Good morning from an early Autumn Norfolk, the faintest tips of gold beginning to show in the trees.
And what of yesterday?
Our opening 10-15 minutes were superb, as excellent a start to a home or away game as I can recall since we demolished Naples in October 2013. Stoke were immediately opened up by Ozil, Santi and Sanchez. Shots rained in on the visitors’ goal, the woodwork rattled, Butland flung himself left and right. As I have mentioned often Hector’s abilities as an attacking full back, his crossing and a beautiful touch when controlling and laying off the ball is worth the price of admission alone.
Watching the quarter of an hour of blurred red and white quality with an increasingly ragged Stoke I admit I was disappointed that we did not have at least one goal to show for such a period of dominance. A moment of weakness I now recognise.
Revisiting the matter however what that phase did give us was control of the game which thereafter was never in doubt. If Mark Hughes did have a ‘game-plan’ and his choice of a 442 formation suggests he may have had an ambition to take advantage of our sometimes dilatory entry to home matches then his scheme was shredded in about five minutes. Whatever hopes Sparky may have entertained as they climbed off the coach he and his players recognised by about 3.05 that it would be an afternoon when survival and a modest beating were the best rewards on offer, victory would have to wait for another day and another opponent. Once we had our collective foot on the throat of the visitors we never removed for the remainder of the afternoon.
The goal came of course on the half hour, with Theo enjoying the advantage of just one touch before slotting a difficult chance past Butland. Oh Theo, you get into the right position, you leave the defender(s) floundering, you can see the white’s of the keeper’s eyes ……………
Marvellous shot from Laurent on 25 minutes from 35 yards btw – well worth a mention and I want to see more of that from him.
But once ahead at 1-0, and with Stoke barely able to get over the halfway line, we dropped a gear, played possession football, created further chances which Butland got his hand to or we fluffed. It was a warm afternoon. Mesut and Alexis’ both had run their race by 80 minutes, and Theo gave way to a no doubt frustrated Giroud. More chances came, and went, before Olivier demonstrated the art of heading the ball in the opponent’s 6 yard box to seal the win and send the home fans streaming for that early train. Even then the Stoke keeper popped up again to deny Koscielny a late third from a header.
Yesterday was a football match to savour, to roll around the mind because there was such a lot of good passing movement, shot after shot after shot at goal, great keeping, even the tackling was clean and professional. Despite their reputation hanging over from the Pulis era there was not much to complain about yesterday from Stoke in terms of tackling and/or freestyle violence, although admittedly Adam was serving his ban. I thought Moss was fine and having watched the clash between Gabriel and Aurtinovic, which I had not seen clearly at the time, he called that correctly. Nasty piece of work the Stoke player and I was pleased to see Moss telling him to shut his mouth after the incident.
If I had been asked for a Man of the Match then for once it would be an opposition player and gone to Butland who saved Stoke from a 5-6-7 goal beating.
One final thought. With the assistance of Shotta we have been contemplating the football universe and how it can be understood, or at least better illuminated, through the application of mathematics and statistics. Can you have a 2-0 thrashing you, cos yesterday was as comprehensive slaughter of the Orcs as I have seen ?
Enjoy your Sunday, and don’t go mad !
Positively Arsenal 
A little technical issue on the visuals there
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A very complete analysis A5 as usual.
After absolutely battering them, their keeper and their woodwork the goal come from their attack after another monster tackle from LeCoq. What Theo will always give us is the ability to counter attack in seconds and something I thought we would use away rather than at home but there you go.
Must mention our out of confidence striker who came on missed a sitter with his first touch but kept going and done all the usual stuff right and was eventually rewarded with a goal at the near post.
with chelski losing as well all in all a great day.
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ade released by the spuds is now a free agent, maybe we will get a striker after all (for nothing).
Arsene genius
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i forgot to mention the Santi,Sanchez, Mezut triangle which was electric yesterday, finding each other through a maze of players it was one of those things that people say ” worth the entrance money alone”
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Good morning Andrew and all positivistas.
Not much to disagree with in your match assessment.
I thought a few of our players faded with fratigue from 60 minutes, but of course our manager was expecting that and his substitutions were tactically perfect.
Also a big thank you to shotta for the preceding article and comments.
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We are 3rd in the table, and only a wrongly disallowed Ramsey goal is robbing us of 2nd spot.
The Orcs meanwhile linger in the lowest spot.
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Andrew Nicoll has mastered the post-game reporting. Between him and Steww, Saturdays and Sundays are great days at PA.
As for the team, I was a little concerned how fatigued Ozil and Santi seemed by the 80th minute. With big games coming up on Wednesday and Saturday we are missing Jack and Tom already.
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Lovely stuff AndyNik.
Glad you mentioned Koscielnys blistering effort… yes more please! Paul Easter really is starting to look the business… the guy just loves to defend, and defends very well.
