Crystal Palace review: grinding it out

The dust still hasn't settled following our hard-fought win against Palace, but, whatever the critics may say, it was a win well deserved by the Gunners. Our mental test is behind us, the team has once again showcased their exceptional ability to bounce back and, oh yeah, we are still top of the league.

As expected, Flamini started the game, while Whilsere did not. Rosicky was also benched in favour of Santi Cazorla. The Frenchman didn't last long, however. He was substituted by Gnabry in the 8th minute, apparently having sustained a groin injury. I missed the moment, when he started to limp, but, either way, our game plan was disrupted once more.

Arsenal could have gone ahead in the third minute already, only for Giroud to head over from a Sagna cross. We didn't create anything of note till the 35th minute, despite dominating territory and possession. Palace defended deep and tried to catch us on the break, with Bannan heading over and then curling his effort wide of the far post. Our old pal Chamakh, meanwhile, troubled Szscesny with a low shot.

As the half-time whistle drew near, we created two clear-cut chances. Cazorla mis-hit his low cross/shot and Ramsey's drive was battered away by Speroni. Ozil had a chance of his own, but chose to play the ball to Giroud, thus wasting a good shooting opportunity.

Within 120 seconds after the restart, Arsenal was ahead. Gnabry was mowed down in the box, ref pointed to the spot and Arteta converted. We seemed to have finally found our feet, especially when Giroud spurned a glorious opportunity, but we were once again thrown off course in the 65th minute.

Palace tried to catch us on counter-attack, played a long ball towards Chamakh who was bundled over by Arteta some 40 yards away from goal. Chris Foy didn't hesitate in sending the Spaniard off, but replays showed it was Chamakh, who had his hands all over our skipper, not the other way around. The game turned on a dime.

Whilshere and Monreal soon came on to replace Gnabry and Cazorla respectively. Palace started poking and probing at our defense and could have equalised twice in the upcoming minutes, only to be denied by Szczesny.
He tipped Ward's effort over, after our defense fell prey to a simple one-two and then parried Jedinak's effort away to safety, following a corner.

Surprisingly, Arsenal found their way not long after that. You could sense something was coming, when an unmarked Ozil nearly found the net with a volley. And in the 88th minute our never-say-die attitude paid off.

Our trademark counter-attack ended up with a brilliant cross from Ramsey and, this time, Giroud's header was true. 2-0 and game over.

After the game, the manager has hailed our fantastic attitude, which made it possible for us to win this game in unfavourable circumstances. We kept our shape, defended well and took our chance on the break, following the suspension. A mature performance yet again.

Arsene also confirmed Flamini's groin injury and spoke about the atrocious quality of the pitch at Selhurst Park. I'm no specialist, but the pitch really did look to be in a bad shape. Gosh, is there no standard here? Why the referees don't check the quality of the pitch before the game the way the check the net for holes?

Either way, we did what we needed to, so forget stupid match officials and Chamakh's dreadful haircut. Have yourselves a good weekend

Crystal Palace preview: redemption?

Morning everyone.

Today's game (which will kick off earlier, than usual) is, according to tabloids, a chance for the Gunners to redeem themselves. Our Champions League encounter is something of an embarrassment, if mass media`s point of view has merit. And that's a big «if» in my opinion.

I've already said, I find nothing shameful in a loss to a team as good as yours. Arsene was right about Borussia`s physical condition, when he said that the Germans were a notch above anyone we played this season. You could see it with your own eyes, especially in the first half, how able Jurgen Klopp`s team was. They basically deprived us off possession for prolonged periods of time and their pressing off the ball ensured we could do little with it, when we finally laid our, erm, legs on it.

In the second half, the teams swapped places. We attacked, they defended, both sides had little success (but Arsenal just that little bit less).

We saw two very different sides of Borussia, and both were exceptionally able. Both were also in fine physical form, as good as ours, maybe better.

Fitness issues aside, Jurgen Klopp`s side also has a number of technical players (surprise, surprise) and, even Goetze`s absence wasn't noticeable. They didn't get to the final without reason, so at the moment, it's one of the best European teams we've lost to.

