By Walter Broeckx
Arsenal was forced to make a few changes after some late fitness test failing on Walcott and Monreal. So The Ox and Gibbs came in their place at the start. Still no Cazorla back in the team.
As a result we also had a few new faces on the beach that we hadn’t seen for a long while. Ramsey and Giroud amongst them. Also Holding sitting on the beach for this match. Arsène Wenger has made two changes to his team for today’s match against Sunderland at Stadium of Light.
Arsenal team: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Gibbs, Coquelin, Elneny, Ox, Ozil, Iwobi, Alexis
On the beach: Ospina, Gabriel, Holding, Jenkinson, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Giroud
Iwobi getting a painful kick on the ankle in the opening minute but he seemed able to run it off. Bellerin with a cross that the keeper could only push away for a corner with a little help from the crossbar. Alexis being completely held back when Cech kicked a ball forward but Atkinson didn’t noticed anything wrong. A corner from Elneny floats dangerously in front of the Sunderland goal but is cleared. Atkinson allowing a lot of pulling by Sunderland but not from Arsenal players. An elbow in the neck from Coquelin goes unpunished. Özil with a shooting chance but he can’t get enough curl on the ball so the keeper can save it comfortably. Özil again almost away but a defender can get back on him. Iwobi gets away but his touch gets him around the keeper but he can’t get on the end of the ball. 0-0 after 15 minutes.
LOL Alexis being called back for not even half of a pushing foul than the one on Coqueling that went unpunished. The Ox combining with Bellerin and Elneny and he goes past his man, a perfect cross and Alexis beats his man and heads it over the line. GOAL!!! 0-1 to The Arsenal after 19 minutes.
Sunderland get a free kick at the other end it goes just wide. Alexis gets a verbal warning from the ref…. for challenging for the ball…. I have the feeling Atkinson is trying to get under his skin. Sunderland then thought they had scored but the assistant correctly waived his flag for offside. Arsenal then has to clear their penalty area as the ball bounces high up in the air and then Alexis picks up the ball and Arsenal can counter but Iwobi his shot goes over. Atkinson keeps on punishing each slight contact from Arsenal and when Alexis is being brought down on a counter he gives a foul (surprise) but not a yellow card? (Well no surprise either I think) Özil wins the ball just outside the Sunderland penalty area and is fouled, hey a yellow card. Well he couldn’t not let that go. Alexis puts the free kick over. Arsenal still 0-1 in front after 30 minutes.
Ndong kicking Coquelin on the achilles and again rightfully the card comes out. The Ox winning back the ball at the corner flag but his low shot was saved by the keeper. Özil again in space and trying to lob the keeper but the lob is too short and the keeper can push it away. Atkinson keeps on punishing each slight contact from Arsenal… As a result Sunderland players go very wild at times, this time Pienaar gets a deserved yellow card for a wild lunge against Coquelin. The ref then makes a mistake for sending Coquelin to the side line after his treatment because that is no longer the case when a yellow card is shown. Does this ref knows the new rules? A cross from Özil just can’t find Alexis. Arsenal go in at half time with a 0-1 advantage and that was only a small margin compared to the chances we had.
Another foul from Djibolodji results in another yellow card. A knee in the back can be dangerous as Neymar found out at the WC. The assistant comes to the help of Arsenal by calling a foul against Gibbs. Maybe he even is starting to get enough of it? Arsenal controlling the match and pushing Sunderland against their own penalty area but no real goal chances in the opening minutes. The Ox send away clear on goal by Özil but he drags his shot wide. Arsenal still 0-1 in front after 60 minutes.
The Ox with a shot but well over. Alexis clearly being pulled back in the penalty area but again Atkinson has nothing of it. At the other end a counter after Mustafi not paying attention and Cech brings down the Sunderland striker and this time Atkinson gives a penalty of couse and a yellow card for Cech. Defoe scores for Atkinson. Sorry Sunderland. 1-1 after 65 minutes. That was what Sunderland and Atkinson had been hoping for.
