English Premier League 2nd & 3rd October

[that_dood]

Sad to see that happen to Ben Arfa as well, know all about those injuries, not good at all. Commentator on my stream said "when its serious they normally start banging the ground and you know they're in trouble. He did not react like it was serious"
Good to know the research was done that if you bang the ground, it's serious. If not, get up and play on. Yellow for diving and time wasting.

Saying anything negative about David Pleat should be a ban IMO.

As I said, most games are refereed poorly because the standard of refereeing is so bad, aside from Howard Webb and Mark Clattenburg, there's not really any good ones.

Stuart Attwell is pretty good...

 

[Corrosion]

Seriously, can Arsenal play Chelsea in the first fixture of the EPL next season? We may actually field a full-strength side against them for once. So frustrating.

 

[Benno_900]

Seriously, can Arsenal play Chelsea in the first fixture of the EPL next season? We may actually field a full-strength side against them for once. So frustrating.

Cesc and RVP didn't play the first fixture of this season either.

 

[Corrosion]

Yes I know that haha. World Cup isn't at the end of this season though

 

[Duncan Disorderly]

Regardless of ladder positions most would agree the 3 most out of form teams this year would be

1. Everton
2. Liverpool
3. West Ham

Everton shouldn't be top IMO and probably shouldn't be on that list. We have been playing well, just haven't been putting the chances away.

Newcastle was the only poor performance we have put in this season.

 

[r dub 19]

Cesc rarely performs well against chelsea anyway.

 

[Borgsta]

arsenal rarely performs well against chelsea anyway.

efa.

 

[belfast_bomber]

Arsene was right for once, Chelsea were there for the taking with some more decisive finishing. Chelsea's game plan can't have been to assume Arse would waste their chances.

 

[apollo_creed]

Arsene was right for once, Chelsea were there for the taking with some more decisive finishing. Chelsea's game plan can't have been to assume Arse would waste their chances.

Two headers? (one in each half)

And what else exactly apart from shots from outside the box?

Sounds like your swallowing what Arsene's offering.

 

[belfast_bomber]

Two headers? (one in each half)

And what else exactly apart from shots from outside the box?

Sounds like your swallowing what Arsene's offering.

You don't think it was a slightly dangerous game for Chelsea to assume Arse wouldn't make more of the possession they conceded?

Chelsea won and deservedly so, but they didn't make it easy for themselves.

 

[r dub 19]

Chelsea had their tactics spot on. We didn't "deserve" anything but a loss. It wasn't dangerous at all for chelsea, they ensured no through balls would be played and forced us to cross the ball where Terry and Alex would take care of the rest.

 

[SebastianVettel]

Arsene was right for once, Chelsea were there for the taking with some more decisive finishing. Chelsea's game plan can't have been to assume Arse would waste their chances.

I doubt it was, but it would've hardly been a bad one given how toothless the Gunners are in front of goal unless they're bashing up on a Blackpool, a Wigan or a Liverpool.

 

[belfast_bomber]

Tbf they only put one past your mob and that was a goalkeeper error.

Good article here about the 'pool. No, not that one. The other one.

 

[apollo_creed]

Fwiw, I thought Arsenal deserved a draw

 

[SebastianVettel]

Fwiw, I thought Arsenal deserved a draw

When you create very little you don't deserve anything as far as I'm concerned.

A lot of possesion, not that threatening. It was pretty much trademark Arsenal when they encounter a side that has impressive defensive qualities.

Then they got picked off on the break after said time in possesion.

The current Arsenal must be stupidly frustrating to support. It's the same thing over and over when they come up against teams with strength in midfield and/or defence.

Good teams know they can sit back, absorb any pressure, and strike ruthlessly like a cobra on the counter. Managing a competent team against Wenger is like shelling peas. I respect the guy and his desire to play good football, but deary me, spend some money and buy your team a spine.

 

[Hlebalicious]

When you create very little you don't deserve anything as far as I'm concerned.

A lot of possesion, not that threatening. It was pretty much trademark Arsenal when they encounter a side that has impressive defensive qualities.

