Arsenal started with a completely different side than the one the faced Chelsea. with Leno, Lichtsteiner, Chambers, Holding, Maitland-Niles, Nelson, Xhaka, Torreira, Iwobi, Lacazette and Nketiah starting the game.
It looked like a second string with our returning World Cup stars like Alex Iwobi, Torreira and Lichtsteiner, but the rest were lots of youngsters dying to impress Emery.
Arsenal completely dominated the first 20 minutes and looked like scoring many times, but Caceido missed a sitter for Lazio and straight away it was up the other end. Iwobi smashed in a cross that beats Proto before crashing off the foot of the post and landing at the feet of Nelson, who taps into the empty net from close range. 1-0 to the Arsenal!
Lazio tried very hard to get an equalizer for the next ten mins but Arsenal were equal to it and then took control again until half-time and I have to say Iwobi is looking like one of the best on the pitch.
Guendouzi and Aubameyang replaced Nelson and Nketiah after the break, and the Gunners went straight back on the attack. When Emery made loads more changes we thought it would be a boring end, but Aubameyang and Lacazette combined to make it two.
Lazio then made loads of changes and it limped to the end although Arsenal were by far the fitter and stronger team
Onwards and Upwards!
The winning mentality
Iwobi finally getting the plaudits he deserves.
Go Iwobi
just hope we won’t play sokratis, i would hope emery to choose Chambo and Mavropanos for the next match.
Agree
Iwobi is toothless in front of goal and proved it again today. His end product is horrific would rather rises nelson all day
Guendouzi is a talent though always on his job. Ran his legs off today and pressed well
Lacazette and yang need to work on their partnership at the moment it isn’t fluid and finally emery needs to buys some competent defenders currently our options are pants
Hoping our defenders pick it up when the season starts. I think that’s been the main negative of these friendlies as well. I’m not very confident in the personnel we have. Based on what i’ve seen so far i would put Mustafi and Chambers as our starting CB’s.
Agree RSH
lichsteiner…….mustafi……chambers……..monreal.
that is also my best back 4 currently.
Will never win the league with chambers as CB
I know if iwobi was English… even with just above average performances, he wouldn’t get up to half the slaying he gets here..and I don’t understand what’s the problem with Phil and some other British guys…or is it that you guys are pained he chose Nigeria over England… so much that se of you herw canno
But lingard and welbeck are world class
@Phil. You call him ‘Third Rate’ yet both Arsene and Emery see talent in him.
Pity.
I call it as I see it.Talentless.And I’m still waiting for someone to tell me what he actually did this evening that proves me wrong
Assist the first goal
Yeah-couldn’t even finish that by himself could he?
with all due respect sir
are you really an arsenal fan?
what wrong has iwobi done to you?
and whats up with your comments about Nigerians?
common man
is it really worth it?
Listen to me pal-I give an opinion on a player that I do not rate.If people disagree then that’s fine.We all have opinions.But when I start being verbally abused then I will go toe to toe with anyone.I simply do not back down and never will.As for being an Arsenal fan?Yes pal I am.I have had a season ticket since 1968 when I was twelve years old.I missed a total of FOUR games home away and in Europe last season.I missed three the season before that.So do not even begin to suggest i am not a supporter.
I actually respect people’s views and accept other fans may see things differently to myself.What I do not Do is allow myself to be intimidated by anyone.Thats when I react and always will.
That sure is dedication Phil ??
Dude, I’m Nigerian, presently i don’t rate Iwobi!!!
I don’t think he is good enough and yes! Again!…I’M NIGERIAN
I think he lacks quality to finish which is frustrating, but he is young, and it’s a new coach, and i’m waiting to see if the new coach can change that.
There is a thin line between constructive criticism and bitter hatred, if Iwobi does well in some crucial game this season, would you have the balls to praise him?
That said the ugly racist statement, “I know being Nigerian you do not have too much in life to look forward to” is not only offensive, but a very ignorant statement.
Loads of Nigerians in all spheres of life doing big things, and I’m proud to be one of them.
