I don’t take it personally at all he had a bad game. He’s not a workhorse like Lacazette so he has one job to do and he didn’t do it and if he had done we would have won.

What I do have a problem with is people not giving him the benefit of the doubt when his credentials shouldn’t be questioned . His strike rate is similar to Henry and Ian Wright for Arsenal. Your criticising Henry and Wright basically, do you think that makes sense ?

Well he’s not wrong there how could you explain that.

The pitch was a bit bobbly but it’s an utter sitter

We were clearly the better side and should probably have won it. That 'away' goal will help us out, but I would expect a closely contested second leg.

Not really sure what people expect Arteta to do with Willian - just never play him again because of a bad run of form? He's been a consistent performer for many years at Chelsea, so I'm thinking it could be a good idea to give him a few minutes here and there to play himself in form. We could use another weapon for our attack, we haven't been scoring for fun this season, and it's not like he's constantly picked ahead of other players. Martinelli started over him against United and both Martinelli and Pépé were brought on way before Willian tonight.

Stop it ! Far better to be hysterical than speak sense.

Yes I agree, interesting to hear Arteta speak sense on it this week kind of hinting the players off form but there’s enough quality for him to make a difference but there’s a responsibility on both sides to continue the efforts. Basically saying the fans aren’t necessarily wrong but you have to persist

Well, we clearly had chances to win the game.

PEA does look out of sorts despite his recent hat-trick.

Some of our interplay, mainly involving Ødegaard, Ceballos, Saka and EMR was excellent but some of our passing was also too slow and too cautious. Is there any need for Xhaka to drop in as the third CB and then play a sideways or backwards pass. Surely Gabri or Luiz could play those passes. If Xhaka drops back into the back line I want it to be so he can ping balls in between the lines or over the top.

Martinelli came on and ran around like a blue arsed fly but barely touched the ball such was the lack of any quality into him.

Oh, so you’re allowed to say it. The only cogent thing you’ve said is about people not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Not that I agree with it but that’s fine. The rest is what you’ve been levelling at others, hysterical.

No. There’s saying he’s had a bad game and then there’s saying he’s past it, contract, depressed blah blah blah. Just total bollocks

A striker who singlehanded won us an fa cup and got us to a European final. Even if he is past which clearly ain’t evident surely he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Ok but 1. No one said even one of those things this evening and 2. You’re being an arse about it.

One did but your generally right the others didn’t but it’s largely a reoccurring theme.

Ok well we’re largely disagreeing about not very much. I think taking 1-1 back to our glorious home ground of Olympiacos isn’t a terrible result all in all.

It’s a good result. Another Saka masterclass and we’re through

Gooner Editor just now .... this is precisely it


Have I missed something? Why are people moaning after a 1-1 draw away from home in Europe? Moan if Arsenal get knocked out next week. Until then it's not about the performance it's about the result. Glad Twitter wasn't around in 1994. A 0-0 at Torino? Rubbish. 1-1 at PSG? Useless

I just try to be fair to players. If that’s ‘championing’ anyone to you, then it doesn’t meet my definition of the word.

I do. An American science fiction series starring Roy Thinnes. Outstandingly good in my view. Perhaps not quite as good as Callan or The Sweeney, but up there in the same overall class.

I just don't want to see him playing at all

Its a game we should have won handily but drew. Aubameyang showed he is human. The positive I will take from the game is, 1. We fought back almost immediately for an equalizer. 2. If we were more clinical we'd have won it. 3. We created chances. Aubameyang didn't finish as he usually did but he had chances and a few months ago he wasn't getting that.

He earns a bonus for playing. Needs the money for when the restaurants open again.

I’m relaxed about Arteta playing Willian. After all, isn’t the pertinent question how the club can possibly make him play better, like he used to not all that long ago at Chelsea? Banishing Willian from the team, or even from the squad if you don’t want to see him ever brought on as a substitute, is the one guaranteed way of never giving yourself any hope of achieving that.

