That is an astounding quote from Redknapp. He gives about five reasons for why it is a penalty, NO reasons for why it isn't, and somehow draws the conclusion that it shouldn't have been a penalty. Never seen a clearer example of a pundit simply wanting to judge a situation a certain way.

After it seemed like some time since we had won a game in which we trailed we've now done it 4 times in a short period of time, Southampton, Leicester, Benfica and Spurs.
New found mental strength and a confidence to know that we are playing well and to keep doing so will get its rewaards

I presume I’m right in thinking that if a defender punches a forward in the penalty area while the ball is still in play, regardless of whether the ball is the other side of the box meaning neither of them were going to kick it, it would be given as a penalty (and in this serious case a sending off, though it applies equally to less serious offences without the sending off). So if I’m right surely it had to be given as a penalty regardless of Lacazette mis-kicking his shot meaning it wasn’t going towards the net:

Just watched the MOTD analysis, and Jenas line of reasoning is even more bizarre. He seems to suggest it's not a penalty because Sanchez goes in to block the shot but misses because Lacazette doesn't hit the ball. Then goes on to say it's more reckless on Lacazette's part - I guess it's now reckless to try and shoot the ball and not hit it cleanly. Even more bizarre is that both Martin Keown and the host agrees with him.

As good as Smith-Rowe was first half, and I think we lost some impetus when he went off I think MOTM was possibly Gabriel. He totally pocketed Kane, didn't give him a sniff all game and also made the game saving header in front of Leno. Both him and Luiz were quick in distributing the ball forward and switching play. Gabriel had a bit of a wobble mid season when I think Arteta was right to pick others over him but he's come back and been very, very good.

Not so surprising really when members of our own forum can cavil at Lamela's brilliant goal? The one-eyedness of football fans puts the Cyclopes in the shade. Anyway, a well-deserved win, with the penalty a kind contribution and Odergaard looking one of the boys. If the clubs meet in the Europa, it will be hot.

Absolutely, but this is another area where refs don't seem to know themselves how to interpret the rules. This challenge on Mané was not deemed to be a penalty because he got his shot away:



Not sure where the notion comes from that you're allowed to take the player out as long as he gets the shot or pass away. Same thing with the Kane challenge on Gabriel - he doesn't stop Gabriel from making the pass, but it's obviously a foul and a yellow card.

"Knee high, misses the ball and clatters into him a little bit". Why on earth would that be a foul or penalty. Lol

Obviously fans will always be biased towards their own team, but I think it's different if you're a pundit being paid loads of money to analyse football games. One of the experts in the Swedish studio is one of our most well-known football journalists who is openly a Tottenham supporter, and he had no problem whatsoever conceding Arsenal deserved the win and that it was a penalty. You have to at least try to be a bit impartial in that role.

True, but it wasn't that type of blatant, obviously illegal offence. Two guys going for the ball and only Lacazette's unusual miscontrol made it look as if Sanchez was after the man instead. The ref judged it as reckless, but what else than get a leg across (steady!) is a defender to do with the forward about to belt the ball a few yards from goal? Happy to accept the outcome, but suspect there would have been some wailing if against us.

Sanzhez is 100% right to make the challenge, but penalties are not only awarded for intent. Doesn't matter how much you try to win the ball if you don't actually win the ball and only makes contact with the player.

Yes, but it would be tepid if they always were? I quite liked Jenas' indignation about the penalty, which he mixed with a clear recognition that Arsenal were the better team on the day. The NLD is always a big game, and opinions will divide over it, though to doubt the quality of Lamela's goal, as some have done, is really wierd.

I've seen goals scored through defenders legs more times that I can count and from much further out so I don't see what the big deal is. Strikers do it between goalies legs all the time too and noone even mentions it. So what am I missing.

I think it’s a decent piece of deflection from Mourinho actually.

Everyone is talking about the penalty rather than their performance because they weren’t at the races in the first half. Didn’t have a kick apart from the goal. Kane barely touched it generally and if Emiles shot had gone in I think it could have been a comfortable win.

Despite Mourinho's comments, it was far from the worst penalty decision ever seen. For me in the harsh category. Word to Lacazette for immediately putting right his miscue with a perfect pen.

