Btw this is done

Finished


We blew it. Emery *%^@** this one up

Once again we look like we’re facing a team where every arsenal players opposing man is quicker and stronger

Lacazette 1-1 very much needed!

If you play 5 defenders at home you will let them dominate

Lacazette 2-1 great header!

2-1. Are you sure TG?

I still don’t believe it. We need another 1 or 2

There’s no clean sheet in Valencia

Enjoying a ref who actually understands the advantage rule

The lack of mobility and acceleration in central midfield (and the team in general) is a worry. Right on half time Xhaka made a good tackle, turned to get the ball he’d won and by the time he’d done that the Valencia player he’d tackled had run around him and forced Xhaka to foul him.

Hope Lacazette gets his third in the second, for his hattrick. We need a two-goal cushion, at the least. Come on Gunners!

I'm just hoping for a clean sheet in the 2nd half for a start.

The Mkhitaryan for Özil sub makes no sense. Kos is clearly struggling. He has to come off. Özil was quietly effective.

No wonder these players are crap. Why did Emery clap Xhaka’s pitiful attempt then?

And I was just about to write that I think Kolasinac is completely useless

Massive goal. 3-1 Aubameyang

Well how in the world did we do that?? Also footballers covering get their mouths when they talk makes them look like self important twats.

Kind of feels like we got out of jail a bit. I don't think 2-1 would have been enough but 3-1 is a reasonable advantage.

Terrific comeback but we also missed some sitters, as did Valencia.

Lacazette brilliant but missed two sitters, Aubameyang also excellent. Take those two out of our team and we are very, very average.

I thought the subs were odd, Torreira was the correct player to bring on but Guendouzi was enjoying his best spell in the game.

Mika for Özil another odd one, Özil was having one of his better games.

AMN was very good as well.

Why on earth at 2-1 up did we keep playing 2 v 2 at the back?. I sometimes think we have some of the thickest footballers on the planet.

I try hard to like Xhaka but I just can't.

I wonder if we'll get to test that hypothesis this weekend ...

Normally, I'd be confident 3-1 is a decent enough scoreline going into a 2nd leg, along with fairly decent away form in the competition winning at Sporting Lisbon and Napoli but due to our recent form, I can't be over-confident. Slightly confident is what I am. If they score first, I'll get nervous because I can see a 2-0 scoreline happening. Big question for me is can we get 1 goal? 2 will be better. But if we can score in the 1st half it should leave us space for the counter.

I like it that Xhaka has been sending through balls for Aubameyang to run onto. We should be looking to do this more often.

Useless for 90 min, then that pass for Aubameyang. Still, not good enough for the day, 3/10.

That 3rd goal so vital. At 2-1 I’m not sure I fancied us. Of course we can score over there but Emery mustn’t over think it, we must go to score.
Last night we had
Decent gk
Shambles in defence
Slow, lack of mobility in midfield
Strikers who can bail us out

Seems like most of our season

I liked our second goal last night mainly because we don’t score those types of goals but we should be able to get more. Good quality early ball in to the box and a striker who has better movement than the defender. Height or strength doesn’t come in to it when you have an early ball and good movement.

The best exponents of this are Liverpool, full backs slinging in cross after cross and Mané mostly getting between defenders to finish. Would love to see us do more of this. Our play tends to cut back inside from wide positions or try to get to the byline for the cut back cross

I hope somehow Chelsea will lose the semi as unlikely as it seems right now. I don't think we can beat them in the final if we meet.
Mathematically we are out of the top 4. If we end up 5th, the Europa final will mean for us than it will for Chelsea will already have qualified. Its a European trophy so obviously they will be up for it as well as it being a rival. We will have more on the line though. I just don't trust ourselves to step up. Imagine the indignity of Chelsea denying us CL twice over? Unless I misunderstand how it works. If Chelsea gets 4th and win the Europa, then who goes?

I realise they got an away goal but had I been offered a 3-1 win before the game I'd have taken it. We're more than capable of scoring out there. A two goal margin from the home leg; I'm happy enough with that. A dodgy start at the back with Valencia missing a really good chance then scoring. But after that I thought we did okay defensively.

I think it’s on okay result but I just never trust the dynamic of European ties where you give away an away goal.

