A lot like last week, many of our players had good games and yet the team played some turgid stuff. We dominated possession and yet made few chances. I’ve long said that scores mask performances and this is yet another example. I can’t think of a single Arsenal player that wasn’t decent, but our team play was laboured and uninspiring.
We eventually won the game when Ceballos stuck our a foot and the ball fell in Aubameyang’s path, he then did his Aubameyang thing and scored a brilliant goal. Just like last week we relied on a moment of individual genius rather than cohesive team play.
Again, I feel mean spirited, given we won and have 6 points from our opening 2 games, but eventually, results will reflect performances.
I thought Ceballos was excellent and Luiz added much. Pepe looked like he could add a lot but ultimately fluffed his best line when he played a really poor ball behind Aubameyang , when a decent ball into his path would have been a tap in.
I have to give Mike Dean a mention as he was at his incompetent worst. He allowed Burnley players free hits after the ball had gone and punished us for the mildest infringement at every opportunity.
Now don’t get me wrong, we have been the better team in both games and deserved the points, but only bod just.
Positively Arsenal 
There may be multiple copies of this post as WordPress is playing games with me….I try again!
Great 3 points, bit nervy at times but job done. I thought that Ceballos did well, I think we need to hold off on the statue for now, will be interesting to see how he does against better teams and once other teams break down his tendencies. As for his 2 assists they were hardly the Ozil beating 7 players with a pass variety but well done.
I really enjoy the play of Joe Willock, I think he might become our best central midfielder, fast, passes well and is involved. I rate him right after Xhaka for now. Merci Arsène for our 2 strikers, both goals were the fruits of their labour.
Pepe did well, his passing is not of Kolo quality but a few passes were not pro worthy, how/ why do pros pass the ball 2 meters behind a player?
As for Unai, I won’t copy paste my past posts on his windmilling…the war and peace length instructions must be worth a listen. I can’t help but think that players must nod furiously in hope that he shuts up before doing pretty much what they think is best…
Encouraging start to the season but after the next 2 games we’ll see what we have….
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Dyche for the second year, or is it the third year running, after a defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, takes it upon himself to tell the world that Football is fucked, again he said his rant was not aimed at Arsenal, but he went on about diving, cheating, lack of yellows for players going down under challenge, basically said the game is fucked, but never mentioned the thuggery and time wasting his team employed all game long, seemingly this is an acceptable part of the game, its the skillful play of these foreign type coming over here taking our jobs, brexit means brexit etc etc etc. Once again not one of the attending journos questioned him on his teams antics, the elbows, the knees in the back, the hoof ball, how Dean let them away with murder.
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Someone mentioned pitch at end of previous comments section.
Anyone at game to offer a view of it? Looked distinctly dry to me. Very weird if that’s case as surely it’s something within our control in terms of how much to water it.
If we’re deliberately not watering pitch, for Burnley, may have to do a volte-face here and get me own pitchfork out!
Wasn’t main cause of that botched Pepe ball at end, but it may just have got there and give Aubameyang something to work with if pitch was slick
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redshark will Willock even be in the team when everyone is fit, I don’t even expect Ozil to get in Emery’s team when all fit. Unless Willock starts to go wide or play the ball wide he will soon be dropped, we can’t be having play progressing through the middle, we are cut back FC, and will be as long as Emery is here.
As George says in the match report, despite the guys playing well, the football at times was ponderous, slow and uninspiring, and we created very little, despite finding ourselves in many very encouraging positions, we still relied on the run of the ball or a bit of magic from Lacca and PEA for our goals.
yes we butchered great positions when we actually played some good football, but the Ceballos performance stood out cos it was based on skill and vision, it really seems Emery wants workmanlike football, he wants our players to play like robots, all his windmill stuff on the sideline suggests he is micro managing the team, and you will never have inspiring football under a micro manager. I laughed at the over the top prolonged talk he had with Kolasinac before he eventually allowed him to be subbed on. Fuck me what goes on at training if you have to give that amount of instruction for a 20 minute sub appearance
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Dyche Dean stuff very dispiriting. Got to worry we’re in cycle again where it will keep building and only ease once serious injury occurs.
