Finally, the Premier League is back, after the oh so boring International break!
Our 5th game of the season, is a trip to Vicarage Road, to face a Watford side, who are bottom of the table. After 3 losses & 1 draw, they decided to give Javi Gracia his P45 & reappoint Quique Sanchez Flores – who managed them during the 2015-16 season.
Unai Emery is familar with him, having both managed in La Liga. This will be their 8th meeting and what makes it even more interesting is QSF has 3 wins to UE’s 1… with the other 3 draws…
Since Watford’s return to the PL, after an 8 year absence, we have faced them 8 times – winning 6 & losing 2, GF – 18 GA – 5.
They also beat us in the 6th round of the FA Cup with QSF as their manager!
Watford team news – Troy Deeney is still recovering from knee surgery, so will not face the team his son supports.
Etienne Capoue is a doubt, through illness.
Rob Holding is back in full training, but doubt he will feature, what with being absent for so long.
Tierney & Bellerin are closing in on a return..
Willock had a calf problem, but is expected to be ok, as is Xhaka & Torreira.
As we all know, Welbeck was released at the end of last season and Watford signed him, so I’m just waiting for him to come back and haunt us, just like many others have previously.
Watford are desperate for points & having changed managers, performances & results usually improve.. we need to get back to winning ways, after a disappointing loss & draw in our last 2 games. So it’s all set up to be a very interesting encounter!
Lacazette has been ruled out until next month, due to an ongoing problem with his left ankle. This is a huge blow, having scored 2 goals already this season…….. this will make for an interesting line-up.
Peaches here – I would start Reiss Nelson on the wing and put Aubamayang up top ……….. let’s see what Emery chooses.
The team I’m expecting to see is : –
Ref – Anthony Taylor
Assistants – Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
4th Offical – Peter Bankes
Var – Chris Kavanagh Ass Var – Daniel Cook
Not going to predict a score, as I’m usually pants at it. I just hope we play well, Pepe scores & we win COYG
By Mrs Kolasinac
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thank you Sue …………… I’m looking forward to watching our boys play this afternoon. We need a win to leapfrog the teams that won yesterday – that goes without saying – but I’m looking to seeing how this team has gelled and if they continue to have the hunger to win.
Watford will no doubt get a ‘bounce’ from the return of Flores, lets hope we can keep them quiet.
COYG
Thanks Sue
Got caught out by my own post yesterday not being ere. I need to answer a couple of comments from yesterday in alignment with today’s game and your post in mind Sue.
Firstly Rocky, you and I almost completely agree on a preferred stringest line up. I think you could toss a coin between Torreira, Gwen and Willock to play between Luiz and Ceballos.
Today’s game however isn’t against a top 6 rival, and even if they get a small managerial bounce we should have way too much for them. We dont need that dedicated holding midfield player like Luiz and could play a pivot shift with 2 out of Gwen, Terrier and Willock with Ceballos in front.
You are also right Rocky that at present Emery seems to favour other ideas. It doesnt make him wrong or us right but he needs to prove he can get this best from this talented bunch.
Mike thinks that Emery will be defined by his use or non use of Xhaka. This could well be right but it is also how he blends it all together.
I dont mind us utilising a different system at times but most great sides develop into 1 predominant system. A variation of the 4-3-3 is what most top teams play and so should we.
I say this because I agree with Sue and Peaches that we stick with a back 4 and front 3 rather than change to a front 2 because of Laca’s injury. There is no point in having Nelson, Martinelli and Saka and then not using them when need and opportunity arises.
The only thing is that you have got Nelson and Pepe the wrong way round but we can forgive such lovely ladies as Sue and Peaches for that minor detail 😁
Hi GB, my bad on the graphics … it was rather rushed – but no excuse 🙂
Thanks for the PM Sue, it will be an honour to add your name to the list of authors.
You sign yourself as Mrs Kolasinac – purely as I know you’re an admirer of his footballing ability. I have it on good authority that the other Mrs Kolasinac has refused to return to the UK and is insisting her husband moves to another club (in Turkey?) … so you may only have a handful more appearances to admire those muscular thighs.
Or Rasp, Sue could become his UK based wife.
Is polygamy allowed GB?
Does sue need to know how to make things out of paper to be his wife Rasp?
