Good Evening Positivistas,
Final whistle at the Britannia just blown as I begin to write. Overall I am pleased with not just the point but with the performance. Stoke may have changed their spots under Mr Hughes but there is still that very physical core to their game that, on other cold, Sundays afternoons over the past few seasons, we have not dealt with. A tense final eight minutes I thought when a little careless passing put our goal under threat. After Wednesday I am sure we were all on edge for those final ssssssllllllloooowwww few minutes …….but despite the sensation of time slowing, or even reversing at one point, the end finally came.
Did I mention no one who has won the PL has ever lost at the Britannia in the same season ?
I thought I had.
Who shone and what we did well in the old gold? I thought Nacho was superb today, and the contest between the Spaniard and Walters was between two intelligent, very fit professionals. Any error or weakness would have been pounced on but Nacho concentrated for 93 minutes and I doubt Walters has had as frustrating ninety minutes in front of the baying, toothless mob of home fans in a long time.
The Ox I also think produced the level of performance that has been trying to burst out for a few weeks. He was out creative spring in the middle of the park, loads of energy, winning the ball, turning, twisting, trying to pick out that special ball. Good to watch and it will have given his confidence a boost for sure.
What we did well I thought was control and retain the ball for long periods across midfield. For much of the second half Stoke were pinned back, if the ball was cleared it was quickly recovered and returned. Where we let ourselves down, and perhaps where we missed out German playmaker on the afternoon, was using all that possession in the final third of the pitch, in front of the home side’s goal. We opened Stoke up just once, with Giroud’s shot excellently saved by Butland in the first half. Too often I felt the Stoke defenders had a few seconds to regroup and our threat battered itself against the rocks. It is a defect that will soon be erased with players returning.
Much as it pains me to admit it Shawcross, Peters, Wolfschied etc, and behind them Jack Butland, are a formidable defence. Composed under pressure, even in the second half phase when they were unable to get out of their half. Probably not much to do with the Hughes and the ghost of Pulis rattles his chains loudly.
Less satisfactory this afternoon ? Having clearly made a mug of Wolfschied in the first minute, and attracted referee Pawson’s attention to the defender’s clumsy foul, (and having the elderly and overweight Glenn Johnson in front of him) I settled down to watch Theo make his mark. Wrong Andrew. A couple of useful interventions by Theo later but, on an afternoon which cried out for speed against the Stoke back four, the contribution was not there. ‘In’ occasionally, ‘out’ quite a lot. He was apparently surprised when being substituted. I will be surprised if the boy starts next week, although Chelsea do suffer from theophobia.
Did not see any injuries to our players today. Compared to previous bloodbaths in Staffordshire the violence was tea-party level today.
Two draws and points to match. Not the six, or even the four points, I suspect we all hoped for before the kick off on Wednesday. Nevertheless back to the top of the pile again. A good week off to rest and recuperate.
Enjoy what is left of your Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
disgracefully SKY have at less than a months notice changed the kick off date and time for the Arsenal v Leicester City game, its now on Sunday 14th February at 12 noon.
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from Arseblog
Spurs away will now take place on Saturday March 5th – 12.45 KO
West Brom at home is now on Saturday March 12th – 17.30 KO (may move due to FA Cup quarter-final weekend).
Everton away will now take place on Saturday March 19th at 12.35 (an early kick-off after we play Barcelona away on March 16th).
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Paddy @VieiraPaddy 3h3 hours ago
Beyond a joke now. Seems every year at some point we play a tough away CL game on a Wednesday night then a PL one at Saturday noon.
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 12h12 hours ago
Reporter: Are Chelsea specialists in failure?
SirAW: “I see where you want to take me but honestly I’m not ready to travel.” #AFC #Arsenal
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We play Barcelona at home on the Tuesday, then have a break until Sunday before the Trafford Park game.
Swings and roundabouts ?
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That the Mancs have Europa Cup game on the Thursday night will no doubt have their fans delighted before The Arsenal roll into town on Sunday lunchtime.
It is probably a bit of a pain – the Europa Cup, League, whatever.
