I haven't given up hope of the title just yet. We were poor in terms of scoring but while you're creating, there's always the hope you will put them in. Spurs on the other hand, only seemed to create very little and the majority of that after Collins went off to leave West Ham with their 4th choice CB and a makeshift in the middle of defence. We will have to beat them at the Lane and if we fail to do so, that'll signal the end of any realistic hope, but until then (And with Leicester looking like they can and will drop points now the pressure of being favourites is firmly on) it's still possible. I think the 3 title-contenders have made a meal of the last few weeks. Whoever wins the league this year will have stumbled over the line.
@Overmars- Ospina made 1 less error leading to goal last season as Cech has for us so far this season. Cech has saved us more times than Ospina but Ospina isn't a bad keeper in his own right. Cech is an all-time great but Ospina is at least as good as Courtois, Schmeichel, Hart, Adrian and Fabianski and nobody is claiming those teams need a new keeper so I'm not worried about the keeping situation. Tbh, Spurs haven't shown to be mentally strong either. Stumbled a win against City, regularly get less than double-figured number of shots on goal (ignoring blocked). I'd always take a team who is creating over 1 who isn't especially given neither are particularly "tough" as it were.
We're cocking this season up royally. I suppose it was too good to be true to even be in the title race come the turn of the year? :-/ Not sure why Wenger took Campbell off when he was our best player or why Welbeck didn't start in the first place. Giroud should've scored a couple tonight. As is typical with him, he makes the easy chances look difficult. Mertesacker probably should've headed towards goal but having knocked it back perfectly, Giroud should've buried it. There's no excuses for those misses. Oezil was fouled in the lead-up towards their opening goal. He goes down easily so referees will never give him free-kicks when he is genuinely fouled. Still a good ball and finish though. Cech was at fault for their 2nd goal but he's stopped us dropping points on many an occasion this season so I'm not going to criticise him. Frankly, we had enough chances between 1-0 and 1-1 and between 1-1 and 1-2 to be 3 goals ahead but we didn't take them. Stop me if that sounds familiar?
Wtf is this? I never meant that comment about your hats, my laptop was in my pocket, I never typed that, seriously guys. I'm off to eat some lead paint chips. Only silver lining is Leicester drawing and spuds losing. But seriously, wtf?
People who call themselves Arsenal supporters need to stop bad-mouthing Walcott, I see even some very prominent supporters are doing it. You can pick any player in this team (or any other) and they've all had bad patches in the recent past, for example Cech had a poor start at the club. So to say the things people have been saying about Walcott, for a game where all our players looked like headless chickens, is simply unacceptable. Why arent they asking why all the others in the team don't think when Walcott is the striker, you can't keep banging crosses into the box and crossing your fingers? Nobody even bothered to find him with a pass to feet or try a throughball for him to get on to. No doubt he was poor, but so-called Arsenal supporters should not be using the excessive criticism they have been.
@What4, the money is soooo very sweet that's all Walcott is tasting. If only he had the taste for success, people would get off his back. Walcott could have been a brilliant player.
@What4- The criticism of Walcott is not just from Arsenal fans though, it's from pretty much everyone and although I agree some fans can be fickle (Per, Kos, Oezil, Ospina, Ramsey... have been regarded as amazing and/or terrible given their form- by the very same people), I think Walcott has had long enough at the club to prove his worth and he simply hasn't done so. His only good season (12/13) was almost certainly fuelled by his wanting of a new, lucrative, contract. Some of the seasons since have been interrupted by injury which of course weren't his fault, but this season he is fully fit and has been poor for the whole of it give or take a few games. The number and type of chances he's missed are ones that he should be putting away (not quite sure how somebody with a 10% conversion rate can be listed by WhoScored as a "strong" finisher), he doesn't offer anything in defence and he is also a poor passer. He seems like a nice bloke but he is a midtable-quality player who has pace.
@What4 Unfortunately, the tone of Walcott's criticism isn't all because of Walcott. It's the frustration of supporters who think the American ownership care more about profits than winning. Years without ambition. Walcott has been the same player for ten years, save one good season. Just like Arsenal, he seems like he could, should be one of the best in the world and sometimes looks like it. Against ManU at Emirates this year, he looked like a complete striker. He was amazing, pressing, fighting for balls in the air, never giving up. More often than not though, he just doesn't show up. He's a microcosm of the underachieving Arsenal narrative. It's unfair for him to have all that put on him. Among players who are most responsible for our poor showing at ManU, I'd mention Gabriel and Ramsey before Walcott (but only just before).
There are some pretty deluded people here saying Swansea can get anything out of this. Swansea have been really poor, and if Arsenal don't win, not only will I eat my hat, but I'll eat all the hats of everyone here.
