Was it not, how do they say it "clear and obvious"?

Mike Riley stinking the place out. When are they going to replace him?

I know the real issue is that it should have been a penalty so it represents a bad decision. But a draw between Manchester United and Chelsea is arguably a better result for Arsenal than a Chelsea win would have been. Assuming they’d have scored the penalty, of course.

True Bernard, it was the best result for us for both teams to be dropping points. In fact if (and I realise it's a big if) we manage to beat Leicester later, our position will be better than could have been hoped for with the games we've had so far.

VAR is part of the circus. It is not about fairness. What makes it more galling is that Man Utd have been getting an extreme number of penalties for over 12 months now.

Nice try. I’m sure everyone realises that all I’m doing is highlighting that Martinez and Leno are quite similar. Whether it is deemed an error is irrespective to the argument. I just take issue with people’s opinions that Martinez is the far superior GK than Leno and Arsenal made a huge error selling him.

Talking of catching the ball old Flapianski was on form for The Hammers - several saves and holding onto the ball. Parry when necessary, but a keeper catching the ball sends confidence throughout a defence.

Yes well done, but it stands rather starkly in contrast to the Uighur situation?

Wilson behind Leno and Lukic - methinks not! Nay sir, never.

Watching Marr, have to say Marcus Rashford has done incredibly well to force his issue into public consciousness and it’s great watching MPs fumble their answers on it

Yes, there was a great keeper somewhere in there, and it may have been Arsene's backing of youth was a little too premature in the big boy's case. Having said that if not given the number one spot he may well have become frustrated and scarpered. What I loved about Bob Wilson was his willingness to fight for his place - he had to wait quite while to become first choice.

The kid is doing great - and he can play a bit. For me the most likeable United player since Bobby Charlton.

What is also glaring is that it seems its only the western, non Moslem nations making a fuss about the Uighur situation (a much too kind of a description) in China. Where are the predominantly moslem nations? Not sure if its Chinese money or Chinese power that has them looking the other way.

However, as you say, well done from The Arsenal regarding Nigeria.

Very impressive. So good to see cases like this which counter the stereotypes about footballers and young people more generally.

A matter of opinion, but mine is that Leno is comfortably ahead of Wilson and Lukic a bit in front of him. Wilson was extremely good when an opposition forward was through on him with a one on one.

What was Kelsey like? My dad always told me that he was a terrific keeper but as he stopped playing in 1962 the only time I saw him was running the stadium shop.

Surreal. Among other fascist related tactics, at some polling stations in some states, guns are allowed in the voting center? WTF?

Your dad was right. Jack Kelsey was a great. For years he played behind an Arsenal defence as tough as a wet paper bag and performed heroics. In a generally mediocre period in the club's history he was the one world class player we had. The fans loved him.

5 games down and we’ve won the 3 we would expect to win and lose the two we would expect to lose. The ‘we’ being the fans.
Leicester at home represents the best test of where we currently stand in those tight 3rd to 8th places teams. Win and we can say it’s a good start to the season, lose and it will really feel like a missed opportunity considering the stuttering form of the other top teams

Quite so. But I hope fans can stay strongly behind Arteta even if this season is a bit disappointing.

First goal is a public execution from Arsenal fans if it’s Leno

https://youtu.be/6TKfspbtlRA

Just saw the goal, and it was actually a worse error than the one from Leno (which I wouldn't even call much of an error). A weaker shot from a worse angle. I'm sure Martinez is going to be a great goalkeeper, but I also feel like it's being forgotten what a difficult summer it was in terms of transfers, and selling him certainly helped us getting Partey. Would rather have Partey than two great keepers.

How about the ethnic cleansing in Syria, the Turkish treatment of the Kurds or the Armenian genocide denial? Any thoughts Mesut?