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Bielik not in the U21 squad, he trained with the first team yesterday.
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Southend sign Arsenal midfielder Glen Kamara on-loan until the end of the season, subject to paperwork. Glen Kamara, 20, is an ex-Blues youth-teamer and represents Finland internationally
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 5m5 minutes ago
HALF-TIME: @Arsenal Under-21s 0-0 Swansea Under-21s #AFCU21
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Well done to any poor sod playing football today – foul out there
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 1m1 minute ago
.@Arsenal Under-21s have made their first change as McGuane replaces Rosicky for the second half 0-0 (46) #AFCU21
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 16m16 minutes ago
FULL TIME: @Arsenal Under-21s 0-0 Swansea City Under-21s #AFCU21
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Chelsea sack a steward for calling Cesc a snake, the steward is an Arsenal fan.
http://bit.ly/1JogWue
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Fair sacking, you know where you are with a snake.
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For those of you with five minutes to spare an recent article on the club history and the number of former Arsenal players who ended up running pubs.
Having done a bit more digging on the licensed exploits of the first Arsenal goal scorer I ever saw Joe Baker he ran the Central Bar in Craigneuk in North Lanarkshire for a few years before starting work on the truck building line at British Leyland in Bathgate.
Let that be a warning to you Theo.
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Andy, no Champagne Charlie Nicholas?
There is a story to be told there!
The football expert (?) Charlie, involved with the Glasgow criminal fraternity. McGovern was shot outside the Cafe Cini, owned by Charlie’s firm, that went bankrupt.
Sky sports pay their “experts”, over the odds.
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 4h4 hours ago
Magic: Mesut Ozil is set to make his 50th appearance at the Emirates as well as his 100th for Arsenal:
49 – Home
46 – Away
4 – Neutral
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 6h6 hours ago
In 2003-04 season, an average match produced not far off 42 crosses. This season, that figure has slipped to 29. http://thetim.es/1Vff0ou
Games with more crosses from open play tend to have fewer goals; one study suggested only one out of every 91 crosses leads to a goal.
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Eddy
If only someone had told Moyes at United.
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yeah DC, and maybe it explains why Fat Sams teams struggle to score. Also might explain why so many pundits are not managers, as it is a fall back position from them when advising any team who need a goal, “get it out wide and swing it into the box”, never fails.
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Pablo @DeanLDN22 11h11 hours ago
Tbh, sounds like there’s something not quite right between AW and Vieira. Maybe it’s the fact he lifted his skirt to Madrid every summer.
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patrick vieira is a bitter man. to say moureen had more impression on him than arsene is a new low for him. i know he hates wenger. but he needs to find out why he’s come to hate the man made him whatever he is today. the man who made him captain despite thepresence of players like bergkamp, keown and palour. perhaps moureen made more impression on him because he was more on the bench than on the pitch while playing under moureen at inter.
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maybe PV4 bases his team’s style of play on the mourinho park the bus, dive, cheat, model, and also his own managerial style might be snide, arrogant, spend spend spend, and throw his players under the bus if things go wrong, if so, why wouldn’t Mourinho be the one to have influenced him most
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wenger makes players better while moureen makes a players give all he has. sometimes more. that is why whenever he lives, the player becomes empty. just ask someone like george weah whom arsene brought from nothing to the best in the world.
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To be fair moyes team did cross more than 91 times a game.
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And to be fair poor pat was apparently sobbing when Wenger decided it was time to part ways. A woman scorned and all that.
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no U18 game for Arsenal today, but the U16’s had a friendly away to spurs, and won 6-1
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I can understand why a man taking his first steps into football management might be attracted to Mourihno’s approach of meticulous attention to every detail and attempting to programme every move by every player. It takes a lot of confidence to allow players to express, both in your own abilities and the quality of your players. To be fair not all players know what to do with ‘freedom’ to express themselves.
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Good to hear the man speak his mind and I think no less of him for that. I hope a year or two down the line Paddy is still around to interview and update us on what two seasons as a manager have taught him.
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I think no less of him now either Andy. Then again, I didn’t think a lot of him anyway.