Ha, Rasp… love how you say an admirer of his footballing ability 😜
I know, I’m a little heartbroken at that.. so will have to make the most of these next few games.. starting with next week, I’ve gone lower tier (don’t laugh, Fred!) just to cop an eyeful of those loaded guns 😍
Like your way of thinking, GB 😉
With regards to Nelson & Pepe – eagle eyed as ever!! 👍
So, with Nelson coming in (?) It will be NAP today 😄 i just hope we don’t play that badly to send us off to the land of nod!
GB.. i also spat my drink out, laughing at your paper comment!! 😂
Just further on yesterday’s comments. RC, I have to say that your grading of a D for us overall seemed very harsh. A grade D surely puts us somewhere between relegation fodder and mid table.
RA was right to say that Pool and City are some way ahead of us at present but the main distinguishment I was making was the difference between potential, on paper, and actual current playing level.
I believe our potential is much closer to those two but the gap is bigger in current playing level.
To put a subjective grading both numerically and alphabetically on it I would say both pool and city (even with yesterday’s blip) have the potential of 10 (out of 10) or grade A and are currently playing at 10 or grade A.
I think we are currently playing at 6 to 7 or c to c+ but have the potential on paper with this group of players to be a 9 or b+.
It is that progression I expect to see Emery get through this season and I think on paper we look the third best team in the league.
I do meet quite a few other fans on a day to day basis and it may interest you to know that most of the Spurs and Chelsea fans I speak to feel we should be 3rd with our squad.
Deeney out is a plus as he generally riled our defenders and Capoue out would be a blessing as a capable DM
If we can defend /press properly I think we will have too much offensively for Watford
Come 4:30 hopeful for good things
Mrs Kolasinac
That made me smile, thanks for the read Sue.
I get the feeling that Ozil is going to feature today. If some how we get he and Ceballos at the same time it could get interesting.
Hi LB 😁
I hope you’re right, been far too long since we last saw Mesut…the only reason i didn’t include him in the line up was because it’s usually only Xhaka who walks straight back in to the team, after being absent… but hey, you never know, Unai may surprise us!
Ozil & Cabellos, yes , very interesting indeed, not far off of mouthwatering!!
Sue I think Mrs kolasinac decided to come to the blog to give you some competition for kolasinac
Good luck
Sue when kolasinac leave can you now start admiring mustafi footballing abilities so he can be the next one out to door
Thanks
As far as Mustafi goes, Fred.. that’s wishful thinking 😁
Eddie’s on for Bamford now.
Do you ever watch the MLS, Fred?
Eddie’s done it again 👍👍
Nope to MLS, just highlights
Yea saw Eddie on the bench guess the coach sticking with his 1 striker formation
Nice
A goal & he won the penalty. Well done, Eddie 👍
I saw Nani scored & assisted last night, for Orlando, Fred… no celebratory backflip though .. too old for that now 😂-
Lol
Well u got your wish ozil and ceballos, unlucky for Nelson
Wow, that is an attacking line up. Bournemouth have done us a favour by beating Everton, if we win this, we go third … which is where I expect us to be by the end of the season with pool taking the title.
Mesut’s back (nice one, LB)
Watch Everton feel like I watching arsenal when theo and iwobi was with them
The losing 3-1 after being the better team
Oh, I’m good.
So, who is playing defense on the left if Ozil is on that side?
Nelson at least covers his man and makes useful his distance covered by playing limited defense.
I can’t wait to see Tierney and Holding in the starting eleven … we are inching towards a balanced side without any significant weak links … but not there yet!.
In the mean time, it looks like MickyDitIt89’s attack-attack-attack tactic prevails 🙂
Well you can’t question the quality of each individual player in that line up and as such that individual quality should prove too much for Watford. It doesn’t look greatly balanced to me though and I think a good side would expose this line up.
I cant for the life of me fathom out how that lines up without someone playing out of position. It reads 4-2-2-2 to me. Still, not wishing to be negative and hoping for a great performance so COYRRG’s
No Welbz then….
GB, I think the strategy is to give the ball to any of the front 4 (OzCebPepAuba) and leave it to them ….
Can anyone on the left make a pass? Over the top?
sheesh.
2nd best at the moment. Probably should be behind. They look more fluid and dangerous than us.
Bloody hell.. wakey wakey Arsenal
Missing that deep lying midfield general/maestro?
Sounds like Willock could make a difference.
Oooooh nice spin Auba 😁
Phew
Auba- what a turn. Kola with nice run, but Ceballos broke the play up allowing that run.
😂 what do I know! … I’ve got the excuse of not watching as I’m at work. Auba just cost the bookies a lot of money …
Kolasinac > Auba 👌 beautiful!!
Lovely pass from Ozil…. Auba means business!!
