First of all, I have to admit that I only watched the last 5 minutes of the first half and the whole second half, so I might not be in a position to do the post mortem of the game. Also, I did not have time to discuss the game afterwards with the members as I usually do. Therefore, this review here does not necessarily reflect that of Arsenal Playa Flamenca Supporters Club. However, I was compelled to write something positive amogst the doom and gloom surrounding a large section of Arsenal fans following the defeat.
I will not go into the details of the match apart from the brief comments on each player's performance in the usual Player Ratings section below, but I am going to pick several talking points from this game.
The biggest talking point was arguably the substitution, which Wenger admitted as a "tactical mistake" according to Sky Sports. His decision to replace the best player on the pitch in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with out-of-form Andrey Arshavin met with the fury of Arsenal fans and even the dissent of RVP (He later denied any rifts with his boss, but all the fans would agree with his instant reaction). Although it turned out that the sub played a part in conceding Man U's winner, what disgusted fans more was the fact that it was none other than Chambo who was taken off the pitch rather than Arshavin replacing him. The Russian could have come on the pitch in place of Walcott or Ramsey, but not Chambo, who looked most dangerous to Man U defence. This notion was confirmed by the fact that Sir Alex Furguson replaced the substitute defender, Rafael, with an attacking player, Ji-Sun Park, only 3 minutes after Chambo left the pitch.
Wenger defended his decision, by stating "I can understand that the fans are upset about the substitution, especially when it doesn't work, but he (Oxlade-Chamberlain) had started to fatigue, He was sick in the week. Arshavin is captain of the Russia national team. You have an 18-year-old kid making his first Premier League start and a player who's captain of his country and they are querying the substitution? Let's be serious." The explanation of the substitution looks a bit feeble to me.
Obviously the result was disappointing and fairly devastating to Arsenal's aspiration for the top four finish (it was fortunate that Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Stoke all lost, while Chelsea only drew this weekend), but we have a lot of positives to take from this game.
The biggest positive of all was the outstanding performance of Chambo, which convinced us that he is now capable of coping with the intensity of the Premier-League games. After the disappointing first-half performance, Arsenal responded well in the second half, creating enough chances to win the game. Especially, the quick counter-attack leading to RVP's equaliser was something lacking in Arsenal's game for a long time. Hopefully, they will do it more often. Indeed, the second-half performance was encouraging. Following the two Premier-League defeats at the hands of the mid-table clubs, Arsenal showed that they have quality in the team who were capable of matching or even beating Manchester United if they played to their capacity. Vermaelen, whose fitness was a big doubt prior to the match, came through the game without a hitch. Nico Yennaris was useful in stopping Man U players attacking our right flank freely (although there is a lot of room for improvement offensively) after he had come off the bench to replace Djourou.
I still have belief in Arsene Wenger and think there is nobody better than him as an Arsenal manager, but his faith in underperforming players sometimes frustrates me. Look at Fergie. Bébé is now on loan to a Turkish club (and currently injured) only a year after the signing with a permanent deal in sight, while Obertan was sold to Newcastle after 2 years of service. Keeping on the payroll players who do not live up to expectations undermines the size of the squad under Wenger's strict financial policy. Shouldn't we be more ruthless about players?
Hopefully, more player will come back in the next few weeks. It looks like Coquelin is the first, who may be available the next game against Aston Villa. Sagna and Gibbs are two to three weeks away, both Jack Wilshere and Carl Jenkinson a few weeks away. Keep fingers crossed on the speedy recovery of Henry and Arteta. As Arsene Wenger seems to have no intention of reinforcing the squad in January on loan or otherwise, all we can do at the moment is to wait for the return of the injured players.
Our Man of the Match is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. I suppose nobody has objection to that.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 7
Some good saves.
Djourou: 4
He was beaten every time Man U players attacked our right flank. Nightmare. Largely at fault for the first goal by not closing down Giggs despite Ramsey's instruction to mark him. Subbed apparently because of his inefficiency (as we haven't heard any injury report on him).
Mertesacker: 7
He did very well to clear the ball off the line, after he was outpaced by Welbeck. He is not as slow as people think. Although we conceded two goals, our defenders should be given credit for keeping Roony quiet.
Koscielny: 8
He showed determination to win the ball and the game.
Vermaelen: 7
We really needed him back for this game. Although he was partly guilty for Man U's opener by letting Valencia head Gigg's cross home, he worked hard.
Ramsey: 6
Created chances, but missed several goal-scoring opportunities. He has been the subject of a lot of criticism recently, but I think he has talent and skills to become a quality player, but he needs more time after the setback in his career through the horrific injury. Losing Fabregas as a rolemodel and Arteta as a midfield partner now through the injury has not helped his progress. Replaced by Ju Young Park in the 84th minute.
Rosicky: 7
Played a large role in setting up for RVP's goal.
Song: 7
Had a quiet game, but did his job.
Walcott: 5
Messed up some chances.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 9
Spiritted performance. Always looked dangerous. Set up a goal for RVP.
van Persie: 8
Scored goal, but missed an easier chance. Happy 91st birthday to his grandad Wim!
Subs
Yennaris: 7
The Leytonstone-born England youth international, who was apparently a team mascot in 2000, came on at half time to replace struggling Djourou. Although his crosses left much to be desired, his defence was fairly solid and much more reliable than Djourou. According to Arsenal player profiles, his position is described as midfielder, although his Carling Cup debut was as the right-back (if I remembered correctly). So he is another full-back played out of position, then! Aresenal are asking fans who should start at right back against Aston Villa in this weeks' Fan's Forum Online Poll and Nico Yennaris is currently leading the poll with 62% of the total votes.
Arshavin: 4
He was partly blamed for Man U's winner by not being interested in defending.
Park: 4
Except for just one good interception and run, he was not involved in the game.
Welcome to the official Arsenal Supporters Club based in Playa Flamenca, Costa Blanca, Spain.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Swansea 3 Arsenal 2
I don't like Arsenal fans having a knee-jerk reaction and calling for the sacking of Arsene Wenger every time we lose, but the second consecutive Premier League defeat makes you wonder what is wrong with the Club. The loss to Fulham was kind of explained by the heavy legs in the second half, but we were outplayed by the mid-table club once again and this time we were on the back foot most of the time. Manchester United also suffered back-to-back defeats during the festive period. This may be merely a blip and there may be no need of panicking. However, some points from this game made us think about long-term issues.
There should be sufficient qualities in players to beat Swansea. All of Arsenal's starting XI, except for Miquel who is captain of Spain's Under-19 team, were established international players (maybe not Koscielny who earned his first cap only a couple of months ago), including three captains of their respective national teams. However, the team looked quite ordinary in this game, not good enough to call themselves title contenders. We felt the Club seemed to have gone backwards. A couple of seasons ago, we looked like a couple of players short of winning the title, but now we probably need five new players in order to challenge for the title.
Maybe it is time to spend money on tested and proven players rather than investing in young players and nurturing them. Samir Nasri's case has proved Wenger's youth policy no longer works in the real world. By the time young players have started making a name, they just want to move on to where they can get paid more rather than making progress as a footballer under the wings of an excellent educator in the shape of Arsene Wenger. We understand that most football fans admire Arsenal's youth policy and Arsenal fans boast of it as "we don't buy stars, but we make stars", but making stars and selling them will never make Arsenal champions.
The situation that surrounded Henry's departure five years ago worryingly resembles the current situation over RVP's contract talk. Henry was allowed to leave Arsenal for Barcelona as he was approaching his thirties, while Arsenal were in the transitional phase with no prospect of winning trophies in the next couple of years. To make it worse in RVP's case, he has no major honours to add to his CV. Since Henry's departure, we have won no trophies and we still have a relatively young team. During the five years, the best of the crop of the young players left Arsenal for Barcelona, while the others, such as Denilson and Senderos, proved that they couldn't make it at Arsenal (the jury is still out for Djourou). We need to build a team which can convince RVP that he can win silverware with.
We discussed the prospect of the January transfer window and concluded with disappointment that Arsenal are unlikely to buy anybody, based on Arsene Wenger's recent comments.
As for the game, Arsenal's performance was below-par, which was not good enough to beat a very good Swansea side. Our passing success rate was 78.7% vis-à-vis Swansea's 80.4%, according to Sky Sports site. The figure compares unfavourable to our standard, too. We have a lot to learn from the way Swansea played. Their attacking was very fast from the break with the both wings joining the attack. Swansea are well-known for their passing football, but they don't pass around in or around the box.
On the defensive side, we made very bad mistakes, which cost us three points. What concerns us most is that in the last two games, the sense of panic crept into our defence when they came under pressure and the lack of concentration when we equalized. As stated in the previous post, we thought we had eradicated the defensive frailty. Hopefully, when Vermaelen comes back, he will bring stability and authority back into our defence.
A positive we can take from this game is that we had two superb goals. It has been nearly a month since we scored more than one goal. Also, no other club has scored more than one goal at the Liberty Stadium.
Hopefully, the team will respond to the disappointing result in the next week's game against Manchester United.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 5
His hesitation to come off the line and collect the ball led to Swansea's winning goal, apparently. (We largely missed the build-up to this goal because TV was showing the replays of Walcott's equaliser and we were busy celebrating it.)
Djourou: 6
His defence-splitting pass set up a goal for Walcott. Some good assistance to the central defenders.
Mertesacker: 5
He missed an absolute sitter. When a corner fell in front of him 6 yards out, he only needed to put it on the target, but he shot it wide.
Koscielny: 7
Some of his clearances were questionable, but played relatively well amongst the team's overall poor performance. Good effort to follow on to Rosicky's shot.
Miquel: 6
Made several good runs forward and good crosses. However, he was guilty for Swansea's second goal by being caught out of position.
Ramsey: 4
It is too harsh to blame him for the penalty as it was soft at best and in our point of view, there wasn't much contact. Even neutral observers think it was dubious. He had a poor game. Jeering from the crowd didn't help. He was at fault for Swansea's second goal by allowing the Swansea player to rob him of the ball.
Benayoun: 5
Couldn't fill Arteta's boots. Arteta, who missed the game due to a mild calf strain, would have played a big role in this game by holding the ball better and keeping midfield tighter.
Song: 6
Made little impact. Took a central defensive role after Mertesacker had been replaced in the 76th minute as Arsenal was desperately trying to salvage the points.
Walcott: 7
Scored a brilliant goal. Although it was partly attributed to Swansea's defensive mistake, he took it very well with composure. On the other hand, he also wasted chances. Hopefully, scoring the goal in front of Henry has boosted his confidence.
Arshavin: 6
Made an assist for RVP's goal via a precise pass. He was as lively as on Monday night, but as far as goal-scoring was concerned, there was no improvement. Worked hard, but he sometimes looked lost with the ball. Still, it is good to see him trying to grab a chance to secure his place in the starting XI, capitalising on the absence of Gervinho.
van Persie: 7
He took the goal very well from the almost impossible position, but he missed an easier opportunity, when he faced one-on-one with the Swansea keeper. He could have done better to beat him.
Subs
Rosicky: 7
Replaced Benayoun in the 63rd minute. Made an impact. His powerful shot from the edge of the box forced a good save from Vorm. He has been very effective this season, especially as a sub. Glad we didn't offload him a couple of years when some fans were insisting to do so. He shouldn't be sold.
Henry: 6
Came off the bench in the 63rd minute for Arshavin. Although he didn't have as big an impact as we all hoped, he did well. Some good passes and movements.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 6
Replaced Mertesacker in the 76th minute in Arsenal's efforts to pour in more attacking power. Played well. He looked strong enough to play in the Premier League.
There should be sufficient qualities in players to beat Swansea. All of Arsenal's starting XI, except for Miquel who is captain of Spain's Under-19 team, were established international players (maybe not Koscielny who earned his first cap only a couple of months ago), including three captains of their respective national teams. However, the team looked quite ordinary in this game, not good enough to call themselves title contenders. We felt the Club seemed to have gone backwards. A couple of seasons ago, we looked like a couple of players short of winning the title, but now we probably need five new players in order to challenge for the title.
Maybe it is time to spend money on tested and proven players rather than investing in young players and nurturing them. Samir Nasri's case has proved Wenger's youth policy no longer works in the real world. By the time young players have started making a name, they just want to move on to where they can get paid more rather than making progress as a footballer under the wings of an excellent educator in the shape of Arsene Wenger. We understand that most football fans admire Arsenal's youth policy and Arsenal fans boast of it as "we don't buy stars, but we make stars", but making stars and selling them will never make Arsenal champions.
The situation that surrounded Henry's departure five years ago worryingly resembles the current situation over RVP's contract talk. Henry was allowed to leave Arsenal for Barcelona as he was approaching his thirties, while Arsenal were in the transitional phase with no prospect of winning trophies in the next couple of years. To make it worse in RVP's case, he has no major honours to add to his CV. Since Henry's departure, we have won no trophies and we still have a relatively young team. During the five years, the best of the crop of the young players left Arsenal for Barcelona, while the others, such as Denilson and Senderos, proved that they couldn't make it at Arsenal (the jury is still out for Djourou). We need to build a team which can convince RVP that he can win silverware with.
We discussed the prospect of the January transfer window and concluded with disappointment that Arsenal are unlikely to buy anybody, based on Arsene Wenger's recent comments.
As for the game, Arsenal's performance was below-par, which was not good enough to beat a very good Swansea side. Our passing success rate was 78.7% vis-à-vis Swansea's 80.4%, according to Sky Sports site. The figure compares unfavourable to our standard, too. We have a lot to learn from the way Swansea played. Their attacking was very fast from the break with the both wings joining the attack. Swansea are well-known for their passing football, but they don't pass around in or around the box.
On the defensive side, we made very bad mistakes, which cost us three points. What concerns us most is that in the last two games, the sense of panic crept into our defence when they came under pressure and the lack of concentration when we equalized. As stated in the previous post, we thought we had eradicated the defensive frailty. Hopefully, when Vermaelen comes back, he will bring stability and authority back into our defence.
A positive we can take from this game is that we had two superb goals. It has been nearly a month since we scored more than one goal. Also, no other club has scored more than one goal at the Liberty Stadium.
Hopefully, the team will respond to the disappointing result in the next week's game against Manchester United.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 5
His hesitation to come off the line and collect the ball led to Swansea's winning goal, apparently. (We largely missed the build-up to this goal because TV was showing the replays of Walcott's equaliser and we were busy celebrating it.)
Djourou: 6
His defence-splitting pass set up a goal for Walcott. Some good assistance to the central defenders.
Mertesacker: 5
He missed an absolute sitter. When a corner fell in front of him 6 yards out, he only needed to put it on the target, but he shot it wide.
Koscielny: 7
Some of his clearances were questionable, but played relatively well amongst the team's overall poor performance. Good effort to follow on to Rosicky's shot.
Miquel: 6
Made several good runs forward and good crosses. However, he was guilty for Swansea's second goal by being caught out of position.
Ramsey: 4
It is too harsh to blame him for the penalty as it was soft at best and in our point of view, there wasn't much contact. Even neutral observers think it was dubious. He had a poor game. Jeering from the crowd didn't help. He was at fault for Swansea's second goal by allowing the Swansea player to rob him of the ball.
Benayoun: 5
Couldn't fill Arteta's boots. Arteta, who missed the game due to a mild calf strain, would have played a big role in this game by holding the ball better and keeping midfield tighter.
Song: 6
Made little impact. Took a central defensive role after Mertesacker had been replaced in the 76th minute as Arsenal was desperately trying to salvage the points.
Walcott: 7
Scored a brilliant goal. Although it was partly attributed to Swansea's defensive mistake, he took it very well with composure. On the other hand, he also wasted chances. Hopefully, scoring the goal in front of Henry has boosted his confidence.
Arshavin: 6
Made an assist for RVP's goal via a precise pass. He was as lively as on Monday night, but as far as goal-scoring was concerned, there was no improvement. Worked hard, but he sometimes looked lost with the ball. Still, it is good to see him trying to grab a chance to secure his place in the starting XI, capitalising on the absence of Gervinho.
van Persie: 7
He took the goal very well from the almost impossible position, but he missed an easier opportunity, when he faced one-on-one with the Swansea keeper. He could have done better to beat him.
Subs
Rosicky: 7
Replaced Benayoun in the 63rd minute. Made an impact. His powerful shot from the edge of the box forced a good save from Vorm. He has been very effective this season, especially as a sub. Glad we didn't offload him a couple of years when some fans were insisting to do so. He shouldn't be sold.
Henry: 6
Came off the bench in the 63rd minute for Arshavin. Although he didn't have as big an impact as we all hoped, he did well. Some good passes and movements.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 6
Replaced Mertesacker in the 76th minute in Arsenal's efforts to pour in more attacking power. Played well. He looked strong enough to play in the Premier League.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Arsenal 1 Leeds 0
One of the major talking points prior to the game was the return of King Henry. As stated in the previous post, at Arsenal Playa Flamenca Supporters Club, our collective stance over this issue was cautious. While there was no doubt about positive influences on the young players in the dressing room and training ground, whether he could make an impact on the pitch had remained to be seen. Henry scoring the winning goal to send Arsenal into the fourth round of the FA Cup on his return was a fairytale scenario and made the game something special.
