Back To The Bridge Of Sighs
Sep 16th, 2017 by 'holic
After five consecutive Premier League defeats at the bus stop in Fulham we make the journey again this Sunday. What has changed to give us some hope? Well, consecutive victories over the same opposition in the FA Cup Final and Community Shield, and two new players to improve the squad.
When we were taken apart at Anfield it was something of a mystery why Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette were not in the starting line-up. Surely the team picks itself this weekend, and both of the new boys must start?
Petr Cech returns to his former club behind a likely back three of Laurent Koscielny, Skhodran Mustafi, and Nacho Monreal. Hector Bellerin and Kolasinac should be the wing-backs tasked to be diligent on their defensive duties. There has been much talk about reverting to a flat back four but after those two victories at Wembley with a back three the boss would be making a rod for his own back if he changed the system and it failed.
Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey can be expected to start behind Mesut Ozil with Alexis and Lacazette playing off and ahead of the German. The performance of these five will be critical with the wing-backs being more cautious to deny Chelsea the width they will seek.
The home team’s boss, Antonio Conte, was generous in his pre-match assessment of the Gunners.
“I think that Arsenal is one of the six top teams in England and I think that they have a really good squad and want to fight for something important. For this reason, I think it is a massive game for us.”
His opposite number is only too aware that a third consecutive away defeat at the start of the season would once again heap pressure on him. We haven’t endured such a run since 1954. Beating Bournemouth and Cologne isn’t how the team will be measured going forward. That will be on the performance this weekend.
“I believe that we had a bad performance at Liverpool, which I have never denied. That should be an even greater motivation for us to turn up with a quality performance on Sunday.”
The ‘holic pound
I’m steering clear of the suicidal, jinxing even, correct score market. There is value, perhaps, in Aaron Ramsey to score anytime at 11/2. I’m on it.
I’m hoping to be in the vicinity of the ground by elevenish so hope to see a few of you. For those of you who will be enjoying (or enduring) the match elsewhere I wish you a happy Sunday. Have a great one, ‘holics.
106 Responses to “Back To The Bridge Of Sighs”
I love Montreal as a full back or an emergency centre back ,but when we have other options in the back 3 would prefer to see him on the bench.I hope BFG`s performance on Thursday would be enough to make the manager concur.
Yeah first.
Enjoy your afternoon at the bus stop Holic.I will miss the start of the match due to work but will be ready to saunter behind the settee as soon as I get in.
Enjoy your away day ‘Holic. Roast beef at 1pm for me, then the rest of the bottle in front of the TV. I’m not optimistic but hope springs eternal if he picks the right players in the right positions.
Alexis to start for me, with Laca and Danny.
cheers ‘holic
everything crossed for smiles all round tomorrow
.
UP THE ARSENAL
I like your formation but how about Ozil for Weleck lets just go with hard work and pure pace on the break..thats our only chance of getting a result
I know Wenger will NEVER consider it…and most fans perhaps take that view..he is our best player but when was the last time Ozil played well or influenced against a big team away from home?..in 4 yrs I can not think of a single game…
Wenger is a gutless coach who picks his team on reputation and afraid to upset his stars..
Ozil to come on at 69mins…whats the point playing the whole game with 10men
Brief and to the point H
Very rare to see you not pick a scoreline in our favor.
Win lose or draw,put in a shift, is all the supporters ask.
Players need to stand up and be counted tomorrow and prove to us that they are a united team and give everything for the cause.
If the blue lot do win,let’s make sure they know they have been in a battle,and have the scars to show for it.
I will like most everyone else,be happy with a point,and a win would be a massive bonus.
A question for Ned and the Monks.
Given Palace are already 0 and 5,and their next 3 league games are City and Utd away and Chelsea at home,they could well be 0 and 8.
Has that ever happened at the start of a season before. ??
Dorset Mick
Hope you are resting easy my friend.
