Perez needs to start more games, I like his directness. At least let's enjoy it before it is coached out of him.

Has Perez scored or assisted all his goals in our away or 3rd kit?

It does seem odd that there is no release clause as we had a number of clubs competing for him, so it's not like we didn't have the option surely?, as one of them at least would have accepted it.

Now we will have to panic buy or play square pegs again...

Great fight back. Showed great spirit but our habit of starting with "lil bit of ze handbrake on" is costing us. Bournemouth beat Liverpool at home. They are tough. Ref was very good and let the game flow. Giroud shows a lot of character.

Do refs really have it in for us though?, or is it more a case of we don't give as good as we get?, perhaps had it happened at the other end we could have got away with it as well. I am not sure I buy the conspiracy theories and refs can't get it wrong only against us the majority of the time if it's incompetence as there should be more randomness about it if that is the cause!.

You know it will , Wenger is currently honing His ,"mental strength" line

Agree with that. They are a handful for anybody on their own ground, and a great fightback. But the way we finished the game makes it incredibly frustrating that we've shipped two points.

Yes and Burnley and Southampton fans would have their versions of ref decisions ( or in the case of saints not blowing for a head injury ) giving us 4 pts, we didn't win cos we were rubbish for an hour

Two assists for Özil at home to ludogorats

Well there's a surprise? of course when we had a day extra after Spurs played a day later in the CL in November before the derby it didn't show did it ?

Is it time to start questioning Čech? I'm a bit disappointed he didn't do better with their 1st or 3rd goal

Lost the title ? Did anyone here seriously think we were good enough to win the league ?

When I saw Bournemouth's third goal first off at real pace, to me it wasn't a blatant foul on Bellerin by the Bournemouth player. A slow motion replay showed the foul. Oliver, a very good referee, didn't have the benefit of a slow motion replay.

The point we got means two points were dropped, and I think that makes it a poor result. The exciting fightback doesn't change that, I'm afraid.

At this moment in time I'm not that confident we'll finish in the top four. I can see both Tottenham and Manchester United overtaking us. I'm not saying for sure they both will, but it won't surprise me if either or even both do. I think many of our problems stay the same even though we sign new players. How different is this season's team to the one four or five years ago, or seven or eight years ago? Much different, surely. But the moans of fans seem very similar, and that arguably makes the same issues long-term. Maybe a suggestion I made previously has some truth in it? It doesn't really matter who we buy - Wenger will find a way to not win the league whoever is in the squad. I so want him to go.

Even the best ref in the world could make a mistake. If he can't or doesn't see it is it a mistake?

Oliver is the best imo has missed only one thing in the game. considering the pace of the game it's a miracle he didn't miss more. If Pawson or Dean had been the refs it would or could have been 3-0 either way.

They are only human only video technology will sort out this problem or you take it on the chin when it's an obviously good ref reffing.

He is more or less insulated from criticism because of his reputation. I don't think he has been good this season. We have conceded several goals where I have thought he really should have done better. The third goal tonight was one of those.

He was as poor as anyone in the first half. Horribly static and no threat at all. To be fair he put in a much bigger effort in the second half. I've no idea how he got motm though. Sanchez was the one who turned that game around.

Nope. Then again, the two favourites at the start of the season were City and Utd. And look who the current champions are.

I definitely don't think we are streetwise enough at making refs make decisions. How often do you see an Arsenal player run at a man in the box? When that happens a penalty can be given by pure luck. It's the same in our general play, the opposition rarely have to make tackles because we just pass and never actually engage them.
Similarly when we're defending we seem to make our dark arts so bloody obvious. The only one who seems to get it is coquelin who often treads that fine line without serious reprimand. We need to learn the non yellow card tactical foul - and for goodness sake, stop making rash decisions in the box because players will throw themselves and make the ref make a call.

We have bigger problems than Čech, Wenger doesn't know his midfield pair or his regular striker yet.

He's blamed the fixture list again, forgetting that Ramsey and giroud have only played sporadically this year and there's been plenty rotation

Totally agree with this, it is a difficult job and Oliver is one of the best in the league.

It is still incredibly frustrating and deserves mention when we are on the rough end of a series of marginal decisions.
Today's, a couple v Everton, one v city, a couple of pens earlier in the season as well.

People will bring up the Kos goal v Burnley as a marginal one that went for us but the point with that was it was the correct decision that went for us - in today's game the similar situation would have been bournemouths 3rd goal being chalked off - marginal for us but the correct decision.

If there was a video review system this season we would have more points.

Don't think we have to worry about wages structure inequality if this is anything to go by !

https://twitter.com/tikitakaconnor/stat ... 4179800064

He's right about the fixture list. It's absurd. Didn't Klopp say something similar recently? It breaks players.

I'm not convinced he's better than Ospina. I like Buttland. He was excellent last season.

I get it but Ramsey's barely played, xhaka and giroud have floated in and out of the side this season and there was an opportunity to start Perez and ox who haven't played tons of games either.

I don't buy that line what so ever!

We picked the wrong side to start,

The players clearly wernt made aware this was going to be a tough away game at a small ground.

The general complacency was evident again and we luckily scrapped a point from a game that should be a easy three points. It had a very familiar feel and the lack of attempts on goal each game has been evident for many weeks not just Christmas

There is no excuse for the slack start to the game, even before the first goal we were slow to close down, passing was slow, 2nd balls were lost every time.
If any smaller home team is even close to being 'up for it' you are going to get a tough game.
You have to quieten the crowd, if that is possession, chances or just slowing the game down we fail to do it so often. It can be small things like dwelling on the ball and allowing a crunching tackle - it whips the crowd up and the players feed off that.

