I Like Our FA Cup Final Record Against Chelsea
Apr 22nd, 2017 by 'holic
Well, as evening’s go that wasn’t so bad after all. The bus stop in Fulham somehow managed to beat a far superior Middlesex team which must have absolutely infuriated our friends in the north. One can only hope that shattering defeat has ramifications for next Sunday. Let’s worry about that after we have played the City’s of Manchester and Leicester and know where we stand in the final few weeks of the season.
I’m now starting to get a buzz about our semi-final tomorrow. Form and logic says I am making a wasted journey to a stadium I don’t much like, but my glass is definitely half-full tonight. Chelsea showed us how we might get a result tomorrow. Defend with organisation and belief, win those battles at the back then when opportunities come our way, which they will surely do, take them. Matic got a worldie today. We have players capable of doing just that even though we may not have been playing with confidence of late.
Sunday is the day for the Arsenal side that went nineteen unbeaten after the opening day defeat to surface. We produced some fabulous performances in that run including the 3-0 drubbing of Chelsea in a dress rehearsal, hopefully, of next month’s Final. Some of us thought this the best squad Arsene had at his disposal for many a year. Where did it all go wrong? If only someone knew the answer to that, but we do have that in us, should the players put in the effort and let their talent shine through.
We are without Skhodran Mustafi, and possibly Danny Welbeck. It is looking increasingly likely that the ‘injured’ David Ospina and Lucas Perez have played their last matches for Arsenal. The decision that faces the manager is simple. Does he build on the far from convincing win at Boro by persevering with a back three of Gabriel, Laurent Koscielny, and Rob Holding. The loss of Mustafi suggests he probably will for a little extra insurance.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hopefully learned from his early booking at the Riverside and may have had a week to work on his current assignment as the right wing-back. Nacho Monreal may be asked to be less adventurous on the other flank. City have played with great pace on the flanks of late. We know what Sterling is capable of, and Sane has been sensational of late. With Jesus expected to return from injury, probably on the bench, we will have to be very alert at the back.
When we have the ball we must keep it for long spells, which is easier said than done obviously. Mesut Ozil may need to be prepared to drop into a midfield trio but alongside who? History suggests Arsene will go for a mixture of attack and defence, so possibly will opt for Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka. There must be a temptation to start Mohamed Elneny over Rambo in order to keep things tight for an hour before releasing the Welshman when we are looking to grab the tie by the scruff of the neck.
There is probably also a thought that Theo Walcott should replace Olivier Giroud and provide a twin-pronged pacy attacking duo with Alexis. Giroud would be another perfect second-half substitute when we are likely to be needing a goal or two. City have Kompany back and overnight their defence looks much steadier than it has for most of the season when their Belgian talisman and leader was out injured.
The ‘holic pound
My financial advisor has spoken. Bergkamp the Man will feel better if I put my ‘poond’ on 2-1 to the Arsenal. I don’t think he’s far out, if we turn up. I don’t think we will keep them out, but we do have the ability, kept in reserve in recent weeks, to break with devastating pace and class. It’s time to do just that again. It’s how we have got our better results against City in the Emptihad years. Let’s do it again.
That’s it then. I have to put my semi-final gear together ready for the morning, complete with my lucky yellow ribbon, obviously. Then book the taxi, set the alarm, and have a few nightcaps!
WHAT DID SHE WEAR?
120 Responses to “I Like Our FA Cup Final Record Against Chelsea”
She wore….
She wore…
I am boring and pessimistic . My heart says 2-1 to us but my head says it will be a very depressing day with a heavy defeat. I enjoyed today’s match as a game of football but it made me realise how far we are falling behind the best teams. For us to win tomorrow would be a massive upset. I’m not even contemplating it but I do hope the Gooners travelling will have a wonderful surprise and a great day.
TTG
She wore! ?
a
Nice optimistic preview, Holic,
however,
“Defend with organisation and belief….”
Ahem …… ☹️
Hope the bet comes off and you and all Gooners have a great day ????
cba, you big cow’s fanny… glad to have you back.
What DID she wear?
ffs
Holic, how do you do it? I guess if you’ve shelled out to watch that lot play you have little choice but to be optimistic.