Word is that Mesut is ‘injured’. Interesting. In which case Iwobi likeliest to get the nod, but how will Jack feel about that if it happens?
Well he might as well be injured as be totally anonymous on the pitch I suppose.
Iwobi would be a silly choice IMO
Fine preview Guvna. I think you are correct that the boss will stick with 3 at the back. I would prefer a back 4 and an extra body in midfield even if it’s not the defensively minded holding MFer of my dreams.But what do I know.
Disappointing news about Mesut. He remains our best chance creator, for all his flaws.
@Bergkamp’s toes from the last drinks, I defer, sir, to your vastly greater knowledge and personal acquaintance. Actually I thought Alice came over far better and markedly less smug in her last programme and I do see the allure.
I’m giving up speculating until we revert to 4 at the back. If we had 3 world class defenders it might make sense, but we have one, Kos, and him only on his day. And without OG there’s no tall timber helping them out against set pieces either. And if AW persists with Mesut and Danny……it’s just a case of how many.
Now prove me wrong! 😀
Of course, if Rambo gets the Mesut role and Kalashnikov is tried at DMF alongside Xhaka, I might get a tad more optimistic.
A must not lose at all! ?
Welbeck must play with his size, his athleticism and his selfless work-rate off the ball! A much easier inclusion if the fishgod is indeed injured ? ? Alexis or Lacazette to then play in that floating number 10 role of Ozil.
For a match like this, if Xhaka and Ramsey do indeed play together in the deeper centre-mid two (and it’s not one of Coquelin or Elneny for either of them), then Ozil’s absence is a positive defensively.
This team selection (whether it’s part of a back three or a flat back four with Bellerin dropping back in within a back 4) can finally win at the Bus-Stop, again, if that defensive transition space in front of the back 3 or 4, is not naively and school-boy-esque left uncovered, as it seems to be in matches like this (amongst all of the others):
Cech
Mustafi Kos Nacho
Bellerin Ramsey Xhaka Kolsanic
Lacazette
Welbeck Sanchez
UTAAD&AN With That Feckin’ Right Proper Tight Defence!
If Ozil is injured the most likely
option would be Elneny into the
centre and Aaron pushed forward
wouldn’t it?
Then on recent evidence Ash M-N
on the bench as midfield cover.
Otherwise same 18 as Bournemouth.
Danny or Alexis to start is the
other decision i suppose. A no
brainer really but I suppose
Danny’s 2 goals will complicate
it (in AW’s mind at least).
Another option is a front 3 of
Alexis, Danny and Laca. Not a
good option to me but it might
appeal to AW as he seems to
have doubts about Elneny and
also it avoids having to make
the Danny / Alexis decision.
As for the result – I’m with
G since 54, show some fucking
fight and I can take any result.
But, no reason we can’t get a hard
fought 2-1 win, we did 4 months
ago.
Thanks, Cynic, for solving cba’s amnesia (or Alzheimers) re Kate Williams. Completely unknown woman to me, but a couple of Youtubisms and I can see the appeal.
It’s a bit of a lottery how much UK culture has filtered down here in the 50 years since I left England. Alice Roberts seemingly everywhere, others nowhere. I occasionally get incredible surprises seeing people I can remember from my teens and early 20s in UK suddenly popping up as pensioners even older than me. Witness this lovely young memory from my youth … https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d1/7d/ba/d17dba3634d235a62e6c5f5e905f621e.jpg … whom I hadn’t seen since until some 40+ years later when there she was in a TV series that made it to NZ … http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5462/17905639205_d44223de55.jpg
You’ve come a long way from Ice Cold in Alex, Sylvia.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it?
That’s what it is to be a goonah.
Oh, and how rude of me to forget,
many thanks for the preview and have
a great day Guv.
@16
🙂
Let’s hope it’s not “lost like tears
in rain”
or ‘Time to die’, just yet Matt.