I am sorry to say if you don't know, I can't help you!

It was a decent goal and I can appreciate a team scoring againest us.

The sheer adulation though? The best premier league goal of all time? Wot even better than Henry running past the entire spurs team at Highbury ? Give me a break.

Yes, you are right. We were deserved winners.

I agree it is not the greatest Premiership goal, but in a Covid ravaged season it was a very stunning skill. Quite literally bewildered the other players, commentators and viewers. It was special and I am pleased to have seen it.

Send a text to Arteta. Agree, he must be rested. Let Pépé get a run.

Pundits and Spurs fans can argue about the penalty decision till the cows come home. What matters to me is that we won. Hooray!!!!!!

For me, I rate Lamela's goal highly. Crossed his legs, backwards, to deliver such an accurate shot past defender and GK. I believe he intended to do it. Don't like his way of playing, but deserve mention.

I think our midfield and defence were caught out by the one-touch football prior to the goal. Bale delivers the ball across from right to left. Whoever he was at the left, first-timed the ball inwards. And whoever he was in the penalty area, first-timed it to Lamela. And Lamela did his trick for the goal.

Exactly, it is possible to make an attempt at a block without taking the man out - I'm not sure why there are so many in the media suggesting Sanchez could do nothing about what happened. Of course there wasn't much sympathy when Luiz conceded that penalty against Wolves - he was actually called 'clumsy' by a supposed expert ex-ref.
I do think there is a heavy spurs presence in the media and there is clear evidence for certain teams and players receiving far more favourable press over certain incidents. Can we all imagine for a second that Xhaka made that challenge that Kane made on Gabriel? Or if Xhaka or Luiz had made the challenge Snachez did on Lacazette? Absolutely no chance would the reports be the same as they are.

I even highlighted earlier in the week where Fulham were given praise on MOTD for being brave, almost forgiven for passing it out from the back, even though that tactic conceded two comical goals v City. Arsenal concede two equally comical goals with this same tactic and we're lambasted from pillar to post.

Smith-Rowe and Nketiah included in the England squad for the U21 Euros - Greenwood, Hudson-Odoi, Jones and others makes it a very strong squad. Unfortunately no Willock, despite playing well for Newcastle.

First of all, the sperz goal was fantastic. The cheek to try in a NLD with so much on the line makes it even more incredible. Let's not down play it. We do ourselves a disservice in doing so. Give credit where credit is due. There are Liverpool and Sperz fans who grudgingly but will admit Henry's run through their defense against them is pure class.

Penalty or no, Kane's obvious hit on Gabriel, all that won't take away from a great win. We beat Tottenham and just as importantly beat Mourinho. One more in a long list of indignations he has had to suffer. I know Wenger was watching and I hope he had a smile on his face.

This is the kind of win we can build on. It could spark something for the rest of the season.

Arteta has already beaten most of the top managers in the league. There should be no inferiority complex now.
If we look at our recent performances there is a level of consistency there, even if the results might have been up and down, we has lost points or goals to some unfortunate ref calls and plenty of individual mistakes. This is nothing like simply not defending well and not creating.
I don't really ever look at our team and think we're not set up well without the ball, or that we look really vulnerable to a counter attack or particular tactic by the opposition targeting a known weakness.

Look up the league and plenty of teams are as inconsistent as us with results but their performances are worse for my money. Villa, Everton, Liverpool and Spurs are all catchable.

You are right, overall, the league itself has been inconsistent. City has lost 3 and drawn 5. With how they were fighting Liverpool at one time, that would have been second place easily. The whole league is down, with the exception of West Ham and possibly Everton? But overall, the league is taking a breather.

Anyway, Mourinho has had his way with us since he came in the league. Drogba before and now Kane (who almost scored) must relish playing us.

Hoping we are turning things around.

Good post Rich I have to agree.

I don’t really know what our fans want or expect. We sack our manager and appoint someone like Mourinho who just got it all wrong yesterday.