I can’t share your positivity I’m afraid. Be organised at the back? Believe in Rambo to have a telling effect on a game? Hope for a worldie? They’re isn’t the quality, confidence, organisation, coherence, leadership, desire, spirit, mental strength or sheer balls in Arsenal to pull off a great escape like beating a far superior team like City. They fold like wet paper at the merest hint of pressure and they all look like they’re playing to get the manager sacked. If only.
cba, good to see you back.
Friend of yours here to welcome you …..
https://www.funnypica.com/top-33-funny-cow-pictures/funny-cow-pictures-4/
?
cba never goes away, I sense he’s always here in spirit even when he’s elsewhere.
If there’s one thing I may never forgive AW for it’s allowing the neighbours to build a side few of our current side could get into – while knowing that most of theirs could just as easily have been ours if we’d wanted them. They looked really useful until Hazard (another player we should have tried harder to get) came on today. One could almost say they were unlucky, although I was doing Cheshire Cat impressions by the final whistle.
Our best hope now seems to be the burden of stadium building affecting them as it did us for the next decade. Otherwise it could be a long cold winter of discontent in store.
@7,8
She wore a yellow ribbon!!!
Kelly’s Heroes is on tv this morning
in Japan. It’s no time for them negative
waves. Smash & grab.
Kompany’s been a real player and
leader for Shitty but he’s a two edged
sword these days – 3-2 to the Arse.
COYGs.
Ya gotta believe it can happen.
Jesus back from injury?
Wasn’t that last week? ?
Nice preview H. Enjoy the day.
Big players need to step up today. Far too much mediocrity has cost us this season. Time to grow a pair and turn up fighting.
Greetings sir. Have a super quality day.
Chris
Forsberg may be on his way !
http://www.allarsenal.com/2017/04/arsenalnews/arsenal-keen-sign-mbappe-kolasinac-forsberg/
For no very particular reason, I think we win a low scoring game but lose if it is a goal fest.
History is with the ‘holic pound, however. Seven of the 19 semi-finals played at the new Wembley have ended 2-1.
Decided against watching the game. Going to church. Hopefully some good news will greet me after the service.
Please boys make a match of it. COYR!
Great preview Holic!
GSD
I think you are correct in your assessment 🙂 Easter was last week indeed.
Going for a hike and will be pumped for when I get back for the game!
Come on Arsenal it’s time to stand up and grow a pair as Steve T mentioned above!
Jesus available after being out so long with injury? He may find it too heavy a cross to bear.
Not happy with that team, being unchanged… we’ll see…
You’ve got me in the mood, Holic. Have a great day out and enjoy our two goals.
Not quite sure what is going on with that team selection. The defence fills me with dread???
That said, Citeh have evened it up by playing a comedy goalkeeper.
That is a ballsy selection on both
sides I think. We must make Navas
defend cos basically he can’t.
And play around Toure/ Fernandinho
better than they play around Xhaka/
Rambo. Anyway, risky but i’m kind
of pleased we’ve gone for it.
Fuck it, let’s take ’em.
Don’t think it will be 2-1 though, not
with these line ups.
As others have said, just show some
gumption.
We are not half as good at keeping the ball as City who are dominating possession and look threatening.
This formation is dogshit.
That was never out of play. Got away with that totally.
Close shave as City denied a good goal.
Still want video refs?
We’d have had a pen against us and a legit goal given with video refs.
Terrible half of football. Officials terrible. City terrible, us terrible.
It’s just… terrible.
This actually reminds me of the final against Man U, where we were so scared of getting a drubbing that we almost looked like we played for penalties from the first whistle. It worked, but it was a fucking awful watch.
And I will say again that this formation is fucking rubbish, even if it works and we squeak a win.
City are the most open team we could have faced at this stage and they’re just as dodgy as we are defensively. Why are we playing a system that completely kills us as an attacking unit?
And now we’ll probably score six… but the system is fucking awful.
Aaaarrgh, got the time difference
wrong and missed the 1st half 🙁
Schoolboy error, hope we are more
clued up than me.
Still in it at 0-0. Surprised at the score
looking at the 2 defences on show.
