Auba Fosters A Clean Sheet Away Win
Apr 15th, 2019 by 'holic
Unai Emery sprang some surprises with his starting eleven, most notably a recall for Konstantinos Mavropanos alongside skipper Laurent Koscielny in the centre of a back four and switching Shkodran Mustafi to right-back. Granit Xhaka was passed fit to accompany Lucas Torreira in midfield. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was named the lone striker. There were pre-Napoli rests for the two wing-backs, Mesut Ozil, and Alexandre Lacazette.
Not surprisingly Watford’s front two were putting themselves about in the opening minutes and we looked nervous defensively, but would we grow into the game? Hughes snatched at the first chance after we failed to clear a corner convincingly. In the opening phase Watford, like Everton before them, were more energetic and committed than us.
In the tenth minute, totally against the run of play, we grabbed the lead in bizarre circumstances. Aubameyang chased down a back-pass to Foster who dallied and saw his clearance rebound off the striker and into the net. Chucklebutty!
Watford 0-1 The Arsenal
It was even better in the next phase of play when the big brave Deeney, motto “I’ll whack the first Arsenal player I come up against to see who’s up for it”, threw an elbow into Torreira’s head. The referee, having consulted with his assistant, rightly showed the cojone-free clown the red card. For some reason thousands of Burnley fans unexpectedly present were booing incessantly. Idiots all.
The ten men came back on the attack and Cathcart forced Bernd Leno into an excellent reaction save. There was life left in this match and we would need another goal, preferably before half-time. We could have got it when Iwobi broke but hit the ball too close to Foster.
Just past the half hour Watford were awarded a dubious free-kick when Hughes fell somewhat theatrically on the edge of the box and Leno had to produce his very best to deny a fine strike from Capoue. Not surprisingly the ten men stopped the high press in favour of dropping back when The Arsenal had the ball, perfectly sensible under the circumstances.
As the whistle approached a hopeful Xhaka strike bobbled into Foster’s arms after some good work by Alex Iwobi, and Aubameyang tried frantically but without success to get a shot away on the turn. The last action was a Gunners free-kick awarded when Hughes absolutely cut Aaron Ramsey in half and escaped a caution. That incident aside credit to Craig Pawson. You’ll not be surprised to read that I am not a fan, but I thought he had enjoyed a superb first-half performance.
The head coach sent on another attack-minded player with Ozil coming on for Torreira at the start of the second-half and Ramsey switched into a box to box role. Admirable ambition if it paid off.
Capoue’s awful studs up challenge into Henrikh Mkhitaryan earned him a yellow card. The Armenian has been in decent form for much of this season, but this was the second consecutive away game where we were not involving him a great deal. Moments later Iwobi presented him with a volleying opportunity six yards out but Foster was quick to make the block. Again he had a chance to clinch it, but drove wide of the target.
Nearly an hour again we went full on attack mode with Mavropanos making way for Matteo Guendouzi. Mustafi switched to the right of a back three. That effectively meant that Mkhitaryan and Iwobi would be the wing backs. Totally in control, Emery was looking for his charges to kill the game.
What happened next? A magnificent strike by Masina beat Leno all ends up but bounced off the top of the bar into the crowd. A close call indeed. The fallen Mustafi lost Gray momentarily but fortunately his first touch was atrocious. We were being handed very real warning signs. A sensible response came when Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on for Ramsey, important for Thursday.
Balance restored we looked to seal the deal. Aubameyang flicked a bouncing Mkhitaryan cross over the bar. Xhaka drew a save out of Foster. Still Watford fought for scraps. A free-kick with just over ten minutes to go provided catching practice for the excellent Leno. Gray went round the ‘keeper but Maitland-Niles launched himself to block the opportunity. Pulses were racing in the visitors section.
Mkhitaryan was in the right place at the right time to prevent Hughes from heading on target, but why was he exposed one to one at the far post? Six minutes plus added time remained. It was getting nervy again. The same Hughes finally saw the yellow he had seemingly desired for a nasty hack at the back of Nacho Monreal’s calf.