That was well played.
Gotta love Auba Wan Kenobi! The Force is with him.
What the heck was that?
Luiz finally puts it where it was supposed to go.
Phew phew
Xhaka in no man’s land…
Holding, Tierney and even Hector will change the structure totally of this team, hopefully for the very best. At that point, even if he hasn’t got our idea , at the moment, of a change for Daviiid, get him forward Dick. Please, please!
Rocky,
“Auba Wan Kenobi” — 🤪
As a game it is pretty good — especially the 0 : 2 scoreline — but the defence is worrying — cannot wait for Belli Button and Tierney to take over the Full Back positions — but then – Sue’s boyfriend, and AMN assisted a goal each, and that counts for a lot. Hmmm.
Sue
Thanks for a very good pre-match.
LB
Well played on the Mesut call!
We looked a bit disorganised in MF for the first 20 minutes but two very good goals have put us well and truly in the driving seat. I think Ceballos needs to control the ball in MF a bit more in the second half.
Nice to see a bunch of the chaps get stuck in when the handbags started flying. It’s only a few years ago when our players would be left on their own if caught in a dust-up with the opposition.
On Sky Souness has been drooling about AMN’s run for the second goal, which showed a maturity beyond his years (to angle the run square to avoid being offside before diverting into the box).
Yes, you are right, you are an idiot!!
Where is the advantage to playing out from the back once the opposition are camped there!!!!!!!!
Seriously, ffs seriously, that is the 3rd time. Are these guys just stupid??
Any ten year old knows not to play it into the middle unless you have skills to get out of it? Who is Sok, or Xhaka going to dribble by?
Guen has coughed it up 2X also, and the Arsenal will get punished by a team higher in confidence or finishing.
Yet another gifted goal… this passing out from the back is not working,….. and when the hell was the last time Tom Cleverley scored? 10 yrs ago?? Sheesh….
Ozil looks a bit sluggish – not match fit.
Going to be a very long half hour 😬
I think we provide the opposition with 2 to 3 chances every game surrendering our own possession playing out from the back. What is it they say about doing the same thing badly over and over?
They have their tails up now and look more likely for a 2nd than we do a 3rd. Hope our attackers can score us the 3 points.
I blame the manager for that goal, it is all very well in training to get the players to play out from the back, but if it is clearly not working in a match situation and making us vulnerable, he has to get the message to his players to adopt a more pragmatic approach.
Strange sub in who he decided to take off. Not too sure how that changes the dynamic
Sokratis is an old school style defender, why not wait until holding is available and then playing out from the back may be more successful.
Guendouzi 🤣🤣 cheeky
How bad is our defence???? 🤦🏼♂️
Looks like we’re going to need a third…
I hope Torreira is ready to do a lot of running coming on to replace Guendouzi
Many of us have been moaning about the ridiculous passing from the back — but continually passing in the penalty area is the definition of madness.
That has to be down to the manager — I cannot believe the players would willingly do it — our clodhoppers don’t have the skill to pass under pressure.
Again I can’t really see how that changes the dynamic in our favour. It doesnt alter the shape or balance. I hate to say it but the managerial decisions have a very similar feel to the end of the AW era.
Do not understand Emery…
Ozil is in backward motion, Xhaka can’t get hold of the game.
Subs are strange, not going to help with blind spots in squad or starting lineup.
Should have started Willock, Tor and Ceballos. They have the quickness and close control.
Nelson and Willock look too lightweight for the first team at the moment (to me).
I know that’s a controversial comment, but they don’t seem quite ready yet.
Legend
Jeeeeepers!!!!!!!! What are we like???????
It’s OK – we’ll get a third.
Shambles!
3 errors in 3 games for Luiz…..
Smh
Well, it’s pretty obvious what our downfall will be this season. I have to say though that our passing second half has been disgraceful.
Surely it’s time to give Chambers a start ahead of either Sok or Luiz.
Holy crap! We just played ANOTHER ball across our defensive line and set up Watford for yet another chance.
If Emery doesn’t sort this out soon then serious questions really will need to be asked.
We are the penalty give away kings ☹️☹️☹️
Peaches
At least we’re top at something 😀
That’s only fair really. On the balance of play Watford deserve the win. They have bossed us this half. Overall they must have way more shots on target and meaningful possession than us.
We were only 2-0 up because we have players capable of moments of genius and one of the best goal scorers out there.
Emery has been out thought and undone by Flores. Shit tactics and poorly balanced side from the start with subs that didnt alter the flow of the game when we were being dominated.
