Arsenal missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League but Kieran Gibbs came off the bench to at least rescue a point for the Gunners in a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Tottenham.
The left-back hasn't enjoyed as much game time as he would've liked in recent seasons, but he looked really lively after coming off the bench and took just three minutes to make his mark on the game.
Although the equaliser seemed to awaken Arsenal in the closing stages of the game it could be argued that the Gunners had a lucky escape, with Petr Cech having made a string of key saves during a tight encounter at the Emirates.
Cech and his opposite number Hugo Lloris both made vital saves but both side's attacks will feel they should've done better, with only four shots on target apiece.
Mousa Dembele and Erik Dier wasted chances for Spurs in the first half before the visitors eventually took the lead after 32 minutes. Harry Kane latched onto Danny Rose's through ball before beating Cech with a composed finish.
Arsenal started the second half brightly and came close to levelling through Joel Campbell, but the Costa Rican's effort was superbly parried by Hugo Lloris.
The Gunners wasted another chance to draw level when Olivier Giroud's header hit the crossbar before the striker and his fellow Frenchman Laurent Koscielny both missed with further headers later in the second half. Those misses almost proved costly for the hosts but Cech denied Christian Eriksen before producing an instinctive top class save to palm away Toby Alderweireld's close-range header.
Arsenal finally levelled matters 13 minutes from time when Gibbs latched onto Mesut Ozil's floating cross and got just enough on it to prod the ball beyond Lloris. Ozil's cross for the goal saw him become the first player to assist 10 goals in his opening 11 games of a Premier League season. The German international also became the first ever player to contribute an assist in six consecutive Premier League games in the same season. This is a hugely impressive statistic but with the amount of chances he is creating we really should be putting more of them away.
Ozil nearly assisted a dramatic late winner for Arsenal after Giroud latched onto his corner, but the French striker's header was well kept out by Lloris to ensure the derby ended level.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Tottenham fan Anthony Rayment was delighted with his side's performance and paid particular tribute to the defence.
"People keep saying it was a mature Tottenham performance and I would have to agree," said Rayment. "A Spurs side a year ago would have lost that game after Arsenal made it 1-1.
"Tottenham's young players are on form and and as long as they can keep it up they will continue that unbeaten run. Most importantly though they are strong in defence, something that has not been said for a very long time.
"Arsenal had moments, but seem to fail in the same areas, most notably in defence. Ozil was great and they did have a lot of injures.
"Neither will win the league but both should hopefully make the top four. Gibbs goal was lucky to beat Lloris but Giroud should have had two."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
So was it a missed opportunity or a decent derby point? With Manchester City being forced to settle for a goalless draw at Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger's men had the chance to take over at the top of the table if they could beat Spurs. Drawing the game was clearly two points dropped by the Gunners in their race for the league title. But, considering the impressive form Spurs are in, maybe a point isn't so bad after all and we are only behind leaders Manchester City on goal difference.
We should've been looking to get nothing other than a win from this game to prove our title credentials. We will find out in the coming months whether this will be a valuable point or a costly two points dropped but one thing is for sure - for once I am actually glad it is time for the international break. I am not the biggest fan of international breaks during the league season but, with the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain currently out injured, it will give players more time to recover and get fit for the next league game at West Brom.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Thursday, 5 November 2015
Gunners outclassed by Bayern
Arsenal looked a shadow of the side that had beaten Bayern Munich in October as they were outclassed in a 5-1 thrashing in Germany.
Bayern were already 4-0 to the good before Olivier Giroud's 69th-minute consolation in a match that, for large parts, Arsenal were very below par. To go from being one of the sides with the best defensive records in the Premier League this season to shipping in five goals in Europe really was poor.
Francis Coquelin and Mesut Ozil were individually excellent but the overall team performance was very sub-standard and simply not good enough. There is no denying the sheer quality of Bayern's performance and they deserve huge credit for that but the lack of fight we showed at times was rather worrying, especially given the importance of the game as we attempted to keep our Champions League dream alive.
The defeat, coupled with Olympiakos' late 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb, has left the Gunners' Champions League hopes hanging by a thread. It is somewhat remarkable that, after three defeats from the opening four games, Arsenal still actually have a chance of qualifying out of the group.
If Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos lose to Bayern, Arsenal will be just three points behind the Greeks going into the final round of games. If Arsene Wenger's men manage this then they would have to go to Greece and get a better result than a 3-2 victory. Remarkably this still seems possible but rather than focus on what may be in the future, we cannot ignore just how disappointing the last performance was.
The first chance of the game fell to Giroud but the Frenchman's curling effort went wide. That early miss proved costly as in-form striker Robert Lewandowski put Bayern in front after 10 minutes. The defence gave Lewandowski far too much space, so much so that my initial reaction was he must be offside as the back four were almost static almost as if they were expecting the whistle to go. That wasn't the case and they really had given Lewandowski that much space to head home from close range.
Arsenal thought they had levelled the game two minutes later after Mesut Ozil appeared to score, only for his effort to be ruled out for handball. I thought it had hit Ozil's shoulder rather than his hand but, either way, it can't be used as an excuse as regardless of this Bayern were by far the better side on the night.
In truth, Bayern could've scored more before their second goal but fortunately Petr Cech was on hand to deny Lewandowski with two fine saves. But Cech could do nothing to prevent the hosts from doubling their advantage just before the half hour mark. Philipp Lahm's cross fell to Kingsley Coman, whose scuffed shot fell to Muller to score via a deflection off Per Mertesacker.
Cech again came to Arsenal's rescue when he denied Muller, but he was soon picking the ball out of his net for a third time following an unstoppable long-range strike from David Alaba just before half-time.
Arsenal's nightmare continued as Bayern added a fourth goal within 10 minutes of the restart as substitute Arjen Robben made an instant impact with a first-time finish.
Santi Cazorla wasted a decent chance as the Gunners attempted to salvage something from the game before Giroud finally gave the visiting faithful something to cheer about with a well-taken consolation goal 21 minutes from time. Giroud controlled Alexis Sanchez's pass with his chest before beating Manuel Neuer with a delightful scissor kick. It really was a truly great goal.
The goal appeared to wake Arsenal up and the Gunners finally began to show a bit more hunger and desire in the final 20 minutes. Wenger's men could've even added a second before the end, but Cazorla shot over when it looked easier to score following a great cut-back from Coquelin.
Arsenal couldn't find a second and instead it was Bayern who scored next as Muller netted his second in the final minute of normal time. Douglas Costa burst through the middle before setting up Muller to score to complete the rout for a very dominant Bayern side.
GROUP F
Arsenal are six points behind Bayern and Olympiakos with two games left to play. It has been a Champions League nightmare for the Gunners and the only crumb of comfort is the fact that somehow we aren't out of it yet.
If we beat Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern get a likely victory over Olympiakos then it will actually be in our own hands. We don't really deserve to qualify out of the group yet we still have a chance.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It is frustrating how we can go from brilliant one week, with excellent performances against the likes of Bayern and Manchester United at home, to performing very poorly in other games.
Bayern are a hard side to beat for anyone, especially away from home, but, if I had been told before the group stages started that we would take three points out of six from them I would have been fairly happy. Although we have achieved that I am far from happy as other results, and the manner of the performances at home against Olympiakos and away to Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern, were simply not good enough.
