I'm sure Sanchez's 2nd goal will actually go down as a Begovic own goal because he hadn't crossed the line prior to his final touch. Hopefully it stays awarded to Alexis, but I doubt it will.
@SteveHyland It's not a question of whether it had crossed the line before the touch, otherwise every goal that takes a deflection off a defender would be an own goal. The criteria is if it was going to go in without the goalkeeper's touch, in which case it's Alexis' goal. Which it will be, for sure.
@Art_Vandelay- That's hardly the same. A shot which has taken a deflection off a defender from a goalbound shot then proceeded to go into the goal hadn't previously been saved before doing so. Even if the ball hits the post from a keeper's save and rolls in (without the keeper touching it again after hitting the post obviously), the keeper hadn't caused the ball to go over the line in the first place so it's still part of the shot. In this example, Begovic actually MADE the ball go over the line. It was rolling towards it but not so much that Begovic couldn't have saved it and in fact he likely would've on another day or it may've stopped short. It'd be a harsh awarding of an own goal to Begovic and I'm all for the "scorer" getting the goal but I've seen decisions like this been given as an own goal in the past so unless the F.A have changed the rule, they have to be pedantic.
I'm not sure how Arnautovic didn't get booked for his shove on Debuchy when he was in mid air that led to his dislocated shoulder. Even in the toughest team sport of them all, rugby union, you aren't allowed to touch players when they're airborne because of the potential injuries and while Marko's wasn't quite akin to tackling someone going for a ball from a kick off whilst in mid-air, it's still enough of a shove (along with the with the momentum Debuchy had) to cause him to land badly and heavily. Whether the dislocation happened before or after the shove is irrelevant, he still should've been booked. As for those who think it was just a "coming together", watch Arnautovic's arm. That is 100% intentional.
If Sanchez keeps his form going and delivers in big games then he'd undisputedly be the best player in the league. Such a sensational talent. Liverpool missed a trick not getting him.
@NotBiased- Pt 2/2- In terms of "most valuable" players, I can only think of Matic & Aguero being almost as important to their team. I always try to imagine how much a team would lose from a player not being in there when it comes to most important player and Mikel although obviously not Matic wouldn't turn Chelsea from title contenders into long-shots and in Aguero's absence, City have won 4 and drawn 1 which is better than Chelsea's in the same period (W3 - D1 - L1). It doesn't take a genius to imagine how worse off Arsenal would've been had it not been for Sanchez which is why for many people, he's the best.
@NotBiased- Wow, a compliment for an Arsenal! Must be a full moon. ;-) . I don't think there's any real debate amongst non-Chelsea football fans that Sanchez is the best in the league tbh. To have the stats he does in a team that has struggled for a lot of the season is incredible and we all know stats don't tell the full story. Chelsea have had a set core for the whole season including another 2 world class attackers & 1 borderline world class attacker playing at their best. Arsenal haven't had that- only in the last 4-5 games has Cazorla started playing well. The last time I saw a player(s) in a top league be this good in a team playing mediocre football were Luis Suarez & Gareth Bale in the 2012/13 season. Experts were talking about them rivalling Ronaldo & Messi in regards to having an impact on a game and when you factor in Alexis' defensive contributions which no other world class attacker gives you, you have to start talking about him the same way. pt 1/2
@MiguelSuave- Both will likely happen. Chambers has to start playing only in his long-term position if we want him to develop to his full potential. We don't know how well Jones and Smalling would've developed had they been restricted to games playing as a centreback- even if the total is less than now. I think Smalling's development has been stunted due to Ferguson playing him in multiple positions. I'm sure Jones would've been better than he is now too. As for Ospina, he had nothing to do today so there's no way he can be dropped.
I believe that if Arsenal plays with Alexis-Ozil-Cazorla as attacking midfielders and Theo Walcott as striker it will benefit them. Also the decision of Wenger to play Wilshere in more advance position is wrong. I think he is energetic, has speed, tireless midfielder with wide range of passing. He along with a CDM ( hope they sign Carvalho) will fine a great midfield. But still they lack in quality defence. Wenger should think where to spend as there DC is not good enough.
I'm afraid Arsenal will suffer Peter Crouch's deathblow. j/k.
