Ozil And Alexis Shine In Gunners Romp
Nov 24th, 2015 by 'holic
Arsene Wenger resisted the urge to start fit-again Aaron Ramsey and replaced Francis Coquelin with Mathieu Flamini for the visit of Dinamo Zagreb. The other change saw Joel Campbell replace Kieran Gibbs who dropped to the bench.
Those in attendance had to get through a security cordon made necessary by the events in Paris a couple of Fridays ago. They were treated to a shaky start by the hosts as Dinamo won the first two corners of the match in the opening two minutes.
We had to wait until the seventh minute for the Gunners to string together an attack and from Campbell’s cut-back Santi Cazorla blazed an effort over the bar. Five minutes later Campbell turned provider again, but Alexis couldn’t apply the finishing touch.
The half was settling into a familiar pattern with Dinamo defending in numbers and denying Arsenal any space. Then, in the twenty-ninth minute, came the breakthrough. Alexis sprinted down the left and crossed, Olivier Giroud attracted the central defender with a sprint to the near post, and behind him Mesut Ozil dived bravely to score with his head.
Arsenal 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Four minutes later the Arsenal had a second. Nacho Monreal made an interception on the edge of the Dinamo box, burst towards the goal-line and cut the ball back to present Alexis with a simple chance six yards out, and the Chilean didn’t disappoint.
Arsenal 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Five minutes from the break the magician Ozil dribbled clear only to be denied by a fine save from Eduardo in the Dinamo goal. Three minutes later Cazorla started the flowing move that ended with Ozil stinging Eduardo’s palms again. In this mood Mesut is worth the entrance money on his own.
The second-half was just a couple of minutes old when Giroud’s deflected header from a corner was scrambled off the line after Cazorla’s pot-shot was saved by Eduardo.
Just before the hour the Dinamo left-back, Matel, broke at pace and his fierce drive was deflected out for a corner. It was a warning the Gunners heeded. At the other end Ozil and Alexis combined to put Giroud in but his fellow countryman, Taravel, stepped in to avert the danger.
Petr Cech showed his concentration when called upon to pluck a Pinto cross out of the sky shortly before Campbell miscued a volley when presented with a half chance. A minute later Campbell led a cavalry charge but his cut-back was clattered to safety.
In the 67th minute Giroud was wrapped up in cotton wool and Aaron Ramsey slotted into midfield with Alexis switching to centre-forward. Just two minutes later Campbell cut inside from the right and slotted a perfect through ball into Alexis. The Chilean rounded Eduardo and fired the ball high into the back of the net.
Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Henriquez, an international team-mate of Alexis, came on as the Gunners celebrated and with his first long range effort was only narrowly off target. A minute later Cech had to make a wonderful reaction save to turn a Per Mertesacker deflection round the post.
With thirteen minutes remaining Alexis was denied what looked to be a nailed-on penalty when he was brought down by Eduardo. One can only assume the referee was feeling sorry for the visitors.
Soudani finally netted for Dinamo with ten minutes remaining only to see the assistant referees flag correctly raised for offside. Cue the last two substitutions by Arsenal, Mathieu Debuchy for Hector Bellerin, and Calum Chambers for Santi Cazorla.
As the game drew to a close Alexis chipped onto the head of Ozil who all but scored with a cheeky backward header. It was fitting that those two should feature at the end of a match they had dominated between them.
With Bayern thumping Olympiacos the night could not have gone better for Arsenal. A difficult, but not impossible task awaits in Greece. Our Champions League future is in our own hands again.
118 Responses to “Ozil And Alexis Shine In Gunners Romp”
Bang
Cheers Guv.
THat was what we should of done in the first (two) game(s).
We’re still in it though.
Hope we don’t slip up in Greece………
Coat.
We’ll win in Greece! Am sure of it!
😀
Hehe, H2H 🙂
Polished effort…
Ahoy.
Watched that from my sick bed (well, sofa) rather than from Block 14.
Amazing how well a dose of Özil, Alexís & Campbell can help recovery!!
…and by a two goal margin at least too!
😀 😀
Campbell good today… hope he gets more games!
What happens if Arsenal beat Olympiakos 3-2 in Greece?
@8.
We go through.
Does GD in the group come before GD between teams tying?
Well played today, though I have my doubts what we actually beat. Just let’s win in Greece and avoid the dreaded Europey League.