Samir Nasri was spotted by a TV camera in the Emirates, watching the game (Hope he has paid for it). How did he feel when he saw Henry receiving a hero's welcome by all Arsenal fans and expressing his love for his old Club with overwhelming emotions? One of other celebs spotted by the camera was David Beckham, who travelled from Manchester where he watched his old club beating their local rivals in the FA cup tie on the previous day to London, because one of his sons, Romeo, is a big fan of Arsenal, who insisted to watch the game. Before the game, many Arsenal fans feared that the younger generations of Arsenal fans, like Romeo, who don't remember how Henry earned his legendary status at Arsenal, might feel disillusioned in case that he failed to impress them.
RVP praised Henry's "brave" decision as the King no longer needed to prove anything, but his reputation and legendary status were at stake. Our current leading striker attributed the legend's decision primarily to his love for the game, but his reaction to the goal showed that the reason behind his return was nothing but his love for the Club. He has certainly lifted all Arsenal fans as well as the team, who joined him to celebrate his goal, including Szczeny who rushed all the way from the other end.
As well as the feel-good factor, Henry's return provided the much-needed goal-scoring power for the team. Before his instruction, his side struggled to find the net. Especially, Arshavin and Ramsey worked hard and did everything but score. The lack of composure in frong of goal and precision has been Arsenal's shortcomings for some time this season. Hopefully, the younger players will learn lessons from Henry, while Henry will continue his contribution to Arsenal's goal tally.
Another major talking point was team selection. RVP was holidaying in Dubai, meeting Diego Maradona, while Gervinho had left to join the Ivory Coast national team who are preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations. As Wenger tried hard to secure Marouane Chamakh's service for this game, the Morocco international was expected to start. Many expected Ju-Young Park to lead the line up front alongside Chamakh, but it was Arshavin who got the nod. Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the right flank as widely expected. Arsene Wenger stated prior to the match that he would field a strong side, which centred around the first-team starters. As he suggested, the midfield consisted of the usual triumvirate: Ramsey, Arteta and Song. Miquel and Coquelin were this night's full-backs, which had already stretched due to Vermaelen's recent injury and Djourou's one-match suspension. After this game, the full-back crisis worsened as Coquelin hobbled off the pitch with a hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for a few weeks (what used to be called a full-back drought is now cited as the curse of Arsenal full-backs). Koscielny and Squillaci formed a central defensive partnership for the night, which often proved disastrous last season. Why Mertersacker did not start or wasn't even on the bench was a mystery to me. On the Arsenal site, He was speaking as if he had been sure to take a part in this tie.
Arsenal's comfortable win was predicted as Leeds had been struggling to cope with injuries to their key players. However, Simon Grayson had his tactics right by concentrating available players on defence and gave Arsenal a hard time.
At Las Mimosas bar, our venue once again after the two-week closure, we were saying that the Budweiser Man of the Match choice made the other players who played for full 90 minutes look pathetic, but what Henry did deserved it. Within 10 minutes of coming off the bench, he achieved what the other players couldn't to do for 90 minutes, scoring a goal.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 7
Largely not troubled, but did well to keep a clean sheet against Leed's late charge .
Coquelin: 7
Played well once again out of position, at right-back this time. A hamstring injury forced him off the pitch in the 33rd minute to be replaced by an understudy right-back, Nico Yennaris.
Squillaci: 7
Played OK. Nearly scored (some of us thought he actually scored). Just his presence is ominous.
Koscielny: 8
Reliable as usual. He has been the most improved Arsenal player this season since Walcott has let us down in the recent few games.
Miquel: 7
Made several good forward runs, but lost the ball in the final third (after all, he is a central defender). Played well, considering the fact that he played out of position.
Ramsey: 8
As usual, he covered a lot of ground from the box to box, right to left, working hard. Orchestrated attacking moves, creating chances, and showed some fancy footwork and skills. His finishing let him down again.
Arteta: 7
Had a couple of shots, one of which was wide, the other was too tame to even sweat the keeper.
Song: 7
His passing after tackles is often awful, but he occasionally produces those killer passes you would expect from a creative attacking midfielder, such as the one that found Henry this night and the one that set up RVP's superb volley against Everton. He deserves more credit for the pass to Henry.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 8
He started on a subdued note, but gradually got into the game and started the second half brightly. His powerful shot forced a great save from the Leeds keeper. Replaced by Walcott for some reason in the 68th minutes. Is Wenger over-protective about the exposure of the promising youngster?
Arshavin: 8
He often get criticism for his laziness, but you cannot fault his workrate in this match. He was all over the pitch, working hard. Especially, he kept going despite a series of rough treatments by Leeds players. He had three chances inside the opening three minutes, the last of which was the best in terms of time and space he was given as well as the central position, but the lack of composure led him to blast it over the bar.
Chamakh: 5
I have started to run out of words to defend him.
Subs
Yennaris: 7
Replaced injured Coquelin in the 33rd minute. No non-sense defence and good going forward. No problem.
Henry: 9
Came on the pitch in the 68th minute for Chamakh and the rest is history. For the winning goal, the timing of his run was perfect (Relays convinced me that the Leeds player on the far side played him on side and also he timed his run carefully. They should show a freeze frame picture with a white line for the defence line and another for Henry's position in order to silence all the accusations by Tottenham supporters and the Irish), his touch was impeccable and his finish was clinical. Wenger revealed that his only instruction to Henry before coming on the pitch was to play through the middle, but he knew exactly what he was required to do once he was on the pitch. He is an intelligent world-class player. Welcome home!
Walcott: 6
The other one of the 68th minute double substitution. Put in a couple of good crosses, but did not make a big impact.
Samir Nasri was spotted by a TV camera in the Emirates, watching the game (Hope he has paid for it). How did he feel when he saw Henry receiving a hero's welcome by all Arsenal fans and expressing his love for his old Club with overwhelming emotions? One of other celebs spotted by the camera was David Beckham, who travelled from Manchester where he watched his old club beating their local rivals in the FA cup tie on the previous day to London, because one of his sons, Romeo, is a big fan of Arsenal, who insisted to watch the game. Before the game, many Arsenal fans feared that the younger generations of Arsenal fans, like Romeo, who don't remember how Henry earned his legendary status at Arsenal, might feel disillusioned in case that he failed to impress them.
RVP praised Henry's "brave" decision as the King no longer needed to prove anything, but his reputation and legendary status were at stake. Our current leading striker attributed the legend's decision primarily to his love for the game, but his reaction to the goal showed that the reason behind his return was nothing but his love for the Club. He has certainly lifted all Arsenal fans as well as the team, who joined him to celebrate his goal, including Szczeny who rushed all the way from the other end.
As well as the feel-good factor, Henry's return provided the much-needed goal-scoring power for the team. Before his instruction, his side struggled to find the net. Especially, Arshavin and Ramsey worked hard and did everything but score. The lack of composure in frong of goal and precision has been Arsenal's shortcomings for some time this season. Hopefully, the younger players will learn lessons from Henry, while Henry will continue his contribution to Arsenal's goal tally.
Another major talking point was team selection. RVP was holidaying in Dubai, meeting Diego Maradona, while Gervinho had left to join the Ivory Coast national team who are preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations. As Wenger tried hard to secure Marouane Chamakh's service for this game, the Morocco international was expected to start. Many expected Ju-Young Park to lead the line up front alongside Chamakh, but it was Arshavin who got the nod. Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the right flank as widely expected. Arsene Wenger stated prior to the match that he would field a strong side, which centred around the first-team starters. As he suggested, the midfield consisted of the usual triumvirate: Ramsey, Arteta and Song. Miquel and Coquelin were this night's full-backs, which had already stretched due to Vermaelen's recent injury and Djourou's one-match suspension. After this game, the full-back crisis worsened as Coquelin hobbled off the pitch with a hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for a few weeks (what used to be called a full-back drought is now cited as the curse of Arsenal full-backs). Koscielny and Squillaci formed a central defensive partnership for the night, which often proved disastrous last season. Why Mertersacker did not start or wasn't even on the bench was a mystery to me. On the Arsenal site, He was speaking as if he had been sure to take a part in this tie.
Arsenal's comfortable win was predicted as Leeds had been struggling to cope with injuries to their key players. However, Simon Grayson had his tactics right by concentrating available players on defence and gave Arsenal a hard time.
At Las Mimosas bar, our venue once again after the two-week closure, we were saying that the Budweiser Man of the Match choice made the other players who played for full 90 minutes look pathetic, but what Henry did deserved it. Within 10 minutes of coming off the bench, he achieved what the other players couldn't to do for 90 minutes, scoring a goal.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 7
Largely not troubled, but did well to keep a clean sheet against Leed's late charge .
Coquelin: 7
Played well once again out of position, at right-back this time. A hamstring injury forced him off the pitch in the 33rd minute to be replaced by an understudy right-back, Nico Yennaris.
Squillaci: 7
Played OK. Nearly scored (some of us thought he actually scored). Just his presence is ominous.
Koscielny: 8
Reliable as usual. He has been the most improved Arsenal player this season since Walcott has let us down in the recent few games.
Miquel: 7
Made several good forward runs, but lost the ball in the final third (after all, he is a central defender). Played well, considering the fact that he played out of position.
Ramsey: 8
As usual, he covered a lot of ground from the box to box, right to left, working hard. Orchestrated attacking moves, creating chances, and showed some fancy footwork and skills. His finishing let him down again.
Arteta: 7
Had a couple of shots, one of which was wide, the other was too tame to even sweat the keeper.
Song: 7
His passing after tackles is often awful, but he occasionally produces those killer passes you would expect from a creative attacking midfielder, such as the one that found Henry this night and the one that set up RVP's superb volley against Everton. He deserves more credit for the pass to Henry.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 8
He started on a subdued note, but gradually got into the game and started the second half brightly. His powerful shot forced a great save from the Leeds keeper. Replaced by Walcott for some reason in the 68th minutes. Is Wenger over-protective about the exposure of the promising youngster?
Arshavin: 8
He often get criticism for his laziness, but you cannot fault his workrate in this match. He was all over the pitch, working hard. Especially, he kept going despite a series of rough treatments by Leeds players. He had three chances inside the opening three minutes, the last of which was the best in terms of time and space he was given as well as the central position, but the lack of composure led him to blast it over the bar.
Chamakh: 5
I have started to run out of words to defend him.
Subs
Yennaris: 7
Replaced injured Coquelin in the 33rd minute. No non-sense defence and good going forward. No problem.
Henry: 9
Came on the pitch in the 68th minute for Chamakh and the rest is history. For the winning goal, the timing of his run was perfect (Relays convinced me that the Leeds player on the far side played him on side and also he timed his run carefully. They should show a freeze frame picture with a white line for the defence line and another for Henry's position in order to silence all the accusations by Tottenham supporters and the Irish), his touch was impeccable and his finish was clinical. Wenger revealed that his only instruction to Henry before coming on the pitch was to play through the middle, but he knew exactly what he was required to do once he was on the pitch. He is an intelligent world-class player. Welcome home!
Walcott: 6
The other one of the 68th minute double substitution. Put in a couple of good crosses, but did not make a big impact.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Arsenal v Tottenham in Benidorm
The club is proposing to visit Benidorm for this match
Sundary 26th Feburary 14:30 Spanish time
We are proposing to stay for 2 nights the total costs PER APARTMENT is
71.99 Euros for 1 bed apt.
75.99 Euros for 2 bed apt.
At the Levant Club Apartments
Any more information contact either
Ricky Devine 634328479 or Dave Johns 636827333
Sundary 26th Feburary 14:30 Spanish time
We are proposing to stay for 2 nights the total costs PER APARTMENT is
71.99 Euros for 1 bed apt.
75.99 Euros for 2 bed apt.
At the Levant Club Apartments
Any more information contact either
Ricky Devine 634328479 or Dave Johns 636827333
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Fulham 2 Arsenal 1
What hurts us more than the result is the fact that Fulham outplayed us. Our performance in the second half was poor, as bad as the one against Olympiacos, but the latter was by our second-string team, while apart from the makeshift full-backs, Monday night's starting XI were currently our best team. That's what concerns us.
In fact, the team selection was one of the major talking points ahead of and following this game. Rotation was widely expected, including RVP to get a rest, but Arsene Wenger opted for just two changes from the starting line-up that faced QPR 48 hours ago; namely Gervinho for Arshavin and Coquelin replacing injured Vermaelen. Unfortunately, Henry's loan deal is still awaiting completion, hence no return of the King. In the hindsight, Arsene Wenger should have rotated more players, including RVP, who looked exhausted in the second half. The fact that we had to rely on Robin when he clearly needed a rest highlights the lack of depth in the squad.
On the other hand, some fans blame for the players who couldn't deliver the expected performance for full 90 minutes. Is 48 hours not enough for players to recover from modern-day intense games?
What we don't understand is Wenger's reluctance to play Oxlade-Chamberlain. Surely he is a better option than Walcott at the moment. The boss seems to be worried about the 18-year old overawed by the intensity of the Premier League. Maybe this was because he felt that Chambo's confidence was dented after his lacklustre performance in the intense battle against Bolton in Carling Cup. However, he has experience in playing in big games, such as the FA Cup tie against Manchester United last season in a Southampton shirt. Carl Jenkinson, who is only a year older than him, was introduced to the intensity of the Premier League and even the Champions League qualifying straight from the non-league football (the last game he played before his move to Arsenal was for non-league Eastbourne side). Also, the ex-Southampton player are used to play in the lower division where games are even more physical than the Premier League. Besides, there are many teenage players already playing in the Premier League. A talented player like him should be able to cope with the vigour of England's top-flight games. If Wenger is waiting for a comfortable game to ease him into the life in the Premier League, his chance will never come, judging from the way Arsenal are currently playing! (When did you see Arsenal winning comfortably last time?)
Another young player Arsene Wenger seems reluctant to field is Ignasi Miquel. In the absence of the two recognised left-backs and following the injury to a makeshift left-back, Vermaelen, Miquel was favourite to play in this position ahead of the match. Instead, Wenger chose to play a central midfielder, Coquelin, once more at left-back. Although Coquelin played well until Fulham scored their second goal, we don't understand why Miquel doesn't get a chance to play. When Wenger brought a defensive substitution in place of Ramsey, it was Squillaci who came on the pitch. (We were horror-stricken at the sight of him on the touchline.)
If we have to give our players credit, that's for their first-half performance. There was some free-flowing football and they kept mounting pressure. Arsenal dominated the possession, but as usual, they failed to kill off the game.
Let's hope the second-half performance was just a one-off incident as a result of the fixture congestion during the festive season. As we go back to the weekly Premier League schedule, hopefully Arsenal will get back in winning ways. Keep fingers crossed that there will be no need of an FA Cup replay. Fortunately (or unfortunately), we are out of the Carling Cup competition for this season, which means our January fixtures are not as congested as the last season, with no two-legged semi-final matches.
The transfer window is now open. Henry's return is imminent. Hopefully, he will be able to take a goal-scoring pressure off RVP, but we still need a solution for our full-back crisis. Wenger is reluctant to make a permanent signing for full-backs as Sagna and Gibbs are both expected to return by the end of this month. The boss stated he would consider a loan deal for a left-back, but players clubs are willing to offer a loan deal for tend to be second-string players if not third-choices. Such players are not good enough for Arsenal even on a short-term basis. Wayne Bridge is one of the player who have been linked to Arsenal, but in my opinion, he is no longer a top-level player. He was far from impressive during his loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season. He wouldn't be worth his wages, which wouldn't be cheap for a Manchester City player.
Gibbs is well-known as an injury-prone player and this season hasn't proven otherwise. Signing a versatile defender, who can play both at left-back and in central defence, such as Jan Vertonghen, is not such a bad idea (and get rid of Squillaci!).
Player ratings
Szczeny: 6
Made some good saves, including the one that denied Ruiz's close-range shot, but he admits his goalkeeping was poor for Fulham's equaliser. If he couldn't get to the ball, he might as well have stayed on line.
Djourou: 4
Got two yellow cards (I still think the second yellow card was a little bit too harsh, though) and sent off.
Mertesacker: 6
His unsuccessful challenge put pressure on Djourou and thus led to the right-back's dismissal.
Koscielny: 8
Solid defending. Scoring a goal was the icing on the cake.
Coquelin: 7
He often made forward runs and linked with Gervinho very well. The problem with playing centre-backs in the full-back positions is that our deputy full-backs (i.e., Vermaelen and Djourou) tend to drift into the middle, but in this game Coquelin provided the width. Overall he played well, despite playing out of position. Made a brave aerial challenge on Sidwell, but the head injury may have affected his performance later on. Where was he when Zamora scored the winning goal? The Fulham striker shouldn't have been left unmarked.