Our next game sees us return to league action with a London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates. Is this the best or worst game to have after such a poor result? If we lose it will be a nightmare week but maybe, just maybe, the poor display against Bayern can spur us on (no pun intended!) to put in the performance of our lives to get a victory against our local rivals.
If we are serious about our Premier League title challenge then this is a game we cannot afford to lose so let's make sure we go and give Spurs a hiding.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Bayern were already 4-0 to the good before Olivier Giroud's 69th-minute consolation in a match that, for large parts, Arsenal were very below par. To go from being one of the sides with the best defensive records in the Premier League this season to shipping in five goals in Europe really was poor.
Francis Coquelin and Mesut Ozil were individually excellent but the overall team performance was very sub-standard and simply not good enough. There is no denying the sheer quality of Bayern's performance and they deserve huge credit for that but the lack of fight we showed at times was rather worrying, especially given the importance of the game as we attempted to keep our Champions League dream alive.
The defeat, coupled with Olympiakos' late 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb, has left the Gunners' Champions League hopes hanging by a thread. It is somewhat remarkable that, after three defeats from the opening four games, Arsenal still actually have a chance of qualifying out of the group.
If Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos lose to Bayern, Arsenal will be just three points behind the Greeks going into the final round of games. If Arsene Wenger's men manage this then they would have to go to Greece and get a better result than a 3-2 victory. Remarkably this still seems possible but rather than focus on what may be in the future, we cannot ignore just how disappointing the last performance was.
The first chance of the game fell to Giroud but the Frenchman's curling effort went wide. That early miss proved costly as in-form striker Robert Lewandowski put Bayern in front after 10 minutes. The defence gave Lewandowski far too much space, so much so that my initial reaction was he must be offside as the back four were almost static almost as if they were expecting the whistle to go. That wasn't the case and they really had given Lewandowski that much space to head home from close range.
Arsenal thought they had levelled the game two minutes later after Mesut Ozil appeared to score, only for his effort to be ruled out for handball. I thought it had hit Ozil's shoulder rather than his hand but, either way, it can't be used as an excuse as regardless of this Bayern were by far the better side on the night.
In truth, Bayern could've scored more before their second goal but fortunately Petr Cech was on hand to deny Lewandowski with two fine saves. But Cech could do nothing to prevent the hosts from doubling their advantage just before the half hour mark. Philipp Lahm's cross fell to Kingsley Coman, whose scuffed shot fell to Muller to score via a deflection off Per Mertesacker.
Cech again came to Arsenal's rescue when he denied Muller, but he was soon picking the ball out of his net for a third time following an unstoppable long-range strike from David Alaba just before half-time.
Arsenal's nightmare continued as Bayern added a fourth goal within 10 minutes of the restart as substitute Arjen Robben made an instant impact with a first-time finish.
Santi Cazorla wasted a decent chance as the Gunners attempted to salvage something from the game before Giroud finally gave the visiting faithful something to cheer about with a well-taken consolation goal 21 minutes from time. Giroud controlled Alexis Sanchez's pass with his chest before beating Manuel Neuer with a delightful scissor kick. It really was a truly great goal.
The goal appeared to wake Arsenal up and the Gunners finally began to show a bit more hunger and desire in the final 20 minutes. Wenger's men could've even added a second before the end, but Cazorla shot over when it looked easier to score following a great cut-back from Coquelin.
Arsenal couldn't find a second and instead it was Bayern who scored next as Muller netted his second in the final minute of normal time. Douglas Costa burst through the middle before setting up Muller to score to complete the rout for a very dominant Bayern side.
GROUP F
Arsenal are six points behind Bayern and Olympiakos with two games left to play. It has been a Champions League nightmare for the Gunners and the only crumb of comfort is the fact that somehow we aren't out of it yet.
If we beat Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern get a likely victory over Olympiakos then it will actually be in our own hands. We don't really deserve to qualify out of the group yet we still have a chance.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It is frustrating how we can go from brilliant one week, with excellent performances against the likes of Bayern and Manchester United at home, to performing very poorly in other games.
Bayern are a hard side to beat for anyone, especially away from home, but, if I had been told before the group stages started that we would take three points out of six from them I would have been fairly happy. Although we have achieved that I am far from happy as other results, and the manner of the performances at home against Olympiakos and away to Dinamo Zagreb and Bayern, were simply not good enough.
Our next game sees us return to league action with a London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates. Is this the best or worst game to have after such a poor result? If we lose it will be a nightmare week but maybe, just maybe, the poor display against Bayern can spur us on (no pun intended!) to put in the performance of our lives to get a victory against our local rivals.
If we are serious about our Premier League title challenge then this is a game we cannot afford to lose so let's make sure we go and give Spurs a hiding.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Gunners brush Swans aside
The Liberty Stadium is never an easy place for any Premier League team to go so for us to come away with a 3-0 victory is a superb result.
Before the game I said that outside the top four Swansea is among the toughest away trips in my opinion, so to get such a positive result will stand us in good stead, especially with such a big week looming.
A crucial Champions League trip to Bayern Munich followed by a home clash with rivals Tottenham are vital and we will need to win both if we are to maintain our decent run of form and avoid the season fizzling out.
With Swansea having done the league double over us last season, I was very wary of the threats posed by this fixture, especially after such a poor showing in the recent cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, and some fans will undoubtedly have expected us to slip up.
Three goals and all three points...I couldn't ask for much more. Also, with Theo Walcott out injured it was important to see both Giroud and Joel Campbell scoring as we will need our forward players to be in decent form if this season is to prove to be a success.
Nacho Monreal and Campbell both sent efforts off target in the opening quarter of the match but it was Swansea who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break. Jonjo Shelvey set up Bafetimbi Gomis with a perfectly-weighted through ball but the striker hesitated on the ball as he took it past Petr Cech, allowing Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin time to get back and clear the danger.
Gomis was denied against soon after when his header was saved by Cech while, at the other end, Giroud fired over from inside the box and Campbell shot straight at former Gunners' goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Arsenal opened the scoring within four minutes of the restart as an unmarked Giroud headed home from Mesut Ozil's corner for visitors' 2,000th goal under Arsene Wenger.
It could've perhaps been a different story had Cech not come to the rescue to parry Gylfi Sigurdsson's effort from just outside the box soon after. That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage after 68 minutes in circumstances that some deemed to be controversial.
Fabianski came to claim Ozil's cross but dropped the ball under pressure from Giroud and Laurent Koscielny before the latter controlled the ball and tapped it into the empty net. There seems to be mixed opinion as to whether or not there was an infringement on the Swans' shot-stopper but referee Kevin Friend deemed that the goal should stand.
However, it was Arsenal who doubled their lead in controversial circumstances with 69 minutes on the clock.
After a cross from the right took a huge deflection, Lukasz Fabianski came to claim the looping ball under pressure from two Arsenal players and as the ball dropped Laurent Koscielny tapped it into an empty net with referee Kevin Friend insisting that there had been no infringement on the goalkeeper.
Campbell completed the scoring when he scored his first ever Premier League goal 16 minutes from time. The Costa Rican latched onto Ozil's cross and was given too much time to control the ball before firing a shot beyond Fabianski and into the bottom corner.
