We’ve had two courses of vegan sausage rolls (Champions League), tonight, the meats are coming out.
The MIGHTY Rennes, a rack of well-seasoned BEEF ribs, take on the mighty Arsenal, an aggressively bloody slab of NEW YORK STRIP.
This is why people tune into football. So pull out a bottle of Tesco’s own brand ketchup, forget the cutlery, let’s wade into a messy evening of ELITE football.
The most important thing we need this evening:
A WIN.
Yeah, pretty straight-forward analysis today. Unai Emery needs to bring ultimate destruction to Rennes. He needs to put Ben Arfa back in his place. He needs to restore Arsenal pride after a very embarrassing away loss last week.
The French minnows won their match on Sunday. Great news for them, but the story there is they played 4 days out from an away game with us. No HUGE rest for them this time. No fresh legs. No time to plan. That’s advantage us.
The game is interesting because they are counter-attacking specialists. Arsenal has to go for 3 goals (come on, we’re not keeping a clean sheet). Absolutely possible.
It’s an international break after this. That means Emery can go wild and field anyone he deems fit to play. I’d imagine that he’ll go with something similar to the United game. All guns blazing. Play the role of the protagonists. Mix up our attacking combinations. Take advantage of having better players and two unreal finishers to finish them off early.
Should be exciting. Let’s hope we have a full house and an excited crowd. This is a big one.
Short post today. Just want to say, kudos to the comments yesterday. I pen a post about outrageous views polluting the internet and a slew of people attack Simeone as a bad tactician. You couldn’t make it up. Never change Le Grove, never change. x
“The wenger boys did Very well”
A little hommage from Pierre to his former master, checked!!
Has Darren Farley (is he still around?) done an Emery impression yet?
“Good evening…”
Got to say amn played well.
Xhara was lucky none of his errors lead to anything..
Overall a professional job..
Next is Chelsea.
I have come to the conclusion he isnt a very good finisher in fact he is a poor finisher he just has amazing positional sense and timing and intelligence henxe why he scores so much despite poor finishing.
His career stats read 228 goals in 449 games. What’s that sightly better than 1 in 2. Admittedly he does miss some sitters but those stats don’t suggest that he’s a poor finisher I’m sorry
Job well done, but it could have been easier with the 4th goal.
Don’t understand why Laca was so nervous.
French tv saying that Auba was offside for the second goal. Fuck them.
DB10
I’m working on it, in all these years coming on here nobody strikes me as being such a strange case as he does.
Think amn may move into middle to replace Rambo .
“Next is Chelsea.”
I got the same feeling lol
AMN was my man of the match.
Another top performance from him
I called it at the beginning of the season
Him and holding would stand up
Both have big futures at arsenal
The English core is still alive
Marko
“Except Ozil he was garbage tonight”
All that matters is the team just keep on winning and performing better and conceding fewer goals since he has came back into the side ….coincidence..
“The wenger boys did Very well”
A little hommage from Pierre to his former master, checked!!
Former? Pierre is and always will be an AKB.
I must admit that I’m pleasently surprised by AMN’s level.
AUBEMEYANG FOOORRRREVERRR
✖✖✖✖
Marko
Most of those are six yarders. Many here could score a the majority of those goals if our fitness and positional sense were as good as his.
Maybe saying he’s a poor finisher might be a step too far but I wouldn’t categorise him as a good finisher. He just pokes a toe out and it goes where it goes.
That will do, two good sides in inter and Sevilla out. All we need is Chelsea and Napoli to draw eachother and we’re favourites 😉
Sevilla out. 119th minute goal for Slavia. No Unai return to Seville.
All that matters is the team just keep on winning and performing better and conceding fewer goals since he has came back into the side ….coincidence.. I would not give credit to Ozil for other people’s performances. I am not that slimy. He doesn’t score enough he no longer gets assists and the notion that he adds control and balance to the team is questionable and the idea that someone can attribute better defensive performances to him is laughable. I mean only a real idiot would suggest that. He’s a waif a turd and we can only move forward with… Read more »
We will draw the Chavs it’s so obvious lol
All the top 6 through to the quarter finals, I wonder if that’s ever happened before?
Paulinho “Ozil was killing us softly tonight.Poisonous.” Marko “Totally agree. He was particularly anonymous tonight. To the point of actually being a man down” Emery has come to his senses after 3 months of marginalizing Ozil and Ramsey . In 14 games (7 defeats) Ozil started 3 and Ramsey 5 during that period up until Bate away…. It has taken the manager too long to realise how important they are to the team .I have previously been critical of Ramsey but it looks like Emery has installed some discipline into his play and made him understand the importance of playing… Read more »
Teams advanced
Benfica
Slavia Praha
Arsenal
Villarreal
Chelsea
Napoli
Valencia.
