Newcastle v Arsenal: Since we last played the zebras the win ratio is 80%

Posted on by Tony Attwood

By Bulldog Drummond

Here’s the deal.  Papiss Cissé brought forward his knee surgery scheduled for the summer after receiving a seven-match ban for spitting) and so can’t play.  He’s one of many.  Cheik Tioté, Steven Taylor and, and, and… lots and lots of zebras covered in stripes but not on the pitch.

Fabricio Coloccini is suspended meaning that Daryl Janmaat and Mike Williamson will be in defence, alongside Daryl Janmaat and Mike Williamson who will also be in defence.   Janmaat will play at centre-half and Peter Beardsley will play outside left.   Andy Cole is at left back with Les Ferdinand in defensive midfield.  Paul Gascoigne should be in goal while Hughie Gallacher will help out in the kitchens.  David Ginola will run the hair salon at the Gallowgate end, so no change there.  Kevin Keegan is the kit man and Malcolm Macdonald is unavailable due to the terms of his contract.

But seriously, (well no, not quite, its a match day and that is never a time to be completely serious) up front they will have Ayoze Pérez (“brilliant”), Emmanuel Rivière (“inadequate”), Adam Armstrong (“unproven”) and Facundo Ferreyra (“hopeless”).  Bit like the aaa previewing the Arsenal.

Actually I think this injury stuff is a load of made up twaddle. Everyone is fit, and these players are actually superb, and they are doing a Monaco, trying to lull us into a sense of false security.  Or not, as the case may be.

As for us, Tomas Rosicky has overcome his flu-appendicitis-shakes and should be playing or at least sitting in a duffle coat on the sands.

“We have no new big injuries, we have some knocks, but nothing major,” Mr Wenger said thus taking up a line from Little Richard cira 1956.   [“I hear you knockin’ – Tony]

Of the longer term:

  • Debuchy is two or three weeks away,
  • Arteta will be back after the international break
  • Wilshere is two weeks away.
  • Oxlade-Chamberlain is three weeks.

So, as we saw in this morning’s piece, going out of the Champs League normally means we really start bucking the ideas up and going to all out victory.   Our current runs are five league wins in a row, and 13 of the last 15 – or over the longer term, an amazing 80% win rate in all competitions.  See the table at the end.

But the members of the Eggheads, a BBC 2 show I’d never heard of, have us down to lose 1-0.

However here are two Olivier Giroud stats that I’ve just seen which avoids me having to repeat the Giroud v Henry stats yet again.

Giroud has scored six in his last five games against Newcastle.  And he has scored eight in his last 11 games and is now scoring at a rate of 108 minutes per goal. The people who do better than him are

  • Lionel Messi, (Barcelona)
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, (Real Mad)
  • Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon)
  • Alexander Meier (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Meanwhile in case Giroud has an off day, Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck are all able to knock in the occasional one or two.

Oh and Theo has scored six in six.

Newcastle however have ten League cards of a reddish hue since the opening day of the 2013/14 season.  The top red rating.  So traffic lights all round.

Here’s another little snippet: we have had 15 different goalscorers in the League this year – more than anyone else.

Recent games:

  • Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle (December 2014)
  • Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle (April 2014)
  • Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (December 2013)
  • Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (May 2013)
  • Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle (December 2012)

Le team:

Ospina,

Monreal, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Bellerin,

Ramsey, Cazorla

Sanchez, Ozil, Walcott

Giroud

Beached: Szczesny, Welbeck, Coquelin, Chambers, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Rosicky.

But there is always a bit of bad news somewhere, so here it is.  We are the only team not to win a Premier League game after going 4-0 up at half time.

On the other hand Alexis Sanchez has scored the first goal of the game more often than any other Premier League player this season.  Should be a doddle.  Or failing that a total cock-up.

Here’s Arsenal’s build up (just in case you were too busy trying to get semi-final tickets to take it all in).  I’ve included everything since the last time we met the zebras.

The overall result in case you are interested is Won 16, Drawn 1; Lost 3.  Win percentage in all matches 80%.

March 2015: W5 D0 L0

 
Competition Fixture Date
Champions League Monaco 0 Arsenal 2 17 Mar W
Premier League Arsenal 3 West Ham U 0 14 Mar W
FA Cup – Sixth Round Man Utd 1 Arsenal 2 9 Mar W
Premier League QPR 1 Arsenal 2 4 Mar W
Premier League Arsenal 2 Everton 0 1 Mar W

.