Swansea tried to find a way back into the game and were almost rewarded through their captain Ashley Williams, but the defender's effort was well saved by Cech.
Arsenal nearly added a fourth in stoppage time but Fabianski produced a double save to deny Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Swansea fan Rob Wood felt it was a typical game of two halves, with his side controlling the opening 45 minutes and Arsenal having the better of the rest of the match.
"First half I thought we were on top, but Arsenal were obviously dangerous when they countered," said Wood.
"Gomis should have scored when clean through and we should have had a penalty from Sigurdsson's free-kick when Mertesacker handled.
"The second half belonged to Arsenal. It was a sloppy first goal on our part leaving Giroud free. This gave Arsenal the confidence to dominate the rest of the game and we didn't really get going at all in the second half."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The importance of this win cannot be underestimated. It is still impossible to gauge whether or not we are going to sustain our league form over the next few months and I feel 50-50 as to if this will be a superb season or the same old story. But one thing is for sure, we are playing very well in the league at the moment which is reflected by our recent results. There is still a long way to go but there is plenty of reason to be positive at the moment. I will probably be able to form more of an opinion after the upcoming Bayern Munich and Tottenham games. Staying in the Champions League will likely have a big knock-on effect on our season so we have to make sure we get at least a point in Germany. As for the visit of Spurs, it may still be early in the season but this is an absolutely must win game, not just for local pride but also for ensuring we continue to keep up the pace with Manchester City. Only goal difference separates us from leaders City at the moment, so let's hope we can sustain our title challenge.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Before the game I said that outside the top four Swansea is among the toughest away trips in my opinion, so to get such a positive result will stand us in good stead, especially with such a big week looming.
A crucial Champions League trip to Bayern Munich followed by a home clash with rivals Tottenham are vital and we will need to win both if we are to maintain our decent run of form and avoid the season fizzling out.
With Swansea having done the league double over us last season, I was very wary of the threats posed by this fixture, especially after such a poor showing in the recent cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, and some fans will undoubtedly have expected us to slip up.
Three goals and all three points...I couldn't ask for much more. Also, with Theo Walcott out injured it was important to see both Giroud and Joel Campbell scoring as we will need our forward players to be in decent form if this season is to prove to be a success.
Nacho Monreal and Campbell both sent efforts off target in the opening quarter of the match but it was Swansea who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the break. Jonjo Shelvey set up Bafetimbi Gomis with a perfectly-weighted through ball but the striker hesitated on the ball as he took it past Petr Cech, allowing Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin time to get back and clear the danger.
Gomis was denied against soon after when his header was saved by Cech while, at the other end, Giroud fired over from inside the box and Campbell shot straight at former Gunners' goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Arsenal opened the scoring within four minutes of the restart as an unmarked Giroud headed home from Mesut Ozil's corner for visitors' 2,000th goal under Arsene Wenger.
It could've perhaps been a different story had Cech not come to the rescue to parry Gylfi Sigurdsson's effort from just outside the box soon after. That miss proved costly as Arsenal doubled their advantage after 68 minutes in circumstances that some deemed to be controversial.
Fabianski came to claim Ozil's cross but dropped the ball under pressure from Giroud and Laurent Koscielny before the latter controlled the ball and tapped it into the empty net. There seems to be mixed opinion as to whether or not there was an infringement on the Swans' shot-stopper but referee Kevin Friend deemed that the goal should stand.
However, it was Arsenal who doubled their lead in controversial circumstances with 69 minutes on the clock.
After a cross from the right took a huge deflection, Lukasz Fabianski came to claim the looping ball under pressure from two Arsenal players and as the ball dropped Laurent Koscielny tapped it into an empty net with referee Kevin Friend insisting that there had been no infringement on the goalkeeper.
Campbell completed the scoring when he scored his first ever Premier League goal 16 minutes from time. The Costa Rican latched onto Ozil's cross and was given too much time to control the ball before firing a shot beyond Fabianski and into the bottom corner.
Swansea tried to find a way back into the game and were almost rewarded through their captain Ashley Williams, but the defender's effort was well saved by Cech.
Arsenal nearly added a fourth in stoppage time but Fabianski produced a double save to deny Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Swansea fan Rob Wood felt it was a typical game of two halves, with his side controlling the opening 45 minutes and Arsenal having the better of the rest of the match.
"First half I thought we were on top, but Arsenal were obviously dangerous when they countered," said Wood.
"Gomis should have scored when clean through and we should have had a penalty from Sigurdsson's free-kick when Mertesacker handled.
"The second half belonged to Arsenal. It was a sloppy first goal on our part leaving Giroud free. This gave Arsenal the confidence to dominate the rest of the game and we didn't really get going at all in the second half."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The importance of this win cannot be underestimated. It is still impossible to gauge whether or not we are going to sustain our league form over the next few months and I feel 50-50 as to if this will be a superb season or the same old story. But one thing is for sure, we are playing very well in the league at the moment which is reflected by our recent results. There is still a long way to go but there is plenty of reason to be positive at the moment. I will probably be able to form more of an opinion after the upcoming Bayern Munich and Tottenham games. Staying in the Champions League will likely have a big knock-on effect on our season so we have to make sure we get at least a point in Germany. As for the visit of Spurs, it may still be early in the season but this is an absolutely must win game, not just for local pride but also for ensuring we continue to keep up the pace with Manchester City. Only goal difference separates us from leaders City at the moment, so let's hope we can sustain our title challenge.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
Owls tame young Gunners
Was it a defining result in our season or merely a blip in a one-off knockout game? Either way, Arsenal's 3-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup was simply embarrassing.
It wasn't so much the result that hurts, as we all know shocks can happen in cup football, but more the manner of the performance. Some blame manager Arsene Wenger for his team selection saying he should have picked a stronger team. But then, if we had picked a much stronger team and won comfortably, some fans would have undoubtedly moaned saying 'why didn't Wenger rest players in this smaller game?'. I think blaming the team selection is a poor excuse as, whilst not as experienced, the starting XI at Hillsborough should still have been good enough to produce a far better performance than the one us Gunners' fans were given.
Losing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Theo Walcott to injury inside the opening 20 minutes didn't exactly help, but we shouldn't hide behind that excuse either. Without disrespecting Sheffield Wednesday, the side we put out really should have been more than capable of getting a victory.
We just need to simply hold our hands up and admit we were beaten by the better side on the day. Although, it is really frustrating to admit that as we should have done much better, Wednesday were more than worthy of their win and their place in the next round of the tournament.
What is most important now is that we put this down as a bad day at the office and quickly move on from it. We are already out of the Capital One Cup and our Champions League adventure is hanging by a thread. But we are actually performing well in the league and only trail leaders Manchester City on goal difference. What we don't want is for the cup exit to dent the confidence and affect the league form or we risk the season spiralling away from us in an all too familiar fashion. But it shouldn't come down to that and it is in our own control. If we can get maximum points at Swansea in our next game we can get things back on track and maybe, just maybe, still have a decent season.
Arsenal's night started as it ended - in frustration. Oxlade-Chamberlain lasted just five minutes before having to leave the field injured and his replacement, Walcott, lasted less than 15 minutes. But at that point in the game neither side was really creating many chances or stamping their authority on the game.