Nigeria is not just all about the ‘corruption’ you see on TV, educate yourself, knowledge is power!
You are not too old to learn!
Haha pained he chose Nigeria thats funny, he would never have the chance to be an international if he chose England. I don’t mind the guy, he just lacks so much in his game.
Nicholas… I totally agree about Iwobi.. 9 goals in 98 appearances for him…. that’s awful!!
But what about wlbeck’s stats who is a striker and is even supposed to produce goals primarily and British fans want arsenal to keep him at 27 just cos he works hard and sell iwobi at 22 when he still has a lot to prove…but every other British player at 22 is called young and should be allowed to grow… bloody racists.
I’m not on about Welbz though… but just for the record, I don’t want to keep him… he really is as bad as Iwobi!!
Phil… I have to say you crack me up!! ?
Heyzee, What’s all this racist bollox, just because somebody doesn’t like a player from Nigeria he or she’s a racist. As a footballer, I don’t like Ramsey, does that make me racist towards Welsh people. As a footballer, I don’t like Iwobi but I loved Patrick Vieira, so now what am I? Grow up and stop playing the race card, everybody on this site says things for purely footballing reasons.
Well said Kenny, I remember when Arsenal first played a team with no English players, there was uproar from the media, personally I didn’t care, I just wanted the best Arsenal team and still do.
Seconded. I think the Brits on this platform are a lil racist for me. I know I won’t hasn’t been at his best but at the same time, there’s a number of players I would criticise just as much. Ramsey included. I’ve been meaning to say this but I’m glad you did. Brits on here need to calm down a bit. Plus I don’t think mustafi is as bad as people make him to be here. For screaming out loud, some even prefer Chambers to him. Isn’t that insane? Mustafi made a few mistakes but that doesn’t make him a bad defender. Next is xhaka. Xhaka is an important player both for club and country and we can’t deny his quality. I think we’re expecting too much from him. He isn’t as bad as we paint him to be. Pls let’s cool down abit on the racism.
Your opening sentence is racist in itself and by the way I am not a Brit, I’m Irish. I think Isobi played quite well yesterday but he won’t be a regular starter in my opinion.
Guendouzi must start against City though.
Nobody expects Iwobi to be a regular starter. I font think he expects that himself considering the quality in the attack. But he gets far note sticks than he deserves yet not so good players like him are overlooked or even applauded. Chambers, Welbeck, Holding.
Imho Our best starting lineup overall would be
…………………………..Cech
Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Koscielny, Kolsanic
…………….Torreira………… Guendouzi,
………………Ozil…………Mkhitaryan,
…………Lacazette……Aubameyang.
We won’t have Koscielny fit until the New Year at least. So he will not be starting till then at least. And IMO he will then be yesterdays man.
I think Guendouzi might struggle at the premiere league level. He is slow and has a tendency to hold onto the ball a touch longer. He won’t get the type of time he is getting the friendlies in premiere league.
Don’t get me wrong he looks like terrific ball player but needs polishing. If you throw him in league games against city and Chelsea he might end up with not so a good performance and loose his and managers confidence in him…. Need to be careful with the youngsters as we haven’t had the best of lucks with them recently
He’s ready, trust me. I saw Fabragas make his debut as a 16 year old and I think Guendouzi is at that level.
i really hope unai emery has now decided on his starting 11.
i have to say i was very impressed with chambers.
looks a different player under emery.
lichsteiner is a master RB..pinpoint crosses and accurate passing.
no way bellerin will start ahead of lichsteiner.
nasty guy too.
sane/sanchez/hazard will hate facing lichsteiner.
he will bully them the full 90 mins.
we really needed one tough nasty defender.
IMO xhaka might be the new captain.he is a leader.
too bad he does not play like a leader
Exactly why I liked the Lichtsteiner buy. He’s just not a friendly defender and will be annoying to play against. It’s time we turn the tables on having those defenders that don’t mess around and are a complete nuisance to handle. Bellerin should be worried about his place, and hopefully this will push him to up his game. Something he hasn’t needed to do for a while due to lack of competition.
