We had KT who would offer an alternative (which did work well) when Zinchenko wasn’t working and now Zinchenko isn’t even remotely working down that flank this season. (Do you even watch us)

I don’t expect you to understand and won’t try to attempt to explain science to a toddler either.

I’d like to hear the var commentary on the two penalty shoots last night. For me both of them get given as fouls anywhere else on the pitch and both would not have been over turned by var if they were given on the pitch.

The Soucek on Jesus one in particular, Jesus lets the ball go and Soucek dives in to make a block on what he thinks will be a shot but ends up sliding through Jesus. If he’d stayed on his feet and just collided with Jesus I could see more of an argument for no pen, but once he’s sliding in off his feet I can’t see how that wouldn’t be a foul? Why does the fact that Jesus doesn’t play the ball seemingly save him, because that will be the excuse var uses. Which would effectively mean you can just trip anyone up in the box as long as they don’t have the ball.

One of the most infuriating things in football is the foul in the box that’s given outside with no debate but never inside. I’ve yet to see anywhere in the laws that decrees a higher threshold in the box, so it is refs shying away from a potentially controversial decision. Easier to be passive than decisive

Saka had 9 shots last night, he’s only had a maximum of 4 in any other game this season

... of Tequila after the game ?

We were unlucky with both goals to be fair. Didn’t defend either well but that header from the corner is as good and as likely to end up as a goal as a 30 yarder in to the top corner. 3 shots on target for West Ham. 0.7xG without the penalty. Play that game 10 times and we win 9 of them. But it still doesn’t mean we can afford to have games like that.

I still think it’s something like 84/85 points to win the title.

Big question for Arteta for how strong he goes v Liverpool in the FA Cup. This team needs a trophy

Why would Brentford sell? They need him badly and he is contracted till 2025.

I agree about the Jesus one, but for the Saka one, I just wonder if he couldn't have stayed on his feet. He looked like he was clean through. Also, when our players can bring themselves to shoot rather than looking for a pass or penalty, they are too fond of the curled finish. It looks great it if works but mostly ends up as a pass to the keeper or miles over the bar.

Finally, one wonders if our top scorer shouldn't have come on earlier. It was his sort of game.

I think the second goal was just one of those that you can't legislate for. Brilliant corner and great run and leap which happened to fly into the top corner. I don't think Gabriel could have done much better.

For the first goal, I initially thought it was a mistake by Zinchenko but it looks like Gabriel got a poor touch and Zinchenko was not at fault. The best view for determining whether the ball went out was the diagonal one. All of the ball can be seen and looks well out. Couldn't they draw lines with that imagine like they do with offsides??

I wish I remembered the name of the pundit who called our game. That said, Liverpool, to me, are the favorites and its not because they head the table. If refereeing was correct they'd be undefeated. Second they drew at City.

How they fare during the ANC will tell us everything about their title run. As for us, we lack finishing. We have looks at goal and sky it or go too wide when being on target was easier. I'm hoping this game will be a defining moment for us. I recall in the 2002 season, Adams called a team meeting after a home loss to Newcastle I think, December 2021 I believe. We went on a super run soon after.

https://x.com/bbcmotd/status/1740703308 ... -j6VVZXEoA

Hold on, I thought Ange was praised by the media for saying we should all accept refs decisions and move on -no arguments. Rather predictably he changed his tune when one went against his side

I do wonder why we don’t utilise the low hard shot from the edge of the box more. It gives far more opportunity for a bit of luck. The odd one may fly straight in, some get deflected in, some get deflected to your striker, a rebound, obviously some get blocked properly but the amount you could hit against a low block would give you a great chance of getting lucky

Read a good simple analysis of the big 3
Arsenal have total control of games but lack elite difference makers in the final third
Liverpool don’t have the control but have elite difference makers in the final third
City have both but people think they might not win the title as standards may slip and complacency kick in after the treble

There is of course a simple explanation of the situation but I don’t think people will like it as it calls into play Arteta: the manager has developed one way of playing only and the squad and any new acquisitions fit into that style. Other managers have worked out a plan that works sometimes to hurt us. Double mark the wingers, the middle players are too slow to take advantage. We create some chances but our conversion rate is poor.They have to be good enough to take the chances that come their way. They don’t even have to press our players but just mark tightly from just over the halfway line. Compressed play and they direct all their attacks thru breaks. Arteta is incapable of responding. If we chase a new forward we must also get a type of player who gives us a plan B but the manager needs to change his ideas. I doubt he is capable of doing so. There is no outstanding team this year and we need to seize the opportunity. He’s had over 4 years, time to produce but he needs to improve. No manager in our history has been given more resources and had such managerial support.

