Good morning Positive Arsenal fans and welcome to the 2017/2018 season,
I trust you all thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s game from Wembley, a contest that swayed from end to end but which I thought the deserved winners emerged? The result was not quite as comprehensive as in May but I recognise that we were without certainly 4-5, arguably 6 first team starters yesterday so we can be excused a little less than pure clockwork movement in the win.
I reckon we had about 75% control of the game. Our only dodgy phase came after Per was injured and we lost our momentum. When we were after the equaliser CFC spent long periods pinned in their final third and not able to get the ball away. Rather impressive on our part I thought.
Of our lads I thought Iwobi continued his sparkling pre season form and his tricky footwork and running AT the Chelsea back line resulted in an uncomfortable afternoon for our opponents. If you can get AT Luiz and Cahill then they will crack. Stay fit young man and you will have 40 games this season.
Granit earned the man of the match award and he and Mo moved the ball quickly and accurately. As in the Cup Final our midfield imposed control over the Blues for most of the 90 minutes.
Top prize this week goes to Nacho however for a commanding performance in the centre of the back three after Per went off. The Spaniard organised Sead and Rob efficiently, and despite the fact he is not a tall player was never, as far as I can recall, beaten in the air all afternoon. His aerial success came not by the application of brute force and flying elbows, but of reading the game and anticipating the arrival of the ball a split second earlier. Nacho really is a very good defender, and at 31 years old, ( 32 in February) he has 15 years of accumulated wisdom. He has not ever in his AFC career, been prone to fitness problems or suffered a serious injury. Moving to a centre back slot may well extend his Arsenal career by a season or two. I hope so.
The rest of our lads I thought did well, Hector still looking a little rusty, the OX good in parts and a bit clumsy at other times, Alexandre in and out of the game. Overall though I’d give them a collective 7/10.
Of our opponents ? Not very impressive. Not sure why Pedro was playing given he had his mask on to protect four facial “fractures” sustained less than three weeks ago. Are Chelsea really that short of players ? At the game it was far from clear why the Spaniard had been sent off from where I was sitting. Something was clearly “up” because Conte was yelping in the 4th officials ear to try and get him substituted ad the stretcher was brought to pitchside. Looking at it again on the box it was a straight red card and fair play to Mr Madeley. Alvaro Morata after 75 minutes ! What was that about?
And the penalties?
Ah Thibaut, Thibaut, Thibaut ….In the words of Björn the Bard
“The winner takes it all
The loser’s standing small
Beside the victory
That’s her destiny”
And finally, at the insistence of my daughter, a picture of Positively Arsenal’s newest reader, Nelson.
Enjoy your week!
Positively Arsenal 
Shotta, great idea… enjoyable read loading… get to it man
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Team Spirit: I will see how the wind blows after Friday.
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Arsenal have, as part of a refit of the training ground, installed a cryotherapy chamber for the prevention and treatment of injuries
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Just reading some Experts on twitter whilst travelling. They describe Spurs’ diving cloggers as being greater then the Sun of their parts due to excellent management.
Was this the case against the mighty Gent? Or was it Ghent?
The minnows from the flatlands didn’t need a barge pole, just an official partially prepared to apply the laws of Football (c1850).
Ditto when these Giants of the game get outplayed on the international stage by the lesser (part-time?) Sigurdsson’s (now he can play football!) of this Earth.
When will these Experts muster up the footballs to admit that the lack of any red cards for the diving cloggers in over two seasons is a clear and observable aid for their, um, their style of play (pgMOB Rules football. Ok?) *coughs*
I (always) agreed with Hunter on this: such craven cowardice is risible, especially when it comes from the self declared Experts.
Some these Experts have excreted so much rubbish in relation to Chamberlain alone that they should be charged a hefty carbon tax. And avoided like the plague!
I’m ready for the new season.
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but fins you will find that these experts advocate Arsenal kicking the shit out of opponents, but at the same time the blast liability Xhaka for getting sent off, you see logic is the first casualty in their attacks on all things Arsenal
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Ben DinneryVerified account @BenDinnery
Told that Ramsey, Ozil, Coquelin, Wilshere and Mertesacker all trained fully yesterday. Sanchez, Gabriel and Cazorla definite absentees #AFC
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eg:
Danny Rose. The hapless diving, elbowing clogged that he is want more “star” signings. Or his agent does! *coughs*
Perhaps one reason star players don’t want to play for the tinies is that star players like Rosicky can constantly target weak footballers like Danny Rose, or the space they leave upon the pitch, from the first whistle to the last:
This is the space constantly left by a player that the plundits and mike Riley rated as the best English LB. Whilst Bertrand had been busy winning CLs. I kid ye not.
Certainly the above puts the stinking gibberish from our own plundits into the correct perspective. Into the bin!
I’m warming up for the season ahead here.
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Wenger was at the FWA grenfell tower fund raiser last night
http://news.arseblog.com/2017/08/one-night-with-arsene-wenger/
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the evening standard are reporting that Jack Wilshere might play for the u23’s v Derby County on Monday as he steps up his return to fitness.
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< Was Andre Santos a better defender then Danny Rose, when Santos wasn't spending more time in the pantry then in the gym? Did I mention Tottenham's infamous training techniques? Didn't help Rose when it came to the Football.
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I like the way AW tried to take the blame for the poor season (winning the FAC is always poor in the mind of an extremist) in Eddys blog link. He always tries to protect the lads.
Of course this will be held against him, by the psychos, negatives and pessimists. It will be like the horse manure about the 4th trophy . He didnt even say it was, but said it was like.
But AW can handle it.
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Arsene Wenger has nerves of steal, cool calculating mind and brave as anyone who has ever been in the game.
Knew it from the first day he stood on the steps and faced down Fleet Street
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Danny Rose has rusttled a few people today.
They say there are few characters in the game, they lad speaks his mind and now a bunch of know alls pile in on him.
So all is not peachy as the pundits have been telling us,maybe that is why everyone is so mad at him for speaking his truth.
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Hey I’m not a know all (in football)! Heh.
Rosicky was/is…
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https://www.arsenal.com/news/breakdown-pre-season-special
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New post is up
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