Bellerin to the bench till he grow up and hair
*not hair
Sounds like the IWOBI FAN CLUB IS OUT IN FORCE AGAIN; all half dozen or so of them. Back on Planet Reality many of us saw another meandering messy performance from him with no dynamism, impact or true effect. Compared to the outstanding Guendouzi who has so much class and inventiveness , Iwobi is almost a noivice, though aged 22 compared to Guendouzis mere 19. I thought most played well overall, though Holding looked dodgy once again. The youngsters who do look to be top players in the making, in no special order, are NELSON, AMN, MAVROPANOS, GUENDOUZI. THOSE WHO LOOK PROMISING BUT HAVE STILL A LOT TO PROVE ARE SMITH ROWE, CHAMBERS, NKETIAH. Those to move on Iwobi, Holding. I have not seen enough of the others, Willock etc, under Emery to judge them properly. But I just don’t see Iwobi ever making the grade at our level. Nothing personal as he seems a decent lad, if somewhat immature.
Wouldnt’ drop Chambers in with the rest of those players who are 20 yrs old tops. Chambers is established first team. I’d say he’s a first team member with a lot to prove instead of youngster with a lot of prove. And the 2nd half of last season he was pretty impressive and I think he’s been the only defender I’ve been rather pleased with this preseason. Personally, I think he has a very good shot at becoming a regular under Emery. Holding has much more to prove than Chambers at the moment.
Well said RSH. I feel the same about Chambers so far and believe Chambers and Mustafi are the best pairing and best chance against City.
Clean sheet always great business.
I thought Chambers was borderline between your category and mine. But I do think he may well be soon a reguilar and he is definitely improving and leaving Holding behindin his wake. Chambers has more about him as a man than Holding it seems. Though I thought it was only the last 6 weeks, and not half, of last seasson that the improvement really showed.
Jon, i don’t think it is all about be a fan of Iwobi. I get it that you don’t rate the player but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give credit when it is due. Anybody whose allegiance is firstly to the club will support every player that put on the shirt and not overly criticize the players even when they think they are not good enough.
You make a decent point, however I would just add this.
That type sentimentality keep Walcott here way to long, Wilshere as well, and that thinking is why Ramsey holding out for stupid money. Do we want Reis Nelson regressing because Iwobi is still squandering chances?
Maybe just maybe Iwobi would have better quality if we didnt waste years on Walcott. I think it’s a fair question to ask, but no one can answer unfortunately.
I totally agree with Durands point below and would put far more emphasis on the point he makes than even he doesm who made that point. At top level you have to be ruthlessly pro=active in ditching players who you feel are never going to make the grade. That is why I spent years trying to gain support for my campaign to rid our club of the idle, lazy, cowardly, weedy Walcott. I SAW HOW USELESS HE WAS AFTER A HANDFUL OF GAMES WHEN STILL WELL INSIDE HIS TEENS. I see similar traits in Iwobi; at least ineffective, wasteful in possession, though not weedy or cowardly. Better than Walcott but that is not saying much at all. Just don’t rate him . Nor do I rate Elneny, Xhaka, Mustafi, Bellerin, Holding and woukld sell all of these , once we can first replace them.
It was a decent performance. But defensive frailties is still a big concern. Lazio had 3-4 clear goal scoring opportunities they did not take.
Also I know everyone is in love with guendouzi, and he seems like a good player going forward but at times he seems painfully slow specially when he is running backwards trying to get back when he is out of position. torreira and xhaka both looked rusty which is ok as they joined training only couple of days back. Overall a lot more positive feeling going into the season than have been for a long time.
Innit kolasinac is a liability defending.
attacks well but poor at the back.
look at games against psg and chelsea.
both games made mistakes that led to goals.(psg penalty and rudiger header from his side buildup to corner)
better nacho.
Well he’s bloody injured now, so it’ll have to be Monreal!
Well sue am sorry i know how fond of kolasinac you are.