The player we have missed most this year is Xhaka. Havertz is not a solution and Rice is great defensively but terrible with creative passes. Most of the time he retrieves a ball and plays a safe pass to another player, often backwards. They then have time to reorganise. He is not a patch on Patrick Viera which is what we should have got for that money. Jesus is looking more like Lacca every game we play.

Arsenals attacking performance compared to every single attacking performance by every team in every game in the league this season. These were ridiculous stats and such an anomaly of a game but at the same time West Ham probably felt they weren’t in any constant serious threat of conceding

Nah. The Villa and WH games were massively frustrating, but hardly those of a team that is stuck in a rut. Rice and Ode are 2/3 of a potentially world class midfield and have looked it in recent games. The left side is a big problem but Trossard did ok considering he is probably 5th choice at left 8. It's a pity he hasn't been used more as a false 9. He seems to be bring the best out of Martinelli and I'm not sure Jesus is the best option when we are trying to dismantle a low block like that. Not a permanent solution, however, and we do need another option up front.

It feels to me that we are very close to finding a way of building more attacking fluidilty onto the base of defensive and midfield dominance. Unfortunately we are missing a few components and I doubt that we are going to see the reinforcements we need in Jan so sadly no cigar. But I don't think it will be due to the problems you highlight.

10 points worse off than at this stage last season, but just 4 points worse off for the equivalent fixtures (replacing those relegated clubs with the promoted clubs)

The two stats that need improving the most are our goals against the xG - we don’t score as many as we should, and the xG against vs goals against. Our expected goals against is 15 and we’ve conceded 18, Liverpools expected goals against is 23 and they’ve conceded just 16. Some of that will be goal keeping (Alison regularly saves Liverpool lots of points) and some is a bit of luck with opponents scoring very low quality chances

I also don’t think we’ll see much in January that is going to be a real game changer for us. What we need is to get the injured players back and find a way to get more players back in to form.
I still think there is a big need for a technically perfect central midfielder, effectively the Xhaka replacement because I don’t see Havertz as that as his skill set is completely different but still useful. This CM has to be a creative and passing genius, and ideally can dribble and drive forward with the ball….think of what Gundogan used to do for City. That’s what we’re missing in midfield

Hi Gaz,

I agree with a lot of things you say but I can't agree with that analysis of Rice. He already looks one of the best central midfielders I've seen in an Arsenal shirt and is worth every penny of the £100m we paid.

He's big, strong, deceptively quick, technically adept and mentally switched on. Far, far better than I anticipated when we signed him.

He's not had a bad game since joining and that can't be said for many of the other players.

If he stays at the club for a long time I think he might even eclipse Vieira and thats a big statement.

Hi Rich,

I read that we've conceded 8 goals from the last 15 shots against us. Not sure if that's true but it wouldn't surprise me.

We have a measure of control in most games but our ratio of goals conceded to chances created by opponents seems disproportionately high.

Hi Rich,

It's clear that we are not yet ruthless or clinical enough to turn possessional domination into goals and something needs to change.

By the same token, we are conceding far too many goals through sloppy defending.

Paul Merson often says daft things but his comment that Zinchenko should only be used against teams in the bottom half of the table does have some merit. The kid is technically adept but he has no defensive awareness or positional sense and he doesn't have the recovery pace to get himself out of trouble. Opponents are targeting him.

Unfortunately, our other options at LB are limited.

No point relying on the return of Partey or Tomiyasu either, look at how many games have they missed in their Arsenal careers. They are more than likely to break down again after a couple of matches.

The bingo played out on the forum after defeats is fun but it’s always fun to read complete nonsense like this.

Pure nonsense gibberish

I wonder if we could find another club interested in buying Declan? It might not be hard

Yes that wouldn’t surprise me. I’d guess those goals are a mix of 3 things.
Very good chances created (like McGinn’s goal) defensive howlers (like Soucek’s, Barkley and Adebayo header), or high quality strikes (Mavropanos)
Sometimes you go through periods of seemingly being punished for everything.
The contrast is teams like Spurs who give up a lot of chances but haven’t been hugely punished, except at Brighton) as their GK nailed them out and opponents aren’t finishing their good chances (Jesus chance!!)

The start we had over 15 games last season was fantastic for any club at any time. I wouldn't use last season as any kind of barometer. It's pretty much a one off start.

We are off to a good start. Not great but good, even very good possibly. 3 losses entering into the new year isn't too bad for pretty much any side. 2 losses is better obviously but its not bad. The West Ham result was a shock result. The clubs we lost to were clubs that were taking 3 points from very good CL quality clubs.

I was surprised we started Zinchenko against Liverpool. Even Tomiyasu would have had trouble with Salah, who is world class. There should have been some adjustment tactically to make sure Salah isn't one on one.

