When they showed 3 minutes added time only in the 2nd half I was a bit miffed, then when it took a whole minute to take the free kick I knew they wouldn’t add that time on. Thankfully it didn’t affect us but it affected them. Literally 2 of the 3 minutes were taken up sorting out the free kick and then celebrating our goal and the ref blew up virtually bang on 3 mins. It cheats teams and fans out of game time.

I’d like to see an experiment of 30 minute halves but the clock is stopped when the ball is dead.

It is a bit ridiculous. They make such a show of starting the clock and booking people for time wasting, yet every game you get the same stuff just ignored. Is it 30 seconds per sub or not? I thought it was but I don’t see it applied.

Thought in his first game that he could fit the Cazola mould and get out of tights spots while having the vision to keep play moving quickly. He now seems to be trying to be unnecessarily fancy and oversmart when he doesn't need to be.

Our off the ball movement is terrible. That makes it very difficult for a playmaker. Another symptom of a dysfunctional team.

I really enjoyed the second half. Was it a coincidence we improved massively when Guendouzi came on? Not in my view. How a couple of posters can describe him as merely ‘decent’ is beyond me. As I described him previously; the heartbeat of our side, albeit Socrates found other words to define him as exactly that.

EDIT: Credit also to Mustafi, who played well despite missing a chance with a header. Lots of determination, and more than many of the other starting eleven. AMN was disappointing in midfield. If he’s ever going to be anything more than a back up squad player who is used as a last resort when he plays, he has to show more when he gets games in midfield than he did yesterday.

I enjoyed all of last night, even the bad parts. It's not as frustrating watching the kids struggle, I thought it was kind of interesting when we went 1-0 down to see how the players would react. Not sure how Vitoria have lost all three games so far, they looked much better than Frankfurt and Liege.

Some encouraging performances, I thought this was Smith-Rowes best game for us. He's got work ethic and aggressiveness on top of his skill which is a good sign. Martinelli with another goal, and he just seems like a nightmare to play against.

Very important for Pépé to win a game for us, hopefully it will give him confidence.

Guendozi was a cut above the rest when he came on. Him and Martinelli share a fearlessness that makes me sure they're going to be superstars. It just seems like they would performe the same against Vitoria in the Europa League as they would in a World Cup final, because they're just unfazed.

Yes I did too. I’ve said before how underwhelming I’ve found him but I was quite surprised when I saw criticism here of Smith Rowe’s performance.

I was a lot less impressed with our performance, even second half we could easily have conceded a few. I thought we were very poor. Emery so I hear has said we've got to bring our Europa league form to the Premier- if we bring last nights form to the Palace game, they'll beat us.

He was great when he came on but to suggest he’s the heartbeat of the side is wrong. There isn’t one.

His performances are standing out because he’s displaying ownership in a midfield that isn’t working at all. In fact I’d suggest this could be the worst midfield we have had in our time at the emirates. His charges forward are impressive and almost seem a symptom of frustration that the team aren’t creating anything. I think if we had a better manager and maybe even personnel he would be used sparingly because were likely to break him and piss him off.

Xhaka isn’t good enough, Ceballos flatters to deceive and Torreira has had his confidence hit by Emery dropping him.

He was good last night but it was Pépé who saved our arses.

I’m sorry but you talk an absolute load of bollox sometimes. Guendouzi IS the heartbeat of the side. Just because you don’t rate the side or midfield doesn’t mean he isn’t. Your description of him was ‘decent’. Laughable nonsense.

I also said he was a fine player.

To say he is a heartbeat is nonsense, he’s a decent contributor surrounded by few.

Sunny uplands folks

A fine player who’s merely decent. Yeah right. What’s a nonsense is to say he isn’t the heartbeat of the side.