Dyche is a truly pathetic man if he doesn’t recognise the extent to which his team cheat. More likely the touchline antics and talk afterwards is, as with Fergie, Mou, Pulis, Allerdyce, all of a piece and just a continuation of cheating on the pitch.
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I thought Auba was poor, his hold up play was poor, his decision making was poor, he list the ball often and most of his chances he didn’t make the most of. Then all of a sudden he proved what a class act he is and won the game in a matter of seconds. He is an anomaly, weak one minute brilliant the next.
I thought Willock had a fantastic game and looks like he’s been in the team for years. Pepe looks good going forward but must learn when is the correct time to pass otherwise we will be caught out.
Ceballos looks like the Santi weve been missing however again against better teams he will need to be careful in certain areas.
After surviving all the rugbyness Burnley could throw at us conversing a goal on the break just before half-time shows we still haven’t learnt time management and when teams are breaking against us the job of a defender is primarily to delay rather than to tackle so the rest of the team can get back.
Early in the season its all about points and performances have to grow especially as new players are bedding in and players are getting their sharpness and fitness back with many on different levels.
Next week will be a major test but we should be looking forward to it and certainly not fearing anyone.
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the heatmap
https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1375937/Live/England-Premier-League-2019-2020-Arsenal-Burnley#heatmaps
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Dan Critchlow
@afcDW
·
46m
Arsenal 2-1 Burnley
✅
Arsenal u23s 2-1 Brighton
✅
Aston Villa 1-5 Arsenal u18s
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Aston Villa 0-5 Arsenal u16s
✅
Home debut assists for Ceballos, Smith Rowe goal (u23) debut assist for Cirjan (u18), debut for Edu’s son Luigi (u16), plenty of other positives. Great weekend.
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Obviously I’m pleased with the result, however, I feel we missed a trick today not starting Pépé. The next two games are so crucial and had Pépé played the better part of 90 minutes in a game before he would be so much better prepared. Play time is over and now is the time we start getting serious.
One of my peeves last season was that whenever we went a run of good results, irrespective whether performances wasn’t exactly something to crow about, Emery would start to tinker and start players on the fringes. The best sides in the league have their teams settled and changes are made when forced to.
Today was Ceballos’ first start and although not a performance worthy of a statue, the hype around him will do his confidence the world of good. I honestly cant wait to see him and Xhaka at the base of our midfield. Shades of Arteta and Ramsey anyone?
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Get your money on pitypool, corruption on a grand scale incoming. PGMOL Crooks
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So Spuds goal with Lorente was OK but that wasn’t OK then. What a crock of shit
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Dyche seems like a little Englander under threat from the nasty foreigners?His cuppa will soon be extinguished and the old ways gone. Shame all the pure blooded English sneaked off to join the Scots, Picts, Welsh and Irish years ago and the rest bred with the Vikings, Neider Saxons( not Saxony in eastern Germany),the Germans, Danes,low countries, French (Normans) and remaining Romans ( Italians), and thats just for starters.
His persuasion said that Turkey was coming in the EU and they would all be coming to England, Turkey is not coming in the EU,and nor were they ever but does anyone know why? (I do if youre interested).
Weird how the Leavers love the Empire( commonwealth) and the memory of taking over other peoples countries, although most of the grabbings stayed in their club, what got filtered down to the working class? The orders to do the fighting? Cheers! And thats what the referendum( non legally binding) is all about. Played out on immigration (which is up from outside the EU, which must be strange for them) but really about trade, and one muther of a massive skim off for those in the gang. I wonder how many of the leavers are aware of the other alliances that exist in the world? If they did they might want to stay.
Even if it happens (Shitxit), the people they fear will still be there…
All this on a tiny planet in the edge of a star system that is one of trillions ( that are visible), that we dont understand that is more inhospitable than we could ever understand and is silent except for vibration. That when we see the comparative planet sizes, some are so large that our Sun is invisible next to them. We are the string theory on that level. Microbes on microbes.
If the game is crocked in England then its because of bad reffing, bad football ( ie park the bus ethics because that team cant play to any degree), the over involvement by reporters, bloggers and vloggers ( “give em a good vlogging!”) and the money that came in with Chelseas owner and started a super trend and other forms of corruption. And the demise of sportsmanship. And the weird hunt for the football orgasm victory at all costs.
