Andy Nic. is on his jollies so its fallen upon me to serve up a slice of positively today…………………Cheers for that Andy.
Let’s start with the easy bit, shall we?
Three points and a clean sheet. Err, mmm, err …………… oh yes, and The Ox played really well.
I felt that when we were handed the first goal, we had done enough to take control of the game. There were some bright moves, interplay and we should already have scored, with Alexis being unusually wasteful when he really had to score.
After that, I have to say, I think we were a tad poor. There was a nervousness in our passing that made us look ordinary at best. Hull were allowed to move the ball through midfield unopposed. We dropped deep, and that’s fine, but we looked anything but assured and organised. There was acres of space out wide and that really shouldn’t be the case when we are all set.Hull didn’t dominate or do enough to deserve to score, but if they had have done, we couldn’t have felt hard done by either.
We somewhat plodded our way through between the first goal and the 93rd minute penalty. That said, I felt Perez and Welbeck made us look better when they came on. Also ElNeny looked like he wanted to drive the team forward and press more once he came on.
I want to say that the first goal should have stood because it was not intentional handball. but honestly. I’d have been spitting feathers if that had been scored against us.
So that’s about all I have really. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and don’t worry about Bayern, I’m sure we will be better for that.
Positively Arsenal 
Handball? This is not going away. On NBC (US) they are now reporting the PGMO has said scoring by the hand should never be allowed, period. Pundits say nowhere does it say so in the rule book. So the PGMO is making it up as they go along when it comes to Arsenal. And we still can’t see PGMO bias.
Can you imagine a ref apologizing to one team on a questionable call?
Apparently Clattenberg apologized to Hull players for nor not ruling off the Alexis goal. How come? He is not supposed to have access to video or to have a mobile phone in his changing room. Isn’t that subjecting himself to undue influence and potential bias?
As I tweeted to AlabamaGooner, Can you imagine that happen in the NFL with their use of video? That would have been sorted out on the field immediately after the ball went in.
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Is that what you call positivity?
Anyway, reposting my thoughts from the end of the last post
passenal on February 11, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Love a controversial win for us after all the bullshit talk about the assault on Hector. For a change we got a bit of good fortune in our favour.
The 2 goals flattered Alexis massively today as he did not play well. I’d like to see his passing accuracy stats as it looked like most of his passes were wayward. I wonder if he and Ozil are ‘little bit off form’? as neither were that effective.
Nobody stood out for me today but collectively it was a good effort against a tough opponent. And credit to Hull for trying to play football rather than the usual fouling, negative 10 men behind the ball and maximum time wasting we usually see from the opposition at Emirates. I hope they do well against our rivals
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It’s hard for me to sort out my thoughts following this match.
Of course I’m so glad for the win.
I want to again thank Steww for the preview. It was important and timely, given the all reports and trashing of everything Arsenal in the last week/decade.
Yes, I do see Alexis missing passes but I also saw the perfect cross to Lucas that led to the penalty. (and a couple of goals).
I think Ox is getting back to the consistent form he had prior to being crocked in the Aston Taylor match at the start of 13/14? season.
Again, I’m glad for the win.
COYG
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Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 2h2 hours ago
That won’t do against Bayern
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Steve Gooner @Merse10 2h2 hours ago
Sorry for ruining your day @SkyFootball @SkySports
2-0 to The Arsenal
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I wouldn’t expect a dominant performance after two defeats and with another big match in three days, and a partially under strength eleven. However a confident and dominant display in CM from Chambo.
Ignoring the fragrant tilting on display for all to see at the start of the second half from the apologetic and distraught pgMOB employee (who’s been attacked in public by his employers previously…imagine that in the NFL ROFL!), it was when Chambo came out of CM that hull gained more of a foothold in midfield, Coquelin definitely with a niggle so that may also have been a factor.
I don’t think Ozil or Alexis are fresh, Sanchez blowing early on today, perhaps also a niggle here or there: but they are undroppable atm.
Perez once again involved in the goals.