Ramsey: 7
He made a great run, providing a cross for Koscielny to head it home. Pulled the strings on attacking moves and worked hard, helping defence. His finishing still left much to be desired, but managed to put shots on target. Replaced by Squillaci at 81st minute.
Arteta: 6
Not involved great deal.
Song: 6
He couldn't break down Fulham attacks as much as we hoped.
Walcott: 4
Crossing, shooting, passing, everything he did was poor effort. He has been having a few poor games recently. It's time to start Chambo in his place.
Gervinho: 6
He works tirelessly, makes great runs, beats defenders and gets into the dangerous positions but he doesn't know what to do when he cannot find RVP in the box.
Van Persie: 6
He failed to conjure up the usual magic. In the second half, he spent most of time on the ground, probably looking for fouls, which we all knew would end up in vain with Lee Probert. Playing three games in the space of 6 days is too much for RVP. We should only be grateful for the fact that he didn't get injured.
Subs
Rosicky: 5
Replaced Walcott in the 65th minute to bring a fresh pair of legs into midfield, but failed to make a big difference (anybody was better than Walcott, though).
Benayoun: 5
74th-minute substitution for Gervinho. Made little impact.
Squillaci: 4
Came on in the 81st minute to replace Ramsey supposedly to shore up the defence, with the result that Arsenal conceded two goals within 8 minutes of each other, just 4 minutes after he had come on.
Referee
Lee Probert: 4
He gave few decisions in favour of us. Gervinho should have been given a penalty after his legs were swiped away by Senderos in the box. Even Martin Jol admitted that it should have been a penalty. Another bad decision which cost us expensively.
In fact, the team selection was one of the major talking points ahead of and following this game. Rotation was widely expected, including RVP to get a rest, but Arsene Wenger opted for just two changes from the starting line-up that faced QPR 48 hours ago; namely Gervinho for Arshavin and Coquelin replacing injured Vermaelen. Unfortunately, Henry's loan deal is still awaiting completion, hence no return of the King. In the hindsight, Arsene Wenger should have rotated more players, including RVP, who looked exhausted in the second half. The fact that we had to rely on Robin when he clearly needed a rest highlights the lack of depth in the squad.
On the other hand, some fans blame for the players who couldn't deliver the expected performance for full 90 minutes. Is 48 hours not enough for players to recover from modern-day intense games?
What we don't understand is Wenger's reluctance to play Oxlade-Chamberlain. Surely he is a better option than Walcott at the moment. The boss seems to be worried about the 18-year old overawed by the intensity of the Premier League. Maybe this was because he felt that Chambo's confidence was dented after his lacklustre performance in the intense battle against Bolton in Carling Cup. However, he has experience in playing in big games, such as the FA Cup tie against Manchester United last season in a Southampton shirt. Carl Jenkinson, who is only a year older than him, was introduced to the intensity of the Premier League and even the Champions League qualifying straight from the non-league football (the last game he played before his move to Arsenal was for non-league Eastbourne side). Also, the ex-Southampton player are used to play in the lower division where games are even more physical than the Premier League. Besides, there are many teenage players already playing in the Premier League. A talented player like him should be able to cope with the vigour of England's top-flight games. If Wenger is waiting for a comfortable game to ease him into the life in the Premier League, his chance will never come, judging from the way Arsenal are currently playing! (When did you see Arsenal winning comfortably last time?)
Another young player Arsene Wenger seems reluctant to field is Ignasi Miquel. In the absence of the two recognised left-backs and following the injury to a makeshift left-back, Vermaelen, Miquel was favourite to play in this position ahead of the match. Instead, Wenger chose to play a central midfielder, Coquelin, once more at left-back. Although Coquelin played well until Fulham scored their second goal, we don't understand why Miquel doesn't get a chance to play. When Wenger brought a defensive substitution in place of Ramsey, it was Squillaci who came on the pitch. (We were horror-stricken at the sight of him on the touchline.)
If we have to give our players credit, that's for their first-half performance. There was some free-flowing football and they kept mounting pressure. Arsenal dominated the possession, but as usual, they failed to kill off the game.
Let's hope the second-half performance was just a one-off incident as a result of the fixture congestion during the festive season. As we go back to the weekly Premier League schedule, hopefully Arsenal will get back in winning ways. Keep fingers crossed that there will be no need of an FA Cup replay. Fortunately (or unfortunately), we are out of the Carling Cup competition for this season, which means our January fixtures are not as congested as the last season, with no two-legged semi-final matches.
The transfer window is now open. Henry's return is imminent. Hopefully, he will be able to take a goal-scoring pressure off RVP, but we still need a solution for our full-back crisis. Wenger is reluctant to make a permanent signing for full-backs as Sagna and Gibbs are both expected to return by the end of this month. The boss stated he would consider a loan deal for a left-back, but players clubs are willing to offer a loan deal for tend to be second-string players if not third-choices. Such players are not good enough for Arsenal even on a short-term basis. Wayne Bridge is one of the player who have been linked to Arsenal, but in my opinion, he is no longer a top-level player. He was far from impressive during his loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season. He wouldn't be worth his wages, which wouldn't be cheap for a Manchester City player.
Gibbs is well-known as an injury-prone player and this season hasn't proven otherwise. Signing a versatile defender, who can play both at left-back and in central defence, such as Jan Vertonghen, is not such a bad idea (and get rid of Squillaci!).
Player ratings
Szczeny: 6
Made some good saves, including the one that denied Ruiz's close-range shot, but he admits his goalkeeping was poor for Fulham's equaliser. If he couldn't get to the ball, he might as well have stayed on line.
Djourou: 4
Got two yellow cards (I still think the second yellow card was a little bit too harsh, though) and sent off.
Mertesacker: 6
His unsuccessful challenge put pressure on Djourou and thus led to the right-back's dismissal.
Koscielny: 8
Solid defending. Scoring a goal was the icing on the cake.
Coquelin: 7
He often made forward runs and linked with Gervinho very well. The problem with playing centre-backs in the full-back positions is that our deputy full-backs (i.e., Vermaelen and Djourou) tend to drift into the middle, but in this game Coquelin provided the width. Overall he played well, despite playing out of position. Made a brave aerial challenge on Sidwell, but the head injury may have affected his performance later on. Where was he when Zamora scored the winning goal? The Fulham striker shouldn't have been left unmarked.
Ramsey: 7
He made a great run, providing a cross for Koscielny to head it home. Pulled the strings on attacking moves and worked hard, helping defence. His finishing still left much to be desired, but managed to put shots on target. Replaced by Squillaci at 81st minute.
Arteta: 6
Not involved great deal.
Song: 6
He couldn't break down Fulham attacks as much as we hoped.
Walcott: 4
Crossing, shooting, passing, everything he did was poor effort. He has been having a few poor games recently. It's time to start Chambo in his place.
Gervinho: 6
He works tirelessly, makes great runs, beats defenders and gets into the dangerous positions but he doesn't know what to do when he cannot find RVP in the box.
Van Persie: 6
He failed to conjure up the usual magic. In the second half, he spent most of time on the ground, probably looking for fouls, which we all knew would end up in vain with Lee Probert. Playing three games in the space of 6 days is too much for RVP. We should only be grateful for the fact that he didn't get injured.
Subs
Rosicky: 5
Replaced Walcott in the 65th minute to bring a fresh pair of legs into midfield, but failed to make a big difference (anybody was better than Walcott, though).
Benayoun: 5
74th-minute substitution for Gervinho. Made little impact.
Squillaci: 4
Came on in the 81st minute to replace Ramsey supposedly to shore up the defence, with the result that Arsenal conceded two goals within 8 minutes of each other, just 4 minutes after he had come on.
Referee
Lee Probert: 4
He gave few decisions in favour of us. Gervinho should have been given a penalty after his legs were swiped away by Senderos in the box. Even Martin Jol admitted that it should have been a penalty. Another bad decision which cost us expensively.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Arsenal 1 QPR 0
The focus of our pre-match talk was on the certain return of Thierry Henry. Fans' immediate reaction to the news seem to be divided between those who hailed the King's return without reservation and those who were sceptical about his pace and fitness being able to cope with the Premier League's speed and vigour at the age of 34 years and thus feared that his return might tarnish his legendary status at Arsenal. Amongst the latter, some are unhappy with reputedly frugal Arsene Wenger's decision to opt for the two-month loan deal of the 34 year-old player rather than a permanent signing of a younger world-class striker, such as Podolski and Gotze, who have been linked to Arsenal for some time. At the Arsenal Playa Flamenca Supporters Club, our collective view on this issue is a wait and see. While he will have a positive influence in the dressing room and training ground without doubt with his winning mentality, loyalty to the Club and experience, whether he can make an impact on the pitch is yet to be seen.
The game was another frustrating affair, but the biggest difference from Wolves game was that we got the result we wanted. The three points out of this match took us to the fourth spot in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea, who lost 3-1 to Aston Villa at home on the same day, and Liverpool, who had briefly occupied the fifth place following their defeat of Newcastle on the previous night. We ended the very difficult year in the top four.
Another difference was that Arsenal's frustration in the previous match was largely attributed to the opponents' goalkeeper, Hennessey's stunning performance and Wolves stubborn defence, while in this game our own players' futility was the main culprit. With more clinical finishing, Arsenal could have sealed the victory much more comfortably.
With both Manchester clubs dropping three points this weekend, the title race looked wide open. However, we, Arsenal fans, are more realistic than people might think after the very difficult start to the season. Our target, for now anyway, is to finish the season in the Champions League spot.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 7
Made some good stops at early stage. There was an unconvincing handling, but he recovered well to save the follow-on.
Djourou: 6
Dealt with Taarabt relatively well.
Mertesacker: 7
Played OK. No problem.
Koscielny: 8
Our best defender again. Looked solid.
Vermaelen: 7
Very unlucky to be booked due to the mistaken identity. Withdrawn early due to a calf strain, which could sideline him for two to three weeks. Another left-back we have lost.
Ramsey: 7
Mixed performance. He orchestrated attacking moves, including an inch-perfect through pass to Walcott. On the other hand, he gave away the ball too often. If he wants to achieve his target of double-digit goals, he has to improve his finishing.
Arteta: 7
I would definitely like to see Henry taking free-kicks on the left-hand side instead of Arteta any day of the week.
Song: 6
Again, his passing left much to be desired. On the defensive side, he covered the back four well.
Walcott: 5
He never hides his desire to become a central striker and he had a brilliant chance to show what he can do. Unfortunately, he failed to take it. His finish completely lacked composure. Thierry Henry would have certainly slotted it home.
Arshavin: 6
Apart from the pass that set up the winning goal for RVP, he had little impact. He was lazy and ineffective defensively, hence Rosicky's introduction in his place. Work rate is the reason why Gervinho is always selected before Arshavin.
Van Persie: 8
We can rely on him when it matters.
Subs
Coquelin: 7
Replaced injured Vermaelen at left-back in the 56th minute. Being essentially a midfielder, he made more forward runs than Vermaelen and created chances. As it happened, QPR's right flank did not pose as much threat as expected, he played OK defensively, too.
Rosicky: 7
Came in for Arshavin in the 68th minute, 8 minutes after RVP's winning goal. Good substitution as protecting a one-goal lead is always difficult with Arshavin in defence.
Gervinho: 7
He made the immediate difference as soon as he came on at 74th minute, but wasted at least two clear-cut chances.
Referee
Martin Atkinson: 4
Vermaelen's yellow card mystified all of us as well as the player himself and it turned out that Koscielny was the intended recipient. Arsenal had two penalty shouts for handball turned down. If the handball by Gary Caldwell of Wigan in their game against Stoke was indeed a red-card offence, these should have had the same treatment.
The game was another frustrating affair, but the biggest difference from Wolves game was that we got the result we wanted. The three points out of this match took us to the fourth spot in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea, who lost 3-1 to Aston Villa at home on the same day, and Liverpool, who had briefly occupied the fifth place following their defeat of Newcastle on the previous night. We ended the very difficult year in the top four.
Another difference was that Arsenal's frustration in the previous match was largely attributed to the opponents' goalkeeper, Hennessey's stunning performance and Wolves stubborn defence, while in this game our own players' futility was the main culprit. With more clinical finishing, Arsenal could have sealed the victory much more comfortably.
With both Manchester clubs dropping three points this weekend, the title race looked wide open. However, we, Arsenal fans, are more realistic than people might think after the very difficult start to the season. Our target, for now anyway, is to finish the season in the Champions League spot.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 7
Made some good stops at early stage. There was an unconvincing handling, but he recovered well to save the follow-on.
Djourou: 6
Dealt with Taarabt relatively well.
Mertesacker: 7
Played OK. No problem.
Koscielny: 8
Our best defender again. Looked solid.
Vermaelen: 7
Very unlucky to be booked due to the mistaken identity. Withdrawn early due to a calf strain, which could sideline him for two to three weeks. Another left-back we have lost.
Ramsey: 7
Mixed performance. He orchestrated attacking moves, including an inch-perfect through pass to Walcott. On the other hand, he gave away the ball too often. If he wants to achieve his target of double-digit goals, he has to improve his finishing.
Arteta: 7
I would definitely like to see Henry taking free-kicks on the left-hand side instead of Arteta any day of the week.
Song: 6
Again, his passing left much to be desired. On the defensive side, he covered the back four well.
Walcott: 5
He never hides his desire to become a central striker and he had a brilliant chance to show what he can do. Unfortunately, he failed to take it. His finish completely lacked composure. Thierry Henry would have certainly slotted it home.
Arshavin: 6
Apart from the pass that set up the winning goal for RVP, he had little impact. He was lazy and ineffective defensively, hence Rosicky's introduction in his place. Work rate is the reason why Gervinho is always selected before Arshavin.
Van Persie: 8
We can rely on him when it matters.
Subs
Coquelin: 7
Replaced injured Vermaelen at left-back in the 56th minute. Being essentially a midfielder, he made more forward runs than Vermaelen and created chances. As it happened, QPR's right flank did not pose as much threat as expected, he played OK defensively, too.
Rosicky: 7
Came in for Arshavin in the 68th minute, 8 minutes after RVP's winning goal. Good substitution as protecting a one-goal lead is always difficult with Arshavin in defence.
Gervinho: 7
He made the immediate difference as soon as he came on at 74th minute, but wasted at least two clear-cut chances.
Referee
Martin Atkinson: 4
Vermaelen's yellow card mystified all of us as well as the player himself and it turned out that Koscielny was the intended recipient. Arsenal had two penalty shouts for handball turned down. If the handball by Gary Caldwell of Wigan in their game against Stoke was indeed a red-card offence, these should have had the same treatment.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Arsenal 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
The hectic schedule during the festive period means rotation is inevitable. Yesterday's starting line-up saw some changes from Arsenal's established XI. The notable omission from the squad was Theo Walcott. According to Arsene Wenger's post-match interview, Theo was sick with a stomach problem (but he is already better and should be available on Saturday). We could have done with his pace on the flank to get behind Wolves defence.
One of the major talking points regarding the team selection in this period was when to rest RVP. Given his injury record, it would be too much for him to play three games in a space of 6 days. However, this game came 6 days after the previous match and 4 days before the next one, so his inclusion in the starting XI was pretty much anticipated especially as he was only 2 goals away from matching the goal-scoring record set by Alan Shearer. In the ideal world, if he had scored a hat-trick in this game and broke the record, Arsenal could have rested him on the last day of 2011 ahead of Fulham away game in the New Year. But it wasn't to be. In fact, RVP had enough chances to score a hat-trick, but luck and his finishing deserted him yesterday.
The impact subs against Aston Villa earned their deserved places in the starting line-up thanks to their impressive performances 6 days ago. Rosicky came in for Ramsey, who has had a couple of disappointing games recently and looked as if he could have done with a breather, so the boss' decision was understandable. Benayoun filled in for Theo. We were disappointed to see Oxlade-Chamberlain only make
the bench, but the winning-goal scorer in the last game deserved a place in the starting XI and actually started very well.
Arsene Wenger seems to prefer Koscielny in the central defence and Vermaelen at left-back as he deployed Djourou at right-back as soon as he had got back from injury. We don't know why the boss is reluctant to field Koscielny at right-back, Vermaelen in central defence and Miquel at left-back.
We compared the two contrasting games against Manchester City and Aston Villa in the previous post. This game was halfway between those two games in terms of performances and results and the most unsatisfactory. We didn't play as well as against Man City, but we outplayed and outclassed Wolves and surely deserved all three points. Obviously we were all disappointed at the Abbey Tavern and some expressed their displeasure with the team, but it wasn't fair to our players to criticise their performance. They played some slick football especially in the first half and showed their desire to win. They did absolutely everything but score in order to win the game. Unfortunately, Wolves goalkeeper, Hennessey, had an outstanding performance, while the ball did not fall for us.
