Today’s article is from our very own Gf60
Neither offside nor handball as clearly shown by this image, courtesy of Arsenal.com
Andy Nic chose a very good weekend to visit the D Day memorial in Normandy.
Even his cultured prose would have had problems with this game. As Steww mentioned in his preview regarding fans’ superstition of travelling North of Watford after a Euro game: “The best we can hope for is to survive and nick the points…”.
By the way, where did all those virgins go Steww?
Superstition 1, Steww 0.
Having watched most of our ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ games it is no lie to say that this was probably the closest finish we’ve experienced, with no time to even kick off after Kos’s winner… or was it Ox’s winner? Whatever it was, it must be termed our scrappiest goal of the season and Burnley supporters will argue that off-side and/or hand-ball should have been called.
Incorrect of course, it was 1-0 to the Arsenal and that is never wrong.
No changes to the side from the Basel game, bar Petr coming in for Oosp, but we definitely saw a change in tempo. Perhaps a return to planet Earth was due and the stygian gloom of the North-West would not have helped. For sure we seemed to be playing at half the pace seen during the previous eight days and it took us some fifteen minutes to acclimatize.
Even then, it was noticeable that our midfield was a bit heavy-legged, nobody doing much wrong but having nowhere near the control that we’d previously shown. Fortunately our back line was working well and despite a couple of chances were holding Burnley at bay. The Koshodra partnership was very sound as was the covering for any defender caught upfield. Petr made some good saves when needed, one particularly special in the second half.
Up front, Alexis was running around like the butcher’s dog but not getting the reward his energy deserved.
He’s such an unselfish player and had a few shooting possibilities that were laid off to others. Time to get the selfishness back Alexis? You did that on Wednesday as well trying to give Theo his hat-trick.
Theo’s good work in defence continued. He really has improved in that area. Pity that his shooting let him down, as was the case with Oz. Theo however was responsible for the header that led to our goal so he can be forgiven.
Oz just had an offish day.
Now for yet another interbloodynational break …
Let’s hope all the guys called on come back fit and ready to eat some roast swan.
Keep the faith.
Positively Arsenal 
Well done Ian, one of the hardest write-ups of the season, just your luck (Andy Nic must have known something!).
Certainly media going into overdrive on all the different ways the goal coulda/shoulda been ruled out but accidental handball from a player clearly not in an offside position really isn’t that difficult to understand and no doubt had that been a Liverpool/Pogba/take-your-pick strike they’d have been pedalling a quite different narrative.
Something along the lines of championship winning sides grinding out winners when they need to, that sort of thing.
Perfect way to start the always imperfect international break …
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Cheers to AA for a top write up! Yesterday was relief and elation,another great feeling as supplied by AFC! Probably the oddest goal I can recall (to be said in the Orson Welles voice).
Did anyone catch the Mustafi interview of AFC.com? A very likeable bloke.
I was also impressed to see the Burnley fans applauding Arsène just before kick- off,to see a bit of the old sportsmanship like that shows that money and wobs cant destroy the game just yet.Of course Burnley fans must have been hacked off.But then they should have tried game 50 for size.
Thanks again AA, for standing in and giving the game a eye up.
COYG!
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Ok Im a top twat-I saw that AA had posted the post and thought he wrote it. I see it was Gf60. A million apologies with red cheeks…(probably the readest cheeks in the world said Orson)
And many thanks to Gf60!
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Don’t you just hate it when that happens Mills!
Yes, this is Gf60’s fine work from start to finish.
Agree with your comments, btw Mills – great to see that spirit at Burnley, well done them.
Also felt the game (one elbow aside on our prized new and presumably dazed signing) was played in a decent spirit. And yes, had Burnley had any intention of trying to win who knows what might have happened. If I was a Burnley fan I’d hate that but our irresistible form of late was hardly likely to encourage too much bravado from the northerners.
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AA-after all these years I still struggle reading the bloody internet! Ive got some classic humiliation stories from misunderstandings in life though,ones that make you want to shrivel up and become invisible…
Too true in what you say about Burnley actually trying to play rather than just defending-it would have been a different game. I liked the way their support knew they were being squeezed at the end under the AFC pressure and really got behind their team chanting etc.Shame for them it didnt work ( he said laughing!)
I loved looking at the reaction of our fans after the goal though! Ranettas posting of the Welbeck goal seemed to point in the right direction.
Soz again to Gf60!
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Sometimes 1-0 is good enough, and going into the break with the 3 points always help to keep the buzz going.
