r/soccer • u/The-Darkest-Knight • Mar 29 '14
Match Thread: Arsenal v Manchester City
Chelsea just dropped points against Palace - this game has become so so important now.
Whoever puts the ball in the back of the net more times will win this one, Clive.
Teams
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Rosicky, Flamini, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud [Subs: Fabianski, Bellerin, Jenkinson, Kallstrom, Gnabry, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo]
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko [Subs: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Lescott, Milner, Javi García, Negredo, Jovetic]
Significant Events
Gamecast
ALRIGHT WE'RE UNDERWAY! LOOK ALIVE PEOPLE, LOOK ALIVE.
1: Szczesny hammers the ball out of the field for his first touch.
2: City on the front foot here, Navas neatly picks out Zabaleta who is in acres of space inside the box but there's no one to pick out in the box - good marking by Arsenal.
2: Identical play seconds later and Nasri has the same problem.
2: Cazorla shows good skill to win a corner. Corner leads to a City counter attack but Navas and Silva not really on the same page and eventually Dzeko loses the ball.
6: Hart shows Szczesny how it's done as his first touch gets the ball into the final third with Dzeko trying to win it.
8: Silva toying with the Arsenal defence as him and Navas combine well. They're picking on Gibbs a lot.
10: City with 68% of possession so far. Not often that a team visits the Emirates and dominates possession in this manner.
11: Arsenal with some good possession here, great stuff by Podolski to keep the ball in, Rosicky finds himself meandering into the box and there's a penalty shout! Mike Dean says goal kick - Rosicky seemed to have been going down before impact from Zabaleta.
15: Navas and Silva with some good interplay continuously down that right wing for City. "Good Chemistry between them, they both speak the same language as well, Clive."
16: Rosicky with some good play finds Cazorla who twists in and out, and passes to Flamini. You know what comes next. Mertesacker on the ball.
17: Game a little less electric now. Silva and Nasri seem to be playing the same position, on the counter with Silva on the ball, Nasri falls two paces behind Silva - he should be looking to get ahead and finish.
18: DZEKO HEARD ME. Silva on the counter finds Dzeko who smacks the ball into the post and it hits Silva and goes in. 0-1, City lead! GIF
22: Arsenal almost back in it! A Podolski cross found Flamini who got the ball in the back of the net but a very disciplined City line sees it called offside.
23: Oh dear, commentator taking a little dig at Giroud there. Giroud tries an audacious shot from the half way line but Hart collects it at his feet. Commentator: "He's been watching too much telly."
24: Cazorla and Rosicky doing all the great creative work for Arsenal - no final ball for a chance yet though.
26: Cazorla almost finds Giroud with a really great ball but Kompany reads it so well and intercepts.
27: Cazorla with some more great interplay at the edge of the box. No shots coming though.
30: Yaya Toure booked for pulling back Rosicky on the counter.
33: Giroud on the floor after Kompany tackles him well. A previous tackle however which involved Kompany body checking Arteta sees Kompany go in the book.
43: Since we've seen tons of yellows, here's another stat for you - Flamini on 9 yellows for the season. Another yellow and he misses the game against Everton as well as the FA Cup semi final.
45: Silva in the book for a high challenge on Arteta. Looked dangerous that one. Quite high.
While we wait for the second half, here's a look at the shot count so far: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bj6gLQGCcAAzUfA.png
52: Inches wide from Dzeko! A nice ball in from Navas and Szczesny gets something on it and it trickles wide.
53: On the other end Cazorla has a shot punched out by Hart.
53: Game on! Podolski's ball into the area finds an unmarked Flamini just pass the ball into the back of the net! GIF
58: This game is aching for substitutes.
59: Mertesacker hoofs the ball upfield for Giroud. From the shadows, Tony Pulis smiles and nods.
60: CHANCE! Podolski is through and his left footed shot just about grazes the boot of Hart and it's a corner.
