@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 
lacazette shot parried by fabianski but did not fall kindly for our other players
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Arnautovic off, hernandez on
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west ham bring on a 3rd former afc player, Perez
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a lot of poor play in this game
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Ok not going to get 5 1 now but I’ll settle for a 94 th winner
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2-1, an awful shot by lacazette hits a hammers defender and goes in, come on you gooners
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brilliant run by Ramsey but aubameyang shot deflects out for a corner
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Welbeck on for Aubameyang about 15 minutes to go
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welbeck unable to get any power on a header
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fine long range shot by ramsey brings a good save out of fabianski
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west ham almost in after breaking form our corner at the other end.
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4 minutes of added time to be played
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ball right across our six yard line
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Welbeckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk 3-1, Bellerin passes across the six yard line, welbeck controls it, turns and fires home high into the net, game won
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Got my 90 something winner yees
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FT: Arsenal 3-1 West Ham
Monreal, an own goal, and Welbeck goals win it for us after falling behind to an Arnautovic opener.
we were the better team, but WHU had lots of good chances, our passing was a little off, and we were a bit too open at the back again.
Bellerin very heavily involved in our first and third goals, we also improved once we brought on Lacazette and Torreira for Iwobi and Guendouzi. Aubameyang not great again. Ramsey put in a real shift.
Might have been different if West Ham had played Wilshere
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Goals!
Three points!!
Fantastic!!!
–
Any concerns for the new gaffer clearly the same as they were for the old gaffer (you all know now and it ain’t the “coaching”). But most of all he’ll have been enthused to see his two senior CMs together for first time in a good spell of twenty odd mins after the staggered pre-season.
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That was pretty good considering.
Our defence is always going to be iffy as the team’s still finding its shape and we hold a high line (no problem with that per se). But what nearly hurt us was sloppiness high up the pitch.
The whole point of pushing up is to assert technical superiority, and that entails keeping the ball properly. People talk about what we’re like off the ball; well that would matter much less if we didn’t lose it in simple ways when we’re gambling with bodies forward. We improved a lot the second half for sure, and it’s surely something that will get better. But I suppose it shows how everything’s connected
Pellegrini is a good coach and West Ham will be decent. They’ve got some talented players. Hope that’s factored into the conversation.
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I don’t choose to believe and then regurgitate an opinion that either CM has been “unwell” but they have certainly been given the green light by the physios for progressively more minutes.
To be fair such simple understanding or appreciation of the club and staff’s longstanding professionalism is far from a mark of genius.
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BK
The defenders were not holding a high line for the Hammers’ goal. They just weren’t defending. Very well.
Doesn’t matter where the line is if…
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…I would have preferred it if they had been trying to hold a high line when the Hammers scored. Would have made the very poor defending in that moment a little bit easier to digest.
Encouraging signs at times from the CBs. But I still worry. Sorry to be so repetitive but I’ve been clucking upon this matter since last summer!
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Maybe they should have done, FP because there was an enormous gap between the lines! It’s all forgivable anyway, especially at this point. For better or worse (mostly likelt much better) things will look v different come November.
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That was a bit hairy !
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Anicoll5
Could have been 5-5. Wilshere & Perez had very little impact on the game, but hope to see Jack improve.
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Difficult to say we were the better team maybe that’s abit of ARSENAL coloured specs, easily our worst performance of the three games but three points who cares.
Nice to see a heavy PA contingent in the pub before the game A5, Foreveready, Steve etc.
Now the pressure is off a little I’m sure we’re going to get better and better.
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We were certainly the better side; mre possesion by a country mile; more chances;
Fabianski made quite a number of saves… though many seemed routine cos the ball seemed shot directly at him, but still; up to 8 or even more.
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Congratulations to be new gaffer for his first victory with Gunners
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We got a bit of luck for once and as the better team we probably deserved to do so. A lot to ponder on but for now I’ll just bask in the joy of an all-round great afternoon and a nice reminder that although the swallows may be gathering the coming months contain much to look forward to.
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Unai Emery was quizzed about Mesut Ozil’s absence from the matchday squad against West Ham on Saturday as we claimed our first win of the season.
This is what the head coach told the media:
Follow the match as it happened
Read our report from Emirates Stadium
Why Hector Bellerin was always confident we’d win
on claims that Mesut Ozil left training after being told he wouldn’t play today…
Maybe in English it is difficult to explain, but first, why is this information [being reported]? It isn’t true. That information needs first to be true. Who is starting to telling you or us this information? You ask me, or the doctor, or the club. He was sick yesterday. He spoke with the doctor and with me, and decided not to play today. But he did not leave training [due to that], but because he was going to his home, because he was sick.
on whether he would have played if he was not sick…
He was sick and today, he was sick. He left to his house and I said to him, to come [to the match] if he feels better and he feels better today and before the match he is with the team and with me.
on what type of sickness he has…
When you are sick… I don’t know how I can explain in English. In Spanish it is ‘catarro’.
