We’ve been under the radar for a bit, kept winning games....I don’t think we stay under the radar now.
No one is getting ahead of ourselves, we’ve been favourited for all 9 of the games we’ve won but we’d have only won half of those last year.

We are starting to build everything the arsenal fans have been crying out for over the last 5 years.
A team greater than the sum of its parts
High work rate
Tactical nous
Game changing and impact subs
A manager coaching during the game
No loss of the attacking philosophy
More shots, more direct, less sideways and backwards passing

With some forward players who are clinical

Great win in the end, although it should be said that Fulham is going straight down to the Championship again if they don't improve defensively.

I like how many players made a case for themselves today. Iwobi, Welbeck and Mkhitaryan all got a start, Iwobi in particular was great in the first half but I thought all three were involved in a lot of positive things going forward. Welbeck got the assist for the second goal as well. Lacazette continues to be a threat, and both Aubameyang and Ramsey scoring off the bench. Özil not even involved. We have a lot of good options offensively and despite some dodgy moments at the back we're looking a lot more robust than we did at the start of the season.

You can't argue with the results, nine wins in a row is impressive no matter who you're up against. Overall it really feels like we're moving in the right direction.

In a nutshell

I really like Emerys demeanor on the bench. Very intense and always engaged, but above all he's always positive. Cheering the players on, applauding them even when they miss scoring chances and urging them to continue. It feels like a fresh approach compared to the endless arguing with the fourth official we've become accustomed to.

Brilliant, that move for the Ramsey goal just sublime!

Nah.

Lots more goals in 2nd halves than first halves, and our strikers getting on the scoresheet, and (what looks to be) and excellent goalkeeper situation, are also excellent signs.

I sense that Lacazette could be our talisman. He reminds of wrighty somehow ... the attitude as much as anything else. Aubameyang could also be something special if he can impose himself.

I never liked RVP despite his skill level. This is the first time I've felt entirely happy about our main striker since TH's days.

It was that, but all of the goals (including Fulham's) were top class. Lacazette's first was a thing of beauty. A real fox-in-box effort.

Nevertheless interesting that Fulham had more goal attempts (21!), corners, and passes than us.

Reiss Nelson scored a late consolation goal in Hoffenheim' s 1-2 loss to Frankfurt

9 wins in a row. Be careful what you wish for.

Yes it was an impressive game but I can also now say I’m officially impressed by start Emery has made. 2 obvious defeats aside I would have expected us to have dropped points in one of the other games by now. 9 consecutive wins is impressive stuff but the thing that strikes me is the hugely improved performances from 3 players in particular

Iwobi
Holding
Lacazette


....all 3 players look brimming with confidence and look completely different to the showing they provided last year. They say good managers make players better and bad managers make players worse.

Urge you to read this piece from Kevin Whitcher on Emerys approach and the changes being made in Europe

Wenger was not a manager simply “past it” but an emperor without clothes.

http://onlinegooner.com/article.php?sec ... 7oxxRrTWhA

Emery out!!

I don't see how Mustafi can be excluded from any list of most improved players. He was better than Holding today, who I think had some dodgy moments in the first half. I felt Xhaka had another good game today, and is another I'd add to your list.

One might also add Bellerin who seems to be getting back to his best.

Good point.

Yes I think Bellerin can be added and yes we have seen some improved fairings from Mustafi and Xhaka but I just think the 3 players I mentioned have shown the most startling improvement with Iwobi looking full of confidence and Holding disregarding his wenegrised 2nd season syndrome he had last year and looking reasonably solid.

Someone also pointed out earlier (and I don’t know if this is right) but it’s the first away midday kick off we have won in ages. Emery seems to be killing the Wenger Stockholm syndrome our players had

That stat needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as many of those were blocked shots as soon as they left the boot.....and many more were the wild long range attempts particularly by schurrle.
It is quite easy for a team to rack up goal attempts if you just shoot on site. I can’t recall a single time in the second half I was ever worried than any Fulham shot or move was going to be a goal

I like that the Emery has bought in genuine competition for places, has not been picking players on reputation and when fringe players have had a chance and performed well he has given them a start. Examples of all of this:
Guesndouzi starting the season and Torreira’s signing has improved Xhaka
Čech with genuine competition of a top class gk has performed as good as he ever has for us before his injury
Bellerin vastly improved with an experienced international breathing down his neck
Ramsey and Özil both left out of games
Holding did well in games and kept his place
Iwobi and Welbeck both doing well from the bench and in the cups and both start and play well today
Lacazette not in the 11 at the start of the season, made a difference in every sub appearance and now he’s starting and is our biggest threat
There are probably more examples as well

My point is that last season we would probably have had 60% possession and all but two of the shots ... leading to us losing 2-1 after leading 1-0 at half time.

