Our game against QPR away, turned out an ok 2.1 to the good guys. Many of us saw this as an easy 3 points but we also realised that quite often what looks easy is far from it. The game started where both teams were feeling one another out, we usually have a half hour like that before one or other gets in their stride. QPR i feel did get the initial boost of confidence and we were under a bit of pressure as the half ended.

 .

We came out second half with a little more motivation. Whether the manager had said his two pennyworth  or not, all I know is that we started to string a few passes together and looked like we were starting to work together. We had a few chances but shots at goal seemed like pass backs and did little to worry QPR goalkeeper Green. Ozil I felt had an influence he was moving quite well and also a few nice passes as well, Le Coq with his white Phantom of the opera mask on was as enthralling as ever and with the mask, didnt let that interfere with his task at hand. Present stats say he has made more tackles than any other DM and he certainly wasn’t going to let up.

 .

Both sides had their chances, but the first goal came by a combination of passes and real doggedness from the Arsenal attack, a nice pass inside by Gibbs rebounds to Giroud who quickly found the back of the net …..  1.0 to the Arsenal. It has to be said that the referee looked a homer from the start but as the game wore on he just seemed card happy. QPR were anything but gentle and many times an Arsenal player was bowled over. This arsenal side seem to have come through the bullying stage this season players like Cazorla now seems to stand toe to toe with many of the tough guys, his trickery has them at two and eights and the way we pass so quickly seems to alleviate a lot of the physicalities.

 .

Sanchex again was like a Duracel battery. Where he gets his stamina is anyones guess, but he was all over the place – defence wing attack and bitting at legs, he is certainly an all rounder. Bellerin was up and down. Many complain that he ventures up to much but he also runs back another who is only getting better with time. The ageless Rosicky also had a good spell he also puts a lot in and certainly helped the cause. Ospina still holds the starting shirt, he did nothing to suggest that will change.

 .

Another attack and a nifty inside pass from Gibbs again to the ever willing Sanchez and a bit of wizardry saw the ball as quick as a flash whip past the flailing Green 2.1 to the good guys.

QPR had been shaken, but the complacency of our side started to give Rangers a boost. A was ball passed into our box to Austin who had his back against our goal. It looked for a minute to be safe, only for Gibbs and Koscielney to take steps backwards to give their striker time to turn and hit a venomous shot passed the helpless Ospina.

.

I have seen our defence do this many times and many’s the time we have been punished, that definitely needs sorting. But when the final whistle came the best team won. Ramsey came on as a sub looked a little lost but should soon be back to his best. A good 3 points not many points dropped by any of the teams above us so more importantly none dropped by us either.

.

.

On a rare visit to these shores I managed to blag a ticket to join our wonderful away support at Loftus Road.

It was also the first time I’ve been to that stadium, which is bizarre as I’m a born-and-bred Londoner and have been to all the other London grounds. Even Dulwich Hamlet.

The experience of attending games at the Emirates and at older grounds like QPR is now so stark that it’s almost like going to a different sport altogether. However, there is a charm to the old places that is distinctly lacking from the new super-stadia.

Anyway, on to the game.

It was a match that pleasingly fulfilled a host of footballing clichés: a game of two halves; we were forced to dig deep; Ollie scored a poacher’s goal and so on.

In the first half we started slowly and then put the handbrake on. The Rs were up for a battle and made the game very physical. We were unable to take control of the ball in midfield which meant we were soaking up a lot of pressure and our defenders looked nervous – hacking the ball away rather than playing it out.

During this period our defenders did well. Paulista won most of his challenges and headers before being forced off with a hamstring injury. The BFG was dominant in the air and marshaled the back line well and both Gibbs and Bellerin were dogged in their work.

As for Francis Coquelin – he turned up dressed for a Venetian masked ball and proceeded to patrol the area in front of our defence like a Renaissance duelist (younger readers, think Assassins Creed), never shirking a challenge. His composure on the ball is also something to behold.

It was something of a relief to get to half time 0-0. QPR had few clear cut chances but it felt like the sort of game where we would inevitably concede a goal if we couldn’t get off the back foot.

Fortunately we came out much more positively in the second half – attacking towards the noisy away support behind the goal. Beer had been consumed so the exact events are a bit of a blur, but Ozil and Rosicky really got in the game and began dictating play; Sanchez worked as tirelessly as ever and Giroud showed for everything.

With good wide support from Gibbs and Bellerin we began to properly threaten and the Rangers players started to tire.

The breakthrough game after some good work down our left from Gibbs, who got a low cross into the near post for Ollie to poke home. It wasn’t a spectacular goal, but you have to give credit to our French Stallion for being alert to the situation and getting there first.

Cue much relief among the Arsenal fans (we were already aware that scores elsewhere were not going our way).

And shortly after we felt even safer when Alexis picked up a ball from Gibbs and twisted and turned his way into the box before deceiving Green in the QPR goal with a low reverse shot just inside the near post. A lovely piece of skill and imagination.

Two-nil and we relaxed a little. In the ensuing 10 minutes or so we had two or three good opportunities – the best falling to Alexis who found himself in a one-on-one with Green. Alexis tried to slip it to Ozil on the right but Green read it and cleared up.

And then we came over all Arsenally. With the game looking safe we switched off and in a split second Rangers were back in the game at 1:2 from a well hit Charlie Adam shot after Gibbs and Koscielny backed away from him.

It made for a nervy last 10 minutes but we held on and we were able to bring home a very important three points.

Some thoughts on individual players: Ozil is an absolute joy to watch – he seems to think at a faster pace than the players around him; Santi – while not quite up to Man City away form – was always available to relieve pressure with his close control; Ospina is starting to look like our real Number One; Giroud’s strike rate is starting to nudge him towards “top, top striker” level – do we really need to look elsewhere in the summer?

RockyLives