Arsenal Thread | 2025/26

[jimharri]

 

[Tolmie scores]

There is. We've been there and done it (multiple times) whereas you have shown yourselves as bottlers.

I think this season is dufferent.. so may sides down to 16th place can take points off everyone now... depending on tge oppos need ( relegation fight.. fight for a euro spot etc) means many points to be dropped by any team i. Top six this season

 

[Tolmie scores]

It's just an expansion of shots on target vs total shots and can't tell the story of the match in full.

I get your (and many other people's) view of it, but it's just as relevant as possession stats; they don't paint the full picture but they give you an idea of how the match went and highlight issues within the specific match and with a team's performance in general.

Lots of shots along with an overall low probability of scoring equates to those shots not being very good chances to score from.

(I assume you were intending to reply to me and not some fella chatting about players who were fans of clubs as kids playing for that club as an adult:)

When i played any stats quoted were just used to reenforce what the manager saw with his own eyes...stats are not that eye opening really. Watch any game and we know the pattern..who is the better side and where goals may come from. Never needed stats while watching from the stands. Its a gen z fifa gameboy creation really.

 

[bridgeno1]

There is. We've been there and done it (multiple times) whereas you have shown yourselves as bottlers.

In previous seasons it was clear City had a better team than Arsenal. The argument lies as to whether that still applies this season. No point debating that on a City forum of course but I think folk will agree there ain't much in it.

 

[dickie davies]

I don't quite get you Jim, why would I deny it? It's a stat I used to back up what I was seeing over the last few games. I agree with you that the scoreboard and the points are what matters, my point is that our finishing was poor, and it's probably indicative of the fact we probably still lack elite finishers given Gyokeres has been a flop.

Surely if your chances are so "big" you don't need an elite striker to finish them!

But if you're creating such great chances and not finishing them whilst relying on OG's and keeper errors to win matches, do you think this will cost you in the end?

 

[Danny Tiatto]

In previous seasons it was clear City had a better team than Arsenal. The argument lies as to whether that still applies this season. No point debating that on a City forum of course but I think folk will agree there ain't much in it.

You don’t get it do you?

It’s true there isn't a big gap in quality between the teams and hasn’t been for the last couple of years.

However your fault has nothing to do with quality it’s to do with mentality. You are renown bottlers and most of us see no reason why that won’t happen again. You have a manager and a group of players who have won nothing in 5 years going up against a manager and playing group who have experience in getting over the line.

 

[jamesha]

You don’t get it do you?

It’s true there isn't a big gap in quality between the teams and hasn’t been for the last couple of years.

However your fault has nothing to do with quality it’s to do with mentality. You are renown bottlers and most of us see no reason why that won’t happen again. You have a manager and a group of players who have won nothing in 5 years going up against a manager and playing group who have experience in getting over the line.

It's not just the players and management that lack the winning mentality, the fans do too.

The sheer volume of posts cherry picking statistics to try to prove Arsenal are a serious team absolutely reek of desperation. I think all gooner fans are expecting their team to bottle things again this year.

 

[GunnerGer]

Surely if your chances are so "big" you don't need an elite striker to finish them!

But if you're creating such great chances and not finishing them whilst relying on OG's and keeper errors to win matches, do you think this will cost you in the end?

You tell me mate, would you expect your forward to do better than basically pass it back to the keeper here?



Or finish from this?



And yeah, if we don't find our shooting boots, it will cost us in the end.

 

[balotellishaircut]

In previous seasons it was clear City had a better team than Arsenal. The argument lies as to whether that still applies this season. No point debating that on a City forum of course but I think folk will agree there ain't much in it.

That wasn’t the case though, you were 8 points clear at one point during the 22/23 season, you drew at West Ham I think after leading 2-0, then you’re home game with Saints ended 3-3 after you trailed 3-1, these games had nothing to do with City, these games had everything to do with bottle, that’s what that poster is saying.

 

[Danny Tiatto]

In international football terms Arsenal are like Belgium from a few years back. On paper quality wise they could match up to most teams however whenever they played anyone of note the deeper a tournament went they didn’t have the mentality to get past them. A lot of that was also down to having a manager that was out of his depth just like I believe Arteta is.

 

[lasereyes]

I mean, I could have just came on and said I think you're all wrong and Arsenal did create chances the previous few games, they just missed them, but as an oppo fan id be shot down like usual, so thought I'd at least just tried to show some attacking stats to back up what I'm saying, and then get shot down anyway. :-)

I think the real question is whether Arsenal have just gone through an errant patch of not finishing chances or actually this is their norm and eventually it's going to catch up with them.

