Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spared Arsenal's blushes and continued their unbeaten league run as the 174th North London derby against Tottenham ended 1-1 at the Emirates.
The Gunners controlled large spells of the game and enjoyed 69% possession, with 16 shots to their opponents six, but it was Tottenham who took the lead against the run of play in a tense clash in the capital. Nacer Chadli scored his fourth league goal of the season after 56 minutes. Substitute Mathieu Flamini carelessly gave away possession to Christian Eriksen, who picked out Erik Lamela and the former Roma man played in Chadli to calmly shoot beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal almost responded instantly but Hugo Lloris saved superbly to keep out Per Mertesacker's header, although there appeared to be some debates over whether or not it crossed the line. Replays only appeared to show the initial save and a ruling of 'no goal' but didn't fully show the path of the ball afterwards although I have no real complaints about the incident.
The hosts didn't let the decision affect them, continuing to pile the pressure on their opponents with defender Calum Chambers, who put in an outstanding display, firing a sweet volley narrowly over the crossbar. Arsenal were eventually rewarded with an equaliser as Oxlade-Chamberlain fired home his first goal of the season 16 minutes from time. Substitute Alexis Sanchez crossed for Danny Welbeck, who swung and missed the ball to cause confusion in the Spurs defence, and Oxlade-Chamberlain was on hand to smash the ball into the top corner.
Arsene Wenger's men tried to push for a winner but Spurs held firm and would've been the happier of the two sides to take a point from the game, with the Gunners likely to be more frustrated not to have won. It will look like two more points dropped for the hosts, who have frustratingly drawn four of their opening six league games. On the other hand, the Gunners are still unbeaten in the league this season and continuing their form from the end of the 2013/14 campaign have now gone 11 games without defeat in the EPL. It is also important not to have lost the derby game and, although we really should have won given the amount of possession we had, at least we didn't lose so it is not all bad.
Reflecting back on the game, it was really mixed with both positives and negatives for Wenger to ponder ahead of a crucial week of games. Although we are still unbeaten, we need to be a lot more clinical in attack and there is still plenty room for improvement especially ahead of the Champions League tie against Galatasaray and the dreaded trip to Chelsea. The Gunners must ensure there is no repeat of last season's 6-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge. I didn't even want to mention this painful memory, but we can't hide behind the cracks and we will have to come up with a mammoth performance to stop Diego Costa and Chelsea in our next league game.
We are capable of doing this, especially if we really take the game to them like we did against Manchester City, but it will rely on us converting our chances better and avoiding any silly mistakes. Obvious I know, but we must get the basics right. The injuries picked up against Tottenham didn't exactly help our cause with Mikel Arteta (calf) and Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) already ruled out of the next two games, while Jack Wilshere (ankle) is already a doubt. This will stretch Wenger's squad to the limit. I think we may be able to cope but we can't afford any more injuries or we will struggle.
Chelsea have looked unstoppable this season so it will be vital for us to turn in a performance of the highest quality and to try and prove we can match the best, as it is the away defeats to Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool that ultimately forced us to settle for fourth last season.
But it isn't all doom and gloom. We are more than capable of putting in top class performances and we will really need one of those to stand a chance at Stamford Bridge.
Stopping Costa will also be key and it was a huge boost of confidence to see right-back Chambers put in another immense display against Spurs, while Laurent Koscielny was again solid at the back and we will need them to be on top of their game again against Jose Mourinho's league leaders. I think we can keep them out for large spells but Costa doesn't need too many chances to score so we will need our attack to be in top form to make sure we get goals first.
Talking of goals there were three super strikes that really caught my eye over the weekend. Phil Jagielka's late equaliser ensured Everton got a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw in the Merseyside derby at Anfield. The ball came out to the defender outside the box and the Toffees captain fired the ball in on the half-volley to give Simon Mignolet no chance. There were two even better goals in Southampton's 2-1 victory over QPR at St Mary's. QPR striker Charlie Austin levelled the scores when he controlled the ball expertly before turning and volleying the ball beyond Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal. The pick of the day for me was Southampton's winner from Graziano Pelle. The Italian youngster flicked the ball up with his back to goal before unleashing a truly wonderful volley as the second-placed Saints continued their impressive start to the season.
It made Match of the Day great viewing, although it is still a shame we didn't win and I still don't understand why we were as low as 6th in the running order.
