Jack Wilshere got back among the goals as Arsenal put in an excellent performance to round off the Europa League group stages with an emphatic 6-0 home win over BATE Borisov.
The Gunners didn't have much to play for, but you can only play what's put in front of you and, with qualification and top spot already secure, complacency could have crept in. Arsenal didn't let it affect them and put in arguably their best performance of the six group games as manager Arsene Wenger racked up his 700th win in charge.
Wilshere added to first-half efforts from Mathieu Debuchy and Theo Walcott for his first competitive goal since 2015. Yet again the midfielder impressed and surely he has to start a league game soon. He has certainly given Wenger food for thought and I would much rather see Wilshere start and would put him ahead of both Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka.
We certainly deserve credit for a decent performance as Olivier Giroud and Mohamed Elneny scored after an own goal to complete the rout. But our opposition BATE Borisov looked nothing like the team we had faced in Belarus back in September.
Admittedly we didn't have the toughest of groups, but we got the job done by finishing top of the group and reaching the round of 32.
Arsenal started brightly and could have opened the scoring inside three minutes had Elneny's shot not hit a post. At the other end Mirko Ivanic showed a great first touch before shooting harmlessly off target and that miss proved costly for the visitors as Arsenal soon broke the deadlock.
Debuchy, who hadn't scored since December 2014, fired a rocket of a first-time shot into the corner of the net and what a way it was for the French full-back to end a long run without a goal!
BATE goalkeeper Denis Scherbitski raced out to block an effort from Danny Welbeck before producing a great save to prevent an own goal. But there was nothing the visitors' number one could do about Arsenal's second after 37 minutes. Welbeck took one touch too many and the defender got to the ball, but it was poorly cleared straight to Walcott for an easy finish. Walcott nearly doubled his tally soon after, but his shot was cleared off the line by Nemanja Milunovic.
Arsenal were in full control and added a third through Wilshere two minutes before the break. The midfielder saw a curling shot excellently tipped over the crossbar by Scherbitski, but nothing was to stop him next time around. A good passing move set up Wilshere, who took a few touches before firing home a low shot from just inside the box.
The hosts continued to dominate in the second half and increased their lead to four goals within seven minutes of the restart. Walcott latched onto a pass from Wilshere before sending a low ball across goal, which Denis Polyakov accidentally turned into his own net.
Arsenal continued to attack and it was becoming a question of simply how many would they score? Scherbitski had to be alert as he produced an excellent save to deny Welbeck from point-blank range, but the Gunners didn't have to wait too long for goal number five shortly after the hour mark.
Walcott was fouled in the box before Giroud scored from the spot, but the French striker was soon ordered to re-take the penalty, which he netted again with no problem.
BATE rarely threatened at the Emirates, but the Belarus outfit very nearly fashioned a consolation goal after 67 minutes. Igor Stasevich's turn and shot in the box forced David Ospina into a good save to preserve Arsenal's clean sheet.
Wilshere was once again involved as his pass set up Elneny to curl in a great sixth goal for Arsenal after 74 minutes, before substitute Reiss Nelson saw his effort blocked by the defence.
BATE tried to muster a late response, but Ospina ensured his clean sheet by parrying a shot from Mikhail Gordeychuk.
GROUP H
The Europa League group stages are now over and, although I would have been hoping for a higher points tally, there is no denying we got the job done as we comfortably achieved our objective of winning Group H.
In truth this is the kind of performance we should really have been putting in in the previous five games, but it's the results that matter and four wins, a draw and a defeat was enough to see us through.
The race for second place in our group went right down to the wire with Red Star Belgrade beating FC Cologne by a narrow 1-0 margin to finish as runners-up.
The knock-out stages will present a completely different kind of challenge and, whilst I admire the selection of some of the youngsters in this competition we may need to start using more of our more regular senior players to ensure we progress as far as possible in the Europa League.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking at the list of possible opponents for the round of 32, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are the ones I want to avoid, whilst I would prefer not to face Atletico Madrid in any of the next few rounds if possible.
There are no easy games, but there are certainly several sides left in the competition that if drawn against we really should be beating so we could be largely in charge of our own destiny. But that guarantees nothing and we must make sure we don't get complacent and we need to be at our best and avoid any silly errors if this is to be a memorable Europa League campaign.
Before we can even begin to think about who we might draw in the round of 32 we must quickly turn our attentions back to the Premier League. We need to get back to winning ways in the league as soon as we can and the trip to Southampton will certainly be a tough encounter, but one I feel we can get something out of.
We need to keep it tight at the back and be as clinical as we were against BATE and then I'm sure we can beat Southampton. But realistically the game at St Mary's won't be quite so comfortable! It is definitely a winnable game though so we need to go and show them what we are made of!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Thursday, 7 December 2017
Sunday, 3 December 2017
De Gea masterclass frustrates Gunners
Only one statistic really matters and it went against us as Arsenal suffered a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of 10-man Manchester United.
Over 30 shots on goal and some impressive attacking football could on another day be seen as a big positive, but when you come out of the game with nothing it matters little.
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is considered among the world's best for a good reason and he once again proved his top class ability with 14 saves to keep Arsenal out. It is the most saves by a goalkeeper in a single game in Premier League history and was a major factor in the game.
We were also denied a penalty, which was very frustrating, but we can't simply hide behind this. Yes, it had a big impact on the game, but as Arsene Wenger pointed out we weren't efficient enough. Over half of our total shot count were off target and our disastrous start that saw us go 2-0 down in 11 minutes gave us too much of a mountain to climb. Regardless of the goalkeeping masterclass and penalty shouts, this isn't good enough. There's not much you can do to prevent a fantastic performance from a goalkeeper, but some of the elements in our control, such as defensive errors, could have been avoided.
No matter how good elements of the performance are, it is the result that gets remembered the most and this was certainly a bad one for us! It only took Manchester United four minutes to open the scoring when, after we gave the ball away far too easily, Antonio Valenica powered a low angle drive under Petr Cech.
It soon got worse for Arsenal just seven minutes later when Shkodran Mustafi, who was forced off injured soon after, was caught in possession. The German defender really should have done better and it was a soft goal to concede. But Manchester United deserve some credit for a well-worked finish as Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial combined well to set up Jesse Lingard to prod the ball past Cech.
Arsenal tried to find a way back into the match and very nearly got one after a quick break, but somehow the visitors scrambled it behind for a corner. From the resulting set-piece Alexandre Lacazette forced a save out of De Gea before the ball then bobbled wide off the French striker's knee. De Gea was again called into action soon after as he saved Aaron Ramsey's long-range effort.