Penalty and gifted goal aside we don’t seem interested in breaking up their play. We just follow them around the pitch ………
The sloppiness betokens a weakness of discipline and mentality at the club.
Sok, Luiz and AMN (at least) should all be read the riot act after this game and automatically dropped for the next game.
But of course they won’t be.
Add Xhaka to the “bollocked and dropped” list.
At least we beat Australia in the final test — series drawn 2 ; 2
This game is too terrible to watch.
Who is the worst player on the pitch??
Hard to say for Arsenal — but Xhaka and AMN are the joint losers — Emery wins for his shoddy tactics and his crap substitutions.
Well, we didn’t deserve a point from that.
That’s a positive then 😁
My comment about Willock and Nelson was depressingly proved accurate in those last few minutes.
Anyone feel like writing something about it for tomorrow’s post?
Omg if it’s not Mustafi it’s Xhaka, if it’s not him it’s Sokratis, if it’s not him it’s Luiz…. we have too many players with a.major blunder in them!
Well that’s the end of what has been an awful weekend of football!
Given away 2 more goals…. it’s an absolute joke & boy it’s really painful to watch…. i need some meds!!!
Emery away.. nuff said.
Watford last place, new coach, 29 shots. Arsenal fell apart….
Seem remotely familiar?
Rocky – we have certainly seen Willock being stronger I thought but Reiss Nelson was definitely getting pushed around. The boys I know that play Academy football say it’s a huge step up to the first team ……..
You are correct, Peaches, following the Watford players around sums it up. We were very lucky.
Emery’s Laws:
1. Play out suicidally from the penalty area.
2. Do not, in any circumstances, tackle the opposition.
RA 😂
Thank god that’s over. If you ever wondered why Nelson and Willock aren’t ready then just watch the last 20 minutes as they repeatedly got outmuscled and lost the ball. Not their fault we threw 2 points away though. Came out second half like we’d already won. We all know that our defence is awful and that we’d have these kind of games so it shouldn’t come as a shock. We have to put up with it all year unfortunately. Hopefully Holding, Bellerin and Tierney will bring some composure to the defence as we will certainly need it.
I don’t want to be too negative on that game, but it’s hard to ignore our inability to impose our game plan on teams. I’m starting to see why some fans have an issue with Emery. Even at 2-0 it was like ‘we’ve done enough let’s just pass around and waste time’. That’s all well and good when you have a team who can defend, but we don’t. We lack the killer instinct that the big sides have where they will beat teams 3/4/5-0 rather than just settle for 2 and think it’s over. There is no real game plan and we don’t put any fear into the opposition.
I guess at least for the neutrals we’re great to watch 🥺
My sympathy goes to Auba. He scores two great goals only to see the game thrown away by that irresponsible shower behind him. Worst of all, we sent a message out to all future opponents that we’re still the same old weak Arsenal who buckle under pressure and can’t defend to save their lives.
I am at least happy that Watford were rubbish at taking their chances — we could easily have lost 6 : 2
Emery is in the dog house — he just does not cut it for me.
31 shots with 10 on target to our 7 and 4. More possession, more passes and better pass rate with players that should ne nowhere near what we have.
Again this is about the collective and the balance of the side outperforming a collection of individually superior players.
Emery is making the same mistakes as Wenger in the latter years in just chucking out good players in a non complimentary system and just thinking their superior quality will be too much for the opposition to handle, then making subs that doesnt alter the balance when we are being over run.
I am a tad tired of constantly blaming our central defenders, even though we have had many that have not been of the required standard. How the hell were they even able to just waltz through our midfield before Luiz caught their player?
We need to support the team and manager publicly, i.e in the ground but privately we should be looking for Emery’s replacement for next season. That initial breath of fresh air is gone and the honeymoon period well and truly over and he isn’t the elite manager, or elite manager in the making, that we need.
I totally agree, Rasp…. you’d think scoring 2 to give us a 2-0 lead would be enough, but no, the usual suspects had other ideas. If it carries on like this, surely Auba will want to pack his bags…. just like Sanchez 😩
Oh great, Xhaka said they were scared 🙈🙈🙈
Peaches … that’s right up there with Walcott who said “they wanted it more than us” when he was captain after a similarly abysmal display. It seems not only do these players lack judgement on the pitch … but also in the post match comments. Surely as captain Xhaka should be the man to galvanise the players ad give them confidence by leading from the front.
