Gunners Up To Eight On The Bounce
Oct 4th, 2018 by 'holic
Unai Emery surprised with his switch to a back three for Europa League match day two in Baku. It was a move that brought about an early benefit. The rampaging Sead Kolasinac almost teed up Danny Welbeck in the third minute and the first of two successive corners was won. From the second Nacho Monreal’s goal bound header was deflected into the net by Sokratis Papastathopoulos, his first goal for the club.
Qarabag 0-1 The Arsenal
Rob Holding might well have conceded a penalty when apparently holding Emeghara in the box but the referee was not convinced. Qarabag’s response to going behind was a concerted spell of pressure on the visitors. It was, however, us that came closest to the second goal when Stephan Lichsteiner crossed for Emile Smith-Rowe who couldn’t quite slide the ball in at the far post.
Bernd Leno was called on to make an excellent diving save at his near post after a jinking run by Madatov. The home support were encouraged and vociferous when Qarabag retained possession for more than a couple of passes.
Medvedev was yellow carded for pulling Alex Iwobi’s shirt as the Nigerian broke down the left. Iwobi was fortunate not to be booked too for his retaliatory shove. Kolasinac, relishing his advances down the left flank, found Smith-Rowe who just missed the target. At the other end Leno was called on to make another instinctive diving save from Osobic. The end to end nature of the first-half was holding the interest.
Iwobi found Smith-Rowe who saw his third attempt of the half blocked, as was Matteo Guendouzi’s follow-up. Holding finally saw the yellow card for a deliberate handball. In the attack that followed Medvedev made the net bulge but thankfully he had fired wide of the post. The Gunners were good value for their halftime lead.
Unai Emery is not afraid to make a change at half-time. Nacho Monreal, captain on the night, was withdrawn and Lucas Torreira replaced him as we switched to a flat back four. Ozobic and Qarayev were off target with the first two shots of the half as Qarabag started strongly. Madatov then thought he had scored the equaliser only to see the assistant’s offside flag correctly raised. The same player miscontrolled when he again found himself in a one on one with Leno.
On their first break of the half Iwobi teed up Smith-Rowe and the eighteen year old slid his first senior Arsenal goal under the goalkeeper, da Silva.
Qarabag 0-2 The Arsenal
Back came Qarabag and Leno had to make another impressive save from the offside but not flagged Emeghara. That triggered a second substitution of Mesut Ozil for Smith-Rowe who departed to a standing ovation from 200 travelling Gooners. Alexandre Lacazette was the third and last substitute, sent on for Iwobi with 20 minutes remaining.
The ‘holic pound floundered with eleven minutes remaining courtesy of a third first-time goalscorer for the visitors, Guendouzi. Lacazette led a rare breakout and it was he who claimed the assist as Guendouzi’s clinical finish from the edge of the box hit the net.
Qarabag 0-3 The Arsenal
Zoubir drew another superb save from Leno with a speculative strike from over 20 yards out as the contest drew to it’s conclusion. In truth the second-half had not lived up to the expectation of the first. Another Lacazette break saw him feed Welbeck for a shot that sailed over the target. Lacazette, courtesy of an Ozil pass, had the next attempt but saw it blocked.
In three added minutes Guendouzi shot over before conceding a corner for the last action of the evening. Two out of two now for The Arsenal, and eight consecutive wins in all competitions. We must be doing something right.
81 Responses to “Gunners Up To Eight On The Bounce”
Drink!
Unai Emery’s Red and White army
WE HATE TOTTENHAM
Turned the TV commentary off after about 20 minutes. Stewart Robson was literally making swallow some sick in my mouth. Hate that cunt so much.
Another lightening report, ‘Holic.
Seems we saw the same game.
Papastathopoulos’s goal was apparently both the first to be scored by an Arsenal player with six syllables in his name and the first since 1996 to be scored by an Arsenal player who had not played for Wenger.
So quite a night all round.
Not too sure about the red shorts, however.
Unlucky on the pound Guvnor
and thanks for the quick report.
Home in time for tea I hope and
then off to the Cottage.
Agreed Esso.
Evening Ned. And Matt!
Waiting on a post match report from Big Steve who was out there.
A brilliant summation of the game about two minutes after its conclusion. We are in a funny situation. We are winning but we are still very much a work in progress.
The three at the back didn’t work and Emery recognised it and changed it. We picked a team good enough to win but rested some regulars and it was great to see three first-time scorers.
