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 
Alli limping off
*looks at checklist*
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Ffs
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The Fulham no.23’s agent will not be including that moment in the show reel.
Good game for Chambers.
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Oh Fulham – you had the point – you could have wasted the final minute -Aaaargh
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Ffs how many times are Tottenham going to get a lucky late goal
Fulham were , not to put too fine a point on it, stupid
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Spurs luck is surely going to run out
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Confident Chelsea will beat them in cup, maybe resoundingly.
Real shame they got the win today but, depending what sort of futures they have next few weeks, a lot of encouragement in that game they could drop a fair few points without Kane and Son.
Their next 3 in league up to 10 Feb are all at home, Watford, Newc, Leics. Guess Son back around then. Really need them to drop points in a couple of those fixtures to pull them back into fight for CL qualification.
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Jahan Miah
@AllAboutTheAFC
5h5 hours ago
Aaron Ramsey’s new born twins at the the game yesterday dressed in Arsenal kits ❤️ #AFC #AaronRamsey
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Just watching motd, Salah is a fuckin cheat, why aren’t the media all over him?
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mandy he plays for liverpool
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Very true, but surely even media darlings have some limits as to their behaviour, somewhere?
Don’t approve of a lot of things about City, but would hate to see this Liverpool team win the league or indeed anything else, though they will clearly get every bit of assistance and media love possible on the way.
But, like Spurs, I suspect Liverpool’s luck will run out at some point.
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And talking of the media, good to see Oliver Holt amongst others getting some serious online grief over a pathetic and inaccurate attempt at Arsenal bashing.
These are journalists who won’t say a word against the aforementioned antics of Salah, but lay into Per M for attending a basketball game!
http://dailycannon.com/2019/01/sn-and-daily-mail-refuse-to-let-facts-get-in-way-of-arsenal-bashing/
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this aint going to please the malcontents, Silent Stan is smiling again tonight
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Congratulations Rams!
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There appeared to be spot of refereeing controversy in New Orleans ? (Banned gurning)
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what was the controversy anicol
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A blatant missed foul with 45 seconds to go in normal time with the Saints within 10 metres of the Rams’ line. If it had been given New Orleans would be in Super Bowl 53. No other outcome.
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thats not good then.
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It’s football – Sean Peyton, the Saints coach, came out, expressed his disappointment and explained what he had been told by the officials – end of story.
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well that is one good aspect of their game, the officials explain their decisions.
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I’ve only watched about 20 hours- i.e. about 3 games- of American football in my life but that looked a lousy call.
Presumably, you’re not allowed to put in the hit until ball reaches receiver? Those the rules? Plus not meant to lead with erm…helmet to helmet contact?
anyway, ffs Stan, these aint the refs you should be buying!!
Is ironic though if he’s on verge of massive success as a result of huge favour from refs.
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not forgetting Rich, huge investment in players and coaches and stadium,
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7 on field officials and breaks in play makes the 1:1 explanations during the game the way they do it. I assume Peyton was raging but he said not a word about the decision or the officials.
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the breaks in play are a killer for me, I like the game, but a one hour game normally taking 3 hours to play is not something I can sit through too often. Although I might watch this years Superbowl, I have watched part if many of them, but normally switch off either when one team has a big lead or when I’m just too damn tired to watch any more.
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As I sit here watching Brady unpick the Chiefs, and having been definite I’d call it a night after the SaintsRams, I know what you mean – another slow Monday in prospect.
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Bleh. Pats and Rams in the Super Bowl. Wonder what’s new on Netflix in February?
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Stan must move Arsenal to LA. It can’t be all that bad right?
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well labo the comparison would be moving Arsenal back to Woolwich
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Well, all in all not the worst weekend on the football front. A hard-fought and thoroughly deserved win over the Chavs, albeit at the significant cost of Hector, followed by signs of panic and vulnerabilty from our nearest but not dearest neighbours. That they won courtesy of Fulham thinking they had already bagged the point was irritating beyond belief, but a hamstring tweak for dodgy Dele tempered the blow somewhat.
It was good to see Aaron in full flow, and if it is true that he has his pre-contract in place, then I think we can expect much more of the same from him. Certainly there can now be no reason for him not to play a full and barnstorming role for the rest of the season, and I would like to think that he can lead us very close to European glory.
