Embarrassing in Belarus – Player Ratings

February 15, 2019

First Half

Loads of possession – Mkhitaryan one-on-one and a Lacazette header perhaps should have been dispatched. Bate look a poor side but still had a couple of good efforts on goal. Simple goal for them when it came. Poor.

Second Half

Lots more possession with very little to show for it. The number of times there was a poorly weighted pass was ridiculous. Yes, it was a terrible pitch, but really?

‘Fancy coming back to mine?’

Auba came on with us needing a goal and then played in a withdrawn inside right position. Utterly ridiculous – get him hanging round the goal or leave him in his sleeping bag.

Conclusion

As fgg says, we should win next week by a few, so maybe this isn’t as bad as it seems right now, but playing against a team which isn’t even fit as their season doesn’t start until March, we looked toothless and almost completely ineffective. Oh, if only we had a player who can play that killer pass to open up the bus!

Ratings

Cech – blocked a couple – picked the ball out of the back of his net … 5

Mustafi – not really required to do a huge amount of defending – passing very average … 5

Koscielny – slightly above average in a poor team performance … 6

Monreal – again, not much to do against a team content to defend … 5

Maitland-Niles – saw a fair amount of the ball and didn’t really achieve much with it … 4

Kolasinac – his one decent cross found Laca marginally offside according to the lino – dreadful attempt at goal when the ball came back to him on the corner of the 6 yard box … 4

Xhaka – looked rusty – silly booking – didn’t add much … 4

Guendouzi – telegraphs his passing often leading to interceptions … 4

Iwobi – a game made for him but somehow he produced very little of note …5

Mkhitaryan – pretty anonymous when we needed him to take up the creative mantle … 4

Lacazette – Frustrated with the quality of chances created for him but lacked sharpness when half chances came – in some ways the elbow into the chin of the Bate player was for all of us – him missing from the second leg may work out ok if Auba gets a hat-trick … 5

Subs

Aubameyang – the lad is a striker not a withdrawn midfielder – no efforts on goal in over 20 minutes … 4

Torreira – we needed something different than the Terrier offers – his 30 yard effort at the end was laughable … 5

Suarez – at first sight looks a typical Wenger signing, lightweight midfielder – might have been better to have left plan A (the Wardrobe cut-back) on the pitch … 4

Manager

Emery – not the result he or the Arsenal supporters were after – having neither Ramsey or Ozil on the pitch seems even more ridiculous now … 3

chas 

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Bate Borisov – In Brief

February 14, 2019

Rumours abound that Mesut hasn’t travelled which, considering he was announced as back in full training and appeared in a photo of Wednesday morning’s training (below), are quite frankly, ludicrous. Is it some sort of bizarre Mexican standoff – who blinks first, Emery or Ozil?  Quite ridiculous.

Stuart MacFarlane

Ramsey has a slight problem with his knee also, so misses out ( 🙂 ) – probably aggravated when he sunk to his knees celebrating the signing of his gigantic pre-contract agreement with Juve.

Granit has travelled, as has Auba, whereas the only youngster in the squad appears to be Eddie.

It’s difficult to imagine the Borisov arena, jammed to the rafters with 13,000 people, being too intimidating an atmosphere. There’ll be no goat-slaughtering in the centre circle or ‘Welcome to Hell’ banners but, then again, if the home team score first, we’ll need to keep faith in the team’s mental strength.

A good result in Belarus will make next week’s return at the Emirates all the easier. We have no game in between as it’s FA Cup weekend, so there isn’t really any reason not to play a strong team.

Having said that, it might still be prudent to leave Auba on the bench wrapped up in his sleeping bag as he was poorly last week. The team functions better with two more versatile wide attackers anyway. Perhaps Denis Suarez might get a full starting debut, though Micki and Alex Iwobi will also want to start after their minor successes against Huddersfield.

The defence looks so much stronger with Kos as the first name on the teamsheet.  with Kola and Ainsley as wingbacks – why not?

