A late injury to Andy Nic brings me into the fray.
I have to be honest, it was a disappointing game. Disappointing that we didn’t win and disappointing performance quality wise. But it was far from a disappointing effort put in and 20 games unbeaten is enough to keep us all happy.
I thought Iwobi and Guendouzi were poor in the opening period, although Guendouzi came into it better in the second period.
I felt when Mustafi scored we had gotten, all be it slightly, the upper hand. Sadly, within about 3 minutes we were pegged back. I saw some people blaming Leno, but I thought he did well pushing it out to the touchline, however some real lack of effort from some of our lads led to be ball being allowed to get into the middle of the box for Martial to have an easy finish.
By half time we had lost Holding and Ramsey to injury, but I don’t think we suffered much as their replacements did ok.
I thought Emery once again showed his bravery by bringing Lacazette on fairly early, given we had then used all 3 substitutes. I also thought we immediately looked better. Following a bad mistake by United he and Mkhitaryan linked up to put us in the lead. Then 13 seconds of playing time latter a catalogue of errors allowed them to level the score for the second time.
In the last half hour or so I thought we had our best period. Both Amamayang and Mkhitarayan really really should have scored.
I predicted the team would struggle without the glue that is Xhaka and the guile that Ozil brings, and it proved to be the case. United were poor and we were only marginally better. But, WE DIDN’T LOSE.
We have a run of 4 very winnable PL games now and we are on the coattails of Chelsea and Spurs. We could easily be sitting in 3rd place come Christmas.
Onward and upwards.
Positively Arsenal 
Mu ‘s 2ndgoal shd have been disallowef
for off side.Before the game I had told friends Mu will play a physical game
and so it proved.
Furthermore when Arsenal play the top teams especially Mu,the gunners are playing against 12 if not 14 guys.
I am happy Emery at least got a draw.
Once he fixes the defence it will be a
different story
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our ability to shoot ourselves in the foot is only comparable with the ability of Refs to allow Man Utd to get away without Reds and yellows regardless of the foul.
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Emery’s after game comments from football.london
Emery on the performance
I am very proud for our work and how every player responded in the 90 minutes.
When we are winning it was a good moment but they equalised very quickly.
The second half I think our players worked to win. We were close more than them to get the third goal, but De Gea made good saves.
Emery on Holding’s injury
The worst news for us.
Rob holding we are going to wait for the doctors, but it is a big injury. It’s his knee.
Emery on Ramsey’s injury
Aaron I think it is a small injury.
Emery on the way his players responded to the injuries
After these two injuries every player went out with good commitment and good mentality to keep our performance on the game.
We couldn’t control for the full 90 minutes. This draw is not the best, but not the worst. I said to the players now we need to finish this week well [against Huddersfield].
Are you frustrated?
Not frustrated, I feel very proud of the players.
Emery on United’s first goal – Was it offside?
I know VAR is coming, when it’s coming it can equalise something like these difficult decisions.
I know maybe he was offside, but it was very difficult.
I think the referees decision is not important today for the result.
Emery on whether Rojo should have been sent off
I don’t know. It’s difficult for the referees.
I know here the referees have personality, I respect their decisions.
More on the performance
Our challenge is to come to teams like United, I think today our response was positive.
We are getting better competitively. Usually United create a lot of chances here, they didn’t tonight.
Emery on Koscielny’s return
Laurent is very close to playing.
He played two matches for the U23s, the last on Tuesday, we are thinking he will start with us soon.
I don’t know if Saturday is a possibility. We are thinking the Europa League against Qarabag is a possibility.
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What do they teach them at Utd academy by the way?
Rashford could be joining Shawcross and Mcnair in inflicting serious injuries on our players (no attempt to play ball in all 3 of them)
Jonny Evans finished Bolton player Holden’s career.
Drinkwater a dirty player, involved in challenge which put Mings out for year.
Seen Brown make some bad ones, including awful Mcnair type challenge on Uruguayan Rodriguez.
Simpson and Bardsley!
And of course the original crew with their Reyes booting and a plenty besides, mostly unpunished.
Couple days completely off for me to try forget about it and Marriner not doing his job with Rojo. Thankful Guendouzi got up from that at least.
Might be wise to take him out of it for couple of weeks, as sense the weird collective psyche, which influences players, here will take something from that game which leads to more of the sort of targeting Utd so clearly employed against him.
Plenty of twitter depressingly loving the foul on him- majority Utd and Spuds no doubt, but others loving the ‘banter’ element- Rojo, ey! The Prem! Have it!- of it also.
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I’m hoping Karma hits that Rashford prick big time. Wonder if he’s proud to put a potentail England centre back out of the game for months. Hope he gets a bad one soon. Over rated tosser.
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Thanks George, a fair assessment and good write up -hitting all the points.
I hope there were no injuries coming forward after the game, we took a right kicking out there.
Arsenal fans were singing some funny songs last night, and Old Toilet is a library these days. Must be horrible to be a ManUre these days. The theatre of nightmares.
