There was something extremely cathartic about Danny Welbeck’s goal on Sunday. A palpable relief of tension so orgasmic that my involuntary exclamation awoke Liz from a deep and dreamless sleep. I was watching in the wee small hours having evaded the score until I returned home from my labours and had managed to remain quietly respectful to those already ensconced in the land of nod. There are though some moments in a football match which are like a sneeze – you just can’t help but produce an explosion of unexpected noise and the second, decisive goal of our encounter with Jose Mourinho and his merry men was just such a moment.
There was of course the fact that the game was all but over from the instance the ball crashed in off the underside of the bar, but there were other things in play. While the team have been battling to find lost form and wayward confidence I’ve often found myself watching games as if holding my breath. Like observing a drunken relative carrying a baby across an untidy room I’m willing them to succeed but all the time oppressed with the nagging thought that the whole enterprise is one misstep from disaster.
That tension blew out like a surfacing whale when The Ox’s perfect cross connected so sweetly with Danny’s bonce. Earlier in the game the commentators had been wittering about young Noddy Holding’s slightly under hit back pass as if it were the greatest disaster since Blues Brothers 2000 and I was feeling for the kid. He’d had a good game, looked skilful and composed in possession and brimming with confidence yet they’d hung him out to dry on the flimsiest pretext. So when he was instrumental in setting up that goal another bubble of frustration burst.
He completely Coquelined the United turnover when we seemed to have lost our way, momentum, and the ball, not only robbing the opposition player but sliding out a long leg to direct a sweetly improvised pass to AOC which took another defender off the board. It was a gorgeous moment fully deserving of the goal which followed.
So, if my noisy nocturnal instincts were correct the team felt the monkey leave their back on Sunday afternoon and tonight, while I don’t expect an easy game, should at least be a really good contest. Southampton at St Mary’s has provided an uncomfortable experience for visiting Arsenal fans in recent times. I was surprised to discover that we must go back as far as 2003 for our last league victory there. We have of course a memorable FA Cup win in January to balance against this disagreeable statistic, but cup ties are notoriously individual and shouldn’t be seen as part of the trend.
On their day these Saints players can be obdurate and awkward opponents. They came away from Anfield with a goalless draw, played out similarly fruitless ninety minutes with Hull and Bournemouth and unlike Arsenal have beaten West Brom and Crystal Palace. Set against these results they also leaked seven goals in total against City and Chelsea and so a picture emerges of a capable side but one which, with a fair wind and a good start can be put to the sword.
The big question hanging over our team selection, apart from the usual knocks and scrapes, is the injury to Lauren Koscielny. I can’t overstate his importance to our back line and you’d have to be a football illiterate not to appreciate the calm he brings to those around him and the complete arse aching irritant he must be to every striker unfortunate enough to have to face him. With a new formation still bedding in his leadership and nous have been and will continue to be vital for our chances in the remaining fixtures. Can he be risked? With a cup final looming and our league position precarious it’s a tough choice for the manager to ponder.
The other variable in recent games has been in the centre forward position. Gone are the days when our top two was a given. We have now the luxury of five players each capable of bringing something different to the role. Needless to say I like them all and will be happy whoever starts but in an away fixture it may be that Giroud’s masterful hold up play and defensive cover at set pieces wins out. Of course I have no clue about tactics – no more than any other blogger out there and will not be offering advice to the manager. Having an opinion and having expertise are as far apart as reading Arthur C. Clarke is to building a space ship: leave it to those who know is my mantra and one I’m content to repeat.
Once again the fixture has fallen at a time when I will be at the coal face so it’ll be a Thursday morning breakfast match for me. For the rest of you I trust it will be a joyous evening and a rare chance this season to see the Arsenal rolling without that proverbial handbrake on. To my mind beating United was only half of the job – stepping over them in the table tonight would complete the task. I believe we can do it. I look forward to being proved right.
Positively Arsenal 
Also think we can win this. They will be no pushovers, and it was a bit of a disaster there last year in the past, but this time , let’s hope offside is not interpreted so liberally.
They players will be up for this to put pressure on Liverpool and Utd..hopefully, the continuation of the phenomenon that is Ox.
Just hope the players focus and ignore the noise, that’s for the end of the season and will be upon us soon enough.
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A great preview as always Stew, I dont know how you do it week in week out. Always impressive! Cheers!
COYG!
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Fit, or not, perhaps they should rest Xhaka. Apparently, the ref is Jon Moss…..don’t give him the chance of a hattrick against this player. That first red was an appalling decision, never seen anything like it before or since. The second one was soft…doubt if Wanyama would have seen red for that
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Pure magic Stew. I can so relate to “drunken relative” bit, we all have that uncle don’t we? Lol.
Back to the game, both Arsenal and Saints were playing on Sunday after a weeks rest, so one can only speculate how much these fixtures taken out of both for one to have the upperhand over the other. Saints had to work a bit harder keeping Liverpool’s gengepressing at bay, whilst we beat Manutd with relative ease.
Would be foolish to suggest we would be easy victors as we know Saints’ ability to dig deep when facing Arsenal, aided and abetted by friendly refs of cause – or rather unfriendly in our case eh Mr Moss.
Hopefully we keep our eyes on the top 4 prize and do the basics right being on heavy legs.
COYG!
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“He completely Coquelined the United turnover when we seemed to have lost our way, momentum, and the ball, not only robbing the opposition player but sliding out a long leg to direct a sweetly improvised pass to AOC”
Something not highlighted enough, and worth the entrance fee(to this blog) alone.
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I look forward to you being proved right Stew; I also look forward to being proved right about having looked forward to your original look forward.
