Chelsea’s run came crashing to an end at Wembley as a rampant Spurs picked them apart and showed that if you stop Jorginho, you stop all the good things Sarri has to offer.
That puts today’s game in an exciting light. Win, and we’ll close the gap on 4th to one point. Lose, and we’ll bring Bournemouth to within a point of our Europa League 5th place. A lot rides on this result, the most important item being confidence heading into a really tough period.
We’ve had one win in five, which isn’t ideal. Our last league win was October 22nd. This becomes a minor blip in the season, or it becomes a very big problem if the game goes badly today.
I’ll be looking for a few things today, knowing Emery has likely been holed up in a video room for 2 weeks working out a plan of action for phase four of the season.
Balance:
He’s going to have to work out how he can find more balance in the team. Our midfield base of Xhaka and Torriera isn’t offering enough protection for the back 4 and going forward, our Ozil experiment isn’t returning a bundle of assists. The coach is going to have to make a decision. He doesn’t get enough from Ozil defensively to keep rolling with what he’s doing.
Does he switch things up and try Mikhi in a more modern #10 role? Arguably his best season in a Dortmund shirt came under Thomas Tuchel who played him centrally or on the left. He’s naturally a #10 by trade. I remember being told years ago that the thing Arsenal like most about his game was how industrious he was. A relentless attacking talent that could open up matches like a chess player. Is he as good as Mesut Ozil at threading passes? No. But could he give us more balance in midfield if he could do 100% more than Mesut defending, and 70% of what he can moving forward? Is that a sacrifice that could help us find more rhythm moving forward?
We’re running extremely low on options…
Starting 11:
We’ve been appalling in nearly every opening 45 this season. That has to stop. We aren’t going to be able to chase game forever. We need to play more cautiously in the opening 20 minutes, or we need to find our game quicker. Bournemouth are likely going to explode at us this morning, if we haven’t picked the right starting 11, we’re going to pay a painful price. I don’t know the answer to finding focus early on, but we all know it’s an issue, hopefully, the coach has a plan.
Strikers:
Auba and Lacazette both have exceptional individual talents, but playing one of them out of position isn’t really working. Do we lean in hard at working out a two-striker system? Or do we search for a better way to achieve width? We have a bit of a nightmare with the two of them. One can’t hold up the play and is best as a fox in box or over the top. The other is great at holding up the ball and bringing people into the game, he’s just a bit lightweight and easily anonymised against big teams. If the club is going to be ruthless this summer, you’d imagine one of the two will be on their way. We need to find a balance of skill sets, and unfortunately, we need to lean into someone who is a Giroud+++.
Plenty of excitement to look forward to this morning, let’s hope this is the start of a beautiful run that sees us take phase 4 by storm!
x
Marko – Seriously?
Pretty obvious Torreira is Ramsey in this scenario.
Ooh. So close to a Xhakaing it up moment.
Small point, but as poor a first half as Mkhitaryan had, he has a lot of technical quality and polish, something Iwobi lacks. Mkhi is a bit error-prone, yes, but he is also capable of quality in the attacking third (both in his passing & in his shooting) that some of our other players lack.
‘Just don’t think Torreira is built for pushing forward’
Disagree, he has a good technique . His forward passes are.precise and he has a shot on him.
why is mhiki seriously still on the pitch ??
Iwobi and Mikki hardly jump for high balls. Shame.
Bournemouth are shit? What a twat. They’re a good side, and playing well this season particularly at home. Same with Stoke away, it’s a tough place to get the three points so you take care of number one first before flooding forward.
Torreira fucked up, big deal, but it was a dumb decision end of. Blame Iwobi for his part, try and drag Xhaka down too, but your Ramsey replacement is just as capable of poor decisions. It’s not a sin, just a bit pathetic when a spade is no longer a spade because of who it is. Grow up
Holding gives the winger too much space.
Oh I see Paulinho. Pretty embarrassing comparison though considering Torreira rarely gets caught up ahead of the ball up near the opponents box and gets back into position especially when in a midfield two whereas we had about two full seasons of Ramsey doing none of that.
What a useless player Mkhi is
Torr doing fine going forward.