We just need to make sure we come out on top next week and if we can get at least four points from the games against Galatasaray and Chelsea I will be one happy Gooner.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Saints go marching on
A wonder goal from Nathaniel Clyne proved decisive as in-form Southampton pulled off a shock 2-1 victory at Arsenal in a gripping Capital One Cup tie.
When Alexis Sanchez gave the Gunners the lead with a sublime free-kick after it looked like the hosts, who made 10 changes to the side that thumped Aston Villa 3-0, would coast to victory. The game was turned on its head before the break as a penalty from Dusan Tadic and Clyne's long-range effort ensured passage into the fourth round for Saints.
Although focus will be on the shock defeat for the hosts and how a first defeat this season could derail their 2014/15 campaign, with bitter rivals Tottenham next on the horizon, credit really should be given to Southampton.
After losing manager Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham over the summer, along with several key players including Liverpool's Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, many expected Saints to struggle massively this season.
But not only have they knocked Arsenal out of the league cup, but the shock result gave the south coast club a fifth consecutive win in all competitions. Since Ronald Koeman took over he has lost just one of his first seven competitive games in charge and deserves huge credit for how he has transformed a club seemingly lacking in confidence to a side currently second in the Premier League.
Debutant goalkeeper David Ospina, who joined the hosts from Nice over the summer, reacted quickly to deny Southampton an early goal. But it looked like it was actually going to be Arsenal's day when Sanchez curled a wonderful free-kick into the top corner for his fourth Gunners' goal.
The lead only lasted six minutes as Sadio Mane was seemingly tripped in the box by Tomas Rosicky and Tadic stepped up to score the resulting penalty.
Then came a moment of sheer brilliance from Clyne - a goal worthy of winning any game, unfortunately for us Gunners' fans - five minutes before the break. A Southampton corner was cleared before Clyne took a touch a smashed an unstoppable long-ranges strike beyond Ospina from over 30 yards.
Arsenal had a great chance to level matters before half-time when a finely weighted pass from Jack Wilshere found Lukas Podolski, but the German striker's effort was well blocked by Fraser Forster in the visitors' goal.
Arsene Wenger, who made 10 changes to the side who thumped Aston Villa 3-0 in the previous match, saw his side push for an equaliser in the second half but to no avail.
It was a truly gripping tie, for the neutrals anyway. For us Gunners' fans it was frustrating. Although the performance was fairly decent and we deserved more from the game, we just seemed to be lacking that extra something and it is gutting to see us exiting the competition in only the third round.
It was hugely positive to see Abou Diaby return to action and manage to play for over an hour and the team's general performance wasn't too bad but in knock-out football you need to be more clinical in front of goal and we were punished for not scoring enough.
It will be a huge test of character to see how Arsenal bounce back from this. Some will be expecting the Gunners' season to plummet and a string of defeats to follow. Although the result was hugely frustrating, all focus must now go on the next match, the big London derby at the Emirates against bitter rivals Tottenham.
A loss would see fans and media worry about how the season has derailed, while a win would see Arsenal bounce back in style and keep their unbeaten start to the league season intact. The next game has a lot riding on it and will be a hugely difficult test. But when you have just lost in the cup, this kind of match is just what the team needs. A big derby match against Spurs will get the passion flowing and the players will really be up for the battle.
IF we can hit top form we should prove too hot to handle for Spurs, but we must avoid complacency. It is a hard one to call but we are capable of a result and, if Mesut Ozil, can replicate the form he showed against Villa who knows what might happen.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
When Alexis Sanchez gave the Gunners the lead with a sublime free-kick after it looked like the hosts, who made 10 changes to the side that thumped Aston Villa 3-0, would coast to victory. The game was turned on its head before the break as a penalty from Dusan Tadic and Clyne's long-range effort ensured passage into the fourth round for Saints.
Although focus will be on the shock defeat for the hosts and how a first defeat this season could derail their 2014/15 campaign, with bitter rivals Tottenham next on the horizon, credit really should be given to Southampton.
After losing manager Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham over the summer, along with several key players including Liverpool's Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, many expected Saints to struggle massively this season.
But not only have they knocked Arsenal out of the league cup, but the shock result gave the south coast club a fifth consecutive win in all competitions. Since Ronald Koeman took over he has lost just one of his first seven competitive games in charge and deserves huge credit for how he has transformed a club seemingly lacking in confidence to a side currently second in the Premier League.
