Off To The Stadium Of Light, And Cold
Feb 8th, 2013 by 'holic
The international friendly week gives way to match-day 26 in the Premier League. That’s right, just a dozen games to go after this weekend. This is the pointed end of the season, when nerves, injuries, and suspensions conspire to produce some strange results. Three points is everything and should we escape the north-east with the spoils it is a fair bet we will gain ground on at least one of the teams above us.
We go into the game down to the bare bones in defence, but if Laurent Koscielny has passed a fitness test then we will still have a solid looking four. Thomas Vermaelen and Kieran Gibbs are definitely ruled out, so Nacho Monreal can look forward to making his away debut at the Stadium of Light.
Quite who we will see in midfield will be determined in part by who reported back from international duty with plenty left in the tank. It has to be a possibility that England’s man of the match against Brazil, Jack Wilshere, may be held in reserve on the bench. If not then I am guessing we will perm any three from Jack, Aaron Ramsey, Abou Diaby, and Santi Cazorla (edit – plus Mikel Arteta, of course. Early onset senility noticed by TaBS!). I don’t know what Tomas Rosicky has done to lose favour, but his own gastric problems in the week only add to the suspicion that he is unlikely to feature.
Theo Walcott took a couple of knocks at Wembley, so I could imagine Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting up top with Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski. I am guessing the Frenchman, gaining in confidence every week, will be looking forward to testing himself against Titus Bramble and John O’Shea. I should qualify that by adding that Sunderland have averaged just a goal a game against them at home this season.
Surprisingly the Mackems have struggled to score themselves. Bendtner replacement Steven Fletcher tops the charts with 10 Premiership goals for the club, but the next best tally is 4. The recent arrival of Geordie Danny Graham from Swansea is intended to increase their firepower. Let’s not forget as well that Seb Larsson usually figures large against his former employers.
Last season goals from Aaron Ramsey and impact deity (thanks @ArsenalGent) Thierry Henry gave us a come-from-behind victory in the corresponding fixture. Bergkamp the Man writes to me every week now, imploring me not to back the 2-1 to the Arsenal result, but this week’s ‘holic pound is wagered on a repeat of that scoreline. Sorry maestro! Gunners Gaming offer 36/5 against that, and an opportunity to win a great hospitality day for the Villa home match in a fortnight for every tenner you wager. As usual, please click on the banner above, thanks.
So there we are. I will be joining the hunt for the best stream tomorrow, and in the evening we are out for a family dinner to celebrate the management’s mother’s birthday. Please Arsenal, don’t give the sort of performance that will take away my appetite for some ribeye washed down by a glass or two of red.
For those making the tortuous journey, you will be delighted to see a balmy 4 degrees is forecast. My experience of Sunderland is that it is the coldest place in the Premiership regardless of the forecast. I have shivered there in August. Keep jumping up and down, clapping and singing, and you should avoid the onset of hypothermia.
Have a great one, ‘holics.
289 Responses to “Off To The Stadium Of Light, And Cold”
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1st
2nd?
CL place?
Richard da turd?
Nope, sorry
Nice preview ‘H.
Has something happened to Arteta?
Midfield 3 of Arteta, Diaby and Jack for me unless you know something I don’t. Cazorla had the most travelling this week so I think he’ll be the impact sub.
Handsome win for me. 3-1 to the Gunners.
Also hoping that Martin O’Neill falls flat on his face during one of his hyperactive touchline jigs.
DtS: Are you Lester in disguise?
Good preview ‘h. Finger crossed down here in Oxfordshire.
What’s your record with 2-1 predictions? I don’t mean how much/often have you won, but how have the Arse done in the face of that forecast? Far more important to my mind.
Here’s hoping it won’t require too much effort of will for the travelling support to keep jumping up and down and singing.
COYG
Bon journo….. As a certain manager might say ..
Has something happened to Arteta?
Watchoo talkin’ ’bout Willis. He’s in there
Would you believe I forgot I was watching him last week, so convinced was i that his three week injury had ruled him out for the season.
How embarrassing. Sorry Mikel…
Customary booing at PSG. 0-0 at half-time.
@9 Aha. Phew!
washed up, thanks.
I didn’t even know ‘Foot+’ still existed since Canal+ lost most Ligue 1 rights but I see it does.
Looks like I haven’t got it though, as it isn’t bundled with the rest of the Canal+ channels.
Sunderland have underachieved this season in the context of their own expectations. I’m not a huge fan of the sort of of football O’Neill’s teams .play and it occurs to me it is almost exactly a year since the BFG was injured in the incident that led to McLean scoring for them. The following week saw us go out to them in the FA Cup and in between we imploded against AC Milan. It’s not just this season that we have been inconsistent!
We have a chance to develop a much better position this season by progressing in the two cups left to us and moving up the league. We will need to hope our centre backs stay fit. A repeat of the sort of injury the BFG suffered would leave us hugely vulnerable given the loan of Djourou. I can’t always work out if Wenger planned to sign someone or he just doesn’t think things through but this is a real potential problem,just as an injury to Ches could derail our season. Let’s not be negative though. We should win and we can really make a strong move in February
Who’s the newbie @ 8?
Holic, rumour has it your entry to Arseblogger’s competition was “Who’s Arteta? “.
