Absolutely huge game today. Two fallen giants of the game trying desperately to claw back some sort of relevance for their fans.
United struggle for goals, the football is dull, and their expensive defensive unit is still flawed.
Arsenal has a great squad of players, but they’ve struggled to establish an identity, the defence has been equally poor, and our attacking play has generally been reliant on the brilliance of one man.
Today sadly isn’t a battle for the league title, it’s a battle to establish an advantage in the race for top 6. Emery saw some light in the last two games, notably both when Xhaka wasn’t on the pitch. The come back against Villa was valiant and the Forest destruction pointed to an attacking style that would look sexy if we could rock it against better teams.
The game for us tonight is all about midfield. If Emery can’t suss optimum working conditions for his precious new general, it’s going to be difficult. United will attempt to pressure our midfield and hope it crumbles. I hope Emery has given them some help, we need to see a structure, I can’t watch another game where everyone goes missing up the other end, or worse, watch everyone drops into the defence leaving us exposed for shots and whatever else comes our way. United might be shit, but they have good pressing numbers this season. We need to be on high alert. We need to see real leadership, not this soft kind the media keep talking about.
’Xhaka always remembers the boys birthdays, he’s religious about getting a card signed’
The Swiss master of the spare key will sit at the base of midfield, no point in arguing that, the question is who with? If it’s on his own with a combination of Matteo and Ceballos, we could be in trouble. The Spaniard is an exciting talent, but let’s be honest, he hasn’t bypassed the bedding in stage most players deal with. We need athleticism on the pitch though, and I think the manager might have to go against his intuition and reinstate LT in his natural position as the lead DM (laughable I have to write that), or gun for something inexperienced but industrious like opt for Willock and Matteo.
Tactically, we have been greatly hampered by the captain’s armband, there’s no doubt about that.
I’d also not be surprised to see Emery play 3 at the back, fear is his default perspective, and I see no reason for him to change that approach in a big game. What I will say is that Emery does get the players up for the big games. Even when we lose, it’s not often insipid. Though the Chelsea final really did do a lot of damage to that perception.
Key to our day is usually centered around how well we bring Auba into the game. He’ll have the chance to get in behind Maguire who hasn’t looked great. I think we’ll be able to spring chances all day. West Ham created with relative ease when I watched them the other day, the game would probably be ripe for some Ozil deadliness around the box if we get pushed into possession play in their 3rd. I would also be very happy to see Saka given a go. He’s a surprise package, he’s annoying to defend against and he’s basically the new Dembele. We need some of his fearless decision making, it could be vital today. I ALSO HEAR HE STARTS!
I’d also like to see an open play goal from Pepe, it’s time.
There are other delightful elements, Pogba, Martial and Rashford are all likely to miss the game. Say what you will about them over a season, Arsenal normally make them look world-class and United are weaker without them. That said, we’re all expecting a worldie from De Gea and a blistering first big game start from Greenwood.
Huge day for both sides, let’s hope the game achieves something that looks like the years gone by.
See you in the comments.
Fuck this. Awful match and performance.
We bottled sensing a statement out there today.
Cheats !!!!
Luiz again can you believe it.
Piss poor
Luiz with the typical thing. I’m done
.Palace beat United 1-2 at Old Trafford.
Ref under Fergie instructions
United are truly bad and we are no better.
It might be better if we lose tbh
Both teams staggering to the finish line… Luiz with his customary … wtf moment.
Eagle you see mistakes being made on the pitch that predates him. His fault is persisting with some of the clowns. I don’t believe they can be coached, they shouldn’t be the guaranteed starters they are. He seems determined to prove they are good players, they aren’t
Fuck me. Koasinac is quick enough to close down a bloke with a knife…give him an attacker and he stands off like a big fucking chicken. Brruuuuuuccccck
This place will go mental tonight if they score.
fuck me fergie time. need to survive this.
You just know that manure are going to score here
Nelson a waste. Rather our Brazilian kid!!
Saka should not come off
Shit performance
Leno saves our azz… brilliant save, full stretch.
Nelson lead boots
Leno great save. Nelson poor shot.
Nelson is just a complete joke.
Why isn’t maetinelli getting game time.
Fuck Nelson shot like a pussy wotta waste
This nelson will never amount to anything in football
I was surprised to see Nelson come on TBH. is he really the best option?
