Arsenal vs Ipswich Town 27.12.2024 - 20:15 KO GMT

Last time we played Ipswich was the semi final of the league cup in 2011, where we won 3-0 at home overturning a 1-0 first leg deficit at Portman Road. Last time we played them in the league was April 2002 on our way to winning the double…I actually remember watching that game in the pub. It was a bit of a struggle to break them down but in the end got two goals from Freddie Ljungberg to win.


I have a bit of a fondness for Ipswich Town, as it’s the most successful club near to me that’s not based in London. No sentiment on show here hopefully, hopefully a convincing and comprehensive win.


Team id play

Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Rice, Nwaneri, Odegaard, Jesus, Havertz, Martinelli

The Neverton result was bad enough but if we don’t win this then Arteta definitely needs to resign.

0-3 Szmodics hatter

Arteta like many with compulsive behaviour can’t help himself, he has to keep that no8 role going, just the way someone with OCD has to turn on and off the lights a certain number of times. He is unwell

In a pub for this one.

So far, so bad.

Odegaard managed to miss hit a shot and whack a free kick straight into a defender

Trossard had a good opportunity but he didn’t want to take it first time so passes to Odegaard


Jesus been peripheral apart from taking down one long ball


Timber has first shot on target, actually goes direct rather than death by a thousand passes

Martinelli decided he doesn’t want to try and beat his man

Havertz 1-0

Ball comes out to Trossard who takes the ball wide in the box and plays a low cross in for the German

Like an early round cup game this. Will finish about 5/6-0, depends when you call it a night.

You're holding them at arms length and going at about 25%.

I was today years old, when I realised that Liam is Rory Delap’s son

Just thought it was common Irish surname

Poor first half

Odegaard especially poor

Holy SHIT will you pass the ball forwards, you twats?

:doh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Letters

Holy SHIT will you pass the ball forwards, you twats?

:doh:

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:lol:

It does have a whiff of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=442NF5cZhyc

Very dull but we’ve got the goal at least.

Definitely need to crank up the gear in the second half and put it to bed.

Odegaard goes on a run, blocked shot in the end. But by far the most impressive thing he’s done in this game

Also Hutchinson is a little cheat

This is all a bit shit.

Pass pass pass but hardly any chances. Only going to invite Ipswich to have a go and maybe fluke something.

Awful miss from Gabriel. Should be 2-0.

I was really hoping we’d step it up this half. We have a bit but…only a bit.
And yes, what a miss :doh:

Decent effort from Odegaard

Finally a bit of life

Rice volley blocked, great effort

Merino shot saved

All over them now, need to score

Mental it's taken till the 75th minute to play with any urgency.

We have finally stepped it up a bit.
Could end up being one of those frustrating sucker punch 1-1s if we don’t get the second goal.
I guess we’d deserve it but we just don’t create enough clear chances

1-0 FT. Shockingly poor performance (probably worst performance since Shaktah Donetsk)

Just as well Ipswich were awful coming forward

FT 1-0

Shite.

Will almost certainly lose at Brentford and Brighton playing like that.

Just awful.
I saw no evidence tonight that we can seriously challenge Liverpool.

Really turgid for the most part, Arteta's bore-ball is becoming really tedious

Well I think most of you have voiced it already, a typical dream Arteta performance.

In a game where there was only one team that could win if they tried to win, Arteta ensured we followed the script and tried not to lose to "mighty" Ipswich Town!!

None of our real rivals could watch that performance and take us seriously......hell if I was a Liverpool player I'd be to busy laughing at us and not even being afraid to lose 3 or 4 games as we definitely have a lot of draws awaiting us with this kind of attitude.

TBH I am not sure this team will even make 2nd if we continue like this.

Totally pathetic and honestly I am just tired of this boring drill.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mac76

Really turgid for the most part, Arteta's bore-ball is becoming really tedious

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Even the attempts to draw Ipswich out were pathetic, largely met with a “do you think we’re fucking stupid?” response.

This looked like a team that had played three days earlier. I don’t think the effort was lacking, just safety first at all times. Needn’t have bothered really. They looked about as likely to score as Theon Greyjoy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Even the attempts to draw Ipswich out were pathetic, largely met with a “do you think we’re fucking stupid?” response.

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One time we tried that - and I understand why, but it’s asking for a mistake at the back which could lead to us conceding. But anyway one time it seemed to be working, Ipswich did come forward a bit…and then we went forward so slowly anyway to render it all pointless.
I didn’t see a team last night that could be considered serious challengers

It was the age old story of not moving the ball up the pitch quick enough and rather concerningly, not having any willing runners.

Brentford and Brighton will try to play so I expect us to be better however there’s no doubt that it’s difficult to see us closing in on Liverpool any time soon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

It was the age old story of not moving the ball up the pitch quick enough and rather concerningly, not having any willing runners.

Brentford and Brighton will try to play so I expect us to be better however there’s no doubt that it’s difficult to see us closing in on Liverpool any time soon.

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I don’t think they will, especially not Brentford….they played ten men behind the ball last time we went there and took that Havertz header right at the end to beat them

As an after thought, I just want it known how much I hate that awful North London forever song, cringe inducing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

As an after thought, I just want it known how much I hate that awful North London forever song, cringe inducing.

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:gp:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

It was the age old story of not moving the ball up the pitch quick enough and rather concerningly, not having any willing runners.

Brentford and Brighton will try to play so I expect us to be better however there’s no doubt that it’s difficult to see us closing in on Liverpool any time soon.

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Arteta's approach is to not let any goals in and win lots of games 1-0

he probably preferred the Ipswich game to the 5-1 Palace win because we achieved that

but too often any PL team can just get the one goal

Liverpool's approach meanwhile is basically to win every game 3-1 or 3-2 - i.e. score more goals and if it leads to the opposition getting a goal then so be it.

I think that's a) better football to watch and b) more likley to succeed

we also have the players to do it, as the Palace game showed

I can't get excited about our attacking play or our prospects of a title unless Arteta either changes dramatically or finally is got rid of

I suspect Arteta will never change that much, he seems too stubborn, or at least he won't change in time to help us

and I fear it will be too late by the time the club decides he should go and we'll have wasted good years of some players and will also lose some players altogether - e.g Saliba is good enough to play for any side anywhere - how long will he stay if he's not winning anything?

We can't relay on players being as stupid as Son and sticking with us

We have to win nothing I'm afraid, until the Board decide to act - maybe if we fail to win anything until the end of next season the question wil be seriously asked

We have won more games by a scoreline of 3-1 at home than 1-0 under Arteta, so I think it’s more a case of us not being set up to cope well with the deep block. Palace came out at us and left a lot of space for us to get the goals. I’m not blaming Ipswich for not doing that….why wouldn’t they. But I think there’s an irony in that we set up more to control than win the game but that actually means we have to commit more men forward which makes us vulnerable on the counter.

One thing I’ve noticed (and I don’t like it) is that we stand off too much when the opposition are attacking us