Arsenal 0 – Chelsea 0
The one that got away? Not quite sure yet. We knew heading in that this one was going to be frustrating and difficult. Conditions didn’t help. The Ref, or lack there of, didn’t help either. This game had all the feelings of one from last season where we just needed one more break to take 3 points instead of 1. Normally I might be happy with taking something from Blue Balls. But this is The Great One (or whatever the hell he goes by these days) and I just can’t stand him. Hell, even though I fancy myself Real Madrid I dreaded his days there and the arrogance with which he goes about “managing” a team. Just utter crap and aside from watching Tater Tott’s season go down the drain I think this year I would find more satisfaction in watching “Jose can you see” lose a place at a top four finish. Nevertheless, WE lost this game (rather than Chelsea holding us to a point at home).
You could tell that things were going to be difficult as our style, and players, don’t suit the shite weather they were faced with. It is a bit hard difficult to watch “beautiful” football when the conditions and pitch play like a fucking kiddy pool. It didn’t help that we seemed to let our level of play be lowered to the conditions with which we were playing; no excuse though as this game could/should have been won.
Shite passing: This has got to stop. It has been running amuck the last couple games. Overplayed here. Giveaways there. Just not the type of touch we got spoiled with earlier in the year. Is it fatigue? Doubt? Are the players pressing now that there is the added pressure of trying to keep your place at the top rather than fight your way to a CL finish? Maybe there is an argument to be made that these boys have forgotten what it is like to play among the leaders. It has been some time since silverware or a league title. Hell, these lads were barely boys when Arsenal was laying claim to title after title. If there was ever a time to put together a flat out ass kicking to get things back on track then this is it (too bad it could be someone just a little bit easier than another London rival in West Ham). Either way, we have a nice run of games that should see us nabbing buckets of points; tighten it up boys.
Shite finishing: Ugh… our achilles heel up top. I like Giroud but the weight he is carrying is getting heavier and heavier as the season wears on. I like his play, I like his passing, I love his headwork on defense and yet we need more. Aside from one shot rattling the crossbar from them, we had the best opportunities in front of goal to put this away. I saw three clear chances, one great defensive effort and yet that still left me with two that he could have, and probably should have, put into the net. Would an elite striker have done so? I hate to say it, but yes. (And this is with a glorious print of the man hanging in my office as I type this) If ever there was a time to spend, and spend big again, it is now. We need a first tier, elite striker. That is all that is missing from putting our team up on top for good. Hell, look at what that does for teams like the two Mannys and Liverpuke (for fuck sake Suarez is absolutely possessed and I’ll happily take my crow now).
Shite refereeing: I hear there is some statistic that sees us always doing poorly when dipshit is on the field. I don’t want to talk about it but just acknowledge it like everyone else… not a fair reason for our loss but the simple miss on what was an absolute penalty on Theo that could have given us the game was just nuts… fucking nuts… whatever.
Well, we got through a miserable stretch. We are tied atop the leaders. AND we have a very nice schedule setting us up for some big points over the next few weeks. All things aside, I’m looking forward to Boxing day, my drink and a warm fire that should see us putting things right again.
Until then, COYG.
Oh, and Merry Christmas lads.
Arsenal 3 – Man City 6
Sloppy passing. Missing players. Fatigue. It could have been worse. Much worse. But you can’t be mad at the players for this one. A game that featured two top teams lived up to it in the first half but after fatigue crept in, followed by a lack of attacking options, it was no surprise to see our boys fall to the Sheik’s money squad. Yes, I could complain (and I will, don’t worry) but this game was destined to see us drop a point or two (yeah… three). We started out ok and looked to hold on after closing a bit of the early gap but that is all we could manage as City just held us at our own game (there is something to be said about their home record this year).
From the get go you could tell this was not going to be Arsenal’s game. The pep we normally played with was absent; the attacking mindset, lock down D, crafty passes (oh there were still a few as we do have some serious quality in the square regardless of our exhaustion). And we limp away from this one too.
Kols is out with a cut (hopefully not too serious). Sagna was back in but Gibbs was out in place of Monreal (I think this had a larger impact than most would admit). Giroud was left on attacking island as we struggled to manage any sort of rhythm or possession game. The lack of crispness to our passing just wreaked of jelly legs as the game saw us provide one bad pass after another. Just when one could hope we would start the counter we did nothing more than gift the ball back into City’s midfield attackers. I give City some credit, but Arsenal did themselves no favors with this one and I have to cry foul on Arsene’s early season “rotation”. Ozil needs a rest, Rambo could use a real breather and Giroud can’t get much more overworked. With the midfield depth we allegedly have it is a wonder that we haven’t run ourselves into the ground with the lineups we have put out there.
