@LaboGoon shakes off the tinsel to preview the Second Act
Hello Positivistas…
Today marks the start of the second round of fixtures for the Arsenal, and it goes without saying the we need to do a lot better than in the first. We won’t be facing Liverpool in this round but in it’s place Crystal Palace (twice), so if we can beat them on both occasions we will be well on our way by turning a first round 1 point into 6.
That brings us to matters of today, we are of course away to Crystal Palace and although considerably less daunting than a journey to Stoke or Burnley for example, let us not let their league position disguise what a pretty decent side Roy has turned them into. They didn’t have a goal, let alone a point after waaay too many games… now they got their mojo back, turned the proverbial corner if you will, even the atmosphere at Selhurst Park is better – where they are having a real go at teams and had scored 2 goals in each of their last six home matches. So our defence better watch out, and better not pout.
Be that as it may, on paper we would probably favour a relatively comfortable win for us, but unfortunately I’m anticipating a much more difficult affair… with the same result.
With Monreal that has joined Ramsey and Giroud on the sidelines, it would interesting to see whether we stick with two centre backs, in Kosc and Mustafi. With the concerns surrounding the former though either Holding or Chambers could be drafted in as a third CB to ease a bit of pressure, something I’m sure both would relish.
Playing three games over the next seven days also brings up the conundrum to rotate or not rotate. This being a “must win” game I hope anyone with a level of consistency do play each game regardless of rotation policy.
On what is expected of the team, not only today but onwards, Arsène Wenger couldn’t have been more clear in his pre-match presser: “What we want is to stop conceding goals and stop missing chances.”
See… not difficult figuring out this football malarky.
Good luck to all Gooners watching the game on the small screen. To the away Arsenal support, I really hope you get more in effort and passion from the team than you got on your travels thus far this season.
Enjoy!
Positively Arsenal 
2-3 away win for Arsenal.
Don’t forget City only managed a 0-1 at Newcastle.
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I suspect the reason Hector and Callum were poor defensively tonight was Zaha being good offensively tonight – I hope he gives Walker plenty of the same.
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Wtf Sead was doing for the Townsend goal I am deeply deeply puzzled about
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some lovely football from us tonight, but some worrying defensive lapses too, Bellerin poor, Kos looks like he has lost a bit of pace, 25 goals let in so far in only 20 games,
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saed is not very good at tracking back, fine facing attackers, and good going forward, but he has his weaknesses defending.
its a good job zaha has little end product or we could have been in real trouble tonight.
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I see Michael Oliver is getting abuse for not red carding Zaha for dissent
Never happy some people
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Wenger after game comments
On the win
It was a controlled performance.
We started well in the second half but then just after it was 1-1.
We then showed resources and character. At 3-2 it was nervy, but overall it was an excellent performance
On Wilshere
Jack is coming back in good shape. He gives something to the team that is interesting.
On whether Sanchez went back to Chile over Christmas
We had two days off, that was public.
He met his family somewhere, but not in Chile.
On Wilshere’s contract talks
We will sit down with him. Beginning of January is planned. I said we would sort it out at the end of December… we play today, we play on Sunday, we play on Wednesday.
At the moment the focus has to be on the game.
Wenger on Sanchez
I felt he was very good tonight. … This kind of Sanchez is a fantastic football player.
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We look better when Wilshere plays. I think he gets the way we ought to play.
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looked like xhaka went off with a groin injury
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But how many times did he lose the ball eh – tell me that ?
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Shreeves to Wilshere “are you back to your best”
Mustafi to Wilshere ” they love that question”
Jack in response to Mustafi.”yeah every week”
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7 times anicol, its amazing the improvement in his overall game when he keeps it in single figures, and not the 30 odd he has been doing in recent games.
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Nonsense – I counted at least 24
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Admittedly I gave up at 24 as my crayon had melted
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Lot of positives. Win. Some excellent skills on display. Spells of excellent team play. Some fine individual performances. Palace apparently not lost at home since mid-September.
Xhaka, Wilshere, mustafi, Sanchez each very good.
Jack was excellent on ball and made a few good challenges,too. Still can’t quite think of future with him featuring plenty, but I’m a whole lot closer to doing so than I ever expected to be again.
The high threat of injury from a bad challenge will always remain, but I’m definitely seeing evidence that most of the time he is making good decisions which reduce those risks considerably. These decisions also happen to be the best option full stop a lot of the time in terms of when to pass, what pass, etc. Really impressive tonight.
Don’t know if I’m just paranoid about him now, but Kos doesn’t look himself to me. Sharpness which defines his movements and game seems off, as though he’s playing through pain and/or worried about aggravating existing problems.
Still often does good stuff but at his best he’s a defensive phenomenon and it’s always been underpinned, for me, by incredible sharpness and speed.
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monreal watching the game tonight
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Really hope Jack can crack his injury curse and have a long , successful,and happy career with this team. He is making a difference more and more, I was at the Newcastle game recently, he was the one breaking the lines. That is no disrespect to any other team members, just praise for a very good player, and one who seems to be able to speed things up at times. Remains to be seen how he is used when Ramsey returns, but to me , he can play with Ramsey , Xhaka or both , or maybe others, depending on the formation
As for Kos, know many others have said the same, but he looks like he is playing with pain, which would not be surprising considering the amount of games he has played recently. I suspect his burden will have to be reduced at some stage either through internal solutions or incomings,
Nasty things , Achilles problems, as Wenger and the medics will know only too well
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Wengerball was back in patches and going forward we were excellent. Midfielders and full backs still don’t know how to follow players who don’t have the ball and when we have more players defending in the box than the opposition has attackers we must simply mark them.
Overall this was a good win at a place that’s described as a bear pit and a team unbeaten in 8 but we are still making basic mistakes that is killing our goal difference and will lose us points as well.
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Mandy
‘Crack’ please God no.
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Some of the fan base need to hold fast.
The are 18 games left,
9 home games
Chelsea
Palace
Everton
M. City
Watford
Stoke
Southamptopn
Burnley
9 away games
West Brom
Bournemouth
Swansea
Spurs (in our 2nd home)
Brighton
Leicester City
Newcastle
Man.U.
Huddersfield
I can see over 40 points on offer there, white only a minor tweak to our fortunes.
It may not win us the title, (stop giggling at the back) but Arsenal can still hunt down.a biggest points accumulation in over a decade.
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Good Morning, Guys
I am not one who is particularly bothered by the media reporting one way or the other.
But ……. this nonsense, started by Thierry Henry of all people, saying that most of the Arsenal players disrespect Sanchez and ignored him when he scored, really makes me cross.
The nearest players congratulated him when he scored his first goal, and the whole gang mobbed him for that fantastic 2nd goal.
I am sorry that he and Özil are likely to leave soon — but when he plays for us – he gets my total support, and I think that is true of the players too. It’s Arsenal for goodness sake — scoring and winning reflects well on the players involved, but they do it for Arsenal, and we fans are Arsenal.
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New post up in 5
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well if anyone knows about disrespecting team mates while celebrating a goal then Thierry Henry surely does, just ask JAR, even after being the one to assist him TH on several occasions shrugged off his congratulating arms, I’m led to believe that he even done similar to Pires a couple of times.
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I amm sad that ex players of the stature of Henry who have claimed to love the club, by their words and actions make them history to me and I cannot take the pleasure as much in their feats while employed by the club. Sad
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Only Man U got my memo for those above us to draw,,,, or well
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