Yep, let’s just shoot ’em instead
of philosophizing and dying.
Nice preview H. I hope you enjoy your day.
Like many, I can’t say I’m filled with optimism about today’s game. No idea what team will be selected but I hope that LJW plays a part somewhere. His cameo on Thursday showed both the quality and creativity that our midfield has lacked for ages now.
I’m not sure when I will get to see the game. A morning of youth rugby followed by a day at work might mean a decision of watching the delayed recording or just hitting the delete button. Hopefully it will be the former.
SSY, Osaka and Matt
On big away days like today we hope we can say of the players “You’ve done a man’s job sir!”
They’re going to get a hiding im afraid.
History is against the win. It is more than a decade, 2003-04, since we won three consecutive games against the Chavs, the third win being the penultimate game in a 17-match unbeaten run against them stretching back to January 1999.
Like Clive and others, I would take a hard-fought point as a satisfactory day’s work. A win, of course, even one achieved with a flukey deflection off the slipping ghost of John Terry, would be wonderful and put us back into the top five.
Even a low-scoring defeat would be progress. We’ve won 2 games against the top 6 in the past 5 years.
Meanwhile Wenger convinces himself and nobody else that we actually have a chance: “If you look at my record you’ll see I played two years in England in the Premier League without losing a game away from home” – does anyone actually remember which year that was? 2001?
To whoever has planned to subject themselves to this afternoon’s carnage, I hope you can enjoy it. I will be glancing at Arseblog Live Blog from time to time, and wincing.
Thanks Holic !
Hope you have a great day out and a win to celebrate. ??
Clive@6: If Palace lose their next three they will be the 19th Premiership club to have gone through the first eight games of a season without a win.
However, they would be the first to have lost all eight.
Closest to doing so were Sheffield Wednesday (1999-2000), Southampton (1998-99), Sunderland (2013-14) and Man City (1995-96), who were all winless in their first eight games, but managed one draw along the way.
Longest winless start to the season was QPR in 2012-13, 16 games, though they had picked up seven points by that point.
In the old Division One, Sheffield United went through the first 16 league games of the 1990-91 season without a win (though they did win four League Cup games).
The record for consecutive losses is 18, by Darwen in the old Second Division in 1898-99. They won only two of their 34 games (17 teams in the division then), one of which was in October.
If you think our defence is dodgy, Darwen’s conceded 109 goals in 17 away games, including ten three times, nine twice, eight twice, seven once and six three times (including the 6-0 defeat at the Manor Ground, Plumstead). Darwen scored in only four away games all season for a total of six goals to complement 16 scored at home. Its final record was P34 W2 D5 L27 F22 A141 P9.
Not surprisingly, Darwn dropped out of the Football League after that season; their goals against is the record for any division of the Football League to this day.
oops..18 teams in the old Second Division in 1898-99, not 17.
Goonersince54@6,
Hear, hear, Clive. The acceptable minimum from the team is not embarrassing the fans, but a 3-0 win to put us up to third in the table would be nice!
I’d love to see Jack get a game, or at least a bit of one.
I’m feeling fine, thanks, Clive, and will shortly be off to the excellent Sixpenny Tap near Cranborne for a few scoops of their marvelous Rushmore Gold to get myself properly prepared for the match. If it all goes tits up in Fulham, at least I can doze off!
Good to hear you can still enjoy a few cold ones Mick.
Lets hope they are celebratory ones and not drowning your sorrows ones.☺☺☺
Ned,
Thanks for some superb and interesting work on the stats @27, 28 and 29.
An extra sausage for the monks at Sunday lunch …. not yours, of course !
They wouldn’t dare, Trev.
?
Ned, Trev
I was curious and so I checked
and only 2 of the 4 teams with
1 point from 8 games went down.
Soton and Sunderland survived so
it seems there’s hope for Palace.
I don’t mind them staying up
despite last seasons debacle as
it’s one of the easier journeys
for the team and away support.
