Bam Bam – He Shot Stoke Down
Apr 2nd, 2018 by 'holic
The coming together of a number of like-minded souls, the first time in a number of years for some, gave a home fixture against Stoke something of an attraction that has been lacking in recent seasons. Indeed the sinking of pints (and some Icelandic firewater, thanks Zaph) and the recalling of memories were infinitely more enjoyable than most of the football on offer.
With one eye on Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final against CSKA the manager left Laurent Koscielny, Granit Xhaka, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Alexandre Lacazette out of the starting eleven. The latter trio would have to come off the bench to transform what for at least an hour was a very poor performance.
Stoke were set up to defend deep and counter at will and set about it in a disciplined way. Indeed they carved out an early chance to snatch the lead but mercifully Shaqiri’s effort went the wrong side of the post. The same player repeated the threat as the half developed. It didn’t make for pretty viewing. Our first meaningful effort fell to Aaron Ramsey who lifted a deft shot onto the crossbar and behind.
We didn’t register our first corner until most half an hour had passed and although Skhodran Mustafi won the header his effort provided a comfortable save for Butland. That the half-time whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos wasn’t a surprise.
The second-half started with more of the same. The crowd became increasingly frustrated by the number of times we elected to pass the ball sideways or backwards. Mohamed Elneny and Nacho Monreal were denied in quick succession but the Arsenal were not creating enough chances. The manager needed to shake this up and elected to send on Lacazette for Danny Welbeck. The luckless Shaqiri saw his corner-kick bounce back off a goalpost as Stoke continued to threaten.
Then a moment that turned the match on it’s head. Mesut Ozil was brought down in the box by Martins Indi. From fifty yards away in real time it looked the correct call although television replays appeared to show the ball being taken before the man. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you might not. This is Stoke we’re talking about. Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang struck the spot-kick confidently and decisively. One nil to the good guys.
A double substitution ensued, with Mkhitaryan and Xhaka coming on for Jack Wilshere and Mohamed Elneny. A dour afternoon was about to be transformed. Butland had to be at his best to prevent Ramsey and then Mkhitaryan from doubling the advantage. Stoke sought an equaliser but Ndiaye was narrowly wide of the mark. Butland was called upon again to save from Mkhitaryan and Ozil. All of a sudden the Arsenal were a dangerous, cohesive unit.
Aubamayang secured the points with four minutes remaining when a corner was flicked onto him at the far post and he fashioned an excellent right foot volley into the far corner. With two goals to his credit, and a first Gunners hat-trick up for grabs what happened in the final minute spoke volumes about the character of the man. As Lacazette chased a through ball into the box he was charged to the floor by Ndiaye. Aubamayang let Lacazette have a comeback goal from the spot, explaining afterwards,
“I know that Laca is back and I’d scored twice, so I wanted to let him score. It’s normal. I think it’s good for his confidence, and that’s why.”
That hints at the pairing linking up with mutual respect and admiration, which will send a warning to the rest of the Premier League next season. That they were so impressive in their cameo together that whoever is at the helm next season will surely consider making the partnership more permanent.
The last fifteen minutes most definitely lifted the gloom that had descended earlier.
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86 Responses to “Bam Bam – He Shot Stoke Down”
Thanks Guv.
Could I be first?
2nd too seems a bit greedy but
topically I’ll stop there and not
go for a third.
I wanted to add that was pretty
much how I saw the game too.
Although i still thought the first
one a penalty after the replay
🙂
I’m happy for the third and the first penalty was penalty for me…
Cheers H! Top day out yesterday – thank god no work today!
Good write up, Guv’nor — as it always is when it coincides with my impression of the game. 🙂
Picking up what you write and what Ttg said in the previous drinks, the difference it made when Welbeck went off, Aubameyang moved to the left wing and Lacazette played down the middle was night and day. Slow and ponderous became quick and incisive. An attack of Mkhitaryan, Ozil and Aubameyang behind Lacazette is starting to look formidable.
It was more subtle than that, I think Ned. Looks like when we attacked down the right Laca would go out there and Bam Bam hits the middle. I think it really could work.
Thanks Esso, it was indeed an epic day.
Fine report of a very unsatisfactory performance, Guvna. Pedestrian provides far speedier movement until the substitutions as you noted. I thought the first pen was indeed a pen but frankly don’t care what the pundits or Stokeites think because we have had worse given against us and failed to get so many that a bit of luck is quite overdue. Some have suggested that it’s to be expected that our players would have no appetite for a meaningless game such as this. If that’s so then it’s torally unacceptable and I would ship anyone with that attitude out in the summer. I don’t believe that was the problem. I just think that without the subs who came on we are not very good as we have consistently demonstrated this season. New blood is essential in MF, CB and GK, not to mention in the ‘Motivator’ department. Moscow must be quaking in their boots!
