@LaboGoon emerges from international hibernation, and thank goodness…
Here we are again… breathing a huge sigh of relief with the last international break of 2018 out the way and equally excited to be at the start of what is going to be a very busy period with the fixture list chuck-full in the run up to New Years Day – when we often rank the contenders from the pretenders from the relegation candidates. Ergo it’s vital to maximize performances to make sure we don’t have too much ground to cover later on.
Good morning one and all.
The Unai Emery evolution faces a stern test this afternoon with a trip to the Vitality Stadium to face a Bournemouth team enjoying their best-ever start in the top flight.
When Eddie Howe started his managerial journey with the Cherries they were in Football League Two and started their season on a 17 points deduction. Ten years on they are excelling well beyond their expectations and look to disrupt the party of the ‘big six’ – a measure of how much the man and his team are steadily growing year on year with modest resources. Take a bow mate!
Just before the inter-break both sides went through a bit of a wobble; the Gunners struggled to turn draws into wins and the Cherries picked up just one win in their last four Premier League games. So the break came at a good time as they are now keen to press the reset button and get back to winning ways.
Arsenal have had a mixed time playing Bournemouth in the six PL fixtures against each others. We beat them quite comfortably at the Emirates but on our travels to the south coast we’ve seen them really cranking it up. In our three visits there we beat them, then we drew and they finally got one over us in the last outing – and this season they are a much better side with a real cutting edge to them.
Howe’s steadfast belief in his ideas has made the Cherries an attractive side with attackers that can be a real handful and their “goals for” are only bettered by the top five teams on the PL table. If we want any joy today we need to find a way to negate that threat.
The habit of starting games slowly cost us in recent times as we lacked the infamous second half performances to offset it. With the hosts a side that gives it their all at the Vitality that and any defensive issues are what they will look to take advantage of. Of course them looking to play on the front foot will suit us as it will bring the trio of Özil, Lacazette and Aubameyang into the game. We know how deadly they can be if they have that extra bit of space to work with.
With both sides expected to have a right go at each others there are goals in this at both ends to make it a very entertaining encounter to look forward to.
Let’s go!
Positively Arsenal 
Good morning L and everybody. It seems about a month since we last had game of football to get excited about so thank goodness we are finally back on the pitch.
Not a day for patience but a day for energy and relentless vigour. With the Totties rather smashing Chelsea last night it is important we keep in the top 4 hunt so three points required. No chance of 1-0 win so I want to see a dozen strikes on the home goal in the opening half hour.
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Great to be back as it were and thanks Labo for whetting the appetite. I’d wanted Eddie Howe as Arsenes successor so I shall be hoping for a very superior performance from our boys to prove to me how naive that hope was!
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Morning Positive-Goonerai’s. Many thanks to LG for the intro. Surely that was the longest Interlull ever? I was 19 when it started and Im now 87.
Not sure it will be easy today, but I hope it is.
COYG!
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Nice one Labo, looking forward to the game because, if nothing else, it’s NOT yet another largely pointless international.
I read somewhere (and don’t know if it’s true) that AFC were doing slightly better, points wise at this time last year and yet most fans are either pleased or thrilled at Emery’s start. Personally I feel he has done exceptionally well, exceptionally swiftly; most managers, like most players, take more time to bed in, so well played, Sir.
We’ve certainly scored the best goals in the PL this season, but my question to readers is, how well did we think we were doing by the start of December last year?
We clearly fell away after New Year (if not before) so I guess this is a physical/psychological hurdle Unai has to get over in the weeks ahead.
Again, I ask, what has really changed?
We look a bit more ‘Liverpool’ these days with our energy and physical commitment as well as our potency up front. At the back the need for further improvement is evident to all and Emery at least gives off the impression that he is working hard on all areas of the pitch, not just the attacking third.
Certainly in Leno at the back and Lucas in the middle we have the beginnings of an absolutely top class spine, yet our front players, despite more than a few flashes of brilliance, are yet to settle into a routine of lethal consistency. And we still DO look vulnerable at the back. And in some ways, I quite LIKE that we haven’t changed TOO much; it suggests to me that, contrary to what some say, Wenger was still not SO far from where he/we needed to be.
So I think there is more, much more to come from new-boy Emery’s new Arsenal and one remains optimistic, up to a point.
The fly in the ointment of the future lies in the total domination of the EPL by Manchester City. Liverpool’s challenge is merely firing City up further and we know they have the limitless funds to quickly replace the injured or formless as required. Pep’s chequebook deployment impresses few beyond those paid observers and the sycophantic, eagerly assembled mob on the press and pundit benches. Pep would have to work hard to screw things up given his resources although Jose shows what is possible and success is obviously not a complete ‘given’.
But how exciting is the PL these days, honestly?
What really is the point of Emery and his predecessor, even our neighbours over in Middlesex toiling away for years to achieve incremental improvement when clubs are allowed to pump eye-watering yet illegal volumes of cash into a club with complete impunity to ‘claim’ the league without really having to try. I mean, what is the point of it all?