Our biggest problem is the divide: top 3, top 6, top 8 and then the rest. It is uneven and big money buys big players unless youre a canny sod like AW who could get plays up and running and coherent. But even he saw its tough against big cash of the open cheque book.
All the points that Dyche makes can be applied to his side, which he and his fans ignore, due to their own false holiness and biased viewpoint. Its like the shadows of tough of the track, the loneliness of the long distance runner, Alfie, a kind of loving and the platform heels, fuckin flares that will av yer eyes out,side burns,greasy combed hair, greasy fried bread, weirdos up the park, embassy number 10, baked beans on toast (technology is the most) and dirty Leeds that still haunts us. Its all well and good being nostalgic, but where’s there’s nostalgia there’s paranoia, and its turned up beyond its normal, daily level that we all carry.Wheres theres paranoia, theres victimhood (of all sorts of degrees, some legit and others less, and can be pretty complex in that bully and victim mentality can be in the same entity-BFC tonight for example), and then some level of trying to turn things around and win in another way. The victim/bully relationship is never about trying to find peace or equality, which often seems the cry of the victim. Of course sometimes it can be, but Im not really talking about that on a social scale but in the confines of football. But Im also not talking about the nature of the football competition itself, which is a symbiosis (what a wanka word that is, thats why Ive used it)of acknowledged competition, but more Dyches cry for a level playing field of fairness, which seems a bit hypocritical?
Plus, all things change, that all we are, at least on a physical side; slowed matter morphing and changing. Go ask the Tudors, they were fucked off when the Baroque heads came in with their fashions, and cried mercy tis buckram! Z’wounds !What shalle ever happene to oure cuppa? I feel really sad that many great things from the past have gone or are fading, but when its the nature of life, then as much as I rant about it to my loved one, I have to do something. I know people feel frightened, will live in tense times, and the internet is a place that difficult as the humans are learning to communicate in another way, a way in which we cant see facial expressions and its tougher to deal with a lack of tone. One day it could be this, one day it could be that, thats how it is to read things.
Are Arsenal a cheating side? To me ( biased and non objective view point) sometimes, but less than others. When we do, I dont like it, as I think we can play, and that we dont really need to. But as anyone whose played knows, you are taught from the age of ten to cheat and play tricks etc.
If all the foreign players left the EPL, then it probably would be pretty poor, and not the global phenomena that it is.
Surely in life we are all part of the problem, and how do we take it from there? Even to say its somebody elses fault, also means that we are part of the relationship and involvement of the problem. And added to that we are going at different speeds, with different hurts and ideas of absolutism in our minds from our different conditioning, not knowing where we’ve come from or really knowing where we might go next.
Dyches side were beaten fair and square. If they werent then we would be talking about it on here.
Its not easy being a human. But is it easy to be anything else?But do we have to make it so hard? Would you not respect Burnley if they just played and lost? Would you not respect Dyche if he made an honest assessment? At least a bit?
I know, Im living on cloud 9, but everywhere else looks a bit oddball. And of course in many peoples minds Im simple wrong, how could I be right? Perspective is a strange moveable thing. That doesnt even exist.
COYG!
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marky there has been a slight change to the rule, the PGMOL stated before the seasons started that any goal coming from a handball will be ruled out, be that directly or indirectly, there was one ruled out last week in the LCFC v WW game, same thing, the handball may not have been deliberate but that no longer matter.
I think its same with penalties, it don;t matter if defender did not mean to handle it, penalty will be given.
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marky the new handball rule that seen the goal ruled out is from the IFAB, its a change to the rules this season.
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can anyone clarify the rule on the linesman flagging for offside, I thought they were to flag but let play go on if there was a scoring chance, but today Monreal was flagged offside and play stopped by the ref, when we had him and one if not both of Aubameyang and Lacazette in behind their defense, with only one defender chasing back. Monreal looked onside, the TV showed one replay and he looked onside in it. I’m not talking about the Nelson disallowed goal, this was before that, when we were 1-0 up
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Well the rule seemed to be in place according to Dean when Chambers was concerned.a couple of years ago eh? What is obvious is if, they , the Pigmob don’t want to review something it sure as hell isn’t replayed by the broadcaster, end of story. Bent as fuck.