And even after admitting Borussia is as good as we are, I don't think we would have seen to many raised eyebrows, had the game ended in a draw, or had Arsenal grabbed a winner in the second half.

Their win also didn't happen only due to how good they were. Arsenal wasn't exactly at their best, with exhaustion having kicked in and the overconfidence of some players also hampering our chances. Both goals, we have conceded were completely avoidable, had Ramsey not decided to dribble his way out of trouble on the edge of the box, while facing three opponents and had we not tried so desperately to win, throwing everyone forward, thus exposing or own goal.

So any talk of redemption is complete and utter crap. Just knock the steam off some overly enthusiastic individuals and we should be fine.

In terms of availability, Flamini is back, and I expect him to start alongside Arteta. His presence and overall discipline was thoroughly missed on Tuesday and I see no reason to omit him today.

Whilshere is still a doubt, having jarred his ankle, but even if he is fit, he'd probably be rested. He's pivotal to our success, so the manager won't want to take any chances with him, especially when it can come at a cost in the long run.

Apart from that, I don't think Arsene will field a much changed side. Guys like Gnabry, Bendtner and Vermaelen will get their respective chances midweek, when we play Chelsea in the CoC. The Belgian, by the way, was praised by the manager for his fantastic attitude in training, saying, that when he's called upon, Thomas will be ready. Good to hear. That's what competition does to people.

I don't think, Crystal Palace will be up to scratch, when it comes to providing us with a test, but our test is of another kind. Should we pass it, the now managerless Palace will be demolished. So here's for a win and a good display. Come on you reds.

Not much else going on, so I'll leave it at that. There's this piece from our former skipper, that provides for an interesting read, so check it out.

Back later with a review

Borussia review: all good things come to an end

It's been twelve games and over two months since I've last written about a loss and I'd be happy not to write about in for another two months. This time, however, the situation is markedly different from that Villa game. There is, in my opinion, nothing shameful about losing a game to a team which is as good as yours in a match as tight as this one. But first things first.

Arsene Wenger, fresh from celebrations, made two changes to the side, that demolished Norwich on Saturday. Ramsey started in place of injured Flamini and Rosicky was deployed in a wide position, substituting Cazorla, so the Spaniard could be eased into action cautiously, following his injury.

Ramsey`s and Rosicky`s restless energy did little to influence how the game unfolded, however. From the first minutes Arsenal didn't have much of the ball, chasing ghosts all over the pitch, while Borussia was knocking the ball about. The Germans had a lion's share of possession, but were unable to come up with anything, other than shots from distance, both before and after the 16th minute.

The 16th minute brought a goal which was logical and illogical at the same time. Logical, because Borussia looked the better side. Illogical, cause they had nothing to show for it.

Ramsey tried to dribble his way out of trouble at the edge of the box, lost the ball, Lewandowski laid it off for Mkhitarian who put it beyond Szczesny with a low shot.

This seemed to finally shake the Gunners out of their apathy, though, like Borussia before, we couldn't do anything with the ball we had. We were mounting the pressure and the warning signs for the Germans were there, when Rosicky`s volleyd strike was cleared off the line by Hummels. However, when the goal came, it did so with a touch of good fortune.

The move started in our half. Mertesacker robbed someone of possession, played the ball to Ramsey and the Welshman fed Sagna on the right. The Frenchman crossed the ball, Weidenfeller and Hummels weren't sure, who should claim it, so neither did. Giroud squeezed his way through them and smashed the ball into the net from several feet. 1-1.

In the second half, Arsenal kicked into high gear right from the start (presumably having got a kick up the arse from the manager), but were again unable to create moments of real danger. Borussia were on the back foot, defending deep and snuffing out all the problems. Whilshere came closest to scoring when Rosicky`s lob, meant for the Englishman, was claimed by Weidenfeller. Jack sustained a knock to his ankle in this episode and was soon replaced by Cazorla. After the game, Whilshere said the knock was nothing serious, Arsene`s assessment was a bit more cautious, so it's unclear, whether Jack will have a part to play against Crystal Palace. Given the slew of important games coming our way, I won't be surprised, if he's rested.

