ARS 1-0 Man City

12-game losing streak finally broken! Trust the process!!! 💪

A dull and tense affair, both sides very cautious and shy in attacking, both wary of the deadlt threats that each possess. The deadlock was finally broken courtesy of a huge slick of luck, Martinelli's shot (his first game since his injury) deflecting off a defender to wrong foot the GK. Arsenal's back line + Rice was IMMENSE to shut out Haaland and co. who mustered only 1 shot on target all night. Massive win, massive stamp of authority, massive intent! 

Most times I feel like I didn't care about Arsenal

Match 20

Feeling nervous about Arsenal Man city game later... Not gonna wake up to watch cos man city is on a good form while arsenal's having sort of a blip. Don't wanna suffer 90mins of heartbreak :(

EPL table standings - after 10 games

 Are we dreaming?

Sitting on top, after 10 games and 4 points clear! Despite ManCity's 1-0 loss to Liverpool last night, ManCity is still the favourites to win the league. 

The way Arsenal has been playing this season and the physical and mental resilience displayed are giving gooner fans newfound belief in the team. But we are also a realistic lot, given our squad depth we know an injury to one or two key personnel will derail our season immediately. As Arteta stresses to the team, we don't look too far ahead whereas we take one game at a time. 

One thing for sure is that I am certainly enjoying watching every game!

Sunday nights are for reflection

I love the peaceful and quiet of Sunday nights. Sunday late nights. How late, late like, after the last Sunday match of EPL kinda-late. 

It's an ideal time to do some reflection of how the weekend went past. Weekends pass by so quickly for us, activity after activity, meal after meal. A swift passing weekend, actually, is a fortunate event. It only passed by so quickly is because one is not burdened by worries, not dragged down by chores, not bogged down by obligations. 

Just thought I'll pen down the things I'm grateful for for the weekend that just zoomed by:

- That no one is sick, obviously

- Happy and cute girls who are beginning to be able to play together more and more

- 30 mins of Busy Books play with #wyx7. 

- Started Sunday early, met Ct Christy and their boys at ECP and caught up abit

- Girls were entertained by my silly idea of drawing a face on their plates with vege

- My girls are so cute and chuckle and funny

- And last but not least!

TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

Reason for Arsenal fans to be buzzing again

5 preseason wins including a 4-0 over Chelsea and 6-0 over Sevilla, some notable additions to the team (G. Jesus, Fabio Viera, Zinchenko, and star defender W. Saliba rejoining after 2.5 years on loan) and a strong finish last season, Arsenal fans have finally a legitimate grounds to have belief and feel confident in the team!

Me included.

Passed by a bet shop on Friday and placed bets on:

- Arsenal win (1: 1.70) @ $30 

- Arsenal -1.5 (1: 2.60) @ $20

It was against Crystal Palace away and in the end the result went in Arsenal's way. I won $53 overall, hurray!

Money aside, was more pleased of the way the game was won- solid team play, reliable and strong at the back, dangerous movement of the front four, a clean sheet including 2 game defining saves by Ramsdale; and mind you CP was a physical team and we lost 2-0 to them just a few months ago; there is real belief and structure in the team right now. Only 1 game down, 37 to go. The season is a marathon, but the preparatory work and the first game have got gooners all buzzing.

COYG!

32nd game

I feel sad.

Arsenal, who a few weeks ago was in prime position and sat on 4th place and 3 points ahead of Tott, are now 6th, having lost 4 of their 5 games.

A few hours later, they are playing Chelsea. All fans be like,

I can't imagine a result other than a loss;

Please just park the bus and don't lose more than 1 goal;

Who are we kidding;

Sorry Arteta, but u got a very thin squad. Good luck.

__________________

Post-edit:

Fans woke up to a shock:

2-4 in Arsenal's favour! 

Roller coaster ride indeed...

After 8 years...

A dream....???

A massive motivation! 14 games remaining, 1 point above 5th. Points are there to be lost!

Arsenal's Asian pride - Tomiyasu!

Arsenal 3-1 Spurs. What a game!

