Yet another London Derby. Games at Palace are usually exciting events, let’s hope for a winter cracker this lunchtime.
I am always grateful to Crystal Palace for developing the talents of Ian (God 8) Wright. I fondly recall his brace for Palace in the 1990 FA Cup Final against MU. That little chap brought me so much pleasure – thank you GG for signing him.
Thinking of GG, he scored a couple of stunners against Palace (as LBG wrote) but none as good as Giroud’s from 2017.
Which brings us to today. Arsenal are in wonderful form, can it continue? I see no reason why not not. The chaps will be rested (apart from those who played in Lisbon).
So far this season we have seen a constant change of formation and it is almost impossible to predict what is UE’s choice of tactic. How can it be that we play so poorly in the first halves and then improve so radically in the second? Is it really rope-a-dope?
We have to be excited by the quality of the new signings and also the development of our young players. The future looks very bright.
Palace are struggling but have the ability to upset any team at Selhurst Park. In Zaha they have a much-in-demand winger, one we have been linked with over many years. I am not convinced by him, we need consistency and Zaha is a bit too mercurial for me. We have the better rounded and younger Iwobi.
My Team:
Burnt
Catwalk Mustafi TGB Swiss Chap
Another Swiss Chap Terrier Nigerian
Genius German
Laca PEA
Will Emery play two upfront? He doesn’t usually. SO, given PEA started in Lisbon, it is likely he will be benched for Mhiki and get another brace in his 30 minutes.
Left back remains a problem. AMN (Cons) got a few minutes in the U-23s but to play him against CP’s biggest threat (Zaha) would be risky. Nacho and Wardrobe are still not ready, so we have to play Lichtsteiner or Xhaka. Xhaka is no LB, he looks lost, so another run out for our ageing Swiss full back, a master of the Dark Arts, I love to watch his opponents infuriated by his “Italian “skillset” but hope Nacho is fit enough to play.
Enough of this rambling …
This is not an easy fixture and should we rack up No.12, I will be very, very happy.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
We have movement behind the scenes.
BFG has been added to the Arsenal Executive team as has Huss Fahmy, who was brought in from Team Sky’s legal and contract team.
Pleased for BFG who is now fully integrated into the management team at AFC, much like the Bayern Munich model of having former players involved in the future diraection of the club.
Excellent preview, BR and a mighty fine starting 11. Not sure about Licht playing a third game in a week at LB, but Unai doesn’t seem to have many options right now. Maybe Holding gets a go there.
Morning Raddy, It’s unusual for me to be 2nd to comment – where are the (un)usual morning crew?
Thanks for the post, I’ve liked what I’ve seen of Palace this season and felt they have been unfortunate in several games.
Great to hear that BFG is now embedded into the Arsenal back room he is a solid addition.
My lasting memory of Crystal Palace was spending a day being coached by Lock and Laker. I was one of many London schoolboys selected based on our ability – I was a spin bowler.
Terrible news about the Leicester City owner dying when his helicopter crashed after leaving the ground.
Thanks for the pre-game BR
A brace for both Laca & Pea + a clean sheet
COYG!
Looking forward to our game and then later watching Hamilton win his 5th F1 Championship in Mexico.
Cheers, BR.
Let’s hope this amazing run can continue.
I’m taking nothing for granted.
Lock & Laker!!
That is a strong team selection and we also have a solid bench, let’s hope we don’t have a wobbly first half.
Xhaka at LB again. Two upfront.
And Douzi instead of both Ramsey and Mhiki.
It is impossible to presume UE’s teams
Wow Chas you are right on tune with the vids.
Terrific work, thanks Raddy. I keep thinking every game is a potential minefield … and we keep winning.
I really like the team UE has chosen … clever move to get Xhaka out of midfield to allow the dynamic duo to do their stuff 🙂
I doubt it 2 upfront Iwobi and aubameyang probably on the wings
Fred. You think Iwobi will play on the right?
Any links to watch the game?
thank you, Raddy. 🙂
On the sofa now. COYG.
RC. You may try cricfree.sc Sky Sports is usually easier to find
hesgoal.com is always a winner
What kinda snake we playing as at the moment
So far he on the left it would seem
Surely he can bench him if he wants him out of midfield that bad
Who thinks Martin Atkinson is going to do something to spoil this game?