Who hit the post? Not iwobi, Nikki, nor Auba…
I have to say that I like Sokratis a lot
He’s one tough and gritty defender with an unorthodox style.
Charlie – We shouldn’t have some sort of sort of complex against going 2-0 up against Bournemouth.
They’re trash. Howe has done well there, but ride their bluster and storm and they’ve got nothing. Woeful United dominated them in the second half.
Final balls are shocking from iwobi and Mikki, and Kolac
Somebody please send this clown back to Armenia.
The Myhki – Alexis Sanchez player swap will go down in infamy as the biggest waste of oxygen.
Both players are like stink bugs, just earning good money without doing much.
What’s up with Lacazette?
Fail to see what Kolasinac offers. Not really good defensively and not really good offensively just a nothing player really
Laca injured??
Auba has been anonymous through the middle. So much for playing him in his strongest position
Paulinho
Do me a favour, they’re a good side at home and it’s a place you need to treat with some caution and respect.
1-0 up in the 46th min before half time is NOT the time to aim for a second. It just isn’t whatever way you want to cut it. Nothing to do with having a complex, and everything to do with being intelligent in managing a game. You go in with a lead and strategise the second half from an advantage. Not shoot your self in the foot and give them the impetus.
Auba has to be the most expensive impact sub
Marko
“Fail to see what Kolasinac offers. Not really good defensively and not really good offensively just a nothing player really”
That’s what you get on free transfers
That’s what the club that gets Ramsey on a bosman will also get.
all very predictable and pedestrian. Where are the subs? we’ve been off the pace all day.
‘Auba has been anonymous through the middle. So much for playing him in his strongest position’
Been saying it from last season, Laca is a far better striker than PEA who is extremely overrated. Most people were of the view Laca should have been sold in the summer…lolz
Auba affects games far too infrequently for my liking aswell..
Auba’s actually tried today. He’s not one of those players that can do it all by himself. He’s shown at Dortmund you put quality players either side of him and he’ll flourish but if you have shite either side then any striker will struggle at times.
Charlie – Disagree. You don’t think robotically and play to some cliched script, you weigh up each passage of play on its merits and if the opportunity is there, you go for it.
Bournemouth were there for the taking and Torreira sensed it and made the right and clever call.
Iwobi fucked up. End of.
Auba is so fucking wasteful. Practice man…
Two good chances and didn’t hit the target ffs
The amazing Granit Xhaka.
The Aubamayang talk continues
Finally Aubameyang you realise where the goal is.
Balls by Iwobi and Kolasinac made that
Goal!!!
Excellent ball from Iwobi to split the defense
Just saying
Torreira is the only player with actual football class here.
How is that not visible to the numpties?
Oh look.. ‘Overrated’ Auba does what he does best. Score goals and win games.
Lovely slide rule pass from Iwobi for the goal
Haha and Auba scores….
Aubameyang shit….blahblahblah
Don’t know what your talking about.
Auba still sucls in shots…
You and I wouldn’t have missed this one.
Auba better learns to shoot outside the 2 yard box.
Will take that though, get df in
Great ball
From iwobi
Great ball from Iwobi.
We’re still a second half team
Also Bournemouth have come off it in recent weeks.
They’re not some boogey man to be scared of. If you treat them that way, they will do their best to play the role.
Paulinho
Evidently not, it cost us.
Iwobi with a cute pass there, Kolasinac with a measured ball, Auba finally takes part.
Mhiki is shite
Exquisite pass from Iwobi, Ramsey wouldn’t have see that through ball
have to say great ball from Iwobi. Made that goal.
What’s the point of Myhki?
Really ??????
Auba is a good finisher but still a dingleberry
Mikhitaryan or however you spell it is dog shit.
Mkhi still shit
Auba,Auba,Auba,Auba
Whos saying Aubas shit though?
Great goal by Auba. Great ball movement overall as well.
We need to hold on but ideally score another one to put the game to bed. This will be tough.
Ladyboy Bellerin outmuscled, there is a shocker. We seem to have big issues with playing physical teams. Can’t say I am that optimistic about playing Spuds.
Good goal Auba.
Mkhitarian should be subbed now.