Debutant goalkeeper David Ospina, who joined the hosts from Nice over the summer, reacted quickly to deny Southampton an early goal. But it looked like it was actually going to be Arsenal's day when Sanchez curled a wonderful free-kick into the top corner for his fourth Gunners' goal.
The lead only lasted six minutes as Sadio Mane was seemingly tripped in the box by Tomas Rosicky and Tadic stepped up to score the resulting penalty.
Then came a moment of sheer brilliance from Clyne - a goal worthy of winning any game, unfortunately for us Gunners' fans - five minutes before the break. A Southampton corner was cleared before Clyne took a touch a smashed an unstoppable long-ranges strike beyond Ospina from over 30 yards.
Arsenal had a great chance to level matters before half-time when a finely weighted pass from Jack Wilshere found Lukas Podolski, but the German striker's effort was well blocked by Fraser Forster in the visitors' goal.
Arsene Wenger, who made 10 changes to the side who thumped Aston Villa 3-0 in the previous match, saw his side push for an equaliser in the second half but to no avail.
It was a truly gripping tie, for the neutrals anyway. For us Gunners' fans it was frustrating. Although the performance was fairly decent and we deserved more from the game, we just seemed to be lacking that extra something and it is gutting to see us exiting the competition in only the third round.
It was hugely positive to see Abou Diaby return to action and manage to play for over an hour and the team's general performance wasn't too bad but in knock-out football you need to be more clinical in front of goal and we were punished for not scoring enough.
It will be a huge test of character to see how Arsenal bounce back from this. Some will be expecting the Gunners' season to plummet and a string of defeats to follow. Although the result was hugely frustrating, all focus must now go on the next match, the big London derby at the Emirates against bitter rivals Tottenham.
A loss would see fans and media worry about how the season has derailed, while a win would see Arsenal bounce back in style and keep their unbeaten start to the league season intact. The next game has a lot riding on it and will be a hugely difficult test. But when you have just lost in the cup, this kind of match is just what the team needs. A big derby match against Spurs will get the passion flowing and the players will really be up for the battle.
IF we can hit top form we should prove too hot to handle for Spurs, but we must avoid complacency. It is a hard one to call but we are capable of a result and, if Mesut Ozil, can replicate the form he showed against Villa who knows what might happen.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Magnificent Mesut
Mesut Ozil scored one and made another as he answered his critics with a fine display in Arsenal's 3-0 win at Aston Villa.
Ozil opened the scoring as the Gunners, who remain unbeaten in the league, scored three goals in under four minutes in an impressive first half. Although the second half was largely uneventful it was a great result for the visitors as Villa's unbeaten run start to the season crashing to a halt.
It is hard to gauge whether or not this will prove to be a turning point in Ozil's season, but if he can build on his performance against Villa there could yet be big things to come from the World Cup Winner. When Ozil first joined the Gunners last season for a club-record fee of over £40million big things were expected and in his first few games in an Arsenal shirt he well and truly delivered.
But the German then seemed to go off the boil, becoming a shadow of his former self and often looking unhappy and lacking ideas. Gunners' fans were left wondering whether he was in fact the good purchase they had hoped, with some wanting him to leave after several frustrating performances including a crucial penalty miss against Bayern Munich.
Although Ozil was poor in quite a few games last season, some of the criticism levelled at him was very harsh. In his defence, it must have been hard to live up to expectations with the amount of criticism and lack of people getting behind him. Footballers earn big money and should deliver, but constant criticism can't be much help to anybody.
It is impossible to know whether the performance against Villa was a one-off or whether it is the start of Ozil hitting the big time again but the way he linked up with new-boy Danny Welbeck was very pleasing on the eye. German newspaper Bild rated Ozil as the worst player on the field in midweek but he responded to his critics in style and, seeing a smile finally back on his face bodes well as it looks like he has his confidence back...but only time will tell!
This is exactly what Arsenal needed, especially after the news earlier in the week that defender Mathieu Debuchy will be out for at least six weeks with an ankle injury.
But the Gunners didn't have the easiest start to the game as the hosts started brightly, despite having lost some players to illness before the match, with Wojciech Szczesny having to be alert to keep out Fabian Delph and Ciaran Clark.
