Thursday nights are party nights. Unai Emery has turned a pub level competition into a feast for the eyes. He’s taken Wenger’s post-2004 model for the League cup and amped up one of the least glamorous nights in the game. He’s turned Jumpin’ Jacks into an 80s night or decadence on the French Riviera.
Last night, we learned a lot during a brutal dismantling of a very average Standard Liege side.
Gabriel.
This kid is electric. A livewire. A striking talent as clinical and exciting as Nic Anelka from 1997.
The Brazilian didn’t care about the rain, he just made it happen for himself. He scored his second header of his Arsenal career when he nodded a near post Tierney pass across goal. It looked simple, but my word he had a lot to do there. His second was all about archetypal Brazilian footwork, he shuffled his feet, created half a yard and stroked a simple strike across goal.
He was more than just goals, he helped gift Ceballos an easy finish with a dinked cross for our 4th. He nearly assisted a penalty when he eased Reiss Nelson into the box with an Ozil like piece of passing craft.
When Unai Emery bizarrely brought Auba on late in the game, Garbriel switched out to the left and managed to deliver more crosses to feet than Kola did all last season. I’d imagine he’s going to get the early days Thierry treatment, start out left, learn the trade, own the centre when it’s time.
Overall, I am VERY excited about this guy. If this is Edu’s magic, I implore you all to pen him a handwritten thank you letter, like those your mum made you send circa 1992.
Willock.
Another game, another goal. The Englishman did himself all the favours with a very strong performance. He’s an all action hero. He passes well, he doesn’t dither, he has incredible instincts for sniffing out dangerous areas to stand. He also works really hard, he never stops running and for me, he gives us an edge when he’s on the pitch.
It’s tough for Emery, because he’s deeply in love with Xhaka and it’s hard to blood too many kids at the same time. The Swiss might have more experience, he might be less rough round the edges, but a good game from Willock gives us so much more than the rarity of a good game from our captain.
Midfield.
Emery opted for something that looked normal and ambitious. When the Spaniard is up against meek opposition, he makes smart choices. LT the deepest in the pivot. Ceballos, picking up the Ramsey sort of role. Willock marshalling ahead of LT. That’s balance. It worked. We looked good. We weren’t rattled.
The manager might not be able to roll with that midfield at the moment because of experience, but long term, that’s where it has to go. We have to prioritize energy and we have to let players do what they’re good at. We have to stop thinking Xhaka is going to come good.
Fullbacks.
The last myth of Unai Emery… the fullbacks. If we’re to believe some of the staunch believers, the whole system is broken because of two players. We knew tonight the team would have fun day out whoever played, so I’m not surprised Tierney and Hector made the managers last excuse look like a good one. Kieran T was immense, a chance creation machine. He’s fast, direct, aggressive and his delivery is elite. Hector was a little off comparably, but still gave us a better presence on the right. These two aren’t going to save Emery long term, but they’ll give a terminally ill patient a kick of life that’ll convince people Emery can fix Arsenal (like that unbeaten run). We have a lot of easy games coming up, those two coming back will make mincemeat of teams, but it’s not enough.
Emery.
He put on a great show in a competition Raul called his comfort blanket. He’s still making bizarre decisions. Bringing on Auba when you’re 4 up against a pub team is negligent. Our season depends on him, mad that we’re taking risks AGAIN. Second worry is the inconsistency of his messaging on ostracized players. He gave Ozil one of the captains armbands. He didn’t even pick him in the squad. I am not fan of Ozil, but I am a believer in clarity of leadership. At the moment, what he’s doing looks like it’s spite driven.
‘Ozil deserves this’
Sure, as a fan, you have the right to think that. But players in a working environment likely do not see Ozil as the devil. He has status because of who he is in the global pecking order of football and what he can do on the training pitch. Good players want to play with great players. Emery picking on him might not bite him now, but it will at some point.
Consistency is a leadership virtue, if you are ostracizing someone because they wouldn’t leave in the summer, don’t put Mustafi in the squad. If you’re giving someone the captains armband, have them in the squad for a Europa League game. If your leadership lacks basic principals, whispers will start and you’ll let the demons into the camp. Big names can cause big problems. Emery had this at PSG and it killed him, it is shocking to see him make the same mistakes again, especially after the mess he created with Ramsey last year… and remember, before you go off at me on this one, none of this would be relevant if he didn’t give the armband to someone who has NOT been a leader. One of the most confusing contradictions I’ve ever witnessed in sport.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments.xxx
Moe, Lloris is overrated. Too error prone to be considered a top goalie. He is average at best.
