Match Reaction vs Bayern Munich (home).

[Marc Overmars]

Fuck, we really must challenge for the title this year (CL is beyond us I think).

We are capable, and we have a great squad. It's all about the mentality, preparation and hard work. That, and strengthening key areas when we need to.

If Wenger can keep us in touch by Christmas, he MUST strengthen. If he does, we can win the league. I really hope this isn't all another false dawn.

Challenging for the league is the minimum expectation we all cited this summer. Now is our time, no excuses.

[IBK]

I'm not surprised by the outcome. We've beaten them before when the odds were stacked against us and we've beaten Pep before under similar circumstances when we've been written off. We usually play well and surprise teams under such circumstances. The next CL game is a bigger test. Can we do it again? If we play like that again we can. We brought the game to them. Very unlucky not to score in the first half but a late goal is so much sweeter.

Agree with this, but first, some propers...

I've criticised Wenger plenty for his set up and tactics but he got them spot on last night - not only on the night, but also for his decision not to try to 'rest' his best players last Saturday. He showed that he can do the business tactically when the choice is simple and his team have to do what is necessary to get the win. Do we also have to be grateful that Ospina wrote himself off for the CL after the Olympiacos game?

Whisper it quietly, but our defence is looking like the real deal, having been a bit of a laughing stock at times over the past couple of seasons. Not just last night - but our stats/clean sheets in this regard suggests that we are finally getting some proper balance and organisation in this area. Any team will make defensive errors, but its our consistency in the back third that is giving me some hope going forwards. Our full backs are arguably the best in the league ATM, and Cech is clearly instilling confidence. Let's hope that this shut out of a monster Bayern team increases this self-belief.

Ozil is stepping up to the plate - and recently has begun to justify his promise/price tag. He looks a lot more like he wants to be in this team.

The team is exuding togetherness and common purpose ATM - and the manager deserves credit for this also.

BUT let's remember that we beat Bayern the season before last and drew with them last season (albeit losing the other fixtures against them). For a while now, this team has the odd exceptional result in it, and while we are looking better in the 'big games' so far this season, the jury is understandably still out as to whether we are capable of stepping up on a more consistent basis. We basically have to beat Bayern again, as well as the return legs against Olympiacos and Zagreb, and I have concerns as to whether we will prevail against teams that are much more cautious ans defence minded than Manure and Bayern. Maybe the mental attitude will be there in all 3 remaining CL fixtures now that its do or die. If it is, then I will dare to dream again.

[Letters]

The sad thing is even before last night, apart from in the minds of hardened Wenger out people I think we all know we are capable of matching anyone on our day.....and that Wenger is tactically capable of matching many of those around him (still hasn't quite mastered the midget sociopath)
The sad thing being is that we don't see it consistently enough, how many times have we seen turning points only to bafflingly revert to type....so frustrating we have a coach who clearly is far from being stupid or inept and yet he seems to at times will fully make amateurish errors.

Last night proved for me that our failings are down to Wengers stubbornness not incompetence

Kinda impressed that you managed to have a dig at Wenger after last night's result.
Zimtastic.

[Power n Glory]

Tactically last night, Wenger was spot on. Listening to BT, they went on and on about us not closing down Alonso and letting him have the ball, while completely ignoring the fact we blocked off all his options. It was an intentional tactic and the players performed brilliantly. They stayed compact and closed off the space. Of course, a team as good as Bayern will always create chances, but most were long shots from tight angles. Cech made some brilliant saves, but most of those saves were ones you expect a keeper of his quality to make. Koscienly and Mertesacker were oustanding, Monreal is one of our best players this season. Almost every match he is giving an 8/10 performance. Bellerin started slowly, Costa was a menace but the way he came back into the game, shows just how good he is and will be. The pace he showed yesterday towards teh end of the game, not just for Ozil's goal but earlier on when he chased a lost cause and won us a corner. It just kept the pressure on Bayern and kept our fans going.
it was the right decision to start Theo upfront as his runs kept Bayern further back and he caused some problems. Should have done better with some of his chances, but the save from Neuer was outstanding. His pace gave us the chance to counter effectively whereas starting with Giroud would have allowed Bayern to settle but his impact as a sub was much better. Bayern just didnt know what to do with him and some of his hold up play last night was superb, if only he can play at that intensity everytime.

Thats not the first time this year either we have won a game having less possession, (i think its the 7th), it shows that Wenger is making tactical decisions to play the game that way. City and United away, Liverpool at home and now Bayern at home, we all had less posession yet these games have produced our biggest wins. Its not luck, its brilliant management. Wenger has his faults of course, but arguing he doenst do tactics is just wrong. Last night showed he does, and it was one of the best arsenal performances i have seen.

Up the Arsenal

Ollie.