Frankfurt
Santi is with Villarreal
I think the signs are there the English teams are getting better imo. Probably a coincidence that it coincides with the decline of both Messi and Ronaldo. And also the talent coming through on the continent isn’t necessarily of the high standard that it once was. In saying that I still see Barca winning the Champions League and I’m not sure either us or Chelsea will win the Europa. Depends on the draw obviously
Marko
Arsenal and Chelsea have as good a chance as anyone to win this thing. And I’ll bet you now Barça don’t win the champions league
I reckon an English club or juve
Good month of March for us, now to regroup for April.
HighburyLegend
We will draw the Chavs it’s so obvious lol
This was exactly what I was telling a Gooner in the pub just after the game.. just looks too obvious… in getting rid of an English team actually winning the thing.
Marko
“I think the signs are there the English teams are getting better imo. Probably a coincidence that it coincides with the decline of both Messi and Ronaldo. And also the talent coming through on the continent isn’t necessarily of the high standard that it once was.”
Ah Marko ..that wasn’t your opinion yesterday afternoon when I said English clubs would dominate Europe in the next 5 years .
Nice to see you have come to your senses even if you did have to wait until Liverpool beat Bayern and our win tonight before coming to that conclusion.
Pierre
Game set and match
that wasn’t your opinion yesterday afternoon when I said English clubs would dominate Europe in the next 5 years .
No I just didn’t agree with the part where you expected us to compete in the Champions League because we improved our record against the other sides in the top 6. I thought that was dumb.
Leftsidesanch
It doesn’t best out resident spuddie lilliewhites&dickhead or whatever his name is. For a spud to be showing up on a Gooner blog does show what numbbskull
How does career goals/games at all relate to finishing ability?
He could get 6 chances per match vs another 1 in 1 striker who gets 2 chances per match.
… what a numbskull he actually is.
My comment. Yesterday “PierreMarch 13, 2019 18:13:12 The next 5 years is a great opportunity for the English clubs to make their mark in Europe. Barca, Real Madrid, Munich and juventus are not at the same level as the previous 5/10 years so English could well be the dominating force in Europe.” Pretty similar to what you have just posted. and yes I did say Arsenal can compete in Europe in the next 5 years due to the fact that the elite teams are on the decline and we have shown that we can compete with the other top 6… Read more »
I think they separate clubs from the same country at the quarters
Someone help me out
and yes I did say Arsenal can compete in Europe in the next 5 years due to the fact that the elite teams are on the decline and we have shown that we can compete with the other top 6 sides this season who are proving to be amongst Europe’s best this season
Yeah this is the part that I didn’t agree with
We cannot keep messing up the first leg and leave ourselves a mountain to climb
We won’t have enough rope left from the quarters.
No Diss, it’s for the round before.
We already saw 2 English club facing each other in the CL’s quarters.
just a fxcking stats for ped*o and his eob..
arsenal have only once overturned a first leg defeat in European cup competition in 40yrs….
but in the space of 5weeks…. emery has smashed that record with the same players Wenger couldn’t do anything good with in Europe.
not much an emery fan, but Wenger totally disgust me…. so give the new man a chance.
HighburyLegend
I get the funny twinge that we are facing Frankfurt
First leg away
How does career goals/games at all relate to finishing ability?
How could it not? If you score better than one every two games if you have 228 career goals that would suggest that you are in fact a good finisher and not a poor one.
I think they separate clubs from the same country at the quarters
Someone help me out
They do not
Marko
No it doesn’t suggest that at all, it suggests Auba is a good goal scorer.
How many of his chances he converts says something about his finishing. If player X scores 2 goals in a game but has 10 chances is he a good finisher? Or is player B who scores 2 goals from 3 chances? It’s not hard.
Marco- the decline in European football is due to decline in Ronaldo and Messi? After yesterday’s matches? What about other teams? You are just argumentative.
Pierre is a great commentator- if he had not been such an obvious AW apologist his comments would have been accepted more universally
Ozil looks like the dead guy in Weekend at Bernies. Showed about as much life as him tonight anyway. Team carrying him.
Mikhi is the much more important player in advanced positions.
