April 29 weekend

[candylandriots]

Surprised there isn't a thread started yet, but I guess it was a morning full of snoozers. Sunderland was officially relegated on a late goal from the Cherries.

Now in the late game, Palace so thin at the back (first three CB choices all out for the season, thank you Mario Grujic) and have already given up one to Burnley who haven't won on the road all season.

The big one is of course tomorrow.

 

[candylandriots]

The officiating in this Palace Burnley game is really, really bad.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Really questionable to not award Zaha a penalty on the challenge by Flanagan.

Gray makes it 2-0 at the other end

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Jesus.

 

[shawnrbu]

Awful penalty call that may cost Swansea a point and gift ManU 2 points.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Even if you are worried that video replay may disrupt the game, no reason not to do retroactive cards or suspensions for blatant dives.

 

[OCST]

Costa in full drama-queen mode, writhing around with an owie. Get up you bastard.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Draw by ManU. City trailing. Arsenal may really have a chance to save their season with a win today.

 

[Zomp]

Pedro with a bullet

 

[Zomp]

Chelsea kill off Everton 3-0 while City are gifted a penalty for their first goal and still only get a draw against Boro.


Does anyone want Champions League?

 

[coremiller]

Spurs are without Walker, Rose, and Dembele, and unless Son is playing wingback again they're playing a 4 at the back rather than 3 with wingbacks.

Meanwhile Arsenal are playing 3 at the back with Gibbs and Ox as wingbacks. Ramsay gets picked ahead of the more defensive-minded players (Coquelin, Elneny) to partner Xhaka.

The result is that instead of similar systems with direct man-to-man matchups, the sides are trying to overload different areas of the pitch. Which team can get the ball to the areas where they have overloads more often will be key. For Arsenal, that's out wide against Spurs' backup fullbacks -- if/when Ozil and Sanchez drift outside, they can create 2v1s there. For Spurs, it's in the middle.

I think this game turns on how Xkaha and Ramsay hold up in the middle against the Dele/Eriksen/Son trio Spurs are playing behind Kane. On paper there's the potential for Arsenal to get outnumbered there. Xhaka's propensity to collect cards could also come into play.

 

[coremiller]

So far, Spurs' numbers in midfield are giving them control, but Arsenal's numbers at the back mean they're struggling to do much with it. They also miss Dembele, that Dier/Wanyama pairing has a lot of physicality and tackling but not much creativity.

That's twice now Trippier has just miskicked the ball out of play while under no pressure.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Spurs have some sort of cyborg on the bench.

 

[coremiller]

WTF. Spurs have now twice missed an open net.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Feels like only a matter of time until Gunners' backline misses a cover or gets nutmegged.

 

[coremiller]

Why did Xhaka not get booked for that? And wtf is Xhaka doing chasing the centerback around there anyway?

 

[coremiller]

HT. Spurs have been comfortably superior without really dominating or creating many clearcut chances. Their best two chances came off a deflected shot and a rebound.

Arsenal's back 3 has made for a tamer match. Spurs are clearly targeting Ox on defense with Son/Davies overloads, but while Son skinned Ox once Ox has otherwise been ok. The ball spending so much time on that side has meant that Alli and Eriksen have been a little peripheral. Partly that's because Dier/Wanyama can't beat anyone on the dribble or play tricky passes into attackers' feet, so they're taking the easy option and playing it out wide to the fullbacks. But Davies has been merely ok, while Trippier has been terrible on the ball.

I think this is the wrong game for Giroud. Sanchez and Ozil have to play wide, which means there's no one for him to win knockdowns to, and he doesn't have the pace to trouble the Spurs' high line.

If Dembele is fit I'd definitely expect to see him in the second half. Maybe Walker as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Welbeck or Walcott comes on for Giroud.

 

[shawnrbu]

Lot of diving getting rewarded today.