Great battle between Koscielny and the Hull No.24, but as usual a battle won, I’m the end, by Kozza.
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Ranty
There still some nursing of Chambo going on, but overall he seems almost back to where he was before he was crocked.
A couple of exhilarating breaks that deserved better end product from the team, alongside a peachy passing range not least the lofted passes stretching the legs necks and nerves of the Hull players who to be fair to their manager had some more ambition (by my understanding) then many who come to N5.
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Oliver Holt @OllieHolt22 2h2 hours ago
So, as things stand, Arsenal are ahead of Guardiola’s Man City, Klopp’s Liverpool and Mourinho’s MUFC. And Arsenal fans want Wenger out.
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#OneInvincible@Gooner_Echo3
#OneInvincible Retweeted Arsenal Nexus
You can’t make it up. Bellerin was out of action for 6 days before he could train again. Any apologies coming our way?
#OneInvincible added,
Arsenal Nexus @ArsenalNexus
Clattenberg apologised to Hull for correctly not giving handball against Alexis?
Disgusting anti Arsenal behaviour still.
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I thought The Ox stood out and I felt we lost something when he moved to the right. Alexis and Ozil were not playing well and we needed to be brave and take our two best players off. Lucas and Welbs could have added something as the amount of chances we were creating in first half and the early part of the second half was drying up and Hull were gaining more and more possession. They also were getting a sucession of free kicks and corners which they were flashing into our box. Giving that was the case the defending has to be acknowleged as hull never really created a chance of note in the second half. The most frustrating thing was the breakaways, we had numerous chances to put hull to the sword but time and time again were so wasteful that on many occasions the situation was snuffed out long before it got towards the box or we ended up passing back to Cech. I think we are playing well enough but the fluency is not quite there to really destroy defences although its coming.
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http://www.101greatgoals.com/101ggvideos/howard-webb-offers-interesting-take-alexis-sanchezs-handball-goal-v-hull-video/
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Was interesting to see a ‘keeper try to stand in the middle on the penalty. Sanchez just managing to alter his shape and direction?
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Fins,
You’re correct. And I’m glad you mentioned the pgmob, cos it’s always thier performances that unsettle my thoughts (and Ars players’ limbs).
For me, Clatters is up there with the worse. Besides always employing the double code for fouls thingy, I see many injuries coming from his ‘stewardship’ of Ars matches.
How about this:
http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/arsenal-vs-hull/walcott-incident.html
Poor Marky clearly too busy carding Theo to return to Hull 10 and book Him!
How many times was Sanchez kicked? Still, Sanchez got booked, didn’t he?
How the plundits scream about handball/send off Gibbs, etc, etc.
And yes, Ox, like Welbz, being eased back in.
In the 10 mins Danny was on a Hull player stamped on his Achilles. Never mind, Play on. (You ****s). No punishment. No problem.
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arse_or_brain @ 4:36pm: My observation is we made too many unforced errors when we had them on the counter. Many of those errors were by the forward players. But we patently miss the technical leadership of of Santi and Xhaka in that order. What makes the counter effective most of the time is the the precision and weight on the final ball. It was hit or miss today. Ox has shown he is a talented player; excellent in the last 3 games as a CM, but he is no Santi or Xhaka. As for Alexis, we must be honest and objective; up-front, he is a wonderful goal-scorer and offensive threat but he is unreliable technically. Unfortunately, nobody on our team matches his effectiveness; we have to live with the good and the bad.
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Cech & Gibbs post match. The usual “questioning”:
http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/arsenal-vs-hull/petr-cech-and-kieran-gibbs-post-match-interview.html
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Gibbs was good too.
That run in the first half!
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Speaking of Alexis:
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Has the annual Scum melt-down commenced? Should have been 4-0 at half time.
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Don’t mention meltscumdown yet, Shotta. Scousers are being booked, and we don’t know how this’ll turn out.
Ta for the Snavhez graphic though. One really needs perspective when we berate our players for missing passes. You’ll have noticed – every team has wonderful players that miss passes through matches. (I just wish Arsenal Never missed. Anything).
