Good Morning all.
In today’s podcast @shotta_gooner and me talk about the great 3 points we got from Chelsea and wonder if it will be the start of a change or if we will revert to previous when the “old guard” become available again?
You can also listen to and download this podcast over on uncensoredarsenal.com .
Have a good holiday
Pedantic George.( @arseblagger )
Positively Arsenal 
Normally only our games that can seriously fuck up my mood but that Utd one got to me earlier. Had been really enjoying it until that moment but no interest afterwards.
Salt in the wounds looking at twitter afterwards. Neville crowing, all the rest.
The big picture is the killer. The way it all needs to be present and just so- refs, managers, pundits, media, fans- for this ludicrous state of affairs with Utd and pens to exist. More importantly, if that one ludicrous aspect exists, with them and pens, it obviously isn’t confined there, and more or less stretches to cover the whole thing. That’s just one very visible part of it.
Tomorrow I’m sure I’ll bounce back into some sort of shape to watch my team, but ach, feels like the football universe here is like one in which Darth Vader wins, gets glowing press coverage, and the vast majority of people think he’s a stand up sort of fellow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – the United bit really does get a bit much at times, especially with that sense that the full force of VAR is there to help, depending on how lines are drawn, slow motion angles deployed etc. In their defence (and maybe a slight observation on Arsenal here) the more you have players drive into the box at anythng like pace, the more defenders are likely to be put in a position where some contact is inevitable.
I’ve heard it said that because of the world wide reach of the United brand, the Premier League needs them to be at the top.
But I wonder how much longer the UK Premier League has as a world wide brand itself? By cutting itself off from Europe, by its handling of the Covid 19 virus, by its development of the Boris variant, by its seeming reluictance (at least in high places) to embrace BLM could there come a time in the near future when UK and its football is no longer seen as an appopriate vehicle for investment.
And following on from that, with all the excitement of a January transfer window about to unfold, how many players from beyond UK’s shores would be that keen to join an English club anytime soon?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy new year my Gooners in arms, may you all be blessed with love, health and good company in the year ahead.
Some great gems from our old friend Arsenal Column as always:
“Win v Brighton was so welcome, such a psychological relief, but as long as we keep winning,
I suspect the football will be much of the same, static, tourtous at times. One hopes Arteta can find more fluidity, someone to step out of midfield (Partey?).”
Yes. It’s unfortunate the utter fucking cretins who dumped a successful model for a football club at the Arsenal that had been copied by the likes of Leipzig etc and chosen to unsuccessfully copy the Shaktar Highbury / Sporting Wolverhampton model
And tore up the contract with Ramsey whilst selling off ALL the other midfielders then…how the fuck are Vinai and Little Joshy K still in a job? £100m worth of transfers can’t make the pitch! The worst kind of clowns. I ain’t laughing between the tears at the damage they have done to the club.
LikeLike
Oh the premier league remains a Mecca for most agents.
How is Fat Sam back a job? Let’s not kid ourselves.
It’s the fetid bog that Mendez of Kia have dreamed of bathing in their whole lives.
£100m worth of transfers that can’t make the pitch! Whilst forcing the most expensive and best player who is signed to the wrong agent not to play. Rinse and repeat:
These frauds are literally as happy as pigs in shit.
LikeLike
Trying to imagine a penalty like that being given to The Arsenal. That would be the Spurs one, not the Utd one.
LikeLike
Such fraudulent models have been called out recently as bogus models by championship club managers/owners, by famous directors of football across the world, some who were at the Arsenal but unfortunately all this copious voluminous content has been completely airbrushed out of the fraudulent Arsenal blaggers narrative with the “Ramsey and Ozil can’t play together” gibberish.
What an epitaph that remains! When it’s clear that without two such players on the football pitch your football will be poor! Who could write such *****ing shite! Whilst watching said players win three cups in four years. We know the answer!
As for the PL their efforts to build an alternative to to the European Super League as seen with their alternative VAR are doomed to failure, that will be the problem for the PL going forward: the European super league.
LikeLike
I’d pay good money to watch someone ask Mike Riley why England have only ever reached one tournament final.