I truly believe Timber is going to be transformative both at the back and going forward when he's back to full health. The little I saw of him I was extremely impressed.

We can also be accused of doing the same that we often were frustrated by the Invincible era squad: being too over elaborative in the box and trying to practically walk the ball in. Not that bad but I would contend pretty much any side who had the ball in the areas we have had would have 1. shot the ball more. 2. been on target more and 3. obviously scored more.

Lastly, and this has creeped into the English game too much is the play acting for fouls. It's not part of British players normal play. We do it too much. One of the reasons I preferred the English game over the spanish and Italian leagues was the English game was tougher. Which is appealing to an American who is used to a sports culture where you are measured by how well you can take punishment and show indifference.

Olise is hitting some form. He’s the kind of player I can picture in a top 6 team. Very classy on the ball and with a wickedly accurate long range shot

Turned with another shocker with his feet for Forest. Such a strange signing for us considering how shaky and poor he looks with his feet. We did well to get £7m for him.

Take a look at the amount of contact for Villa’s late penalty winner at Villa park today and cast your mind back to the amount of contact which was not deemed a penalty at the same stadium for us a few weeks ago.

How on earth are Man U 7th. I’m willing to bet Chelsea finish above them this season. They are a better side despite being some way below them in the table.

You're having a bit of an each way bet here ; you reckon if two of their players had crashed into each other we would be off to the races in similar fashion .

No no no we'd gain possession then spray it back to Raya or someone else in a non threatening position .

You've said in another post the service to Saka isn't quick enough and that's the point I'm making .

While I was whipping up a batch of corn fritters for breakfast ; I suddenly thought it is hardly surprising we play the way we do ; seeing as Arteta played under Wenger .

You've gotta think Ten Hag is 'Dead Man Walking' but they are 7th place. They are firmly in Europa league contention place. Not top 4 but close after that.

No way he can survive though. Or can he?

Look at the decisions Villa got at home again today. I really do feel there is a ‘momentum’ behind these surprise teams. Ask neutral fans and they’d all be enjoying what Villa are doing this season and would be willing them to do even more. The media are the same. It’s natural that this seeps its way in to referees who can easily get swept along.

You only need to go back and look at some of the decisions Leicester got in their miraculous season to see evidence of this

Fulham 1 - Arsenal 5. Jesus to get a hatrick.

Saw some stats today that Villa has the best home record in 2023 with 54 points. Liverpool, City and Arsenal up there too with around 51 ish. For Villa that’s a massive achievement by Emery with a largely inherited squad and less money.
After the way he was mocked for his accent by Arsenal fans when with us I’m happy for the bloke.

When we have the opportunity to break, we take it. Teams seldom take that much of a risk against us.

We are far less turgid than we were when we were missing Jesus and/or Ode.

Agreed, I don’t know any Arsenal fans who hold a grudge or don’t wish him well. The media try to spin it a different way and that we miss treated him and should retreat letting him go. Sometimes a job doesn’t suit. He had a mess above him and had to follow Wenger which was always tough. But he also had us in the bottom half of the table when he was sacked and played far too many games where we just didn’t dominate the opposition.
He’s done really well at Villa, made a few great signings - surprised they got a seemingly free run at Pau Torres and Diaby. He’s resurrected Bailey, and worked wonders on McGinn and Luiz and Watkins. It’s surprising the media are so big on him at the moment because the praise for him shows how poor media favourite Steven Gerrard was in the role!

To think not that long ago there was a debate about who was the better young manager, Gerrard, Lampard, Solksjaer or Arteta!

They need to stop these ex Man U players commentating and commenting on Man U.
Gary Neville said yesterday that Anthony can become a ‘Mahrez type player’
Rio Ferdinand was asked if Man U can squeeze in to the top 4, he responded with a look of disdain and said ‘squeeze?!, they will be there!’

Awful pundits

Hi Rich,
To be fair, Wrighty is unashamedly pro Arsenal and when all logic and reason says otherwise he will say Arsenal will do it.

The former athletes who are pundits in America, for the most part, are asked to be objective. You normally won't see the same obsequious loyalty and fawning as you do in England.

With regards to Ferdinand, he likes us. He's a south London boy and grew up at a time when Wrighty as well as Rocky, and others were their childhood heroes as they saw them representing their area, culture, etc.

He doesn't have the same animus to us some of the other Man Utd players from that era. I've seen him interview Cesc, it was very nice and cordial.

Dunno who would have ever thought Lampard and Solksjaer were in the mix. Gerard did well initially but then the wheels fell off. I think Arteta has done a fantastic job despite being royally pussed about the WH game.

Looking forward to solid performance today and sticking with my 1-5 prediction. 0-4 at half time.