If we can lose 3 nil at Leicester we can lose 2 nil in Valencia

I was watching Koscielny quite carefully last night. He seemed really uncomfortable. He seemed OK for challenges, indeed I thought he played really well, but as soon as the ball was cleared, he was feeling his calf and ankle, limping, stretching and visibly wincing. I think he may indeed be *%^@**. That’s sad.

I was also watching Mesut Özil quite carefully. He strolled through the evening, making little or no effort to track back or get involved. Another phoned-in performance - the latest of many. No wonder he has no desire to leave next season. Split nail? Bad back? Runny poo? Not in the squad? Not picked? Who cares! He enjoys the easiest of lives. £50,000 per day for that? He is a bluffer. For £20m per season, I expect to see some semblance of an effort and some attempt to influence the game. When he joined us, he definitely had something about him - a bit of an aura backed up by skill, invention and silky movement. But that's all long gone. With no disrespect to those who still see something in him that I just don't, I wish he'd just *%^@ off. As soon as, please.

Very sad to see another of our better players' careers coming to an apparent early end. Despite his not being as good as he was, we'll miss Kos nearly as much as we missed Santi imo.

The Özil thing. He is thoroughly selfish, vain and arrogant. I agree he should *%^@ right off.

Problem is, we have no-one else like him who can play a through ball.

I was trying to explain (for about the hundredth time) to my Dad about the away goals rule. He used to know it, but at the grand old age of 94, he struggles to remember things.

But we both agreed that whilst conceding an away goal wasn't good, we're more than capable of scoring one or more over there. So that 3rd goal was a vital one, obviously.

And, amidst all the doom and gloom, is it worth reminding ourselves that we are 3:1 up in a European semi final? Or have we become a little bit like Chelsea or Man Utd fans, who are arrogant enough expect to win all the time?

Yes, a 3-1 first-leg win shouldn't be sniffed at. Usually to win in Valencia is a very big ask of most teams, but to get a draw is not unrealistic - in La Liga this season I think Valencia have drawn many times at home. Fingers crossed.

Agree, 3rd goal was massive, gives us a great chance to get to the final but still anticipate a few problems in Spain next week. At times Valencia looked very good on the ball.

If we play two up front, they actually make goals for each other. If we only play one, we rely on our mf to create the chances and in terms of creativity, our mf is currently as poor as I've seen for many years.

Based on track record, I will be surprised if he plays two up front for the second leg. As such, I think we're vulnerable.

Only problem with 2 up front is that because we have 3 centre backs it means the opposition will have most of the control of the midfield battle. Your sacrificing control of the game for greater threat

Yes Özil is such a lazy *%^@**

The other week at home he got the ball and charged forward driving in between 2 players which was good but it occurred to me how little he does that these days. Half his touches these days are simply recycling possession to other players, he doesn’t even want to run.

It’s like he’s got this huge contract now and is taunting the club by saying “pay me off” and his comments this week about honouring his contract could be interpreted that way. I genuinely think we could be stuck with him for some time.

Did anyone notice Steve Bould when goal 3 went in. All the coaching staff jumped up celebrating but he just sat there ashen faced.
Wtf

Mmm, I actually thought Özil had a good game last night and worked pretty hard.

Had I been offered a 3-1 win before the game, I'd have taken it even though their away goal means the tie isn't over. After a dodgy start at the back, once they'd got their goal I felt we looked pretty secure for the big majority of the game.

I've said it before, but unfortunately because of a mix between age and injury Koscielny needs replacing. He's 34 next season and while various central defenders have gone on beyond that age, the likes of John Terry didn't have Koscielny's long-term injury record. Sadly I suspect he's f*cked.

Yeah, I didn't think he was particularly bad last night.

The third goal was clearly massive. 2-1 with this team is very iffy, so the third changed the whole complexion of the second game. It should have been more truth be told, we missed some decent chances. But 3-1 is very satisfying all things considered.

Just read that there is an allegation some of the Valencia fans were making Nazi salutes. Disgusting if true. In this day and age are people still doing that BS at football matches (yet alone anywhere)?

Not so.

They are two points ahead of us with two game to go, including Leicester away. Watford at home is hardly a banker either. And goal difference is close enough to turn over.

They were and making monkey noises. There’s a video on the internet.

The statement from Valencia is incredible saying they will punish the culprits but see if they were provoked into it!


It’s incredible its 2019 and we’re still talking about utterly disgusting and abhorrent racism taking place.