Our away form is a worry and a trip to Burnley, which a couple of seasons ago would have been one filled with optimism, is now a concern.
Chapeau off to Burnley who have done remarkably; a team with little money, small crowds and limited resources, are not only keeping a place in the PL but currently in the in 7th, level on points with the Mighty Arsenal. It shows what hardwork, playying as a team and good tactics can do. Sean Dyche will undoubtedly go onto bigger clubs as he has ta touch of the George Graham about him – an ability to create a united club.
As to Arsenal, how do we break this away hoodoo? The same way that Burnley do it – hard work, cohesive tactics and the odd piece of exceptional creativity. Just how we played last weekend.
We know what to expect, at least 65% AFC possession and Burnley looking for goals from the counter and set plays. We are used to games following this pattern.
Almost everyone is fit so there will be selection headaches for Mr Wenger but I expect the same team as entertained us so royally against the Miscreants.
My Team:
Cech
Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Bellerin Ramsey Xhaka Kolasinac
Ozil
Lacazette Sanchez
This is our best starting 11 and with Welbeck, Giroud etc on the bench we have a damned good first team.
Weather today will be rubbish, cold and wet. Referee will need to be alert and consistent. Much has been written about how lucky we were with the decisions vs Spurs. Poppycock. We won because we were the better team. More of the same today please.
COYRRG
Great stuff, BR.
Must win game today.
We could be 4th 6th or 7th tonight.
Time to perform well away from home.
Hopefully the NLD has galvanised team spirit and belief.
Time to show some mental strength.
COYRRG
Strange to see little highlight clips for this game.
Thanks BR and for the great mood starters from Chas.
Mood starters, is that a thing?
Off to cycle round Regents Park with a few friends in the never ending struggle to keep the fat at bay.
Where am I?
Oh yes, morning all.
Before I get on to the BR PM, a small round of applause for yesterday’s results. Very nice for us.
Merci Erik
What kind of football do Burnley play? Slick and sexy, or hoofy and northern?
Mind you we will, and should, play the same XI either way 🙂
Is today’s game on telly?
Wow, apparently not
It is listed on liveonlinefootie, but even there it’s a bit weird as it’s listed on Ch1 which is the Sky sports talkie channel
It’s on my telly, micky and LB.
TrueVisions, courtesy of BeIn Sports – LIVE !
I’ll never understand how I get every PL game LIVE when England doesn’t. Every Champions League game LIVE. Every Europa League game LIVE.
Gobsmackingly unbelievable.
Big Raddy
When you state “my team” and name 11 players, is that the team YOU want to be selected, or…
…is that the team that you think Arsene will pick?
Those who not attending where are we watching the game
Poking my nose in here.
Surely this is one of those rare occasions when that totally over rated bloke who has been choosing the starting line up for 21 years is in agreement with the supporters view of things?
I am battling with my inner soul not to go to the 12 Pins in Finsbury Park and chance watching a stream, which could be awful, on line.
Finnary Park LB
What time the game starting not accustomed to UK time yet
Yes Chas, a must win game today… come 4 o’clock we could be 4th…. Burnley that is…
As long as after the game we aren’t talking about Off-sides and Hand-ball goals like last season…
Arsenal should win this on paper but… dismiss us at your peril, ask Liverpool, Tottenham CHELSEA (ha ha ha now that was one to savour)
May the best team win (as long as its Burnley 😉)
Come on you Clarets
Mesut out with illness (apparently)
Thanks Raddy … spot on as always.
We don’t need Stewart (above) to tell us what a tricky feature this could be ….. but on the other hand he’s a cocky git who needs taking down a peg or two 🙂
Let’s hope we can play football and they don’t decide to be orks ….
…. Why no Ozil ???
Oh … I see, he’s ill …. a blow, he’s been exceptional recently …
Chas
1:01 AND with the graphic. That’s seriously impressive work
Ok, here come my excuses. Didn’t get home until 3am. Big toe hurts, and worst of all, my facial skin is dehydrated and dry as crisp. Terrible state of affairs.
No Mesut. I demand an explanation.
Ok, what’s the telly sitch?
YES, YES, BTsport Europe it’s called
Micky
Arsenal team news comes out on twitter almost bang on 1 hour before kick off. Link to image takes 1 second to copy, 1 second to paste. Hardly impressive apart from for those still using telephonic devices.
Stewart
Can we have a two goal head start, as that suits our style of play the best?
Cheers 🙂
Chas
I usually fax my line up over via dial-up from a shed in the woods
Mesut spotted in Las Ramblas
Mesut’s girl friend visiting schools in Barcelona
Mesut says free the Jordi’s
I am not trying to start rumours ok, this is all true.
It’s still impressive to me
I wouldn’t have a clue how to get the team from Twitter.
As for “link to image”
Mejor que hablemos en español porque no tengo ningun idea lo que has escrito.
LB
Any quality rumour has a grainy, hard to really identify, pic of two people in the back of a dark restaurant 🙂
Ok, come on you Gunnners
And come on Iwobi
amazing ball from Laca
beginning to turn the screw
I think
Finally on the sofa.
What have I missed?
Arsenal, Zero shots on goal in 45 minutes
Get a Grip. Do better, much better.
lunch for one
Thank you, Raddy. 🙂
Very tough game, but just one of those games that we look forward to. Expecting a hard earned 3 points and 3 places move up teh table..
