Good afternoon Positives,
Got your breath back yet ?
Nor have I – What an afternoon !
Of the game itself ? In contrast to a number of recent games we started well, brisk, with sharp passing and movement and throughout the first half it seemed just a matter of ‘when’ we would crack the Burnley defence and certainly not ‘if’. Ozil looked fitter and more mobile today than he has been in months and Iwobi’s touch on the ball was superb at times. Fair play to our visitors, they did more than put ten men behind the ball but we were clearly a yard faster than them and a split second quicker. They clung on, no doubt slightly relieved to trot into the dressing room still even.
A predictable first half then gave me no clue as to the tumult that was to follow. There was not even a small cloud nor the beat of a butterfly’s wing to alert me to the 45 53 minutes of imminent uproar, to enjoy, endure and finally emerge from bruised but triumphant. It was a game to savour, but only with hindsight. To live through it was to tour the circles of footballing Hell.
The second half had so many pivotal incidents, an almost unique catalogue of controversy and contortion. You could sense after 50+ minutes, and still with no goal, we were beginning to get a bit more desperate, and not in bad way. Events unfolded!
First, we had the Mustafi “penalty”, and then we had the Mustafi goal. A good finish from the influential German and, in the context of the game, what should have been the decisive strike. Burnley’s heads dropped. The visitors appalling away record ( P9 L8 D1) heading for another frustrated notch BUT NO! Within five minutes we had a third twist of the sunlit drama;
Granit, Granit, Granit, Granit, ……………Granit! You can’t do that, you just can’t, without risking the red. My little Swiss chum, the officials have their eye on you. I know Mr Wenger will be discussing the matter with you and your parents this week.
From smoothly controlling the game with a deserved lead we were firmly on the back foot from the 65th minute calamity. The light blues clearly felt they could get something and it required a solid defensive performance hold them at bay. But we did. They never really opened us up. Kosc always had a boot in or Monreal his head in the way, Petr calmed the scene. By the time we got to the 90th minute , and even with 7 minutes added time to suffer, I thought we had the points, a scruffy 1-0.
BUT NO! Two penalties in time added on. Two for goodness sake. Le Coq clipping Barnes’ knee, much to the apparent mortification of Mr Wenger, then Mee’s studs connecting with our French defender’s temple. Both correctly awarded by Moss, both despatched by shots straight down the middle of the goal, with the Chilean’s panenka the work of an artist very sure of his brush strokes.
Of our players? I thought Ramsey was outstanding. the Welshman had been playing well but the departure of Xhaka called for him to put in a decisive performance in midfield, to be the BIG player, and he put in that work. At the front Sanchez had a good afternoon even by his own exacting standard. As referred to above his slotting the winner in the 98th minute in such an important game is the work of a professional with no fear – magnificent.
Of the opposition ? The game ended with Dyche frothing at the mouth, and I admit I felt just a twinge of pity for the ( by then) ashen faced Burnley supremo, so close on two occasions this season, but no cigar at all. He must dream of Laurent Koscielny, poor man.
I am calm again now.
So on to Cup glory on the South Coast after a pleasant week of footballing inactivity. Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
Granit’s two red cards so far this season, can be justified.
What pisses most of us off is that there is no way the refs apply the same rule to Spurs or Man Utd. Challenges, even today Chelsea and Leicester were getting away with stuff that would be blown against Arsenal in Nanoseconds.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Rich, I noticed today that our boys are not quite the pussy cats people think they are. I spotted several including Ozil using little tricks of the trade to gain an advantage. I think that ‘physicality’ of the invincibles is a myth. How many times was PV4 sent off, usually for retaliating, while his opponent got off lightly? Diaby was 6’4″ but that didn’t stop the opposition smashing him to bits.
The big difference is the media narrative that Arsenal are soft foreign fancy dans who don’t like it up ’em so it’s a matter of national pride that the lesser skilled clogger should be allowed to even the playing field by any means necessary. It’s plain old cheating and collusion. When the 4th official spends half the match in Burnley’s technical area is it any wonder why people question the impartiality of the officials? They are human and no doubt read the sun and daily mail, which influences their mindset that they take on to the pitch. It’s definitely one rule for some and a different rule for others. That’s fine when we win comfortably, but when it is close those attitudes of the officials can make a huge difference. Ask Leicester 2016 and chelski and spuds 2017. The playing field is not even.
LikeLiked by 5 people
More important questions:
Why Arsenal could not score in the first half.
