@LaboGoon addresses his flock this Sunday
Good morning one and all.
Arsenal host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates this afternoon with the intention of going into the international break with a win …… and nothing less.
Given the remarkably competitive nature of teams above us on Premier League table, getting 3 points against ‘lesser teams’ is as crucial as it has ever been. Mancity, Chelsea and Liverpool at present don’t look like dropping points against anybody except amongst the top-six, Spurs despite not at their ‘pressure putting’ best still find a way to eke out results. So on that I think these games fall in the ‘must win’ category if we want to remain within touching distance of the top-four.
We will look to bounce back following a recent blip that see us dropped 4 points vs Crystal Palace and Liverpool. Results could’ve been better if we made the most of the chances coming our way. The draw vs the Reds particularly was probably our best defensive display all season and showcased a fighting spirit and desire to not let a big game slip away after falling behind. Should we build on that we have no reason to doubt ourselves competing at the very highest level.
Wolves got challenges of their own. After starting the season on the front foot in their return to the to flight and playing with great competence, they’ve lost their way since coming back from the previous inter-break. Could be that opposition managers have worked them out as they are struggling both to keep a lid on things at the back and scoring goals. In the three games post the break they’ve registered as many defeats, conceding six goals and scoring two – both from penalty spot. However I expect them to fancy their chances and prove they have what it takes to get a result against one of the ‘big six’. They already held both Manchester sides to draws and put in a valiant effort coming back from 3-0 down to lose 3-2 vs our neighbours to show they are not your run-of-the-mill PL ‘newbie’.
The Gunners may have too much in front of goal though for the plucky Midlands side with the prowess of Lacazette and Aubameyang to call upon, and if Xhaka and Torreira continue their command of the area in front of the defenders it will defang the Wolves attack.
All things considered Arsenal have been consistent against teams outside top-six, especially in front of the Emirates faithful; and although no pushover Wolves could be in for a long afternoon if we play close to how we did in our last PL outing.
Positively Arsenal 
Good morning Lance and everybody,
I fancy the visitors digging in today, frustrating us, 10 ten in the box, and hoping to catch us on the break – an afternoon for patience and a tight back-door.
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Good morning positive world.
Nice one Labo.
Andy, you have knocked me off tilt, I was expecting them to have a go and looking forward to an expansive game.
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Wolves made the transition from the Championship to the PL like only a well drilled outfit could. So they are not to be taken lightly and we could field our strongest XI.
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Outfootball us eh ? A cunning plan!
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You’ve done it again.
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Good, bullish scene-setter for today’s test, frustratingly not subject to broadcast here in England.
My random guess lies with Wolves coming after us first half, sitting back the second in the hope that our typical pattern of play so far this season repeats itself.
I’d say our chances are good, either way; this season’s league appears split with the lower- placed teams really struggling against the top six, unlike the last few seasons’ experience. Not sure why that should be, but maybe the top 6 have finally got their collective act together after several years of excessive TV cash flooding the division in all directions.
Which means any dropped points against the lesser sides could prove disproportionately disastrous; hopefully our writer’s optimism proves well-founded.
Enjoy the game!
COYGs
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Morning guys,
Cheers to Labo and yourselves for the Positive vibe before the match. Love for us to get back on track again today and win convincingly.
COYG! And Alaaf !
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something I mentioned recently, and I see Rafa has said similar this week, the gap between the top clubs and the rest has, unlike what the media would like us to believe, has widened, not narrowed. We seen in the summer, just cos Fulham, Wolves and others spent large sums of money the media ran with the notion that this meant the quality of the BPL had massively increased among the smaller clubs, but results so far suggests that its wider than its ever been, 3 unbeaten clubs, another couple of big clubs whose only loss was v other big clubs, the top clubs are more than ever beating the clubs they should beat.
Lets hope Arsenal are not the ones to fall foul of the law of averages and end up being the big club to come a cropper against one of the minnows, we have already been one of the very few big clubs to drop points to a lesser club so far – 2-2 at CP
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The top 5, as the other team in Manchester are not in serious contention this season, have had years to work on producing that real blend of quality and teamwork and we all have strong squads not just a ‘first’ team.
As a newly promoted team you can spend a lot of money on players who, based on your scouting, look good and would be comfortable in the PL. Fulham have done exactly that. Fulham have not integrated those additions players into a team, or anywhere near it. Wolves , to be fair to them, have done a better job. Cardiff, unless I have missed it, spent bugger al anyway (?)
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anicol clubs all through the division spent big during the summer, all bar Cardiff, sadly the media portray and equate spending big with buying quality. They assumed that just cos BPL clubs spent loads it meant there was an influx of quality. But for all the BPL’s wealth, its spending power has never reflected or equaled quality, Ronaldo could not be kept, Messi could never be persuaded to come, many more of the best could not be tempted, despite the stupid money spent. BPL clubs spend outrageous money on what most of the time is average enough players.
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Hmm. Am not as sanguine as you guys. If you have followed @Unite4Var on Twitter you might have seen my posts indicating that despite playing well Wolves have been screwed over by the refs week-in, week-out. Last week vs Spurs they had a legitimate goal struck off by a very questionable offside decision.This caused Football365 to make the same point I frequently raised here. How hard it is to implement VAR when the PL has scores of cameras on the grounds that cover every angle on the pitch? (see https://www.football365.com/news/wolves-sense-of-injustice-shows-var-debate-will-rage-on)
But based on historical data, which I first shared here and now at uniteforvar.com, there is need for much caution. Labo says the top-3 teams City, Liverpool and Chelsea look set for top-3 which means it is Arsenal and Spurs duking it out for top-4. I wouldn’t rule out United at this early stage. But assuming its Arsenal-Spurs, the PGMOL has already favored them with Penalties-For and Penalties-Against and made them next to Liverpool the cleanest team in the top-6.
