Via @Arsenal Instagram
I don’t really abide by the winning ugly notion. It’s often used to explain away consistently poor performances that are often a precursor to a dip. However, yesterday’s win over Watford was the most delicious ugly win of the season. Emery proved his mettle, he lined up with a strong side, the aggressive working mentality he’s brought to the team won the first goal, and we held out for our first away clean sheet of the season (felt like our first away win of the season if I’m honest).
Troy Deeney, a man famed for beating up students, did his teams preparation no favours when he threw out a cowardly elbow at the smallest player on our team and took a straight red card. That was a fucking bold decision for the ref to take and in a world of weak decision making, he needs to be commended and give a WH Smith voucher for good service… OR A KNIGHTHOOD.
We didn’t really take advantage of the ten men. Watford showed us that they were still in the game. It didn’t matter though, because lady luck was on our side and grit/determination paid out big.
The first goal came from Auba, he chased down a back pass aggressively and Ben Foster smashed the ball into his heel and the goal was his. You cannot knock that attitude. He has been such a good player for us. He’s clinical even when he’s not looking.
We rode our luck a little. Bernd Leno continued to prove one of the shrewdest signings of last summer. His wrists are rock solid, his reflexes are cat-like and his timing when rushing players gets better and better. He was a real lifesaver last night. It’s been well over ten years since we had a keeper worth net+ points. I love him. It’s a huge risk to buy a keeper on a downward spiral, it’s such a confidence position, but Sven M dropped a world class decision there.
I think it’s worth giving Mustafi a shout out. Always a huge risk at the back, but his aerial aggression kept us in it late. Whatever you think about the German, he’s an absolute athlete and he loves the fight.
Also… AMN, my man… that tracking late on to deny Andre Gray late on was exceptional defending. He really has grown into his position. I didn’t have faith he could be a good right back, I know the club rated him as a midfielder, but my oh my, he has excelled. We don’t need to go into the market there this summer, that’s for sure.
So two things we learned last night. Away form is in the head. We have the players, the performance was rough last night, but we delivered the three points. Now we have build from that and do it against Napoli on Thursday and then the really tough one… Wolves next Wednesday.
The second thing we learned is this team, under Emery, can deal with pressure. An Arsene Wenger side would have collapsed under the barrage of yesterday. Our boys didn’t. Everyone put in a shift, even if the performance was grim.
A good day to be an Arsenal fan… we’re in the mix, keeping up the pressure, onto the next!
x
Here again
For
The
Bankz
Sorry Boomslang….not today
If anyone posts anything that even remotely resembles racism, you will be binned with no comment.
This is the blog of love, we are international, respect thy fellow Grover.
Pedro
Some of the comments here are putting off a lot of people from wanting to be here and comment etc.
A real clean up is required.
Pedro
“If anyone posts anything that even remotely resembles racism, you will be binned with no comment.”
What if I’m nasty about Scousers?
It’s a huge risk to buy a keeper on a downward spiral, it’s such a confidence position, but Sven M dropped a world class decision there.
Agree it’s also worth noting the summer that we signed Cech (and no outfield player) we could have gotten Leno from Leverkusen we were linked with him and he had a reasonable clause in his contract that summer. Masterstroke by Sven but also another example of dithering from Wenger
I’m with Pedro on this one. The boys did what they had to do – 3pts and a clean sheet – even against 10-man Watford. Leicester, down to 10 men, managed to beat Burnley away last month. So it’s not a given that having a player advantage guarantees a win.
One nil to the Arsenal!!!
Leno has been one of our best players for the last month or so. Looks like good business.
Leftside
It would be interesting to see how many points he’s saved / helped us win. The double save at the Spud’s was epic.
Napoli on Thursday and then the really tough one… Wolves next Wednesday.
—————————
Plus C.Palace on Sunday……….
Thoughts on Ryan Fraser? Another goal and 2 or 3 assists over the weekend again. May not be one to unlock a parked defense, but can be a very handy utility player.
Danny
Agree we can’t be complacent about Palace. If we drop points last nights effort will have been in vain.
Wenger team has won many a game with 10men and has always won with a man advantage.away at Bolton comes to mind and away at man city too.sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. Has nothing to do with wenger team
Good Pedro for stating that .