In midfield why not have Xhaka and Torreira as the double pivot and allow Curly a role further forward to allow more interchange with Iwobi/Micki/Suarez (perm 2 from 3).

The Bate Borisov manager is Alyaksey Baha. He has worked his way up the coaching ranks at the club since 2011, finally becoming head coach in June 2018.

Sightseeing in Barysaw

 

Holy Resurrection Cathedral – perhaps Mesut should have gone and paid a visit here

 

State museum complete with a Napoleonic cannon outside

Winning the Europa Cup still seems our most likely route to next season’s  Champions League but winning a cup competition always needs a fair amount of good fortune.

Still, if we can’t get through the Round of 32, we certainly don’t deserve CL qualification by the backdoor.

COYRRG

chas (BR is on manoeuvres)

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Arsenal FC – Our away record against FC Bate Borisov

February 13, 2019

FC BATE Borisov is a Belarusian football team from the city of Barysaw. The club competes in the Belarusian Premier League. The club’s home stadium is Borisov Arena, which was opened in 2014 it has a capacity of 13,126. BATE is an acronym of Borisov Automobile and Tractor Electronics.

The team was founded in 1973 and then disbanded in 1984. Prior to being disbanded they won the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic league three times (1974, 1976 and 1979), the club was re-established in 1996.

They are the reigning champions and are the league’s most successful club with 15 titles, 13 won consecutively. The club has also won three Belarusian Cups and four Belarusian Super Cups. BATE is the only Belarusian team to have qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15 and 2015–16) and one of two to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League (2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18 and 2018–19), along with Dinamo Minsk.

The following comes from a stadium guide and is not a great reason to travel.

The Borisov Arena is located on the edge of the city surrounded by forests, office parks, and some residential housing. There is not much to see or do near the stadium so little reason to head over long before the match. Barysaw is a rather sleepy city so there isn’t much to do elsewhere either, but you’ll be able to find a few places to eat or drink in central Barysaw around Revolution Avenue or around Gagarina street near the coach station. There are barely any hotels in Barysaw so your choice is either to go for one of the very basic options or pick one of the apartment rentals around the city.

The alternative (as most of the travelling Gooners seem to be doing) is to stay in Minsk. In fact Arsenal FC have arranged coaches for fans to make the 70km journey. Coaches will depart from Lenin street (metro station Pershamayskaya) opposite the Minsk Concert Hall.

Minsk Concert Hall

Honours

Belarusian Premier League
Winners (15): 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Belarusian Cup
Winners (3): 2006, 2010, 2015

Belarusian Super Cup
Winners (7): 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Belarusian Second League

Winners: 1996
Belarusian Soviet era champions
Winners (3): 1974, 1976, 1979

The only occasion we have played against Bate in Belarus was in the 2017/18 Europa League when we won 4-2.

Thursday 28th September 2017 – FC Bate Borisov 2 Arsenal 4

Two early goals from Theo Walnutt and a close range header from Rob Holding gave the boys in powder blue a commanding lead. Bate sneaked one back before FFS Giroud sealed the win with a penalty just after half time. Bate’s second 20 minutes from time proved no more than a consolation. A 17 year-old Reiss Nelson impressed at right wing back.

I expect us to win – but then again we are the 2018/19 version of Arsenal so –?

GunnerN5

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Things we learnt from the gameweek 26

February 11, 2019

So, Gameweek 26 comes to a close (apart from for those poor s*ds who are looking forward to Wolves versus the barcodes tonight) and what conclusions can we draw?