Three additional minutes were signalled as it all went end to end crazy, fair play to the ten men, but also fair play to the Gunners rearguard producing that first clean sheet away from home of the season. Fourth place with an away win. Scenes. What more can happen in this crazy first season for Unai Emery.
I’m buzzing again. Are you?
90 Responses to “Auba Fosters A Clean Sheet Away Win”
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moooooooooooooooooooooo
Just saw the last 25 minutes. We definitely did not look like a top six team playing against 10 men. Still great to get the three points.
I need a drink
Out played by a team of 10.
Thanks for another fast, excellent report, sir. Had forgotten that we just bagged our first away clean sheet. Hope that becomes a habit.
Love the title Holic ?
Glad of the points but fuck me were we dire to watch, the old painful attitude towards giving the effort is still evident in this squad we are scared when teams press us higher up the pitch and get physical but at same time we seem to go into brain overload and can’t make few simple passes together.
We didn’t grow any cojones tonight we were lucky with that decision and we never got rid off that famous handbrake. Subs were odd to say the least!
We definitely lacked cojones even after their was prematurely chopped off.
One of the most difficult games to watch. WTF? Arsenal. I just need a very cold beer and just sleep.
On to the next one. COYG!
Me? More relieved than buzzying.
Very calm report, don’t know how you do it.
Nice write up H.
3 points is 3 points. It should have been easier and far more convincing than that. The truth is that they looked sharper st times and more dangerous than we did. Leno has definitely started to look a top keeper.
All in all, a great win. Back up to 4th and with top 4 very much in our own hands. A win in Naples and 3 points against Palace will round off a very good week.
It seems like I can judge how big a goal is by the decibel level of my reaction, and Auba’s was a loud one. Not a great watch but 3 points all the same.
What Steve T said.
Lots of signalling from Emery in the first half to calm things down. Eyes definitely on the Napoli game, with further evidence from the substitutions.
Tough game to watch. Your report was infinitely more enjoyable and, in retrospect, I should watched pretty much anything on BBC 4 and then just read Goonerholic.
The first half of Arthur’s second sentence at 6 sums things up better than I could ever manage. Nice job ATG.
PIP. Bless you my friend. ? I hope all is well…
Was not looking forward to this. The ball ran our way for once. Deeney heh heh. High as a kite now.
COYG
Great report Holic although I’m not sure about ‘ the Welshman not reappearing after the break’ ?? Ramsey was one of our most committed tonight. I was very nervous all game despite that wonderful two minutes when Auba scored with the best block I’ve ever seen and the prize tart Deeney got carried away by his own stupid publicity. The red mist descended and it cost his team dearly.
We didn’t look confident, assured, tactically aware or secure even with a man advantage. Leno thankfully is a very good goalkeeper and Koscielny is very reliable. Mavropanos struggled as did our friend Mustafi who always has a brainfart brewing. I thought Auba worked incredibly hard and I think we might be able to guess Thursday’s team from the subs.
I’m not going to knock the lads and Emery has achieved much this season . It’s in our hands now and our rivals have some big challenges.
But it was a very nervy night
play 10 man Watford for almost 90 minutes , and win 1-0 under enormous pressure and someone calls it satisfactory.so if foster didn’t make that mistake we would have drawn?that’s sad.I feel like we lost.These are the kind of games good teams use to boost their goal difference especially with the current battle for top four.This is not just one bad game, it’s turning into a trend- arsenal is becoming “patternless”.No fluidity, no accurate passing,no Good link-up play and a very disjointed performance. something has to change: some players have to just leave because they arent having enough quality to put on an arsenal shirt.
Thanks for the report Guvnor.
Very positive stuff
Pleased with the points. Leno and
Kos both played well. Great work
by Auba for the goal. An hour for
Mavro. AMN came on and did well.
We rested Laca and Kola. And we
kept up the pressure on the Spuds.
Lots of good things from tonight
even if it wasn’t the most uplifting
watch.
Not buzzing as I thought we were poor, but a win is a win and you have to take it.