Come on !
Nelson is below Martinelli on the pecking order
There’s nothing special about him, no sauce there
Nelson is not even a championship level player.
Last shot man.
Receding
You can’t fall back on that nonsense, he’s shown no capability to coach anything himself so but rich to claim some can’t be coached.
They absolutely can be, we just don’t know to what end because the guy tasked with doing it is garbage.
Last chance saloon.
Shit game. 2 points dropped.
Nelson is totally out of his depth. He had been poor. Come on Luiz…
Wow
Ceballos get in the fucking sea.
Poor
Rubbish Fk. Always low and short.
Nelson is poor
Don’t float it in Ceballos just a nice predictable cross.
Emery out. Nothing I’ve seen has changed my opinion.
Heard you the first one thousand times Charles.
Set piece practice during the week is a must.
Horrible match between two horrific sides
*sigh*… that was painful to watch … not gonna lie.. AT least we didn’t lose to the shit cunts… but damn.
Absolute shite. I think we have decent players in some positions, but we are a weak and feeble outfit.
Ok a points a point but that was poor in terms of quality.
Nelson it must be hard playing with one eye and your hand tucked in
What a poor game.
Emery out
man is that like watching two teams in the bottom half?!! I feel Emery let them off the hook tonight #emeryout
@Champagne Charlie
Agree with you 100 percent.
Pls Martinelli better than Pepe and Nelson!
That was so so so so drab.
Soooo crap.
Absolute crap
Leno MOTM.
Xhaka also, but not for the same reason…
I don’t recognise this Arsenal team no more. No soul. Aubameyang the only one leading us.
Leicester lost there 1-0. Chelsea lost there 4-0.
We get one point.
‘Functionality’ wins the day 😉
Piss poor Pepe
I have to eat my words.
Congrats to Abu for saving Arsenal yet agaim
Instead of setting up a team right as per. He is so reactionary.
Awful selection and set up. All needed to be positive and as per so negative and rubbish at it.
I’m over the line now. Emery will never take us any farther. This is a stop gap and that’s it.
It’s a point at OT.
They compete when the Arsenal are in town.
I think you now look at Pepe and say, why do you deserve a start?
Martinelli and Saka need to be given their shot.
Guendouzi first name on the team sheet
Not good enough
Think bout the manure teams viera faced
This is a shit manure team even West Ham beat them
Not good enough and it’s due to the set up not the players
Xhaka was the worst captain performance I’ve ever seen. Mute. Distant and shit
Well all things said, glad it was a draw. We were shit. So were ManUre (but they did have the better chsnces).
Even commentator said Xhaka is slow hemce why he commits so many fouls!
Predicted a score draw earlier on here.
We just haven’t got the stones to go to OT and win no matter how crap United are. They could literally play their reserves and we’d still find a way to bottle it.
That was an embarrassing show for the two clubs, absolute shadows of the pre-game build up. Absolute shocker to witness.
Receding
Might’ve heard it, but you’ve only started processing it. You’ll get there lad.
We still have ze mental block
Ghost
Agree
Nelson another shot player, plays like a fish.
Some basic errors seen tonight from the usual suspects, don’t give me that coaching nonsense or about how we have the third best squad in the league. Too many clowns playing for us to make such an assertion. The man who keeps picking them is equally a clown.
Can’t wait to see a manager who will trust the young guns from the league cup game in the PL.
Emery out.
Emery should be sacked.
Dont think we get top 4 with him managing.
He should get the sack for playing Xhaka every week btw more than the footballing reasons.
“the guy tasked with doing it is garbage”
Nonsense. It’s Xhaka that is garbage. Emery has coached plenty of players (and plenty of teams) into good form. Xhaka is just a poor player and he has been a poor player for years now.
Shit game, shit teams, shit managers, shit players, shit referees, awesome away fans
Pepe worst player on the pitch!
*shit
We need more goal scorers poor weak shots from our other players.
Guendouzi and Saka stand outs. Luiz done well tonight too but there was a lack of quality in the middle that meant we couldn’t win a game we really should have. Things might have been different had that dopey cunt not actually gone out of his way to allow them to score.
In the first half Saka (our best player) was giving Young a really hard time down the left eventually resulting in a yellow. So do we continue this in the 2nd half? No of course not, El-Dicko decides to attack down the right. Stupid dumb cunt.
