It was a hard game to assess how a lot of players did I thought. I was most disappointed with Ceballos really but then away to Newcastle in the rain on a slippery pitch where the home team are closing down hard perhaps makes for a scrappy game.

I was most pleased that we saw it out comfortably without any of those brain farts that have littered our performances for absolutely ages.

Just seen Utd's 4th. You sure about that...

Yeah that was something new and different for us!

Yes 100%, I don’t think they look very impressive at all. They are less worse than Chelsea simply. This is not the united of old.

Chelsea look like us in the first two fixtures last season. Hard to say how decent Utd’s performance is but I’d put it between promising and good. I don’t think they need to be the Utd of old to challenge for top 4 which is what will affect us. I hope you’re right.

Chelsea in the bottom 3

Maybe Chelsea were missing their defensive leader

Happy with any away win, however they come. Prem away wins really will be gold dust in the chase for the top 4. We won’t make any headlines for that but that is fine.
Also we could probably put out an 11 of injured and benched players that is possibly stronger than the starting 11. Potentially our entire first choice back 4 didn’t play
Martinez
Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney
Torreira, cellabos
Pépé, Özil, Kolasinac
Lacazette

I agree about Ceballos. I thought he was really sloppy in possession. But the possible reasons you give are believable so I won’t write him off as another Suarez yet.

Thanks for that ..... may already mentioned it ..... son and I were returning from a job ; late one night from way out in the Wop Wops of Oz .... bloody kangaroos were leaping across the road every few minutes ,

we stopped and waited for a B train to come through then got right up his backside and let him bounce the f*&***%^$ away .

Never saw the match got a bit lubed last night ...good result .

Been doing a bit of artwork myself of late ; illustrating a kid's book I'm doing for a son .

What are you doing watercolours or oils ?

Yeah my heart bleeds for them. Lampard out.

Good win given the circumstances last night.

Oils by preference as you can make a mistake and fix it later - sometimes months later. A couple from the recent Lord Howe trip.

Another which I like better than the first

Are those your works, Gaz? Very nice.

I could only listen in the radio but the comma kept describing Cellabos as ‘near and tidy’

Just some thoughts about the game...

- I think Mkhitaryan was trying too hard... a run of games with things going his way especially in terms of goals and assists should help his confidence. But he may not have that luxury with Özil, Lacazette and Pépé all competing for spots in our front four.

- we still don't get the ball into the final third fast enough. 2 shots on target (total 8 shots only) when we had more than 60% possession is quite miserable...

- I was surprised at how easily Lascelles lost Aubameyang for the two shots on target we had. Thought he was one of the better young defenders in EPL.

After watching the game yesterday, just wondering if Luiz would be be better for the team by playing in Zhakas place, as Papa and Chambers looked quite solid, he would give them protection and would be able to get forward more and support the attack with his long range passing and shooting and he's good at free kicks.

Morning Dray,

I do wonder if we might eventually end up playing with a back three, with Luiz as the sort of quarterback able to ping the ball around and start attacks from deep. That would allow Kierney and Bellerin to bomb forward.

Morning Goonie,

I think the lack of threat in the final third despite the large amount possession is the biggest reason we bought Pépé. We need to be turning that 60% possession into more attempts on goal and chances.

Not pretty yesterday, but three good points in the bag. I thought Emery was proven right with his team selection when Ceballos and Pépé came on, because it’s obvious they’re a bit behind the others in terms of match fitness. The need a week or two at least to get back into it, but both showed some promise.

Thought Guendozi and Xhaka bossed the midfield, particularly in the second half. The entire back four was really good, special mention to Maitland-Niles for a great assist, and Monreal who I thought looked like his rock solid old self. Mkhitaryan had one of those days where nothing went his way, but he’s always involved and no matter how much fans want to see the back of him he’s miles ahead of Nelson at the moment. Willock had a good first half but ran out of gas early in the second.

Think it’ll take some time before we get the best out of this team, so it’s important to get the points whichever way we can until then.

Their decision to sell him seem even stranger after yesterday. Rudiger is their only central defender I rate, Christensen is mediocre and Zouma is just a disaster. Luiz would start every single game for them.

Overall I can’t see Chelsea and United finishing above us. Pogba is the best midfielder in the league on his day, and Rashford and Martial are quality too, but behind them United has nothing. Think our squad is miles ahead of both of them. Our bench yesterday was really strong and we were still missing Özil, Bellerin, Tierney, Kolasinac and Holding.