With neither goalkeeper having had much to do Wednesday suddenly took the lead through Ross Wallace after 27 minutes. Daniel Pudil pulled the ball back for Wallace to score from the edge of the area.
Although Arsenal had some youth in their side, the experienced players who did play should have made their presence count more but they didn't and the Gunners midfield, especially, was really lacking in ideas.
Alex Iwobi, who was making his first-team debut for Arsenal, sent a shot just off target for the visitors but, in truth, Arsenal didn't test young Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith enough.
Wednesday doubled their advantage five minutes before the break. Petr Cech managed to save Jeremy Helan's effort but was unable to prevent Lucas Joao from heading home the resulting corner.
At half-time I knew defeat was looking likely but I at least expected some kind of response in the second half. We had already been forced into using two of our three substitutions in the first half but I still thought we would provide an attacking response in the second half. Instead we still looked void of ideas and, other than one great save from Wildsmith, we didn't really look close to scoring.
So rather than playing attractive attacking football in an attempt to get back into the game, we ended up conceding a third goal within six minutes of the restart. Tom Lees latched onto Barry Bannan's free-kick before knocking the ball across for Sam Hutchinson to score from close range.
I had previously been a bit excited about the prospect of Polish youngster Krystian Bielik coming off the bench to make his debut as I had heard very positive things about him. But by the time he entered the field on the hour mark the game was already over and, although he showed one or two nice touches, it was difficult to really analyse his performance as the team performance had been poor.
As the game entered its final quarter Arsenal finally appeared to wake up and nearly grabbed a consolation goal, but Wildsmith produced an excellent save to keep out Per Mertesacker's header. That was as near as Arsenal came to a response in a day that belonged solely to their Yorkshire opponents. Wednesday were more than worthy of the victory, while the Gunners need a huge improvement if they are to get their season back on track.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Owls' fan Jim Capel was delighted by the result and is hoping his side get to pit their wits against the likes of Arsenal again in the not too distant future.
"Ordinarily, I would look at this fixture with a sense of impending doom and would be lumping my hard-earned cash on a cricket score in favour of the boys from North London," said Capel. "Recently however, I have found a new sense of optimism.
"Being a Wednesdayite hasn’t been the best for your mental health over the last 15 years, since relegation from the Premier League, with only the odd glimmer of hope amongst the endless frustration and misery. But now, enter Carlos Carvalhal and his “dream” (according to our chant). 15 new players, strength in depth and a genuinely competitive side in the Championship, just could signal light at the end of the tunnel."
"And so to the game, and how true does that statement ring! From minute one, we looked comfortable. We weren’t overawed by our more illustrious opponents. We had come to do a job and my god did we do it! Yes we got a bit of good fortune with “the Ox” and Walcott having to go off injured, but in truth you can’t take anything away from this performance.
"If you’d told me at the start of tonight that we would win this, I’d have said you were mad. If you’d said we would win this comfortably, I’d have told you to seek professional help!
"With this team, and this philosophy, could we be crossing swords with the likes of this calibre of opposition again on a regular basis next season…….the way things are going, you just never know!"
Fellow Wednesdayite Bob Timmons also felt his side were worthy winners, adding: "A weakened arsenal team struggled to break down an inform Wednesday.
"The game desperately needed a goal as the first 20 minutes was arsenal passing the ball between the defence without carving any real openings.
"The Owls worked hard and scored with their first real chance with a quality finish. I felt Arsenal then struggled to break the Owls down and a spirited performance, as well as two more good goals combined with some decent football, allowed them to cruise to the quarter finals.
"I think the two arsenal injuries to the Ox and Walcott early on set the tone for the Gunners, who had little pace left on the pitch to carve open the defence. Certainly a memorable one where you can say 'I was there'. Looking for another home tie in the next round. Up the Owls."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We got what we deserved at Hillsborough with a defeat but we must make sure we don't do that again. Whether it was due to us seemingly not taking the Capital One Cup seriously or simply just a bad day at the office it can't be repeated. With a huge game at Swansea, who did the double over us last season, looming we can't afford any more slip-ups if we are to have a decent season. That is easier said than done with the Liberty Stadium, among the toughest away trips outside the top four. I don't just say this because we have them next as I genuinely feel the Swans are a very tough nut to crack on their own turf for any side in the league.
Although some will expect us to fail at Swansea again, there is also no reason why we can't actually get a positive result against the Welsh outfit. If we can hit top form and attack as well as we did against Manchester United, whilst defending resiliently as we have in the league in recent weeks, we could yet get our season back on track.
One thing is for sure, we are going to need one hell of a good display to get maximum points at Swansea so the players need to make sure they stand up to be counted, wear the Arsenal shirt with pride, and give us a performance to be proud of.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
It wasn't so much the result that hurts, as we all know shocks can happen in cup football, but more the manner of the performance. Some blame manager Arsene Wenger for his team selection saying he should have picked a stronger team. But then, if we had picked a much stronger team and won comfortably, some fans would have undoubtedly moaned saying 'why didn't Wenger rest players in this smaller game?'. I think blaming the team selection is a poor excuse as, whilst not as experienced, the starting XI at Hillsborough should still have been good enough to produce a far better performance than the one us Gunners' fans were given.
Losing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and substitute Theo Walcott to injury inside the opening 20 minutes didn't exactly help, but we shouldn't hide behind that excuse either. Without disrespecting Sheffield Wednesday, the side we put out really should have been more than capable of getting a victory.
We just need to simply hold our hands up and admit we were beaten by the better side on the day. Although, it is really frustrating to admit that as we should have done much better, Wednesday were more than worthy of their win and their place in the next round of the tournament.
What is most important now is that we put this down as a bad day at the office and quickly move on from it. We are already out of the Capital One Cup and our Champions League adventure is hanging by a thread. But we are actually performing well in the league and only trail leaders Manchester City on goal difference. What we don't want is for the cup exit to dent the confidence and affect the league form or we risk the season spiralling away from us in an all too familiar fashion. But it shouldn't come down to that and it is in our own control. If we can get maximum points at Swansea in our next game we can get things back on track and maybe, just maybe, still have a decent season.
Arsenal's night started as it ended - in frustration. Oxlade-Chamberlain lasted just five minutes before having to leave the field injured and his replacement, Walcott, lasted less than 15 minutes. But at that point in the game neither side was really creating many chances or stamping their authority on the game.
With neither goalkeeper having had much to do Wednesday suddenly took the lead through Ross Wallace after 27 minutes. Daniel Pudil pulled the ball back for Wallace to score from the edge of the area.
Although Arsenal had some youth in their side, the experienced players who did play should have made their presence count more but they didn't and the Gunners midfield, especially, was really lacking in ideas.
Alex Iwobi, who was making his first-team debut for Arsenal, sent a shot just off target for the visitors but, in truth, Arsenal didn't test young Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith enough.
Wednesday doubled their advantage five minutes before the break. Petr Cech managed to save Jeremy Helan's effort but was unable to prevent Lucas Joao from heading home the resulting corner.
At half-time I knew defeat was looking likely but I at least expected some kind of response in the second half. We had already been forced into using two of our three substitutions in the first half but I still thought we would provide an attacking response in the second half. Instead we still looked void of ideas and, other than one great save from Wildsmith, we didn't really look close to scoring.