If Ozil is indeed unavailable, I agree with Osaka Matt that the best option is to have Ramsey play the number 10 role and bring Elnenny in beside Xhaka as deep lying midfielders. I would prefer that to putting the creative responsibility on Iwobe, promising though he is. Playing a front three of Sanchez, Lacazette and Welbeck in front of a MF of Ramsey and Xhaka would leave an even larger hole in our midfield.
I have a lot of sympathy for Chris’ idea of adding Kolacinac to a midfield threesome though we would lose his surging runs down the left.
I can’t see Jack being involved at all after his first competitive return 3 days ago. This is too big a challenge too early for a player subject to setbacks on multiple previous comebacks from injuries.
Offer me a point now and I will gladly accept.
Go win, Gunners.
I know we’ve done it before but please let’s leave Kolasinic in his proper LB/LWB position. Buy a DM in January. He’s looked marvellous and very productive there so let’s not move him!
Fair point cm100. However I don’t think we will buy that man in the January window. I still can’t understand our failure to be linked with a DM since Kante declined to join us in the summer of 2016.
Cech,
Mustafi, Kos, Nacho
Belly, Xhaka, Ramsey, Kola
Iwobi, Laca, Danny
Show of faith in Iwobi I guess.
The team. Sanchez on the bench for Iwobi. Hmmm
Arsenal
33Cech
6Koscielny
20Mustafi
18Monreal
24Bellerín
8Ramsey
29Xhaka
31Kolasinac
23Welbeck
17Iwobi
9Lacazette
Substitutes
4Mertesacker
7Sánchez
12Giroud
13Ospina
14Walcott
30Maitland-Niles
35Elneny
Referee:
Michael Oliver
Wouldn’t of done that but let’s
pray it works.
Elneny and Ash M-N on the bench
with Theo, OG and Sanchez.
Up and at em boys!
Not a bad starting 11 with Iwobi in for Sanchez. ?
Alexis played a full 90 minutes against Cologne on Thursday – competent decision on Wenger’s part.
Sanchez to come on in the second half and to score or assist.
Just keep that back-line tight as fuck FFS! No large spaces in front of the back three. Kanté is now the “complete” and true box-to-box midfielder!
UTAD&AN!
Thanks for a lovely preview as always, ‘Holic.
Just seen the line-up and must say that it’s quite brave of AW.
Very mobile and designed to press from the front but may seem risky to a few.
Personally, I really like the selection and believe we can turn the chavs over in their own backyard contrary to almost everyone else’s expectations.
You know, preparing for life without Ozil and Sanchez in a big game like this might not be the worst thing.
We also need to realise that a loss today will not signal the apocalypse especially given the results y’day.
Have a great game wherever you’re watching and may we hopefully have something to celebrate come full time.
UTA
Nervy start – me and the team
both a bit frantic
2 chances – Danny should of been
on target. Our first quick clever
move of the game.
Pedro’s such a wanker.
Bastard post. Unlucky Aaron.
The first goal would have been
bloody handy. Playing ok though.
Mustn’t lose concentration before
half time.
Iwobi, Ramsey, Monreal, Bellerin : balling.
Arsenal with a chance to come of age here. Perseverance and timely substitions required in the second half.
So far a big step up on previous
trips, we haven’t been bullied
or backed down. Pleased with how
we fought our way into the game.
Need to watch Morata in the air.
Definitely settle for that. Best first half at the Bridge for ages. David Luiz best player on the park otherwise we’d have done even better.
I’m a big pessimist at Stamford Bridge but we did well in the first half. For those who wonder why Welbeck is picked look at that first half and the impact he had. And we are not missing Ozil at all probably because it’s a big match!
Ramsey is playing very well in the Ozil role and the whole team is showing a determination so lacking at Anfield. We may not win but we are bringing credit to the badge and should be ahead at half- time.
Iwobi is playing the Ozil role albeit from the right.
