EPL | Arsenal vs Chelsea | 24th of September at 17:30 (GMT)

[Mraven]

I've been very impressed with Mustafi.

I said around the time that he signed that he looks like the ideal Wenger defender.

All action.

It's lovely to see how we have been clicking offensively the last weeks, but Mustafi is the real highlight. With him we now have a potential world class cb-pairing. If they keep this going I honestly think Wenger has found the missing piece for us to show up in CL too

 

[carlito'sway]

I thought Wenger picked Giroud purely from a defensive standpoint (against any potential set-pieces late on in the game) as we weren't as sharp going forwards as we had been in the first half to warrant an addition of Perez in the hope to finish the game off by scoring another goal.

It was also vital not to concede a goal and to try to keep the clean sheet, in my opinion. Psychologically speaking, we didn't want to lose 'the second half' to Chelsea going into the next game.

Subbing Gibbs on about 10 mins earlier had been done in a similar manner since he provided much better cover for Monreal and at several points late on in the game, we fought Conte's 3-5-2 with 5-4-1 defensive setup with Monreal as our 3rd CB.

It's worth mentioning that Wenger's substitutions lately have been brilliant and the team benefited from them.

Very good post mate. I didn't think of what you said above, but spot on.

 

[Makingtrax]

I thought Wenger picked Giroud purely from a defensive standpoint (against any potential set-pieces late on in the game) as we weren't as sharp going forwards as we had been in the first half to warrant an addition of Perez in the hope to finish the game off by scoring another goal.

It was also vital not to concede a goal and to try to keep the clean sheet, in my opinion. Psychologically speaking, we didn't want to lose 'the second half' to Chelsea going into the next game.

Subbing Gibbs on about 10 mins earlier had been done in a similar manner since he provided much better cover for Monreal and at several points late on in the game, we fought Conte's 3-5-2 with 5-4-1 defensive setup with Monreal as our 3rd CB.

It's worth mentioning that Wenger's substitutions lately have been brilliant and the team benefited from them.

Wenger gets a lot of stick for substitutions . . . too late, wrong personnel etc etc but in reality they are calm, calculating and when he has options (like now, with a large enough squad) usually very telling.

 

[carlito'sway]

Very good ESPN article on the game.

"When Arsène Wenger gets things right, there are few greater sights in football. Against Chelsea on Saturday, the Arsenal manager was spot-on. If he can replicate this kind of performance in the coming weeks, there is a real chance of the Premier League trophy returning to the Emirates after a 12-year absence."
"Yet the obvious caveat remains: Arsenal have a bad habit of following good results with mediocre performances. This is where Özil and Sanchez can lift the side. They are game-changers. The manager just needs them to do it more often. Greatness is just a fingertip away. Wenger needs his superstars to step up on a weekly basis and help him reach it again"

http://www.espnfc.us/blog/the-match...-europe-when-Arsène-wenger-gets-tactics-right

 

[morpho]

So we actually managed to kick Costa off the park and not get punished . It was brilliant because it was cynical , subtle and the team took turns which means the ref couldn't single out anyone .

And from that video, you could see Costa getting more and more carefull throughout the game... They mindfucked him brilliantly

 

[Rimaal]

All those crazy f***ers that said Arsenal can't defend should be locked in a padded cell and made to watch that for the rest of their lives.

They were right about us last season, not this season though - fingers crossed, and touch wood.

 

[Rimaal]

I thought Wenger picked Giroud purely from a defensive standpoint (against any potential set-pieces late on in the game) as we weren't as sharp going forwards as we had been in the first half to warrant an addition of Perez in the hope to finish the game off by scoring another goal.

It was also vital not to concede a goal and to try to keep the clean sheet, in my opinion. Psychologically speaking, we didn't want to lose 'the second half' to Chelsea going into the next game.

Subbing Gibbs on about 10 mins earlier had been done in a similar manner since he provided much better cover for Monreal and at several points late on in the game, we fought Conte's 3-5-2 with 5-4-1 defensive setup with Monreal as our 3rd CB.

It's worth mentioning that Wenger's substitutions lately have been brilliant and the team benefited from them.

Yes, indeed, credit where it's due. It's also worth mentioning that the subs have been brilliant because for the very first time in a long time we have a brilliant bench.

 

[El Granit-Coq]

Conte is so mad

"Only a great team on paper"

There is something loveable about Conte. As much as we hate the chavs, Conte simply oozes class and murder. Have to love that sort of combination.

 

[Makingtrax]

Mate I could devote an entire thread to your bollocks, so don't start dredging up people's comments after a win. We're all over the moon that we won. Leave it at that.

Got to come back to this cos it wound me up tbf.

It pisses me off to see the same whinging posters critising tactics/players before every match and then when we do well pretending they're behind Wenger and the team.

And I don't mind you thinking my posts are bollocks, thats up to you, but at least they're consistent and not hypocritical bollocks.

 

[carlito'sway]

Got to come back to this cos it wound me up tbf.

It pisses me off to see the same whinging posters critising tactics/players before every match and then when we do well pretending they're behind Wenger and the team.