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Ed, on handball, just for a bit of extra confusion think the rules a bit different for defending team.
With defensive team will take things like distance, ricochet off other body part and position of hands/arms into account.
For some extra extra confusion believe on defensive/pen side prem/pgmol do not intend to stick as stringently to new silhouette/ natural position ruling as set out by Ifab, and used by UEFA/FIFA. There was talk through summer of them intending to stick more to their (pgmol) original way, which involved taking into account distance ball travelled and other factors.
Suppose question is why, if pgmol prem are doing things differently with various other VAR matters they are adhering strictly to handball ruling in offensive situations?!
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It will be case by case situation with tv and media backing up whatever Riley and Co decide whatever. It has been this way for years. Has anyone actually seen Riley in the last few years? is he really still alive?
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Ed, I made recording of Tyler commentating at under 21 Euros where he revealed officials were told in trials to continue flagging as normal, because, word for word, ‘in the league cup and the FA cup the English officials have been told to raise their flag because you can’t change the habits of a lifetime.’ ?!
Last week I’m almost certain a commentator was under belief that though flag was being raised early here the phase of play actually continued until end, and, supposing led to goal, it would then be checked by VAR.
I was pretty sure it wasn’t case and that I’d seen instance to contradict it already- one with Auba at Newc- but now, obviously that has been fully confirmed to be wrong.
As it happens, the linesmen of today is one of best in business, but he’s obviously not infallible, and the way they did it destroys possibility of goal being scored if they are wrong.
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Just remembered think Spurs scored goal, through a Kane pen, in league cup last year when flag went up but ref-Oliver- played on till end of phase (Keeper-Kepa- done by Kane special).
To boot, the images weren’t at all clear that the offside flag was wrong. Think they still had child with crayon drawing them at that stage.
If pgmol are as bad as I fear they are in my darkest moments regarding them, then they will, with VAR, lose virtually nothing in their ability to shape things , and could even gain some overall.
You have to trust that they are as likely to spot that handball if it is a Utd/Spurs/Pool player against us, and will take same action when they do; likewise that they are as likely to treat offsides the same for all- not flag early to stop play with some, let it run for others.
Unfortunately, I just don’t.
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You’ve got Moss in charge. It will end up like professional Wrestling
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In charge of VAR, so bent plus bent = Double bent. Get your money on Pitypool.
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well one problem with VAR is that its just more PGMOL game managers running it, so we can not expect them to ignore Mike Riley’s concepts and actually apply the rules of the game, the PGMOL game managers don’t do it when on the field of play, they are not going to do it from a studio or VAR hut, now are they.
VAR will mean more correct calls reached, but it will not fix the PGMOL
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a few years ago we scored a handball goal v Burnely, I think it was Alexis, might have been one too with Koscienly v Burnley too the same season, and the pundits, the commentators, the media all said no goal should be given even if totally accidental like both of those Arsenal goals, that the rule was wrong, that no matter how accidental the handball, no way should a team be rewarded for a handball goal, but now that the rule is that all handballs leading to a goal mean the goal is ruled out, we are being told by these same people that the rule is wrong. Go figure.
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ha ha ha, well played the Arsenal photographer, Stoke City, ha ha ha.
Stuart MacFarlane
@Stuart_PhotoAFC
· 2h
A few pictures from todays home win against Stoke City #afc #arsenal
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F**k Dyche!
Bloody whiny twat neanderthal!
His number 9 almost broke Guendouzi’s back with a cheap shot and he dares to open his gob to complain about what…
… but I digress.
We clearly have a brand new brand of football with this team.
Emery is no Wenger but there are enough glimpses of Wengerball on offer with our HG and Wenger-purchased players flashing their wares dutifully in the most classic of claddings.
It’s enough to fill that space for the time being. A joy to behold. Much more to come we hope….
Thank you Joe Willock, Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley MN.
