FT AFC 2-0 LCFC Took an early lead while playing good stuff. Took our foot off the gas and let them back in for a nervy late 1T. Then turned it up again with plenty of dangerous chances in 2T, one of which earned the game-sealing PK which Laca (yes Laca!) scored with aplomb! Once again our shots(on) stats are quite good: 21(8). Bottom line: we did the business we needed to do. And 4th place is still ours to lose. (technically 3rd place too, as pointed out recently by @casoccerdad47) Anyway, bring on the Scousers! In just 3 days. COYG!!!!
There we go. We maybe should have had that third goal, but to be honest I'm happier about the clean sheet. Very solid. Kept our concentration, kept our poise, right through to the final whistle. A big step, especially since it was against Leicester (I still have the heebie jeebies over 2015-2016 LOL).
Ramsdale has made every PL start since the first three matches of the season - all loses - so every clean sheet Arsenal have would be Ramsdale's.
Didn't get to watch as much of this one as I'd like. Of what I saw we looked very in control. However, we are once again letting the other team have a lot of possession in threatening positions, and defended that 1-0 lead a lot like we played 1-0 leads earlier in the season: much too passive. It's an interesting dynamic though because despite doing this, Leicester did not look especially threatening, so maybe that was an intentional choice?. Wonder if the team was sort of conserving their energy for the other matches this week or what was going on mentally to shift back into their shells a little bit. Last two matches we've felt just a little bit off the peak aggression levels when we're defending. IDK though still a controlled, smooth victory, and Odegaard continues to make a case for player of the season. He's so freaking dominant right now
Not as fluid offensively as we were against Watford, but we controlled the match better, I thought. Odegaard is ridiculously good, and Partey was great as well.
They’ve also developed a very good partnership, linking defense to attack. With the pair Arsenal are almost unpressable.
look. it isn't always easy coming up with a convoluted angle - of video and argument - to not give it week after week after week, okay? after a while, you start running out of excuses and either has to manufacture a brand new one or recycle one that hasn't been brought out for a while. c'mon, a little understanding here.
Just saw the highlights of the game for the first time. And on reflection, I would say that the key turning-point moment in the match was at 37’ when Ramsdale made that amazing save of a ball that was absolutely destined for the top corner. He didn’t have a ton to do today, but when he was needed he was rock solid. And then some. MO may deserve MOTM, but AR gets more than honorable mention.
We have got a great u sweats ding as a team now, we can cut through a press quite well with one twos and we look very fluid up top I really like the way we look when we attack and the commitment to the press from the front still have some issues with concentration and not following the last man some times but ramsdale has saved us on more than one occasion
We played some sparkling wine football in stretches for sure, not quite Champagne, would need a better striker for that but for sure pleasurable to the eye.
it has to be from strasbourg to be champagne football, anything else is just sparkling wine football.
Just rewatched this match which is something I rarely do. (I was on the bike machine w/ 90' to kill) And one thing I noticed more this time was Thomas Partey, who was just playing for fun. Joy, positivity and confidence was running through his veins. So great to see!
He seems to have really come into his own in this new formation, where he doesn’t have to defer to Xhaka as much. Paradoxically, he looks less like he’s trying hard now that he has more responsibility
Yeah and I thought that Xhaka was pretty much in the background in this match. Which I guess is understandable since TP & MO were taking charge so much more. Granit showed up a few times in attack and at least once filling in as LB. As much as I was liking the new forward thinking GX in the last month or so, I'd be fine with yesterday's roles being the way we go for now on.
xhaka is not ever going to look remotely good in this new system, offensively. he needs space - both to look for a pass and to pass into - and being stationed in that space means he has neither. that cross field pass he used to make good becomes an easy interception like the one that led to that goal by sissoko. he is also going to be perpetually gassed by the 80th minutes because his role has an insane amount of running. it's a role that, i think, would have fit ramsey really well.
Honestly, I understand the good things that Xhaka does for us, but I’m not sure if he’s really doing a better job in his current position than ESR would. Like he’s running a lot but is he actually pressing much? Idk