Oskar
First head to head.
Then GD
Then goals scored
Simply put.
Win by two clear goals… 2-0, 3-1 etc.
Or 3-2 or better, 4-3, 5-4 etc
Cheers Guv.
Excellent performance and result. Some good things from JC, as well as some less stellar moments, but I thought the good well outweighed the bad and to me it seemed like another step forwards for him. Good lad, keep improving.
Ozil masterful. Alexis wonderful. Monreal is some player. Good to see Rambo back. Pangloss lethal.
It’s all good.
Well done lads, did the business and nicely which was a bonus (not seen it mind, just heard).
Pretty confident we’ll make the knockouts now but I still find the fashionable snobbery about the UEFA cup utterly mystifying. Commentators getting in on the act now as well, calling it ‘the dreaded’. Just, why? OK it’s not the CL but eff me it’s bigger than the FA cup and COCup and I’d be proper proud if we won it.
That Why question isn’t rhetorical by the way…
Oskar. We beat the team we were playing. No one can do more…
Can’t speak for anyone else Porco but I’m put off by Thursday nights. Especially in a season where the league is really important. And the fact that it matters so much to the Spuds of course.
You are right that if we ended up in it I would be chuffed to win it.
OTD: GD and away goals between the sides in question prevail. So, to advance, Arsenal need to win if scoring 3 goals or more, or by 0-2. Any other result means Europa League. If result is 2-3, overall group GD is the determining factor; Arsenal would be 0, Olympiakos -5.
If Mesut had provided that through ball assist that Joel provided the journos would be jizzing their pants.
As the guvnor called it, perfect. Come on you Gunners.
One conclusion I reached from tonight’s game.
From the, albeit brief, cameo……
Calum Chambers is not a DM.
I had a stream that only had crowd noise, no commentry, so you tend to pay a lot more attention of what is going on off the ball, instead of just seeing what some bloke tells you to see. CC looked lost. He was chasing everything, trying to be everywhere. I’m afraid he has neither the discipline nor the tactical nous (yet) needed for that position.
It maybe a bit harsh to judge him on just a few minutes but he really didn’t look comfortable there. If ever a player needed a loan, it’s him.
Surely Debuchey would be a more viable option!?
Job well done. I mean ‘keep for the report published before the last player was out of the pitch 😉
Ozil stamping this game from beginning to end, what a delight to watch him play!
Again a special shout to the Flamster, with all the angst caused by Coquelin’s injury he came in and made us forget about it.
It’s going to be a long two weeks, can’t wait for the game in Greece 😉
On a different topic one thing Guardiola does really better is rotation: he’s changed his team every single time in his last 97 games. That’s pretty crazy if you compare to Arsenal!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3330652/Bayern-Munich-manager-Pep-Guardiola-named-changed-team-97-games-loves-players.html
@H2H: I love these streams, I’m so happy when I can find one of them.
Like every young player a run of games is needed to find their mark and develop their potential. OX, Campbell, CC and others need it but unfortunately more established players get in the way when fit.
This is the #1 aspect of his management I wish Arsene would change.
Great game, great result even better to watch Ozil and Alexis dance as if they had their skating boots on.
Have to mention Campbell and Nacho he was immense tonight, they only offensive player off the mark was Giroud buy hey that does not matter any more!
However my man of the match was Santi the change of pace and direction, the trickery and skill in those feet bloody brilliant to watch and I need more!
Bring on the Greeks!
Fine report Guvna.
A top performance all round. Extra special mention in despatches for Hector, Nacho, Santi, Flamster, Mesut (his very best 45 minutes for us in the first half), Joel (finally looks an Arsenal player) and Alexis (what an engine!)
You sum it up for me with:
“In this mood Mesut is worth the entrance money on his own.”
H2H @20, 100% agree. He needs to go out on loan and learn his craft in one position or we will end up with a Phil Jones/Senderos hybrid.
Bath @25.
A double Phillip which would, in fact, be no fillip at all.
The Spanish dog keeper’s companion, upon watching him coax dogs into the van, thought the poor man was daft for calling every dog Iñigo so he was quite relieved to find out the keeper was only practicing his Scottish accent and trying to master “In ye go.” 😉
GSD
From the perspective of not being leggy on a Sunday after flying back from Azerbaijan on the Friday evening, I fully agree with you. We’ve seen plenty of clubs struggling in the PL like this.