We were given too much trouble by a very limited team but we did a solid job in the end. The newcomers were generally very good. Leno was impressive and is much better with his feet than Cech, Sokratis is very dependable, Guendouzi will be a super player with a tad more composure and Smith- Rowe did really well. Iwobi also looks a much stronger player this season.
The two full ( wing) backs were poor defensively and Elneny was very average but this was a decent night . Emery knows how to change a game but I still have a sense we aren’t well enough organised as a defensive unit. But good momentum is building .
sláinte ‘hol
pint for esso.
.
UP THE ARSENAL
The scoreline doesn’t convey the amount of pressure they put us under and we were very lucky to ensure a clean slate. Lucky and of course thanks to Leno who had an excellent match and was, to me, the man of the match.
We are winning, which is great, but we are not yet convincing and every team that has played us has had chances of winning. I thought Emery would bring more discipline and organization, especially in defence, but that has not yet happened.
Our first real tests will be against Liverpool and Wolves who are having a great season and are a good football playing team.
Disappointed Nketiah did not get to play.
cba – Cheers mate!
I may upset some regulars but having won eight games in a row, and the latest three nil away in Europe, why do some folks (more on twitter than here) feel the need to pull a performance apart and tell me how worried they are about this and that?
We’re scoring goals for fun (11 different scorers) and have three clean sheets in the last four games. If you can’t enjoy this run, then I don’t get it.
Don’t worry! Be happy! Let’s make it nine at the cottage on Sunday!
Last eight games 22 goals for, 7 against.
11 and 12
that’s Arsenal
.
can’t get
auf weidersehn pet tune outta my head
.
.
#
that’s Arsenal alright
#
.
.
UP THE ARSENAL
and
+1
to cynic s manu – biggest team stuff
he’s right of course he’s right
.
and that’s why
cunt faced fucks
disintegration
is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFqZhadwvG0 all the more
the enormous cunt
.
.
we all know
the mighty Arsène
in his infinite class
just cocked an eyebrow
.
.
.
WENGER IN !!!!!!!
.
.
here’s a tune
for my unintelligible friend
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDP-ZheS7ms
.
.
.
.
.
walking home pitch black
weegies relations
confound and baffle
and
ALWAYS
at the FUCKIN TOP of their lungs
.
shouty Scottish people
After watching Arsenal on a dodgy stream, decided to look in on the Spartak Villareal match from f.rigid Moscow, hoping to see Santi perform. He was subbed in at about 70’; didn’t do much, but was chosen to take the PK at the very death that would tie the game at 3-3.
Of course he dispatched it with a thumper reminiscent of the one for the clincher in the Wembley semifinal. Same old Santi !
Countryman
I think you make a good point. My reaction is qualified optimism and in reality nobody could expect any more from Emery than he has achieved.I think he is a very decisive character and it is clear he is keen to build a nucleus of home-grown Arsenal players.
It is also right to praise Mislintat. He had a limited budget and has used it very well. Sokratis , Torreira, Leno and Guendouzi have all done very well so far .
I’m a very hard taskmaster and never regard anything as perfect but we are a club on the up and things are looking very positive
baff
.
what do you people eat ?
Agree with Countryman 100%.
Another notch on the goalpost,and the right decision to take a strong squad,ensuring the unbeaten run continues.
I highly recommend an interview on the Arse website with Freddie,talking about his career,with highlights included,the pain he is still suffering from the Barca CL final defeat,which is etched all over his face.
Great club man and very humble.
It’s a You Tube package,so one of our readers can probably link it in the bar.
I defy anyone to watch it and not be moved.
ok
.
ill do a usual
.
.
howdy clive
Howdy cba
I see you have been in fine form of late,trust the family are all well.
One of my favorite singers passed away this week.
Charles Aznavour at the ripe old age of 94.
Call me old fashioned but i loved his music.
I was fortunate enough to see him in Concert in London in the 70’s.
This little bloke all alone on stage,dressed in black,had the audience in the palm of his hand all night.
Mesmerizing show,numerous standing ovations and encores,and along with Sinatra,one of the 2 all time best single performers shows i had the privilege to witness.
ksn@10: My 2-cents is that Emery is bringing more discipline and organisation to the defence, but it is inevitably an incremental process still in its early stages. In the first half tonight, you could see a very straight and very evenly spaced back line of five that stayed very straight and evenly spaced, and that is a change that only comes with coaching. However, the problem was that the back five was rigid. It was almost as if they were playing while reading from the coaching manual held in one hand. What was missing was the instinct that comes with practice of knowing when the line needs to expand to close down the wide space and when to contract to stay compact. The two outside centre backs when you have three centre backs have to play as much as full backs and centre backs. Qarabag was able to exploit the space that that rigidity created down the wings in the first half. After Emery switched to the familiar back four after halftime, the defence worked far better.
clive
come on
awwww
clive
i fuckin loved Charles Aznavour
fuckin loved him
just
RAMPANTLY
jealous
you SAW him
.
