Arsenal v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PhilVill]

It happens, some pretty poor individual errors but I'm not having a go at Garcia, the poor sod hasn't played for months so it was pretty barmy putting him on on that situation.

The fact we can fight for Europe every year is pretty much a miricle considering the amount of money we aren't allowed to spend.

That lad should have been sent off, no two ways about it. Referee bottled it completely.

[curiousorange]

December has been so much better than expected but making it that has come home to roost tonight, and even then we gave them the means to win it. The next couple of league games will be more important than tonight for where we want to be.

[Chip Butty 111]

If Martinez gets wrestled he needs to go down, not get involved, I thought he had more nous than that. 2 goals in 2 games with the same tactic. Naive really...... Onana going off kills us with Kamara out. Still in a strong position after tonight's results and Arsenal likely to shit the bed against Liverpool.

[pauliewalnuts]

We were always going to lose to someone at some point.

It was away to the best team in the league, 3 days after our last away match.

Other results went for us tonight.

We just need to pick up and start another insane winning run.

[Deano's Mullet]

Crap first goal as usual.
Never the same once Onana went off.
Nice to see lots of vengeful African Arsenal fans invading our pages crowing.  Theres dozens and dozens of them.
We now need to go off on another run. Kamara and Cashy will be back. Onwards and upwards.

[BoVillan esq]

All about getting a result at the weekend now.
The chasing pack arent out of 2nd gear really and we've got some tough games out of the way.

That's the point, big games out the way and we produced good results and a massive points gap, its all on the next game now to win and win well, put the fear factor back and let everybody know we have not been blown of course.

[Legion]

[oldhill_avfc]

The media focussed on Rice being out, but the real difference was our injuries, suspensions and Onana going off.

The margins are less than the score line suggests.

[Rudy65]

Unai will be back on his laptop as we speak shuffling the formation ready for Saturday

[taylorsworkrate]

If Martinez gets wrestled he needs to go down, not get involved, I thought he had more nous than that. 2 goals in 2 games with the same tactic. Naive really...... Onana going off kills us with Kamara out. Still in a strong position after tonight's results and Arsenal likely to shit the bed against Liverpool.

Martinez isn't getting wrestled though. He is just weak as piss from corners.

[Nev]

I saw more of Rice than when he plays ffs.

[Flamingo Lane]

One of those nights unfortunately. But all things considered, our league position in strategic terms is stronger tonight than it was before Chelsea and Arsenal away.

I don't usually bother commenting on a refereeing display, especially after a 4-1 defeat, but fucking hell.

[Monty]

Two decades of Moral Victory FC and it's all fouls, set pieces, and getting away with deserved red cards. Whatever. Already beat them this year once, I'll take 3-3 for the season against the probable champions.

[Smithy]

Fingers crossed Onana's injury isn't serious and it was just a precaution, he seemed to play on okay after feeling it in the first half.   With Kamara back it's not essential he plays at the weekend, but those two in front of our back four makes us so much more solid at set pieces.

If I were Sean Dyche, I'd have their corner takers practising dropping it on the six-yard line every session for the next couple of days.  Emi and the coaching staff really need to figure out a solution.  Either Emi starts punching it (which isn't his natural game), or we figure out something else, because without someone like Onana or Mings in there, we're clearly susceptible to soft corner goals when Emi gets bumped about a bit and can't get a run up at the ball.

On the plus side, Jimoh-Aloba looks very comfortable at this level, so fingers crossed that's another decent squad option from next season.

[Exeter 77]

We played poorly tonight but the ref seemed to have taken lessons from Thomas Bramhall. How Merino stayed on is a complete mystery.