We have a good team, and all things are still possible. Come on you Goonerai’s! All the best to anicoll5, hope hes off the injury list soon and back in the attack asap.
Cheers!
COYG!
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Morning all, I saw the last 20 and it was great. We were running out of energy but still could have snatched the win. Good rest needed then back to work Saturday.
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our second goal has been adjudged as an OG by the BPL,
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Good review George. Last night really was a horrible game to watch when you see an official tilting it without giving a flying whatever anyone may think.
I honestly feared for our players’ safety as José done exactly what Gary Neville urged him to… the old “Arsenal don’t like it up ’em” bullshit that is contrary to fair play.
I share Marky’s opinion on Rashford, José is treating him like absolute rubbish but still he take out one of our players who’s not even a furriner to win his favor.
Mourinho knows he has to do more than a bit if he wants to fight for top 4, and with Arsenal looking in good nick he deliberately want to injure our players to slow down the Unai evolution. Fucking twats the bunch of them.
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Last night I was disappointed with how we played, but having watched again it was impossible to have any fluency against their roughhousing. They made it a war, and our lads got on with it. Great effort in the end.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36207252
Have the rules changed in last two years? Or are they once again thankful for the retrospective loophole which allows them to say it was dealt with because a free kick was given?
Logic says that would mean censure for Marriner as he dealt with it incorrectly- as an Independent panel decided with Huth/Fellaini it was a red card offence- but hey.
I don’t get exercised with that stuff in same way as anything which can do real damage to a player; but on other hand this one is different to ‘challenges’, tackles, booting a player in that there’s barely any subjectivity to it and any two instances are the same in a way other fouls normally aren’t. It should be very easy to show consistency on it. So it’s pretty farcical.
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Hi George, I’m glad you have now acknowledged it was manures thugs that stopped us playing and less to do with players missing.
I am still very angry at manure and the officials for terrible performances. If Klopp thought Burnley were bad he would have nightmares watching our game and so would Pep for that matter.
This needs to be stamped out or the top quality players will drift away and the Premier League will die.
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I see the hand of Ferguson in this behind the scenes. I for one was not sorry to see him ill. In fact I have a good bottle ready to open when he croaks.
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When are some of these friggin refs going to start doing their jobs, or applying the laws of the game and protecting players?
Are they just missing what goes on the pitch due to the speed of the game, cynical well rehearsed tactics from coaches, fear of certain clubs, the establishment, the PGMOL or media?
If the British refs and their master cannot or will not stamp out such tactics and protect players, I would say change is needed at the top and perhaps a few refs from further afield. Yes, I know such things and other forms of cheating go on In foreign fields but some of their refs may be more inclined to tolerate less excesses of the British physical game. But alas, I doubt Mike Riley is going anywhere, he was put there and remains, not because he was a great ref or a wonderful communicator, innovator, inspiring imaginative leader, not one filling the PGMOL with waves of new and potentially brilliant refs, but because he is maintaining a status quo that suits the powers that be for their own reasons, including I would assume the amply remunerated Mr Scudamore.
I know we have a few that can mix it as well and these days, they seem to have a licence to do so, but Utds tactics were clear and really should have been nipped in the bud, then I would assume our players would respond accordingly and all could just get on with the game.
As for Utd how far Jose has fallen, never rated him as highly as some, but he was successful, really cannot see Real , Bayern etc paying 12m plus a year for that, the only places he will earn that I guess will be China or maybe Mid East. He increasingly represents a bitter man being increasingly left behind by the game ,
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Few pundits praised the game for being a throwback to the battles of the early 00’s and that that it was many fans want to see.
I know they weren’t talking about two teams filled with quality players that’s leaving it all out there but about teams, in this instance one, kicking the crap out of the other. These pundits are stuck in era long gone, no wonder Danny Baker says he prefer refs getting decisions wrong because it add the the theatre… otherwise, and most important to him, it will leave them with nothing to talk about. How about actually analysing the damn games Danny and forget the soap opera.
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marky
Gotta say I suspect Ferg of all sorts of skullduggery and immoral shit, and loathed him for what I could see, but that’s too far for me.
Even with Mou that’s a bit far!
Now Riley…
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I was just looking at the league table. and looking at the Spuds sitting in their nest at third. WTF werent they playing Liverpool last night, surely that would be fairs bleedin fair considering all things after the NLD? I know life isnt fair and Im a big baby, I am, because I hate injustice, and ‘real’ people like injustice because its supports the life isn’t fair theory and therefore lets continue being unfair. Isaiah Berlin said whenever somebody talks about “real” then you can soon expect a dirty deed. True or not I cant verify, but in many cases yes.
I might be a div, but the rules of football mean we can play it. To kick the poop out of another team means you aint no good at footicus! But there arent even enough rules to bring about some kind of justice to players like Rob H last night. Get that VAR in!
The more I think about last night the more I loathe the stench of Old Toilet, the more I miss the yellow kit, the more I love Rambo and Holding for dealing with all that ( man, playing in a game where your being hacked up isnt funny, makes you scared and angry) and Guen and Torreira for having a pop back. In them olden days I didnt like (is to put it mildly) ManUre, but I respected them, despite all the bs they needed to pull things off, they had stacks of great players, but now? Who can respect that?
