thanks to an uncalled hand ball on the second goal.Winning streak dies thanks to two penalties
Unbeaten streak rolls on
He arguably should have been awarded a penalty on that, the defender had a fist full of jersey.thanks to an uncalled hand ball on the second goal.
really wish Kos hadnt died.And Holding has looked good recently as well. He just needs a better experienced player next to him. I'd rather not see Mustafi point to an open space, wander away from it covering no one, and then watch someone jump into that open space and put a shot on net yet again.
To be fair, it was only his Achilles which passed on, the rest of him seems quite lively. I don't know if it's possible to get a high level central defender in the January window, but that's what I'd like for Festivus. Everything else looks like it will sort itself out through team selection and guys returning from injury.really wish Kos hadnt died.
He signed a new long term contract before starting the loan so I doubt that is in the cards.Reiss Nelson won Bundesliga rookie of the month
Really hope we do not sell him to Hoffenheim
I think they have been slow starters most of this season, but not today. The goals pretty much went against the flow of play, and were both based on questionable calls. They did look even better after the half though. I don't know what it is about Mikhitaryan, but he just doesn't seem to click in the premier league.It’s crazy how much of a 2nd half team Arsenal have been this season. If games ended at half time, Arsenal would be 19th
He's a brilliant player, perfectly suited for today's high paced and high pressing game. He's just really good at playing in space and in transitional situations. When out of possession, he covers angles well, has a knack for pressing high then recovering to shield the back four, and makes a ton of ball recoveries. When in possession, he helps keep us ticking, can pick a pass, and can dribble out of tight situations.What are Arsenal fans’ thoughts on Torreira? I was a huge fan of his last year at Samp, and sorta hoped Barcelona would grab him as an alternative to Busquets (different players, for sure, but can play the same position). To my eyes, he has looked fantastic but I was curious what Gunners fans thought of him.
Maybe I am biased because I’m a diminutive #6 myself, but I could see him becoming a fan favorite.
I noticed this too.I loved that the subs were the guys most heavily involved in the row with Dier after going down 2-1
I have not seen any updates on this but Mustafi went off hurt and him and Sokrates got 5 yellow cards - doesn't that mean they are suspended for the next game? I think Mavrapanos is hurt too.Hopefully we can survive with Kos coming back. Kos, Mustafi (ugh) and Sokrates as our 3 main CB for the rest of the way seems extremely thin. Maybe Mavrapanos can make a leap.
Yup, Sokratis is suspended, as well as Mustafi who looks like he'd miss the game with injury regardless. Holding is most likely done for the year, and Mavrapanos has not sounded like he's been close to playing. With their place in the Europa league group wrapped up, I'm guessing Koscielny will play half a game as a warm up on Thursday and everyone else will be youngsters. Then he'll start with Monreal or Lichsteiner at the other CB against Southampton. Not ideal, but it's only one game. Then we'll likely be back to having 3 healthy centre backs on the team. Also, I've read that as part of his loan deal, Calum Chambers can't be recalled, but doesn't money make clauses like that disappear?I have not seen any updates on this but Mustafi went off hurt and him and Sokrates got 5 yellow cards - doesn't that mean they are suspended for the next game? I think Mavrapanos is hurt too.
Kos and Nacho at CB for the next game seems like a big ask.
It makes sense, they only have 2 guys who really put the ball in the net with ANY regularity.I don’t worship at the expected goals alter like many do, but I did just read a piece from infogol that showed by xG Arsenal is actually worse than last season. Whatever that’s worth.
Doesn’t this entirely ignore the injuries they’ve had in the back that were healthy during the win streak? Basically they’re throwing in bodies right now ...and it’s not like Liverpool hasn’t been destroying everyone.Yikes.
This team is bad. Bad bad bad. That long unbeaten streak really papered over some massive holes.
But that speaks to a lack of depth, which to me indicates you're actually not good.Doesn’t this entirely ignore the injuries they’ve had in the back that were healthy during the win streak? Basically they’re throwing in bodies right now ...and it’s not like Liverpool hasn’t been destroying everyone.