TR7 Right, but has Auba played on the right? Is he comfortable on the right? You say it’s “simple”: Saka on the left, Lacazette through the center, and Auba on the right. I don’t know that it is that simple, and if I’m starting Lacazette through the center — I don’t know that I am — I don’t know that I’m selecting Saka on the left over Auba on the left. Not because I don’t rate Saka, but because I don’t know if he should be starting over Auba at this point. The more I think about it, though, the… Read more »
Martinelli is already a far better striker than tap in Eddie Nketiah.
Re; Pepe
I think Emery grants him another automatic start at home against Bournemouth
If he wets the bed again, then merit has to take over after the international break.
Start Martinelli and Saka ahead of him. Relegate him to the Europa League spot ahead of him.
We have to be sticking one leg into the future with the obviously talented Saka and Martinelli – have to set them up so they will be willing to extend their contracts.
Auba scores this chance.
RH
“Pierre do you still think Norwich are playing football the right way and we should be emulating them?”
Of course they are playing the right way, they have spent nothing and have been beset with injuries recently.
anyone with common sense wouldn’t ask such a question, no doubt with a gormless smirk on your face.
Difficult Graham, the subject of the role of the supporter in the stadium. Intrinsically, you’re there to support your team, chant, sing, encourage. Agreed at times Arsenal fans have been diluted by the prawn brigade and ‘tourists’. For the most part where I am which is section 6, lower tier, most of the songs start from very close to me. There’s one guy three seats away, Alex who sells the Gooner on match days, goes Home and Away, starts many of the chants that get picked up by the support. The ‘Red section’ which is just over the aisle also… Read more »
Marko
there’s no such thing as “relax” regarding Pepe
There’s an automatic pressure and expectation that comes from costing £72 million in transfer fees.
That’s how it’s been and that has it always will be.
Pierre equates WINNERS to winning trophies after years hailing loser Wenger for ‘winning’ the top 4 trophy.
Pepe, Martinelli and AMN on the right while Laca sits on the bench ? Pepe has done nothing to deserve a starting berth. Martinelli has never started a league game for us.
People writing off Pepe already are delusional.
He’s had 4 90 minute appearances in the league, went off after 74 minutes against ManU and 2 sub appearances. He had no pre season with us and was at the African Cup of Nations, I have no idea how good his English is.
Overseas players often take time to bed in and it won’t help that we’re hardly playing any sort of fluent football either.
Pierre anyone playing football the right way should not be losing three games in a row without scoring. I can see you are very touchy on the subject but didn’t hesitate to hold up Norwich as a team to emulate on here when they won a few games…
Replace Pepe with what?.
No one is exactly pulling up trees to warrant a place in the side.
Imagine thinking Norwich are playing football the ‘right way’. The lad is absolutely clueless. In the relegation zone, 2nd worst goal difference in the league.
Marc, Agree completely about Pepe. Bergkamp, Henry and Pires would all have been written off after 6 games by some on here.
Tottenham could end up doing a Leeds. If this slump in form and unrest continues and poch can’t replicate wenger’s top 4 year after year….. bye bye NLD for a few years.
Maddison with a quality finish 1-1
Marc
You do realize that Pepe was born and raised in France, right.
He’s not some kid from Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire. This language excuse is tepid, the lack of a pre-season is a good mitigating factor in his favor though.
I hope he finds his mojo against Bournemouth. He has to be brave too.
Brendo’s team is playing phenomenally well at Anfield. Why did we go there to play the role of a punching bag?
Red, Martinelli pulled up a couple of sequoias in the week.
Agree Marc, and good to have you back here posting.
Agree with Bamford
Auba has to play in the centre
Take your pick who plays left and right of him
Bayern lost to Hoffenheim at home. Football isn’t mathematics. All this why couldn’t we beat X,Y,or Z after we play teams and they go on to lose to another team is point less. No two games are the same.
Thanks Leftside
Bet Farke is regretting referring to Carrow Road as a ‘fortress’ now.
I talked about Leicester being good enough for top-4 and having. squad better that ours [as at last season]. Now I think we’ve made progress to maybe eke past them.
No one is sneering at that initial prediction, I guess.
Phenomenally well? They scored with their first and only shot on target. Liverpool have had 7 on target.