If Arsenal can't beat Stoke at home, they don't deserve a 4th place trophy. 3-1 win for Arsenal.
for arsenal to get 3 points & play comfortably they must score 1st & preferably early. this talk of ozil....? no denying his skill, technique, but what a terrible character within him. as soon as arsenal go behind he turns into a sad boy & only gives the team half of his effort. aweful to see that in a team. there maybe games where this is not the case but iv seen it several times. As for my bet, im seeing arsenal scoring a dubious pen inside 20min, then winning match by 2 clear goals. ill also be betting on a red card for good measure. hope stoke win
Sanchez Giroud Rosicky
Carzola
Flamini Coquilne
Gibbs kosh BFG de bug
Szcy
Bench
Akpom
Campbell
Ox if fit
Ozil
Ramsey
Walcott
Chambers
Bellerin
Ospina
Martinez
11 players to choose for the bench I think this could be r best solution
3 mins · Like
Cazorla should play in the middle as NO 10 despite the expected return of ozil to the first team action soon enough. stoke city are tough to beat irrespective of the home advantage for arsenal. Arsenal have become poor ever since the departure of Cesc Fabregas and RVP. Wenger is making too many mistakes and now he let podolski go, yet he retains welbeck, Giroud and sanago / campbell. Stoke have a very goo chance to win the match at emirates this time around
@Nemeth Arsenal has developed very fluid system where each player can play any position ans we see cazorla, ox and sanchez continuously shifting places, giving each play to have their moments of brilliance. If ozil comes into the squad we have to see him much in his favourite playmaker spot for long durations in the match.
I'm sure Sanchez's 2nd goal will actually go down as a Begovic own goal because he hadn't crossed the line prior to his final touch. Hopefully it stays awarded to Alexis, but I doubt it will.
@SteveHyland It's not a question of whether it had crossed the line before the touch, otherwise every goal that takes a deflection off a defender would be an own goal. The criteria is if it was going to go in without the goalkeeper's touch, in which case it's Alexis' goal. Which it will be, for sure.
@Art_Vandelay- That's hardly the same. A shot which has taken a deflection off a defender from a goalbound shot then proceeded to go into the goal hadn't previously been saved before doing so. Even if the ball hits the post from a keeper's save and rolls in (without the keeper touching it again after hitting the post obviously), the keeper hadn't caused the ball to go over the line in the first place so it's still part of the shot. In this example, Begovic actually MADE the ball go over the line. It was rolling towards it but not so much that Begovic couldn't have saved it and in fact he likely would've on another day or it may've stopped short. It'd be a harsh awarding of an own goal to Begovic and I'm all for the "scorer" getting the goal but I've seen decisions like this been given as an own goal in the past so unless the F.A have changed the rule, they have to be pedantic.
I'm not sure how Arnautovic didn't get booked for his shove on Debuchy when he was in mid air that led to his dislocated shoulder. Even in the toughest team sport of them all, rugby union, you aren't allowed to touch players when they're airborne because of the potential injuries and while Marko's wasn't quite akin to tackling someone going for a ball from a kick off whilst in mid-air, it's still enough of a shove (along with the with the momentum Debuchy had) to cause him to land badly and heavily. Whether the dislocation happened before or after the shove is irrelevant, he still should've been booked. As for those who think it was just a "coming together", watch Arnautovic's arm. That is 100% intentional.
If Sanchez keeps his form going and delivers in big games then he'd undisputedly be the best player in the league. Such a sensational talent. Liverpool missed a trick not getting him.
@NotBiased- Pt 2/2- In terms of "most valuable" players, I can only think of Matic & Aguero being almost as important to their team. I always try to imagine how much a team would lose from a player not being in there when it comes to most important player and Mikel although obviously not Matic wouldn't turn Chelsea from title contenders into long-shots and in Aguero's absence, City have won 4 and drawn 1 which is better than Chelsea's in the same period (W3 - D1 - L1). It doesn't take a genius to imagine how worse off Arsenal would've been had it not been for Sanchez which is why for many people, he's the best.