Watch the replay of the 2nd half. We played with more confidence compared to the starting of the match. I found that Xhaka is weak defensively. He lost all those 50/50 long ball. Auba couldn’t hold up the play. He is also weak when fighting for the ball. Most of the attack went through Iwobi. Playing Mustafi and Mikki as RB and right winger were waste of space. They couldn’t advance the ball forward. We were controlling the game for the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half. The coach decided to change the formation. Watford became stronger and put… Read more »
That save was brilliant Marc, at a crucial point in the game too.
The palace game at home is another banana skin
They have been playing quite well of recent and have some serious ballers in their team.
“Pedro
Some of the comments here are putting off a lot of people from wanting to be here and comment etc.”
Dead right.
Paul Scholes charged with placing 140 bets on matches.
Arsenal have the freedom in their minds and full belief to play to our optimum at home. I’m fully confident we can take maximum points at home, the team are aware of what is at stake.
Away, I hope yesterday’s victory will do wonders for the psyche and we can get the victories we need. I believe we need to win at least 1 away game and not lose the other two to seal a Champions league spot.
I’d be happy with James Maddison and Ryan Fraser as could come at reasonable prices but the focus has to be defence. With Kos on the way down and Mustafi never having been on the way up, we desparately need new recruits there. Holding could be a mainstay for us and I like Mav too but little experience. Whatever our kitty is we need to throw the lions share there.
Nah just assume that we win at home. Worrying about the away games is enough
Fraser yes Maddison no. He’ll likely command a big fee and I feel like there’s cheaper and better CAM’s on the continent
Watford did get an 8 day rest after their Wembley semi final game
That advantage along with the athleticism of Doucoure helped them cope with being a man-down.
Danny, I hear you mate.
I am here to the ‘tone it down trigger finger’… this should be a place for good hearty football fun.
Not a cesspit for extreme views on stuff that has nothing to do with Arsenal.
Great post Pedro, excellently put and sums up my sentiments exactly.
Now is not the time to castigate the manager with so much at stake. That can wait until the summer if we capitulate suffering Arsene Wenger disease.
Charlie GeorgeApril 16, 2019 15:33:07 “Bd “::A genuinely humble apology which I think is very magnanimous and we should all just accept it and move on in my opinion.:”: Once again confirmation- that BD is the nicest chap on here… The world would undeniably be a better place with more BDs in it.. Such a shame – he has this Emery affliction He will learn…. He will come round.. >>>>> Thanks CG, but I honestly have no affliction to Emery whatsoever; what I have is an affliction for being classy and giving the new guy a chance, and not running… Read more »
Leno has been great, once he got settled in as the No1. Speaking of taking a risk on players on downward spiral, what about Max Mayer from Palace. Hes not really done himself justice this season, but its a first season settling in, they got hi on a free, so 10-15 mil ?? Also i reckon if we got Fraser for the 20 mil mark that would be a reasonable risk … no?
Id take a punt on Frasier too by the way.
We need to get 3 younger mids who can dribble through a minefield
Hopefully we have some targets lined up for that this summer.
We have some fast players but can use more speed all around
But in saying that, a left back and centrehalf really have to be priority.
Outbound? – Nacho, Chambers, Mustafi, Kos
“Not a cesspit for extreme views on stuff that has nothing to do with Arsenal.”
Sometimes is has everything to do with Arsenal.
Ask Charlie George.
Leno is absolutely top class. Easily in the top bracket of keepers in the league along with De Gea and Ederson. Really smart business considering Pool and Chelsea spent a fortune to buy less talented GKs.
Daily Cannon; “Arsenal academy product Bennacer is having a great season with Empoli in Serie A. He’s made 30 league appearances (25 starts) in his first top-division season, excelling on the ball with excellent passing and dribbling, whilst also proving very solid defensively. He’s yet to make a single error leading to a goal this season, or even leading to a shot.”
We have the buy-out since he’s an Arsenal academy product
He needs to be bought back quickly.
Sometimes, problem have a way of solving themselves.
Bennacer is already been sought by Lyon and Napoli.
We are set to get 30% of any sell on but we have the first refusal.
Dont let this one get away.