The Gunners continued to create chances as Lacazette hit the crossbar from close range before Alex Iwobi saw his follow-up blocked and Granit Xhaka shot just wide.
Mesut Ozil's first-time strike was well saved by De Gea before Nemanja Matic made a crucial block to deny Ramsey.
Arsenal were definitely creating enough chances, but they just simply could not find a way to get past De Gea, who produced fine saves in the closing stages of the first half to parry efforts from Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac.
In added time of the first half De Gea kept out a close-range effort from Xhaka, which took a touch off Lukaku, as the visitors continued to frustrate Arsenal.
Arsenal reduced the deficit and got the goal their positive play deserved within four minutes of the restart. Alexis Sanchez dinked the ball over the top for Ramsey, who hit it first time for Lacazette to take a touch and fire the ball beyond De Gea.
But Manchester United very nearly restored their two-goal advantage soon after. Lingard got in behind the defence before his effort was blocked by Cech and it then hit a post.
There was no wonder that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho labelled De Gea's performance as the "best from a goalkeeper in the world" as the Spanish shot-stopper was simply outstanding. De Gea produced a great save to parry an effort from Arsenal substitute Alex Iwobi, before the same player headed straight at the goalkeeper.
De Gea produced an even better moment of goalkeeping soon after, with a one-handed save to deny Lacazette before somehow keeping out Alexis Sanchez's rebound. It was a truly remarkable double save from a world class goalkeeper!
Those saves proved crucial as, instead of what should have been Arsenal level and back in the game, the Gunners was punished with a third goal from the visitors shortly after the hour mark. Paul Pogba and Lingard combined well before the latter tapped in from close range.
It is not that often a Premier League goalkeeper has to make quite so many saves, but De Gea was determined not to be beaten again as he parried Sanchez's powerful strike from outside of the box.
Arsenal were given hope of a possible comeback when Pogba was shown a red card for a stamp on the back of Bellerin's knee with 15 minutes remaining. It was a nasty challenge and a careless one!
Substitute Danny Welbeck tried his luck eight minutes from time, but his deflected effort was tipped over the crossbar by De Gea. Arsenal were denied what looked like a clear penalty when Welbeck was fouled in the box late on to show that it really wasn't going to be our day.
Ramsey blazed over the bar in stoppage time as Arsenal's day ended in disappointment.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester United fan Aran Scarrott believes the "thrilling" contest at the Emirates showed the difference between the two sides.
"Two different teams with different styles both contributed to a thrilling game to watch," said Scarrott. "I think United were pretty lucky to get the win and I'm sure most Arsenal fans can't believe that they lost.
"In a way I think the game epitomised the Mourinho/Wenger stereotypes. One team were largely uninspiring, but ruthless, the other were attractive but ultimately ineffective."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Although this was a very frustrating defeat, I've got to simply hold my hands up and say what a great goalkeeper De Gea is.
Don't get me wrong I rate our goalkeeper Petr Cech and he can be excellent, but De Gea is like a whole different level compared to all the others in the Premier League. But this wasn't only down to the goalkeeper as we were also wasteful in front of goal at times.
We are way off the pace in terms of the title race as we have fallen even further behind leaders Manchester City - sitting fifth and 12 points away from them isn't really good enough. We are only one point behind Liverpool though and third-placed Chelsea are four above us, so we need to work hard on catching the teams around us.
Frustratingly this seems to be another failed title challenge, but if we cut out the silly mistakes and are more clinical there is no reason why we can't finish second or third. But if we are not careful we could slip further behind so we need to make sure we get back to winning ways in the league when we travel to Southampton.
Before we can think about that though, we must switch our attention to the Europa League and our final Group H game at home against BATE Borisov.
We have already qualified for the knock-out stages and secured top spot in the group, so rotation is inevitable, but we can have a big say in who finishes runner-up as only one point separates BATE, Cologne and Red Star Belgrade.
We need to do a professional job and go up another level as this next game isn't just about the result, it is about putting in the right level of performance. Without being disrespectful to the opposition this isn't a match we should be scraping 1-0 and we need to make sure we are more clinical if we are to get a big win.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Over 30 shots on goal and some impressive attacking football could on another day be seen as a big positive, but when you come out of the game with nothing it matters little.
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is considered among the world's best for a good reason and he once again proved his top class ability with 14 saves to keep Arsenal out. It is the most saves by a goalkeeper in a single game in Premier League history and was a major factor in the game.
We were also denied a penalty, which was very frustrating, but we can't simply hide behind this. Yes, it had a big impact on the game, but as Arsene Wenger pointed out we weren't efficient enough. Over half of our total shot count were off target and our disastrous start that saw us go 2-0 down in 11 minutes gave us too much of a mountain to climb. Regardless of the goalkeeping masterclass and penalty shouts, this isn't good enough. There's not much you can do to prevent a fantastic performance from a goalkeeper, but some of the elements in our control, such as defensive errors, could have been avoided.
No matter how good elements of the performance are, it is the result that gets remembered the most and this was certainly a bad one for us! It only took Manchester United four minutes to open the scoring when, after we gave the ball away far too easily, Antonio Valenica powered a low angle drive under Petr Cech.
It soon got worse for Arsenal just seven minutes later when Shkodran Mustafi, who was forced off injured soon after, was caught in possession. The German defender really should have done better and it was a soft goal to concede. But Manchester United deserve some credit for a well-worked finish as Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial combined well to set up Jesse Lingard to prod the ball past Cech.
Arsenal tried to find a way back into the match and very nearly got one after a quick break, but somehow the visitors scrambled it behind for a corner. From the resulting set-piece Alexandre Lacazette forced a save out of De Gea before the ball then bobbled wide off the French striker's knee. De Gea was again called into action soon after as he saved Aaron Ramsey's long-range effort.
The Gunners continued to create chances as Lacazette hit the crossbar from close range before Alex Iwobi saw his follow-up blocked and Granit Xhaka shot just wide.
Mesut Ozil's first-time strike was well saved by De Gea before Nemanja Matic made a crucial block to deny Ramsey.
Arsenal were definitely creating enough chances, but they just simply could not find a way to get past De Gea, who produced fine saves in the closing stages of the first half to parry efforts from Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac.
In added time of the first half De Gea kept out a close-range effort from Xhaka, which took a touch off Lukaku, as the visitors continued to frustrate Arsenal.
Arsenal reduced the deficit and got the goal their positive play deserved within four minutes of the restart. Alexis Sanchez dinked the ball over the top for Ramsey, who hit it first time for Lacazette to take a touch and fire the ball beyond De Gea.