Whoscored?com. Why was my comment deleted for the Leicester v West brom game? I made a mild comment regarding a player that was not even a swear word, but you deleted it anyway. Last week i saw many people on this site using profanity and their comments stayed up! I'm a middle aged man, not a kid for heavens sake. You have my email address if you want to reply to me.
A mentally weak arsenal side will still win this game.Swansea have nothing going forward. Anyone predicting anything else clearly does not make much money on football betting.
@spursman- I love how the Spidds are now giving it the biggun because your team actually have a chance of winning meaningful silverware at this stage of the season for the first time in 25 years. Average position of 8th in the prem era and in the top 4 just twice but now you're in with a chance of winning the title and we get all the chat as though you have the record of Man Utd.
Santi's achilles is awful news. Welbeck should be a 9. With Chambo out and Walcott ineffective, we could really use Ramsey on the wing. He's too aggressive for a holding role and he shouldn't have that coached out of him, it's one of his best attributes. I love him in the 10 or even on the wing but Santi's possession and short to mid range passing skills are almost irreplaceable. If Santi stays injured, little chance of winning the league I'm afraid.
This is hard to call so i'll go for, why the hell did you delete my comment whoscored regarding the Leicester V West Brom game. I used a mild-ish terminology to describe a player and not a swear word, but you deleted my comment. Last week i saw several posts in which people were swearing you complete hypocrite. I'm a middle aged man and your treating me like a kid lol. If you want to ban me go ahead but, don't treat me like i'm an idiot.
@rogue I've noticed WhoScored's censoring can be bit arbitrary at times. Maybe they should have a non-football person do it because whoever it is now is inconsistent, to say the least.
Arsenal is usually poor when it counts the most so this "Wengeresque" losing state of mind should continue to transpire in the following fixtures.There is a pattern going now for a decade and it is no coincidence that Gunners have a losing record around this time of year.0-1 or 1-1.
Need a big performance and win after that farce on Sunday. I would like to see the XI I wanted to start the Utd game: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Sanchez, Oezil, Gibbs, Welbeck. Interestingly, the 2 worst players against Utd were the 2 who were different from my XI (Gabriel, Walcott). Welbeck needs a run of games in the 9 and playing as a 9 rather than coming back into play looking for the ball. Giroud will always be a striker who misses 3 easy chances only to then score a cracker which only world class players can score and we need somebody more consistent than that even if it's somebody less spectacular. In lieu of Lewandowski, developing Danny is the way to go imo. For this game, I think we'll create loads of chances and, typical of us, only score a couple of them. 2-0 Arsenal.
@SteveHyland Ramsey was abysmal too. Couldn't get on the ball, left huge gaps in mdifield. A typical Ramsey performance really. Desperately miss Cazorla. I'd like to see El Neny play.
@Overmars Would love to see Elneny given a start ahead of Ramsey. Campbell had a run of consistent performance when Ox and Walcot were injuired. Wenger needs to recall him here on either of the wings; plus he'll provide more defensive cover for the full backs.
This will probably be a typical Arsenal match...will dominate possession and have loads of chances, while the other team defends for their life and their keeper has a worldie....0-0 or 1-0 either way imo
Arsenal was so abysmally poor at Old Trafford, but managed to score two. If they had played to their potential it could have been a drubbing. Barca hangover, not an excuse. What a team - brilliant the one minute, pathetic the next. Who will step and show some leadership. How Cazorla has been missed. Swansea should not be too hard to beat, but given the blunt teeth at the minute, really need Welbeck to fire. Sanchez - where are you? What has become of you?
thans swans
@Foxeyrod- I think you mean "Thanks Arsenal profligacy in front of goal". Lol
@SteveHyland true steve .... and long may it continue lol
I haven't given up hope of the title just yet. We were poor in terms of scoring but while you're creating, there's always the hope you will put them in. Spurs on the other hand, only seemed to create very little and the majority of that after Collins went off to leave West Ham with their 4th choice CB and a makeshift in the middle of defence. We will have to beat them at the Lane and if we fail to do so, that'll signal the end of any realistic hope, but until then (And with Leicester looking like they can and will drop points now the pressure of being favourites is firmly on) it's still possible. I think the 3 title-contenders have made a meal of the last few weeks. Whoever wins the league this year will have stumbled over the line.
@SteveHyland Without Cech and Ospina in goal? We have 0 mental strength and ramsey has been incredibly poor.
@Overmars- Ospina made 1 less error leading to goal last season as Cech has for us so far this season. Cech has saved us more times than Ospina but Ospina isn't a bad keeper in his own right. Cech is an all-time great but Ospina is at least as good as Courtois, Schmeichel, Hart, Adrian and Fabianski and nobody is claiming those teams need a new keeper so I'm not worried about the keeping situation. Tbh, Spurs haven't shown to be mentally strong either. Stumbled a win against City, regularly get less than double-figured number of shots on goal (ignoring blocked). I'd always take a team who is creating over 1 who isn't especially given neither are particularly "tough" as it were.
