Arsenal v Sheffield United, 14:00 BST (04/10, SS Main Event)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

All the talk of team news, how we'll set up against a team that will come and park the Artetabus.

Most important part: Which wrestler's theme music do we get this week? :popcorn:

[Marc Overmars]

Really need to take 3 points here considering the fixtures we’ve got following this.

Hopefully Mikel Allardyce takes the shackles off.

2-0.

[Mac76]

Definitely we need to go out with the aim of winning 5-0 or it's a failure, bollocks to caution

[I am invisible]

Sheffield Utd basically don’t have a striker atm and haven’t scored a league goal yet this season - if there’s ever a time to give 2 at the back and 3 in midfield a try it’s got to be this game, right?

[Globalgunner]

Xhaka and Elneny to provide the engine room again I suppose. 1-1 goalless draw

[GP]

3-0

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 goalless draw

:blink:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal: Leno, Gabriel, Luiz, Tierney, Bellerin, Ceballos, Elneny, Saka, Willian, Aubameyang, Nketiah.
Subs: Runarsson, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Pepe, Willock, Xhaka.

Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Baldock, Egan, Basham, Robinson, Stevens, Osborn, Berge, Lundstram, Burke, McGoldrick.
Subs: Foderingham, Fleck, McBurnie, Sharp, Lowe, Norwood, Ampadu.

[Slacker]

Hopefully we've got the wit and the guile to beat these fraudsters. My gut instinct tells me it's another West Ham sweatfest. 2-1 either way...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

They're in for a hiding I think.

1-0

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Control it Eddie!

Great ball from Auba.

[Globalgunner]

:blink:

It's a joke only my countrymen will understand. A gaffe by a legendary football commentator

[McNamara That Ghost...]

David Luiz getting the comedy out the way early on.

Leno clears up his mess.

[Globalgunner]

Luiza with his first gaffe of the day. Leno bails him out

[Globalgunner]

David Luiz getting the comedy out the way early on.

Leno clears up his mess.

Everything he touches is comedy gold

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tekkers from Ceballos.

[Globalgunner]

Commentator lamenting that David Luiz should have been red carded in that early incident

[Gooner23]

Luiz has been utter shit so far, terrible.

We also have no centre mid at all.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Weak cross from Willian.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Utter pub. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah header, Ramsdale saves.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Egan wipes Leno out.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

McGoldrick. :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Great effort from Auba, Ramsdale tips it behind.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Berge gets booked.

Come on VAR.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How can that not be a red? :lol:

[GP]

That should be a red card.

[GP]

Did VAR not even look at it??

[Niall_Quinn]

Are those commentators seriously trying to pretend that's not a red card? Both feet off the ground, a lunge, studs up. A "fairly innocent challenge" says Smith. Fair. Innocent. Challenge? None of those are true.

[Globalgunner]

How can that not be a red? :lol:

Same twat that thought Luiz deserved a red card couldn't see anything wrong with that challenge

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba acrobatic, saved.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

0-0 HT.

Eddie had a chance in on goal early on if he had bothered to control it.

Otherwise, that's it.

All in all, utter shite.

[Globalgunner]

I thought Willian was bought to be a playmaker and create chances. He does nothing of the sort.
HT. Utter gash from us

[Marc Overmars]

Artetaball. :bow:

[Gooner23]

That's as poor a half as I've seen under Arteta, dreadful stuff. Absolutely no creativity, Sheffield have been so comfortable. And at the other end we are looking shaky, lead by the hapless Luiz.

[radford78]

Well, that was a great first half!!!! Are we trying to get Leno the most touches during the game??

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Burke is going away from goal Souness. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

What are the supposed pay-offs from all this probing sideways and backwards, low temp, multi-touch style? I assume there must be something we are looking to achieve from it? If you give your opponent more space and more time and put them under less pressure, isn't that better for them than us? Is it designed to tire the opponent out? Bore them into submission?

And the pissing around at the back. What's the advantage of that supposed to be? The suggestion is we can beat the press. But isn't it far more usual for us to lose the ball in a dangerous area?

Whatever the advantages that are supposed to come from this style it doesn't seem we're benefitting from them.

[Gooner23]

I know Arteta doesn't have the midfielders he wanted but he needs to somehow get more out of the existing lot.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well that wasn't a biased half time discussion. Souness seems pretty pissed that the rules aren't being applied. And he should know about rule breaking (and leg breaking). The rules for the red card have nothing to do with the shirt pulling. That's a yellow card. The red comes from denying a goalscoring opportunity. Which means the ref and VAR has to decide, not just guess, if the forward would have beaten the keeper to the ball, had his shirt not been pulled. In this case that's not at all clear.