And I would greatly enjoy his attempted answer. What a humongous cretin that man is! How can one person damage the national sport so much without any sanction? Just count the readies and you have your answer.
LikeLike
I think this game is going to be tough especially with a ref who let the world and his wife kick us to Kingdom come and an opposing manager who starts ever game going for a draw.
As shown in the Liverpool game even losing 1-0 they are happy to concentrate on keeping it tight and obviously are dangerous until the final whistle.
Leeds however showed that if you score early and keep going for the jugular then they are very vunarable.
Now we know sometimes we are very negative in which case it could be a long night or we can be very positive in which case it would be great to see fat Sam squirming.
I would love to see the new year in with the youngsters on the positive foot and another three points COYG.
LikeLike
HT: Brighton 1-3 Wolves
Brighton took an early lead but trail by 2 at half time, if we beat WBA later we could put some real daylight between us and those in the relegation battle, also go only 6pts off 3rd spot
LikeLike
seemingly a lot of snow on the WBA pitch
LikeLike
8pm weekend kick off. Snow on the pitch. Atkinson reffing. Big Sam’s tactics. What could possibly go wrong?
I’d settle for no points but no long-term injuries. tbh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
brighton got a penalty one minute into second half, 2-3 still, about 20 minutes to go there
LikeLike
Team: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Ceballos, Xhaka, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Runarsson, Willian, Maitland-Niles, Pepe, David Luiz, Elneny, Willock, Nketiah, Martinelli
LikeLike
I think it will be called off. Its snowing heavily now.
LikeLike
WBA: Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Ivanovic, Sawyers, Robinson, Phillips, Gallagher, Diangana, Pereira.
Subs: Button, Gibbs, Bartley, Grosicki, Austin, Harper, Krovinovic, Peltier, Diaby
one ex gooner starts for WBA, Ajayi, with two more in the subs, Gibbs and Bartley
LikeLike
Perhaps, Ozil has no incentive to cash his contract in, especially as any such deal, would, undoubtedly, have a secrecy clause, preventing him from making public the real reason why he was exiled.
If he wants the truth to come out then why would he agree?
The inclusion of ESR is a good sign, but the inclusion of Cellabos is not.
He is a prime operator of artetaball, so one wonders what he is doing playing unless Xhaka is to be given the role of holding defender, which we know he is not that good at.
LikeLike
Conditions might highlight the change of Elneny for Ceballos, Mo’s better in the air. No rest for Saka today. Tricky contest.
COYG.
LikeLike
oh what a goal, Tierney with a superb strike after taking on his man outstandingly 1-0 to the Arsenal
LikeLike
LikeLike
oh boy, an even better goal, bellerin to xhaka to PEA, to xhaka to ceballos to bellerin to smith-rowe, to lacca to saka to smith-rowe to saka who taps into an empty net 2-0 to the Arsenal
LikeLike
LikeLike
nearly a 3rd after some more one touch interplay, lacca pass deflected and goalie has to make a fine save
LikeLike
its amazing the difference having a no.10 in the team actually makes to the style and level of football we play, who would have thought it
LikeLike
Richard Jolly
@RichJolly
·
5m
Bukayo Saka is the first player born after Sam Allardyce first managed in the Premier League to score against a Sam Allardyce team.
LikeLike
lacca nearly scores after he beat his man on the endline, his shot hit the keeper
LikeLike
HT: WBA 0-2 Arsenal
Tierney and Saka with two of the best goals you will ever see in the same game.
We had chances to get more, very dominant.
We should take off Bellerin at half time as he is on a yellow and its Atkinson as ref, last thing we need is to go down to ten men
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some great moments. Conditions starting to equalise things. Need to keep it simple but still positive second half.
LikeLike
deadwood Lacazette with two goals in 4 minutes to put us 4 up
LikeLike
aha moving on to +ve goal diff
more like it
LikeLiked by 1 person
early in the second half we brought on AMN for Bellerin who was on a yellow.
Now we bring on Willian for Saka, not sure which of our players WBA will now target for a kicking
LikeLike
LikeLike
LikeLike
willock on for Emile Smith-Rowe
LikeLike
we want five, we want five, we want five
LikeLike
West Brom have the worst GD in the league before tonight, given the decent form shown in the first half from the Gunners and the two contrastingly brilliant goals I wasn’t the only one hoping for more goals this second half.
