Good morning Positives,
All up early and ready for the kick off ? That’s the ticket.
A good opportunity for us to sit astride the top of the PL this afternoon following our visit to the Stadium of the Damned Light. Let us examine the opportunities, and the pitfalls, together.
The home side are in a terrible state. Just two points in nine games, five defeats in the last six PL games, bereft of confidence, already five points behind 17th place Boro and notional safety. Moyes’ stated virtually from the opening day of the season that they are in a relegation “battle”. I think the Scotsman is wrong. From the games I have seen involving Sunlun there is no “battle” in them. In their heads the players seem to have given up already. Checking the record books just one club with two points after nine games has escaped relegation (in case your interested Saints in 98/98 whose 9th PL game and 2nd point came at Highbury). Ten games and two points and no club has ever recovered to stay up. Yes these are bleak, bleak days for the Mackems, on the footballing abyss.
And yet who knows what just one win for Sunderland, one dramatic fighting performance, in front of the Wearside faithful might do ? The only thing Moyes can do is send his boys out to try to find that spark of resistance, that scintilla of pride, and to get some sort of result – any bloody result for them would do in fact. Could Whatmore be this week’s Barrow or Traore !? There will be a full house at the stadium. I anticipate we shall see a desperation in our opponents that will need to be controlled, extinguished and replied to with our brand of incisive, fast and direct Wengerball.
Of our lads I know we await Arsene’s call on the starting line up and whether Giroud will get back in to start or remain on his seat. He has a good record against Sunlun but my feeling is that the Frenchman won’t start and we will stick with Alexis up front. I see also that having rotated the team successfully for the Reading game two injuries have cropped up, Theo and Nacho, who enjoyed a rest in midweek. Whether either will feature I am not sure as Arsene ended a bit vague yesterday, with both restrictions slight. “Late tests” all round apparently. I would be pleased to see the Ox start after a good performance on Wednesday if Theo remains crocked. On a much more positive note, sit down Alabama, Aaron is back and almost certainly will get some action today. I have missed his quality in the final third and if Santi remains side-lined we will rely on the Welshman’s class to open up spaces in and around the box.
I see we have Mr Atkinson with the whistle today. From byword to refereeing controversy and poor calls, three seasons ago, to one of the best officials on the roster. Because the stakes are very high for the Black Cats I fancy he will be busy today.
As you may gather embark on our trip to the North East with some optimism it will be a productive afternoon. Let us therefore settle down to enjoy the game from 12.30 UK time. I shall be giving the fools on Sky hell. For those of you out and about the game is broadcast on Radio 5 Live.
(In case you think that you have missed a day young Stew is organising a very special birthday today and has been excused duties by The Leader. Remember though, the clocks go back an hour tonight).
Positively Arsenal 
This Is the top banana of all banana skins
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I stayed off the Black Cats and Halloween theme – does not do to tamper with forces beyond our ken
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Nice preview A5,like! Im sure Moyes has watered the pitch and got the local moles to dig a few holes like,we don’t want them soft Arsenal boys playing football,like? But as long as Stan and Jack and Blakey dont turn up it should be ok (IMO!)
Thanks again.
Come on The Royal Arsenal!
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Unlike Boro, I fear the appearance of two double deckers will appear. We’ll just have to go round the sides. Just pray they don’t resort to the Boro tactic of if it moves, kick it.
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well done George I see your rotation at the right time has produced quality from A5 just as old Steww was looking a bit tired.
George your right of course banana skins are at their slippyiest when everything points to the opposite.
Theo was bang on form so the OX will need to be on his game, Gibbo though has been playing really well at a time Nacho was struggling a little the only loss here is Nacho’s abillity in the air in a game where the opposition will be concerntrating on their set pieces.