And the press knives would be sharper than ever, not to mention other clubs’ fans would be insufferable. Plus you know that Arsenal can’t win anything except the PL or CL without the hacks looking down on their achievement.
None of this matters to me because the world’s full of c*nts and negative nancies anyway. If we won it, I’d be made up.
Light’ning, ‘Holic. Top work.
Will we get Howling Wolfie?
One for the blues aficionados, there.
An outbreak of cba-ism?
Moving on: if this team turned up every game we’d win everything we entered. After a nervous opening, we just took control of the game and the big-names stamped their authority on things. A tip of the hat to Bayern Munich for dusting down Olympiakos. All still to play for. Never let it be said we do anything the easy way.
so many great performances
too many lazy ball losing aaaahhhhhhs
.
WE ARE THE ARSENAL
and god bless us fer it
.
.
*wipes sweat off ears*
Cheers Holic for your speedy and succinct match report.
Many excellent performances tonight but watching Mesut play like that is purely the very best that football can offer. Must give credit to Flim Flam who held his position well with no rash challenges. No surprise with another outstanding game from Nacho, who defended well plus lots of excellent forays in attack ( provider for Alexis’ 1st goal of course ). He must be the best LB plying his trade in the EPL at the moment.
Agree with H2H & Baff that CC in his cameo seemed a little lost running around chasing the spaces but it was late in the game that had become
very open at that stage. I don’t think he is the answer but the lad does need some regular game time whatever position he will play at.
Olympiakos will be a big shout but quite doable if the focus and application is spot on.
Just back from the stadium – nice write-up, Holic, and speedy.
Real time, real friends these days.
H2H,
Completely agree about Chambers as a DM and said exactly the same to my neighbour during the game.
Chambers kept chasing the ball and Zagreb simply passed it into the areas he vacated. Chambers got nowhere near the ball at all. When it did come to him, his control was not quick and precise enough. In the Premier League it would be a lethal combination of unprotected spaces in front of the back four, and losing the ball in dangerous areas.
Not his fault ‘cos he hasn’t grown up in that position. It is a very specialised job. That is why Gilberto Silva was so badly missed when he was out with his extended back injury.
Personally, I think Monreal would be our best bet in that position, should Flamini flag or disappoint, as he has the right kind of fitness and had an extended spell in the centre of the pitch last season when Koscielny was injured. His control is good, his reactions are very quick and his tight passing is good too.
That would mean Gibbs returning at full back but we are going to be weakened somewhere or other ………
Very comfortable tonight. Özil is just a wonderful player.
Funny how all those who didn’t actually go to the stadium thought Mesut Özil was worth the entrance money (on his own) ! ??
Just kidding fellas. I do agree really – even though my entrance money was around £100 ! ?
£100!!!
Did you get to shake Ozil’s hand for that price?
I’ve arrived home from an ultimately relaxed Grove. It was a very comfortable win and to. E honest my overriding emotion is still frustration that we have made things so difficult for us in our group.
Ozil appears to have got plaudits for his performance and deservedly so he was quite brilliant and worked so hard throughout the match. Alexis was sharp ad innovative and I thought Joel Campbell had a very good second half.Also mention to Cech for a clean sheet which included a wonderful reaction save from a deflection. Monreal, Hector, Flamster and Santi all did well but Giroud had one of those nights. I want to see him bullying defences like this.
I think we could win in Athens but I’m never sure which team will turn up . But this was encouraging and enjoyable
That’s a Champions League average in my seat, Matt.
Some are Category B – £65; Bayern Munich was Category A – £129.
And that’s not even Club Level.
Evening all. What a pleasant evening at The Grove tonight was. After a pre match me we headed to the stadium with enough time to pay a visit to the shop. Now, in my younger days I have been searched once or twice coming out of shops, but never before have I been searched trying to get in one? Could it be that it’s got that bad that the club feared fans forcibly returning items bought on a previous visit? Surely not?
The game itself was by in large a tame and relaxed affair. Zagreb produced very little and looked average at best. How we lost to them out there will remain a mystery.
Your headline H sums the match up perfectly. Arsenal did what they had to do, but the two that were head and shoulders above the rest were Ozil and Sanchez. Both were phenominal this evening. Worth every penny of the cost of Trev’s seat.
