@LaboGoon rings the bell and we are all aboard
Good day one and all.
Arsenal host West Ham United at the Emirates this afternoon, with both sides still looking for their first Premier League points.
It goes without saying that Unai Emery didn’t got off to the ideal start, but that does come with the strong caveat that the opening fixtures haven’t been ideal either.
The fixtures are about to take a turn for the better though, with the Hammers today and thereafter away trips to Cardiff and Newcastle. Three fixtures that on paper don’t look particularly daunting, so will likely tell us far more about Unai and what he has in mind.
After the discomfort of the past two weeks playing West Ham in front of a vociferous Emirates crowd is perhaps just the tonic we need. They’re a side that failed to turn up in their opening games, conceding 6 goals at the one end of the pitch and scored just 1 at the other – from the penalty spot. So Manuel Pellegrini must be under the cosh a bit because there has been no positives despite spending over £100m during the transfer window, on top of signing Jack Wilshere for free, who say he got a point to prove.
So going into this game we are the obvious favourites given our squad and quality, but things aren’t always that simple. We still have work to do on utilizing Unai’s tactics to the best of our abilities and cannot afford to make any mistakes, especially in these games that do provide some of the easier points to fight for.
While we were second best in the two previous games, there has been some positives to take from defeat, especially at Chelsea last week Saturday. There was a particular spell where we had them at sixes-and-sevens and created clear-cut chances at will, but… had it not been for the lack of a finishing touch we would have returned home with the points.
Hopefully our forwards have their scoring boots on today, notably one Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Although he missed some sitters last week I can imagine he must be licking his chops looking at our run of fixtures. This is a man that scored 120 goals in 144 Bundesliga matches, last season he contributed to an Arsenal goal or assist every 75 minutes. So we got ourselves one hell of a player who just need to open his account this season to burst into life.
What the next few games also provide is an opportunity for our defenders to wrap their heads around this playing out from the back thing. Once we got that sorted, I suspect this team will really kick on!
If West Ham are to cause an upset today, Fabianski and his defenders will need to step up and give a good showing. However, I’m going to stick my neck out here and say our amazing attack may just be a bit too overwhelming for them to cope with…. especially in front of the Emirates faithful.
Positively Arsenal 
Confidence high.
Always is, of course.
UTA
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done Labo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always think managers dont know their team until about ten games and so we wont see the new ARSENAL until then, however we have seen it in patches and we have played some decent Wengerball sorry Emeryball.
Fine lines seperate most games and under different circumstances we could have two draws or better from our first two games. Today I’m not looking to Stew and Steve for my confidence as i’m looking forward to this one and thinking about lots of goals.
Auba just needs one of those things to happen like the ball hitting his arse and going in and he will be scoring for fun again.As for the rest of the team everyone looks like scoring going forward and it likes exciting times ahead.
At the back i’m sure we will see a progressive tightening just as we did in periods under Arsene especially with the introduction of the new lads and they old lads adapting in Emery’s style (which I dont see as a massive change from the old days to be honest)
Anyway everyone enjoy the day COYG.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks BG. Having a great crowd in this community does help.
Ball going in off his arse Seebs – I wonder if Sky is taking bets on that.
COYG!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Got to say, just when I was making progress in finding reasons to be irritated with Klopp- touchline stuff mostly; making Liverpool good,as well- he goes and shows real sense and decency with his comments about Ozil.
Fair play.
As for today…good preview! We’re favourites but that doesn’t mean West Ham aren’t dangerous and couldn’t get the win themselves.
So…hope, and nerves!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ive seen Chamach do it in a reserve game one of the funniest things ive ever seen at football.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘I think the criticism was a bit harsh, particularly from people who have played the game and have probably made mistakes themselves during their career,’ Bailly told the Daily Mirror. ‘
‘As young players, we need support from these people. If we got more support from these people, that can help us, but negative comments all of the time doesn’t help the young players or the team.
‘It was not just one individual performance on Sunday. It was the whole team that struggled. But it was just one battle lost, not the whole war.’
Interesting that it seems to be foreign players here who are willing to speak out against ‘legends’ and their lack of support for team, and harm it can do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think our man in Lagos is spot on…
We should start getting into gear today….