Grimaldo scored one of those worldie and yet fairly common goals that a marauding left back scores tonight. Torn between him and Tagliafico
*earthworm Jim, bug-eyed cunt*
spat out me beer laughing..
Right so Charlie can anyone prove that he’s a poor finisher? Cause I got 228 goals that suggests otherwise.
Maybe this helps
https://www.google.com/amp/s/theshortfuse.sbnation.com/platform/amp/2019/1/22/18192988/xgunners-does-pierre-emerick-aubameyang-have-a-finishing-problem-arsenal-big-chances-stats-xg
Maybe this one helps it has his conversion rate better than that of Aguero.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/15118/11580717/top-10-premier-league-stars-of-2018-arsenals-pierre-emerick-aubameyang
http://dailycannon.com/2018/12/first-time-since-2007-pierre-emerick-aubameyang-stats-prove-how-deadly-hes-becoming/
Great win tonight against the biggest cheating diving kunts of Europe.. Shame, because they really have dome athletic technical players if they just decided to play football. Anywho, they got what they deserve.. Ozil was a waste of space..if it it wasn’t for his ridiculous wage he would’ve been keeping company with jenko . Auba did well with 2 goals and one assist, terrible misses though at the end to make it 4 or 5..he needs to take on those sitters to be regarded as world class.. Subs were spot on yet again AMN getting better and better , I… Read more »
Paulinho- you are a good poster- why cloud your judgement with your hatred for Ozil – we were so good in the first half- he is not a physical player agreed but with his ball retention agility he gives the team space to attack
Marko
You’re a storm in a teacup type. I didn’t say he was a poor finisher, I said his goals per game ratio didn’t explain anything of his finishing.
Now you’re offering up chance conversion which is exactly what I said measured his finishing.
Great result tonight, Aubameyang continues to flitter between spells of looking reminiscent of Chamakh and minutes later a proper CF, guy sure does need a hatful of chances but he’s shown his worth with the brace.
Wouldn’t be intimidated by anyone in the QF, obviously would prefer Slavia to Chelsea/Napoli but we’re capable of beating any of the above.
Telles is better than Grimaldo or the Ajax lad .
China-Niles? How is he in your opinion
Yeah think it’s a combination of PL teams getting stronger and the Euro heavyweights declining. Bayern and Real Madrid are a shadow of their selves from even last season never mind two years ago, the former haven’t at all planned for life past the rapid decline of Robben and Robert and the aging/deterioration of Muller, Hummels, Neuer, Alaba, etc and have bought awfully to the point they were pinning their CL hopes on Swansea flop Renato Sanches coming off the bench to save them last night, was embarrassing to watch. They simply have bought mediocre talent to try and replace… Read more »
Back from the game. 3-4-1-2 seems to really suit this team. Even when Mustafi has his usual brain fart, we are able to recover and close down people. We had a game plan, and everybody had clearly been working on it. When our wingbacks is on the attack, Clearly Aubameyang had been told to dive to the first post. Lacazette to hang back to the penalty point and the wingback on the other side of the crossing to go for the second post. Once Lacazette was substituted, we moved to a 3-4-2-1 and Aubameyang was told to go for the… Read more »
Most of the big European team are in decline because they have not properly refreshed their team for years. Now all those aging players are declining at the same time and their team is falling on a cliff edge. From Bayern, Ribéry, Robben, Lewandowski, Muller, Boatang, Neuer are in terminal decline and should have been replaced. The chance that the English clubs have had is that the increase competition in their league forced them to massively invest in their squad just at the right time. With the financial advantage the premiership is generating, we could have a big dominance of… Read more »
Most of the big European team are in decline because they have not properly refreshed their team for years. The result is that all their star players are aging and declining at the same time and their team is falling on a cliff edge. From Bayern, Ribéry, Robben, Lewandowski, Muller, Boatang, Neuer are in terminal decline and should have been replaced. The chance that the English clubs have had is that the increase competition in their league forced them to massively invest in their squad just at the right time. With the financial advantage the premiership is generating, we could… Read more »
European games are too late for me (3am kick off and I have work in the morning) so I didn’t see the game
Sounds like a good performance and a great result
Re AMN, I read that he scored which is great, and we kept a clean sheet so I would guess he played well.
If he regularly plays well and shows urgency week in week out, I’ll be a fan.