? thanks Nayr
Surprised to not hear anyone talk about Nile’s performance at left back which was a trial for the City game.
Arsenal played as expected against what for me were a sub-standard italian outfit. we did well to keep a clean sheet after some schoolboy like defending the likes we cannot afford to display in the premiership real. from what i witness iwobi had some good moments which should help encourage him to raise his game a notch although iwobi was lone front of goal the proverbial words “hit”, a “barn door” and “banjo” came immediately to mind. Mihki cut through this lazio side like a hotknife through butter and lacazette showed glimpses of the threat we expect the arsenal offensive to be.
stephan lichtsteiner seems a no nonesense type which personally i was happy to see character in the side. Guendouzi again gave good account and leno did the same. Auba’s industry was rewarded with a goal and AMN is going from strength to strength. torierra did well given now he has his first game behind him and ozil was orchestrating play where ever and when he could
Substandard Italian outfit? When Bamford beat us behind close door, i but your view about the opposition was different. Well you can’t play against top notch teams all the time and you can only beat what is front of you. A win is a win and it doesn’t matter who you beat.
*this team seems to be getting to grips with each other and its assimilating nicely – however the lazio i witnessed is by no means anything with which to measure what we can expecct from the liverpool and manchester teams that will certainly prove a much harder test while all have their focus on the prize that is the domestic title along with champions league success.
Overall a positive results and no injuries. From the 4 preseason games, I think that going into the season, we still have some unknowns about the defense, and how the team can adjust to Emery’s desire for a more pressing team. Certainly he has made it clear that the team is not pressing at the level that he wants. Also, we still are not sure what his starting XI will be. None of the competition in these preseason games have been at the level of what we see soon, with perhaps the exception of Chelsea in the first half. But, I think it is apparent that Emery will adjust tactics to try to get the best out of whoever is out there, and I am encouraged by that.
Iono what problem some people on here have with iwobi…especially the British fans..or is it because he chose Nigeria over you guys..especially Phil and some others here whose reasonings have been beclouded by sentiment so much that they can’t make proper assessment without hating again..y’all need to fix yourselves.
What you are alleging is racism and is a disgusting slur on the integrity of those who do not rate Iwobi as a player. I do not rate BELLERIN , MUSTAFI, XHAKA, HOLDING AND ELNENY. Do you seriously think I am against Spain,Germany, England Switzerland and Egypt? Do you? Cos if you do, you have serious character problems and if ever you call me a racist, which is implied in your post, I will sue you so fast you won’t know what hit you. Geddit,. idiot! To be clear, so that your thick brain can understand, I care not one jot whether players come from Nigeria, Britain, Iceland, Australia, Ghana or the MOON! BECAUSE I AM AN EVOLVED AND MATURE HUMAN BEING , UNLIKE YOU. If you had any sense of shame you would apologise to us for your disgusting post. I won’t be holding my breath though!
Well said Jon.
By all accounts it seems as if the team played well, but Emery hasn’t tried his strongest line-up yet during the pre season friendlies. Our defence has been a bit of an issue in recent times and this has been addressed somewhat with the a coupe of signings.
I haven’t seen enough of the our new defenders to judge properly but I like Holding and Chambers, I think they play very well when paired with an experienced defender like Mustafi or Monreal (yes, he did quite well as CB in games last season), to give them a commanding presence.
Having said that, we’re having a great build up to what I hope will be a very promising season. We’re all hopeful of getting back to where we belong…… the loft heights of a fourth place finish at least hehe.
Another game and points to look at
— Lazio fitness was not on par with ours, if it was, probably could have been a different score line
– We lacked intensity which is important for the EPL, Iwobi actual ran with purpose, but finishing still off the mark
– Torreira and Xhaka are not at the rest of the team fitness level, which is a worry, slowed down our play alot.
– Elneny actually look the part for a start, real good pressing, Guendouzi is a candidate also, but the worry is he may not get that time in the first match to hold the ball.
