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
Samesong,
I don’t have to get involved but I choose to because today is a new day, Pedro writes a great post but instead of talking about that everyone is still out for GoH’s blood.
It’s boring.
PhD,
Yes I did see that and I too made a point of complaining about it. I see everything,I have been a Grover since the beginning.
I’m sure Pedro will bin GoH if that sort of talk carries on and rightly so.
Spurs can very conceivably miss out on top 4, would be hilarious considering they were borderline pushing Liverpool and City on a matter of weeks ago.
Hard to see them fucking it up even without Kane and really do think that Citeh will turn it on tomorrow and dump them out of CL so PL will be their sole focus.
Chelsea know winning the EL is their best shout at CL now.
Very tight Marc this race and actually quite captivating.
If we want to resurrect St Totts Day I think we’ll need to probably win every fixture and that is accounting for Spurs travelling to the Etihad on Saturday.
Manure team to play Barca:
De Gea, Jones, Lindelof, Smalling, Young, Fred, McTominay, Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Martial
Ajax look like they are missing De Jong in CM, pulled up with a hammy at the weekend.
Also missing their LB Tagliafico
That’ll be it so. De Jong is absolutely vital to them he’s such a presence. Tagliafico I always thought would get that yellow rescinded. He was booked after a challenge but the ref had already blown which was unfortunate
Surprised Lukaku is being left on bench, did damage on the break away to PSG.
Spurs should get top 4 even without Kane. I think Moura and Lamela play better in Kane’s absence. Son is in great form too.
Can’t see where else Spurs will drop points outside the obvious for a top 4 spot either. Good thing is if they lose and we win then we have 3rd place in our hands.
Marko
Just checked out the XI, looks like De Jong has made it. Be interesting to see how the hammy holds up but huge for Ajax.
TR7April 16, 2019 17:30:59 PhDNah 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 ? ——- I’m sure I can engage in a bit of creative accounting,where what I owe you,nets/balances off?Square the… Read more »
Utd still have to host City and Chelsea and travel to Everton.
Chelsea have to travel to Utd and Leicester. And we have a game in hand plus GD over them.
We’re in a strong position really unless we completely we to crack.
Leftside
Well that would keep it in our hands. I still have a feeling that if under pressure the Spud’s could drop points in another match. Bournemouth away can be tough and as I’ve said West Ham will go into their match desperate to be the last team to win at Highbury and the first to win at the toilet seat.
I can see Spuds dropping points at home to West Ham and away to Bournemouth, both huge banana skins there imo.
Marc
Fuck off, if anyone is antisemitic it’s you
Thoughts on Scholes yet another Utd legend failing at management?
That’s Keane, Neville, Scholes all failing miserably now.
Looks like Blind LB with Veltman CB unless they’re going with Mazraoui LB
WE
Well I think it shows Scholes to be a bloody good footballer who has no personality and ideas above his station beyond the pitch.
“Fuck off, if anyone is antisemitic it’s you”
Please tell me how I’m anti-Semitic? I worked in a very Jewish sector including a Jewish owned company for years.
Marc
They do say much of the time that the better a player that you were, the hard it is to coach players with much inferior talent as so much of the game that came naturally to you doesn’t to them. And the elite players as a result likely don’t think as much or study the game as much to mitigate the difference in talent.
Obviously the likes of ZZ, Simeone, Pep buck that trend but true in most cases of great gaffers.
WE
I don’t know much about tactical intelligence of Scholes, Keane and Neville but if I were a young player , I wouldn’t like to play for any of them simply due to their dour and miserable personality especially Scholes and Keane. May be I am.generalizing it a bit but modern managers need.to be pleasant and easy going personalities.
Can’t be anti-Semitic if you love Larry David and CYE.
TR7
Yeah agreed and there’s just something weasly about G Neville even though he seems like a decent bloke, imagine that he struggles with maintaining authority over a group.
Reg Troy Deeney
He didn’t stop at an elbow which earned him a red but on the way out
1- called Torreira a f*****ing p***sy
2- Told Emery he is a f*** g p****sy
3- Said in the direction of the referee he is a f****ing embarrassment.
FA has recently given an 8 game ban for 1 fucking…. comment to the referee. Surely this merits similar treatment
Benny
Blog of love mate.
TR7
You think Pep is easy going and pleasant behind the scenes?
The difference between those who make it and those who don’t is basic man management. Different people react to things in different ways, I think Neville took the wrong job and Keane / Scholes are either boring, ignorant or both.
S Asoa
Who got an 8 match ban?
I want to see how Wolves plays Brighton this weekend. Wolves played with little emotion vs Southampton last time out. If they lose to Brighton also, then we have a good chance of getting something against them.
If Deeney did call Emery a fucking gypsy then Arsenal should lobby the FA for a longer ban.
