Chelsea v Arsenal

Hazard is the white Drogba.. always bound to score against us.

 

Another Welbeck injury... you couldn’t make this up.

 

Giroud to get the winner.

 

That was a good call by the linesman.

 

I would’ve been happy with a draw at the start of the game, I’d be ecstatic with a win.

 

A real mature performance today. Compared to the Liverpool game it’s like night and day. Really happy with a point at the bridge. Well done Arsenal.

 

And Ramsey was solid from start to finish.

 

Happy with a point, I think we all would have taken that before the game.

Thought we were a bit unlucky not to nick all 3 points really.

 

Really good performance today against an excellent Chelsea side.

Today again demonstrated that we are better off leaving Ozil OUT of the side for these big games. The likes of Wellbeck will give us more in terms of commitment and energy.

Bellerin and Ramsey were great.

Mustafi looks better down the middle. Ramsey had a decent game also.

 

I only caught the last 20 mins as I went out for lunch. We looked pretty solid though. Did Ozil start the game ?

 

No didn't play. Picked up an injury apparently.
Hate to say it but we look a better side without him.

 

I thought Kos and Monreal had a great game too....very determined in tackles and closing down very fast.

 

I don't know, Iwobi was pretty anonymous to be honest, and Welbeck's final third completed passes must have been very low. So many misplaced through passes today, and so few clear chances, surely someone creating in attack was exactly what we were missing.

I realize we are happy with a draw, and defensively we were solid, but aren't I the one always accused of not aspiring to more?

 

Football is fundamentally simple. Score more goals than your opposition or make sure they don't score more than you.

Wellbeck gives us size, workrate, commitment. Technically he's nowhere near Ozil - but he will fight, he will run and he won't hide. Ozil seems to need leaders around him to lift him - he's not a fighter and we have often seen him disappear completely in these big games.

You cant win the league if you cant fight for your points. And we've seen on multiple occasions its not always the team with the most technical ability that wins the league.

If we had more natural fighters/leaders we could afford to carry a player like Ozil. But we don't so in the big games we just cant afford to play him. We need commitment all over the pitch and we had that today.

 

I don't know what commitment is when it is used in that context. Welbeck chased a lot, but didn't win many tackles, didn't get any real chances, didn't win many headers, and didn't complete many passes. If Ozil had delivered that performance everyone would be pissing on him.

I really don't understand why he is so popular. He waits for the ball to be kicked and then makes a great show of running after it and failing.

 

Don't agree at all.

 

Then you really don't understand the word at all

 

the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

I don't see how this translates into anything resembling ability of success. It is a word used by people who generally like a player, but who doesn't do anything particularly well, that can be recorded statistically.

It is just the same as the people who question Ozil's commitment, because they can't criticize his actual work rate or the distance he actually runs or really anything else. You might as well invent a word, because it is completely meaningless when used on a professional athlete.

Every player on the field is fully committed to winning the game and dedicated to playing to the best of their ability.

This is a word you use for 12 year old kids on a football pitch, not professional athletes. It is just a way of insulting someone to try and look important yourself.

Anyway, your trolling of my posts is getting tiring again. Don't you have your own board to **** off to.

 

That's right, someone who will offer blood, muscle and bone to help the cause, not someone who will stand around waving his arms or shaking his head when the going gets tough. You don't need players who disappear when you are struggling or players who run around a lot doing nothing, you need players with that word "commitment" who will give everything they have regardless of ability.
It's easy to run around a lot, not so easy to affect the game. I am lucky enough to have supported a team with many committed players who were maybe lacking a little on talent, they were instrumental in us winning many trophies.

 

The question isn't whether Ozil is top class but whether he fits our best 11 competing against the toughest PL opposition. In an ideal world I would have Ozil play all the time but does the current line-up support his inclusion against the very best? The answer is no. We simply do not have the correct balance or quality to allow an Ozil to flourish in tough conditions. Whether we like it or not, we need those workhorses to breakdown top teams otherwise it would have been another straight 7th away defeat to Chelsea. Today's team selection stopped that.

It was a very good performance that got us close to a win against a very good Chelsea team away.