Why take such a high risk defence strategy of going 1 on 1 with the oppositions fast counter attackers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
DC, to be fair, I thought Burnley played well. They did not come just for the point with the 10 man defence that we usually see at The Emirates. They were trying to go for it from the start. I had a feeling today might be a 1 nil to the Arsenal sort of game – the players are not always going to be firing on all cylinders and scoring hatfuls. Had we managed to stay 11 v 11, one goal may have been enough.
LikeLiked by 2 people
reports that Ryan Mason is fighting for his life, after that clash of heads with gary cahill in the cfc v hull game today – fractured skull and bleeding on the brain
LikeLike
That is terrible if true eduardo. It makes all our squabbling over the little things seem even more petty.
LikeLike
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4145686/Arsene-Wenger-face-long-ban-shove-Poll.html
Ole 3-card there. Hate the bastard. The sheer dishonesty of not mentioning the huge call which didn’t go our way.
You think someone that biased reffed us fairly- in heat of moment, as opposed to sitting there with time to weigh up everything at leisure- in his time?
LikeLike
‘Moss himself had the easiest of decisions when Francis Coquelin clearly brought down Ashley Barnes for Burnley’s penalty which, as it was converted in the third minute of stoppage time, appeared to have cost Arsenal two points.
But, after getting away with that winning goal, quite what Wenger had to complain about only he will know.’
Trump-style reporting of reality from Poll has Wenger flipping out at Taylor ‘after’ our pen.
An editor doesn’t say to him, ‘Graham, what the hell?’
Truth is in trouble all over the shop it seems.
LikeLiked by 5 people
yes DC a case can easily be made for Xhaka reds being spot on, I don’t think any of us are arguing otherwise, it is that the rules implemented for him, have not been applied to others, and not only that, but they have not been implemented by Jon Moss in his other games.
that is what is most concerning, if the ref, Moss, was all season long implementing the rules the same way in each of his games, even if others refs were not implementing them the same way, then one could easily argue he is right, but we have seen Moss not even book players for the same incidents in other games, as the two he has sent Xhaka off for. In fact we were told Xhaka’s first red card was due to a new rule, when in fact no such new rule exists.
On Xhaka’s sending off today, there is photos of the incident that suggest that far from xhaka’s feet being up, at the point where he got to the player, both feet were on the ground and at ball height, also photos seem to actually show he did not make contact with the burnley player,(maybe that is why Xhaka seemed so totally surprised by the red card) but in fact that the player had actually tripped himself up and was falling before xhaka got there, and that Granit actually slid past him without contact. Now photos can be unreliable, I would rather see the best video angles of it.
LikeLike
Great goal from Mustafi.
LikeLike
The media are really going for the jugular with the ‘ban Wenger’ meme – you’d think he shot someone.
One of the good things from today is that the fans stayed to support the team to the bitter end. It would certainly be great to see more of that for the rest of the season
LikeLiked by 6 people
Someone tell Keown that Xhaka has two red cards for AFC, and we won both games, so how the hell is that a ridiculous amount of red cards, what the fuck has his record in germany got to do with this season. Also from his two red cards and two penalties that have been awarded against him, arsenal won 3 of the games and drew the other,
LikeLike
Club Statement – Ryan Mason
image: http://www.hullcitytigers.com/cms_images/masonstatement4-3116-3533369_613x460.jpg
PUBLISHED
22:18 22nd January 2017
The Club can confirm that Ryan Mason sustained a skull fracture in our fixture at Chelsea this afternoon.
He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital where he has undergone surgery.
Ryan is in a stable condition and is expected to remain in hospital for the next few days.
Everyone at the Club would like to express their sincere thanks for the excellent and swift care given to Ryan by both the Accident and Emergency department and Neurosurgery Unit at St Mary’s Hospital.
A further update will be issued tomorrow.