That said, this was the game for which the results mattered. We couldn't capitalise on Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool dropping points on the previous day. Three points should have sent us to the fourth in the table and this time around not temporarily. The results frustrated us most rather than performance.
Fortunately, games come thick and fast at this time of the year, leaving us with no time to dwell on the disappointing result. The next two games can be tricky, which will be played within only two days of each other. RVP is likely to be rested in one of the two games. Now it looks a slim chance that he will break Alan Shearer's record, he might start from the bench against QPR at home on the New Year's eve. We probably need him more for Fulham away game.
We would like to choose Gervinho for Man of the Match, not just because he scored our only goal (you may know by now that we tend to avoid obvious choices), but because his constant hard work is due for some recognition.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 6
Didn't have much to do as Wolves registered only one shot on target. Couldn't he have done more to stop Fletcher's header going in or prevent him meeting the deflection?
Djourou: 4
His defence was far from convincing and his passing was poor.
Mertesacker: 8
Looked solid. Made some important blocks and good passes. Unlucky not to score.
Koscielny: 8
Defensively reliable and made good runs forward, too.
Vermaelen: 7
Good tackles, more runs forward and crosses. Had a better game as the left-back, but there were moments when his desire to win nearly got better of him.
Rosicky: 8
He was in the heart of Arsenal's attacking moves. Shame he blasted wide when he could have done better, but he looked more confident in shooting than he had been in the last couple of seasons.
Arteta: 7
Never put a foot wrong. I have seen better free-kicks by him in an Everton shirt.
Song: 5
We thought we missed him while he was serving suspension in the last game, but his performance was disappointing in this game. His passing left a lot to be desired. Replaced in the 71st minute by Ramsey.
Benayoun: 8
Set up a goal for Gervinho via a defence-splitting pass. Replaced in 64 minutes by Arshavin.
Gervinho: 9
Finally he got his decision and finish spot-on (to be honest, we didn't have much faith in him. We all thought he was going to mess it up) and his hard work was rewarded in the shape of a goal, which was executed with great composure.
Van Persie: 7
He was as creative as always. He had several chances to score himself, but it wasn't his day. Some fans say that this is the kind of game which makes him want to leave Arsenal. Maybe so result-wise, but he cannot fault his team-mates' efforts and commitment. He admits that at Arsenal he gets so many chances to score that he can afford to take gambles to try out various techniques, hence his impressive goal-scoring form so far. This game was no exception. He has an equal share of blame for not winning the game.
Subs
Arshavin: 7
Came on at 64th minute for Benayoun. Lively. Made a very good effort, which unfortunately hit the woodwork.
Ramsey: 6
Replaced Song as Arsenal looked for an elusive second goal. His introduction seemed to have fuelled Arsenal's attacking moves, but failed to make his mark.
Chamakh: 4
Came off the bench at 85th minute to replace Djourou as Arsenal desperately sought a last-grasp winner. He nearly knocked out RVP.
Referee
Stuart Attwell: 4
So many of his decisions were inconsistent. He gave a foul against Vermaelen for a handball, which was less clear than Wolves player's handball in the box just a minute ago. A red card against Milijas may have been a bit harsh. Another Wolves player's tackle on Ramsey, a couple of seconds after the incident, was worse than the red-carded challenge on Arteta, but it went unpunished.
One of the major talking points regarding the team selection in this period was when to rest RVP. Given his injury record, it would be too much for him to play three games in a space of 6 days. However, this game came 6 days after the previous match and 4 days before the next one, so his inclusion in the starting XI was pretty much anticipated especially as he was only 2 goals away from matching the goal-scoring record set by Alan Shearer. In the ideal world, if he had scored a hat-trick in this game and broke the record, Arsenal could have rested him on the last day of 2011 ahead of Fulham away game in the New Year. But it wasn't to be. In fact, RVP had enough chances to score a hat-trick, but luck and his finishing deserted him yesterday.
The impact subs against Aston Villa earned their deserved places in the starting line-up thanks to their impressive performances 6 days ago. Rosicky came in for Ramsey, who has had a couple of disappointing games recently and looked as if he could have done with a breather, so the boss' decision was understandable. Benayoun filled in for Theo. We were disappointed to see Oxlade-Chamberlain only make
the bench, but the winning-goal scorer in the last game deserved a place in the starting XI and actually started very well.
Arsene Wenger seems to prefer Koscielny in the central defence and Vermaelen at left-back as he deployed Djourou at right-back as soon as he had got back from injury. We don't know why the boss is reluctant to field Koscielny at right-back, Vermaelen in central defence and Miquel at left-back.
We compared the two contrasting games against Manchester City and Aston Villa in the previous post. This game was halfway between those two games in terms of performances and results and the most unsatisfactory. We didn't play as well as against Man City, but we outplayed and outclassed Wolves and surely deserved all three points. Obviously we were all disappointed at the Abbey Tavern and some expressed their displeasure with the team, but it wasn't fair to our players to criticise their performance. They played some slick football especially in the first half and showed their desire to win. They did absolutely everything but score in order to win the game. Unfortunately, Wolves goalkeeper, Hennessey, had an outstanding performance, while the ball did not fall for us.
That said, this was the game for which the results mattered. We couldn't capitalise on Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool dropping points on the previous day. Three points should have sent us to the fourth in the table and this time around not temporarily. The results frustrated us most rather than performance.
Fortunately, games come thick and fast at this time of the year, leaving us with no time to dwell on the disappointing result. The next two games can be tricky, which will be played within only two days of each other. RVP is likely to be rested in one of the two games. Now it looks a slim chance that he will break Alan Shearer's record, he might start from the bench against QPR at home on the New Year's eve. We probably need him more for Fulham away game.
We would like to choose Gervinho for Man of the Match, not just because he scored our only goal (you may know by now that we tend to avoid obvious choices), but because his constant hard work is due for some recognition.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 6
Didn't have much to do as Wolves registered only one shot on target. Couldn't he have done more to stop Fletcher's header going in or prevent him meeting the deflection?
Djourou: 4
His defence was far from convincing and his passing was poor.
Mertesacker: 8
Looked solid. Made some important blocks and good passes. Unlucky not to score.
Koscielny: 8
Defensively reliable and made good runs forward, too.
Vermaelen: 7
Good tackles, more runs forward and crosses. Had a better game as the left-back, but there were moments when his desire to win nearly got better of him.
Rosicky: 8
He was in the heart of Arsenal's attacking moves. Shame he blasted wide when he could have done better, but he looked more confident in shooting than he had been in the last couple of seasons.
Arteta: 7
Never put a foot wrong. I have seen better free-kicks by him in an Everton shirt.
Song: 5
We thought we missed him while he was serving suspension in the last game, but his performance was disappointing in this game. His passing left a lot to be desired. Replaced in the 71st minute by Ramsey.
Benayoun: 8
Set up a goal for Gervinho via a defence-splitting pass. Replaced in 64 minutes by Arshavin.
Gervinho: 9
Finally he got his decision and finish spot-on (to be honest, we didn't have much faith in him. We all thought he was going to mess it up) and his hard work was rewarded in the shape of a goal, which was executed with great composure.
Van Persie: 7
He was as creative as always. He had several chances to score himself, but it wasn't his day. Some fans say that this is the kind of game which makes him want to leave Arsenal. Maybe so result-wise, but he cannot fault his team-mates' efforts and commitment. He admits that at Arsenal he gets so many chances to score that he can afford to take gambles to try out various techniques, hence his impressive goal-scoring form so far. This game was no exception. He has an equal share of blame for not winning the game.
Subs
Arshavin: 7
Came on at 64th minute for Benayoun. Lively. Made a very good effort, which unfortunately hit the woodwork.
Ramsey: 6
Replaced Song as Arsenal looked for an elusive second goal. His introduction seemed to have fuelled Arsenal's attacking moves, but failed to make his mark.
Chamakh: 4
Came off the bench at 85th minute to replace Djourou as Arsenal desperately sought a last-grasp winner. He nearly knocked out RVP.
Referee
Stuart Attwell: 4
So many of his decisions were inconsistent. He gave a foul against Vermaelen for a handball, which was less clear than Wolves player's handball in the box just a minute ago. A red card against Milijas may have been a bit harsh. Another Wolves player's tackle on Ramsey, a couple of seconds after the incident, was worse than the red-carded challenge on Arteta, but it went unpunished.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 2
The game presented sheer contrast to the match played just three days ago. You would ask yourself which you like better, great football with no points out of it or three points with unsatisfactory performance. Arsenal bagged all three points in the end, but their performance was below-par and the win was far from convincing.
Maybe the game came too soon after the intense battle against Manchester City. The dire full-back situation didn't help, either. Aston Villa players constantly threatened the flanks, firing crosses into the box. Arsene Wenger has to address this issue and find a solution by signing a full-back on loan or on a permanent basis. Otherwise we cannot go on without any recognised full-back for very long. Makeshift back-four can only stand the pressure for a limited amount of time.
Arsenal's passing was poor in this game. Especially Frimpong was disappointing. We really missed Song, who was serving a one-match suspension after receiving the 5th yellow card of the season on Sunday. Surprisingly, Arsenal's passing success rate was only marginally lower than their average (around 84%) at 81.8%.
For Sunday's game, Arsenal were unlucky not to come away with at least a point, while Aston Villa may have deserved a point from this game. As football fans, we all enjoy a good game of football regardless of the result, but as Arsenal fans, we don't mind getting the result when our team haven't played at their best. This was the game we would have lost in recent seasons. Coming through the difficult start to the season has certainly strengthened the team mentally and gelled them together.
As for our Man of the Match, it is too close to call between Szczeny and Koscielny, so they are our joint Men of the Match.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 8
Made some great stops, including match-saving blocks.
Coquelin: 5
Struggled to keep Villa attacks on the right flank at bay.
Mertesacker: 6
Villa's equaliser was perhaps largely attributed to Vermaelen, but Per could have done better to stop Albrighten nipping in. He received a yellow card as a result of a totally worthless challenge. On the other hand, he showed great spirit in front of Villa goal and went close to score goals.
Koscielny: 8
The best Arsenal defender on the night.
Vermaelen: 6
One of his relatively poor games. His error led to Villa equaliser.
Ramsey: 5
He had a poor game by his own admission (he tweeted so). His passing wasn't best and his finishing and/or split-second decisions let him down again. He should have done better when he got into the great position than shooting horribly wide. On the other hand, his block saved Arsenal conceding an early goal.
Arteta: 7
His clever thinking from a throw-in allowed Walcott to earn a penalty.
Frimpong: 5
Song's suspension meant a much-anticipated chance for the 19 year-old to shine, but he failed to take it. His passing was poor and he wasn't very effective in breaking down Villa attacks in midfield. He was replaced by Rosicky at 66th minute, which was an excellent decision by the boss.
Walcott: 8
Constantly threatened Villa defence. His great move in the box earned him a penalty gracefully (he didn't go down as if he had been shot).
Gervinho: 7
He had a relatively quiet game offensively. On the defensive side, he worked hard as usual, which was extremely important when we only had a makeshift left-back.
Van Persie: 8
He posed a threat to Villa defenders with his mobility.
Subs
Rosicky: 8
Came on the pitch in 66 minute to replace Frimpong and made the massive difference immediately. He brought fluency in passing and movements, changing the rhythm. He always makes an impact when he has come off the bench. Good sub. That's what we want from a 30 year-old player. We shouldn't sell him.
Benayoun: 8
One of the double substitions brought on at 81st minute and scored 6 minutes later. He injected energy into the team and the game. Great header from the diminutive player. He is hungry for playing time, is keen to take a chance to show what he is capable of and you can see that in his game. He dedicated the goal to Vermaelen according to his tweet. I don't know what story is behind this, but it is nice to see some togetherness in the team. Speaking about the twitter, after Arsenal's defeat of Chelsea, he congratulated his current team-mates on the twitter, which apparently infuriated Chelsea-supporter followers. He is a Gooner at heart. We should see him play more often when Gervinho goes to Africa Cup of Nations as he is a better option than Arshavin at the moment.
Arshavin: 5
The other of the double substitutions. Made a good effort, which was deflected over the bar.
Referee
Jonathan Moss: 4
More like Jonathan Ross. He booked RVP for diving instead of awarding him a penalty. Match of the Day replay showed there was a contact, which proved the decision for diving was wrong. This was the second penalty shout wrongfully turned down in two games in a row.
Maybe the game came too soon after the intense battle against Manchester City. The dire full-back situation didn't help, either. Aston Villa players constantly threatened the flanks, firing crosses into the box. Arsene Wenger has to address this issue and find a solution by signing a full-back on loan or on a permanent basis. Otherwise we cannot go on without any recognised full-back for very long. Makeshift back-four can only stand the pressure for a limited amount of time.
Arsenal's passing was poor in this game. Especially Frimpong was disappointing. We really missed Song, who was serving a one-match suspension after receiving the 5th yellow card of the season on Sunday. Surprisingly, Arsenal's passing success rate was only marginally lower than their average (around 84%) at 81.8%.
For Sunday's game, Arsenal were unlucky not to come away with at least a point, while Aston Villa may have deserved a point from this game. As football fans, we all enjoy a good game of football regardless of the result, but as Arsenal fans, we don't mind getting the result when our team haven't played at their best. This was the game we would have lost in recent seasons. Coming through the difficult start to the season has certainly strengthened the team mentally and gelled them together.
As for our Man of the Match, it is too close to call between Szczeny and Koscielny, so they are our joint Men of the Match.
Player ratings
Szczeny: 8
Made some great stops, including match-saving blocks.
Coquelin: 5
Struggled to keep Villa attacks on the right flank at bay.
Mertesacker: 6
Villa's equaliser was perhaps largely attributed to Vermaelen, but Per could have done better to stop Albrighten nipping in. He received a yellow card as a result of a totally worthless challenge. On the other hand, he showed great spirit in front of Villa goal and went close to score goals.
Koscielny: 8
The best Arsenal defender on the night.
Vermaelen: 6
One of his relatively poor games. His error led to Villa equaliser.
Ramsey: 5
He had a poor game by his own admission (he tweeted so). His passing wasn't best and his finishing and/or split-second decisions let him down again. He should have done better when he got into the great position than shooting horribly wide. On the other hand, his block saved Arsenal conceding an early goal.
Arteta: 7
His clever thinking from a throw-in allowed Walcott to earn a penalty.
Frimpong: 5
Song's suspension meant a much-anticipated chance for the 19 year-old to shine, but he failed to take it. His passing was poor and he wasn't very effective in breaking down Villa attacks in midfield. He was replaced by Rosicky at 66th minute, which was an excellent decision by the boss.
Walcott: 8
Constantly threatened Villa defence. His great move in the box earned him a penalty gracefully (he didn't go down as if he had been shot).
Gervinho: 7
He had a relatively quiet game offensively. On the defensive side, he worked hard as usual, which was extremely important when we only had a makeshift left-back.
Van Persie: 8
He posed a threat to Villa defenders with his mobility.
Subs
Rosicky: 8
Came on the pitch in 66 minute to replace Frimpong and made the massive difference immediately. He brought fluency in passing and movements, changing the rhythm. He always makes an impact when he has come off the bench. Good sub. That's what we want from a 30 year-old player. We shouldn't sell him.
Benayoun: 8
One of the double substitions brought on at 81st minute and scored 6 minutes later. He injected energy into the team and the game. Great header from the diminutive player. He is hungry for playing time, is keen to take a chance to show what he is capable of and you can see that in his game. He dedicated the goal to Vermaelen according to his tweet. I don't know what story is behind this, but it is nice to see some togetherness in the team. Speaking about the twitter, after Arsenal's defeat of Chelsea, he congratulated his current team-mates on the twitter, which apparently infuriated Chelsea-supporter followers. He is a Gooner at heart. We should see him play more often when Gervinho goes to Africa Cup of Nations as he is a better option than Arshavin at the moment.
Arshavin: 5
The other of the double substitutions. Made a good effort, which was deflected over the bar.
Referee
Jonathan Moss: 4
More like Jonathan Ross. He booked RVP for diving instead of awarding him a penalty. Match of the Day replay showed there was a contact, which proved the decision for diving was wrong. This was the second penalty shout wrongfully turned down in two games in a row.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Manchester City 1 Arsenal 0
It was a good game of football. The result was disappointing, especially because we deserved at least a point out of the game and could have won the game on a lucky day. Nonetheless, we all enjoyed excellent football from the both sides and were happy with our players' performance.
Just compare how much money each of the two clubs has spent and are spending for their players. The game proved that there was not much in the quality and performance of the players between the two sides. Media used old clichés, "Manchester City were a better side" or "City were too good for Arsenal", simply because of the result. Skysports stats show Arsenal had more possession throughout the game with 53%, and 61.1% in the second-half alone. Before the match, everybody expected Man City to dominate the game in possession. Arsenal played their style of football and went very close to win the game. Our players did us proud.