Like the borough games this is normally a one goal affair and even though the black cats performances have been getting better recently I have a Steww type feeling about today that will do very well. COYG
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Scouts in Attendance @scoutsattending 14h14 hours ago
Southend mgr Phil Brown also at #arsenal U23 4-0 #safc on Fri plus scouts from #Millwall & #cufc #afcwimbledon
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missing from the squad today – Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Xhaka, Walcott, Welbeck and Lucas, and yet Ramsey and Giroud are only subs, it would indicate that we have a very strong squad.
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Steve Gooner @Merse10 1h1 hour ago
I hate Sunderland away. Never have a good feeling going into it. It’s also where Diaby’s career was ruined in its infancy
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It will be a twitchy game but we have more than enough firepower to win. Nothing is certain in football but AW has won about 60% of his games (my vague recollection), I am not going to join the negative Nellie’s.
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Coward Atkinson has already allowed Sunderland to try and cripple Iwobi.
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Is Xhaka’s suspension over?
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no shotta, this is his 3rd game of 3
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Come on the Gunners!
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Foul holding Sanchez?
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Atkinson making it clear he is a homer today.
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PGMOL will be very proud of atkinson so far
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poor effort from Ozil after being set up by a good ball from Alexis,
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great run from coquelin but he then wastes the opportunity
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Nearly.
We haven’t seen many left footed curlers from the right hand side by Ozil over the years. It’s coming!
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mustafi with a good ball to iwobi, but his attempt to round the keeper sees the ball go out of play
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Elneney, relatively fresh, has enjoyed his matches this week. Looking good!
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Iwobi defending well
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Alexis
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wenger ball, then a great burst of pace from ox and a fine cross, alexis powerfully heads in to make it 1-0 to the Arsenal
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Tally ho!
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Variable tempos from the Gunners. Didn’t get the goal with the early bursts…wait….
…Haha!
Alexis Sanchez baby!
Peach of a cross for the little man from Chambo. Beautiful finish.
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why can’t the commentator call a dive a dive
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Sunlun not showing the energy I was expecting- already 1-0 and Wengerball clicking nicely
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It is Beglin, he can’t stand us. The way the bloke went down I’m surprised he didn’t card our player. Also, when we scored all he went on about was how bad the defense was. Twat
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Atkinson is a cunt, and there can be no doubt about it.
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yes markyb, beglin has the usual hate for arsenal that all the ex liverpool pundits usually show.
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oh God, Atkinson actually books a sunderland player
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great interception by gibbs in our area
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nasty challenge on coquelin earns sunderland player a booking, of course beglin makes excuses for the kick
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…and another player booked
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But it should’ve been 4 bookings for Sunderland by now.
I’m not kidding.
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Mute button & Arsenal player.
Either that or Spanish/Russian/Arabic/Chinese plunditry it’s the only way to get reasonable coverage with the crowd noise.
Chambo overconfident there but we forgive him. Not sure if his eager critics / special agency actors (harry redknapp!??? Triple yikes!!!) will agree…
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ozil should have scored there
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Ozil not quite finding the Sanchez syle chip.
Close!
These are the kind of finishes he just needs a little more practice in. Let us consider that both Low and Wenger have been coaxing him further forward these past two seasons. Therefore he’s not the finished article in front of goal, but he’s definitely getting hungrier!
And as AFC fans we get to witness the evolution here. Fascinating stuff.
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another booking for a nasty challenge, same player had got away with one earlier
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Pienaar trying to get back at Coquelin there for the earlier half-foul. Hopefully the triple roll was just a brief nod of appreciation in the direction of Arteta The Prince of Darkness.
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Other teams always get one free assault. The times I’ve seen us kicked all over the place then first iffy challenge by an AFC player he’s straight in the book. It’s like they blame us for getting kicked
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Lovely to watch – could we have a second goal though ?
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Iwobi’s shooting has been a bit off today
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Gibbs strong in the air so far. Strong everywhere today tbf
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playing one twos in our own area to get out of trouble, its so Wengerball
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HT: Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal by far the better team, only thing missing has been a second goal for us.
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Fins @ 1:12 & 1:14,
Spot on.
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