And I don't mind you thinking my posts are bollocks, thats up to you, but at least they're consistent and not hypocritical bollocks.

You are right mate.
@Gooner Zig, we are all enjoying the win and overall performance. Having said that, some of the pre game comments were totally over the top and ridiculous and deserved to be called out.

 

[El Granit-Coq]

Got to come back to this cos it wound me up tbf.

It pisses me off to see the same whinging posters critising tactics/players before every match and then when we do well pretending they're behind Wenger and the team.

And I don't mind you thinking my posts are bollocks, thats up to you, but at least they're consistent and not hypocritical bollocks.

The best bollocks is consistent bollocks anyway

 

[oliebol]

Probably been said a thousand times already in this thread, but I think it's amazing how well all of the players were doing yesterday. Peak performance of everyone on the pitch!
Hope to see a lot more of this, and then maybe we can seriously think about winning the league or making it through the last 16 in the CL.

 

[celestis]

If you guys watch that 2nd goal again , three pases between Özil and Iwobi and Kante was taken out of the game . Simple but just brilliant one touch passing and awareness .

 

[El Granit-Coq]

If you guys watch that 2nd goal again , three pases between Özil and Iwobi and Kante was taken out of the game . Simple but just brilliant one touch passing and awareness .

Wengerball is making a return. (*touch all elements)

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

The important thing now is we keep it up and win our next games. I fully remember last season when we won 2-0 against man city then lost 4-0 at Southampton few days later.

We should not get carried away and not underestimate teams. There is no easy game.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

If you guys watch that 2nd goal again , three pases between Özil and Iwobi and Kante was taken out of the game . Simple but just brilliant one touch passing and awareness .

Özil made him feel dizzy the poor guy.

 

[carlito'sway]

If you guys watch that 2nd goal again , three pases between Özil and Iwobi and Kante was taken out of the game . Simple but just brilliant one touch passing and awareness .

On the third goal, Özil turn on Kante took 3 players out of the game as well. The two full backs and Kante obviously, they were all on the same horizontal line. Brilliant.

 

[eye4goal]

I liked the second half as much as the first. It was the most solid we've looked without the ball, and it was mostly with us keeping our shape and maintaining good numbers defensively. Özil was abit of a passenger defensively in the first half, but he put a big shift in the second, and Xhaka showed good discipline too staying into position without jumping into tackles as he tends to do.

 

[Dammit]

I'd like to point out my observations:

First of all it's clear to see that without the massive funds available from Roman Chelsea can't cope with us. They want to operate with the money the club earns the right way, but it's unusual for them and can't maintain their quality. Last season they didn't sign José's first-choice targets and this season they failed as well to get Conte the players he really wanted, except Kante, who looks good, but had a bad game against us. Their squad is awful, especially they're terrible at the back. They had to overpay for panic buy clowns in the last minutes, gonna backfire all season that they didn't get Koulibaly. Terry is their best CB and he is 35 FFS. Zouma won't be good for months after getting back after that terrible injury. They're on a decline, they clearly want to operate like a proper club, like us. But they just can't, because that's not the Chelsea way to do things. It's not a familiar environment for them. Can see them missing out on top 4 again. Liverpool look rampant. Klopp is a fantastic manager. Liverpool is better than the sorry blues this season.

As for us.
We started slowly because of injuries and Wenger couldn't manage to
accomplish his plan to move Alexis to the CF role properly. It's clear to see that he has enough of Giroud, doesn't rate him anymore as a starter, because we play in a different system. He has been slowly adapting Xhaka as well into this new system and looks like with Coq's injury he will start now. We have all been moaning that it's a terrible idea to play Alexis as a striker. But Wenger did convert him to a CF and it works fine, plenty of room of improvement, but we have started to play some really agile, sharp, energetic and fluid football that has a very good system. We can't play like this with Giroud upfront. We can press high with this system, Iwobi and Walcott looks up for it. And my boy... Iwobi really looks like some player. The boy is fantastic, and if we move Alexis back to the wings... Iwobi won't get as many games like now. He needs to play and needs to start. In 2-3 years he will be a 60m player. If Alexis drops deep for balls then Walcott can get into his place in seconds, Iwobi as well. It's an interchanging, fluid system, I like it. As for Ramsey, he needs to improve A LOT, because he doesn't really suit our play now. I like him, but we have quality everywhere on the pitch, Walcott looks up for it, he is sharp, bulked up, don't want to see Ramsey slowing down our attacks.

Mustafi looks like a bargain, Chelsea paid 30m to get Luiz back. Let that sink in. Fantastic player. I already rate him really high, early days but I think Wenger signed his best CB since Koscielny. You can't go wrong with german international CBs though.

And Bellerín... he is worldclass material. If he keeps this up then we will have got the best RB in the league for the next 10 years. Fantastic player and beside his pace he's improving his defending massively.

Credits to Wenger for all of this. He experimented very well and it paid back this time. Has built a very good system now, which is adapted to the players we got now. Promising for now and Alexis scoring for fun again, looks better than last season.

Honestly we have got the second best squad after City in the league and I really hope we can challenge them.

 

[redanddread]