Arsenal (A) | Post Match Thread

[Saddleworth2]

I remember that one… Mike Dean implemented a new guideline that was adhered to for just the one game…. A bit like the three man rule talking to the ref rule we saw on Sunday that was ditched by Monday.

Yeah, that rule was pretty short lived. There were 20 round Taylor yesterday. I didn’t see him handing out 16 yellow cards.
refereeing in the PL is beyond shambolic. Yes there is an agenda against us and yes the referees are absolutely incompetent. What a blend.

 

[Saddleworth2]

What a night! Still can't get out of bed

You are naughty doctoring that photo to look like there are loads of EMPTY SEATS.

that can’t be true surely. After all the home atmosphere was the very bestest since Anfields very bestest.

 

[Matt Diablo]

Haaland is getting used to the team and the team is getting used to Haaland a bit more.

Exactly - all about decision making throughout the team. Know when to short pass around and know when to be more direct. Erling loves that shit and thrives off it

 

[Bluesbrother]

red howard has had meeting with ref's this week new rules applied only to city

Their fans booed Edison from the off when he didn't release the ball immediately. They forced the booking for time wasting.

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

Pep is managing the squad superbly at the moment. There's bewilderment by us mere mortals sometimes when he leaves KDB, Walks, Laporte, Ake out or makes a seemingly daft tactical change to accommodate different players in strange set ups.

Last night it was Bernie at left wing back(or whatever you call this position) with a back 3. He admitted it didnt work particularly well. I understand why he does it. Arsenal and Arteta would have worked on a particular set up to approach the game same as the Cup tie.
We set up differently to overload midfield not on the right, which we see with Rico-Lewis but on the left.

We were fortunate to go ahead but Saka was kept away from the box mostly and they had to work really hard to get back in it. The pen was bullshit imo but on the balance of play they deserved to be Level at half time. Their fans asking for another yellow for something that imo wasnt even a foul is a fucking joke. Nketia is decent and was found with 2 good crosses, one 1st half one 2nd but couldn't convert. Rodders was unlucky with a header which hit Akes heel and then the bar to prevent us again having the lead at half time.

Despite recognising the change hadn't really worked as planned Pep didn't change it at half time. He waited until they were wilting and then put Bernie further forward and a fresh Ake to keep Saka quiet. Martinelli did fuck all in Walkers back pocket.

Arsenal have played the same 11 most of the season when available and they looked a bit jaded 2nd half. As the season goes on this will get worse for them. Partey was a big miss for them too but he's a bit fragile and likely to pick up more injuries if they play him every 3-4 days as the schedule and Europe kick back in. Jorginio is a different type to Partey and hasn't got the legs out of posession that they needed.

Once we made the change we were all over them. They lucked out when Haaland was barely just offside and as last man preventing a goalscoring chance by decking a player why was that not a red? Previous season at the Etihad Laporte did the same to Zaha on the half way line against Palace and was sent off. We all know why.

I hope they are charged for throwing stuff at Kev as he walked off around the pitch. He just laughed it off. Fucking shower of shitbags.

Thoroughly deserved win. We're better than them and have proved it twice in quick succession. The meeting at the Etihad will hopefully be a coup de gras.

Check out this Tarquin **** who has a strange one eyed, rose tinted view of Arsenal's history of "organic growth" with no mention of Danny diamond dealers investment of 3 x Arsenal's annual turnover in one year and the acquisition of half a French World Cup winning team and forgetting the shitstorm of how they acquired Herbert Chapman or their bribing of league officials to get Arsenal into league 1 when they finished outside of the promotion spots in league 2.
His tirade of good versus evil was fucking derisable at the end. I'm glad they fucking hate us. If we beat them to the title it will make my gloating all the sweeter. Oh and fuck off and shove that banner up your arse you cockney cunts!

 

[Gray]

Yeah, that rule was pretty short lived. There were 20 round Taylor yesterday. I didn’t see him handing out 16 yellow cards.
refereeing in the PL is beyond shambolic. Yes there is an agenda against us and yes the referees are absolutely incompetent. What a blend.

People talk about swings and roundabouts in a season.

We are trying to ascend Everest in winter without Sherpa's and oxygen.

 

[oakiecokie]

Ake was getting it pre match too, because he had the audacity to be selected ahead of Laporte, despite being our best defender this season, most reliable, flexible and had even shackled Saka in the cup game, hope his performance last night shut a few up….back to Ederson, he was beaten by a penalty that is never normally given, he shouldn’t change the way he keeps ‘just in case’ the ref has a subjective evening, other than that he remained calm on a night where the Arsenal players and fans where losing their heads, it would’ve been easy for him to get caught up in the occasion, but was as calm and unflappably brilliant as he normally is, his distribution was excellent and showed the way to others who could of gone short too often (see arse players for example) he set the tone perfectly, keeping isn’t just about shot stopping anymore

Once again Ake was immense and from day one I can honestly say that I was delighted to have him. He tends to get "some stick" from the minority of our fans as he came from an "unfashionable" club, in Bournemouth.
I remember all the posts when he first signed " £40M for someone we don`t need, not good enough" blah, blah, blah.
As you said JHG, I hope his performance last night "shuts a few up", well said mate.
A wonderful professional, great trainer and as Pep says, never ever gives him any problems if not picked. By far and away our best defender this season.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

People talk about swings and roundabouts in a season.

We are trying to ascend Everest in winter without Sherpa's and oxygen.

Reinhold Messner likes this post.

 

[Dribble]

just watching game back as was there last night
comms saying need to play to haalands strenghts then when play long through balls this is must unlike manchester city
make yer bloody minds up

Haaland is a conundrum & the longer I've watched him, the clearer what's needed has become.

Haaland has definitely upped his movement around the pitch. In recent weeks he's been pressing more from the front & dropping deeper adding an extra body in midfield.

Teams have already worked out if they crowd the midfield & pack the defence, there's no space for us to find Haaland, hence the long hopeful ballswhich teams are snuffing out.

However, against Villa & Arsenal I noticed Haaland came wide right a few times, & twice it's led to goals & an assist for Erling.

Haaland moving right dragged Villa & Arsenal's CB's out of position. Whilst the defenders were tracking Haaland, it created space for the likes of Jack, Kevin & Ilkay to move into, hence in those moments we resembled the City of old.

This is the way forward imo. If Haaland uses Kane as a blueprint & becomes more mobile & effervescent in his play, we can return to being Pep's Manchester City, with the added danger of Haaland.

The only downside? Erling won't score as many, but that slack will be picked up by others as the last two games have shown, plus it makes City as a team a shit load more dangerous & unpredictable.

In the 1.5 games, Erling's assisted an assist, got an assist & scored. It's not unrealistic to expect he could have scored two either. I'd prefer those numbers rather than he scored 4 goals from 12 touches & we had a draw or a loss in there.

For the first time this season, I can actually see a way for us to integrate Haaland without losing the essence of what Pep's Manchester City are. The next few weeks promise to be very interesting.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Reinhold Messner likes this post.

German ref?