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

[Brian Taylor]

A 'tic' for that man!

[Somniloquism]

Having now seen the MOTD analysis, I think that the Ref made the correct decision for the second penalty but for the wrong reasons. It took a third angle and slow-mo to show that the defender's knee touched Gabby's back leg before his front foot touched the ball. I have my doubts that the Ref actually saw that.

It was still a penalty even if his knee hasn't caught him.

I doubt the ref saw much of it as it was the Linos call, who probably had a better view anyway.

[Ryu]

Typical Wenger trying to deflect the issues away from the team by blaming the refs decisions.

It may have been a controversial penalty but it was a penalty. I would have felt hard done by if it was against us but it was still a pen. The decisions evened out over the game. Their keeper shouldn't have been on the pitch. Luna shouldn't have been booked with the chambelin challenge either so Wenger doesn't really have much to moan about.

They have some serious problems. Not spending again is proving their downfall. Top 6-8 finish for them at this rate.

Villa weren't without their own problems for sure. But on the whole they looked a much more organised team. KEA and Delph had good games in midfield. Gabby was just brilliant. That ball he played towards the end from one side of the pitch to the other, for bacuna I think it was, was just superb. Pass of the day that was.

I think it was a good call from lambert too not to throw all the new signings in at once. Get them up to speed with the game and bring them in one by one.

Liking lamberts new suited look too. Looking like a manager now

Bloody love him, best thing to happen to our club in many many years.

I didn't really notice that pass when definitely not watching the game on a online stream but watching the game later on the Scottish National Front I saw it and it really was superb.  Silva or Mata would have been proud of it!  Gabby was at his best yesterday, hassling defenders on the ball and plenty of direct dribbling at pace.  But for me Delph was MOTM.  I think this could be the season he really shows he might become the player we thought we were getting when he first arrived.

[Edvard Remberg]

It was the assistant referee that gave the 2nd penalty, and he actually had a great view of the incident.

[eamonn]

Those who argued it was a penalty at the time - how many of you honestly reasoned that it should have been for Gabby's trailing leg being knocked by Koscielny? It never even ocurred to me til Sheera slowed it right down.

[Monty]

Shearer was right and also wrong. The penalty was given because, despite getting a touch on the ball, Koscielny brought down Gabby who would otherwise have been in control of the ball.

[Olneythelonely]

I didn't think it was a pen for that reason, but for the reason that the defender barely touched the ball. It was a penalty regardless though.

[Monty]

I didn't think it was a pen for that reason, but for the reason that the defender barely touched the ball. It was a penalty regardless though.

Indeed. What Shearer helpfully identified is that it wasn't just one penalty, but two in one go.

[eamonn]

I can't see how the referee, or anyone else, in real time, could have had a clear view of Gabby's trailing leg being caught so he must have given it for the other reason.

[Olneythelonely]

I can't see how the referee, or anyone else, in real time, could have had a clear view of Gabby's trailing leg being caught so he must have given it for the other reason.

I agree. He still got it right though.

[baldryk]

My ref's view. The second penalty was not a foul. It's not whether the ball was touched first, it is whether Koscielny tackled Agbonlohor rather than the ball. The knee and trailing leg weren't enough. Punditry wise not enough (on foxtel anyhow) was made of the angles available to the ref. I thought 'obvious no foul' right up to the final goal facing view that the ref would have had, and I thought, I'd have given that.

A repeat of Agbonlohor's salmon leap for the first (correct) pen would have made it obvious here, but he fell naturally. The lino had a better angle, but big call from a lino slightly further from the ball.

But Wenger at the presser and in the papers can f* off. Undermining refs everywhere, I'm glad the decision was given, irrespective.

[old man villa fan]

Am I the only one to awake this fine morn with the mother 

How much did you drink!!

[Basingstokevillain]

I wince every time I see this, how he is fine is beyond me!

[JUAN PABLO]

Penalty or not . These refs still owe us a bit after that Henry/Halsey robbery a few years ago.

[Drummond]

It was a pen. If the tackler takes the man by taking the ball (I mean only makes contact with the ball) then it's not a foul. However, Gabby was taken out by plenty of direct physical contact, regardless of whether Koscielny touched the ball or not.