Mykhitaryan is the biggest waste of money I’ve seen as an Arsenal fan.
Mhkki is shut…
That was on the platter for him, big fucking deal
Good finish from Auba. He has generally been poor, so it’s good that he scored there.
Rather Auba went alone than watching the horror show from Mikki
Mikki is gone. Another to sell where possible.
Mhki is shit
Jeez. Miki should be sold for that. Appalling. My mum could’ve done more with that.
**shit**
Really bad day for Mkhitaryan.
Aubameyang will always be ‘poor’.
He’s an off the ball player.
But guys, Mhki and Auba have a ‘telepathic relationship’.
Kolsonic was meant to be the next big thing…he’s pants.
He looks like he came out of Behind Enemy Lines. The terribly addictive Owen Wilson vehicle.
Bamford
Has Mkhitaryan had a good day since he joined the club?
I wonder who’s going to be Mkhi defender today.
You already got ozil defenders xhaka defenders
Lacazette defenders
Auba defenders
Auba good finisher?? Sure. From 1 or 2 yards. Can’t bloody shoot properly usually. That’s not a wc striker as he’d like to be seen.
Jose knew Mikki was a fat cunt and sold us a wet fuse.
Holding is the best CB in the league. Underrated.
We should be up 3-1 by now had Mykhi remembered he was a footballer.
Iwobi is sited and is just basically walking at the moment. Surely the manger can see that.
Iwobi is tired.
Iwobi. How did he happen?
We need a massive new playing staff ASAP.
Either of the other two shitheads Ramsey or Ozil can come on for Mkhi
guns
I agree that holding is a very good defender. He is better on the ball than. mustafi. But defensively, mustafi is a tad bit better but only because of exp.
btw, Did we make any subs ??
Samesong,
The fool who defends Mhki is the same fool who rates Ozil. You need special footballing knowledge to see what he brings, apparently. Also, don’t ask him to ‘waste any energy’ defending.
I think we could sign 2 or 3 in January, Emery must know by now that we need to replace at least half of the starting eleven to compete, why wait?
Does anyone have the xG numbers for this match ?
Is there a site that displays live xG during a match ?
Guendouzi and Ramsey for Iwobi and Mkhitaryan. Think we need fresh legs for the final 15.
Gons
Subbed Torrier for Gued.
Fatso still puffing on the pitch.
We need to win this game to stay within distance of the other five teams.
Why is Torriera coming off?
torr should have been subbed earlier. need him fresh for the NLD. xhaka is suspended so of course he’s going to get the 90 here.
Why Torr him off? Need him to help see it out.
And Mikki still on the pitch. , Look at his shot!!
Wot the bloody wrong? Our forwards hardly able to shoot properly??
Ramsey on for Iwobi.
And Mikki still around. He better scores.
We should have been out of site by now.
Here comes Hollywood Rambo.
We either concede an equalizer or go on to win with a Rambo special.
It will be a cliff hanger from now till the end.
Auba good finisher?? Sure. From 1 or 2 yards. Can’t bloody shoot properly usually. That’s not a wc striker as he’d like to be seen.
161 goals for Dortmund and Arsenal in 7 seasons suggests otherwise
Ha ha Ramsey comes.on and has a Ramsey-esque moment
Ramsey didn’t commit for the one on one
That’s why you don’t count on players leaving on a free transfer.
And Mhki can’t shoot either. All his shots have gone waaay over the crossbar today.
It seems that the backroom staff have not diagnosed that Mhki needs a pair of glasses.
Xhaka being Xhaka
sokratis have been solid.
Marko
161 goals. 2/3rd of it is tap ins or rebounds.
he was also the main penalty taker for Dortmund. So scratch a little deeper and stats just fade away.
Damn that fucking drum! Feels like we’re stuck in Jumanji.
Bou isn’t done.
We need to press forward. Our MF and defence are porous still.
Xhaka really is terrible.
Look at the wages Xhaka, Kolasinac, Ozil and Mykhitaryan are on.
£700-750k pw for almost no return.
Fuck me we got lucky,
WTF is Guendouzi doing so far up the field, more so when Ramsey is camped int the Bournemouth 6 yard box?