As for Pepe and Ceballos, what a waste of fuckin’ money.
Well at least we didn’t lose 8-2……
RH
It’s not enough to keep on blaming the players, at some point he’s got to coach them.
6 of the starting XI today were signed under his watch.
We have better players than United do, we should be winning that today.
As I have said before, if Emery continues to select Xhaka in the XI, he should be replaced before January. Terrible player.
Martinelli needs game time
IF Saka can show it, so can he
I thought Guendouzi was great tonight, he’s the only thing worth saving in our midfield really. He basically is becoming the entire personality of the team. Saka was also very good and showed in a way Pepe just did not. Pepe actually severely hampered our ability to get anything out of tonight. I’d drop him for the next EPL game, he clearly isn’t right. Looks a shadow of the player who had us all excited at Liverpool. Take some time away and also feel the urgency of having an 18 year old take your place. Emery has to start using… Read more »
The most pathetic Manure squad I’ve ever seen.
That sums our level very well.
The 3 set pieces , 2 by Nelson and one by Cebellos must warrant wages being docked , because seriously wtf was that
We had a few chances where I think our youngsters who have no goal scoring pedigree ought to be passing it to Auba who is in a good position. They didn’t.
Same old emery
Always choking
Nelson is not arsenal level.
Willock was our brightest player in the last 25 mins
Created two nice chances for Ceballos and Nelson who both should have done better
Nelson fluffed his lines again with a minute to go
Scuffed both corners
The kid isn’t going to be here next season. Can’t cross can’t pass can’t shoot can’t dribble
The usual suspects switching from Emery is very good tune to he is only getting his selection wrong otherwise he is okay tune.
‘Emery has coached plenty of players (and plenty of teams) into good form. ‘
He failed to win a single away fixture in his final season at Sevilla. Hardly improved them did he?
“Cesc AppealSeptember 30, 2019 22:01:24“
Spot on with this
Emery is devoid of ideas and not good enough…
That Saka dude is a good player,he wasn’t overwhelmed,he played far better than Pepe.
Torreira isnt playing up to scratch this season,I don’t know if it’s Emery telling him to play far up or what.
Emery can’t and won’t take us to that next level even the unborn are aware of this.
Don’t know what Raul and co are planning about him,they better start looking elsewhere because that man isn’t great at anything
Hope the fans will create a song for Granité, “Oh Oh Oh Xhaka he duck but he do it with class”….
It’s not enough to keep on blaming the players, at some point he’s got to coach them.
Agree. Really he needs to be coaching not ducking out of the way of shots better to the likes of Xhaka.
I’m reading points on here like we lost.?????
Our set pieces are horrific, we play with three ‘DMs’ and aren’t any better off for it. The cynic may assume Emery wants a sabbatical to be selecting Xhaka at all costs but I genuinely think he is as dim as they come.
When you look at that it seems we should change our transfer strategy and only buy absolute bargains when they’re available like Guen, Martinelli and Holding with our marquee signings being no dearer than Tierney Leno and maybe Saliba
Use academy for the rest enter Willock and Saka
The big money buys have been terrible
Stupid emery, u can be forgiven for playing pepe but for subbing pepe with nelson? Why not martinelli? Emery needs hundred games to know what fans already know about a player in just a game
Actually I’m wrong cos of Auba and Laca
Not to mention that Aubameyang who was actually a Wenger regime signing is bailing us out on literally a weekly basis.
Earned us draws vs Spurs, Watford, United and wins vs Newcastle, Burnley and Aston Villa.
Only PL match he has failed to score in [Liverpool] we have lost.
WE
“We have better players than United do”
Do we really? Was our XI actually better than theirs tonight? I’m not convinced of that. I’d like to see someone go through the two XIs and make the argument that our XI is clearly better than theirs. I don’t know that I see that.
Pepe I repeat looks a bit Walcotty.?
He is very predictable and seems out of his depth here.
The thing is though you drop Xhaka in the team and he is meant to be a deep creator so you don’t play a CAM you play 2 work horse CMs with him…except he doesn’t do that. He literally does nothing for the midfield. Arsenal need to stop this whole approach of building a team around a player. Build the team to suit build the team to suit Ozil, build it to suit Sanchez, build it to suit Xhaka. Just build a fucking team that works each player doing their job without needing their hand held or an entire fucking… Read more »