Translator: He is blocked up, he’s got a cold.
UE – He is bad with sick. It is not a problem with the player, it is not true this information. So ask the doctor and the doctor can explain better!
Copyright 2018 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source.
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Not a great performance, too many players seem to have forgotten how to pass the ball to each other! We are still looking very disjointed and the manager doesn’t seem sure about his team and formation – it feels like a lot of chopping and changing. Hopefully we’ll work it out sooner rather than later because we were just lucky today that the hammers are not a very good team. However, the 3 points are welcome and should be good for the players confidence unlike some of the so called in stadium ‘support’!
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Unai Emery was a happy man after we claimed our first win under him by beating West Ham United 3-1 on Saturday.
Afterwards, he spoke to the media about the performance, where we need to improve, Alex Lacazette’s impact and Aaron Ramsey’s display.
This is what he said:
on his first victory in the Premier League…
We are happy. Happy for the first three points in the third game, after Manchester City and Chelsea. We needed to win today and we needed to show our supporters one match with the three points – it was the first objective of today. But it’s clear we need to improve and we need to improve on working to not concede many chances like today for the opposition. Also, why we conceded is for analysis and for us to improve. It is clear today that maybe in the first half we wanted to use the right back and left back in the attacking moments and we needed the balance with the midfielders. In the first half, we conceded a lot of options. But in this balance, the first goal is in one action with Hector, finished by Nacho. And another option we didn’t do this attack with the fluidity and the balance for the transition.
on the fact West Ham could easily have scored more than one goal…
They are also a good team with a good coach and good players. Also, they can give us problems for our defence. It’s clear that if we defend with more people in the moment, we can lose our performance for the attacking moments. For that, we need the balance not to lose our attacking moments with this balance. But I think we need to improve. Today, I think the first half and the second half is very different. I think in the second half we found this balance better, because we spoke in the dressing room and after the substitutions of players, it made a difference in the second half and it is very important also to help and we need every player.
on Lacazette’s impact…
We spoke before the match. We need every player. The first 11 is very important but the players [that come into] the match are very important also, for each match. They can play five minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 45 minutes. We need this. Today in the situation, it made a difference. Laca, Lucas and Welbeck are three very important players. They go onto the pitch and help the team. That’s why I am very happy and we need all the players.
on Ramsey’s performance…
He worked for 90 minutes. He worked each moment, which the team needs. His spirit is very important for us, [as is] his experience but also with other players, he’s someone who they can give the ball to in a difficult moment because he played with a very high personality.
Copyright 2018 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source.
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I respect Emery’s willingness to learn and speak English, but at the moment I have no idea what he is on about! I hope that is not the problem the players are having with his vision? There is no shame in using a translator until things improve.
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Anam, you were half right with your goal scorers & Lacazette might have got the assist for the OG, I’ll have to check that again on MOTD.
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really hope these Ozil stories are not true, on a number of levels.
But more importantly congratulations Unai Emery , first win in this league.
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Mandy why would you even consider the thought that the ozil rumors are anything other than made up bullshit, Emery said straight out that “it isn’t true”, and asked why such a thing was even being reported. Said he, the medics and the club would all say the same thing on it.
secondly consider the actual source of the bullshit, ESPN Brazil, not ESPN based in England, no ESPN Brazil, jeez I’d question anything ESPN says, let alone one of their guys on the other side of the planet.
Thirdly, Ozil was at the game today.
and finally we know Ozil has a low immune system and if you know anyone who has a low immune system, you will know they pick up colds, flues, sore throats, any virus easily and repeatedly
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Eduardo, would personally be more concerned with Ozil on a psychological level, he has been through a hell of a lot recently, just hope he is ok. If it is only a cold, I am actually delighted. Just wonder how much an individual , who seems like an intelligent guy rather than some sort of Neanderthal can take with incessant and clearly deliberate, in some cases, racist targeting.
Cold or whatever, we need Mesut, the man is a maestro.
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on the low immune system, I went to a college with a lot of athletes and sports people, some of them elite, and the more elite they were, the more they seemed to pick up. Some I would call delicate healthwise. ok I am going back a bit. I remember reading how often the likes of Steve cram and Seb Coe were out of action, the latter with toxoplasmosis, which is pretty nasty and as far as I am aware, pretty rare? I dont know if these people had naturally low immune systems, or just maybe just trained too hard, and were maybe too fit and that affected their immune systems?
Which makes me a little suspicious of some players and teams these days who seem remarkably low on injuries and lost time , but that’s another discussion.
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Ed
Do we know Ozil has a low immune system? All we do know from the club and anywhere else for that matter is what Wenger said on Feb 22 2017:”Asked why the German gets sick so often, Wenger said: “Ozil’s immune system is a bit in trouble at the moment and I don’t know why. I hope we can improve that medically.”.
