To be fair they had enough food chances on net that I've was bound to go in, and the own goal was an excellent ball with enough power to still be flying into the bank of the net after the deflection.
Arsenal 2016-17: Get Ready For A Xhak-attack
- Thread starter sachmoney
- Start date
I truly believe it takes any player a full year to adapt to the competition level of the premier league after a transfer. With that said though, and not that Mustafi is making anyone's Premier League XI, but who was the bigger bust between Xhaka and Perez?
Totally unsurprised by that performance.
The Wenger situation is just farcical at this point. Rival supporters are unfurling Wenger Stay banners, something like 90% of Arsenal supporters seem to want him out, and yet it seems inevitable that he will end up signing a new contract because the club is so poorly managed and there is nobody to force him out the door. Or, in the off chance that Wenger does end up leaving, it seems highly highly likely that the decision will be made at the very last minute in totally disorganized fashion and that the club will have done a completely shit job of lining up a successor. If you had to write a strategic plan for how to fuck up this potential transition, you might come up with something like what is happening.
The Wenger situation is just farcical at this point. Rival supporters are unfurling Wenger Stay banners, something like 90% of Arsenal supporters seem to want him out, and yet it seems inevitable that he will end up signing a new contract because the club is so poorly managed and there is nobody to force him out the door. Or, in the off chance that Wenger does end up leaving, it seems highly highly likely that the decision will be made at the very last minute in totally disorganized fashion and that the club will have done a completely shit job of lining up a successor. If you had to write a strategic plan for how to fuck up this potential transition, you might come up with something like what is happening.
I'd even argue that Perez has more often than not has shown up when given a rare chance, while Mustafi has been quietly awful in a way that puts him in a tie for the Bust-O award of the season.
How is this even a question?
And yeah, I'm with you Jimbo. I was very hard on Perez but he's actually made a positive contribution to a number of games he actually managed to find his way on to the pitch for whereas Xhaka and Mustafi have been mostly terrible.
Call me a GINO if you must, but if Arsenal isn't going to win the title (or even take advantage of the Manchesters' dropping points to maybe move into UCL contention) then I'd much rather it go to a Spurs team that was built from the ground up and competing against teams with 2-3x the budget they have, than go to those fuckers Chelsea led up front by one of the most loathsome players in european football and managed by an incredible douchebag. Other than Willian and Hazard, I'm not sure I'd piss on any of them if they were on fire - something you can't say too much about members of this Spurs team.
Fuck Chelsea right in their inaccessible-from-the-tube earholes. This is like Patriots fans looking at, I dunno, the 2010 Jets @ Colts playoff game, and having trouble figuring out who to root for.
Yeah, I'm just not a fan of Conte's antics.
Mourinho is certainly even easier to hate, but I've tried to suppress that while they're still contending for the Europa League.
Point being, if you didn't grow up hating them or have some particular beef with the team or its supporters, Spurs seem like a pretty hard team to dislike.
This much is pretty much where I am as well, FWIW. I don't mind Conte so much and don't hate Chelsea *quite* as much as I used to, but Spurs are a genuinely good story, and the North London rivalry is the only reason I wouldn't unreservedly support them well ahead of everyone else in the current top five.
Cool, I hope you guys revisit this ridiculous and wrong opinion in a year or 2 when the homegrown Yankees are winning the AL East.
after the players drove Jose out of Chelsea, I started rooting against (from being ambivalent).
Unfortunately for the Spurs, they find ways to shoot themselves in the foot and choke at the end
Unfortunately for the Spurs, they find ways to shoot themselves in the foot and choke at the end
It's always fun to beat Man U and great to finally beat Mourhino.
But the top 4 still seems really, really unlikely. Arsenal visits Southampton on Wed. then is at Stoke on Sat. Those wouldn't seem like really tough matches for most teams, but Arsenal has done horribly at both of these locations recently.
Arsenal have lost their last 2 matches at Southampton by a combined 6 goals to none, and going back to 2013, they've played there 4 times: 2 losses and 2 draws, getting two points from a possible 12.
Since 2011 Arsenal have visited Stoke 6 times, and not won any. They've lost 3 and drawn 3, taking 3 points from a possible 18 in that time.
Another serious problem in terms of trying to finish in the top 4 is that all the other contenders have a much better goal differential, so in any ties, Arsenal loses out.
But the top 4 still seems really, really unlikely. Arsenal visits Southampton on Wed. then is at Stoke on Sat. Those wouldn't seem like really tough matches for most teams, but Arsenal has done horribly at both of these locations recently.
