Arsenal’s attack carries us through again but it wasn’t easy

Arsenal survive second half scare to beat Brentford by Konstantin Mitov

Them wins keep on coming people! Again though it wasn’t easy. We made it difficult for ourselves. What was plain obvious to me was the lack of quality in defense and midfield.

Guendouzi for all the talent he showed, lately more and more looks like a former League 2 player, and his mistake cost us. His performance was so bad, I missed Xhaka.

We have an obvious drop of quality in midfield. We no longer have a creative mastermind like Fabregas or Santi. We don’t have a defensive rock like Gilberto either. Elneny is a lovely squad player, but he doesn’t cut it. There is promise in Torreira, but the squad still looks unbalanced.

There is still adjustment to the new system. The playing out of the back doesn’t work so far in my opinion, but we do need to spend more money in defense. I just don’t think Mustafi can do the job but help from midfield is needed. Also the lack of wingers is a huge contribution to this.

Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi have a job to do in January. Our attack right now is carrying us through. Danny Welbeck, Auba and Lacazette all show good form and we have great pace going forward. I know Emery said he prefers winning 5-4 rather than 1-0, but we must address these problems as better teams will capitalize on this.

Right now I am struggling to define the style of Arsenal under Emery apart from the playing out of the back thing. The other reoccurring theme has been the second half improvements that helped us win games where we weren’t playing particularly well.

It was very funny when Cech dropped the news that Arsene cared more about how we play rather than actual results, which was pretty obvious. Right now results keep on rolling our way against the lesser sides. We have a tricky game against Watford at the weekend. They were very unlucky against Spurs in the league cup and they could cause our shaky defense some problems.

But right now looking at our neighbors, they and United will be our challenge for the top 4 spot. The Spurs bench isn’t nearly as good as their starting 11 and lack of signings is something we must capitalize on. Another is the feud Mourinho has with Pogba in Manchester. He’ll be gone soon as he reachs the typical Jose point where it’s everybody else’s fault and we have to make the most of the opportunity to put some distance between us and them before they gather some pace.

Lastly I enjoyed Chelsea beating Liverpool. All this talk of how great Liverpool are before they’ve played one decent team was annoying me. They’ve still won nothing and I’ve seen so many Liverpool teams coming close before “slipping up” and breaking down. Anyway, those 2 teams are playing in the league next and we could cut some gap between us and the leading teams, so hopefully we can win and with some luck perhaps put another clean sheet on the board?

Anyway, that’s me done for today. Hope you have an amazing week. See you in the comments.

Konstantin

42 Comments

  1. Against Watford, Unai Emery should not start ozil and Ramsey against watford on Saturday because the have a plan to bully us. They should come in Second half when the Watford players are getting tired.

    ——————-Cech
    Bellerin– Sokratis/Holding –Mustafi –Monreal
    Torreia– Xhaka,
    Aubameyang– Mikiytyan –Welbeck
    ——————Lacazette

    1. Agree with your line-up, especially because Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang have more experience playing together, instead of playing with Ozil and Ramsey

      Unfortunately Emery has to start Ozil, otherwise he could sulk with that depressed/ disappointed face in the field or call in sick. They also have to start Ramsey, because they would need him to sign an extension

      I would swap Aubameyang’s and Welbeck’s position though

      1. gotanidea, forget Ramsey and “send him to Siberia”; Arsenal have withdrawn the contract extension offer, because of lack of progress. The only consideration now should be whether Ozil or Mhikataryan starts in central midfield.

        1. I’ll tell Ramsey to look for a club and keep him on the bench for the rest of the season… That guy ain’t worth it

          1. Could not agree more. You would have thought we had learned our lesson after the Sanchez saga. IMO no player who does not want to be part of our future for whatever reason should be allowed near our first team. It brings negative “energy” and distraction. Let him spend the rest of the season at home or with the reserves.

