PL: Brighton vs Arsenal | Tuesday December 29th | KO: 18:00 GMT | Amazon Prime

[bingobob]

I wouldn't say blitzed in that we sat back in our shape and let Brighton launch ball after ball towards our goal. We are pretty boring right now but our best teams have been breathtaking. With Partey, we will have half a functioning midfield and well be so much better.

The general feeling is football has become boring. Its more important not to lose and that combined with academies designed to produce passing football they create this safe possession monster. Possession for defence.

So much of football is now individual brilliance outside the confines of training and academy football. It's why guys like Saka and South Americans are so exciting. They've had an education outside of that environment and with that comes this individualism to the game.

 

[Blaziken]

Win an Fa Cup and be in contention for the top 4. Wait that's what Arteta is doing.

lol

 

[DanDare]

Imagine a competent manager, we could be challenging for the title in this league.

With Xhaka and El-Neny? Ok chief

 

[A_G]

@OnlyOne just don't let @American_Gooner make any more threads.

 

[bingobob]

Sp**s-Fulham is at risk as well.

From which side?

 

[Iceman10]

Nine points from bottom 3, nine points from top 3.

 

[A_G]

From which side?

Fulham.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

The league this year is very close 7 points from 4th 9 points ahead of 17th place what we need is to keep the wins rolling

 

[silent_shadow]

With Xhaka and El-Neny? Ok chief

I think the implication is a competent manager wouldn't be playing them.

 

[DanDare]

I think the implication is a competent manager wouldn't be playing them.

Yeah, and playing who instead? Crap Ceballos

I despise Xhaka but our options are terrible

 

[OnlyOne]

Wasn't impressed again.

 

[shoot for the top]

With Xhaka and El-Neny? Ok chief

8 points off 4th with these displays. Imagine if we can actually dominate relegation sides.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Arsenal fans are the most reactionary in world football. We were getting relegated a week ago, now top 4's back on

 

[REWB]

The football was terrible. I really don't think Arteta has the answer. We should be riding on the confidence of the Chelsea win, how can we come up with a performance like that?

My word some people are absolute clueless...So theres this imaginary manager out there that will get us playing like barca?...with these players? what is wrong with people? too many idiots that think this is fifa 21. unreal.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

Three points in the bag, and a clean sheet. WBA next!

 

[Mohamed7]

I still cannot figure out that first half performance.


Dreadful.

 

[Mo Britain]

Decent second-half mostly. Should have taken the lead earlier but that timely goal from Laca was a more subtle finish than it appeared at first.

I wish we hadn't started trying to go to the corner flag with seven minutes to play but can't complain, we've won our first relegation six-pointer. Hopefully the West Brom game will be the last one.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

First half was very meh. Second half we looked pretty decent and had a bit of cutting edge about us going forwards.

Saka again proving why he's the star of this team with that assist, though I thought this was one of his weaker games overall. Lovely finish by Laca too. He's really looking good in this system, deserves to start the next match.

Credit to Arteta for the timing of the substitution too. Payed off after 20 seconds.

You can see why Brighton have been our bogey team, just really awkward. Fortunately they offer very little cutting edge up front.

Holding and Mari deserve some praise too. I thought they marshalled Brighton pretty effectively.

Middling performance overall though, but it's 2 wins on the bounce. Lets make it 3 against WBA then we can really start talking about momentum being built and turning a corner.

COYG.

 

[Bloodbather]

The general feeling is football has become boring. Its more important not to lose and that combined with academies designed to produce passing football they create this safe possession monster. Possession for defence.

I can't buy the soundness of this take when there are teams like Bayern who play a very methodical style of football and are very exciting still. A proper academy will want to instill those values in its players but not hinder special talents, and I find it dubious this has somehow perished from football.

 

[krengon]

Playing like this we'll lose more points than we'll gain so no point even thinking about top 6 until performances improves drastically.