Arsenal5s

Another Steal Against a Top Team? Just as the previous fixture between these teams we’ve been pinned back the majority of the game so far. Liverpool have had chances but can’t make them count. As with so many of goals these days, we beat the press to break and get the goal. Although, this one hasn’t quite got the smooth flowing movements and sweeping passes of goals gone by. Arsenal collect the ball after a huge clearance from Alison. They play it into their own 18 yard box and begin the exercise, like we’ve seen so many times before. Centre-backs and goalkeeper play keep ball, defensive midfielder gets involved, full-back plays a line ball, somebody switches it and Auba scores. But it’s not quite the same. It’s a bit scruffier. By the time the ball gets to Lacazette, he sort of stumbles into it to knock it to AMN wide on the left. He cuts inside and tries to cross back to Laca, but the players are on different wavelengths and it’s straight to Robinson. The dislikable Scotsman scruf...

1. The Fixture Just 42 days after Arsenal’s FA Cup win and 14 days after our Charity Shield victory. The Gunner’s most recent games have felt like spread out days of glory. Can every match finish with a trophy and a mark in history? It’s been enjoyable. But it’s time to get back to reality, and the ups and downs of a season long campaign. The Fans would have liked to start the season with a home tie, but as away games go, they won’t get much easier than a trip across London to Craven Cottage. Out of the last 20 times we have visited Fulham, we have only lost four times. Last time the sides met in the midst of a drab period we managed a convincing 4-1 victory over the Cottagers. Arteta has shown he has the tactical know-how to undo the most ambitious team. Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea have all fallen victim. The test now is to show we can overcome teams without the winning ambition; the teams that will sit back and soak it up.   2. Added Value of Confidence Boost? Lacca...

  Show of Faith or Shop Window? Arsenal’s line up gives starts to Martinez, Holding, Bellarin, Elneny and Maitland Niles. All rumoured to be part of the ten players Arsenal are willing to sell this transfer window. Martinez was fantastic when stepping in for Leno. Holding is young enough to improve. Bellarin is a stalwart. Elneny plays in a position where we have two no-shows and a player returning to their parent club. AMN is consistently one of our best performers in our biggest games against the toughest opposition. The centre-back area is definitely one in need of cleaning up. If not in terms of quality than at least in terms of numbers. But of the players playing tonight, all of them have given a good account of themselves. Whether that’s to Arteta or to a new club, is yet to be seen.   A Wonderful Arsenal Goal The club appear relaxed about the Gabonese striker’s contract talks, and the evidence on the field suggests the player remains focused. Reports are saying Aubameya...

1.        One Goal Down Five Minutes in Chelsea have matched Arsenal’s formation today, and it’s been an open first few minutes. Not sure who takes the blame for this one. There are plenty of Arsenal players back, but they are undone by a few delicate touches and nimble movements. Chelsea’s ex-Arsenal striker is at the heart of it, doing what he does best. Pulisic is allowed to turn and run at Arsenal in the middle of the pitch. He lays it off to Mount on the left wing, whose low cross is deflected to Giroud. The Frenchman lightly flicks the ball to Pulisic, who has continued his run, bursts onto the ball, rounds the remaining Arsenal defenders and clips the ball past Martinez.   2.        Getting Good at These Arsenal are getting some joy with balls over the top, and AMN has done well so far making runs down the left. This time it’s Auba who does the damage. A high ball is smashed over the Chelsea defence. Auba gets...

1.        VAR Points out the Obvious Watford’s game plan is in tatters after just five minutes. Our opponents today really need the win, so this early goal leaves it nicely poised for an enjoyable 90 minutes if we can punish them on the break. For Aubameyang to claim the Golden Boot, he needs to score a hat-trick without reply from his rivals today. Lacazette won a penalty after being clearly clattered in the box. Aubameyang put the cross in and a Watford defender bulldozers into the Frenchman as he waits to collect the ball. Typically, Mike Dean doesn’t want to give it, and there’s not much of an appeal from the Arsenal players. VAR steps in and awards the penalty, while Lacazette is still laying on the floor. Aubameyang steps up, sends the keeper the wrong when and put the ball low into the corner. A well-taken penalty. 2.        First Arsenal Goal for The Club Playing from the back is really effective when...