Clean sheet was nice as well but it was skin of the teeth stuff.
Joe,
We didn’t loose we won just for clarification, yes it was lucky you could say and yes it wasn’t a good performance by all means but three points is three points and at the end of the day it’s all that matters. We were never going to be world beaters this season.
We have players in this squad who still have a lot of old bad habits and fragile attitude, it’s evident to see we need to get rid off this nasty bug! If we and I hope we do make top four, Unai will have a proper transfer window to rectify shortcomings of this squad.
Iwobi and Miki and others already mentioned are not good enough for this squad, I wish we could keep Ramsey but that ain’t happening so we better dig deep and spend our money wisely!
I was only stating the obvious BTM but I appreciate the approval ??
Thanks TTG. I was pre-empting what I thought had happened. ?? I didn’t change it after the break, silly sod.
Excellent report, Guvna.
Pre-match I thought this was the toughest of our remaining matches not least because of our inability to handle bruisers combined with our chronic travel sickness. At least Wolves and Leicester play football and hopefully Burnley will be ‘on the beach’ on the final day.
It was beautifully ironic that the chief bruiser was spotted whacking (his word) Torriera with a forearm smash on a flypast. There is no doubt in my mind that this totally deserved red card changed the game in our favour.
The game was very ugly. We did not play well or control it in a textbook manner against 10 men but we mostly defended like Trojans: I thought Kos and Leno were immense.
Nonetheless the three points are the most important thing and the performance was clearly of secondary importance. We are back in the top 4 and in as much control of our destiny as this team can be expected to be.
COYG
buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Evening H
A lot of negativity in the bar tonight for some unknown reason.
Another Unai left field team selection, a completely unbalanced side,with a PL novice asked to play at the centre of defence,against a tough no nonsense team,still flying after reaching the Cup Final.
A lucky break for the goal,but credit Auba for chasing what looked a lost cause,and an early send off for Deeney,and the rub of the green was favoring us for a change.
At the business end of a very long season,it’s not surprising that the players are fatigued both mentally and physically,and we don’t have the depth of quality in the squad to call on, that can make the difference.
So players will make mistakes,and make wrong decisions under pressure,but they never hid, yes some weren’t at their best,and it wasn’t pretty to watch,but as a group they got us a precious 3 points in a game no one will care about in a few weeks time if against all expectations we qualify for the CL.
for TTG
excellent win this evening for the under 23’s, 3-1 away to Chelsea.
Takes us up to 4th in the table with one game left to play for the season.
Eddie scored a first half double,with Jenko adding the 3rd.
On more sour note,i see Italian police have sent 50 odd Ajax supporters back to Holland,after they were searched in Turin prior to the CL game against Juve,and all were found to be carrying weapons.
Over 130 arrests were made before the first leg game last week,so going to be nasty night.
I think our supporters will need to be very very careful in Naples on Thursday night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBiXkuMKnRw
clive
never understood the football violence
actually that’s wrong
i understood it
i just marvelled at the stupidity of it
angry herberts
pricks with nothing to kick against
often dressed and pressed
and smelling like a hoors handbag
.
.
hard as nails – many were
but as a naive country boy
coming from the north of Ireland
i’d never seen english skinheads
outta their green uniforms before
?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOHVdHCbWv8
Hello all. Violence happened, but why on earth is it a consideration today?
fighting over football
as i say ‘hol
i found it bizarre
“Hey , shellshocked squaddie – i understand you don’t like my accent or your life but could I perhaps suggest not beating yerself yer mates or other london football fans to buggery”
never went down well
unless it was leeds
and all you’d a seen
was the back o my head
but
in many ways
“Ladies and gentlemen”
aren’t we all victim
to our internal arseholery
@25
I hear you cba,
Dad used to stand on the North Bank with me in late Fifties/Sixties,but once the violence started being a regular feature of Sat at Highbury,he moved us round to the side in the schoolboy enclosure near the dugout,and then later on when i grew up,we moved to the other side of the dugout.
