Home against the mousers

[OneBardGooner]

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

SAY !

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

And out comes the Tequilaaaaa! ARRiiiiibbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!

[wibble]

Great result. Overall, a good display although still too many defensive errors, can't believe they didn't score!

Ramsey's goal was brilliant and thought all our midfield played well today.
Only disappointment of game was Gibbs getting injured-hopefully nothing too serious.

Top of the league by five points-what a day!!

[clockender1]

Caz was MOTM on NBC.

Lee Dixon pointed out that Kos made numerous errors.

for me it was split between Caz and Rosicky/

As to Arteta, i've always liked him but he is more of a creative player for me rather than a tough tackler play disrupter - had we been playing stoke, united or the chavs we would of missed flamini but today we didn't need him cos liverpool play an open non physical game.

before he joined us, Arteta was a superb free kick and corner specialist. but thats been trained out of him.

i thought gibbs worked hard today too. good to see him get in the box at pace.

[SteveO 35]

SteveO I really don't understand why you're trying to point score, who you're supposed to be scoring points over or how Arteta's performance today changes the fact that Flamini is a shrewd signing? I also don't understand why someone who about half of his post over the past year had been dedicated to slagging off Giroud and Koscielny (I think it was kos too although that could have been babatunde) in just about every thread would want to crow about player predicitions?

Onto the game and I thought we were very good, Kos and Arteta were the standout performers BUT i think it was a good thing that they had a near perfect game because our defending left very little margin for error. It definitely looks churlish to criticise our player of the season so far who scored a screamer today but imo until Flamini is back Ramsey needs to be more disciplined, especially away at Dortmund and United. We can't afford to keep having so much of our midfield caught ahead of the play. It's up to Wenger now to have a word with Ramsey about the next two games because if we leave Arteta isolated against better sides then Liverpool I think we'll have problems.

Flamini has been a shrewd signing.....other than when we actually first signed him I don't remember saying that he wasn't? I just don't think we should automatically write off one player just because another one signs for us in that position

I did get things horribly wrong about Koscielny and Giroud......I don't think I'm alone in that department though? As I said to Armchair originally I'm happy to be proved wrong and usually one of the first to say if I was. I don't get anywhere near all my player predictions right, happy to admit it

Perhaps those that were slating Arteta would be gracious enough to come out and admit they were hasty too and give the guy credit for an immense match today??????

You were far from the only one to slag off Giroud but there is a difference between the reservations most people had and you who would crowbar all that "hod carrier from montpellier" stuff into just about every thread, but whatever.

I can't remember anyone slagging Arteta off. My view, and I stand by it, is that when everyone is fit ( ) Ramsey and Flamini is our best central pair with Arteta a very useful to player to have in the squad. I vaguely remember the thread and the debate that I think you're thinking of and that view is about as close to "slagging arteta off" as it got.

Yankee was on the other day saying how slow he was and at least one other was saying how they couldn't believe he'd escaped an absolute slating. Even Quartz was saying how poor his performances had been for at least half a season, but anyway lets not spoil a good win. I do actually seem to remember more than a few people laughing with me at the 'Le Chapman' tag too

I'm happy to take the shit back for Giroud and Koscielny. They've still got fundamental weaknesses but have improved immensely and both played superbly tonight

[armchair]

I love Arteta. I love Flamini.
I'm a slut.

[SteveO 35]

I love Arteta. I love Flamini.
I'm a slut.

Do you love me yet......or is that still in the balance?

[armchair]

Giroud should not be our first choice CF. (If were gonna play with the one up front.)

For me Giroud is an option and should never be "the first name on the teamsheet" like Wenger has it now.
I'd take Rooney or Suarez of the players we were linked with but that ship has probably sailed.

[1989]

People may not agree with this, but for me Koscielny is a world class CB. Has proved himself against the best strikers in the world.

[LDB]

Yankee was on the other day saying how slow he was and at least one other was saying how they couldn't believe he'd escaped an absolute slating. Even Quartz was saying how poor his performances had been for at least half a season, but anyway lets not spoil a good win. I do actually seem to remember more than a few people laughing with me at the 'Le Chapman' tag too

I'm happy to take the shit back for Giroud and Koscielny. They've still got fundamental weaknesses but have improved immensely and both played superbly tonight

That the same Yankee that once described Ramsey as "the worst professional footballer I've ever seen"? In light of that one the Le Chapman tag looks spot on

Let's enjoy being top of the league while it lasts

[armchair]

I love Arteta. I love Flamini.
I'm a slut.

Do you love me yet......or is that still in the balance?

I'm still hurting mate. Dunno if it could ever be the same as it was.........

But Time is a great healer.............

[mcdowell42]

Great result especially for all of us who had to suffer Liverpool in the 70s and 80s. Just tuned into Liverpool TV and they reckon they should have won

exactly why I hate everything about their team team their skanger fans fuck them all

[LDB]

People may not agree with this, but for me Koscielny is a world class CB. Has proved himself against the best strikers in the world.

He is certainly complimented perfectly by Mertesacker but I guess even the best CBs in the world need the right partner, nature of the position i suppose. Kos is definitely one of the best at doing certain things, he is one of the best I've ever seen at getting tight to strikers and nicking the ball - to be able to do that against one of the best in the business at rolling defenders was impressive. He misjudged it once or twice but in general Suarez must be feeling quite claustrophobic in LK's pocket. I seem to remember him doing a very similar job on Messi at the Emirates, he'd have made a great man marker back in the day!

For me, Mertesacker is still our most important defender though

[SE12red]

Have to say that the Liverpool away support tonight was absolutely shite . Don't think I heard a single song all game. Even the Clock End Upper made more noise.

[1989]

People may not agree with this, but for me Koscielny is a world class CB. Has proved himself against the best strikers in the world.

He is certainly complimented perfectly by Mertesacker but I guess even the best CBs in the world need the right partner, nature of the position i suppose. Kos is definitely one of the best at doing certain things, he is one of the best I've ever seen at getting tight to strikers and nicking the ball - to be able to do that against one of the best in the business at rolling defenders was impressive. He misjudged it once or twice but in general Suarez must be feeling quite claustrophobic in LK's pocket. I seem to remember him doing a very similar job on Messi at the Emirates, he'd have made a great man marker back in the day!

For me, Mertesacker is still our most important defender though

I will never forget his performance against Messi. He shackled the Argie genius better than anyone I've ever seen.

[SteveO 35]

People may not agree with this, but for me Koscielny is a world class CB. Has proved himself against the best strikers in the world.

I think he plays well against a particular type of player and strangely enough the quick and nimble players are the ones he does best against. He played Suarez fantastically well tonight.

In his favour now is that there are very few teams, if any, who play with a big lumbering donkey up front and that means he is less exposed than he once was. It's bizarre but he's more comfortable against Suarez than he would be against Andy Carroll.