Arsenal v Newcastle United, 16:30 GMT (16/02, SS Main Event)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Can't wait to see us draw again. :cloud9:

[Niall_Quinn]

Can't wait to see us draw again. :cloud9:

No fucking spoilers please!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I think six draws in a row could be a record, I remember us doing five under Wenger - four of them 0-0's, in a row. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

No more draws. This is a must win. A win will take us within 42 points of the leaders.

[Mac76]

Mustafi + Xhaka + slippery pitch = 'Ten-man Arsenal fight bravely to gain 1-1 draw'

[Marc Overmars]

Fancy us to fluke a win today.

1-0.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Another mental health campaign today.

Probably for us after the match.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, David Luiz, Saka, Ceballos, Xhaka, Ozil, Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
Subs: Martinez, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Torreira, Willock, Martinelli, Lacazette.

Barcodes: Dubravka, Lazaro, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Rose, S. Longstaff, Bentaleb, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton.
Subs: Darlow, Schar, Ritchie, Hayden, Lejeune, Atsu, M. Longstaff.

Er Arteta appears to have lost it.

[GP]

3-0

[Mac76]

Laca dropped - finally...

... but for nketiah, and martinelli on the bench :doh:

[Niall_Quinn]

Laca dropped - finally...

... but for nketiah, and martinelli on the bench :doh:

Bizarre, really.

[Niall_Quinn]

Mustafi too. It's all a bit totally fucking insane.

[Mac76]

If this is what Arteta comes up with after a winter break, i hope they never have one again....

[Master Splinter]

The most mental thing is that Ozil is still starting.

Can Emery come back?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos, Ozil and Pepe to show a pressing masterclass. :bow:

[Mac76]

Can Emery come back?

If we play him instead of Mustafi, why not?

[Niall_Quinn]

Torreira, Willock, Martinelli all on the bench.

Trying to figure out why, but suspecting a lost cause. Why don't we just pick our best 11 and go with that each match, barring injuries and suspensions? Something radical like that.

[Niall_Quinn]

Ceballos, Ozil and Pepe to show a pressing masterclass. :bow:

Flower pressing?

[Globalgunner]

Desert heat has fried Arteta's brain. He is seeing Ozil and Mustafi shaped mirages

[Mac76]

All Bruce has to do is tell saint-maximin to keep running at xhaka and mustafi, then sit back and tot up the pels and red cards...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mustafi wanted more time off. :faint:

[Niall_Quinn]

Mustafi wanted more time off. :faint:

I have a lot of sympathy for these guys.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tekkers from Ceballos so far.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

David Luiz sorts it out.

Mustafi thinks it's best to let the cross come in untested.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba cross, right out of play.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How did Xhaka get away with that? :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos. :cloud9:

He's out from the pub.

[Niall_Quinn]

Smudger alert to the Geordie pen possibilities. With friends like him...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Almiron. :haha:

Xhaka yellowed already.

FFS.

[Niall_Quinn]

Xhaka gets his booking early today. Might as well get it out of the way.

[AFC Leveller]

Xhaka absolutely silly there, booked and is now one mistimed tackle away from getting sent off.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin header. It wasn't good.

[Niall_Quinn]

Xhaka absolutely silly there, booked and is now one mistimed tackle away from getting sent off.

Difference being, NCastle will do that 50 time and won't pick up a booking until the 99th minute.

[AFC Leveller]

Newcastle are here for a draw. Looks like it’s gonna be a long afternoon.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka header, Leno had to scramble to keep it out.

[Niall_Quinn]

Almiron :doh: What a fag.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Longstaff volleys scuffed, Ceballos with a timely header knowing Leno would save it. :unsure:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Joel Inton pubs it wide.

[Niall_Quinn]

Ceballos actually directed that at his own goal. Bonkers!

[Niall_Quinn]

A little bit more positive from Pepe, rather than the backpass. Keep doing it.

[Niall_Quinn]

Maximum Queer gets the ball and falls over. FK - of course, of course. Ridiculous.

[Niall_Quinn]

Now Ozil does a Maximum. Embarrassing.

[Niall_Quinn]

Good effort from Saka. Curls it just wide, just over. Worth a go.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin with pub technique.

[Niall_Quinn]

Woeful. Still on break.

[Niall_Quinn]

Pepe bottles it again.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

What's the point Xhaka being there if he can't move forward to press the ball?

[Letters]

We really are poor.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka belts this one out of the ground.

[Niall_Quinn]

Almiron - LOOOOOOOOL

What a joke of a "man"

[Niall_Quinn]

We are clueless. I can't see any kind of plan here. Just random.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Great defending from David Luiz to deny Mustafi.

[Niall_Quinn]

Luiz's best defending. But it's for the opposition.