Watford 0 Arsenal 1
Leno is great yet Emery persists with an ageing flop in goal in Europa league
“Charlie George
April 16, 2019 16:31:40
Watford 0 Arsenal 1”
without doubt your best post so far on le grove CG , please continue in that vein.
fellas we have had 2 clean sheets in a row
I know it wont last but those came against tough teams
I pray for the one goal in Naples
Not talking to you Fred
Where is CG? He’s normally quick to praise and thank Pedro but I suspect today’s excellent piece is not to his taste and he’s probably gone full on Graham Taylor mode:
CG: “Do I not like that. Not a very skittish post from him today and I do not thank him for it.”
What the hell am I going to do without my beloved extremist, racist and all round scumbag views?
I love the cesspit. I thrive in the cesspit.
GOH
How about go be a father? Just pass it on to your progeny.
Luteo
Thank you.
Good post, love the deliberate turn in tone compared to the comment section yesterday. It was a massive three points and to pick nits over a win at this stage of the season is backwards to me.
You could go and raise that child of yours like you said that you were going to. Probably be better off leaving the actual raising to the mother though
Marko
Thank you.
“You could go and raise that child of yours like you said that you were going to. Probably be better off leaving the actual raising to the mother though”
Or social services!
Le Grove has cast me as the bad guy. A pariah. It’s something I’ll have to get on with.
Online bullying is so dangerous though.
Wenger’s team were good when everybody had given up on them. Arsenal used to finish strongly season. I am not so sure they would have lost that game.
I remember a final game of the season against Newcastle, where we needed to win to qualify and we did.
It is when things are expected of them, that they tend to retract. Complacency and fear of failing or getting hurt.
Oh dear.
Are you a fucking scouser or something – poor little me always the victim.
A scouser?
Wow. That hurts. Really, really hurts.
Oooofff…I’m going to crawl back into my lair for a bit.
The traveling fans to Naples have to be collectively smart when the land there
They have some of Italy’s best and worst fans.
They need to stick together; safety in numbers.
I hope the club will send monitors along with the fans.
Guns has threatened a man and his family and now plays victim. Oh you little snowflake
Dissenter
800 additional police security i read somewhere
I am still at a loss how some pundits and general public at large can excuse Troy Deeney. Deliberate sneaky elbow to the face off the ball should be a minimum of 3 match ban. It was a red card all day long. The fact that normally it would have been a yellow says more on the standard of English refereeing and punditry. Jamie Carragher, a fair tackle not worthy of a card? WTF. However as soon as the referee gave the red card on the instruction of his lineman, he bottled other decisions. Had he not given the red… Read more »
Unfortunately Pedro your message will not last long. Nice try though 😁
Great win yesterday.
Le Grove has cast me as the bad guy. A pariah. It’s something I’ll have to get on with.
Guns threatening people families are no joke mate. Freddie was quite cool in his reaction to you.
I would of given you my address and waited for you to turn up.
Nelson “. We were controlling the game for the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half. The coach decided to change the formation. Watford became stronger and put us under pressure.” You are spot on with that assessment… Of course we don’t know if Mavropanos had a niggle and was brought off as precaution. If he was changed for “tactical reasons ” then it was a poor tactical decision as we handed the initiative to Watford and lost control of the game . Lacazette,Aubamayang,Ozil,AMN, Kolasinac and Ramsey to start v Napoli I hope , same players and same system as… Read more »
Valentin
Troy Deeny will rue the day he made the comments about Arsenal players lacking cojones.
Referees read the same tabloids as everyone else
I think that Bennacer is just 6 months short to qualify as an Arsenal home grown player.
He joined at the same than Jeff Reine Adélaïde, who despite being technically gifted could not adapt to the physical demand of the premiership.
Bennacer got sold after his successful loan invited him to refuse any extension.
Online bullying.
TR7 et al Anyway,just wanted to mention why TR7 was getting subjected to a verbal onslaught left, right and centre for his views on Emery? Over the years,I’ve found TR7 to be a well balanced, respectful poster. Though,I might disagree with him on the odd occasion with views outside of football,which is to be expected.Just thought,it was unwarranted. It’s not like he is condescending, arrogant,calls for banning of posters,or believes that he is the superior and moral authority on all things in life(like some on here). As he said, he’s not being an echo chamber with regards to Arsenal and… Read more »
Samesong
I live in Thailand, I doubt someone like GoH are allowed to board an airplane. Pure scum and now he’s trying to worm his way out of it and playing the victim, so predictable.