The Ox with a cross in front of goal but nobody at the end of it. After 68 minutes Iwobi comes off and Giroud comes on. Koscielny heads the corner over. Arsenal attack over Alexis, Giroud points to give the ball to Gibbs who crosses it and Giroud pokes it home! GOAL!!!! 1-2 to The Arsenal after 71 minutes. What a comeback!
Another attack on the left flank but this time Özil can’t put the cross from Gibbs over the goal line. Ccoquelin almost gets his head kicked off. LOL a stat showing Arsenal committed more fouls than Sunderland. Yeah, with such a ref…. The free kick from Özil is cleared by the wall. Corner from the same Özil, to Giroud who heads it home! GOAL!!! 1-3 to The Arsenal after 75 minutes. That’s more like it.
Ramsey came on in the place of The Ox and a wonderful attack from right to left brings the ball to Ramsey who gives it to Gibbs who shoots against the post, the ball bounces to Ramsey who pushes it forward to Alexis who very cool dribbles in to some space and then pushes the ball calm over the goal line. GOAL!!! 1-4 after 77 minutes. Good to see Ramsey back on the field finally.
Gibbs gets a yellow card for stopping a Sunderland free kick. I can live with that. Alexis running with the ball with a few options but in the end he picks the most difficult one. Alexis then almost feeds Giroud again but a defender could get a foot between it. Giroud being kicked left and right but Atkinson plays the blind mole role again. With 88 minutes gone Coquelin goes off and Maitland-Niles comes on. A Bellerin cross is headed out without Özil knowing the ball had falling almost back to him. Alexis almost with a hattrick but the keeper was first on the ball and Ramsey blasted the rebound over the goal.
Arsenal top of the league for the first time this season. It was as if the injustice that Atkinson tried to put upon us made the Arsenal players angry and determined to not let us drop points because of the incompetence or the bias of the ref.
I think that this week I will say “I told you so” in my referee preview. Atkinson is incapable of honesty in an Arsenal game.
Get well soon Walter. Thanks for the report.
watching the game over streaming. NBC broadcast. At halftime, the pundits were telling their silly stuff, among others :
I can see nothing that Giroud can that Sanchez cannot… And similar comments, basically, Giroud is dead wood, of no use.
Oh I would have wished that after the game thei’d served him his comments on replay…
Bunch of idiots, that’s what they are.
As for the ref, well congratulation to the Gunners. They settled the issue themselves in a manner that is undisputable. And Atkinson’s stats look different now with all these yellows…
I’ve not seen the game, just listened on Arsenal Player. But that has to go down as the most inept, biased, disgraceful refereeing performance this season. I just hope no player suffers any after effects from the “game”.
Well done Andrew, and thanks, Walter.
The referee was an absolute disgrace, some of the fouls against the Arsenal players that were not called was beyond comprehension. He should change his name by dead poll to Twatkinson.
Woops, I meant deed poll!
Congratulations to the Daily Express for being the first with a ‘Five things we learnt’ load of bollocks.
Why is it always five?
The referee (poor choice of word for an individual that officiated the game) tried his best to make sure the game was even as he could get it? However that does not make the game fair or even. There is an agenda from the officials to make sure certain team don’t run away with the competition to make their brand as appealing as possible.
“David Moyes is nicking a living.”
Keep reading Untold; a post match review of Wonderloaf v Arsenal, tomorrow morning.
Congratulations, Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh Gunners on top.
well done boys. Welcome back Giroud and Rambo.
Now let’s go play ludo again.
COYG
And again, the referee played to Untold Referee Review predictions!
One minute we were denied a clear penalty but no hesitation in awarding one against us.
I’m glad we have several options this season at countering such rubbish. And then Wenger sent Giroud to the rescue. What a super sub!
Kudos to Sunderland, at least for playing an open attacking game instead of going Boro; even though they are topping the table from the bottom. After all, some teams must be relegated each season and football itself is an entertaining art not a warfare.
According to the match stats we committed 13 fouls to Sunderlands 9.
I am sure Walters ref review of this game will support this strange stat and vindicate M Twatkinson!!!!!!!
Excellent result, made much more difficult by the biased bandit in blue!
But well done the team!