Arsenal have lost their last 2 matches at Southampton by a combined 6 goals to none, and going back to 2013, they've played there 4 times: 2 losses and 2 draws, getting two points from a possible 12.
Since 2011 Arsenal have visited Stoke 6 times, and not won any. They've lost 3 and drawn 3, taking 3 points from a possible 18 in that time.
Another serious problem in terms of trying to finish in the top 4 is that all the other contenders have a much better goal differential, so in any ties, Arsenal loses out.
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If all teams ranked 3-6 win their remaining games (including MU @ Spurs), it comes to City 78, Liverpool 76, Arsenal 75, United 74. Here are the remaining slates, with those with potential to drop points bolded:
City: vs Leicester, vs WBA, at Watford
Liverpool: at West Ham, vs Boro
Arsenal: at Southampton, at Stoke, vs Sunderland, vs Everton, (vs Chelsea)
United: (vs Celta Vigo), at Spurs, at Southampton, vs Palace, (vs Ajax for some more Mourinho hardware!)
Unless City were to lose their next two, which while unlikely isn't an outrageous longshot, Arsenal's ability to qualify comes down to (A) rooting for the Hammers next Sunday, and (B) getting at least 4 road points before then. If all 3 of those things happen, they then control their destiny (and while they won't do it, Everton could even punt that last match just to deny Liverpool the spot).
If United win the tie on Thursday, we may actually see them kinda punt their remaining PL games in order to focus on rest / prep for the EL Final. But Arsenal is now ahead of MU on a winning-out basis, so they're not the primary concern.
City: vs Leicester, vs WBA, at Watford
Liverpool: at West Ham, vs Boro
Arsenal: at Southampton, at Stoke, vs Sunderland, vs Everton, (vs Chelsea)
United: (vs Celta Vigo), at Spurs, at Southampton, vs Palace, (vs Ajax for some more Mourinho hardware!)
Unless City were to lose their next two, which while unlikely isn't an outrageous longshot, Arsenal's ability to qualify comes down to (A) rooting for the Hammers next Sunday, and (B) getting at least 4 road points before then. If all 3 of those things happen, they then control their destiny (and while they won't do it, Everton could even punt that last match just to deny Liverpool the spot).
If United win the tie on Thursday, we may actually see them kinda punt their remaining PL games in order to focus on rest / prep for the EL Final. But Arsenal is now ahead of MU on a winning-out basis, so they're not the primary concern.
St Mary's and the Brittania have been graveyards for Arsenal so I'm not holding my breath. If we can somehow manage to win both matches, however, that will really amp up the pressure on Liverpool to beat West Ham away.
isn't winning EL better for Man United than taking 4th? IIRC Sevilla went straight to the Group stage after winning EL last season, whereas 4th place puts them into a qualifying round
Yes, that's right. Well, it's technically called the "playoff round", it's just one two-legged tie from the Group Stage, but that's where 4th place goes. Usually pretty reliable for 4th-place EPL teams to go through, but this year you had West Ham, last year's #7, totally flub their playoff round to the Europa League group stage (to Romanian club Astra Giurgiu).
But that's not to say that they'll necessarily punt the rest of the EPL season. For one thing, they could lose the EL, either Thursday or in the final. For another, they are right on the border of guaranteed UCL qualification whether they win the EL or not. No reason to "burn the boats" and say it's EL title or nothing. And for a third, there's at least a vague notion of professionalism, of giving something exciting to watch to the fans who paid to see your team.
But that's not to say that they'll necessarily punt the rest of the EPL season. For one thing, they could lose the EL, either Thursday or in the final. For another, they are right on the border of guaranteed UCL qualification whether they win the EL or not. No reason to "burn the boats" and say it's EL title or nothing. And for a third, there's at least a vague notion of professionalism, of giving something exciting to watch to the fans who paid to see your team.
What a douchebag. ;-)
Where's the inaccessible from the tube coming from? Stamford Bridge is maybe 90 seconds walk from Fulham Broadway and 20 min or so from Earl's Court.
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So Arsenal defeated Southampton tonight 2-0, which is nice. I would point out that Liverpool's recent form at Anfield is scratchy enough that three points against Boro isn't assured by any means...and City could just as easily drop points at Watford as in either of their two home games. So the Top 4 finish definitely could happen. I just wish I knew whether finishing in or out of the Top 4 was more or less likely to see Wenger leave in the summer, or indeed if it matters at all.
Wenger's comments about a Sporting Director (do they stand on the road directing players where to go in the car park?) has been drawing attention in British football media. According to Neil Ashton on PL Live today, this is causing friction between the board and Wenger.
