Match Reaction vs Southampton (home).

[McNamara That Ghost...]

A rather typical back from internationals performance but defensively pretty good again.

Four points clear. :scarf:

[Marc Overmars]

Didn't see much of the game.

3 points, clean sheet, job done.

4 points clear. :dance:

[GP]

Super.

[PGFC]

:yippee:

[milla]

:yippee:

:yippee: :penguin: :scarf:

[Marc Overmars]

Cardiff and Hull next up.

Hopefully we can build up a another winning run and stay on top with this cushion.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Didn't see much of the game.

3 points, clean sheet, job done.

4 points clear. :dance:

Nicely summed! Good all around really....even without our best two players being below their best.

[milla]

Cardiff and Hull next up.

Hopefully we can build up a another winning run and stay on top with this cushion.

We will jammy it but most importantly we will get a 100 % result from these two games. :coffee:

[Master Splinter]

Good, professional win.

Giroud :bow:. Another superb all-round performance.

Koscielny completely dominant.

Gibbs is such a classy player.

Szczesny with another quietly impressive game.

Good to have Feo back.

Arsenal :bow:.

Boruc :bow:.

[Özim]

Good win.

[Penguin]

Not the best performance we've seen but we got the 3 points against a very good side. Mertesacker and Kos were both the rocks we've come to love in the heart of our defense, and Chesney was confident and assured.

I hope Giroud thanked Boruc for the early Christmas present :lol:

[Marc Overmars]

We will jammy it but most importantly we will get a 100 % result from these two games. :coffee:

Hopefully. Then we have Everton, City and Chelsea in the lead up to Christmas. Would like some room for error in these games tbh.

[Darknight02]

The last time we lost an unbeaten run against United at OT, we had Southampton at home and were dire and looked dead until the dutch skunk scored an injury time goal to salvage a draw. We looked shot of confidence and bereft of belief.

Today it was a different result. One of belief and keeping going and maturity. We kept Southampton at Arms length all game and thought we did very well.

We are winning games on the strength of our defence and Giroud who is after Mertesacker and Kos our most important player. Hassling, harrying and always an outlet when we play the long ball. Brilliant.

[Penguin]

http://puu.sh/5qYMs.jpg

[Bumble]

Good result. Even though saints gifted us the goals but because we are defensively sound we get the rewards.

I am starting to believe.

[Syn]

Solid but boring performance. Good refereeing. Hit the post twice through genius from Ramsey and Wilshere. Good win. Looking forward to dropped points for rivals tomorrow. Come on the mighty Arsenal.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

An all to important win, and needless to say, 3 points.

Coming off a most unfortunate loss against the mancfilth and an international break, it was always important to get the momentum going again.

Also, it's great that we've capitalised on scourers derby stalemate and have put a bit of gap between us and the pack. Going to need that bit of cushion for a tough December campaign. Get through that period finding ourselves still top of table and there'll be little doubt the title is coming home.

Giroud. :bow:

He's cemented Boruc into history, as that goal will be shown for generations to come.

Kos. :bow:

BFG. :bow:

Sir Ches. :bow:

The Arsenal. :bow:

[LDG]

They're not a bad side. No doubt Nergew will have his eyes on that Beckham corner taker.

Stuffed em. Could have done better if we decided to get out of first gear.

Sluvernly (sp) performance, that reaped the rewards of just being a better team, despite them thinking they were big time.

Fuck off.

We're the Arsenal.

We're top of the league.

Fuck off.

[Munchies]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/ec871ded7217e211e59f4052c365da64/tumblr_mwq6myCsyW1rwwef2o1_400.gif

:bow:

So close

[Grebbo]

We won which is all that matters, never easy after an international break. Would be nice to see us keep the ball for a bit longer though.

Ozil is an odd one for me, I must admit I thought he'd control the game a bit more, I thought he'd be our go-to-man like Cesc and Vieira before him. He doesn't seem to influence games that greatly. Maybe I'm being harsh, I've only watched a few Arse games as I'm overseas but I kinda expected more from a £42m man with his reputation. I guess I'm not allowing him any settling in time. At the moment he reminds me a bit of Berbatov - some lovely touches but could influence the game more.

I still think Jack could become our go-to-man in that midfield if he can somehow overcome his injury problems.

[JonasTC]

Arsenal :bow: 4 points clear :bow:

Stupid goal post ruining 2 contenders for goal of the year

Im still not convinced that we can win this year, but 4 points clear by december is alot better than the 10 points behind, as we usually have been. Plus players like Cazorla, Özil, Walcott, Podolski, etc have hardly shifted out of 2nd gear yet (for different reasons), so we can only improve. Im really looking forward to Özil and Walcott getting to know eachother on the field, we've seen glimpses of it the 2 times they've been on the field together and i think it will be awesome :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

Can't believe how bad Boruc's error was. It was so casual, not even a look of a desperation about him. I think he pretty much thought 'fuck' after the first failed turn and gave up. :lol:

What a man.