Here comes Hazard.
Sanchez on for Laca.
Last 20 is getting tense.
Looks like a muscle for Danny.
OG on then, let’s hope for
a late headed winner.
He was off, and should have timed
the run better. Mus I mean.
Conte whining but it was a stupid
tackle the idiot Luiz.
Well done boys, I’ll take a point and a pint.
Well played guys. This is just what is expected in a match against our big opponents. Unlucky not to win.
Good game. Great heart shown by the lads and truth be told, a tad unlucky not to come away with the three points.
Asron Ramsey bet almost came off
Now that’s what happens when you’re “Tight @ The Back”! ?
One other thing, Arsene Wenger got his tactics and shape absolutely spot on today.
Credit where it’s due.
Good result, good heart.
I hope we get a bit of belief from
that and get a decent run going.
Lost attacking momentum when Lacazette was taken off.
A proper performance. We did very well and the attitude was good.Sadly I suspect Welbeck will be out for a while after a fine performance. We defended well as a team and often looked dangerous. I’d just love to see Lacazette and Sanchez playing together!
Excellent gritty away point. Good team selection. Well played lads. Well happy with that.
More energy in today’s Arsenal squad than what’s been present in all of its Premier League season’s matches combined. Was Wenger channeling Simeone?
Ozil isn’t needed for these big games, and especially when away from home. With a Ramsey (highly impressive today) and Xhaka central mid combo. Back three immense, especially Mustafi and Monreal. Wing-back mature too. All around, an encouraging defensive team performance after the first 25 minutes of discomfort. Well done! ?
Clean sheet and a point gained. Not many teams will be saying that as they leave the bus stop this season.
Job done lads.
It really seems that Liverpool has taken over as our bogey team.
The lads play Chelsea without fear and actually believe in themselves. The same thing has started happening against the Manchester teams too.
It’s time to extend the courtesy to the sp*d’s and all the other smaller club s that we trip up against.
We need to make this game the template for our general play going forward and maybe, just maybe, there may be a few surprises come end of the season.
UTA
Well said Solid Gooner, we have only lost one in the last five against the Chavs. I was more impressed with Mustafi than I have been before and the three were very solid at the back.
So sad for Danny Welbeck. He was extremely hard- working and committed today but he injures easily. He showed why he gets in ahead of Theo even if he doesn’t finish as well. Ramsey was excellent and I also thought Iwobi did very well .
Luiz could have had a double straight red but I have sympathy for the yellow he got. I have absolutely none for the foul on Kalashnikov and he got his just desserts. How can Conte( who saw it up close ) protest about that decision?
Hey @TTG
Never been a fan of Mustafi but must admit he was much better today than he normally is.
I can vaguely remember Arsene Wenger saying sometime ago that finishing is the easiest thing for a forward to master. Getting into position and occupying defenders is much harder than people think.
Dat Guy is going to be a super star for us if he can stay fit. He has everything in his locker and his composure in front of goal, though it still needs some work, has improved. Hope he isn’t seriously injured and comes back soon.
We need him.
On evidence of their display today, Ramsey and Xhaka can not only work, but flourish.
Iwobi, Bellerin and Monreal were unreal today. Really enjoyed their effort and output.
Luiz is a walking ref card and his manager is the biggest whinger ever so no surprise that he thought Luiz should have been awarded a medal for that horrendous tackle.
Ozil has just been sent a message by AW. The same he’s been mailing Sanchez since that Liverpool game.
It seems his ruthlessness has shown up after all these years.
More of the same please.
UTA
Worried about the landlord. Larging it round Fulham Broadway offering all and sundry out.
Was all about not losing today and the boys didn’t – Got to try and keep that intensity up !
Up The Arse,!
Good performance all round today.
A clean sheet and a point – given our recent performances away at Chelski – are certainly not to be sniffed at.