I hear the hooves of my trusty stallion once more…
Let’s suppose that Arsène is giving his post-match press conference following a game in which <Insert name of player here> has hobbled off to be substituted following a heavy tackle. AW hasn’t had a chance to speak to his medical staff – he’s been watching the game; giving instructions to the payers as they run past; thinking about substitutions etc. etc. etc.
Journo: “So, how long will <Insert name of same player here> be out for?”
Arsène: “I hope he’ll be back in about three weeks.”
Now, call me an incurable optimist, but I find the above scenario at least as credible as the idea that the Arsenal medical staff are incompetent.
There you go Dobbin, have a sugar lump and don’t come back again.
haha zico @14
There’s a competition?
Good stuff guv and congrats on the mum in law.
I´m hoping for a clean sheet tomorrow (yeah I know) I drafted Nachoman into my FFL team last week and it worked a treat, him being the highest scoring defender in H2HFC and I´m looking for a repeat of that return.
Sunderland are not exactly the most adventurous team in the league, but they did score three in a game twice in January. Their best player last season, Sessignon is not a shadow of what he was, but Adam Johnson can hurt you if you give him space. We can’t be giving away free kicks around the box, old boy Seb has an uncanny knack of scoring against us.
I’d also like to see the Feo-OG-Poldi trifecta up front again, in the midfield Arteta picks himself and Jack is on fire. Personaly I think Ramsey brings more stability to the midfield from a defencive p.o.v, but I can’t see AW leaving Santi on the bench two games in a row. With Diaby and Rosicky also in the squad midfield looks pretty much sorted for now. Fingers crossed for Kos.
Relegation zone.
Right where I belong. Right where I am most dangerous.
Nice post ‘holic.
Holic pound on 2-1. Have you made any phone calls to Singapore first?
Played ‘h – up the reds (maroons/yellows??) and, later on, may u down ‘em (not the maroons/yellows).
Psed – cooking sherry and horseburger time, i reckon.
Every point is so important from here on in,season is flying bye 3 1 to the gunners brace for ollie g.please coyreds!
Fine write up, ‘Holic. Three points are indeed essential, no matter how secured.
The monks at Castle Ned have been doing some number crunching. Sunderland’s problem this season, they conclude, has been with scoring. They’ve scored an average of 1.12 goals a game (our average is 1.96 goals a game). Their defence has given away an average of 1.32 goals a game (our number is 1.16 goals a game conceded) but they have had nine clean sheets against our eight. The curious thing is that 24% of their goals scored and 28% of their goals conceded have come within five minutes either side of the half-time break. Our comparative figures are 13% and 11%. They don’t seem to score or concede late on. Only 8% of their goals scored and 6% of their goal conceded have come after the 80th minute. Our comparative numbers are 20% and 22%.
Nice preview Holic. As ever I will take any kind of win. COYRs.
Sir purple nose gets a £12,000 fine for criticizing a linesman.
I’m sure that will make a difference , not.
Please, that will only encourage the twat.
AW would have gotten a 3 match ban and a fine.
There may not be significant match fixing in the PL , but bias is rampant.
Cheers
Lets knock the lights out of the stadium. Enjoy all.
Nice one Holic –
I hope your appetite tomorrow evening is undiminished indeed.
Zico + Oxon from prev drinks,
NBN,
Good stats as usual. I know where you’re coming from ‘cos, in my head, I was trying to roughly work those figures out during the week.
As far as calculating match results from statistics goes, I would point out that, statistically, the average number of legs per person in the UK is approx 1.943715. Make of it what you will.
Hey, Friday night is bath night.
I trust you are well, sir ……
Trev,
If I were to move to the UK I would make that average over 2.0. Make of that what you will.
So Seb, Lars’ son is playing tomorrow. Who knew ?
Evening Trev, not too bad, sir. Yourself?
Actually I prefer a morning shower.
Nice preview, Guv, sorry about your mate who passed on and congrats on the mother-inlaws birthday, hopefully our performance and result tomorrow will leave you with enough appetite to swallow a blue whale.
Ollie, sorry about your mate who passed on too. Thanks for the mentions and kinds words in the last set of drinks, hopefully Nigeria will win the Afcon on sunday and the celebrations will unite all the divided parts of my country, atleast for a night.
Clive, please tell GoonerTerry we all love him and the news that he is kicking on made us all leap with joy.
Goodnight/morning friends!
Thank you Cent.
Evening bath, Trev, et al.
You lot do have the knack of cheering me up
Evening all. Oh Holic, I tapped onto each blue link, it was like an adventure (beaming like a silly school girl). This season sure seems to be going fast…mirroring our own lives. Just wish we could slow it down and savor it more. So here’s to the Arsenal, friends and family. Cheers.
I’m anti resting anyone at this stage of the season, we simply cannot afford slip-ups against teams we should be thrashing. Pull ‘em off early if we’re looking comfortable, but please don’t hold them back until there’s ten to go and it’s still 0-0 … my nerves can’t stand it!