@NotBiased- Wow, a compliment for an Arsenal! Must be a full moon. ;-) . I don't think there's any real debate amongst non-Chelsea football fans that Sanchez is the best in the league tbh. To have the stats he does in a team that has struggled for a lot of the season is incredible and we all know stats don't tell the full story. Chelsea have had a set core for the whole season including another 2 world class attackers & 1 borderline world class attacker playing at their best. Arsenal haven't had that- only in the last 4-5 games has Cazorla started playing well. The last time I saw a player(s) in a top league be this good in a team playing mediocre football were Luis Suarez & Gareth Bale in the 2012/13 season. Experts were talking about them rivalling Ronaldo & Messi in regards to having an impact on a game and when you factor in Alexis' defensive contributions which no other world class attacker gives you, you have to start talking about him the same way. pt 1/2
Good performance. Ospina should keep the starting spot. If debuchy is out for long bellerin should be the first choice over chambers
@MiguelSuave- Both will likely happen. Chambers has to start playing only in his long-term position if we want him to develop to his full potential. We don't know how well Jones and Smalling would've developed had they been restricted to games playing as a centreback- even if the total is less than now. I think Smalling's development has been stunted due to Ferguson playing him in multiple positions. I'm sure Jones would've been better than he is now too. As for Ospina, he had nothing to do today so there's no way he can be dropped.
Why do Arsenal players always think they've a given right to get a free kick every time they are are tackled? Bunch of fannies..
@NotBiased- Whereas the players from Spurs, Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool etc get up, dust themselves off and get on with the game?
@NotBiased why do you think that people give a damn about what your lame ass has to say. Go support whichever team is in first place
@MiguelSuave So much for not caring that you went out and wrote a post recommending me which team to support. Well done...
I believe that if Arsenal plays with Alexis-Ozil-Cazorla as attacking midfielders and Theo Walcott as striker it will benefit them. Also the decision of Wenger to play Wilshere in more advance position is wrong. I think he is energetic, has speed, tireless midfielder with wide range of passing. He along with a CDM ( hope they sign Carvalho) will fine a great midfield. But still they lack in quality defence. Wenger should think where to spend as there DC is not good enough.
2-0 win to Arsenal.
@rafidarts I'm glad I was wrong.
Sczezney to warm the bench, about time!
Cazorla, Theo and Sanchez to sink the Stoke scoffolders!
Finally, Ospina! Szczęsny's plans to be starter today did go up in smoke.
I'm afraid Arsenal will suffer Peter Crouch's deathblow. j/k. If Arsenal can't beat Stoke at home, they don't deserve a 4th place trophy. 3-1 win for Arsenal.
@berhin So Man City don't deserve to be in the top four then, right?
for arsenal to get 3 points & play comfortably they must score 1st & preferably early. this talk of ozil....? no denying his skill, technique, but what a terrible character within him. as soon as arsenal go behind he turns into a sad boy & only gives the team half of his effort. aweful to see that in a team. there maybe games where this is not the case but iv seen it several times. As for my bet, im seeing arsenal scoring a dubious pen inside 20min, then winning match by 2 clear goals. ill also be betting on a red card for good measure. hope stoke win
I think whoscored got the right team just bring in ramsey and ozil as a sub for ox and walcott and we will surely win this.
Sanchez Giroud Rosicky Carzola Flamini Coquilne Gibbs kosh BFG de bug Szcy Bench Akpom Campbell Ox if fit Ozil Ramsey Walcott Chambers Bellerin Ospina Martinez 11 players to choose for the bench I think this could be r best solution 3 mins · Like
Cazorla should play in the middle as NO 10 despite the expected return of ozil to the first team action soon enough. stoke city are tough to beat irrespective of the home advantage for arsenal. Arsenal have become poor ever since the departure of Cesc Fabregas and RVP. Wenger is making too many mistakes and now he let podolski go, yet he retains welbeck, Giroud and sanago / campbell. Stoke have a very goo chance to win the match at emirates this time around
Özil, Flamini, Ramsey, Giroud back in the squad, Welbeck will be avaible against Man City
with Özil's possible return soon, it will be interesting to see who will play in the middle, with Cazorla playing his best
@Nemeth Arsenal has developed very fluid system where each player can play any position ans we see cazorla, ox and sanchez continuously shifting places, giving each play to have their moments of brilliance. If ozil comes into the squad we have to see him much in his favourite playmaker spot for long durations in the match.
@hasan Except Wenger almost never plays Ozil in that position anyway.