February 2015: W4 D0 L2

 
Competition Fixture Date
Champions League Arsenal 1 Monaco 3 25 Feb L
Premier League Crystal Palace 1 Arsenal 2 21 Feb W
FA Cup – Fifth Round Arsenal 2 Middlesbrough 0 15 Feb W
Premier League Arsenal 2 Leicester 1 10 Feb W
Premier League Tottenham 2 Arsenal 1 7 Feb L
Premier League Arsenal 5 Aston Villa 0 1 Feb W

.

January 2015: W4 D0 L1

 
Competition Fixture Date
FA Cup – Fourth Round Brighton 2 Arsenal 3 Sun 25 Jan W
Premier League Man City 0 Arsenal 2 Sun 18 Jan W
Premier League Arsenal 3 Stoke 0 Sun 11 Jan W
FA Cup – Third Round Arsenal 2 Hull City 0 Sun 4 Jan W
Premier League Soton 2 Arsenal 0 Thu 1 Jan L

.

December 2014: W 3 D 1 L 0

 
Competition Fixture Date
Premier League West Ham United 1 Arsenal 2 Sun 28 Dec W
Premier League Arsenal 2 QPR 1 Fri 26 Dec W
Premier League Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2 Sun 21 Dec D
Premier League Arsenal 4 Newcastle 1 Sat 13 Dec W

See also…

The ref preview

Newcastle v Arsenal: Unbelievable

 

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87 Replies to “Newcastle v Arsenal: Since we last played the zebras the win ratio is 80%”

  1. Eyes wider open, Giroud’s conversion rate was not adequate in the CL/Monaco round – even in our victory before our exit. He’s good and improved and improving. Yes, a keeper. But to worship at his UA-built shrine is fool’s gold. I hope we bring in another more clinical complement (not replacement) than both Giroud and Welbeck.

  2. bob-
    Giroud is a player I wanted to replace too, but since he’s come back from injury he’s been top notch. Monaco at home was a huge failure, but there were players far more culpable than OG. We let in 3 at home against a pretty poor team and the damage was done. Any striker can have an off day but to defend the way we did in that game is unforgivable.
    Giroud brings things to our team – he is useful at defending set pieces, decent at holing the ball up, but most importantly is a physical presence. Add to that his recent goalscoring form and you could argue that he’s becoming an important member of the first team.
    Personally, I’d rather we spent big on a physical beast of a midfield player.

  3. bob

    I don’t get it

    Yes I can see why you would want another top striker, if we could get one. Which side wouldn’t? Including City Chelsea etc.

    But why try to discredit Giroud in the process.

    No he’s not perfect but which player is perfect? There are plenty of holes to be found in other top strikers statistics. I believe Aguaro hasn’t exactly been electric in Europe, this year, or any other, at least not for City.

    Girouds statistics are amongst the best in Europe yet you still find a way to criticise him.

    I dislike, but can at least see why a non Arsenal fan may be inclined to do that but why an Arsenal fan would be so inclined to do so is beyond me.

  4. Ref mucked up apparently sending WB player off. Some controversy, at least from the commentators.

    Was hoping WB held them to a draw.

    Last time WB beat City was ages ago, but they also did it with ten men. 🙂

  5. I think it is only Arsenal that has fans who having one of the top five strikers in European football in terms of goals per minute, want to get rid of him.

    Although come to think of it Real Mad fans want to get rid of Bale.

  6. Nicky, what the heck is ‘tural’?

    —

    Darned PGMO. Must make sure city win, send off wrong person 2 minutes into game? I need coffee. Maybe WBrom can tie game while I search for 1,3,7 trimethyl xanthine.

    —

    COYG!

  7. Let’s hope fatigue isn’t a factor. I see City and ourselves, teams that both had gruelling CL fixtures midweek away from home, are both playing ahead of the likes of utd, cheslki and liverpool. Hmmm.

  8. Arsenal team to play Newcastle:

    Ospina,
    Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal,
    Coquelin, Ramsey, A
    Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck,
    Giroud

    On the beach

    Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Bellerin, Flamini, Rosicky, Walcott

  9. Looks like Ozil getting rested then, despite wengers comments on Sanchez. Bet Scholes,will still find something to blame him for though.

  10. Other noteworthy Gunners: Jenkinson is starting for West Ham, and Sanogo is on the bench for Palace in EPL. Toral is on the bench for Brentford in the Championship. My apologies if I missed anyone.

    COYG!

