I found it incredible that Unai Emery put out nearly a full Arsenal team to play the Ukranian minnows Vorskla, and I seriously expected to see a cricket score with players like Aubameyang, Iwobi and Welbeck up front. And so it seemed from the beginning with Arsenal keeping the ball for 75% of the time and Alex Iwobi looks desperate to impress, but sadly despite many many chances he failed to find the net.
So it was sensible that, on the half hour, he was again in another scoring position but he instead decided to pass it to Aubameyang who made no mistake and put it into the bottom left corner. Arsenal were 1-0 up but we should really have been 3 or 4 up by then. It is unbelievable that we disn’t add to it by half time but Vorskla are defending like Champions but surely they will have to tire in second half….
And so it proved as after just three minutes of the second half Arsenal had doubled their lead thanks to Danny Welbeck-s head and ten minutes later Aubameyang placed a brilliant long range shot to make it three! Maybe that cricket score could still be coming….
With 30 minutes remaining Emery takes Torreira and Aubameyang off for Ozil and Guendouzi, and ten mins later the youngster Smith/Rowe replaces Iwobi, who has probably been the man of the match. The Gunners fresh legs counted straight away as Mesut Ozil made it four with a tap in from a pass by Lichtsteiner. Yet again Arsenal looked like they wwere going to have their first clean sheet of the season, but Vorskla find a way through and Leno is beaten by a good shot inside the box. We simply can’t get a clean sheet for love or money.
It has been a very comfortable win but I’m not so sure it was such a good idea to play so many first-teamers with Everton on Sunday, but perhaps Emery (like me!) thinks that professional footballers on 100,000 plus a week should be able to play two games at least without tiring. But how on earth did they let Voskla score a second in the last minute!
But I think our reserves could have handled these minnows just as easily, if not easier, and maybe they wouldn’t have conceded! Perhaps Emery is thinking that he can play all the reserves after we have 9 points on the board…
Admin
– Aubameyang: Mostly isolated in the first half, but took his chances well
– Mkhitaryan: Mostly invisible in the first half, then robbed a ball that led to Aubameyang’s opening goal. Worked hard and very good in the second half
– Iwobi: Unusually very brave in dribbling past the opponents and provided a good assist for Aubameyang. I hope he keeps his confidence as a left winger, because he is very talented and has good physical attributes
– Welbeck: Created some lousy first touches, but managed to score from a header when unmarked
– Torreira: Played as a deep-lying playmaker tonight, instead of a DM. Still needs more game time to blend in
– Elneny: Worked hard as a DM. He seemed eager to prove himself
– Monreal: Not good when attacking. Maybe he wanted to save his energy for the Everton match?
– Lichtsteiner: Too cautious for my liking. Bellerin would most likely start ahead of him in the Everton match, because Bellerin is better in attacking and seems to have better stamina
– Holding: No real test
– Sokratis: Tonight’s best defender. Showed his experience and his abilities to be a ball playing CB
– Leno: No real test
Finnish 4-2, What a disappointment from us letting in sloppy goals. We can’t seem to be able to keep a clean. Smh
and here i was thinking that lichtsteiner is better than bellerin.
He is. Suffering from pneumonia from sitting on the bench, still one assist and good defending except for trying to play bad header from Holding, instead of reefing upfield.
iwobi should be a starter and mkhirtaryan should take over the number ten position because he is best we’ve got there..
Agree, but Ozil’s fans will be angry if Emery starts his attackers like this:
Iwobi . Mkhitaryan . Aubameyang
…………Lacazette
angry for what? am his fan too but we are playing to win not to please some fans
Miki should start ahead of Ramsey. Miki on the wings while Mesut 10.
?exactly
AND THEY ADDEDD THE SECOND GOAL.NOW THIS IS NOT A COFORTABLE WIN.
CANT BE COMFORTABLE
It wasn’t a comfortable win at all, the article was written and posted before that game had finished. No mention at all of the scone goal. Terrible biased reporting.
Not comfortable in the first half, but it was very smooth in the second half
They could struggle against Everton’s defense if they play like in the first half
Well done gunners, but please give us a clean sheet soon! Bring on Everton now for 3 more points.
Iwobi was never caught! He was amazing today!!!