Don’t think any linesman would have ever ruled that ball in for the city goal with any conviction – even the super slow motion replays from a high camera angle weren’t conclusive. And the navas pull on Sanchez was a much clearer shout for a penalty than Chamberlain on aguero.
Worth mentioning that we’re no longer attacking towards the sun. Which is good!
Still can’t defend route one. Cech is by his sell by date. He should have been out to gather that ball.
Two and half minutes to go until the first sub…
Ten seconds overdue. Come on, get the sub on
Right on cue, Theo is getting ready to come on.
Monreal, get in!!!!!
Who the fuck is this scoring a goal? 🙂
With his wrong foot, too.
Fuck “em Nacho man
COYG!!!
COYG
What a save that is. Just got a flipper on it.
That was a cracker from Toure and it was a grater save from Czec
Giroud coming off then?
We’ve had all the luck in this game. Fucking hell.
The second time the post/bar has saved us.
Welbeck on for Giroud. Time to get Theo on.
Get some fresh legs in. Wenger is too scared to sub?
Get Theo on ffs.
Alexis!!!’
Sanchez baby!!!
Get in Alexis come on!
Come on Arsenal! Don’t do an Arsenal!
Xhaka geeing up the crowd: highlight of the day.
Another let off for us.
Can they hang on?
Change is good.
All that is needed is hold on, no drama, no changes, no recklessness.
Am I the only one noticing Welbeck is selfish in this again.
Yes!!!!’
Great hard fought win! Come on Arsenal!
Ozil has absolutely no physical presence and is easily read as he tries to get the ball on his left foot. He had at least three chances but was pushed off the ball every time.
Never in doubt.
😀
Fuck this shit. I love arsenal.
That feels great
Either Monreal had a touch of tightness at the end there or he sprung a woody
Great win that although it was a dire first half.
Gabriel easily MoM for me
Great win. Congratulations to Holic on his pound. Something to look forward to now.
Will we have enough in the tank against the spuds.
Yes yes yes…….
Nobody can accuse the team of not wanting it more today. Just the sort of ‘fuck off’ win that was needed.
And the ‘Holic pound buys an extra week of football.
Like our FA Cup final record against Chelsea you say, ‘holic? 😉
Great result. And it sounds like we really dug in and fought for it. Well done lads.
UTA
Smash and grab
This is the kind of Arsenal we have been asking for.
Show some spirit, show some gut. Don’t lie down.
On to the next one.
Way to go boys, you fought for this match. Nacho with the chocolate leg, Gabriel great, Ox great, Sanchez baby with the winner. COYG!
Sadly Holic will probably not get paid on his bet as bookies pay out on the 90 minutes score only
Wot he said @78!
Showed some heart, came back
and won. Happy to give credit
when it’s due (for a change)
If only we had Guardiola the master tactician and motivator we’d be in the final.
Wenger out!!!
If we’d had video refs, which so many on here want, we’d have been dead and buried by half time.
Video OUT
god BLESS ALL HERE !!!!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOEUo_sLxY
Just goes to show that sometimes heart matters more than quality. Better strikers would have buried those Welbeck chances and extra time counter attacks, but we dug deep and held on nevertheless. And needed a bit of luck with a few decisions too. Well done Arsenal!
Bentekkers!
Klippety on the ropes.
Well dug in Arsenal. The sort of performance we have been asking for. If only we had a midfield as committed as our defence today!
Well said Btm@81…
Guardiola will be tested for the first time in his career after having had top class squads and more importantly the best squads in the respective leagues at Barcelona and Bayern. Although I wouldn’t bet against City breaking the bank in the summer transfer window.
cba, you big hamster’s pouch!
THE ARSENAL
???????
when’s kick off ?
It’s been a good week. Now let’s beat Leicester Wednesday and then get a result at S***s next Sunday. COYG!!!
fuck the lotta ye
???
who we on about ?
when’s kick off ?
About two and a half bars into my rendition of The Billy Boys 😉
How are you doing, you old farter?