I think we can finish above Chelsea in the league, but sense we will need to leapfrog Tottenham as everything will be put in palce to ensure United finish in the Champion League places
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http://uniteforvar.com/?p=1636
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There have been games we’ve lost and I have felt positive and perversly after this game I can only see us finishing sixth. Manure seem to be winning with a smile chelski will buy a striker and grope points into the bag and the spuds have the late goal knack.
We played some good football against chelski however defending with the full backs tucked in and no-one challenging in wide areas is a recipe for disaster as we found out against West ham and nearly again on Saturday.
Up the other end Auba is a strange sensation, fantastic movement, reading of the game, good speed and at the weekend his tackling and workrate were excellent but as a finisher he is poor ( and yes I know he is leading goal scorer). In close games where we only get one or two chances this could prove vital.
Obviously losing Hector was a massive loss, we didn’t really cope while he was away in the short term and that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season.
While you would always back us at home it’s difficult at the moment to see us getting enough away points to challenge for top four.
I have always expected us to get better as the season goes on so here’s hoping we can just push our chest out over the line for that all important forth place.
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Andy I’ve lost another comment
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Found it Ian.
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for whatever it does or does not mean, Sven has now officially departed.
Sky reckon Edu will come in, which means Overmars is on his way
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Well that was a short-lived honeymoon!
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It is Blue Monday Pass – and Ian has got it baaaad.
I’d say it is a bit too early to be making definite predictions about where the final two CL places will go, assuming that City and the Scousers both steam ahead toward the title. There are no doubt few Chelsea fans even more gloomy than Ian this morning, and if Sarri and the players have fallen out it could be deadly for their season, PL and Europa wise. Chelsea players have seen off better managers than him.
As for ManYoo – let’s see what happens when they lose and Ole’s balloon pops. Hopefully this Friday.
Spurs ? Pfft – They have it in them to fuck it up. You know it, I know it, and more importantly the Totties know it themselves.
All wide open.
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Call me Cap’n Fence-Sitter but, while I’m disappointed Sven’s a goner, feel like without more info can’t get too upset about it.
As for performance and where we’re at : enjoyed that most vital of wins a lot, but not sure it teaches us much about months ahead.
I’m convinced those top six games are almost like a different competition to the other games these days, and that an excellent result in them means almost nothing in terms of setting you up for non top six games.
A confidence boost, maybe, and an alteration in pressure, but not much more.
It’s the space, dammit. While you have to cope with extra quality in attack against you, there’s always that possibility of good opportunities in space for yourself, depending on how many they have committed upfield, how you handle transitions,etc. Have to remember as well, though, that goals change games, and the 2nd half was dictated by our having a 2-goal lead to protect
Oh, and home top six games are very different to away as well.
But I’m still happy with that win. Felt like a near necessity. Also, just maybe something in the manner of victory that can help us in away top six games and, to a lesser degree, some of the other games.
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The latest Yorkie Show with Dave having picked a few of the songs
https://www.spreaker.com/user/cavanonlineradio/the-yorkie-show-21st-january-2019_1
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Thank you Sven
21 Jan 2019
Sven Mislintat, our Head of Recruitment, will be leaving us on February 8, 2019.
Sven has been with us since December 1, 2017 and has done a truly outstanding job in helping us recruit players who are making a big impact now and will do so even more in the future.
We wish him every success for the future and thank him for his extremely hard work on behalf of Arsenal.
Sven said: “It’s been an amazing experience to work at a great club like Arsenal in what has been a big time of change. I am excited about what the future holds for the club and am looking forward to new challenges for myself.”
Copyright 2019 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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Think Liverpool supporters might be most special of the lot.
I see quite a lot of their tweets, thanks to following the ex prem linesman who is a huge fan of theirs and likes dozens of cretinous tweets most weeks.
Their stuff on Salah at the moment is exceptional. So many theories, so much straining.
.
Bias, of course. Racism- apparently he’s being singled out because ‘they’ can’t stand to see an Arab man do well. Because he was meant to fail- suposedly, ah, I don’t know, people thought he was going to flop and his not doing so has upset them?! Similar theme: he is being targeted because he was supposed to be a one-season wonder and now he has disproved that it’s…turned them against him or something.
Honestly, the idiocy is incredible. Such nonsense when the truth is so damn simple: he’s getting stick for being a diver.
It’s pretty chilling though that this ex linesman likes all this crap. Hard to imagine anyone who approves of such garbage, let alone one who supports a club, who he officiated numerous times, so fervently could be good at what is,to us, such an important job.
