By Walter Broeckx
Our apologies for the slow and erratic running of Untold Arsenal today – we had some technical problems. Tony.
Not my usual place on the couch for this match but a nice place in the upper tier block 122 this time.
Arsenal made some changes compared to the last match against Bayern.
Giroud started in the place of Walcott and The Ox got the spot that the injured Ramsey was occupying. A surprise at first was the absence of Per Mertesacker but I later found out that he was sick so Gabriel came into the starting line up.
Arsenal team to start: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Alexis,Giroud
On the beach: Macey, Chambers, Debuchy, Gibbs, Flamini, Walcott, Campbell
Arsenal with most of the ball from the start but Everton stayed well organised at the back. Some high pressure from Giroud almost forced an error from Howard the Everton keeper but Arsenal couldn’t capitalise. Arsenal with a few headers after some corners but both Giroud and Gabriel couldn’t direct their headers on target. 0-0 after 15 minutes.
Ref then judging Giroud to have made a foul when he was facing a double challenge from Everton players, the ball went to Özil but his right footed shot was saved by Howard but it didn’t matter anyhow. Koscielny and Gabriel were impressive against Lukaku who didn’t have a chance with every long ball aimed at him. Özil with a great pass to Alexis but a defender made sure that the Chilean couldn’t produce a shot.
Coquelin getting a yellow card for a foul on an Everton player on the halfway line… oh well… He didn’t go with his foot towards the opponent really it was a foul where he blocked him with this upper body… Le Coq having to be cautious from now on…. We know why the PGMO send Mason for this match… 0-0 after 30 minutes.
After a corner from Everton Cech cannot get hold of the cross from Lennon and pushes it out in front of him but Stones completely misses the chance. Lennon blocking the path of Alexis deliberately but no card now. Koscielny cannot get to the cross from Özil from the free kick. Not a minute later a shot from Alexis from the edge of the penalty area but it went over. Arsenal pushing harder and harder for the moment.
Özil with a coss from the right hand side and Giroud nods the ball over Tim Howard in the Everton goal. GOAL!!! 1-0 tot the Arsenal after 34 minutes. Nananaaa Giroud is the chant in the Emirates.
Arsenal win the ball back from the kick off and Alexis is being kicked just outside the penalty area. Santi with the free kick and this time Koscielny is first on the ball. GOAL!!! 2-0 to The Arsenal after 36 minutes!
Stones hacking down Le Coq but no card from the ref only a word… Arsenal trying to force a third goal but Everton can counter and a shot from Barkley takes a wicked deflection on the foot of Gabriel and it spins over the stranded Cech who was going for the other way. 2-1 after 44 minutes. That came out of nothing. And we do seem to be involved a bit in deflecting shots in our own goal. 2-0 after 45 minutes.
Alexis with the first chance of the second half after a nice dummy from Giroud but Howard with a save to force it in to a corner. Jagielka then injures his knee after having kicked a ball away and the Ox blocked the ball. That can be a bad injury as the impact of two players kicking the same ball has to give something somewhere. It looked to have been the knee of Jagielka.
The Ox with a fine run giving it to Alexis but Howard was just first on the ball and gave away a corner. Arsenal completely in control so far in the second half. Giroud with a half volley on the turn but again Howard with a fine save. Again The Ox the provider this time. The Ox again with a good run on his flank and a low cross but Giroud just can’t get on the end of it. We should have been up more than the 2-1 by now after one hour of play.
Barry hanging on The Ox to stop a quick attack from Arsenal but Masond lets it go. Özil with a volley but to close to Howard. The Ox with an attempted volley but a defender is in the way. Barry then getting a yellow when he again pulled an Arsenal player back to stop a quick attack.
Cech then having to make a save on a low shot from Barkley. At the other end Özil with a pass to Giroud who shot from just inside the penalty area. The ball curled over the beaten Howard but crashed against the crossbar and Everton was saved from the final knock out. Arsenal looking tired now so it would have been handy that third goal.
Cazorla being penalised for playing the ball… oh well… Delefeu getting a free kick and then some pressure from Everton and a corner and Arsenal not really getting the ball away. Finally a cross to Lukaku who headed it at the top of the crossbar with Cech beaten. Flamini making himself ready. The Ox goes off with what looked like cramps and Flamini came on after 80 minutes. A more defensive substitution with Cazorla moving forward?