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https://mobile.twitter.com/gunnerthoughts/status/690694998136897536/video/1
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Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 2h2 hours ago North West, England
Every week Howard Webb says “It was a penalty, but I understand why it wasn’t given” Yes Howard, bad refereeing ?
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Benik Afobe scores again.
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from jeorge bird
FOUR YOUNGSTERS TRAIN WITH ARSENAL FIRST-TEAM PRE-CHELSEA
Arsenal held their final training session this morning ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League game at home to Chelsea, with four youngsters in attendance.
Alex Iwobi, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Stephy Mavididi and goalkeeper Ryan Huddart were all called upon for the session.
Meanwhile, Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all participated in the training session, with the latter two set to return to the squad for tomorrow’s game.
Tomas Rosicky was rested from the session after playing for the U21 side yesterday, whilst Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla are all still out injured.
Possible team:
Cech
Bellerin-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Monreal
Flamini-Ramsey
Campbell-Ozil-Walcott
Giroud
Subs: Ospina, Gabriel, Gibbs, Arteta, Elneny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez.
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My impression is most young coaches deter the bourinho way. Even his own adepts all have chosen other paths.
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Jon Toral has scored a cracking 20 yard volley for Brum, his sixth goal this season on his loan spell from Arsenal
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If we consider then rising quality of the second tier, especially in midfield, then Toral is going strong in his second season out on loan. Maitland-Niles on the bench for Ipswich, they’re down to ten so it’s unlikely the two Gunners will get to play against each other on this day.
Elsewhere former graduate Afobe beats Mannone with his header. An amazing story when we reflect that he barely played for two years at a or the crucial age. He just needs to keep on playing (would never have got the minutes at AFC to rebuild his strength) hopefully stay fit and who knows what could happen. Still think he’s better then Kane (IBSF).
C’mon Palace. Shawcross injured and the Foxes two up at home.
It’s a good thing the ‘Experts’ told us that Project Yoof was a failure.
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Palace hit the bar, 5pud2 take the lead.
Utd look like they’ve lost at home to the Saints.
So before City taken on sixth placed West Ham (35 points):
1 Leicester
23 16 47
2 Arsenal
22 16 44
3 Man City
22 22 43
4 Tottenham
23 21 42
5 Man Utd
23 7 37
Hopefully the impressive Payet is fit and firing for the Hammers.
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In Man Utd’s last 11 home games they have failed to score a first half goal, in fact all bar one of those 11 games were 0-0 at HT, with the other being 0-1. But its all ok as Man Utd were ambitious in the Summer and spent shit loads of money on players. If only Arsenal were ambitious.
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with Leicester City being out of all cup competitions, they only have 15 games left to play this season, Arsenal have a minimum of 19. Leicester’s next three games are Liverpool (H), Man City (A), Arsenal (A),
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if you have not seen the wonder, once in a lifetime goal, by Deli Ali for spurs today, its this in a white kit
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 21m21 minutes ago
Jenkinson stats (2015/16):
19 – apps
29 – Tackles Won
68 – Recovs
2 – Goals
875 – Touches
47 – Duels Won
20 – Intercepts
75% – Pass success
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Payet playing well.
Chamberlain may be “out of form” slightly but he has still had a better season then Sterling (scored the goal that won a bauble and broke Jose’s mirror in the process)
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City equalise, Aguero with the poachers effort. (Sterling wasn’t involved in the build up or play for the goal, the City No.72 having more impact in this game).
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jon toral’s goal
snpy.tv/1lFmW67
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only 2 home wins out of todays 8 BPL games.
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next few league fixtures for the BPL top 4
Arsenal – Chelsea(H), Southampton(H), Bournemouth(A), Leicester City(H)
Leicester – Liverpool(H), Man City(A), Arsenal(A)
Man City – Sunderland(A), Leicester(H), Spurs(H)
Spurs – Norwich(A), Watford(H), Man City(A)
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Arsène’s Son @hughwizzy 30m30 minutes ago
That draw means @MCFC are still yet to beat a side in the current Premier League top 7 this season. #WHUMCI
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