The ‘holic Pound
Oct 21st, 2017 by 'holic
A black Labrador puppy is looking at me with eyes that cannot be ignored. There is no way in the world I will have time for a full preview of the trip to Everton. However I know you want to know what my punt of the match is so you can quite sensibly discount it from your Sunday wager.
Lazily I have opted for the Bergkamp the Man special, 1-2 to the Arsenal, at 17/2, on the basis that sooner or later it will come in.
If you are making the journey have a great trip. Oops, game time for the pup. Must fly. Have a great one ‘holics.
127 Responses to “The ‘holic Pound”
Woof! Woof!
I’ll be happy with 2-1, but i’m
hoping for a sterner defence
and 2-0 to the good guys.
Hope your punt comes in, H. I fear our traditional generosity to ailing clubs and managers may compromise our own need to get back on the winning bandwagon. How about a picture of the puppy, maestro? Should be landing in time to listen to the match on 5 live as we drive down the M4. COYG
Sooner or later it will come in, ‘holic. 😉
About the same as I tell myself whenever I let out the kitty.
I notice that the “The Guardian’s” predicted eleven for us tomorrow includes Sanchez and Lacazette, but no Özil.
Is Özil available for tomorrow, or is he injured?
Mourinho on today: “I don’t even remember a friendly match where our attitude was so poor. When I lose matches, I like to lose because the opponent was better and had more quality. But when you lose because of attitude, that is really bad. I heard Ander Herrera in his … interview saying the attitude and desire was poor. Oh my God, when a player says that, or a player feels that, I think they should all go to the press conference and explain why – because I cannot explain that. It concerns me because if it happened today why can’t it happen tomorrow?”
…of course, in the case of Arsenal it probably will happen tomorrow…
Ow b’ist gooin, ‘holic? Rather you than me. But enjoy the rest, it is well deserved.
Theo said a lot less following the Palace game than Moaninho today and hasn’t started in the Prem since April. It’ll be interesting to see when Herrera next plays.
Labradors come first Holic.
We know the background to tomorrow. Everton under pressure and likely to play with incredible spirit or fall apart if we score early . Who knows what we will do. We should be reasonably fresh and we are well capable of beating them but we saw our challenge for the title ? falter last season at Goodison after leading. The season before we strolled the game there. I’m going to be positive and echo Osaka Matt .2-1 to the Gooners.
Excellent preview H. One of your best.
Labrador puppy? Please, not another NBT???
Normal service, normal rules. Means no one has a clue which team will turn up etc. Everton are almost as unpredictable as we are.
As a result of all that, anyone actually placing a bet must be either nuts or just guessing. So good luck with the Holic £. I’ll be rooting for you regardless.
I hope Jack plays some part. Apart from that, 3 points please.
TERS@5
Ozil is available but I guess he was
last time and Iwobi started.
Not sure if AW reacts to last weeks
defeat or not – but I imagine
Ramsey will play as he nearly always
does and that Alexis will play as
Danny is out anyway. And we need
someone who can finish up there
with Laca.
Yep, Danny is out, Matt. Brilliant idea to bring him back last match, doncha think? Clearly not recovered, so what was the point? How desperate must AW have been to play one of his pets!
Just for old times sake I hope he celebrates his birthday with a win regardless his present decline into senectitude.
Enjoy the game with your pup, ‘holic. We are back from the dog park and Mad Max is now hard at work on his Christmas cards. 😉
SteveT@10: On the button in that no one knows which Arsenal will turn up. We should be good enough to beat Everton, but that was true against Watford, too.
A random fact for the day: Rooney likes scoring against us. He has done so 14 times. Only scored more against Aston Villa (15).
Danny and Iwobi had both done fairly
well in the previous away game at the
Chavs I think Chris so it really wasn’t
an outrageous plan.
Didn’t know it was AW’s birthday –
I hope we all enjoy it.
Some friends are over from the US
and annoyingly they can only meet
tonight around kick-off time 🙁
Testing the bounds of friendship
but anyway I have SportsNavi so
I can watch live on my iphone.
@Osakamatt,
Thank you for taking the time.
True, Iwobi was preferred to Özil last fixture. I feel certain Arsene will go with Özil today (given that he’s available).
