Why Oh Why! Why didn’t Arsenal play the same team that destroyed Southampton on Saturday, as our so-called rested first team were absolutely awful in the first half. Why do we always go into games against so-called lower level teams thinking that we only have to turn up?
It reminds me of last season’s home FA Cup game against Watford, absolute rubbish! We couldn’t have had a worse start to the game, with Watford scoring 2 goals in the first 15 minutes. Didn’t Wenger notice how brilliant Oxlade-Chamberlain was on Saturday? Didn’t Wenger notice Walcott and Welbeck scoring 5 goals between them?
Ramsey was returned to the centre in place of the Ox, and he celebrated by deflecting the first goal in Cech’s net, giving away the ball for the second, and then going off injured in the 20th minute. At least we now have the Ox on the field…
The first half ended 2-0 to the Hornets, with the visitors having 6 shots on target and Arsenal managing a big fat ZERO. Watford haven’t beaten us since 1988 in the League and we are going to have to pull off a miracle in the second half…..
PRE_GAME STATS:::
The Gunners have won five successive home matches in the Premier League and are unbeaten in 10 at the Emirates Stadium since losing to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season.
Arsenal have gone seven home league matches in a row without conceding a goal from open play – all four goals against them in that period have been penalties.
Watford are enduring a seven-game winless run in the Premier League (D3, L4). They failed to score in four of those games. However, they did end a run of five consecutive away league defeats by drawing at Bournemouth last time out.
Heurelho Gomes has conceded 23 goals in eight Premier League games against Arsenal, nine more than any other team he has faced.
Okay so Wenger has brought on the hat-trick hero from the weekend Theo Walcott on to replace Olivier Giroud. We can hope he can do the same thing in this game, but he has two attempts in the first 5 minutes, one blatant miss and one saved by Gomes. At least Arsenal have started playing now…
All Arsenal pressure now and finally we get the reward when Alexis gives it to Iwobi in the centre of the box and he slots it in. Now we have GAME ON! Half an hour to get two more (at least!). Wenger quickly gives us more attacking options by bringing on Perez for Coquelin for the last 23 minutes. We haven’t got any other fit midfielders so we may as well save him for Chelsea!
There may only be 15 mins left, but the good news is that Liverpool, Chelsea AND Tottenham are all drawing. All we bneed is one usual last minute goal to stay in the title race? Also our pressure is noted by having 4 shots on target this half with Watford defending with zero. A game of two haves?
It’s not looking so good with 10 minutes left, and now our makeshift midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain is looking dead on his feet, not another midfield injury please!
Nacho Monreal was nearly the hero with a killer shot, but its getting nervy now with only 8 minutes and injury time to go. Who’s worried, we always score late goals….. Don’t we???
Come on! Perez hits the bar… we’re getting closer. Alexis caps off an awful game by getting booked with 3 minutes to go….
ADDED TIME ARRIVES AND THE WORRY LINES ARE SETTING IN, IF SCORES STAY THE SAME, SPURS WILL STILL GO SECOND EVEN WITH A DRAW…. COME ON ARSENAL!!
OH TIDDLEYWINKS, WE’VE BLOWN IT AGAIN.
At least Tottenham drew, and if Chelsea draw too then we are 9 points behind. Let’s cheer on Liverpool for the last 10 minutes! Or should we?