I’m picking a double from Giroud and a long-ranger from Rambo or Arteta making it three. Hopefully a clean sheet our end. Apropos which, who plays CF for the reserves these days? Is there no-one from the lower ranks who can step up? Eastmond is injured, right? Miquel seems an obvious choice, but what are Boateng and Angha doing? But if it has to be Squillaci, well who knows, he could play a blinder and fool us all… Hmmm.
Sky has the game live here, ‘holic … but you might need to hurry to get here in time!
Oskar
Bath night EVERY Friday, Trev? (#26) Don’t overdo it, mate! I haven’t had one since I left England in 1967.*
Oskar
* Showers preferred here
COYG
Finally out of the back-drinking desert, don’t know how many days I’ve been in there *phew*
Did you guys miss me?
Going for a 0-2 away win for us, Giroud & Podolski to score either side of HT, I’ve got to go to work tomorrow after my Open Day at a University so the most I’ll get to do is follow the game when I exit Holloway Road Tube Station on Sky Sports Live Football Centre/Twitter/Here up until I have to start my shift as the 2nd half kicks-off. We should do well, I’m hoping Koscielny’s able to play as well, didn’t see Shawcross’ attempted ball cruncher on him or Kos’ injury on Thursday due to, you guessed it. :/
Come on Arsenal!!! And also come on Nigeria in the AFCON Final!!! I feel like we’ve played out of our skins since the final group stage game vs Ethiopia and have taken the game consecutively to Ivory Coast in the Quarter-Finals & Mali in the Semi-Finals. Its nice to not be disillusioned with your national team because its mostly full of pricks. (Sorry all ye Englishmen!) It would be lovely if we could win it, would really bring our country together for a time as Cent alluded to
And for the record, anyone who’s not from Burkina Faso should be joining me and Cent in support of Nigeria on Sunday. I’m not working that day woo-hoo!
You haven’t really got an excuse, and we’re watching you Ollie… 
All the best GoonerTerry, we all miss you and are wishing you the very best.
Hey Clive & NorCal if you see this, you guys have been on my thoughts recently in regards to what I’m going to get to do in 1 week on Saturday and 2 weeks on Tuesday for the 1st time since you two helped me out so generously
Thankfully my manager is giving me time off to go to those games even if I didn’t give her the required notice (I didn’t know it), hopefully my luck is on the up 
Zico (from the previous post) * goody two shoes * Smiles galore. And yes, I remember Elton in ‘Tommy’
Evening Holics!
Really good preview Holic, really looking forward to some real football again tomorrow!
If any of you have CANAL+ GOL it will be on there live.
Holic pound on 2-1. We’re doomed! Doooomed, I tell ye!
Im hopin to see some Rosicy back init!
Poldi and OG.
3-1 to red and white.
Haha, BtM
Homer @40, I would also love to see a wee bit of Rosicky action! Get him running at the defence and causing some problems.
Probably not the safest bet, with the overly attractive Squillaci in defence, but I reckon clean sheet our end. 3-0 to us!!
I believe Rosicky is indeed Sicky. Out for this one with a bug.
Although I just saw him in the training photos so maybe not.
Yes NorCal, I wondered about that too. Maybe ‘it’ kicked in during practice
Anyway, where is everyone ! 8ball ? Nonnie ? FunGunner ? I could go on here, but I figure embarrassing three holics is my quota 
… for now 
Is minnesota not in the premiership then, maestro? It’s hyppothermia’s original home! UTA!!!
ABB,
Found 8ball. He was under a snow drift.
Heh 8ball ! Good work NorCal.
Good morning, gents. Guv’nor, best wishes to the Management’s mother on her birthday, and I do hope the lads perform to their potential today and give you cause to put away a few extra glasses of wine in celebration.
I expect that a platoon of tractors would have been turned loose on the Sunderland pitch last night, and some gophers sent in after armed with shovels and dynamite, in order to make the playing surface as unbearable for football as possible, and as such our lads will have to be on their toes.
With TV5 out, I wouldn’t want us risking LK6′s fitness with the dread Germans on the horizon and closing fast. I feel we should play Iggy Miquel and give Kozzer’s calf a couple of extra days to heal. Hopefully, the decision to loan JD won’t come back to bite us in the arse, and Iggy has looked steady in the games he’s played for us.
All told, I expect a tight game in which the ref allows them to get away with all sorts of fouls, and I hope the HFB will continue his recent practice of actually using his physicality and ignoring the ref. It’s going to be a fight, and I hope we’re up for it.
COYG!
Tough away trip after a meaningless interlull. 3 point please, Arsenal!
Rest Jack, keep him on the bench
No resting Jack. Don’t want to risk Kos though.
Mr Bure, knows!
OK, cards on the table.
That Irish Joker, O’Neill, will no doubt have had the Spades out, turning the playing surface into the bog of his forebears. The Poker-faced Arsene will say nothing, but will be secretly pining to kick his opposite number in the ‘nads. Our Jack of Diamonds will prove to be the Ace in the Hole, cheered on by a Flushed Queen of Hearts, Wolfgang Smallballs, in the local Deucer.
A Giroud brace – today’s King of Clubs.
Up the Arse.
(Clearly, I am in need of alcohol).
