As Gary Lineker said, Arsenal’s game against West Ham coud have ended up 6-6, but in the end it was the Gunners that put their chances away to get their first win under Unai Emery. Hector Bellerin admitted that it had been a difficult encounter but the Gunners have been working hard and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before the new system worked. “I wouldn’t describe it as relief.” he told Arsenal.com. “We’ve been working hard now for the last two months, so we knew it was just a question of time. We had two tough games to start after lots of changes at the club. We knew it was a question of time, a question of scoring the chances that we had. Today was that kind of day. We still could have been even more efficient, but even though we started behind in the scores, we turned it around and I was very happy with the reaction of the team as well.
“Like I was saying, it was not about pressure. It was just, as I say, a question of time. We knew we were playing at home with our crowd, it was a tough team, they’ve had a very good summer window. They’ve signed loads of top players, so even though they were still getting used to each other as well, we knew it was going to be tough. I think the score doesn’t show how hard it was on the pitch, but as I said, it was just a question of time because the whole team has been working really hard and really well.”
Although Bellerin admitted it was hard work, he said it also helped that the team knew each other very well, which West Ham certainly didn’t as they had 8 new arrivals on the pitch! “At the end of the day it’s football, right, and that’s what we’ve always been playing and there’s always a few adjustments here and there that we need to make in order to play the style that the coach wants to play, but of course we’ve been playing with each other for a long time.
“So even though the system changes, at the end of the day we’re the same players so we still understand each other and that helps. It’s all about the work of the team and we’ve been working really hard this week and we knew what we had to do in order to score goals and that’s what we all did together.”
Arsenal did look excellent going forward, and it is obvious that they are improving in that department. Do you think maybe the squad should spend a little time concentrating on defending for a bit? Or is Emery going to go for the ‘we’ll score more than you’ philosophy?
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Emery has definitely made the team train harder than Wenger. I’m also happy with Emery being tough with Ozil. He has told him to work harder apparently and that his position In starting line-up isn’t assured
If Emery was getting tough then Xhaka would not be on the pitch and Ramsey would be watching the game on tv.
Just because they SIMPLY DID THEIR JOBS FOR A CHANGE last time does not make them good long term prospects. Even with that slightly improved showing they still would not make the starting line up of any other top team because that’s expected every week – not once a blue moon!
Same goes for Iwobi – one game where he just did his job and got a few people on here all excited and then it’s back to normal.
I thought the watchwords were now supposed to be –
NO MORE FREAKIN’ FAVOURITES!
SELECTION PURELY ON MERIT!
So much for those plans then. Pathetic.
Ramsey/Xhaka were our two best midfielders last game and it wasn’t close from Guendouzi/Mhki/Iwobi or Torrerira when he came on. Such bias.
Emery actually benched Ramsey against Chelsea if I remember correctly. So he WAS being tough
But wimped out and swiftly re-instated him.
As I said Angus ‘Just because they SIMPLY DID THEIR JOBS FOR A CHANGE last time does not make them good long term prospects’.
Having not done their jobs since they came down from Noah’s Ark it was about time!
Bellerin is right. Because most players have been working together since last season, they were more cohesive than West Ham players
Felipe Anderson and Masuaku also did not play well. West Ham lost Carroll as well, otherwise they could be threatening from set-pieces
Sorry gotanidea, but Anderson did play well and roasted Bellerin down Arsenal’s right flank.
Bellerin, like a few Arsenal players needs to do less talking, particularly on social media and concentrate on their on field performances.
Lichtsteiner for Bellerin at RB would improve Arsenal’s defense.
Yes, Lichtsteiner should start ahead of Bellerin against Cardiff
Because it is an away game and Lichtsteiner is better defensively/ in aerial duels
why is Bellerin starting ahead of Lichtsteiner?
Gotnoidea I think you’ll find that Lichtsteiner is better defensively/in aerial duels than Bellerin whether they are home or away.
I want to put the record straight!!!!! Lichtsteiner is better than Bellerin in every aspect of the game. Be it attacking or defending.
How can you say you are better attacking-wise when you can’t cross the ball for a change!!.
The only two players have seen better than Lichtsteiner in crossing is Mendy (City) and
Bellerin needs to leave Arsenal . That is what is most needed for him to do. How he is chosen in front of Lictsteiner is a joke call by Emery.
Lichtsteiner should start at RB, not Bellerin
Lichtsteiner and Monreal should be our full backs
Also both Torreira and Guendouzi should start.
These are the players I think deserve to be considered to start next match: Cech, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Mustafi, Sokratis, Torreira, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Welbeck
Maybe Ozil too. He was benched last match. Let’s see if that changes his performance
Bellerin, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi should be benched next match. They weren’t terrible but need to improve
Also can’t wait to see Smith-Rowe and Nelson get a shot.
The challenge is that Mkhitaryan does not have the defensive discipline that would allow him to play like Ramzey. Such a team would be lacking in balance defensively.
Some teams are very physical and commit tackles which are very rough.Flashback to
Eduardo’s injury 2018.Arsenal must play these teams at their own game if they want to
win. The problem is the ref. Some of these guys do not take kindly to tackles done by Arsenal
but close one eye to the opponents.There is enough evidence to back me up.
As for the WH game,it could have gone either way.The defence as usual went awol
or were guilty of ball watching.
The players must put their bodies in the way of shots if they want to win.Some teams like BH And these guys are paid a pittance compared to the gunners.
Then why not produce this “evidence” that you claim will back up your statement of ref paranoi towards Arsenal? Is it because you can’t? Cause I say it does not exist! Fans of all teams who have a ref complex blame one “sided” refs. Only unthinking, silly fans do this and so have you . So what does that make YOU! Most of your post was accurate, UNTIL you started blaming refs for our troubles and claiming non existent evidence!
Bellerin has been poor for the last few seasons, in fact since he got a contract he has lost his edge. the game against West Ham did not cover our lads in glory, the defense is like a sive. If they play like that against the likes of a top half team they will be punished.