  13. The BBC has bashed Arsenal 3 times before the game has even started.

    They put in a blurb about Coquelin, who apparently has had thoughts about being a sports journalist, and may still get his diploma in that to please his Mom (11:03). Francis, there are better occupations, even some that involve writing. But, if you do go into journalism, please do it correctly.

    COYG!

  14. Jambug.

    No doubt. I can’t imagine Scholes’ Mom likes listening to him.

    Maybe Ozil picked up whatever Rosicky had?

    COYG!

  18. Spurs have lost Loris for the day, crashed into another player (not referee sending off wrong player for a change). Go Leicester!

    COYG!

  32. I haven’t read anything in Sky, Daily Mail or BBC, but I would guess Cazorla.

    COYG!

  35. I believe Cazorla has had the Captain’s armband once before this season. Which is why I suggested he had it today. But Even the Arsenal.com page doesn’t say.

    COYG!

  36. Daily Mail just put up a picture of Giroud’s second celeebration. Cazorla has the armband (barely see it).

    COYG!

  37. Amazing officials from PGMO one red cards in the 2nd minute but gets the wrong man, the other allows several cardable offences because …….

    I am pissed off with PGMO & their cheats.

  38. How come people talk about livestreams as though they’re (A) things which work well for anything longer than about 5 minutes, and (B) don’t give the impression they are hellbent on destroying my computer!

    Oh WELL, TIME TO TRY AGAIN!

  41. Looking through the bumbling BBC, I gather Perez was bitching about Gabriel fouling him (penalty call).

    COYG!

  42. They have got a new least of life or have been playing possum.
    Time to sharpen up now.

  43. @Rich if you use adblockplus or a similar extension for the pages, they work almost perfectly. I only refresh once started like once every other game

  44. Giroud is currently the top Goals-per-minute Premier League striker: Giroud 0.0107, Diego Costa 0.0096, Aguero 0.0093, Kane 0.0090.

    Regarding the WBA sending off earlier, here’s a quote from Tony Pulis to Match of the Day taken from the BBC website:

    “I speak to Mike Riley fairly regularly, most weeks and he always rings back to chat about issues. It’s not to complain about referees, it’s to talk about how we can improve them. The game should be talking about it as a whole as it’s a wonderful product that we should be getting together to protect.We can’t keep having people make decisions that affect games.”

    I found the first sentence about regularly speaking with Riley was surprising.

    Why is a club manager allowed to have regular communications with a head ref?

    Do all managers have the same amount of communications/correspondence?

  47. See how they have adapted to our game? We should be more careful, tired legs will make mistakes. Maybe one sub to change something.

  63. @tjay
    maybe we should drug test our players, were they drugged? They did look a little dizzy begin first half. 🙂

  69. not he best, but not the worst, usual bs from officials, however ONWARD WE MARCH!!!!
    COYG! Alleluia and Amen!

  73. Leicester had tied the game at 2-2, and so Mike Dean (didn’t he do a jig for Spurs once?) gives Spurs a penalty (Kane hat trick).

    How to go Gunners, grind out another win!

  74. ARSENAL 13

    Exactly.

    Whenever Chelsea, Utd, city do that it’s what Champions are made of.

    I wonder if we’ll get similar plaudits?

  75. Time for “Two-one for the Arsenal”? 😀

    It was a great victory against strong opponents.

    I’d like to give 10 out of 10 to Giroud and Coquelin.

    And, I’ll say something that might sound too strong and most likely a result of the excitement following this victory but I think we haven’t had better goalkeeper in Arsene’s era than Ospina.

  76. @jambug…

    Ppfff….no point expecting plaudits for grinding out results.

    GI gunners. Let’s win dirty. Let’s win hard.

    6 wins in a row now. 8 more and we are champions

  77. How how how, the match report is out before the first Arsenal player has entered the shower …

  86. Terrible refereeing. Not like for Dean, Taylor or some others obviously biased. This one seemed to be hugely incompetent… or blind 🙂 Ayoze Perez going down several times w/o any contact. No card. Sanchez “rotationaly” fouled, elbows flying in the noses of Arsenal players and Giroud imaginary offsided. We’re lucky if no injuries. Good win and 3 points!

  87. Tony mentioned the Eggheads in the write up. They were competing with Lawro trying to predict when Gerrard would lose it. Well, not really.

    In any event, Lawro predicted 8 scores and 7 results correctly, and the Eggheads got 5 scores and 4 results . Twice, Lawro got both scores and result correct, the Eggheads never did this. The Eggheads are probably better at other tasks.

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