We need the three points, and it’s about time we saw what our trio (Özil, Sanchez, Laca) is capable of!
Here are another couple of random facts about Arsenal games at Everton.
The first league encounter, in 1905, was lost 1-0 to a goal scored by Sandy Young, a prolific goalscorer (109 goals in 275 matches) but who had a history of mental illness and was later be convicted for the manslaughter of his brother, John, who he shot in Tongala in Australia in 1915.
We won the fixture at Goodison the following year, also 1-0. The goal was scored by Willy Garbutt, who, though not a familiar name in England, went on to have a distinguished and influential coaching career in Italy and Spain, wining three Italian championships with Genoa and La Liga with Athletic Bilbao.
@15
Seems AW agrees with you !
It’s the team I’d have picked today
so no complaints from me.
We should be able to get at their
back 3 I think.
Cech
Kos, Per, Nacho
Bellerin, Rambo, Xhaka, Kola
Oil, Alexis
Laca
Bench:
Macey, Holding, Le Coq, Jack, Iwobi, Theo and Ollie G
Slippery figure, that Oil. Always losing his zeds.
Not the side I’d have picked, but what do I know.
8-0
To somebody
Come on Arsenal!
Ffs Xhaka again loosin the ball!
That is just so Arsenal. Xhaka clueless. Half asleep and with No idea of what was around him.
All after we have dominated the game?
How inevitable was it that the Granny shagger would score?
Xhaka badly at fault although it wasn’t a clever ball to him. And we started so well!
What the f**k does Wenger see in Xhaka, he is absolutely atrocious
Keane and Williams both roughing up Sanchez
What is our keeper doing
It was a clear foul on Xhaka leading up to the goal. Lacazette missed what should be a sitter for a striker of his class. How the fuck are we down after outplaying Everton.
Xhaka’s confidence is down the toilet! He reminds me of Ramsey a little.
Ref is a tosser!
Ksn. Massively clutching at straws on both accounts in my opinion.
The ref is blowing everything for Everton just as he did for Watford against us.
don’t blame the ref, blame Wenger and his players who can’t score or defend.
Am I missing something here? What had the ref got wrong?
Steve T – Lacazette hit it straight at the keeper when there was plenty of space to the goalkeeper’s right. He would score 9 times out of ten in such a situation.
Ramsey and Xhaka what a great midfield
It was a great turn and he hit it first time. With a bit more luck he scores. Credit to the keeper for moving out so fast. If you genuinely think that’s a sitter then we will just agree to disagree.
What Holic likes to call ‘ rotational fouling ‘ on Sanchez
Getttttt iiiinnnnnnnmm
Get in, Monreal!!!!
Come on Bellerin
Nacho, man of the season so far for us.
We are totally outclassing them
Great strike from Nacho but the fact that he is first to react to the save should raise concerns.
Dominated the game so far.
Ref seems to be giving them all the advantage…
Still we should be having a much easier time …!
It’s not the first time Xhaka is caught napping, Ramsey bombing forward doesn’t help one bit he should be involved in carrying the ball forward but we all know he’s unable to do that.
Ozil is having a good game from what I have seen in the first half!
We are certainly dominating but have very little to show for it on the score line. Peter Chech worries me as well he doesn’t look in his prime any more and almost cost us the second goal.
’twas a definite foul on Xhaka leading up to the Rooney goal. Everton’s Gana puts the knee through Xhaka’s leg, with the full force of his body behind it.
A decent first half in my opinion. 10 shots on target tells yiuvthstvwe must be doing something right? Pickford has been their best player by a country mile.
Some wonderful touches from Ozil. If we can attack like thatvin the second half then there is no reason we shouldn’t go on to win comfortably. Just need to tighten up at the back and be a bit more Clinical up front.
There was a clear foul on Xhaka in the build up to Granny Shagger’s goal which the referee totally ignored. Agueye’s knee knocks Xhaka down before he touches the ball which can be clearly seen from the front side replay but none of the commentators nor the studio pundits are choosing to comment on it. The dour Phil Neville is commending Everton for being aggressive and the commentators are going with the narrative of it being ‘two teams contributing to a fantastic premier league game’ when clearly we have totally dominated the play and Everton have resorted to rotational fouling. Just begs the question if there are any real television commentators without an anti arsenal bias. They just keep fuelling the ‘get at the Arsenal aggressively’ narrative despite the on field action suggesting a completely different game where we are doing really well. Its just tiresome.
