Arsenal v Chelsea, k/o 8pm, Sky Sports

spank_inferno

Christ, Chelsea were dirty.

greendom

Royal Legend wrote: »

Yeah, we got the X factor

He is called Luis Suarez, if Wenger had made a proper offer, you could nearly have had the league wrapped up by now

very much doubt that - we would only have got him had the 40 million release clause not been removed from his contract.

smurfs5

The best part of tonight was Neville & Carragher's banter and half-time season report afterwards.

Paully D

CSF wrote: »

Hard to look past City for the title.

Aye, I'd agree with that. Odds against to win the title too (6/5). I can't see that sort of price lasting for too much longer.

wandatowell

tayto lover wrote: »

Arsenal didn't have a shot on target until the 85th minute.
And this was a home game.
Dire.

It was frustrating alright. Christmas in 2nd though, we cannot complain about that (as hard as it is not too :P).


F*ck I would have LOVED to have beat Chelsea tonight.

blueser

blueser wrote: »

That was grim viewing. Liverpool seem to be our main challengers for the title now. The game on boxing day at our place will be a massive indicator as to where the title may end up.

We'll see about that

Paully D

Arsenal's win rate without Mike Dean in charge over the last four seasons - 56%

Arsenal's win rate with Mike Dean in charge over the last four seasons - 6.4%

:pac:

Soups123

Paully D wrote: »

Arsenal's win rate without Mike Dean in charge over the last four seasons - 56%

Arsenal's win rate with Mike Dean in charge over the last four seasons - 6.4%

:pac:

He must only ref our big games!

beer enigma

Soups123 wrote: »

He must only ref our big games!

Lets see the retrospective committee act now. ....erm

tayto lover

tayto lover wrote: »

2 points out of 9.
Very poor return and 2 home games too.

tayto lover wrote: »

Arsenal didn't have a shot on target until the 85th minute.
And this was a home game.
Dire.

Shush, gonna win the league, great team.

Turtyturd wrote: »

Spineless stuff from Chelsea again. Still think the lack of a decent centre forward will cost Arsenal this season...would have been the difference between 1 and 3 points tonight.

Imagine Arsenal with Suarez this year, barely bears thinking about.

Kirby wrote: »

Watching Neville and Carragher constantly poke fun at each other is great viewing. It's constant point scoring. :P

Yeah but Jamie has to be careful, if he looks like he's winning Neville will just bring his medals in the next time :P

IvySlayer

IvySlayer wrote: »

Hopefully I will finish my shopping for Christmas today and be able to put my feet up in time for this game, though I predict a 0-0 borefest

Too good sir, too good

Alpha Dog 1

Poor game, no coincidence that Mouriho is involved, that man should permanently banned from football before he kills it.

GavRedKing

Alpha Dog 1 wrote: »

Poor game, no coincidence that Mouriho is involved, that man should permanently banned from football before he kills it.

Ah yes, the killing of football, the idea that you go not to lose a game away to one of your title rivals by employing different tactics.

Sure no manager in the history of the game has ever played this way before, must have been a new thing from last night.

.jacksparrow.

GavRedKing wrote: »

Ah yes, the killing of football, the idea that you go not to lose a game away to one of your title rivals by employing different tactics.

Sure no manager in the history of the game has ever played this way before, must have been a new thing from last night.

Jose and his mouth is doing more damage, he just can't help himself.

fozz10

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Jose and his mouth is doing more damage, he just can't help himself.

greats result. Draw away against contenders and beat them at Home. Great tactics by the greatest and most successful manager in the league. And a gentleman too. Well done Jose

.jacksparrow.

fozz10 wrote: »

greats result. Draw away against contenders and beat them at Home. Great tactics by the greatest and most successful manager in the league. And a gentleman too. Well done Jose

I'm sure Roman spent all that money on attacking players to watch his team play for draws.

GavRedKing

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

Jose and his mouth is doing more damage, he just can't help himself.

Do people expect anything less?

A lot of Joses actions take the heat and attention of his players and their performance or lack there of, its how hes being doing things since his Porto days.

Surely a draw away to Arsenal is a good result?