So rather than playing attractive attacking football in an attempt to get back into the game, we ended up conceding a third goal within six minutes of the restart. Tom Lees latched onto Barry Bannan's free-kick before knocking the ball across for Sam Hutchinson to score from close range.
I had previously been a bit excited about the prospect of Polish youngster Krystian Bielik coming off the bench to make his debut as I had heard very positive things about him. But by the time he entered the field on the hour mark the game was already over and, although he showed one or two nice touches, it was difficult to really analyse his performance as the team performance had been poor.
As the game entered its final quarter Arsenal finally appeared to wake up and nearly grabbed a consolation goal, but Wildsmith produced an excellent save to keep out Per Mertesacker's header. That was as near as Arsenal came to a response in a day that belonged solely to their Yorkshire opponents. Wednesday were more than worthy of the victory, while the Gunners need a huge improvement if they are to get their season back on track.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Owls' fan Jim Capel was delighted by the result and is hoping his side get to pit their wits against the likes of Arsenal again in the not too distant future.
"Ordinarily, I would look at this fixture with a sense of impending doom and would be lumping my hard-earned cash on a cricket score in favour of the boys from North London," said Capel. "Recently however, I have found a new sense of optimism.
"Being a Wednesdayite hasn’t been the best for your mental health over the last 15 years, since relegation from the Premier League, with only the odd glimmer of hope amongst the endless frustration and misery. But now, enter Carlos Carvalhal and his “dream” (according to our chant). 15 new players, strength in depth and a genuinely competitive side in the Championship, just could signal light at the end of the tunnel."
"And so to the game, and how true does that statement ring! From minute one, we looked comfortable. We weren’t overawed by our more illustrious opponents. We had come to do a job and my god did we do it! Yes we got a bit of good fortune with “the Ox” and Walcott having to go off injured, but in truth you can’t take anything away from this performance.
"If you’d told me at the start of tonight that we would win this, I’d have said you were mad. If you’d said we would win this comfortably, I’d have told you to seek professional help!
"With this team, and this philosophy, could we be crossing swords with the likes of this calibre of opposition again on a regular basis next season…….the way things are going, you just never know!"
Fellow Wednesdayite Bob Timmons also felt his side were worthy winners, adding: "A weakened arsenal team struggled to break down an inform Wednesday.
"The game desperately needed a goal as the first 20 minutes was arsenal passing the ball between the defence without carving any real openings.
"The Owls worked hard and scored with their first real chance with a quality finish. I felt Arsenal then struggled to break the Owls down and a spirited performance, as well as two more good goals combined with some decent football, allowed them to cruise to the quarter finals.
"I think the two arsenal injuries to the Ox and Walcott early on set the tone for the Gunners, who had little pace left on the pitch to carve open the defence. Certainly a memorable one where you can say 'I was there'. Looking for another home tie in the next round. Up the Owls."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We got what we deserved at Hillsborough with a defeat but we must make sure we don't do that again. Whether it was due to us seemingly not taking the Capital One Cup seriously or simply just a bad day at the office it can't be repeated. With a huge game at Swansea, who did the double over us last season, looming we can't afford any more slip-ups if we are to have a decent season. That is easier said than done with the Liberty Stadium, among the toughest away trips outside the top four. I don't just say this because we have them next as I genuinely feel the Swans are a very tough nut to crack on their own turf for any side in the league.
Although some will expect us to fail at Swansea again, there is also no reason why we can't actually get a positive result against the Welsh outfit. If we can hit top form and attack as well as we did against Manchester United, whilst defending resiliently as we have in the league in recent weeks, we could yet get our season back on track.
One thing is for sure, we are going to need one hell of a good display to get maximum points at Swansea so the players need to make sure they stand up to be counted, wear the Arsenal shirt with pride, and give us a performance to be proud of.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Toffees unstuck by Gunners
Whether or not Arsenal can maintain their challenge for the whole season remains to be seen, but the Gunners completed a great week and stayed firmly in the title race with a 2-1 win over 10-man Everton.
The Gunners, who recorded a surprise 2-0 victory over former European champions Bayern Munich earlier in the week, moved temporarily top of the Premier League thanks to headed goals from Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny. Manchester City's goalless draw at Manchester United moved them above the Gunners on goal difference, but Arsenal's season still seems to be heading in the right direction...as things stand!
I say as things stand because we all know how quickly things can change in football. If we can keep up the level of performances we have been producing in recent weeks then this could be a great season for us. But it is 50-50, in my opinion, whether or not we will actually do this. We certainly have the potential to and I hope the run we are on is the beginning of something special. This relies on us not getting any further injuries and it is important that we also add to the squad in the January transfer window to make sure we maintain what is looking like a decent title challenge.
I am hoping that the fact that only goal difference separates us from City should be a huge confidence boost for the players going into the upcoming games but we mustn't get complacent. The recent victories over Manchester United, Bayern Munich and also Everton, prove we have what it takes to compete for silverware but we must make sure we continue this form on a consistent basis throughout the rest of the season.
Arsenal's patient approach against the Toffees was crucial to getting the result. It wasn't the same free-flowing attacking game that had been seen in other recent league games but it was still a professional performance and defensive duo Koscielny and Gabriel were excellent at the back. Petr Cech also proved his worth with some vital saves to ensure it was the Gunners taking maximum points from a close encounter.
Giroud and Gabriel were both off target with headers but it was Everton who came closest to scoring inside the opening half an hour. Aaron Lennon's effort was pushed away by Cech before John Stones sliced the rebound harmlessly off target.
Two headed goals in as many minutes then put Arsenal firmly in control. Giroud, who also scored against Munich, rose highest to head home Mesut Ozil's perfectly-weighted cross after 36 minutes. Before Everton had chance to respond Arsenal were at it again as Santi Cazorla whipped in a free-kick for Koscielny to head beyond a helpless Tim Howard.
Everton gave themselves renewed hope and reduced the deficit when Barkley's shot from the edge of the box deflected off Gabriel and into the net two minutes before the break.
Arsenal started the second half with attacking intent and nearly increased their advantage within two minutes of the restart, but Howard was on hand to deny Alexis Sanchez. Howard was called into action again soon after as the American shot-stopper pushed Giroud's acrobatic effort away for a corner.
Giroud did get the better of Howard soon after but this time the woodwork came to Everton's rescue as the Frenchman's curling effort hit the crossbar. That miss almost proved costly as Everton came agonisingly close to levelling the scores 12 minutes from time. Gareth Barry's cross was met by the head of Romelu Lukaku, but the Belgian's effort clipped the crossbar and went over.
There was still time for Everton to steal a share of the spoils but Cech came to Arsenal's rescue with a crucial save late on. With four minutes remaining Lukaku's pass had been cleared by the defence, but the loose ball fell straight to Gerard Delofeu. The Spain Under-21 forward tried his luck inside the box but Cech reacted quickly to block the youngster's shot. It was a crucial save to ensure the hosts didn't drop any points.
Arsenal very nearly added a third late on but Ozil's shot from outside the box clipped a post. Everton's woes were complete when Barry was sent off for a second bookable offence following a careless challenge on substitute Kieran Gibbs.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Everton fan Paul O'Neill was critical of his side's display and is expecting a much better performance at the return game at Goodison Park in March.