Coq au Vin… just growing in stature every game. Lets hope he stays away from the treatment room and red cards… Ozil, finally showing what he is capable of with that pass to Theo… sublime. Happy days…. but me want more goals!
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Unlike most of the uber bloggers out there, PG has refused to join the anti-Theo brigade. On twitter:
“Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 11h11 hours ago
Theo will prove a lot of his doubters wrong,or right ? I’m going for wrong.”
Good job, George.
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The two senior CMs alongside Rambo played the most during the internationals and Ramsey and Ozil probably played in some of th more intense fixtures – my odds are on a little bit of rotation for the trip to Zagreb but it is harder to do so without the likes of Welbeck Wilshere an Rosicky.
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NB
Ozil & Walcott haven’t had many starts together. The early Sunderland game where a rusty returning Walcott had two through passes from the passmeister.
Another three starts in quick succession the odd sub here and there and we could be in for some more fun.
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< starts for Walcott.
–
The gaffer inferred before the supercup game and result which broke the spirit or spell within the Gazprom camp ("even the drugs can't help terry this season boss"), the gaffer implied that tactics against the likes of Gazprom, or Stoke, are different at Home or a neutral ground as opposed to Away games. What those differences might be I have no idea!
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theo scores everytime he plays ..simples.
and whats scary is he can score a lot more..he is an insane talent..even the idiots will see that shortly..i believe this is theo’s year definitely.
Arse_or_Brain: i don’t want Adebayor anywhere near our club btw..he did good things for us..hes gone now though..i dont think he is half the player when he left us..we have giroud and thats it
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Tottingham very lucky to pick up more than a point on Wearside. Their scorer Mason should have been red carded earlier for a shocking challenge on Borini, a potential ankle breaker that the referee Pawson did not see ( as the TV viewer so clearly did). That Mason eventually left proceedings on a stretcher proves that their is a moral core to the Universe.
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Chris, what do you mean finally? He shows his class every week.
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A fine summation of the events. A fabulous attacking display and apart from one shot which hit our keeper (rather than him saving it) we defended well and sufficiently far from our goal to keep them firmly out of harms way.
Theo was superb yesterday. What more can anyone ask from a forward other than he takes up great positions, makes great runs, pulls defences about, gets on the end of crosses, gets on the end of through balls, has multiple shots on target and some marginally off target? Oh and scores a goal. I’d say that list is all you could ask for and he provided the lot.
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On the money as usual Andrew,I love our back 4 at the moment,I’m all for rotating in Zagreb,possibly Arteta & Rambo to come inside for Francis & Santi with the Ox on the right,keep it fresh for Saturday lunchtime,we’ll see.
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Who should the boss rest for the midweek game and who deserves a chance from the bench?
Just guessing but this isn’t a bad team to travel to Zagreb:
Ospina
Debuchy, Chambers, Gabriel, Gibbs
Atreta(c) Flamini
Theo Santi Ox
Giroud
Subs Macey, Campbell, Bielek, Alexis, Bellerin, Iwobi, Willock
Fuck the doubters!
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I think Adelaide is likely to travel but as its the first away game of the group we are going to have to play a near full strength side (not to say the players DC named aren’t good but best available players will be the order of the day)
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Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs will surely get a run out
Ozil and Aaron will surely get a rest, with Ox in and I guess Mikel stepping in for an overdue workout
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DC its CL this week not COC, the resting of players can wait till after the Chelsea game. I would say that 8 changes in personnel and a couple of positional changes too is madness. Its important to get off to a good start in the CL group, feck up the first game and we straight away put pressure on ourselves and with Bayern Munich games 3 and 4, we can’t afford to be heading into that playing catch up. There is no reason to have major rotation at this point, we are just getting into a grove, 3 clean sheets in a row. If Wenger makes more than two changes to the starting 11 I would be shocked.
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I think Eduardo is right. No reason to rotate much at all. A win is the order of the day to get off to a flyer in the Champions League. And in any case, it is not as if we are playing a top of the table side next Saturday….
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I cant think we will play the first 11. Not with just 2 days to rest for Chelsea.
Cech, Debuchy, Per, Gabriel,Gibbs, Mikel. Aaron Alexis. AOC, Giroud and that leaves Mesut or Santi at no 10. Not sure .
Chances of that being right? 1%
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Well I’ve put some chips do won Wally to get the start in Zagreb and OG to start away against Gazprom. Walcott coming off on the seventyish mark was possibly an indicator given the timing of the sub that he’ll be starting the midweek game.
Perhaps the coaches would go for the attack from the supercup away at Gazprom but for many reasons they might not. Who knows? Not me.
But there’ll be some rotation.