“Hull played so well in the first half”.
Yeah,
Shots: Ars 10 Hull 1.
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*Sanchez, obviously*
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Alli & Kane both stamp on scouser in same move. Bravo.
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‘It was more maths than brilliance’
Arsène Wenger discusses our performance, Alexis’ first goal and facing a ‘good’ storm
Alexis was at the double as we returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Hull City at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Read the match report from Emirates Stadium
‘It’s a win but we can still do better’
‘Each game will be like a final’
Arsène Wenger faced the media after the game and this is what he had to say:
on the win…
As you said it was more about the mathematics than about the brilliance today because we had absolutely to win today. Unfortunately against a good team who I cannot see even from the stand any weakness in there. Physically they are strong, they are organised, they have a good spirit and technically they are good as well. So overall I felt that we started well until we led 1-0, we created some very good chances. After we became a bit more protective to protect the result. After that we were playing a bit more to not concede a goal and that’s what the game was about because we knew that was absolutely vital to win today.
on whether the gap to Chelsea is insurmountable..
Look I said on Thursday that we have to fight no matter what the gap is. The best as much as we can and the first to find some confidence back. When you lose two games that’s what you fight for. For us, it was just important to win today.
on the first goal seeming to be a handball…
Honestly, I don’t know. I’m responsible for many things, but not for the referee’s decisions. I feel sorry for Hull but I feel that we had as well to cope recently with some decisions where you didn’t ask me this question. So I am sorry. I want the right decisions to be made.
on being asked at the Chelsea game about Bellerin and the foul…
Yes, yes. I am sorry for that then. There are some other goals that we conceded, like at Man City, that nobody said was offside.
on whether he felt his side needed a bit of luck like that…
Of course. When you lose two games on the trot at Arsenal you face a good storm. There is only one answer: to win the next game… or you face even more. I’m at Arsenal for 20 years, I know that. When you will look one day if I lost three Premier League games on the trot, you will be surprised.
on Ian Wright’s comments…
I don’t know what Ian Wright said.
on being told that Ian Wright alleges that the boss gave him the impression he is close to leaving…
No, no. It was questions and answers. I could be tired because I get up early in the morning and I finish late at night, so I am tired, yes. But I didn’t give any indication about my future.
on whether he spoke with Ian Wright privately on Thursday…
No, it was a question and answer with members of the Diamond Club. That’s in the evening so there were many people there.
on whether there was no point at which he just spoke to Ian about his future…
No, no. We had a little dinner before but it was not the two of us. There were four or five.
on whether he thinks Ian has misinterpreted him…
Yes. You know I appreciate very much that you want me to rest, absolutely. But I am not ready for that yet.
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170211/-it-was-more-maths-than-brilliance-#zqQLwltTZFPgSyVC.99
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So why are BBC 606 asking to hear from Arsenal fans about Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, did we lose today, or is it that its been deemed we are in crisis and no amount of wins will change that determination.
Thankfully robbie savage has shot down the nonsense about the first goal being wrongly given. It seems he knows more of the rules than Clattenburg – has anyone ever heard of a ref apologizing to players for the correct decision, more fucking evidence that the pgmob are are shower of bias shits.
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magnificent Man Utd on their best run of form since the sir red nose days, and they remain 6th.
spurs with 50pts are in the title race
Arsenal with 50pts are in crisis and won’t make top 4 – how does that work then.
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re wenger’s comments above – he is far to clever for these hacks, unsurprisingly they did not even spot him toying with them.
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exclusive footage of Ian Wright’s meeting with Arsene Wenger last night
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how the fuck do spurs get away with their cheating and thuggish tactics, and no action from the PGMOB and not a word about it in the media either.
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AST lying through their teeth about the amount of empty seats at the game today. What a shower of cunts they are.
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The scum have proven their credentials as the dirtiest team in the league. 5 players booked.