If you're using the commentators comments to back up the red card decision, didn't the commentators say after the real time viewing of Bournemouth's third that Bellerin was weak for it to be bullied off the ball, or words to that effect? I thought it was only the slow motion replay that showed he was fouled.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/ ... ky-sources

Don't worry we're making some big moves already in the transfer window..

Didn't hear Wenger moan last season when we beat Bournemouth two days after our defeat at Southampton

As I said "their versions" the ref could of gone against us on any of the 3 decisions on that one on another day it was a close call, I'm sure the Burnley fans moaned lucky Arsenal

Dont think video technology would be our great savior that people make it out to be, fine if its a ball crossing the line after all that can be measured.

But for a foul that's going to be down to someones opinion just like it is now but a different ref that's reffing the match but none the less more than likely a ref that's employed by the same people.

Unfortunately I think the moans about referees or specific refereeing decisions deflects from what may be the real problems at Arsenal. I'm not accusing lomekian and Rich, our two most enthusiastic (meaning prolific) critics of referees, of moaning for that reason as I think they both discuss the various other issues with some common sense. But from what I've heard of Twitter, which I rarely look at these days, deflecting others from arguably more important matters seems to be the effect of moaning about referees. I can't help wondering if some, when seeing the criticism of referees, just assume the problems surrounding Arsenal isn't really its own or Wenger's fault. So the blame rests elsewhere.

Oops, I missed the comeback for a "dropped 2 points instead of 3" epic from Arsenal. Hooray! We should celebrate the spirit of this team. They never quit!

Bollocks, if they had only started with urgency.
If Perez or Ox were on the field, from the off, instead of Ramsey.
If Wenger would take action immediately in the second, instead of waiting in hope that the team can find their next gear.

And Wenger's usual predictable rhetoric. Disappointing.

Agree with all of that. Wenger has been given the time, money and has made some really good player signings over the last few seasons in areas that needed it (Goalie, CB, DM). But the same team failings persist (lack of motivation, no intermatch plan b, random poor performances, etc). If Arsenal don't make top 4 this year (after reaching 4th, 3rd, 2nd in the preceeding years) then surely Wenger must be able to see that he just doesn't have what it takes anymore.

Thought I saw a copied post about catching Chelsea recently. Really? smh...some live in fantasy land.
Anyway, talks of not being in the top 4 are real but its not a certainty. It will be a fight. Of the top teams only City is playing worse possibly...possibly and even they beat us. So, it could be argued we are the worst of the lot vying for a top 4. At this point, I don't care as much. Records may fall, our streak, Wenger not finishing below Tottenham.

Was seeing on gooner forum someone lament that the groundhog seasons we have under Wenger has got to the point of a terminally patient on life support regarding the top 4 finishes being the limit of our real ambitions, made me laugh but you can kind of seen the point being made.

Sometimes it's better to cut the machine (Wenger) off and start again

Another thing with the tiredness debate and Wenger turning it into a self fulfilling prophecy, anyone pick up on Eddie howe saying they based their plans for a high energy start on Arsenal having only two days rest ? Of course they could of done this regardless, but for me Wenger's frequent negative comments before a game not only give his players a readymade get out, they assist the opposition and is terrible failing for an elite manager, and more worrying a trait, never has revalued this approach over the years, like many of his 'repeat' patterns.

Yes agree on the negative comments.

I always liked the story about Alex Ferguson using the envelope after they had won the title to say he had wrote down the name of 2 players that were going to let him down. Keeps their players on their toes and focussed. Wengers ready made excuses don't help

Don't these two statements contradict each other ..... if as you say "for many weeks we've lacked shots on goal" how the hell are we supposed to pick up the three points .

"Easy "..... ? With their directness , skill , speed , organisation in their nice compact little ground they'd be a handful for anyone .

One player who has received little comment recently is Xhaka. But he has been dire and is starting to look totally out of his depth. He has had no influence on any of the recent games. Unfortunately he is not alone. Alexis was really p...ed off after the match and I would suggest that unless we turn the season around big time he will leave. I would not be shocked if he asked for a January move after the last few games. He has lost patience with the players around him who fail to put in any effort at all.

Wengers fixation with Ramsay and the impossibility of fitting him into a position in the current team is difficult to understand. If we fail this year then short of a total clean out of a large number of positions the only viable option is for Wenger to go and see if others can acquire a manager who can get the best out of some very talented players. I saw nothing to suggest Eddie Howe is the solution.

The more I think about the Bournemouth game the more annoyed I become. Wenger simply cannot inspire the players to start the game with any effort. His complaints of being tired and games schedule are totally anti productive. When I started running short on ideas in my managerial role I knew it was time to go. Wenger needs to apply the same principles.

We re not out of the EPL yet but we are on the brink.

Good luck Hodd (on perspective)

Yes. If you like football to keep you on the edge of the seat then Arsenal are a cracking club to follow. It has been that way for years now. Invariably something dramatic in our matches. Given their home form, and their display at The Emirates, it was quite predictable that Bournemouth would be testing opponents. Yesterday's game is what football should be about - not relentless, inevitable outcomes. Of course we prefer to win, but to not enjoy that entertainment is bizarre.