[Syn]

http://i.minus.com/iKcjSGTRjm8Mt.gif

Ramsey :bow:

[Dr Singh]

Interesting comments on Ozil failing to dominate games.

Like many great Arsenal players before him, it often does take them a white to settle in. I don't think he's the sort of player who will dominate or run a game like Fabregas or Vieira, but he is certainly the kind of guy who will win us games with moments of genius.

It's great how we are topping the table and dominating games despite him not even settling in yet. Cazorla and Arteta didn't really turn up either yesterday but our defense was rock solid, our British core never dropped the intensity and Giroud is becoming our Drogba.

I'm a huge fan of Giroud. His grandfather passed away 2 days ago and he was given leave as you'd imagine. He chose to stay and fight for his team-mates and the fans.

I'm not making the Drogba comparison willy nilly either. He's an absolute colossus. He jumps and brings the ball down like nothing I've seen before in an Arsenal shirt. He fights for absolutely everything, he's ferociously passionate, and he most definitely is a leader. Every time he puts the shirt on you can see he's trying to drag us over the line by our balls at times - either by scoring, constantly putting his body on the line, and his monumental defensive contribution.

Goal scoring wise as well, people think of Drogba as the titanic match winner he was at his best, but Giroud is embarrassing him thus far with regards to the first 2 seasons in the EPL.

[Bumble]

Giroud to drogba interesting and not very accurate. Drogba scored from nothing, hopefully hoofs upfield he used his power and pace to embarrass defenders. Giroud is that sort of striker, he isn't as clinical but I think he is more of a team player. Drogba wanted to be the main man giroud wants to be part of the team.

Like has been said before we are doing well because we are defensively sound. We keep a lead very well which is why we are where we are. Chasing a game is a bit of a shambles though. As long as we keep scoring first we will win the league.

The ozil factor definitely done more psychologically than physically. The players believe and ramsey has been unreal.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

When do we start to believe ?

[Marc Overmars]

When do we start to believe ?

Cautiously optimistic, me.

A heck of a lot of football to be played though, I'll be pleasantly surprised if we are still top come the new year.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Drogba's first 2 and a half seasons here were particularly patchy. At that point he very much looked a busted flush but boy did he prove himself after that. Drogba's time to settle here is a little unusual given his physical prowess and speed put him in good stead to do well but he had to learn to cut out the theatrics and compose himself in front of goal. He is quite the exception when it comes to foreign forwards coming over here.

Conaldo took a similar time to settle but he was much younger and his body was much less built for it when he first arrived.

I'm still not sure Giroud is the man for every occasion, or to spearhead a charge in every competition, going toe to toe against the best sides in Europe like Drogba was, but I've been absolutely delighted with his application.

I think comparing him to Drogba is a little counter productive in a sense as Drogba, as much as I hate to admit it, is one of the best African players there has ever been and one of the best centre forwards in modern times period.

I feel like Giroud should do a little better in the air in regards to heading the ball. In the oppositions net, that is. Rather than away from our own, or with his back to goal in the middle of the park.

[Marc Overmars]

Bif is definitely more of a team player but Dids was a seriously top, top player. Delivered in so many season defining games for Chelsea, wasn't always the most prolific but he did manage to score 30+ on 2 occasions, which is something Bif should be aspiring to do as well.

[WMUG]

I think Özil's the type of player to make those around him better by doing the simple stuff well, as well as the flashes of genius we've seen. From what I've seen, I don't think he'll be one to do keepy-ups and backheels in the 6 yard box, he's a lot more subtle than that, and he can, it's just he won't do it unnecessarily. He'll do stuff that seems easy, and most of the time it's because it is: he'll spot something simple and do it rather than try something that has less chance of working.

Players like that often go unnoticed, but atm I think he's invaluable to our team.

[Master Splinter]

http://i.minus.com/iKcjSGTRjm8Mt.gif

Ramsey :bow:


Could watch this all day tbh.

[Syn]

Such an awesome passer. He plays some absolute corkers every game. Just needs to be safer at times but he's pretty much the complete midfielder.

[JonasTC]

Players like Özil makes things look easy, thats why alot of the stuff he does goes unnoticed. I remember a shot he had from inside the box yesterday, the way he out dribled the defender looked super easy, but if you go back and look, you see thats its pure genius.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Lineker spot on on MOTD.

You need a bit of luck to win the league. We're finally getting some.