It’s a bit of a shame that the CL matches tonight will take all of the attention away from Brighton vs Cardiff. Absolutely huge match in the PL.
On another note Wayne Hennessey has got off a charge of making an offensive gesture because according to the regulatory commission he showed a”lamentable degree of ignorance about Adolf Hitler, fascism and the Nazi regime.”
If that’s the case he should have been given a 38 match ban for being thick.
Guys,
Seriously you keep biting at GoH and not letting it go, sooner or later he’s going to bite back. Pedro’s made it clear, GoH has apologised whether sincere or not so let’s just draw a line under it and move on.
If you really can’t stand him just ignore him. This perpetual pettiness is pointless.
I have my own plane.
Guns
You changed when Pedro got hyped over Gazidis and have never got back to that same fun loving character. Shame really.
Benny
Why you got to get involved? I’ve said what I needed to say and that’s that. Don’t get all gassed now because CG loves you loool
SamesongApril 16, 2019 17:09:48
I would of given you my address and waited for you to turn up.
——
Actually, should have given Wayne Sleep’s address-he would have gone scurrying to Pedro for help on all fours with his cheeks fully parted like the Grand Canyon. Only to be rebuffed and told to man up!!
🙂
Dissenter
I think the part of the comment that got the officials to react was the “‘Let me whack the first one and see who wants it'”.
It’s a shame the ref didn’t do the same when Kevin “Elbows” Davies wrote in the pre match programme something about “Arsenal players screaming like girls when you kicked them”.
And English football wonders why it struggles to produce enough technical players.
“I have my own plane.”
Shame you don’t have you’re own prison cell.
bennydevitoApril 16, 2019 17:14:15
Not sure,if you were around, when he boasted about his father,or grandfather killing brown people, or people of a certain religious and ethnic group.And how deserving they were of being on the receiving end of such brutality.
There’s been an overall tendency of this guy through time,to go beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable?
It sometimes is a bit of a jaw-dropping moment, and it’s not the first time either.
Not sure,if you were back posting then..Either way, he’s not funny nor clever.
Red was right earlier about playing Leno in all remaining matches. I have no personally issue with Cech but he’s not the keeper he was and is retiring at the end of the season so it’s not as if we’ll have a problem in the camp next season.
Only issue it could cause is if the club want to bring him into the coaching setup.
Troy Deeney comment should be seized on by the FA for bringing the game into disrupt and should result in additional match ban. How can advocating physical violence to opponents be acceptable? The FA are really chimp. Because Troy Deeney is a good old English boy that is just swept under the carpet by the British media. Imagine if somebody were saying that kind of things in the context of a Celtic/Ranger derby. That could lead to all sorts of sectarian violence. Everybody would condemn that kind of talk, but Watford is seen as inoffensive, nobody took exception. All it… Read more »
PhD
Nah mate, you got to net off £10K against £12K that I have due from you for my numerous posts in your praise 🙂
To be honest, I don’t mind a few people railing against me for my criticism of Emery. Most of the guys on here are passionate about Arsenal, so tempers run high at times. I will be more than happy to be proven wrong on Emery. You looking forward to the summer and changes ahead ?
Auba,
All this talk is futile, if I stoop down to your level what does that make me? Stop making threats on the internet. Your not going to do anything and even if you knew who I was, you still wouldn’t be able to. 100%
So you carry on, leave the adults to debate all things Arsenal.
The fuck is going on lately with this blog…
Great 3 points last night, huge psychologically after dropping all 3 to Everton. Said a a few days back I think that 2 wins out of the 4 away trips to Watford, Leicester Burnley and Wolves would be enough to clinch top 4 and that’s a tough one in the bag already.
Providing we take care of Palace and Brighton at home which we should given how strong we are at home.
Your take on mavporanos???
That’s really where the trouble started last night. Dum dum didn’t think it was a sending off and said he’d turn it off and didn’t want to watch us 1-0 up in a game. He was called plastic and kicked off like a lunatic idiot
@Marc,
The problem is that being thick and ignorant is not a crime. Ignorance of Nazism is a lot more common than you’d think.