"Coming into this game I was pretty much expecting defeat of a similar score to that of the Manchester United game (3-0) but Everton certainly made a bit more of a fight of this one, although in truth Arsenal were worthy winners.
"(Ross) Barkley's goal certainly came at the right time for us but not enough to change the course of the game.
"From the game there were many frustrations - the sight of Howard flapping is getting boring, as is Gareth Barry's ability to pick up more cards over the course of the season than I get Christmas cards. It was a shame Lukaku didn't manage to steal us a point.
"Finally I am hoping the Everton fans got home okay, who were rudely jeered by the prawn sandwich Londoner brigade as the last train to Liverpool was cancelled (it turns out some noise can be made at the Emirates)!
"It was a fair scoreline, we must do better and I feel both teams have more to give. Certainly I am hoping Arsenal will find it a lot tougher at Goodison."
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REACTION
It was a truly great result against Bayern Munich, especially given the fact that the German giants had scored eight goals and were yet to concede in this season's Champions League prior to the game.
After defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos our Champions League campaign hung in the balance and many no doubt expected us to fail against Munich. The German outfit have one of the world's best goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer, in their ranks yet we managed to beat him twice. It really was a hugely impressively result but we shouldn't get carried away just yet, despite our impressive run of form.
At the halfway stage in the Champions League, Arsenal remain bottom of Group F and will require another positive result in the return game in Germany if they are to well and truly revive their 2015-16 European adventure. Let's wait and see what happens.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We are unbeaten in October with just one game left to play this month and second in league, behind leaders City on just goal difference, so there is every reason to be positive. Things are heading in the right direction and at the moment I am one happy Arsenal fan. I am fully aware in another few weeks it could all change again but for now I am just focussing on one game at the time and will wait and see how this season's adventure continues to unfold.
We must now turn our attention to the Capital One Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday. Although it is the competition I value the least, it is still important to take it seriously and try and bring home the silverware. I know Arsene Wenger is likely to make changes and give some youngsters or fringe players a chance against the Championship side, but it is important that we keep our good run of form going so another positive performance is needed and hopefully we can get another important victory.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Gunners, who recorded a surprise 2-0 victory over former European champions Bayern Munich earlier in the week, moved temporarily top of the Premier League thanks to headed goals from Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny. Manchester City's goalless draw at Manchester United moved them above the Gunners on goal difference, but Arsenal's season still seems to be heading in the right direction...as things stand!
I say as things stand because we all know how quickly things can change in football. If we can keep up the level of performances we have been producing in recent weeks then this could be a great season for us. But it is 50-50, in my opinion, whether or not we will actually do this. We certainly have the potential to and I hope the run we are on is the beginning of something special. This relies on us not getting any further injuries and it is important that we also add to the squad in the January transfer window to make sure we maintain what is looking like a decent title challenge.
I am hoping that the fact that only goal difference separates us from City should be a huge confidence boost for the players going into the upcoming games but we mustn't get complacent. The recent victories over Manchester United, Bayern Munich and also Everton, prove we have what it takes to compete for silverware but we must make sure we continue this form on a consistent basis throughout the rest of the season.
Arsenal's patient approach against the Toffees was crucial to getting the result. It wasn't the same free-flowing attacking game that had been seen in other recent league games but it was still a professional performance and defensive duo Koscielny and Gabriel were excellent at the back. Petr Cech also proved his worth with some vital saves to ensure it was the Gunners taking maximum points from a close encounter.
Giroud and Gabriel were both off target with headers but it was Everton who came closest to scoring inside the opening half an hour. Aaron Lennon's effort was pushed away by Cech before John Stones sliced the rebound harmlessly off target.
Two headed goals in as many minutes then put Arsenal firmly in control. Giroud, who also scored against Munich, rose highest to head home Mesut Ozil's perfectly-weighted cross after 36 minutes. Before Everton had chance to respond Arsenal were at it again as Santi Cazorla whipped in a free-kick for Koscielny to head beyond a helpless Tim Howard.
Everton gave themselves renewed hope and reduced the deficit when Barkley's shot from the edge of the box deflected off Gabriel and into the net two minutes before the break.
Arsenal started the second half with attacking intent and nearly increased their advantage within two minutes of the restart, but Howard was on hand to deny Alexis Sanchez. Howard was called into action again soon after as the American shot-stopper pushed Giroud's acrobatic effort away for a corner.
Giroud did get the better of Howard soon after but this time the woodwork came to Everton's rescue as the Frenchman's curling effort hit the crossbar. That miss almost proved costly as Everton came agonisingly close to levelling the scores 12 minutes from time. Gareth Barry's cross was met by the head of Romelu Lukaku, but the Belgian's effort clipped the crossbar and went over.
There was still time for Everton to steal a share of the spoils but Cech came to Arsenal's rescue with a crucial save late on. With four minutes remaining Lukaku's pass had been cleared by the defence, but the loose ball fell straight to Gerard Delofeu. The Spain Under-21 forward tried his luck inside the box but Cech reacted quickly to block the youngster's shot. It was a crucial save to ensure the hosts didn't drop any points.
Arsenal very nearly added a third late on but Ozil's shot from outside the box clipped a post. Everton's woes were complete when Barry was sent off for a second bookable offence following a careless challenge on substitute Kieran Gibbs.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Everton fan Paul O'Neill was critical of his side's display and is expecting a much better performance at the return game at Goodison Park in March.
"Coming into this game I was pretty much expecting defeat of a similar score to that of the Manchester United game (3-0) but Everton certainly made a bit more of a fight of this one, although in truth Arsenal were worthy winners.
"(Ross) Barkley's goal certainly came at the right time for us but not enough to change the course of the game.
"From the game there were many frustrations - the sight of Howard flapping is getting boring, as is Gareth Barry's ability to pick up more cards over the course of the season than I get Christmas cards. It was a shame Lukaku didn't manage to steal us a point.
"Finally I am hoping the Everton fans got home okay, who were rudely jeered by the prawn sandwich Londoner brigade as the last train to Liverpool was cancelled (it turns out some noise can be made at the Emirates)!
"It was a fair scoreline, we must do better and I feel both teams have more to give. Certainly I am hoping Arsenal will find it a lot tougher at Goodison."
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REACTION
It was a truly great result against Bayern Munich, especially given the fact that the German giants had scored eight goals and were yet to concede in this season's Champions League prior to the game.
After defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos our Champions League campaign hung in the balance and many no doubt expected us to fail against Munich. The German outfit have one of the world's best goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer, in their ranks yet we managed to beat him twice. It really was a hugely impressively result but we shouldn't get carried away just yet, despite our impressive run of form.
At the halfway stage in the Champions League, Arsenal remain bottom of Group F and will require another positive result in the return game in Germany if they are to well and truly revive their 2015-16 European adventure. Let's wait and see what happens.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We are unbeaten in October with just one game left to play this month and second in league, behind leaders City on just goal difference, so there is every reason to be positive. Things are heading in the right direction and at the moment I am one happy Arsenal fan. I am fully aware in another few weeks it could all change again but for now I am just focussing on one game at the time and will wait and see how this season's adventure continues to unfold.
