West Ham v Arsenal. 16th April. 14:00

[Marc Overmars]

Saliba remains out. :rose:

Eddie is back in the mix.

Not much to say really now, the remit is pretty clear. Don’t fuck this up.

[Letters]

Don’t fuck this up.
:gp:

[Mac76]

3-0 Bowen hatter

[HCZ_Reborn]

3-0 Bowen hatter

https://www.islingtontribune.co.uk/media/2018/03/Jim-Bowen.jpg

[Mac76]

Lovely couple

[HCZ_Reborn]

Can’t beat a bit of bully

[HCZ_Reborn]

Hearing that Zinchenko is out for today. Not going to pretend to be sad about that

[McNamara That Ghost...]

West Ham: Fabianski, Cresswell, Zouma, Kehrer, Soucek, Rice, Benrahma, Coufal, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio.
Subs: Areola, Anang, Johnson, Emerson, Downes, Fornals, Lanzini, Cornet, Ings.

Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.
Subs: Turner, Walters, Kiwior, Jorginho, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Trossard, Nelson, Nketiah.

[Marc Overmars]

Come on Arsenal.

No funny business here please.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal! :bow:

[Mac76]

Hearing that Zinchenko is out for today. Not going to pretend to be sad about that

Great news :patrice:

and Tierney starts :faint: :clap:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Not a great start from us. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Gabriel header, way wide.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Never a handball, pipe down 'Ammers.

[Mac76]

Gabriel header, way wide.

Martinelli should have found Tierney on his left

[McNamara That Ghost...]

JESUS!!!

Such good football.

[GP]

Lets fucking goooo!!!!

[Mac76]

gettin!

[Ralpheroo72]

2-0

[McNamara That Ghost...]

ODEGAARD!!!

[GP]

I'm not gonna lie, we are brilliant.

[Mac76]

Yes!!! - great goal (I'm way behind here...)

[Marc Overmars]

What a start.

Time to close that goal difference down.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Holding diving in needlessly. :lol:

[Mac76]

There's been some great work from Jesus in this game

[McNamara That Ghost...]

So good from Gabriel.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pelanty to West Ham.

[Mac76]

Partey caught dawdling there

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-2 Benrahma.

[Marc Overmars]

FFS. Careless.

[Mac76]

Ram is so bad at pels

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oof not far off 2-2.

[Mac76]

Partey's having a 'mare

[HCZ_Reborn]

Ok I was prepared to accept Anfield was just a case of the home side waking up sooner rather than later, this is just totally self inflicted. Just panicking

[Ralpheroo72]

Partey has been awful

[Mac76]

Partey :doh:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-2 HT.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Well, we are doing a fantastic job of trying to fuck this game up.

Why sit back after scoring two quick goals?? the game is no where near over just because we dominate play for 10-20 mins.

Very naive.

[Mac76]

started well but got very shaky

Partey needs to sharpen up or be subbed

I'd also bring Nelson on for Saka, he's done very little and Nelson can up the tempo on that side

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Well, we are doing a fantastic job of trying to fuck this game up.

Why sit back after scoring two quick goals?? the game is no where near over just because we dominate play for 10-20 mins.

Very naive.

We don't learn any lessons, that's why.

Practically the same team as last weekend, practically the same mistake.

Its getting boring watching these guys implode.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka shot, deflects wide.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pelanty to Arsenal!

[HCZ_Reborn]

Saka misses

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Saka misses it!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2 Bowen.

[Letters]

Holy shit :doh:

[Ralpheroo72]

Fuck off!

[HCZ_Reborn]

Last week I was prepared to accept, this is a total bottle job

[Mac76]

jesus christ

[Letters]

Last week I was prepared to accept, this is a total bottle job

Well. Not yet. But if we don’t win then it’s over and we don’t deserve the title anyway if we are going to do stuff like this.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

We don't learn any lessons, that's why.

Practically the same team as last weekend, practically the same mistake.

Its getting boring watching these guys implode.

The only good thing about being right here is that at least we have time to pick ourselves up.

Honestly whatever happens from here, Arteta has a lot of soul searching to do regarding this team.

They just look so unserious.

[Ralpheroo72]

Saka a shadow of his former self today

[HCZ_Reborn]

Well. Not yet. But if we don’t win then it’s over and we don’t deserve the title anyway if we are going to do stuff like this.

I’m not predicting what’s going to happen in this game but being pegged back to 2-2 from 2-0 is a bottle job especially when you miss a penalty

[Letters]

I’m not predicting what’s going to happen in this game but being pegged back to 2-2 from 2-0 is a bottle job especially when you miss a penalty

Final result is the only thing I care about.

[Mac76]

Arteta needs to bring on Trossard and Nelson to bring a new threst, take off Saka and Xhaka

[Mac76]

Final result is the only thing I care about.

only, even if we recover today, if every game's a drama it's not going to be something we can maintain, basically we're still too brittle and inexperienced

[Mac76]

Jesus so close

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Partey and Jesus off, Jorginho and Trossard on.