Getty Images

  • Yesterday’s game proved that Abu Dhabi oil money trumps Russian oil money – or does it? It was only the start of December when some were pleased that the chavs had inflicted Citeh’s first defeat of the season. After yesterday it’s difficult to imagine how – home advantage, I suppose. How good is it to go up a place in the table without playing? Haha.
  • Liverpool cruised at home against the Cherries, but they tend not to travel well anyway. The two horse title race could be very interesting as it moves towards the turn for home. As long as the outsider in the lilywhite silks doesn’t become involved in the final furlongs, that is.
  • Man U had fun at the cottage – sounds a bit like a Sun headline! The red mancs are like a runaway train at the moment with Pogba free from Maureen’s shackles. Their next three fixtures are PSG at home, the chavs away in the FA Cup, followed by the dippers at home on 24th February ( a game eclipsed by Arsenal v Soton kicking off at the same time, it has to be said). Will these matches slow them down? – we shall see.
  • It’s scary that the spuds are only 5 points off the top. Some on here were saying what great football they’re playing, even comparing them to us in our prime. This is so preposterous. Whenever I’ve seen them ( which is not often as I get an involuntary gag reflex if I see Son dive), they have seemed both lucky and dour. Compared to the attacking prowess of City and Liverpool – nah!
  • What did we learn about Arsenal? Well, not a lot, it has to be said. I guess it’s more of a case of we’re all wondering what will come next more than anything else. Getting some of our top earners out of the sick bay might help. Then again, if they’re not picked to play, what difference will it make?

chas

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Huddersfield 1 Arsenal 2 – Player Ratings

February 10, 2019

No Auba or Mesut due to illness and no Rambo with a slight knee.

First Half

Plenty of chances against the bottom team: Laca tackled just as he was about to pull the trigger; Wobbly into the side netting when he should have got his head up.

After a quarter of an hour, a fine cross from Wardrobe allowed Wobbly to expertly cannon a volley off a Huddersfield heel to wrongfoot the keeper and put us one up.

Looking dangerous on the break, we eventually doubled the lead when a driven cross from Maitland-Niles was simply despatched by Lacazette.

Huddersfield huffed and puffed nut were kept at arm’s length. Micki was very good on his return, finding space and using the ball intelligently. Wobbly was also having one of his better games where he looked really dangerous going forward.

Second Half

It’s difficult to say that the second half was comfortable watching.

Aside from a 10 minute spell where we should have got that crucial third goal, It seemed to be a case of holding what we’d got. Huddersfield’s lack of a cutting edge was partly responsible for us looking as though we might keep a clean sheet away from home. Leno did well but bottom of the table finishing was partly responsible for us not conceding earlier in that second period.

Photo by Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty Images

Wardrobe felt sorry for the Terriers in injury time and casually passed into his own net to send the home fans into raptures – their first goal since Adam were a lad.

Conclusion

Three points against the bottom team away from home with a team hit with injuries You can’t really ask for more. Or can you? The gulf in class should have been stamped, double-stamped and triple-stamped. Curiously, the balance of the side was much better in the first half than of recent games.

I didn’t really understand Arsenal’s second half. If Huddersfield had managed to get one back early in the second half would we have just gone up a gear to score a third? I have my doubts.

Maybe the nerves kicked in after such a poor run previously? Maybe the half time team talk was to just try to shut up shop, let the opposition have as much possession as they wished and stay solid?

Either way, it was pretty unconvincing viewing.

Ratings

Leno – great save early in the second, relatively untroubled by a castrated opponent’s forward line … 7

Mustafi – a liability yet again, some of his passing and decision-making is just shocking … 4

Koscielny – Back in control, definitely one of the classiest players on the pitch – his instant forward pass to Wobbly in the build up to the second goal was excellent … 8

Monreal – struggled manfully as always, let’s hope he stays fit … 7

Maitland-Niles – another ‘chillum in the pocket’ performance, sometimes composed and graceful on the ball, others completely lacking in urgency and nous. You would have thought he would be grabbing the chance to cement a first team spot with both hands and with the utmost eagerness, instead he’s often lackadaisical which is perplexing. Extra point for an assist … 6

Kolasinac – an assist also and he played to his strengths – calves, thighs, shoulders, biceps – shame defending isn’t really his bag … 6