Good review old fart!
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I read on BBC just before kick-off that Burnley only conceded 5 goals in their 17 prior home fixtures – so I knew we were in for one tough afternoon.
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1-0 is, of course, only good enough, generally speaking, when you don’t concede.
A clean sheet against a side only letting in 5 from 17 home games, Labo, isn’t too shabby. We all know the risks inherent from over-committing in attack …
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Thanks GF60 and yes the superstition was partly correct in as much as the early goal our fine play deserved didn’t come and so we were left to pick a very difficult winkle from a tightly closed shell but pick it we did.
I thought we played well, a few gasp worthy slick passing moves but some people are blind to good play if there isn’t as goal at the end and so a lot of moaners will have been delighted with the first 92 minutes. It was far from the slow, bewildered leaden performances a post European game has sometimes served us in the past but against such a deep defence and with no tall target man in the box we were forced not to cross but play it back and forth looking for an opening which of course relieves pressure from the defenders. Ironic then that the winner came from a corner which was Burnley’s strongest area.
Hats off to Arsene for signing Mustafi by the way. He’ll be gutted to lose his place when Per comes back but he has proved an excellent understudy and needs to remain patient, his chance must surely come.
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quote AA – Certainly media going into overdrive on all the different ways the goal coulda/shoulda been ruled out but accidental handball from a player clearly not in an offside position really isn’t that difficult to understand and no doubt had that been a Liverpool/Pogba/take-your-pick strike they’d have been pedalling a quite different narrative.
ah if it was only the media I would not mind so much, but a whole host of claimed Arsenal fans are spouting the same crap, my particular favorite is “the 4th official signaled 2 minutes of added time and the goal was time at 2 minutes 10 seconds, lucky arsenal”
of course this, just like the supposed offside and handball, does not stand up to scrutiny, as the time displayed is “the minimum time to be played”, not the maximum or exact. Only recently in an AFC game we seen 4 minutes of stoppage time turn into around 8 minutes, as a player got injured – think it might have been the EFLC game.
so not over time, not offside as ox did not touch the ball, he in fact kicked kos, which might explain why his shot was so poor, and not handball cos it was not deliberate and also was from so close to the actual shot, if the ball striking a Burnley defender on the hand from almost ten yards away is deemed too close for him to do anything about it, and no penalty given, then why the fuss about the ball striking Kos from two foot away. Oh yeah that’s right, it favored Arsenal, and we can’t be having that, not even all Arsenal fans can have or want that.
The match of the day pundits once again got the rules wrong in their analysis of the incident, just as they have with other incidents in Arsenal games, the Giroud penalty v southamtpon, the handball and sending off v hull. You know if I did not know better I would think that they get it wrong on purpose.
Compare those incidents to how these same commentators and pundits covered the incidents in the man u v stoke game yesterday. As BPL chairman said, “its important for the BPL that man utd are successful”, and don’t they all know it.
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The goal should have stood, and did, but if it was against us I’d be saying it was lucky, to say the least.
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I have a simple question for you all
What team has found a solution to beating the parked bus teams
I ask this as the malcontents like to trot out the soundbite that “Wenger has not found a way to get past packed defenses”, and as much as I’ve thought about it, I can not think of a team I’ve seen cope easily with opponents having 10 men behind the ball.
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PG, I think we all can agreed it was lucky, as any mishit shot that hits the shooter on another part of his body and still goes in is unusual and very lucky. But its this silly notion that its lucky cos it was overtime, it was offside, it was deliberate handball, that gets me.
I also can not but think that a lot of the Arsenal fans who are banging on about it being offside are only doing so, to have a dig at AOC, the latest target for the scapegoaters, Kos is above being a scapegoat, Theo has shut them up recently, and Ramsey is not fit at the moment, so they need their fix, and unluckily for AOC he is the chosen one, so no matter that replays show he did not touch the ball, the scapegoaters will continue to say his shot was going high and wide, and it hitting kos saved his bacon, and as we know with them, a falsehood repeated enough, becomes a truth, as far as many are concerned.
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well the old saying goes – don’t judge a team till 10 games into the season – well for me that means 10 league games, but seeing as we are now in another fucking interlull I will judge Arsenal’s after our first 10 games in all competitions.
on a run of 9 unbeaten, 5 straight wins, 4 clean sheets in a row, 5 clean sheets in total, only one game we conceded more than one goal(the first game, with half the current line up not playing).
