We appear to have escaped the break unscathed before we host an out of sorts United this weekend. We've been boosted by the news that Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta are back and available. Whilst they aren't the defenders we so desperately need it's nice to have them back to offer something different. We are in desperate need of confidence after shipping two leads in the same week. A win is needed this weekend and we're taking on one of the most top heavy sides in the league.
In terms of our team news those are the only returns from the squad and Welbeck is a slight doubt but is expected to make it. Quite who will line up at the back in anybody's guess but against a team with Rooney, rvp and Di Maria they will need to be on the ball to deal with them. United are without Falcao and more importantly in my opinion Daley Blind who gave them some sort of defensive stability. If we go forward with pace and quality that we all know we have there are goals to be got against this side and quite a few at that.
This weekends match could be an absolute goal fest the way both teams have been defending recently or it could be a cagey 1-0. It's a hard one to judge because both teams have had time to regroup after the international break so mentally they should all be focused. Make no mistake, although this match might not be the title decided that it once was it's still a huge game and it still carries huge importance for both sets of fans.
With confidence at a real low and just 4 wins to our name out of 11 league matches this season we need to buck our ideas up and sharpish. We still have a mountain of games to complete before we have to face before we can even attempt to address our problems at the back in January and if we're already out of the running by then it will be insignificant.
Onwards. Up the Arsenal.
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Sunday, 5 October 2014
The last few weeks
Apologies it's been so long since I posted, I've had a manic few weeks at work and just haven't found the time. I was going to post before today's game but never got around to it. So I'm just going to run over the last couple of weeks.
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham
We went into the Tottenham game with high hopes due to their lackluster start to the season. Wengers decision not to start Alexis was strange as myself and friends assumed it was due to an injury. We started brightly but the game levelled out and shortly after the half Flamini was played into trouble by SZCZ then fumbled to give them possession which Chaldi finished. The goal sparked us on and after pressing and pressing we finally equalised. The thing that concerned me most about this was the fact that it seemed to take a Sp*rs goal for us to actually look like we wanted to win. Still we can only view it as a point gained.
Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray
In contrast to the Tottenham game, the Champions League game midweek was an outright walkover. With Ozil deployed in the middle where he just belongs, we bossed the game. Danny Welbeck scored his first career hat-trick and Alexis added another. The only sour note on the night was that SZCZ got himself sent off for pole-axing a Gala player. They scored the resulting penalty but overall it was a dominant performance from the Arsenal.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
The game today was a huge game, especially considering what happened last season at the same venue when we went down 6-0. We went out looking to make a statement against the team that I think could go all the way. The game started cagily with neither side really making progress, Alexis shot from 35 yards and it cruised wide of Courtois' post. As the half wore on both sides started to open up when a well worked move saw Hazard blatantly fouled in the box. He stepped up and put his side 1-0 to the good.
We picked up the second half and pressed for the equaliser with no luck. Our fear of shooting meant we ended up going nowhere. It's not we don't have players who can't shoot it's just they really don't seem to want too. Our timidness as always cost us and as Fabregas lofted a ball between out centre backs Costa ran onto it and lobbed SZCZ and the game was done. Wenger made some bizarre substitutions and nothing changed. We lost, that disgusting cretin of a man Mourinho walked off without a handshake. He's a vile human being and the sooner everyone is rid of him the better.
None of that changes the fact that we're 9 points off the chase and our short lived title challenge is over. Even with so long left, we're not up to it against the big teams and 9 points is a huge gap. We can only right it off as one game and move onto Hull which now lies after the tedium of an international break. Let's hope we come out of it unscathed.
Right I'll be back before Hull with a preview of the match. Until then, enjoy your weekend.
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham
We went into the Tottenham game with high hopes due to their lackluster start to the season. Wengers decision not to start Alexis was strange as myself and friends assumed it was due to an injury. We started brightly but the game levelled out and shortly after the half Flamini was played into trouble by SZCZ then fumbled to give them possession which Chaldi finished. The goal sparked us on and after pressing and pressing we finally equalised. The thing that concerned me most about this was the fact that it seemed to take a Sp*rs goal for us to actually look like we wanted to win. Still we can only view it as a point gained.
Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray
In contrast to the Tottenham game, the Champions League game midweek was an outright walkover. With Ozil deployed in the middle where he just belongs, we bossed the game. Danny Welbeck scored his first career hat-trick and Alexis added another. The only sour note on the night was that SZCZ got himself sent off for pole-axing a Gala player. They scored the resulting penalty but overall it was a dominant performance from the Arsenal.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
The game today was a huge game, especially considering what happened last season at the same venue when we went down 6-0. We went out looking to make a statement against the team that I think could go all the way. The game started cagily with neither side really making progress, Alexis shot from 35 yards and it cruised wide of Courtois' post. As the half wore on both sides started to open up when a well worked move saw Hazard blatantly fouled in the box. He stepped up and put his side 1-0 to the good.
We picked up the second half and pressed for the equaliser with no luck. Our fear of shooting meant we ended up going nowhere. It's not we don't have players who can't shoot it's just they really don't seem to want too. Our timidness as always cost us and as Fabregas lofted a ball between out centre backs Costa ran onto it and lobbed SZCZ and the game was done. Wenger made some bizarre substitutions and nothing changed. We lost, that disgusting cretin of a man Mourinho walked off without a handshake. He's a vile human being and the sooner everyone is rid of him the better.
None of that changes the fact that we're 9 points off the chase and our short lived title challenge is over. Even with so long left, we're not up to it against the big teams and 9 points is a huge gap. We can only right it off as one game and move onto Hull which now lies after the tedium of an international break. Let's hope we come out of it unscathed.
Right I'll be back before Hull with a preview of the match. Until then, enjoy your weekend.
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Chelsea and Swansea Aftermath
I don't really know where to start this following the humiliation of the weekend. The result was one of the most painful I've endured as a fan, worse than the 8-2 at OT, worse than the 6-1 at the same ground. It's been a season where we've competed and where there's been a sense of progress at last, but have we really made that much progress when we lose 6-0, 5-1 and 6-3 away to our closest rivals? The fact that there appears to be this mental block in the big games is a huge concern, especially leading into the FA Cup semi-final. Ultimately the lack of desire and mental preparation rests with the manager.
This was followed by heart-break on Tuesday night when after going 1-0 down at home to Swansea, we showed that fight and determination that everyone has spoken about this season to score 2 goals in 2 minutes via Podolski and Giroud. Then moments from time an unfortunate deflection and block hit Flamini in the shins and ended up in our own net. It pretty much sums up this week and we are now looking very precarious in 4th.
Everton are 6 points behind us, with a game in hand and we have to visit Goodison Park this season. Assuming we lose to City this weekend which based on recent results is pretty much a given, they're 3 behind with a game in hand and we have to play them in 2 weeks. That will be a 6 pointer if ever there was one. It is so typically Arsenal to have been in the title race not 2 weeks ago and now we're looking over our shoulder worrying about our position in the top 4.
There was one shining light on Tuesday however and that was the fact that Kim Kallstrom made his debut and actually looked like a fairly solid player. Everyone and their wife ripped him upon arrival but if he's going to contribute to the team in the end then nobody will be complaining.
Well I'll be back on Friday with some team news and the build up to a game that quite frankly I really don't want to think about at the moment. Try to enjoy the rest of the week. COYG!
This was followed by heart-break on Tuesday night when after going 1-0 down at home to Swansea, we showed that fight and determination that everyone has spoken about this season to score 2 goals in 2 minutes via Podolski and Giroud. Then moments from time an unfortunate deflection and block hit Flamini in the shins and ended up in our own net. It pretty much sums up this week and we are now looking very precarious in 4th.
Everton are 6 points behind us, with a game in hand and we have to visit Goodison Park this season. Assuming we lose to City this weekend which based on recent results is pretty much a given, they're 3 behind with a game in hand and we have to play them in 2 weeks. That will be a 6 pointer if ever there was one. It is so typically Arsenal to have been in the title race not 2 weeks ago and now we're looking over our shoulder worrying about our position in the top 4.
There was one shining light on Tuesday however and that was the fact that Kim Kallstrom made his debut and actually looked like a fairly solid player. Everyone and their wife ripped him upon arrival but if he's going to contribute to the team in the end then nobody will be complaining.
Well I'll be back on Friday with some team news and the build up to a game that quite frankly I really don't want to think about at the moment. Try to enjoy the rest of the week. COYG!
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