.
you fucker
.
.
je ne te pardonnerai pas
.
ya fuckin 29 er
.
how bastardin young
do you think i am
i’m guessing as i said before
the 54
is not you on the terraces
that age
more a sage ‘gather around me’ nonsense
i’m hovering around SIXTY60sixty
wind yer neck in
the RAMBLERS in yesteryear
would
HUFF
the big fairy girls blouses that I’m sure they are
3-0 on the road can’t be anything to sneeze at, and certainly not when it’s 8 wins on the trot.
Come on Arsenal v. Fulham
cba
‘ since 54 ‘ refers to the first time my Dad took me to Highbury,thus my first ‘ live’ visit as a Gooner.
Dad sat me on one of the safety barriers on the North Bank,with him holding on to me from behind.
My only claim to fame that day as he never failed to tell everyone down the years,was that in the excitement of the match, i peed down the back of the coat of the man standing in front of us. !!
In my defense i was very young,and Dad did pay for the coat to be cleaned.
That same man became a lifelong friend,and down the years we travelled to many far distant shores with him to support the team.
yeah
well me an Liam hollowed out frank
an paddled him up Junction road
accepting only paper carrying gooners
in to our canoe
.
beat that
ya big FART
*DOES ENORMOUS BIG WINKY FACE*
etc
the words
“FUCK OFF FUCK FACE”
maybe misguided ly
i know
.
.
sorry
(indeed sorry is a word akin to “excuse me” in that dublin)
.
.
.
supermarket and bus queues
if I hear another
“south of Ireland” cunt
waffling about shit
th e y have not even the slightest notion about
.
but
toura loura accent
ye know (blogs)
.
.
God bless him
Ridiculous response to questions serious
invented can’t be arsed
.
.
once a funny place
now a not entirely unsurprising
happy house
.
clown hasn’t a clue
.
.
never
etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYh83a4JRuc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UFkniFO4YQ
.
.
is Paul Haig a genius ?
if you readjust yer eyebrow s
then perhaps you’d know you don’t know
you didn’t know
.
.
HE IS
HE IS
HE IS
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPV43ZdkZk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU9ivsyd_yQ
.
.
buy Paul Haig
buy Josef K
buy Scottish
BUY
BUY
BUY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJuNWzgUNfQ
.
.
my shower o unintelligible relatives
Scottish music isn’t entirely written Celtic Park
.
.
getting tasty
gonna get tastier
??????????????????
.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iectBvl7H1I
PAUL HAIG
PAUL HAIG
PAUL HAIG
PAUL HAIG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIC-40_D6aE
Good stuff H.
8 wins on the bounce. Another clean sheet and still not on top gear? Can’t be bad. I must admit I do like Emery and what he is doing. There is definite progress being made.
Nice to see the future of the club combing well yet again. Iwobi I also think deserves special praise for recent performances. You can definitely see the building blocks being put in place.
Esso. Very much with you on 1, 2 and 3.
Clive @ 34. Awesome story. Love it.
Onwards and upwards Gooners.
Leno also looking impressive. It may be very interesting when Cech is fit again.
time to shut up
sorry ‘holic
beer , caledonian relatives and my big fat flapping gums
aggravating cocktail
cheerio for a wee while
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQT3oKA3v8
8 on the bounce and how may not matter much as long as the point board shows us climbing up.
Still cannot ignore the fact as to how poor Kolasinac is as a defender, how Elneny looked clueless and how Torriera still does not look convincing enough. If we do win the home game against Sporting, we should qualify and then on we can look at playing the youngsters, the round of 32 beckons.
My surprise about Emery is we continue to make the same mistakes we were doing the last 2 seasons under Arsene and as much as i understand personnel havent changed, Unai not emphasizing on more defensive solidity is surprising. High press and passing from the back will take time but defenders needing to defend should be elementary.
Fulham away presents the first real test after chelsea and it will be interesting to see is Mustafi( blimey) comes directly back or we continue with Holding and Sokratis. Leno in goal will be truly tested knowing how fulham will hoof balls to Mitrovic and co.