5-0 to Villa. Let’s play more like Norwich. Good plan.
Dissenter
My point was he’s playing in a new country and a different league it’ll take him time to adjust.
Just as I say people need to keep expectations in check on the kids you need to give a signing from overseas at least half a season.
He might not work out – it is a possibility but I’m not going to write the guy off after the equivalent of 5 – 6 leagues games
Pepe wasn’t afraid to take players initially, now he’s regressing into the lateral passing mode.
Norwich do have some good players to poach if they go down.
Leicester have put Pool under pressure and they are playing positive football. They were doing everything right but the last part of their attack – the shot. Stop being a retard and agree that they are playing like an equal to Pool in this game, and they have played the game 1000000 times better than what Emery setup our team to do and crumbled.
How the fuck can Norwich beat City a few weeks ago and then get absolutely spanked by Villa today?
The Football God’s seem to be having some fun!
Dissenter
“Emery called [Watford] a ‘good’ team after the capitulation. We also should have beaten a worst (sic) United team in recent memory and this shite Spuds team at home.”
You’ve really jumped on the Emery-is-an-incompetent-disaster bus, haven’t you? I seem to remember a time when you saw this camp’s arguments as a bit overstated and disingenuous. I guess the dust-ups here back in April and May sent you into the safe waters one enjoys over on that side of things?
(Just giving you a hard time; no ill-will intended here.)
Nothing excuses a 5 goal home loss to Aston Villa …even if you fielded the U13
Bob N16 You’ve explained yourself very well. The thing is Bob when we moved to the Emirates things changed. The whole ethos and culture that was Highbury was no more. I’m not saying we were the most vocal supporters but at least we felt the experience, it was special. The Emirates, although being a wonderful stadium, does not generate the same intensity and feeling of being a part of the matchday experience. I personally feel that the certain aspects of the design of the stadium, have not helped matters. Is this an excuse? To be honest, I’m not sure. What… Read more »
there are certain aspects
Leicester is showing that you can try to win points at Anfield without setting up with 9 ppl behind the ball like Emery set us to do. Like a relegation team.
Retard? I don’t agree a team with one shot on target are playing phenomenally well? Lol…you type like a 12 year old.
Receding,
They are playing better than when we played at Anfield earlier in the season. Furthermore, you’re making out that they’ve barely been out of their half with your “scored with their first shot on target” , they thoroughly deserve that equaliser, we deserved to be thoroughly beaten.
Everybody nose best that Brenda is not Saucy enough, as a manager.
Pedro will confirm that fact.
Liverpool pen
People forget we should have taken the lead at Anfield if Pepe had his finishing boots on or that they needed Sokratis marking air at a corner to score. Every team that visits Liverpool, lose, win or draw will be held up here as proof we should have attacked Liverpool. Never mind the fact the last time we took the lead there we were 5-1 down at halftime
Pepe, Martinelli and AMN on the right while Laca sits on the bench ? Pepe has done nothing to deserve a starting berth. Martinelli has never started a league game for us. Dunno what AMN is doing in there. I said fine a way to make Lacazette work on the left or the right irrespective of other players being worse it’s about balance and placating your obvious best player and chance for a goal. I see no reason why Lacazette can’t adapt to playing off the left and cutting inside on his right and contributing with Auba and Pepe. He’s… Read more »
Lol this is THE year for Liverpool, no doubt now.
*season
VAR Anfield!!
3 days ago
Cesc Fàbregas Soler
@cesc4official
·
2.10
Mané for me is top 3 players in the world and has been for a while. Top top level.
Liverpool are such cunts.
Milner won’t miss.
Liverpool with the win
Mane went down like he’d been shot. Cunt.
Very harsh on Leicester
What odds that the Spud’s now go and get a win at Anfield in their next league match!
RH,
be happy with Emery setting us up with 9 players in defence. When Leicester can go and play like an equal. Your choice brother.
Who gives a fuck about fabregas’s opinion ??
Aaron’s their RB maybe Dissenter.
Terrible mistake by Albrighton. And we think we have the worse players.
You have to set up in negative fashion when you play Xhaka, that is Emery’s big crime the continual playing of Xhaka.
We wouldn’t suddenly be a title contending team or even a very good team but we’d look much, much better with industry and mobility in midfield.
Norwich despite having a supposed saucy manager and playing football the right way will concede a fuck tonne of goals and struggle to stay in the division.
‘Terrible mistake by Albrighton. And we think we have the worse players.’