But Manchester United very nearly restored their two-goal advantage soon after. Lingard got in behind the defence before his effort was blocked by Cech and it then hit a post.
There was no wonder that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho labelled De Gea's performance as the "best from a goalkeeper in the world" as the Spanish shot-stopper was simply outstanding. De Gea produced a great save to parry an effort from Arsenal substitute Alex Iwobi, before the same player headed straight at the goalkeeper.
De Gea produced an even better moment of goalkeeping soon after, with a one-handed save to deny Lacazette before somehow keeping out Alexis Sanchez's rebound. It was a truly remarkable double save from a world class goalkeeper!
Those saves proved crucial as, instead of what should have been Arsenal level and back in the game, the Gunners was punished with a third goal from the visitors shortly after the hour mark. Paul Pogba and Lingard combined well before the latter tapped in from close range.
It is not that often a Premier League goalkeeper has to make quite so many saves, but De Gea was determined not to be beaten again as he parried Sanchez's powerful strike from outside of the box.
Arsenal were given hope of a possible comeback when Pogba was shown a red card for a stamp on the back of Bellerin's knee with 15 minutes remaining. It was a nasty challenge and a careless one!
Substitute Danny Welbeck tried his luck eight minutes from time, but his deflected effort was tipped over the crossbar by De Gea. Arsenal were denied what looked like a clear penalty when Welbeck was fouled in the box late on to show that it really wasn't going to be our day.
Ramsey blazed over the bar in stoppage time as Arsenal's day ended in disappointment.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester United fan Aran Scarrott believes the "thrilling" contest at the Emirates showed the difference between the two sides.
"Two different teams with different styles both contributed to a thrilling game to watch," said Scarrott. "I think United were pretty lucky to get the win and I'm sure most Arsenal fans can't believe that they lost.
"In a way I think the game epitomised the Mourinho/Wenger stereotypes. One team were largely uninspiring, but ruthless, the other were attractive but ultimately ineffective."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Although this was a very frustrating defeat, I've got to simply hold my hands up and say what a great goalkeeper De Gea is.
Don't get me wrong I rate our goalkeeper Petr Cech and he can be excellent, but De Gea is like a whole different level compared to all the others in the Premier League. But this wasn't only down to the goalkeeper as we were also wasteful in front of goal at times.
We are way off the pace in terms of the title race as we have fallen even further behind leaders Manchester City - sitting fifth and 12 points away from them isn't really good enough. We are only one point behind Liverpool though and third-placed Chelsea are four above us, so we need to work hard on catching the teams around us.
Frustratingly this seems to be another failed title challenge, but if we cut out the silly mistakes and are more clinical there is no reason why we can't finish second or third. But if we are not careful we could slip further behind so we need to make sure we get back to winning ways in the league when we travel to Southampton.
Before we can think about that though, we must switch our attention to the Europa League and our final Group H game at home against BATE Borisov.
We have already qualified for the knock-out stages and secured top spot in the group, so rotation is inevitable, but we can have a big say in who finishes runner-up as only one point separates BATE, Cologne and Red Star Belgrade.
We need to do a professional job and go up another level as this next game isn't just about the result, it is about putting in the right level of performance. Without being disrespectful to the opposition this isn't a match we should be scraping 1-0 and we need to make sure we are more clinical if we are to get a big win.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Gunners terrorise Terriers at Emirates
Mesut Ozil scored one and set up two as a dominant Arsenal powered past plucky Huddersfield with a 5-0 win at the Emirates.
The German international has had to endure a fair amount of criticism in recent seasons, but his performances have improved of late and his return from illness saw him play a key role, especially in the four-minute spell that won the game for Arsenal.
It was a great result for the Gunners, who have now scored 20 goals in seven home games and conceded just four. It was also a 12th successive home league win and things are looking up for Arsenal, who are fourth in the table. But the victory came at a cost with Alexandre Lacazette, who opened the scoring against Huddersfield, being forced off injured at half-time. In his post-match press conference Arsene Wenger revealed the French striker had a groin injury and could be out "for a while". The injury will rule him out of the upcoming visit of Manchester United, which is disappointing news.
Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score twice to prove he can be worthy back-up for his international team-mate, but Lacazette's absence will definitely be felt and let's hope he makes a speedy recovery.
Lacazette took just three minutes to get on the scoresheet after he latched onto Aaron Ramsey's flicked pass to calmly slot the ball beyond Jonas Lössl in the Huddersfield goal.
Although Arsenal were in control Huddersfield did have chances in the first half, but Aaron Mooy's free-kick was headed off target by Mathias Zanka.
Lacazette very nearly grabbed his second of the evening when his chipped effort headed towards goal, only to be denied by a superb last-ditch clearance by Huddersfield defender Martin Cranie The ball fell kindly for Sead Kolasinac, but somehow the Arsenal full-back put his shot over the crossbar.
Huddersfield refused to give up and Colin Quaner broke free, but fortunately for Arsenal the midfielder didn't make a good enough first touch and Laurent Koscielny was able to deny him with a sliding block.
Quaner had an even better chance as he ran at the Arsenal defence in the early stages of the second half, but Petr Cech reacted excellently to deny him with a save with his feet. Cech also palmed Steve Mounie's deflected strike onto the crossbar and just over, but Arsenal were still in control.
Giroud wasted a great chance when he rounded the goalkeeper and saw his shot hit a post. But the French striker had better luck after 68 minutes when a great team move and some quick one-touch passing saw Giroud score from Ozil's cross.
Ozil set up yet another goal soon after as he set up Alexis Sanchez to smash home a great effort on the half volley. Provider turned scorer when Ozil latched onto Ramsey's through ball and ran into the box to calmly finish beyond Lössl.
With just three minutes left on the clock Arsenal added further gloss to the scoreline as Giroud scored from close range following excellent work and control in the box by Kolasinac.
Five goals to increase the goal difference and now just a point behind Chelsea and closing in on second-placed Manchester United, who we play next. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up for us. But I won't get carried away as I know just how easily things could change for us either way. This can at least give us a big confidence boost going into the massive clash against Jose Mourinho's men.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Huddersfield fan Andy Dixon was disappointed by the result, but has urged his side to focus on the upcoming "bigger match" against Everton.
"It's a tough ask to have a fixture at Arsenal three days after facing the league leaders," said Dixon. "No team would choose that.
"The early goal was discouraging, but there was resilience until three quick-fire goals killed the game.
"It's a disappointing result, but games against the likes of Arsenal aren't going to define our season. We're on 15 points, same as Everton, who are our next opponents, so that's the bigger match for us.