I don’t won’t to see City lift the Cup but they’ll probably do it anyway – seeing Deeney miss out on the only Cup final he’ll ever make would be worth it. It would also mean we could easily get him sent off in every match we play against him in the future.
modern managers need.to be pleasant and easy going personalities.
Agree. It’s why Mourinho is imo all but finished as a top club manager. He’s basically a cunt who’s burned bridges at the big club and is so unlikable people think twice about hiring him now.
Emery said that he didn’t understand what Deeney said.
Deeney’s long been a horrible ugly cunt.
He’s seen as this heroic everyman but really he’s just a dirty wanker and a bang average PK stat padding lump of a CF which makes the lack of self-awareness that his trash talking displays all the more hilarious.
FA has recently given an 8 game ban for 1 fucking…. comment to the referee. Surely this merits similar treatment
I think he’s talking about Costa who got an 8 game ban for saying something about the refs mother
Really hope Ajax dump Juventus out of CL tonight.
Marko
Was it true?
Predictions lads?
I’ll kick it off:
Juventus 2-1 Ajax
Barcelona 4-1 Utd
I’m going Barcelona comfortably and unfortunately Juve
Henrik Larsson is almost comically dull.
Diego Costa got 8 games ban ending his 2018-2019 La Liga season for a comment he made to the referee. From what I read there was more than a single “Fucking” word. Here is an extract from the Guardian reporting the game. Costa was sent off for dissent in the 28th minute at Camp Nou by Jesús Gil Manzano and had to be escorted from the pitch by Barça’s Gerard Piqué after shouting at the official and grabbing his arm. Costa reportedly used a Spanish phrase that referred to defecating on his “prostitute mother”. Manzano’s report stated the 30-year-old striker… Read more »
PhD
No,not much to be honest. If we don’t get top 4, I expect very limited spending in the summer. If we get top 4, may be we will go out and spend some money to improve our team marginally but I don’t expect any big changes directionally. Looks like slogging for top 4 is what AFC will be reduced to in the foreseeable future.
Valentin what did he say before the game?
Manure almost scores
Pedro I am glad that you have issued a warning about some of the abuse and language once again appearing on Le Grove. I was particularly concerned about one particular poster inviting others to go to a pub so that he can sort them out!!! On today’s thread I agree with your comments about Leno and Maitland-Niles. The former has performed exceptionally well recently and is probably “the in form goalkeeper in EPL” When you consider how much money has been spent by Chelsea and Liverpool on goalkeepers he was a very good buy. Maitland-Niles has proven to be also… Read more »
I’m not sure if I’m totally downbeat as others I don’t expect Kroenke to dip his hands into his pockets but we probably won’t need it. You have to remember a significant amount of blame for a lack of spending and poorly spent money is on Wenger and with him gone expect us to not be afraid in the transfer market and to not leave unspent money on the table
Damn. Penalty for Barca.
VAR
Looks a little soft to me
No penalty. VAR in action
Correct decision as that would have been really soft.
@Marc
Please tell me how I’m anti-Semitic? I worked in a very Jewish sector including a Jewish owned company for years.
___
Because that means you can’t be anti-semic. “My mailman is back”.
Lol daft cunt
Messi is just different
That Messi guy is pretty good.
Lol DDG with a shocker.
Tie is done
Game over. Messi scores again. Manure’s GK was weak.
Ooh that is terrible from De Gea
Lol Man U going to get humiliated.
Great goalkeeping by the error prone one lol
@Guns
Troy Deeney:
Whenever I play Arsenal, I’ll go up and think, ‘Let me whack the first one and see who wants it’.”
Ajax have no fear. Could do with more than a few of these lads away from home
is barca/messi now trying to rape manure or what
I hate to say this but United will regret not selling De gea when they had a chance to get something for him.
They will lose him for free this summer
Pobga will leave for Madrid
De Gea will leave for PSG.
That man Ronaldo.
Corbyn has a few choice words for some nasty Jews and he becomes public enemy no.1 Jew hater lol
Its going to be tough for the refs to justify giving 4 penalties in 50 minutes to man utd. Ole has already used up his ’15 minutes of fame’ lol.
Truly awful performance again last night.
When we play away we really struggle to string passes along outside the backline…
We also struggle to make space and open the pitch up.
When we go down to 10 men we look awful yet when Watford went down to 10, they looked better.
Top 4 is out our reach if we play like that again
Go on Ajax.
Ajax just do not give up. Van der Beek as a possible Özil/Ramsey replacement? He’s highly rated but perhaps a bit under the radar compared to De Jong
I am really liking this Ajax squad. Quality.
Ajax !!!
Utd just looking not to get smashed here, pathetic.
Manure’s GK can save better with the face than with the hand.
CHRIST!!!
What the hell happened on the comments section today?
Mental. Even for Le grove.