Read more at http://www.hullcitytigers.com/news/article/2016-17/club-statement-ryan-mason-3533371.aspx#OsjdzezVIQxjiKxb.99
LikeLike
Pardon my opinion, but I think Cahill’s ‘header’ on Mason was far far too aggressive, not following the ball and right into him. Let’s hope Ryan Mason Recovers.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Arsenal @ffarsenalfc 46m46 minutes ago
Granit Xhaka who has played CDM his whole career shouldn’t be playing that position according to Danny Murphy..
can only assume that is cos Xhaka can pass the ball and this has confused Murphy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Xhaka has played 15+4 BPL games, he has given away 11 fouls from 94 tackles, he has received 2 red cards, 2 yellow cards, and 2 penalties have been awarded against him,
LikeLike
xhaka gets a winter break now, next game is is free for is Bayern Munich in the CL on Wednesday February 15th. Elneny will be back from the ACN before then. Its over on the 5th
LikeLike
Fortunately, Coq is back…..but he needs to be careful, clearly another player on ref radar
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fingers crossed for Mason – could be any player unfortunately. Three seconds on a football pitch and his life is in the balance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a sad state of affairs that the reputation of Football has been sacrificed to the extent that it has become generally accepted, in order to be certain of winning, teams need to score two or more goals in a game as insurance against the unpredictable behaviour of the game’s referees.
When a side wins by three or four, the refereeing errors can be ‘absorbed’ by the victors. Scoring just once or twice renders a team at severe risk of game-changing decisions that ultimately upsets all sorts of apple carts.
I can think of no other sport on the planet where it is generally accepted that in order to eliminate the impact of the failure of the games’ officials, a team has to over-perform in order to be certain of the points. Imagine having to score an extra 100 runs in the cricket. Or 5 extra tries in the rugby.
All because you had zero confidence in the guy’s tasked with running the game.
If it was just happening to Arsenal I’d happily(ish) dismiss the evidence of my own eyes of unevenness and unfair play. But just in the weekend past, we have seen ‘game-changers’ involving both Man City in one game and Hull City in another.
When one can’t even watch a game as a relative neutral without the traditional sense of ‘game excitement’ being replaced by disgust and frankly justifiable anger, then eventually one simply stops watching, after all, what is the point?
That Sky and BT are reporting catastrophic collapses in viewing figures alongside falling subscriptions is of little surprise.
The game is in crisis.
On the pitch and, as a consequence, off it.
The empty seats at most grounds tell their own story.
The slaying of the golden goose is happening before our eyes and no amount of panicky rewrites of the rules from van Basten will save it if the ability of referees and linesmen to do their jobs is not addressed as THE number one issue.
When even august figures such as Howard Webb are openly conceding the game is now beyond the wit of his colleagues without technological intervention, only one question remains.
Why wait?
LikeLiked by 5 people
ArsenalAndrew Howard Webb has lost his ‘august’ status ,when in his book he is shown to be complicit in the overly overt dirty tactics used against Arsenal.
His almost sneering recollection of instances of his inter-actions with Arsenal players.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Shkodran Mustafi Spiritual Leadership status grows with each game.
Under pressure his will (like Tony Adams) is gigantic.
He is an excellent all round footballer.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Met some lovely Burnley fans after the match.
One of them, an older and wiser pastor or priest type told us that joey Barton was the finest footballer that he had seen play for Burnley.
We told him that he’d only come to see theArsenal (and Rambo’s rabona, Ozil and Sanchez giving their markers the bends etc…)
LikeLiked by 2 people
When We Were – Webb may have lost his august status amongst the fans but within the footballing hierarchy one imagines his stock is as high as it has ever been.
If only for his sneering recollections of his time ‘managing’ Arsenal games …
LikeLiked by 3 people
Think we got away with one and well played one and all for securing a win which looked unlikely the moment Xhaka saw red. I have no problems whatsoever with Moss’s decision to send him off – as long as that is now an equally applied benchmark. And I am glad that Arsene showed one and all that he really does care – and I also get a strong sense that he is very close to spilling the beans about unlevel playing fields. It would be that more than anything that will see him walk away one day I suspect. And as long as the game is in hock to the bookies then the pitches will remain tilted.
LikeLiked by 4 people
ArsenalAndrew Amongst the football establishment sadly you are correct.
But what makes it seem more poignant was in The Police force and I think it reflects on them .
I can’t help it, I always want police to be righteous.
I know,I know…
It’s my mums fault
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is the issue Foreverheady…applying these laws equally. Xhaka will now miss 4 games for 2 reds….the first of which, allegedly down to new rules, which I have yet to see applied before or since that Swansea game.
When I see the same interpretations of the rules applied to Spurs (60+ games without a red on the pitch), Liverpool or Utd players, as regularly as they are to ours, might even start to accept the game is on a level playing field, but will not be holding my breath. There are huge inconsistencies in the way the game is officiated in this league.
Why did Leicester get away with so much last season? Why are Spurs getting it this season?