We must now turn our attention to the Capital One Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday. Although it is the competition I value the least, it is still important to take it seriously and try and bring home the silverware. I know Arsene Wenger is likely to make changes and give some youngsters or fringe players a chance against the Championship side, but it is important that we keep our good run of form going so another positive performance is needed and hopefully we can get another important victory.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Saturday, 17 October 2015
Hornets stung by ruthless Gunners
Arsenal kept themselves in the title race with an accomplished 3-0 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.
Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey all netted in the second half as the Gunners moved up into second place and just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
Realistically the Gunners title aspirations are still uncertain and City are understandably firm favourites to lift the Premier League crown, but Arsene Wenger's men at least got a positive result to keep themselves in contention.
Arsenal produced a superb display to beat Manchester United in their previous game so all eyes were on them to see whether or not they could produce the same again. Although the Gunners didn't play with the same fluency against the Hornets they still did what mattered most to get all three points.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was called into action in the first half to deny Theo Walcott and Sanchez. Ramsey also sent a volley over the bar while, at the other end, Troy Deeney forced Petr Cech into a decent save.
Arsenal finally broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark when Sanchez pounced on a loose ball to fire home.
The visitors soon doubled their advantage after 68 minutes when Mesut Ozil cut the ball back for Giroud to fire a shot beyond Gomes and into the roof of the net.
Wenger's men completed the scoring 16 minutes from time when Ramsey scored from close range following an excellent run from Hector Bellerin.
Arsenal tried to add further gloss to the scoreline but Gomes came to the rescue to deny Giroud, but that didn't stop the visitors from being good value for the win.
OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Watford fan Phil Benson was full of praise for Arsenal but still found reason to be upbeat despite the home defeat.
"I am gutted about the result," said Benson. "Arsenal's passing was out of this world.
"Even when we looked comfortable, we knew that one pass could unlock all our good work. As it happened it was a real sucker punch to lose the game by such a scoreline.
"Having seen it again I do think (Etienne) Capoue was fouled before the opening goal- not a penalty - but chances are it would be a free-kick elsewhere on the pitch, so we have a little right to feel aggrieved.
"Having said that I was really pleased with Watford's performance up until that first goal. We were compact and managed to carve a few good chances. But, as I commented to a friend, as soon as we were required to chase the game it was likely we would concede more.
"So a tale of missed chances, a little rough luck, and Arsenal's supreme quality won the day - but there is no shame in losing to a much better team."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Before the match I was confident that we would win this match, but at the same time I knew it could also be a potential banana skin so I am delighted that we came away with all three points.
In terms of the title race it is still too early to say whether or not we have a chance. Mathematically we are only two points off the leaders Manchester City so, yes, we do have a chance. But we have also been so near, and yet so far, in previous seasons, so I am not about to get carried away. Let's just wait and see what happens.
But before we can even begin to think about our next league game against Everton we must turn our attentions to the Champions League. After disappointing defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, the game against European giants Bayern Munich has become even bigger. Before our European campaign began, it seemed likely that this clash would determine who would finish first and second in the group. As it stands, this has actually become a must win game to even stay in the competition. Bayern Munich are going to be by far the hardest opposition we have faced so far this season, so we must make sure we are on top form if we are to have any chance of getting all three points. Here's hoping we reproduce the first-half performance from the game against Manchester United earlier this month.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey all netted in the second half as the Gunners moved up into second place and just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
Realistically the Gunners title aspirations are still uncertain and City are understandably firm favourites to lift the Premier League crown, but Arsene Wenger's men at least got a positive result to keep themselves in contention.
Arsenal produced a superb display to beat Manchester United in their previous game so all eyes were on them to see whether or not they could produce the same again. Although the Gunners didn't play with the same fluency against the Hornets they still did what mattered most to get all three points.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was called into action in the first half to deny Theo Walcott and Sanchez. Ramsey also sent a volley over the bar while, at the other end, Troy Deeney forced Petr Cech into a decent save.
Arsenal finally broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark when Sanchez pounced on a loose ball to fire home.
The visitors soon doubled their advantage after 68 minutes when Mesut Ozil cut the ball back for Giroud to fire a shot beyond Gomes and into the roof of the net.
Wenger's men completed the scoring 16 minutes from time when Ramsey scored from close range following an excellent run from Hector Bellerin.
Arsenal tried to add further gloss to the scoreline but Gomes came to the rescue to deny Giroud, but that didn't stop the visitors from being good value for the win.
OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Watford fan Phil Benson was full of praise for Arsenal but still found reason to be upbeat despite the home defeat.
"I am gutted about the result," said Benson. "Arsenal's passing was out of this world.
"Even when we looked comfortable, we knew that one pass could unlock all our good work. As it happened it was a real sucker punch to lose the game by such a scoreline.
"Having seen it again I do think (Etienne) Capoue was fouled before the opening goal- not a penalty - but chances are it would be a free-kick elsewhere on the pitch, so we have a little right to feel aggrieved.
"Having said that I was really pleased with Watford's performance up until that first goal. We were compact and managed to carve a few good chances. But, as I commented to a friend, as soon as we were required to chase the game it was likely we would concede more.
"So a tale of missed chances, a little rough luck, and Arsenal's supreme quality won the day - but there is no shame in losing to a much better team."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Before the match I was confident that we would win this match, but at the same time I knew it could also be a potential banana skin so I am delighted that we came away with all three points.
In terms of the title race it is still too early to say whether or not we have a chance. Mathematically we are only two points off the leaders Manchester City so, yes, we do have a chance. But we have also been so near, and yet so far, in previous seasons, so I am not about to get carried away. Let's just wait and see what happens.
But before we can even begin to think about our next league game against Everton we must turn our attentions to the Champions League. After disappointing defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, the game against European giants Bayern Munich has become even bigger. Before our European campaign began, it seemed likely that this clash would determine who would finish first and second in the group. As it stands, this has actually become a must win game to even stay in the competition. Bayern Munich are going to be by far the hardest opposition we have faced so far this season, so we must make sure we are on top form if we are to have any chance of getting all three points. Here's hoping we reproduce the first-half performance from the game against Manchester United earlier this month.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Dominant Gunners brush United aside
Arsenal produced one of their best performances in recent years as they returned to winning ways in sensational style with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Manchester United.
The Gunners played some breathtaking football in what was a superb first-half performance and, although the second 45 minutes didn't quite match up to the first, the hosts were very worthy of the win.
Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil scored the goals and will undoubtedly take most of the plaudits but the clean sheet and a solid defensive display was equally as pleasing. In fact, the only really negative from the game was Sanchez picking up a minor groin injury but it doesn't look like he will miss any games.
Arsenal have previously been criticised for not getting enough positive results against the other big sides in the league, but the Gunners well and truly stamped their mark on the game inside the opening 10 minutes at the Emirates. Sanchez latched onto Ozil's low cross with a sublime back-heel to give the hosts the perfect start, and barely a minute later Arsenal were at it again. Walcott raced into the box before picking out Ozil to score from close range.
Arsenal were playing at a blistering pace in attack, whilst keeping things solid at the back, and their day got even better with a third goal after 19 minutes. Sanchez shrugged off Matteo Darmian smashing in an unstoppable shot from just inside the box, giving Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea no chance.
