Arsenal Thread - 2023/24

[bobbyowenquiff]

Dealing with a pre Pep City is a different animal than dealing with a Pep’s City, do we all not agree with that?

Look at the stats from this brave Liverpool teams performance at City in November. 2 extra shots compared to Arsenal, only 1 of them on target. City had higher xG, Liverpool had similar to Arsenal depending on which site you use.

So for all the extra 10% possession or whatever Liverpool had over Arsenal, they didn’t do much with it. And with them being behind from the 24th minute for an hour, you’d expect them to have to go for it more.

In fact, have Brave, This Means More, Rock n Roll Football Liverpool won at The Etihad vs Pep?

The Pellegrini team were no mugs. They were the reigning champions, League Cup holders, and lost narrowly to Real Madrid in the CL semi-final. I am no lover of Liverpool but at least they have had the balls to take City on and they would not start time wasting in the first minute of any match.
Perhaps Arsenal will win the title this season playing the Arteta way, diving, feigning injury, and time wasting. But my gut feeling is they have blown it and Liverpool will be boosted by their cowardly performance yesterday. City were missing virtually our entire first-choice defence for most of that game yesterday. Foden was crocked playing for England and KDB is still in recovery mode.

 

[GunnerGer]

The Pellegrini team were no mugs. They were the reigning champions, League Cup holders, and lost narrowly to Real Madrid in the CL semi-final. I am no lover of Liverpool but at least they have had the balls to take City on and they would not start time wasting in the first minute of any match.
Perhaps Arsenal will win the title this season playing the Arteta way, diving, feigning injury, and time wasting. But my gut feeling is they have blown it and Liverpool will be boosted by their cowardly performance yesterday. City were missing virtually our entire first-choice defence for most of that game yesterday. Foden was crocked playing for England and KDB is still in recovery mode.

They were also a team about to finish 4th on 66 points behind Spurs and Arsenal partly because everyone knew that team had come to an end and Pep was already announced as being on his way here if im not mistaken?

Liverpool don’t suffer from the same PTSD as Arsenal have suffered at The Etihad. We’ve been a shambles here for the most part. We were top of the league last season, had something like 48% possession, and were opened up like a tin of beans. We’ve suffered 4-1, 5-0, 3-0, 3-1, and you are wondering why we don’t just open up and have a go?

As for Liverpool, I ask again, has Klopps fearless football ever translated to beating Peps City at the Etihad? Actually who has came over and took on City at The Etihad under Pep and really done them over? Perhaps being a City fan you take it for granted, but I am under no illusion how difficult it is to go to City scrap for any sort of result, never mind actually properly take them on and trying to out football a Pep team.

 

[SWPISHOME]

Seriously? What game was that deluded prick watching.

Arsenal fans are absolute twats.

 

[bridgeno1]

The Pellegrini team were no mugs. They were the reigning champions, League Cup holders, and lost narrowly to Real Madrid in the CL semi-final. I am no lover of Liverpool but at least they have had the balls to take City on and they would not start time wasting in the first minute of any match.
Perhaps Arsenal will win the title this season playing the Arteta way, diving, feigning injury, and time wasting. But my gut feeling is they have blown it and Liverpool will be boosted by their cowardly performance yesterday. City were missing virtually our entire first-choice defence for most of that game yesterday. Foden was crocked playing for England and KDB is still in recovery mode.

I think the reason you're upset at Arsenal is because you know that if they'd gone toe to toe with City then Arsenal most likely would have lost. Arsenal did what they needed to do to get a point and played a way that neutralised City. May not work in future, Pep no doubt will figure out a way to counter it but the real reason so many City fans are annoyed with Arsenal is because they didn't play a style that suited City. Else why would you care if we blew the title or not? From some comments it seems some City fans would prefer that we'd won!

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Seriously? What game was that deluded prick watching.

Arsenal fans are absolute twats.

Fans being blinkered and not being objective when talking about referees in their games?

I’m not having that.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I think the reason you're upset at Arsenal is because you know that if they'd gone toe to toe with City then Arsenal most likely would have lost. Arsenal did what they needed to do to get a point and played a way that neutralised City. May not work in future, Pep no doubt will figure out a way to counter it but the real reason so many City fans are annoyed with Arsenal is because they didn't play a style that suited City. Else why would you care if we blew the title or not? From some comments it seems some City fans would prefer that we'd won!