Anyway it’s up to us to use out superiority to put the game to bed early in the second half. Agueye and Williams are on yellows and it would be interesting to see if the referee is brave enough to show a second yellow if and when it is deserved.
Ozil!!!!
Sanchez and Ozil- a magnificent goal
Siolololololooooooo
Brilliant goal!
Doing Poznań in my living room
Ozil. Great goal, especially when you consider how crap he is.
The attacking Quadrangle of Lacazette, Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey! What should’ve always been! ???
Amazing goal by Ozil. Answering on the pitch – the best way to do it.
Dapper Dan
You make a great point but I’d still bring in Jack for Ramsey
Gana sent off, he was fouling everyone and the inevitable happened.
Everton’s “rotational” fouling not so rotational. Idrissa Gana put in a foul every 3 minutes prior to his being sent off.
Well desreved second yellow, hope we can use this to our advantage
I would agree Wilshere in Ramsey out
Lacazette get in!!!
This is a what I’m talking about!
Man of the match Ozil!
Improve the goal difference boys!
Lovely worked third. Great cut back and nice finish.
Time to get another 2 or 3 yet.
Ozil has shown his very best side today. He has got his mojo back. In fairness Sanchez and Ozil have been spot-on in terms of attitude
Xhaka must be close to a yellow?
Xhaka treading on thin ice
Bizarre sub if you ask me!
TTG, Sure – let the Jack also Climb the beanstalk! But keep the other three! But of course Arsene won’t do that!!!
We need to be disciplined and not give away fouls in dangerous areas. Add goals, if we can, but don’t concede.
Wilshere on for Lacazette.
There you go! QED! Le Prof predictable as ever! ???
Ozil replaced by Coq. He had a great game.
Ramsey makes it four, lovely move.
Some banging (as I believe the young people say) goals today! Real Wenger ball!
Most satisfactory!
Absolutely KSN! Ozil is world class! ?
Great vision from Jack and great first touch from Rambo.
Everton have looked awful but we have put in a performance today that will hopefully stand us in good stead for the coming weeks.
Ozil man of the match. Personally I would have given it to Theo but Ozil has been top drawer today.
Thank fuck the game is over.
2 goals conceded that can only be described defensively as shambolic.
What a stupid goal to concede.
The lack of professional ruthlessness defensively is shocking!
It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t throw in a defensive cock-up but Sanchez has put a smile back on our faces
Sanchez, finally!!!!
And there’s the other world classer! ?
Alexis deserves that.
So, is Koeman’s stint as Everton over? Spent £155 m and they are shit.
Does anybody know how many managers have been sacked immediately after a defeat by an AW led Arsenal side?
Taxi for Koeman!
Ned will….
Steve T couldn’t agree more he deserved it!
As out keeper sellin Szczesny was a massive mistake by Wenger! It’s blatant to see Chech is past his time!
Was going to ask how much Koeman spent…
That’s the end of that… should be the last we see of him.
Very satisfying that Alexis put that one in.. couldn’t hammer enough nails in that coffin.
😀
And if he doesn’t then it’s really not worth knowing.
Everton manager?
Jack! Does just what needs to be done. Massive, but not there yet. I’ll take all -points & goals.
Brilliant Ozil
That was a bit more like it, we could have had 10 had we been a bit more ruthless in front of goal in the first half. Ozil was different class, let’s hope it wasn’t a one off performance .
Looking forward to seeing the Cup team on Tuesday night. Should be an entertaining journey on the train with a large contingent of King’s Lynn based Norwich fans in attendance. We had better win!
COYRs
Winning by 3 goals every week wouldn’t be so bad. Even the Monreal-cech cockup was entertaining in its way, comsidering nothing much was at stake at the time. Have to say though, was Cech on Quaaludes?
Mourinho decided Cech was past it back in mid-decade. When will Wenger do likewise?
Christ lads, we just played scintillating football and scored five away from home. Let’s have a day off from slagging off the players can we?
Cracking game at Wembley!