Then they got picked off on the break after said time in possesion.

The current Arsenal must be stupidly frustrating to support. It's the same thing over and over when they come up against teams with strength in midfield and/or defence.

Good teams know they can sit back, absorb any pressure, and strike ruthlessly like a cobra on the counter. Managing a competent team against Wenger is like shelling peas. I respect the guy and his desire to play good football, but deary me, spend some money and buy your team a spine.

Chelsea didnt create much either and both their goals will be ones you see maybe once twice a year. Compared to our usual performaces against Chelsea id say its a minor improvement.

Not sure if you actually watched the game but Chelsea didnt create anything on the break and most of their counters were called back for offside, their best chances came from us giving the ball away in stupid areas and general defensive lapses(Song's pass that led to Alex's freek-kick, Squillaci falling over and giving Anelka a one on one)

 

[apollo_creed]

Chelsea didnt create much either and both their goals will be ones you see maybe once twice a year. Compared to our usual performaces against Chelsea id say its a minor improvement.

Not sure if you actually watched the game but Chelsea didnt create anything on the break and most of their counters were called back for offside, their best chances came from us giving the ball away in stupid areas and general defensive lapses(Song's pass that led to Alex's freek-kick, Squillaci falling over and giving Anelka a one on one)

A couple of the offsides were very debatable - one of them a replay wasn't shown but Drogba looked very onside - and the Cole one was as close to level as you'll get. I don't mind that decision being called offside but there was inches in it. Essien and Anelka both missed very easy chances in the second half as well.

And Chelsea didn't need to create - they got their goal in the first half with some incisive play and that was that. They could afford to play on the break and create as little as they liked.

Superior quality generally does that mate. (of course with the obvious benefit of money and your clubs hesitancy to spend it)

 

[Borgsta]

And Chelsea didn't need to create - they got their goal in the first half with some incisive play and that was that. They could afford to play on the break and create as little as they liked.

Superior quality generally does that mate. (of course with the obvious benefit of money and your clubs hesitancy to spend it)

So in other words it was exactly the same as the game last year....

 

[Hlebalicious]

I wasn't trying to make a point saying we deserved to win (far from it). Just replying to that other guys post. All i was trying to say was it was an improvement to how bad we usually look against Chelsea and with 5 starters out of our lineup i guess a win wouldve been extremely improbable.
Chelsea played perfectly and got the 3 points, all that matters really.

 

[SebastianVettel]

A couple of the offsides were very debatable - one of them a replay wasn't shown but Drogba looked very onside - and the Cole one was as close to level as you'll get. I don't mind that decision being called offside but there was inches in it. Essien and Anelka both missed very easy chances in the second half as well.

And Chelsea didn't need to create - they got their goal in the first half with some incisive play and that was that. They could afford to play on the break and create as little as they liked.

Superior quality generally does that mate. (of course with the obvious benefit of money and your clubs hesitancy to spend it)

Ramires was in behind the defence in the second half as well, before being wrongly pulled up for offside.

Chelsea barely got out of second gear in reality. They didn't need to.

 

[ShearMagic9]

Just on Ramires - has looked absolutely gash in his opening matches but he might've turned a corner against Arsenal. Was very good.

 

[belfast_bomber]

To be fair United play quite a similar game when we go to Arsenal. We let them have a bit of the ball, because when they have it we know what they're going to do with it, whereas when we have it they haven't got a clue what we will.

 

[Dagger5]

To be fair United play quite a similar game when we go to Arsenal. We let them have a bit of the ball, because when they have it we know what they're going to do with it, whereas when we have it they haven't got a clue what we will.

Your game last season at the Emirates was one of the finest displays I've seen at how to play against Arsenal there. Mind you Chelsea also have no problems playing there either and they use similair tactics.

 

[Benno_900]

I reckon Man Utd's defence is pretty ordinary this season. We can break your defence open.

Man City, maybe not.

 

[r dub 19]

We will struggle against city, confident of a win against united.