I was watching the same BT feed and listening to Owen Hargreaves saying we need to put more pressure on them, be more brave and not show them so much respect. The other commentator implied we were being negative. Total bollocks. I was almost caught up agreeing with Hargreaves thinking we can't stand off them but took a step back and looked at what was going on on the pitch. They weren't hurting us and cutting us open. We had them contained, restricted their chances the best way possible and set ourselves nicely for the counter attacks. If it weren't for some fine saves and maybe a little more composure in the box, we'd have been ahead. Wenger got the tactics right.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Kinda impressed that you managed to have a dig at Wenger after last night's result.
Zimtastic.

He got it spot on last night and has shown what he's capable of....I'm just saying that It's frustrating that we have a capable manager who makes baffling decisions.

I think that's constructive criticism to say "if you can produce results like that, why aren't you on a more consistent basis and why are you still allowing ridiculous defeats to happen which could clearly have been avoided"

It's frustration, only a minuscule amount of supporters want to find fault with the manager....id love nothing more than for him to confound us all and win another title before he goes. I genuinely mean that, I'd want to win the title regardless but would mean even more to me if we did it under Wenger.

[Bumble]

Top result but it shows what a top keeper can do for you. Bellerin just gets better. the way he just bombed past the defender for Ozil's goal.

we were very lucky to win though with the first goal but how often do we dominate play only to make a mistake at the back and conceded. nice being the other way round for once.

the problem though is that Olympiakos won so unless we can get a point at Bayern... we might need to win by two goals or score 3 in Athens. Also winning means 3rd place is a lot more likely now so it could be a dose of the Spursday night cup.

[Power n Glory]

He got it spot on last night and has shown what he's capable of....I'm just saying that It's frustrating that we have a capable manager who makes baffling decisions.

I think that's constructive criticism to say "if you can produce results like that, why aren't you on a more consistent basis and why are you still allowing ridiculous defeats to happen which could clearly have been avoided"

It's frustration, only a minuscule amount of supporters want to find fault with the manager....id love nothing more than for him to confound us all and win another title before he goes. I genuinely mean that, I'd want to win the title regardless but would mean even more to me if we did it under Wenger.

Careful. Letters may start that silly 'Wenger didn't do anything significantly' different counter argument.

[Dein-machine]

He got it spot on last night and has shown what he's capable of....I'm just saying that It's frustrating that we have a capable manager who makes baffling decisions.

I think that's constructive criticism to say "if you can produce results like that, why aren't you on a more consistent basis and why are you still allowing ridiculous defeats to happen which could clearly have been avoided"

It's frustration, only a minuscule amount of supporters want to find fault with the manager....id love nothing more than for him to confound us all and win another title before he goes. I genuinely mean that, I'd want to win the title regardless but would mean even more to me if we did it under Wenger.

I would imagine NO supporter wants to find fault with their teams manager but our manager simply brings the vast amount of criticism on himself. We've had these glory moments before, beating Bayern away for example only to follow it with the usual struggles against Stoke & Swansea. If you read the posts at the moment its as though we are now "Wonder Team" - it was only a few weeks ago we lost to a Greek side who hadn't won away in the C.L for 12 years.
We played well against Utd, played OK 2nd half against Watford & very good last night but 10 years of proof tells us what will happen next.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

What.A.NIGHT!!

Echo everything about Wenger's tactics being spot on. You're never going to out pass or out dominate a Pep Bayern on the ball. The key was to keep our shape and discipline, not get caught up in silly pressing up the pitch and to take whatever chances that we got. And to also hope that our keeper remained strong whenever Bayern inevitably got some half chances which they did ...... don't think we would have won had Ospina or Ches been playing tonight let alone a clown like Almunia. Shows you the importance of having a top top goalie in the big games.

Bellerin had a difficult time against Douglas Costa who's probably the best winger in Europe right now before recovering to put in that assured performance leading up to that second goal.

Moreal, Kos, Coquelin and Per fantastic.

Santi's ability to use his quick footnedess to worm his way out of intense Bayern pressing and to start counter's was just so imperative to our game last night.

Ironically the only player to play below par tonight was Alexis. That bad pass to Costa nearly cost us. He'll make up for it with a hat trick against Everton I'm sure.

We absolutely must qualify now. This result won't count for shit if we still go out and the other result makes it still incredibly difficult for us. Barring Zagreb doing us a favour or Olympikiakos pulling off an upset against Bayern, it'll probably now come down to us having to beat Olympikiakos by two clear goals in Greece in the final game which is no easy feat. That Olympikakos game really fucked us over .... even a draw would have been acceptable as Olympiakos would have dropped points as well. Fucking Ospina.

[Letters]

I think that's constructive criticism to say "if you can produce results like that, why aren't you on a more consistent basis and why are you still allowing ridiculous defeats to happen which could clearly have been avoided".

Isn't that just football though? We shouldn't be losing to West Ham at home but nor should City. Football is just like that sometimes. On paper we shouldn't hardly ever be losing but football doesn't work like that, sport doesn't work like that.

We have, historically, done it too often but this calendar year we've been better. We do need to get more consistent but the Utd game and last night are signs of hope, as are some of the big games we won last season. I think we'd all love it if Wenger goes out on a high.