BJ@86: Sunderland sacked Moyes within eight days, Puel went form Southampton within a month and Big Sam from Crystal Palace within five weeks. And that was just last season.
SteveT@88 😉
Get In!
😀
Thanks Ned @ 99. Did some research on this; the orange one, Phil Brown, went on gardening leave after a home defeat to the Arsenal. A last minute goal by TGSTEL will do that to you.
So nice to see a commanding win and the lads certainly put a shift in, As for Everton that’s got to be the worst performance I’ve ever seen from one of there sides and we’ve given them some thumpings in the past – Hopefully Koeman will get the sack after that and that’s a nice bit of payback for Arsene after the Jibes that’s been sent his way from Koeman in past meetings – As was Deeneys after yesterday – they may all learn one day football has a habit of bitting you in the bollocks 😉
Nice to See Jack Back too !
Up The Arse,
https://imgur.com/gallery/3WbBSuL
😀
I’m a big fan of Jack. I remember seeing him play in the youth team. I then remember him playing in the Emirates Cup as a 16 year old and taking Madrid for a ride. The talent has always been there. The attitude has been a bit wayward at times and he’s made some poor decisions off the field. But everyone is entitled to a growing up period.
His injuries have been there for all to see and are well documented. I hope that he is now fitter, stronger and wiser. On his day he is the best we have. Perhaps now he can show the world the talent and ability that he has. I just hope that we get him to sign a new contract sooner rather than later.
Liverpool did their best to make Spurs look like world beaters. The result would only ensure the Mourinho bus firmly parked at Old Trafford next week. After spending tons of money it was surprisingly timid of United to play the way they did against Liverpool last week and it would not be a surprise to see them do the same against Spurs next week. Klopp has come out and blasted his players in the post match interview and even pointed out Lovren personally. Almost made me admire Arsene’s restraint in the face of some of our defensive shambles. It just seems we played Liverpool at the wrong time and we could have put them to the sword had we played against them now. Man City are in hot form right now but it seems like the places from 2 to 5 are going to be evenly contested. If City drop points in two or three games consecutively then even the title race might just hot up. Just shows the importance of stringing together a few wins on the trot. Hopefully we can do that now.
As for our performance today, Ozil and Sanchez showed their class. Arsene’s best teams have always had technical superiority and the starting eleven we had out there today was probably our most technically secure line up and we need that especially in our away games. Lacazette could really reap rich rewards playing up front with Ozil and Alexis alongside him. That trio looks like a formidable prospect with plenty of goals in store. Jack coming on as a substitute also looked good and his presence again gives us technical assurance in midfield which we desperately need in tight games. So very positive signs all around and it was refreshingly pleasing to see Arsenal play Wengerball again on the boss’s Birthday.
I watched most of the game at Wembley and looking at the two games together it seems to me that the art of defending is becoming a lost one. Maybe that’s why people like odious toads like Pulis and Moaninho , because they can organise a team to defend effectively.
We always look likely to concede even when we play extremely well like today, Liverpool are poor defensively and I don’t rate the Citeh defence much either.
That leaves the Totts who are decent defensively and United who are a much less attractive team than the other title contenders but concede few goals.
The reasons are manifold- inability to tackle, increased protection for attackers, the backpass law, the expectation on defenders to play out from the back and the much increased pace of the game are among them . It makes for an interesting set of games but they are flawed in that so many stoppable goals are conceded. In this sense I think the sport is not as good as it was. I suspect Sky like more goals so aren’t worried about this aspect
Chippy @102
Agreed re Koeman. He’s always had it in for Arsenal and AW. I would love for this to be the final nail in his Premier League coffin.
Re: countryman @98. See what happens when you say no slagging off the players. Hardly anybody has anything to say at all. For instance, this is the quietest Chris has been in weeks. 😉
Scintillating performance maybe. Definitely even I would say, if you limit the application of “scintillating” to the last half hour when they only had ten players.
Even if it was just Everton we should be commended for coming back after their opener. Somebody on here compared Arsenal to Chelsea who don’t give up when they go behind, which I thought was a fair point to make. Big things start small though so maybe this is a seed that will grow in time.
bt8
According to the record keepers,this is the first time we have scored a come from behind win in 21 away league games,hardly a sign of intestinal fortitude.
