Good Morning Positives,
An interesting evening at Gander Green Lane. The expected result and, on reflection, an evening that I probably should have expected. The non Leaguers came on in the same old way, and with our superior firepower we despatched them in the same old way. Twas it (almost) ever thus when a very big club meets a non League minnow?
I admit I had been hoping for a more resounding victory, three goals up at the half hour market least, and the chance to ease off for the remainder of the game before a 5-6 final count. That is not however the Arsenal way, and in spite of my jitters it made for a better match to watch, with Sutton still dashing forward until the final whistle.
Of our players I thought Rob Holding had a good game, growing assurance on a windy night and a pitch though flat had an unusual bounce and the speed of the ball across the plastic was slightly different to grass The Ox was probably our best player, albeit a late entry. Industrious at the back when he needed to be, willing to give us width going forward. I shall forgive his error in the final few moments as by them as in Munich, the result was never I doubt. And Theo of course, captain on the night and 100 goals up. To be honest Theo had one of his less effective games I thought last night and what the plastic pitch offered him in speed of movement and acceleration it seemed to reduce in his ability to control the ball. Good night for Perez again. As I have said before, other than two or three PL clubs, the Spanish striker would walk into most starting line ups in England.
The negative sides I believe Alex Iwobi has his ankle strapped and iced after the kick he took. And Jeff ? Not a good night for him last night, hesitant from the start and the game went on around him. Hard to recognise the player who performed so well, so confidently, in the last round at St Marys. I think a loan spell and regular week in and week out football for JRA an absolute necessity.
Our opponents, 293 places below us in the English Football League pyramid, or some such tosh, acquitted themselves admirably on what as probably a match they will remember forever. For a few, particularly Deacon, it must surely be a ticket to back into a league club and rekindling their former ambitions.
That is all from me today. I see we did not give Sutton a pennant at kick off – much to the hilarity of the BBC commentators. We are however a little classier than that.
We have a lengthy break before the next game, and it is a biggie. Perhaps a chance to relax and breath a little, for the players, the manager and above all the most important group of all at our mighty football club, the fans. Enjoy your week.
Positively Arsenal 
Well played Gent
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Andy, what I meant was everyone else is sacking their managers at the slightest whim and no matter how hard they protest Arsene still is in front of them every week as a constant reminder of their futility.
Leicester have now sacked two managers who both over achieved crazy yes surprising no.
It what every set of fans can except when they trade with the devil.
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How can Leicester sack Ranieri, it’s not his fault Refs are not handing them penalties this season, or that refs no longer allow them to pull and drag opponents unpunished, and its not his fault many of the players have become johnny big boots and can’t be arsed to put in the same effort as last season.
also Ranieri is one of those modern tactical genius managers, where will they get another one, unless of course they go for Owen Coyle, he is now available again
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a red card for deli ali has been long overdue
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1886@1886_blog 1h1 hour ago
Obscene comments written on the walls of public toilets > Articles written by @andydunnmirror
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finsbury Did you used to goto Raa-Raa’s?
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Just hope the media/WOB are as harsh on Spurs at going out of the Europa league to ….era….gent……as they are if Arsenal go out of the champions league to Byaern Munich.
Very true Ed, good to see some refs apply the rules of the game to Dele Alli…..just a shame none of the. Work for the pgmol
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not a chance mandy, spurs, their manager and their players are media darlings, for God’s sake the came came 3rd in a 2 horse title race last season, and it was Arsenal that got the media abuse.
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Very true…..but what a ridiculous result for them! Complete and utter numpties…..and a full strength team. The WOB love Poch….not sure how they will take this, probably just hate Wenger even more in their distress
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spurs have made the europa league qf once in last six years
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Sniper@clockendsniper 29m29 minutes ago
Spurs record in two European competitions in 2016/17
Won 2
drawn 2
Lost 4
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Gent Cry for me, Pochettino!
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Laugh out loud treat double canister.
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Thanks (pressed enter too early)
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Gary NevilleVerified account@GNev2 3h3 hours ago
Same people saying Ranieri sacking is disgusting and a betrayal want another removed from his Job where a board shows the ultimate loyalty!
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Adrian Clarke@adrianjclarke 1h1 hour ago
I don’t like the idea of Leicester’s players secretly meeting the owner. Should never happen.
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WWB @ 11.06
No, sorry never heard of it. At least not that I can remember…
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The chatter on the radio this morning, R4 let me make that clear, was Leicester’s owners will have made the “right decision” to sack Claudio Ranieri if it in May they are still in the PL. Presumably, if the story is right, the players will also have made the “right decision” in their secret meetings with the owner and knifing Ranieri in the back.
No they won’t. They have made a treacherous decision that marks both the owner and the players involved as spineless and self centred. Fuck knows how or why any of them ever got involved in a team game.