 

[GunnerGer]

I think the real question is whether Arsenal have just gone through an errant patch of not finishing chances or actually this is their norm and eventually it's going to catch up with them.

Yep, and for me that's a very good question to ask.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Biggest game of the season so far for these cunts tonight.

It’s a must win imo as that would keep Villa at arms length. If Villa win they go level and it becomes a proper 3 horse race.

Pivotal.

 

[GunnerGer]

It's not just the players and management that lack the winning mentality, the fans do too.

The sheer volume of posts cherry picking statistics to try to prove Arsenal are a serious team absolutely reek of desperation. I think all gooner fans are expecting their team to bottle things again this year.

I assume you were referring to me, and again mate, all my posts were trying to show is that we are more creative than has been made out. That's all. Not saying we are the best at this, no bold predictions, no saying we are going to do this, or are going to win that. Simple posts about 1 aspect of our play.

As for how serious a team we are, I suppose it depends on your definition of serious. If it's all about trophies, then every Arsenal fan needs to concede to that until we actually win some with this team.

 

[southamptonblue]

Biggest game of the season so far for these cunts tonight.

It’s a must win imo as that would keep Villa at arms length. If Villa win they go level and it becomes a proper 3 horse race.

Pivotal.

I think Arsenal will put 3/4 past them tonight, unfortunately.

 

[jamesha]

I assume you were referring to me, and again mate, all my posts were trying to show is that we are more creative than has been made out. That's all. Not saying we are the best at this, no bold predictions, no saying we are going to do this, or are going to win that. Simple posts about 1 aspect of our play.

As for how serious a team we are, I suppose it depends on your definition of serious. If it's all about trophies, then every Arsenal fan needs to concede to that until we actually win some with this team.

I was not particularly referring to you or any other Arsenal fans that post on here but rather the absolute tsunami of posts from gooners on social media. The desperation to get others to perceive Arsenal as a successful team is shocking.

I have seen posts showing that Arsenal have the most points over the last two and a half seasons and so are the best team. Others trying to polish the turd that is Gyokeres on the basis that Haaland misses chances, siding with Forest fans about the refereeing of our last game when even Wayne Rooney can see that is nonsense.

It is December for god's sake! There is more than half of the season left to play but gooners are acting like highly strung lunatics and that behaviour has in the past contributed to Arsenal's failure to stay the course.

I actually quite enjoy reasonable posts from rival fans on here so don't take this personally.

 

[GunnerGer]

I was not particularly referring to you or any other Arsenal fans that post on here but rather the absolute tsunami of posts from gooners on social media. The desperation to get others to perceive Arsenal as a successful team is shocking.

I have seen posts showing that Arsenal have the most points over the last two and a half seasons and so are the best team. Others trying to polish the turd that is Gyokeres on the basis that Haaland misses chances, siding with Forest fans about the refereeing of our last game when even Wayne Rooney can see that is nonsense.

It is December for god's sake! There is more than half of the season left to play but gooners are acting like highly strung lunatics and that behaviour has in the past contributed to Arsenal's failure to stay the course.

I actually quite enjoy reasonable posts from rival fans on here so don't take this personally.

Ah, no problem mate. Aye, there is a fair amount of loonballs on social media, I try my best to filter out the most extreme views either way but some still filter through.

 

[KentBlue]

we are more creative than has been made out.

I don't think so. Because you're a fan you will naturally see things differently but to me and many others the club has regressed in terms of creativity. I don't see players trying to make things happen when a chance comes their way, I see them almost afraid to be somewhere where they're not supposed to be, almost Mourinho-esque.
Arteta sets you up to play for free-kicks and other dead ball situations, that appears to be what he has the players doing on the training ground. They're very good at it, too. But it's as if they don't know what to do when a situation arrives where they are not in control: when they are not in possesion, or the opposing team collectively doing something unexpected, anything Arteta didn't expect to see. As an experienced coach he should know no human being controls the ball for the full 90 + minutes, of course they don't. Things happen with the ball that nobody anticipated, that's just how it is. And in situations like that your whole team have an air of 'what-do-we-do-now' about them, in direct contrast to when you have the ball, then everybody plays their role to perfection, as practised on the training ground. That's why I say Arsenal are like a military tattoo, functional and efficient, but so very very boring.

 

[jimharri]

Strange how they haven't managed to win the title, given that they have been the best team in that period.

 

[Vienna_70]

Strange how they haven't managed to win the title, given that they have been the best team in that period.

Did they win a trophy for that?