Torreira – Good in the first half, presumably subbed off with a knock? … 6

Guendouzi – I’m still not sure Matteo is a defensive midfielder, but he is still only 19 so maybe even he doesn’t know … 6

Iwobi – dangerous to any defence and to any supporter’s blood pressure. Can be outstanding and then infuriating in the space of ten seconds. Great first half when he looked dangerous. Kept his goal volley down which gains him an extra point … 7

Mkhitaryan – another who had a good first half – lovely to see him breaking the lines, finding space and looking so composed with the ball at his feet – a fine return from injury before understandably fading … 7

Lacazette – I’m sensing a little Wrighty-edge to Laca’s play which I really like, his goal was on a plate but taken with aplomb – love that aggression … 7

Subs

Elneny – comical moment when he climbed all over Laca who was waiting for the ball to come down on the edge of the 6 yard box – ran around a lot … 6

Suarez –  on for Micki, didn’t really have a chance to shine again … 6

Willock – time wasting sub

Managers

Emery – got the job done which is what we ask of him. I liked the team structure far more than in recent weeks – what did he say at half time though? … 7

Wagner – even he can’t keep them from the drop … 4

Referee

Moss – oozing both incompetence and lard from every pore … 2

chas

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Arsenal FC – Why is our away form so poor?

February 8, 2019

GN5’s post yesterday reminded us of our dreadful away form last season, especially in the 2018 calendar year to May when it took that final day of the season victory over Huddersfield to break our duck. Anyway, this set in motion a train of thought about how long our away form has been in decline.

Away games only since 2010

As you can see from the above, our away form ranking was fairly high earlier in the decade; higher in fact than our final League position in many cases. Season 2015/16 was the odd ‘Leicester as champions’ season and our away form ranking was one position lower than our final League position (thanks to the spuds coming third in a two-horse race). 🙂

In season 2016/7 we got pipped to the 4th Champions League place by Liverpool by only one point, came 5th and our away form ranking was 6th.

Joined in August 2016

Last season the slide really began. Finishing in 6th, our away form was disastrous. We ended up 11th best in terms of away form, winning just the 4 games (including that final day win at Huddersfield).

The current season is only 66% complete and we have faced most of the top teams away from home already – so perhaps it is much too early to judge if there’s been an improvement. We currently have a ranking of 9th in terms of away form (having decent home form has kept us in the top 6).

Our points per game averages this season stand at 2.46 at home and 1.25 away, a difference of +1.21 which is the highest in the Premier League (the pesky spuds have the best away form and have actually won more points away than at home – largely thanks to dubious penalties and goals in Fergie time, it has to be said).

Our goals conceded this season stand at 36 with 25 of those coming while on the road, a percentage of 69% – again the highest proportion of away goals in the Premier League.

When Unai Emery joined the Club, he must have looked at last season’s results with dismay. Our away form needed sorting and goals conceded column reducing (though I’m sure Micky will disagree with the latter). Shoring up the defence, getting us to actually defend as a team and plugging the large gaps left for opponents to exploit on the counter (especially behind the full backs),  all must have been priorities.

Some might say that results this season are relatively unimportant as the new manager strives to get the team playing in a new style to his own liking and there is some truth in that suggestion. Unai has tried 4 at the back and a back three with wing backs with varying degrees of success.

It’s true also, that some of these changes have been prompted by our horrendous luck with injuries, Rob Holding really was looking like our number one centre back and with Nacho injured, the Wardrobe at wing back gives us far more confidence than him playing as left back in a four. The double pivot of Xhaka and Terrier appeared to be a successful pairing which was then curiously amended to push our Uruguayan further forward and wider. The need to make early subs at half time has suggested Senor Emery is still trying to find the right formula for a longer term strategy and that he will still make some errors of selection as he beds in.

Our remaining away games this season …..