 

[ifmanis5]

And that's the match. Ovah.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

I thought Kane had missed that penalty at first - it was like one of those shots which hits the outside of the net and the crowd thinks it's gone in, only somehow the complete opposite.

 

[mikeford]

Petr Cech hasn't stopped a penalty since Thatcher was in office.

 

[URI]

 

[ifmanis5]

Arsenal can't defend against top sides.

 

[coremiller]

It's getting chippy now. 4 cards in 6 minutes.

 

[mikeford]

Arsenal never threatened and had maybe one actual scoring chance. Except it was the world's worst Welshman who hit it, so I couldn't even say it was a scoring chance based on that. Pathetic club.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Losing away to the best club (on current form) in the Premier League isn't exactly evidence that your club is pathetic.

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

Losing away to the best club (on current form) in the Premier League isn't exactly evidence that your club is pathetic.

But it's a fact nonetheless.

 

[mikeford]

Losing away to the best club (on current form) in the Premier League isn't exactly evidence that your club is pathetic.

Showing zero fight against your arch rival is.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

My point is that there are plenty of reasons to think Arsenal is a pathetic club at present without using today's performance as evidence. And I'd ascribe Arsenal's "lack of fight" to Wenger's new defensive-minded formation, not an attitude problem.

 

[JimBoSox9]

Arsenal never threatened and had maybe one actual scoring chance. Except it was the world's worst Welshman who hit it, so I couldn't even say it was a scoring chance based on that. Pathetic club.

I like to read all of Mikeford's Arsenal posts this season in the voice of the "England Prevails!" dude from V for Vendetta. It's really quite spot-on

 

[JayMags71]

I like to read all of Mikeford's Arsenal posts this season in the voice of the "England Prevails!" dude from V for Vendetta. It's really quite spot-on

More like Piers Morgan.

 

[mikeford]

More like Piers Morgan.

Uncalled for.

 

[67YAZ]

Liverpool & Watford just kicked off. 11 minutes in, 'Pool look like the lesser side. Countinho is hobbling around and Lallana has now come for him. Things not looking so good right now.

 

[pedro1918]

Well, I guess it's nice to have Adam back.

 

[67YAZ]

Here's hoping Lallana can go the distance today. I'm sure Klopp wasn't expecting him to put in 80+ minutes.

Coutinho's right thigh is wrapped...this squad does not have the bench for another injury.

And now a Watford injury sub. Tough day at Vicarage Road already.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Spectacular volley by Lallana, but it's off the crossbar.

 

[67YAZ]

Lallana with a beautiful volley off a Gomez punch...hits the bottom of the crossbar and bounces out. So close.

Watford playing a back 5 and then keeping 2 mids deep in front of them. It's going to be hard to break that down.

 

[swiftaw]

Can!!!!!!!!

 

[pedro1918]

Oh my...Can!

 

[67YAZ]

And Can one up hims with a bicycle! Wow. Fantastic stuff.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

WOW.

What a goal by Can.

 

[bstoker7]

Can! I didn't think he had a chance of putting that on net.

 

[67YAZ]

Lovren & Matip trying to connect in front of goal...and then Watford break. What the fuck is up with this team sometimes?

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Somehow while protecting a 1 goal lead in stoppage time, the 2 players furthest forward were Lovren and Matip.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

And there's the heart attack moment where Watford hit the goal frame.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Whew.

3 points, no matter how they come, are huge.

 

[67YAZ]

Watford hit the crossbar just before the final whistle. Yeesh. But a vital 3pts for Liverpool.

Let's see how Coutinho is. Looked to me like he took a knee to the thigh. He and Lallana playing together are essential to any Liverpool chance to run the table here.

 

[swiftaw]

The question is, how many more points do Liverpool need?

 

[SoxFanInCali]

The question is, how many more points do Liverpool need?

Man U play Arsenal this weekend, the result will go a long way towards answering that. If they both drop points with a draw, that allows Liverpool to survive a slip-up in the last 3 games.

 

[swiftaw]

Plus United have to go to Spurs after that.