But as H points out,why now,with some of the absolutely horrific fighting that goes on particularly in Europe these days,beggars belief.
clive
it’s ridiculous
whole life here like everybody else was
saracens sixers pigs bla bla blaaaa
the engine noises o those cunts
unmistakable
and
when i went to your fine land
(which i’d go back to tomorrow iffin i had the cash and a reputable wife and family distractor)
i fuckin thought HELLO
they have horses on the streets
the horses are fuckin visored up
this place is CRAZY
Oggy Oggy Oggy
Oy Oy Oy
Oggy Oggy Oggy
Oy Oy Oy
Oggy
Oy
Oggy
Oy
Oggy Oggy Oggy
Oy Oy Oy!
I did not expect three points tonight.
Yes there is drink taken.
Come on you Gunners!!!
.
.
i expected to see
a police superintendent
plucking an arrow
out of his eye
breaking it in two
and
swearing revenge
c100
can i be a fan for a minute
will you continue with yer away day reports?
i fuckin love them
absolutely fuckin love them
to be honest
70s
i was known as a man who had Ramones records
early on
those records i’d tape for anybody and anything
pushing them on diehard Quo fans
but
now that i made you read that bla blaa glar
please keep writing yer away days
and
everyone else too
i haven’t seen the Mighty Arsenal since i left London
and
yeah blaaaaaAAaaaaa.
.
i miss it
@24 lip synching prowess seldom seen this side of the ozarks
Ever more esoteric internet trivia tidbit:
The Italian translation of “click here” is
…
clicca qui (I didn’t do it and it probably saved my computer from a multitude of Italian viruses.)
now 8ball
there’s plenty of things you can say near me
call me a paddy
-(i really don’t mind)
call me a drunken arsehole
-(i don’t have a leg to stand on)
DISRESPECT EDDIE COCHRAN !
(move house pilgrim)
(flights are cheap)
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
Deaney picked the wrong man in Torreira to take a swing at. Anyone taller, and he would have hit their upper arm not their head.
I still think there was some Emery plan to the pace we played at once Watford went down to 10 men.
Three points is three points. And it is the same three points if you win 1-0 or 6-0.
News flash:
The Neolithic inhabitants of Stonehenge appear to have travelled from Anatolia (modern Turkey) to Iberia before winding their way north.
News analysis:
But no word as yet on the nature of the anti-immigrant strategies employed to try to keep them out.
yeah
and pappardelle
means gobble up
you’re on the fuckin list sunshine !
any fucking more o your fuckin blasé bullshit
and
you’ll wish steve and thunder T were glaring at you
howdy ned
as a brief howdydoody
today i lent on a cows arse laughing
as
owner of said cow failed to contain
historical beer
what a time to be a-fuckin-live
[stupid bastard ye missed the 45rpm reference]
*crys salty vinyl tears*
You can look it up you really can
give us a kiss 8ball
go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzSzhHmhiOY
on
i fuckin can’t stand that squeeze hanger oner
but he got good tunesmiths smithing good tunes
he did
(the wee oily herbert)
more often than not
original is best
this
i
think
an
exception Mr Williamson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEYYI1ii0AU
JOBSEEKER
pull yer jeans up
FUCK OFF
.
.
.
what a fuckin band
what a fuckin band
.
noisy doesn’t mean dumb
drunk doesn’t mean …. wha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVaaDLwWvI
End of impertinences.
sweet merciful mother of god 8ball
stop being so flamboyant
Some thanks are due……
A tip of the hat to Poorson tonight
too. He initially missed Deeney’s
red but listened to his Lino and sent
the silly fucker off, then he ignored
Leno clearly pushing over Gray.
Thank you for your shades of
mediocrity Mr. Poorson.
Foster apologised to his teammates
after the game, whereas Deeney
whined it wasn’t fair. A tip of the hat
to Foster who isn’t a bad keeper –
these things happen, head up son.
And to Deeney, hahahahahahaha
and a Ramsey smirk.
Although they got the decision right it was arrived at poorly, as Mawson only asked the linesman due to the reaction to the Arsenal players, the linesman didn’t draw his attention to it.