COYG
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Labo and let’s hope all you suggest comes to pass. I think it will be a tight one and although it is a game we should win I can all too easily imagine it going wrong in the form of a harsh card or unlucky call. Having said that I’m looking forward to seeing the new team and shall do my best to keep any judgement based on play and process rather than the bare result.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Morning positivistas….
We need to hammer Pellegrini’s men today.
Nothing against the man just a professional twacking to spark the season and home form.
I’m expecting…
Cech
Bellerin – Sokratis – Mustafi – Monreal
Guendouzi – Xhaka
Mkhitaryan – Özil – Iwobi
Aubameyang
S: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Torreira, Elneny, Ramsey, Welbeck, Lacazette.
Fabianski
Zabaleta – Balbuena – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Obiang – Wilshere
Antonio – Snodgrass – Anderson
Arnautovic
S: Adrian, Fredericks, Masuaku, Diop, Sanchez, Yarmolenko, Chicharito.
COYG!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
The rumour is that Ozil is ‘unwell’. Where have we heard that before?
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLiked by 2 people
Report – John-Jules scores hat-trick as Arsenal U18s beat Leicester 7-0
by jeorge bird
U18 Premier League
Arsenal 7 (Olayinka 17, John-Jules 37, 39, 48 (pen), Saka 50, 55, Ogungbo 64) Leicester City 0.
Tyreece John-Jules scored a hat-trick as Arsenal U18s continued their 100 per cent start to the campaign with an emphatic 7-0 victory at home to Leicester City today.
Kwame Ampadu made one change to the side that beat Brighton & Hove Albion, with Bukayo Saka replacing Folarin Balogun, who scored for the United States’ U18 side this week.
Okonkwo
Daley-Campbell, Spencer-Adams, Ogungbo, Swanson
M. Smith, McEneff
Olayinka, Musah, Saka
John-Jules
Subs: Cottrell (for Saka, 65), Greenwood (for John-Jules 69), Alebiosu (for Olayinka, 74). Not used: Hein, Matthews.
It quickly became apparent that Arsenal were too strong for Leicester, with the young Gunners causing numerous problems for their opponents.
James Olayinka opened the scoring in the 17th minute after he was teed up by Matt Smith and then John-Jules made it 2-0 following further good work from Smith.
It was 3-0 before the break with John-Jules, who was an unused substitute for the U23s last night, getting his second goal of the game after Saka teed him up.
John-Jules completed his hat-trick with a penalty just after the restart and then Saka hit a quickfire brace, with Smith securing a hat-trick of assists in the process.
There was still time for another goal, with schoolboy Mazeed Ogungbo scoring from Saka’s delivery.
Saka, John-Jules and Olayinka were all taken off at various intervals in the closing stages, with Ben Cottrell, Ryan Alebiosu and Sam Greenwood coming on.
Arsenal lost a little of their momentum, but the damage had already been done as they went on to celebrate an excellent win.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Ozil meme and the nasty idiots peddling project their inner bile.
Meanwhile everyone else who watches Football appreciates the club’s that manage talents like D.Silva and M.Ozil for the pleasure of the football fans, because moat understand that footballs great appeal is in throwing athletes with different physiques into the contest (I won’t tell the ‘mike’s’ if you won’t!) not every player can hack every match in a PL season and Mourinho often rested Ozil at 60 mins during his title winning season. In short anyone who expects Ozil to play throughout a PL season, not only have they not been paying attention but the desire to project their ignorance is certification that:
They haven’t got a clue what they are gibbering on about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ramsey still on the way back from injury, Ozil still on the way back from the horror of the German implosion, I think the new gaffer will be switching his no.10’s sometime during the second half and that decision will have sweet FA to do with what the idiots think of Ramsey’s performance and everything with the manager’s desire to manage his charges well.
Sorry I mean head coach!
But we understand as we can observe from where the Ozil attack comes from and we understand who the real target is (Arsenal Football Club).
COYG.
LikeLiked by 1 person
so the new medics are having the same problems with Ozil’s immune system as the old medics did
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thought Emery was on twitter, so its clear he is as stubborn as Wenger, despite all the advice gooners have given him, he still picks Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Xhaka, Iwobi and Ramsey, what’s the point in having a twitter account if he won’t bloody listen, or come to that won’t learn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Get well soon Mesut.
Rambo needs a good game to kick on contract or no contract.