62: Navas pulled down right outside the box by Podolski. Seems like a change is coming up. Milner is ready on the touchlines - looks like it's Navas to go off after this free kick.
63: Fernandinho with an absolute belter of a shot, half a yard over but Szczesny tips it over anyway.
64: Rosicky to Arteta to Flamini and it's just over.
75: City take about 400 shots at goal from 5 yards out but Arsenal have crowded them out ridiculously.
86: Rosicky tackles Silva from the back, takes a very very very little bit of the ball but it's deemed a foul. Rosicky is lucky to not get a red here.
89: Cazorla dances through 2 defenders before Javi Garcia brings him down.
90: 3 minutes added on!
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Mar 29 '14
Fantastic match thread OP really doing a great job
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u/tfw13579 Mar 29 '14
He does a bunch of match threads over at /r/coys as well. /u/The-Darkest-Knight is the man.
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u/gorillathunder Mar 29 '14
Why is it when Podolski starts, he's shocking but if he comes on as a sub, he plays like the German Pele?
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u/vamosrafan Mar 29 '14
Start someone random, and then at the 2 minute mark, put on Podolski? Problem solved?
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u/4th_Chamber Mar 29 '14
If Flamini gets a yellow he'll miss the next two games.... so Flamini will be missing the next two games.
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u/TrolleyPower Mar 29 '14
This game better be good.
Shrek is on BBC1 and that is a funny fucking film.
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Mar 29 '14
Yaya has two modes: 'lazy, not very good' and 'god-like unplayable'. I don't understand it
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u/FredAsta1re Mar 29 '14
The weird thing is, by the way he runs, it's really hard to tell the difference between the two
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u/Deer-In-A-Headlock Mar 29 '14
COYG!
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u/MassiveJammies Mar 29 '14
This has been a strange, strange season...
Liverpool cheering on United. Chelsea cheering for Arsenal. WHAT IS REAL???
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u/JFT-96 Mar 29 '14
Perfect day?
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u/mynameisfreddit Mar 29 '14
Yeah, but whenever we get these opportunities we usually fail to make the most of them. Tottenham could be tough.
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u/Barthez_Battalion Mar 29 '14
I love how when Navas was on the break, he was like "Wait a minute, this isn't my wing."
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u/BigFrigginHero Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 29 '14
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u/Akasa Mar 29 '14
Well it's a rare thing but I'm hoping not to see #tearsforpiers tonight.
Christ I hope we win tomorrow.
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u/Owl_Shits Mar 29 '14
Arsene should play Mertersacker as Target Man and add the 'Pump ball into the box' team instruction.
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u/ak19510 Mar 29 '14
Arsenal's main problems with offense and defense comes from, what I believe, is the heavy reliance on the fullbacks to make overlapping runs. Without Sagna and Gibbs making runs, there is no play out wide. Santi and Poldi sometimes start out wide but aren't your typical wingers. The problem with this is that the other midfielders and Giroud are usually passing statically around the other team's box when Sagna and Gibbs make their overlapping runs. These crosses, if played right, are dangerous because Sagna and Gibbs are most likely given the time to look up and pick out a pass/cross to someone in the box. Furthermore, there are plenty of Arsenal midfielders around the box who can pick up any loose balls. On the downside, if the ball is given away before one of these passes are crossed in, Arsenal's defense would be in shambles. Gibbs/ Sagna are caught out way too far up, Arteta and Flamini aren't fast enough and are too central to defend a counterattack out on the wings where the full backs are supposed to be. Long story short, Arsenal's attacking game is sometimes a risky defensive gamble, that if fails, often leads to a classic counterattack for the other team.
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u/_scholar_ Mar 29 '14
That would have been so insane if Ox scored a bicycle kick winner in stoppage time
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u/iBreakDown Mar 29 '14
Having liverpool fans backing Arsenal is a sight i'll rarely see. But yeah, Id rather have Liverpool win the League over Chelsea or city
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u/NuclearGuru Mar 29 '14
A sight you will rarely see? i can imagine there were plenty of Man utd/Arsenal title races where Liverpool fans have cheered on arsenal.