Enjoyed the sub of Bellerin too, probably could’ve done with the early rest and bearing in mind the ref a smart call given his yellow and the conditions. And this is what Willian is good for: giving Saka a rest.
Yet It is staggering that the club record signing can’t get off the bench when 4-0 up! Ceballos has had a better game.
Oops Willian’s first contribution is to hopelessly kill an attack with an awful pass.
ESR again showing the simple technical quality in attack that this or any football team would miss.
LikeLike
Well done the men in white tights!
I have said it before that Tierney was one hell of a buy and a future Captain in my opinion.
Even Auba looked motivated.
LikeLike
FT: WBA 0-4 Arsenal
Take that you fat fucking gum chewing throwback cunt Sam
Tierney, Saka, Lacazette x2 with our goals, we really could have scored another 4 too. Dominated from start to finish, fat sam can stick his relegation comments up his fat arse.
Its amazing the football we can play when Arteta actually picks a no.10 and the players are free to attack. Who would have thought it
LikeLike
arsenal now just the 6pts off 3rd placed, we are 11th
LikeLike
Well that was a thoroughly entertaining match. Very impressive performance from Tierney and Saka again. Emile Rowe Smith was excellent too…..
LikeLike
Really good performance in a game that could have so easily gone wrong. Lots of good moments from so many of our players. Not that he had to do too much to do but Mari looks very assured, and given that he he was playing his third game in 8 days not a bad Christmas period for young Smith-Rowe. That second goal was full of Arsenal DNA.
LikeLike
A good sign that the message has got through.
Now let us have Ozil back in the squad and allow him to educate ESR on the art of playing as a no 10.
Let us not get carried away.
This was WBA, after all.
Will Arteta allow the players to play the same way against a better team?
By the way, I see that Pogba got a penalty yesterday by tripping himself up.
Where was VAR?
LikeLike
Don’t be unkind to Big Sam. I’m sure he will have enjoyed a close.hard-fought battle between two clubs facing relegation.
LikeLike
Enjoined the first half, got to give credit where credit is due and say well done to Arteta with a well earned 9 points over the last week or so. Today West Brom were not up to much but that is going some way to what i want to see from Arsenal.
The fact that he has played Emile Smith Rowe in the 10 and accommodated the team to include him should be applauded but also highlight the fact we have a much better player not playing in that position because of politics. Aso well dont to Saka, Xhaxa and Lacca on playing for the badge no matter what.
LikeLike
now for once I agree that Mesut Ozil is shit stirring, or more precise he is having a good old pop at Arteta and rightly so
Mesut Özil@MesutOzil1088
Nice game my boys! Fire
Great spirit – 3 wins in a row
Red heart Clapping hands sign
Team looks good with a No10 like Emile Smith Rowe – the difference maker
Flexed biceps
#YaGunnersYa #COYG #WBAARS @Arsenal
LikeLike
Richard Jolly
@RichJolly
·
1h
Sam Allardyce has now lost to Arsenal as manager of eight different clubs: Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Everton and West Brom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖆𝖑
@The_Arsenal_
·
Sam Allardyce’s record against The Arsenal – Played 35, Won 6, Drew 8, Lost 21
LikeLike
some gobshite has reported me to twitter, Nikos Polydorou
@nikospolydorou who actually has me blocked, you have to love the precious twats in the fan base
LikeLike
Mikel Arteta was understandably delighted after seeing his side produce arguably their best performance of the season to beat West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Afterwards, he faced the media and discussed the win, Kieran Tierney, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and more.