As the game wore on, Arsenal began to get into their stride and were looking a far better side than the one that fell apart in a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
The Gunners took the lead after 32 minutes when Ozil latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Welbeck before calmly sweeping the ball beyond Brad Guzan in the Villa goal. Ozil then turned provider as roles reversed and the German crossed for Welbeck to sidefoot home from close range just two minutes later. Arsenal completed their remarkable quick-fire treble when Kieran Gibbs' effort was turned into his own net by Aly Cissokho.
It was slightly disappointing that the Gunners failed to build on their lead in a somewhat tedious second half but maximum points and an unbeaten start to the season will still please manager Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal faithful. Wenger would also have been pleased with his defence as his side kept their first clean sheet of the season to make it 16 games without defeat for Arsenal at Villa Park.
Aston Villa had surprised many by enjoying an unbeaten start to the season and could have even gone top with a win. Four minutes of the match decide their fate, although Villa are still above the Gunners in the table and can be pleased with their season so far despite the disappointing result. Paul Lambert's men have surpassed expectations and it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a slump or if they can bounce back quickly.
Although Villa were disappointing after the opening goal went in, it can be hard to judge a side's overall progress after a game of quick-fire goals where it quickly becomes a no contest as we saw against Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Although we improved in the second half of both games the contest was already over due to poor defending and quick-fire goals. Villa need to put it down as a bad day at the office and forget the match, instead remembering how good a season they had had before the match and carry that positivity into the next match.
As for the Gunners, not all the league performances have been that convincing but we are still unbeaten and must remain positive, especially after keeping our first clean sheet of the season. The next three games, starting with a league cup tie against Southampton and the visit of bitter rivals Spurs, are all at the Emirates and we must make home advantage count.
Hopefully Ozil can put in another top display, Aaron Ramsey can rediscover his form and Welbeck can continue on the goal trail.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Ozil opened the scoring as the Gunners, who remain unbeaten in the league, scored three goals in under four minutes in an impressive first half. Although the second half was largely uneventful it was a great result for the visitors as Villa's unbeaten run start to the season crashing to a halt.
It is hard to gauge whether or not this will prove to be a turning point in Ozil's season, but if he can build on his performance against Villa there could yet be big things to come from the World Cup Winner. When Ozil first joined the Gunners last season for a club-record fee of over £40million big things were expected and in his first few games in an Arsenal shirt he well and truly delivered.
But the German then seemed to go off the boil, becoming a shadow of his former self and often looking unhappy and lacking ideas. Gunners' fans were left wondering whether he was in fact the good purchase they had hoped, with some wanting him to leave after several frustrating performances including a crucial penalty miss against Bayern Munich.
Although Ozil was poor in quite a few games last season, some of the criticism levelled at him was very harsh. In his defence, it must have been hard to live up to expectations with the amount of criticism and lack of people getting behind him. Footballers earn big money and should deliver, but constant criticism can't be much help to anybody.
It is impossible to know whether the performance against Villa was a one-off or whether it is the start of Ozil hitting the big time again but the way he linked up with new-boy Danny Welbeck was very pleasing on the eye. German newspaper Bild rated Ozil as the worst player on the field in midweek but he responded to his critics in style and, seeing a smile finally back on his face bodes well as it looks like he has his confidence back...but only time will tell!
This is exactly what Arsenal needed, especially after the news earlier in the week that defender Mathieu Debuchy will be out for at least six weeks with an ankle injury.
But the Gunners didn't have the easiest start to the game as the hosts started brightly, despite having lost some players to illness before the match, with Wojciech Szczesny having to be alert to keep out Fabian Delph and Ciaran Clark.
As the game wore on, Arsenal began to get into their stride and were looking a far better side than the one that fell apart in a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
The Gunners took the lead after 32 minutes when Ozil latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Welbeck before calmly sweeping the ball beyond Brad Guzan in the Villa goal. Ozil then turned provider as roles reversed and the German crossed for Welbeck to sidefoot home from close range just two minutes later. Arsenal completed their remarkable quick-fire treble when Kieran Gibbs' effort was turned into his own net by Aly Cissokho.
It was slightly disappointing that the Gunners failed to build on their lead in a somewhat tedious second half but maximum points and an unbeaten start to the season will still please manager Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal faithful. Wenger would also have been pleased with his defence as his side kept their first clean sheet of the season to make it 16 games without defeat for Arsenal at Villa Park.