I don’t care how just as long as we win today. Starting to feel the pre-match excitment, aiming to be down the pub at about 2 so now I’m going to have to find something to do for the next two-and-a-bit hours (and no, it won’t be the type of manual labour that I suspect the Sweeper would suggest
) until it’s time to leave. Oh, these first-world problems…
Zico you’ve just trumped BTM’s forthcoming match report
Just go win, boys. GO WIN.
Zico @53,
As long as Squillaci isn’t the joker in the pack.
The bar has it: three points vital, how they’re acquired irrelevant, pitch likely to be rockier than John Terry’s marriage, Giroud likely to be key.
COYG
Ps – loving tabs vision of the future from the previous drinks. Sign me up for that.
We cannot play Squillaci. He’s done nothing to brag about in his Arsenal career, he doesn’t suit the way we play, and I don’t want to see him looking on whist-fully as the ball hits the back of our net.
He doesn’t have a trick to beat anybody and, ideally, would have bid us farewell a long time ago. I would like to see us cancel his contract but I guess that is a bridge to cross in the summer.
Hang on….. Someone just said zico had trumped … Charming.
I’ll get me cards on the way out …
Morning all.
Hard to beat a good Saturday morning lie-in…
Clive, if you’re around, guess where I am
Golders Green
Wind my Boy
Many happy memories of the Green in my youth,on the Football front and more importantly the sex front.
Some truly magnificent young women populated the Green in my day.
I count myself very fortunate that several of them felt compelled to share their bodies with me.!!
It was the swimging sixties after all.!!
And most important of all,because of the Pill,you didn’t have to get off at Burnt Oak,you could go all the way to Edgeware.!!
Cheers
The Sweeper
For all those Holics who sent Gooner Terry their best wishes,
I will be discussing the Sunderland game with him in great detail on Sunday morning,and i will tell him all your thoughts and prayers are with him.
He will be chuffed.
PS, i hope we win,because he gets very grumpy if we lose.!!
Good man Clive, give him my best, and tell him we need him back on here, if at all possible.
Dr Z, heh
Interesting article in the Telegraph with Danny Mills (prize cunt , I know but well worth reading) revealing the extent of medication use during his career.
Everyone thinks the post-tournament slump displayed by a lot of players is due to physical or emotional exhaustion but, at least in his case and most probably in many others (think Gervinho last year), it’s substance withdrawal.
He claims that “at Leeds in the Champions League, we had vitamin B12 injection would give you that perk up”. Unless he is very susceptible to a placebo effect, then that was not hydroxycobalamin. Anyone with normal body stores of cobalamin would experience absolutely no effect from an injection of more.
He also describes a “cold turkey” efect when on holiday after a tournament with England when he had 6 tablets morning and evening. Again, that is not the effect of stopping the mineral and vitamin supplements he thought the pills contained.
He may well be one of those “susceptible” individuals but I suspect this is simply the tip of the Iceberg of doping in English and World football.
Also a very good interview with AW where he suggests very much the same
Burnt Oak? Edgeware?
When I am forced to travel on the Underground (Helmut Gobbels, my Butler, often refuses to chauffeur me in the Nissan Micra), I get on at Cockfosters. I like to drop in at Barking and Queensway but …
I always get off at Arsenal!
Bath, Afternoon Sir and blimey!
It does suggest that at least some form of anabolic steroid has been administered to him by dirty Leeds and England.
No surprise that players return from playing well at the ACN and promptly lose it.
Danny Mills?
The drugs don’t work.
Heh @ 68 – there is no doubting you getting off.
And not just at Arsenal.
Uh oh, Mornington Crescent alert
Canning Town
Or for Wolfie, Caning Town
What’s with all the Underground stations?
Oxlade Circus?
Hehs
Niall Quinn is a slavering twonk…..
Great man, Sweeper.
Twonk – it’s decades since I heard that one, laddie.
Not inaccurate.
I don’t know if you have got FREE Ollie ,but I just read this elsewhere.
Sur la FREE, je crois que la chaine FOOT+ 24/24 est gratuite ( Canal 251 ) pour les abonnés CANAL
Je sais qu’au dernier match diffusé sur FOOT+, le match etait visible gratuitement et à l’instant, je viens de la mettre et le match du Bayern est visible gratuitement, je pense donc qu’on peut le voir en etant abonné CANAL .
Merci, washed, but I don’t have Free.
I checked Foot+ channels yesterday and it said I had to subscribe.
I think it’s a bit rich from C+ to ask for extra money though.
Come on you Mags.
Juicer.
Good luck everybody.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Clive sir @ 63, it would be an honour to meet up one day (maybe Snir could come as well
) and listen in awe to the stories you could tell 
GoonerTerry didn’t respond to my e-mails but I hope that he enjoyed them and the tale of my 1st NLD, if I forgot the tale of my 1st Champions League Group Stage game as well then that will be on the way also
Looked at my hands under UV today. Let’s just say, I’m seeing them in a whole different light…
l: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Wilshere; Walcott, Cazorla, Ramsey; Giroud.
Subs: Diaby, Rosicky, Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jenkinson, Miquel, Mannone.
Sadly the Scum have 3 points. The ultimate one man team. Surely someone will take him off their hands next season and how we will laugh!
Interesting that Miquel gets in ahead of Squillaci as 4th choice centre back.And correct.