Was it Arsenal? It didn't appear like the arsenal of recent years. This was reminiscent of Wenger's arsenal. Devotion, desire, fight and excellent team play. Needed a north London derby to invoke this in the players, and I hope this is the start of a positive spell for them. 

My MOTM has to be Tomiyasu. Hardly put in a foot wrong and won plenty of tackles and headers. Such a great player to watch. He puts Bellerin to shame.

COYG! 

shambolic

I'm very relieved I made the decision to not watch Arsenal game just now that we lost 5-0 to Man City.

The table doesn't lie.

Arteta out ASAP.

Arsenal in shambles

Can't identify the Arsenal I watch nowadays. Pathetic. When Arteta took over, fans were excited. The first few games he took over, we knew he was someone special, someone who cared, someone who picked up the players and played with a mission.

This season we started our first 5 games well, and then we hit shit. 5 losses. 3 straight home losses to mid table teams. Yesterday's North London derby was pit bottom. We allowed Kane to score against us AGAIN. Our attack was toothless, midfield bereft of creativity, strikers in one of their worst forms ever. 10 goals scored in 11 games; that's the same number that Son Heung Min (who scored against us last night by the way) has scored by himself so far.

Our worst start to a campaign in our entire history. We still believe that Arteta is the right person to lead but something has to change to steer us out of this shithole. Anything. 

Same old Arsenal

So actually Arsenal’s season hasn’t materialized any extraordinary as compared to the previous 5-9 seasons. Start badly, gain momentum in the mid of the season, only to lose form and play catching up with a third of the season to go.

1^st Jan 2016 – 20 games down, 1^st position
18 Apr 2016 – 33 games down, 4^th position. 13 points behind.

Arsenal fans wouldn’t have felt so demoralized and frustrated, if it was not for the shocking names sitting comfortably above us – Leicester City and Tottenham. The former boasts no big players and have proved the world wrong by lasting the whole season with a closely knitted team of determined footballers. The desire and tactical discipline displayed by the Foxes have been overwhelmingly impressive. As for arch rivals Tottenham, Wenger is beginning to accept the fact they will finish the season on top of Arsenal for the first time since 1995. Tottenham is playing some of the best team football seen all season, illustrated by these statistics – most goals scored, least goals conceded, most chances created.

Two shocking observations from Arsenal’s atrocious performances this season – they lost TWICE to arguably the worst Chelsea in a decade, but somehow did a double over table-topper Leicester City. This explains Arsenal. They will somehow manage to produce results in games they need to win; but collapse disappointingly when there is little pressure on them. When Arsenal conceded a goal to Crystal Palace on Sunday (despite enjoying 70% possession and creating many chances), the commentator lamented that it isn’t that such results happen to Arsenal; it is what they made for themselves. How true.

#Wengerout has been trending on social media… to the extent Wenger has publicly expressed he understands the frustration and disappointment the fans are feeling. But, he has no intention to leave. On the other side of the fence, some fans are sticking with Wenger because “if Wenger leaves, see what happened to Man U”, but MIND YOU – Ferguson has won a truckload of trophies while Wenger only has 2 FA Cups in the past 9 years. A change won’t do us too badly.

Arsenal in the chambers, again

0-2.

Yup, that’s Arsenal for you. So much hype and talk that “we have a chance”, but 80% of ‘non-delusional’ fans knew that as much as we support a good fight against Barca, deep in our hearts we are prepared for another despairing night. And voila, what else but (yet) another loss. At home.

“We have a winning formula” – declared Gabriel, before the game.

“They are not unstoppable” – many suggested.

The higher chances of a positive result you claim in the media, the larger the disappointment. What winning formula? Of not losing 3-0? Or not getting a guy sent off?