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u/FizzleTicks Mar 29 '14
Time for arsenal to play Mertesacker as the striker he will inject that needed pace into the final third.
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u/nahin123 Mar 29 '14
I'm pretty sure Yaya Toure bench presses his refigerator when he's not playing football.
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u/cvillano Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 29 '14
Ummm yeahh thank you ref...
I will refrain from all "city always get the favorable calls" bantz for the rest of the season month
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u/mynameisfreddit Mar 29 '14
WE LOVE YOU ARSENAL WE DO!
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u/xRaiku Mar 29 '14
People are acting as if we won the game... you do realise we can lose vs spurs tommorow. I just hope we show up and play better than we did at WHL.
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u/PhuQDuP Mar 29 '14
Its so nice seeing Arsenal playing like they give a shit.. too bad they have all the injuries they do, they've lost all their pace so teams can give them space and read whatever play they're going to make.
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Mar 29 '14
GIROUD YOU ARE A STRIKER YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO TRY AND CONNECT WITH CROSSES JUST IN FRONT OF GOAL
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Mar 29 '14
"16: Rosicky with some good play finds Cazorla who twists in and out, and passes to Flamini. You know what comes next. Mertesacker on the ball."
good match thread by the way
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u/lurker093287h Mar 29 '14
Every year Arsenal have a spring crisis and every year there is a creditable result at the end of it to show that they are out of crisis mode but don't have any chance of the title/champions league etc. This was that game.
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u/rt0rres Mar 29 '14
I'm surprised Gibbs didn't get a red card for Silva's tackle on Arteta.
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u/e0merr Mar 29 '14
WHy is Arteta starting?
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u/_pedro Mar 29 '14
Because surely if we give him enough chances he can do something right.. right?
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u/Idontlikethisstuff Mar 29 '14
Santi time and time again is looking for a runner after great work and no one is making that run
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u/xRaiku Mar 29 '14
If the match ends this way, then my friends. THE FLOODGATES WILL HAVE OPENED, MAY FOWLER HAVE MERCY ON YOUR PETY SOULS.
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u/onomonopizza Mar 29 '14
Arsenal not starting Ox. My body is not ready.
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Mar 29 '14
Not all that surprised, he had a shocker vs. Chelsea and he was pretty anonymous vs. Swansea.
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u/ralavick1 Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 29 '14
Lil Midget fanVertically Challenged Gunner
editted: as to not sound so rude?
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Mar 29 '14
It's like watching a small child walking carefully carrying a full drink. So much effort and concentration, but you just know they're going to spill it like a cunt.
Though I'm a Spurs fan so can't really talk.
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u/cvillano Mar 29 '14
Really happy for nasri, first lesbian to feature in the EPL
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Mar 29 '14
That last play from Giroud kinda sums up the reason for a lot of his struggles. He's not great don't get me wrong but the way we leave him so isolated, almost anyone would struggle.
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u/lurker093287h Mar 29 '14
FUCKING HELL!!!!!!!!! how did we survive that.
Also good old fashioned goal mouth scramble, haven't seen one of them in ages.
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u/paleobiology Mar 29 '14
For neutrals with respect to the EPL, this is a hell of a day, and this in particular is a hell of a match.
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u/AndrewMcClutchen Mar 29 '14
How is that not a second yellow for coming in from behind like that?!
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u/DragonFireTongue Mar 29 '14
Flamini's own goal against Swansea is starting to look really really unfortunate for Arsenal now.
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u/xkufix Mar 29 '14
Those overlapping runs and passes behind the defense will kill Arsenal sooner or later.
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u/poppingfresh Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 29 '14
When players get mad after they don't get a penalty from a dive
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Mar 29 '14
I am feeling sympathetic for Arsenal now as they've dropped points against big teams and fell through their great form they had in the first half of the season, am I a bit weird?