Really excellent account Holic. You clearly do your best work when you are pissed! I saw the game very much that way. The lessons of the first half need to be learnt. Too static, too sideways and far too slow in rhythm of passing. I honestly can’t remember enjoying a half less that we weren’t losing ever.
Second half was better and by the end it ended swimmingly. Tgatbit was Stoke made it even nicer. Take Shaqiri out of that team and they would be beyond hope. And their fans are scum. Good riddance Orcs!
Good write up and follow-ups on the strikers, Holic.
Other than that, Bath has written my feelings exactly.
So has TTG really, apart from when he turned his spillchucker off and came up with “Tgatbit” !? ?
Stoke almost deserve to go down just for giving Lambert a job. Weird how there’s this little group of managers who fail everywhere, often get teams relegated, or close to it, but miraculously find their agent’s phone ringing when a club finds itself in the shite.
‘He walks with a limp, Aaron Ramsey, he walks with a limp’. Stoke are going down with their lowlife supporters and good riddance. I hope they never come back.
I will take your word for that. ‘Holic. Either way, it bodes well.
this game was an excellent example (or paradigm as my friend LioneL
would say) of arsenal in the last seven years
nothing – nothing – then something
waiting – waiting – then 4th place and (or) FA cup
ya can’t milk the same cow over and over
Thanks all for your kind words. My recollections of the match were incomplete as a second viewing has revealed. Hardly surprising given that I must have created a dangerous drop in level of the Liffy yesterday. I also have let the visiting scum off far too lightly. Some fool decided some of them should board a coach parked thirty yards from the Tollie post match. Big tough northern lads chucked a bottle which smashed against a wall and came close to showering some punters in glass. They were not keen to engage at closer quarters and were helped on their way by a smattering of London’s finest to chants of “You’re going down”. Primark casuals. ?
Every year at the Emirates they are the same.
“One Ryan Shawcross, there’s only one Ryan Shawcross” – well, at least we can be grateful for that very small mercy.
And the “walks with a limp” song is right through the bottom of the barrel. That song is a disgrace to Stoke City, football and humankind.
It’s long overdue that some of their decent supporters publicly disowned the vile morons in their midst.
Sounds like the Tollie was much more fun than the football on Sunday.
Which is as it should be for a nothing game that the team clearly couldn’t give a rats arse about for a large chunk of the match.
In fact on several occasions i saw the boys in red not willing to compete for some 50/50,60/40 tackles against a team well known for its propensity to ” go through ” the opposition players in the challenge.
Self preservation for Thursday,was clearly on several minds.
It looks like our Neighbors in Blue will be joining us in the Europa league next season, [ if we don’t win it this season],they were made to look distinctly average by our neighbors in white on Sunday,who will finish top 4 and could yet win the FA Cup,but if they don’t,will a top 4 finish and CL spot be considered a ” Trophy ” winning season. ??
On another note,
Ned,
I am sure i read somewhere over the w/end that this was the first time since November that we had won back to back league games.
Sounds improbable,but knowing how poor our season has been,it’s probably true. !!
“Then a moment that turned the match on its head.” It pleases me to no end that Stoke lost mainly because of this one play — without which, the game might have ended 0-0 — and thus lost due to their own stupidity. Have fun in the 2nd division next year, you lunkheaded lummoxes. (Lummoces?)
If there were two Ryan Shawcrosses, the Earth would go spinning into the sun.
Kudos to O’Bomber for passing up a hat-trick, but only because the game was as good as over at the time. If it had happened earlier, risking a miss and leaving time for the opposition to score, it would have been a mistake.
I agree with TTG in previous drinks about Butland being several levels better than Ospina. And still young, so a reasonable investment, given what international keepers cost these days.
how about this humidity, eh?
What do international keepers cost? I bet City couldn’t give Joe Hart away at the moment 😀
Being better than Ospina isn’t
a great achievement. Although
I do agree Butland is.
At least Stoke have one player
I’d think about buying – I don’t
want anyone from West Brom.
stupid fuckin shite
.
.
busted knee
way over
.
blah bleep
.
buckettin down
fuckin bickerin down balls shite
yeah
Ooooooohaaaaaaahhhhh
maybe world domination isn’t the point?
