Offical match day thread

Seems way too harsh for sure.

 

but that doesnt make sense either....cuz then u can seriously hurt someone and you only get a red card but the chance to score is gone?

 

Yeeeesssssss.

 

Couple of things to get off my chest. I really wish our fans stop all this rubbish talk about top 4 finish! It is really ludicrous and incredulous, almost as silly as Nufc talking about winning the league. Also why cant Arteta just get back to basics? All this tactics of trying to play the city way of press press, really needs to stop. You cannot take a donkey to win the grand national! We better be careful and start looking over our shoulders, our next game is Burnley Away..

 

I dont agree.

Arteta is doing a good job tactically soo far. He's taken on a squad low in confidence and fitness mid Season. The improvement is clear.

In terms of fans we are too negative already - I wish our fans were a bit more optimistic if anything.

 

Aaah that would have been a GREAT goal. Such a nice run from Pepe.

 

Shouldnt have taken Pepe off.
Should have put him up top IMO. Taken Laca off.
Not that Laca was doing badly just that Pepe looks more likley to score - plus the set piece threat.

 

****ing Bullshit. 11 vs 11 there's no way we loose this game.

 

YEEEESSSSSSS C'mon Bellerin

 

Lacazette has worked his ass off today. Torreira and Saka also.

 

To be fair we did well today. 10 men away from home at the bridge is a tough task.

Work rate was top notch, I though Pepe, Saka and Torreira were class.

Bellerin showed some glimpses of his old self and that goal was sheer class.

Lacazette ran himself into the ground and deserved a goal.

The real neagtive though is both Mustafi and Luiz are total liabilities. Playing them together is just asking for trouble.

 

Credit to the boys for not capitulating, putting in a very hard shift and getting something from the game. Martinelli is a special, special talent. And Bellerin, lovely curled left-foot finish for the equaliser so soon after Azpilicueta put Chelsea in front. Saka had another exceptional game at left-back. And Xhaka put in a monstrous display at the back.

Say what you want about the quality, but you can't fault the commitment, desire and attitude from the boys. We are definitely seeing a shift of mentality under Arteta. I have faith things will get better eventually.

I think we definitely could have won this had Luiz not been sent off. Ultimately though, it was yet another Mustafi error that led to that entire circus showing (in fairness, he performed fairly well after the mistake, but he's still a liability). Leno didn't need to be that far out and if he was going to be, he should have reacted quicker. Meanwhile Luiz, though I understand him instinctively trying to prevent the goal, should have just taken the hit. It was 26 minutes in. No need to be so panicky in that situation.

Any lingering hope that anyone had of top 4 should now be squashed. But that result was important in progressing forwards, especially as we are still in the Europa and FA Cup.

Onto Bournemouth away

 

Really good performance under massive pressure and we didn't crack. Previously we would have crumbled at any given point in that game, but to concede twice with 10 men and come back each time shows massive character. The work rate from everybody was spot on and Arteta has given these players the tools to find solutions for themselves during games.

Big shout to Martinelli, the way he took his goal was top notch, ****ing brilliant moment for him and the fans that.

 

I kinda feel bad for Mustafi.

I know I'm often complaining about him. But he's a good player.
The trouble is he will ALWAYS switch off a few times in match and it soo often costs us. For that reason he's just not built for the top level where you have to be switched on ALL the time. These mistakes lose you games against the top sides.

The other thing is I feel he's a little too small to be a Premierleague CB.(at least in a two anyway) In Spain he would be absolutely fine.

In the second half yesterday he made some great clearances, played some quality long balls and he worked hard to make amends.

 

I finally watched the game on the way into work this morning... It was a very cagey affair and Chelsea will be kicking themselves for not taking all 3points. However, we were dogged and resolute in defence and you could tell that their was a clear line of communication between the coach and the team. In years gone past, we would most definitely have capitulated. I thought even the much maligned Mustafi put is a decent shift. As fans, we have revised our expectations, and we are no longer expectant, just live in hope now, the key is for the players to apply themselves and try. A bit difficult to predict what would have happened if it had been 11 v. 11!

 

Been absolutely class in this first 30 mins against Bournmouth

 

Good result but we faded again in the last 30 mins.

Thought Saka and Guendouzi were class.

 

**** sake.

Luiz and Mustafi again.. that's justa recipe for mistakes. Like it has been every time they have played together. I get Arteta wants that ability to play a variety of passes but they are both so mistake prone.

No Torreira either.

Gotta be honest I dont like this lineup defensively at all.

 

No VAR check there? I don’t get how they decide whether to check things or not?

Lacazette challenges in the area (with replays seems to be fair challenge) but then the Burnley player appears to push him in the chest while he’s on the floor, but because it’s not checked by VAR it’s not seen by the ref.

I thought for potential penalties it’s supposed to be looked at?

Even if upon review it isn’t any foul play surely you either always check those situations or you never do rather than randomly picking and choosing?

 

Lacazette has done nothing (again)

We would be better off bringing Pepe on and Moving Auba into the middle.