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Will Benn @WengerBoy1 3h3 hours ago
Chelsea have the same record after 5 games (W1 D1 L3) as Arsenal did in the 8-2 season (2011/12)
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Good write up, good win, let’s see what we can do in our next league match against Chelsea. Jose, stating the obvious, hates Wenger, his assassins will be sent into action, Ramirez , Cahill et al will kick and expect to do so with impunity, Chelsea players careers will be on the line. And please may the referee not be Martin Atkinson, just google how Chelsea do under him. And how often we get him when playing Chelsea.
On a level playing field, think we have the ability to twist the blade in a bit with Jose.
On another note, Just how poor are Spurs this year!
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Very good Andrew, and with Stew, continuing PA’s fine early-season form (five points clear and top of the league!).
Are there two Ozil’s now? The genius known as Mesut and a second one who has finally come good that I’ve so far missed completely? Confused.
Gosh, will Jeff travel this week with the squad? I suspect an appearance v Spurs in the Carling more likely but simply being associated with Europe is quite something, given his age and experience.
Will wait and see.
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Mourinho was incensed that Martínez conducted the first post-match press conference in the media room at Goodison when, as the away manager, he had expected to begin the inquest into Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat before joining his players on the waiting team coach.
José Mourinho: I am still the man for Chelsea job and am not under pressure
Read more
The Everton manager was hosting a separate, customary briefing with national newspaper journalists on a concourse outside the media room, and away from the television cameras, when Mourinho approached en route to his press conference. He interrupted Martínez’s discussion to say: “Roberto, Roberto, next time tell me to go before you because we have to travel.”
His opposite number replied: “I don’t control that, José. I don’t control that.” To which an exasperated Mourinho shouted: “Fucking hell,” before walking off.
With the Chelsea manager gone, Martínez, cup of coffee in hand, said: “When he beat us 6-3 last season he was such a nice man. I prefer him like that.”
Asked whether he would invite Mourinho for a traditional post-match drink, the Everton manager replied: “Of course – and I am sure he’s going to come round.”
Mourinho later apologised to the national newspaper journalists for not conducting a separate post-match briefing, politely explaining he had to go because Chelsea’s departure from Goodison had been delayed by the confusion over media schedules.
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Above was from the usually Mourinho idolising Manchester grunt newspaper.
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Gazprom and Arsenal both playing in the CL before Saturday.
Interesting week ahead.
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The same write up of Jose’s outburst at the press conference is in the Times Fins. There follows a piece about the stories and rumours emanating from Cobham of the various factions around Abramovich jockeying for position as they did under previous Chelsea managers – the conclusion is the clock is running on the Portuguese
The media smell blood in the water
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George
I was giving some credit to Ozil… probably one of the best passes I’ve seen him make. You just picked up on the ‘finally’ as a negative. Bloody typical PA … banned thingy!
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Things that are being discussed at Gazprom HQ:
De B-
sold and is now at the United Kingdom/Emirate Manchester Franchise Club.
Lukaku –
Replaced with Remy. Meh.
Costa who can no longer run and Falcao who ruined his knee upon behalf of his owner the old portugeezah.
Mata –
Sold and replaced with the F Word another player who can no longer run
Shirley –
Sold and replaced with the mule Willian. One player played for Brazil in the 1-7 against Germany the other day on the German bench. Willian still not scoring is he? A £30M modern forward? He’s no Malouda.
Luiz –
We can’t forget Luiz: Hunter woul not forget us. Sure the sheets look brilliant after such a big laundry job and sure Luiz sits on the bench for PSG and sure Gabriel is a better CB though many be not as skilled. But. He’s still better then any of the crocks and rookies left at Gazprom! Haha!
Matic –
Sold an bought back at an easy mega loss that no non petro club could afford. Looking like he might struggle to play full PL seasons. Fortunately his back up is:
Mikel –
Still at the club! He sure must like polishing that bench. Certainly puts the incredible and sophisticated AAA meme to moan about the position of D**M at AFC, about the righteous skipper of the club, into a very revealing light.
The mess at FB
Still playing the RB at LB? And the agony CB at RB? You could get away with forcing the yes man Ivanovic wide when he was younger and could still run: Unfortunately he can no longer run.
Ramires –
Jose will always have love for his hatchet man. As long as he continues a to refer to his manager as “Daddy”. Yes. I too was lost for words at that revelation from Essien who lost his ability to run quite some time ago.
There’s a link there between players losing their ability to run and this manger with many fans amongst the AAA. Like them he treats players as nothing more then meat. Which has always been his undoing. At every club. You’d have thought the self-declared experts the fifth column that have lauded this charlatan over the years would have, you know, picked up on this pattern?
Should only take Roman a cool 250 Mil to rebuild and clean up the mess created in just a few years from what was a very strong and youthful squad.
I suppose that the specialist in signing players signed to the special agent would consider this to be a job well done?