3-0 to City has little resonance when that is really the minimum expected from them. To be almost nailed on PL winners by the end of November does nobody any favours and I can’t help but think the empty seats at Wembley, at the Emirates and most other grounds is symptomatic of an ongoing growth of apathy which continues to develop unabated. Tag all that to the ludicrous cost of watching someone elses’s choice of live football on tv and you have a recipe for a long-term decline in fan interest.
Certainly I still look forward to Arsenal games and I can’t wait for the introduction of VAR into the PL next year, no matter how flawed or poorly executed that may be, at least initially.
But while City sit at the top of the table having purchased their seat there rather than truly competed for it, forgive me if my excitement in the game can now be described as ‘not what it was’.
And all the while that Arsenal and others are effectively debarred from the top two positions in the league on account of cash rather than credible, authentic ‘merit’, then this more measured interest in the game is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Still, COYGs, eh?
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Fantastic Post Arsenal Andrew, but it REALLY should have been a blog.
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ArsenalAndrew- heck of a post!
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Win , lose or draw, at least we get our Arsenal back today.
As for City, really unfortunate they have allowed that, and the powers that be seem to be scrabbling around trying to give the teams immediately below little helping hands to ensure it all looks like something that could be called competitive. Which ref was it that admitted he didn’t want to be responsible for ending Tottenhams title challenge as he ignored the rules of the game, and player safety a couple years ago?
But with Gianni and his favoured tyrannies increasingly running things, don’t expect any resolution to the city issue soon.
As for Wenger, don’t think he was ever so far away, but he was up against so much by the end, don’t think even his players actually believed that, nor it seems did some of those upstairs.
Will always love watching ours play though, whatever blights things elsewhere
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Killer for me with City stuff is the double whammy of our (and everyone else’s) chances of highest success being hit so hard… while the sole reason for it is played down massively.
I don’t think ffp is by any means the only reason for City working so hard to obscure the investment figures from their owner.
They want to buy it- using the owner’s financial power at every turn (from under 8’s up) and in every corner of the globe- but then, aside from praise for ‘ambition’, meaning money, want the success to be ascribed to everything but the *money behind it all, i.e clever running of club, inspired signings, and especially the capabilities of a supreme manager.
*apart from those incredible increases in, ahem, commercial/sponsorship etc.
Don’t know how much of it I can blame for my being strangely out of my optimism groove today, mind. The break, the tailing off of form before it, and all those swine around us relentlessly winning, including yesterday, no doubt accounts for some,too, but those feelings about City are authentic enough.
The key word ArsenalAndrew used for me was incremental. It’s unpleasant to think that even should we achieve it through wonderful work at various levels of the club, City can so easily maintain their advantage through a few flourishes of daddy’s chequebook at any point.
I think it requires reframing your hopes so that basically what you concentrate on are signs of improvement from us, taking pleasure in the good games, focusing with hope on each fixture, etc. Doesn’t come naturally to me, as in addition to that I want to win the whole schebang and even see us back as strong relative to Europe’s mightiest as we were from early to mid 2000’s. It could be a while.
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Apologies George, believe it or not, I was trying to keep my post ‘on point’ with Labo’s first class preview, but it ran away from me.
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a massive game for Arsenal today, in recent years when our rivals have dropped points and given us a chance to gain ground on them by and large we have failed to take the opportunity, so with all the talk (and it is just that, talk) of a new improved Arsenal under Emery, (a defeat today will see us with less points than after 13 game the last two seasons, a draw will see us with the exact same pts as last two seasons, so only a win will see an improvement in points),
I would say that we could all name 9 of the starting 11, Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Ozil, Lacazette, with 5 players in the running for the other two spots, Iwobi, Aubameyang, Guendouzi, Ramsey and Mkhitaryan.
we are on a long unbeaten run, but much like many unbeaten runs its the draws that are killing us, a win is must today, with a congested fixture list starting today, the draws must be turned into win if we are to be serious about real improvement.
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some woeful game influencing Reffing yesterday in several of the BPL game, but PGMOL would see it as great game management.
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Great post Arsenal Andrew on the current state of footballing affairs. You have certainly nailed it.
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Arsenal Women playing early today too
Arsenal Women
Verified account @ArsenalWFC
📝 The teams are in! Here’s how we line up against @OfficialBHAFC this afternoon…
Starting XI: van Veenendaal, Evans, Williamson, Quinn, Mitchell, Bloodworth, Walti, van de Donk, McCabe, Mead, Miedema
Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, Kuyken, Grant, Bailey-Gayle
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by the way the Arsenal Women’s game is live on the BBC Redbutton, kickoff is at 12.30
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No need to apologise Andrew, I’ll be nicking the crux of it come Tuesday
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While I agree with most of that AA the alleged invincibility of Pep’s MCFC I struggle with. I see flaws in City, and I see gaps that sides playing against then have taken advantage of, and will take advantage of. I would certainly expect us to give Citeh a far harder game today than we did on Emery’s debut.
If the bookmakers of Manchester are paying out on their 208/2019 PL bets with 25 games yet to play then that of course must be matter for them ( and who would bet against those odds calculating experts). I am however sure there is far, far more football to be played and twists in the league trophy path. Hopefully we shall be among those clubs who have a say in the final destination of the trophy.