.
bloop de doop
arse holes abound
fuckin arseholes met this morning
.
.
awawa
not 8ball sorry didn’t just saw
you i like
sorry
current obsession with corbynandjewsanjewsancorbyn
in depth discourse has hit everybody everywhere
this morning’s discussion !
why loyalists in the north of Ireland fly israeli flags and scottish flags
.
.
.
long and manys a year discussed
but as the token hatchet monotone accent merchant
this morning
i arised and went now
afore them as didn’t know me
mooched an opinion
.
went out
busted me knee
.
.
corbyn or the jews
i’m looking at you !
.
.
.
.
no consideration !
Trev,
I’ve never turned my spillchucker on as you well know ?
Osaka Matt,
If my sources are correct there is a very good chance that we may end up with a West Brom player next season, one Mr. Evans. The chance of signing him for £3million even though he is extraordinarily average may be too much for us to turn down.
Chris,
I agree with you revtye second pen but in the last minute and 2-0 up it made sense. It’s also difficult to take two penalties against a good goalie like a Butland. Laca took almost the same penalty as Auba but didn’t need to double bluff Butland
Nice report on a game that will hardly win back the masses.
Stoke really are a horrible bunch of cretinous, inbred, oxygen thieves. I almost pity them, they are that far down the food chain. I’ve never been there and have no intention of going anywhere near the dump. I’m told it’s the sort of place where even the pigeons fly upside down because there is literally nothing worth shitting on. I hope they hang on to a glimmer of hope until the final day. If it means we have to let Huddersfield put six past us on the last day to see them relegated on goal difference then personally, I would laugh for a week.
The game was largely uneventful and has been well covered above. The first pen probably wasn’t, and that makes it even more funny. I sincerely hope that everyone was resting up for Thursday in honour of me making my Europa debut.
Anyone else going on Thursday? Apparently, if you get there before 7.00pm then they will read your name out at half time???
like a northern Irish golfers accent
.
it’s not complicated it’s ludicrous
.
.
my poor knee
Steve,
I will be there and it will be my Europa League debut too.
As for Stoke I’ve been there and unless you like pottery it’s a good place to leave . But I’ve not been to the Britannia. A friend who used to go to every away game went there during the height ( ?) of the Pulis era and was so traumatised by the inbred nutters who cheered as loudly for throws-ins as they did for goals he never returned. He described it as a ‘ descent into Football Hell’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuv5mergoc
CBA
Commiserations on the knee. Not fit for Thursday?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XchA_XuTnYA
What exactly have you done to your knee, cba ?
trev
knee been building up sore all week
been walking bit shitty on it but
banged me kneecap square into a wee low ledge
way out from the world’s greatest intellectual bar room conference ?
de fuckin add insult de fuckin injury
fuckin stupid fuckin arse but it’s done
took a few knock out yokes just now
pain fuckin brutal
really shouldn’t be allowed out unsupervised ?
anyhoo
sorry hol trev thunder T
gonna lie down
god bless ye trev putting up with knee pain
it’s fuckin weird and bastardin agony
cheerio
fuckin arseholes met this morning
Fast work cba, did you at least buy them lunch first?
corbyn or the jews
Wasn’t that a song by The Mighty Wah?
Went something like
“Here in my pocket I got Corbyn or the Jews,
try to believe me cos’ it could be front page news”
Then it goes.. tum de dum …. la la la…. and then
“…you realise you’ve got nothing left to lose.
So you try to stop, try to get back up,
and then you realise you’re blaming Corbyn or the Jews”
*coat fetching*
That killed it.
Good to see Matt Debuchy enjoying his football again after a horror run of injuries during his time with us.
Signed by St Etienne at the end of January,and down in the relegation mire,they are unbeaten in the 8 games since he arrived,and he has even managed to score 3 goals as well.
Always liked him as a player,and a great shame he couldn’t get on the Park much at the Arse.
TTG,
Evans was the very man I was
thinking of when I wrote that
post 🙂
I hope AW is not going to be like
my Mum at the January sales.
Buying stuff that’s 80% off just
because it might be useful – it
never is and just clutters up her
house so her dutiful son has to
come and take it down the dump
a year later and chuck it in the
compactor. You’ve been warned
Evans. Don’t make me have to
ask the bloke at the dump “where
do I jettison the useless centre-
backs mate?”
TTG #36 … I believe a team should have a nominated penalty taker who takes EVERY pen, if he’s on the field. That way there’s no confusion, no one gets offered the job unexpectedly, the regular taker has time to plan where to put any subsequent pens etc etc. Could be Laca is our #1 pen taker, but I suspect not.