A few years ago Star Trek Voyager had an arc where baddies wore black Nazi uniform. A Jewish friend of mine went to a Sci-Fi convention and there were people in full Nazi regalia. They got stopped and interrogated by security. They were completely oblivious to the origin of the uniform. They only knew it from the TV show and they like how it make them look badass.
I actually fancy us to get something from
Burnley and Leicester.
Left
Burnley match very winnable on paper considering they’re not looking over the shoulder at Cardiff and aren’t in a dogfight to stay up.
Leicester and Wolves matches will be tricky, especially Wolves.
Fancy us to pick up at least 5 points out of the 3.
Valentin
“However as soon as the referee gave the red card on the instruction of his lineman, he bottled other decisions. Had he not given the red card, then both Doucoure and Will Hughes would have received their marching orders for some shocking tackles. ”
Correct, I made the point yesterday at half time of how difficult it was for Arsenal to play their football due to the referee allowing tackles to go unpunished.
Guaranteed if an Arsenal player had made those challenges the red would have been out without a 2nd thought.
Valentin
I really don’t know how to respond. Maybe banning him for a season would encourage fans who “don’t see what he did as being wrong” to at least try and find out but you wouldn’t bet on it.
I would love to see Ajax knock Juventus out of the CL tonight , it will be nothing sort of a fairy tale if it happens. Barca should knock out United.
It sometimes is a bit of a jaw-dropping moment, and it’s not the first time either.
Exactly
Pierre
I spent most of the most half worried that the ref would even things up and send off an Arsenal player.
An excellent erudite and thought- provoking piece from the inexhaustible PedRo- and I off course thank him for it. He is about 65% accurate though. He does makes excellent observations- about the increased work rate – amongst the team- and there is a work ethic ‘gain’ under emery. He is also correct and (chose wisely with his Leno foto)that the German goalkeeper has been superb for us in recent weeks. I have no hesitation- to state – we have The Best Goalkeeper in The Premiership. Him and AMN should both be tied to longer contracts in the summer. Where the… Read more »
WE
If we manage to get at least 5 from those games and a clean sweep at home I think that should see us through.
I’d like to see Auba and Laca play together in these away fixtures for the remainder of the season.
Ajax look like they are missing De Jong in CM, pulled up with a hammy at the weekend.
Also missing their LB Tagliafico, expect to see Juve put in Douglas Costa to molest their deputy LB.
Tough ask for them to get a result, would love to see it but just can’t bet against Ronaldo and Juve getting the job done in Turin.
Barcelona ought to batter Utd tonight really, they always play much better at the Nou Camp.
MarcApril 16, 2019 17:13:24 On another note Wayne Hennessey has got off a charge of making an offensive gesture because according to the regulatory commission he showed a”lamentable degree of ignorance about Adolf Hitler, fascism and the Nazi regime.”If that’s the case he should have been given a 38 match ban for being thick. ——- Begs the question,why Nicholas Anelka was given a 5 match ban,fined £80,000 and ordered to complete a compulsory educational course for his”quenelle” gesture back in 2014 when playing for West Bromwich Albion? Given the ‘quenelle “gesture was meant to be an anti-establishment gesture aimed at… Read more »
Leftside
If we were to pick up another 12 points I think we could finish above the Spud’s. 4 wins and a draw and it would go down to goal difference for 3rd unless the Spud’s drop points against Bournemouth or West Ham.
Can’t see them beating City on Saturday.
Fuck it’s going to be close.
Dissenter
For me 48 is not old for a manager after all Wenger was what? 45 when he came to us?
Anyway we’ll have to agree to disagree as to whether he moves up in the managerial world.
Time will tell and our lives won’t change if either of us is right or wrong.
I’m absolutely checking out Ajax tonight. Would be great if they knocked out Juve
PhD
I’d forgotten all about the Anelka thing although I’ve just come across some information that explains the decision.
Jeremy Corbyn and Ken Livingstone were on the panel!
I think I’d prefer Juve to go through only because I think they’d have more chance against City in the Semi.
If I could be guaranteed an Barca vs Ajax final I’d have no issue with that.