EPL - Crystal Palace vs Arsenal - 26/10/2013 - 12:45

[Godwin1]

 

[bingobob]

The red card was brilliant by Arteta. Ive seen it a few times and absolutely the right thing to do, take the man down take the card because Chamakh was through for a one on one, give a freekick away in a non dangerous area and allow numbers to get back. Something we need to do more often is be cynical. That decision kept the game, possibly, at one nil rather than one each and if someone had have done that against Dortmund we would have left that game with a point.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

A point i made on another forum and I'd like to bring it up here. Why do we keep over committing? Against Aston Villa, we did it. Although, we were 2-1 down, it was still only the 85th minute and with stoppage time, we had near enough 10 minutes to get an equaliser and yet there was no one, apart from Szczesny, in our own half? I suppose that one can be forgiven.

Against Dortmund, again, we over commit and get caught on the break. This one was more needless as we were drawing and that would have been a reasonable result. There was no need to chase the game.

Today, i can't fathom what we were doing. We're actually winning and in control of the game. We've got a set piece and, one clearance later, they've got players potentially in on goal. I really hope this doesn't become a trend because it's becoming more and more needless as the season goes on.

I hate when we doing that our fullbacks always play high and sometimes forget to get back and defend the same thing happened today and against Dortmund we should have at least 3 men in the middle of the pitch when we have corner or set piece to play. today was everyone playing high and Only Arteta in the middle of the pitch when Arteta got sent off this is unacceptable.

It's our super high line 0-10-0 system we play. We are possession kings but it comes at a price

 

[arshy9]

Does anyone think that going down to ten men helped us in a way a bit even though it was difficult ?

After going down to 10 men,the Crsytal Palace players started coming out more and leaving more spaces after having parked the bus for so long.That gave us so much more space.We could even have buried the game if we were sharper.

And obviously, credit to Szczeny for pulling of those magnificent saves.Otherwise it would have been different.

 

[TakeChillPill]

Our graeat run at the end of last season was down to playing the counter attack. I defiantly think we need to back to our more pragmatic approach. Against both Crystal Palace and Dortmund our possession game has resulted in us being exposed defensively.

 

[ArsenesNO1Fan]

Does anyone think that going down to ten men helped us in a way a bit even though it was difficult ?

After going down to 10 men,the Crsytal Palace players started coming out more and leaving more spaces after having parked the bus for so long.That gave us so much more space.We could even have buried the game if we were sharper.

And obviously, credit to Szczeny for pulling of those magnificent saves.Otherwise it would have been different.

Palace needed to chase the game anyway so likely would have opened up. We were under the kosh and getting kicked all around the pitch without being given fouls didn't help, it was like going away to Stoke.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Arsenal lose or draw -> "Wenger out, I knew this team would get exposed"

Arsenal win vs. weak team -> "This proves nothing, we haven't played anyone of any class" (Except Tottenham?)

Arsenal win vs. good team -> "This proves nothing, we haven't played Chelsea, Liverpool or the Manchester clubs yet"

Arsenal win vs. one of those teams -> "This proves nothing, that club is on its way down, wait until we play a real team, we'll get exposed, Wenger out"

Arsenal win the League -> "What took Wenger so long?"

 

[mo50]

One thing that hasn't been touched on, and I found to be the most disturbing thing of this match, was Chamakh's hair. It's time for him to admit he's balding and just shave it off instead of doing whatever he did. The guy is a millionaire athlete, a lack of hair will hardly screw up his chances with women.

 

[Tourbillion]

great post, Mike.

 

[redanddread]

One thing that hasn't been touched on, and I found to be the most disturbing thing of this match, was Chamakh's hair. It's time for him to admit he's balding and just shave it off instead of doing whatever he did. The guy is a millionaire athlete, a lack of hair will hardly screw up his chances with women.

Hey, he don't have to shave it off, he can get a Rooney and that would only cost him a few grand....

 

[Tourbillion]

great post, Mike.

 

[TheGlitch]

Arteta in it to win it. He took it for the team

 

[redanddread]

Our graeat run at the end of last season was down to playing the counter attack. I defiantly think we need to back to our more pragmatic approach. Against both Crystal Palace and Dortmund our possession game has resulted in us being exposed defensively.

We got caught out once by Dortmund, yes we did get caught on the break, but I thought both of the teams you mention were kept well quiet and don't remember being caught on the break too often in either game.

However, it is our achilles heel and one thing for sure is that the C1C will see Jose's millionaires looking to hit us on the break at every opportunity.

 

[redanddread]

This was a relatively controlled performance, patient and resilient. Having watched the game again, without the real time emotion, we really were a lot more comfortable than it felt at the time. Aside from a few moments in the 1st half where they had some 1/4 chances and Sczcesny's worldy saves in the 2nd half Palace did nowt. We kept them at arm's length all afternoon. I think this has been the main difference this season is that we appear much more comfortable defending without the ball.