Arsene Wenger blamed the defensive reshuffle following the injury to Djourou for the goal conceded. It allowed Balotelli to make a run in the entire Arsenal half unmarked, but after the mishap, Arsenal's reorganised defence coped well with Man City attacks. I thought it was a tactical change because Koscielny played better than Djourou at right-back and Miquel did not do a bad job at left-back. Actually our defence looked solid throughout the game (maybe except for the first 10 minutes, when we thought this could have been long 90 minutes).
I quite like our current team. They don't have the same creative flair we had last season nor win games with emphatic scorelines, but they are unlikely to capitulate from 4-0 up at half-time (even with certain Phil Dowd on the mission to stage a greatest come-back in the Premier League history) or surrender a two-goal lead and go on to lose 3-2 to North London archrivals.
The two summer signings, Mertersacker and Arteta, have brought experience to the young team and provided calming and settling presence.The team now know how to control games. Their good work often go unnoticed because of the nature of their roles. However, at Arsenal Playa Flamenca Supporters Club, we appreciate the influence of these two experienced players. In contrast to their calming influence, Captain Vantastic and vice-captain the Verminator drive the team with determination and desire to win.
I don't think the outcome of this game will have negative effects on our players. Arsenal have easier fixtures coming up for the next 12 days. It is a good time to get back to winning ways. Hopefully, we can get all 9 points and put pressure on Chelsea and Tottenham, at least one of which will drop points during the same period.
Our Man of the Match is Thomas Vermaelen. He nearly scored twice at later stage and showed great spirit.
Players ratings:
Szczeny: 9
Made great stops, some of which could have been match-deciders. He was as good as Joe Hart.
Djourou: 7
Reluctant to go forward and overlap with Walcott, which was largely anticipated, though. Replaced at 47th minute due to a groin strain, which could sideline him for three weeks.
Mertesacker: 8
Looked solid. Only complaint was that he should probably have covered Koscielny when Balotelli made the run.
Koscielny: 8
Good performance as the centre-back. Wasn't bad as the right-back, either, although some distributions were poor. As the right-back, he was more adventurous than Djourou (actually, he made great forward runs as the centre-back as well before he took the right-back position) and put some good crosses in. He may not feel comfortable playing the right-back, but he can get used to it and improve his game.
Vermaelen: 9
Started as the left-back and ended the game as the centre-back. Solid all through the game.
Ramsey: 8
He made some great runs to get into the area, but his finishing let him down. He always wants one touch too many before he shoots. I've read a lot of criticism from fans about him recently, especially about his fitness level. Apparently he covers the most distance of all players in the Premier League. Doesn't this stat show that he's back to full fitness now?
Arteta: 8
Reliable as usual.
Song: 8
Good both defensively and offensively. Made some incisive passes again. His passing has significantly improved this season.
Walcott: 7
This is where our views were divided (it always seems to be on him). Before the match, many thought he would hold the key to Arsenal's attacking as City didn't have any established left-back with Kolarov injured and Clichy suspended. Despite the expectations, Theo had a quiet game apart from one powerful shot, which forced a good save from Joe Hart. Some of us think his subdued performance was due to the lack of service. An eagle-eyed member spotted him waving to invite a pass only to be ignored by Arteta.
Gervinho: 9
His work rate was once again phenomenal. One second he was in the opponents' box and the next second he was at the other end defending. He was unlucky not to put his name on the score sheet as Joe Hart didn't know anything about his "brilliant save".
Van Persie: 8
Marked tightly by Man City defenders all through the game, but he still managed to prove that he only needed one chance to do something special, when he found space. Match of the Day replay showed he was played on-side by Kompany, who was on the far side to the assistant referee, and his goal should have stood.
Subs
Miquel: 8
47th-minute substitution for injured Djourou. He did well under the circumstances and out of position. (He has to get used to playing in this position if he wants the first-team action as Arsenal's full-back drought looks set to continue).
Arshavin: 5
Came off the bench at 69th minute for Walcott. He had a clear-cut chance to score and shine, but his effort was disappointing.
Chamakh: 5
Replaced Mertesacker in 82 minute, which meant Arsenal were attacking with four strikers, leaving only two in midfield. However, he failed to make a difference.
Referee
Phil Dowd: 4
We thought we hadn't suffered from bad decisions this season, then this game came. RVP was not off side and Micah Richards handled the ball in the box. These decisions could have meant two goals to Arsenal.
Just compare how much money each of the two clubs has spent and are spending for their players. The game proved that there was not much in the quality and performance of the players between the two sides. Media used old clichés, "Manchester City were a better side" or "City were too good for Arsenal", simply because of the result. Skysports stats show Arsenal had more possession throughout the game with 53%, and 61.1% in the second-half alone. Before the match, everybody expected Man City to dominate the game in possession. Arsenal played their style of football and went very close to win the game. Our players did us proud.
Arsene Wenger blamed the defensive reshuffle following the injury to Djourou for the goal conceded. It allowed Balotelli to make a run in the entire Arsenal half unmarked, but after the mishap, Arsenal's reorganised defence coped well with Man City attacks. I thought it was a tactical change because Koscielny played better than Djourou at right-back and Miquel did not do a bad job at left-back. Actually our defence looked solid throughout the game (maybe except for the first 10 minutes, when we thought this could have been long 90 minutes).
I quite like our current team. They don't have the same creative flair we had last season nor win games with emphatic scorelines, but they are unlikely to capitulate from 4-0 up at half-time (even with certain Phil Dowd on the mission to stage a greatest come-back in the Premier League history) or surrender a two-goal lead and go on to lose 3-2 to North London archrivals.
The two summer signings, Mertersacker and Arteta, have brought experience to the young team and provided calming and settling presence.The team now know how to control games. Their good work often go unnoticed because of the nature of their roles. However, at Arsenal Playa Flamenca Supporters Club, we appreciate the influence of these two experienced players. In contrast to their calming influence, Captain Vantastic and vice-captain the Verminator drive the team with determination and desire to win.
I don't think the outcome of this game will have negative effects on our players. Arsenal have easier fixtures coming up for the next 12 days. It is a good time to get back to winning ways. Hopefully, we can get all 9 points and put pressure on Chelsea and Tottenham, at least one of which will drop points during the same period.
Our Man of the Match is Thomas Vermaelen. He nearly scored twice at later stage and showed great spirit.
Players ratings:
Szczeny: 9
Made great stops, some of which could have been match-deciders. He was as good as Joe Hart.
Djourou: 7
Reluctant to go forward and overlap with Walcott, which was largely anticipated, though. Replaced at 47th minute due to a groin strain, which could sideline him for three weeks.
Mertesacker: 8
Looked solid. Only complaint was that he should probably have covered Koscielny when Balotelli made the run.
Koscielny: 8
Good performance as the centre-back. Wasn't bad as the right-back, either, although some distributions were poor. As the right-back, he was more adventurous than Djourou (actually, he made great forward runs as the centre-back as well before he took the right-back position) and put some good crosses in. He may not feel comfortable playing the right-back, but he can get used to it and improve his game.
Vermaelen: 9
Started as the left-back and ended the game as the centre-back. Solid all through the game.
Ramsey: 8
He made some great runs to get into the area, but his finishing let him down. He always wants one touch too many before he shoots. I've read a lot of criticism from fans about him recently, especially about his fitness level. Apparently he covers the most distance of all players in the Premier League. Doesn't this stat show that he's back to full fitness now?
Arteta: 8
Reliable as usual.
Song: 8
Good both defensively and offensively. Made some incisive passes again. His passing has significantly improved this season.
Walcott: 7
This is where our views were divided (it always seems to be on him). Before the match, many thought he would hold the key to Arsenal's attacking as City didn't have any established left-back with Kolarov injured and Clichy suspended. Despite the expectations, Theo had a quiet game apart from one powerful shot, which forced a good save from Joe Hart. Some of us think his subdued performance was due to the lack of service. An eagle-eyed member spotted him waving to invite a pass only to be ignored by Arteta.
Gervinho: 9
His work rate was once again phenomenal. One second he was in the opponents' box and the next second he was at the other end defending. He was unlucky not to put his name on the score sheet as Joe Hart didn't know anything about his "brilliant save".
Van Persie: 8
Marked tightly by Man City defenders all through the game, but he still managed to prove that he only needed one chance to do something special, when he found space. Match of the Day replay showed he was played on-side by Kompany, who was on the far side to the assistant referee, and his goal should have stood.
Subs
Miquel: 8
47th-minute substitution for injured Djourou. He did well under the circumstances and out of position. (He has to get used to playing in this position if he wants the first-team action as Arsenal's full-back drought looks set to continue).
Arshavin: 5
Came off the bench at 69th minute for Walcott. He had a clear-cut chance to score and shine, but his effort was disappointing.
Chamakh: 5
Replaced Mertesacker in 82 minute, which meant Arsenal were attacking with four strikers, leaving only two in midfield. However, he failed to make a difference.
Referee
Phil Dowd: 4
We thought we hadn't suffered from bad decisions this season, then this game came. RVP was not off side and Micah Richards handled the ball in the box. These decisions could have meant two goals to Arsenal.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
2011 Christmas Party
Our Christmas party took place on 12 December at Pablo's bar in Playa Flamenca, Spain. Following the last year's huge success and popularity, 46 guests turned up to share festive fun and enjoy Christmas dinner and entertainment.
We were welcomed with a glass of Cava on arrival. The party kicked off at 7:30 pm and as we seated ourselves, Ricky's carefully compiled Arsenal videos started. The video archives told Arsenal's 125 year history with famous victories and stunning goals (as well as a couple of heart-breaking defeats only noticed by watchful eyes). We thought RVP's goal against Everton was exceptional and today's players were blessed with more technical abilities, but some of those goals from the old days were just breath-taking. The show was a feast for the eyes.
Between the courses, Arsenal trivia quiz questions were read out by Mabel the Quizmistress and the guests were tested on their knowledge about our great football club. Later in the evening, Maurice 22 team (Mo, Maureen Q, Mick, Maureen J, and Pat) came top with the impressive 22 points and were awarded Arsenal quiz champion Cava.
Following Chairman Mo's speech, raffle was drawn, which proved to be a success, bringing €120 into the Supporters Club fund. A football scratch card was also sold. Tonight's winner was Tony, while PF Gooners also benefitted from the proceeds.
Collections were made for Maggie and her staff, who worked hard to make all the proceedings go smoothly, and presented as our gratitude for good food and excellent service.
The night grew with dance and a few songs from the guests, including Trevor and John. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night.
We have posted only a few photos here. This year we chose to post all the party photos on our Facebook Page so we can post more photos with captions alongside them and exchange comments on each photo. Please follow the link by clicking here to have a look at more photos.
We were welcomed with a glass of Cava on arrival. The party kicked off at 7:30 pm and as we seated ourselves, Ricky's carefully compiled Arsenal videos started. The video archives told Arsenal's 125 year history with famous victories and stunning goals (as well as a couple of heart-breaking defeats only noticed by watchful eyes). We thought RVP's goal against Everton was exceptional and today's players were blessed with more technical abilities, but some of those goals from the old days were just breath-taking. The show was a feast for the eyes.
Between the courses, Arsenal trivia quiz questions were read out by Mabel the Quizmistress and the guests were tested on their knowledge about our great football club. Later in the evening, Maurice 22 team (Mo, Maureen Q, Mick, Maureen J, and Pat) came top with the impressive 22 points and were awarded Arsenal quiz champion Cava.
Following Chairman Mo's speech, raffle was drawn, which proved to be a success, bringing €120 into the Supporters Club fund. A football scratch card was also sold. Tonight's winner was Tony, while PF Gooners also benefitted from the proceeds.
Collections were made for Maggie and her staff, who worked hard to make all the proceedings go smoothly, and presented as our gratitude for good food and excellent service.
The night grew with dance and a few songs from the guests, including Trevor and John. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night.
We have posted only a few photos here. This year we chose to post all the party photos on our Facebook Page so we can post more photos with captions alongside them and exchange comments on each photo. Please follow the link by clicking here to have a look at more photos.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Arsenal 1 Everton 0
Most of media reports described this game "largely scrappy" and Arsenal's performance "uninspiring", but I enjoyed both the game and the team's performance (I must admit that if the result had gone wrong way, I might not have enjoyed the game so much). Arsenal didn't make the game easy by failing to be clinical enough in front of the goal, but they created plenty of chances in the first half, some of which were easy on the eyes. The defence was solid. Considering the fact that Arsenal currently has no recognised full-backs, following Santos' injury in the midweek game, their defensive performance was encouraging. Vermaelen looked good as the left-back.
The goal came in 70 minute after Everton had tightened up their defence by replacing striker Saha with a centre-back, Distin, looking like they were going for a goalless draw, while Arsenal were preparing to throw in more attacking force in Rosicky and Arshavin in order to break a deadlock. The subs had to wait.
RVP was the hero once again. He had a relatively poor game by his own standards and by his own admision. His touch deserted him. However, a moment of brilliance made up for it.
Three points were absolutely vital to keep up with the top four and saw Arsenal climb to the 4th spot for the first time this season as a result. It may only be until Monday night (I am hoping Chelsea will beat Man City or draw at least), but we are now very close to where we wanted to be.
Our Man of the Match is Alex Song because we rate overall performance more than a moment of brilliance.
Players ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Although Everton had only one shot on target, he was active with some good clearances. However, he could have made his defenders' lives easier by coming forward to claim the ball on some occasions.
Djourou: 7
Looked solid.
Koscielny: 8
Won all the aerial battles.
Vermaelen: 8
Some great tackles, including fending off Cahill in a very dangerous area. He did a good job in an unfamiliar position (I have read somewhere that he occasionally plays the left-back for Belgium national team, though).
Ramsey: 8
Personally, I think he had a good game. He made some great moves into the box to get in good positions, as well as providing incisive passes (which is what we expect from him most) and linking up with other attacking players. His turn and shot in the box were a sequence of beautiful and technically superb moves. Had it hit the target, it would have been a strong contender for the Goal of the Month against RVP's sublime volley.
Arteta: 8
Did well amid the media focus as this game was a first meeting with his old club. Even an early yellow card did not stop him from working hard. He had good link-up play as well.
Song: 8
His passing is improving. His clipped pass to RVP was exquisite and deserves every credit.
Walcott: 8
He had one of his better games. He can beat defenders not only with pace, but strength and trickery as well. His crosses are getting better. He even had a powerful shot from the right-hand side, which forced a good save out of Tim Howard. He is developing into a great winger.
Gervinho: 7
Lively, but his finishing and split-second decisions in front of the goal let him down.
Van Persie: 8
Superb goal which will be rememberd for a long time on Arsenal's 125th anniversary. However, otherwise, his performance on the day was below his standards.
Subs
Rosicky: 7
83rd-minute substitution. He was supposed to come on earlier, but RVP's goal changed the plan. He was bright. Although he has made only short appreances recently, his performance has been consistent and has made an impact. Good sub.
Miquel: 7
Substituted Vermaelen at the 83rd minute. Didn't put a foot wrong.
Frimpong: N/A
Came on for Walcott to shore up the defence in 89 minute. Did his job to see off Everton.
Referee
Howard Webb: 6
Decisions were OK, but was he Everton's 12th player? He got Arsenal players' way on several occasions on the edge of Arsenal box.
The goal came in 70 minute after Everton had tightened up their defence by replacing striker Saha with a centre-back, Distin, looking like they were going for a goalless draw, while Arsenal were preparing to throw in more attacking force in Rosicky and Arshavin in order to break a deadlock. The subs had to wait.
RVP was the hero once again. He had a relatively poor game by his own standards and by his own admision. His touch deserted him. However, a moment of brilliance made up for it.
Three points were absolutely vital to keep up with the top four and saw Arsenal climb to the 4th spot for the first time this season as a result. It may only be until Monday night (I am hoping Chelsea will beat Man City or draw at least), but we are now very close to where we wanted to be.
Our Man of the Match is Alex Song because we rate overall performance more than a moment of brilliance.
Players ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Although Everton had only one shot on target, he was active with some good clearances. However, he could have made his defenders' lives easier by coming forward to claim the ball on some occasions.
Djourou: 7
A lot better than Tuesday night.
Mertesacker: 7Looked solid.
Koscielny: 8
Won all the aerial battles.
Vermaelen: 8
Some great tackles, including fending off Cahill in a very dangerous area. He did a good job in an unfamiliar position (I have read somewhere that he occasionally plays the left-back for Belgium national team, though).
Ramsey: 8
Personally, I think he had a good game. He made some great moves into the box to get in good positions, as well as providing incisive passes (which is what we expect from him most) and linking up with other attacking players. His turn and shot in the box were a sequence of beautiful and technically superb moves. Had it hit the target, it would have been a strong contender for the Goal of the Month against RVP's sublime volley.