I missed the 2nd half. the highlight of Alexis' goal was nice...in past seasons, this form shows up after UCL elimination.
Just today I bet a colleague that Wenger returns for next season - based on little beyond than observing Kroenke for the last decade-plus.
While the goals were nice, the defensive play was, I think, easy to underrate. Bellerin didn't look great his first few games back, but he was on point today. Mustafi too.
While the goals were nice, the defensive play was, I think, easy to underrate. Bellerin didn't look great his first few games back, but he was on point today. Mustafi too.
You realize he's been an NFL owner since 1999, and an NBA and NHL owner from 2000-2010, right? And has been at the center of a great deal of not-giving-a-fuck with respect to those teams?
Jeff Fisher finished the equivalent of mid-table or in the bottom half for a decade - and Kroenke gave him a contract extension. He only (reluctantly) fired him after the team regressed into relegation threatened for five or six consecutive seasons. Fisher also kept a young starlet nailed to the bench, and then the team openly quit and stopped making an effort for like the tenth year in a row.
Wenger would need to actually finish somewhere other than in a playoff spot, and take a shit on the pitch at halftime, and stop playing academy products, and do all that for a decade.
Stan Kroenke has some very strange management habits. Arsenal fans should be overjoyed Wenger keeps Kroenke at his Kroeke-iest from their team.
Ha, and of course that goal starts with a perfect pass from Coquelin and ends with a finish from Giroud.
I know nothing. I am constantly reminded of this.
I know nothing. I am constantly reminded of this.
Well, that's two of the three unlikely-but-not-impossible events needed to happen to put Arsenal back in the driver's seat for 4th. It now comes down to Liverpool @ WHU tomorrow. Anything less than a win would move Arsenal ahead.
With the Gunners' 4-1 win today, Liverpool and Arsenal are level on GD, too, which creates some interesting scenarios (e.g. Liverpool loss + Arsenal draw vs Everton). I wonder if Wenger will be looking to run up the score, Belichick-style, vs Sunderland on Tuesday.
I'm also kind of curious whether @OilCanShotTupac would want Everton to play the 2nd team next Saturday if it might deny Liverpool the Champions' League, since their 7th-place finish is now guaranteed.
With the Gunners' 4-1 win today, Liverpool and Arsenal are level on GD, too, which creates some interesting scenarios (e.g. Liverpool loss + Arsenal draw vs Everton). I wonder if Wenger will be looking to run up the score, Belichick-style, vs Sunderland on Tuesday.
I'm also kind of curious whether @OilCanShotTupac would want Everton to play the 2nd team next Saturday if it might deny Liverpool the Champions' League, since their 7th-place finish is now guaranteed.
Nice plane banner today, at an away match, too...
I assume Mike Ford participated in the funding, if not flying the thing himself.
Some random thoughts...
1. I fifth goal would have been f-ing great.
2. Mike Dean needs to get the boot. He missed a series of 5 or 6 calls (going against each team) which lead to the Crouch handball goal.
3. The older announcer today on NBC Sport feed needs to be put down. He lost the plot several times during the match.
1. I fifth goal would have been f-ing great.
2. Mike Dean needs to get the boot. He missed a series of 5 or 6 calls (going against each team) which lead to the Crouch handball goal.
3. The older announcer today on NBC Sport feed needs to be put down. He lost the plot several times during the match.
well, just watched the highlights...pretty sure Sunderland gave more effort today than Stoke did vs Arsenal
we're basically look for two 10-0 wins today and Sunday right? blast through the GD deficit they have with Liverpool
If Arsenal get two wins, the GD doesn't matter (with Liverpool, though it could with MC).
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Yeah, the only way GD could matter vs. Liverpool is with Arsenal getting a win and a draw, and Liverpool losing to Boro.
It would be so very Arsenal to beat Man U, win at Southampton and at Stoke, then drop points at home to already-relegated Sunderland.
so basically chances are slim. Liverpool losing to Boro is not likely. City losing at Watford.
if GD was needed, then getting them vs Sunderland would have been easier than vs Everton.
And they're unlikely to rotate vs Everton to rest for FA Cup final.
if GD was needed, then getting them vs Sunderland would have been easier than vs Everton.
And they're unlikely to rotate vs Everton to rest for FA Cup final.
My favorite scenario is Arsenal draw 1-1, while Liverpool lose 2-0. That would leave the teams even on points, GD, GF, and GA, and I think would then require a one-game playoff.