Hello all.
Once again off field activities have taken centre stage, our hero captain has become a villain. Spin, PR and half-truths are the order of the day. So it’s a busy podcast as we try to look at two games and the Aubameyang debacle.
Pedantic George
Positively Arsenal 
The saints game was an absolute gimme, both history and form told us that. Even so we were outplayed for the first twenty minutes and the goal on the break, admittedly very good, changed the make up of the game.
For tonights game it is slightly different West Ham have been doing well this year but are missing key players and don’t normally do well at our place.
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I hope Smith Rowe is back though more than happy with the current front three.
Sambi instead of Xhaka as I feel Sambi offers more mobility.
Rest of the team pretty much picks itself.
I wouldnt be surprised if its the same team as Southampton though.
While we were under the cosh for the first twenty minutes due to Southampton high press, which has caused even the likes of City problems, I take it as a positive that we managed to suss them out and proceeded to dominate the game for the reminder of the match. I don’t believe West Ham will play such a high tempo pressing game. But they have players who can hurt us if we go to sleep.
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Sambi is nowhere near as good as Granit and if you need to squeeze him in then it’s Partey that’s been out of form since he arrived at the club (unless he really is a poor player)
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Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Lacazette (c).
Subs: Okwonkwo, Smith Rowe, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Pepe, Tavares, Lokonga. Elneny, Nketiah.
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West Ham Fabianski, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Masuaku, Rice (c), Soucek, Fornals, Lanzini, Bowen, Antonio.
Subs: Areola, Yarmolenko, Vlasic, Noble, Benrahma, Kral, Okoflex, Alese,
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Just listened to the full podcast and once again it’s very interesting.
We mustn’ t get confused with Auba being disciplined and the fact he has been crap for two seasons and getting worse and Mikel waiting an excuse to sack him from the first eleven anyway.
Also Auba WAS a great player he isn’t anymore.
The other thing people get confused with is buying young players is not necessarily buying potential, must have started reasonably well but who knows how they will end up, remember our goalkeeper is by far our best player.
The other thing is the buying and selling overall is still in the negative both the experienced and young players we have got rid of is criminal and if Ainsley and Eddie goes the way of Joe then we are still making mistakes so our transfer policy of buying young players but not rewarding our youth players is still wrong.
Tonight the hammers are not in great form, have key players out and historically don’t do well here so although I agree they are favourites there is no reason we can’t come away with the points.
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COYG
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anyone got a good stream for the game
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Half time 0-0
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Eduardo
https://olympicstreams.me/arsenal-vs-west-ham-united-live-stream/1/
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After an even opening first 20 mins or we had the better of the game. Should be 1-0 possibly 2-0 to us. Tierney with a screamer off the bar and Martinelli should have poked the rebounce from Lacas shot.
West Ham not surprised have sat back most of the game.
With Martinelli and Saka we have genuine threats on both flanks.
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Against much better opponents for me that’s a more impressive goal then the one against Southampton.
Great football from Xhaka I think and Lacazette in the build up. Arsenal attacking in different areas today and it pays off.
The first save from fabianksi in the first half as good as any this season. He was always better then the blaggers thought, top keeper. the Gunners have are worth their lead and will be an even better game if the Gunners can win it!
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FT: 2-0 to the Arsenal
Martinelli and ESR with our goals, lacca missed a penalty, and we now have a plus goal difference, and are 4th
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Sure glad I was wrong! If only we could have beaten Everton and ManUre…
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I’m having that.
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A brilliant and well deserved win. Smith Rowe, Saka, Martinelli are just a joy to watch. Should have been three or four. West Ham didn’t turn up at all and apart from a couple of moments just didn’t offer anything. Declan Rice though is an excellent player, if he was in our midfield boy we would be a dead cert for top four.
Games will be coming thick and fast. A tough game away to a wounded Leeds awaits. But this was a big win!!!
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We played with a high tempo and intensity and were clearly the better team on the day. Martinelli and Saka were so dynamic on the flanks; their fullbacks had a difficult time. We will see if this means anything in the medium term other than three good points. UTA.
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Excellent performance, a credit to this young team
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we face leeds away on Saturday, followed by Sunderland at home in the CC on Tuesday, then on St Stpehens Day we have Norwich away, and finish the year with Wolves at Home, we really need to be winning all these games
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If we can get a striker of better quality than Lacazette who fits the tactics MA wants, it would be a massive plus.
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our Womens team lost 4-1 away to Hoffenheim in the WCL, letting in 3 goals in a mad 5 minute spell. Thankfully they still progress to the knockout stages, we finished level on points with the German side, but had both a better head to head, having beat them 4-0 in our home tie, and we had better goal difference too.
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Mikel Arteta was a happy man after we beat West Ham United to move into the top four.
Afterwards he faced the media and discussed the win, Gabriel Martinelli, Alex Lacazette and more.