Arteta: 8
Did well amid the media focus as this game was a first meeting with his old club. Even an early yellow card did not stop him from working hard. He had good link-up play as well.
Song: 8
His passing is improving. His clipped pass to RVP was exquisite and deserves every credit.
Walcott: 8
He had one of his better games. He can beat defenders not only with pace, but strength and trickery as well. His crosses are getting better. He even had a powerful shot from the right-hand side, which forced a good save out of Tim Howard. He is developing into a great winger.
Gervinho: 7
Lively, but his finishing and split-second decisions in front of the goal let him down.
Van Persie: 8
Superb goal which will be rememberd for a long time on Arsenal's 125th anniversary. However, otherwise, his performance on the day was below his standards.
Subs
Rosicky: 7
83rd-minute substitution. He was supposed to come on earlier, but RVP's goal changed the plan. He was bright. Although he has made only short appreances recently, his performance has been consistent and has made an impact. Good sub.
Miquel: 7
Substituted Vermaelen at the 83rd minute. Didn't put a foot wrong.
Frimpong: N/A
Came on for Walcott to shore up the defence in 89 minute. Did his job to see off Everton.
Referee
Howard Webb: 6
Decisions were OK, but was he Everton's 12th player? He got Arsenal players' way on several occasions on the edge of Arsenal box.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Olympiacos 3 Arsenal 1
Is this Arsenal's worst performance we have seen for a long time? The team did not have any shape, with no cohesion nor desire to win. What I don't understand was why they performed so badly, because they are almost the same group of players who impressed us last week.
Arsenal played in exactly the same situation before: they were already through to the knockout stages with a game to spare and Arsene Wenger fielded the youngest ever team to play in the Champions League against the same Greek side. They were narrowly defeated, but the next morning, all the papers praised their brave and committed performance with a headline "Hold your head high". In comparison to this young 2009 team, Tuesday's team consisted of more experienced first-teamers. Out of the starting XI, only three players were under 21 and they are already a part of the first-team.
So what went wrong? Arsenal gave away the ball too cheaply and too often. Their passing success rate was 79.9% according Sky Sports site, which is far too low compared to Arsenal's starndards (usually around 84%). For the weekend game against Wigan, Arsenal's collective passing success rate was 89% (source: the Sunday Mirror), while Ramsey achieved over 90% mark. Olympiacos pressed them very hard and were always looking to intercept passes, but some passing by Arsenal players was just sloppy and too casual.
Arsene Wenger admitted "I don't think we had the right tactical approach." Could anybody explain this? Did he mean his selection of players? It looked like Arsenal played 4-4-2, which was similar to the last week's Carling Cup game, but each player did not seem to understand their role very well, hence no shape to offensive nor defensive moves. The system worked well against Man City, thanks to the two young defensive midfielders' outstanding performance, but in this game, Arsenal looked short of creativity. When Rosicky came off the bench, he highlighted what Arsenal had been missing.
For Olympiacos, their qualification was at stake and they had everything to play for in this game. On the other hand, the result meant very little to Arsenal, who had already secured their place in the last 16 and won Group F. However, this group of players had a lot to prove and should have been desperate to impress. While Olympiacos showed their determination and commitment, there was no urgency nor desire to win seen from most of Arsenal players (especially those who needed playing time).
It is difficult to find positives we can take from this game. Experience? Maybe for the young players like Chambo, Coquelin, Frimpong, Miquel, and Mannone. If fact, these players, except for Mannone, were better players than most of the more experienced players on the pitch.
Hopefully, Saturday will be a totally different story with many changes to this evening's line-up. The injury to Santos, the only proper left-back we had since Gibbs was sidelined, was a huge blow coming from this game, but fortunately he does not seem to be out for very long. In the meantime, Vermaelen is likely to slot into the left-back position, with Koscielny paired with Mertesacker in central defence and Djourou at right-back. Hopefully, Djourou will improve his performance significantly from this game!
As for the usual (Arsenal) Man of the Match, it is difficult to choose one player for wrong reasons, but we choose Benayoun, who was one of a few players who showed their desire and scored a goal on the miserable night for Arsenal.
Player ratings: (Before we start, we don't do 2s or 3s as some of our members suggested)
Fabianski: 5
The first goal was a bit unlucky, but his performance was never convincing to the moment he was stretched off at 25th minute due to a deep cut in the knee.
Djourou: 4
He was sloppy and not alert or sharp. You cannot dwell on the ball in your own box with the opponent attacker on you.
Squillaci: 4
Old Squillaci was back just when we thought he was a new player after the last week's game.
Vermaelen: 6
Not his best game. But at least he tried to win the game.
Santos: 6
We don't know why Arsene Wenger played him. He should have been rested as well as other key players because he was the only proper left-back we had. Miquel should have started instead.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 7
He was quiet for the first 15 minutes or so, but he displayed his talent. His crosses were good and he beat tough Olympiacos defenders on several occasions. The game was a good test for him to test his strength.
Coquelin: 7
Survived a brutal challenge from an Olympiacos player. Replaced by Tomas Rosicky in the 67 minute.
Frimpong: 7
He was one of a few players who showed their desire to win. As combative as usual, but he received a yellow card for a reckless challenge, just after he claimed in his pre-match interview that he was no longer reckless and he thought twice before going into challenges.
Arshavin: 5
Some good moves, but he gave away too many balls. Failed to prove his worth.
Chamakh: 4
Had a few good moments, including a great run in the first 15 minutes but not enough to impress. He missed a great chance to score because he didn't bother to make a little extra effort. He didn't even jump to meet crosses. I fondly remember how he saved the first half of Arsenal's season last year when RVP was injured, but he didn't do himself any favour in this game to save his career at Arsenal.
Subs
Mannone: 4
He has to take a sole responsibility for the second goal. He came out of his area to clear the ball with a header, which went straight to Fuster, and then the young Italian keeper failed to realise the situation where he could have simply gathered the ball, but instead he went for it with his feet. Reportedly Mannone told the Club to play him or sell him earlier this season. He got his chance. Hope Szczesny will stay fit for the rest of the season so that we don't have to rely on the back-up keepers.
Miquel: 5
51st-minute substitution for injured Santos. He looked tired, slow to get back to defend.
Rosicky: 7
Made an immediate impact when he came off the bench.
Arsenal played in exactly the same situation before: they were already through to the knockout stages with a game to spare and Arsene Wenger fielded the youngest ever team to play in the Champions League against the same Greek side. They were narrowly defeated, but the next morning, all the papers praised their brave and committed performance with a headline "Hold your head high". In comparison to this young 2009 team, Tuesday's team consisted of more experienced first-teamers. Out of the starting XI, only three players were under 21 and they are already a part of the first-team.
So what went wrong? Arsenal gave away the ball too cheaply and too often. Their passing success rate was 79.9% according Sky Sports site, which is far too low compared to Arsenal's starndards (usually around 84%). For the weekend game against Wigan, Arsenal's collective passing success rate was 89% (source: the Sunday Mirror), while Ramsey achieved over 90% mark. Olympiacos pressed them very hard and were always looking to intercept passes, but some passing by Arsenal players was just sloppy and too casual.
Arsene Wenger admitted "I don't think we had the right tactical approach." Could anybody explain this? Did he mean his selection of players? It looked like Arsenal played 4-4-2, which was similar to the last week's Carling Cup game, but each player did not seem to understand their role very well, hence no shape to offensive nor defensive moves. The system worked well against Man City, thanks to the two young defensive midfielders' outstanding performance, but in this game, Arsenal looked short of creativity. When Rosicky came off the bench, he highlighted what Arsenal had been missing.
For Olympiacos, their qualification was at stake and they had everything to play for in this game. On the other hand, the result meant very little to Arsenal, who had already secured their place in the last 16 and won Group F. However, this group of players had a lot to prove and should have been desperate to impress. While Olympiacos showed their determination and commitment, there was no urgency nor desire to win seen from most of Arsenal players (especially those who needed playing time).
It is difficult to find positives we can take from this game. Experience? Maybe for the young players like Chambo, Coquelin, Frimpong, Miquel, and Mannone. If fact, these players, except for Mannone, were better players than most of the more experienced players on the pitch.
Hopefully, Saturday will be a totally different story with many changes to this evening's line-up. The injury to Santos, the only proper left-back we had since Gibbs was sidelined, was a huge blow coming from this game, but fortunately he does not seem to be out for very long. In the meantime, Vermaelen is likely to slot into the left-back position, with Koscielny paired with Mertesacker in central defence and Djourou at right-back. Hopefully, Djourou will improve his performance significantly from this game!
As for the usual (Arsenal) Man of the Match, it is difficult to choose one player for wrong reasons, but we choose Benayoun, who was one of a few players who showed their desire and scored a goal on the miserable night for Arsenal.
Player ratings: (Before we start, we don't do 2s or 3s as some of our members suggested)
Fabianski: 5
The first goal was a bit unlucky, but his performance was never convincing to the moment he was stretched off at 25th minute due to a deep cut in the knee.
Djourou: 4
He was sloppy and not alert or sharp. You cannot dwell on the ball in your own box with the opponent attacker on you.
Squillaci: 4
Old Squillaci was back just when we thought he was a new player after the last week's game.
Vermaelen: 6
Not his best game. But at least he tried to win the game.
Santos: 6
We don't know why Arsene Wenger played him. He should have been rested as well as other key players because he was the only proper left-back we had. Miquel should have started instead.
Oxlade-Chamberlain: 7
He was quiet for the first 15 minutes or so, but he displayed his talent. His crosses were good and he beat tough Olympiacos defenders on several occasions. The game was a good test for him to test his strength.
Coquelin: 7
Survived a brutal challenge from an Olympiacos player. Replaced by Tomas Rosicky in the 67 minute.
Frimpong: 7
He was one of a few players who showed their desire to win. As combative as usual, but he received a yellow card for a reckless challenge, just after he claimed in his pre-match interview that he was no longer reckless and he thought twice before going into challenges.
Benayoun: 7
Technically superb strike to net Arsenal's only goal. He showed some creativity and commitement. His performance on the night made many Arsenal fans wish to see him play more often for the Club.
Technically superb strike to net Arsenal's only goal. He showed some creativity and commitement. His performance on the night made many Arsenal fans wish to see him play more often for the Club.
Some good moves, but he gave away too many balls. Failed to prove his worth.
Chamakh: 4
Had a few good moments, including a great run in the first 15 minutes but not enough to impress. He missed a great chance to score because he didn't bother to make a little extra effort. He didn't even jump to meet crosses. I fondly remember how he saved the first half of Arsenal's season last year when RVP was injured, but he didn't do himself any favour in this game to save his career at Arsenal.
Subs
Mannone: 4
He has to take a sole responsibility for the second goal. He came out of his area to clear the ball with a header, which went straight to Fuster, and then the young Italian keeper failed to realise the situation where he could have simply gathered the ball, but instead he went for it with his feet. Reportedly Mannone told the Club to play him or sell him earlier this season. He got his chance. Hope Szczesny will stay fit for the rest of the season so that we don't have to rely on the back-up keepers.
Miquel: 5
51st-minute substitution for injured Santos. He looked tired, slow to get back to defend.
Rosicky: 7
Made an immediate impact when he came off the bench.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Wigan 0 Arsenal 4
Although Arsenal were 2-0 up at half time and had the last 25 minutes of the first half in control, when Wigan started the second half brightly, they reminded us how tricky this place has been for Arsenal for the last two seasons. However, Arsenal have been the comeback kings of late, with the highest number (7) of games they came from behind to win or draw, so I was confident about their resilience and mental strength in case Wigan had come back and pulled back a goal. In fact, Arsenal kept their concentration to the last minute and did not take their foot off the gas. They displayed a thoroughly professional performance. It was a comfortable win in the end.
The first two goals were untypical of Arsenal; Arteta's shot from outside the box and Vermaelen's header from a corner. The most efficient way to score. As we are often frustrated by Arsenal's usual attacking display of passing around just outside the box till they get dispossessed, we didn't mind the way they scored these goals.Arsene Wenger expressed his delight for Gervniho's goal in his post-match interview and we feel the same. He has been working hard and doing everything right but the final ball. This time, his split-second decision was spot-on and finishing was good. He was in the right place at the right time, but his reaction to Al Habsi's save was more than just a tap-in. It took some skill to put the ball at the back of the net as the rebound still had a nasty spin on it.
The fact that we had four different goal scorers in this game should shut up all the criticism about Arsenal's dependence on RVP for goal sources, while RVP extended his impressive run of a goal-scoring form as well. On top of these, a clean sheet was another positive outcome from this game.
The fact that we had four different goal scorers in this game should shut up all the criticism about Arsenal's dependence on RVP for goal sources, while RVP extended his impressive run of a goal-scoring form as well. On top of these, a clean sheet was another positive outcome from this game.
As a result of the fine performance from the entire team, Arsenal has risen to the 5th in the league table at the expense of Newcastle and on the strength of the much-improved goal difference.
As for the Man of the Match, Sky Sports and the Sunday Mirror chose RVP and Aaron Ramsey, respectively, while Arteta topped fans' voting with 34% of total votes on the Arsenal.com site. It is difficult to pick one player as our Man of the Match because the emphatic win was the result of collective efforts and a great team performance. However, we would like to take this opportunity to choose Arteta as his work often goes unrecognised.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 8
His decisions were spot-on in this game.
Koscielny: 8
He had another good game, following the midweek action against Man City in his much familiar central defensive position. He often overlapped Walcott, showing signs of confidence as the right-back.
Mertesacker: 8The return of the Verminator clearly benefitted him. He had an inclination to make wrong decisions and wrong passes under the pressure of opposition challenges, but these days he only needs to look at Vermaelen, who gives him instructions as to whether to pass back to the keeper. Having a reliable defender with more experience in the EPL and natural leader alongside him must have taken a burden off his shoulders. He looks more comfortable these days.
Vermaelen: 9As reliable as usual. Scored a great goal with precision. This is just like his debut season when we were all excited with our acquisition of a new centre-back who can score freely. How much we missed him during the last season and the first three months of this season!
Santos: 7His bizarre defensive move nearly cost us a goal. Didn't he know there was no Wigan player behind him? On the other hand, he apparently "blocked" Jordi Gomez's close-range shot, which would have gone in otherwise.
Ramsey: 8He made all the right moves and obviously posed a threat to the Wigan side as he was fouled all afternoon. The understanding and attack-defence balance among the midfield trio was perfect. They may not be as dynamic as their counterparts last season (Fabregas-Wilshere-Song) at their best (which we didn't see as often as we liked because of Fabregas' hamstring problems and his inconsistency in performance), but this season's midfield is getting better and stronger gradually.
Arteta: 9
Excellent.
Song: 8
Did his job well.
Walcott: 8
He did well to stay on his feet when he could have gone down and looked for a penalty. He continued his run and pulled back a great pass to RVP. Captain showed his gratitude to Theo's good work after he scored. Great strike partnership.
Gervinho: 8Finally, his hard work bore fruit. Hopefully the goal has boosted his confidence and more goals will come from him.
Van Persie: 9Cool finish. He tirelessly created space and chances for his team-mates and himself.
Subs
Arshavin: 6
He lost the ball in a simple backward pass to Santos. I like Arshavin as a person and appreciate that he has made his mark in Arsenal's history by scoring four goals against Liverpool, but I haven't been impressed with his performance lately. However, his departure in the January transfer window is unlikely (unlesss we buy Eden Hazard or Mario Gotze) as he will be the first choice to fill the void Gervinho will leave when the Ivorian goes to African Nations' Cup.
Benayoun: 7
Nearly scored.
Coquelin: 6
Got a yellow card for a totally unnecessary foul.
Referee (We don't usually do this, but we were compelled to do it because his performance was appalling)
Mark Clattenburg: 5
Ramsey was clearly held by the Wigan defender in the box, but the ref waved play on. It did not affect the result, but if he had awarded Arsenal a penalty, it would have added to RVP's goal tally most certainly (That said, the Dutchman missed a pen against Wigan at the Emirates last season). Booking Song was another poor decision.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Arsenal 1 Fulham 1
We have mixed views on this game among the members. Some of our players may not have been as sharp as we hoped, but they showed great spirit to come back from 1-0 down. After the equaliser, Arsenal pressed on with great urgency, but unfortunately the end product never arrived. Of course, two points dropped are a big blow to Arsenal's top four finish bid, but the draw is unlikely to undermine their confidence or affect the momentum of their resurgence.
All Arsenal players knew they had to be patient and not to make silly mistakes, so I was not too disappointed with their performance in the first half, when it ended at 0-0. However, conceding a first goal was not included in their game plan. It was very difficult to score two goals against Fulham's well-organised defence especially with a man of the match performance from their goal keeper, Mark Schwarzer.
Incidentally, Arsenal's starting XI did not include any Frenchman for the first time in 6 years. An interesting stat? Arsenal are no longer a second Frence national team. This is not really surprising if you look at this summer's signings, which included no French nationals.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Made some good saves.