That seems utterly senseless to me, as a player doesn’t lose his technical ability by putting on an Arsenal strip rather than a Chelsea one and Willian showed, over a number of years, just how good a player he can be when in form. Arsenal’s priority is to try to get him back into form. That’s why it’s understandable, in my view, for Arteta to give him playing time.

Late in yesterday’s game I thought that I hadn’t seen any late goals for Arsenal this season. Then I read the stat that backed up my memory, we’ve only scored 2 goals beyond the 75th minute in games.
There is nothing quite like a last minute goal to win a game - I miss them!

Of course this makes perfect sense.

However our fans are shortsighted and can’t see context beyond the immediate moment.

Another example is Martinelli who from what I can see also looks very off form but nobody mentions it. Now I admit he’s not played a lot of games but has played a decent amount of minutes and looks sluggish and not the player before his nasty injury. Should we keep the faith or start screaming at Arteta when he brings him on?

Course you can’t just ditch him and the only difference is it’s trendy to bash Willian because of his large wages (not his fault) and not Martinelli a promising young lad.

Apologies to Gunfire. It was gooner7 who made the point quoted above (correctly now). But something obviously went to pot with the quote function when I did my previous post above, as I gave the impression it was Gunfire.

I fear that you make a valid point about Martinelli. Since his return from serious injury he has looked but a shadow of his former self.

It would be a huge shame for him (and us) if he were to go the way of such as Diaby and Owen etc. Fingers crossed for him.

Agbonlahor on talksport
“There was a time I could’ve gone to Spurs or Arsenal... but they were on our level..”
“I wouldn’t have left to go sideways!”

He got taken apart on social media with people saying that in Agbonlahor's 13 years at Villa they never once finished above Arsenal, never played in the Champions League and played in 1 FA Cup final which he lost 4-0 to Arsenal, then got relegated!

Utter delusion

Agreed - there was enough there to be optimistic about winning over two legs. Test will be if we can recover in time from the effects of what is likely to be the obligatory spanking from City this weekend. Aubameyang is usually a wonderful finisher, but I would put his early miss against Benfica as possibly the worst I have ever seen from a top Arsenal striker. It was literally unbelievable. The pen against us was right - love Smith-Rowe, but what was his arm doing up there? Made it easy to give.

Sort of okay. But it wasn’t really an away match was it? Not in any real sense.

Yes - I think the records show that in his time the teams played each other 25 times and Villa won just three times, six draws and sixteen defeats. He is such a proud Villa man he is happy to live in an alternative world! Very good player on his day - had a bit of nasty about him which sometimes made life difficult for our prettier boys.

Willian out!

There must be some rotation for Sunday. It seems difficult to imagine us getting anything from City considering the 17 game winning run they are on plus that classic thing of big players (de bruyne and aguero) just fit in time to play us. I think Aguero made one of his rare appearances this season against us in the league cup and his only start this season was the home game against us as well.

I think Pépé will come back in having not started the last two, which will mean a rest for one of Emile Smith Rowe/Ødegaard/Saka. With the one of the first two playing No.10 and one of the last two playing right-wing
I think Tierney might start after he came off the bench midweek and we may see a return for Holding in place of Luiz and maybe Lacazette coming back in for Aubameyang.

Some might consider the game a bit of a free hit given everyone is losing to City but the points are precious so we need to go with a strong team still. I think we have the beating of Benfica, I expected more from them last night.

Yes it was. An away match where goals count double in the event of a draw.

A 1 all was no reason for mass suicide

Btw Ødegaard looks some player. Can’t see Madrid letting him go he could be another De Bruyne

Can we have a show of forum hands on how many watched arsenal in the early to mid 80s, mid ish 90s before Rioch and even darker times earlier?

I genuinely think some of the posters here wouldn’t have the disposition to have endured those moments in time without self harming.

Anyway gooner 7 , I swap your Willian for Eddie mcgoldrick and Glen Helder.