[Mac76]

Partey and Jesus off, Jorginho and Trossard on.

can't believe he's left Saka on, he's having a 'mare, good to sub Partey though

[Mac76]

Saka... should either have gone wider or played a pass

[Ralpheroo72]

Jesus Christ Saka

[Mac76]

he's got to bring Nelson on ffs

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Well done Tierney.

[Mac76]

Antonio off the crossbar, was offside anyway i think

[Mac76]

Odegaard's lost the plot

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tierney off, Vieira on.

Martinelli off, Nelson on.

[Mac76]

Gabriel walking Antonio off the pitch :lol:

[HCZ_Reborn]

This is Arteta’s fault pure and simple. Got it completely wrong again

[Marc Overmars]

Lost our nerve when it mattered most. It doesn’t matter what iteration of Arsenal it is, it seems like this is always the common denominator.

Title race is over, barring the greatest league result we’ve had in many moons at the Etihad.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2 FT. Fuck.

[HCZ_Reborn]

2-2 FT

Title officially over now (fuck off Letters don’t need any well actshually response from you)

Can’t even blame it on the usual suspects. Saka, Odegaard and Partey have been our three best players this season and they were horrible today

[selassie]

I think we are done now, team is wobbling and has not controlled a game for a while now.

[Mac76]

game over

the title race was essentially already over but it's now well and truly done - City aren't just in the driving seat, they're in an entirely different car several miles up the road

[Letters]

2-2 FT

Title officially over now (fuck off Letters don’t need any well actshually response from you)
No, you fuck off.
Don’t preempt my response.

We won’t win the league. I don’t know any Arsenal fan who thought we would.
City were always going to steamroll us. It is disappointing to mess up today and make it easy for them though.

[selassie]

Lost our nerve when it mattered most. It doesn’t matter what iteration of Arsenal it is, it seems like this is always the common denominator.

Title race is over, barring the greatest league result we’ve had in many moons at the Etihad.

On current form this team is losing at the Etihad and St James's Park. To an extent we have rode our luck the past few weeks after seemingly controlling the start of each game. We were horrible today in that second half, unrecognisable from the team that started. Same up at Liverpool.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Lost our nerve when it mattered most. It doesn’t matter what iteration of Arsenal it is, it seems like this is always the common denominator.

Title race is over, barring the greatest league result we’ve had in many moons at the Etihad.

If that were true we’d never have won the title to begin with

Bollocks to fatalism and all that….this was bad coaching…far too casual

[Marc Overmars]

If that were true we’d never have won the title to begin with

Bollocks to fatalism and all that….this was bad coaching…far too casual

I mean the Arsenal of the past 20 years.

We’ve seen this movie so many times before. Just a whooping at the Etihad to come, then we can finally stop torturing ourselves for another year at least.

[Mac76]

I mean the Arsenal of the past 20 years.

We’ve seen this movie so many times before. Just a whopping at the Etihad to come, then we can finally stop torturing ourselves for another year at least.

I'd already pretty much given up, but I am concerned we may now fold entirely and look like the bottlers everyone will be queuing up to say we are

[HCZ_Reborn]

I mean the Arsenal of the past 20 years.

We’ve seen this movie so many times before. Just a whopping at the Etihad to come, then we can finally stop torturing ourselves for another year at least.

I don’t think we’ve come this close since we actually won the title back in 2004

Certainly weren’t top of the table in April

In the past teams could afford results like the one today and last week, yeah we wouldn’t be best pleased but we wouldn’t be calling it title over.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I'd already pretty much given up, but I am concerned we may now fold entirely and look like the bottlers everyone will be queuing up to say we are

Who gives a fuck?

If we don’t win the title does it matter that much what the results are from now till the end of the season.

In some ways it’s an utter joke that we’ve won 23 out of 31 and have only lost three times yet we know the title is over. Don’t get me wrong giving up a two goal lead in back to back games is totally unacceptable but 74 points with 7 to play. For me I’m more thinking now I know how Liverpool feel

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

This is Arteta’s fault pure and simple. Got it completely wrong again

Once we started showboating and trying to slow the game down at 2-0 with 80 mins to go, the script was written.

The painful thing is we made this similar mistake 7 days ago...and though West ham might be inferior to Liverpool... the fact that we had a +5 goal disadvantage to Citeh and we were playing a team who was obviously tired having played on Thursday....come on any serious manager and any serious set of players would have gone for the kill.

I state we should have won this game 5-0...and if we'd kept on with the effort we showed for the first 10 mins it would have been 4-0 by half time

We deserve what we get this season...and the last few games has shown us our fate.

Pathetic...(11 cup finals indeed!!).

[LDG]

Depressed is not the word. Quite why we took our footoff the gas at 2-0 is astonishing

[Marc Overmars]

I'd already pretty much given up, but I am concerned we may now fold entirely and look like the bottlers everyone will be queuing up to say we are

There was always hope but I don’t think anyone saw this 2 goal collapse coming. Anfield fair enough but this was just horribly careless and reeks of a team that’s suffering now.

