If I try to be positive, Liverpool game wasn’t bad for us. We tested them in the first half and were mostly a better team than them. In second half, Thiago makes a blunder by playing a disaster back pass straight to Lacazette, who rounded Alisson at first but then took too long to pass instead of taking the shot himself and Odegaard was denied by the Liverpool’s Goalkeeper. Then came first goal where Jota fires a near post shot which Ramsdale could have been done better to stop. Firmino scores the second and sealed the match for visitors.
Here’s how you can see it – we missed a sitter which could have got us the 1-0 lead at home. Pool’s first goal could have been avoided, which basically killed our momentum. An in-form CF should have burried both 15th & 49th minute cross from Martinelli. Mistake from Thiago was a 1v1 between Laca and Alisson and should have been a goal. Saka could have cleared the ball better which resulted in 2nd goal.
Basically, it was a game we lost ourselves!
Reality Check?
Lacazette is not the solution. You won’t get 20 shots on targets against teams like Liverpool and City. Your striker should be able to convert any and every half chances if you wish to dominate. We seriously need a striker who can score.
A certain player has scored 7 goals in 7 matches for Barcelona. We could have kept him till we found a replacement. Arteta could have tried Martinelli or given more game time to Nketiah instead of 9 minutes every game. Even Pepe is an option there who I am sure can play well in tight spaces and can score! None of this has been tried and this stubbornness from Arteta baffles me a bit.
We lost 3 important points. I don’t care if it’s against Liverpool or City. Every point matter when the 4th position is so highly contested.
Shout to Martinelli for a brilliant game. He was undoubtedly the best man on the pitch and singlehandedly destroyed Liverpool’s left wing.
We need to get back on winning track. Our next game is against Aston Villa and is a must win. We still have 2 games in hand but lets not leave things for permutation and combination at the end of season.
It’s an afternoon game UK time, an evening one for me. Lovely way to spend evening, seeing men in red and white win and get closer to the Champions League spot. I don’t care how much Arteta avoids ‘top 4 target’ questions, it’s the bare minimum expectation for him in his 2nd full season, having spent 150m.
Right, short one today, see you in the comments.
Mb
If I can digress slightly… That game last night in Cardiff was electric. Two good, middle ranking international teams and the result settled by a remarkable individual display (gulp…. By a former spud) and a team and crowd that wanted it more than the opposition.
On other matters, its great to see many sane people on le grove waking up to the fact that captain Pedro has steered his ship onto rocky waters. Arsenal fans want an alternative to his ridiculous alter egos and the Arteta is Arsenal narrative.
Kroenkephone
Nice to see you again. I have moved back to my native and timings are fucking me up. I did miss out last night but watched the highlights and Wales did a ‘Bale’ on Austria.
Hope you had a nice time and some sun.
Cheers Ambarish,
I’m still buzzing about the game to be honest. Really refreshing to see a team positively supported by their country. A real contrast to the tension and violence associated with watching Wales’s neighbours…. At least its filling a gap between Arsenal games.
Unlike the naysaying Arteta fanboys, I’m confident we’ll be in the CL next year (whatever that might bring). We’re not only improving but winning when we occasionally drop in standards. Moreover, the opposition (including that lot up the road) all have setbacks programmed into the way they play. Have a top weekend mate.
Ah yep, I’m very much hopeful we will make the Champions League spot. It would be a failure to not do so considering we are 3 points ahead with a game in hand from trailing Spu*s.
We just have to keep our composure, we might see some more time wasting and shithousery when we are 1-0 up but I will take anything for playing in CL.
I agree. One area where we have improved – and it doesn’t make for jogo bonito – is running down the clock when it suits us. We were hitherto the poorest team in the PL at doing that. Is it sporting? No Does it make other fans go batshit crazy? Yes Do other teams do it to us? Yes. It needs law changes in the game to rectify the problem but the fact that we’re doing it, paradoxically suggests the team’s fortunes are on the up. I remember when we were top dogs and teams would come to Highbury looking to waste time right from the kick off – it wasn’t pretty but we usually managed to overcome it and make the opposition look pretty fucking stupid into the bargain.
Indeed. We have seen so much of time wasting against ourself and the same teams are crying foul when we do the same. I guess there’s different criteria for Arsenal and other teams (looking at you Mike Dean).
What a shame it was to see Italy out of world cup for the second time in a row. It just shows the unpredictability and no-one-is-superior in football.
It’s insane that Italy didn’t qualify again you’re right. It’ll diminish the Qatar tournament even further (and it’s already pretty tarnished). Kroenkephobe junior and I were genuinely shocked on the way home from Cardiff last night. On the other hand, very good to see that other WC finals regular, Uruguay, make it through. A country of only 4 million footie mad people. Talk about overachieving – and for nearly 100 years. Ciao Italia.
Kroenkephobe, had a feeling you’d been exiled alright,good to hear you’re still getting your football fix. That Welsh game last night was brilliant, they are very like Ireland, a good player or two carrying a team that in general is more than the sum of it’s parts. A game against the Scots would be amazing. Remember in 85,wales-Scotland WC play off, wasn’t that when jock stein collapsed on the sideline? SAF filled the void,the Arsenal board wouldn’t wait til he came back from Mexico and the rest,as they say,is history. Mb is doing a great job here, his articles are like talking to your mate in the pub who has his finger on the pulse but doesn’t try to turn the conversation into a competition. A very relaxed environment. Anyway, I try to drop in here often,I don’t post much on legrove anymore,don’t really have the time or the inclination to get my head taken off! This year has been mad busy but summer is coming! Will have more time then. Talk to you soon.
Almunia and Ambarish
Brilliant. You’re right mate. This is a far more pleasant forum. Pedro’s been using his other identities to take cheap shots at me and some others suggesting we’d run for the hills when we’d actually been banned. All beyond parody. Although still no fan of the manager, this is the best, most upward-looking season since we made the CL final in my view. Yet there are so many voices trying to dampen expectations in order that Tets can continue pressure-free. Its almost cultish.
You’re spot on about Ambarish’s writing too. Readable and opinionated but fair. It’d be good to get some of the other lads over too, and leave the shouty accountants and Artetapologists to a diet of Pravda Pedro’s partisanship.
I guess workwise you’re getting towards the business end of the season Almunia. Hope it all goes well and you can soon get back to your true metier, ie expertly painting garden fences and enabling people to piss themselves with laughter in the margins of Arsenal websites.