Arsenal match thread

[Mattshark]

Has Reina played any games since the end of last season?

Nope

[Leyton388]

Poor result. sorry, but we played for 3 points and were looking so organized down to 10 and even 9 (!!). I don't blame Pepe but why do the flukes ALWAYS GO AGAINST US? It felt like we had hung on for a massive 3 points playing down to 10 and then THAT of all ****ing things. Always something with us... A point is fine, but 3 is better and 3 were deserved. **** me.

Feel the same mate but just have to take the positives from the game as last season was too much doom and gloom! There was enough on show to convince me that top 4 is well within our grasps but i know what you mean about the flukes going against us alot of the time.

[BrooklynRed]

We're going to struggle unless we strengthen our left side. You can't break down a team with two Kuyts on the wing.

Two words for you: Arda. Turan.

been saying it for months, mate. We're waaaaay too slow on the wings.

[Kenneth]

I really admire your ability to look on the bright side! I'm totally devastated after having spent the last minutes just daring to hope that we'd start with a super result.
Now we have to comfort ourselves with a super performance but it'll take me a couple of days to be able to appreciate that

A draw in the first match of the season against top team is always a decent result IMO.

[Rudo]

****ing cruel that was.

Still, the spirit and resilence we showed was top class.

Alot to build on.

[CJ]

redknapp says g&h have been bad news since the day they stepped in the club then that they gave rafa lots to spend and the financial crisis meant they cant take the club forward.



two pundits and not the IQ of a turd between them, (3 if you count keys)

[Tomovich]

I think he meant foul not fault

That's indeed what I meant, my bad, sorry.

[doogle]

That's indeed what I meant, my bad, sorry.

no need to say sorry mate

[BigChief]

Happy with that performance and that result. Once Cole went off I couldn't see anything but a defeat. Even after the early goal Arsenal are one team that enjoy scoring at Anfield.

Ensuing draws against top 4 sides and beating the lesser opponents is key to CL footie next season and, dare I say it, an outside challenge for the league title (I'm believing in Roy's first season dream as I believed in Rafa's first season dream).

[EwarWoo]

What happened?

They tried to get him to have a pop at Rafa.

He side stepped it neatly.

[Redspin]

Haven't been able to watch match - what exactly happened with own goal? Was it Reina's fault or more just bad luck/not time to react?

I bet that c*** Wenger will claim Arsenal were hard done by and deserved to win.

Wenger's so demented that he claimed that their goal was scored by Chamakh, despite it being clearly an own goal. The ball just came at him too quickly off the post and his momentum took him over the line

Incidentally I thought Chamakh looked pretty poor and, although I've had my doubts about Ngog in the past, Ngog looks a far more accomplished player

[Redspin]

My only concern was how we couldn't keep the ball in the first half, I would like to see us controlling possession.

Didn't do us any harm against Arsenal who are pretty clueless in the final third. The only time that Reina had to stop leaning against the post reading a book was when they got a free-kick, otherwise he wasn't remotely troubled in the first half.

I think we were always going to take time to settle with two players, Jovanovic and Cole, making their debuts in the forward three midfielders, with Gerrard deeper, hence Arsenal dominating first-half possession, albeit completely toothlessly