Arsenal v Swansea

While we haven't exactly been amazing infront of goal, what I have found encouraging is that we have kept two clean sheets in the last two games and been organized enough to keep two fairly attacking teams pretty quiet.

We kept two clean sheets against two sides who are not exactly the boring Sunderlands of the world! Very good result (couldn't watch the game) regardless of how we played. Now for a Chelsea or a Spurs fuck up, and we can call it a good weekend.

Wonder what this signals for TV.....rest I would assume....

good video of Nacho's goal from the stands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mit8-wbvsTo&feature=youtu.be&a

Just saw the goals. Would never expect such calmness from Gervinho.

Vanig Bostanian wrote:Just saw the goals. Would never expect such calmness from Gervinho.

On another day it could have been saved and we'd be cursing him. But hopefully it gives him confidence.

Spurs just lost 1-0 to fulham! 4 points out with a game in hand!

Need a spectacular collapse from Chelsea in the last 25 minutes.

Chelsea's 2nd goal was pretty special to be honest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynn4-4bzB7w&feature=player_embedded

Walcott's face.

The gap between his self-belief and actual limited talent is staggering.

Is that from when he got substituted? I would have slapped him if I was on the pitch

John Foxall wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynn4-4bzB7w&feature=player_embedded

Walcott's face.

The gap between his self-belief and actual limited talent is staggering.

He was just waiting to see if hes number comes up on the board! Nothing else.

awæhre wrote:

John Foxall wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynn4-4bzB7w&feature=player_embedded

Walcott's face.

The gap between his self-belief and actual limited talent is staggering.

He was just waiting to see if hes number comes up on the board! Nothing else.

Exactly.

Both Kos and Monreal made the BBC team of the week. Tthe 'Did You Know?' fact for Koscielny shows his importance.


DEFENDER - LAURENT KOSCIELNY (Arsenal)
Arsenal needed to beat Swansea to stand any chance of retaining their Champions League status. Their do-or-die performance in Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday was clearly a catalyst and a turning point in the team's belief and attitude, and Koscielny was as impressive against the Swans as he was against Bayern Munich.

Did you know? Arsenal have a 56% win percentage in the Premier League this season when Koscielny plays but only 38% when he doesn't.

DEFENDER - NACHO MONREAL (Arsenal)
A great week for Arsenal even though they went out of the Champions League. The Gunners couldn't have provided their fans with a better response than they did in Munich and again against Swansea. Nacho Monreal was excellent at the Liberty Stadium, proving that he can produce the goods when it matters.

Did you know? Monreal scored with his first ever shot on target in the Premier League.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21821835

Arsenal defenders studied video after Tottenham defeat, and performances in Munich and Swansea show benefit

It cannot have been a comfortable experience but, after their 2-1 defeat against Tottenham, even Arsenal’s defenders decided that something had to change and duly sat down together to watch a replay of their performance.

The screening of the video nasty that followed might just have added up to the most valuable hour or so that they have spent at the club’s London Colney training base this season.

Successive 2-0 wins against Bayern Munich and, on Saturday, in Wales against Swansea City confirm as such.

It would obviously be premature to suppose that familiar defensive failings have been fixed but the first step in rehabilitation is usually to at least admit that you have a problem.

And with lessons learnt both in the importance of communication and defending as a cohesive unit, Arsenal have responded with successive clean sheets for only the second time this year.

To win any away game is never easy, so to do it twice in four days at Bayern and now Swansea does genuinely point towards an added resilience. Some precious momentum has also been recovered in the battle for a Champions League place, particularly after Tottenham lost.

Per Mertesacker, who has remained the one constant at centre-back during the past month, admitted that Arsenal had needed extra defensive preparation “as a unit” and that the improvement was all about ensuring the players were aware of the need to cover for one another.

That was certainly not happening with the confused high line of defence that was so exploited by Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon but was rather more evident on Saturday as Swansea failed to register even one shot on target.

“There was a lot of room for improvement and we saw a lot of things on television,” said Mertesacker. “Sometimes we didn’t choose the right direction and we just lacked a bit of defensive work as a unit.

"We prepared ourselves for Munich and for Swansea and it was much, much better.”

Although it is normal for the Arsenal players to collectively review the highlights of their previous match with manager Arsène Wenger, it was a break from the usual routine for only the defenders to sit down together.

“We saw ourselves as a unit on the television and I think it was a good thing to do because sometimes you have a different view on the pitch and you feel different,” explained Mertesacker.

“Sometimes you can’t believe what you did as a defensive unit. Everybody was involved and everyone felt we needed to improve and speak.

“As a unit we have to cover each other. That was the most important thing we learned. There were a lot of situations where there was no pressure on the ball against Tottenham and the back four was not prepared for any balls between us.”

The subsequent selections of Wenger have also been significant, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and captain Thomas Vermaelen remaining out of the team on Saturday.

Laurent Koscielny again impressed alongside Mertesacker at centre-back to help ensure that goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s most notable contribution was when he irked Michu by running into the Swansea half to celebrate Arsenal’s second goal.

“He is quite lucky that the defence is doing really well but he is a good goalkeeper and he talks a lot during the game and that gives us good confidence,” said Mertesacker.

Wenger’s own celebratory jig also underlined the importance he attached to Saturday’s result. After Nacho Monreal had put Arsenal into the lead, Wenger was especially pleased that Gervinho should score his first league goal since September.

Gervinho has attracted criticism for finishing so erratically but his movement always discomforts opposition defences and his introduction after 71 minutes on Saturday provided fresh impetus at a most critical moment in the season.

“I know that Gervinho was under a lot of negative pressure because he missed chances,” said Wenger. “I’m sure he will be a big force for us until the end of the season.

"He gives us something different. He can dribble, he can provoke. He is sensitive — he needs the support.”

Arsenal were perhaps also aided on Saturday by Swansea’s current comfort, with the club safe from relegation and already qualified for Europe thanks to their victory in the Capital One Cup.

“I really cannot complain about the attitude from the players,” said Michael Laudrup. “Let’s not forget we are talking about Arsenal. They are a team with a budget in another world to us. The fact we are talking like this shows how far Swansea have come in 19 months.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9936052/Arsenal-defenders-studied-video-after-Tottenham-defeat-and-performances-in-Munich-and-Swansea-show-benefit.html

Big Bad Peeeeeeer

And, the Spuds lost again!

He was absolutely useless and has been really since he signed his contract. Absolutely deserved to be subbed off

agreed...theo has been shite....knew the contract would do nothing for him...or us....

good show on spurs loosing...and we have a game in hand...

Money down the drain, Walcott doesn't look like the player we need to build a new side around.