Aston Villa had surprised many by enjoying an unbeaten start to the season and could have even gone top with a win. Four minutes of the match decide their fate, although Villa are still above the Gunners in the table and can be pleased with their season so far despite the disappointing result. Paul Lambert's men have surpassed expectations and it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a slump or if they can bounce back quickly.
Although Villa were disappointing after the opening goal went in, it can be hard to judge a side's overall progress after a game of quick-fire goals where it quickly becomes a no contest as we saw against Liverpool and Chelsea last season. Although we improved in the second half of both games the contest was already over due to poor defending and quick-fire goals. Villa need to put it down as a bad day at the office and forget the match, instead remembering how good a season they had had before the match and carry that positivity into the next match.
As for the Gunners, not all the league performances have been that convincing but we are still unbeaten and must remain positive, especially after keeping our first clean sheet of the season. The next three games, starting with a league cup tie against Southampton and the visit of bitter rivals Spurs, are all at the Emirates and we must make home advantage count.
Hopefully Ozil can put in another top display, Aaron Ramsey can rediscover his form and Welbeck can continue on the goal trail.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Dortmund dent Gunners hopes
Arsenal's Champions League campaign got off to the worst possible start following a 2-0 defeat at German giants Borussia Dortmund.
The Germans were in control for the majority of the match and the away fans will be relieved the scoreline wasn't even worse on what was a torrid night for the Gunners.
It was easily Arsenal's worst display of the season. Although I am often known for being over optimistic about my beloved Arsenal, even I struggled to find any positives from the game.
Before the match I would have taken a draw and a defeat was always possible, but it is the performance that hurts more than the result. How can we go from being the better side, and unlucky to only draw against English Champions Manchester City, to being so lacklustre in the Champions League.
The most important thing now for Arsene Wenger's men is to dust themselves down, put it down to simply a bad day at the office and to not dwell on the result and focus all their energy into putting it right against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Dortmund took control of the game from the off and had a penalty call for a waved away after five minutes before the hosts continued to launch attack after attack at the Arsenal goal. After 25 minutes had passed I found myself wondering how on earth it was still only 0-0 and that maybe, just maybe, it could yet be Arsenal's day as Dortmund were being so wasteful in front of goal.
Arsenal created very little in the first half but had a chance to take the lead in the latter stages when Aaron Ramsey set up Danny Welbeck, but the former Manchester United man dragged his shot wide.
The Gunners were made to pay for that miss as Ciro Immobile scored a deserved opener for the hosts on the stroke of half-time. The Italian striker ran at the Arsenal defence, getting the better of Laurent Koscielny before firing a shot into the bottom corner beyond a helpless Wojciech Szczesny. That was already Dortmund's 15th shot of the evening and highlighted their dominance against the English side.
Injuries in defence had forced Wenger's hand into giving teenager Hector Bellerin his first senior start. In the circumstances the 19-year-old defender didn't do too badly, but the overall team performance left a lot to be desired and Wenger's men will need to improve a lot for the rest of the group stages. Personally I strongly believe that the Gunners, who are competing at this stage of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive year, will again qualify for the knock-out stages but performances must get a lot better and quickly.
Possibly being over optimistic, I thought Arsenal could turn things around in the second half, but the game continued in the same vain with Dortmund very much on top. Things went from bad to worse when the hosts doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart.
Substitute Matthias Ginter played a lovely ball over the top for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was able to take advantage of a defensive mix up to skip round Szczesny and bundle the ball over the line. A scrappy yet well-deserved goal.
The result should have been a lot more comfortable for the hosts but thankfully for us Gunners' fans it didn't get any worse than 2-0. What disappointed me the most, even more than the result, is the lack of fight we showed on the pitch. At 1-0, we didn't even seem to attempt to get back into the game when it was still within reach. It was far too casual a performance and we gifted possession away too frequently and were just lucky that the hosts seemed to have left their shooting boots at home for large portions of the game. I hope the performance never gets repeated again this season and can act as a lesson to our players.
We have proved we have resilience to come behind from losing positions - against Everton. We have proved we can compete with the best and more than hold our own - drawing with Manchester City in a game we could even have won. So I am lost as to how the Dortmund result happened! I know we are lacking depth in some areas of the squad and a defeat was always possible but how we collapsed in such a poor manner I am still unsure. The result will lead to the inevitable usual criticism of Wenger but, despite the poor start to the group stages, he is still definitely the right man for the job.