Im starting to worry. Was it just me or Ozil is way to skinny?. He has lost at lest 7 pounds. He was not strong enough today. He fought the ball with a rival at min 84, fell and got visibly hurt. He just walked the game after the incident. Even doing so he is pure elegance. But we need more!
His confidence reminds me of Ozil’s when facing Ludogorets. I hope Iwobi keeps his guts if playing against Everton
And yes, we need more service from the creative midfielders and Mkhitaryan can provide that as a no 10 at home
Ozil looks ill. Seriously , he does. He looks nothing like a fit young professional footballer in his prime years. I am convinced he is depressed and has been for some time already. As FOR ELEGANCE, WELL, SKINNY YOUNG FEMALES ARE USUALLY ELEGANT. But you wouldn’t pay them £350 K pw to not fight and to coast through games. He is sublimely talented when on song but he has been way below his level for ages now and is often just a passenger. One who wilts in the heat of battle. We are bewtter without him as he is. Unless he regains his real level soon, VERY soon, he is no use to us and just a waste of his obscene wage.
Hi Jon, I read some articles suggesting Man U might come in for Ozil. I don’t think that would be so bad provided we invest the money we get for him in a genuine creative midfielder. To me, Ramsey is too lightweight to carry the midfield so we could use an industrious creative midfield player to replace Ozil. A Santi or Silva (from Man City) type of players would go a long way to fill our need IMO.
and here i was thinking lichtsteiner is better than bellerin.
He is just rusty and he cannot go up/ down as frequent as Bellerin, because he is old
I thought he had a real good game for someone who only played once this season
For me his miles ahead of Belerin on defending
To Tatgooner and got an idea, who thought that Lichtsteiner is not as good a choice as BELLERIN , PLEASE ANSWER ME THIS QUEATION: EXACTLY WHEN DID YOU SEE, ALL GAME, lICHTSTEINER WAY UPFIELD WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN DEFENCE, as Bellerin does constantly? Answer: Not once! Defenders main job is to defend, not be a winger. Bellerin is not only not better than Licht; he is not better than my aged Aunt Gladys, as a defender. Play him , if you must as an out and out winger ONLY or better still, sell him IN JAN AND BUY SOMEONE WHO CAN DEFEND, TO BE DEPUTY TO THE SOUND AND SAFE LICHT. Licht is a top player, Bellerin a bad joke, as a defender.
Unfortunately you have no idea about the modern game, Bellerin it’s the right choice to provide the correct balance……. you are out of touch, best get with the modern game or give up.
Hey Mw, after Wengers resignation, i agree to all that jon writes, belerin is no top defender, averager for a top 4 club, good enough for a relegation club.Same applies for mustafi socrates Ramsey ozil xhaka. Accept the truth pal, the league table doesn’t lie for the third successive year. Wenger tried and accepted he failed, now Emery is giving his shot but the result is the same.except that Emery has made the game more interesting by cutting out the side and back passing to some extent.yesterday’s game 4-2 is not the result we should be proud of and remember Emery is a 3 time winner and the French league winner so don’t doubt his credentials. Hope gazdis takes the kroenkes to milan with him
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Wow! What a fabulous thought; that Snake Ivan would take his Scroogmobiles Kroenke and Son to Milan with them. And thanks for the support, which I always appreciate
Hey new boy, never seen you on this site before. Don’t be so rude to someone who has been attending our games for 60 years. Tell me this , smartypants, Are fullbacks defenders OR are they wingers? I know how Bellerin regards himself; as a winger. It might help if this self obsessed young man actually spent more time playing in defence, where he is suppposed to play. By all means go forward at times but LEARN THAT FULLBACKS ARE FIRSTLY DEFENDERS, YOUNG BELLERIN!
I would have liked Leno to save that last shot. We were really sloppy at the end there.
I would have preferred to see Nketiah instead of Welbeck and Smith-Rowe at least 45 minutes in the middle of the park not on left wing.
Sokratis was excellent, Licht not so much.
Not happy with Unai to be honest. Could have brought in some more youth players in. There was no need for Ozil to come in for example. Anyway a win is a win but sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.
this game was not comfortable.
could have easily ended like the anderlecht game.
one big problem with our players is complacency.They turn into a Sunday league team if they think the game is won
I agree but just like some here saying we were going to win 6-0 with our reserve team.