Finally in my latest research, I confirmed how well the PGMOL has refined Game Management in my piece on the Disappearing Red Card. The percentage of red vs yellow cards fell to less than 3% in 2016-17 versus I define this as “lawless refereeing”. Today’s ref, Stuart Atwell, is a second tier member of the PGMOL who started doing PL games in 2015-16. Since that time he has done only 34 games, issued a 104 yellow cards and issued only 2 reds, i.e. 2% vs the historical PL average of over 5%. Last year he issued 1 red for 54 yellows, i.e at 0.5%.
With a ref like Atwell, if I was Wolves I would rotationally kick the shit out of Arsenal today. We all know the drill; an inferior football team fouls often, lots of talking to by the ref, yellow or two in the second half but no red.
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I am not disagreeing about the bollocks the media come out with about the PL eddy, just offering the point that even if promoted clubs spend lots of money and buy good players, and I’d put Seri and Schurrle in that category, it takes time to create a team to standup to the what is a v competitive league at every level. I dont really see they have much alternative. A promoted club might get away with it for a season, as Huddersfield managed last year, but not bringing in better players and building a proper squad leaves you short.
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anicol my point is not restricted to the promoted clubs, of course they have a much bigger gap to fill, but so far even the Everton’s, LCFC’s, Watford’s for example have unless I missed it, been unable to get a win v any of the top sides, the gap has never been bigger, these sides aren’t even getting draws with the big boys. The whole notion that any team can beat any other on any given day in the BPL looks to be wrong, the big boys and especially Arsenal over recent years took their eye off the ball v the lesser teams, but that seems to have been dealt with so far this season.
Sir Alex used to set out to win all games, home and away v the bottom 13 sides, beat who you should beat and its 26 wins, 78pts, only meant 12pts to 15pts from a possible 36pts would see at the very least a title challenge.
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Bet Fulham wish VAR was on place, as Liverpool get the benefit of the doubt
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The Sours now admitting what we all know, they are asking to use Wembley as a ” contingency” for the rest of the season.
On a far more important note, in our game , believe the team need to be a little careful today, and take chances presented.
Hopefully relatively fresh and rested players like ozil, xhaka and lacca can dominate
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Well done LG, I expect ww to play “football with discipline today” however with a heavy portuguese contingent it may be a dark art day as well.
I also expect us to play lovely football obviously and take the three points COYG.
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Callum Chambers is probably relieved the referee did not have the VAR control room in his ear as he picked up the yellow card Mandy. A real wild one ! I see Callum is midfield today and has done ok.
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Just glad tl see Callum playing, he seems like a decent player who needs more games , that tackle was a bit naughty/wild though
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COYG!
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leno with a fine save to stop us going two down
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Ed
If you’re out there, help me out with a working stream please.
Best I’ve had so far is a Russian one, which works for about 30 secs at a time and Wolves are attacking us every time it works!
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Their right back should be on a yellow for the amount of time he’s wasting at every throw in.
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HT: Arsenal 0=1 Wolves
the worst 45 minutes from us so far this season, no energy, no speed, passing off, don’t look like scoring, Iwobi the only one with a bit of life about him
only ourselves and Cardiff have not led a BPL game at half time so far this season
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rich
https://www.vipleague.bz/arsenal-fc-vs-wolverhampton-wanderers-fc-streaming-link-1
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yes chkmiaot the amount of time he has taken over throw ins is awaful, nothing added on for it either, plus he is taking throws a good ten yards further upfield than they should be too.
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AFC with 74% possession, only 3 shots at goal and none on target, says it all, sterile possession again.
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A stark reminder that this team are a work in progress.
That said, riot act required
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Cheers Ed. Will try that
Only been able to watch snatches but looks like one of those I tend to find real painful, with opposition always having numbers back to defend and it being very hard to break them down, while the other way looks so easy in comparison if they can break with a few into huge space.
Eurgh. looks like they are probably gaining advantage through use of plenty of small spoiling fouls as well.
Caught ref doing nothing when guy held onto Ozil for 5 secs, then blowing whistle as ball released before holding play up another 30 seconds to speak to Mustafi, presumably for complaining.
Got horrible de ja vu at minute about a few untelevised home games in years past, when we were all pretty confident- bad start, annoying ref, fouls and spoiling paying off; lousy streams. Watford was one or two of them.
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should we have had a penalty for a block on Iwobi
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rich the ref and assistants have been poor, ref has a couple of times played advantage only to bring play back as soon as the AFC player broke free from the foul.
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fuck me our best player in the first half Iwobi taken off at half time to be replaced by Guendouzi
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0-1 down hopefully soon 2-1 up. COYG!
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a little more life to us this half
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65 minutes gone and we are not exactly knocking on the door, not a sniff of a chance
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Plenty of little fouls and pull backs but the ref not pulling out a card.
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ozil booked for dissent
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Bellerin should have scored there. Had to just pass it onto the net.
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Auba hits the post when it was easier to score.
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Aubameyang hits the post with the goal at his mercy
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ramsey and mkhitaryan on for ozil and kolasinac, I would have liked to have seen Nketiah come on
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doesn’t bode well he only added a minute first half. Think leno down for longer and time-wasting besides.
do they normally take so long to get game going after a yellow?
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Come on Rambo and Miki turn this around!
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about 15 minutes for Arsenal to save this game
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rich the pgmol call it game management
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bellerin booked for handball
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Leno keeps us in it.
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oooh MIki…..
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COYG!
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