Arsenal played like Arsenal as we know them of recent years – immature, naïve (that Wenger himself said), nervous, lack of creativity. How many players did not step up to the challenge – Sanchez was full of energy but tried too hard to create things by himself; Giroud was not imposing; Walcott was given a run as a sub but delivered no impact. Heck, I waste my breath on Chamberlain who wasted a fine chance in the first half – WHY DID WENGER EVEN START HIM? His last few games were mediocre at best. Browsed a few comments on soccernet and some fans preferred Campbell to Chamberlain. I wouldn’t veto that. Campbell is pacy and can surprise opponents with his keen eye for a pass; on the other hand Ox is a one trick pony (always running down the flank) and when he tries not to, he makes the wrong decisions.  I have no comments for Ramsey tonight, he was okay but leaves gaps in midfield when he surges into the box, not an individual lapse but the effect of playing the formation.

When they were a goal down with 10 mins to go, Wenger replaced Coquelin with Flamini. WHAT? Does that mean he wants to hold out the result? Regardless, the latter’s first touch was a foul in the box which led to a penalty. I wasn't in disbelief; in fact I ALMOST LAUGHED OUT LOUD, AT 5.30AM. I think my weekly soccer friend can do an equally good job as Flamini. He has been very poor the last few games. Flamini, the only way you are useful to Arsenal is if your side line makes you a billionaire and then you buy over Arsenal. Other than that, out you go.

Another point to note: Messi has never scored against Petr Cech all his life. Suddenly, he puts two past him. The difference? Goalie is now playing for Arsenal. Lame, uninspiring, predictable Arsenal. Henry rightly pointed out earlier this season that Arsenal can’t win the league when non world-class players are main stays (Giroud, Ramsey, Ox the major culprits). I’ll say again – Wenger’s time is over.

My favourite comment seen on insta:

“I’ve always said this, Chamberlain and Flamini are not football players, one is a sprinter and the other is a f***ing idiot. They cost us the game tonight.”

Funny but damn, how honest the truth is.

of Arsenal's predictability

To every Arsenal fan, the last 572 minutes of competitive football against who-else-but Chelsea have been outright humiliating. The stats say it all – 0 matches won, 0 goals scored against. And the defeats were not just as simple as losing three points; but how the games were lost. Who would forget the 6-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge? Over the recent years, Drogba was the sole tormentor-in-chief but I’ll give it to him – he was simply unstoppable when at his best. Arsenal fans must have felt relief when Drogba aged and left the club. But up stepped D. Costa who wiped the grins off their faces not once, not twice mind you. In 2014/2015 season, he scored. In Sunday’s game, Costa theatrically rolled over the ground and led to Mertersacker’s red card. To add salt to injury, his goal was the match winner. In the reverse fixture in Sep 2015, Costa successfully psyched Gabriel Paulista into conceding a silly technical foul, earning the latter a straight red.

Arsenal have a ‘self-correction tendency’ i.e. when they are in a bad run of results and desperately need a good win to turn their season around, they are able to find magic in their game and win convincingly e.g. wins against Bayern Munich (champs league qualifying) and Man U (FA Cup 2015); on the other hand, just when a win can put them 3 points at the top of the domestic league, they stumble and open a floodgate of damning questions of their title credentials e.g. draws against Norwich and Bournemouth. But what’s my point here?

During Sunday’s game, several players were not befitting of a title-winning squad:

1) I can’t think of any other current EPL DM who can’t perform better than Flamini as the DM – how many times have you seen him actually winning tackles or making timely interceptions? A DM must have authority and physicality, of which Flamini has neither. He just makes up the numbers for the lack of a alternative.

2) Ramsey committed a few unforced errors in the first half (I slept after half-time). Receiving a simple pass from Ozil in centre of the park, he let the ball trickle out of play under NO PRESSURE. Later, Ramsey was driving the ball forward with Ozil and Walcott in good positions. He tried passing to Walcott who was 10m away, but he under hit it and conceded possession. Ramsey is still young and has played many games for Arsenal. He should really be playing in a more matured way.

3) I understand Ozil needs players around him to make play happen. When there is no Giroud or Carzola to support his play, Ozil is unable to assert himself and this was evident in Sunday’s defeat. It was also the way how Ozil lost possession that made his contribution (or lack of) look damning. Despite beefing up a considerable mass, Ozil lost a shoulder charge against Oscar (who has one of the slightest frames) and ROLLED TO THE GROUND. What? After 3 years playing in EPL, he hasn’t stepped up his physicality?