Cazorla changed the dynamic of the game, but also came up short, when it came to creating goal threats. He did, however, had the best moment of the half.

Ozil ripped through the right flank, cut the ball back for the Spaniard, but Santi`s first-time shot hit the outside of the crosshair.

After that we continued to pile up the pressure, but to no avail. With eight minutes to go, we paid the price for monetarily switching off defensive-wise.

Grosskreutz teared down our left flank and sent in a low cross to the far post, where Lewandowski had all the space and time in the world to volley the ball home.

And that was it. It was obvious, this was the blow, Arsenal wouldn't recover from. We gave too much, both physically and mentally, to find the winner in the second forty-five minutes, that eventually conceding was the last straw. Wenger threw Bendtner and Gnabry on in the latter stages, but Borussia`s expert time-wasting ensured they left London with all three points.

This is what the manager had to say after the game:

« It was a game of high intensity but very few chances. Dortmund were well organised to stop us from playing, and I must say as well that we were not as good as we can be offensively. Some of our players were not as fresh as they were recently. But we put ourselves on the back foot with the first goal and naive for the second goal. If you look at the number of saves our keeper had to make tonight and you concede two goals, you can say that we can only look at ourselves for not being mature enough in situations like that. If you cannot win the game, you don't lose it. Especially in the second half when we were on top, we made things difficult for ourselves by giving them the second goal».

That pretty much sums it up. It's disappointing to lose a game in such a fashion, but better Borussia, than, erm, Blackburn.

So, what happens now? In terms of qualification, our result, combined with that of Napoli`s, throws the group wide open. Three teams have six points, so anything can happen. Our situation is not ideal, but it's also far from precarious. We now have to get an away result, but I recall a certain German team, that has suffered at our hands on their turf. Don't see, why we can't repeat this feat.

Until later

Borussia preview: make Arsene happy

Morning everyone.

Borussia game is looming large and I don't think we could go into this encounter in a better shape.

We have found our feet after the break with a brilliant display on Saturday, got a couple of players back from injury and, frankly, seem unstoppable at the moment. Ozil and Flamini bedded in (Did they really? It seems, they always were here), we play the kind of attacking football, that is a joy to watch, and the level of understanding between the players is unprecedented. We are also delivering on a consistent basis, something that was the case some nine years ago. Right now, it's like like good old days are back.

Today's game will no doubt be a (yet another) stern test, but for the first time in years, I'm looking forward to this kind of game. We have all the chances to snatch the three points today. If we perform to our usual standard, we do seem unstoppable, as the manager has rightly pointed out.

There are a few worries, and these are about our absentees. Flamini is out running and stuff, but his concussion means he's not available today. Arsene doesn't want to take risks, which is sensible, given how many games we'll have to play in the upcoming weeks, and thus, will need every single player.

Another one missing out on today's fun is Theo Walcott. The Englishman wasn't expected to be back in time for the game, but his recent setback in training means he'll be out till November. The next bit of competitive football he'll get will probably be on November 10th, when we visit Man Utd. In for a glorious comeback, isn't he?

Apart from Flamini, no one from Saturday's game will have to watch the game from the stands, so we still have players aplenty to hurt Borussia.

Ramsey should once again regain his place alongside Arteta after a brief respite against the Canaries. It's perhaps a bit more risky defensive set-up, but the difference may not even be noticeable. Besides, Ramsey is still in great form, so this duo looks more exciting to me, than the Artera-Flamini partnership.

All going well, we will be looking at three points today. Jurgen Klopp`s side are no pushovers, but such is our confidence, that anything less, than a win, will be a disappointment. So come on you reds. Make our now a-little-bit-older man happy.

In other news, the Dutch Skunk had apparently spoken to goal.com, expressing his dissatisfaction at Moyes` training methods and going on to say he'd be glad to return to Arsenal, cause there are many good memories here. The cunt. His hypocrisy seem to have no limits, pushing him to find better places, once the ones, he's in, lose their appeal.