If you noticed on the replay from the touchline, the offside camera if you like, the lino never once makes any kind of signal to indicate a foul until Pawson starts talking to him on the headset. He doesn’t wave his flag or do anything at all. The elbowing gesture only happens after he is asked.
That’s poor officiating all round really, as a referee shouldn’t really react to players and the lino should be flagging like crazy if he genuinely saw that as a red card offence. And he let it go until his mate asked the question.
They got it right obviously but how they got there was a bit odd.
Cynic @59, excellent points there. I thought Pawson was extremely poor. He seemed to regret his red card and thereafter let several Watford players get away with awful challenges until late on when he remembered he had a responsibility to act. Every time he gave a decision in our favour he seemed to look apologetically at a Watford player.
OM @58, the ball was still dead when Leno pushed over the player obstructing him so Pawson couldn’t give a penalty under the Laws.
Clive,
On a good night to be a Gooner the U23s beat Chelsea 3-1 with Nketiah scoring twice. I’ve been disappointed not to see Eddie get more of an opportunity. He perversely las America in against Manchester United! Next season he may need to go on loan to get some proper first-team experience .
Dennis Suarez’s woes continue. He is apparently now injured . I’m not sure we will ever see him start for Arsenal
I can’t remember the name of the player, but he was the one who took a dive on the edge of the box. Fair haired (or out of a bottle) bloke I think, unless my colour is fucked and he was a ginge.
Anyway he should have been sent off last night, as should Capoue. Just for having a name that is almost, but not quite, Catpoo.
Every tackle was like … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uL9bcr-4nw
Sorry the TTG predictive text curse struck again. I meant to say Eddie last appeared against Manchester United in the league at home .
Cynic
The ginge was Will Hughes!
Thanks TTG.
Leno also got very lucky last night as I could see some refs who love the spotlight (Hi Mike) could have sent him off for violent conduct. Just because.
Clive
Sorry I’ve back drunk and seen your note pointing out our win . My mate who knows all of the lads coming through says the next superstar is a young boy called Azeez who is another attacking midfielder with lots of goal scoring ability.
It’s exciting that Arsenal are unearthing a lot of gems and in wider terms lots of other English clubs are producing real quality too.
I really think over the next ten years we may see England become a really major power in international football. That’s until they re-employ Hodgson or Allardyce !
Loved the 3 points but what a dire game to watch, can’t think what you boys got so excited about ! Have been away on opera visit to Russia so wasn’t at the Ems on Thurs but caught the last 30mins on TV when I got in. Just feel we are a goal short but hoping for the best in Naples.
COYR
@59
Bath,
The timing was quite tight on the
push by Leno and Poorson is easily
incompetent enough to have given
it, plus he’d been cowed by the crowd
by then so I was quite relieved he did
nothing. Gray was obviously playing
for a penalty as he’d done a similar
thing 2 minutes earlier but forgot to
fall over.
Cynic,
True enough – the Lino did say
nothing until asked. Perhaps the
PL have moved to a Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell policy.
Usual good stuff, Holic.
Horrible game against a Watford side that becomes a horrible team as soon as they go a goal down.
It was 11 v 10 but it’s not that easy to play football against 10 big, very fit, very athletic players, spurred ( sorry ) on by a crowd full of one-eyed nutters who don’t know any of the rules.
One very big, but not very athletic nutter who did not trouble us for the final 80 minutes, was Troy Deeney – he of the cojones so large, that he dared to elbow the smallest fella on the pitch in the head. His sly dig was not quite sly enough though and, for once, the usually over forgiving Craig Pawson sent the objectionable piece of work off to an early shower.
Great win in the circumstances.
Buzzing again here too, Guv.!
how sweet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ay0Mfzwvk
Can we sign some of the Ajax players, like half of them? ?
Regarding the odious thug Deeney,
Did anyone else in the bar know that he served 10 months in prison back in the day, after he and his mates launched a savage attack on some young students outside a Birmingham nightclub.