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Arsenal @tomgunner14 4h4 hours ago
Howard Webb
The law requires handball to be an intentional act and it wasn’t intentional..it is a correct decision by Clattenburg. #Arsenal
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Eddy: The PGMO is allowed to get away with their bias vs Arsenal despite the weight of the evidence I and others have presented. Making up different rules for AFC on handballs.
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notice the deliberate tap tackle on a player heading towards the box, you can imaging my suprise when there was no red card, non bias refs my arse.
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Q: One of the ‘topics’ of the week has been the right of every fan to “have an opinion”, yet why is it if you are in support of AW then suddenly you don’t have opinion of any value,or as often be the case, or actually have an opinion? Why are the WOB’s opinions any more valid?Because the have low toleration levels of frustration and are easily susceptible to humiliation from other fans and in their defense use sexual swearwords and belittling language?
Q:Are channels like AFTV fair? Do they have a cross section of opinion? Is there a need for a more heavily pro Wenger fan tv?
Q: Those who are pro Wenger are accused of putting AW before AFC-in which case those who put their anti Wenger issues before AFC are the same? ie not going to games in protest at AW, is of course putting AW before AFC? As is having a vitriolic agenda towards AFC ( ie I want AFC to lose so that Wenger goes etc)?
Q: Are pro Wenger fans of AFC actually putting AW before AFC?
Q: So if being pro Wenger means you are part of a cult, then does it mean that being anti-Wenger you are also part of a cult?
Q: Who causes the most toxic atmosphere pro Wenger fans or anti Wenger fans?
Q:Is it harder to win the premier league or the Champions league? Why is the Champions league now being belittled by some ‘fans’?Which teams comprise the CL and what dod they have to do to qualify into the competition?
Q:Is it possible to win the Champions league and not have a ‘great ‘side?
Q: Were Chelsea tactics against Bayern hidden by the post match stats?( what I mean is they went out to play a deliberately defensive game, and in my ‘opinion’ was one the best defensive games Ive can recall seeing, to play defensively gets little analysis, but a truly defensive game is a tough one, to keep up for 90 mins, taking immense concentration and consideration of position, and covering space).
Q: If we look outside of ourselves for happiness in unreliable, unstable transitory systems can we expect happiness or unhappiness or a mixture of the two?
Q: Why are the teams currently under AFC not being grilled in the media in a similar manner to AFC?
Q: Was it immoral for Clattenburg to apologize for the ‘hand-ball’ goal by Alexis?
Q: Why do fans expect victory for their money? It wasn’t like that in the past so why now?
Q: AFC lost two games in a row, who caused the negative atmosphere during the last week? The club( manager/players) or others?
ps Thank you St.Totteringham, please now go to Burnley and help them, then on to the seaside and help them Cherries.Amen.
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Walton, the ref who spooked Gervinho’s Ars career from the the start. (Newcastle away,
Gerv sent off for a light finger poke after he’d been brought down & penalty not given. Barton drags him up by the collar. Gerv sent off. Barton kicking players more than ball, so tries to break Song’s leg. Song berated by plundits and gets ye olde retro ban. Injuries & suspension mean fielding a scratch team at OT, with Howard reffing, then the heavy loss).
Anyway, after Walton’s stella efforts and on the middle of the season, he gets a job as head of refs in the US!
Now it’s Webbys turn:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/02/07/howard-webb-takes-key-referees-job-united-states/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw
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Whoa! Webb is getting all that moolah the refs have been lusting for since they set up the PGMO. Look at these plum engagements:
-Member BT Sport broadcast team
-Director of referees for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation
-Manager of Video Assistant Referee Operations, Professional Referees Organization, USA.
Doesn’t he have a position in the PGMO as well?
This is the man who boasted how he let other teams rough up Arsenal while refereeing in the PL, a ref who let deJong’s blatant red card offence get by with only a yellow card in the 2010 world cup final. He has no claim to greatness.
Based on the public testimony of the advocates for the PGMOB I posited in my blogs that the purpose of the PGMO was to become a vehicle for the refs to make money, not to become better, fairer referees. Based on the 20 year data of penalties, it is clear the refs in the PL favor the big moneyed teams, and certainly not for a self-sufficient club like Arsenal. If you are like Webb and play by the PGMO rules there is lot of big money to be made during and after a refereeing career.