Precedents’ve been set.. it’s on the others now to flash their wares..to do their own thangs… the red & whites…
COYG!!!!
Anfield here we come.
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If VAR existed 10 years ago AW would still be the manager of Arsenal.
Just RE: Barcelona UCL games, MSN Utd vs Invincibles 2004/05Old Trafford…amongst others .
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Dyche said if Tony Adams was playing today would he allowed hes own team to dive. I think hes got the old rose coloured glasses on there. Ive been watching football for fifty years and although the diving and rolling around has got worse we have always had divers in the game. Most of the old players who are pundits today call it “being clever”.
He is also being selective in his highlighting of cheating, didnt his players obstruct Leno all day, didnt his team time waste, dont his defenders deliberatly go through the back of strikers early in the game getting a freebee.
I certainly dont like simulation but you have to pick your moments to complain about it. To say it wasn’t about ARSENAL when it was in the post game press conference is frankly lying (which is a form of cheating) because he has the worse record in the world here. I agree with everyone else FUCK OFF dyche.
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Unfortunately, Dean helped distort reality and push a false narrative by keeping their free kick count so low, doing nothing about cynical late hits, whacks around the head, etc.
A normal ref would have been on all of that and so the official picture of the game would have looked different. I can’t believe any reasonable person couldn’t see it for what it was, regardless of Dean’s efforts, but then again how many of the population are reasonable people, especially when it comes to football and they are being hand-fed such bullshit all the time?
Third part of it is that commentators literally didn’t mention once how rough they were playing it, nor say a thing about the fact the Barnes knee to back was a very obvious booking (same as they didn’t for the two fouls on Willock week before that were clear yellows). That’s another big change from when this stuff started, ie in commentary for game 50 a number of times Gray is genuinely surprised at the decisions not to book, etc.
They got away with so much, got free kicks almost every time there was any possibility of getting one, and still that shit is said about us and, no doubt, completely unchallenged by media.
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Is it possible we might see Dean turn up for our game against the Spuds, he seems to do a lot of them, and always gives them a dodgy pen.
On another note, RVP has a strange version of what we remember as the truth, he’s really clutching at straws, obviously he really wants that media career and knows laying into Arsenal is one way to get it
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Great individual performances, poor team performance. That’s basically it. That’s what it’s going to be all season, until the players can no longer rise above the system. This might be as soon as the next game, although Emery loves being an underdog.
We, at least did persist with playing out from the back. But it seemed ridiculously dangerous for no real reward. The only instance of it leading anywhere I can remember was the Guendouzi shot. Apart from that, we played dangerously across our own box, twice by Ceballos, once by Guendouzi, managed to keep the ball, and then waited around for Burnley to recover. What’s the point? There was no link between the midfield and the forward line.
It took a corner and some fight and no small skill from Lacazette to score the first, and a tackle from Ceballos and a fantastic finish from Auba to win this.
Also a pattern from last season, we start off well enough, score, and then we sit back and allow more pressure to develop. Their goal, it must be said, was a little lucky, but they were constantly causing us problems, because even with the lack of attacking play, our defensive structure is bad.
The day we remove Emery and install Freddie, our football will instantly be better and more likely to deliver results than us scraping through on individual talent alone.
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I’ve watched the first half of yesterday’s game. I think George is overly grumpy again… I think this team played well and will only get better
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Pepe and Ceballos definitely give us a flair boost for the year (worrier i am, though, I can see it leading to some very poor challenges on them)
Nelson and Willock both skilful lads ,too. Quite liked look of Luiz’s long ball option as well.
I don’t now how season will go but feel there are reasons for optimism at moment. 3 good long players to return in defence one of them. Talented new signings and a couple of our own getting good opportunities early doors. Saka and Smith-Rowe next in line. Plus, of course, getting the two wins.
Still plenty of question marks and reservations to go with it. Anfield not a bad test of some of the issues.
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Weirdly, despite us now having five centre mid options I really like, and Ozil on top of that, still don’t have picture of what we should go with as first choice, nor sense we can create ‘just right’ balance from those options. They all have different things to offer. Maybe there won’t particularly be a first choice pairing or three?
