Arsenal v Blackpool
- Thread starter PINKIE
- Start date
He was a cockwomble. Started off by missing two obvious corners to us. Then booked Guendouzi for a standard challenge, then booked him again for a simple tangle. Ridiculous sending off. Hopefully Arsenal will challenge that.
We were well in control of the game at 2-0 up. Blackpool had barely threatened us at all. In fact, they very rarely ventured out of their half. Then Guendouzi gets sent off and we just retreated, tried to soak up the pressure and things got nervy. We didn't need to do that because we still had players who could hurt them even with 10 men.
Guendouzi shouldn't have been sent off in my opinion, and referees need to realise not every foul is a yellow card. However, his inexperience did show there. Whether he was rightly on a yellow or not in the first place, it won't change the ref's decision. So to then tug a player back, even if it's minimal contact, when they're in our third of the pitch and when you're already on a yellow card, was very naive. He shouldn't have given the ref a decision to make. Was a shame he got red carded because I thought he was playing very well up until that point.
Pleguezuelo and Mustafi did well at centre-half. Jenkinson didn't do too badly at left-back. Lichtsteiner was ok, but I still don't think he seems comfortable in 1 v 1 situations against nimble players.
Delighted for Smith-Rowe to get the goal, he was also looking threatening throughout up until Guendouzi got sent off. Which meant his role was more about protecting Litchsteiner than troubling Blackpool's defence.
Cech literally gifting them a goal, only for it to be ruled offside, epitomises why Leno is number 1. No idea what he was thinking. Emery would have been seething had that not been offside.
Overall, a very comfortable 55 minutes only to then make hard work of a game we were cruising in.
Ah well, doesn't matter now. 13 games unbeaten, into the quarter-finals of the Cup and now we can look ahead to the Liverpool game
Guendouzi shouldn't have been sent off in my opinion, and referees need to realise not every foul is a yellow card. However, his inexperience did show there. Whether he was rightly on a yellow or not in the first place, it won't change the ref's decision. So to then tug a player back, even if it's minimal contact, when they're in our third of the pitch and when you're already on a yellow card, was very naive. He shouldn't have given the ref a decision to make. Was a shame he got red carded because I thought he was playing very well up until that point.
Pleguezuelo and Mustafi did well at centre-half. Jenkinson didn't do too badly at left-back. Lichtsteiner was ok, but I still don't think he seems comfortable in 1 v 1 situations against nimble players.
Delighted for Smith-Rowe to get the goal, he was also looking threatening throughout up until Guendouzi got sent off. Which meant his role was more about protecting Litchsteiner than troubling Blackpool's defence.
Cech literally gifting them a goal, only for it to be ruled offside, epitomises why Leno is number 1. No idea what he was thinking. Emery would have been seething had that not been offside.
Overall, a very comfortable 55 minutes only to then make hard work of a game we were cruising in.
Ah well, doesn't matter now. 13 games unbeaten, into the quarter-finals of the Cup and now we can look ahead to the Liverpool game
They've changed the rules as of this year. Previously, if a player was sent off in a domestic cup game, they would be illegible to play for the next domestic game (whether it be league or cup). Whereas now, it follows on to the next cup game. So Guendouzi will be available for the Liverpool game - thankfully - but won't be for whoever we're up against in the QFs.
Good that he'll be available for the Liverpool game, but totally unfair that he's ruled out of the QF's. Was a ****house decision for both yellows.
Quarter-final draw recap
Arsenal v Tottenham
Leicester or Southampton v Manchester City or Fulham
Middlesbrough v Burton
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Ties to be played week commencing 17 December.
Arsenal v Tottenham
Leicester or Southampton v Manchester City or Fulham
Middlesbrough v Burton
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Ties to be played week commencing 17 December.
A tough congested fixture list for us in December, a match every 3 days (9 games from Dec 2nd - Dec 29th)
Spuds x 2 (both at home)
Man U (away)
Liverpool (away)
I'll be happy if we can take 17 from 21 pts in the 7 Premier League games, possible draws against Pool and Man U, rest are winnable!
Spuds x 2 (both at home)
Man U (away)
Liverpool (away)
I'll be happy if we can take 17 from 21 pts in the 7 Premier League games, possible draws against Pool and Man U, rest are winnable!