Is jose sacked yet???
shouty Scottish people
Michael Stipe’s greatest song, but he had to change the lyrics under pressure from the label. Lost all respect for the baldy git after that.
Thanks NBN for your views @26. I understand that it takes time for a new manager to get his team playing the way he wants but it is a little frustrating to see the old mistakes being repeated innumerable times in a match. That said, I am quite happy with the wins that the team is toting up even while not being too convincing.
Agree with Vinay @55 that Kola is terrible as a defender and he was a caught out a number of times against Quarabag; maybe it was because it was his first match after a long layoff but he needs to learn to track attackers into the box. Torreira is a much better player and he settles us in the assured way he plays. He may find the league a bit too physical but he will settle down. He is a definite plus for us.
Looks like we are getting Miguel Almiron in January from Atalanta United, MLS to replace Ramsey. At £13 million, he looks quite a talent on YouTube. Bt8 may know more about him.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1027376/Arsenal-news-Atlanta-United-Miguel-Almiron-January-transfer-MLS-rumours-gossip
ksn, Very interesting about Almiron if true. He is a very dynamic, pacy, and dangerous attacking player I watched twice on the fast artificial surface in use here in Minnesota the last two seasons. I do think he is capable of success in a better league than MLS, and that is notsaid to denigrate the league’s quality, but he stands out as one of the league’s very best attacking players.
Almiron skills and goals:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=50MpvAyEMDg
You tube compilation can be misleading but he looks like a decent talent.
Thanks Bt8. Excited, if this is true.
These comments by ESR reflect very well on his coach, teammates, and by the current atmosphere sround the club. Shouldn’t have left out the boy himself either.
These comments,that is: https://www.arsenal.com/news/get-chances-im-getting-now-crazy
Ned,
You always help me out on these! Miguel Almiron is Paraguayan who is not a regular international yet ( last game in March) playing for an American club, Would he get a work permit ?
I don’t remember reading about any player that wasn’t supposed to look good in their You Tube clip??? I’m guessing that anyone who has played at a professional level should warrant a decent 5 minute showing on You Tube.
It’s true, Almiron’s work permit situation could be a bit iffy. But he does have one fairly unusual attribute for a Paraguayan footballer: playing well in the snow, as he did against Minnesota a year and a half ago. Not suggesting this this should be a major criterion in judging him as a potential Arsenal player though. Unless climate change speeds up significantly. 😉
Might be handy for those winter
midweek away games up north
that I’ve noticed some of our players
don’t really fancy 🙂
Gloves, tights and snoods back in stock in the club shop.
TTG@64: Almiron looks OK on the internationals-played qualification. He has been a regular over the past two years (only missed one of the ten senior internationals for which he was available). Under the post-2015 rules, Paraguay’s FIFA ranking means he needs to have played only 60% of games for which he was available (possibly 75% depending on which ranking date is used) but either way he should qualify for a work permit. Even if he does not, the club can go the appeals route, which historically is successful 80% of the time for Premiership clubs.
bt8b@66: Sadly, playing well in desert sand might be a more useful attribute given the way climate change is going…
Sanchez on the bench again I see. Sadly Newcastle at home just the ticket for United.
Manure 0 – Newcastle 2 within nine minutes. Mourinho’s expression priceless!?
Mind you quite glad I turned it on now!
We’re apparently signing a Paraguayan from Atlanta United. He looks good.
Oh, but Mourinho!
Not happy that Man U are imploding right now. Should be a drawn out affair.
Mourinho leaving now is just not fair.
Anthony Taylor strikes again. Toon free kick, Ashley Young in the box redirects kick with his arm out of touch for at least a Toon corner, and should be a Toon PK. Verdict? Goal kick.
So happy for Moaninho, hope he signs contract extension.
Also happy for Bayern, 2 consecutive losses after a draw
Dortmund 4 – Augsburg 3 earlier today was another thriller.
The best of the week is coming tomorrow, 0-2 to the good guys at Fulham.
ksn I did watch that one, cracking game.
For tomorrow though nothing less than 0:3
I’m with Solid @75, so I’m cautiously happy that the Rowdies came back to win 3-2. I hope this keeps the sack away from Old Toilet for a few more weeks.
The longer he is there, the more time there is for the world to see the odious Potuguee as the tow-season tosser he is. Mourinho out, sometime in February preferrably.
In other news…
COYG
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>