Arsenal 2-1 Brentford Player rating and Match Reaction

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yes, based on current form this half of the season.
It's the best in the league.

I didn't think City looked all that yesterday either.

I’m not knocking our defence at all, and yeah the statistics back that we have the best defence in the league. What I’m saying is…is our defence much better than City? Either in personnel or stats. They’ve got good defenders, but like us they play a high line and can be caught cold.

[Mac76]

I was of that opinion last season with the Europa league which was far more winnable for us than the champions league is this season

As it turned out, not having to compete on two counts did sod all for us

Don’t get me wrong, I think the early FA cup exit might have been a blessing in disguise. But as much as I don’t think we will win either the league or the European cup, I think we probably do need to try and prove that we can be contenders for both and show that we can juggle both.

It's funny, last night I was on the verge of saying the same things as Chippy has, but i reflected on it and concluded what you have, i.e. we need to show we are genuine top-level competitors, there's no other way, I think winning breeds winning and anyway the further we get in the CL this year the more it gives ths still-young team experience and belief about getting a long way in these competitions.

[Letters]

MO makes a very good point that we hoped that the lack of cup games in the run in last season would go in our favour, but it just didn't. Winning becomes a habit and a setback in the CL could harm our league form by knocking confidence. Not what we need with a trip to the Ethiad next up.

[HCZ_Reborn]

It's funny, last night I was on the verge as saying the same things as Chippy has, but i reflected on it and concluded what you have, i.e. we need to show we are genuine top-level competitors, there's no other way, I think winning breeds winning and anyway the further we get in the CL this year the more it gives ths still-young team experience and belief about getting a long way in these competitions.

True and on top of that we haven’t played a big team in UCL this season. It would be good to have a Real, Bayern, Barca tie…..yes we want to try and win the thing eventually but it’s also for nights like that that we want to be at the top table

[HCZ_Reborn]

MO makes a very good point that we hoped that the lack of cup games in the run in last season would go in our favour, but it just didn't. Winning becomes a habit and a setback in the CL could harm our league form by knocking confidence. Not what we need with a trip to the Ethiad next up.

Yep. Whilst I am conscious of fixture congestion. I think the one constant about Arsenal is that we are a confidence team.

[Mac76]

So everyone's OK with me going and cheering us on against Porto tomorrow night then?

[Marc Overmars]

Even if we went on to win the league I’d still say it would put a little bit of a dampener on my feelings should we go out tomorrow night because it’s such a doable task.

It was the same in 2004, a year we absolutely should have won the CL because the usual suspects were nowhere to be seen. As glorious as the title win was, that Chelsea defeat in the CL was a real low point.