Kos out. Jenks to play right back. Sagna to play centrally with Merte.
We’ll just have to outscore them I guess!
Except Koscielny is feeling unwell and is now not starting.
Or what Toby said.
C’mon Arsenal ! Strike early please. Hi holics
Heh, Ollie, actually, I’m so hungover that I forgot that I wrote it, so it kind of felt new to me when I read it from you. Boink.
Any idea whether Rambo or Cazorla is starting wide?
I’m assuming Cazorla.
God, Danny Rose brings back bad memories. But on the other hand, we seem to bring out wonderstrikes out of pretty much every team we play so you can’t really think about it too much.
Good start! Theo…..warming up his boots
Come on Arsenal
Stuck in a storm.
COYG’s
Sorry to hear that H2H. Stay warm
Look pretty good so far we’ll get a lot of chances
What, no foul on Jack!
Fuck this ref!
Jack hobbling?
Jenkinson needs to watch himself this ref is not giving us a thing
ohhhhhhh OG. Great set up by Nacho.
How did he miss that cmon OG
Well at least it’s open game. We keep plugging away like this, we should score soon.
I was watching a stream with the sound, but it has to go off, after whoever is commentating had a very cheap dig at AW.
Nice bits and pieces there.
Sunderland are essentially a marginally less annoying Stoke City.
Or maybe it’s the shirt colours that help me think so.
Based on that, I can understand why Southampton changed their home strip, really
Cazorla you beauty
beautiful, santi and all. what a team move.
Ooohhh Santiago Carzolaaaaa
ATG @ 97. You said it all, let us put some spit & Polish onthis thing,
Santi
‘Santi’ oops
SANTIII XD
oh, and morning all. and oll.
Kind of a boring game really. It’s open, there are chances for both teams, it’s a bit feisty. It is important. I have no clue why I am not enjoying it as much as I usually do. It really is a bit flat even if we play really well at times. It’s like it’s not us that are flat, or bad in any way, but the whole game doesn’t feel like it normally do.
And yes, I started writing this after we went 1-0 up. Good goal, well taken.
God, what is happening to me?! I hope it’s just the hangover. I feel sedated.
Bt8 you bet ya;)
Anyone found a stream that’s actually watchable? *sighs*
Morning scruz. Listen to our fans
Great movement by the Almighty Arsenal
top man snowy, socsportslive dot com slash pg slash 19 is working pretty good.
hey, abb. wife’s asleep in the bed so the sound is down. i hope they’re singing that MON is a see you next tuesday, for he surely, surely is.
Snowy try this site
http://www.footballstreaming.info/streams/todays-links/
Unlucky Feo
great work by og and nacho down the left, theo just wide…ooooh.
Cheers ATG
Bonjour tout-le-monde
Thank goodness we’ve scored – as someone above said, Sunderland are Stoke-lite and I was really anxious.
Keep it tight at the back, boys.
ooooooooooooh. should have been 2, brilliant move, almost a slow motion break.
How did he miss that?
Could/should have been a few more goals ahead really, but good first half.
Good first half but we should be 3 nil up
Ollie great minds think alike
Yep. We played well overall. I think I know why I don’t feel so much at the moment. It’s like we are playing well, quite incisive and making chances without it feeling like we are constantly upping the tempo, clock ticking down.
It is strange. We are actually controlling this game, and look likely to win it. And we are not in a hurry to score.
I know why I don’t feel so much at the moment – we aren’t chasing the game and I had forgotten how it feels to be playing well and in control in the first half.
Hello everybody,
Pretty good first half, well worked goal, don’t like the ref or the c**termole. Let’s hope there are more goals from og and theo. Haven’t seen recent games due to various commitments, but the team looks quite confident especially this game.
Ok scruz we’ll whisper : – We are really playing beautifully. TV announcers agree, gushing over the praise their heaping on our lads.
The “expert” on my commentary (Fox) said it was “brilliant goalkeeping” by Mignolet to keep out Ramsey’s effort just before half time. I wish it were true. Ramsey shot straight at his body – he could hardly get out of the way. Then again, it WAS a great save from Ramsey’s deflected shot earlier.
lol, abb…
ATG, except I turned it around, you can see it feels completely different that way ;D
Fast forward a couple of years Theo, Jack, Aaron will all be much more calm and clinical onm these chances we’re creation And Benik Afobe and Joel Campbell will be competing with Ollie G for the centre forward spot.
Quite superb in midifield today.
Dr Z : Please observe Sagna’s ability to do more thn stand on his left foot then compare with The Corporal.
Welcome to ALL latecomers
Very proud of our players, all of them (hand over heart).
they look great out there today, i will say. they seem to be giving back to stoke…erm, sunderland exactly what they’re being given, plus a lot more beauty and pleasure in the game. sunderland’s also breathing really hard, every one of their is going to need their half-time orange wedges. hopefully this leads to more goals in the second half by le arse.
I’m just listening, abb, so I can’t wait to see the clip tomorrow.
Sagna has played at CB for us once or twice, ages ago, and I remember when AW unwrapped him he said Bacary could play anywhere across the back four. Perhaps he’s done it in training as well.
Jenkinson doing well at RB? Sounds like it.
Good stuff.
