EPL | Arsenal vs Chelsea | 23/12/13 | 8:00 PM

[TheGlitch]

A few more observations

1 I hate the way our defenders nervously pass the ball around the back at times. You always feel a calamity is about to happen
2 I thought this was one of Mike Dean's better games with us. Certainly I didn't see some the past corrupt decisions where he simply couldn't erase the impression that he dislikes us
3. The Mikel tackle could've gone either way. I would've definitely been disappointed if one of our players gets shown a straight red for that
4. There is a lack of fluency and inventiveness in midfield. Ramsey is still a bit rough around the edges and apart from Rosicky, we lack the quick movement needed to displace the opposition. 9days rest barely improved our intensity
5. I thought Arteta was very good and brought much needed discipline in front of the back. He placed himself in the right positions and didn't go chasing all and sundry like Flamini. There will be games where his relatively poor mobility will be exposed but all he needs is the right complement. He's a bit like Gilberto

I disagree with everything you wrote here.
I ddnt feel our defenders was nervouse as they were ourbest players.
Mike dean was horrible like all othee times. Had he rwf right we would have gaim an advantage.
Even if it wasn't a red a yelllow surely. That said, in this intensity mourihno would have to take him off out of caution. Changing his defensive set up.
Yes there was a lack of inventiveness, but that's becas chelsea midfielders sat so deep. 3 DM. In our faces, that is not so easily by pass.
I have no complaints about arteta, this was his game and he did well.

 

[TheGlitch]

Why was Cazorla not coming on as a sub? He could have been useful in midfield to find space in the 20 minutes.

He could've. But the way he has been playing lately, no. It is a chamce wenger wasn't willing to take. We needed warriors not another luxury.

 

[eye4goal]

Walcott completed 11 out of 18 passes. That's not counting the crosses(0 out of 7 successful). Giroud takes all the flak, but Theo was even worse on the night. He needs to stay wide for longer, to create more space for Özil and Ramsey.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

you can't blame Wenger for everything this team was top of league until the Man city game, the players need to perform sometimes and they didn't against Everton Man City and Chelsea i know you can blame wenger tactics but the players need to perform in big games.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Walcott completed 11 out of 18 passes. That's not counting the crosses(0 out of 7 successful). Giroud takes all the flak, but Theo was even worse on the night. He needs to stay wide for longer, to create more space for Özil and Ramsey.

The game wasn't suited to Theo at all, in hindsight Santi should have started ahead of him. When there isn't space to run in behind Theo is a as good as useless, but we know that. For all his flaws he is devastating in certain games.

 

[Rain Dance]

and maybe it is right to criticise wenger for that- but cazorla/wilshere etc deserve some of the criticism for the awful job of tracking back they've been doing on the wings recently which means wenger feels he can only trust rosicky to play wide left.

LOL just wait, Rozza gonna get bench cause Jack is available against West Ham

 

[Webdesignlab]

Say what you want about Mourinho and his negative brand of football but he's gotten a draw away at Old Trafford, White Hart Lane, The Emirates and has beaten Man City at home.

He hasn't dropped 3 points against a top team yet and that's vital in the scheme of the title race, he gets the results his team NEEDS, which is all that matters.

We are toothless at the moment, totally out of ideas and can't score for **** .... and that makes Maureen a good manager? A few weeks ago we would have mutilated them.

HE was not a great tactician, WE were crap.

 

[Lakersgooner24]

The game wasn't suited to Theo at all, in hindsight Santi should have started ahead of him. When there isn't space to run in behind Theo is a as good as useless, but we know that. For all his flaws he is devastating in certain games.

Theo usually produces against Chelsea so I have no qualms with him starting. I doubt Santi would have made much of a difference had he taken his place, just more stagnant passing around the edge of the box.

 

[GOONER1991]

We had a really good opportunity when Ramsey put the ball out of play, what are everyone's opinions on that?

 

[Rain Dance]

The D line was that high as we had an attacking corner that started the movement.

The key to the passing movement is that we went from one side to the other and then back to half way before going forward again, and Walcott's lateral movement ahead of the play to draw the cover defence and open the centre for the final assist ball and shot.

The other point of note is that we kept the ball in motion just close enough to keep the defenders interested without letting them get a challenge in.

No, the key to passing movement is :
a. precise passing
b. movement off the ball
c. ball control

Unless you forgot, we clearly have lost one of those factor to play intrigue passing play. We have switched from possession based attacking game to more conservative approach or we wouldn't use Giroud as post player.

Recent times the norm seems to be that we tend to set up camp in the final 3rd and then bail out to the FBs to put in a blind cross.

well.. a better finisher would have won us the game at OT cause of those blind crosses...