We have had everything so far in the ten games, first game meltdown including a late fightback to no avail, gritty battling draws, even grittier battling wins, games with spells of beautiful football that promises so much more to come, and back to back games of total domination and glorious football. All four of our new signings have shown enough to make us more than hopeful. And we still await Ozil and others to hit their heights. We still have a long injury list, missing due to injury yesterday were Mertesacker, Coquelin, Ramsey, and five of our strikers – Giroud, Welbeck, Lucas, Akpom and Sanogo – that is 8 players, with 4 of them expected back soon.
To sum up, we have had everything so far in the ten games, but my overwhelming feeling is that performances have been on an upward trend, and I am pleased about our prospects for the season ahead.
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both moyes and lvg had more points won after 7 bpl games than the special once has, so did utd really cock up not going all out for pochetino in the summer.
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Eduardo – George is quite right, it was a lucky goal.
Lucky because the ref could have ruled it out for:
1. Offside
2. Overtime
3. Handball
4. It’s Arsenal
Any other club and it would have been a case of “well done the referee for the simple application of the rules.”
But because it’s Arsenal, well, see 4., above.
Even our own fans are being conditioned against giving the boys credit for never, ever, giving up.
Pity really.
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the fear is real, other teams fans are worried about Arsenal, and its great. I am just after having a phone chat with a man utd mate of mine, and my oh my, was his piss boiled, no not cos the special once has accumulated less points after 7 games than either moyes or lvg did, not cos Pogba is misfiring, not even cos utd’s nearest neighbors city are on top, and its not even cos the hated liverpool are above them, no its cos Arsenal are winning games. No seen this sort of reaction to Arsenal since 2004. Their fear is real alright, and its great.
i know its not all down to us getting a late winner at Burnley, no, its down to the fact this was not our first battling win this season, and we have also shown we can play breathtaking football too, as in CFC and Basel victories, even the watford game, I do believe that opposing fans, and the malcontents are worried, very worried in fact, cos they can see what I can see, that this Arsenal side is different and we really might be on to something big here. And I for one am looking forward to much boiled piss from the detractors.
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yes AA, I know that different rules apply when it comes to Arsenal, sadly too many Gooners have been conditioned to believe that somehow this is Arsenal’s own fault, that trying to do things the right way, trying to live within our means, trying to play quality attacking football, trying to adhere to the rules, and not dive cheat and crowd officials, that all of that is somehow wrong.
I have said it many times before, we can only partly blame the media/pundits, as our own fifth columnists are the biggest portrayers of attacks on our club. We are a club that even has blogs that only publish articles after dropped points, or bad news of one kind or another, not a single word wrote about the CFC game, or Basel one either. And talking about fifth columnists, we have only this week seen uber bloggers, super fans, who have been nothing but cunts towards the club for years now, all of a sudden expect that they can say, I was wrong, lets all be friends, never mind my attacks on the club, and that we should be foolish enough to welcome them with open arms, more fool anyone who believes a bit of it. Fifth columnists are only really effective fifth columnists when they can go about their dirty deeds under the guise of working for the same side as us. I do not for one moment believe that they have had their Paul on the road to Damascus moment. Wait till the side has a sticky patch, watch the mask slip. I have not checked, but I would not be at all surprised if there was some signs of their true colors yesterday before the late winner.
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Eddie
When you said “only really effective fifth columnists when they can go about their dirty deeds” did you really mean fiLth columnists?
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Sometimes you can over analyse games, we knew the ground was tight we knew their defence was tight and we knew it would be a struggle. Three points and a clean sheet with no injuries and no bookings is what you have to take from the game. In other seasons we wouldn’t have been in that position to take three points from a late lucky goal.
We gave ourselves a chance and then took it the rest is in the stars.
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A win is a win, think most of us will take it as such. If we were lucky this time, I am sure we can all think of games were luck deserted us.
In they eyes of some, when we do that, it is down to luck, when City, Utd, Spurs, Chelsea do it, it is down to mental strength and persistence. Fergie time itself was apparently all about a winning mentality.
But, the beauty of being a WOB, you can have your cake and eat it when it comes to spinning just about anything against AFC/Wenger.
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http://player.arsenal.com/matches/g879730/video/8399/under-18s-v-tottenham-a
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http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/10604261/ref-watch-laurent-koscielnys-winning-goal-was-correctly-awarded
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as has happened a number of times, our next opponents will be playing their first game with a new manager when they play us. Swansea have just appointed Bob Bradley as their new manager.
