Let’s just cut to the chase, dive straight in and talk about the best part of the ninety four minutes, no I don’t mean the last gasp goal from Lacazette that saved us from one of most horrible feelings that there can be no matter what the competition – losing to Chelsea is never a good look and never a good feeling; no, I am talking about something so much more uplifting, what is it, what is it, all this build up, is it going to be worth it? Oh yes it is – Guendouzi’s body check on Hudson-Odoi. The irritating upstart had been messing Hector around all game when suddenly bosh, have some of that you dirty chav; Guendouzi who is rapidly coming one of my favourite players showed him what is what and left the annoying blue mess writhing on the deck.
It is staggering that he is only 19 and has been playing in French lower league. There is no doubt in my mind that he has made Elneny redundant and some may say Xhaka too. Granit is a bit of a marmite player so I understand where some people are coming from but it is a bit early for that. Incredibly there is a lot of similarity in their style play but if anything the young Frenchman moves that ball around just that bit quicker, so although, I don’t expect that it will be long until Granit returns he will know he has serious competition for his place and he will not have the protection of being a shiny new Emery signing: Xhaka is a product of the old regime. Should be interesting, we shall see. Can’t stop thinking about that body check – love it.
Chelsea put out a pretty strong side and carved our defence open like a Sunday roast. You can say that with Monreal, Torreira and Xhaka in the mix things might have been a bit different – perhaps, but even with all three of them there I don’t think we would have stopped their goal and what’s more I predict we will suffer an awful lot more of that kind. Koscielny might have done something about it but that is a long way off.
The best form of defence is attack, well it is going to have to be, although, fortunately we are blessed in that department. And there is Iwobi – Barn Door meet Iwobi, Iwobi meet Barn Door, no Alex it’s over there; he should have scored and given us a slightly calmer finish.
But cometh the, (how on earth am I going to make this one work? No idea.) cometh Lacazette. We all saw it; he was more potent in 5 minutes than the rest of the attack had been for seventy minutes. The Butcher’s Dog got himself on the score sheet again and has surely earned himself a starting berth against City.
Cech was awesome. The step up for Smith-Rowe was a tad far; I bet he regrets not taking the shot on when that golden chance appeared. Kolasinac: we have done this one, he is just filling in. The central defence pairing, well if you can see some upside please let me know?
Mah, it was only a friendly and we avoided losing which no one likes. Next up, the caring sharing, kind hearted souls from Italy’s capital – Lazio. Onwards and upwards.
Written by LB
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Excellent stuff, LB, thanks very much.
You’ve covered all the interesting bits from the game.
Guendouzi was Arsenal’s best player, such confidence and never afraid to offer himself up for the cause.
When are we going to learn how to play against the high press? Mustafi and Sokratis were giving me kittens every time they attempted to look like skillful footballers trying to pass their way out of trouble.
Bellerin looked weak against the chav winger – mind you most full backs would when you are that exposed.
We were much more compact in the second half.
I nearly gave up after an hour but was pleased I stayed for the last kick of the 93 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!
Iwobi’s penalty was majestic – such coolness under pressure! 🙂
Sokratis was terrible we need the big koscielny back added sokratis and mustafi that is calamity
Thanks v much LB. Excellent read
If we assume Torreira is a starter, I guess the question is whether Emery goes for a midfield two or three. If three, then maybe Xhaka starts on the left and your man Guendouzi on the right. I’d say M-N could be back-up for either side.
Those three might provide the defensive shield it sounds like our defence still needs, while also allowing for LBG’s front three of Mesut (yip, in the No10) behind Auba and Laca 🙂
Guess who missed the penalties again? Doh
Hahahaha
I have seen them now, I think I was a tad harsh on Iwobi up there..
I think if all the squad were fit then Torriera would be a first choice starter against City but I can’t see any reason why he would need to be an automatic starter against, say, Huddersfield.
It’s not rocket science but it should be interesting to see if Emery adopts this way of doing things.
Iwobi is the new Eboue,
Thanks LB, I missed the game so I appreciate the report. Not sure if to be happy about our attacking players (with only one goal in 90th minute) or worry about the fragile defence (again, chavs only managed 1 goal).
I like Matteo too, terrific hair 🙂 what’s that about body check, what did he actually do?
oooh, i have seen it now, that Odoi is bloody good, outplayed my Hector
Where have you seen the bodycheck?
no, i could’t find the body check. only the runs of hudson odoi past hector. And there is a vid when they talk about it
Where do you find these video gems, Eddie?
1. google “guendouzi hudson odoi”
2. choose Video option
3. watch many shitty vids of Hudson Odoi and one or two of Matteo
body check?
Terrific LB. We need to find the bodycheck!
Micky, re your query regarding setting out of my team. I repeated the 433 written formation specifically because “Dick” had described it that way in one of the pre season press conferences, and then proceeded to explain that Mesut plays just behind the two strikers!
Here it is – how beautiful 🙂
Even has slow-mo of it!
Feckin youtube ad gets in the way of the full speed, just close advert then slide it back to 5m:57s
oh ffs, what a tosser that Hudson is!! even holding his face, bloody hell
thanks chas, you is a star
“the Chav ran into me, guv!”
stop winding me up, I am already furious about that twat that chav hail the new Messiah
ok so I am fixated on working through the 5 captains of Emery:
Ramsey against AMadrid
Ozil against PSG
so who wore the armband against Chelsea?
Petr Cech
cech
was this guy wearing an Arsenal medalion?
he was stabbed to death yesterday, some rapper. Scoucers would probably have a few minutes silence, shall we?
RIP
Very excited by this Guendouzi fella, but I’ll be buggered if I’m typing that every time.
What’s the answer… Ouzi? Guen sounds a bit girly
9mm?
Matteo
I am not calling another man Matteo. Ever.
ey? why?
doesn’t suit my vocal chords at all
right, good night.
oi, calling all experts!
last night on TalkSport radio few people said that Arsenal fans would like Unai to buy a ‘wide player’. Allegedly we haven’t got one. What is a ‘wide player’? Aren’t Hector and the new kid Torreira wide players?
micky – i worked out Matteo’s name for us, It is Gu.End.Ozil
how horrible is that? and to think they spend YEARS practising for this
Real Madrid have put a £670m price tag on 32-year-old Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, named player of the 2018 World Cup, to deter Inter Milan from making any approach.
ok, last bombshell from me: Ramsey to Pool, we get Dembele. I bloody hope not.
NEW POST
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