Some decent all round performances. Nacho continues to impress and Big Per continued to bark orders at the back.
I will have to watch the game again because I’m not getting the JC bit. He worked hard and is a willing trier. But for me he lacks that bit of quality and is massively one footed.
Our champions league destiny is now in our own hands. Tonight should have seen us safely through but we now face a very tricky trip to Greece. Whatever happens and wherever we end up I’m convinced that we will finish where we deserve to finish. We have an opportunity to get out of jail. A lifeline that I, and many others I would suspect, did not expect to get. It’s in our hands now despite only having 6 points from 5 games.
All in all a good evening. There were big gaps in the ground tonight. I will be interested to see what cried figures are announced. Young Miss T enjoyed her 16th birthday which was my main concern. The fact that she decided to spend it at The Grove shows she is maturing well.
Nice report H. Some other good stuff above as well. I’m guessing that there will be few differs of opinion after that performance?
Excellent stuff, Holic. In the rain forest and didn’t see it so your very timely report is much appreciated. (Wet in here by the way). Good to see Eduardo’s getting a game in goal now that he’s slowed down up front. Even better to see our very very average squad two points off the top of the league and with the CL back in Arsene’s hands. Might just trundle down to Athens in two weeks. The Flamster as DM? No brainer. Never the merest shadow of a doubt.
82nd minute. 3-0. Game won. Time to give a couple a breather.
Arsene to Chambers – ” We are tiring and need some energy and enthusiasm to help see the game out. Flamini will hold and I want you to press quickly the man on the ball. Do not give them time to settle. If you win the ball give it short and quick. You have only 8 minutes. Just keep pressing.”
” How did I do Boss?”
” You have done exactly what you were asked to do but your 8 minutes +2 have not convinced everybody that you are yet or will ever be a world-class holding midfielder.”
” Sorry Boss.”
” That is ok. Go and have a shower – you have 8 minutes to impress and don’t forget the soap because you will be marked severely otherwise. Don’t forget that some questioned if Thierry Henry would ever score a goal for us.”
” Thanks Boss.”
Cheers H! Great result and really encouraging personal performances, esp. Joel Campbell; best game he’s ever played for Arsenal.
Noosa @39, nicely done. 🙂
Yes, Noosa, nicely done, but –
If you were there, it didn’t quite look like that. It was near the end of the game and our defence was sitting a bit deeper. Pressing is fine as long as everyone does it together. What we had was one player running everywhere to press, leaving holes where he should have been keeping our shape. Several times Zagreb ran into those gaps right in front of our back four.
That’s not to write Chambers off – he has no experience in the position and it has to be learned.
morning pop pickers
sore throat today
musta forgot last night i was in the big shitty
and not in the arse end of nowhere
nobody near
as the neighbour clattered on the window
left two sausage rolls on the ledge
and shouted thanks for the laugh
he and his brother got from my match commentary
two doors down
through their back window last night
.
fuckin mortified
but a free sausage roll is a free sausage roll
and so is two too
.
have a goodun ‘holic and ‘holics
?
UP THE ARSENAL
Noosa @ 39 – point taken but I was giving a view on his short cameo appearance – not long term future. On this latter point I have good hopes that CC will be a big player for us in years to come, probably at CB, but he does need some game time at whatever position AW plays him.
You are in a top place at Noosa – always envious when you post ( even more now as we are heading into winter here). I stayed at Noosaville a few years ago and we would walk to the posher end at Noosa Heads, sometimes getting the river boat back. Good walks through Noosa National park looking for Koalas with some success – they are hard to see motionless up the trees.
As Stuart Pearce said this morning (I know), the position of DMF requires a certain type of intelligence. It’s not about what you do with the ball or even what you actively do without the ball, it’s about being in the right position to stop the opposition midfield getting the ball into the feet of their strikers.
A certain amount of that does come with experience but I think there’s a lot of it comes from instinct and reading the game from the opposition’s perspective. I am not convinced that it can be taught. Nor does that 8 minute cameo convince me that Young Calum (whom I also hope has a great Arsenal career – he has shown a lot of talent especially in his early days at RB) has those instincts.