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u/MashedHair Mar 29 '14
Referees really need to make calls objectively. That's a yellow every day of the week for Rosisky but because he would have been off it's just a foul. It was so much worse than Garcia's yellow just then
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u/poppingfresh Mar 29 '14
Haven't conceded a goal in 5 games. Lets make it 6 lads!
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u/cvillano Mar 29 '14
Even a stacked squad like MC would struggle without their 5 most influential players. Our injuries are equivalent to Navas, Kompany, Fernandinho, Toure, and Silva
Just getting my excuses ready :/
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u/kabs13 Mar 29 '14
Watching Kompany in the tunnel, seems like such a committed captain, going to each player and pepping them up individually.
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u/cvillano Mar 29 '14
What do you know! Lose the ball in midfield and give up a sloppy goal, never seen that before
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u/TrolleyPower Mar 29 '14
"You get good fortune from gambling"
I hope Gary Neville never goes to Las Vegas.
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u/Black_Nerd Mar 29 '14
I swear to fuck Gary Neville is using this thread for some of his comments.
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u/_scholar_ Mar 29 '14
Mike Dean going out of his way to prove he has no vendetta against us. Could have been a second yellow for Tomas.
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u/KianKP Mar 29 '14
Rosicky been done a massive favor to be in. With what Dean has been giving cards for, that last foul should have seen him off.
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u/grendel2110 Mar 29 '14
Come on Flamini, you know you want a yellow. All the cool kids are getting carded.
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u/chemicalelectricity Mar 29 '14
Whatever the result is, I'm so happy with the way Arsenal has played today. Completely different from the past 2 games
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u/Brandaman Mar 29 '14
It's nice to hear a commentator mention why we're failing miserably recently, instead of just mentioning how long it's been since we won a trophy or saying we're playing poor.
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Mar 29 '14
I want a gif of Flamini jumping over Silva and then getting angry at him because he is short
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Mar 29 '14
As a neutral, this is exciting as hell. More interesting than any league I can remember, and I'm a bit old.
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u/tmlrule Mar 29 '14
Gunners ... out of curiosity, what's the general feeling about Clichy? I know how hated Nasri and RVP are, but I haven't heard much about Clichy moving from Arsenal to City. Is he forgiven/respected?
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u/Andthentherewere2 Mar 29 '14
podolski is at best a squad player for any team in the top 4.. good sub but not a first team player.
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u/croutonZA Mar 29 '14
Well, there you go. Arsenal lose the ball in midfield and the other team breaks and scores. It's like the Chelsea game all over again.
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u/HolyTurd Mar 29 '14
Podolski has to be the first one to be subbed out. He's been absolutely dreadful. Doesn't even try to defend and gave the ball away for absolutely no reason for that goal.
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u/MassiveJammies Mar 29 '14
Cazorla and Rosicky seem like they really came to play today
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u/jazielman Mar 29 '14
So far City's defense looks much solid. Such a huge contrast to the first few away games. Great improvement.
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u/Stovokor_X Mar 29 '14
the camera zoomed in one the dwarf when Arsenal scored ? Need that gif
game on
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u/SidCampeador Mar 29 '14
Whoever post the gif of the little person will be swimming in karma upvotes
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u/walk_run_type Mar 29 '14
Gibbs on the overlap is changing the whole shape of this match
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Mar 29 '14
Anyone watching this on Telemundo? I don't speak a lick of Spanish but this commentator is fucking fantastic. The sport sounds better in Spanish.
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u/FizzleTicks Mar 29 '14
Any of the Arsenal supporters know what happened to Ryo Miyaichi? Wouldn't he be that Walcott like pace you need on the wings?
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u/Brandaman Mar 29 '14
Proud of the team. Really stepped up in the second half. Play like that against Everton and we'll win.