What is clear is the bias of the those guys in the studio. And the fact Luiz is a massive liability every time he steps on the pitch. He's been shit for the whole 45 minutes.

[radford78]

I thought the playing out from the back was supposed to give the midfielders and forwards a chance to make runs/position to receive the ball, hence creating a fast counter attack. The ball hardly ever gets to our forwards, and when it does it gets continually played back the majority of the time. Might just be me, but would we not benefit more with Auba as centre forward?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

McGoldrick looks at Elneny and brings the arm out across.

[Niall_Quinn]

I'm glad that VAR seemingly isn't being used today. Get rid of it in all matches. But that's the problem. It could suddenly start being used against us at any moment, despite it being switched off for the rather strong and repetitive Sheffield fouling.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Auba so nearly on to Ceballos' ball.

[Niall_Quinn]

One touch play. Chance created.

[Niall_Quinn]

That's twice Smith has lamented a Sheffield player not diving.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Burke off, McBurnie on.

[Niall_Quinn]

Here comes Pepe. Anything could happen. Or nothing at all.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nketiah off, Pepe on.

Auba up front. :faint:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

SAKA!!!!! Great goal!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

At last. Some decent fucking football.

And that came from Willian. He's been far more direct in this half, far busier.

[Gooner23]

Here comes Pepe. Anything could happen. Or nothing at all.

Looks like Willian has moved more central with Saka left, instantly look more of a threat.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

PEPE!!!!! :bow:

[GP]

Great goal!

[Niall_Quinn]

2-0 Pepe

Direct. Pace. Forward.

[Niall_Quinn]

Bit weird. I've actually enjoyed watching this half so far. It's like a long lost friend has suddenly turned up for a visit.

[WMUG]

Bit weird. I've actually enjoyed watching this half so far. It's like a long lost friend has suddenly turned up for a visit.

I'm genuinely happy for you :lol:

[Gooner23]

Brilliant goal.

Saka left, Pepe right and Willian in the middle behind Auba. We actually have a shape!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Nutmeg from Ceballos. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Tierney lost the ball there, but he was looking to take on his man rather than just lay it back. Same with Bellerin on the other side for the goal. Obviously Arteta has taken the handbrake off during half time.

[Niall_Quinn]

Elneny is the weak link here. You could see Pepe calling for the ball there with clear ground in front of him. I don't think Elneny even looked, such was his desire to create another triangle.

[Globalgunner]

Elneny is the weak link here. You could see Pepe calling for the ball there with clear ground in front of him. I don't think Elneny even looked, such was his desire to create another triangle.

Egyptians love triangles

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Basham off, Old Man Sharp on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

McBurnie shoots, Leno saves.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ceballos off, Xhaka on.

Ceballos has ben good.

[Niall_Quinn]

Couldn't go a whole 90 without Xhaka. Really can't see the point of that sub.

[WMUG]

Couldn't go a whole 90 without Xhaka. Really can't see the point of that sub.

Kill the game, preserve ceballos?

[Niall_Quinn]

Pepe tracking back and tackling. Somebody must have got a good arse kicking.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-1 McGoldrick.

FFS.

[LDG]

Fuck

[Niall_Quinn]

Kill the game, preserve ceballos?

We've killed enough games. Let one of them live.

[radford78]

Useless,

[Niall_Quinn]

Well.

3 defenders there and not one got a challenge in. Elneny just stood there and watched.

[Gooner23]

Not great from Tierney, and then compounded by Luiz making no effort to close down the shot.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka off, AMN on.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Four added minutes.

[Niall_Quinn]

4 mins added. Smudger hasn't lost hope.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Lost any semblance of control from midfield with Ceballos going off.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

AMN. :doh:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-1 FT. So poor. :lol:

[Niall_Quinn]

Great try at fucking it up, but it's a win instead.

2-1 FT

[radford78]

We spend the entire game playing out from the back and holding on to the ball, yet we get to injury time and holding on to a very slender 1 goal lead and wee decide for Leno to go long and the ball either goes out or comes straight back!!!! What is the logic in that. A win is a win and we looked far better with Auba through the middle.

[Niall_Quinn]

20 minutes worth watching which showed there actually is something in reserve if we have the ambition to kick it up a gear.

Ceballos, Saka and Willian are the answer in the middle. Now we need a proper DM in there who can hold it and distribute it. Elneny and Xhaka are not realistic options. Too negative. Too ponderous. Too easy to bypass, which is exactly what happened in the last 10 mins when the game was almost thrown away.

Sheffield were that bad it's hard to make any judgements on the defence today. But Luiz always has a critical mistake in his locker, so we'd be better off with somebody more reliable.

Still don't think much of Leno. Average. His distribution is poor. We could do better.