Charlie Nicholas believes that Frank Le Coq is the first proper DMFer we have had since Gilberto who does the job properly in a selfless manner without trying to be noticed. He also observed that neither PV4 or EP17 had those talents. It’s not difficult to agree with that.
Spot on Bath. I wonder if Fran Le Coq, having spent his previous few seasons with us waiting for the chop, that when his fortuitous opportunity came, he took the role on without any self aggrandisement and found he was perfect for the role envisaged.
Maybe, now the DM role required is clear for all to see, his temporary successors will adapt accordingly. Well there’s always hope 🙂
Bath, Trev, Uply,
Thanks for the right spirit. I don’t necessarily disagree but I’d also like to see a bit more of CC at dm to make a judgement. With Flamini’s fitness record that may be sooner than we like.
Uply – 32 / 90 degrees here today so I’m actually envious of your cooler climes right now. Too hot for the koalas even but the snakes are just coming out of hibernation to keep things interesting!
UTA.
So we need to win at least 2-0 away from home on the last day in a place we have struggled to win in recent years.
I don’t know about you, but doesn’t that sound familiar for some reason? 🙂
Happy the guys showed up last night and did the job. For some reason I just have this feeling that we may still not make it out, hope am wrong. We really fucked up with those two early games.
Good call Lars.
The first team squad should sit down to watch Fever Pitch.
Well the win was expected, bayern game may end in a draw was taken down the drain for they destroyed olympiakos even with ten men.
It is a sheer delight watching Ozil and sanchez. They are a god send to us and i hope they stay with us for a long long time. Yes they are bound to have a dip but that should be the least of our worries, as we know they will work extra hard to regain form. Yesterday night was a game wherein both were in their elements, Sanchez just outstanding, Mesut was Mesut.
The returning Ramsey was the best sight of the game and i hope and pray he stays fit from now till the end of the season, for he is so important to the overall balance of the team.
Campbell was good but i am not convinced by him at all. If he continues to improve then i can understand the persistence but at the moment, he is more for the numbers, exception being yesterday’s game. Happy to be proven wrong.
Norwich away next, the cannaries will fight tooth and nail and could resemble the westbrom game. We need to ensure no such repetition happens. COYG.
Impressive win last night – so nice to see us ping the ball about with snappy speed. Its what we’re all about.
Agree with Bath in relation to Le Coq. That lad has been tremendous and goes about the DCM role without any frills or trying to seek any attention. It would have been great if we bought another back-up but there are valid arguments in favour of Wenger sticking with the players he has as well.
January should be interesting. While none of the marquee players will be available, its been a fruitful stomping ground for us in the past.
Anyone manage to see Barca’s 6-0 trouncing of Roma last night after the weekends 4 goal drubbing of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu…?? Suarez has been some signing for them and for me, there isn’t a team in Europe who’ll touch them.
Trev.
Stadium view always better, but you really didn’t have to be there last night to see that young Calum was like a dog chasing a fleet of Fire Engines. There was no way in hell that he was going to catch any of them, but that didn’t stop him charging about all over the gaff.
Noosa.
I get your point and take it in the spirit it was intended, however, this is not a time to be flaffing around with untried “fish outta water” types in the middle of the park. Don’t get me wrong, he, and every other player, deserves time to settle into a position that is new to him/them, but I don’t think it should be at the expense of our first team who are in with a real shot at the long awaited title.
If AW really sees him as a DM then send him out on loan to get the required experience, otherwise just let the lad concentrate on being a CB, (another realitively new position for hm), I’d rather he became a master of one position then a nearly lad in various.
I’ve not seen anyone comment on it but my favourite moment last night was Ozil taking a throw in. He looked at the player down the line and threw the ball square, without giving away a foul throw.
Forgot the Cruyff turn. The no-look throw-in has been invented. Suggestions for a name?…
GSD, maybe the ” no-in look “. 😉
A bambozil?
Vinay, Steve T, The thing about Campbell that struck me last night was that he struggles with the pace of Arsenal’s game when it is in top gear. He just seems to be half a yard off the pace in starting his moves, so he isn’t quite where he should be or as balanced when a pass is played to him. It isn’t poor decision making or lack of skill or effort. It is not reacting quickly enough to how the play is developing. If he gets ball to feet in space so he can start a run, he is fine, but not so much when the ball is pinging around the intricate triangles that Ozil, Santi and Sanchez create. That may be why he doesn’t look convincing at times. Perhaps it takes a run in the team to master the pace of the Arsenal game. If so, he is going to have take his chance in short order.