Read on for the full transcript:
on his feelings after that win…
I’m really pleased with the performance, the attitude, the commitment and the quality that we showed in the game, and the chemistry that we generated again with our supporters. To win a game at home is really important, because it sets the tone of the team against a really good side that is very difficult to dominate the way we did today.
on if he needed to speak to the team before the game about why Aubameyang missed out…
The players play for the club and they played with the pride and the energy we all expect from them. I was really happy from the beginning – how focused they were to play the game, to put a good performance in.. We knew we had to play really well today to beat West Ham, and I think we’ve done it.
on how good our young players can become – and if they are the future…
I think they were all really good – and the senior players led by example. We had some really strong performances, which was needed to beat this team. I’m really pleased. We shared the goals. It was important for Gabi to score a goal like he did today. In general, I’m really pleased.
on if it helps that all Arsenal’s youngsters are growing up and coming through together…
I think it helps because some of them know each other from the academy. The chemistry is there. I really like the link and the way the senior players are contributing as well. They really enjoy helping those boys in a context that at times has been difficult. They’ve been really consistent.
on if there’s any news on when Aubameyang will return to the team…
No news.
on if today was Martinelli’s best performance under Arteta…
Well certainly it was one of the best in every aspect of the game. He was cramping again and he needs to mature in that sense but his overall understanding of the game is getting much better. He’s able to put some gears into his play. Sometimes he’s still doing everything at 100 miles per hour but the energy and quality he shows at times is top.
on two good performances with Lacazette as captain – and if it’s his armband now…
Well he’s the next in line and he’s taken it the way everybody saw today – with such a pride and commitment, and I’m really happy with the way he played.
on if Lacazette is relishing the captaincy role…
Absolutely – but Laca has always been like that in the dressing room. You see the way he acts with the young players, how willing he is to help. It’s in his nature. He’s not a selfish player. He’s happy when he makes the rest better, and he’s like that in the dressing room as well.
on the penalty…
I haven’t seen it, so I cannot judge it.
on going into the top four – and if that shows how far the rebuild has come in the last 12 months…
Obviously they are really positive signs – not only that but also how the team is playing. We’ve made some progress but there’s still a lot to do and we have to be aware of that. We’ve had some bumps in the road but I think we have learnt a lot from them, first of all because we have stuck together, from the top of the club to every member of the team and the staff. The biggest compliment I can give, and the players are feeling exactly the same way, is the way that we have our crowd behind us. To see that chemistry between team and crowd is unique – and I’m so proud of that.
on if being in the top four at this stage of the season means anything…
No, because the league finishes in May. But it’s much better than where we were, and we want to be higher. We need to find that consistency – we know the level of this league. This league is absolutely ruthless and tomorrow is always different to today, so let’s prepare for the next game.
on if Arsenal now need to produce these kind of performances away from home…
When we went to Old Trafford, I think we played much better than last year but we lost the game – and that’s where we have to come away from those grounds when we get the performance with the points. That’s the next challenge.
on the forwards setting the team with their defensive work…
That’s what I demand them to do. If we are to play the way that we want and I want, those players have to be able to do that consistently in every single action. That’s why it facilitates everything that happens in behind, because that process is done at the right moment, with the right rhythm and intensity. I’m really pleased with that.
on if this is the most synergy he has felt between players and fans…
Probably yes, because they show exactly what I expect from them, which is total unity with the team. We are building a project and I always said to build a project without the people we play for is going to be impossible, because they are the biggest pillar of the project that we have. When they are with us, the team grabs that pillar and we can become really strong. I’m really pleased with that.
on if he’s happy with the progress his defence is making…
As I said before, I think it’s a collective matter. When you have your front players doing the work that they are doing right now, it facilitates everything. It’s true that we have made a lot of progress in understanding and preventing situations, and we have cut down on a lot of individual errors, which has cost us a lot of points in the past. I think we’re [going] in the right direction, yeah.
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.
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The best performance of the season by a long chalk. Although the hammers had key players out and were somewhat restricted they are still a very good side and that win was very impressive.
At the time of the penalty award and sending off I felt we looked solid and it was us who looked the more dangerous so actually it was a bit of a spoiler because people will use it as mitigation when I believe we would have done Two nil anyway.
Oh and although I was impressed with Laca last night we do have a better striker already at the club , Eddie, unfortunately Mikel doesn’t like academy players.
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I see Chelsea Women who started this evening top of their CL group, fell to a 4-0 loss to Wolfsberg and ended up 3rd in the group, and out of the competition, couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch and their hateful manager.
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Gurjit@GurjitAFC
Ian Wright on the Aubameyang situation: “He [Arteta] has got the capability of killing it & saying, “Yeah, he’s in the plans & he’s an #Arsenal player”, & he didn’t do it”
Wright: “It’s going to be talked about again, they will mention it again for the next game. And then if he’s not in the next game… so he can kill it, that’s all I’m saying. Kill it” #Arsenal
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The funniest thing about chelski is once again we see a chelski manager who couldn’t face reality and blame the result on the team and the coaching staff’s tactics instead trying to blame Covid getting in the mind (not the bodies) of the team.
Absolutely laughable I enjoyed her interview immensely.
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I am afraid that even a good result cannot break the apathy that I feel towards the club at present, especially against Arteta.
Nothing justifies the pattern of behaviour that he and the hierarchy at the club have subjected the players and the fans to in the last 2 years.
The sooner he goes the better.
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I whole heartedly agree with Ian Wright that Arteta can and should kill the Auba story.
The table looks good and I hope the game at Leeds goes ahead and we bag three points. Fixture pile up will catch up with the spuds and united at this rate.
And up the Shropshire!!!! #A brilliant day to see De Peffel squirm!
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New post is up.
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