good for the title.
the other point is giroud vs shawcross. the commentor was saying in the early part of the game that stoke were fair in their challenges but that arsenal were too soft. but by the time giroud was manhandling their tough man, he began to question if there was history between the two. was there history between analtovic and debuchy? giroud may be pretty but he is a hard man.
my last point is about our third goal. the referee refused to measure the mandatory ten yards. it was like seven. despite that the stoke wall was nearly beyond the arc of a line drawn by him. but as God would have it, it was the same wall that helped in the goal. maybe if the was had been further back, alexis might have been tempted to curve it above the was. which wouldnt have been possible.
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Do you really think Ospina has a “small frame” Layks ??
It may have been the lack jersey and shorts but my impression was that he had been at the Christmas pudding and had put on a bit of weight since Brazil. I was a bit worried when he collected a deflection at the post and clutched his lower back ! o serious damage though.
As you say though when he called on he did well. Thinking back to Ospina’s first game at the Ems when he came on against Galatasary after Chez’s unfortunate red card he actually pulled off some great saves which, because we were 4 goals up, no one really noticed.
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Sanogo has completed his loan move to Crystal Palace. He should get lots of game time there if he stays fit.
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yes anicoll. but he is too short for my liking. i like them tall.
i also remember that save.
one thing the media always do is the trivialize any great feat or performance by the arsenal, the manager and the players. and at the same time magnify any small lapse or error by the club. now everyone is talking about shity game as a real test of his quality if selected. just wait and hear what they will say if we manage to beat them and better still keep another clean sheet. just last weekend an idiot was even saying alexis is useless and overrated. the same people we want us to belive that hazard is a world class despite only ever playing in one big club while alexis has played in two and alonside the greatest player on the planet. the stats clearly prove that alexis is better in every aspects of the game and every depatment in the field of play.
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good luck to yaya then. i hope the psyco gives him some long run in his team. if he’s not getting it then its no point. i peRsonally feel we should keep him here since poldi is out on loan. he is the closest we have to giroud as a strong centre forward.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7OjHNSIAAArHuf.jpg:large
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We have shipped out 3 forwards now: 2 on loan, 1 sold.
Remember when every wannabe expert was clamouring for the Boss to sign a new striker last year?
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d-c @ 2:22PM – Obvious the boss is satisfied with Alexis, Giroud, Welbeck, The Ox Theo and Campbell as his front three options. If push comes to shove, one of our many attacking midfielders will be playing wide forward from time-to-time.
Of course the keyboard experts wont be satisfied since they don’t have to make any of the hard decisions but can freely criticize if if the unexpected happens, such as injuries/suspensions, the sort of thing no resonable person can truly plan for.
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great post A5 however i think yourself to much and you are far to much of a nice bloke. The orcs were out to injure us from the off and its a miracle we got away with only one injury. the ref was so inept that i honestly believe he shouldnt take another PL game this season. I lost count of the red cards he should have given and the free kick was farcecal. To count out the wrong amount of steps, use the spray and then allow the wall to edge forward enough for the line to actually be behind them is neglegent in the extream. Alexis was nearly taken in half in tyhe build to his first goal and the ref totally missed it, when watching the game again I found lots of dangerous challenges that went uncarded. even the standard going through the back of someone, which the ref acknowledged with a foul, was not pun ished correctly. while i too have fully revelled in our win stoke and the officiating sickens me
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that was supposed to read i think you enjoyed yourself to much
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Oh I am not a nice bloke AoB, not a nice bloke at all. ( banned smiley)
And regarding Jonathan Moss I agree with you. I thought he was very poor and lacked confidence in refereeing the game on Sunday. He neither imposed the rules strictly, which is one refereeing approach, or ‘managed’ the game, which is the other. It was Three monkeys refereeing out there from an official who was frightened to get involved in my opinion. Frightened. I could see it in his body language.
If you cannot, even with your can of foamy spray, get the blighters back and keep them back ten yards then give it up Mr Moss, give it up man, find some other hobby for your weekends. You are right AoB.
Usually I am the friend of the man with the whistle but on Sunday his performance was beyond the pale.
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Not sure where I read this, but someone somewhere (probably on this site!) suggested that Mr Moss was caught somewhere between his conscience and whatever pressure he felt he was under.
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reports that Arsenal have offered Chuba Akpom a new 3 year contract
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edu, i hope the report is right. i like chuba and hope he makes it here. even though its becoming more difficult for a striker from the youth team to step into the first team this days, trully i believe chuba has got the talent and the agression to make it at arsenal.
its apity afobe couldnt make it here. i believe its bad luck rather than ability that robbed him of the opputunity. at the time he would have had a run in the team was when he got his almost a season long injury. i washed him in the pre-season before then and he really impressed. despite us lacking strikers at the time, his injuries didnt allow him a run in the team. with 19 goals already this season on loan, i hope arsenal have a clause in the contract allowing us to buy him back at a reasonably cheap price if his obvious talent match up with ability in the future.
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Winston Reid left out of West Ham squad for tonights FAC replay v Everton, amid reports he is set to join Arsenal.
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Well written, Andy. Your bible comment will be all the evidence, that some people will require, to send you to Canna!
The salaries issue is a non-starter. The Arsenal, employ double the number of full-time employees, than Chelsea. Independent financial advisers, are avoided, like the Black Plague.
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I see that JET is putting Bristol City into the next round of the Cup.
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