Offical match day thread

My current lineup would be...

(Hopefully we will get to see this st some point.)

--------------------------Leno-----------------------------
Bellerin-----Holding---------Gab/Mari-----Tierney
------------------Partey-----------Xhaka---------------
--Saka---------------SmithRowe---------Martinelli-
----------------------Aubemayang----------------------

 

I guess Arteta listened to you, and you got your wish. Sadly, I am in the "you don't win anything with kids" camp. I hope I am proved wrong though. Brighton have become almost a bogey team for us, they beat home and away last season, so hopefully we can do one on them this evening!

 

At opposed to our senior players who WERE winning matches...???

 

Fair point. No doubt the trio of Martinelli ERS and Saka, have injected some urgency into our play, just hope the experienced players can take note and step out of their comfort zone, they are the marquee players on big wages with the X-Factor!

 

I really fear for my club, the problem to my mind goes beyond the players, I think the buck stops at Arteta and his man management and lack off.. Youth or seasoned pros not the issue, if he cannot utilise what tools he has at his disposal, then he really needs to go! It is obvious there is a clear distinction between a coach and a manager, he might be a good coach/trainer, doubt he is a manager/motivator! Give someone like Benitez, this same set of players, I can guarantee you the results will be the vastly different. How long before we huff and puff and Brighton bring on Maupay and Welbeck to pick us off?

 

This is why I hate Xhaka.

One ****ing good performance every thirty or so games. He's slowing everything down, walking around - passing backwards and sideways.

At least with Elneny we know he cant ****ing make a decent pass.

 

I would like know what Partey's stats were before he joined Arsenal? I am sure he hardly missed a game for Althetico in 3 seasons through injury, he comes to Arsenal, played handful and already gone missing through injury!

 

poor play. I cant believe the amount of backward / sideways passes we have.

Surely this is something that Arteta needs to look at. We just dont look good going forward at all.

 

Thankfully, WBA and Sheffield United are shockingly bad... I doubt this Arsenal side can play any worse without a manager! The Chelsea game was just an aberration, I am hoping Arteta leaves after today's game!

 

Good finish bt Lacazette.

Much better this half.

I think Bellerin has been my MOTM today soo far. He's been very good again.

 

Played so much better that second half.

Lacazette gives us more I think in Arteta's system than Auba. Smith Rowe did well again, as did Saka and Martinelli.

Also a clean sheet! Things are looking up.

We have West Brom A, Crystal Palace H, and Newcastle H in our next 3 games. This is a chance to claw our way back.

 

Good win against a team who have proven to be a bogey side - 3 losses and 2 draws in our previous 5 meetings against them. We also hadn't beaten them at The Amex since they've been promoted, so this was an important result, especially building off the Chelsea victory.

Thought we were fortunate to go into half time level. Passing was sloppy, lacked any incisive movement, didn't really probe them much, kept playing very conservatively...big difference in the second half where we could have scored 3 goals in the opening 10 minutes. Auba and Martinelli both missed chances you'd expect players of that calibre to score, but it didn't matter in the end. Saka with a lovely mazy run and cut back to Laca, who finished expertly.

We defended very well after that. Holding and Mari dealt with everything that came their way, Tierney was sturdy, Bellerin was much improved second half.

The Xhaka-Elneny axis doesn't quite cut it for me, and I thought Bissouma bossed them for the most part in the middle of the park. But thankfully, we should have Partey back soon and we're (fingers crossed) looking at getting a creative midfielder in January.

Special shoutout to Smith-Rowe and Saka, who were brilliant again today. Martinelli too, whose energy and pressing was great.

Didn't think Auba had a good game and I'm concerned with the chances he missed - he would have buried them a few months ago.

Nonetheless, an important away win and a clean sheet to round off the year - can't complain too much with hat.

 

Lovely finish from Laca too.

Hope Saka's injury isn't too bad.

 

I swear if Willian comes straight back into the starting 11 today im gonna loose my ****.

 

Not bad - hopefully Martinelli gets some time on the pitch.

 

Beautiful goal by Tierney.

Been excellent this first 25 mins. Should be more than one up.

 

Great performance.

Saka and Tierney both immense.
Laca cant stop scoring at the moment - played very well! Feel bad for Auba though he was constantly in goal scoring positions yet nothing would go in.

Smith Rowe looks ****ing class.

Bellerin was good again as well. (his best form in a few years)

Not conceded a goal in all three games Mari has played this Season.

Looks like Arteta really has turned things around.

 

Excellent performance, the team clicked from the first minute. Admittedly the competition was crap but we played with great intensity the whole game, as above..stand out's by Tierney, Saka, Laca, Holding, ESR and the rest were very good too.

Amazing what a week can do to morale! However, 3 games does not prove anything just yet, lets see where we are sitting come the end of this month.

 

So much better.

We've been building on that result against Chelsea and even that tough game against brighton we still managed to come away with 3 points.

Tonight was the team flowing with full confidence. Great to see Saka, Tierney and Laca running things tonight. Would like Auba to get some goals as he still looks a bit short, but once he bangs one in I think it will flow for him

All about consistency now. We'll might still lose a few games this season, but as long as we're putting in decent performances like that, then we should realistically be expecting to push for a top 6 spot.

 

Wow west brom are poor.

they may be even worse than Sheffield United. Sheffield seem to lose more, but west brom are just shipping goals left and right.

however, you can only beat what’s in front of you, and we were very professional in our approach today. Tierneys goal was class, I’m so happy he’s got his first goal. The Saka - smith-Rowe link up for the second goal brought a smile to my face. Youth is the way forward for sure. All in all great game and result.

now let’s go and get Buendia.