– Chambers looked solid and i think Mavo the young greek would be a more suitable partner
– I think Emery will squeeze in a match to make some decisions, oo Niles look good going forward, but i think he vacates the LB position too often
well said!
It was a nice game to watch, especially having Torreira & Linchsteiner making their debuts. Bellerin should sit on the sidelines & watch how a right back should play, else find a career in fashion. Iwobi was ok but but he’s lucky I’m not the manager. I don’t know why some are complaining about Matteo’s speed, I think he was really good again. Football is more about intelligence in decision making & not just pace.
I am not sure why everyone has a problem with Phils initial comment. Iwobi for an attacking player is about as good as sterling for England. Their output means they should be nowhere near the team. However I am not a qualified manager and emery, Wenger (keep going with Iwobi) and Southgate kept going with sterling. Everyone is quick enough to slate Ozil even the Germans now he has retired, he however created more goal scoring opportunities in 2 games at the World Cup than messi !
Who knows as long as the mighty arsenal win do we really care what the line up is. Personally I don’t.
@ phil, kane is the only player worth mentioning in the whole England’s squad it is very much an average team and over achievers for that matter, there’s much worse players in their world than Iwobi to name but few.
1. headless chicken (Welbeck)
2. the nothing special (Lingard)
3. Usain bolt with no football brain (Rashford) etc
I disagree with you mate-Kane is very overrated as well.For the record I have very little interest in International Football and do not get excited by England one bit.But both Lingard and Rashford are far far better footballers than Iwobi.I would suggest even Usain Bolt is a better footballer than Iwobi.
100% agree, anyone who would take iwobi over lingard or Rashford does not know much about football in my opinion. I do agree muddassir on one thing tho, welbeck is a headless chicken lol.
The team put up a steady performance for the win today. We are yet to see all of the first team probables in a game all at once, a factor that can be attributed to the few lapses observed. Hopefully, we start to see a more cohesive team play, with intensity and efficient press, by game week 3.
As for Iwobi’s prospects, he just signed a long term contract, which suggests it isn’t just Wenger who thinks he is a useful part of the squad. He had a mixed one last season, as he only scored 3 premiership goals, but he did manage 7 assists. He has this ability to progress the play forward and will usually pick the right pass in the build up on most occasions. Such a valuable attribute tends to go unnoticed, because goals and assist tallies are the more preferred records. He is 22, hasn’t even reached the good years for his career and will come good.
I as a gooner certainly hope so. The issue is with his productivity in the final third (final ball, ability to finish). As you correctly state he is only 22, so hopefully this season they will improve.
People that criticize Iwobi don’t understand football like Phil. Emery understands and extended his contract
hey chiza, how is that dembele to arsenal story panning out my friend. do you have any more fairytales to tell us , hahahaha.
Stop with the politics. JUST ARSENAL….. Get it?
I don’t understand what the fuss about Iwobi is all about. It’s okay if Phil does not rate Iwobi at all and that’s his opinion. Another person will come out and say he does not rate Welbeck or Ozil and that’s fine. The good thing is that fans don’t choose the players to play and that’s why Emery just renewed Iwobi’s contract meaning he is gonna be with us for the next 3 years whether we like it or not. So, if I was Nigerian, I would not lose sleep one bit because of Phil’s comments as they have no impact whatsoever on who Emery chooses to play. However, its a shame that Phil cannot resist the temptation to proclaim his low opinion of Nigeria. Whoever you are old man, stick to football please. I guess wisdom does not come with age afterall. And you Nigerians too, enough with all the attacks on UK folks
true
All the best for Phil
I`ll say one thing that I hope does not upset Arsenal fans. If City lose to this group of players Pepe will be looking for a job.
Me personally do not expect much from emery this season being his first with arsenal. Pep had a bad first season with Manchester City, understandably he took that season to know his players and made the necessary changes which made the second season of his rule In city a success.
Klop also had a very rusty first season when he took over Liverpool and he made some changes as well the second season which saw him qualified for the champions league final.