Now for our second half team to lace up and tear this mob a new one.
eggsactomonte, n7,
@ N7 Gooner
ha ha, yes. And just think, our first-half team hasn’t given the opposition a lead this time around!
Hey Fun. Jenks doing pretty darn good (hasn’t had much play lately). He needs to be careful as he is already on a yellow. Bac doing the job
He is commited to the cause. Midfield awesome blossom 
We haven’t led many games at HT in the PL this season so far. And I think we won the one we were leading in.
Hopefully that latter trend isn”t reversed today.
Now I managed to scare myself despite this good first half showing.
Damn you N7!
That’s what I like to hear, abb. Well done that man and that boy.
Heh Fun, well put.
Oh Jackie
Fuck..Jack down
I was just about to say I wish AW would take Wilshere off and put Diaby on, because I had a bad feeling. And now this happens.(sigh)
off comes jack. diaby in.
It was coming. Sadly. Hope it won’t be three weeks.
Diaby on for Jack. Praying Jack ok!
jack looked ok when he walked off, though, fung. just disappointed and tired.
We really, really, really need Jack against Bayern M.
Harsha knew:(
Well he’s sitting in the dugout, not going down the tunnel. No treatment needed (?). Maybe a precautionary move.
Not sure scruz, he looked gutted, like someone who knew he would be out for a bit.
@ scruz – thanks for that – big relief. Maybe he could rest until Bayern since Coquelin is almost fit.
they showed him on the bench, ollie, rather than down the tunnel. so probably not needing treatment…i’d think they’d want to have at him right away, if he was going to be out for a bit.
How did he hurt himself in the camera incident?
And a game we looked comfortably in control of looks in danger, just because of the psychological impact if nothing else.
Hope we managed to get a grip on again.
abb had it too.
now arteta kicked in the nads by lar’s son.
And the ref has given them licence to kick.
Fuck off, Larsson.
Fuck you Sunderland, kicking us up :S
ooooooooh, almost, just wide again by og after some nice interplay.
These are the games I would love Frimpong to be in – you know when you’ve been Frimponged.
Nah, Fun. These are the games I’d rather we kept 11 on the pitch….
Come on boys, stand firm! Sneaky one on the break for Feo, towering header from a corner from OG, please.
ooooh, lucky. aaron punked at midfield, then fletcher can’t get on the end of the break with anything meaningful. a warning.
Phew!
@ Ollie
ha. true.
Come on Ramsey
More like it! Keep it up.
sunderland finally trying to play some football, maybe we can get something on the break….and ooh, santi just wide right. that’s three this game between he and og.
fuck you ref, jenks off.
Shoot, What we were afraid off
Just gone from bad to worse
This feels like a first half.
nope, sorry, ref got it right. damn.
Come on lads need to score at least one more
Bollocks I said Jenkinson nneeds to fucking watch himself
My 174 was the kiss of death
i was about to say, ollie.
and still we have some break in us. og over with a curler.
Poldi to come on for…?
wookash stripping off.
Thank you Bac!
way to go sanga.
Larsson should be off too by now.
Come on Arsenal!
again nice interplay, but no end result. straight at mignolet.
Shyte
Fast and furious stuff going down!
We might well need another goal. Let’s not start turtling now. Keep chasing, keep trying to attack. If we try to just defend we will let one in. At the very least.
Screaming like a mad women now, not cool !
Agreed, Toby – we need to somehow stay on the front foot.
We really need to try to play our game. When we do we are less nervous than when we put ten (or well, nine) behind the ball. I really do believe that a balanced game (if not offence) is the best defence right now.
And since it looks like we won’t have a back four in the next PL game and might well miss Jack for a while, we kind of need the points now.
Gah!
Put Miquel in Santa to right back do it now
aaaaoooohhh, theo off the post. ‘kin hell!
OMG, almost Theo. Great from Santi!
Double gah!
Oh Theo. Good try, not too shabby at all, actually a decent attempt. But please, lad, score the next time.
Ooooh Theo… This is looking ominous
Woj keeping us in this game.
We’ll get through it. Was worried for a while, but we’ll fucking do it.
What a save
Now that was a nice save.
WOJ MOTM for me !
Hanging by a thread
thank god for woj. heart in mouth right now.
And another.
miquel on for theo.
Theo off, Miquel on! Hang tight lad!
definitely, nurse.
It’s going to be five minutes added right?
fizzed across goal by aaron, almost a classic titus bramble mistake…could easily have been an own goal, corner to arsenal.
Four added minutes. We will do this. No worries.
Bac most excellent today!
why no yellow for vaughan or fletcher or whoever tripped arteta?
close, toby, 4.
Heh, actually quite nice to get this game for a change. Good first half, and all the hardships in the second. I’ll grab another glass of wine now and relax through these last three minutes.
Best game by Woj this season!
Chesney, I love you. I totally love you.
What on Earth are we playing at?
Awful “shot”
wenger pissed at og. “make the ficking pass”.
Oh, OG…why?
I absolutely adore OG, especially for his defensive clearances during this game, but what the fuck? What kind of decision was that during a 3 v 2 attack?
again, just over by santi. why not just hold the ball?
one last corner to the bastards.
How much time left?
yes!
Heroic performance, well chuffed!
