Good Morning Fans of the Positive,
A slightly fuzzy morning up here in Norfolk as a result of mixing the grain and the grape, so excuse the sluurrrrrring and dribbling below. I’m entitled though, and I know it.
And why am I entitled ? Because after a fortnight of being told about the best team in London, indeed the best team ever to grace the green sward of a football pitch anywhere- ever, about the genius that is Mauricio Pochettino, we hammered the bastards yesterday. Left them flat on their back, gasping, dizzy, their manager whining about referees and injured players. How I laughed.
Let’s just get one thing clear. Spurs were not “bad”, Spurs did not play “rubbish”. They played well in phases, and made chances. They have good players and will certainly be up and around a CL places this season. However, we were better than them over the 94 minutes, by a country mile.
Of the game itself I congratulate the Premier League in their wise appointment of Mr Michael Dean to officiate. The rampant paranoia that the official generated in the days before kick off brought Arsenal fans in the Ems and even at home in to a frenzy of outrage, just right to ensure that he knew we were watching his every move. In consequence Mike, his friends all call him Mike, whistled and pointed with a fury rarely seen outside a busy traffic intersection in central Rome at 3 p.m. on a Friday. In the first ten minutes I thought he may wear his whistle out so vigorous was his enthusiasm for enforcing the rules of the game. He is not my favourite official but not a bad afternoon for the Wirral whistler.
Of our brave lads a team performance to match any we have put together over the past ten years, perhaps longer. There was a quality there, as there almost always is in our passing and movement. Lacca was sharp at the tip, and Sanchez and Mesut constantly cutting the Lilywhites open. The three central defenders were like a wall and missed nothing. Is the Monreal, Mustfi, Kosc defensive combination our best ? I think so. But there was also intense concentration. I did not see any player ‘strolling’ at any point in the game. We were never caught out by a quick ball. Eriksen created zero. Every man in a red shirt had his job and he applied himself. I don’t always see that.
It is an enormously difficult performance in which to pick out Arsenal players who stood out, as they all did. I will however be a devil and go for Granit Xhaka. The Swiss Kosovian was all over the pitch, put the boot in early to the cheating Dele Ali, and then 60 minutes in which he did not put a stud wrong. Having got on to the high wire Granit’s balance was perfect.
So let us enjoy the glow of victory for 24 hours and savour the discomfort of the neighbours, seemingly so near at 12.29 and still so very far away by 2.35. How many seasons is this ?
The result keeps us in the CL pack and with some intriguing domestic games in prospect, starting with Burnley.
Enjoy your Sunday and we shall met again when Cologne have been negotiated.
+ Three happy Gooners
Positively Arsenal 
Arsenal Fixture News @AFCFixtureNews
40m40 minutes ago
Arsenal are now guaranteed top spot in our EL Group, we will play a runner up or a worst 4 of CL 3rd place.
In the round of 32 draw, taking place on Monday 11th December, we will be playing away in the first leg on Thursday 15th February 2018.
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we’ve played 18 games so far this season and that was the third penalty of the soft kind awarded against us.
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Having said that was an great team to put as a second eleven before the game, the actual showing was poor.
The opposition low on confidence, crippled by injuries and having further woes added to during the game, this performance was a long way off whats expected of any ARSENAL team.
The delivery in open play or from set pieces was poor, the width was poor and you can sometimes get away with not playing that well if your decision making is correct but that was poor as well.
I would imagine Arsene will not only be looking at players who would fit into the first team but also those who he no longer needs and I think a few will be playing their way out the door if they repeat that kind of performance.
The biggest disapointment was the responce after the goal, there was certainley no kitchin sink in a game we could afford to gamble and when players did get in good positions the lack of support in the box was criminal.
The bigger picture over the europa and league cup games has been positive so far however with bigger challenges to come we need to improve, we wont beat the likes of west ham and the CL rejects with performances like that.
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Arse_or_brain
Spot on!
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I like to see Maitand-Niles get some games in CM, see if he can step up a level in his natural position
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3 really dodgy pens against us in our last 5 away games I believe, I am sure there are many more to come
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just seen an article about our 16 year old forward, Tyreece John-Jules, who played for our u23’s on Monday v Swansea, and he has a famous uncle, Danny John-Jules
none other than Cat in Red Dwarf
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Wenger: “We had a lot of possession. We lost the game to one shot, basically. It was a very nice penalty that we have to take on board. It was honestly not a penalty at all.
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Wenger: “It was the plan for Danny Welbeck to only play 45 minutes. Medically, the risk was too great to play him for longer than that. He was ready to stay on & frustrated to come off, but he’s in good shape.”
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Morning campers
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New post up – and no it isn’t the same old shite
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Perfect test of whether there are any losses now which can be accepted without a huge amount of consternation and the like. The news late on we are through top anyway made it so.
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