I wonder if Mesut could have really changed things last night? Hope his back gets sorted out soon, lets hope it is the back and not politics etc? ( I dont know, just saying).
Considering the level of respect thats handed ManUres way *globally& via the press etc they dont deserve it, (their fans are pretty naffed awf at things from what Ive seen -not too much-the reek of ManUre isnt my favourite).
Ironically the Wob said AW was out and the game had moved on past him and that Mou was the main man, olde Johnny on the spot himself, one year on and hes getting the same accusation flung his way. The dung is being flung! I dont think the game has passed either of them by, but thats just my opinion. Dont get me wrong of course I indulge in a bit of the old schadenfreude on him after all the kack he said to AW etc.
And I only think hes a mercenary not a maker. And I really enjoyed our support last night giving the “Special Brew one” and Old Toilet a load of stick. Ironically ManUre and Mou had much more to lose than we did last night. Anyway they will probably mess up their next game!
I thought we looked a bit knackered last night, but anyway Herbs rejects are in town next, and heres to us do the biz– doesnt seem right to see the Spuds back to no3 though, their spots is no5. Grrrr!
COYG!
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TSG Hoffenheim EN
Verified account @achtzehn99_en
11h11 hours ago
Julian Nagelsmann 💬
“@ReissNelson9 still has room for improvement defensively, which is why he normally is last off the bench. Regardless of our plan, he is of course always a candidate for the starting XI, that goes for Saturday as well.”
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https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal/arsene-wenger-since-leaving-arsenal-ive-won-a-trophy-every-week-a4010956.html
Football needs him back, hopefully as he has said, in the new year.
Some lucky club is hopefully about to land a refreshed, rejuvenated genius who will be raring to go
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Sad about Holding- acl confirmed.
Mad about media misrepresenting it as an unfortunate twisted knee, as opposed to one caused by late undoubtedly deliberate kick from opponent, with ball yards away in opposite direction.
One week after an ex player wrote a horrific injury suffered by us was direct consequence of manager going too far in buildup, and with the manager in this game having put out his own war cry beforehand, which was clearly followed by his players.
There was even praise afterwards for the players following the instructions, but Holding’s injury not mentioned, as the kick was ignored initially-none of the scrutiny of the sort of stuff they loved with Costa- naughty stamps,etc, mostly non dangerous- which often got full rolling news treatment- and at all times after.
At least Rob will be spared the equivalent of fun Wilshere article about things as weak as his ankle after Mcnair did him, or rather Wilshere twisted his ankle.
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I hope Chambers is in a war like mood himself for his buddy and, I think, housemate for a time, Holding.
Though if, heaven forbid, he catches Rashford well, now that would be a story, reviewed from all angles thoroughly, etc
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Arsenal FC
Verified account @Arsenal
We can confirm that Rob Holding has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee
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Gutted about Holding, he has been doing so well.
Emery or Wenger, we do get our injuries, Utd reduced to playing like Stoke doesn’t help.
So we have Mustafi, Sokratis, hopefully Kos, Nacho , and Mavropanos to come back.
Is there any option to get Chambers back?
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Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Huddersfield Town, here’s the latest team news update from our medical team:
Rob Holding
Left knee. Returned to London during match on Wednesday night. Will have further tests and assessments over the next 48 hours. Further updates will be communicated in due course.
Aaron Ramsey
Right ankle. Being assessed ahead of Huddersfield Town (h) on Saturday, December 8.
Laurent Koscielny
Played 85 minutes for the under-21s against Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night. Came through match without complications. Being assessed ahead of Huddersfield Town (h) on Saturday, December 8.
Mesut Ozil
Back. Being assessed ahead of Huddersfield Town (h) on Saturday, December 8.
Nacho Monreal
Right hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Huddersfield Town (h) on Saturday, December 8.
Dinos Mavropanos
Groin injury. Expected to return to full training in December.
Danny Welbeck
Right ankle. Recovering after surgery.
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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Jeorge Bird
@jeorgebird
37m37 minutes ago
Arsenal or Northampton will play Millwall or Tottenham in the FA Youth Cup fourth round.
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https://www.thearsenalyankee.com/blog/what-soccer-scouts-look-for-pt-1-technique
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an article by our former player danny karbisyoon
https://www.thearsenalyankee.com/blog/what-soccer-scouts-look-for-pt-1-technique
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Well I’m kind of glad I wasn’t able to watch the match. My wife texted me to say that it was a ‘horrid, horrid game’ and I suppose the only surprise is that any of us should have been surprised. Despite their current form I would not be betting much against a top 4 finish for the dirty Mancs: a lot will go there way I suspect.
And of us? Well I was delighted to gain 4 points from the 6 on offer at the start of the week, and can only hope that things turn out well for us tomorrow.
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.
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Really Andy? That’s interesting.
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A little technical difficulty this morning G – resolved in a moment
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New post is up
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