Here’s some stats for you. Every team we have faced have bested us for shots on goal except Spurs where we had more. However Spurs actually had more shots on target than us.
Leno is apparently 3rd amongst all the leagues GK’s in shots saved. So we are allowing teams to get into an awful lot of shooting positions. That is not the hallmark of a top team.
Maybe we are fortunate to be where we are in the league both before and after this game. Those stats make for worrying reading. My optimism for this season is rapidly diminishing.
31 shots to our 7?? Jeez….terrible…. going by that, you’d have thought we were bottom of the table!
GB … we don’t close players down when they attack our flanks … we hold back and invite them on to us. The job of the fullbacks should be to cut out the cross. I hope Tierney was trained in that culture at Celtic.
Sue, we are with shots against, and will soon be at the bottom of the top 8 by November, if a shift in personnel or system does not occur.
Leno 4
AMN 5
Sok 3
DL 3
Kola 6
Xhaka 4
Guen 4
Ceba 4
Ozil 5
Pepe 5
Auba 7
Positives – 2 assists from GB, 2 goals from Auba and a decent first half by Ozil
Negative – the whole second half, our central defense, our midfield defensive shift, Emery
Depressing game and result
GB = FB for full backs in previous comment
I think Martinez, Chambers, Torreira and Willock should be given a proper starting spot next week to give Leno, Sok, Xhaka and Ceballos a wake up call
Rasp
If Tierney is trained that way I’m sure we can soon coach it out of him 😀
😂 Rocky, sad but true. I’ve seen it before … it seems UE continues Arsene’s philosophy of “I don’t care if it doesn’t work now, I’m going to keep everything exactly the same until I’m proved right!”
Leno 4………….
Bit harsh, RC
Was he at fault for the first? No.
Should he have saved the penalty? No.
As crap as we find ourselves here feeling crap again, if Leno hadn’t made that heroic save with one minute to go we would be feeling a hell of a lot worse.
Think about it, just because the rest played so poorly does not mean the he should be tarred with the same brush.
I would give him an 8
The worst thing for me is that Emery and his boys are doing their best to make my prediction that we third best on paper in the league look utter nonsense 🤣 I must indeed be in cloud cuckoo land.
In all seriousness though I will stand by that at this point. We are individually better in every position than Watford and yet they battered us so this is about so much more than just personnel.
Wenger was once our prince whose powers diminished and sat on the throne too long. I looked at Utd and their struggles to find the next right man after a long successful dynasty and said we may have to kiss a few frogs before we find our next prince.
Emery will not be the right one for us but I hope he has the adaptability to alter things and have a reasonable season, but then we should move on. If a disaster starts to unfold this should happen in January
The huge disappointment on the day was Pepe…….
Did we get the wrong brother because the one out there today was as effective as a wet paper bag to carry your shopping.
LB, I agree but give him leeway for 2 reasons. Firstly he is new to the league and is likely almost trying to force his first goal for us. I think he will settle and prove a success.
Secondly when a team is not set up in a way where each component compliments the next then each component becomes less efficient like a negative domino effect seeping through the team.
Then you lose the initiative and momentum and end up desperately chasing the game making more errors. We need someone who knows how to really coax the best out of this team. Emery I hope can alter and change what us so obviously wrong to a large degree, but even then I still think we need someone else to really push this club on.
GB
I share your hope for the future but if you look carefully I use the term. “On the day”.
He is obviously on his honey moon period.
Anyone gonna write me a post for tomorrow?
In 5 games, we’ve faced 96 shots!!! That is more than any team in Europe’s top 5 leagues… and since the start of last season, we’ve conceded 10 (!) penalties, yes you guessed it – more than any other PL side! 🙄
I have to agree with you, LB.. Pepe was disappointing today.. for all that money.. i was hoping he’d have scored by now.. all the hype surrounding his move from Lille, i was really excited, thinking we’ve got another goal machine on our hands, but it’s not worked out that way… as yet…… unfortunately
Conceded 96 shots because we allow teams to stroll through our midfield!!!!!
Surprise surprise.. Mkhi scored on his Roma debut…..
We just don’t close teams down when they have the ball … I’m afraid it’s the old arrogance returning mixed with a collective fear and failure to regroup when under pressure
It is Emery’s system. He only presses forwards up top and the Arsenal go all turtle when in our third when under pressure.
Leno did mostly amazing but he should also know better when to go long and when to go short. He doesn’t really command his defense.
As for Pepe, he s playing with a bit of an injury. Trust me, we ve got a gem and he will soon how his talent.