"If we beat them, we'll be back in the top 10 in the country."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Huddersfield have done themselves proud so far in their first campaign in the Premier League and, although the result went against them, I think they will be okay and stay in the top flight for another season.
We are 12 points behind Manchester City, who are head and shoulders ahead of the rest, and I don't expect us to catch them. However, we need to make sure we still try to mount a serious challenge and I would like to think we can at least challenge the teams around us for second place.
There is still a long way to go though and we need to make sure we don't get complacent or our hard work will be undone. We are above the likes of Liverpool and Spurs and need to keep it that way. Wins like the 5-0 against Huddersfield are always great, but we need to make sure we continue the fine form and for Mesut Ozil to produce more of the same.
Home advantage should hopefully make a big difference to us against Manchester United and if we can produce the same kind of dominant performance that we did last time we met at the Emirates I'll be happy. However, I'm not feeling all that confident and know that Manchester United are very tricky opponents and have a knack of being annoying against us, so there is no margin for error and we'll have to be at our best to get a result.
It may only be one game and it won't define our season, but it could have a big effect on the team confidence so we need to do everything in our power to make sure we get the points.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
The German international has had to endure a fair amount of criticism in recent seasons, but his performances have improved of late and his return from illness saw him play a key role, especially in the four-minute spell that won the game for Arsenal.
It was a great result for the Gunners, who have now scored 20 goals in seven home games and conceded just four. It was also a 12th successive home league win and things are looking up for Arsenal, who are fourth in the table. But the victory came at a cost with Alexandre Lacazette, who opened the scoring against Huddersfield, being forced off injured at half-time. In his post-match press conference Arsene Wenger revealed the French striker had a groin injury and could be out "for a while". The injury will rule him out of the upcoming visit of Manchester United, which is disappointing news.
Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score twice to prove he can be worthy back-up for his international team-mate, but Lacazette's absence will definitely be felt and let's hope he makes a speedy recovery.
Lacazette took just three minutes to get on the scoresheet after he latched onto Aaron Ramsey's flicked pass to calmly slot the ball beyond Jonas Lössl in the Huddersfield goal.
Although Arsenal were in control Huddersfield did have chances in the first half, but Aaron Mooy's free-kick was headed off target by Mathias Zanka.
Lacazette very nearly grabbed his second of the evening when his chipped effort headed towards goal, only to be denied by a superb last-ditch clearance by Huddersfield defender Martin Cranie The ball fell kindly for Sead Kolasinac, but somehow the Arsenal full-back put his shot over the crossbar.
Huddersfield refused to give up and Colin Quaner broke free, but fortunately for Arsenal the midfielder didn't make a good enough first touch and Laurent Koscielny was able to deny him with a sliding block.
Quaner had an even better chance as he ran at the Arsenal defence in the early stages of the second half, but Petr Cech reacted excellently to deny him with a save with his feet. Cech also palmed Steve Mounie's deflected strike onto the crossbar and just over, but Arsenal were still in control.
Giroud wasted a great chance when he rounded the goalkeeper and saw his shot hit a post. But the French striker had better luck after 68 minutes when a great team move and some quick one-touch passing saw Giroud score from Ozil's cross.
Ozil set up yet another goal soon after as he set up Alexis Sanchez to smash home a great effort on the half volley. Provider turned scorer when Ozil latched onto Ramsey's through ball and ran into the box to calmly finish beyond Lössl.
With just three minutes left on the clock Arsenal added further gloss to the scoreline as Giroud scored from close range following excellent work and control in the box by Kolasinac.
Five goals to increase the goal difference and now just a point behind Chelsea and closing in on second-placed Manchester United, who we play next. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up for us. But I won't get carried away as I know just how easily things could change for us either way. This can at least give us a big confidence boost going into the massive clash against Jose Mourinho's men.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Huddersfield fan Andy Dixon was disappointed by the result, but has urged his side to focus on the upcoming "bigger match" against Everton.
"It's a tough ask to have a fixture at Arsenal three days after facing the league leaders," said Dixon. "No team would choose that.
"The early goal was discouraging, but there was resilience until three quick-fire goals killed the game.
"It's a disappointing result, but games against the likes of Arsenal aren't going to define our season. We're on 15 points, same as Everton, who are our next opponents, so that's the bigger match for us.
"If we beat them, we'll be back in the top 10 in the country."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Huddersfield have done themselves proud so far in their first campaign in the Premier League and, although the result went against them, I think they will be okay and stay in the top flight for another season.
We are 12 points behind Manchester City, who are head and shoulders ahead of the rest, and I don't expect us to catch them. However, we need to make sure we still try to mount a serious challenge and I would like to think we can at least challenge the teams around us for second place.
There is still a long way to go though and we need to make sure we don't get complacent or our hard work will be undone. We are above the likes of Liverpool and Spurs and need to keep it that way. Wins like the 5-0 against Huddersfield are always great, but we need to make sure we continue the fine form and for Mesut Ozil to produce more of the same.
Home advantage should hopefully make a big difference to us against Manchester United and if we can produce the same kind of dominant performance that we did last time we met at the Emirates I'll be happy. However, I'm not feeling all that confident and know that Manchester United are very tricky opponents and have a knack of being annoying against us, so there is no margin for error and we'll have to be at our best to get a result.
It may only be one game and it won't define our season, but it could have a big effect on the team confidence so we need to do everything in our power to make sure we get the points.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 26 November 2017
Late penalty drama gives Gunners victory
We left it late against Burnley yet again as Alexis Sanchez's penalty guided Arsenal to a 1-0 win at Turf Moor.
In both of last season's meetings we needed a stoppage time winner - a controversial goal by Laurent Koscielny at Turf Moor and a Sanchez penalty at the Emirates - so understandably Burnley were left feeling frustrated.
Although I agree the penalty was soft this time around and maybe Aaron Ramsey went down too easily, there is also no doubt that Burnley defender James Tarkowski did push the Welsh midfielder.
Even if it wasn't given, Arsenal were denied a bigger shout for a penalty earlier in the game when Hector Bellerin was fouled in the box by Robbie Brady.
Arsenal enjoyed more possession and shots, but both sides had the same number of shots on target which was only two. A draw would possibly have been a fairer result, but obviously I am delighted with the win. If I was in Burnley's shoes maybe I'd feel hard done by, but I think if they were in our shoes their view on the penalty could also be different.
The result is just what we needed and lifts us above Liverpool and Tottenham into fourth place, but credit must go to Burnley for being very hard to break down. They are seventh in the table on merit and Sean Dyche is doing a very good job at Turf Moor and I genuinely wish them all the best for the rest of the season (apart from when they visit the Emirates of course).