As a long time Vorskla
fan I am gutted.
Fancy losing to the minnows Arsenal
7th in the PL.
By the time Vyacheslav Sharpar
scores the second away goal we have lost the game.
We should have won this game .
I am really surprised that Kobakhidze started in front of Sergiychukat
and surely Mysyk and Tkachenko should have also started.
We can win the return as Arsenal are a pub team
but we must sack Sachko. He is useless.
I remain Disgruntled Vorskla fan Ponomarenko Kolisnychenko.
Always the joker Barryglik…??
hehe ?
I’m glad we won… I am a bit peeved at conceding not 1 but 2 though… Sokratis is looking pretty damn solid…. loved Auba’s goals, so nearly had a hat trick!
Oh well Everton next… COYG
Me too! I was really disappointed we conceded that 2nd kinda took the feel good factor from the result ? but agreed Sue Sokratis looked good ?
Why bring in ozil when you are leading. Should be playing Nketiah and give more time to Torriera. He needs more game time. Emery is still confused. Torriera should be s started henceforth alongside Guedonzi
Couldn’t watch the game….how were the new guys?
MotM, Iwobi and by a distance. Others who impressed Auba, Torreira, Guendouzi and Smith-Rowe both in approx 20 mins only. Defence looks still shaky and there is no obvious pressing to be seen anywhere, at least not as a team. To me, that lack of pressing is the most disappointing similarity to a WENGER TEAM. We were all promised pressing and at start of season there was a little evidence at least that it was being tried. But it has disappeared. Why?
Agreed Jon absolutely no pressing and very Wengerish! Too many passengers in this arsenal team and so far I haven’t been impressed with the team in any game this season.. hopefully we’ll improve because if we don’t we will have absolutely no chance of making top 4 or winning Europa league.
I do remember not to long ago when you were adamant Iwobi was not good enough for Arsenal and I did tell you to give him a chance due to his young age. Seems he’s made you eat your words. Could easily have had 3 assists today if not for wayward finishing from Mihkitarian.
The lad does need to improve his finishing though.
Abel-Iwobi played well and deservedly wins applause.But don’t get carried away.We played a side that is mid-table Championship level at best.Lets wait until he gets a Premier League game and see how he does then.After being given an opportunity against Chelsea in which he played well he then stunk the place out the following week at home to West Ham before being subbed at half-time.So let’s keep things in perspective with Iwobi at the moment.Emery seems to be getting through to him in his attitude and he is showing he is capable of good performances whi+h is more than he did last season.He will not start against Everton I’m sure so Brentford next week gives him another opportunity.I can assure you Brentford are a far better team and will give us a far harder game than that team last night.
Brentford won’t be an easy game, as they’re performing well in the Championship.
Note Arsenal did not concede while Torreira was on the field. I hope he starts with Xhaka against Everton.
Hey Abel, He had ONE good game. Won’t change my mind about him til he is doing this all the time. Please don’t wet your pants about his ability.
Feel srry for Leno. Those two shoots where impossible to save. Also a bit confused with Mesut who got tired way to fast.
Watching our young is very nice, and i would also love to see Sokratis named as our Captain.
I hate to say this without any evidence but Ozil may be abusing certain substances which is why his stamina is down and would explain his gaunt frame as most addicts seldom eat right and look malnourished as a result.
He may need serious help as he may have taken to using due to depression and may be one drug test/missed drug test away from a lengthy ban.
Are you for real with this comment?What gives you the right to accuse ANY PLAYER of drug abuse?You don’t believe that the player possibly looks “fitter” as opposed to “thinner”?
Do you not feel that all the Physio’s Doctors etc employed at the Club just might have noticed something?
What a childish and pathetic comment.
Abel, though I do not think he is on drugs; no way, I DO think he is seriously depessed and in poor mental and weak physical health. He looks gaunt, frail and is facially ageing fast. Something fundamental is wrong with him. I say no more than that and certainly NOT on drugs though.