Yes, its beginning to feel very good.

I bet quite a few members of the forum will regret saying that they'd get rid of the majority of our players and that we only had a handful of class players.

I'm sure you know who you are but it's all in the past and goes to show we can all be wrong at times.

It’s not a matter of being wrong at this stage. Lose to Liverpool or a north London Derby and opinion might change drastically. I agree with what Kevin wrote in the gooner the other week that Emery is using this season to qualify his squad by rotating and breaking up Wengers hierarchy.

We don’t seem to be breaking the bank to keep Welbeck, Ramsey or even Monreal who is out of contract in the summer I think so it’s not a complete vindication of anyone who has performed badly last year and it’s still worth pointing out there have still been some poor performances from people like Xhaka and particularly Ramsey in some but not all games. I still think there is only 3 world class players in this team and even with progress we are some way from competing for a title so it’s not the time to get carried away

I think the team that starts next season will be extremely different to this one once a few transfer windows pass.

Taking an oblique dig at someone?

I'll put up my hand here

Although, for context, I was more for "Wenger out!" first. That was the fundamental issue staring us in the face.

As ever, my fellow Singaporean remains diplomatic. Hey, too much of the Singaporean politeness

Wenger under-achieved LAST season . Are you sure he under achieved? And only last season?

I wonder what Wenger is thinking of right now?

Is he being a "sour grape", and refuses to acknowledge Arsenal's progress under Emery?
Is he happy when Arsenal wins?
Is he waiting for the team to lose to the top tier teams, before coming out to make some oblique comments?
Is he texting Ramsey to make the situation no-better than it is now?

Or maybe, he is just the gentleman that he is, and relaxing on his "well" earned Arsenal wages?

cheers Goonie, just a friendly banter

I know this will come across a certain way, but deep down I really think Wenger hopes Emery fails. There I said it.
The biggest indictment on his last several years is if Emery improves results visibly in his first season.

I actually think conversely, Fergie is happy Mourinho isn't doing as well and I think his choosing of Moyes was about not having his legacy "tarnished" by a continuing of trophies and people saying it was being part of a 'system' than Fergie. Not true but I think Fergie might, just might be thinking that.

Deal with Adidas done apparently. £60m per season, doubling the Puma deal and second only to Man U's deal with Nike

Yes is does "come across a certain way". Not everyone is as petty as that.

The fact that Emery has done so well so far is a credit to him. But it also suggest that things were not nearly as bad as some people here are making out.

Wenger stayed a bit too long and things had gone a bit stale, to put it mildly. We should leave it at that.

Yes, keep it balanced. This stage last season after 8 games we were 6th in the League with 3 defeats (having beaten champs Leicester and drawn with Chelsea). We had won a League Cup tie and two Europa ties. Not a huge difference to now, though we do seem to be playing very well at present. When we beat some big teams I'll say to Dick, 'Ooh, you are cheeky, but I like you.'

Good question, I was thinking the same. Much as we all agree he inherited a great back 4 and rode on their success, I think it fair to say that Ramsay's goal was very much made by Wenger in spirit and Emery is benefitting from that.

To answer your question, I think we know for sure what he won't say is 'yes, this is fresh and exciting, yet different, players are energised and I should have left years ago'.

So now Wenger is making goals in spirit !terrific. His ghost roams the Emirates looking to take credit for anything that may occur.

If that was the case Aubameyang rather than skimming the ball across the box for Ramsey would have chose to cut the ball back to Monreal on the edge of the box who then passes back to Xhaka and then ......

We are rumored to be interested in a Paraguayan MLS midfielder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb1Fv9auEMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX-T-nEa5yw

Actually, thinking abut it, you are not wrong at all. All that never shoot if a pass can put someone in a better position nonsense that was the death of entertainment. I take it all back. Thank you.

Just reading where Gary Neville says we won't end up challenging for the title. My reaction is "so what?". We were 6th last year. Challenging for the title is way, way over expectations. It's really a nonsensical comment to some extent. No one, including Arsenal fans expect to be challenging City this season. It's asking way, way too much for this club. If we end up doing so, its fantastic.

We take one match at a time, and see where it take us. This season is about two things. Fixing the holes in the squad (defense, belief, etc.) and getting back to CL football. Those are reasonable and doable goals. It doesn't mean we don't try and beat any of the top 5 clubs, which is silly to think otherwise, but just that setting goals way higher than what we are realistically capable of is more detriment than anything else.

....or not