I feel Xhaka has to be in there, but if he is it puts extra onus on having some legs around him, recovery speed in particular. Willock perhaps fits that bill best. Arguably best defensive type midfielder is Torreira but he again needs some help on physical side and maybe to sit more or better definition of his role. Guendouzi is a quality young player but again I don’t know exactly what type of midfielder he is (all rounder? passing hub? mixed?). Then Ceballos. The skill man. Energy and enthusiasm to go with it. Offers lots in phases with opponents sitting deep, pops up all over place and makes skilful contributions, bold, creative.
I have absolutely no idea which of them complement each other’s game best. Oh, and then Ozil as well!!
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Rich
I think Arsenal’s best midfield would be composed of the best most experienced midfielders, same as last season, same as with the centre backs.
Xhaka, Cebellos and Ozil.
If a coach wants to use Ozil as a forward as the coaches who’ve managed have done th Arsenal coach could play him in the front three with Auba and Pepe and ask lacazette to drop deeper or play another midfielder in the three.
Same as Klopp with his onetime ten in Germany) Firminio ooops hang I thought Billy The Big Blagger told me the modern coaches don’t use tens! Yikes!! Someone has been chatting shite to their gullible audience and it ain’t Jurgen!!!
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you have to laugh at the stupid comments of Dyche on diving, he complained that Divers only receive a yellow card, he said this was a free hit, since when is a yellow a free hit, any dived called by the officials is a yellow, so its not like the free hits Ashley Barnes gets away with week in week out, also Dyche implied Arsenal players dived cos they would only get a yellow for it, but the fact is Mike Dean did not give a single yellow for diving yesterday, not one, so not one player on either team got called for a dive. During the game Dyche was upset at Barnes getting called for throwing Kolasinac to the ground, claiming it was a dive by Kolasinac, when all replays showed Barnes grab him and swing him to the ground, not even the bias commentators seen anything other than a clear foul by Barnes.
As the Arsenal club photographer said “stoke city”
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well Rich for me if everyone was fit and playing well my 11 would be
Leno
Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney
Xhaka, Ceballos
Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang
Lacazette
but I really doubt Emery would be that adventures, I fear he sees Ceballos as a way to keep Ozil out of the team, not someone to help get the best out of him.
Just over a year in to Emery’s reign and I see his ideal team as functional, and workmanlike, relying on moments to win games, he claimed he would rather win 5-4 than 1-0 but nothing we’ve seen yet suggests this as being true.
I see the bringing in of Pepe and Ceballos as him trying to have more players who will have big moments, meaning we can keep more players back to help shore up the defense. Its designed for more 1-0 to the Arsenal type performances than any free flowing exciting game plan
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We may see that lineup of:
Xhaka – Ceballos
Pépé – Özil – Auba
Lacazette
When Emery got their backs up against the wall. Afterall we saw last season a midfield of Xhaka. Özil and Ramsey being the go-to when we desperate to overturn a run of poor results and/or up against much stronger opposition.
It really irked how he has a habit to not take teams outside ‘top-six’ serious enough and always tend to experiment with lineups.
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I hope Emery shows he has balls and plays the attacking lineups that includes Ozil, Ceballos and Xhaka. I won’t hold me breath but one can always hope.
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As Labo reminds us it’ll probably happen same as last season…sometime in March !
I’ll enjoy/am enjoying the younger players develop.
–
A game of few spaces at Stamford Bridge, big investment by the new coach there in the young Mount playing in what looks like a midfield three ahead of Jorginho. Has he figured out Giroud is his best striker?
It’s obvious how less physical LCFC are allowed to be against another opponent.
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Doof, some bold lineups there, folks.
Probably about as bold as City’s. I thought they would be too vulnerable to and undermined by counter last year, but the combo of so much skill in forward areas to pin teams back; not losing ball cheaply; fast athletic defence, Walker especially; good pressing; plus Fernandinho, who was exceptional in his role defensively and passing out, meant it wasn’t the case.
I don’t feel we could replicate that with the five very offensive players plus Xhaka, or not in all games anyway.
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Fins, may have deciphered wrong but Firmino wasn’t with Klopp in Germany. Came from Hoffenheim. Maybe Goetze was closest to 10 in his Dortmund teams. Mkhi had two years with him as well. Or Reus?