I have had my doubts about Emery from day one (and was knocked for it) and am still not sure he is a big enough character or tactically cute enough for Arsenal. However, as disappointing as some of our performances may have been, it should be recognised we (like his former club Sevilla) have a 100% Europa record so far. We are in the League Cup. In the Premiership, while not setting things alight, we are reasonably placed having lost the same number of matches as City and Chelsea and less than Spurs and United. The 'Emery Out' calls may be right in the longer run, but for now we should not panic. Unless there is a disaster the guy should be given his two years to see what he can bring. I just wish he would reconsider Özil - it guts me to think we have one of football's most creative men not even involved. I see Scholes is suggesting United could do worse than take him on, a view I reluctantly agree with.

In 2009 aged 22 Fàbregas provided 22 assists and 15 goals in the league

That’s a heartbeat of a side. What Guendouzi is doing is making a very positive contribution. The team hardly revolves around him.

Your talking rubbish.

Fabregas may well have been the heartbeat of the side. But that is not only driven by the number of assists and goals. Guendouzi is obviously the heartbeat of this current side as our play revolves around him. In my view you’re talking absolute claptrap on this issue.

Your talking guff

It’s like saying Diaby was a heartbeat in that 2009 season. Pure guff

Can you kindly explain to me why it’s like saying Diaby was the heartbeat of the side in the 2009 season? I don’t recall our play revolving around Diaby back then, as it does Guendouzi now.

Because he always made a positive contribution but was hardly the leader of the team.

Our play revolves around Guendouzi currently. Saying that is not remotely like saying Diaby was the heartbeat of the team back then. You’re just making silly accusations up now.

Our play doesn’t revolve around Guendouzi. He makes very positive contributions in a midfield that can never control a game.

How will this debate end? The man who will stand his ground for eternity (Bernard) vs the man who is never wrong, Mr Remoan himself, TG.

He’s wrong he just won’t admit it and would rather make himself look silly.

What's this ? - Are my little darlings fighting again ?

https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgi ... enal-2004/

If you wanted to relive the most biased ref performance ever in the prem.....and this is the guy in charge of all the refs - god help us

It’s not a fight. Just a discussion.

Bernard probably thinks roger Deacon was the heartbeat of Queen,
he has his moments but quite frankly he’s talking Tottenham Hotspur on this one

Try watching our games more closely. You may then realise it’s you being silly. He is the heartbeat of the team. Mind you, I guess you’re trying to go beyond silliness by claiming he’s merely ‘decent’.

I assume he was a member of Queen, but before reading your post I’d never heard of Roger Deacon. Or had I ever seen the name I’d forgotten it.

“Very decent” and “fine player”

Hardly negative terms but not in line with your verbal preferences.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... users.html



He wrote this song (among others)

We have bigger problems with our referees.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/mlb ... s-n1071771

Yeah and let’s see how *%^@*** good it would sound if you had joe pasquale singing it

In the week Emery had some soundbites talking about how Pépé needed time to adapt and cited the good example of Fabinho taking his time at Liverpool and is now flourishing. Emery said he knew Fabinho from his time working in France and wanted to sign him for PSG, and when he first came to Arsenal but he went to Liverpool. My view is that a player like Fabinho is exactly what we require at the base of our midfield instead of Xhaka. He has strength, mobility, enough pace, positional awareness, good tackling, strong in the air, good enough technique to pick a pass and dictate play – almost everything Xhaka doesn’t have.
Pair up a Fabinho type player with Guendouzi as a box-to-box and a third midfield creator who fits in to the No.8/10 position and you have the makings of the perfect modern midfield. Liverpool have a few players who fit the Guendouzi role but have struggled for that creative 8/10 – often it matters not because the front 3 are so good and Firminho drops deeper to play the creator role.

Ah, Queen, one of my favourite bands. And Radio Ga Ga was my favourite Queen song.

Sorry too butt in with a pit of pedantry but it's actually John Deacon, not Roger. Roger's the drummer.

Kolo's face in the header photo says it all. Riley was (is) a total incompetent. We were never going to get anything from that match at OT with such a spineless referee.

Hang on a sec? So Warrior is the drummer with Queen? Who'd have believed it?

Maybe a referendum. The last one worked out really well.

Actually, I'm a bass player ;-)