We're cocking this season up royally. I suppose it was too good to be true to even be in the title race come the turn of the year? :-/ Not sure why Wenger took Campbell off when he was our best player or why Welbeck didn't start in the first place. Giroud should've scored a couple tonight. As is typical with him, he makes the easy chances look difficult. Mertesacker probably should've headed towards goal but having knocked it back perfectly, Giroud should've buried it. There's no excuses for those misses. Oezil was fouled in the lead-up towards their opening goal. He goes down easily so referees will never give him free-kicks when he is genuinely fouled. Still a good ball and finish though. Cech was at fault for their 2nd goal but he's stopped us dropping points on many an occasion this season so I'm not going to criticise him. Frankly, we had enough chances between 1-0 and 1-1 and between 1-1 and 1-2 to be 3 goals ahead but we didn't take them. Stop me if that sounds familiar?
Santi Cazorla where are you? Ramsey out!!!!!
Wtf is this? I never meant that comment about your hats, my laptop was in my pocket, I never typed that, seriously guys. I'm off to eat some lead paint chips. Only silver lining is Leicester drawing and spuds losing. But seriously, wtf?
@What4 Hahaha like the Lescott 'Car pocket tweet'.
@What4 How's them hats going down?
1-2
@neumi17 Yeah we can see the result up there
@MiguelSuave Good, just wanted to make shure everybody does...
Good God
@MiguelSuave (:
BENCH: Ospina, Gibbs, Chambers, Flamini, Elneny, Walcott, Welbeck.
OFFICIAL: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal, Ramsey, Coquelin, Campbell, Oezil, Alexis, Giroud.
3-1
People who call themselves Arsenal supporters need to stop bad-mouthing Walcott, I see even some very prominent supporters are doing it. You can pick any player in this team (or any other) and they've all had bad patches in the recent past, for example Cech had a poor start at the club. So to say the things people have been saying about Walcott, for a game where all our players looked like headless chickens, is simply unacceptable. Why arent they asking why all the others in the team don't think when Walcott is the striker, you can't keep banging crosses into the box and crossing your fingers? Nobody even bothered to find him with a pass to feet or try a throughball for him to get on to. No doubt he was poor, but so-called Arsenal supporters should not be using the excessive criticism they have been.
@What4, the money is soooo very sweet that's all Walcott is tasting. If only he had the taste for success, people would get off his back. Walcott could have been a brilliant player.
@What4- The criticism of Walcott is not just from Arsenal fans though, it's from pretty much everyone and although I agree some fans can be fickle (Per, Kos, Oezil, Ospina, Ramsey... have been regarded as amazing and/or terrible given their form- by the very same people), I think Walcott has had long enough at the club to prove his worth and he simply hasn't done so. His only good season (12/13) was almost certainly fuelled by his wanting of a new, lucrative, contract. Some of the seasons since have been interrupted by injury which of course weren't his fault, but this season he is fully fit and has been poor for the whole of it give or take a few games. The number and type of chances he's missed are ones that he should be putting away (not quite sure how somebody with a 10% conversion rate can be listed by WhoScored as a "strong" finisher), he doesn't offer anything in defence and he is also a poor passer. He seems like a nice bloke but he is a midtable-quality player who has pace.
@What4, here's your answer regarding Walcott........he's had "potential" for 10 years!
@What4 You need to stop and think when even Joey Barton comes out and says the Arsenal boo-boys are having a bad effect on the club.
@What4 Unfortunately, the tone of Walcott's criticism isn't all because of Walcott. It's the frustration of supporters who think the American ownership care more about profits than winning. Years without ambition. Walcott has been the same player for ten years, save one good season. Just like Arsenal, he seems like he could, should be one of the best in the world and sometimes looks like it. Against ManU at Emirates this year, he looked like a complete striker. He was amazing, pressing, fighting for balls in the air, never giving up. More often than not though, he just doesn't show up. He's a microcosm of the underachieving Arsenal narrative. It's unfair for him to have all that put on him. Among players who are most responsible for our poor showing at ManU, I'd mention Gabriel and Ramsey before Walcott (but only just before).
There are some pretty deluded people here saying Swansea can get anything out of this. Swansea have been really poor, and if Arsenal don't win, not only will I eat my hat, but I'll eat all the hats of everyone here.
@What4 Luckily for you, I don't own a hat...
@What4 At least my giant mexican sombrero is organic.