Not seen or heard any of te game today. However? A point at the bus stop is never to be sniffed at. Especially in our current position.
Encouraging reading the positive comments above as well.
sideshow slob
I said before the game that I would take a hard-fought point as a satisfactory day’s work. So I am thus satisfied.
I have had some nice messages from Chav friends who were there . They normally expect us to roll over but felt that we had a very solid set- up today and Our back three handled their forwards well just as we did in the last two games at Wembley.
This was the best I have seen Mustafi play since the game we had at home last year when he tamed Costa. Early indications are that Citeh are the class act in town and ManUre will plod on in Mourinhoesque fashion but after them nobody is playing particularly well. We have really winnable fixtures coming up and need to develop momentum.
One puzzle is whether Wenger has dropped Ozil and Sanchez or they really are short of optimum fitness . There was absolutely no point whatsoever keeping people who will walk away for nothing next summer if you aren’t going to play them. It’s all very well congratulating Arsene on growing a pair but he’s grown them at the expense of the club. We should have sold them both way back in the transfer window. If we’d had Lemar and Draxler in their place the whole place would have been lifted and we wouldn’t be seeing millions of notes walking out of the door next summer.
AbuDhabi Cit$h and MankyU are not as good as all think they are. Nor are the Lilliywhite Cunts at Wembley. The first two have yet to be tested properly, and when they have been (by Liverpool before the Saido Mané sending off – ManC – and by Stoke – ManU), they’ve shown themselves to be vulnerable.
Continue with defensive team performances like that against all sides, and no more Ozil-passengering any more against the big boys, then you’ll be there or thereabouts Arsene. Losing our Kid Danny, yet again, will be a right kick in the knackers but it’s ok – Alexis-the-Sanchez is there, as are a few others up-and-coming that like to work just as hard off-the-ball.
Oh and by the way, Mustafi is “top quality”! ?
UTAAD&AN With A Fuckin’ Tight Defence Always!
Very good performance today.
Commitment, energy, even some toughness the n the team.
Could have won by a few and had by far the better of the game, apart from a shaky first 15 munutes and when things evened up a bit after Hazard came on.
Good points above from TTG and Solid Gooner especially.
An overhead kick in the middle of a crowded defence should have seen Luiz sent off (Robin van Persie, anyone ?) long before the red card he did actually get for a nasty, studs up challenge on Kolasinac. The velocity of that impact could have resulted in another Aaron Ramsey type leg break. Thank goodness it didn’t.
Thank goodness also that Antonio Conte was not on the pitch. He seems to have less self control than any of his players.
This was a great team performance. Everyone put in a shift and Rambo and Mustafi were my MOTM.
I feel we were the better side after a nervy start and more than deserved our single point. A pity we didn’t put away one of the 2 real chances we made. Today was the away performance we need to produce on a regular basis.
Hazard gave us all a few anxious moments when he eventually took the field but we held on and came away with the clean sheet, well done you Reds.
Our away fans were fantastic, if only we could produce that same level of support at the Ems. I really enjoyed my day out at the Bridge but will miss the next two home games as I will be on tour in Croatia discovering the delights of Vis and visiting old friends in Trogir.
COYR
Hey Solid, you make a really interesting point about Ozil and Sanchez (not to mention in a nicely worded way). Do you think that’s what’s going on?
I’d welcome it personally, and in the meantime Lacazette is someone who ought to stay on all game no matter what. He seems like he can get goals out of nothing.
Regular team performances like that against the big boys (particularly defensively with discipline and cohesion), will keep Sanchez & Ozil at the club past this summer; if that’s what’s wanted. QED! ?
…past *next summer! ?
The velocity of that impact could have resulted in another Aaron Ramsey type leg break
For Sideshow Bob.
He was, after all, “tackling” a tank.
I saw nothing of the game but spoke to a Chelsea fan almost immediately after the whistle who was moaning about Morata and calling him the new Schevchenko.