PhD 2020
La quenelle is not an innocent anti establishment gesture
It’s routes stem from holocaust denial. It was made famous in this country by Anelka (a Muslim) but was adopted by him from his French antisemtic comedian friend dieudonne
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/nicolas-anelka-quenelle-dieudonnes-la-2970567.amp
For those who said messi was average and no longer wc LOL
TR7
We can agree on that LENO was superb business by sven.
Think about how average allison has looked and that’s with the best defence in the league in front of him and arguably one of the best defenders in world football.
Whilst Leno is surrounded by defenders with some key weaknesses.
Weagle
How many TVs do you have in your house?
Literally never heard anyone call Messi average besides Red who’s demented.
WE
Missed the first half, what were the messi goals like?
Flicking back and forth channels Un, Juve match only one worth watching now.
Turning a fat slob like Phil Jonez doesn’t make one world class…
Thomas
“Because that means you can’t be anti-semic. “My mailman is back.
Lol daft cunt”
Well firstly please explain why I’m anti-Semitic?
Secondly where had your mailman been and what does that have to do with a slanderous comment about me?
Thirdly – I’m a daft cunt and you don’t even spell the accusation properly?
LG
First one great, trademark Messi weaved in from the right, shimmied left and left and planted a sweet finish in bottom corner 20 odd yards out.
2nd was the same from opposite flank but onto his right foot which he can’t put his foot through and it was a tame effort straight at DDG who comically let it slip under his body, 99 times out of 100 easy gather.
“For those who said messi was average and no longer wc LOL“
Please name them..
Sounds like a ridiculous comment, because who could ever come to a conclusion even close to that?
Pedro
I was accused of being anti-Semitic earlier, you’ve made a statement that anyone making racist comments will be banned without comment and then this get’s posted –
“Corbyn has a few choice words for some nasty Jews and he becomes public enemy no.1 Jew hater lol”
I’m not suggesting you ban Red but at least warn him of unacceptable behaviour.
Messi very good for Barcrlona and average at best for Argentina
On topic of away form. Emery put it really good after game.
He said that we must work on this mental blocade. At home we attack space with confidence but away we are to slow and shy in build up play.
TBH Im positively surprised by him. Seen yesterday that quite few posters ranted about subs, to me it was quite logical.
Changed formation based on changes Wat made. Rested key players, everything i felt Wenger had blind spot when going went tough.
Ole is going to grow 10 years older in the summer when he’s preparing the United squad to play in the Europa league next season
De Gea will leave and so will Pogba.
I wan’t to see how his ex-player-now turned commentator friends turn on him.
De Gea has totally killed the game. It baffles me that he is considered one of the top most keepers in world.
Fergie is looking miserable in the VIP box and Ole G is absolutely looking clueless when faced with difficult situations.
We keep harping about Arsenal’s poor squad but Manu aren’t far behind. Both have had such a fall in the quality of the squad over the years that it is hard to accept.
bloody hell, I went through over 60 comments without reading a piece were charlie George sucked Pedro’s c*********k. like…
A concise round up of affairs in and around the Arsenal by the redoubtable PedRo. And I thank him for it……
seem the threat on any sought of racist comments like how emery is a Dracula with fangs, a foreigner to the English culture and so on, has made his cock shrink.
WE Thanks pal. Funny how Messi seemed on the decline a couple seasons back but now he seems like he is maintaining his epic form. He isn’t as fast or electric (though he still has fairly decent acceleration) but his passing is the best it has ever been, his playmaking and vision is far better because he can’t rely on pace and himself as much to do it all and also his free kick taking is in another league. It’s like messi is a genius who keeps adapting to his age. I gurantee ge cluld even play as a pirlo… Read more »
I’d say falsely accusing someone of being anti-semitic be it from a Jew or gentile is nasty
I’m tired of Poch talking up this stadium like it’s the Burj Khalifa
I can’t wait for city to beat their sorry arses out of the CL and return Spuds back to their bottle-status
CG may think otherwise
Dissenter
OGS seems to be returning to his Cardiff form – it’s even funnier that it ties in with 1 or 2 results of Bamford proclaiming him as a genius.
Would Bamford please post that I’m not going to win the Euromillions on Friday and definitely will not put one on Ana de Armas!
875 churches in France were vandalised last year
Jews are fleeing France in record numbers
Can’t think why
Red
Well you accused me of being anti-Semitic – I’ll ask again on what grounds do you make that accusation?
Un
On a serious note we’re seeing a rise in far right nationalist movements all over Europe at the moment.
The Euro elections in May could really shake the foundation of the EU.
Red
He’s got you on a hook.
That was a game-saving stop by Szczesny.
Marc
Good. It didn’t need to be this way. They pushed too hard and now they’ve created a far right out of nothing. Not that I agree being a nationalist makes you far right.
Late game Ronaldo pen written all over this.
Un
I thought Jews prayed in synagogues