Time for some perspective

The perspective would be to stop imagining widespread hysteria and mass suicide. The wild exaggerations detract from your many valid points.

PS First match at Highbury for me was under Billy Wright. And I have never ever booed one of our players. Not ever.

Later for me, explained by your huge age, having fought at Agincourt. Bertie Mee’s era, a 3-0 (Graham scored two, Armstrong one) home win against Nottingham Forest on 23rd December 1967. Eleven years to the day before the 0-5 win at White Hart Lane when Brady scored ‘that goal’.

In the Forest team that day were Joe Baker, the former Arsenal forward, and Jim Baxter, the former Rangers legend.

Nor I suspect ever wished us to lose? George Swindin was i/c for my first match, and like you I have never booed one of our players, though I have the team as a whole, when frustrated. Once a player wears that superb red and white kit, regardless of his skills, he is an Arsenal man, a part of our tribe. Ashley Cole to Chelsea tested my resolve, but I couldn't bring myself to detest him. Indeed, I see him as an Arsenal great of the Wenger years.

Hey I’m just recounting other posters observations previously made

On Saturday we had a poster lamenting Arteta bringing on our 4 times premier league winning Brazilian winger when we were 4-1 up and last night the same thing occurred in the 89th minute. Am I wrong to point out how silly this is ? I don’t think so

Saturday 17 April 1971. We beat Newcastle 1-0 with a Charlie George goal which is still shown on TV now and again. The same day Leeds got mugged by an offside decision and lost at home to WBA 2-1, which meant with our win we went top.

Highbury was a magical sight for the 8 year old me.

https://www.football365.com/news/alex-o ... ohn-barnes

I like Oxlade-Chamberlain but selling him for £35-40m was a very good sale. His injuries alone make it a good sale

Popular Current Nonsense Posts on the forum



Post Content: Aubameyang misses a chance and poster laments he's past it or lost it

Why doesn't it make sense: Aubameyang has a strike rate only bettered by 2 Arsenal players ever and missing chances happens to all Strikers


Is the poster suffering from an issue: Unlikely in this case but the recent contract and Aubameyangs playing style is a contributing subliminal thought inspiration maybe suggesting it to the poster.




Post Content: Arsenal should be awarded an obvious decision but a poster laments the referee was right when clearly not and EVERYONE knows it.

Is the poster suffering from an issue: Highly likely deep rooted issues, perhaps mental issues. Potential victim of bullying previously



Post Content: Arteta Brings on willian at an inconsequential moment that won't affect the game and poster wails in agony.

Why doesn't it make sense: Admittedly off form the brazilian player has 4 previous title wins and it won't change anything anyway.


Is the poster suffering from an issue: yes, detachment from reality really. Unable to separate meaningful occurrences to the benign. Poster should speak to a Registered DIPhe Counsellor and Psychotherapist




Post Content: Leno lets in an unavoidable goal and poster laments he should have saved it in the most super critical way.

Why doesn't it make sense: Leno is a very good goalkeeper Arsenals most solid since Seaman.

Is the poster suffering from an issue: yes, likely a cake and eat it type brought on by them wanting 2 great goalkeepers and now throwing a paddy. Possible only child, therapy not required but a revaluation of priorities recommended

My earliest memories of Arsenal games were in the 88/89 season, I remember us in the early 90's and the cup wins but I was 10-14 ish in those years and there were lots of other things to do and basically I just watched and loved Ian Wright - absolute football hero for any kid at that time. For some reason as a 10 year old my ups and downs with football were kind of based on whether Wrighty scored, of course the trophies were great but I don't recall ever feeling much about the drab football or weaker players in our team - probably didn't understand it much back then (some may say I still dont!).

I'm sure there were grumbles back then but the explosion of the internet, social media, instant content, and pages on pages of forums, analysis and opinions has totally changed fans view on football and footballers evn in just the last 10 years let alone 25 years ago

Ah, Agincourt. That’s where I learned the V sign.