The key words in this context are ‘at the moment’. There is no reference anywhere that this is reoccurring, and if it is then it show serious negligence by the club in signing a virtual crock on K£350 per week, especially as Wilshere was told he would have to take a pay cut because of his regular absences.
I’d love to know your reference for earlier saying that it was ‘ongoing’.
He may or may not be sick at the moment, but it seems to me that the immune system thing is a bit of a red herring and nobody at the club is bringing it up again anyway.
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Eds
Özil also wasn’t injured at the end of last season!
Plus la change avec les miserables.
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mandy i mentioned earlier that i knew an international athlete who had problems with her immune system and medics told her it was due to her being very fit, as lots of exercise can lower immune system, usually only on a temporary basis, but that can be enough for a person to pick up a virus
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Meanwhile the two senior CMs had their first spell on the pitch together and though all the arse experts were telling anyone willing to listen to them that this was tactical: I’m happy to make the stupendous guess and state that they’ll be playing more minutes together as the games progress. Looking forward to that.
Still a little bit gutted that AMN won’t be playing in the group games in midfield, wasn’t expecting to see him there for all of those matches but we’ll have to wait a little longer to see how he gets on with a mini-run in midfield.
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< CMs have been rotated for fitness after the shortened pre-season etc. odds are they'll be starting the next game together.
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“May or may not be sick”? I remember fondly the days when we used to take the coach at his word around here. It’s one thing if he doesn’t make a comment, but he specifically said Ozil was sick.
On a personal note, I’m glad Aaron started today. He won’t take being routinely dropped to the bench, and he shouldn’t. If Emery isn’t going to play him, he should move on to a place where they will. I don’t think money is particularly important to him (although having twins on the way certainly could alter that thinking!!), I think he wants to be important to the team. If he feels he isn’t, he’ll be off. Personally, I think he should be starting in the midfield two, but Emery has a vision, and I want to see what it is. But I’m afraid if Aaron is left in the position of always battling with Mesut for the #10 slot, he’ll leave. That’s a battle even Aaron can’t win, as good as he is. I hope we don’t end up regretting that.
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Yes ‘bama, thank you. That’s the key item of discussion from these first few games, the choice to not play Ramsey in CM so far. Will UA have a look at Ramsey on the right?
Who knows maybe this current role is where Ramsey wants to play, I guess he’s just happy in central midfield as both eight or tennish type stuff, and I hope that UA’ll give it a go at one point. Might be a selfish hope but I’d be curious to see if Rambo can match some of his previous good form from CM most famously with Arteta. Fingers crossed.
Haven’t heard many of the blaggers or podcasts discuss this so far but TBF my attempts to listen or read their content on the new gaffer don’t usually last very long.
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I’m with Alabama. How, under god’s green earth, can any one of us knowing the state of the commercial media give any credence to unverified, speculative report by ESPN-Brazil? Where is the evidence, the proof? The media is into clickbaiting and Ozil is always a rich target. The contretemps with him exiting the German national team and the desire by a certain faction of the Arsenal fanbase to find a new punching bag after the exit of Wenger should make us at least suspicious, if not dismissive of any rumor-mongering and speculation.
As far as I am concerned “Fake news’ until proven otherwise.
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No offence Shotts but I prefer the relatively classical expression “PR” or my favourite “Sports Communications” to “Fake News”.
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As for Ozil vs Ramsey in CM, this may be Unai’s greatest challenge. I can see Alabama’s pov which usually concurs with her boy. Given the need to have Xhaka in the deeper playmaker position with a more defensive type beside him, Emery’s choices are limited. Note Wilshere saw the future and knew his chances of playing were limited. Can Emery convince Rambo to reprise that half-forward role on the right as he did during the Arteta era?
Yet his biggest challenge is stabilizing his CBs. They were all over the place today particularly on the 1st half. The Hammers had several big chances and if they took more than the one. it could have been a different result.
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With Ramsey’s contract lingering until January when there’ll hopefully be a positive outcome I expect there’ll be plenty of click bait on Ramsey next or coming soon.
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Ramsey looked stronger as the game went on and that’s his first ninety minutes since pre-season. Wherever he plays next time out he’ll be playing better and better as the season kicks on as hopefully his hamstrings hold and are well managed (by the physios & coaches & player etc.) and he gets a good run going.
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fins you may find that Ramsey did not play a full 90 minutes in preseason, well that is what he said himself in the after game interview, so today was his first 90 minutes games since last season.
shotta I would disagree somewhat that it was our CB’s who were all over the place in he first half, for me it was Guendouzi and Mkhitaryan who were all over the place, neither of them covered back when Bellerin went forward, or when WHU doubled up on Hector either. For me that was the reason why Matteo was taken off, and why we were a bit more solid in the second half once Torreira came on, as he was inclined to shuttle over to his right to cover for and with Bellerin. Our CB’s had just too much space to cover and too many free WHU players to pick up in that first half.
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