If you’re talking about errors that isn’t up for dispute is it?
I thought Arsenal had most errors leading to goals and Xhaka led the way with individual errors?
Glad Liverpool won.
Why “c##t” verbals?
Bamford I’m curious as to why you are ready to list so many Emery’s footballing malfeasances on the drop of a hat, yet you keep edging your bets by sticking with him. You’ve stated that he repeatedly picks the wrong starting eleven, persists with Xhaka and plays Torriera incorrectly. [correct me iff I’m wrong] What is the breaking point for you to say enough is enough? I reached that point for me at 60 minutes against Watford, when we were still 2-1 ahead. He fancies himself as an offensive coach but we are shit offensively in the league. He defaults… Read more »
CA,
Yeah and who’s playing these players? Yes, I know.
Nothing negative about our setup at Anfield and it’s about time you all got over it. Guess how many points Leicester have left old Trafford and Anfield with? Zero.
Win tomorrow, could go third.
Yeah, it’s not as if our players have given stupid away penalties in European Cup finals or anything. AMN *cough*.
Huge penalty that for Pool, psychologically a massive win for them considering it was that type of match in March that cost them the title ultimately.
Just felt it was coming as soon as Leicester equalised, sign of a top team that.
It wasn’t a clear penalty
Had the referee not blowing his whistle initially, VAR wouldn’t have overruled a no-call.
Watching the Spurs meltdown is wonderful entertainment! As an aside all the best to Lloris as that looked like a horrible injury.
Marco Silva must have concerns for his job, Everton flattering to deceive and they have high expectations.
Norwich getting ripped a new one, it is admirable for them to insist on dancing with what brought them to the top league but a little bit of pragmatism might serve them well also.
Dissenter everything about you is always extreme. Bamford is just pointing that out. You are Emery out now,we get it, dial it down a notch.
RH,
you’re going to read about Leicester in the coming days. This was a fantastic performance. Leicester fans will be fuming cause they deserved something out of the game. Can we say the same for us?
It won’t matter in that 1 game, but it’s going to show in the long run.
Dunno why people bring up the anfield game. It’s over we lost much like most teams who go there will. Move on. Some teams will put up better or worse showings than us but it’s over move on
Again the heel turn from Dissenter is something to behold. I’m just waiting for the next one when Leicester lose a couple games and drop off. Or when Chilwell doesn’t join City again.
Marko, The whole idea to go there and defend like you are a relegation fodder obviously conceding that you are the weaker team and you can’t outplay them, then watch what Leicester did and see what it’s all about. One manager goes to steal a point at best and force his team to play negative football. While Brendo setup his team to go toe to toe and this performance will not go unnoticed. Mostly in his players mind. They were able to do it. We went like we knew we were going to be the 2nd best. It’s a huge… Read more »
Marko,
“It’s over, move on!”
I guess that’s why Pedro thinks you’re too stuck in the present!
Really you should be endlessly dissecting the past, over and over again.
Only then will you become a true LeGrover.
Raptora,
Last season, our away record was dismal. So to my mind, Emery is always gonna be trying to set us up pretty defensively for most of our away matches and hope to snatch a narrow win or grab a draw on the counterattack.
It won’t be pretty.
Let’s hope it will prove to be effective.
Raptora yea, just like Norwich going toe to toe with City has paid dividends in the long run.
Leicester have played Liverpool and United away and come out with zero points, it will show in their points tally in the long run. No team playing Leicester tomorrow will pay them respect for attacking Liverpool. Meanwhile Liverpool March on.
The man tasked with earning Arsenal points decided how he wanted his team to play at Anfield and played that way…move on already
RH,
unbelievable that you are setting your whole opinion on a 93rd minute penalty. If it wasn’t for it you’d surely pick another thing though, no doubts about it. 0 pts. 0 pts. 0 pts.
Be interested to see how long Mane and Salah stay together at Liverpool, they give off the impression that they don’t really like each other.
Plus Salah is very much the main man to the majority of the football world and Mane must feel that he is every bit as good a player, could see his head getting turned if an elite European club came in for him.
Back to the EPL tomorrow and the not so joyous Football.
It’s like we’ve become Jekyll and Hyde FC.