4) Arsenal’s captain, tall and respectable. Even before that professional foul against Costa that eventually got him sent off, it was evident that Costa’s strategy was to play around and when there is a chance, to run behind Mertersacker. Costa knows he is not Koscielny’s challenge. Mertersacker is slower and less physical. That’s simple. I don’t have to be Costa to realise that Mertersacker is a slighter opponent and I will stick closer to him and let him mark me instead of the faster and more agile Koscielny. Mertersacker is over 30 yo, captain of the team, and possesses a wealth of top-flight experience including winning the World Cup in 2014. How he decided to commit the last-man foul in the first half when the teams were evenly-matched was a STUPID DECISION. You do it when the game is 80 minutes. Not at 18 minutes. You do it when you take one for the team. I don’t know what Mertersacker was thinking. His damning error led to his team’s downfall.

In order to win the title, every individual needs to step up! Arsenal must not allow too much room for error in Ramsey’s unforced errors, Ozil’s tendency to lose possession, Flamini’s lack of threat nor Mertersacker’s silly defensive mistakes. Any one can potentially lead to a costly goal and eventual three points. The reason why Wenger hasn’t won the title after 11 years is because he has allowed his players too much time and given them too much trust. Pascal Cygan, Djourou, Denilson, Senderos, to name a few who were undoubtedly not at that calibre of a serious title challenger. Errors must not be condoned – see what neighbours Mourinho assertively did with star players Hazard and Costa when they could not perform up to par. Yes, playing more games builds confidence ‘practice makes perfect’ but I believe an acceptable level of punishment (i.e. benched and forced to watch from sidelines) helps to ingrain a winner’s mentality. Wenger brazenly trusts his ill-performing players to do the job and win the title. After 11 years, his ideal has to evolve.

Season review

As another season wound down, it's 3 months to ponder and act upon whom Arsenal should recruit to boost their title hopes next season... in my opinion just 2 players - a pacy world-class striker and a sturdy defensive midfielder. An agile left winger to complement Walcott on the right will be good too. Think Agbonlahor will come cheap?

C'mon #ArsenalFC, surprise us.

- impatient fan

Walcott off the court

(Source: ESPN)

Extremely heartbreaking news for the Gunners.

Walcott has just returned from an injury layoff in December and his come-back has been impressive - scoring a few important goals and noting down a couple of assists. In his last game against Spurs, although Walcott’s name did not appear on the scoreboard, his overall contribution was telling and looked really like a matured, dangerous forward whom displayed the potential and class Wenger splashed so much cash on and devoted so much patience to.

I saw how much Arsenal’s game needed someone like Walcott in our recent loss to rivals Man U – pacy, direct running and skillful finishing. Man U was playing a tight midfield, crowding the final third and breaking up the flow of our midfield short passing. Man U’s formation resulted in a narrow midfield but alas, we missed the likes of Walcott, Alex Chamberlain and Poldoski who could provide natural width and whip in dangerous crosses.

When Walcott returned and was back to fitness, Arsenal’s game also improved, hitting quick on the counter and scoring good goals. Having a stealth forward in our line-up also led to opponent teams being more cautious at committing players to supporting attack, and overall the string of results proved Walcott’s importance – consecutive wins, a few clean sheets and the latest derby result further iterating ‘mind the gap’.

Never really thought Walcott was a good player (refer to hate post here), but in recent months he is really proving his worth. Six months out is an immensely long time for a professional soccer player, here’s wishing him quick recovery.

To Arsene, this piece of bad news is a sign from above. No doubt it is a wet blanket to our title hopes, but let’s be optimistic that the transfer window has just opened. Please strengthen the attack line!

We miss a player like Fabregas

Tottenham 2 - Arsenal 1

I rued the line-up when it flashed on the screen.

