Match Reaction v Neverton (home).

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Eased to victory. :bow:

:unsure:

Aubameyang saves our arses again.

Arteta vanquishing three-times Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti. :bow:

Up to 9th. :faint:

[Marc Overmars]

Back to back PL wins. :faint:

[dazthegooner]

+3 GD :scarf:

[GP]

SWEET CAROLINE!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Leno helped saved us too I suppose should be mentioned again.

No Premier League match next weekend, though we do play Portsmouth in the FA Cup on the Monday.

[Niall_Quinn]

Dominated from start to finish. Never let them into the game. Too easy - we need a bigger challenge than that...

... that's what I used to say 2 decades ago.

This one, we plodded through, apart from a short period of decent play in the first half. Looked like we were half dead by the end of it.

Highlights were a brilliant cross by Saka and an Henry finish from Auba.

Can't see what all this Ancelloti fuss is about though. His team looked quite ordinary, though we made them look better in spells.

[Globalgunner]

Any grey hairs i have are entirely down to this clubs defending. No game management at all. Could have ended 6_3 to Everton or 5-5

[Niall_Quinn]

Back to back PL wins. :faint:

Does that qualify as a run?

[Letters]

Leno made a hash of Everyton’s second goal but redeemed himself in the second half with some excellent saves and a short spell as sweeper.

Patchy performance, some really good stuff in there though.
Big result

Arteta :bow:
Ancelotti :pal:
People who thought we should get Ancelotti :pal:

[Globalgunner]

Leno made a hash of Everyton’s second goal but redeemed himself in the second half with some excellent saves and a short spell as sweeper.

Patchy performance, some really good stuff in there though.
Big result

Arteta :bow:
Ancelotti :pal:
People who thought we should get Ancelotti :pal:

Knee jerk reaction

[AFC Leveller]

Even thought we conceded a lot of chances I thought Mustafi was solid again and Luiz as well.

Everton are a much better side now though and we can’t expect to beat them easily these days.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mad Bernd. :bow:

[Niall_Quinn]

Neverton won it on expected goals, whatever they are. We won it on actual goals, which is better IMHO.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Expected goals assumes all players are of equal ability.

Most pointless stat ever.

[Letters]

Knee jerk reaction

:lol:

[Master Splinter]

Stuart Attwell :haha:.

[Mac76]

Does that qualify as a run?

Oh yes... :)

Not great at the back, but at lrast we're scoring goals again

Relegation averted i think...

[Niall_Quinn]

Sky interviewer asking Ancelotti how damaging our third goal was.

Hard to say, isn't it? Could be viewed as somewhat damaging seeing it meant they lost the game. I suppose.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

'Arsenal avoid defeat again'.

:rose:

Those used to be called wins.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sky says we avoided defeat lads!

I'd go further and say we won.

[dazthegooner]

It was like a draw with 2 extra points for winning :unsure:

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Saka with another assist, but he had a reallll dodgy 20 minutes or so in the second half. Surprised I didn't see Xhaka screaming at him / giving him one of his now trademark pep talks. I thought Xhaka was brilliant today though......Mustafi too, what the hell is going on.

With some focused coaching on Hector and Pepe, we could be getting way more out of the right hand side.

I was starting to think to myself, what is Eddie giving us that Laca can't....but then he scored and almost scored again late on. Much better for him today. No need to say anything about Auba really. We know he's mustard.

[Mac76]

i was disappointed to see Eddie on the team sheet instead of Martinelle but fair play he did very well and could have had a second goal

we (sort of) had a bit of luck with the kola injury though it does leave saka playing a lot of minutes and you could see the effect of it in the second half

ceballos is doing really well in that DM position and if he carries on like this i think we should pitch in for him in the summer

[Bumble]

another good result. think Saka is a shoo-in for left back permanently now. Ceballos offers a lot more than Guendo.

it was also good to concede first and still win. that builds confidence.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I was convinced about Ceballos after the first game. He might have underwhelmed after that but I'd have signed him at any point this season...I think the kid's mustard.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

another good result. think Saka is a shoo-in for left back permanently now. Ceballos offers a lot more than Guendo.

it was also good to concede first and still win. that builds confidence.
Yeah I'm not overly keen to see him play left wing when he's doing so well where he is. Tellingly, the games I've been most unconvinced by him have been when he has played left wing.

[I am invisible]

I’d like to see Saka get his chance on LW, but I’m also glad he’s getting a thorough grounding as a LB (and doing it willingly) - the two roles work in tandem, and we certainly need all the options we can get there! Having a full appreciation of both roles will make him a better player down that flank, whichever role he ends up with.

No point making too many plans for him until we know what’s happening with Auba and Laca, though - if either / both leave this summer then that LW spot will be up for grabs, and he’ll immediately be the strongest contender for it...

[WMUG]

Saka was clearly knackered in the 2nd half, he wasn't even meant to be playing.

Regarding his position, I basically fall into the camp of "he's doing well enough where he is, why move him?"