I don't know if there is a good source of advanced stats that would prove this, but I also thought Holding was their best defender before he went down. The extra makeshift-ness of the current d with Lichsteiner (who is cooked and playing out of position) and Kos thrown right back in full time after most of a year out, Kolasinac playing in a back four where his defense gets terribly exposed rather than as a wingback, Xhaka sometimes playing in defense, etc doesn't help, but this team really should have added a defensive player in his prime rather than the spackle they bought. Sokratis would be an okay third option able to add some bastardly moves to a back 3, but he's not solving much in this D right now.When Holding went down, that was a big loss. He was basically the only central defender who was reliable and mostly error-free.
According to my scan of his game logs, Holding played 16 games in all competitions. Arsenal won 11 of them, drew 5, and lost none. When Holding played, Arsenal outscored opponents 38-14.
In the Premier League, Holding played 10 times. Arsenal won 6, drew 4, and lost none, (22 points from 30) with 24 goals scored to 11 conceded.
In the 10 Premier League games without Holding, Arsenal have won 5, drawn 1, and lost 4 (16 points from 30.) They've scored 18 goals in those games and conceded 19.
How many teams carry five or six extra defenders?But that speaks to a lack of depth, which to me indicates you're actually not good.
Liverpool should beat a fully healthy Arsenal away at Anfield. They should not score 5 unanswered no matter what.
That article was significantly updated. When I first read it, there was no real explanation for Mislintat was leaving. Now it explains that Gazidis had promised Mislintat the role of technical director post-Wenger. But with Gazidis gone and Edu apparently being wooed for the technical director's post...well, Mislintat doesn't want to be head scout. And Mislintat has proven before that he won't hang around in a situation where he's not happy., and now Sven Mislintat is leaving. He just got here about a year ago, and he's been credited with bringing in Aubaumeyang, Torreira, Guendouzi, Sokratis, and Leno. Now he is bailing out, leaving without another job?
What the hell is going on with this club all of a sudden?
He has a history of playing for Emery back at Sevilla. He’s a tricky player and can play any attacking midfield position, especially on the left where Arsenal have been lacking from what I’ve seen (admittedly not too many games this year though). He can be very creative, to me more in the Iniesta mold than the Xavi (despite taking the #6 shirt). Versatile and can play in the middle too.Dennis?
Not completely up to him or Barca whether he stays at Nou Camp. Arsenal have an 18M buyout clause at the end of the loan.He has a history of playing for Emery back at Sevilla. He’s a tricky player and can play any attacking midfield position, especially on the left where Arsenal have been lacking from what I’ve seen (admittedly not too many games this year though). He can be very creative, to me more in the Iniesta mold than the Xavi (despite taking the #6 shirt). Versatile and can play in the middle too.
Denis is a nice player, just buried at Barca. I know I’m not the only one on this board who has wanted him to get more playing time, but I’m glad he signed a new contract to stay at the Nou Camp while getting some game time that he needs elsewhere.
At Sevilla, the crux of Emery’s strategy was having a midfield stocked with players that could fluidly change roles in the course of play. Ever Banega is probably the model for Emery’s midfield - able to lead the high press, drop back into a holding position, spark the counter or organize the transition to attack, and deliver the killer ball into the box as the game dictated. This made the attack dynamic and sometimes confusing to the opposing defense without sacrificing their own defensive shape. Denis is a fantastic fit for this approach. Will be interested to see how quickly Denis can bed in.He has a history of playing for Emery back at Sevilla. He’s a tricky player and can play any attacking midfield position, especially on the left where Arsenal have been lacking from what I’ve seen (admittedly not too many games this year though). He can be very creative, to me more in the Iniesta mold than the Xavi (despite taking the #6 shirt). Versatile and can play in the middle too.
There just isn’t much in the 10-25 range anymore. You’ll have to look at really young unproven playersNot only was Suarez signed on loan, but they also have moved back into a tie for 4th place and have an even goal differential to Chelsea after the mid week game.
However, they looked pretty awful in the first half against Cardiff City. I think overall Emery is doing a decent job, and is setting the club up for the future, but it sure would be nice to be back in the Champions League and really devote some money to transfers over the summer. I don't even need to see a 60M signing, I'd rather 3 or 4 young players in the 10-25M range and hope two develop. Seems this team hasn't had any of their own youth in quite a while.
I've guess Suarez for 20m is exactly the mold I had in mind.There just isn’t much in the 10-25 range anymore. You’ll have to look at really young unproven players