Anyone would've fall like that getting rammed by an ox.

I will welcome RVP to the bench or straight to Arsenal ladies.
His left foot makes for a good goal post in the training pitch.

zomg, so true!

True.
I remember going up against BVB, they hit us hard in the last game because they had nothing to lose. Really hope we can play like that too. These past few games AOC played his best games because he's working hard and giving that extra mile after missing games for a long time. If every players could commit like that, we could take any top teams anyday. But if everyone is simply stuck in 3rd gear, then its gg.

Realistically, I find it difficult to keep a clean sheet against a very potent attacking team like bayam spinach. If I had it my way, its to defend properly with not too high up the pitch, keep possession but go forward with quick, fast passing. And when we do get to counterattack, it should be fast and long with lots of varieties between crosses and penetrating runs. Defensive-wise, its probably impossible to win the midfield-war and pressuring their players will tire our players in the long run, so just drop down when it comes to defend and get them in our side.

If by second half we're trailing by one or two goals, then change in the 60th minutes and look for the equalizer. If we somehow manage to go in front, then by all means park the freakin emirates freight planes, trains and busses.

Check again.
That's sweat....not spit.

I miss Walcott actually.
He's the best partner Ozil could ever have.

Ehh...I see Gervinho and Andres Santos laa.
Must be old video.

lol!
So much winn, too bad its chopped.

I wonder how long they wait for the perfect time to release this.

10 more games to go.
Not to say there isn't any chance for us, but if its still there, let it be due to our winning ways, not because the other team loses.

Personally, I think the ref did fairly well in the match. It was a bleak affair after all with Stoke cutting off supplies in their half and pressing forward with ease. The penalty was a clear call, not denying there, and I don't blame Koscielny for the hand ball. Its never was a deliberate attempt, but rule is rule.

The one thing that gets me is how poor we are at attacking. Before Ozil and Ox entered the fray, we almost had zero goal attempt. We couldn't even get any proper crosses in and there wasn't any attempt of penetrating runs. Wilshere and Cazorla really had a bad day today, and nobody showed up to bear the weight of the team. Stoke did a good job of pressing our possession and keep the ball as long as they can. Once they got the goal, all they had to do was to stay behind and wait for Arsenal's desperate attempt to equalize. Typical Arsenal....

It just irk me that Arsenal who often showed up against European giants but falters against the likes of Stokes simply because they lack the desperation of winning on the get go. Its all mostly passing around like its training day and wait for their opponent to get distracted. It was just too easy for Stoke to take us in their half.

Get it right next time, Gooners!

That handball....everybody saw it. Even Gibbs and Koscielny didn't bother to dispute the ref call.
I'm with you about the foot stamp though. Totally forgot about that. It does felt that Giroud was frustrated with the treatment he gotten from the Stokes players. I was actually hoping that the anger would produce a better play from him, but the weak deflection shot from Ox to the goal was very dissapointing. There was also one decent header that could've hit the net, but oh so close.

dabel posta

This post has been edited by funnyTONE: Mar 2 2014, 11:55 AM

Come to think of it, Stokes defenders are huge compared to our players. Except for Giroud and Podolski, everyone else look like hobbits to the likes of Shawcross and Pieters.

Rosicky, Wilshere and Cazorla just love passing around without any penetrative runs. At least even with Stokes around the penalty areas, we might get lucky and get a penalty. But instead, they just pass around or do 1-2 touches until Stokes get the ball. Quite frustrating to say the least.

A handball is a clear penalty....regardless if its intentional or not.
As a ref, do you rely on your sight or a clear foul or based you decision on a gut-feel that Koschielny is a go-gooder church boy that never had any intention of blocking the cross with his hand?

After all that, you want to conveniently put the loss to match fixing? Get a grip and watch the game again. 22 players on the pitch, 4 officials, 2 managers, and thousands of fans watching it. Truth is, Arsenal didn't play well enough to even score any decent attempt and Stoke read our tactics like a school textbook.

Thanks for the links and advice.
I'm pretty well aware of the penalty rules.
I believe some of us think that the penalty call was harsh and not deliberate.
While I don't necessarily disagree with it, I'm also in the opinion that the ref has all the right to call it a penalty too. At this point, its probably a moot point to harp on the issue any longer seeing there's plenty of trollers visiting our turf now.
By the end of the game, it was clear that the penalty wasn't the only thing that cause our downfall. 10 games is still a long way to go, plus we have FA cup matches and UCL finals to think about. No thanks to Giroud latest controversy, there's more than enough for Wenger to handle to prevent the team from breaking down in such a critical time.