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major surprise, we’ve gone 3 at the back
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Interesting. Guessing Lacca still carrying a knock?
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lacazette not in the squad due to a tight groin,
xhaka is captain today
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3 at the back and no Mesut in midfield – raises eyebrows!
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Well now. Guessing that’s most surprising line up so far from Emery. Can’t remember one to equal it, anyway.
Maybe key factor in 3 is absence of Monreal?
Anyone remember if it was three at back when we lost there last year? Got a feeling we were back to 2 by then.
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anicoll
On City weaknesses. Not sure i can be trusted to judge them, given my dislike and manner I watch them- resentful and eager to devalue- when I do.
But…often, like the first two goals yesterday, I’m inclined to think opposition have made it too easy, that one bit of decent wing play shouldn’t result so often in a tap in for instance. Ditto one ball slid down the side for a player to pull back or square.
However, given the regularity it happens, it might be a case of very good players- Sane, Silva, etc- making the difficult look easy.
Third was, i’ll admit, a gorgeous bit of skill from Sane, made to look like something from a training session.
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Looks like Bourmouth won’t find be able to copy Wolves and attack the LB with Monreal out, the new gaffer is copying the old gaffer and he has gone three at the back!
Özil nod Ramsey two of the big goal creaters in the squad this season not starting, I’ve been wanting to see one or both behind Auba. But Bellerin who’s been involved in the attacks is there! Big starts today for Miki and Iwobi.
COYG!
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Just realised no start for Ramsey even with Ozil on bench!
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Great post LG and some brilliant comments on which I cant “like”
at the moment for some reason.
Anyway as some have said today is extreamly important game to catch up, take advantage of slips and put to bed the bad november tag.
Interesting the three at the back but ideal as the amout of quality CBs we have at the moment, I think this should mean we can counter attack at speed and with numbers COYG
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Arsenal Women 3-1 up at half time, after falling behind, the BBC commentators seem a tad disappointed with us making a comeback
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Medima, Bloodworth and DeDonk with our Women’s goals
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Petrogarch City?
I’m just grateful they wasted years of their development and the value of a medium sized nation upon the likes of Hughes and charitable donations upon the likes of Mangala’s agent (incredible is it not!? I don’t think any could deny amusement when musing upon this nugget…) before Pellegrini rocked up and Young Pep got bored with the Bundesliga.
They must’ve paid off a decent chunk of the new Arsenal stadium debt with their fees for Arsenal players. Although we note the government gave this petrogarchy a stadium for free. Which is, at the least, interesting. The cows can chew upon this one all the way home.
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Bournemouth have a goal rightly ruled out for offside
we’ve not got our of our own half yet
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we get our first shot in and Torreira hits the post with it, iwobi fires over the rebound
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It’s not the widest pitch at Bournmouth but I don’t think Howe phase gone full Pulis and redrawn the lines to make his pitch more narrow then usual.
Will the Arsenal wing backs find any space in the wide areas?
Will Bourmouth continue to probe their inside right chanel behind Kolasinc which led to their offside goal?
On the counter Torreira off the post! Iwobi nearly on follow up.
Game on.
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not sure about that tackle by Mustafi
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we are certainly on the backfoot, and look no more solid at the back despite the three CB’s
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The chance or pass was there to play Auba through into an empty opposition half.
There’ll be more such movement from the forward, can his teammates find him today?
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we;ve come more into the game, but still a bit slow in our passing and movement
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sokratis with some poor defending
bournemouth take the free kick quickly afc get the ball but ref says take it again as he had not blown the whistle
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Eds
If such a foul is made on hazard by a Tottenham player then definitely: not a goal.
However if an Arsenal player breathes on hazard then..you all know the ‘game management’ variation here. “Theatre” to cite the bungling luvvies themselves. Mwah.
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< not a foul! Or goal…
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“This ref is shit” I didn’t sing it!
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What.
A.
Finish!
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Wrong net for the Bourmouth defender, but he hit it sweetly.
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what a goal, a real blaster, beat begovic all ends up, you will not see a better belter of an own goal than that. 1-0 to the Arsenal
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Who needs Özil or Ramsey to create heh?
A clean sheet would be a huge bonus. The best form this season came with the confidence gained by those earlier clean sheets in the league IMO.
COYG.
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Mkhitaryan has been poor so far, his passing has been off
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Mr Pawson commendably obliging and then a cracking finish from the Colombian – what is not to like ?
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Yep couldn’t find Bellerin with what should have been an easy pass for such a good player.
But he tries again and this time Bellerin almost finds Iwobi with a good low cross.
Good defending to clear the ball from the home team.
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we’ve got into some great attacking positions but our final ball has been woeful, especially those from Mkhitaryan
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Ouch – the ball on the edge of the Bournemouth 6 yard box, 15 seconds later the back of our net !
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woeful fucking defending once again 1-1, mucked up good attacking position then left king free to fire home, poor all round
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Bit of tweaking at half time ? The back 5 is working ok but Mkhi and Alex Iwobi is one too many. Ramsey on for one of them my guess.
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