            I don’t blame him for trying to get as much money as he can since he has to look after himself but the clubs interest should be guarded by the club and at time of change like this time we are in we should only have players involved who are excited and committed about our future.

            1. Sky are reporting that talks with Ramsey have broken down, owing to the fact they enjoy giving us bad news. The truth is, it’s the best news of the season, I’ve wanted him out for at least the the last five years, maybe more, so the sooner he packs his bags the better. The majority of us know we’ll be far better off without him, I just wish we’d have done earlier when we could have got more money for him. This traitor has planned this over the last 18 months. Whoever signs him will be making a massive mistake but for some reason he seems to be liked in Italy. Maybe an opportunity to swap him with a decent player from either Juve or Milan.

        2. But according to @kev, Ramsey would sign

          If Arsenal have given up on him, they would try to sell him in January. I hope they bring a better and younger English player though

          Just want to revise my reply to @Franko, I’d prefer to see Iwobi in the wings instead of Welbeck

          1. @ Kev, is wrong on Ramsey. The club have now withdrawn their offer. I find that hugely reassuring, as under Wenger, we would have had the Ramsey farce running as long as Coronation Street. Realism and pragmatism first, stupid idealism which flys against the obvious facts, has NO PLACE in a forward and progressive thinking club. Ramsey will begone hopefully in Jan or at least and long last by next summer. And good riddance too!

            1. I can’t wait to see him go. Nothing against him as a person but I find him largely unexceptional and incomplete as a player and unfortunately he also carries the odor of mediocrity and complacency that marked the last 5+ years of Wenger’s reign. We need fresh faces and new blood not players that seem permenantly “Wengerized”.

      2. It appears you would play OZIL, just because “he could sulk or call in sick.” I can’t believe that you think THAT a proper reason to play Ozil. Care to explain and say whether or NOT You consider Ozil worth a place , as he is right now? I say a definite NOT. I think he is suffering from acute clinical depression and though I sympathise as a human being, as a fan , I cannot think of playing ANY player who simply can’t or won’t work flat out for the shirt. ALL players who, for whatever reason, do not give 100% week in, week out,are poison to a side keen to improve and compete at the very top. Ask yourself if ANY other top club manager would even dream of playing Ozil in his current state . I think you know the answer to that one!

        1. Ozil knows he’s getting paid no matter what he does. And Emery is too new to the job to get into a feud with our “star player”. Look at what Pogba is pulling right now. At some point he needs to be dropped. I maintain my belief this season is his last as a starter. Sell Ramsey, drop Ozil, get a winger/right attacker, and new midfielder. Lacazette and Aubameyang carry our attack. Ozil is just a passenger in it

          1. Couldn’t agree more with your comments.

            What I would personally like to see happen
            in the January window.

            If Crazy Jose is still roaming the sidelines at
            Old Trafford I would dangle that Ozil carrot
            in front of him and see if a swap or partial
            swap for Bailly is feasible. Arsenal imho
            desperately need another quality defender
            and the IC man would slot right in next to
            the Greek God Socratis.

            Sell Ramsey to whatever club is dumb
            enough to buy the Welshman. Couldn’t
            care less if its $10M or $30M. He SHOULD NEVER PLAY another match for AFC.

            Offer Rennes $20-30M for winger I Sarr. I
            remember being very impressed watching
            him maraude down the wings at the WC for
            Senegal. Kid is only 21 and has Dembele
            type of potential. Would be a fantastic
            signing for the now and then for AFC

            I would love to see AFC make a serious run
            @ Ndombele, Rabiot or Doucoure as well but
            I just cant imagine Kroenke and Co. releasing the required funds to buy either player. Adding
            an inexperienced vet like Banega or Herrera would make perfect sense.

            If such moves are made, and honestly it’s a
            HUGE IF, I could definitely see the likes of Welbeck, Mustafi and El Neny joining
            Ramsey on the bus leaving the Emirates.