[AFC Leveller]

Lee mason is a baby faced cunt. Keeps giving them everything.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mesut is back, maybe!

Auba shot, straight at Dubravka.

[Niall_Quinn]

Can't believe we paid over 70mill for Pepe.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Mesut is back, maybe!

Auba shot, straight at Dubravka.

If he got it across the goal, Nketiah could have missed it instead.

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie clears it, from the Geordie box. Out of his depth.

[Niall_Quinn]

Why is Martinelli on the bench? WTF?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah first time shot, Dubravka saves.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe. :haha:

Why?

[Niall_Quinn]

Better by Eddie. Ozil starting to exert a bit of influence.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Lacazette asking Willock to smell his fingers.

[Niall_Quinn]

Can't believe we paid for Pepe.

[Niall_Quinn]

Lacazette asking Willock to smell his fingers.

It's a metaphor.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba shot from miles out, deflects wide.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Send him off!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's alright to whack Arsenal players on the back of the head.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe freekick, Dubravka tips it over.

[Niall_Quinn]

So Xhaka was booked, but Maximus? No?

What's that about?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mustafi scuffer, Joe Linton clears.

[Xhaka Can’t]

You’re finding that out now?

[Niall_Quinn]

Not a bad effort by Pepe. Seems he's a FK guy, and that's it. So let him take all the FKs FFS!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saint-Maximin does a Traore.

[Niall_Quinn]

"No harm done" by Linton's lunge. Probably book Xhaka instead.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bellerin letting it bounce, schoolboy stuff.

[Niall_Quinn]

44 mins of utter, abject shit. And it's one of our better performances considering we've had more than zero efforts on target before the 85th minute.

Can't see where we're going.

Looking forward to the ads at HT.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-0 HT.

On course for a majestic 14th draw.

[Niall_Quinn]

HT 0-0

Paint almost dry.

[Letters]

Genuinely awful.
I think this is by far the worst Arsenal side I’ve seen.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Maybe next February we should go to Dudley instead.

[Globalgunner]

Highly allergic to scoring goals

[Xhaka Can’t]

This side is without question, the worst and most dull Arsenal side I’ve watched in my life.

There is nothing and no one in the Club that makes me think that they can be a solution to the malaise that has embedded itself in every aspect of this Club.

I now fully accept that every promising player that takes the big step sideways into the first team will see their progress grind to a halt.

This team is totally shit.

[fakeyank]

Quite how xhaka starts day in and day out is baffling.. wtf does he do to warrant being an automatic starter?

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[Niall_Quinn]

Just put a proper 11 out for the second half and see what happens. What do we have to lose? A meaningless 1 point? I'd rather go for it and lose than endure more of the usual.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Diamond Club has evacuated. :lol:

Can we do enough to avoid a 14th draw?

[Niall_Quinn]

No changes it is then.

Magic.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Good from Ceballos, Auba scuffs it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mesut got megged. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

FUCK YOU BELLERIN!

Always passing backwards.

[Master Splinter]

Just put a proper 11 out for the second half and see what happens. What do we have to lose? A meaningless 1 point? I'd rather go for it and lose than endure more of the usual.

Arteta's proper 11 seems to include Mustafi, Xhaka, Ozil, Pepe and Lacazette though.

He's choosing proven duffers over potentially decent younger players every week.

In conclusion:

:ilt:

[Niall_Quinn]

Fuck you again Bellerin - useless turd.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah smacks the bar!

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie misses an open goal.

Some decent play at last though.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ref getting involved.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AUBAMEYANG!!!!! COME ON!!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

AUBA!!!!!!!

Cross from Pepe - headed in.

Finally.

Now let's sit back and go for the draw.

[Master Splinter]

AUBA!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos has gone mental.

[Niall_Quinn]

Really decent header from Auba.

Greedy Auba. Hogs all the goals.

[Master Splinter]

Is that the first header Auba has scored at Arsenal?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

PEPE!!!!!

Saka. :bow:

[Globalgunner]

50:50 we could win this one. Pepe scores! OMG!

[Niall_Quinn]

Man!

Saka was fucking brilliant there!

2-0 Pepe

But it was all Saka.

[Master Splinter]

PEPE!!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Neutral GD. :faint:

[Niall_Quinn]

JUST KEEP GOING!

[Master Splinter]

Saka is fucking brilliant!



:gp:

Makes a difference every match.

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie absolutely fucked it. Should be 3.

This has all coincided with Ozil and Ceballos getting their fingers out of their arses.

[Master Splinter]

Almost every player seems to think five touches are better than one.

It's maddening.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How has Clark missed that? :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah. :rose:

[Niall_Quinn]

Luiz probably saved a goal there.