Cracking versatile player, Firmino, but really don’t see him as a ten myself or at least can’t see much similarity with Ozil or that sort of ten.
The quote I put up other day from Hassenhutl article was apparently from a direct Klopp quote- about pressing being as good as a ten, or something like that.
Anyway, I see Liverpool as being nothing like us, and with their emphasis on energy and workman-like stuff (relatively speaking, compared to sublime playmaking skills) in centre mid and nearly all the pizzaz and killer stuff from a pretty awesome front three (or fullbacks) can’t really see a model for how we should use resources, especially Ozil, in similar fashion.
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Ed
Think you’re onto something about being a moments team. Definitely felt like that yesterday with the, erm, moments of great skill, but few periods of good sustained team play.
Good contrast was the way Chelsea were on fire early on today really going for Leicester in a full team effort. Certainly didn’t sustain it on this occasion though.
Couple of top team performances from us in recent years that spring quickly to mind are the Villa cup final and Monaco away game.
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Recommend a read of Baba Grumpy’s review on Uncensored Arsenal. Good stuff.
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did any of you see Miguel Azeez’s goal for our U18’s yesterday, so little backlift and so much power, fantastic strike. Reports are that he will sign a 3 year contract when he turns 17 in September, with the contract having a 2 year extension clause. A 5 year deal is very rare in our Academy, so says much about how highly rated he is here.
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well Rich it may be a fitness thing, or just the first choice players missing at the moment, but time and again yesterday I felt we had great opportunities to really go at the Burnley defense when we turned them over but it was too often a one man charge, yes the PEA goal came from one such one man charge, but it felt like some players were under instruction to not go forward, not go beyond the ball. Maybe that is the sacrifice if we want to concede less, but in our two games we have had our opponents have more shots that us, will we win our next two if that stat remains in them. We have had something around 66% possession but got out shot. Its a worry that like the 22 game unbeaten run last season, we are relying on having an outstanding conversion rate to win games, an outstanding conversion rate that is unsustainable.
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Most goals for Arsenal in the Premier League after 51 league games:
1- Auba 34 Goals
2- Henry 30 Goals
3- Ian Wright 25 Goals
4- Alexis 22 Goals
5- Lacazette 20 Goals
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Ed, saw couple things on twitter about Azeez contract last week, including one mention of it being five years.
Meant to ask you- is that allowed? Had feeling it was three years max if under 18? Suppose extension could be way around it. Was it you by way who mentioned Musah’s leaving could have been linked to him wanting same terms Azeez offered/on?
Saw his goal, cracker, looked similar to long ranger he struck at end of last year (that under 16 Chelsea final I think).
Certainly looks hell of a good prospect. Still only seen bits and pieces- highlights, pre-season game this year, game or two at awful camera angle in youth tour last year, and 2 full Eng u17 games- but enough to be hopeful could be special.
With that Eng u17 team he seemed to be player tasked with receiving ball from defence and trying to link everything from centre, great touch and creativity; so if he happens to progress very well that’d sure make him an interesting player to come into first team group in couple of years.
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Loan report – Sheaf assists; Ballard suffers injury
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sheaf
Ben Sheaf provided an assist as Doncaster Rovers beat Fleetwood Town 3-2. Sheaf played the whole game in midfield and was also booked.
Daniel Ballard missed Swindon Town’s 1-1 draw with Exeter through injury. There have been suggestions that the defender could miss four to five months of action and has reportedly returned to Arsenal for treatment.
Tom Smith played the whole game as Salisbury won 4-1 against Dorchester Town.
Jordi Osei-Tutu was brought on in the 75th minute as VfL Bochum lost 1-0 to Hamburg.
Deyan Iliev played the whole game as Sered lost 4-0 to Slovan Bratislava.
Eddie Nketiah was an unused substitute as Leeds United won 2-0 against Wigan Athletic.
William Saliba missed out through injury as Saint-Etienne drew 1-1 with Brest.
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rich it was not me who mentioned the musah contract thing, may have been Ian.
the 3 year plus 2 year extension is a way around the limit.
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