Tag Archives: Arsenal

White Knight Danny Welbeck Destroys the Evil Leicester

Cheaters never prosper.

Or at least that is how the old Chinese proverb 骗子永远繁荣昌盛 go’s.

For 94 minutes yesterday, it seemed like the cheats were going to win. Or get a draw. Until White Knight Danny Welbeck rode in from the Arsenal treatment table to become the Arsenal hero of the day. Saving the sides league title challenge. Saving football for all of humanity. Ensuring the dirty horrible Leicester did not win.

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Jamie Vardy, with looks like an evil goblin, was chief cheat. Going down like he was the incarnation of Andy Johnson to cheat his way to a penalty.

We have all complained already about the biased coverage, but in case you have not already seen it, Scouse evil fairy Danny Murphy said something along the lines of:

“It was a blatant penalty. Nacho Monreal planted his foot on the floor. He has no right to plant his foot on the floor. It was an utter disgrace. The way Monreal attacked the ground, causing shockwaves that were felt in Christchurch, New Zealand has no place on a football field. Jamie Vardy was unable to keep his feet. It was a 100% penalty.”

And Jamie Vardy scored that penalty. Celebrating with a face only a mother and people from Stoke could love. And the cheating did not end that there.

Other incidents – not mentioned on MOTD2, include a dive by Riyad Mahrez and a hand ball by N’Golo Kanté, where he was clearly auditioning for the French National Volleyball Team.

And then we come to Danny Simpson.

He spent much of the first half kicking Alexis Sanchez at every opportunity. Eventually he was righty booked. Then early in the second half, he pulled Alexis Sanchez as if he was holding hands on a Valentines Day date. He was given his 2nd booking and sent off. It then took him 4 minutes to leave the field of play – Will the FA extend his ban for failing to leave the field of play?

Probably not.

Evil, the whole lot of them.

Leicester are clearly cursed. It seems like their players are inflicted with a curse that means that when their number go’s up on the 4th official’s board, they lose their ability to walk. It took a life time for each one of their substitutions to take place as they almost crawled to the touch line,

And then we have that challenge by Danny Drinkwater on Aaron Ramsey. It was a red card. Our friend Danny Murphy did not like it at all.

“I hate seeing that”

Of course, he was talking about the disgusting potential leg breaking challenge. Or was he?

So here we have a pundit, an ex-professional football player, saying that Vardy has every right to go down for the penalty, but hate’s seeing a player go down after being on the end of a potential leg breaking challenge. One which Drinkwater felt so bad about himself that he actually apologised to Ramsey at the final whistle.

Maybe the BBC will apologise to tax payers for employing such rubbish pundits?

Danny Murphy, you are a disgrace. Hope when someone hits you with a car, and you role over the bonnet and onto the pavement a few times, the ambulance man says “Oh, I do not like seeing that much” and walks off.

As for the referee. Martin Atkinson, the new Mike Dean? He is a disgraceful referee. The only thing consistent about him was his consistency.

Taking out the penalty and the diving, he seemed to change the hand ball rule as he went along.

At one point penalising Alexis Sanchez for a handball whilst running, he then failed to penalise Vard for the same incident. And then we have the Kante one. His arm was out straight and it was straight infront of the linesman. How a penalty was not given, Atkinson is the only one who can answer. Sadly, refs are answerable to no one.

And then rewinding the incident for the Leicester penalty, some bloke was climbing so on Mesut Ozil’s back it was like he was trying to reach heaven from hell. No free kick given, and luckily for us at the final whistle he was sent back to where he came from.

In the 95th minute, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck combined to save the day. And the world was right again.

Good rose above evil and The Arsenal won 2-1.

Keenos

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Arsenal need Alexis Sanchez to find form to win the league

Alexis Sanchez is a lucky boy. Lucky that Eden Hazard exists.

Eden Hazard’s awful form this season – Just a single goal from the penalty spot in an FA Cup against MK Dons has meant that the press have not focused on the fact that Arsenal’s Chilean winger’s has had 2nd season syndrome.

On the face of it, 10 goals in 22 games is a good return and is a similar goals to games ratio as what he did in his exceptional first season. But when you dig down, good form he has certainly not been in.

His 6 Premier League goals this season in 15 games have in fact come in just 3 games. A hat trick against Leicester, a double against Manchester United & one against Watford. All 3 games were consecutive. So what reads as 6 in 15, is in fact 6 in 3, 0 in 12. Not a great return.

When you expand it to include all goals (for club and country), he went on a run between September & October where he scored in 6 consecutive games. A sparkling run of form ,yes. But throughout the rest of the season, he has only scored in another 2 games.

To add to his poor goal scoring form, he also has just 1 assists this season. Last year he got 8.

A llof his stats this season, whether it is defensive or attacking, have dropped from last year.

He is making less tackles, less interceptions. Successful dribbles have halved. He is not crossing the ball as much, nor has he been playing as many through balls. The only thing that is up dramatically is how many shots per goal he needs. Not a good thing.

Of course, there are other reasons alongside his own poor form as to why things have not gone well.

One of those is the exceptional form and fitness of Mesut Ozil.

Last season, everything positive about Arsenal was going through Sanchez. This year everything has gone through Ozil. That is not a slight on Sanchez. It is Ozil’s job to create, Sanchez’s to finish.

Sanchez has also not looked as sharp this season.

He had a summer playing an international football, winning the COPA America for Chile. He returned from this quickly. Maybe too quickly.