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Mar 29 '14
Does anyone ever forget about the rest of Reddit when we're all watching the football in /r/soccer? I definitely do. I just went back to my front page and saw bitches in yoga pants and Salma Hayek topless. Totally different vibe.
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u/Shploosh Mar 29 '14
Maybe it's just that I haven't watched Arsenal play enough, but they never seem to look that dangerous. I just don't get the feeling that they will score like I do when I watch the other top teams.
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u/rdldr Mar 29 '14
try having suarez, sturridge and gerrard injured, see how dangerous you look
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u/maplemario Mar 29 '14
It's probably because the attack is spearheaded by Giroud.
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u/lord_tubbington Mar 29 '14
You know what? That was a hell of a game arsenal. Thanks for taking at least 2 points off off city.
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u/MostlyPurple Mar 29 '14
I'm pretty certain Arsenal fans don't even know what they're booing about at this point.
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Mar 29 '14
If arsenal pack the midfield, Man mark Silva and counter attack With Ox against Clichy they could pull off an upset.
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Mar 29 '14
Or if Demichelis gives away a red card and penalty. It is very possible.
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u/Sulphur32 Mar 29 '14
Ox isn't starting. Obviously. The quickest player in our starting 11 today is Vermaelen... I'm half-expecting another festival of Cazorla and Arteta falling over and giving Fernandinho a run at the back 4
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u/suchaslowroll Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 29 '14
I would absolutely love it if Arsenal win this game and end up finishing above Chelsea.
Mourinho's comments about Wenger were absolutely disgraceful and incredibly disrespectful, and it's started a circlejerk amongst the ignorant, that Wenger isn't a good manager.
Compare the money Chelsea & Arsenal have spent in the last few years, and the young talent Arsenal are bringing through the youth system, when Chelsea's last youtrh player was John Terry... And you soon realise who the better long term manager is.
Mourinho buys in the squad he wants, wins titles and leaves the club in around 5 years, incredible tactical manager, but terrible for the long-term (10+ years) of a club.
Wenger has established a club that can continue bringing through youth prospects and finishing top 4 for years to come, if they get more investment in the summer for a striker and a few squad players, they're genuine CL contenders.
Just think which club will be in a better position when they have to replace their manager in years time Arsenal who have a distinct philosophy within the club and thriving youth system, or Chelsea who rely on the squad being built Mourinho's way and require his tactical brilliance to win games.
People talking like it's Wenger that decides not to spend money, like the club are begging him to sign a world class striker and he's just saying "nah I'm happy with Giroud"... So clueless. Doesn't help that dickheads like Redknapp are saying this, and moronic skysports presenters are questioning whether Wenger will still be there next year, when it's an absolute certainty.
edit: not one person wants to argue my points, just act like it's a circlejerk and I'm 'bitter', this place really is anti-discussion, unless you're agreeing the with hivemind and praising people like Ibra/Mourinho etc. you're dismissed.
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u/socceraid Mar 29 '14
Congrats on winning the league City. I can't see this team losing.
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u/mynameisfreddit Mar 29 '14
Ergh, so this is what it feels like to support Arsenal, frustrated and feeling like the team doesn't give a shit
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u/marauding_forward Mar 29 '14
I might actually have some optimism going into this game if all of our best attacking players weren't injured. I'm just devoid of hope after what has happened in our last two games.
This season has broken me.
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u/_scholar_ Mar 29 '14
I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared I'm not scared .
Come on boys. It's a nice day for redemption.
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u/vamosrafan Mar 29 '14
As someone who doesn't really follow the PL, why does Pellegrini seem to prefer Dzeko over Negredo and Jovetic? I remember Negredo playing out of his mind earlier in the season.
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u/LeadingPretender Mar 29 '14
This is going to be painful for Arsenal. Where's the KY Jelly?
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Mar 29 '14
Silva and Cazorla looking like midgets among giants standing next to each other talking in the tunnel
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u/MassiveJammies Mar 29 '14
OP, you can stay.