A Fluid Rock-Like Consistency Arsenal fans have craved consistency- it’s been a good few years since the gunners have had a predictable line-up or even formation. However, the first eleven games of the restart have seen Arsenal play in a 3-4-3 structure, and it would be a shock if that changed in the last two games of the season. It appears to be a more defensively focused formation, but on its own; it doesn’t confirm a team’s mind-set. The attitudes of the players have a far greater impact. Having said that, our defence looks more comfortable and is conceding less goals than previously.   Bee’s Around a Honey Pot Oh, dear. It’s not been the most entertaining match and to make it worse, Arsenal are now losing. A casual bumbling of the ball from Arsenal players sees us concede a corner. It was like you’d given a ball to three aliens; they look at it, look at each other and then kick it away. The out swinging corner nodded on by Mings at the near post and went straight ou...

  1. The Gaffer Appointing Arteta was a huge gamble. He has only ever been Guardiola’s assistant manager. Admittedly, you can learn to be one of the best from a manager as successful as Guardiola, but some might have expected him to be a cheap imitation. Any comparisons made between the two are natural and also massively unfair. They both have their own personalities and experiences that they take with them into their management. Arteta has shown a variety of skills already. He’s got the best out of his players, he’s rotated the squad without damaging the team’s performance or moral and he’s made successful game plans to defeat some of the best teams in the world. Fans are excited now, not because of Josh (or whoever buys the players), but because of Arteta. The man loves the club. Trust him. It’s time for Kroenke to give him the keys to the treasury.   2. A World-Class Tap-In Just a few days from beating Liverpool, there would have been some forgiveness if we had ...

1.        Mane Goal Arsenal have been camped in their own half throughout the first 20 minutes or so. Liverpool were dominating play, but fans might have hoped the gunners could hold out and wait for their own moments. There have been games in the past where Liverpool have been two or three goals up by this point. So, being a goal down at 20 minutes in could be called progress. Liverpool have the right side to themselves as Firmino, Robinson and Wijnaldum shuffle the ball around between one another before releasing Robinson to the by-line. He cuts the ball back for Mane, who’s at the six-yard box for a simple tap-in. A well-worked goal that felt pretty inevitable.   2.        Three in Three for Lacazette! Apparently Arsenal need to buy their own Van Dijk. Based on this goal, we already have quite a few of them in the squad. Before the goal, Arsenal had begun to create at least some half chances. Lacazette gets ...

                                            1 . Rocket from Lacazette The games been fairly even so far, but it’s Arsenal that take the lead. Lacazette position in the squad has been under question in recent months. But if he can produce more moments like this, he could be around for quite a bit longer. It’s a goal from nothing, really. Xhaka does well to win a 50/50 after a Spuds interception. The ball rolls to Laca , who takes a couple of touches and smashes the ball into the near post top corner from two yards outside the box. It was an unstoppable thunderbolt with his right boot.   2. Son's Equaliser .. . And three minutes later, we’re level again. There had been some sloppy defensive plays already from Arsenal. Luiz, Mustafi and Kolasinac have formed the back thr...

1. Nearly Caught Out on a Corner Again! The Arteta revolution has seen improvements in our structure and the defensive responsibilities, although it would seem corners might not yet have been covered in training. Tonight, the players were using a mix of zonal and man-marking (no problems there). However, they were caught out by a short corner. What makes it so disappointing is that Arsenal were punished by a similar incident at Brighton, only weeks earlier.   You would think the lack of crowd noise would help players, and even staff, communicate clear and present dangers like these. This one happened in slow motion. There were two Leicester players at the corner and only Saka within close range. The Arsenal man looked around as if to plead for help, but no one came. A simple 1-2 left him helplessly bypassed. Albrighton cut back to an unmarked Iheanacho around the penalty spot. He hits the ball low and hard, it goes through mustafi’s legs but Martinez drops down and makes the save...

 1.Saka’s Reward!  Saka’s undoubtedly been a bright spark in our otherwise dull season. He has shown of both his ability and his flexibility. Today the youngster looks to star at right wing, probably due to Pepe’s absence. The Ivorian had found some good recent form but misses the game to see the birth of his first child. Enough of an excuse? Maybe. Arsenal's youngster has been outstanding, and it’s great to see him rewarded with a goal. The ball is switched out to Tierney on the left of the penalty box; he puts a cross in, but it’s deflected and bounces up to Saka. Side on, he swings his leg at it and casually guides the ball into the top corner. A lovely bicycle kick on the half-volley, which he made look so simple.   2. Pleasantly Surprised by Tierney Although most Arsenal fans will pretend they knew Tierney’s qualities the very second he signed for the club, others will admit they had only heard opinions. We are now in game week 33, and the Scotsman has started just n...