I don’t think anyone can sensibly predict an Arsenal victory at the Etihad. So we’re just relying on City dropping points unexpectedly.

Miracles can happen but I’m not doing this to myself now. I’d rather just wallow until we’re put out of our misery.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Still in our hands, butterfingers.

We have such little composure at the back without Saliba there. Holding has battled well but the difference in quality is obvious.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Once we started showboating and trying to slow the game down at 2-0 with 80 mins to go, the script was written.

The painful thing is we made this similar mistake 7 days ago...and though West ham might be inferior to Liverpool... the fact that we had a +5 goal disadvantage to Citeh and we were playing a team who was obviously tired having played on Thursday....come on any serious manager and any serious set of players would have gone for the kill.

I state we should have won this game 5-0...and if we'd kept on with the effort we showed for the first 10 mins it would have been 4-0 by half time

We deserve what we get this season...and the last few games has shown us our fate.

Pathetic...(11 cup finals indeed!!).


I don’t disagree

But I think what’s more disturbing is how when things don’t go our way the same passes don’t come off, we give away the ball, make needless fouls.

For me that comes from midfield. I don’t particularly like Declan Rice but he was a hell of a lot better than Partey, Xhaka or Jorginho today. If that is who is considered would improve our midfield engine I say go for it. Game is won and lost in the middle of the park

[Letters]

Still in our hands, butterfingers.
:gp:

Draw at Ethiad and it’s ON!

:lol:

:ilt:

[selassie]

Who gives a fuck?

If we don’t win the title does it matter that much what the results are from now till the end of the season.

In some ways it’s an utter joke that we’ve won 23 out of 31 and have only lost three times yet we know the title is over. Don’t get me wrong giving up a two goal lead in back to back games is totally unacceptable but 74 points with 7 to play. For me I’m more thinking now I know how Liverpool feel

Yeah but to be fair we are up against a serial title winner in City, a team that has won 4 out of the past 5 titles, that's why I think the Title is over. The better team has the momentum and will most likely go on to win the title. We have at times looked very very good this season and up until a month or so ago we looked the best team, we don't anymore, City do and will most likely win it like they always do.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

No, you fuck off.
Don’t preempt my response.

We won’t win the league. I don’t know any Arsenal fan who thought we would.
City were always going to steamroll us. It is disappointing to mess up today and make it easy for them though.

Dude, we should have won this league and you know this.

No one should make it sound like we've not thrown it away with insipid performances since it became crystal clear we were favourites.

This is the Leicester season all over again ( we did the double over Leicester in case people have forgotten), only difference being we polish this loss to the fact that its City.

We bottled it...we might have over performed, but we bottled it.

And if you need to analyse it, think of who we dropped points to and the manner we dropped them.

Ridiculous

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yeah but to be fair we are up against a serial title winner in City, a team that has won 4 out of the past 5 titles, that's why I think the Title is over. The better team has the momentum and will most likely go on to win the title. We have at times looked very very good this season and up until a month or so ago we looked the best team, we don't anymore, City do and will most likely win it like they always do.

In fairness that was the point I was making without mentioning City

[selassie]

In fairness that was the point I was making without mentioning City

Fair play. I also think that we have looked a shadow of the team at the back without Saliba, I am not blaming the dropped points on Holding, but the difference in quality between him and Saliba is massive. Saliba brings quite a bit to the team with his distribution aswell as his defending.

Also, Xhaka and Partey have been poor in the last 2 games, Midfield has looked weak, I think you might have mentioned this earlier?

[HCZ_Reborn]

No, you fuck off.
Don’t preempt my response.

We won’t win the league. I don’t know any Arsenal fan who thought we would.
City were always going to steamroll us. It is disappointing to mess up today and make it easy for them though.


Fair enough…although I do think a large number of fans did expect us to win the title

I never really believed because I’m a natural pessimist

[HCZ_Reborn]

Fair play. I also think that we have looked a shadow of the team at the back without Saliba, I am not blaming the dropped points on Holding, but the difference in quality between him and Saliba is massive. Saliba brings quite a bit to the team with his distribution aswell as his defending.

Also, Xhaka and Partey have been poor in both of our past 2 performances, Midfield has looked weak, I think you might have mentioned this earlier?

Indeed as much as I’ve been despairing over playing Holding, I think he’s actually done his best given his limited attributes. Today the defeat was on Partey and Saka mainly (why the fuck did Jesus give him the ball to take the pen)

[selassie]

Indeed as much as I’ve been despairing over playing Holding, I think he’s actually done his best given his limited attributes. Today the defeat was on Partey and Saka mainly (why the fuck did Jesus give him the ball to take the pen)

Yeah Partey was horrible, similar to his performances when he first came to us. I agree regarding Saka, he's badly off form, almost hiding from the game at times today.

[Mac76]

why the fuck did Jesus give him the ball to take the pen

Saka almost always does take pels and tbh it might be the same reason we gave the ball to Jesus last time, i.e. to help him get confidence, a big shame though i think Jesus would have buried it