An odd article and I personally found little to agree with. Firstly, why expect a cricket score? Realists like me did not I and we didn’t get one.(Unless you call 4-2 a cricket score, which I do not! )Wrong thinking! Secondly, Emery made 8 direct starting changes from Newcastle game, thus resting key players for Everton. The Admins article seems not to see this. It would have been foolish and dangerous in a key comp( for our possible and more likely CL qual next year) to have started with ALL the young kids who the writer suggested. He is already questioning Emerys future planning in his final sentence, which is way out of order, IMO. He was wrong and Emery got it about right. All in all not the best article I have read in er, lets say, the last 5 minutes. But definitely the most odd and ill thought out one in ages. Also it might be thought prudent not to have posted it till the game was finally over.
Positives for me were auba getting goals, sokratis being better than i first thought didn’t realise how fast he is either, did anyone else see the sprint drill times posted a while back he was quite high up the list. I hope we can find a way to get mustafi out of the squad he is a liability i think. Be nice to see one of mavraponos or holding pair with sokratis until kos is back.
Loved aubas movement for the first goal and love his lighting pace.
Also loved the start when leno got on the ball and dinked it out to elneny. I know we didn’t see what he’s truly capable of tonight but when pressed with ball at his feet i never felt nervous like i do with cech.
Annoying the last two goals i think everyone wanted to get in on the attacking as elneny was out of position and unable to get back in time.
With nketiah around welbecks days are numbered i feel.
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Lovely , well thought out and well expressed comments. PLEASE POST MORE OFTEN, Kieron.
Ot i watched rangers v villa real before our game, cazorlas 5th game and from what I’ve read he’s been there best player he’s was magic again tonight i thought.
Pretty amazing for a guy Arsenal didn’t think would play again.
One of my all time favourite arsenal players.
Still early days, but watching Arsenal’s 6th competitive game this season, it looks like Wenger was not eased out because of poor performance or ambition but just to get the fans off the board’s back.
The new gaffer’s tactics are strikingly similar to that of the old gaffer although the defence is definitely worse now despite the addition of 5 new players, all defensive minded.
I may be wrong, but I can already see through the bullshit hype. Emery is mediocre and so is Arsenal under kroenke.
I was all for Emery but although it’s still early I agree , our performances have been poor and average at best, no pressing like we were told it’s very much like last season with the defending even worse and I’m worried now.. maybe Emery isn’t the manager I thought he was.. hopefully I’m wrong but as it stands we’re miles off looking like a top team
@John and co, I’ve said it before and still saying it Emery is not the man, we missed it all when we kept Mr fraud far too long we had the opportunity to get klop or Gadiola but due to our lack of ambition they went to our rival. I want some of us to take time again and watch some of PSG games of last season and watch their game currently and see the difference between a good coach and average Emery. Emery only talks about pressing game on the pages of news papers but its never his style of game. As for me the only thing I notice that has improved is our substitutions and probably his ability to bench some of the so called untouchables.
Guys Emery is a winner dont get him wrong. And did not PSG loose again to Barca? Emery does not have the right players so did Wenger. How can 2 world class managers have similar results?
Somethings wrong with the players we buy even torera is not a 90 minute player. Sarri just walked into Chelsea and look at the results just because he has solid men in his squad what do we have similing faces all around in training. Accept for iwobi and chek who have improved rest the whole squad need rebuilding- impossible for Emery with this ownership
Gunner22, I agree with you; don’t sell Emery short. Arsenal are now winning away games and are showing resilience if they fall behing. If Aubameyang had his shooting boots on against Chelsea, a whole different complexion would be on the start of this season.
As you so correctly state Tuchel is not having the same success as Emery with PSG yet in the Champions League; the forwards including Neymar are still running the show.
@Chuky chuks yeah we missed the boat on Guardiola and Klopp Wenger should have been put out to pasture many moons ago, it’s his ego and selfishness that’s put us where we are today! fans still adore him but I blame him for the mess we’re in! Wenger had the money to bring in better players but brought mediocre c**p and left a loser mentality at the club that may take a long time to remove!
John, I could well have written your post; to the exact words!
Don’t expect the defense to improve much. Emery said he’d rather win 4-3 than 1-0, and he was right at 4-2. Not surprised we scored 4 against that side, however am surprised we gave up 2.