Why xhaka like this stupid cross field balls, does he figure out as yet he gets it wrong
Mustafi is really a liability in some games…Today he is just awful but overall the team is really struggling. Me thinks Emery is gonna change something at half time…Guendouzi out for AMN?
Thanks for the post Raddy and oh poo. That dodgy first half again. Can we keep winning games by only playing well for 50% of the time?
At first I thought penalty, but on the replay the Palace forward puts his leg across at an unnatural angle and actually stamps on Mustaffi’s leg before going to ground. If he gets in front of Mustaffi and is taken out from behind it is a pen but if he stamps on Mustaffi with his leg way out to the side it is in the first instance a free kick to us. Everything after is irrelevant.
Having said that Mustaffi has a bad habit of going to ground unnecessarily and is not a top defender. If we are going to spend big in the next 2 transfer windows I would suggest we look for an expensive Vincent Kompany type CB.
Hmmm, LBG was thinking same about Atkinson, letting enough go that eventually someone will over step and see red.
That being said couldn’t really argue with penalty decision, clumsy by Mustafi rather than intent, but it’s what happens when you lunge for the ball rather than stay on feet, think he could have got there without the lunge, Palace player did well to get himself between ball and boot of Mustafi.
Seems like Hodgson set Palace up with a little more discipline than others we have played this season, they are not pressing as high and therefore we haven’t managed to stretch them. Works for them as they have a fair bit of pace up top in Atew, Townsend and Zaha and all are capable of holding the ball for support.
Ozil was starved of space and Xhaka isn’t a left back (but then we know that anyway). Part of me thinks the energy of Guendouzi out left would be more beneficial as Palace are happy overloading defensively on our right.
Do you think he got across Mustaffi GIE and was then cleaned out from behind? I thought it looked like his foot came down on Mustaffi’s leg first rather than make clean contact with the ground then being swept away from behind.
what a goal! 🙂
Slow first half. Their guy maybe should have been sent off by now. Holding’s shirt rip was clear foul which leads to goal after corner.
But the Arsenal come out storming.
Xhaka with a missile and Auba after corner and there goes Palace’s lead.
Minor complaint is Iwobi, his passing has been horrible today and just let a guy walk past. sheesh….
Anyone know why bellerin was taken off
Alan Smith isn’t really a true gunner is he? Not in the same sense as Ian Wright who you can feel his deep love of the gunners. He is an ex Arsenal player who was part of a successful period but I struggle to think of him as a great when he seems so keen to put us down at any opportunity.
crazy
man!
All from Laca’s ridiculous pass.
Atkinson becomes the most influential person on the field. yet again. shame
I don’t know who got suckered more, Xhaka or the referee. Xhaka should never have made the move and Zaha was going to go down before Xhaka moved, It was a clear dive
Still can nick one, and at least get an away point.
But of course you know who has still awarded two marginal pk’s against the Arsenal.
So two players with no ability to tackle at all give away two penalties with Martin Atkinson refereeing. If I’d thought harder, I would have put money on it!
I suppose a draw was a fair result but once again Atkinson was the central figure in the match. Dreadful referee.
We looked tired which is no surprise given our third game in 6 days and the early kick-off.
LBG. Think harder and put your thoughts into the comments. I could use a long-odds winner.
GB. Agree about Smith. He has forgotten that he is of the Class of *89.
I’m not sure we can complain about 1st pen, second pen a little harder to swallow but as Raddy says Xhaka gave Atkinson an excuse to see it, and pretty sure there would have been a little word in Atkinson’s war about Laca’s handball.
Didn’t feel particularly comfortable today, didn’t keep ball as well as we have been and Laca’s pass was evidence of that.
The manager can’t legislate for the decisions players make in the heat of the moment, the last person i’d expect to see committing forward at that stage was Torreira, Laca’s pass was horrible, but Torreira compounded the problem by trying to help him out and win ball, that in turn pulled Mustafi forward and suddenky we were open.
GB the first pen for me Mustafi makes it easy for Atkinson to give the decision, defenders won’t like it, but if your sliding from that far away the man on his feet will get the decision regardless of whether you are going for the ball or not or whether it looks like you stamped on the man. The fact is he was intending to put his foot down on grandmas, that Mustafi lunges into that space is neither here nor there in the modern game.