Dead poll may be right. It was an incredible performance that saw one referee highlight just how the rules can be interpreted in different ways in just one game. As mentioned in the report asking Le Coq to leave the field following a carded foul was an absolute shocker. It could cause the casual observer to question whether Twatkinson had any previous experience of adjudicating such matches. He may well not have read this summers update and is like some crazed teen winging it whilst trying to convince himself nobody will notice. I hope everyone else had a proper commentary team rather than the bungling idiots I had who struggled to question Twatkinsons decisions. Another game where we must be thankful that the officials were not able to influence the result and it seems that this is the best we can hope for. Good three points with the pressure on the teams below us now.
A memorable game. Atkinson lived up to his billing. The lads worked through their anger, every piece of skill a slap in the face for the man from the pgmo. It wasn’t a question of the pgmo backing the wrong team – they back the insult to football.
It really was a team effort. Again, the individual skill marked the difference. This squad has quality.
What mobility this team has as a unit……nobody knows for sure who is going to pop up and where they will be! Keep in mind that Sunderland are a pitiful lot and Moyes an unimaginative Ferguson clone, but we looked very good all game.
Well done Tony, your predictions for tactics seemed right on……lets get a movement going for Tony to replace Wenger, when he retires!
Excellent team play today.
…
Good ol’ bent refereeing, more bent than the springiest of slinky.
Also, top effort Walter.
Refereeing should be looked at ….this is shit foolery in the name of refereeing…
Our win shouldn’t put a cover on it…
Ollie G is back n he’s back with the bang. no shocking that referee (Martin Atkinson) is biased as he always been toward Arsenal n try to robbed the win from Arsenal (denied Arsenal a clear penalty n ignore the elbow on Alexis face plus keep letting Arsenal players getting kicked all over). apart from that penalty mistake our defensive display is solid, really impress with Gibbs performance (really good at getting forward and was solid defensively) n i pick him as the best defensive performer for today’s match. in midfield’ Mo Elneny had a very2 good game plus his passing is really top notch n Le’Coq is combative as always’ not to mention was busy giving n taking a kicking. nice to see Ramsey back on the pitch again n after he come on, he really bring a spark n creativity into the match. Alexis is superb as he always be plus now with instinct of a deadliest striker. now my only fear for him is that he got kicked much more then before n if he get barely or zero protection from the refs as we witnessing in today’s match, ‘m afraid we gonna see him on Arsenal injury list (really gutted for Lucas). is good to see Ainsley Maitland-Niles got some PL minutes under his belt (maybe he will be Arsenal future monster CDM that some ‘fans’ was crave about) n lastly what more can i say about Giroud’ as i predict last nite if the game is stalemate, bring on Olie G n make sure they gave him a good service n more often than not he will deliver n take care of business. overall’ it’s the most satisfying last 20mins performance from the Gunners. before i leave, wishing happy birthday to our former player n No 7 legend Mr Robert Pirès.(today is a beautiful day) woooohoooo’ we r top of the league, com’on Arsenal
Twatkinson or Atk..tson
Chambers currently leading against Wilshere. Leicester currently holding the spuds, sure would like to see the spuds lose. ManC got an early lead, and seem to be holding it.
Searching for news critical of Atkinson; and as near as I can tell, there isn’t any.
We have to score more goals, but it looks like we are on the way now with Giroud and Ramsey back in the team as well.
I think GD will/may play a BIG role this season between the top 3 teams.
Atkinson was so predictable that yet again my well earned tenner turned into £80 thanks to him giving Sunderland a penalty. What twat.
Get well soon Walter. At least this result will help you get positive.
I can live with the Sunderbus penalty, but the way Alexis was pulled by the shirt was obvious from over 10000 miles away 😀 Maybe flying Atkinson that far will remind him how to officiate properly. It’s not like MLS couldn’t do with some refs, the standard here hasn’t exactly been top notch either.
In another match, Marriner is doing all he can and more to keep Diverpool level with us. 2 fouls in the box ignored, and at the next phase Coutinho back into an opponent and the ref, surprise surprise gives the free kick against Palace, plus a yellow card for dissent.
And now, he refuses to award another penalty to Palace, and at the next phase the other team scores. Well done Mr. Marriner.