Then he had his hamstring injury against Norwich (I think it was). He had not looked fully fit for a few games before he got this injury. Was he hiding it from the club? Or was the club trying to manage him through due to the injury crisis of wide players at the time? Or was it an accumulation due to playing too many games over the previous 18 months – World Cup, 52 games for Arsenal, COPA America?

I think anyone that saw him live would agree that he did not have the same sharpness, same energy, as he did in 2014/15.

Recently, Ozil has had a dip in form. He needs others around him to pick up the slack. Whether it be Walcott, Ramsey, Giroud or, more importantly, Alexis Sanchez.

There has been no external pressure on Sanchez this season, due to the form of Hazard.

If Sanchez re-find’s his 2014/15 form, it will give Arsenal the best chance of winning the league.

Keenos

Prediction: Arsenal’s title run in

This has been a crazy season. Whether it be Leicester flying away at the top, or Chelsea languishing at the bottom. I guess the only thing we all would have predicted would be Aston Villa to go down.

So maybe, with 13 games to go, it would be a little silly to attempt to predict what is going to happen in Arsenal’s last 13 games. But I am bored at work, so might as well give it a go.

Looking at the league table at the moment, Leicester are on 53 points. If they continue on their average points per game, they will end up with 80 points. In my opinion, 81 points is the least a side will need to win the title. I can not foresee a side getting more than 81. 83 points is near impossibly for anyone bar Leicester.

So we have 81 as our target, can Arsenal reach that magic number?

Arsenal v Leicester

The game that could end this prediction before it has begun. Leicester win, they are 8 points ahead of Arsenal. A gap too large for Arsenal to close.

Personally, I predict a high scoring game, with Arsenal coming out on top. Both teams stream forward aggressively. I just think that the pace of Gabriel, Laurent Koscielny & Hector Bellerin will be able to deal with Vardy, Mahrez et all, better than Leicester can deal with Sanchez, Ozil and Walcott/Ox/Campbell. Arsenal win.

Manchester United v Arsenal

Arsenal have not won at Manchester United in the league since 2006. And only 3 times this century. It was one of those games that, no matter how poor Manchester United have been recently, they have got the result.

Although Arsenal are unbeaten in 3 in all competitions, I can just see Manchester United getting a dodgy decision and the 3 points. Manchester United win.

Arsenal v Swansea

Since returning to the Premier League in 2011, Arsenal’s record at home to Swansea has not been a good one. 4 games played. 1 win, 1 draw, 2 defeats. This season Swansea have been atrocious away from home. Just 2 wins from 12 games. Arsenal win.

Tottenham v Arsenal

The power shift has happened I hear Spurs fans shouting from the roof tops of Edmonton. Yet they have only beaten Arsenal home or away twice in 10 games. Home form only, it is 50% this decade. 4 Spurs wins in 8 games. Arsenal won 3, with 1 draw. I feel this game is due a draw. Draw.

Arsenal v WBA

WBA are awful. Arsenal are not. Easy prediction. 3 points to Arsenal. Arsenal win.

Everton v Arsenal

Everton have been awful at home this season. Just 4 wins from their 13 home games so far. The form guide screams an Arsenal win. Everton have only beaten Arsenal once in 16 games. With Roberto Martinez’s open style of playing. They should be easy to pick off.

The worry is it is a Saturday morning kick off, and we play Barcelona away the Wednesday before. I think fatigue will catch up on Arsenal. Everton win.

Arsenal v Watford

Watford are one of the teams in the Premier League in the worst form – currently 17th in the form table with one win in 5. A lot will change in 2 months. But not enough for Watford to beat us. Troy Deeney and Oscar Ighalo look like they are running out of steam. Arsenal win.

West Ham United v Arsenal

Someone recently said to me “Arsenal always do badly at West Ham”. But it is simply not true. Arsenal have lost twice at Upton Park since 1987. It is a very happy hunting ground for the Gunners.

With Arsenal likely to be out of the Champions League, they will have no mid week distractions before or after the game. However, West Ham are doing well this season, and I can see this fixture being a score draw. Maybe 2-2. Draw.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Bottom of the form table. I can not see Crystal Palace causing Arsenal a problem. They might catch us on the break, and Emmanuel Adebayor will be well up for playing against us (I expect he will score the winner against Spurs in the FA Cup). Palace have been better away than at home this season, but Arsenal should still have too much. Arsenal win.

Sunderland v Arsenal

Arsenal are unbeaten in 8 against Sunderland. We will make that 9. Arsenal win.

Arsenal v Norwich

Like WBA. Nice and simple. Arsenal win.

Manchester City v Arsenal

I can foresee 2 scenarios happening at Manchester City. The first (and most likely) is that City will win, ending Arsenal’s title challenge. The 2nd (and lest likely) is that Arsenal secure the league title at the City of Manchester Stadium. Manchester City win.

Arsenal v Aston Villa

The last game of the season. What happens could depend on what Arsenal need. A win to secure the title, and we will win. If the season is over, top 4 secured, but no chance of the title, it will be like a training match. Dull with neither side putting in 100% (I imagine Villa to be down by now). Either way, Arsenal will still win. Arsenal win.

 

So with my prediction, Arsenal will get 26 points from their last 13 games. This will leave the side with 74 points in total, 6 point behind the Champions.

But to take us back to the first point made, predicting this season has been pointless task. Meaning that writing this blog has been pointless. As has you reading it.

Keenos