Seeing Xhaka’s foul again, it was a clear penalty and Xhaka should never play as a FB again.
Neither were anywhere near penalties.
For the first, the Palace player has only one thought – to get his foot between Mustafi’s foot and the ball. The Palace player isn’t shielding it or anything like that. It’s the equivalent of Hazard stepping across someone running alongside him to engineer a non-existent foul.
The second is such a ridiculous dive it’s unbelievable. Xhaka withdraws his foot and Zaha jumps two feet in the air. Atkinson conned both times.
We were poor but FFS the ref should never have that much influence on a game’s result.
OK. I watched it again and go back to my original view – it was a dive. 😀 😀
hahahaha
Just look at the height, elevation, style and two footed take off.
Poetry.
Atkinson couldn’t wait to point to the spot.
Fuckin joke.
Why did emery play Ozil’s twin?
Well, we all knew the balloon would burst at some time, but the deflation is so much more agonising when we have played such a large part in our own demise.
A typical Sunday game following a Thursday Europa game for me, with the possible exception that we would probably have lost in the last two seasons!
Crystal Palace did what everyone knew they would, and Atkinson said I’m only here to facilitate you, Eagles”.
Mesut, from the moment he missed the captain’s photo, in some kind of Mesut dream world, unable to influence anything. Wobbly happy to run into blind alleys and then be gently brushed aside when two came to challenge. Aubang content to take the ball left then, when two defenders cover back, pass backwards. All three had little or no influence on the game.
Then there were the penalties, which, whether you agree with them or not, were targeted at players whose lack of timing is why they should not be encouraged to tackle…..ever.
Still it was a point, which, as I said we probably wouldn’t have take last season. But I would give it up, if we could guarantee to pop Liverpool’s balloon next week.
Palace have been given 3 penalties in 2 games
“whose lack of timing is why they should not be encouraged to tackle…..ever.”
😆
After nearly 50 years of marriage, a couple was lying in bed one evening, when the wife felt her husband, begin to massage her in ways he hadn’t in quite some time.
It almost tickled as his fingers started at her neck, and then began moving down past the small of her back.
He then caressed her shoulders and neck, slowly worked his hand down, stopping just over her stomach.
He then proceeded to place his hand on her left inner arm, working down her side, passing gently over her buttock and down her leg to her calf.
Then, he proceeded up her thigh, stopping just at the uppermost portion of her leg. He continued in the same manner on her right side, then suddenly stopped, rolled over and became silent.
As she had become quite aroused by this caressing, she asked in a loving voice, ‘Honey that was wonderful. Why did you stop? To which he responded: ‘I found the remote.’…
MU also gifted a penalty from a Martial clear dive. The sooner we get VAR the better.
Invincible streak still alive
I believe their player that was on yellow also dove without being carded.
1st Penalty was awarded after their guy stamped on Mustafi’s leg, The 2nd was drawn contact by running into Xhaka and being lightly touched, then falling forward with both legs. This is the guy who held off 3 of our players many times during the game, but falls to the hospital to get the penalty.
atkinson should never referee our games-ever.
Everyone knows he WILL call 1 or 2 against the Arsenal everytime.
Aaron. You are right , Atkinson is not only inept but also biased
Hamilton won the title again
We need to emulate him and make an improbable run for the title
Chas
There are a few words in drafts, its not the most clappy happy piece that I have ever written so if anyone else wants to say something I will happily stand back.
Any one to blame for second goal is lacazette, that was a piece of shit he did there
He getting to complacent all of a sudden
….and meanwhile, I imagine Palace fans will be all over twitter calling Atkinson a gooner for allowing the clear handball before our second goal 🙂 🙂
Genuinely love the football fan 🙂
Missed the game. From comments and clips, appears a point is ok
crikey, Barca 5 Madrid 1
Madrid desperately need the Poch/Kane combo 🙂
When oh when will ex professional footballers give up on the phrase ” there was contact”. Please use your limited brain cells and ask yourself what that really means for our game….
Many thanks, LB.
Thought I was going to have to write something this morning. 😆
LBG
Sounds like a slippery politician trying to wiggle out of a “touch” accusation 🙂
Having said that, touch/contact, all comes across a little Transpalntish 🙂
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