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DSisagee George
We were fucking brilliant.
La la la, la la la al (to Kylye song tune)
Ps fuck the spuds,
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Miguel Delaney @MiguelDelaney 2h2 hours ago
Poch has only won one away game in 15 v rest of top six since arriving at Spurs. Reflects a bit of a ceiling they’ve hit, despite progress.
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That clip of Theo’s booking just shows the depths of poor refereeing in this league. The Ox was clearly fouled and as there was no advantage for the attacking team it should have been called back for a free kick. Theo was pushed out of play and whilst I suppose the booking he got was for throwing the ball away, where was the free kick for shoving and putting your head in the face of your opponent by the Hull player?
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Mills
Sorry, I didn’t get around to thanking you for your midweek piece. Thanks.
PG
Did you really write this article? (You know I’ve regarded you as a man of few (but significant) words. (Well, written words…. that last podcast still tickles me).
Anyway, look at the reactions on this thread!
Will I be the only one passing Steww’s masterclass Q&A preview, with the photo of joyous youngster abeam (Is that a word?), and some guy wearing a several years old ArsShirt that may’ve kindly expanded a touch?
Passenal, I envy your “Spot-on-dity”. I hope your flu has completely cleared.
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Good to see everyone took Stew’s advice and enjoyed the game today.
I shall be watching MOTD.
Thanks George for the write up – straight to the (3) points.
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question on Theo Walcott today, am I wrong in thinking he had his shirt sleeves rolled up, or is my eye sight deceiving me, as I’ve seen a couple of articles slating him for breaking club tradition – all players wear same length sleeve – to me i thought he had long sleeve shirt on, but with sleeves rolled up, and that all those making a fuss saying he had short sleeve shirt are only doing so cos that idiot Alan Smith slated Theo for wearing short sleeves today, Smith was on Arsenal’s back from before kick off, and never let up all game long, it seems he wants more air time, and is following the agenda to the letter of his pay masters.
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I assumed at the game that he had rolled up his sleeves but the pictures I’ve seen definitely look like he was wearing short-sleeves. There has to be some explanation as Theo is not responsible for his own kit and he’s hardly the rebellious type. Perhaps they should ask Vic Akers what happened? It’s pathetic really that they are scraping the barrel to find reasons to dig out the players and club
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just for anyone who is going to miss Match of the Day – summary
Hull robbed
alexis opener a clear handball and should have been disallowed
gibbs challenge a certain red
hull unlucky to have player sent off for deliberate handball
Arsenal awful,
Wenger finished
AFC won’t make top 4
Wenger could be gone if AFC lose to Sutton next week.
Spurs unlucky, still in title race, powershit yada yada yada
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what odds on MOTD showing the Arsenal winner away to Burnley to in their view show Arsenal have history of refs giving us handball goals – never mind that both it, and today’s goal have been shown to be correctly awarded under the actual rules of the game, not some mythical rules that the media/pundits invent when it comes to decisions in Arsenal games, still waiting for any other player to be sent off for Xhaka’s foul v swansea
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That’ll teach me – Ross County v Aberdeen
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Not a good performance, not enjoyable to watch.
Win should help confidence.
Players coming back.
We should see better things ahead.
Spuds lost……..
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isn’t that odd, gabbiadini’s first goal v sunderland today went in off his arm, there was not a word about that on Football Focus, BBC 606, Sky sports, BT etc etc etc, Ian Wright om MOTD says Sunderland “could be disappointed by it” was as bad as it got, compare to the reaction to the Alexis opening goal today. MOTD – “really bad decision” – “he pats it in”, “you can’t score a goal with your hand”
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That harry Maguire of Hull is one massive man
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Kevin Palmer @RealKevinPalmer 34m34 minutes ago
Tottenham’s record against top five sides away from home since 2006/07 season:
P: 47
W: 5
D: 12
L: 40
27 points from a possible 141 #MOTD
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