Deeney was caught on CCTV kicking one in the head as he lay defenceless on the ground,another young lad had his jaw broken,and another required 20 stitches in a bad mouth wound.
Once a thug,always a thug.
To be fair to Deeney (not words to be written frequently), he was sentenced to ten months but served less than three. And that day wasn’t so long ago, 2012.
Clive
I did know about Deeney spending time in prison. As someone who is on the board of a prison I do believe in reform and rehabilitation but I think Deeney revels in his tough guy image .
United were outclassed tonight as it appears were Juventus! I give OGS till Christmas.
Christmas TTG ??
You are being remarkably generous.. !!
Re the under 23’s,
I saw the goals on the Arse website this evening.
Eddie’s 2 goals were taken with all the nonchalance and class of a premium striker.
He is Gold.
Ian Wright Mark 2
And i see Reiss – Nelson came on for last 20 minutes and scored in Hoffenheim win last weekend.
Still no sign of ESR at Leipzig though.
Just watched the first half of the first half of the first leg against Napoli. Torreira was really on his game, and looked like the player we saw for Uruguay in the World Cup and for Arsenal in his first month with the club. Breaking up play and turning a disadvantage into an advantage in the blink of an eye.
Clive@74: Fleeting sighting of Emile Smith Rowe on Saturday. He made his Bundesliga debut for RB Leipzig against Wolfsburg, coming on as a sub in 90th minute. He had missed the team’s nine games since joining on loan in January because of injury (groin strain).
Thnks Ned
Wonder where he will be next season,given his loan spell has been a damp squib.
Ian Wright Mark 2 will stay,as we sell Auba/Mesut and Mustafi to clear the decks and save on the wage bill, he will partner Laca up front next season and they will score 50 goals plus between them.
?????
Welcome back Delia. Seeing as a lot of operatic subjects seem to be floating around these days I wouldn’t have thought it necessary to go to Russia to find them but hope you had fun. Did you see CSKA Don Giovanni?
We will not be recruiting Dennis Suarez and he is ( despite not playing) now injured! This article paints a sad picture of our worst ever loan signing. Beside him Kim Kjallstrom’s loan was a triumph. After all he did score at Wembley !
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal/denis-suarez-has-gone-from-arsenal-s-wanted-man-to-outcast-a4120301.html
i don’t know if anyone else is watching city-scum, but there have now been 5 goals in 22 minutes; city is up 3-2 on the game, it’s drawn on aggregate, but scum are up on away goals. some of the worst defending i’ve seen in a long time, by either team.
Clive@77: ESR may well stay at RB Leipzig next season. He arrived injured and is only now fit enough for selection, so it has not been much of a loan so far by any definition. What could determine it is how much of our midfield gets sold in the summer. I would put money only on Torierra, AMN, Guendouzi and Xhaka still being there when the summer transfer window closes on August 8.
If Nkazette score 50 goals next season, we shall all be happy campers.
Perhaps not a bad thing for the neighbours to have other things on their mind than the Premiership.
Ned – as long as they don’t win the fucking thing.
I’m gutted they’re through.
Pep’s fault for not going for it away.
Ajax must be happy with that
result.
I sincerely hope that Ajax are delighted with the final result of the semi-final.
Told you VAR is going to ruin football…
It’ll be an all English final, and we know all about Klopp’s luck in European finals …
That was a stupendous occasion. I had a young grandson screaming in agony one minute and ecstatic tge next and it coloured my view of the game . It showed how far the Premier League ( apart from Man U) is ahead of the rest of Europe in entertainment terms. But Barca and Ajax will test the quality of our teams in the semi. And no Son in the first leg after losing Kane may kill Spurs.
I thought it was handball but VAR didn’t clear it up one way or other
Little bit sick in the mouth that VAR was again bang on target tonight. It is the way forward though. Those Lily-white c**** will suffer in the long term with their diving antics.
I think you may have enjoyed what I had to delete tonight when the bankrupt bastards got lucky. ?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What Countryman said @83 that they don’t win the fucking thing by fluke. We will never hear the end of it.