COYG,
Found a stream but it was so bad, I gave up.
Have Burnley really only committed 2 fouls to our 9, yet they have 2 bookings?
Excited to find Iwobi in there.
Struggled to find a decent stream, seem to have found one just now. 🙂
Onwards and upwards. COYG.
Chas, I am doing one of the additional ones on cricfree. Foreign commentary but decent stream
goals
come on
Lunch is for wimps
Oh God, Erik, you haven’t gone all red braces and Wall Street on us have you
Our off the ball movement in attack is really poor
May as well stick Ollie on soon and just hoof it
come on lads
bender to top corner
JW is coming on for Iwobi.
Need an attacking change as well, perhaps some height.
Clear penalty on Bellerin.
Another rubbish decision against us.
Because their fans are so booey and moaney, I’d love a last minute highly controversial Arsenal winner 🙂
he he he
Pleeeeeease score pleeeeeease
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
hahahahahahaha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 🙂
i’d like my 3:44 to go down as the most prophetic comment of all time
he he he 🙂
Mmmm. Stupid from the Burnley player but who cares.
Lovely penalty from Sanchez
ok, good defensive display from Burnley, but we have the last laugh.
cannot complain. 🙂
Justice was done as we should have had a penalty earlier in the game.
3 points and we are up into 4th (I think)
Micky is the Oracle
Micky, I love you.
Never in any doubt 🙂 …. apparently we’ve scored in extra time in the last 3 games at Burnley … last year it was kozzers elbow ….
Stewart from Burnley
No, we’re not talking about handballs and offsides this time around but about defenders so thick they think they can shove someone in the back in the area and not get penalised.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Although putting up with 90 mins of zero goals, on top of having dry skin are desperate times, last gasp winners are bloody superb
A clearer penalty you never will see. 😆
power shift
ROLF
90 minutes with dry skin sounds too much to bear.
🙂
Just where is this dry skin?
sorry erik, ive gone for a kip
Power shift and dry skin. Thoughts of the day. 😀
Come on Huddersfield
… in Cornwall?
You can almost hear Lee Mason thinking,
‘Shit, what have I done? Mike Riley will be retrieving the special referee punishment paddle from its secret hiding place’
LB. Tomorrow’s post. OK?
Raheem Sterling is a cheat and could overtake Teddy Sheringham as my most despised player.
2 dives in 2 weeks = 2 penalties.
how the feck could Didit predict it? Sheer brilliance 🙂
It was a decent game as it happens and I sort of felt for Sean Dyche, his team could have easily win by 1 or 2 goals. Not a bad little outfit that Burnely
Even if it is in Scotland
Southern Iceland
Arsenal with the win!
Burnley never really troubled the D, except for Cech’s tipped shot off the post.
Clean sheet.
Now, on the other hand, they played very deep and tried to hit on the counter, to be expected. But, every time Arsenal broke, they grabbed, shirt pulled, hacked down and played negative football.
They were playing for a draw all day long. However, to be considered in the upper echelons of futbol, one has to play attacking futbol or just slide back to mid-pack mediocrity.
They got what they deserved, and Bellerin should have had a penalty earlier in the game.
Tale of two halves, and Arsene changed it up for the second, and look at final stats: possession, shots, xG, and one gets a clearer picture.
Poor spuds falling back to the mean.
Go Gunners!
The old guard don’t like expected goals. 🙂
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/nov/26/battle-football-old-school-pundits-stats-boffins-jeff-stelling-sky-sports
Jack’s looking ripped
The twitter hashtag #twitterclarets is really funny if you like to see some Northern piss-boiling. 🙂
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23twitterclarets
Mornin’
Two home games in next five days. Huddersfield and Utd.
Time to step on the gas.
ha ha ha Ant, I have actually checked Burnley yesterday. It is near Liverpool, not Scotland, you tool
Didit – you is the new Crystal Ball 🙂 Unbelievable prediction, I am very impressed
Huddersfield v City ended in 1:2, they are hardly a walk in the park. Where is bloody Huddersfield?? In London?
oh ffs, near Leeds, not London. Are there any southern teams in the EPL except for us and Spurs?
micky – you are going to like this. One idiot on the internet dating site wrote to me saying he is looking for some excitement in his life. I suggested he tries selling drugs. He reported me to the admin and I received a stern warning :):)
Morning All,
Watched the Huddersfield game yesterday, they are a good team and we can expect much the same as Burnley.
Loving a last minute penalty, though for a nano-second I thought the keeper had saved it.
Eddie. You are in fine form this morning 😀
Not really Raddy. The tiler has just arrived. He couldn’t work weekend because his van broke down. He couldn’t get materials today because of an accident on A10. He has done nothing yet, but already made several phone calls, had 2 cups of tea and turned his radio on. Oh, and plugged in his electric tools in to charge – he doesn’t use them here, just helps himself to my electricity.
And I can’t say a word, because I need him to finish the job. It is fooking killing me.
Look on the positives, I bet you were delighted when he turned up – usually you wait in all day and hear nothing.
You should get a Pole, they are much more reliable Eddie.
Is the tiler single?
Could kill two birds here Eddie
There is a New Post
motning all. 🙂
oy, dont you dare badmouth sconny botland or the NORTH. 🙂
“god far t’ ale” 🙂