Still long, long, long way to go. More concerned about team’s/player’s attitudes than defense.
It’s a win, and a 4-3 ending that Emery obviously prefers would be welcome against Everton.
Anxiety and blood pressure medications costing me a fortune after only 6 games.
Haha being an arsenal fan should come with a health warning Durand ?
Wondering why many fans have the health issues and not the player’s. Can’t be their generous wages regardless of outcome, can it?
Because we’re fans, the players aren’t and have massive bank balances we suffer, they dont! ?
Abel, Whilst I agree with your “no better so far than under Wenger” comment, the new defenders signed have hardly been picked yet. Licht and Leno made their very first starts yesterday and Torreira has mostly been a sub. When they all play together , regularly, I expect a huge iimprovement. I am perplexed where the promised pressing game went to . Seems to have vanished completely.
Great in attack, still below average defending. And Vorskla didn’t get many attempts even. I don’t know why we lose concentration so easily. There has been no improvement in our defending. We were talking about midfielders a few articles ago but it’s obvious that the talent at the back isn’t good enough at all. Anyways, positives is by far Iwobi, who was MOTM for sure. Miki also contributed a lot as well. Good to see Ozil get another goal, as well as Aubameyang grab some. We look capable of scoring goal, just need to get a grip on defending. Can’t be conceding 2 to an obscure Ukranian side at Emirates. Don’t think the opposition were threatening enough to earn a 4-2 scoreline.
100% agreed ?
We could offer elneny yo ando ucrain team…damn, what did the scouts see on him aside a cheap player? He could even do it on eleven of my satursday team
Couldnt*
Diego, Totally agree on Elneny. Yes he was cheap; rubbish usually is cheap! Not a Prem class, let alone ARSENAL CLASS PLAYER, AT ALL!
We was looking good at the back for majority of the time Torreira was on.
I don’t mean to moan about Guendouzi but he was too deep for one of their goals, he went to close down their player but he was too far away, shot got made and goal.
Young and will learn, not like the mistake cost us 3 points or even 2… Low risk(we was controlling the game) good learning experience.
This is not the 1st game Iwobi looked hungry and made people sit up and go wow, I want to see him gain consistency but I do fear the next game will see him become clueless again, he was on form tonight though and it was a pleasure to watch.
Midkemma, you are spot on regarding the impact of Lucas Torreira.
Dang looks like Leno and Lichtsteiner are not the answer at the back! Anyways it was a good game and we won. Attendance was underwhelming but the goals were fantastic.. I think it’s still to early to tell how our season will turn out but I think we can reach the Europa final and if Chelsea won’t be in it we will get the trophy. The weekend now.
We WON. That’s the main thing.
Vorksla were unknown to us. We were unfamiliar with them and they gave it everything thing they had. They had nothing to lose and wanted a bigger scalp. We are a 6th place team with a dodgy defense. There are NO easy matches. We can’t expect to win 5-0 with our team of mostly average players. Eleny, Sokratis, Welbeck, Holding, Iwobi
The main thing is that we won.
I’m always happy when we win.
I do think we should try to strengthen central defence in January though either by loan or purchase.
Yeah but if we bring in better defensive players will we still be wide open at the back? Emery has said he prefers his team’s to win 4-3 to 1-0 so with that I’m guessing he’s not too bothered on the defensive front but more on the offensive which is worrying because we are already shockingly poor at the back.
Well said Kieron .Yesterday I said we would “win by one or two goals but would not keep a clean sheet” Don’t need to be a rocket scientist to spot our defensive deficiencies .Arsenal still look and play like a Wenger team which lacks the mentality and determination to battle hard to keep a clean sheet.It didn,t matter yesterday but it might well against an Everton team which was rightly slated by the press after their loss to the Hammers.They are likely to come out fighting and we need to match them physically and mentally.Emery has a difficult job to change the mind set of certain players and it seems to me that Sokratis could well become a leader for him on the pitch.He is playing well and would be my pick as Captain.
We lost two games this season , fans were asking for winning now unai n team gave them four straight win now what fans are asking for is pressing game. We won yes we won any other thing is a joke. As per my lovely guy iwobi keep doing d great job don’t mind d haters