Match Thread | Arsenal vs Man City League Cup (22/12/20)

[ninjamonkey]

Typical us that. First 10 minutes we looked hungry and dangerous, score a goal then after the momentum of that fades we go back into our usual routine of prioritising keeping the ball without really looking to try and create or score until they get their inevitable goal from nowhere and ll of a sudden we need to get going again and play with some intent. It's a mentality thing I can only assume comes from Pep. All we had to do was play as we started for another 10-15 minutes and the tie would have been over, instead it's in the balance and it would surprise nobody if we went out from here.

Jesus looked very lively peeling to the left in the first few minutes before we decided to stop giving him the ball, similar with foden and Bernardo, mahrez not been in it.

 

[Platt Lane veteran]

Think I just watched the first 45 minutes on Arsenal TV, don't remember subscribing to it.

Had to mute the c**nts. It’s every bloody game now where commentators and in particular their co-c**nts have free reign to be so negative towards us.

 

[jimharri]

We’ve gone from dominating a very poor side to allowing them back in the game and now then almost having the edge last 20 -what did you expect a standing ovation.

As someone else has noted, the difference in the quantity of posts after they scored, compared to after we scored, is comical. Some are just waiting for a chance to wade in on us. Have a look at the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling....

"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

 

[axlgod]

Get Mahrez off and never give him a shirt again. He’s lazy and he thinks he’s better than he ACTUALLY is.

Yep, Mahrez doesn’t fancy this.
He’s had his ‘2 above average games’ quota for us now.
Get him gone.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Come on lads , better than this

We’re demonstrating this season that we are actually not much better than this. This is City almost every game. Control possession but create very little.

The changed defence and keeper cost us a goal that we wouldn’t normally concede, but that’s no real concern as we know Laporte, Steffen, Zinchenko are not going to be starting in the league any time soon.

Still think we’ll win but we’ll make it tougher than it needs to be.

 

[Gabriel]

I reckon seven of our starters have a league medal with us, but too many of them look as if they need someone to hold their hand. They should be playing with an arrogance and wiping the floor with this lot.

 

[bluealf]

Anyone slating Mahrez please add your thoughts on Bernardo Silva. Love to know why a player who contributes so little gets a free pass so often ?

Because for a season he looked like a world-class player and we are all hoping he returns, currently he isn't showing it, plenty of people have been saying it, you must have just missed it.

 

[Blue Llama]

What’s the chance of Mahrez not coming back out for 2nd half

Absolutely none

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

It's clear that Pep thinks we need the deep double pivot when Steffen is in goal - he's no Ederson with the ball at his feet, although he's been good at everything else.

Cancelo can't defend, what else is new.

Dias and Laporte both poor.

If Zinchenko could offer assists like that regularly he'd have the left back spot nailed down.

Rodri's passing into the forwards is so good, regardless of what you think of his all-round game.

Dinho looking old.

Bernardo and Foden bright-ish. Mahrez a bit less so.

Jesus fantastic, but he should have two. Those turns... wow.

 

[The1nvisibleMan]

Had to mute the c**nts. It’s every bloody game now where commentators and in particular their co-c**nts have free reign to be so negative towards us.

It’s fucking appalling. They’re all fucking boring anyway, at least this way I dont habe to worry that i’ll miss them saying anything of substance and i can just enjoy the silence