I thought Sok-Luiz didn’t work out and am still thinking that we may be better as a 352 when we play away
Not sure if anyone watch Norwich game yesterday and they also pass out from the back and make it look so simple, while we doing it for an entire year and pants at it
Yeah i saw it, Fred & that’s with Tim Krull in goal 😳
I honestly can’t stand watching us do it… I’m on tenterhooks!!!
Brilliant mkhitarian scores on debut
Remember when preseason we were 2 nil up against real and 10 men advantage our players just don’t think he supposed to be an experience defender
I read some saying willock and Nelson weren’t ready in the 80th minutes I saw willock running at Watford putting them on there heals
Those who think the likes of ozil xhaka and luiz sokratis should keep playing cause our academy players might be a little light wait I say give them a chance cause or current crop of senior players are no way better
When I saw Nelson lose ball I was ok mate take your time but when the likes of xhaka candidates even pick out one of our players just make me lose it
People also talking about Nelson a willock as Sue said above about Pepe the man first touch is so awful
Emery had a dossier an each player coming in has anyone actually improved
Unai said he took Ceballos off as it was very hot… omg…. so what is the climate like in Spain??
These excuses are laughable… I’ve heard it all now…..
another reason i say start the youngster how is it players like Mctomany and Wink are regular star for there team and they are not even as good as our youths
I liked Willock’s cameo, as you say Fred he did put Watford on their heels (nice expression) and if he had found and Arsenal player when he went on his mazy run it would have been pretty much perfect.
Morning all ….
… New post …
I think the most disappointing thing about yesterday was that we didn’t make the step forward that I think we were all expecting.
Pepe personified this; perhaps I am expecting too much too soon but he pretty much left Auba to do all the attacking himself. The AMN – Pepe combo is poor, perhaps the return of Bellerin will be the catalyst that brings Pepe out of his shell — a goal would probably go a long way to improving his confidence as well as other things and boy do all those other things need to improve.
There was talk of Manu making an offer for Auba during the transfer window, I remember feeling a bit worried, I realise now that I should have been a lot more worried than I was; the man is world class and it is more of a surprise that manu didn’t start negotiations at 100 mil than the fact that they seem not to have. The spin and strike for the first goal was something very, very special.
Ozil did perfectly OK, his pass to AMN for the second goal is the reason why Emery started with him rather than Willock although with hindsight he should have come off earlier.
The Ozil–Ceballos combo didn’t set the sky alight as people like me hoped would be the case. While Ozil had a free rein Ceballos was set a more disciplined task of being responsible for the left midfield area; not ideal really, as he is so right footed which forced him to move sideways rather than forward more than I would like. I don’t know what the answer is here?
As to the rest of the midfield; I have read several times now how Xhaka is the only one who walks straight back into the team after injury, the implication is that Emery has a soft spot for him or something like that; I don’t believe that to be the case at all. In my opinion, Xhaka goes straight back as he is the only player who has no competition for his place, the idea that Chambers or Luiz can play there are folly, and it is becoming more and more obvious that Torriera is not the man for that job as many have suggested.
However, that is not to put doubt as to my respect for the Uruguayan; he would be in that team every week if I had my choice. I think Guendouzi showed us that he has reached the end of this season’s growing spurt and I now expect the Torriera to be more of the first team starter out of the two.
I have no problem with Leno; he was under orders to play the ball out the way he did that lead to Watford’s first goal; he could do nothing about the penalty; and further, he saved our bacon with a superb save that stopped Watford taking all three points two minutes from time. I think it wrong to tar him with the same brush as Dumb and Dumber playing just in front of him.
Do you think Luiz is part of a cunning Chelsea plan, Arsenal could improve and take fourth spot, I know, lets sell the David Luiz, that will mess them up. We have Holding coming back but I fear that we are building our expectations a bit too high there but hey surely it can’t get worse.
Having proper wing backs is going to help; we should see both Bellerin and Tierney against Forest which will be exciting.
Mah, it could be worse, we could have lost to Norwich.
LB 😁 I knew you’d be looking for positives and well done for finding some.
I don’t want to paint Leno in the same light as ‘dumb and dumber’ and I agree that he was following instructions but surely when he can see the opposition closing in he must be able to take a view and switch play?
I’m just so sad that the things that went wrong yesterday could have been avoided. It’s one thing to be beaten by a better team and quite another to drop points by being so badly set up. Aubameyang trapping a long ball from Leno and having Pepe close by to play off would have been much more fun to watch 😉