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The spinelessness of the Leicester owners. This is what you get when club ownership is a vanity project not a serious professional, business decision. I can never see the Stan Kroenke and the Board acting so stupidly. There is a reason why Arsenal is one of the best run club in England.
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F*ucking bad luck. Santi Cazorla under the knife again as ankle fails to heal according to Arseblognews.
http://p1r.es/2lgv0eo
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finsbury I know your moniker is ‘finsbury’ you seem to be local and of a certain age. Raa-Raa’s was a night club in Upper St (the venue of “The big fall”)that several of the players would go to . You seem to know a fair bit about the history around that time.
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Adrian Clarke@adrianjclarke
Dele Alli is lucky this is a busy news day. That ‘tackle’ last night is the worst I’ve seen this season. Horrible.
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Alli’s lunge last night was straightforward loss of temper. He lost the ball, thought he had been fouled and wanted revenge. He could not have given a toss if he finished the opponent’s career or of any consequence to himself or Spurs.
I see his manager is defending the player in public. I can only hope he is pointing out a few home truths in private.
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Sad news about Santi, next season he may be playing the Rosicky role in the squad (a totem for the second half of the season).
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WWB
Am local but unfortnately that was all before my time.
Everything I know about El Tel and the gang came from my primary school PE teacher (Junior Gunners & also a very good cricket coach) and the gags (about el Tel and pals) that he made me read to the audience before the the Xmas panto!!!!
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arsenal go with a strong line up in the u23’s
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Eduardo, I would also suspect he is lucky he plays for spurs rather than Arsenal.
Anicoll, the referees in the UK have not done him any favours by letting him get away with similar in the PL on a weekly basis. I’m glad he has finally found out that he is not unstoppable. Maybe the PL mob will start following suit or maybe I will sprout wings and fly!
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going to miss the first 30 minutes or so of the u23 game, hopefully Arsenal will be well ahead by time I tune in
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Shearer’s elbows syndrome innit?
Allowed to elbow all and sundry in the PL, Shearer’s eager fouling once cost Sol Campbell and England a victory over Argentina.
“Game management” as the pgMOBs describe it
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Protected spoilt players who are told that they’re as good as Messi etc LOL!
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Henry Winter and chums blow up these diving cloggers, and usually it’s England who suffer for it.
Campbell’s disallowed goal was particularly annoying.
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< in Shearer's era the occasional barge *coughs* would be seen at all grounds, but towards the second half of Shearer's career the frequency of the indulgence in his case was risible.
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Arsenal u23’s 2-0 up, I missed the first goal, but Malen scored the second, after a fine run out of defense by Holding
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HT: Arsenal u23’s 2-0 Chelsea u23’s
Holding from a well worked corner, and Malen after a rampaging run out of defense right to edge of their area by Holding
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I dont know about referees and Alli Pass – I think in the dim and distant past his Mum should have taught him how to behave properly and not to lash out just because he did not get his own way. Same with his sneaky punch last season that he was caught on camera for and banned for 3 games. A character thing, not just a football thing.
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Club announces latest financial results
Arsenal Holdings plc has announced its financial results for for the six months ended November 30, 2016
Click here to view them.
Click to access gun__1487944794_Arsenal_Holdings_plc_Interim_R.pdf
The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial information differs from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170224/club-announces-latest-financial-results#Ua8i2mkPDdUYML68.99
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You’re probably right about the character Andy, but I think it is also aided and abetted by the special treatment he gets in the PL. If he didn’t learn at home, he would learn on the pitch if his behaviour received the right punishment rather than reinforcing his inherent bad behaviour.
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so with a quick look at the accounts I can see that despite a healthy cash reserve of £123M it is £36M less than this time last year. Partly due to a record outlay on transfers last summer and increased wages for players.
Stadium yearly payment is £23M
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Deli Alli served a suspension for that punch last season, and now will serve a suspension for that sending off, but not one journo or pundit has called him a liability, compare that to Granit Xhaka who has served two bans, they can hardly mention his name without saying liability too.
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nice to see Arsenal first team players and ladies players there watching/supporting the u23’s
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Reiss Nelson with a brilliant improvised finish to make it 3-0
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Wenger is at the game too.
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3-1 now with about 20 minutes to go, Martinez with a save from a long range shot, but cfc fired home the rebound
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4-1, Welbeck scores a penalty, which was won after Jenkinson played in Malen who was dragged down.
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FT: Arsenal u23’s 4-1 Chelsea u23’s
Holding, Malen, Nelson and Welbeck(pen) with our goals.
Maitland-Niles was very good, Bramhall impressed me, he is very very fast, Sheaf who captained the side was impressive. Lots of other good performers too.
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Good match from the under 23’s
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I agree Eduardo, there were some good performances from the youngsters. It didn’t look like the victory was just down to having a few players with first team experience out there. The stand out performers were definitely the younger ones.
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Malen scored one, assisted one and won the penalty.
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