            1. Why not us trying to lure Martial at Arsenal. There is no better player one can find right now and he would fulfill his potential here at Arsenal for sure.

              1. Would love to see Martial wearing the
                Arsenal badge but I cant see Jose and
                Woodward including him in a potential
                swap for Ozil. There is also 0.000%
                that Kroenke would sanction the $60+M
                needed to acquire the Frenchmen.

                Now if Arsenal can sell Ramsey, Welbeck
                and possibly El Neny for say $40-50M than
                AM could definitely be in play.

                1. Should be aggressive and tllk to his agent behinds manures back and make things happen. His contract is running out after all, and if manure can do such things, so can Arsenal. But like you said, its up to the Stan to do such things, and the man is not here to make fans happy

  2. Currently Guendouzi tops the tackling and interception charts as a DM at Arsenal, more than Xhaka and the defenders

    Xhaka created the most forward passes. But I believe Torreira or Elneny could also do it, if playing as a deep-lying playmaker, as what Cazorla did

    I agree that Arsenal should acquire better defenders. If Emery wanted to have a winger, I think he would have kept Nelson

    1. I agree with u…to me guendousi has been very good…i only have to desagree on u about elneny…to me elneny Is so useless, nothing to remark on his game and i think he belongs to a way lesser league

      1. Thanks god . I have said this Elneny thing million times . Ekeny suits lower leauge clubs . The big clubs having proper Midfielders the likes of Matuidi , Vidal , Rabiot etc while we are having heart attack watching Elneny running around like a headless Chicken the best he can do passing the ball sideways .

    2. Leno almost scored an own goal from a back pass yesterday (seemingly worse than Cech vs Manchester City) yet no article on that but had it been Cech….

      Anyway, we won and that’s the most important thing, with our attackers performances, that slip from Mustafi was the most hilarious thing (after Leno mistake) during the game, I still don’t know how Emery managed to keep a straight face…

      1. Clashes with attitude that Cech needs to be dropped. I thought the same thing after opening day, but he’s been excellent since, and has saved us several points already. Leno hasn’t really done anything yet to warrant a start of Cech just yet. I’m glad Cech is proving me and some of us others wrong with his performances.

  3. Guendouzi for all the talent he showed, lately more and more looks like a former League 2 player, and his mistake cost us. His performance was so bad, I missed Xhaka.”
    Really Konstantin ?? you’re back at your best heh? Whining and complaining about players, now you missed Xhaka?
    It was a fvcking cup game for fvck sake and we won it neatly, move on and stop looking for negativity, you wasn’t expecting Brentford to just give up easily and not give us problem were you?

    “We have an obvious drop of quality in midfield. We no longer have a creative mastermind like Fabregas or Santi. We don’t have a defensive rock like Gilberto either. Elneny is a lovely squad player, but he doesn’t cut it. There is promise in Torreira, but the squad still looks unbalanced.” Man must you find negativity in anything? Lot’s of top clubs have lost great midfielders and they moved on, can you move on from this whole Fabregas and Santi talk?
    Ain’t no midfielders for Barca since Xavi and Iniesta left or am I mistaken? Are they complaining as if it’s the end of the world?
    Fine the team still looks unbalanced, but this is how many months into the season like what 2 months and a new coach, but it was always gon take time and for Fvck sake we are winning!!!
    who cares if we win 5-3 or 1-0 as long as we end up top of the table and win the EPL, isn’t that what we all want?
    under Wenger you complained and complained, moaned and moaned about how we play and how beautiful football means nothing if it doesn’t come with good results, you complained bout Wenger never having back up plans…now there’s a change, a coach who just want to win anyway as long as he gets the 3 points and you’re still complaining about how we play?
    some of you Arsenal fans are something else TBH, and Konstantin plus tone down your complaints and moanings for when it’s obvious we have nothing to lose or win for

  4. I stopped reading the article when I got to the bit in the second paragraph about Guendouzi being so bad ! What utter bloody drivel ! He made one mistake, yes it cost a goal, but otherwise he was excellent and has been all season. He is driving this team at present and without him we go backwards.