Soton are indeed beatable and I wonder if they’ll have the motivation to prove me/us wrong?
Momentum is a funny thing and can overturn form in a flash. With 3 wins from the last 4 (is that correct?) and with the CL qualification as the prize, the fact we haven’t won at theirs since before Chelsea were invented should count for diddly squat, as they say.
Sorry Stew is condemned to a weekly reenactment of The Likely Lads but the pre-match precursor is always warmly received and sets the tone for the day very nicely – thank you.
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Brilliant stuff Stew, and so true what you say about the monkey off the back. I felt that way yesterday when reading Shotta’s great piece and all the lovely comments that were added to it. A real resurgence of hope and a new lightness of step. I felt excited again in a way I hadn’t done for some time.
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Given the warm words of Arsene yesterday I wonder if we might not see something of Lucas Perez tonight. While he did not get a goal in the FA Cup win he was a constant, fast moving menace and never gave the home side’s back line a moment of peace.
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A5-now that would be exciting, to see Perez, I hope he gets far more games next season.
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Echo…PG’s 10.01 comment. Thanks again Steww
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Tough match ahead. One big problem for the Saints is they aren’t familiar with our 3 at the back at the system. They are so accustomed to the old system they could probably play us blindfolded. I don’t think I am clutching at straws, am I?
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Perez got the start against the Saints in the league cup.
That was his least impressive outing so far in mixed team, on a return after he got cleaned out by the bodybuilder playing for Forest*. if he’s fit and gets the nod tonight he’ll be keen to show the Saints what he can do.
*ive realised and accepted that it’s the FAs dream and ambition to see AFC follow the Forest curve.
The Damned Utd truly was a masterful and spiritually insightful dissection of English Football. I can sing highly enough in praise of the author. Marvellous. Heh.
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Brill Steww, the situation perfectly captured. As I said before the manure game each of our end of season games has a reason to be wary hanging over it including the one at Wembley. If we win them all it will be full planet of the apes Monkeys running off everywhere.
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Manutd’s world record breaking signing that marked José’s intent under investigation. Juventus and the mega agent fleeced Manutd out of that “world record fee”.
José is not having a great week.
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COYG
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COYG
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Most revealing Stew, disturbing your sleeping partner! Once again a good read for we sit-on-the-fence and clueless Arsenal supporters.
Once again, I look at another site, to see how are the opponents are playing.
It would seem that Soton, are a team that Liverpool have problems with. Apparently, the most effective park the bus side, seen at Anfield, this season. 17 shots from Liverpool and only 5, within the box. Some ratio!
It is so obvious, once the team crosses the white line, we are hapless and hope that Sanchez, is being paid £200,000 for every goal he scores and Ozil, ditto, for every assist.
I give up.
COTG.
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HT: Southampton 0-0 Arsenal
possession without penetration for Arsenal
jon moss being jon moss too
need to up it somewhat for the second half.
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Good open half – enjoyable
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Bellerin came on for ox on 35 minutes
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the anti arsenal bias in the commentary is disgraceful
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This Prutton is one thick Northern fuckwit
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Found him compereing the local flower shoe I’d guess
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Our Chilean dynamo silences the boo boys
Momentarily obviously
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Alexissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
1-0 to the Arsenal
xhaka to ozil to alexis, who turns well, then dummies two defenders and fires home left footed
just when I was really pissed off with alexis giving away the ball.
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Bellerin should have picked out ozil there
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that cunt shane long is on
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UberArsenal™ @UberAFC 3m3 minutes ago
No player in the Premier League has made more assists than Mesut Özil since his debut for Arsenal in September 2013 (40 assists). 〽️Ö11
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Mesut Özil @MesutOzilStats 10m10 minutes ago
LANDMARK – Mesut Özil is now Arsenal’s 6th all-time top assist maker in the Premier League with 40 assists, overtaking Robin van Persie.
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Moss loves to card Arsenal players
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Gracenote LiveVerified account @GracenoteLive
Alexis Sánchez becomes 5th player, after Wright, Henry, Adebayor and RVP, to score at least 20 PL goals for Arsenal in a single season.
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Giroud on for Welbeck
about 10 minutes plus stoppage time to play
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Giroudddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
2-0
ozil to alexis in to ramsey who heads across the six yard box for giroud to head home
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Larry in two spare acres
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2 minutes left, ozil off, coquelin on
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anicol that was mainly due to ramsey’s great run
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3 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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FT: Southampton 0-2 Arsenal
Alexis and Giroud with the goals
Arsenal better in the second half, xhaka very good in midfield, ozil top level, alexis goal was outstanding, ramsey full of running again. Defense was solid once again, mustafi and holding and monreal very good.
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Good result at a difficult place, and gives us a fighting chance.
Well done the boys, and the man who directed the footballers
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What about that then – CL strictly possible not probable but yeah ?
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3pts and 7 goals behind man city,
4pts and 3 goals, but with a game in hand on liverpool
we play before lfc this weekend, who are away to west ham on sunday. city play lcfc saturday morning.
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Wob: ” oh no its the bogey team”
AFC: “dont worry ye of no faith, heres the hankerchief and we’re going to use it.Twice”.
COYG!
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No complaints….
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great win at a place,in other circumstances, a draw would seem like a good result. Still not at our best but that was a really good performance against a good team and a laughable ref. We need the Ox to be OK.
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looked like a hamstring for ox, might make him a doubt for all our remaining games, including the cup final.
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so so happy for the team and AW before us the supporters… hard work rewarded.. there have been some games when nothing just seemed to work… the west Brom game springs to mind.
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