I'm still pissed off we didn't sign ONE outfield player. That's inexcusable. God help us if Coquelin gets injures. We can just about manage having injuries elsewhere but that's one area we can't afford an injury in.
Credit to Gibbs, he forced that goal from the left and caused the Spuds plenty of problems when he came on
Oh and Ozil is just on a different level to other players, he is always the one who can open up a team for us with a beautiful pass. He has set a record for assists in consecutive premier league games and I'm pretty sure I read the other day he has the best assists to games ratio ever in the premier league. His passing is just sublime.
1-1. FT. If you'd asked me before the game whether I would have taken a point, I'd have said no chance. After that first half, I'd have bitten your hand off. Truthfully, I think we can count ourselves very fortunate to come away with the point because, aside from Giroud's two chances that he should have put away effortlessly, we were second best for 75 minutes of the match. They were outmuscling us in midfield, isolating our full-backs and always looked dangerous whenever they broke forward into our half. Cazorla and Coquelin barely had a sniff. Given the amount of games they've played with less rest than us, I didn't anticipate them being so full of energy and that they'd press us so high up the field, so you have to give credit where its due. The performance was a little leggy and we looked quite fatigued, which is understandable given the injuries we have and the same players that have been playing consecutive matches, but I expected us to put in a more motivated performance than that. Overall, a good point, considering how the game panned out.
Although we didn't truly deserve anything from the match, let's be honest here, you're not going to be performing at a high level week in, week out. There will be some games that are tight and nervy, and it is in those games where we need our attacking players to step up when it matters because one moment of clinical finishing/brilliance can determine the outcome. Giroud had two free headers that both should have been buried. There are absolutely no excuses to not score both of them. I can guarantee you if Kane was on the end of both of those key chances, we'd have won the game, deservedly or not.
Underwhelming performance from us but we managed to scrape a draw from the jaws of defeat. It was good to see Gibbs do well and save our a$$es and grab a vital draw and maintain our league position.
There was one that Giroud should have buried, but to be honest he's been doing well, so I don't think he should get too much criticsm. It's true though that had he taken those chances we'd have taken the 3 points
My opinion is that we started well, great energy and purpose, but we needed to take more shots and capitalise on that good start, after that it was meh! We were overrun in the middle, Santi needed to play closer to Coq and have support from one of Campbell or Sanchez always, instead of both playing wide all the time. Obviously our energy levels were down but we made this worse by leaving such gaps in midfield, meaning we had to keep chasing. We are really paying now for not giving Sanchez more rest at the start of the season at he looks spent - and this is before a busy Christmas period!. Great character to keep fighting and get back into it, with the subs helping change the momentum of the game - but that was only after 50 mins of a really poor and disinterested performance. Giroud should have won the game with a brace of headers, which was poor, and I didn't like how he was getting wound up with Alderweireld. But he was getting into positions and at least getting onto the end of chances. Ozil looked really good, Sanchez and Santi were poor, but Coq looked better when Flamini came on. Outside of the game, I do feel if we'd signed another DM then we'd be riding out this injury crisis a lot easier, and would enable us to sit back and park the bus a lot easier. Ohh and Debuchy seems to be getting back to a level where he's not a liability, which is nice.
Mentioned it earlier in the thread but Sanchez never looks good when he plays alongside Giroud. His best form last season came when Welbeck was playing through the middle and this season he was brilliant, when Walcott was playing thorough the middle.
Watching the game today and reading this thread is like two different events. maybe it is because i am not as emotional about the game but Arsenal were the better team for most of the match except a 10 minute spell. Arsenal had more possession and just slightly more of the ball in dangerous areas as well as creating far more clear chances than Tottenham. That is what i saw and then Sky showed the same. i was confused because Sky then said Tottenham dominated possession but they did not . Arsenal did. Ozil was very good today and he created all Arsenal best chances and i counted 5 including the goal and at least two of the others should have been scored. Tottenham only created half chances after their goal.
Happy to get that game out of the way with a draw to be honest, especially with city drawing against the awful villa
To be honest, with the amount of injuries we have and lack of options, coupled with City's 0-0 today, a draw isn't too bad.
It makes me laugh that spurs fans are saying Ozil was anonymous and had a poor game. He created almost everything for us, got the assist and should have had a couple more if the finishing was better. He's in incredible form at the moment.
"Arsenal did always look a threat going forward, once they shook off their early lethargy, and Ozil became the first ever player to contribute an assist in six consecutive Premier League games in the same season. The Germany World Cup winner also became the first player to assist 10 goals in his opening 11 games of a Premier League season." Taken from the BBC match report. It also mentions that Ozil covered more ground than any other Arsenal player.