As you can tell I’m not impressed, but neither do I have any desire to count Jose’s eggs. Away against Gazprom a squad that cost anout a billion will never be an easy game. I’m just doing why they great and the good the AAA supporters of JM say they do at AFC- I’m asking the “questions that need to e asked.” Actually no, that’s not what I’m doing:
I’ve just listed a suspect dodgy and ultimately failing transfer policy over these past few seasons, a policy many AAA and their handlers from the extreme right of the Meedjah (that be a large chunk of it then!) desire to promote and propagate.
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I’ve heard reports that Jeff is on crutches at Colney.
I hope the reports are wrong.
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Eddy
The possibilities for team rotation are nearly endless with Arsene’s squad, imagine if and when Tommy, Jack and Danny return to fitness? We could have two teams nearly as strong as each other! Certainly one strong enough to challenge in the domestic cups and take a bit of pressure off the heavy schedule of competing in Europe midweek and returning to hard away games straight after.
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Spankin’, fins.
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Finsbury
“Mourinho treats his players as nothing more than meat”
An outstanding assessment of the man, Fins. I salute you.
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“Arsene Wenger is a threat to the oligarchs secured investments in their football clubs,
Fuck that I mean the entire premier leagues economic security, nope scratch that I mean your families security, he’s polluting our sacred game, all that teaching kids to pass the ball and not shoot the evil mastermind (30 shots on Saturday), adding fluoride to the water, etc.”
Can you spot the difference in these attack memes from the extreme-right old whingers? Over the years.
There is none!
That’s not an opinion. Only a humble observation. A line between two dots.
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Off topic – I saw Chambo’s 1&2 in this photo and thought we had another big guy to shit-kick the footy-pleb journeymen. Just shows my growing ignorance (and, perhaps, my disappointment of the tennis!) tut:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34246857
Martinez deservedly enjoying his victory. His team’s excellent football.
Hehe.
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Wonder if the Everton gr*tbusters who’ve had their knives out for their manager were still groaning at “all the sideways passing” and the “defenders trying to pass the ball out” after the weekend game?
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No Harry Kane this time but martial made the repulsive Garth Crooks’ team of the week on the bbc.
Of course he did. Almost as predictable as the reaction from the Man Utd TV plundits when the player scored.
Newscorp is to Utd as Marca is to Madrid.
Newscorp also likes to dictate to the likes of you and me who can and who can’t be PM of the UK.
I’m not sure if the two are linked haha!
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They might be.
If you’ve ever wondered about who it is making all those trips up from London to pack out that ugly stadium onthe outskirts of Manchester I think that I might now know the answer.
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It’s not like Dyer came on and scored a winner or anything like that!
These petty plundits can be observed to be unbelievably biased and partisan.
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Fascinated by the Mourinho meltdown which has got me thinking. If, after spending billions on laundering your reputation you find your club, despite winning the PL in a canter, has become a byword for boring what might you do? One solution might be to undermine your manager, engineer a situation where you shrewdly imagine he will rub all and sundry up the wrong way, destabilise the defence by selling its lynchpin and for the first time deny that manager the open cheque to buy anystone he wants. Once touch paper has been lit, stand back and enjoy the show – before stepping in smartly to replace manager with a real media darling, briefed to ensure a swift climb up the table through the agency of thrilling attacking football. We will see.
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Hold on there: fins, I’ve been holding off any further diatribe re plundit poos, but, no longer.
Our friend… Nah, Your friend (joking), Alun Shearer, thought he’d throw Wrighty a curveball.
Lineaker wondered about Scott Dann’s red card:
AS: Aguero too quick, yellow card correct
IW: Nah, red card
AS: I remember a tackle you did on “Shmichael” (I’m not looking it up).
IW: Oh, hello, I remember Neil Lennon’s head rolling down the touchline.
All three fell about laughing, and needless to say, no firm conclusions were drawn about the incidents and no retrospectives suggested.
Let us not forget the smashing of Arsenal’s limbs in the last two games at South London’s most flagrant, overseen by Atkinson and Marrines.
And if you’re looking for a job as a plundit may I suggest you have a thoroughly thuggish-ridden CV.
Never mind the elbows:
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FH, v. interesting.
I think I’d be happy for it to stay, so I can watch the demise in long-hand, but then again….
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HOW DOES THAT MAN COOKS R CROOKS come up with his team of the week?
Of the 22 men that played at the ems, only the stoke city keeper made the team of the week, even though on the losing side… does it not theroefe follow that the men that contributed to carving stoke open should be part of th team?
so martial on as a sub and scored did better than ozil? or le coq?or walcott?
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Oops sorry ranty,
I did it again.
I can’t help it, Darth Crooks.
On the Shearer elbow: the reason why we all remember it, why Wright and Linekar laugh at it is that everyone knows that he got away with that foul because he was the England captain at the time.
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