Good Morning Positive Arsenal fans,
The game was billed a “pivotal” and “season defining” in some quarters for the club and if that was the reality then it was a test passed. And we passed in the way that I want an Arsenal team to win a local derby, playing football, scoring goals and in displaying 90+ minutes of concentration and energy.
A roaring first 15 minutes saw us overwhelm Chelsea. Slow starters ? Not us, not last night. Whether the Blues had in the back of their mind that a draw would “do” I don’t know but during that opening they found it difficult to get out of their half. Our tackles were crisp, interceptions tidy and when we moved he ball it zipped across the turf. Kepa was busy, the Blues were rattled. Our opener came from a dead ball move, after staying on his feet when most strikers would have hit the grass, rifled his shot into the top right hand corner. Another excellent finish from Alexander. Unstoppable.
We then had a short phase of panic as Chelsea surged forward. It was not pretty to watch as for two/three minutes our defence wasn’t up to speed mentally. When the system clicked into place the panic subsided. Good players take charge, and Kosc is a very good player. Sokratis was all over Hazard like a swarm of angry bees. With Torreira/Hector on one side and Guen/Xhaka/Sead on the other we forced Chelsea back and away from the danger area.
The second goal from what was out third free header on Kepa’s goal brought a gasp of relief from the tense home crowd (well me anyway). The decisive moment of the match, as it turned out. We went in at 2-0, it could have been more.
Second half ? They came at us but were held back by a screen of defenders, who were organised. We smothered them. One shot on target all night ? What we did to Chelsea clubs have done to us in the past, with them passing the ball on the final third but never quite getting into a position in the box to score. Good defending is not spectacular to watch, but if you have to then an evening of observing Hazard, Willian and Pedro run time after time into a wall of Arsenal defenders and never testing Leno is a good episode in the box set to start on.
I see Sarri launched into his players last night;
“This defeat was due to our mentality more than anything else, our mental approach. We played against a team more determined than we were. And I can’t accept that.”
He is right. We were more “determined”.
Congratulations to the Emirates home crowd yesterday for reducing Oli to an emotional wreck before he even set foot on the pitch. He really was welling up. Much better than booing him. A favourite with Arsenal fans and with Chelsea fans, and he barely got a kick in the half hour he was on.
Hector? Sigh – it is a bad ‘un. I have no idea what sort of bad but his reaction was immediate. The only blemish on a good evening. We will find out tomorrow.
I pondered the MotM this week; Kosc ? Laca ? Ramsey ? Guendouzi ? Torreira ? On another day the performance each put in would have earned the prize.
In the end it had to be Sead Kolasinac though. His body check on Pedro was a thing of beauty, and a job forever.
Enjoy Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
George
Have emailed you my preview.
Ed
Interesting. Any memories of him? I got nothing. Without checking, didn’t we score 4 or 5 against very young team, with a few of our own youngsters- Nelson, Nketiah, Willock, Smith-Rowe, maybe- doing well?
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Ouch for Henry. Feel more for Kwame though to be honest. I hope we bring him straight back in, no hard feelings.
Suspect another top club- Chelsea maybe, as a hunch- will snap him up quickly otherwise. Loved what I could see of his work while with us
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Chelsea have grabbed one…
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Chelsea have grabbed two…
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Good game at the Bridge
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Sure is so far Andy. Some of the Spuds defending was a bit keystone cop-ish. Chelsea could have had a few more though. Ollies not really getting much his way. Not like from his old pal Mesut.
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Whoops – game on
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boo.
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Spud should be booked for kicking a Spud!
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Ffs Giroud
As they used to say
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Ollie should have had a moment of glory there!
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Spuds were unfortunately much better in the second half. Fished a bit more strongly though. Willian not having a good one though.
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Fished? “Chelsea finished..” I meant to say!
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spurs didn’t want to win anyway, isn’t that the soundbite the media and even poch likes to use
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Spuds bottle another semi. 55,424 in total over the years. Record breakers!
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Better team won that – well deserved
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Chelsea will do! Heh.
However if memory is correct they have beaten City this season and may do so again!
Was hoping the Spuds would get through to the final and get the extra game plus the impact on the squad in potentially losing a final mid-season against Money City. I do not think there is a positive impact on league form for teams losing the league cup, exceptions but fair to say also a generalisation.
–
Fascinating cup tie looming ahead. Welbeck misses out on this staggered return fixture from 2015, but there’ll be other strikers and forwards that aren’t considered midfielders (Ramsey) to press and harry the Utd back line in a cup tie like Welbeck did so memorably in 2015 & also not forgetting his performance in the 2017 final against Chelsea. I mention Welbeck as it just would’ve been nice to see him potentially start or play opposite another star player from the same youth team club (I think) in Rashford in this epic tie.
Looking forward to the preview, looking forward to the game!
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JB@gunnerpunner
32m32 minutes ago
Ironic that a team which specialises in winning penalties has lost on penalties
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fins it seems DeGea is not in the Utd squad for tomorrow’s game, Romero in goal for them I suppose.
Smith-Rowe back in full training for us.
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Had a look, and it wasn’t Nkunku I saw in that tournament few years back, so my very vague idea about him is now even more vague.
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Rich I know nothing about the lad at all, well I knew nothing about him this morning, now I’m an expert on him like the rest of the fan base, ha ha, but he played in 20 of PSG’s league games last season when the won the league, he has played in 13 of their 19 league games this season, now I haven’t a clue as to how many or more likely how few of those games he actually started in, or played full 90 minutes in.
A thought I had when I first seen the link — is this a move designed to show that the Raul/Emery connections preference will work, over Sven’s data approach.
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so by this time next week the January Transfer Window will be closed.
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Latest claim is that we are only likely to get Nkunku if PSG bring in two midfielders.
A little aggravating to think of that as our current place in the world. Whole thing of pursuing different options in the manner it seems we may be at the moment is slightly unsettling to me.
Guess it threatens that great (initial) hope that any signing is one the club are extremely keen on, with good reason, and have signed with highly specific ideas about how he will fit in.
Just the way of it. If someone comes in, hope for the best. Either way, hope we have improved spending power come the summer. Finally, hope we don’t commit to anyone now who we aren’t that sure of if it damages chance of a better player in the summer.
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Only a week of dithering left then ?
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New post is up
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