@LaboGoon gets the big Friday game underway
Hello Positivistas…
Arsenal host Liverpool tonight at the Emirates in a game where the result, much like last season, could be the difference between Champions League or Europa qualification. So for both teams a win is important.
This won’t be an easy game, Liverpool’s attack have an undeniable air of ruthlessness to them when given space, the kind that has already see them made light work of us at Anfield back in August. That is how Liverpool play, and that what we can expect. So if you want to take them on at their own game, as a team you need to work harder than them and strike a good balance between attack and defense with little room for complacency, or risk getting picked off.
Few teams – Burnley, Newcastle, West Brom, Big Sam’s Everton, Manutd who all took points off them – this season has worked out that by sitting back, flooding the midfield and defense, it can result in their “Fab Four” being ineffective.
Now I’m not suggesting that Arsenal should set up for a draw. There is a theory though that if you can keep their ‘gegenpressing’ tactic at arms length in the first half that they will open up more in the second. As legs grow tired their defensive deficiencies will start to show, leaving them vulnerable on counter attack or otherwise.
That is what I would like to see, especially with the visitors coming into this match in good spirits after scoring 4 first half goals vs Bournemouth.
As I already said, this will not be an easy game but if we can carefully navigate between attacking impetus and stay switched on in defense, be it playing with a back five or four… we should give ourselves a pretty good chance of coming out of this with all 3 points.
On team news: with Ramsey already out until the New Year, we’ve lost Larry too for at least the same time frame until further notice. Shkodran Mustafi however is back to bring more calm to our defense.
On the previous blog’s comments thread it was highlighted that fixtures will be a bit tight over the next few weeks. So ‘flair and panache’ could be sacrificed as our players are going to have to play through aches and bruises, putting their bodies on the line for each others and us.
One of those things man, because as the saying goes: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”.
To the Emirates faithful, you guys have had a great year, keep it up and going into next year. Gooners watching on the tv…. don’t ever quit losing hope.
Merry Xmas to the PA community and all readers.
Positively Arsenal 
Disappointed. We could have won but did not lose.
2 of our worst players finally got their tails up and scored.
At 2-0 I was absolutely pissed. Alexis & Xhaka were absolutely terrible.
Lacazette, Ozil, Kos, AMN, Cech & Jack were excellent.
At full force we outlast these Scousers but timely substitutions are key.
I felt once we were up, Iwobi should have been replaced earlier.
Theo’s 4 mins was pure joy for me. We will need our #14 to stretch defenses.
I still expect 10 goals from him this season.
I hope Nacho’s not too hurt. He deserves a rest that man.
Overall it ended somewhat fairly.
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Wenger: “We were paralyzed, frozen [in the first half], we were completely inhibited.”
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Communication between Mustafi & Kos needs to improve. Their 2nd and 3rd were each CB’s errors respectively. Nacho & Kos have a better understanding.
Some rotation required I guess.
To Layksite about the DM position. I agree but we just have to carry on with what we have UNLESS you’ve heard something ?
I fear Santi’s done….(sigh). N’zonzi would help but…who knows.
Next up the Eagles..a good 6 days away.
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Ozil finish was again sensational
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Monreal was taken off with an ankle injury
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fuck just realized that our next game is not till next Thursday
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Madness
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well pg what did you think of Alexis losing the ball in build up to their 3rd goal.
on that note, what was up with so many of our players tonight with them slipping and falling over, was happening all over the pitch, had they the wrong studs on, or is it another sign of the pressure getting to them
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Wenger: “He was one of the players who played with quality in the first half, with determination.
You know Jack, he is never frozen. What he did in the second half I liked.
He is better now than in the last two or three years. It’s positive, overall he is in very good shape.”
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time for wenger to drop those that he deems to have “frozen” or were “paralyzed” in the first half, if they can’t take the heat its time to get them out of the kitchen
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I thought we were absolutely flipping pathetic tonight. Fortunately so were they. Great entertainment for the neutral and all that. Fancy us to go on a bit of a run now and win at least 16 out of our last 20.
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What – all of them ?
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anicol Wenger did suggest that some of them did not freeze or be paralyzed in the first half, he named Wilshere for one, as a guy who never freezes, he had praise for AMN and Ozil too
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No one mentioning the half time team talk,Arsene must have some credit for the turn around. And bear some responsibility for it being required.
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PG, Wenger says he told them that the good thing was we were only 1-0 down and thye could just go for it, nothing to lose.
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We all would like to understand why the team is Jeckyll and Hyde at the moment.
Sloppy and so unArsenal-like and then sublime and able to slice through the opposition like butter…
I think Xhaka has been struggling. Our midfield was swamped. I felt the energy and work-rate of Elneny was required but then Xhaka scores a real corker.
I think Arsenal allowed the scousers to play and dominate the first half. It didn’t need to be that way. If they get over this psychological issue they will climb the table…
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all Positivistas….
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https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/john-giles-it-was-a-few-years-ago-that-i-first-noticed-something-about-dele-alli-that-made-me-uncomfortable-36428668.html?utm_content=bufferce672&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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Strange game tonight. Happy we didn’t lose, disappointed we couldn’t hold out for the win especially because the equalizer was just bad. I think Arsene could have made a few changes earlier than he did, for example taking off Sanchez for one of Coq or Elneny as soon as we went ahead, and maybe also bringing on Walcott or Welbeck to speed up our counter attacks.
If we are really going to stick with the 4-3-3, then I think Walcott or Welbeck and one of Coq or Elneny should be put into the team. Today we lacked an outlet for our midfield especially as Liverpool were playing a high line, only Laca was trying to get behind their defense and speed is not really his strong point.
#UTA
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Mixed emotions. Said earlier in week I reckon we’ve played in 2 of top 3 most entertaining prem games this year. Make that 3 of 4.
Genuine neutrals should absolutely love watching us and hope Wenger stays for years more, but I’m not sure there are many genuine neutrals about.
Think current liverpool are our most difficult opponent, above City even, thanks to their countering quality. Speed, skill, dribbling, shooting, interplay in abundance from the front players. Puts us in a bind as to how to play.
Echoes of City game, and Utd, in that going 2 down ended the bind and we just went all out, and this time the goals arrived quickly during a breathtaking spell.
Brings us back to how we should play these games against city and Pool. We can’t really go all out in that fashion from off, and we’d certainly get monstered by press and fans if we did and were duly killed on break early on.
My hope is that maybe one player can significantly alter balance of team for these contests. Not that I know name or skill set of this player.
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New post up
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