It’s the quietest I’ve been, bt8, cos I’ve been sleeping off a celebration. Having now watched the match I am delighted to credit Ozil with the motm, and most of the rest with hugs all round.
That was the performance of the season by a country mile, and Ozil’s best for a couple of years. That he can play like that yet doesn’t, most of the time, is why I can’t stand him. But today he was special and we can but hope.
Rambo could have been luckier, but finally got one which he desrved for his industry. Lacazette, however, was more Lucozade than L’Exocet today and looked a bit out of place in the Prem … until he scored. I’d like to see OG given a run at CF.
Nice cameo from Jack. Nacho with a beautiful (striker’s) finish. Kola and Xhaka looked commanding at times. Alexis nearing his best, but does himself no favours arguing with the ref. Kos didn’t put a foot wrong. Per looked like he might at any moment, but positioned himslef impeccably. Hector had a bit of an off day.
Great game to watch, and hopefully the away monkey has been permanently dislodged.
Now back to my hangover…. 🙁
Great result yesterday…
I can see us picking up a point or more from the City game – which really depends on how effective and clean Xhaka will turn up
Chris,
Thought Hector did ok and Kola
had the off-day but I’m with you
on enjoying the game and
unfortunately with you on having
a hangover ?
Guvna,
You could combine the Everton review
with the Norwich preview as we’re
playing so soon.
And there’s people saying fixture
congestion is just a problem 🙂
Pesky pup curtailed the match preview,it’s either on the longest walk ever or has runaway and is now delaying the match report.
☺☺☺
Well done to the lads on securing one of our favourite scorelines after 1-0. Credit where it’s due, but two words of warning:
1. Everton’s defending was like ours is often, ie worthy of the bottom half of the table
2. This is Arsenal. We don’t turn corners. We have a flash in the pan and then collapse like a wet paper towel a few weeks later
Still, nice to get an away win.
And so ends the first season in MLS, the North American top flight, for Minnesota United, my local club. A two paragraph summary of their season, copied below, shows they didn’t do all that well but they did top Stan Kroenke’s miserable club, Colorado Rapids, on two different scores (goal differential coefficient being the first):
“Minnesota United finished its inaugural season with a record of 10 wins, 18 losses and six draws. With three goals allowed Sunday, the Loons set the MLS record for most goals allowed in season, with 70. Colorado had allowed 69 in two fewer games in 1998.
The Loons finished in ninth place [in the 2017 season] in the 11-team Western Conference with 36 points, ahead of Los Angeles and Colorado.”
When we play them Norwich hopefully will be coming down from the emotional high of yesterday’s away 0-1 win at Ipswich Town. Either that or they will continue to ride the wave.
Koeman’s got the tin-tack.
Chris
Lacazette has never started with Sanchez and Ozil before . Putting Giroud in would fundamentally change the dynamic. He was foiled by Pickford in the first half and took his goal superbly. I think he is doing very well at the moment for a player in a new league and apart from a couple of posts hit in other games he also had a good goal chalked off at Stoke.
If he stays fit I could see him getting twenty league goals this season. Five in nine ( and not nine full games) is a good start
Excellent result. Pity about the sloppiness that led to their two goals but that’s just typical of us these last few years. However going forward we were truly marvellous and should have been outta sight at half time. This group of players can only get better provided our key players remain fit.
I think Lacazette markedly improves our dynamic going forward. I look forward to seeing more interplay between Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey and him.
I suppose watching your new
club get shredded at home by
your old club didn’t put the
Everton owner in the best of
moods.
Good point bt8, I’m hoping for
an exhausted Norwich to let
in a couple of late goals and
a 3-0 win for The Arse.
Koeman gone..
Looks like we did Everton a favour..
😀
Yet another manager, whom the media has previously linked to us, bites the dust. i never liked the man, always seemed to fancy himself too much, and was rather disrespectful towards AW. I wouldn’t want a manager who spouts off on twitter either. Maybe rare for an Arsenal supporter these days, I’m still very much in the pro Wenger camp and still can’t see another manager out there, who I would rather see leading and representing my beloved Arsenal- still the best man for the job after 21 years.
A surprising number of posts when we win. Thank you! 🙂
Hi honey, I’m home… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>