The Gunners have to remember there are still 5 games left of to play in the group stages and still plenty time to turn things around, it is definitely doable to get out of this group. But for now we must focus on getting more back to the kind of performance we showed against City and ensuring we take maximum points off Aston Villa.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Germans were in control for the majority of the match and the away fans will be relieved the scoreline wasn't even worse on what was a torrid night for the Gunners.
It was easily Arsenal's worst display of the season. Although I am often known for being over optimistic about my beloved Arsenal, even I struggled to find any positives from the game.
Before the match I would have taken a draw and a defeat was always possible, but it is the performance that hurts more than the result. How can we go from being the better side, and unlucky to only draw against English Champions Manchester City, to being so lacklustre in the Champions League.
The most important thing now for Arsene Wenger's men is to dust themselves down, put it down to simply a bad day at the office and to not dwell on the result and focus all their energy into putting it right against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Dortmund took control of the game from the off and had a penalty call for a waved away after five minutes before the hosts continued to launch attack after attack at the Arsenal goal. After 25 minutes had passed I found myself wondering how on earth it was still only 0-0 and that maybe, just maybe, it could yet be Arsenal's day as Dortmund were being so wasteful in front of goal.
Arsenal created very little in the first half but had a chance to take the lead in the latter stages when Aaron Ramsey set up Danny Welbeck, but the former Manchester United man dragged his shot wide.
The Gunners were made to pay for that miss as Ciro Immobile scored a deserved opener for the hosts on the stroke of half-time. The Italian striker ran at the Arsenal defence, getting the better of Laurent Koscielny before firing a shot into the bottom corner beyond a helpless Wojciech Szczesny. That was already Dortmund's 15th shot of the evening and highlighted their dominance against the English side.
Injuries in defence had forced Wenger's hand into giving teenager Hector Bellerin his first senior start. In the circumstances the 19-year-old defender didn't do too badly, but the overall team performance left a lot to be desired and Wenger's men will need to improve a lot for the rest of the group stages. Personally I strongly believe that the Gunners, who are competing at this stage of the Champions League for the 17th consecutive year, will again qualify for the knock-out stages but performances must get a lot better and quickly.
Possibly being over optimistic, I thought Arsenal could turn things around in the second half, but the game continued in the same vain with Dortmund very much on top. Things went from bad to worse when the hosts doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart.
Substitute Matthias Ginter played a lovely ball over the top for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was able to take advantage of a defensive mix up to skip round Szczesny and bundle the ball over the line. A scrappy yet well-deserved goal.
The result should have been a lot more comfortable for the hosts but thankfully for us Gunners' fans it didn't get any worse than 2-0. What disappointed me the most, even more than the result, is the lack of fight we showed on the pitch. At 1-0, we didn't even seem to attempt to get back into the game when it was still within reach. It was far too casual a performance and we gifted possession away too frequently and were just lucky that the hosts seemed to have left their shooting boots at home for large portions of the game. I hope the performance never gets repeated again this season and can act as a lesson to our players.
We have proved we have resilience to come behind from losing positions - against Everton. We have proved we can compete with the best and more than hold our own - drawing with Manchester City in a game we could even have won. So I am lost as to how the Dortmund result happened! I know we are lacking depth in some areas of the squad and a defeat was always possible but how we collapsed in such a poor manner I am still unsure. The result will lead to the inevitable usual criticism of Wenger but, despite the poor start to the group stages, he is still definitely the right man for the job.
The Gunners have to remember there are still 5 games left of to play in the group stages and still plenty time to turn things around, it is definitely doable to get out of this group. But for now we must focus on getting more back to the kind of performance we showed against City and ensuring we take maximum points off Aston Villa.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Gunners make point to champions
Arsenal sent out a clear message to their title rivals by holding champions Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
Although the Gunners were unbeaten at home in the league against the three teams finishing above them in the league last season, the heavy away defeats including a 6-3 in Manchester probably left a feeling of nerves among a large quantity of the home crowd.
But Arsene Wenger's men attempted to prove they can hold their own against the likes of City as the hosts really took the game to their opponents. The defending at times wasn't always the best but the attacking play was top class and it was just a shame Arsenal weren't just slightly more clinical on the day. It was also surreal seeing Frank Lampard in the blue of City and not that of Chelsea, it just seems plain wrong....very much like Cesc Fabregas being in the Premier League not in the red of Arsenal.