Bellerin stumbling in the Everton penalty area, an Everton defender kicks the ball out and the ref… gives a goal kick to Everton… You can see the fatigue really now with some players. But still Arsenal go forward but we cannot take advantage from a mix up between Howard and his defenders. A bit later Özil with a cross to Flamini who had a free header but he aimed it direct at the keeper.
Everton suddenly with a big chance as the ball came to Delofeu but Cech came off his line quickly and blocked the effort with a low save and the defenders cleared the loose ball. Mirallas with a low shot but a comfortable save for Cech this time. With 2 minutes to go Alexis is taken off and Gibbs came on.
Özil and Giroud with a combination just outside the penalty area and the shot from the German player crashed against the foot of the post. Arsenal having hit the bar and crossbar 2 times, Everton once. Just as the score line. Gibbs winning a free kick when Mirallas comes in rather wild. Arsenal almost with a 3rd goal in extra time but both Özil and Gibbs cannot put the ball over the line. At the other end Lukaku could have some promising space but a great sliding tackle from Gabriel prevents a possible danger. The pumping fist from Gabriel is greeted with a big cheer from the Arsenal supporters at the clock End. I was one of them.
Arsenal win the ball go forward again with Özil and then it the ball ran loose to Gibbs who was hacked down by Barry. He could go a bit earlier under the shower as he got a deserved yellow card again and this was his second.
Mason then makes a end to the match. Arsenal win 2-1 at the end of a week with 3 wins. A 0-3 at Watford, a 2-0 against Bayern Munich and a 2-1 against Everton. It was good to be a Gooner this week.
”It was good to be a Gooner this week.”
Win lose or draw, triumph or disaster, robbed or given, it is always good to be a Gooner.
I used to be a Gooner maintenant je suis un Gooner.
Merci Arsene merci.
Thanks Walter for the report. Hope we’ll get the 23 hours journey story and the catering report soon. The ref review too.
Thank you Walter.
A good game, with Arsenal much the better side, but Everton always in with a chance, especially as most of the luck and the referee influence was against us.
Players did well to produce this performance after such a challenging week and they all played their part and did their job for the team.
Better to watch than the boring no-score draw at OT today.
I thought the ref was going to spoil it somehow. Fortunately not! Well he did, but you understand!
Thanks Walter, hope all the Belgian supporters enjoyed the day!
A great week, mental strength, and some triumphs against difficult circumstances. The team should be taking heart from this. These boys can beat anyone when they put their mind to it, or when mike Dean doesn’t intervene
WOO HOO , HOO ! A hard fought victory by us, with some nice scores elsewhere !
Nice for us , I mean .
Carry on, Doctors .
Three surgeons are sitting in a bar discussing which people are their favorite to operate on. The first surgeon looks at the other two, and tells them that his favorite patients are librarians. The other two then ask him why.
“Well,” he begins, “I like librarians, because their insides are always filed away in alphabetical order.” The other two slowly nod in agreement.
“My favorite kind of patients are electricians,” the second blurts out. “Why?” the others ask in tandem.
“All of their innards are grouped together and color coded.” All three nod before all eyes fall on the third surgeon.
The third muses for a moment before he says, “Lawyers.”
“Lawyers?” the other two ask incredulously.
“Yup, they’re heartless, gutless and spineless so it’s really easy to work on them!”
( Brickfields Gunners , who is sitting nearby and has overheard the above conversation , thinks to himself , ” Then again you’d love to operate on ‘them’ -gutless , spineless, empty insides , and not to mention brainless !”
And he continues to think ( a force of habit, you see !) ,” Luckily they don’t have to operate on Moanin’inho – he’s so full of shit that no amount of suction or flushing could ever unclog him or his insides !”)
To stressful in the last 20 mins. Where did 4 mins added time come from. Again I felt that in the dying mins we were still attacking and leaving us exposed at the back. But great win overall and result wise with both the Manchester clubs dropping point and also a meltdown in hellsea.
Excellent article Fishpie!!
Thanks for the report and I hope you enjoyed your visit. I just wanted to mention Deulofeu and how he dived in full view of Mason on three occasions. Each of these should have been a booking and nothing given at all. I understand a word from the ref on the first one, but even then he should have been booked at least twice. Very poor from the ref, but not unexpected! Great win and a big 3 points however!
Thanks Walter.
Arsenal fined £60k for being honest in Callum Chambers transfer. FA are in dire straits financially & morally. They have not proved corrupt transaction on Arsenals part, just accepted Arsenals honesty & still fined Arsenal.