[Mac76]

well the player hiimself comes into it, at the moment he's willing to play there, he's probably seen what happened to AMN who's sidelined himself by saying he doesn't want to play RB (which is dumb on his part IMO but so be it)

Saka probably has more leverage though as he's already attracting interest so we need to think about keeping him happy

[Niall_Quinn]

Tierney is a very good player too. He's been very unlucky with injury which has given Saka a much bigger chance to make an impression, which the kid has taken brilliantly. I'd like to see both these guys on the pitch. The both get up and down the pitch, they can both defend and they are both excellent crossers off the ball (gold dust in the modern game). Both are genuine threats from that side and, working together, could form a stable and naturally interchangeable partnership. That would make Pepe £72mill cover. We're spoiled on the left.

On the right, that's where we have problems. Bellerin is going backwards faster than he used to be able to run forwards. If he was on form we'd have the pieces to be Liverpoolesque in terms of wide attacking play and - assuming we finally play Auba in the middle - goal threat.

Slowly things are taking shape, albeit with huge problems still to address in certain key positions. It's painful to watch in match day, like a baby learning first steps and always on the verge of falling down. But there's purpose in the effort and, for the first time in over a decade, there's an end goal in sight. Still think it will take a couple of hundred mill to fix the key problems though. Hope Stan is up for that.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Saka will need to convince more than Martnelli has from the LW position for him to be strongly considered the mainstay there and I don't think he has come close to that in that position yet. Most of his leverage has come him playing left back....which will not be forgotten amidst the contract negotiations. Arteta has also set up the team in such a way to specifically get the left hand side players space. Xhaka to his credit is doing a lot of filling in at left back by design which has provided more opportunities for Saka and Auba than the players on the other side.

If we must sell Auba, it would probably be a pipe dream but we need to try and bet the entire farm on that kid at Dortmund. Increase his wages, promise him the main spot and hope maybe he seems it as some sort of glamorous stepping stone. I don't for a second believe it would work but we have to try. This guy is looking like he's going to be up there with Mbappe for a very long time.

[Marc Overmars]

Halaand? Pipe dream is putting it lightly!

When Dortmund inevitably decide to cash in he’s going to have his pick of clubs and blank cheques thrown at him. Unless we spot and develop them ourselves, we won’t be getting our hands on generational talents like that.

[Özim]

Dortmund bought him for 17 million or so, unbelievable in todays market, Dortmund certainly know how to spot talent and get it at a knocked down price. At that price we should have been interested given the Auba situation.

Now that ship has sailed and we'll have zero chance.

[dazthegooner]

Would assume Dortmund signed him with an agreement that when he wants to move on the transfer fee won't be huge.

[Özim]

Would assume Dortmund signed him with an agreement that when he wants to move on the transfer fee won't be huge.

Who knows but I doubt it. Dortmund seem to be good at signing quality players, we need to get their entire team over to us.

[Bumble]

Who knows but I doubt it. Dortmund seem to be good at signing quality players, we need to get their entire team over to us.

perhaps there is a hefty sell on clause hence the low initial price.

[Marc Overmars]

20m was his release clause Dortmund paid I think.

[Niall_Quinn]

My head says we won't be signing him, while my heart says we won't be signing him. My gut says we won't be signing him. I have a hunch we won't be signing him.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Dortmund bought him for 17 million or so, unbelievable in todays market, Dortmund certainly know how to spot talent and get it at a knocked down price. At that price we should have been interested given the Auba situation.

Now that ship has sailed and we'll have zero chance.


Well yes....if we weren't interested before he went there...why the hell not? Nobody would have thought Dortmund would be able to sign him....so you do have to at least try.

[Marc Overmars]

To be fair Dortmund have long been considered a place for young players to really elevate themselves.

Apparently Halaand only has a 60m release clause, which was insisted on when he signed. So it’s obvious he will be moving on when the time is right. Cheeky bid tbf.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

His release clause from Dortmund is around 50 million or less (I don't remember the exact number). Which is why the thought even came into my head at all. Either comes into play this summer or next...apparently.

If Auba is sold he needs to be replaced. Why wouldn't you try to go for the youngest best player available....however unlikely it may seem.

[I am invisible]

20m was his release clause Dortmund paid I think.
20m to Salzburg, 10m to the player’s father to obtain 100% rights on the player, and 15m to Raiola in agent fees - 45m total with less than half going to the club! If that 60m release clause is legit then they won’t turn a huge profit.

Still looks like a cracking signing though - glad united didn’t get him!

[selassie]

Raiola and Haaland have been strategic in the Dortmund move. Guaranteed playing time for a BIG German club that is guaranteed to challenge for a CL place and /or their domestic league.

Dortmund are also a selling club, one that sells their young stars for huge fees.

The 50 million clause has clearly been put in there so that Haaland & Raiola can renegotiate contract terms with Dortmund under their terms! They have Dortmund by the balls already!

Haaland is an elite talent, forget about him coming here.

What on earth can we offer him? We can’t even offer him what he is getting now from a sporting point of view. Moreover, if wages is what he wants then plenty more attractive clubs who actually compete for trophies will be ahead of us in the queue.