UE’s clearly his own man Ed,wouldn’t be charge of the Arse if he wasn’t.
Good to see RH16 on the bench.
COYG!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If ozil’s out the squad then I expect Someone else to come on for Ramsey, unless the physios have informed the gaffer that he allowed to play Rambo for the 90
LikeLike
Messenger.Shoot.Don’t.The
LikeLiked by 1 person
why are people whinging about Ozil being ill again, when we know he has problem with his immune system, something thats been known since last season. Oddly enough most of those bitching are the ones who only last week were calling for him to be dropped anyway, make your minds up
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your projective ignorance as to why Ozil is not in the squad is not a message but actually the exact oppposite.
Please use a dictionary in future.
(Spell check is another matter! *coughs*).
LikeLike
Ed
When did Ozil’s Immune system become an ongoing problem? Wenger briefly referenced it one other time he was sick, but it’s never been established that he has a permanent problem there has it? And would they give him a £300K per week contract if he had?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha. Your own spelling isn’t quite there yet is it!
LikeLike
wenger said it was an ongoing problem that the medics had not been able to establish a reason for.
I suggest that it could simply be due to being too fit, as some people’s immune system lowers when very fit, I know a former international athlete who had problems with here immune system and the consultant said it was most likely due to being too fit, and advise her to either drop fitness level, meaning packing in competitive running, or just put up with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ramsey goal ruled out for offside, he was just off as he nodded in a shot parried by fabianski
LikeLiked by 1 person
west ham take the lead with an Arnautovic shot from outside the area. We had lost the ball easily up the other end when iwobi took on one too many and the ball was turned over, whu charged up field and when ball broke to arnautovic on edge of the area his low shot beat Cech 0-1
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was always going to be Arnautovic
LikeLike
that will wake us up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought we’d be 5 nil up by now and we are down 1 already.
Well 5-1 at half time will do then
LikeLiked by 1 person
Quick reply from the old faithful Nacho
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nachoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 1-1
Bellerin cross is parried out by fabianski, nacho controls the ball and fires home
come on you gooners
LikeLiked by 1 person
we don’t half make things difficult for ourselves, some poor touches and poor passing has caused us problems at the back and also seen many moves breakdown in attack.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Antonio with a shot on target, but worryingly not given offside
LikeLiked by 1 person
Arnautovic has a goal ruled out for offside after we were cut open a bit too easy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha. That WAS offside by Arnautovic
LikeLiked by 1 person
Antonio is having quite a game down our right. Used to watch him at Tooting & Mitchum
LikeLiked by 1 person
diop booked
LikeLiked by 1 person
HT: Arsenal 1-1 West Ham
fell behind to an Arnautovic goal, and five minutes later Monreal got us level, we have had by far the most possession, but west ham have had the better clear scoring chances, our passing is off, and we are being cut open at the back far too easily. Its a worry that what seemed like a clear offsides not being called on west ham.
Bellerin having a hard time of it again today, but is not getting much help from Mkhitaryan. up front Aubameyang not been in the game at all. Ramsey making some good forward runs, but maybe he should pass a bit more when in the area.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Close to a second WH goal near the end. They’ve made the best chances & should be ahead IMO
LikeLiked by 1 person
no goals in the other 3pm bpl games today so far
LikeLiked by 1 person
Xhaka and Bellerin are the ht twatter scapegoats.
LikeLiked by 1 person
1 – 1.
Wide open game.
Their front 4 are causing us problems.
Douzi’s all over the park, Needs to cool it a tad. So too Hector.
Xhaka’s been steady. Mkhi’s been on it.
Rambo seems useful only offensively.
(I’d love to watch the Ramsey vs West Ham youtube vid of this game)
Torreira to come in for Rambo later so Douzi can continue freelancing.
We really miss Özil in this one.
Lacazette & Welbeck to settle it.
COYG!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lacazette on for iwobi for second half, aubameyang gone wide left
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like Xhaka’s off for Mr T
LikeLike
Nope I’m wrong
LikeLike
2 easy saves for fabianski from long range shots from lacazette and xhaka
LikeLike
Arnautovic misses a great chance after we were easily cut open, he shot straight at cech
LikeLiked by 1 person
Guendouzi off, Torreira on, ten minutes into second half
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure if i see what Guendouzi brings… he seems to give the ball away so often in this game
LikeLike