A win is a win, but what opposing players are being allowed to get away with against us is another cause for concern
LikeLiked by 6 people
AW has dealt with the likes of Bernard Tapie
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/35126472
He won’t be chased out of this league by pipsqueaks like Riley & Scudamore.
The closest he came to changing his plans, in his own words, was during the change of ownership but I guess that unlike us he saw the small print during that infamous death bed haggle which no jaundiced Expert ever talks about or mentions…
I believe that in his own words that health is his consideration. Like Slurgus the only way he’s going to stop is when his body won’t let him carry on, though of course I could be completely wrong there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are some sights which of themselves induce a feeling of slight nausea.
Observing the lamentable Anthony Taylor pursuing AW to the tunnel in order to exercise his brief authority (in a manner which would have embarrassed any reasonably well trained traffic warden) ranks almost alongside watching the little squirt Gove toadying up to the slimeball Trump.
LikeLiked by 8 people
Old fart’s late thoughts
Funny old game….with Moss, aided by Taylor, reffing, maybe thinking of Burnley as a walkover was a trifle precipitate. For sure they were more than prepared to improve their abysmal away record. But for once we had a very good first half bar that minor problem of putting the ball in the net. It seemed just a question of time but time came and went and we were at half time no better off than when we started.
At last we managed a goal from the most unlikely source, Skhodran heading in Oz’s corner to notch up his first for the club. Possibly he should have had a penalty shortly before but this was ample reward, as the smile on his face indicated.
Do what we will, we couldn’t get a second and then for the second time this season, Moss sent of Xhaka. For sure, a yellow card was justified for his tackle, but a red? Hmm. I’ve severe doubts. That however does not excuse Granit for making a stupid decision. He should have learnt by now.
That changed the climate somewhat and Petr made a brave save at the cost of needing treatment. Indeed he made a few more to stop the Burnley attacks whilst at the other end, Rambo, Oz and Alexis were continuing to harry the Burnley back line and Heaton was showing why he’s rated as a top keeper. To my mind the Burnley tackling was getting a bit naughty but I wasn’t the referee.
And so into time added on, a full 7 minutes, after several visits from the medical staff.
In normal circumstances 7 minutes is a bonus but this was not normal. No surprise then that we concede a penalty which despite Le Coq’s protest that he “never touched him” looked fairly stone cold. Petr did his thing for the ‘n’th time and the spot kick was sent down the middle as usual. 1-1 and no time to play, 2 points gone and the spuds still ahead of us. Oh bugger. And double bugger as AW gets dismissed to the stands. Surely he didn’t have a swipe at Taylor, the poison dwarf on his way? I think he did so there’s more trouble.
Fortunately nobody relayed these thoughts to the players and Kos was almost decapitated by an ill judged boot, and wonder of wonders, the linesman who’d aided the red card verdict on Granit signaled a penalty in what was the very last minute. Well done Alexis. Three somewhat lucky points in the circumstances but fair reward for never giving up. Keep the faith.
LikeLiked by 3 people
double canister
Doubt there were any bad intentions but his football knowledge should definitely have told him he couldn’t win that header. Clearly it was Mason’s ball and there was no way he wouldn’t connect and head it away.
It was similar to the one in England Holland game a few years back when Huntelaar was badly knocked out. Huntelaar’s ball, Smalling couldn’t reach it, but he went in with full commitment and smashed into the Dutchman.
The guy who is concentrating on the ball, thinking only of it because no one else can reach it is always vulnerable in that situation. They are liable to be hit on any part of the skull ,unexpectedly, while the other guy invariably uses the forehead and is braced for contact.
A hideous accident no doubt, but a product of people going full force for balls they can’t reach.
LikeLiked by 5 people
‘full commitment’ is an English disease.
LikeLiked by 6 people
when rules are made to be applied by man and not machine, most of the time, is to use it against your enemies.
LikeLiked by 2 people
http://player.arsenal.com/videos/8944/the-breakdown-burnley-h
LikeLike
the fear is real,
otherwise why would so many journos be seeking a massive (10 games) ban for Arsene Wenger.
Of course its all dressed up with things like – the refs must be protected.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Rodney Marsh @RodneyMarsh10 1h1 hour ago
Rodney Marsh Retweeted Standard Sport
>10 games for a push ? 4 games for racial abuse !! What is wrong with you people!