FINALLY they really show character. Really proud of that. Brilliant.
woj motm, definitely. total passion there at the end, and all through it.
Could have been 10. We need to be sharper. Three points. Golden.
We are incredible. Mistakes, misjudgements but so much heart and grit two games in a row.
I’m shaking….that was the heart we all talk about
Again bac to the rescue! And we win! 10 men under assault. Woj and Bac x0x0 Santi brilliant throughout the match but WOJ is THE MAN!
definitely an outstanding win. they played really big at the end.
jack looking ok on the walk across the pitch, all smiles.
Struggled in recent weeks, was immense today.
Chesney – match-saving performance. I salute you.
Fucking wonderful second half. I love this. Games like this almost feels better than steamrolling a team 7-0. Jack on the field as well now. Well done each and every one of the players. If it didn’t feel so much like a team effort I’d give extra props to Sagna and especially our pole in goal, but I won’t. They all really did this together.
Sagna found his form again just at the right time.
dare it be whispered…this team might be starting to gel?
We make it so hard for ourselves no doubt .
Sagna was immense today not bad center back at all! Come on Arsenal!
Makeshift back four as well. I mean, Ramsey at right back! This is why I hate it when people get on his back – he is a warrior. Worth a couple of misplaced passes.
Please stay with us, Sagna – AW, please make it easy for him. I feel we’re at the start of something big and Bac deserves more than anyone to get some reward for years of sterling service.
Spit & Polish, did I say?
Oh I can’t wait to watch this one again
Cheers everyone ! GT, I hope you enjoyed this one, mate.
@ 249 Scruz
I’m not whispering it, I’m shouting it from the rooftops!
Dug deep for that. Sagna excellent at CB. Woj immense at the sharp end of the game. In some regards, the match should have been won and done long before the end, given the chances we created, but that was a one-nil to the Arsenal that showed real fighting spirit. Three deeply satisfying points.
Jacks right leg looked heavily strapped and he appeared to hold up before the tackle immediately before he came off. Hope he isn’t carrying an injury that will keep him out or not playing full games for the rest of the season. We are just not the same team without his drive in midfield.
fung, i am just hoping it’s the case, now. definitely seeming gluey, much moreso than earlier in the season. jack off, ten men, back four not experienced together…what a performance.
Never in doubt.
Whew! What a game! Extremely hard fought and deserved win. Missed more than a few gilt-edged chances though, wonder who Arsene was shouting at when og skied his shot (why did he amble? he should have sprinted and scored, or learnt how from Henry when he was there for a short while).
Cheers all.
cheers, all. have great days after an excellent win.
I think I have found the solution to our defensive problems -
Us playing 3 centre backs usually ends up with us getting 1 point. Apparently, us playing 1 centre back yields 3 points.
Cazorla man of the first half. Woj man of the second half. Sagna MOTM. Finding out you will be playing out of your normal position right before the start of the game and putting in a performance like that was absolutely immense. As for the game that is the best win of the season for me. Backs against the wall away from home everyone fighting to the end from front to back. Use this as a springboard. COYG!!
D10: I think OG was just knackered at that point. He puts in a shift. Not to say he shouldn’t have passed to Santi in that instance, though.
I really hope AW leaves JW to rest until Bayern.
Sagna was excellent in the unfamiliar role: great positioning, reading of the game and back-to-the-best athleticism in all challenges.
That was some character filled second half performance and on another day even with down to ten we would have scored one or two more goals: Theo, Giroud, Santi all could have scored in the second half as well.
Santi had a brilliant game, one of his best since his joined us.
Loved Ramsey’s attitude and commitment, one or two unsure moments but great composure to continue to play properly even when moved to right back, a lovely overhead pass to Theo.
Giroud made a couple of wrong decisions, but other than that a really feisty performance … great defending on many set pieces.
Monreal looked a little out of pace, but Per and Arteta covered well for him. Arteta did an excellent job organizing the shape.
Szczesny made a series top drawer saves.
Only downside are the chances missed — even considering Mignolet’s brilliant performance in the first half — and Jack’s injury: hope he is fit for the Bayern match.
Blimey, Dortmund got trashed at home today.
After 26 matches last season we were in fourth with 46 points and seven points behind the neighbours. This season we are in fifth with 44 points and four points behind them. This is doable, especially if the team keeps playing with the fight is showed today.
I had a funny feeling at half-time that this could be a 1-0 game (well, one thing it was never going to be is 2-1;) ). Didn’t dare saying it, given my usual jinxing exploits.
Didn’t expect that sort of 1-0 though.
Massive character today. Keep it up Gunners!
DrF: Copy you on the props for Arteta. Had an excellent match as captain holding everything together, especially once we were down to 10 men.
O2BAG
Ends…..
Glenfarclas 18yo calls.
Slainte Holics
At last now with this team I am starting to feel just nervous when they are under the cosh, not doomed.
Always harken the siren call of a good single malt, Bath…
C’mon Yanited. You can pop 7 past Everton, easy!
The bench again though was frightening … whatever happened to Santos? Hopefully TV5 and Kos are both fit before the Bayern match, with Monreal ineligible.
Against Blackburn would like to see Arteta-Diaby-Rosicky starting in the midfield. We may even see Ox-Poldi-Gervinho starting up front.