94
bastard
don’t make me come round yer house and breathe through yer letterbox
Young Holding is a talent and a great addition. Gabriel has played his best game for us. Where does Bellerin fit in with Ox playing so well at right wing back?
so close
In the first half we played like we usually do and were lucky not to go two down. In the second half we appeared to want it more and if Welbeck and Ozil had their scoring boots on we would have won at a canter. Had not seen this team kick and scrap like they did today but every one appeared tuned in and up for the fight. Hope we are as competitive against the spuds.
Bellerin’s hairdo is terrible. He looks like a girl. Yuk.
THE HOLIC POUND.
GET THE FUCK IN.
AND ALL THAT MALARKEY.
See number 79 Esso… I think the old feller will be skint but happy!
Great day, Liverpool loses to Palace 1-2.
Shit, if only we had the all conquering Klopp, we wouldn’t have been shafted by Palace – at least not at home.
Wenger out!!
Pity there was no video ref today. Dead penalty for us missed completely. Should have been 3-2. Football needs to leave the stone age.
Cheers Cynic. N’eer mind still a great and much needed result for all concerned.
I knew we’d win a low scoring one. 🙂
Give it a rest BTM ?
Not everything has to be Wenger in, Wenger out..
I’m delighted for the fans who were there and those who had more faith than me. Wenger does manage to rally players and the key move may be the 3 at the back. That looks a very sensible move but we need a better midfield two. The Totts midfield dominated Kante and Matic yesterday and it is hard to see Ramsey and Xhaka or Coquelin or Elneny doing that . I’d like to see Theo start at Wembley with Sanchez moving forward in place of Giroud. Theo gets goals against Chelsea.
Pepsi Cola Guardiola
Messi makes football and scoring so easy. Genius.
Who the fuck is Messi?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhdRjEJZRrw
Come oooooon!
Sugar free, baby…Fuck em all….
Messi literally at the death 2-3.
Theo scores against the Chavs, TTG? He also scored in both games against $iteh this season, but couldn’t get on today after his mild, but honest and accurate, comments post the Palace disgrace. Subbing on the useless (as CF) Danny for Giroud was positively vindictive of AW, imo. If I were Theo I would be looking for a transfer out come summer.
Apropos Palace, it’s worth pointing out they have now beaten Chavski, us and Poo in recent weeks and play the scum on Wednesday. Go the Eagles!
A great morning (here) of football. What better way to enjoy our overdue, if lucky, resurrection as a team than to watch El Classico and Messi’s last-kick-of-the-match winner – his 500th goal for Barca. 500 fucking goals!
Yes we were lucky, not to concede a penalty, or the goal that was disallowed, or the two that struck the woodwork, or to lose a key player like Silva etc etc. But we also showed a lot more togetherness and enthusiasm than we’ve been showing recently, so no complaints from here. In the preview I said ‘if the bounce of the ball goes our way who knows?‘ and it did!
Shame we won’t be facing the neighbours at Wembley, but the Chavs will do as their whipping boys.
Perhaps I should add that Theo was certainly daft to say what he did after the Palace effort, but he’s a footballer ffs, not a politician, and why anyone would be interested in his opinion about anything I have no idea. A bollocking was in order for sure, but that should have been it.
Nice preview Guvna. Only just got to it. Yesterday was a trifle busy, you see.
What a good old Arsenal performance that was. Every man gave 100% and matched Shitteh all over the field.
I really hope that these players, having found the Arsenal spirit, hang on to it and deliver for the rest of this season a similar resolve, fluency and belief to that they displayed in the second half and ET in particular.
Heroes every man but particular ‘mentions in despatches’ for Gabriel, the Ox, Holding, Monreal and Koscielny.
COYG
Actually Chris, I totally disagree with you about Welbeck against Citeh he pulled the defence all over the place and created mayhem. He can’t finish but his air- shot was almost an assist!
I don’t think he’s being vindictive with Theo but in that line – up he either leads the attack or plays in the Alexis spot. He is certainly unlucky not to be playing after his best and most committed season.
The other oddity is Bellerin. Right wing- back is made for him but you can’t drop Ox . The Big need for next season is stronger midfielders. With those two yesterday we won’t protect our back four against the Totts. We need real muscle in there
Still smilin’ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>