Read on for a full transcript:
on being able to enjoy the performance…
It’s always tough to win away from home and the way we’ve done it was in a really convincing way, especially in this difficult weather but I’m really pleased. It’s three in a row now in the last week and we talked about the importance of this week for us and to be able to win all three of them is really important.
on whether that’s the kind of Arsenal he wants to see…
Yes. There were moments that I thought we were really good both defensively and offensively and attacking-wise we had movement that is exactly what I want and exactly what we try and teach the players to do. In other moments we became a little bit sloppy in certain moments when we thought that the game was won. That’s something we have to improve. But overall it’s close to what we want.
on if we can now build from these three wins…
I hope so. The energy and the convincing momentum that you get from everybody that is involved is much more positive. I wasn’t that concerned with the performances. We lost games where I felt we were really unlucky and most of them it was our own fault because we made some errors and we lacked some discipline in certain moments. But obviously you need to win football matches and now this brings a different momentum, energy and as well the players get the handbrake off and you can see that they are more free to play.
on increased levels of energy in the team and if he puts that down to Smith Rowe and Saka…
When I talk about the energy, when you are in a moment where you are winning and playing with confidence, you can see that you can transmit that. The body language is better and you have that enthusiasm that wins help massively for you to build. When we were going through a difficult moment, I said that the most important thing is to maintain the team spirit and the belief that we would turn things around and belief in what we are trying to do. This week, obviously, is paying the price for the way that we have been going together through that period.
on whether that’s the closest we’ve come to playing like a Mikel Arteta team…
Well, this is an Arsenal team with the idea of what I want with our staff to transmit to the players to play, but in certain moments it was very close to that, yes.
on Aubameyang’s need for a goal…
I keep saying, we can’t keep putting all the weight on Auba’s shoulders to score the goals. We need contributions. The midfielders need to score more and give more assists, and we need goals from our wingers as well. Laca is in great form and has scored five goals in his last four games, which is what we need from our strikers. Auba had some chances today to score and it was the same in the last game or so, but I am so pleased because in the final third we looked lively and there was a lot of movement. There is good energy, there is a real purpose and everybody is playing forwards. It’s like we are free to play there and the understanding is allowing us to generate a lot of things there.
on whether Partey could be involved against Newcastle…
Well, he hasn’t trained fully with us, but he has done most parts of training in the last few days. He’s feeling good and we will assess him if he needs another two or three sessions to see if he’s 100 per cent available to play.
on whether it will be like a new signing…
Absolutely. We’re in January and I think he’s played two and a half games! He was our main signing, so we’ve been missing him. He brings something different to the team and it’s a player with an enormous talent, but he’s also someone that can transform the team in the way we want. If we can have him and keep him healthy, he will contribute in a really positive way.
on Tierney’s performance and overall development…
From the moment I joined this club and he went through this shoulder injury, I saw a player with enormous talent with the perfect attitude and commitment. He is a joy to work with and I’m so happy for him with the goal he scored and everything he’s put in to be better every day towards the team and towards the club. He had some issues to adapt and it was a challenge for him to leave his house, and we are all trying to help him because the kid really deserves it. He’s a joy to work with.
on Tierney wearing a t shirt and shorts in the snowy warm-up…
He’s got something special in his blood because we’re all wearing snoods, gloves and hats! He just goes out in his shorts and t shirt! It’s not like he’s acting, believe me. He’s very comfortable like that.
Copyright 2021 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.
LikeLike
Fantastic win in very difficult circumstances. Some great football and great to see ESR dictate the tempo of the game at both ends of the pitch. The way he sped up the play in the build up to the second goal then cushioned the ball from Laca perfectly before laying on a plate for Saka. That second goal was all about ESR. Around his own penalty area too he was so calm, slowing the game down and looking like there was a five metre circle around him that no one could enter.
While Auba might be a lovely funny bloke and good to have in the dressing room it is obviously even to a blind man than the Captain on the pitch was Xhaka. If ESR was pulling strings technically Xhaka does it vocally bringing players toward him or spinning them away all over the place he totally controlled the team tonight from start to finish.
I felt sorry for WBA tonight having to face Ainsley with his Wee Willie Wonky outfit on it must of been quite off-putting, I know there were a few players with thermals on but Ainsley wearing his shorts high and his socks low looked quite odd.
LikeLike
Ianspace
Didnt watched the match.But your comment explaining Xhaka pulling the strings must have been shocking and an eye opener for the idiot fans who want Xhaka out. We have always been better when Xhaka is marshalling the midfield than without him.
As Arteta switching to Wengerball was the trick but we must keep in mind it was only WBA under Sam who has a dismal record against us.
LikeLike