I am confident that Emery his going to be a treat to the rest of the managers in Epl by the time he understands his players and make the necessary changes needed. I do not expect much from emery this season at all. I’m just gonna sit and watch this season go by with less optimism.
I have expected more from Nketiah than what he has shown in the preseason games in which he has played. I have high hopes for him, but he needs to improve his vision and be less selfish. Again against Lazio he shot at goal with Lacazette in space centrally calling for the pass.
Hopefully the attack will be more coordinated with the first choice players in.
Lichtsteiner looked solid in his first game for the Arsenal, which is what one would expect from someone with his CV – captain of Switzerland and 7 Seria A winner’s medals.
@Admin some of the people on here playing the racist card need a talking to.
@Dexter @Heyzee, to dislike a player for their (lack of) footballing ability is not racism. We’re not saying they’re poor footballers because they are black, or Nigerian.
Iwobi has been consistently poor and shouldn’t be one of our first choice attacking options at a team that’s pushing for top 4. He was MOTM yesterday but still had some sub-par moment. Let’s hope he can really push on this season.
I honestly don’t know what games you were watching last season if you think Mustafi only made a few mistakes? He was solely responsible for a lot of our conceded goals, consistently gave the ball away, was caught out of position and miscommunicated with our other players a lot.
I really can’t see the love with Xhaka either. No, he’s not a CDM, but that doesn’t excuse him for constantly taking 40-yard postshots in to row Z or consistently giving the ball away last season (and directly being responsible for conceding goals).
I’m ‘British’ and take offence from your comments. I’ve justified my opinion on these players above, no you justify your racist accusations.
SERGIO, YOU ARE SAYING , BUT IN A MILDER WAY, EXACTLY WHAT MY OWN POST ABOVE HAS SAID TO THE SILLY HEYZEE. I will sue any person , no matter who or where , IF ever they call me a racist on here. My own anti racial credentials are well known in other areas than football sites and I have been a prominent ant-racist since my teens and actively so, even involving PARLIAMENT. Certain people should be vey careful what they allege, since on a public forum they open themselves to legal action . I have previously emailed the Admin to this effect and I hope he reads this comment. Racism is far worse than false and unjustified accusations of racism. But either one is legally actionable and rightly so. I warn those reading this who falsely allege this nonsense to desist. Or else!
Respect your old age Mr…it’s okay..we can focus on all things arsenal now.
So pleased that you have accepted my point. Hopefully, from now on we can be friends.
Never met a Brit called Sergio
Never met anyone called Fingers
Sergio, our old goalkeeper Jim Furnell’s nickname for obvious reasons
Kenny, How dare you be so old! How much even more do I dare being , I believe, even older! You will remember no doubt, as I do too, Fingers flapping hopelessly at a header from Geoff Vowden of Birmingham FC when we lost to them 0-1 at Highbury in the FA Cup quarter final. Even before that goal he was known , rightly, as fingers. Spring 1968 if I remember correctly, which though is becoming more unlikely with each passing year.
Jon, I remember the Geoff Vowden goal well because I was there, it was actually at St Andrews in ’67. The following year however we played them again at Highbury when Fingers also played and drew 1-1. I don’t know whether Vowden scored again but Bob Wilson was brought in for the replay which we lost 2-1. Although I have a good memory of the first game I had to look it up on the Internet whereas you were writing purely from memory. Very impressed
You are too kind in saying you were impressed, Kenny. I am increasingly worried at my dodgy long term memories, which are however still far better than my short term memory. I have actually found myself halfway up the stairs and wondering what I was going up for. Apparently that is normal for old folk. But I tell folk I am still 45, (plus loads of VAT). As if ! I am sure you would have been at WHL when we won the First Division in 70-71 , 5 days before winning The Double. What are YOUR memories of that night? Me and my several friends stayed up all night and got ALL the morning papers at King’s Cross at 4 am next morning. HAPPY DAYS!
Nice observation from you all, for me I’m getting more impressed by the teams ability to win areal battles n proper marking hope they keep that up as for more goals it will surely comE.
Go on guys!
if he improves his finishing he will be a world beater