Great five goals really.
Six in a row, above the Spuds. Maybe above Chelsea too.
Aubameyang and Lacazette raining goals in.
Not bad.
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Great five goals really.
Six in a row, above the Spuds. Maybe above Chelsea too.
Aubameyang and Lacazette raining goals in.
Not bad.
9 on the bounce, lots of goals, what more could you ask for?
Emery showing great use of the system again, great effort from the whole team.
Leicester and Palace up next after the break. Good to have confidence back we will turn these teams over.
Picked the game up just after the first goal. Looked great 2nd half. Ramsey's goal was fantastic team play. What a ball from mikhi to hector in the build up to the 4th.
The only negative today was that ten minute sloppy spell at the end of the first half.
Superb performance, superb goals.
Everyone playing with confidence now.
Torreira probably MOTM.
International break to fuck everything up?
Wonderful stuff, had forgotten what it's like to watch us in full flow. Best team performance of the season by a distance, even the usual suspects managed to cut out the brainfarts.
Laca and Auba are great, but my new favourite player is Torreira :bow:
Torreira bossing it, ok so Fulham aren't a great side but compare this result with spuds just scraping a win against baadiff at 'home' :lol:
We need Saints to do us a favour against Chelski now, the good news is i just put Azzar in my fantasy team so he's neutralised for a start...
Finally it all comes together and Emery gets his statement win.
Very much a work in progress but we’re playing some lovely stuff right now and it’s great to see.
Keep up the good work guys. :bow:
For so many years we've hadn't repetitive rubbish football, never playing two strikers up front, never playing players who are goalscorers, as soon as we show a willingness to play goalscorers and as it the case two of them we look so much more lethal.
Emery definitely showing flexibility, it's early days and I don't agree with everything but on the whole it's been a very positive change and just shows what you can do is you're more flexible.
It may be early days but I really feel like this is it guys, this was the game where Emery’s grand plan starts to come to fruition.
We’ve been doing well and under the radar for a while now, but this game we really switched on.
We have our Arsenal back :scarf:
Played our most fluent and slick football of the season.
Without Ozil.
:coffee:
Started watching just before 30th min and missed the last goal- but can't remember the last time I was this satisfied with us.
While watching the 1st half I decided to look up the stats and confirmed this season we've only scored 1st half goals from open play when either/both Iwobi or Mhki start the game.
I've said it before, but those 2, especially Iwobi, put life into the football Emery is trying to play- and I think the difference today was that the tempo was set straight away instead of waiting for the 2nd half to bring one of them in as a sub.
I strongly hope Emery notices this and starts us off on the strong footing in games to come.
Thoroughly enjoyable match, great performance.
we look worse when he does play. He slows things down, loses the ball, misplaces passes and gets stroppy everytime he does.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I think he needs to be dropped for a while tbh.
Right up until.......January time. Things change around a bit in January ;)
Over 90mins I agree but I think our best half of attacking football was the 1st half of that Chelsea game- and yeah Mhki and Iwobi started.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I still think Emery has a lot to learn about these players and doesn't know his strongest lineup, but cleary he's getting more from them than the man who knew them inside out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
If AW in his latter years wasn't so fixated about tippy tappy Barca rubbish, he would easily have achieved more with this bunch.
I saw some of the second half and to score 5 goals away from home is fantastic.
I want to see Arsenal beat a top team away from home, that would be great if it happens.
Unai Emery is doing a great job so far.
Great stuff but they have to keep it going.
It's refreshing that he's not complaining about fixture congestion, early kick offs and such like. Just seems to want to get on with it, and I think that attitude rubs off on the players.
Lacazette has been amazing this season, really coming good, glad he's getting his chance, always felt he would be very good for us given the chance, IMO that would have never happened under Wenger as he wanted someone who got too involved in the play, under Emery playing his natural game he's really flourished and become the striker he was at Lyon.
To think we might have ended up selling him had Wenger stayed on as a fair share of people weren't very impressed last season and thought he wasn't good enough, good to see him come good, having two top strikers is a real positive and it's been so long since we've had that.
Problem with today is that Ramsey played his part and that he'll be gone come next season.
That's a problem for next season, not this one.
Emery’s been getting his team selections more or less right with the “B team” in the cups, and this was probably the closest thing we’ve seen to a B team front 4 in the league so far - more players playing in roles that suit them, and it sounds like the difference was night and day? Good to see the players who have been delivering for us being rewarded with starts too. Looking forward to seeing the highlights later - sounds like things are starting to fall into place...
He did but we’d have won without him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Özim
He’s nothing special.
Either way, I’m sure it’s not a new situation for Emery to be experiencing and he knows what he’s doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters
Just seen the goals - loved the last one! 3 passes, straight through the middle and through on goal - simple as that!
Even the usual “A team” players seemed fired up and in sync when they came on - not sure what’s suddenly changed or clicked, but I hope we keep it going...
It's on!
What is beneficial is that we have very few players that will go away for internationals, or the ones that do, probably won't play much.
I don’t know why people were getting in a huff early on because he was giving the under performers a chance. It’s so early in the season and as far as I can see he’s giving the whole squad a chance while he works out what’s best for the team. The fact that we’ve won every game during this experimental period means he deserves a fair amount of credit.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
It looks like the team are enjoying themesleves again and responding to some proper coaching and a new way of thinking. It’s still early days and we’re due a slip-up but I’m really encouraged so far. Long may it continue.
Only Chapman, Graham and Wenger have won 9 in a row.
Title is in the bag.
More like it. That was good to watch. I didn't expect Emery to tinker with the team selection so much and switch formations in one weekend. Good to see he's not wedded to one system.