Bale vs Jenkinson
Scott Parker/Dembele vs Ramsey
Anybody else vs Giroud

Man for man, Arsenal looked like they were at a losing end. And we're already discounting the advantage of the home side's 12th man. In what way is Ramsey (I nicknamed him lousy) better than Rosicky, a matured, proven international player, the little Mozart who influenced Arsenal into winning ways last season? The former loses possession cheaply, is useless down the wings, does not have any strong attributes and is of little impact in an Arsenal midfield. What justifies that he starts games more frequently than Rosicky? I have simply no clue (by the way lousy started because Diaby was injured).

The first 35 mins was surprisingly evenly matched, with Arsenal creating a few chances, only to be spurned by the ineffective and wasteful Giroud, and Bale in a more central role therefore making Jenkinson a more relieved man. I thought Jenkinson was a menace attacking down the right with his pace and crossing, and Mertesacker dealt with high balls and Adebayor pretty well. However, a lapse of concentration and miscommunication from Arsenal's backline resulted in 2 quick fire, identical goals that rocked Arsenal's stability. A defeat to long time bitter rivals loomed. The defeat could potentially spell calamity in Arsene's many years of strong foothold in North London - the race for 4th place would open up to 7 points (with 11 more games). Never has Monsieur Wenger finished below Tottenham.

On 51 mins, the under-credited Mertesacker brought the game back with a set piece goal. Arsenal fans were stoked. Tottenham seemed comfortable to play defence and hit on the break, and we kept on pushing, but Tottenham was well organised. Giroud was really anonymous at the front and when I saw Rosicky warming up, I thought the obvious choice was to either have Walcott spearhead the attack (and Rosicky down the right), or remove the non-influential Lousy. And here's why I think Wenger has blown his mind - off went Jenkinson. WHAT?! That move meant Lousy would slot into right back - DOUBLE WHAT?!?! Didn't I just iterate Lousy was lousy? How is he better at right back where his natural (albeit poor) position is central?! How is Lousy to cope with the blistering pace and sharp movements of the in-form Bale?!

To be fair, Lousy had a very good 1 on 1 chance with the keeper (assist from Rosicky) but he took too much time on the ball and if his shot hadn't hit Assou Ekoto, it would have been off target anyway. To be critical, there was once (1) Lousy had time down the right to cross into the box with Giroud threatening, and HE BLASTED IT SO BAD THE BALL WENT FOR A THROW-IN ON THE LEFT. (2) A counter attack from Tottenham released Siggurdson in space on the left edge of the box where Lousy should have tracked back. WENGER ARE YOU READING THIS? If I, only a football fan behind the tv screen, can spot all these mistakes from Lousy game after game, and you a keen eye for talent and potential I don't doubt, fail to penalize Lousy I ponder!!

Vermaelen was by his standards, poor. Wilshere and Carzorla were trying. Walcott was neutralized. With only seconds to go, Arsenal had the opportunity to level the game with the last kick of the game by Sczescny from deep. The ball pretty much summed up Arsenal's season. It was cleared off easily by Tott's defenders (3 white against 1 red). There was simply no desire to go for the ball. A lack of fighting spirit, lack of leadership on the pitch, a lack of competition for starting places I dare say, Arsenal probably does not deserve 4th place.

Tottenham fans were singing "Wenger, we want you to stay". It's high time for a change. 8 years without silverware and imminently, 9. Good bye, Professor.

The death of a derby

The death of a derby -

By John Brewin:




















http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/1459?cc=4716

Thank you, for resonating deeply with my thoughts.

And my honest opinion? Arsene needs to go.

Extracted from above article:

"That fault lies with supposed custodians who sold their club to an absentee owner for whom fourth place and Champions League revenue will do just fine. Wenger must share blame too. His teams have never evolved from the point at which an initial French revolution in English football was caught up and then overtaken."

The most stubborn man

One trait that gets onto my nerves - obstinateness.

As much as he is the "most successful manager in the club's history" and "revolutionised the club and the definition of attractive football", he must also take blame for the long, barren and trophy-less period.

Sorry, you're just not catching up. WAKEEEEE UPPP.

A change, please.