The Walcott goal was from a direct attack which is all very good when it comes off, whereas I wanted an example of an alternative option to being stifled in the final 3rd without either a cross being put in or forcing the play resulting in a turn over and us being countered as a result.

there is no such thing is a 100% no-counter attacking method if both teams are about equal quality.

Either way there are more ways to skin a cat than to just pour bodies into the final 3rd and take off midfielders for attacking players.

well... there's always set play and penalty..
Oh wait the ref was Mike Dean, Chelscum could get away with murder (oh they did it seems)

 

[CurryFlavoured]

The game wasn't suited to Theo at all, in hindsight Santi should have started ahead of him. When there isn't space to run in behind Theo is a as good as useless, but we know that. For all his flaws he is devastating in certain games.

Theo usually produces against Chelsea so I have no qualms with him starting. I doubt Santi would have made much of a difference had he taken his place, just more stagnant passing around the edge of the box.

Yep, I had him in my team beforehand as well. He has produced against them before but when a team is only focused on defending defending defending he doesn't have any real use (to be fair Azpilicueta had a really good game as well). I do think Santi would have made some difference though, Theo contributed absolutely nothing to our game. And that's not me having a go at Theo, you get what you get with him, we've become well used to the bad touches and passes warranted he has a huge threat in behind. Yesterday just wasn't set up for him though.

 

[SiMamu]

and maybe it is right to criticise wenger for that- but cazorla/wilshere etc deserve some of the criticism for the awful job of tracking back they've been doing on the wings recently which means wenger feels he can only trust rosicky to play wide left.

LOL just wait, Rozza gonna get bench cause Jack is available against West Ham

No, it's a two game suspension, remember .

 

[Rain Dance]

Newcastle then :wink:

 

[Penn_]

Theo is such a frustrating player to have, when it works he's amazing, when it doesn't he's pretty much useless. Sagna was basically a RB and RW for a lot of the game yesterday.

Still don't understand where our players don't drill crosses more, one of Giroud's best qualities is turning in those sort of chances.

 

[goonerwarsh]

Theo is such a frustrating player to have, when it works he's amazing, when it doesn't he's pretty much useless. Sagna was basically a RB and RW for a lot of the game yesterday.

Still don't understand where our players don't drill crosses more, one of Giroud's best qualities is turning in those sort of chances.

Theo Walcott is a complete enigma. One of the strangest players I've seen in an Arsenal shirt and a very tough player to work out wherever he does you more harm than good in having him in your first eleven.

I wonder what Wenger's private opinion on Theo's game is.

 

[tap-in]

Too many of our players were below par, Ramsey & Özil were 2 of them. I don't know if it the opposition, the 9 days rest or what but we can play much better than we did and have to start doing it again soon if we want to stay in with a shout for the title.

As for Giroud and all the talk, I think he is a great player to have, and has improved hugely this season, unfortunately if you want to win the PL you have to have one of the top 2 or 3 strikers, and there are at least 5 strikers in the PL better than Giroud.

 

[fabo]

Giroud and 'great' should not be used in the same sentence. He's average, a slightly upgraded Bendtner.

Absolutely pissed off about last night, you'd worry about this side going forward. It doesn't look like a title-winning team.

 

[fabo]

And Wenger yet again with his reactive bullshit. In this case, he didn't make any changes. Unbelievable.

Two managers who shat themselves last night.

 

[Enfield]

Firstly it is an absolute waste of time thinking you can win the title with Arteta as one of our main options in the middle of the pitch. There is a reason he hasn't got a single cap for Spain. Its because he is good but not great.

Secondly why on gods name do we have to moan about Chelsea being rough. Did we not send out 11 grown men. Are grown men not supposed to be able to mind themselves.

Sagna, Arteta and Özil are all experienced players. Not one of them put in a tackle after they got roughed up. I have more respect for Chelsea after yesterday because there was a game on and they were up for it.

For all the slating of Mikel yesterday I think he would improve us. He was literally always available for a pass and never gave it away. He also got stuck into 50/50's like his life depended on it.

Thats the attitude we need. Bang up for anything you want to throw at us.

Theo was completely ineffective because most average players are when they only have one trick..

Happy Christmas everyone, we are still joint top of the league and have played some of our trickiest fixtures. We need a finisher in January and a couple of men from somewhere. To this end I would be going all out to get Henry and Vieira to Colney.

 

[Sydney Gooner]

So I take it that the majority are still happy enough for AW take the new 3 year deal and pay rise now?

Absolutely not.