Huddersfield … 9th February

Spuds …  2nd March (now confirmed as a Wembley fixture)

Wolves … 16th March

Everton …  6th April

Watford …  13th April

Leicester …  27th April

Burnley …   12th May

Perhaps we’ll see a steady improvement in the last 7 away matches and exploit our ‘relatively easy’ run-in. Then again, those West Ham and Southampton defeats are still fresh in the mind. The game at the London Stadium possibly our worst away performance of the season. Perhaps our best performance came at Fulham when a Harlem Globetrotters style exhibition produced magnificent entertainment.

Anyhow, what do you think? What has caused this apparent fragility away from the Emirates?

Will we see our defence start to gel as injured players return and partnerships have a chance to develop, promoting far greater solidity away from home?

Or do we just need to score more at the other end ?  Creating more chances against Huddersfield tomorrow might be a good place to start.

chas

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Arsenal FC – Our away record against Huddersfield Town

February 7, 2019

Huddersfield entered the Football League in 1910, three years after they were founded. To stave off a proposed merger with Leeds in 1919 citizens of Huddersfield were asked to buy shares in the club for £1 each. They went on to reach the 1920 FA Cup Final and win promotion to Division One.

Under the leadership of Herbert Chapman and Cecil Potter they became the first English team to win three successive league titles 1924, 1925 & 1926 – a feat that only three other clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United) have achieved. Their largest home attendance was 67,037 against Arsenal in a FA Cup game on 27 February 1932.

Leeds Road, Huddersfield, Town v Arsenal FA cup 1/4 final 1932. 67,037 fans!

Honours

First Division (top tier)
Champions (3): 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26

Second Division (second tier)
Champions (1): 1969–70

Third Division (third tier)
Promoted: 1982–83
Play-offs Winners: 1995, 2012

Fourth Division (fourth tier)
Champions (1): 1979–80
Play-offs Winners: 2004

FA Cup
Winners (1): 1922

FA Charity Shield
Winners (1): 1922

The last time we lost away to Huddersfield was on January 16th, 1971. In fact since 1938, we have only lost two away games.

Huddersfield 0 Arsenal 1 in April 1955 at Leeds Road. Derek Tapscott shoots for goal

 

Our only away game against the Terriers in the Premier League just so happened to be Arsene’s final game in charge. Rather shamefully it was to be our first away win of 2018. Auba scored the only goal after some fine interplay between Lacazette and Ramsey.

Without Dr. Wagner to worry about, I expect nothing less than a resounding victory, but I’m often wrong.

GunnerN5

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What does the club you most dislike say about you?

February 5, 2019

Every supporter of every club has the local derby thing, so as Gunners, let’s remove the Totnum lot from the discussion.

In most people’s sights are the team that were our closest rivals during the few periods in our history that we were the dominant club.  Therefore I’m sure back 1934 there were a few Sunderland haters 🙂

We can probably pin you down by your age. Leeds Haters: you’re 60+ aren’t you? I could go on. Through to Pool, then on to the United lot, but you get my drift.

More recently, we have the oil money haters. I’m always a little uneasy about this group of two as you open an ethical can of worms that goes down the rabbit hole of sponsors/owners etc, and simply that we, The Arsenal, are a major part of the whole obscene money merry-go-round.

Ok, that’s about it for a quick conversation starter. What I’d love to unearth is an Arsenal fan who hates a Grimsby or Bolton with every fibre in their body 🙂

Mickydidit89

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Predictable at the Emptihad – Player Ratings

February 4, 2019

No Mesut, no Rambo – what’s the point of two top class strikers with no-one to feed them then?

First Half

Wobbly dithered and we were one down in the opening seconds of the match.

However, there followed a period of commendable effort from the whole team and the equaliser gave everyone a boost. We even looked as though we might sneak something.

The offside second put the kibosh on a positive half time talk.

Second Half

Zero efforts on goal. Hmmm.

Hand of Sergio third goal.

Arsenal flat-lined.

Conclusion

Not as bad a scoreline as it might have been and at least City cut the dippers’ lead, albeit temporarly (maybe).

Nobody’s expectations were very high for the game and at least we had over half an hour on level terms.