I just don't like any teams which waste time, pretend to have injuries, and dive all over the place. I would call City out if they played like that as well. Actually I have never been confident that City would win the title this year and if it wasn't us I would have been happy for Arteta to beat the scousers to the title. Yesterday I changed my mind about Arsenal. Liverpool FC were the only winners yesterday and that doesn't make me happy.

 

[Gordyola]

Honestly mate I disagree with that. You had more possession but didn't do anything with it. Our defence is leagues ahead of what it was last year as is our tactical awareness. Sure it wasn't pretty yesterday but over the season we've scored more goals and conceded fewer than anyone else.

You could have played another 90 mins yesterday and wouldn't have scored - we may have.

Agree re the international break though, City were very unlucky and Stones in particular is a massive miss.

Reminded me of how Everton were under Moyes, easy to defend when all the players are in the area coupled with the fouling, aided by Ref who forgot his cards, and the pretending to be injured maybe Arteta learnt that from Moyes he sure didn’t learn it from Pep Arse may have scored a lot, believe the term is “flat track bullies” Disgraceful tactics

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I think the reason you're upset at Arsenal is because you know that if they'd gone toe to toe with City then Arsenal most likely would have lost. Arsenal did what they needed to do to get a point and played a way that neutralised City. May not work in future, Pep no doubt will figure out a way to counter it but the real reason so many City fans are annoyed with Arsenal is because they didn't play a style that suited City. Else why would you care if we blew the title or not? From some comments it seems some City fans would prefer that we'd won!

More disappointed rather than upset. Win yesterday and you likely win the league but you were never interested which, given the brilliant form you've been in, was baffling.
Also, Arteta can never again say that a team is ‘anti=football’, as he did with NUFC earlier this season, if they turn up at the Emirates and play in the way he did yesterday.

 

[Andy TheCatalyst Morrison]

I think the reason you're upset at Arsenal is because you know that if they'd gone toe to toe with City then Arsenal most likely would have lost. Arsenal did what they needed to do to get a point and played a way that neutralised City. May not work in future, Pep no doubt will figure out a way to counter it but the real reason so many City fans are annoyed with Arsenal is because they didn't play a style that suited City. Else why would you care if we blew the title or not? From some comments it seems some City fans would prefer that we'd won!

City fans are not annoyed with Arsenal coming to play for a point. At least not the fans I know. You're entitled to play for a draw if that's what you want. However, we are generally baffled by you thinking that a point is a great result. You've given away control of the title race, and I for one will be surprised if you get it back.

Fans are annoyed though about the constant feigning injury and time wasting, from virtually the first minute. That's the sort of thing we expect from the likes of Everton, Palace etc.

If you don't win the title then you'll look at yesterday in a different light. We are not (at the moment) the winning machine of previous seasons. I wouldn't say we were there for the taking but that's probably (hopefully) the most off-form City you're going to play over the next few seasons. You don't have to go gung-ho, but you could at least try to play on the front foot and go for the win.

 

[bridgeno1]

Reminded me of how Everton were under Moyes, easy to defend when all the players are in the area coupled with the fouling, aided by Ref who forgot his cards, and the pretending to be injured maybe Arteta learnt that from Moyes he sure didn’t learn it from Pep Arse may have scored a lot, believe the term is “flat track bullies” Disgraceful tactics

Flat track bullies that have taken 4 out of 6 points against both City and the Dippers though.

Look, I don't like to see us play like we did yesterday, at times we were aimlessly hoofing the ball away, but 12 months ago we got our backsides handed to us. We'll see whether it was a point gained or 2 points lost in May.

In any case Pep started to counter it towards the end - he realised City were never getting through the middle so he took Foden off, put Silva into midfield and put Doku and Grealish on the wings to try to go around Arsenal's low block. Doku got through a few times but his end product let him down. Point is though I'd imagine next time Pep will try to play more down the flanks from the start as he knows that will get past the press. Good chance that opportunity will come in the CL Semi Final.