Djourou: 8
Good denfensive work, covering central defence as well. Also, he made good forward runs, overlapping Theo, and nearly scored with a powerful header.
Mertesacker: 7
He was replaced in 68th minute by Diaby to add offensive force. He did OK.
Vermaelen: 8
Unfortunately he was the culprit for the first goal, but he did not hide and instead, he scored a brilliant goal. It was nice to see our vice-captain and one of our most influential players kissing the badge when celebrating his goal.
Santos: 7
Won some crucial tackles. He looked better defensively than before and good at going forward as always.
Ramsey: 6
His passing lacked accuracy. He continued his efforts to make runs and get into good positions, but failed to grab his chances to shine (one of his efforts was not entirely his fault though, as it was denied by Schwarzer). Some criticise Arsene Wenger for his decision to keep playing Ramsey, but the young Welshman had a few excellent games before this one and he looked like he was going to start scoring anytime soon. Wenger could not drop him as long as he was fit, but probably Rosicky will start in Ramsey's place Tuesday night.
Arteta: 7
When he thought he was fouled, he stopped playing, which led to Fulham's goal (or Vermaelen's first goal) as the whole team were distracted from the incident.
Song: 8
Worked hard as usual. Took on more defensive work after Mertesacker had been replaced.
Walcott: 8
This is where our views are divided. I personally think he had a good game and many Arsenal fans seem to agree with me as he collected 28% of votes for the Man of the Match on the Arsenal.com site (Vermaelen was top with 35% of votes). He was always dangerous on the right-wing, creating chances for others and seeking to score himself. He supplied a superb cross for Vermaelen. Although his late effort was as tame as a back pass, his work down the right-wing throughout the game overweighs it. He had a tendency to go anonymous after a couple of good games, but he has had a run of decent games by now. Is this a sign of consistency?
Arshavin: 6
He started brightly, but failed to threat Fulham defence. Sometimes gave the ball away too cheaply.
Van Persie: 7
Had a relatively quiet game. He got involved in a few attacking moves, but could not produce a goal.
Subs
Gervinho: 8
Came on as a 68th-minute substitution to replace Ramsey and made an immediate impact. Shame he didn't start, but he looked a bit jaded in the midweek game against Dortmund. That may be the reason behind his starting from the bench.
Diaby: 7
Replaced Mertesacker at 68th minuite.
Chamakh: 6
Came on at 76th minute for Arsehavin. Did not make an impact.
All Arsenal players knew they had to be patient and not to make silly mistakes, so I was not too disappointed with their performance in the first half, when it ended at 0-0. However, conceding a first goal was not included in their game plan. It was very difficult to score two goals against Fulham's well-organised defence especially with a man of the match performance from their goal keeper, Mark Schwarzer.
Incidentally, Arsenal's starting XI did not include any Frenchman for the first time in 6 years. An interesting stat? Arsenal are no longer a second Frence national team. This is not really surprising if you look at this summer's signings, which included no French nationals.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Made some good saves.
Djourou: 8
Good denfensive work, covering central defence as well. Also, he made good forward runs, overlapping Theo, and nearly scored with a powerful header.
Mertesacker: 7
He was replaced in 68th minute by Diaby to add offensive force. He did OK.
Vermaelen: 8
Unfortunately he was the culprit for the first goal, but he did not hide and instead, he scored a brilliant goal. It was nice to see our vice-captain and one of our most influential players kissing the badge when celebrating his goal.
Santos: 7
Won some crucial tackles. He looked better defensively than before and good at going forward as always.
Ramsey: 6
His passing lacked accuracy. He continued his efforts to make runs and get into good positions, but failed to grab his chances to shine (one of his efforts was not entirely his fault though, as it was denied by Schwarzer). Some criticise Arsene Wenger for his decision to keep playing Ramsey, but the young Welshman had a few excellent games before this one and he looked like he was going to start scoring anytime soon. Wenger could not drop him as long as he was fit, but probably Rosicky will start in Ramsey's place Tuesday night.
Arteta: 7
When he thought he was fouled, he stopped playing, which led to Fulham's goal (or Vermaelen's first goal) as the whole team were distracted from the incident.
Song: 8
Worked hard as usual. Took on more defensive work after Mertesacker had been replaced.
Walcott: 8
This is where our views are divided. I personally think he had a good game and many Arsenal fans seem to agree with me as he collected 28% of votes for the Man of the Match on the Arsenal.com site (Vermaelen was top with 35% of votes). He was always dangerous on the right-wing, creating chances for others and seeking to score himself. He supplied a superb cross for Vermaelen. Although his late effort was as tame as a back pass, his work down the right-wing throughout the game overweighs it. He had a tendency to go anonymous after a couple of good games, but he has had a run of decent games by now. Is this a sign of consistency?
Arshavin: 6
He started brightly, but failed to threat Fulham defence. Sometimes gave the ball away too cheaply.
Van Persie: 7
Had a relatively quiet game. He got involved in a few attacking moves, but could not produce a goal.
Subs
Gervinho: 8
Came on as a 68th-minute substitution to replace Ramsey and made an immediate impact. Shame he didn't start, but he looked a bit jaded in the midweek game against Dortmund. That may be the reason behind his starting from the bench.
Diaby: 7
Replaced Mertesacker at 68th minuite.
Chamakh: 6
Came on at 76th minute for Arsehavin. Did not make an impact.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Arsenal 2 Dortmund 1
It was a great team performance against a good side, the reigning champions of Bundesliga. Arsenal withstood early offensive storms from Dortmund and gradually got the game under control.
Just when we were talking about how scarcely RVP scores with his head, he headed home Song's brilliant cross. Never underestimate his "chocolate leg" or "chocolate head", or any of his abilities. His goal-scoring form is just phenomenal at the moment.
Above all, the most important point of this game was the result. We bagged all three points which was required to secure the place in the Knock-out Stages and even better, we have won Group F with a game to spare. This means that we are less likely to face one of the strongest opponents in Europe, such as Bacelona, immediately in the Knock-out Stages and that we can afford to send our young players and second-string first-teamers to Greece in two weeks' time and rest our key players.
With all other English clubs failing to grab three points this week, Arsenal are the only English club that has already booked their place in the last 16. Manchester City, the current Premier League leaders and big spender, are bracing themselves for a possible early exit from the European elite competition. Who would've expected all these? When the draw took place, most of Man U and Chelsea supporters thought they were already through before the competition started. Arsenal had to qualify by beating Udinese, who were at that time top of Serie A, and then battled against two domestic league champions and a prestigious French club. Our team and their achievement last night make us proud.
Our Man of the Match is Alex Song for his superb job both offensive and defensive.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Solid performance.
Koscielny: 8
Great defensive work in an unfamiliar position. On the offensive side of the game, he was more involved in forward runs than in the last game. He was replaced by Djourou at 83rd minute, walking down the tunnel accompanied by the Physio. Hope he didn't get injured.
Mertesacker: 7
He was under tremendous pressure and severe scrutiny after the blunder last Saturday. Even against the known German side, he did not look too comfortable, but he did well to hold the defensive line together with the other defenders. We still think that it is too early to conclude him as a flop.
Vermaelen: 8
Ever reassuring presence at the back. His flick from Arteta's corner set up a rare set-piece goal for Arsenal.
Santos: 7
Better defensive performance than in the last game. Great movement going forward.
Ramsey: 8
Some great passes to release Gervinho and Walcott behind Dortmund defensive line. RVP praised the Welshman's movements without the ball after Norwich game and tweeted to him that he would get a well-deserved goal on Wednesday. Unfortunately RVP's prediction did not materialise, but if Rambo keeps up his good work, he will most certainly achieve his target of 10 goals this season (two scored so far).
Arteta: 7
Not so eye-catching, but solid performance. His corners and free-kicks seem to have improved.
Song: 9
Great run, skills to beat two Dortmund defenders and inch-perfect cross to RVP. He had a good game both offensively and defensively.
Walcott: 8
He was a constant threat to the opponents' defence again. He could have scored if it had not been for those dubious off-side decisions.
Gervinho: 7
He may not have been as sharp as usual, but his work rate was tremendous. He was all over the pitch, tracking back and making forward runs. His fininshing let him down.
Van Persie: 9
He worked very hard, creating chances in midfield and finishing them off in goalmouth. It looks so easy when he is in the right position at the right time, but it's all attributed to his quality.
Subs
Benayoun: 6
He came off the bench at 74th minute. He did what he was expected to do.
Djourou: 6
He was a 83rd-minute substitution to replace Koscielny.
Diaby: 6
Good to see him back.
Just when we were talking about how scarcely RVP scores with his head, he headed home Song's brilliant cross. Never underestimate his "chocolate leg" or "chocolate head", or any of his abilities. His goal-scoring form is just phenomenal at the moment.
Above all, the most important point of this game was the result. We bagged all three points which was required to secure the place in the Knock-out Stages and even better, we have won Group F with a game to spare. This means that we are less likely to face one of the strongest opponents in Europe, such as Bacelona, immediately in the Knock-out Stages and that we can afford to send our young players and second-string first-teamers to Greece in two weeks' time and rest our key players.
With all other English clubs failing to grab three points this week, Arsenal are the only English club that has already booked their place in the last 16. Manchester City, the current Premier League leaders and big spender, are bracing themselves for a possible early exit from the European elite competition. Who would've expected all these? When the draw took place, most of Man U and Chelsea supporters thought they were already through before the competition started. Arsenal had to qualify by beating Udinese, who were at that time top of Serie A, and then battled against two domestic league champions and a prestigious French club. Our team and their achievement last night make us proud.
Our Man of the Match is Alex Song for his superb job both offensive and defensive.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 7
Solid performance.
Koscielny: 8
Great defensive work in an unfamiliar position. On the offensive side of the game, he was more involved in forward runs than in the last game. He was replaced by Djourou at 83rd minute, walking down the tunnel accompanied by the Physio. Hope he didn't get injured.
Mertesacker: 7
He was under tremendous pressure and severe scrutiny after the blunder last Saturday. Even against the known German side, he did not look too comfortable, but he did well to hold the defensive line together with the other defenders. We still think that it is too early to conclude him as a flop.
Vermaelen: 8
Ever reassuring presence at the back. His flick from Arteta's corner set up a rare set-piece goal for Arsenal.
Santos: 7
Better defensive performance than in the last game. Great movement going forward.
Ramsey: 8
Some great passes to release Gervinho and Walcott behind Dortmund defensive line. RVP praised the Welshman's movements without the ball after Norwich game and tweeted to him that he would get a well-deserved goal on Wednesday. Unfortunately RVP's prediction did not materialise, but if Rambo keeps up his good work, he will most certainly achieve his target of 10 goals this season (two scored so far).
Arteta: 7
Not so eye-catching, but solid performance. His corners and free-kicks seem to have improved.
Song: 9
Great run, skills to beat two Dortmund defenders and inch-perfect cross to RVP. He had a good game both offensively and defensively.
Walcott: 8
He was a constant threat to the opponents' defence again. He could have scored if it had not been for those dubious off-side decisions.
Gervinho: 7
He may not have been as sharp as usual, but his work rate was tremendous. He was all over the pitch, tracking back and making forward runs. His fininshing let him down.
Van Persie: 9
He worked very hard, creating chances in midfield and finishing them off in goalmouth. It looks so easy when he is in the right position at the right time, but it's all attributed to his quality.
Subs
Benayoun: 6
He came off the bench at 74th minute. He did what he was expected to do.
Djourou: 6
He was a 83rd-minute substitution to replace Koscielny.
Diaby: 6
Good to see him back.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Norwich 1 Arsenal 2
Arsenal made the game more difficult and made themselves more vulnerable by being unable to find their third goal. They should have been at least two goals up at the half time and when RVP had scored what turned out to be the winner with more than half an hour remaining, his side looked likely to finish the game with an emphatic win, but it wasn't to be.
It is hardly new that Arsenal wasted numerous chances to score and it was frustrating. However, while they continued attacking, they kept the possession very well to hold on to their narrow lead in the last 10 minutes. That's the difference this season. We hail the new resilient Arsenal.
Our Man of the Match is RVP for not just scoring two goals, but creating chances for his team-mates as well.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 8
Made some good saves. He came out to claim the ball from Norwich's free-kick from the dangerous position in the final minutes, which potentially saved two points.
Koscielny: 7
He did OK, considering the fact that this was his first game at right-back in an Arsenal shirt (According to Wenger, he was trained as the right-back). I had never thought I would say this, but I prefer Jenkinson for this position after his impressive performance against West Brom. But I suppose this was a totally different game from the one against West Brom, who did not really turn up. Koscielny did an impeccable job defensively. Hopefully, as he gains confidence in his new role, he will make more forward runs and his link-up with Walcott will grow.
Mertesacker: 5
Terrible mistake to let Morison score from that situation. It may have been a foul on the German international, but Per should have dealt with the ball before letting Morison get anywhere near him. Arsene Wenger said in his post-match interview "I told Per that when you are in England facing goal, maybe in many countries you are safe but not here. That's what he has learned today".
Apart from this occasion, he was outmuscled a few times. He shouldn't allow himself to be bullied if he wants to survive in English football. Hopefully he has learned lessons from this game.
Vermaelen: 8
Solid at the back.
Santos: 6
He was caught out of position several times, mainly as a result of his unsuccessful tackles, exposing Arsenal's left-flank too often in the first half. His defensive performance was poor, but he was good offensively by creating goal-scoring chances, including the great through-ball to RVP.
Ramsey: 8
Linked up well with other attacking players and took every opportunity to get involved in attacking. He now seems to be back to his best before the horrific injury.
Arteta: 7
He seemed to have been quiet throughout the game. His name was mentioned only three times when he made a defensive mistake and when he had shots.
Song: 7
He battled for the ball in the middle of the park and set up RVP's second goal through his precise pass (which does not happen very often unfortunately).
Walcott: 8
He posed a genuine threat to Norwich defence. His shot hit the woodwork, which could have provided Arsenal with a much-needed third goal otherwise and he provided an assist for RVP's first goal. He is arguably the most improved Arsenal player this season. His recent performances, including those for England national team, have shown improvements in his defensive work and his movements without the ball. All he needs is consistency now.
Gervinho: 7
He was handful and did everything right except for final balls. He had at least two clear-cut chances among other goal-scoring opportunities, but could not convert them. He was sometimes slow to make decisions when he got the ball. In the post-match interview, Wenger commented on RVP: "He always makes the right decisions in a fraction of a second when there is little time available. That makes him exceptional." That's what Gervinho has to learn to become a world-class player like RVP.
Van Persie: 9
He created chances, as well as scoring goals. The second goal was superb, displaying his class. Also, while celebrating his goals with his team-mate, he urged them to keep focused and get on with the job. He is a great leader and has learned a lot from last season.
Subs
Benayoun: 6
He came off the bench at 77th minute. It was a short appearance, but he got involved in some attacking moves.
Djourou: N/A
He was an injury-time substitution to prop up the defence.
It is hardly new that Arsenal wasted numerous chances to score and it was frustrating. However, while they continued attacking, they kept the possession very well to hold on to their narrow lead in the last 10 minutes. That's the difference this season. We hail the new resilient Arsenal.
Our Man of the Match is RVP for not just scoring two goals, but creating chances for his team-mates as well.
Player ratings:
Szczeny: 8
Made some good saves. He came out to claim the ball from Norwich's free-kick from the dangerous position in the final minutes, which potentially saved two points.
Koscielny: 7
He did OK, considering the fact that this was his first game at right-back in an Arsenal shirt (According to Wenger, he was trained as the right-back). I had never thought I would say this, but I prefer Jenkinson for this position after his impressive performance against West Brom. But I suppose this was a totally different game from the one against West Brom, who did not really turn up. Koscielny did an impeccable job defensively. Hopefully, as he gains confidence in his new role, he will make more forward runs and his link-up with Walcott will grow.
Mertesacker: 5
Terrible mistake to let Morison score from that situation. It may have been a foul on the German international, but Per should have dealt with the ball before letting Morison get anywhere near him. Arsene Wenger said in his post-match interview "I told Per that when you are in England facing goal, maybe in many countries you are safe but not here. That's what he has learned today".
Apart from this occasion, he was outmuscled a few times. He shouldn't allow himself to be bullied if he wants to survive in English football. Hopefully he has learned lessons from this game.
Vermaelen: 8
Solid at the back.
Santos: 6
He was caught out of position several times, mainly as a result of his unsuccessful tackles, exposing Arsenal's left-flank too often in the first half. His defensive performance was poor, but he was good offensively by creating goal-scoring chances, including the great through-ball to RVP.
Ramsey: 8
Linked up well with other attacking players and took every opportunity to get involved in attacking. He now seems to be back to his best before the horrific injury.
Arteta: 7
He seemed to have been quiet throughout the game. His name was mentioned only three times when he made a defensive mistake and when he had shots.
