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 
any truth in the rumor that from 2019, all Premier League games will be televised with Amazon and Apple set to rival Sky and BT.
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I’d swear the most important thing in football was Facebook televising a few NFL games and a couple of LaLiga fixtures eddy
These boys can buy and sell Sky and BT in their respective entireties from petty cash
New world new world
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would be great anicol, well as long as they actually hire good pundits and commentators and not the shower of shitty no nothing cunts we see on sky bt and bbc
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so what team is likely tomorrow v koln, word is that theo is out injured and we have chambers and debuchy among those available. We might not see a youth start the game, even Elneny might not make the starting 11
Ospina
Holding, Mertesacker, Chambers
Debuchy, Coquelin, Wilshere,
Iwobi, Giroud, Welbeck
Subs: Macey, Maitland-Niles, DaSilva, Elneny, Willock, Nelson, Nketiah
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seemingly none of the younger players trained with the first team today, although many of them have made the squad for the game in Germany. It certainly suggests we will be fielding the experienced team Wenger hinted we would. There will be some boiled piss from the ASB when team is announced around 5 tomorrow and Nelson is not in the starting 11
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I’m not sure that’s true eduardo judging by the pre-match training photo’s. I’m sure I saw Nketiah and Willock in them.
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passenal, no sigh of any of them in the photos on arsenal.com, AMN who is already a member of the first team squad was in them, but not the likes of nelson or nketiah, they were in yesterday’s photos, but not today’s.
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https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenal-train-flying-cologne
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Ed, ah the new tactical 3-3-3 system, can’t see even Arsene being that confident, he only starts with ten men but footballs a funny old game.
All joking aside with Theo and Santi out and still being able to field like that is remarkable, how football has changed.
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ForeverHeady, thanks for the great link I found it so relevant to what we experience as gooners.
It’s a terrific blog,well written, erudite and positive despite the tribulations of currently supporting, yes, West Ham even though it surely can be appreciated by all Posivistas.
5 thumbs to you!
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Last season when Arsenal played Basle the Basle team were called farmers.
This season they must be a European powerhouse.
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Last week Mesut Ozil was not good enough to make any of the Mail’s best combined elevens,are now with no shame running this head line.
“Barcelona fans believe Mesut Ozil was born to play for them”
I often hear people use this next line in the wrong context but…
You couldn’t make it up!
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It’s match day and there is no preview. WTF sort of a site is this?
Oh………………
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George, having just spanked the spuds there is nothing wrong with leaving Andy’s glorious post up as a warmer for tonight’s game.
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You hear people say they don’t have a sense of humour ?
https://twitter.com/WengerMindset/status/933669413684948992
#BantersaurusRex
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COYG.
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fucking wenger not giving youth a chance, ha ha ha
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And we are almost off – rock solid starting line up fully capable of collecting the points.
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Come on Arsenal this is boring stuff, show some urgency…
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HT: Koln 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal dominating, a few near things, Coquelin the closest with his shot hitting the post.
Impressed with Maitland-Niles
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Good performance right up to pulling the trigger – then we get all nervy and under confident
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Iwobi on for Welbeck
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This is top quality shit I write just as they win a penalty….
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koln take the lead from a penalty, looked a soft award
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Köln are shit and we are struggling to break them down. This is crap folks…
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Ref and cologne players know the penalty drill then. Russian been giving them everything second half. Cunt
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Nelson on for Chambers
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Sounds like another soft pen to add to the collection
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This “totally in control of the game” thing is a bit tricky innit ?
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Not a single corner or cross by Elneny was any good. Absolute shit…
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This team do not know how to utilise Giroud…it’s a shame
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I’ve not enjoyed any Europa League cup game so far…
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Mainland-Niles still falls just short of where he needs to be…still young…
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Best delivery from Giroud to the spot where he should be to score…
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Nketiah on for Debuchy
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Got to be 10 mins added time
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very close to a goal twice in a minute
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only 4 minutes of stoppage time to be added
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our corners today have been woeful, not sure if any of them found an AFC player
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regardless of result Arsenal have topped the group as other game ended 0-0
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Sigh
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Right now I don’t really care that we have qualified top.
That 11 should not be losing to that side
The more experienced forward players were a massive let down.
I’m really pissed-off
That was a steaming pile of…
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FT: Koln 1-0 Arsenal
a soft penalty won it for the Germans,
Arsenal dominated the game but could not make the possession count. It was one of those games we were good to a point, but lacked the tempo and cutting edge needed to win it. would say no one played badly, but also no one done enough to suggest they should be in our starting 11 in the league.
AMN good first half, not as good in the second, looks like he comes up short a lot due to being a right footer being asked to play on the left.
Nelson had a couple of flashes of his talent when he came on. Iwobi buzzed about, but no end product.
Our crossing and dead ball delivery must infuriate Giroud, not a decent delivery for him all game.
a defeat but we still guaranteed to top the group.
Not sure what happened the ref at half time, but there was a vast contrast in his performance in each half.
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Orbinho @Orbinho
1h1 hour ago
Orbinho Retweeted Mattias Karén
Francis Coquelin has played more games under Arsene Wenger than any other outfield player who hasn’t scored. (156). He’s ahead of Oleg Luzhny on 110
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You just know repeated fouling and stopping of our players when in good positions won’t get punished v Burnley and they will try and get a penalty like this. It’s all in the script since we beat their darling totts.
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I rush home from work to watch the Arsenal. I expect to be entertained. Instead, I’m bored to tears. Sideways passing, slow tempo, no urgency. Very disappointing. As a player, I would be desperate to play my way into the first team. I couldn’t see much evidence of that tonight. Giroud must be so frustrated. They just didn’t try to use him enough in my opinion. Players ought to be ashamed of that loss. Köln are shockingly bad. That is this issue for me.
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Jermain Jenas – Guirassy Dived For Cologne Penalty But It Was Debuchy’s Fault
ha ha ha, only an Arsenal player could be blamed by a pundit for an opponent diving
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I think Andy should be excused boots as well?
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pg
????
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