Arsenal needed an entire squad rebuild, and have done for a while. I think 3/4 of the first team squad could/should not be here. The trouble is we can't undergo a first team revolution like some other clubs can. So far it looks like we've got 2 very good first 11 additions - at a price. What we also need is for Arteta to bring on some existing players to elevate them to a level where they take us to the top 4. Arteta has improved a number of players, but he's improved them by making them more solid, cutting out mistakes and giving the team a clear plan on the pitch. I want us to take a player from average performances to one the opposition genuinely fear.
If we look at 2 great first 11 additions per year then we need to be looking for a striker and another CB next year.

Hardly anyone has a completely consistent and balanced worldview. In fact being inconsistent and having a convenient blind eye is a precondition for holding strong 'us and them' supposedly Left or Right wing views.

However, while I think some consistency is good, I don't think that, if someone like Özil says something about a particular issue, the correct response is a sweeping "what about?". This would invite a response like 'what about the Batavia massacre' or 'what about the participation of the Dutch in the slave trade?'

Of course these are absurd arguments but ...

A draw at home to Leicester will not tell us much, but its still fairly early in the season. I'm inclined to give Arteta 10 or a dozen games in to see what is really under the hood. By that time we should have everyone fit for the most part, and have faced a variety of opposition. The player should have a fairly good grasp on what he wants.

After watching an incredibly dull and risk averse 0-0 draw between Man U and Chelsea the point about the attributes of the modern player changing struck home even more. Wenger mentioned it recently how players are more like athletes, the physical attributes and, or have, overtaken more technical ones. The knock on effect (or as the result of) is the change in formations to steer away from the traditional No.10, and having winders who are more like the wingers of old with pace but who don't come inside for tricky short passes. Central midfield is all about athleticism, pressing, box-to-box, high tempo, high energy - but lacking skill.

It also coincides with so many teams, certainly in the premier league, looking far more dangerous on the counter attack and also so unimaginative against the low block. If you go through the league I'd say 3/4 of the teams rely on the counter attack, direct football and outright pace as their main source of attacking play.

Footballl always goes in cycles. The english league historically was about pace, strength and athleticism, then more technique came in and even weaker teams were striving to control the possession of the ball more, now we've gone back to where we were. England is almost most suited to this change because of the leniency of the referees.

I wonder how a Zidane or Ronaldinho would have made out in todays game?

This from a mate who’s a Leicester supporter. Don’t know if it’s true

The last time Leicester won at arsenal was 1973. 2-0. I don't know why but I missed it
Len Glover and Mike Stringfellow got the goals. Donny Osmond was number one with young love and a pint of beer was 10 pence

So why not just shut up and let your feet do the talking? Özil is a lazy player who parasitizes on his talent and a hypocrite. I'm sure Arteta doesn't play him because he's a hypocrite.

I'll always remember Iwan Roberts ending Ian Selley's promising career. W#####

It's the young Turks. Seriously?

I guess we won't have to worry about the Toffees threatening the invincibles.

Indeed, and my question was about Arsenal's apparent different reaction to the two humanitarian situations, not Mesut's.

Also Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in West Africa. More than 50%. Loads of UK Arsenal fans as well as abroad. Fine with the club acknowledgement, yet club can't be bothered about comments on Muslim persecution in China. Money talks again.

Arsenal are a football club, not an arbitrator for all moral wrong doing in the world.

Not sure what people are expecting.

Indeed. No doubt the one is good business (as well as the right thing to do, and contributing to pressure on the government) and the other would be terrible business and actually quite futile ...

In a very big way. The Chinese don't take criticism kindly.

But I don't think it diminishes the solidarity shown to the Nigerian case.

If a mosquito is bothering me, I happily swot it. If it a lion, I keep as quiet as I can and just back away.

SKY and the EPL can piss right off. Gouging bastards.

Marcus Rashford’s FareShare charity will be getting my £14.95 tonight.

Indeed! It was never really on ... but 2020 isn't playing by the rules!

Agree

Surely it is reasonable of fans to ask why there appears to have been a difference in the comments on Uighurs and Nigeria? It may simply be no more than cock up - a case of the club trying to make a decent humanitarian statement now while forgetting their strongly neutral stance previously. Whichever way you see it there is an inconsistency.