Song: 7
He battled for the ball in the middle of the park and set up RVP's second goal through his precise pass (which does not happen very often unfortunately).
Walcott: 8
He posed a genuine threat to Norwich defence. His shot hit the woodwork, which could have provided Arsenal with a much-needed third goal otherwise and he provided an assist for RVP's first goal. He is arguably the most improved Arsenal player this season. His recent performances, including those for England national team, have shown improvements in his defensive work and his movements without the ball. All he needs is consistency now.
Gervinho: 7
He was handful and did everything right except for final balls. He had at least two clear-cut chances among other goal-scoring opportunities, but could not convert them. He was sometimes slow to make decisions when he got the ball. In the post-match interview, Wenger commented on RVP: "He always makes the right decisions in a fraction of a second when there is little time available. That makes him exceptional." That's what Gervinho has to learn to become a world-class player like RVP.
Van Persie: 9
He created chances, as well as scoring goals. The second goal was superb, displaying his class. Also, while celebrating his goals with his team-mate, he urged them to keep focused and get on with the job. He is a great leader and has learned a lot from last season.
Subs
Benayoun: 6
He came off the bench at 77th minute. It was a short appearance, but he got involved in some attacking moves.
Djourou: N/A
He was an injury-time substitution to prop up the defence.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Extraordinary Club Meeting
An extraordinary club meeting took place from 15:00 on Saturday 12th November at Las Mimosas bar, Playa Flamenca. Due to the Chairman being ill the meeting was facilitated by the Secretary. Happily the Chairman is now back in circulation.
The following subjects were discussed and decided:
Christmas Dinner
Chirstmas Dinner will be held from 19:30 on Monday 12th December at Pablo's Bar, Parque del Duque, Playa Flamenca. The menu was distributed and tickets went on sale for €10 per person. 10 tickets were sold on the spot with further interest from the meeting participants.
Closing of Las Mimosas Bar for Christmas
As Las Mimosas Bar, our usual venue for watching Arsenal games, is shut for Christmas between 24th December and 6th January, we need to find an alternative bar for the 3 Arsenal matches to be played during this period: namely EPL games against Wolves on Monday 26th December, QPR on Saturday 31st December, and Fulham on Monday 2nd January.
Mick will enquire the Wicklow Abbey Tavern if they will be able to show these games.
Invitation to apply for tickets for Blackburn 4th February & Tottenham 25th Februrary
Club Sectretary explained how applications can be made.
Benidorm Trip
On the back of the popularity of the club trip to Benidorm earlier this year, the similar trip will be organised again for Februrary next year. 16th February is suggested as a candidate date. Events Manager will look into the details.
Football Cards
In order to raise funds for the Supporters Club, football scratch cards will be sold. It is the intention to sell cards on Match days. The entry price was set for €1 per square. Of the total proceeds of €40 per card, €25 goes to the prize, with €15 into the kitty. This scheme was immediately put into action on the day, prior to England vs Spain game, and €15 was put into the Supporters Club fund through the sale of a scratch card.
Election of Committee
The current committee members were nominated and re-elected.
Mo Jeffryes Chairman
Mick Hill Treasurer
Dave Johns Secretary
Supporters Club Goods
T-shirts and polo shirts will be produced with a Supporters Club badge on. Part of the fund raised through the football cards will be used for the production of these shirts, which will be sold with profits. The proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go back into the fund. Cheryl will look into quality T-shirts/polo shirts on the Internet.
The following subjects were discussed and decided:
Christmas Dinner
Chirstmas Dinner will be held from 19:30 on Monday 12th December at Pablo's Bar, Parque del Duque, Playa Flamenca. The menu was distributed and tickets went on sale for €10 per person. 10 tickets were sold on the spot with further interest from the meeting participants.
Closing of Las Mimosas Bar for Christmas
As Las Mimosas Bar, our usual venue for watching Arsenal games, is shut for Christmas between 24th December and 6th January, we need to find an alternative bar for the 3 Arsenal matches to be played during this period: namely EPL games against Wolves on Monday 26th December, QPR on Saturday 31st December, and Fulham on Monday 2nd January.
Mick will enquire the Wicklow Abbey Tavern if they will be able to show these games.
Invitation to apply for tickets for Blackburn 4th February & Tottenham 25th Februrary
Club Sectretary explained how applications can be made.
Benidorm Trip
On the back of the popularity of the club trip to Benidorm earlier this year, the similar trip will be organised again for Februrary next year. 16th February is suggested as a candidate date. Events Manager will look into the details.
Football Cards
In order to raise funds for the Supporters Club, football scratch cards will be sold. It is the intention to sell cards on Match days. The entry price was set for €1 per square. Of the total proceeds of €40 per card, €25 goes to the prize, with €15 into the kitty. This scheme was immediately put into action on the day, prior to England vs Spain game, and €15 was put into the Supporters Club fund through the sale of a scratch card.
Election of Committee
The current committee members were nominated and re-elected.
Mo Jeffryes Chairman
Mick Hill Treasurer
Dave Johns Secretary
Supporters Club Goods
T-shirts and polo shirts will be produced with a Supporters Club badge on. Part of the fund raised through the football cards will be used for the production of these shirts, which will be sold with profits. The proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go back into the fund. Cheryl will look into quality T-shirts/polo shirts on the Internet.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Extraordinary Club Meeting
We are holding an extraordinary club meeting on 12th November. If you cannot carry on for two weeks without Arsenal in action, please come and join us at Las Mimosas bar, Playa Flamenca at 3:00pm to discuss Arsenal FC, the Supporters Club affairs, and anything you want to talk about. See you on Saturday!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Arsenal 3 West Brom 0
The pre-match focus was on who was going to be paired with Vermaelen, and the answer was Koscielny. After the match, Arsene Wenger revealed that he chose two quick centre backs in the anticipation of Peter Odemwengie to play up front.
Odemwengie, who sustained an injury during the training in the week, did not feature in Saturday's game, but it proved to be a good decision to play two aggressive centre-backs because they tried to defend West Brom attack high on the pitch and contained it very compactly.
Three goals came from three different scorers. Although RVP was involved in all the goals, either as a scorer or a provider, it was a good evidence that Arsenal are not a one-man team. In fact, all the three goals were produced as the result of very good team performance.
It was a typical Arsenal game in which they dominated in possession, with one-touch passing and little clever one-twos. Good old Arsenal football is back. After scoring two goals in the first half and with West Brom not looking too threatening, Arsenal slipped into the old habit of taking the foot off the gas in the second half. Watching this game at Las Mimosas bar, we began to fear the all too familiar scenario, in which just one sloppy pass would award patient West Brom a chance to score and at 2-1, Arsenal defence would start to panic. Call us pessimists, but we have watched far too many Arsenal matches (especially last season) to sit back and relax even when we are cruising with a two-goal lead. Then, Arsene Wenger made three substitutions to inject some urgency into the game through Rosicky, Benayoun, and Arshavin, who all wanted playing time and needed to prove their worth. The double substitutions turned out to be a timely decision as Rosicky and Benayoun livened up the game and forced a much-needed third goal to put the game into bed.
Overall, it was a comfortable and convincing win, with a welcome clean sheet and another three points in the bag. Furthermore, Arsenal's goal deference has turned positive for the first time this season.
It is again difficult not to choose RVP for the Man of the Match with scoring a goal and assisting two, but we would like to choose Vermaelen instead because his return has made such a big difference to the team and he epitomised Arsenal's solid performance both defensively and offensively.
Player Ratings:
Szczeny: 7
He didn't have much to do as West Brom registered only two shots on target. His goal-kick to Jenkinson ended up with a West Brom throw-in from a dangerous area. As a goalkeeper, he has to be focused for full 90 minutes.
Jenkinson: 8
He coped with pacey Jerome Thomas very well. He looked less nervous than in the mid-week game against Marseille and got more involved in going forward, which drew out his strength, i.e., good crossing.
Koscielny: 8
Together with Vermaelen, he formed a solid defence.
Vermaelen: 9
He provided reassuring presence for Arsenal defence. He closed down West Brom attack high on the pitch, although he gave away several fouls, but not serious enough to get yellow cards. He scored a good goal, dashing into the box like a centre forward.
Santos: 7
Arsene Wenger said that he is a better defender than people think. He tries to get the ball in the opponents' half. When it is successful, it gives Arsenal a huge attacking edge, but when it fails, it exposes Arsenal defence. In this game, his risk-taking style worked well and he was always a threat to West Brom defence down the left-hand side.
Ramsey: 7
Great pass to Walcott, which led to the first goal. He had a chance to score himself, but the shot went wide.
Arteta: 8
Arsenal defenders contained West Brom attack very compactly, which allowed Arteta to exploit his attacking prowess. It is not fair to compare him with Fabregas as he has been playing Jack Wilshere role. However, in this game, he was given scope to show what he was capable of as an attacking midfielder. This is good for Arsenal because it shows the midfield can adjust their attack-defence balance game by game, a further evidence for the newly rebuilt team gelling together. At the end of a very good build-up involving Rosicky and RVP, Arteta scored his second goal of the season with clinical finish.
Song: 7
He broke down West Brom attack very well and nearly scored.
Walcott: 8
He used his pace well and tested Ben Foster with sharp shooting a couple times, one of which led to the first goal.
Gervinho: 8
In the first half, he was not given much space to manoeuvre as two West Brom players tightly marked him, but he gradually found space by swapping sides with Walcott occasionally and got involved in every attacking move in the second half.
Van Persie: 9
He scored a poacher's goal and provided assists for the other two goals.
Subs
Rosicky: 8
Brought the tempo back in to the game and his neat one-two with RVP was a part of beautiful build-up to the third goal.
Benayoun: 7
Did not make an eye-catching move, but together with Rosicky, he brought urgency into Arsenal attack.
Arshavin: 6
Made little impact.
Odemwengie, who sustained an injury during the training in the week, did not feature in Saturday's game, but it proved to be a good decision to play two aggressive centre-backs because they tried to defend West Brom attack high on the pitch and contained it very compactly.
Three goals came from three different scorers. Although RVP was involved in all the goals, either as a scorer or a provider, it was a good evidence that Arsenal are not a one-man team. In fact, all the three goals were produced as the result of very good team performance.
It was a typical Arsenal game in which they dominated in possession, with one-touch passing and little clever one-twos. Good old Arsenal football is back. After scoring two goals in the first half and with West Brom not looking too threatening, Arsenal slipped into the old habit of taking the foot off the gas in the second half. Watching this game at Las Mimosas bar, we began to fear the all too familiar scenario, in which just one sloppy pass would award patient West Brom a chance to score and at 2-1, Arsenal defence would start to panic. Call us pessimists, but we have watched far too many Arsenal matches (especially last season) to sit back and relax even when we are cruising with a two-goal lead. Then, Arsene Wenger made three substitutions to inject some urgency into the game through Rosicky, Benayoun, and Arshavin, who all wanted playing time and needed to prove their worth. The double substitutions turned out to be a timely decision as Rosicky and Benayoun livened up the game and forced a much-needed third goal to put the game into bed.
Overall, it was a comfortable and convincing win, with a welcome clean sheet and another three points in the bag. Furthermore, Arsenal's goal deference has turned positive for the first time this season.
It is again difficult not to choose RVP for the Man of the Match with scoring a goal and assisting two, but we would like to choose Vermaelen instead because his return has made such a big difference to the team and he epitomised Arsenal's solid performance both defensively and offensively.
Player Ratings:
Szczeny: 7
He didn't have much to do as West Brom registered only two shots on target. His goal-kick to Jenkinson ended up with a West Brom throw-in from a dangerous area. As a goalkeeper, he has to be focused for full 90 minutes.
Jenkinson: 8
He coped with pacey Jerome Thomas very well. He looked less nervous than in the mid-week game against Marseille and got more involved in going forward, which drew out his strength, i.e., good crossing.
Koscielny: 8
Together with Vermaelen, he formed a solid defence.
Vermaelen: 9
He provided reassuring presence for Arsenal defence. He closed down West Brom attack high on the pitch, although he gave away several fouls, but not serious enough to get yellow cards. He scored a good goal, dashing into the box like a centre forward.
Santos: 7
Arsene Wenger said that he is a better defender than people think. He tries to get the ball in the opponents' half. When it is successful, it gives Arsenal a huge attacking edge, but when it fails, it exposes Arsenal defence. In this game, his risk-taking style worked well and he was always a threat to West Brom defence down the left-hand side.
Ramsey: 7
Great pass to Walcott, which led to the first goal. He had a chance to score himself, but the shot went wide.
Arteta: 8
Arsenal defenders contained West Brom attack very compactly, which allowed Arteta to exploit his attacking prowess. It is not fair to compare him with Fabregas as he has been playing Jack Wilshere role. However, in this game, he was given scope to show what he was capable of as an attacking midfielder. This is good for Arsenal because it shows the midfield can adjust their attack-defence balance game by game, a further evidence for the newly rebuilt team gelling together. At the end of a very good build-up involving Rosicky and RVP, Arteta scored his second goal of the season with clinical finish.
Song: 7
He broke down West Brom attack very well and nearly scored.
Walcott: 8
He used his pace well and tested Ben Foster with sharp shooting a couple times, one of which led to the first goal.
Gervinho: 8
In the first half, he was not given much space to manoeuvre as two West Brom players tightly marked him, but he gradually found space by swapping sides with Walcott occasionally and got involved in every attacking move in the second half.
Van Persie: 9
He scored a poacher's goal and provided assists for the other two goals.
Subs
Rosicky: 8
Brought the tempo back in to the game and his neat one-two with RVP was a part of beautiful build-up to the third goal.
Benayoun: 7
Did not make an eye-catching move, but together with Rosicky, he brought urgency into Arsenal attack.
Arshavin: 6
Made little impact.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Arsenal 0 Marseille 0
A home draw and missing out on the chance to qualify for the knock-out stages were disappointing. On the back of the weekend's sensational win and superb performance, Arsenal were expected to win and seal their place in the last 16 on the night. Although Marseille was a strong side, with organised defence closing down Arsenal very effectively, we had chances to win the game in the first half.
Prior to the first Marseille match two weeks ago, Arsene Wenger said he was targeting four points from the two matches and we have achieved it, so the draw against the arguably strongest contestant in Group F is not such a bad result. It is certainly not a disaster as we are still top of the Group.
So many players were below-par. Ramsey missed a few good chances. Especially he dwelled so long on the ball in the box only to allow Marseille defenders to come back and block his effort. Gervinho's ball control let him down last night. Park was a passenger throughout the game. He could have impressed the fans and the boss if he had had a better touch on the pass from Walcott.
Most of the players looked tired and short of sharpness after the weekend's intense game. Maybe Arsene Wenger should have rotated more players rather than just resting RVP? That said, Rosicky and Arshavin, who didn't play a large part in the game three days ago, were also lacklustre. Ramsey had covered more than 9 km in distance by the time he came off the pitch. So you could not blame him for not woring hard. Probably the effect of the Chelsea game was more psychological than physical.
On the positive side, Vermaelen completed his first full 90 minutes flawlessly. The Mertesacker-Vermaelen pairing looked good, as if they had been playing together for a long time. The pair even had a chance to score a rare set-piece goal between them. What a dream start to the new partnership it would have been! The partnership looked very solid defensively. That's what matters, and the partnership only grows from now on. This means that Koscielny, who was excellent against Chelsea, can be deployed on the right back, although I suppose that Wenger prefers to play Jenkinson as the right-back, when he is available.
Prior to the first Marseille match two weeks ago, Arsene Wenger said he was targeting four points from the two matches and we have achieved it, so the draw against the arguably strongest contestant in Group F is not such a bad result. It is certainly not a disaster as we are still top of the Group.
So many players were below-par. Ramsey missed a few good chances. Especially he dwelled so long on the ball in the box only to allow Marseille defenders to come back and block his effort. Gervinho's ball control let him down last night. Park was a passenger throughout the game. He could have impressed the fans and the boss if he had had a better touch on the pass from Walcott.
Most of the players looked tired and short of sharpness after the weekend's intense game. Maybe Arsene Wenger should have rotated more players rather than just resting RVP? That said, Rosicky and Arshavin, who didn't play a large part in the game three days ago, were also lacklustre. Ramsey had covered more than 9 km in distance by the time he came off the pitch. So you could not blame him for not woring hard. Probably the effect of the Chelsea game was more psychological than physical.
On the positive side, Vermaelen completed his first full 90 minutes flawlessly. The Mertesacker-Vermaelen pairing looked good, as if they had been playing together for a long time. The pair even had a chance to score a rare set-piece goal between them. What a dream start to the new partnership it would have been! The partnership looked very solid defensively. That's what matters, and the partnership only grows from now on. This means that Koscielny, who was excellent against Chelsea, can be deployed on the right back, although I suppose that Wenger prefers to play Jenkinson as the right-back, when he is available.
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