Ratings

Leno – good second half … 7

Lichtsteiner – just not up to it … 4

Mustafi – injured – good or bad? … 4

Koscielny – a goal stooping when Lukaku’s size 12s  must have been fresh in his mind … 6

Monreal – part of the mediocre nature of the team performance … 5

Kolasinac – not much to say … 5

Torreira – will be hoping his second season is in a better team … 6

Guendouzi – such a willing lad – shame he had little support … 7

Iwobi – such a bad start, never really recovered … 4

Lacazette – tried hard again … 6

Aubameyang – no service … 5

Subs

Suarez – a debut of microscopic proportions – best forgotten all round … 5

Ramsey – no effect on a poor second half whatsoever … 5

Mavropanos – A fit centre back – Hooray … 6

Managers

Emery – a hiding to nothing game in most senses – if we’d played a more attacking line up and got more severely thrashed, there would have been just as many complaining … 5

Pep Wagner – could he do it without the half a billion pounds budget? – not in the same way, that’s for certain … 6

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Arsenal FC – Our away record against Man City

February 2, 2019

The club City was founded in 1880; 139 years ago as St. Mark’s (West Gorton).

And on 16 April 1894; 124 years it became Manchester City (It was re-branded in 2008 as the Manchester Oilers)

They won their first major honour with the FA Cup in 1904. The club won the First Division title for the first time in 1937, but were relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division.

Maine Road in 1934, the year City had a record home attendance of 84,569

Inspired by a tactical system known as the Revie Plan they reached consecutive FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956, they lost in 1955 to Newcastle United but they won the second the 1956 final, in which they beat Birmingham City 3–1. It is one of the most famous finals of all-time, and is remembered for City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck.

They had a period of success in the late 1960s, winning the League, FA Cup and League Cup under the management of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison. After losing the 1981 FA Cup Final, the club went through a period of decline, culminating in relegation to the third tier of English football. In reviewing the history of their excursions through the various divisions of English football it became apparent that in order to detail them I would need to write a book – instead I created a spreadsheet (surprise, surprise).

Manchester City’s revenue was the fifth highest of any football club in the world in the 2017–18 season at €527.7 million. In 2018, Forbes estimated the club was the fifth most valuable in the world at $2.47 billion.

It’s interesting to note that our EPL away record prior to City being purchased by the Abu Dhabi United group was W 8, D 1, L 1, GF 19, GA 5, – since the takeover it has been W 3, D 2, L 6, GF 18, GA 23

I guess greasy money does talk.

Our last away win at The City of Manchester Stadium (Eitihad) was on January 18, 2015, and we have only 2 victories in our last 10 visits; but in their last 8 games they have lost against Crystal Palace at home and to Leicester City and Newcastle away.

Memorable wins in Manchester

Wednesday, 11th April 2001 Man City 0 Arsenal 4

Four goals in the first 35 minutes blasted City away. Arsenal rested Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira and Silvinho and handed a first start to the Brazilian midfielder Edu but were much too strong for a pre-money days City side. A brace from Freddie and goals from Wiltord and Kanu made the last hour of the game academic.

Photo by Mike Egerton/EMPICS via Getty Images

Saturday, 22nd February 2003 Man City 1 Arsenal 5

Even better than two seasons earlier, Arsenal were 4 up in the first 18 minutes. Bergkamp, Pires and Henry in their pomp meant that Arsenal cruised to victory. Keegan, the City manager and Anelka, the Arsenal reject, were not happy bunnies.

Sunday 24th October 2010 – Man City 0 Arsenal 3

The early dismissal of City’s Boyata after a last man foul on Chamakh gave Arsenal a massive advantage. A goal a-piece for Lord Bendtner, Alex Song and the FFBW disposed of City and we could even afford for Cesc to miss a penalty, too.

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The light blue oilers must be stinging from the Newcastle loss which may well work against us but if our wounded defensive warriors can band together, all is possible.

GunnerN5

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