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie's sinking. I can see why Arteta would want to leave him on so he can fight back.

But seriously, get Martinelli on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mustafi getting an influence on the game now.

[Niall_Quinn]

Xhaka is an horrific player. We had players advanced there but he STILL plays it backwards!

FUUUUUUUUCK!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba clips the bar.

Pepe realising how much of a threat he can be again.

[Niall_Quinn]

Pepe showing a bit of strength there. Where has that been?

[Letters]

Brilliant by Pepe

[Niall_Quinn]

NOT offside. Bullshit decision!

[fakeyank]

Why didn't auba just score? It would have gone to VAR and it'd have been a goal. Stupid!

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[McNamara That Ghost...]

Xhaka is dead.

[Letters]

Why didn't auba just score? It would have gone to VAR and it'd have been a goal. Stupid!

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Probably would have been booked for putting the ball in the net

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Fernandez off, Ritchie on.

Lozaro off, Arsenal legend Hayden on.

[Niall_Quinn]

Replay of the second goal. Saka beats two men, one of then tags him but he doesn't go down. That's the difference. He WANTS to play, rather than playact.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saint-Maximin smacks the post!

[Master Splinter]

Hayden on to put in some unpunished red card challenges.

[Niall_Quinn]

We were asleep, so Maximus hit the post.

[Letters]

Saint-Maximin smacks the post!

Would have been an assist for some Arsenal player who gifted it to them.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe decides to in field with the ball again and the usual happens.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka wiping them out. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka booked. :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos off. :bow:

Torreira on.

[Letters]

Really good positive run from Saka.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Clark off, Cher on.

[Niall_Quinn]

Saka booked! OMFG - what the fuck is going on?

Fucking absurd.

[Niall_Quinn]

Has he been booked because his name sounds like Xhaka?

I can't think of any other possible reason.

That's scandalous.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah off, Lacazette on.

No Martinelli today probably. :(

[Niall_Quinn]

Eddie off. Dreadful tbf. Laca on.

[Master Splinter]

Laca on to ensure the clean sheet.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka great.

Lacazette, too slow.

[Niall_Quinn]

COME ON LACA!!! FFS! That was on a plate.

Brilliant by Saka again. Book him!

[Master Splinter]

Saka :bow:.

[Niall_Quinn]

If that fat bloke Utd signed is worth 80 mill, the Saka is worth 8 trillion. Very few watchable players in the game these days, and Saka is one of the few.

[Letters]

Saka :bow:

Brilliant.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

OZIL!!!!

Dubravka chucks it in!

POSITIVE GD!!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

Ozil cleans up after Laca. 3-0.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Six added minutes. :popcorn:

[Master Splinter]

Dubravka :haha:.

[Niall_Quinn]

Actually, tbf to Laca, on a rewatch he's done okay.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ozil off, Willock on.

[Letters]

Good assist by Laca, tbf

[Niall_Quinn]

Ozil off, not bad today. He seemed to strike up a fairly decent understanding with Ceballos.

[Master Splinter]

Actually, tbf to Laca, on a rewatch he's done okay.

It was a spectacular Welbz assist.

[Xhaka Can’t]

You know, I’m thinking this team can go on and do some things.

[Niall_Quinn]

We've blown the record for consecutive draws :doh:

Choked at the last hurdle.

[Niall_Quinn]

You know, I’m thinking this team can go on and do some things.

I was thinking the same. One of the better Arsenal teams I've seen in recent years.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

LACAZETTE!!! GO ON LAD!!!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laca has only gone and scored!

What's happening?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Utter scuffer from Laca. :haha:

[Master Splinter]

LACA!

:faint:

[Xhaka Can’t]

Holy hell, Laca has scored?

Has Arteta done a deal with the devil?

All hail Satan!

[Letters]

Look at his happy little face! :haha:

[Niall_Quinn]

Incredible skill. He's hit it with his right, onto his left - to fool the keeper. Genius :run:

FT 4-0

Positive GD

Top half of the table.

IT'S ON!!!!!!!!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

Fuck this stupid team. Even though we're shite most of the time, after a 4-0 win I have a big smile.

[Master Splinter]

Are we allowed to highlight the poor officiating today seeing as we won?

[Niall_Quinn]

Are we allowed to highlight the poor officiating today seeing as we won?

Compulsory, I'd say. Fucking outrageous.

[AFC Leveller]

Wow a big win and a clean sheet!!! This is fantastic!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

Wow a big win and a clean sheet!!! This is fantastic!!!

We're through the looking glass now!

[Master Splinter]

Compulsory, I'd say. Fucking outrageous.

Sounds like excuses to me.

[Master Splinter]

Wow a big win and a clean sheet!!! This is fantastic!!!

Do you still think Saka is useless?