It seems that emery has finally clocked how to squeeze more out of the team. We’ve drastically cut the number of goals we concede whilst scoring far more goals early on in matches. We’re also playing better with both strikers on the pitch (something a lot of people refused to believe was possible earlier in the season) There’s room for improvement but we’re now doing about as well as you could ask for with the squad we have at our disposal. If I was offered to be in this position at this stage of the season and told we’d have… Read more »
Auba is a very good player but yeah he randomly fluffs a lot of nailed on chances
He’s still the best we’ve had since rvp tho and beggars can’t be choosers – he’s scoring enough to keep our season afloat and is incredibly valuable to us right now
Make no mistake we have been given another get out jail free card tonight. I just hope the team has learnt their lesson and stopped giving away our opponents a free game in the first leg… especially if it is the away leg. This is the business end of the competition now and we have to stop being so naive and stupid and start stamping our authority on games from the start.
Is there a stage where players’ disciplinary records are wiped out, like they do in the Champions League? If so is it in the quarters?
Returned late from game tonight. 1. The stadium in contrast to last season was almost full tonight and we are seeing for the first time since we moved to the Emirates that it is no longer a “library”, but there is now an “atmosphere and passion” for the team. 2. The two wing backs both had very good games and are adding “attacking width”. I thought that Maitland-Niles in particular had his best game in an Arsenal shirt. 3. Aubameyang and Lacazette can play together and do create a serious threat. The only issue I have is that they don’t… Read more »
Leeds how is it a jail free card
AMN staking his place in the team as the team’s first choice right wingback in Bellerin’s abscence.
Good.
Hopefully if AMN gets a good run now he’ll be able to give Bellerin competition for his place and keep him sharp. Bellerin always plays better when he has a realistic fight for his place.
Sell Jenks for a £2m and say thank you. Promote Jordi Osei-Tutu to act as the understudy.
We have to sell Mustafi- he is a lIability- had a couple of good moments but his passing is atrocious-get a good central defender a wide player and we should be conpetnext year
Mustafi is the most gormless defender we’ve seen in the last few decades at arsenal He is absolutely nailed on for a catastrophic error in every single match which as a defender is simply out of the question No amount of hard work and industry can accommodate him when he makes his customary blunder I’d sooner keep old man kid one more year and flog mustafi for whatever someone is willing to pay him. Then reinvest towards a serious defender. I’d be willing to go balls in on an expensive CB if a quality one comes available. Liverpool are so… Read more »
Old man Kos*
Man city are set so be hit with a two transfer window ban in the next few days.
The plot thickens and that should open the door for us to sign players we had no business of getting.
Watched the game at 03.00 fucking AM in my timezone, but it was worthed. Now very sleepy at office work.
I hope Emery will stick to this 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3 formtion for most of the game as proven our wingbacks Kola and AMN are setting to their best position. Maybe 4-2-3-1 can be used occasionnaly against the weaker sides.
*are settling.
“I’d be willing to go balls in on an expensive CB if a quality one comes available. Liverpool are so much better with VVD and we could be 6+ points better off with a beast at the back. It’s fundamental if we want to take the next step.”
Couldn’t agree more since I am always screaming for 90m Koulibaly.
But hey we got an owner that couldn’t give a fuck.
At least 2 quality expensive investment needed to challeng next season in the mould of CB Koulibaly and left footed RW in Nic Pepe, that means 150m investment.
Very happy for the win last night and also to read AMN played well, grabbed a goal and is improving game on game recently. From all I read Ozil is not really contributing creatively but aiding in keeping possession. Ramsey is besting Ozil in creativity. Would be really funny if we won the EL cup and attained 4th or 3rd. Either or would represent me having to immerse myself in lashings of humble pie after my firm predictions of NOT getting CL football for next season. Still a long way to get yet on both fronts, but I’d happily admit… Read more »
From all I read Ozil is not really contributing creatively but aiding in keeping possession
He’s not
Marko
Not keeping possession?
Funny how those who attend the game physically value Özil more than those who watch the game on TV.
What is not necessarily visible on TV is the number of runs he does and is not found. That seems to really frustrate him.
Mavrapanos must really be bad in training for not overtaking Mustafi who commit at least one mistake per game that lead to a goal opportunity to the opposition.
I’d be absolutely shocked if city are given that transfer ban without being given a delay first so they can illegally spend a couple of hundred million more they don’t have first to weather the transfer drought
I think this happened with Barcelona/athletico or someone a couple of years ago and they just appealed the decision knowing they’d lose. The appeal automatically caused the transfer ban to be delayed during the appeal process.
I forget which team it was like I say but I’ll believe city are being reigned in only when I see it with my own eyes haha
There is an automatic booking for shirt removal, the showing of political/religious message and any flag waving. However showing your support for Wakanda and Black Panther is not really a political act.