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http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20161003/the-breakdown-burnley-a-?
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Mills. I’ve embarrassed myself so many times, I don’t even go red anymore!
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gf60-Its the bloody computer screen, things just seem to by pass me and I haven’t a clue why. Mind you,it inspired me over dinner to tell a few classic stories to my partner and of the humiliating things(that had nothing to do with computer screens so perhaps its a trait!) I’d done,she was pretty amused,and I ended up red as the old Arsenal shirt! Strange how years later things can still make you cringe.
I wished somehow all International games were played at the beginning of the season and got out of the way.Thing get going and then stop again.Grrr! But Im not one for International games too much after being gobbed at as a youngish lad at Wembley when England played Brazil in the early eighties, the gobbers were English fans ( they were gobbing at anyone who was below them on the terracing at the tunnel end).Luckily I had a hoody in those days( ha ha but dont wear one now!) and it was protective, then I sneaked off and stood near these hard bastards who would have lamped the gobberdehoys if they had tried it on,but it kind of put me off,anyway most countries and their cultures I find pretty interesting.
I did see a load more games at Wembley but it was pretty hollow compared to going to Highbury,which was never boring,even if we lost.I was personally gutted when we moved, that place was some part of my deepest inner memory and a place I loved.Bit like our Ebbets field-but at least we didnt sod off to LA!
Club football seems so much more interesting and passionate-ironically the world over.When the Arsenal aren’t around I always feel a bit like Im kicking my heels waiting for them to come back.But then comes the fear that someone like Mesut (or any of the lads) will get injured.
Seem odd that in our time we are still pitting country against country, but then I suppose a lot of our thinking is still trapped in centuries gone by. Even now most of what we think is 21st Century is still in the polemics/thinking of the 20th.Anyway a lot of people are into that(Internationals),so I suppose its horses for courses.
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Ebbets Field! Just one question Mills: who’s Red Grange?
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so how many of these can you name, I’m not certain on just one of them
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FH-Shuffling around in the mind I think he was a football player? Chicago?Or NYC? Not sure.I dont know too much about football. Or was he a something to do with the Bums?
The first baseball game I saw was the Astros v Dodgers so I have a soft spot for them and some connections to Brooklyn.I saw a triple play in the game, and everyone went potty and I hadnt a clue what a was going on. Best of all though was a the walk out on Jeff Kent for the Astros, bottom of the 9th against the Cubs (what year cant recall middle of last decade?) and the Astros are close to the World Series.Its 0-0 and the commentators are giving Kent loads of crepe, saying hes finished and theyve just walked him and how he doesnt like it etc.And the bloke smashed the ball first hit into the stands for a homer.It was was one heck of a sporting moment to witness,everyone went nuts.
Have you seen the documentaries on Ebbets field? What a place,sort of sad story really. All those great characters like Hilda Chester and the Sym-phony.and of course Jackie Robinson what a guy, a hero of mine he inspired me plenty of times.
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Ed-Im stuck on the two on the left-sun glasses and big.Know the faces but struggling for the names.Grrr!
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Mills a hint to the guy in the sunglasses, he was a welsh goalie.
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the guy beside him was a CB from N Ireland
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bloody hell, cant recall.All my programs are in the cellar so I cant cheat!I saw this lot loads of times too.Total blank? Any more clues?
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Mills, as to not spoil it for anyone else who wants a go, can you tell me has the guy next to Tony Adams, an Irish name.
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No.Or its not Irish as far as I know.Essex boy.
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Fuck me! know it now! Totally forgot.I wouldnt have recalled it though Ed.
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Still stuck on the CB though. Good quiz though mate, could be a good one to keep going during the interbore?
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is it john kay, I thought it was danny o’shea
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Rhys willmott, craig mac,lazy hayesy,spider o’, game over Gus, ROCKY, merse, dont know, robson. micky T, Tony A, champayne charlie, rixie, collins, Paul knockout Davis.
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Devine
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a or b your dont know is Brian McDermott?
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colin hill
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a_o_b is that fucking stewart robson beside tony adams.
and its not craig mckernon beside rhys wilmot. And the coach is Terry Burton , also a clue on the guy you don’t know, he was Reading manager, and leeds manager in recent years, and even had a brief stint working for Arsenal again not so long ago.
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wheres his hair gone
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its got to be Danny O’Shea?
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anyone remember these 3 gems from the early 80’s
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or Colin Hill! LOL!
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