If this is true (and no words can express my emotions at this point), Wenger will have a unique opportunity to show van Persie the bird he deserves. Oh, how much I'd give to see it with my own eyes.

I'll leave it at that. Back tomorrow for a usual review.

Until then

Norwich review: a thing of beauty

I intended to write a full review as always, but Saturday's game was so packed with events, that I decided to concentrate on only some points, as well as individual performances. You can read the full review here, if you like.

The obvious place to start is, of course, the quality of our goals. The first one was particularly gorgeous, something the manager himself admitted during the press conference. The goal encapsulated the philosophy Arsene always tried to implement, whatever were the players at his disposal. The combination leading up to the goal was Arsenal at its best. The quick counter-attack, which started deep in our half, resulted in a beautiful exchange around the box. Whilshere played a one-two first with Cazorla and then with Giroud, returned the Frenchman`s pass with his heel and continued his run into the box. Giroud flicked the return pass and Whilshere sent the ball home on the volley before Norwich defenders even knew what hit them. There were calls for offside, but none was given.

Then we suffered a setback, which luckily didn't result in a conceded goal, though we may consider ourselves lucky on that front. Norwich were in control for approximately thirty minutes (from 30th to 60th), forcing Szczesny in a number of great saves. The one that comes to mind, is La Fer`s low shot from distance, which the Pole parried quite brilliantly.

The major (probably, only) factor in our temporary downfall was a forced substitute in the 37th minute. Flamini clashed heads with some bloke I can't bother looking up, and had to be taken off, after our medical stuff concluded the Frenchman had double vision. Word is, this injury can keep Mathieu out off action for a couple off games, although I suspect it'll be a shorter absence. He will definitely miss the Borussia game, though.

Ramsey came on as a substitute and looked much better in his natural position. He delivered some moments of true magic, though more on that later.

The dynamic of the game was broken and we couldn't find out rhythm until well into the second half.

Around the hour mark we scored, much against the run of play. We delivered one of those explosive counter-attacks, Giroud held up the play, saw Ozil`s run and crossed the ball perfectly. Ozil finished the move with a header to make it the first headed goal in his career. Good for him.

Norwich pulled one back soon, unfortunately. Some bloke or the other swung the ball in from the left, Mertesacker mis-hit the ball and it fell to Howson. The latter chested it down and fired a low shot, which went in at the near post.

This seemed to infuriate Arsenal and, after Cazorla (who was handed a surprise start) went off to be replaced by Rosicky, we went forward. Ruddy pulled off a number of good saves but we seemed unable to break the deadlock until Bendter came on for Giroud.

In the 83rd minute, however, we scored again. Ramsey exchanged passes with Whilshere on the edge of the box, then took out two defenders with a feint shot, cut another one back and put his low shot past a helpless Ruddy.

We didn't back off after that, though. Five minutes later Bendtner picked the ball up on the left, laid it off for Rosicky, who crossed it towards Ramsey. The Welshman`s sublime touch found Ozil, who had the goal at his mercy. 4-1.

Even that didn't slow us down. We produced attack after attack till the final whistle, with Ozil being denied his hat-trick twice. Even Bendnter had a chance to score, only to be denied by Ruddy.

After the match, Arsene has hailed both the first goal (naming it the best in Arsenal`s history, and not without reason) and the quality of both ours and our opponents` performance by saying:

«We won 4-1 and their keeper had a good game. But I think as well that Norwich played well, so it is strange. They made it difficult for us. We had a difficult period between 30 and 60 minutes where we struggled a little bit to keep our game going. I would come out of the game thinking Norwich is a good team».

He didn't single out anyone and I think he was right. To me, it was an accomplished performance from the whole team, a great collective effort. Szczesny is the only one I feel sorry for. He had another good game, dealt with everything thrown his way, but was once again denied the clean sheet.

Individual performances aside, I also really liked the way we responded to conceding. We didn't try to clinch to a one-goal lead, didn't panic in the defense and just kept going as if nothing has happened. We truly seem to be high on belief, so let's see, what shape this belief takes come tomorrow.

Until then