People can’t look at the positives, we are far better off the ball now, defensive stability has returned bar the occasional individual error, we are now competing in big games and we have 3 outstanding young players in Tierney, Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. If you can move on our remaining deadwood players it will allow us to bring a couple of quality additions in to compete

Another interesting debate is should Arteta be using tactics to suit the players he is or use the tactics he wants to use long term?
There’s no easy answer and whatever side you come down on can’t be applied to every team. For example burnley may have dreams of playing free flowing open football but with the players they have it would get them relegated so they play to their strengths to stay up.
The more I’ve considered this the more I think the right thing is to implement the tactics we consider are the right style to win the league. So it’s passing out from the back, short passing, high tempo, high press and 4-2-3-1. It may be that we make mistakes in this because some players aren’t up to it but we gradually move those players out of the team and being in those who can cope - then when you bring those players in you already have half a team well versed in the style and tactics.
Klopp did this at Liverpool and their high press, they didn’t really have the players when he first joined and had some wild results but as he added players there was a clear system ready for them.

As to Aubameyang....
Poor baby
Awww he was furious about being punished, so roared away from the stadium, to not stay around with a few of the players.
Not the first time he's been late either. As Mikel said it's done.

Not that Peter Walton ever really disagrees with an on field decision but at least he sets out the clear reasons ‘in the rules of the game’ to show why a penalty was correct.

I really like Emile Smith Rowe. I think what sets him apart is that he is equally adept at playing those little first time passes that give time and space to others as he is at running or dribbling with the ball at his feet. A swiss army knife of a player with lots of strings to his bow.

Tierney is turning into a monster of a player. His capacity and desire to get up and down the pitch and his ability to provide a quality final ball are exceptional. He is inspirational and should be made captain next season.

Morning socrates. Surely that will depend on whether Aubameyang leaves or stays. If he does go, then someone else will be given the captaincy with Tierney being a candidate. If he doesn’t, how wise is it to publicly strip him of the captaincy, on top of him being dropped from the team against Tottenham because he was late getting somewhere for the game?

Do we want to really urinate off (the forum will block a use of a four letter word beginning with a ‘p’, followed by an ‘i’, and ending with double ‘s’) our main goal scorer? My guess is Aubameyang would take it as a public humiliation. I know Xhaka showed a great attitude to come back from it, but would Aubameyang? Maybe, but it’s surely debatable.

A sad reminder for today.

It was March 16th, 2005 that our forums founder, Steve Gleiber, lost his battle with cancer.

That's 16 years ago.

It's great to still see so many original posters from so many years ago. I know it means a lot to the family.

Also, a shout out to the forum moderators LTG and Niall who've helped keep the place running for so long.

Thank you !

Wow. 16 years? Time is indeed accelerating.

I think we all owe you a debt of gratitude as well, Rog.

Mind you, for £80k a week....

It’s you who has kept it going Rog. 100%.

As for Steve - always in our memories, and enshrined in the paving stone outside Ashburton Grove.

Agreed, (but no the captian thing just yet), Tierney has so many things that are likeable about his game. That trick he has where he looks like he'c coming inside and instantly knocks it down the line (as he did to Doherty) is so effective. He shows a good turn of pace as well - and crucially he so often picks out the right final ball. We were used to these fine accurate curling crosses from wider positions when he first came but now his more potent weapon seems to be these low crosses behind the retreating defence to an oncoming midfielder.
My only concern is when he's come up against the very best he has been beaten a few times - as most defenders are - but I think it was against Mahrez and Salah who both turned him inside out a bit. Generally he's good 1 v 1 but those guys are in a different level. So if he wants to be up on a level with Ashley Cole as great Arsenal left-backs that is the one area for improvement for me.

I still don't think we're seeing the best of Partey yet. He is influencing games but has also been a bit sloppy in recent games - the sorts of things that if it were Xhaka would be jumped on immediately by the fans. In the last 15 minutes v Spurs he was as culpable as anyone for us losing control. I recall a silly foul on Kane that lead to Kane hitting the post and also a sloppy pass that went out for a corner.
His performance against Man U away is the level we need him at because if he gets there consistently then he really is a game-changer for us

Hi Warrior,

Very sad, such a shame.

Time just flies doesn't it.

My thoughts are with his family and friends today.