Yes, this season is a really big opportunity to get back in the top 4. Chelsea and Man U with very inexperienced managers.
Also with City still facing a possible champions league ban, 5th place may get champions league

I thought Nelson was quite bright yesterday. You can see he has excellent technical ability, its just whether he can turn good positions and situations into a quality final ball or a shot on goal. That's where he needs to develop his game.

Willock was very promising, too, until he ran out of steam as you said.

As a lot of forumites have already said, Mika is a curious mix of great, mediocre and awful, often in the space of the same phase of play. One minute he's bursting forward past several challenges with a surging run and then he *%^@* up an easy pass.

AMN always has some really excellent moments going forward but I still feel he is vulnerable defensively, essentially because he's not a natural defender and doesn't have that instinctive defensive awareness.

I'm not going to make more out of the Chelsea loss than what it is. The first game for a new coach at a very tough place to play.

Its a huge step up for Lampard. I hope Chelsea suffer more losses like this but you can't judge his tenure by an away match at Old Trafford in his first game.

Yeah, I thought he had a good game, particularly in the second half. He tried a lot of things, and even if all of it didn’t come off he wasn’t scared to get involved. Not ready to start in the Premier League yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in Europa League and the domestic cups, with maybe some sub appearences in the league here and there.

Yes. Usually do more Australian country scenes but doing a bit more seascapes.

This is actually a very, very strong team. Compare that to Chelsea and United, who should be seen as our main rivals for top 4 at this stage. Not sure exactly what their respective second elevens would look like, but something like this:

Caballero
Zappacosta – Rudiger – Tomori – Alonso
Kanté – Bakayoko
Hudson-Odoi – Loftus-Cheek – Willian
Giroud

Pereira
Dalot – Smalling – Jones – Rojo
Matic – Fred
James – Mata – Young
Sanchez

How many of these players could be expected to add real quality to a side chasing top 4? Kanté is a given. Sanchez if he's fit and in form, but it's been a long time since that happened. Willian is good on his day. Not much else there.

Not going to do a second eleven for Man City, because it's too depressing.

I don't know if others have watched the VAR decision in Wolves game which disallowed a goal.

This is where the whole thing will get really messy. It looked to me as if they wanted to disallow it. IMO they got an advantage but the ball fit the arm and was unavoidable and they overruled the refs decision.

Therefore they have set the rules for the future - if a ball hits a defenders arm even unintentionally and they gain any advantage - in fact in every case you must gain an advantage - then it must be a penalty. If you are the attackers it must be disallowed. No if or buts.

If not then the whole system is a total joke.

I said that yesterday. I think he'd be good in front of the back 4. That's the traditional Brazilian set up. 2 CBs a DM in front them. SIlva, Dunga etc and the 2 FBs bombing forward. Most teams will park the bus at the Emirates so we needn't worry too much about defence.

You can’t have Luiz in midfield alongside Torreira, they would effectively want to do the same thing and would hamper us going forward. The Xhaka and guendouzi pivot yesterday was too defensive nevermind introducing a centre half to the fray.

Luiz has been signed as a centre back, unless there’s an injury crisis I can’t see him being deployed in midfield

Onwards to Burnley game. A 3 goal victory?

Any victory will do as we need to increase momentum. I thought yesterday we looked lethargic, off the pace and very indirect which meant we were unable to create much. Basically Maitland niles and Aubameyang got us out of jail otherwise people would be on here asking for Emery to be sacked today

Let’s hope so g7, but Burnley picked up a 3-0 win themselves and can be very stubborn opponents. Not to be taken for granted.

Hi all.

Is anyone having problems accessing the forum the past few days by chance ?

No problems for me Warrior

The Özil & Kolasinac thing is plain weird. There’s definitely more than meets the eye to it from reading about the latest reports today.

The media are suggesting they are caught up in a argument between 2 criminal gangs, one of which wants to protect the players. You would have to suggest that there is a connection between the 2 players and a criminal gang then surely ? Paying protection, friendships or something. The players are denying that currently.

They are also reporting Kolasinac wife has gone back to Germany and won’t return. Surely that’s going to mean him departing at some point.

Didn't realise that our first season back in the top flight we lost 0-1 to Newcastle at Highbury. As we begin of 2nd century we get revenge.

So at least one good thing will come from all of this.