It really was a one-sided first half and I've got to admit I was pleasantly surprised at the impressive manner with which we were brushing the opposition aside. United are a team we haven't typically done too well against and before this weekend Louis Van Gaal's men had been top of the table. So to see us return to winning ways in such sensational fashion really was a joy to watch.
After such a poor result against Olympiakos in the Champions League and the season in danger of fizzling out already, we needed one hell of a huge performance against United to start to turn things around and boy did we deliver. The defence weren't given United a look in and we looked so comfortable on the ball.
I don't want to get carried away as I am fully aware we could return from the international break in completely different form. However, maybe, just maybe, this can be the start of something special for us. If we can keep performing like this who knows what will happen but it is still early days yet.
It really could have been more than three goals in the first half and Aaron Ramsey was unlucky not to add further gloss to the scoreline when he sent a volley wide.
Although Arsenal were dominant, United came close to pulling a goal back before half-time when Martial turned inside the area. Petr Cech, who returning to the side having been rested against Olympiakos, pulled off an excellent save to deny the youngster from point-blank range.
Arsenal were not quite as fluid in the second half but in some ways it could be considered to be a more sensible approach. We have lost leads in the past and if we had continued to keep attacking we could have left ourselves vulnerable at the back. We were patient in the second half and defence held firm to ensure the clean sheet an all three points to push us up to second in the table.
United threatened the Arsenal goal more in the second half, with the hosts not seeing as much of the ball after the restart. When United did manage to get the better of the Gunners' defence Petr Cech was on hand to frustrate the visitors. The former Chelsea goalkeeper had to be at his best to keep out Ashley Young's long-range strike before later come out bravely to close down Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Arsenal could have added a fourth in the closing stages of the game but substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's chipped effort hit the crossbar. We couldn't add to the scoreline but the result and the manner of the performance was very impressive.
OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Manchester United fan Mark Hainsworth conceded that they had lost to the better team on the day and was left worried by the performance of his side.
"There was a time when Manchester United did to other teams what Arsenal did to them today with fast incisive, entertaining football and eventually the only surprise was that it didn’t finish 6-0," said Hainsworth.
"Despite being top of the league before the weekend, there are mutterings from United fans about the quality of the fare served up by LVG and this performance will do nothing to quieten them, though congratulations should be extended to an Arsenal team who played magnificently.
"Sadly LVG will point to possession stats etc to deflect attention from his tactics but that was just poor football from a Manchester United team.
"We have the players but the way he sets up the team just doesn't scare the opposition or inspire confidence in the fans. Dire stuff!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a hugely impressive performance and one that will live long in the memory. We certainly must not get carried away with one result but it really was a much-needed confidence boost. If there was ever a key moment in a season that could change things for the better then this was it. Whether it will have a decisive impact on the rest of the season remains to be seen but there were definitely plenty of positives that we can take from this performance.
We are just two points behind leaders Manchester City and catching them is doable but we need to make sure we carry on this level of performance after the international break. A trip to Watford is next on the agenda and we need to produce more of the same against the Hornets.
Let's make sure this wasn't a one-off result and let's make this a season to remember! There is a long way to go but dare we dream? Let's wait and see what happens.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The Gunners played some breathtaking football in what was a superb first-half performance and, although the second 45 minutes didn't quite match up to the first, the hosts were very worthy of the win.
Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil scored the goals and will undoubtedly take most of the plaudits but the clean sheet and a solid defensive display was equally as pleasing. In fact, the only really negative from the game was Sanchez picking up a minor groin injury but it doesn't look like he will miss any games.
Arsenal have previously been criticised for not getting enough positive results against the other big sides in the league, but the Gunners well and truly stamped their mark on the game inside the opening 10 minutes at the Emirates. Sanchez latched onto Ozil's low cross with a sublime back-heel to give the hosts the perfect start, and barely a minute later Arsenal were at it again. Walcott raced into the box before picking out Ozil to score from close range.
Arsenal were playing at a blistering pace in attack, whilst keeping things solid at the back, and their day got even better with a third goal after 19 minutes. Sanchez shrugged off Matteo Darmian smashing in an unstoppable shot from just inside the box, giving Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea no chance.
It really was a one-sided first half and I've got to admit I was pleasantly surprised at the impressive manner with which we were brushing the opposition aside. United are a team we haven't typically done too well against and before this weekend Louis Van Gaal's men had been top of the table. So to see us return to winning ways in such sensational fashion really was a joy to watch.
After such a poor result against Olympiakos in the Champions League and the season in danger of fizzling out already, we needed one hell of a huge performance against United to start to turn things around and boy did we deliver. The defence weren't given United a look in and we looked so comfortable on the ball.
I don't want to get carried away as I am fully aware we could return from the international break in completely different form. However, maybe, just maybe, this can be the start of something special for us. If we can keep performing like this who knows what will happen but it is still early days yet.
It really could have been more than three goals in the first half and Aaron Ramsey was unlucky not to add further gloss to the scoreline when he sent a volley wide.
Although Arsenal were dominant, United came close to pulling a goal back before half-time when Martial turned inside the area. Petr Cech, who returning to the side having been rested against Olympiakos, pulled off an excellent save to deny the youngster from point-blank range.
Arsenal were not quite as fluid in the second half but in some ways it could be considered to be a more sensible approach. We have lost leads in the past and if we had continued to keep attacking we could have left ourselves vulnerable at the back. We were patient in the second half and defence held firm to ensure the clean sheet an all three points to push us up to second in the table.
United threatened the Arsenal goal more in the second half, with the hosts not seeing as much of the ball after the restart. When United did manage to get the better of the Gunners' defence Petr Cech was on hand to frustrate the visitors. The former Chelsea goalkeeper had to be at his best to keep out Ashley Young's long-range strike before later come out bravely to close down Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Arsenal could have added a fourth in the closing stages of the game but substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's chipped effort hit the crossbar. We couldn't add to the scoreline but the result and the manner of the performance was very impressive.
OPPOSITION'S VIEW
Manchester United fan Mark Hainsworth conceded that they had lost to the better team on the day and was left worried by the performance of his side.
"There was a time when Manchester United did to other teams what Arsenal did to them today with fast incisive, entertaining football and eventually the only surprise was that it didn’t finish 6-0," said Hainsworth.
"Despite being top of the league before the weekend, there are mutterings from United fans about the quality of the fare served up by LVG and this performance will do nothing to quieten them, though congratulations should be extended to an Arsenal team who played magnificently.
"Sadly LVG will point to possession stats etc to deflect attention from his tactics but that was just poor football from a Manchester United team.
"We have the players but the way he sets up the team just doesn't scare the opposition or inspire confidence in the fans. Dire stuff!"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a hugely impressive performance and one that will live long in the memory. We certainly must not get carried away with one result but it really was a much-needed confidence boost. If there was ever a key moment in a season that could change things for the better then this was it. Whether it will have a decisive impact on the rest of the season remains to be seen but there were definitely plenty of positives that we can take from this performance.
We are just two points behind leaders Manchester City and catching them is doable but we need to make sure we carry on this level of performance after the international break. A trip to Watford is next on the agenda and we need to produce more of the same against the Hornets.
Let's make sure this wasn't a one-off result and let's make this a season to remember! There is a long way to go but dare we dream? Let's wait and see what happens.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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