Iwobi is a game changer. He's a totally different player under Emery.
Lacazette too. He's doing the link up play but also scoring for fun. He's become a crucial part of the team and not just a goalscorer.
May this continue. Good around performance. Keep Ozil out of the starting line up until he's able to come off the bench and contribute. If we're playing 442, Aubameyang will do some damage so I think he should be starting games. Good to Mkhitaryan get his spot back as well. Hopefully he keeps it.
Good win.
Technically, Ozil had a back spasm so wasn't officially dropped. Besides Sokratis, I think most of the usuals that started off on the bench had reasons outside of football for being dropped. We have to wait to the next game to see if changes stick. Hopefully they will.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Wenger :bow:Quote:
Originally Posted by SMatthews
4th place is in the bag. pity we aren't playing spurs and united next up.... really good chance to put points between us. also with more or less the same players.... perhaps Wenger is replaceable?
I’m trying to cut the fans a bit of slack as well as Emery at the moment - they’ve been waiting for this change for a long time, so I understand the impatience to a certain extent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
But I agree with everything you say though - we’re, what, 8 league games into a 3 year contract? Nowhere near enough time for Emery to have really sussed our this group of players, both on an individual level and in terms of the combinations that work.
(Plus I suspect that part of Emery’s brief, at least initially, was to try and get what he can out of the club’s big investments before writing anyone off, and that has probably meant persevering with some players a little longer than he would have done others?)
Am I just imagining it, or has Emery seemed a little freer and more ruthless with his team selections since he found out that Gazidis was leaving?Quote:
Originally Posted by Power n Glory
Edit: the decision on Ramsey’s contract also seems to have loosened things up a little where team selection is concerned?
Can't believe we are only 2 points off of top. I fully expected us to beat Fulham well and we did. What a great feeling!
Working on and subsequently trusting his left foot has virtually transformed Iwobi's game. Laca is stepping up a level from his previous club.
If we'd have beaten the chavs as we should have we might have been top now. WTF!!!
MO knows why fans were getting in a huff over team selection if we're talking about Xhaka, Ozil and Ramsey. The introduction of Torreira has helped cover over Xhaka's flaws and has helped steady the midfield but it's far away from being perfect. Still not mobile enough to cover ground on defence or help when trying to play out from deep.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
Enough has been said about Ozil. He's definitely not suited to the wing and that proven again today. As for Ramsey, the contract situation makes the decision to drop him even more obvious.
I'm all for Emery working with what he has. Iwobi, Cech, Holding, Bellerin have improved in a short space. Lacazette has morphed into a beast of a player. I can even tolerate Mustafi. But I haven't got time for indulging players and systems that are clearly flawed, showing no signs of improvement and undeserving of such leniency. A huge gripe I had with Wenger was his persistence and faith placed in flawed players and systems. I've always thought the next manager that comes in has to have the courage and balls to shake things up and not accept the subpar performances Wenger would accept week in week out.
I haven’t got time for square pegs being placed in very obviously round holes, especially when there’s more suitable (if not perfect) options there, but I can tolerate the perseverance with limited players, provided we’re only talking a matter of months, and not season after season, as we saw under Wenger. Players like Xhaka, Mustafi and Özil aren’t really my cup of tea (and between you and me I don’t see them getting much better), but as you rightly note, we have already seen improvements in several players’ games in a relatively short space of time, so there’s at least hope for them - I’m prepared to humour Emery and the club on this for a little while longer (especially if we keep churning out the wins). Alarm bells will start ringing for me, if we don’t see any signs of improvement from certain players and then start letting transfer windows slip by with no action taken.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power n Glory
It’s the internet. So many people think they know better than an experienced and successful manager. Everything is over analysed to the point where there is no real perspective or ability to look at the bigger picture. It all has to be perfect right now and if it isn’t then things need to change and the manager needs to do this and do that. Emery has only had 11 games and still has a lot of working out to do. Yesterday’s performance was great but it won’t be all good from here on in as you say. We’ll slog out more games, lose some and continue to mould into something new, shaking off Wenger’s hold over the team bit by bit. 9 wins out of 11 is pretty damn good by anyone’s standards. But you can be sure as soon as we draw or lose the expert fans will be out in droves telling Emery what he should be doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Lacazette... I think this guy is becoming my favourite player? So impressed with his attitude this year - not just because of how he’s responded to starting the season on the bench (for a new manager who is known to prefer a single CF, who also has Auba as an option), but also for how he’s managed the disappointment of not making the French WC-winning squad. So many players would have blamed that on lack of game time for their club, and would have demanded a transfer and flounced off somewhere else, but Lacazette has just got his head down and made himself one of the first names on the team sheet each week...
Sometimes they are when the guy in charge makes amateurish error after amateurish error and refuses to change the obvious!Quote:
Originally Posted by SMatthews
He was brilliant for Lyon, sadly last season it wasn't working for him, Wenger didn't get the best out of him, didn't play him enough and to be honest I'm not convinced he rated him.Quote:
Originally Posted by I am invisible
Fast forward 6 months and he looks a different player, the guy is an out and out finisher, that's what he does, he gets goals, sometimes out of nowhere, he's not someone who's going to produce fancy buld up play or bring players into a match, that's not his job, his job is to score goals. The last manager never rated that attribute and never understood the importance, he wanted a forward who could link up and bring other players in even if he was awful in front of goal, which explains why Giroud was number 1 for so long.
Good to see a manager who values the basics of football, been crying out for a manager who sees and accepts the simple things in football, love the fact Lacazette and Aubameyang are played in the same team as well.