Arsenal started brightly with Sanchez sending a shot wide after just seven minutes, but the Gunners had a big stroke of luck soon after. Ashley Barnes appeared to be pushed by Nacho Monreal in the box, but luckily the flag had already gone up for offside before that. Had it not been for the offside a penalty could have been given, so it was a let off.
Burnley midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson came close to breaking the deadlock when he got the better of Monreal, but his powerful strike was excellently tipped onto a post by Petr Cech.
The Arsenal goalkeeper produced another decent save to deny Jeff Hendrick, while Ramsey and Monreal both sent shots off target at the other end.
Cech ensured the scores remained goalless going in at the break when he saved Robbie Brady's free-kick to put it behind for a corner.
Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette tried his luck from outside of the box within six minutes of the restart, but Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope got down well to save the France international's effort.
The Gunners saw a decent penalty shout turned down following Brady's foul on Bellerin before Lacazette and substitute Jack Wilshere both saw their shots deflected behind for a corner. But there was still time for more drama in stoppage time as Sanchez scored from the penalty spot despite Pope diving the right way.
The match will certainly continue to cause more debate, but there is one thing for sure - it was a big three points for us!
OPPOSITION VIEW
Burnley fan Chris Horner believes his side deserved at least a point at Turf Moor, but he is pleased with his side's progress this season.
"A draw would've been a fair result overall," said Horner. "Burnley controlled the first half and Arsenal did a lot better in the second half.
"The referee made a few puzzling decisions and I'm not sure if it was a penalty (I haven't had a clear view of it yet). It seems we don't have much luck playing against them in recent games.
"This season has been brilliant so far and to be disappointed in losing out on the chance to go into the top four shows how far Burnley have come in a short space of time."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It may have been a slightly fortunate three points, but we have to be delighted to have got the result and we must make sure we kick on from here.
Arsenal are only one point behind Chelsea and four behind second-placed Manchester United, who we welcome to the Emirates in a week's time.
But before we can even think about the clash against Jose Mourinho's men we must focus all of our attention on the next league match and the visit of Huddersfield.
Huddersfield are up in 11th, which is a very credible position for a newly-promoted side, and we have to make sure we don't take them lightly. The Terriers have already beaten Manchester United and it took a late goal for them to lose against leaders Manchester City.
Home advantage should prove enough for us on the day, but we can't take anything for granted. Burnley deserve credit for being a decent defensive unit, we wasted too many chances and need to be a lot more clinical if we are to put any kind of pressure on the teams around us.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
In both of last season's meetings we needed a stoppage time winner - a controversial goal by Laurent Koscielny at Turf Moor and a Sanchez penalty at the Emirates - so understandably Burnley were left feeling frustrated.
Although I agree the penalty was soft this time around and maybe Aaron Ramsey went down too easily, there is also no doubt that Burnley defender James Tarkowski did push the Welsh midfielder.
Even if it wasn't given, Arsenal were denied a bigger shout for a penalty earlier in the game when Hector Bellerin was fouled in the box by Robbie Brady.
Arsenal enjoyed more possession and shots, but both sides had the same number of shots on target which was only two. A draw would possibly have been a fairer result, but obviously I am delighted with the win. If I was in Burnley's shoes maybe I'd feel hard done by, but I think if they were in our shoes their view on the penalty could also be different.
The result is just what we needed and lifts us above Liverpool and Tottenham into fourth place, but credit must go to Burnley for being very hard to break down. They are seventh in the table on merit and Sean Dyche is doing a very good job at Turf Moor and I genuinely wish them all the best for the rest of the season (apart from when they visit the Emirates of course).
Arsenal started brightly with Sanchez sending a shot wide after just seven minutes, but the Gunners had a big stroke of luck soon after. Ashley Barnes appeared to be pushed by Nacho Monreal in the box, but luckily the flag had already gone up for offside before that. Had it not been for the offside a penalty could have been given, so it was a let off.
Burnley midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson came close to breaking the deadlock when he got the better of Monreal, but his powerful strike was excellently tipped onto a post by Petr Cech.
The Arsenal goalkeeper produced another decent save to deny Jeff Hendrick, while Ramsey and Monreal both sent shots off target at the other end.
Cech ensured the scores remained goalless going in at the break when he saved Robbie Brady's free-kick to put it behind for a corner.
Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette tried his luck from outside of the box within six minutes of the restart, but Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope got down well to save the France international's effort.
The Gunners saw a decent penalty shout turned down following Brady's foul on Bellerin before Lacazette and substitute Jack Wilshere both saw their shots deflected behind for a corner. But there was still time for more drama in stoppage time as Sanchez scored from the penalty spot despite Pope diving the right way.
The match will certainly continue to cause more debate, but there is one thing for sure - it was a big three points for us!
OPPOSITION VIEW
Burnley fan Chris Horner believes his side deserved at least a point at Turf Moor, but he is pleased with his side's progress this season.
"A draw would've been a fair result overall," said Horner. "Burnley controlled the first half and Arsenal did a lot better in the second half.
"The referee made a few puzzling decisions and I'm not sure if it was a penalty (I haven't had a clear view of it yet). It seems we don't have much luck playing against them in recent games.
"This season has been brilliant so far and to be disappointed in losing out on the chance to go into the top four shows how far Burnley have come in a short space of time."
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It may have been a slightly fortunate three points, but we have to be delighted to have got the result and we must make sure we kick on from here.
Arsenal are only one point behind Chelsea and four behind second-placed Manchester United, who we welcome to the Emirates in a week's time.
But before we can even think about the clash against Jose Mourinho's men we must focus all of our attention on the next league match and the visit of Huddersfield.
Huddersfield are up in 11th, which is a very credible position for a newly-promoted side, and we have to make sure we don't take them lightly. The Terriers have already beaten Manchester United and it took a late goal for them to lose against leaders Manchester City.
Home advantage should prove enough for us on the day, but we can't take anything for granted. Burnley deserve credit for being a decent defensive unit, we wasted too many chances and need to be a lot more clinical if we are to put any kind of pressure on the teams around us.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Thursday, 23 November 2017
Gunners secure top spot despite defeat
It didn't exactly reach the dizzy heights of our recent win over Tottenham as we slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Cologne, but we still ended the night by sealing top spot in Group H of this season's Europa League.
But when you are playing a side bottom of your group, and without a league win in the Bundesliga this season, surely you would expect better than what we saw in Germany.
In the end the match was decided by Sehrou Guirassy's 62nd-minute penalty after the French striker was fouled in the box by Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy. Guirassy sent David Ospina the wrong way as his spot-kick went straight down the middle.