Ned @56 wins imho. Hard to beat that.
Good point on Campbell. I think there’s a spark there.
The simplest way of thinking about what we need at Olympiakos: any win except 0-1 or 1-2.
Bambozil is very good.
I was wondering about Ozillob.
Bambozillob? Too much? Or just right.
A Disguised Throwzil.
Mesut Throwzil
Delighted to see the lad getting the praise he deserves. He has been super this season. Have to say the bloke who flummoxes me is Giroud. He is very inconsistent but we have little alternative to using him although Alexis did very well in the last ten minutes yesterday.
Meant to comment on the number of people leaving before the end yesterday. There were about 40,000 at the start in the ground and 25,000 at the end.
Heh H2H. Throwzil is golden.
As a long-time critic of Herr Özil I am delighted to see the turnaround in his form this season. He’s finally earned his red and white colours as far as I’m concerned and could be on track for legendary status. He certainly has all the qualities (as I have always maintained). Now he has added the consistency which was missing for so long.
But I won’t be replacing the umlaut cos Oskar (the dog) says it would make him Ursker, and that’s plain silly.
Oskar
Although they give a few points away playing with unbelievable indifference sometimes, the ability to dig deep and come back stronger seems to be developing, more so this season, which bodes well for all the coming games. A CL spot seems possible with this kind of display. While we may not make it past the next few matches, I guess it could come in handy to win the PL. COYG!
Highly enjoyable evening once we got in front. Some delightful stuff from Santi and three great goals from Alexis and Ozil reminding us what we can do when the mood takes us.
Now looking forward to a trip to Carrow Road on Sunday and this season I will be among the Gooner faithful. It will feel like a home game , only 45miles up the road.
COYRs
This is eliptical, even by AW standards:
Chile playmaker Alexis Sanchez injured a hamstring in midweek but Wenger said it “might not be the best moment” to rest him.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34932276
Urskar the owner. I am sure Urzil the player will be thankful for your imprimatur. 😉
Cheers GSD.
What did I win?
😛
H2H @ 69: Congratulations!
Your prize is a 3 week stay in the Arsenal Rehabilitation Facility at Colney.
N.B.: duration of stay can be unexpectedly extended. :0/
Watch out H2H. The Arsenal Rehab Facility is nicknamed ‘Hotel California.’
You can check out any time you like but you can never leave.
🙂
If you do go for it though don’t worry too much mate. Abou Diaby will show you the ropes…
☺
Alexis ..hamstring…. 🙁
No Le Coq – ham strung ?? 🙂
Spuds appear to be labouring in Azerbaijan. Glory Glory (??)
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all you ‘holics across the pond. 😉
Happy Turkey day maestro. 🙂
Yes Happy Thanksgiving to all American Gooners
In the spirit of the day I would like to give thanks for this wonderful bar and the people who make it what it is.
Bless you all!
Are you reading this in Equatorial Guinea? Can you tell me where the best place to watch Arsenal matches live in or around Malabo is? Thanks.
I’m told he hangs on my every word, 8ball. 🙂 First stop Goonerholic after every game for sure.
Oskar
You’re getting around a bit, ‘Holic. One of the monks recalls going to the Pizza Place some years back, up near the Hotel Paraiso, if it is still there. There is, though, a Sofitel in Malabo, which might fit the bill, at least if you have a room. At the very least you should be able to pick up a stream on the hotel’s wi-fi. Same for the Hilton. Supersports is the TV channel that has the Premiership TV rights in West Africa.
Cheers Ned. Our very own Cent is the one who could enrich the lives of Gooners in EG, were he able to find a communal viewing hostelry for the mighty Arse in said territory. I will happily give publicity to such a venue.
Thanks for the shout out, H.