Which was nice to hear.
Hallelujah. What a refreshing display of togetherness, ambition and energy without Ozil Gummidge clogging up the works.
From my observation 3 at the back also worked well enough, although I could count 5 or 6 defending like a back 4 when it mattered.
But I’ll point it out again … Not one of our top 6 goal-scorers last season started today, and how many did we score?
How Danny and Iwobi get to start in such circumstances remains a mystery.
PR@85
Sorry for the delay.
In response to your question, I’m not ITK but have to say all the signs and Wenger’s antecedents point towards his taking a stand with the contract rebels at least in this instance.
We were genuinely unlucky against Stoke even when playing players out of position and that must have given AW the courage to keep trying to convince the chaps he wanted to keep by fielding them to the detriment of the team.
The show of shame at Liverpool and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s subsequent move must have hit him very hard and made his mind up.
All conjecture but, like you said, would be welcome if it produces performances like the one at Stamford Bridge.
I also happen to agree with you that Lacazette should never be subbed off.
All in all, we need to keep this up as it bodes well for the foreseeable future.
UTA
Morata has looked very good, Cynic. We had a serious interest in him before he joined the chavs, and I’m yet to be convinced our alternative buy, Laca, is quite as good. Morata has 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 Prem games, and I think I’m right in saying he scored all 3 goals with his head – which I can’t see the diminutive Laca doing.
Fabulous fun in Singapore. Gotta love how Vettel bottles it when surrounded in a battle. Hammertime!
Could be AW has finally woken up to how over-hyped Ozil is in the weekly grind, SG. He keeps his best for internationals, and keeps his fitness by keeping out of trouble at other times. It’s something he’s been criticised for throughout his career.
As for Alexis, he’s clearly not 100% fit, and AW wanted 150% fit starters today.
Have a great trip, Delia. The ‘holics will miss your great reports though. 🙂
Re: The absence of Ozil. It certainly does feel better to enter these big matches with 11 men on the pitch.
😀
Good morning all. National Holiday
here so I’m off for a days mahjong
and wine party 🙂
Nice to see the bar happier after a
good defensive display. We did well
defending as a team I thought.
Started to give the ball away more
after the substitutions which made
life more difficult especially with
Hazard on for the Chavs.
But sideshow eased any pressure
with his stupidity and happily Kola
shrugged it off – he seems a
handy bloke to have in the trenches.
Hazard looked fatter than Fat Sam. Must have been touch and go whether he’d make the bench without running out of puff.
Okay, here’s the defence-splitting assist…
I thought we missed Ozil
yesterday.
Raises bat, nods to Chris
Chris@91: As it happens, Lacazette’s first goal for us was a header (against Leicester), but your general point is sound. Only nine of his 131 career goals were headers. Morata, by comparison, has scored 16 or his 73 goals with his head (including all three of his Chelsea goals).
Well in the the ton, OsakaMatt.
Thanks Ned.
Nice one Solid.
Here’s hoping AW really is trying to teach the contract rebels a lesson. We certainly didn’t seem to miss Ozil, now I didn’t see the game but reports suggest that we functioned just fine without him.
Have a great week SG and everyone else!
I hope that yesterday’s stirring performance becomes the standard one we put in in these big games. It has been observed elsewhere b one of our former regulars that it as a true ‘one for all, all for one’ team performance culminating with Xhaka coming over to sort out the fracas after Slideshow Bob’s assault on Kolasinac.
It was a markedly different performance from that at Anfield involving three refuseniks. I suspect I am not the only fan who wonders whether this is a coincidence. Though I do admire Ozil’s skills and defend him against incorrect allegations of laziness and not tracking back, I don’t think he is at his best in the hurly burly of these big games and his clear desire to leave (rumours of Manure in the summer) will not enhance team cohesion. Likewise Alexis strikes me as a useful impact sub until his departure to the other half of Mankland next summer.
COYG
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>