@What4 who's deluded now? Wenger is senile, the poor chap. Campbell subbed at ~60'... smh
@What4 Get your hats ready everyone
Whoscored?com. Why was my comment deleted for the Leicester v West brom game? I made a mild comment regarding a player that was not even a swear word, but you deleted it anyway. Last week i saw many people on this site using profanity and their comments stayed up! I'm a middle aged man, not a kid for heavens sake. You have my email address if you want to reply to me.
Arsenal 3-2
1X . . . .good that Oxlade Chamberlaine is out, he's too costly, here in SA we'd call him a cow.
3 - 1 Arsenal Win.
A mentally weak arsenal side will still win this game.Swansea have nothing going forward. Anyone predicting anything else clearly does not make much money on football betting.
@spursman- I love how the Spidds are now giving it the biggun because your team actually have a chance of winning meaningful silverware at this stage of the season for the first time in 25 years. Average position of 8th in the prem era and in the top 4 just twice but now you're in with a chance of winning the title and we get all the chat as though you have the record of Man Utd.
I still belive in sir Arsene Wenger, he can lead Arsenal to the title.
Santi's achilles is awful news. Welbeck should be a 9. With Chambo out and Walcott ineffective, we could really use Ramsey on the wing. He's too aggressive for a holding role and he shouldn't have that coached out of him, it's one of his best attributes. I love him in the 10 or even on the wing but Santi's possession and short to mid range passing skills are almost irreplaceable. If Santi stays injured, little chance of winning the league I'm afraid.
@Bellerin Santi tweeted that he'll be back April 1st. I so hope that's the case. Fingers crossed.
@Bellerin 1st of APRIL?!?!?!?! Why exactly this day.
This is hard to call so i'll go for, why the hell did you delete my comment whoscored regarding the Leicester V West Brom game. I used a mild-ish terminology to describe a player and not a swear word, but you deleted my comment. Last week i saw several posts in which people were swearing you complete hypocrite. I'm a middle aged man and your treating me like a kid lol. If you want to ban me go ahead but, don't treat me like i'm an idiot.
@rogue I've noticed WhoScored's censoring can be bit arbitrary at times. Maybe they should have a non-football person do it because whoever it is now is inconsistent, to say the least.
Walcott should be minced and discarded. COYG!!!
4:0 Arsenal and Spids next! Doesn't matter the form! Some teams will always be small teams!
Arsenal is usually poor when it counts the most so this "Wengeresque" losing state of mind should continue to transpire in the following fixtures.There is a pattern going now for a decade and it is no coincidence that Gunners have a losing record around this time of year.0-1 or 1-1.
@IlFenomeno the best comment.
Need a big performance and win after that farce on Sunday. I would like to see the XI I wanted to start the Utd game: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Sanchez, Oezil, Gibbs, Welbeck. Interestingly, the 2 worst players against Utd were the 2 who were different from my XI (Gabriel, Walcott). Welbeck needs a run of games in the 9 and playing as a 9 rather than coming back into play looking for the ball. Giroud will always be a striker who misses 3 easy chances only to then score a cracker which only world class players can score and we need somebody more consistent than that even if it's somebody less spectacular. In lieu of Lewandowski, developing Danny is the way to go imo. For this game, I think we'll create loads of chances and, typical of us, only score a couple of them. 2-0 Arsenal.
@SteveHyland Ramsey was abysmal too. Couldn't get on the ball, left huge gaps in mdifield. A typical Ramsey performance really. Desperately miss Cazorla. I'd like to see El Neny play.
@Overmars Would love to see Elneny given a start ahead of Ramsey. Campbell had a run of consistent performance when Ox and Walcot were injuired. Wenger needs to recall him here on either of the wings; plus he'll provide more defensive cover for the full backs.
Bouncebackability's the word. We need to spring off the Swans here.
Swansea will be focused on Norwich match next saturday... (6 pointer) so Arsenal win.
1-1 Draw. WENGER OUT!!!
@Zee530 even worse mate. Wenger out for sure.
This will probably be a typical Arsenal match...will dominate possession and have loads of chances, while the other team defends for their life and their keeper has a worldie....0-0 or 1-0 either way imo
2-2, Welbeck MotM
Arsenal was so abysmally poor at Old Trafford, but managed to score two. If they had played to their potential it could have been a drubbing. Barca hangover, not an excuse. What a team - brilliant the one minute, pathetic the next. Who will step and show some leadership. How Cazorla has been missed. Swansea should not be too hard to beat, but given the blunt teeth at the minute, really need Welbeck to fire. Sanchez - where are you? What has become of you?
@Khanya- Agree on Cazorla. 1 of the most underrated players in world football.
Arsenal confidence is shattered. Swansea to draw or scrape a win.
@Goon So obvious it makes me sad.
@Goon you called it.
Swansea win or draw.
@Overmars Embarrassing but I called it like @Goon.
I could actually see Swansea getting a point from this, 1-1