The result keeps Cologne's hopes alive of qualifying for the knockout stages as they moved level on points with second-place Red Star Belgrade.
In some ways this could be seen as a worrying result with Arsenal once again proving their lack of consistency going from a great performance to a not so good one. We certainly weren't at our best, but we had enough chances to have got something from the game if we hadn't been so wasteful in Germany. However, with qualification having already been assured maybe it was somewhat inevitable that the players were too casual. There are no excuses and we should have been more fired up, but I do wonder whether that played a part and affected our game. I really hope we are fired up and put the performance level up several gears for the trip to Burnley.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles was involved in most of Arsenal's chances in the opening half an hour. The full-back was denied by Timo Horn after just two minutes before later setting up Jack Wilshere, whose header was saved by the Cologne goalkeeper.
The 20-year-old also set up a chance for Calum Chambers after an excellent run, but the defender's volley was saved by Horn.
At the other end Jhon Cordoba tried his luck early on, only to be denied by an excellent save from Ospina who tipped the ball round the far post.
Francis Coquelin twice went close to breaking the deadlock for Arsenal - the French midfielder sent one shot just wide before his next effort hit a post.
Arsenal continued to try yet fail with the chances that came their way as Danny Welbeck shot wide before Mohamed Elneny's long-range strike was saved by Horn.
Shortly after Guirassy scuffed a shot straight into the grateful arms of Ospina, the Cologne forward scored the decisive goal of the match. It was a soft penalty, but it was still a clumsy foul by Debuchy who pushed his fellow Frenchman in the box.
Arsenal tried to force an equaliser and four minutes later a chance came their way, but Wilshere, who later headed over the bar, saw his effort from outside the box well beaten away by Horn.
The Gunners really should have done better when Olivier Giroud latched onto the ball over the top from Wilshere and beat the offside trap. But the French striker was thwarted by an excellent recovery tackle from Cologne defender Jannes Horn.
Substitute Reiss Nelson nearly mustered a special equaliser for Arsenal but, after a brilliant dribble through the home defence, the youngster saw his shot well parried by Horn. Wilshere kept the move alive, but his cutback was scrambled away before substitute Eddie Nketiah could apply the finish.
There was still time for Arsenal to fashion one final chance in stoppage time as Wilshere's powerful strike from outside the box was excellently tipped over the crossbar by Horn.
It was Arsenal's first defeat in this season's Europa League and, although it wasn't critical or too damaging, it is definitely the kind of performance we will want to avoid repeating in the knock-out stages.
GROUP H
With qualification secured before the match the priority was all about finishing top of Group H and we did just that despite the poor result.
Assuming we avoid any hiccups we should beat BATE Borisov in the final round of group matches, especially with home advantage, and if that does prove to be the case then the race for second will all be decided by one match.
Red Star Belgrade, who drew 0-0 at BATE, and Cologne are level on both points and goal difference so the result in Serbia will decide who finishes as runners-up to the Gunners.
Although top spot is now secure we cannot get complacent and hopefully we will be keen to get back to winning ways in Europe. If we were to slip up BATE Borisov, who lie bottom of the group, could yet qualify and we need to make sure that doesn't happen.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
It was a very poor result, but fortunately not too damaging, and I really hope when we travel to Burnley we can get back on track and find the level of performance we produced against Tottenham.
Although there are no easy games in the Premier League and you never know what might happen, we really need to be looking at getting nothing other than a maximum six-points haul from the trip to Burnley and the final game of the month at home against Huddersfield.
Being more clinical at taking chances will prove key as, although we weren't at our best in Cologne, we could have snatched a win had we been more efficient in front of goal.
Burnley are this season's surprise package in the league and I certainly didn't expect us to be locked level on points and only separated by one place when we faced each other. But the facts don't lie and it certainly has the potential to be a very tricky game, so there's no excuses and we need to make sure we are fired up with every player ready to make the club proud like they did against Tottenham!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 19 November 2017
Dominant derby win for Gunners
Many fans wanted a response and for players to step up to the plate and some even feared the visit of our bitter rivals, but the entire starting XI raised their game as Arsenal claimed a dominant 2-0 win over Tottenham.
Admittedly the free-kick that led to our opening goal was rather soft, but we thoroughly deserved the victory and most of me felt very positive after the match. However it did beg the question of why we don't perform like this more often? Arsene Wenger and the players got things defensively and tactically spot on! The hunger and desire was superb, Mesut Ozil massively upped his game in a man of the match display and defenders Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi were immense.
Does this performance and result mean all is fine at the club now? No it doesn't as we need to perform like this on a more consistent basis first, but it certainly was a joy to watch and maybe, just maybe, we can use it as a catalyst to push on positively for the rest of the season. Whether or not we will is another story.
We took the game to Spurs straight from the kick-off and one of the things that impressed me most was that, even after half-time, we didn't let the performance dip. I was half expecting Tottenham to come out for the second half with renewed confidence, but we didn't give them chance to get going. Yes, they were poor, but that was partly because we didn't allow them to get into gear and put in a solid defensive performance.
Arsenal started brightly with Alexandre Lacazette firing a shot over the bar early on, while Harry Kane shot straight at Petr Cech at the other end.
Lacazette was denied twice in quick succession as Spurs' goalkeeper Hugo Lloris raced off his line to thwart his international team-mate. A combination of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier then prevented the French striker from prodding in Hector Bellerin's low cross.
Spurs were on the back foot, but still had chances to have broken the deadlock with Christian Eriksen's shot hitting a post and Cech saving Kane's headed effort.
Those missed chances proved costly as Arsenal opened the scoring when Mustafi headed home from Ozil's free-kick after 36 minutes. Spurs were not happy at the award of the free-kick and some also felt the goal was offside. Alexis Sanchez was adjudged to have been fouled by his Spurs' namesake Davinson and admittedly there didn't seem to be too much in it, but there was nothing wrong with Mustafi's header that capped a great performance by the German.
It got even better for the Gunners six minutes later when Bellerin released Lacazette before the Frenchman set up Sanchez to control the ball and fire home from close range. There were appeals for offside, but I genuinely felt Lacazette was level even though it was a very tight call that could have gone either way.
The confidence at which we were dominating our rivals was superb and it was arguably Mustafi's best performance in an Arsenal shirt, with the German producing a superb tackle to deny Kane in the box early in the second half. Mustafi's centre-back partner Koscielny also impressed and the defensive duo were solid at the back.
It is hard to find any fault with this display, but it is a shame we couldn't add to our lead. 2-0 can be a dangerous scoreline, but credit to the players for how they pressed and denied Spurs as the visitors surprisingly didn't really ever look like mounting any kind of comeback.