LikeLiked by 1 person
But there is a bit of inconsistency there Eduardo. Why would the press want him banned when the same press tell us regularly that he is a dinosaur who doesn’t do tactics and whose presence is impeding the progress of his team.
Funnily enough, I can imagine a strange alliance developing between Pep and Arsene where they call out a few of the double standards.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Very good FH
LikeLike
The Battle lines of the unholy #AllianceAgainstWenger are drawing up for attack.
All the usual bastards are in the ranks.
LikeLiked by 3 people
has the FA stated what the punishment is for Wenger’s charges, they often state the punishment so the person can decide to accept or fight the charge. Some have suggested that AW faces a 2 game touchline ban and a fine, but is this just speculation or has fa stated this.
I see Hackett wants him given a stadium ban of up to six games. Good God i hope Anthony Taylor recovers fully from that vicious assault.
LikeLiked by 3 people
i would not be surprised if Wenger gets an unprecedented ban, a ban that no other manager will get for many a long decade, a bit like how AFC are the only team to have points deducted in top flight english football for player behavior despite the repeated offences of other clubs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
James ‘Raul’ Stökes @JamesRaulStokes 6h6 hours ago
The FA certainly have a huge decision to make. Lethal injection or the electric chair for Wenger?
LikeLiked by 3 people
The Daily Mail journo who wrote the report of our game yesterday says that this was outside the area and is why he did not suggest Arsenal had a penalty call denied earlier in the game
LikeLike
I wonder if Arsene will ask for a personal hearing ? Laying hands on officials is fairly straightforward- use of the ‘c’ word though (allegedly) – a whole different potato
LikeLike
I’m hoping we have a trick up our sleeve similar to the one used to get Gabriel cleared. Heard they used footage from ESPN Brazil at the hearing which showed Gabriel made no contact whatsoever on Costa.
That footage was never shown on British tv- guess our camera’s missed it- but it was on twitter for a couple of days before being removed.
99% sure I read once that all the assistant’s communications are recorded, so perhaps we can request to hear them. Unless, of course, he did say something out of line. Even so, I’d expect the context to be helpful, and perhaps embarrassing to PGMOL.
Mad symmetry to all this, as Wenger was handed a ten or twelve match ban in his early days after an assistant claimed to have been pushed, up at Sunderland. Charges later dropped after it was proved other guy lied.
Wenger’s smarter, as well as a better man, than these bums, so lets hope they don’t finally get their man
LikeLiked by 5 people
its laughable to see the media reporting of the FA charges of Wenger, its all full of suggestions he should get 3,4,5 or more game bans, even stadium bans, that is to be expected from these hacks, but the laughable thing is that they all seem to be unable to understand what he is actually charged with, despite them actually quoting the charges, we see them suggest he called Moss a “cheat”, and that he “unleashed a tirade of abuse at Moss”, when you actually read the FA Charges, there is not one word in it relating to any action by Wenger towards Moss, AW is charged for comments to Anthony Taylor(the fourth official), and his second charge is for laying his hands on Taylor. So why are so many media outlets claiming otherwise. Could they actually have some sort of agenda.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Totally juvenile of me but can’t help but feel absurdly proud of Arsene right now. Funny if it comes down to a four or five letter C word although the adjectival use of the present participle would give an alliterative and fairly accurate description of Moss and Wenger’s feelings towards him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A 1-2 match ban would be the worst Arsene could expect for a few strong words with Taylor and the slight physical confrontation in the tunnel. Have a break – it’s happened before with no ill effects
If there is evidence of an accusation of cheating though Arsene will not be on the touch line at the Bridge – and that would be a very bad thing, for him and for us.
LikeLike
I did not see one word today about Arsenal’s indomitable spirit, to win the game when the odds are stacked against them – to cheat Fate in the 98th minute – I thought THAT was what I saw yesterday?
LikeLiked by 6 people
DC, on your earlier comment that both of Xhakas reds can be justified, the first one cannot be justified on anything that refs have done in the past or indeed it’s still compleatly unique. Once you have that fact in your pocket although the second one could be justified it does leave the logical mind to question the honesty of the second.
A5, I doubt if Arsene used the C word I would imagine like any true gentleman he would not like the word even if it perfectly described the behaviour of the fourth official.
I would also suggest as Arsene was in the tunnel and away from the technical area the fourth official was imposing on Arsenes’s personal space and as any policeman will tell reasonable force is legal and justified .
LikeLiked by 6 people