A big game tonight for the red and white teams, Poland v Denmark. I am not going to write an epic on this subject, as only one AAer will watch the game , let alone read this post. The only reason for any of you to watch the game is the fact that both teams wear red and white national colours, just like the colours of our Club, and 6 players from both countries played or are still playing for AFC. These and the fact that it is going to be a great game.

 Arsenal had 2 players from Denmark – John “Faxe” Jensen and Nicklas Bendtner. Polish players at Arsenal were Fabianski, Szczesny, Podolski (born in Poland) and Koscielny. Yes, I do know that Koscielny is French by birth, but with a name like Koscielny and face like Lauren you cannot hide your polish roots. I therefore expect any Arsenal supporter, bar Raddy of course, to get behind the Polaks.

 Poland are the favourites – playing at home, team studded with talented footballers, capable manager. They have poor record in World cup; twice they reached semi-finals and on both occasions finished 3^rd. Over the years they played 31 games in total in World cup. Nothing to write home about really.

 Denmark have no chance – country with population 8 times smaller than Poland, never reached any serious stages in the completion and only played 16 games in World cup, not a formidable achievement, even poorer than their opponents’. Despite their lack of success in football Denmark is 3^rd happy, wealthy, healthy, safe country in the world. Well, I hope that my team will wipe the smile of their faces tonight.

 I shall not laugh at their biggest exports – bacon, Carlsberg and Sandi Toksvig in fear that Raddy returns the jibe knocking polish kabanos, vodka and Lech Walesa, all superior to their Danish counterparts. Neither shall I mention the flat as pancake country with thousands of windmills – their only attraction. I suppose this makes Raddy’s job much easier – all he had to learn in the language was pancake and windmill. Poland on the other hand has magnificent mountains, huge lake district and beautiful seaside by the Baltic sea. No match for the Vikings.

 Poland will win tonight, unless the dark horse puts a spanner in the works. Yes, Lord Bendtner is very capable on brilliance, seldom seen on the pitch, but still there. Remember his first touch against Tottenham? Goal, a very important goal too. He is 28 and 194cm!! Giant of a man. Poland’s Lewandowski is the same age and 4inches shorter. Who is going to dominate the field today? Will Szczesny stop his ex-team mate Nicklas? I hope so.

 Enjoy the game my friends!

Written by Eddie

Last gasp action at Turf Moor gives Arsenal three important points and moves us up to third in the table. That is the fifth premiership game in a row that we have won albeit against small clubs but it was important to go into the international break on a high and in the right frame of mind to confidently face the bigger clubs when they arrive in the not too distant future.

Burnley was the first team we have faced this season who unashamedly parked the bus with the obvious intention of trying to get a point from the game or maybe all three if they had been lucky on the break. All this goes out the window, of course, if we score early which with the amount of possession we had looked as though it would be “when” rather than “if”. But that large “if” that was shining brightly in our eyes at the beginning started to get smaller and smaller as the game went on.

Even though, talent wise, Arsenal were head and shoulders better that than Burnley, frustration started to creep in as the breakthrough goal started looking more and more elusive. The result was that Arsenal’s crisp passing of recent games became hurried, quick decision making became ponderous. The two guiltiest were Ozil and Sanchez who by their own high standards were poor in my opinion. Ozil was shooting from awkward angles and from distance which is bizarre to even think about and Sanchez started to give possession away far too cheaply.

In an attempt to improve things Ozil moved out right and Sanchez, wanting to get more of the ball, seemed to move back to the half way line leaving no target man at all. Someone in the box was needed and the call for the number nine that we all envisage Perez to be went from a polite request to a screaming demand. I use the word envisage because in truth none of us know what to actually expect but someone needs to be there; someone needs to be the target for Ozil and Sanchez when the Chilean goes walk about. The reason I say Perez and not Giroud is because Burnley looked as though they could deal with anything that was sent in high which is usually the case with these kind of park the bus teams: Sunderland etc you know the drill but the thing they can’t deal with is quick feet. It’s going to happen, Perez will play an important role this season but it might take a tad longer than we all would have liked.

With a lack of a striker on the bench Wenger sent on Elneny and Oxlade-Chamberlain who both improved our collective push but still things were looking worrying especially as, in the smaller game earlier, spuds had put City to the sword.

All this changed, of course, when deep into added on time and two crucial points seemed to be lost, Sanchez accurately sent over a cross for Theo to flick on to the incoming Oxlade-Chamberlain at the far post; who, with Koscielny managed to bundle the ball over the line with what turned out to be last kick of the game sending the travelling support and others at home into wild celebration. This can be over analysed as to whether we deserved it or not, but really, who gives a monkey’s, we won and that is all that matters.

Back to the other smaller game, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that as things turned out the spud win was a useful result for us. Perfect Pep needed to have some of that wind taken out of his sails, this leaves just spuds as the only unbeaten team in the league and continuing the metaphors I think we all know who has a sharp pin just ready and waiting to burst that little blue and white bubble.

COYRG

LB

So to start this post off, let’s have a little count to see if we all arrive at the same number. Ready, right then, how many teams are there in London?

Hahahahahahaha

Any match report from an Arsenal supporter after that game would and should be one long list of superlatives, so here you go.

Player ratings:

Cech: Solid as a rock 10

Bellerin: Phenomenal 10

Mustafi: Vorsprung durch technik 10

Koscielny: Magnificent 10

Monreal: Brilliant 10

Coquelin: Hero 10

Cazorla: Outstanding 10

Ozil: God like 10

Iwobi: Sublime 10

Sanchez: Awesome 10

Walcott: Exceptional 10

Well that was fun.

OK, the thing is that anyone reading this obviously saw the game so instead of me trying to point out all the things that were special or might have gone unnoticed what I would like you to do is to point them out in the comments below.

For example: one of the things that I thought might have gone unnoticed is that for the first time the team stopped hoofing high balls up to Sanchez and instead only played to his feet, in other words that was the first time that the team played to Sanchez’ strengths rather than what was Giroud’s and surprise, surprise the result was one of the best performances we have seen from the Good Guys in recent years. Interestingly to me was that when the Frenchman did come on he looked completely out of place. I know, I know, this is not the time to start picking holes and furthermore I am sure that there will be times when his skill set will come in useful but any thoughts that Sanchez can’t play a number nine have now vanished from this Arsenal supporters mind.

Have the best Sunday you have had in ages.

Written by LB on Cloud 9