Eriksen tried his luck from outside the box shortly after the hour mark, but his shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
Sanchez sent a shot over before later being denied by a decent save from Lloris as Arsenal failed to find a third goal.
It could have made for a nervy finish had Cech not produced a top quality fingertip save to deny Dier, but Arsenal remained on top with Lloris reacting well to keep out Sanchez late on.
Substitute Alex Iwobi sent a shot wide in stoppage time, but it didn't stop Arsenal from running out worthy winners.
There was still time for Tottenham to nearly muster an equaliser, but once again Mustafi produced an excellent block to deflect Son Heung-min's effort over the crossbar.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Tottenham fan Nicholas Walsh admitted his side had been second best on the day at the Emirates.
"What a complete and utter shambles,!" said Walsh. "Time after time we left ourselves exposed at the back and, in particular, on the right hand side.
"Key players went missing and, with the exception of a few minutes of the 90, Arsenal completely dominated.
"Some fans may hang on to the fact that the first goal was suspicious. Should it have been a free kick? Perhaps not. Was it onside? Definitely not. Did it change the outcome of the game? Certainly not the game I was watching.
"Arsenal may well be our bitter rivals but in this match we found ourselves to be tactically, physically and mentally inept. Quite the opposite to Arsenal, in fact. So for now we wait for a true power shift in North London...it could be a long, hard slog. #WengerOut #COYS"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The performance and result against Spurs was spot on, but the key question is can we replicate this on a more regular basis? Only time will tell, although I am not sure we will be consistent enough.
Although we are only down in sixth, only goal difference is keeping us behind Liverpool and just one point separates us from Spurs. Second-placed Manchester United are in fact only four points ahead of us, but leaders Manchester City are still way out in front.
Focus must now switch to the Europa League. Qualification is already assured, but top spot is still to be finalised. Although we are currently at the top of Group H we haven't mathematically secured it yet, but a win at FC Cologne would ensure we do just that!
Cologne's hopes of qualification aren't over just yet so we have to make sure we don't get complacent. I'm sure we can get a result and it is important that we build on the Tottenham performance and result and prove it wasn't a fluke.
Our next Premier League game sees us travel to this season's surprise package Burnley, who currently lie in seventh and just one place below us. If we play like we did against Spurs then we should get all three points, but we definitely can't take the Clarets lightly and need to bring our A game to Turf Moor.
There are no easy games in the Premier League, but with Manchester United on the horizon in a few weeks we really need to be looking at taking maximum points from Burnley and Huddersfield in the upcoming matches.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Admittedly the free-kick that led to our opening goal was rather soft, but we thoroughly deserved the victory and most of me felt very positive after the match. However it did beg the question of why we don't perform like this more often? Arsene Wenger and the players got things defensively and tactically spot on! The hunger and desire was superb, Mesut Ozil massively upped his game in a man of the match display and defenders Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi were immense.
Does this performance and result mean all is fine at the club now? No it doesn't as we need to perform like this on a more consistent basis first, but it certainly was a joy to watch and maybe, just maybe, we can use it as a catalyst to push on positively for the rest of the season. Whether or not we will is another story.
We took the game to Spurs straight from the kick-off and one of the things that impressed me most was that, even after half-time, we didn't let the performance dip. I was half expecting Tottenham to come out for the second half with renewed confidence, but we didn't give them chance to get going. Yes, they were poor, but that was partly because we didn't allow them to get into gear and put in a solid defensive performance.
Arsenal started brightly with Alexandre Lacazette firing a shot over the bar early on, while Harry Kane shot straight at Petr Cech at the other end.
Lacazette was denied twice in quick succession as Spurs' goalkeeper Hugo Lloris raced off his line to thwart his international team-mate. A combination of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier then prevented the French striker from prodding in Hector Bellerin's low cross.
Spurs were on the back foot, but still had chances to have broken the deadlock with Christian Eriksen's shot hitting a post and Cech saving Kane's headed effort.
Those missed chances proved costly as Arsenal opened the scoring when Mustafi headed home from Ozil's free-kick after 36 minutes. Spurs were not happy at the award of the free-kick and some also felt the goal was offside. Alexis Sanchez was adjudged to have been fouled by his Spurs' namesake Davinson and admittedly there didn't seem to be too much in it, but there was nothing wrong with Mustafi's header that capped a great performance by the German.
It got even better for the Gunners six minutes later when Bellerin released Lacazette before the Frenchman set up Sanchez to control the ball and fire home from close range. There were appeals for offside, but I genuinely felt Lacazette was level even though it was a very tight call that could have gone either way.
The confidence at which we were dominating our rivals was superb and it was arguably Mustafi's best performance in an Arsenal shirt, with the German producing a superb tackle to deny Kane in the box early in the second half. Mustafi's centre-back partner Koscielny also impressed and the defensive duo were solid at the back.
It is hard to find any fault with this display, but it is a shame we couldn't add to our lead. 2-0 can be a dangerous scoreline, but credit to the players for how they pressed and denied Spurs as the visitors surprisingly didn't really ever look like mounting any kind of comeback.
Eriksen tried his luck from outside the box shortly after the hour mark, but his shot sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
Sanchez sent a shot over before later being denied by a decent save from Lloris as Arsenal failed to find a third goal.
It could have made for a nervy finish had Cech not produced a top quality fingertip save to deny Dier, but Arsenal remained on top with Lloris reacting well to keep out Sanchez late on.
Substitute Alex Iwobi sent a shot wide in stoppage time, but it didn't stop Arsenal from running out worthy winners.
There was still time for Tottenham to nearly muster an equaliser, but once again Mustafi produced an excellent block to deflect Son Heung-min's effort over the crossbar.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Tottenham fan Nicholas Walsh admitted his side had been second best on the day at the Emirates.
"What a complete and utter shambles,!" said Walsh. "Time after time we left ourselves exposed at the back and, in particular, on the right hand side.
"Key players went missing and, with the exception of a few minutes of the 90, Arsenal completely dominated.
"Some fans may hang on to the fact that the first goal was suspicious. Should it have been a free kick? Perhaps not. Was it onside? Definitely not. Did it change the outcome of the game? Certainly not the game I was watching.
"Arsenal may well be our bitter rivals but in this match we found ourselves to be tactically, physically and mentally inept. Quite the opposite to Arsenal, in fact. So for now we wait for a true power shift in North London...it could be a long, hard slog. #WengerOut #COYS"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
The performance and result against Spurs was spot on, but the key question is can we replicate this on a more regular basis? Only time will tell, although I am not sure we will be consistent enough.