Arsenal need a decent striker or I can't see them winning the league. Giroud just isn't profilic enough.

GavRedKing

rarnes1 wrote: »

Surely a draw away to Arsenal is a good result?

Arsenal need a decent striker or I can't see them winning the league. Giroud just isn't profilic enough.

Start of the day I expected us to lose the game TBH so I think its a point gained for us.

The only thing it does is out pressure on all our home games that we really have to win nearly 9 of the 10 that are left for us at home to be in with a chance of the league.

I agree on Giroud, his 1st chance was a poor miss on his strong foot and for large parts he wasnt in the game at all.

The same goes for us though, we need a CF that can bloody score, Torres hold up and chasing down and work rate were exceptional but he didnt look like a threat going forward.

dfx-

GavRedKing wrote: »

Do people expect anything less?

A lot of Joses actions take the heat and attention of his players and their performance or lack there of, its how hes being doing things since his Porto days.

Is that the case anymore, Mourinho sent them out to play like that more than once this season. It's not the player's deficiencies or lack of performance, but Mourinho's deficiencies and Mourinho's lack of ambition and performance

fozz10

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

I'm sure Roman spent all that money on attacking players to watch his team play for draws.

I'm glad you know him so well. And here's me thinking he'd be just happy winning trophies.

GavRedKing

dfx- wrote: »

Is that the case anymore, Mourinho sent them out to play like that more than once this season. It's not the player's deficiencies or lack of performance, but Mourinho's deficiencies and Mourinho's lack of ambition and performance

Its only the 2nd time we started in a 4-3-3, other was away to West Ham.

On more than half a dozen of occasions hes thrown on CF's for CM's to win a game and go 4-4-2.

dfx-

GavRedKing wrote: »

Its only the 2nd time we started in a 4-3-3, other was away to West Ham.

On more than half a dozen of occasions hes thrown on CF's for CM's to win a game and go 4-4-2.

It's not so much what formation they line up in, but their attitude with which they play it.

Mata, Oscar and Schurrle on the bench and Luiz on for Torres.

Jelle1880

GavRedKing wrote: »

Do people expect anything less?

A lot of Joses actions take the heat and attention of his players and their performance or lack there of, its how hes being doing things since his Porto days.

That's the standard response when he comes out with something stupid.

'Oh, he does it to keep the attention away from his team'

Could it not just be he doesn't know when to shut up ?

batistuta9

Jelle1880 wrote: »

That's the standard response when he comes out with something stupid.

'Oh, he does it to keep the attention away from his team'

Could it not just be he doesn't know when to shut up ?

could it be it just likes doing it?

the comment about 'they like to cry' seems more aimed at Spaniards than arsenal i think

AdamD

Jelle1880 wrote: »

That's the standard response when he comes out with something stupid.

'Oh, he does it to keep the attention away from his team'

Could it not just be he doesn't know when to shut up ?

I've thought this before, but if you look at the headlines today it'll probably all be about his crying comment and nothing about a dire match or a dire referee.

GavRedKing

dfx- wrote: »

It's not so much what formation they line up in, but their attitude with which they play it.

Mata, Oscar and Schurrle on the bench and Luiz on for Torres.

I honestly expected a 4-3-3 in this game and I think I called the team in this or the Chelsea thread, it was important not to lose the game but to try and hit them on the counter and that XI was better suited then any to do it.

It was 50/50 between Schurrle and Willian but Willian is better on the ball and able to retain it.

Even if we draw against all our rivals away and we beat them at home thats 3 points we're taking off our rivals all season on a head to head basis.

GavRedKing

GavRedKing wrote: »

I honestly expected a 4-3-3 in this game and I think I called the team in this or the Chelsea thread, .

GavRedKing wrote: »

I'd love to give you a Chelsea team but its impossible to guess.

I'll give ya 2 options, a 4-3-3 built for counter attacking or a 4-2-3-1

Cech
Ivan Luiz JT Azp
Ramires Mikel Lamps
Willian Torres Hazard

Or

Cech
Ivan Luiz JT Azp
Ramires Mikel
Willian Mata Hazard
Torres

4-3-3 it was.