If I had been told before the match that we would get a point I would have bitten your hand off, so the fact I was left feeling gutted at only getting a draw shows just how well we played. Arsenal had already thrashed City 3-0 in the Community Shield earlier in the season and took the game to City, attacking the champions from the very early stages.
Debutant Danny Welbeck's move from Manchester United to Arsenal raised a few eyebrows and seemed to divide opinion among fans. Although I would've preferred a bigger name with a better goal record, I won't judge Welbeck before he's been given a fair chance. To be fair to the forward, who scored both England's goals against Switzerland earlier in the week, worked hard on his Gunners' debut and very nearly capped it with a goal.
Welbeck was through on goal after just 11 minutes following a poor back pass from David Silva and he produced an exquisite chip to beat Joe Hart, only to be denied by a post. Some have criticised Welbeck for not scoring but I think it was a great effort and he was simply unlucky not to score.
Although Welbeck was unlucky, the miss proved costly and Arsenal were made to pay for the missed chance as Sergio Aguero scored from one of City's few first-half chances after 28 minutes. At the time I was truly stunned by the goal as I felt we had been by far the better side, with City barely having had a shot. But it's results that matter and City had the lead after Jesus Navas had showed great pace to burst down the wing before crossing for Aguero to sweep the ball home.
Rather than implode as we had in similar positions last season, the Gunners showed tremendous resilience and refused to go down without a fight, and their persistence was rewarded. Jack Wilshere, who defied his critics with a truly wonderful display controlling the midfield, levelled matters after 63 minutes. The England midfielder latched onto Aaron Ramsey's pass before racing into the box, beating Gael Clichy and firing the ball beyond Hart at his near post.
Arsenal completed the turnaround 11 minutes later through another of the game's stand-out performers. At times it was easy to forget Alexis Sanchez's attacking position as he worked tirelessly in all areas of the field, attacking with class and tracking back to help the defence when required. Wilshere this time turned provider as his header was met by the sweetest of side-footed volleys from the Chilean forward to send the Gunners' fans into raptures.
It genuinely looked as though Arsenal would snatch a surprise win but seven minutes from time poor marking from a corner allowed Martin Demichelis to head home despite best efforts of Wojciech Szczesny. Although Arsenal deserved far more than just a draw from this game, it could also have gone horribly wrong late on. Aleksandar Kolarov and Edin Dzeko both hit a post before Arsenal fans had a heart in the mouths moment in injury time when former Gunner Samir Nasri had a goal ruled out for offside.
I was initially very frustrated at the draw as the positive performance deserved nothing other than a win. But when reflecting on the game the following day, it is easy to take positives from the game. A draw against the champions is an impressive result. Yes, it should have been more, but we still did well to get a point. It is a shame we couldn't see out the final seven minutes but the spirit the side showed on the day was top class.
The performances of Wilshere and Sanchez were immense and we also remain unbeaten this season. When looking back at the fixtures so far, I can't grumble too much in terms of the results, with the exception of the Leicester game. That really is a game we should be winning. But we are still unbeaten and we didn't crumble as many expected against the champions so there are reasons to be positive at the Emirates. The main negative on the day was losing new signing Mathieu Debuchy to an ankle injury. Early signs are not sounding good and, although we have cover at right-back in Calum Chambers, we don't have too many defensive options and can't afford many injuries.
I am not sure it is good enough to mount a serious title challenge as there is still plenty of room for improvement. We must stop conceding headed goals and need to defend them better, as all our league opponents have bagged one this season. On the other hand, I also won't fully rule out a title challenge as there is also a lot of potential shining from our side and positives to think about so who knows what might happen. Que Sera Sera!
A tricky trip to Borussia Dortmund is next on the horizon for Wenger's men. Realistically a draw would be a great result, but we need to go into the game with the mentality we can get all three points and I definitely think we have the potential to do so if we make sure we take more of our chances. The start of the Champions League group stages is when you know the season is well and truly back so let's hope we start it with a bang.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Although the Gunners were unbeaten at home in the league against the three teams finishing above them in the league last season, the heavy away defeats including a 6-3 in Manchester probably left a feeling of nerves among a large quantity of the home crowd.