Although we are only down in sixth, only goal difference is keeping us behind Liverpool and just one point separates us from Spurs. Second-placed Manchester United are in fact only four points ahead of us, but leaders Manchester City are still way out in front.
Focus must now switch to the Europa League. Qualification is already assured, but top spot is still to be finalised. Although we are currently at the top of Group H we haven't mathematically secured it yet, but a win at FC Cologne would ensure we do just that!
Cologne's hopes of qualification aren't over just yet so we have to make sure we don't get complacent. I'm sure we can get a result and it is important that we build on the Tottenham performance and result and prove it wasn't a fluke.
Our next Premier League game sees us travel to this season's surprise package Burnley, who currently lie in seventh and just one place below us. If we play like we did against Spurs then we should get all three points, but we definitely can't take the Clarets lightly and need to bring our A game to Turf Moor.
There are no easy games in the Premier League, but with Manchester United on the horizon in a few weeks we really need to be looking at taking maximum points from Burnley and Huddersfield in the upcoming matches.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Sunday, 5 November 2017
City too much for under-par Gunners
Alexandre Lacazette definitely made an impact when he came on, but was unable to prevent Arsenal from going down to a disappointing 3-1 defeat at one of the title favourites Manchester City.
Before kick-off many Gunners' fans were left wondering why on earth the summer signing from Lyon wasn't starting in such a big match. Why spend around £50 million on a striker of Lacazette's calibre to then not start him in a game against opposition as good as City? One player doesn't make a team and I'm not saying this alone decided the result of the match, but it certainly raised a lot of questions. The striker scored within nine minutes of coming off the bench and who knows what would have happened had he been on the pitch for longer.
Personally I would also like to have seen Jack Wilshere, who came on for the final 12 minutes, play a much bigger part in this match as he seems to have been really chomping at the bit lately and when on form he is still a great player.
What made the defeat all the more frustrating is that City didn't even have to hit top gear against us to get all three points. We made it far too easy for them and when we sloppily gave the ball away we didn't seem to show too much hunger to get it back. Petr Cech made some excellent saves to keep the score lower than it could have been, but other than the goalkeeper very few of our other players impressed at the Etihad.
We actually started the match quite brightly despite not creating many early clear-cut chances, but as soon as the first goal went in we struggled to find much of a response.
Alex Iwobi sent a volley off target early on, while Sergio Aguero shot over at the other end before Cech came to Arsenal's rescue. The experienced shot-stopper produced a fine diving save to keep out Kevin De Bruyne, but we failed to clear our lines properly. We gave City far too much space as the ball was worked back to the Belgian, who played a one-two with Fernandinho before scoring with a decent low strike into the far corner.
The hosts wasted a great chance to double their lead when they broke clear two on one, but Raheem Sterling opted to shoot instead of passing to Leroy Sane sooner and his eventual ball across went harmlessly off target.
Cech had to be alert to make another decent save, this time to prevent Laurent Koscielny from accidentally putting the ball into his own net.
City were good value for the lead, but Arsenal did come close to levelling the scores on the stroke of half-time only to see Aaron Ramsey's strike well parried by Ederson.
We had been second best in the first half, but there were signs of weakness in the City team. They were not at their fluid best and looked beatable if only we could reach our top form and produce an excellent second-half performance, but unfortunately we didn't do anywhere near enough.
Arsenal's hopes of a getting back into the game were dented further when City doubled their lead within five minutes of the restart. Sterling went down under a challenge from Nacho Monreal before Aguero sent Cech the wrong way from the resulting penalty. Sterling went down far too easily in my eyes, but it was still clumsy by Monreal to make a challenge like that in the box.
The visitors tried to find a way back into the game and very nearly did soon after - Ederson spilled a shot from Iwobi before Ramsey bundled the ball over the line. But the Welshman was rightly pulled back for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Lacazette reduced the deficit after 65 minutes as Iwobi and Ramsey combined to set up the French striker to power a shot beyond Ederson.
Manchester City were very quickly back on the attack and only a fine save by Cech denied Gabriel Jesus and prevented the hosts from increasing their lead. Cech was called into action again soon after, producing another decent save to deny De Bruyne.
City were not to be denied a third goal, although it did arrive in controversial circumstances. David Silva set up substitute Jesus to score from close range, but in my opinion it should have been ruled out for offside. I think the referee got this call very wrong and had it stayed at 2-1 we may have been able to snatch an unlikely point. Instead, the goal completely knocked any last bit of stuffing out of us and ended any faint hopes of a comeback.
I don't think the referee's call was to blame for the defeat though as we were simply second best on the day and didn't test Ederson nearly enough in the City goal. If Lacazette and Wilshere had both been on from the start things maybe could have been different, but we'll never know and the manner of the defeat remains very disappointing.
We gave the ball away far too easily at times and instead of then tracking back some players appeared lazy and sluggish and didn't do enough to even attempt to win it back. This is why the defeat felt all the more frustrating and, although I concede City are overall the much better side, we could have given ourselves more of a chance if we'd approached the game differently.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester City fan Joseph Barnes was critical of Arsenal following his side's home victory.
"I think Wenger came to get beat," said Barnes. "He should have started Lacazette! It was nothing exceptional from us and we didn't need to get out of third gear to beat a poor and uninspiring Arsenal side.
"City's signing of the summer was Ederson and gives us the confidence to play under pressure even if he did have a wobble when Ramsey tried to Nat Lofthouse him into the net! Who's going to stop us now?"
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Wrong team selection and approach to the game, along with a frustrating refereeing decision, ultimately cost us against Manchester City.
When you are playing a team of City's calibre you have to dig deep and produce an excellent performance, but instead we made it far too easy for them and, if you are going to gift City the ball as many times as we did, it was inevitable we would be punished.
With the intentional break coming up our manager and players really need to take a good long hard look at themselves. Being down in sixth as early as November is simply not good enough and things need to change.
Facing Manchester City was always going to be tough and, in fact, had we lost, but played really well I could have accepted the result and put it down to being unlucky on the day. But that wasn't the case and we simply weren't up to the challenge on the day and that is why the result is harder to take.
Our next match is back at home at least, but it is a very difficult challenge as we host our bitter rivals Tottenham. This match is about a whole lot more than three points. It is about proving a point to Tottenham and getting one over on them. We simply can't give them the bragging rights or we'll never hear the end of it. The balance of power is continuing to shift in North London and I don't like it one bit, so we need to go and prove to them that despite our poor start to the season this is our derby to win!
We need to get our season back on track and the manager and players should have no problems getting motivated for this fixture. It is a game we simply have to win, but whether we will or not is another matter! Let's hope we can bounce back with one hell of a huge performance!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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