Match reaction: Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea

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Originally Posted by I am invisible

Most likely because everyone other than Giroud is usually injured for 3/4s of every season.

I'm liking how this team and this squad is shaping up though - it all feels very fluid and quickly adaptable at the moment, which is great for someone like Wenger who rigidly sticks with one system. The goals on saturday showed just how much variety we can squeeze out of that one system, and how many angles we can come at opponents from. Depth is looking really strong too - the only slight concern I have now is who covers Bellerin, but I'm sure we could work something out there. All very encouraging.

A lot has been said about how the front 4 are starting to click, but I think we've made some very interesting choices with our back 4 too. With Nacho, as a LB who can play CB, and Mustafi, as a CB who can play RB, we have the ingredients there to o from a 4-man defence to a very competent 3-man defence, allowing Bellerin to push up to RW, and whoever's on RW to move into the middle as a second CF - I can see our 4-2-3-1 becoming more of a 3-2-3-2 on a lot of our attacks.

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On the podcast, they did mention the fact that we seem to like to overload the left side which opens up space for Theo and Bellerin. We saw it for the 2nd goal against Chelsea.

It's looking good and given everyone hope. I've wanted to see us play with a more mobile attack and we're not even playing our best football just yet. We're still adjusting to having Sanchez up front and it's worth sticking with it. There is no point going back to Giroud unless we have a totally different system in place.

I think Wenger tends to agree with you.

Giroud is a good bench option to bring on, as he's the type of player who can get you a goal by popping up in the box late on.

But absolutely no need to be starting him at the moment (although that said I might be tempted to play him tonight to give him game time)

We'll have to think of another set-up ahead of the Swansea game I imagine, what with Alexis coming back from two games on a Thursday night. But that's what squads are for after all.

Not sure I agree about the defence shaping up. Everything still seems wide open from what I have seen, especially on the flanks. And some worrying signs of the centre being breached quite easily by pace, notwithstanding the pace we can deploy ourselves to recover. But that's the problem for me, we tend to favour recovery rather than prevention.

I'm also not getting carried away one little bit by recent developments. It'll take 10 solid performances to convince me this isn't another one of our purple patches that leads directly into a ludicrous injury crisis and subsequent collapse. Odds of that are 100 to 1 on compared to the alternative. Here we are again, asking if after 12 seasons this is finally it, a consistent turnaround in our performances. I have hope but zero confidence.

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Originally Posted by Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie

I think Wenger tends to agree with you.

Giroud is a good bench option to bring on, as he's the type of player who can get you a goal by popping up in the box late on.

But absolutely no need to be starting him at the moment (although that said I might be tempted to play him tonight to give him game time)

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He's suspended. I'd start Lucas though.

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Originally Posted by Douglas Reynholm

He's suspended. I'd start Lucas though.

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Stupid of me of course he is

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Not sure I agree about the defence shaping up. Everything still seems wide open from what I have seen, especially on the flanks. And some worrying signs of the centre being breached quite easily by pace, notwithstanding the pace we can deploy ourselves to recover. But that's the problem for me, we tend to favour recovery rather than prevention.

I'm also not getting carried away one little bit by recent developments. It'll take 10 solid performances to convince me this isn't another one of our purple patches that leads directly into a ludicrous injury crisis and subsequent collapse. Odds of that are 100 to 1 on compared to the alternative. Here we are again, asking if after 12 seasons this is finally it, a consistent turnaround in our performances. I have hope but zero confidence.

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Well yes

I think that's the most infuriating thing, that we are capable of good/hard working performances.

They just don't happen consistently. I think a lot of it comes from complacency playing against the considered lesser sides

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

Not sure I agree about the defence shaping up. Everything still seems wide open from what I have seen, especially on the flanks. And some worrying signs of the centre being breached quite easily by pace, notwithstanding the pace we can deploy ourselves to recover. But that's the problem for me, we tend to favour recovery rather than prevention.

I'm also not getting carried away one little bit by recent developments. It'll take 10 solid performances to convince me this isn't another one of our purple patches that leads directly into a ludicrous injury crisis and subsequent collapse. Odds of that are 100 to 1 on compared to the alternative. Here we are again, asking if after 12 seasons this is finally it, a consistent turnaround in our performances. I have hope but zero confidence.

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That wasn't really a commentary on how well we've mastered everything - just a observation on how the defence can also contribute to the fluidity and flexibility of our shape and play. Obviously it's going to take the them a little bit of time to really gel as a unit, just as the attack is going to need time to get used to Sanchez as CF (and then the attack and defence will need time to work on finding that perfect balance between the two), but I think these 4 defenders, in theory, are going to give us some very interesting options to explore...

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Originally Posted by I am invisible

That wasn't really a commentary on how well we've mastered everything - just a observation on how the defence can also contribute to the fluidity and flexibility of our shape and play. Obviously it's going to take the them a little bit of time to really gel as a unit, just as the attack is going to need time to get used to Sanchez as CF (and then the attack and defence will need time to work on finding that perfect balance between the two), but I think these 4 defenders, in theory, are going to give us some very interesting options to explore...

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No, I get that. And I like the way things are shaping up. But I'm not getting suckered yet again. I think the mood is stern anticipation.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

No, I get that. And I like the way things are shaping up. But I'm not getting suckered yet again. I think the mood is stern anticipation.

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:good:

Fool me 12 times, shame on you. Fool me 13 or more times, shame on me!