Holiday Monday Gooners, its been a while. It was a eventful kinda week with us getting 3 points in what seems like ages, and Mark Clattenburg’s Man United ending Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season.
I’ll start with Arsenal, obviously. We got the win on Saturday. Yes it wasn’t always pretty, and yes our goal was clearly offside, and yes we nearly lost it right at the end, but fuck it a wins a win as they say. We welcomed back Jack and Bac, and boy did both show their quality, with any unsuspecting viewer thinking they have been playing week in week out! Jack was given 60 minutes, and showed enough to suggest he is fit, sharp and ready for the tough fight next Saturday afternoon and the Season in general. Whilst we looked on edge for most of the game, when we did get that goal you could feel there was a sigh of relief from all involved. Perhaps if M’bia hadn’t foolishly lashed out at Vermaelen we’d have been drowning our sorrows again, but that’s only an “if”.
We lost Gervinho to a nasty looking ankle injury which Wenger described as “Not Good” which by Arsenal standards may mean months. As well as Walcott’s return, come Saturday we should have Gibbs, Chamberlain and possibly Szczesny and Diaby back! However it is the introduction of Arshavin in the past few games that has raised an eyebrow or two, and certainly I feel he has picked up his game, albeit at times last season it couldn’t get much worse. He seems to be more energetic, more involved and certainly more effective. Maybe he is playing his way into a lucrative deal in January but whatever he has been doing in his cameo’s he ought keep it up, with Gervinho out now it may be be he will get more and more chances to strut his stuff!
Arsenal’s goal wasn’t the only talking point, with the game at the Bridge causing a hell of a lot of controversy! Torres got a second yellow for diving when he was clearly fouled. Now he could well have been sent off for his first yellow, a high foot on Cleverly, but he wasn’t and that was just one of a number of decisions the ref got wrong, or gave against Chelsea rather. Hernandez was offside for the winner, Rooney should have been sent off for a series of reckless challenges, and Van Persie should have gone just for his crime against hair! I know there is a conspiracy that United get everything going for them, and in fairness there is a very very strong case for it, like Barca in Europe, but Chelsea can hardly feel aggrieved! I mean remember at the rear end of last season and the start of this season all the decisions they got for them? Not to mention the offside Drogba goal against United a couple years back which essentially won them the title! So Chelsea fans please, do yourself a favour and keep your opinions to yourself’s!(Or on blogs)
As you may have seen in the title if you lot aren’t psychotic robots who click at random, I mentioned it will be the best time to play United at Old Trafford, Well aside from the fact that they are conceding bundles of goals, and we will have a good 90% of our team back assuming no midweek injuries against Reading in the Cup, the referee will be other the microscope ten fold. After Clatenburg’s clangers, the ref will be under extreme pressure to be fair to the away side at Old Trafford, something which lets be honest Never Happens! As well as being a fierce encounter it will also be the first time we have played there since the 8-2. Getting a win would be massive not only for the three points and getting one over on Fergie but it will eliminate the mental block the players will have against playing there, and against United in general.
Enjoy your Bank Holiday and ill speak to ye Soon! By Donnacha Curtin.
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Let’s see now, all we have to do to win is:
1) Get a balanced officiating display at the home of the PGMOL?
2) Beat the team at Old Toilet that best the current 1st place team,?
3) Ensure that our 90% fit team play 110% effort-wise and 100% better than the last 3 games?
4) Outscore our Dutch renegade, when he has more goals so far than ALL our strikers combined?
5) Hope we won’t get kicked off the park by United’s aggressiveness?
Well….here’s hoping that we can at least get a point…3 is maybe a bridge too far? It all depends what Arsenal team shows up…….usually we play very well against the big 4 teams…..with the exception of last season’s humiliation at Old Toilet.