1-0 to The Arsenal!
TABS and Ollie – good call by you guys when I wondered who could play CB when Arsene didn’t name any on the bench last week. Bacary was immense today; he was in a no nonsense mood at CB. I didn’t realize he could play there like that. Wow!!
Great saves by Woj in second half. Santi was amazing in the first half. However, MOM for me is Bac. Bac is back!!
Nevertheless, this game wasn’t good for the heart at all. Let’s go Gunners!
Great fucking spirit!
Most pleased by everyone’s effort. Although, that Giroud effort right at the end was just awful!
Any updates on Jack? Please please let him be fit for Bayern
Magnificent performance by Bac.
I think we’ve found our 4th CB.
Wow, what a performance.
I’ve looked from afar and listened to everybody and their sister criticize Woj, despite him being magnificent since returning from injury.
To me, the way you judge a keeper is if he gives or loses you points.
He just gave us 2 points and hasn’t lost us points this season.
True, sometimes he does stupid things, but there isn’t a player on this planet who doesn’t make mistakes.
Nitpicking on them when he’s playing great is akin to killing Monreal for the two times Sessegnon skinned him in the first half. Or that he didn’t stop the delivery (something he has to improve on, but understandable given the tendency of La Liga wingers to prefer a pass on the ground rather than an aerial cross).
These things happen. Doesn’t mean that the player is shite.
For me, Woj is without a doubt one of the top three keepers in the PL after Hart and Begovic.
Another thing I’m very pleased about is the fact that our attacking play is looking crisp. It looks like we’ve got the right understanding now.
Good call, baff, I’ll have a dram, please.
Phew!
That was testing – both for the men in red and white and for my heart.
Agreed Snir. Agreed on every single point.
Snir knows!
Snir @ 276: Szczesny is great against any sustained threat to his goal. His athleticism, reflex, fearlessness, positioning are very good. But what he lacks right now is the hardest thing to master as a GK: full concentration. All of his weird decisions and strange mistakes happen when Arsenal is dominating and oppositions springs a surprise attack. He gets unsure and nervy, as instead of concentrating on game he starts to think about it.
The concentration comes with maturity, that is why you don’t have that many great 22 year old goalkeepers in football history.
He will be one of the greats one day if he keeps his focus and commitment up, but he is not really quite there.
I would absolutely love sitting amongst the Man City supporters at the St Mary’s right now.
Snir isn’t spot on: Joe Hart is overrated. I’m hearing he dropped yet another clanger at Southampton, just to prove the point.
Tried to vote for MOTM @ .com but there seems to be an issue. Great comments from everyone. See ya Sunday
Wow. I couldn’t watch the game but was listening on player very quietly. I almost had a heart attack the last 20 minutes. It was impossible to control. Good thing the patient was under a general anesthetic.
Now I need one to calm down.
Looking forward to watching it. It will be much easier knowing the score.
Great job lads.
I’ve got some powerful “cocktails” on the bar for all who are interested.
Cheers all.
Oh, just for the record, not sure Szcz is amongst the top three in the league just yet. I love the boy, seems to be a wonderful bloke, and also a very interesting goalkeeper. I’m happy with him in goal, I wouldn’t want us to buy an older ready-made, I think he will make it big, but again, not sure he is top three material. Yet.
Just clarifying that because I said “agreed on every single point”. I’m just not sure about that. But it doesn’t really matter. Even a top three goalkeeper can have a fucking bad game, and a bottom three can really shine at times. I just hope we keep faith in Szcz, because I really think he will become a proper keeper.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Now off for a ribeye steak and some rioja…
Due to heavy snow I was an hour later home then expected, but luckily enough I had left my tv on the channel that was showing the game and with the wonders of modern technology I could rewind it and watch as live.
We were all over them in the first half and a few of their players got away with some shit that other refs might of punished. We played some excellent football and should of been way out of sight before the HT Redbull flavoured Gatorade, or whatever they guzzle in the dressingroom.
The loss of LJW disrupted our flow, but I still thought we were in control, until ofcourse the enivatable happened and the Corp was given his marching orders. After that it was pretty much back to the walls stuff, but the boys in yellow put in a defencive performance the likes of which are rarely seen from them. Solid, team, defending. The back four held it’s shape and didn’t panic and when breached the Pole in the goal made some fine stops, strike that, brilliant stops.
I must also give a strong shout out to Bacary Sagna, he’s the first to admit that it hasn’t quite been happening for him this season, but he was tremendous this afternoon, his positional awareness was tip top, he saved us a bunch of times. All in all, maybe not the least nerve racking way to get the points, but sweet, sweet victory non the less. LOoooooOOVED IT.
Ollie, I think I had the same commentry team on my channel (it was in English) I didn’t turn off the sound, but man that “side-kick” or whatever they’re called was annoying as hell, what a numpty! But, Meh, I’m not gonna let his bullshit ruin my day. Three points in the bag and for the second week in a row;
ONE NIL TO THE ARSENAL!!
It has a nice ring to it that…… maybe someone should try and make it into a song.
Proper win that. All that grit and determination. Who knew?
Looking forward to watching the whole thing when it comes up on .con