We played Pool in the first couple of weeks, with players still not settled, a couple not yet reaching match fitness and our second choice back 4. If we had played them now we could probably put up a better fight, even better in a couple of months when the new signings have settled properly. We’re very much in transition at the moment, just because we signed players for 130m in the summer doesn’t automatically makes us better from day 1. The squad turnover has been pretty dramatic in the last year or so, to expect us to have the… Read more »
Words only recently I decided to move on after hearing about world war one. Couldn’t go through that again… wait there was another one… No but seriously I don’t get why raptora is still on it we could easily rock up next season with Vieira and a game plan to take the game to them and still lose by one goal or by 5. The idea that with a different manager things might have been different is lost on me given everyone is walking away from Anfield with nothing these days. Eventually that record will stop as most records do… Read more »
Jane is a cheating horrible diving cheat….yes a cheat….what a horrible role model for young Scouse kids.
Now, let’s have some perspective on Emery. A good manager, but has a blind spot on Xhaka. Ok it’s difficult to see the value of Xhaka……but maybe he sees Xhaka as a strong man-manager on the pitch and kind of washed over his lack of composure on the pitch. Who knows?…..but results are favourable lately. It’s a results business isn’t it?…..4-0 in s ok right?
Mane …
Weird that Real Madrid are top of La Liga by 4 points [gap can be narrowed be Barca and Atleti tomorrow] when it felt until very recently as if Zidane was hanging onto his job by a thread and dropping points on a regular basis.
In trouble in the CL group but all it takes is for them to beat Galatasaray to resuscitate that situation.
Freddie,
I hope you are aware that Schmeichel and Vardy are the only 2 starters from their title winning team 3 years ago? Literally 80% of their players that played today joined last season. Another excuse in the bin.
“what a horrible role model for young Scouse kids.”
As opposed to their parents who are murdering thieving scum.
@freddie…yes good points….transitioning at the mo…
Some are more patient than others…I certainly am.
vickingzOctober 5, 2019 14:36:40
How couldn’t we beat this spurs??
__________
Easy. One word: Emery. Terrible manager.
Emery out now!
Marc,
Explain
Yeah emery out!
How old are you? 8?
Totally agree Marko I’m very confident that Pepe will one good
The Emery system of slow ball has been a real issue as his talents rely on fast counter attacks
WE Barca should have targeted mane this past summer instead of Griezmann. Suarez can still do a job and that left is a problem position for them and Mane would have sorted it
Very soft penalty,
Mane fell down as soon as he felt the touch..
You could say he dived
He certainly fell down like he was hit by a grenade!
Terrible and unnecessary panic by Albrighton though!
The biased media will tell you it’s clever play..
had it been Lacazette you would bet your house he would’ve been called all sorts of names and would never hear the end of the cheating, soft and play acting arsenal.
C**ts bin dippers
Marko
Yes, the idea of Laca on the right and Auba as a lone striker is worth chewing over. Not buying the argument that Pepe/Martinelli should start ahead of Laca.
Liverpool incredibly lucky to win 3 points. Leicester played well enough to get a draw.
Marko
He would have been perfect for them. His pace and directness as well as his goal threat would have been ideal alongside Messi and Suarez who are both slowing down a touch as they are 32.
Don’t see Dembele there for much longer, don’t think that he’s trusted at the club. Very questionable attitude from all accounts.
Thomas…not every club can win the premier League….its basic logic but you can’t get it.
We have a team composed of good players, but other teams have better players.
We should achieve 4th or fight that out with Chelsea or Leicester…
Where are we now? On schedule for third…..
Is that enough info ?
Yeah Liverpool are cunts but with the result we can go third tomorrow and that’s what matters. Sooner we overtake Leicester the closer we are to another Dissenter 180. Can’t wait
Spurs risk of financial meltdown without a Champion’s League has been well documented. It is a combination of the burden of building a new stadium in London and Levy stubbornness. No builder were willing to work on a fixed price contract at the price Levy wanted. So Spurs’s construction deal has no ceiling and they have to pay any added cost. Levy gambled that the overrun cost would be still less than what the builder wanted as minimum guarantee. They lost that bet and now the extra cost that Spurs has to pickup is nearly 450 millions, basically the construction… Read more »
Rap I wasn’t only talking about Leicester, but 1 season is a lot more than a couple of games to get used to a new league or when you step up from the u23s. It also doesn’t change the fact that our current back 4 is barely PL level, add Xhaka to that too and you get what we have seen lately. I prefer to look forward and I really can’t be bothered in harping on about the manager constantly, he’s on a short term contract and if he doesn’t improve the team he’s out. With the emerging youngsters ,… Read more »