There’ll be others, I’m sure, over years who have also supported prem clubs, and presumably fibbed about it, and even if they truly believe their professionalism can ensure no impropriety, there’s no chance.
Not if this guy is any sort of guide, nor imagining how one of us would feel about Kane and co!
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Andy for anyone seeing me jumping around shouting Saturday evening would never say I was gloomy, however in the cold light of day there were just some points that seem worrying. One of the reasons I first starting coming to this site (apart from getting pissed of with left foot) was the ability of people here to always chear me up. So when I bring points of concern here (or at the game where Steve always bets us to win 7-0) and others give me opposite reasons to look over the rainbow then I am truely thankful, I love you all.
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kevin prince boateng. remember him, has joined Barcelona on loan for the rest of the season, with a buy option of £7M
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Rotten news about Bellerin. Must be an awful experience for a footballer, with the fears about returning to normal level. Think anyone would be able to do their time ok so long as there was a guarantee of being alright again at end of it.
Hopefully good people around him and he can get over worst of it quickly and on with recovery. Everything crossed it’s a good, full recovery.
That’s one huge injury in each of last 3 months now. I believe the word is ‘bollocks’. Bellerin’s loss will clearly hurt us on the pitch.
I’ve still had a small element of doubt about Ainsley being able to nail down a regular starting spot for us, but this could now be his time. That seems only positive to it.
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for me AMN is way too laid back to make it here, he has such quality, great speed, calmness, but far too often I get the impression that he is playing well within himself, that he is just strolling through a game, not busting a gut to nail down a place, at times he annoys me how casual he is in getting back to cover, in a recent game he lost the ball with a very sloppy pass, putting our opponents on the attack and he didn’t even break into a quick jog to get back, and the ball ended up in our net from an attacker in the place AMN should have been to challenge.
the talent is there, but something has to click in him yet, for him to make it, but I’d still have him in the team ahead of Lichtsteiner, but then again I’d have Jenkinson in ahead of licht
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Why do our players injuries invariably turn out as the worst case scenario?
Get well and strong soon Hector.
AMN needs to really take this unfortunate chance
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David Ornstein
Verified account @bbcsport_david
2h2 hours ago
As per @DaveHytner Bellerín ruptured ACL confirmed in scan today, 6-9 months. Rest of squad were paintballing pre #MUFC. Francis Cagigao tipped by many to succeed Mislintat as HoR with Monchi among names for TD (no timescale). #AFC want 2 loan deals, 1 being Suarez but not close
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surely anyone who thinks Stan should give his own money to Arsenal cos he owns all the shares, must also see nothing wrong if he was to take out say £100M of AFC funds, after all he owns all the shares, or have they double standards
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Sheesh. Worrying news about Cardiff’s new signing. Travelling over on light aircraft from France and plane went missing over Channel Islands, feared dead.
Let’s hope for a miracle.
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“Aaron Ramsey was Arsenal’s best player last weekend – he’s leaving on a free. I don’t know where the club is going. Unai Emery will need a few windows to sort it out but the players they’ve purchased haven’t been great.”
– Paul Merson
Just because he doesnt know where the club is going, doesnt mean that its not going somewhere, for better or worse… who can tell? Who really knows about Aarons situation with the club, or Emerys systems of selection? I dont. Speculation just means possible answers, but not the answers.
Who can tell whether Emery will “sort it out” in a few windows? Its seems the next few windows also depend on other factors, and as always in life: cause and affect and reaction to reaction. Yes, it could be better, or it could be worse, that also is based on one thing, the shadow and success of the Wenger years. Any manager, no matter who is in or out with AFTV or Le Git, it doesnt matter, it whats left behind. All the talk of legacy’s being tarnished was just garbage. They always stand in black and white on the page.
“But the players they’ve purchased havent been great”.
Mmmmmm? Would you liked to be locked up in a room with the Sok, Torriera ,Guendouzi and Lichtsteiner and tell them that? Not I for sure. Anyway, again its a relative judgement system. What does he mean great? Messi? AFTV fc? Or himself? To be great you have to have not great to understand them both, and when does the judgment and comparison stop (ie who is actually at the bottom? In the eight (?) years when we didnt win anything at the Emirates, did that mean the AFC sides werent great? Or was it that other teams were even greater than great?
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Eduardo,
Is that possible HoR, Francis Cagigao, the same chap who played for Arsenal briefly many years ago? [Probably not – but the name rings a bell].
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