The lone bright spot in the game was none other than Theo. His double was pure quality (even if he didn’t quite put that one away with authority) and you have to be excited that he should be playing in his true winger role (as opposed to the constant placement of a midfielder up top). Additionally, Gnabry gave some late game pace that has me thinking a young Theo without the ego (sheesh, that rhymed… I must be reading too many children’s books). In any event, Theo’s pace, coupled with Ozil’s vision should be something to behold in the next few weeks as Theo stakes his claim to a starting role again. You just have to hope we continue to cycle through the right combination of MFs to support it all.
I know this isn’t much a re-hash of the game so much as a what can we take from it and move forward post. Maybe I was just pissed about giving up so many goals. Maybe I was frustrated to see Kols go out with a gash. Or could it be I am getting nervous about our fixture list and dwindling lead on the points chase? Yeah…
At any rate, I have to say I just want to see the following at some point: Poldi Giroud Theo – Rambo Ozil Flamini – Gibbs BFG Kols Sagna… I could easily be just as happy with swapping Poldi and Flamini with Cazorla and Arteta (which is a strong possibility with Santi) but Flammini’s tenacity has been an awesome display this season (an enforcer of sorts). Poldi coming back is really going to be nice as are really starting to miss another striking option to Giroud (although a much different style). All in all, you just have to write this one off. We lost fair and square. Didn’t deserve to win and we need to move on and take all the points we can from games we should absolutely win. This isn’t a race so much as a marathon and we still have a long way to go… COYG!
The Optimist.
When all else fails, hold on to hope. I must be withdrawing from a lack of movies because lately every time I go to write here all I think of are movie analogies. Maybe it is because I am looking for entertainment. Maybe I am looking to escape. Maybe I am waiting for Arsenal to follow through on the damn plot this offseason and sign someone…
Today’s movie? The Shawshank Redemption. The scene? Where Tim Robbins talks to Morgan Freeman after doing time in the “hole” for locking the door to the guard office and playing music over the loud speakers to the general population. Morgan and Timmy have a conversation about hope and how Tim holds on to it but Morgan believes that is dangerous, etc. etc. And you know what, hope is dangerous. It is a weapon to wield when all is lost and right now I am wielding it. We have less than 7 days until our season debut against Aston Villa on August 17… let’s talk hope arseholes.
1. We have an experienced squad that knows how to play together: Last season saw us make an incredible run that crescendoed with us taking our rightful place in Champions League while seeing tater totts to their rightful spot below us. Ramsey got valuable time playing, Theo produced, Santi dazzled, and many a men notched goals when we needed them most (looking at you Rosicky and Kols). We finally get to bring EVERYONE back and that has to count for something (so long as they ALL stay healthy… looking at EVERYONE at this point!).
2. Stability: In Arsene We Trust. The French-Man is still kicking around and is now the longest tenured manager in the BPL. His system is the same, antics the same, players the same. We didn’t have the shakeup, the pressure, or the hype that other clubs have and that has to count for something… right? (Remember, this is about hope and not whether we should have the shakeup, pressure and hype of others… there is certainly an argument to be made for each of those but this ain’t the place! At least, not now…)
3. Youth: Thank the Lord almighty we aren’t an aging squad. Other than Mikel and the ever adapting Rosicky we are fairly youthful and full of piss and vinegar. Outside of that, a lot of our “studs” are young and getting loads of experience (hopefully not a euphemism for run down)… Youth and experience should see us ratcheting up our energy throughout the season as guys look to capitalize on the easy playtime time that rotation SHOULD bring to the squad (and goodness gracious some trophies, eh?!). There shouldn’t be complaints of playing time given he “thinness” of our squad and this season really could be seeing that whole developing youth to starters thing played out.
4. Run of form: We should be able to capitalize on our run into the end last season and the familiarity of the squad. We should be able to take that late season run of form, while others collapsed (looking at you tater), and translate that into a strong start out of the gate. There are a lot of “shoulds” in this paragraph so bear with me because…
5. WE’RE ARSENAL! ARSENAL FC! WE’RE BY FAR THE GREATEST TEAM THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!!!
’nuff said.
Who doesn’t want a pair of kicks like these!!!
Custom Arsenal F.C. Nike Dunk (Photo credit: dishwab)
AmericanArse 