What I never understand about penalties is why the taker doesn’t just whack it into a top quadrant where no keeper is ever going to get to it. Most pens go low left or right, and if the keeper guesses correctly and dives quickly he has a chance to save it.
Yes, I know it’s more mentally taxing than it looks and high shots risk ballooning over, but that’s all the more reason to have a dedicated pen taker better used to the pressure than an occasional taker.
What a spectacular, out of nowhere goal, from Christiano Ronaldo. Even the hostile Juventus crowd applauded the goal. The quality of football on display showed why we are in the Europa league.
He’s good, ksn, but I can’t bring myself to like the pratt. Too much of a show pony. Unlike Messi who is as good if not better plus he’s a team player.
On a random note, I just realized my local team, the Seattle Sounders, have a red card in each of their first 3 matches in the new MLS season.
Clive@17: Indeed it was. 1-0 at Burnley on November 26 followed three days later by a 5-0 home drubbing of Huddersfield. We’d also beaten the neighbours on 18 Nov, giving three league wins in a row — our longest winning streak in the league this season. We did manage seven games undefeated between December 10 and January 3, but five of those were draws. If we win on Thursday evening, that will give us five consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time this season.
Jonny Evans? No thank you.
Agree with your points at 57, Chris. My comment was only about that particular goal which was spectacular. Messi is a much better player and I would pick him over Ronaldo any day.
Thnks for the info Ned
Were the Monks allowed an Easter egg on Palm Sunday,or was an extra hot cross bun the limit of their tasting pleasures during the Easter celebrations.☺☺
Shocked to hear of the passing away of Ray Wilkins. RIP.
Ray Wilkins always struck me as a very decent fella and I’ve never heard anything to the contrary. 61 is no age. RIP Ray.
Hot cross bun extras? I can’t see why not, so long as the monks have managed to stay clear of ball tampering scandals. 🙂
50
he he he
anna
ho ho ho
.
???
51 too
.
.
*chuckles*
.
.
.
you !
.
69 !
.
.
ipso fatso
Dipso Fatso, the famous drunken obese Italian centre back from the 1950s.
lose all after fatso
much better
?
top chuckle here
I’d rather be watching Celtic vs Dundee tan this James Huntfest but ne’er mind.
than*
That Oxlade- Chamberlain looks like a player we might take a look at ?
Interesting to see a side good enough to work the Citeh Defence – who are not a pretty sight
Salah is GOLD
City are getting buried under an avalanche of goals. Liverpool 3-0 in thirty minutes.
Coaching and game planning clearly evident in the ‘Pool, Man City game.
I knew it would be a stunning game because both sides play with such attacking flair. Citeh are not out of this – but they could lose 5-0 or 3-2! I doubt we will see fare like this tomorrow night!
Interestingly for those who thought it was not a penalty on Sunday when Ozil was brought down because Martins Indi touched the ball. Tonight Robertson wins the ball and then fouls Sterling just as Martins Indi did with Ozil. Everybody agreed Citeh should have had a penalty. I agree and I still feel we were right to have a penalty on Sunday .
Citeh played for 90 minutes tonight and didn’t bring a save out of Karius. Possession means nothing if you have no end product .
But Martins Indi didn’t foul Ozil, TTG. He played the ball before Ozil kicked the back of his leg. He couldn’t have reached the ball first with an Inspector Gadget leg.
City didn’t even have a shot on target, TTG.
Gotta wonder at the improvement in City’s Ox outside the box. Was it the coaching he had with us? Did he get any?
The City defence isn’t particularly
good and Liveroool’s attack is
their strongest point. It could
still easily turn round in the 2nd
leg if City get the first goal.
Liverpool’s defence is just as
suspect.
The Ox scored which is nice for
him but the suggestion that it’s
down to proper coaching is a
bit of a stretch. Is he a nailed on
8-10 goal a season attacking
player now? I saw him about a
month ago and he was the same
as ever – was he not “coached”
for that game? Or is it just a handy
excuse for a quick dig?
I don’t recall him scoring a goal quite as good as that for us, Matt. He may have done of course, but it’s his failures to score which cloud my memory along with never passing the ball when he should have. Aspects of his game which now appear to be improving.
And, no, to question the coaching of younger players is not a dig. Coaching issues at the Ems have been raised by a number of critics and former players as well as several members here.
No need to be rushin’ it, seein’ as we have two legs to stand on. 😉
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