    1. I think Guendouzi can do better with his positioning. Sometimes it feels like he’s not working with the midfield player next to him and we lose control of the midfield. Can’t exactly put my finger on why he’s not clicking with either Xhaka or Elneny, but just give him more time and he’ll get better. Not a bad game from him, but not a great one either. I actually have to agree that his inexperience is showing a bit lately, but it was still a positive performance overall.

      1. RSH, we need to be patient with Guendouzi and lower expectations. It shouldbe realized that he is young, it is a big jump to go from the French Second Division and he is a good prospect to be nurtured.

        1. Agree. He doesn’t look out of his depth and obviously has the tools to become an amazing player. Emery gives him good minutes and he’ll get better

  5. Omg I’ve just seen a picture of Kolasinac training… ??? he is smoking hot!!!!

    Watched the highlights last night… 3 really good goals, the 2nd was amazing!
    I didn’t really care about Chelsea/Liverpool… don’t like either! All I could hear was the Chelsea fans singing about Stevie G slipping!

  6. Like to see Torreira and Guendozi try play together. They may work as a pair until we get a top box to box midfielder. Xhaka is also decent but needs to be upgraded in the summer if no improvement

    Ramsey has become a problem now. I was happy for him to ‘re-sign to be a squad player but he is causing too much distraction and being selfish. Sell him in January or let him go in Summer

  7. Your comments on Guendouzi are over the top but your views on Mustafi are an accurate reflection of his ability.Holding on the other hand did well .Turning to the long running saga concerning Ramsay, he should be sold in the January window and replaced by the excellent young Belgian midfielder Tielemans from Monaco.He would add power,pace and intelligence to the Arsenal set up.

  8. The writer of this article makes it look as if we lost the game, I didn’t watch d match , I was expecting to see article about how we scored the three goals but all I see is negativities. U said emry style is not working yet we have won 7 games in a roll. Let me tell u, I prefer we don’t play beautifully but keep winning n win titles. Well. Tanks arsenal team, d manager n positive fans for d win

  9. Konstantin, I agree with much (not all!!) of your article. But one huge and deeply unjust criticism is your ludicrous description of Guendouzi and the totally uncalled for “league two player” insult. You owe this fine young player, bought for a relative song, a huge apology. Other fans on here have also rightly taken this supremely silly comment on board and told you that you are wrong. The problem you get with any article, however much general sense it contains, as yours does, is that once you make an stupid and unfair comparison, as you do with Guendouzi, the main thrust of the article gets overlooked and people- as is human nature- rise up to defend an innocent , well regarded and determined YOUNG player who has far exceeded any realistic expections that any Gooner could have felt at his purchase time. A shame how you ruined the article by this silliness ; that looks rather like a personal agenda. I only hope it is not! My other disagreement with you was when you ” thought it very FUNNY how Cech dropped the news that Arsene cared more about how we played rather than actual results.” I would expect any TRUE GOONER to have found this truth, more of a tragedy than ” very funny.” Surely a Spud or rival fan might find it “very funny”, not a Gooner. I KNOW FULL WELL you are a Gooner but misleading phrases are so damaging to the one using them, so please, think on!!

  10. let us have faith in our team and coach nd do believe that they are going to make instead of talking negative about them

  11. I am hugely overjoyed by the news that Ramsey is almost gone..

    Trust me I DON’T RATE this guy at all . Now its only Bellerin remaining in the rhelms of non-talented players in Arsenal.

    In order for The Arsenal fraternity to realize the dream of Making Arsenal super Great Again, it needs to get rid of untalented players like this guy. THANKS AGAIN, I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!! At least this will offset my disappointment of losing a World class player (Kovacic) to Chelski >>> just watch how he made Keita (another world class player) look lost in midfield yesterday.

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