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

[Dr Butler]

still buzzing from Saturday, great game, great support as usual...

UTV

[Concrete John]

I don't think either Benteke or Weimann were actually poor of Saturday, just that they were both out shone by Gabby, who was excellent.  And that's the thing with this forward line - at least one of them will be 'on it' each game and that makes us dangerous and always a goal threat.

Midfield worked well, but aside from Delph we still lack a genuine goal threat in there.

The defence was quite good, IMO.  In the 'Ongoing Defensive Frailties' thread I said I can live with letting one in due to our attacking nature, which is what happened when Lowton was upfield and they exposed us down the right, but not giving stupid goals away  due to basic mistakes, and we didn't.  Clark looks like he's improved over the summer.

Good team performance and tactically right by playing on the break.   

[Stu]

Just reposted this from a Chelsea supporting pal on Facebook - hope you can get to it.  It brings a tear to your eye...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=606079772777032&set=vb.189064121134452&type=2&theater

Ahaha. "Media luvvies". From an Arsenal fan.

[Dave Javu]

Just about recovered from the hangover.

I had the choice of watching with either a English or Turkish commentary.  Chose Turkish so had no idea what the summarises thought.  I thought both were pens but simply could not fathom why their keeper wasn't sent off for the first. We've had so many shit pen decisions go against us over the last 12 months,  it was great seeing the ref get it largely right in the game.

Also loving the comedy  gooner cheated/unlucky/dodgy ref/world is against us/Wenger's fault/Villa cheats/Villa cloggers/make it up as we go along so sad excuses.

[JUAN PABLO]

On Football First, Niall Quinn thought that Brad Guzman played very well.

I have just read the Sun on Sunday and their reporter Antony Kastrinakis in his Ratings gave Matthew Lowton a 5. Apparently he only lasted 19 minutes before hobbling off to be replaced by Clark.  Meanwhile Baker earned a 7 with an impressive display showing maturity beyond his years.  Ashley Westwood got a 7, another good display from the England ace.  Luna got a 7, scored a superb solo goal but booked for his out of control tackle on the Ox.

They know the Arsenal players alright, ours are a bit of a mystery to them.  I don't suppose Antony gets paid for his report. Surely he is not doing this for a living ?

He also thought the Groundhog day film was called goonies . ffs

[JUAN PABLO]

Just reposted this from a Chelsea supporting pal on Facebook - hope you can get to it.  It brings a tear to your eye...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=606079772777032&set=vb.189064121134452&type=2&theater

ffs. They didnt get beat by hull .  we are Villa

[JUAN PABLO]

Those ratings are just silly, there is no way you win away at one of the top 4 with half your team getting 5s and 6s.

I'd agree with him.

We can, and will play much better than we did yesterday. Arsenal just weren't very good.

got to credit Villa for getting at them thou.   

[Concrete John]

John Hartson was on Radio 5L and was pretty fare saying Villa, or any other side, can't just stand back and watch Arsenal play/you have to get amongst them and disrupt their rythmn/stand off them and they'll murder you.

I thought our tackling was firm, but not crossing the line.

[purpletrousers]

Links to match highlights

now with added links to re-watch the full match

also still buzzing, nice to come to work (in London with Arsenal fans) makes a change...
it's getting so much harder to not shell out silly money for Wednesday 

[Olneythelonely]

Where was all this aggressive Stoke-like bullying tactics that I'm hearing Arsenal fans bleat about?

[Stu]

Where was all this aggressive Stoke-like bullying tactics that I'm hearing Arsenal fans bleat about?

I dunno. I definitely saw one of their players get sent off for two yellow card offences though.

For once a ref called a game against these fuckers fairly - and they came up very short of the mark.

[OzVilla]

Not happy are they!  Oh well..........

http://bbcsporf.lockerdome.com/articles/108942225

Superb performance, can't recall feeling this positive in ages (since MON arrived to be exact).

[tom jennings III]

Still absolutely on top of the world and buzzing from the atmosphere on Saturday, completely lost my voice from shouting and singing and generally being so happy that this is the club I support through good times and bad. Took my gf's brother to his first ever top flight football match and he is a new convert to the Villa cause now! He couldn't believe how good and loud the Villa fans were, and, above all, how positive we were after Arsenal had scored. Anyway I wanted to say how proud I was to be there and even prouder I am to always be a Villa fan. Special kudos to the big guy in the yellow Fred Perry t-shirt next to me for continually singing The Bells Are Ringing out. Roll on Wednesday, see you in the upper Shed!

[Clampy]

One thing that I found really cringeworthy on Saturday was that stupid thing Arsenal do when someone scores. The announcer says the players first name and all their fans shout his surname. It's horrible.

[supertom]

Where was all this aggressive Stoke-like bullying tactics that I'm hearing Arsenal fans bleat about?

They were just as rough with their tackling as we were. They also gave away two penalties and had a man sent off. Arsenal as fans and the club in general have one of the most blinkered views on referee parity in matches. They simply expect every decision to go their way.

The two worst decisions in the game were their keeper not getting sent off and Tony Moon for some reason getting booked.