But Arsene Wenger's men attempted to prove they can hold their own against the likes of City as the hosts really took the game to their opponents. The defending at times wasn't always the best but the attacking play was top class and it was just a shame Arsenal weren't just slightly more clinical on the day. It was also surreal seeing Frank Lampard in the blue of City and not that of Chelsea, it just seems plain wrong....very much like Cesc Fabregas being in the Premier League not in the red of Arsenal.
If I had been told before the match that we would get a point I would have bitten your hand off, so the fact I was left feeling gutted at only getting a draw shows just how well we played. Arsenal had already thrashed City 3-0 in the Community Shield earlier in the season and took the game to City, attacking the champions from the very early stages.
Debutant Danny Welbeck's move from Manchester United to Arsenal raised a few eyebrows and seemed to divide opinion among fans. Although I would've preferred a bigger name with a better goal record, I won't judge Welbeck before he's been given a fair chance. To be fair to the forward, who scored both England's goals against Switzerland earlier in the week, worked hard on his Gunners' debut and very nearly capped it with a goal.
Welbeck was through on goal after just 11 minutes following a poor back pass from David Silva and he produced an exquisite chip to beat Joe Hart, only to be denied by a post. Some have criticised Welbeck for not scoring but I think it was a great effort and he was simply unlucky not to score.
Although Welbeck was unlucky, the miss proved costly and Arsenal were made to pay for the missed chance as Sergio Aguero scored from one of City's few first-half chances after 28 minutes. At the time I was truly stunned by the goal as I felt we had been by far the better side, with City barely having had a shot. But it's results that matter and City had the lead after Jesus Navas had showed great pace to burst down the wing before crossing for Aguero to sweep the ball home.
Rather than implode as we had in similar positions last season, the Gunners showed tremendous resilience and refused to go down without a fight, and their persistence was rewarded. Jack Wilshere, who defied his critics with a truly wonderful display controlling the midfield, levelled matters after 63 minutes. The England midfielder latched onto Aaron Ramsey's pass before racing into the box, beating Gael Clichy and firing the ball beyond Hart at his near post.
Arsenal completed the turnaround 11 minutes later through another of the game's stand-out performers. At times it was easy to forget Alexis Sanchez's attacking position as he worked tirelessly in all areas of the field, attacking with class and tracking back to help the defence when required. Wilshere this time turned provider as his header was met by the sweetest of side-footed volleys from the Chilean forward to send the Gunners' fans into raptures.
It genuinely looked as though Arsenal would snatch a surprise win but seven minutes from time poor marking from a corner allowed Martin Demichelis to head home despite best efforts of Wojciech Szczesny. Although Arsenal deserved far more than just a draw from this game, it could also have gone horribly wrong late on. Aleksandar Kolarov and Edin Dzeko both hit a post before Arsenal fans had a heart in the mouths moment in injury time when former Gunner Samir Nasri had a goal ruled out for offside.
I was initially very frustrated at the draw as the positive performance deserved nothing other than a win. But when reflecting on the game the following day, it is easy to take positives from the game. A draw against the champions is an impressive result. Yes, it should have been more, but we still did well to get a point. It is a shame we couldn't see out the final seven minutes but the spirit the side showed on the day was top class.
The performances of Wilshere and Sanchez were immense and we also remain unbeaten this season. When looking back at the fixtures so far, I can't grumble too much in terms of the results, with the exception of the Leicester game. That really is a game we should be winning. But we are still unbeaten and we didn't crumble as many expected against the champions so there are reasons to be positive at the Emirates. The main negative on the day was losing new signing Mathieu Debuchy to an ankle injury. Early signs are not sounding good and, although we have cover at right-back in Calum Chambers, we don't have too many defensive options and can't afford many injuries.
I am not sure it is good enough to mount a serious title challenge as there is still plenty of room for improvement. We must stop conceding headed goals and need to defend them better, as all our league opponents have bagged one this season. On the other hand, I also won't fully rule out a title challenge as there is also a lot of potential shining from our side and positives to think about so who knows what might happen. Que Sera Sera!
A tricky trip to Borussia Dortmund is next on the horizon for Wenger's men. Realistically a draw would be a great result, but we need to go into the game with the mentality we can get all three points and I definitely think we have the potential to do so if we make sure we take more of our chances. The start of the Champions League group stages is when you know the season is well and truly back so let's hope we start it with a bang.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)