Thanks for the reply, Ned, I know all the above places but they only show our games when it doesn’t clash with Barca, Madrid, Athletico, and a few other more popular clubs and even then one still has to pay exorbitant prices for beer to watch the game. I want to know if there are pubs that give special attention to the Arsenal or maybe fellow gooners I can watch games with at their houses/pubs/offices or wherever it’s possible.
cheers, holic, trev, and all.
happiest of thanksgivings, at the end of the day after the roast turkey with giblet stuffing (and mother-in-law’s chestnut stuffing), and gravy, green beans, sweet and mashed potatoes, salad and cranberry relish, washed down with a 51-year old Chilean Cabernet and a magnum of our winemaker friend’s finest Pinot (www.birichino.com, the lilo pinot, available at berry brothers in London)…and my parents, son, wife, her mum, and our best friends and their kids.
so much to give thanks for! and I give so much thanks to you, holic, for keeping this place open, and the drinks flowing…and to all the drinkers, I’m here every day reading your finest, sitting quietly in the corner near the fire, listening in wonderment at the tales and stories and reports of our dear arsenal…
Holic hasn’t admitted it but Arsene is sending him on a scouting mission for a new DM in Guinea. Expect to hear Coq’s replacement signed in the near future.I’m heading off to Senegal to find a new striker
TTG. I have done some preliminary scouting for you over the Interweb and while this particular member of the Genus Bitis may be a bit heavy in body weight to provide the particularly lethal sort of in the box finishing we really need, it should give you a good guideline because its other physical characteristics appear to be of top top quality. ?https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaboon_viper
BT8 B
A very dangerous striker !
But probably not very good in the air…
…and this is what happens to those that don’t make the grade:
http://bit.ly/1NyvZTA
A cursory psychological evaluation could be a helpful precaution to be sure Gaboon Viper is not prone to striking at teammates or coaches, but it does possess a certain je ne sais quoi in its venomous nature. ?
Sorry there is no post today all. There was due to be a competition starting this morning but, much like me, it all fell apart at the last minute. Norwich preview tomorrow followed by match review on Sunday, obviously.
Have a great weekend all, if you can.
Well done, scruz – can’t beat it.
I was pleased and relieved to see the stuffing situation was all accomplished the correct way round. Had you said “with chestnut stuffing ( and mother-in-law’s giblet stuffing ) “, it would have felt rather more uncomfortable. ??
No post, Holic ?
Truly black Friday. ?
Bounces one unerringly off the ref’s backside into the path of ….
The ghost of Abou Diaby….
…all lining up…who wants it most?
Bang !!!
*thanks Uply – and knee slides in front of the adoring North Bank before rolling on the ground in agony*
He scores when he wants — well in Trev. 🙂
You won’t be alone in the treatment room Trev 😉
Big goal Trev with excellent timing too. I hope it’s not the dreaded three weeks though. 😉
Well in for the ton, Trev. And why do goal scorers slide on their knees?Can’t do them any good. Big risk of ligament and muscle strains. A study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2005 found that nearly 6% football injuries were caused by goal celebrations.
Why do they get so hysterical on scoring generally I want to know. It is their job after all. So much more disconcerting for their opponents if they just got on with the game as if scoring was something they do all the time and nothing special, imo.
Oskar
Humorous to see Harry Kane tweeting how delighted he is to qualify for next stage of Europey League … while we are so keen to avoid it!
Oskar
Harry Kane sliding on his knees after a goal is a dislocated knee joint waiting to happen. I wouldn’t even mind if it happened against Arsenal, so long as we won the game and his injury was long-lasting. 😉
Job ?
I don’t get paid for this, you know ! ?
You don’t, Trev? I thought you were on 100,000 puns a week.
*applauds Ned’s pun @110*
howdy ‘hol
howdy all
knee slides on grass ?
bah !
d’ye remember all weather gravel pitches
cold winter’s day games
after two halfs of warfare
everyone hobblin off pickin stones outta their wounds
the occasional mental bastard lookin like
he’d been peeled and pebble-dashed
younguns these days
soft as shite
🙂
Suffer the competition. Suffer long and suffer much but prosper not.
*self-indulgently applauds Lars@Nelsons*
Messi to City..???
What a Messity it’ll be!
Be interesting though…. now when are we going to get Lewandowski?!
😀
Forget Lewandowski… get Vardy!
😀
What we need tomorrow afternoon is a repeat of the result from our first visit to Carrow Road — a five-nil win in the FA Cup in January 1952. A brace for Doug Lishman, and one each for Peter Goring, Jimmy Logie and Don Roper. Lishman’s claim to fame was back to back hat-tricks at Highbury in 1951 (v Fulham and Bolton), a feat not repeated until TH14 did it in 2004.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>