Does anybody knows why Aubameyang was booked yesterday?
What a buzz kill.
Who knows what’s going on with mav
All we know right now is emery doesn’t appear to fancy him so far
Stroller “seeing for the first time since we moved to the Emirates that it is no longer a “library”, but there is now an “atmosphere and passion” for the team.” My theory on this is that we have a newer breed of fans that have become season ticket holders and are consequently more appreciative and less critical of the team. I say this because I have a number of family members and friends who have been on the waiting list for a number of years that are now sth. The negativity that was within the stadium is slowly dissipating .… Read more »
I was hoping for an expulsion from European competition for a couple of years rather than a transfer ban.
UEFA has put on place a system that is much quicker. Their internal appeal and the external CAS appeal must be done within a certain time frame otherwise the punishment is not suspended. So no more dithering and wait the last moment to appeal and automatically suspend the sentence.
So we may well see both Chelsea and ManCity ban for two transfer windows.
If Chelsea and City are barred from buying players we need to act quickly and decisively to our advantage… therefore bringing in a technical director that knows the modern market becomes even more important.
Get on with it Arsenal bring someone in.
Good morning all
It has been good few weeks actually ..
The sooner we all admit thst ozil hasn’t been value for money the better .
No need to keep making excuses for him..
1st he was the king of assists
Then he was the king of chances created
And now he is the king of possession!??
We can’t appriciate ozil unless we watch him live in the stadium ???
Really!?
Come on people..
The guy is mentally and physically weak, and has been in shocking decline last few years..both him and the club have to move on.
Valentin
Are you a plumber?
Loved iwobi’s little spat with traore
“Your breath stinks blud”
“Move from me”
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11095/11665771/can-arsenal-go-all-the-way-in-europa-league-after-pierre-emerick-aubameyang-downed-rennes
All very positive this morning.
Lovely
What happened to the new improved Joe ?
Maybe Auba misses sitters because his brain is already planning the celebrations
G8 I would say that at the moment Emery is using Ozil correctly , he is starting games and the team is benefiting from him being in the side and he will substitute him if the game doesn’t warrant him being on the pitch. Last night was a prime example of how to use Ozil correctly, he started the game and had a good ( not great) first half . As the 2nd half progressed I think it’s fair to say the quality of the football decline, we were just clearing our lines and Ozil along with Lacazette and Aubamayang… Read more »
It is obvious that Ozil is not used to play so many games . He was tired in the second half of last night’s game.
Ozil did have a decent first half
But he should be delivering more pierre
Valenti
“I was hoping for an expulsion from European competition for a couple of years rather than a transfer ban.”
UEFA will not shoot himself in the foot. It would reduce the quality and the attraction of the competition.
Stephan questioned that decision – as well as another possible sending off for Lacazette in north London and Aubameyang being offside for the crucial second Arsenal goal as Arsenal triumphed 3-0. “On the offside, it was very clearly an injustice, it was an error,” he said. “That goal changed a lot of things. Regarding the Lacazette decision, the commission decided that his elbow against BATE was only worth a two-game ban. “There was a tackle by Lacazette in the first half which was borderline, for which he got a yellow. “Then he made a challenge on (Ramy) Bensebaini which was… Read more »
Nelson
Was more a case of Arsenal bypassing the midfield during the period after half time .
We were hitting high aimless balls up to our front 2 and they were left fighting for scraps .
With the introduction of an extra midfielder we were able to take control of the midfield,/game .
Un
The important thing is Arsenal are winning football matches and performing better with Ozil in the side .
Anyway ,when he was assisting and creating chances for fun , le grovellers never gave him an ounce of credit…The opposite in fact.
China1
“I’d be absolutely shocked if city are given that transfer ban without being given a delay first so they can illegally spend a couple of hundred million more they don’t have first to weather the transfer drought”
If City is already breaking the FFP rule. wouldn’t that resulted in more severe violation of the rule?
I’m waiting to savour Pedro’s game review.
Pierre
You should watch the game vs Manure. Ozil keeps running towards the ball carrier to make himself available for a pass. Yesterday, when he was tired, he stopped making himself available and disappeared from the game. That’s why you see those high aimless balls.
I know we are happy with the qualification, but a correct job would have meant a 6-0 score.
What would have happenned in case of extra-time ?? PEA needs to be much more clinical in front on the cage…
… and he also needs to stop those embarrassing celebrations.