Arsenal v Aston Villa All-in-one Thread (Match #272) (Post-match #993)

[Archie]

Funnily enough I didn't think Benteke did a lot today but one good pen, one not so good but great hunger to follow it in.

On the contrary,I think that he played a very intelligent game and made a great job attracting the defenders on him and opening the play.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Is Okore injured?

[peter w]

Guzan - 8 - Picked up where he left off last season.

Lowton - 6 - Quiet

Luna - 6 - For the goal. Poor defensively.

Clark - 7 - Thought he looked solid when he came on. Positionally very good also.

Vlaar - 7 - Got better as the game wore on.

KEA - 7 - Got around and did well

Delph - 7 - Another who got better as the game wore on. I think he'll be a very important player for us this year.

Westwood - 6 - Thought he found it tough today

Weimann - 7 - Poor first 50 nibutes but found his touch. Good through ball for Luna.

Gabby - 9 - His pace was a constant threat and got two pens. Worked hard in defence too.

Benteke - 8.99999 - didn't actually play that well!

85 mins gone and Arsenal got a corner. I was debating whether to turn off, over, or go upstairs so much were my nerves. Next thing its in the back of the Arsenal net!!! Compare this start to West ham lastseason. We look fitter and as if we're all playing to the same tactics. Result aside we looked good. Defensively there are still issues but it is the first game andArsenal are still a good team. We'll get quicker, fitter, and better this season.

[Isa]

Is Okore injured?

Not injured per say but probably not properly match-fit due to missing most of pre-season.

[eastie]

Hard to choose a man of the match today - a great team performance but if i had to choose it would probably be Delph , although there were several players worthy of a shout .

The only player who seemed a bit below par was Weimann but he was still a danger - a really top start to the season and great for confidence .

[andyh]

Team has such a high energy level, we are gonna cause teams plenty of problems, Guzan nearly MOM, but Delph is not the player we thought we'd bought, he is a future England International, he will add goals to his game this year because he gets into positions that will ensure he does score. We need to be more precise at times with our passing, but lest enjoy the ride, cos I have a feeling it will be very interesting and what today has done for confidence god only knows. Bring on the Chavs.

Totally agree on Delph.
I keep telling anyone who will listen that if he added goals to his game,  he is the closest thing we have to Ian Taylor, since Ian Taylor.

[Isa]

Luna - 6 - For the goal. Poor defensively.

Really? I can't think of a particular incident where he made a major error.

[paul_e]

Watched with an Arsenal fan, he firmly believed the game turned on the Giroud miss that has been mentioned before.  He was very unhappy with the 2nd penalty  and red card.

Personally I thought we did exactly what you should do to beat Arsenal away.  we tried to get them passing it higher up the pitch and then steal in and break, in the 2nd half we nailed it and could easily have had 4 or 5 on the counter.

Delph, Gabby and Clark were excellent, everyone else played well other than Vlaar who looked a bit sluggish against Rosicky, but I really rate Rosicky so I'll let him off for today.

[Marton]

Surpirsed at how well Clark played. No nonsense clearing and most importantly he put it out the side or a one touch strike long for a winger to chase.
No trying to get creative in our box with 4 swarming attackers or blind clearing to their mid-fielders to create a 2nd wave.
Simple, clean, decisive.....

Vlaar isnt bad most of time but he has these lapses in his decision-making thats so damn costly like at their goal and Guzan had to bail him out twice.

[Havencheese]

The hubris, they can wallow in a mire of their own thereabouts mediocrity. At least we know who we are and we took three points today at theirs and they can HAVE THAT!

"At least we know who we are"

What on earth does that mean?

It means that as fans, we don't expect to just win because we've been on the fringes of the big 4 for the past few years (okay so they lost a Champions League Final five years ago). Nobody is kidding themselves here, we nearly got relegated last season and we know EXACTLY where we're coming from. Arsenal fans and for that matter former players, might've expected to win that one business as usual and perhaps their worst fears were realised today after they failed to make a single signing. We got all our summer signings to date, done in a matter of weeks. How much did we spend and by comparison how much did Arsenal (expect to) spend?

Sounds to me like out of the two clubs who played today at the Emirates, that one of them doesn't know where they're currently sitting.

[PaulWinch again]

Guzan - 8 - Picked up where he left off last season.

Lowton - 6 - Quiet

Luna - 6 - For the goal. Poor defensively.

Clark - 7 - Thought he looked solid when he came on. Positionally very good also.

Vlaar - 7 - Got better as the game wore on.

KEA - 7 - Got around and did well

Delph - 7 - Another who got better as the game wore on. I think he'll be a very important player for us this year.

Westwood - 6 - Thought he found it tough today

Weimann - 7 - Poor first 50 nibutes but found his touch. Good through ball for Luna.

Gabby - 9 - His pace was a constant threat and got two pens. Worked hard in defence too.

Benteke - 8.99999 - didn't actually play that well!

85 mins gone and Arsenal got a corner. I was debating whether to turn off, over, or go upstairs so much were my nerves. Next thing its in the back of the Arsenal net!!! Compare this start to West ham lastseason. We look fitter and as if we're all playing to the same tactics. Result aside we looked good. Defensively there are still issues but it is the first game andArsenal are still a good team. We'll get quicker, fitter, and better this season.

I'd say Lowton was more at fault than Luna for the goal.

[Havencheese]

Watched with an Arsenal fan, he firmly believed the game turned on the Giroud miss that has been mentioned before.  He was very unhappy with the 2nd penalty  and red card.

Personally I thought we did exactly what you should do to beat Arsenal away.  we tried to get them passing it higher up the pitch and then steal in and break, in the 2nd half we nailed it and could easily have had 4 or 5 on the counter.

Delph, Gabby and Clark were excellent, everyone else played well other than Vlaar who looked a bit sluggish against Rosicky, but I really rate Rosicky so I'll let him off for today.

I hope you casually reminded him of the yellow their keeper received which should've been a dead set red.

[eamonn]

I thought it was only the Baggies who know what they are?

[paul_e]

Watched with an Arsenal fan, he firmly believed the game turned on the Giroud miss that has been mentioned before.  He was very unhappy with the 2nd penalty  and red card.

Personally I thought we did exactly what you should do to beat Arsenal away.  we tried to get them passing it higher up the pitch and then steal in and break, in the 2nd half we nailed it and could easily have had 4 or 5 on the counter.

Delph, Gabby and Clark were excellent, everyone else played well other than Vlaar who looked a bit sluggish against Rosicky, but I really rate Rosicky so I'll let him off for today.

I hope you casually reminded him of the yellow their keeper received which should've been a dead set red.

I'm of the opinion that it was a borderline one, clear pen all day long but the touh just before it would've taken Gabby very wide, which is probably just enough for him to stay on the pitch.  To clarify, if it had been against us I'd have been upset over a red card so I'd have been a hypocrite to demand one at the other end.  He was lucky though.

[Tuscans]

Wenger unhappy with the spirit the way the referee let the game go in!!!?? What, because we got in your face and tackled your poofy players!

first class TWAT