Florian as I am lying on my sofa watching football I noticed that in 2 matches so far there has been what you could call a big team bias in favour of the big team. Only in 1 match the bias was clearly against the big team. Surprise, surprise which team….
Florian
It is closer than 10,000 miles, but could I suggest Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada? There are people living there (112 – Sachs Harbour). But, Banks Island is notable for having most of the world’s muskoxen, 68,000 live there. I’m sure Atkinson speaks muskoxen.
I’m not sure muskoxen play football, but maybe he can teach them while officiating their games?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banks_Island
On another note, Giroud has scored 2 goals with his first 2 touches. We’re still waiting for the day he’ll score without getting close to the ball 😉
Walter,
If an amateur like me can spot the bias, surely a professional can see a lot better.
Gord,
I admit I should have done a little more research, the 10000 miles seemed a good approximation. One day I’ll get to the NW Territories to watch the Northern Lights, as it’s closer to me than Iceland or Norway. As for Banks Island, I remember the Jules Verne stories from my childhood. One of them, The Fur Country, was taking place in the Northern Canada and the Arctic Ocean, close to the aforementioned island.
Florian.
Occasionally the aurora reach Washington State. Sure, when you got north of 60N, the fact it is dark all the time in seeing the aurora. I live pretty close to 56N.
But, if you visit SpaceWeather(.com), they forecast aurora all the time.
The problem I’ve had the last few years, is that it always seems to be cloudy when something interesting is happening in the night sky.
The Atkinson and Marriner antics today, in addition to the incompetent/biased refereeing we have seen once again this season does suggest that the PGMO has an agenda – as they appeared to have last season – and that they don’t really worry about their intent being obvious. In fact it could probably be argued that since Riley became head of the PGMO an agenda was introduced which had little to do with competent refereeing.
It is always fascinating the arrogance which serial offenders develop and display – from the petty criminals, to the money grabbing Clintons to the Turks and their physchotic genocide of the Kurds – (the latter being ignored by the western media). When man at his evil worst feels he can get away with “it” – he will generally continue until some unforeseen event brings the whole heap tumbling down.
Florian
October 29, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Totally agree with your Mariner comment.
Jorge Bird has a nice writeup today on Ben Sheaf, who played centre back alongside Kristian Bielik in yesterday’s win against Sunderland U23.
Maybe ManU is going to have to make a special seat for the moaning one, since he has been sent to the stands today?
Another statistics opportunity
Sunderland Echo has an article analysing Sunderland. You might recognize the team name, we played them today. 🙂
Tony has a few things he repeats, so do I. I think that the league partitions into 2 parts, a top group of 6-8 which does not usually behave as a single team, and a bottom group of 12-14 which are usually all about the same. The only time microscopic differences have any meaning, is when the season ends.
This article points out that Sunderland have 2 points from 10 games and a goal difference of -13. They go on to say that this is worse than ManC in 1995/6 when they had 2 points and a goal difference of -12 at the same point (10 games in). I’m sorry, -12 and -13 are statistically the same goal difference.
From last, goals for:against are: 7:20, 8:15, 8:23, 9:16, 10:17, 10:14, …. Let’s look at goals for, and convert the goals for into the average (of the bottom), the differential to the average, and an (approximate) guess at standard deviation: 7(0)undef, 7.5(0.5)3, 7.7(-0.3)3, 8(-1)3, 8.4(-1.4)3, 8.7(-1.7)3, and so on. You would need to get to 12th place Crystal Palace before you might see that the scoring of Sunderland is statistically different from the average of the bottom. If we look at goals against, it looks like it is 14th or 15th where you start to see a statistical difference.
The writer then goes on to say that Sunderland are 7 points adrift of safety. Safety being the number of points held by the team in 17th. Statistically, it looks like the point in the standings where there is a difference is about 13th place, which is 11 points. Sunderland is 9 points adrift of that, or 3 wins adrift. I’m not sure I like this model to explain safety.
But, is that the goalpost? Typically, safety at the end of the season is 40, or slightly under. Sunderland need 38 points to get to that position. To get 38 more points from 28 games remaining is averaging 1.36 points per game. As it stands now, averaging 1.4 points per game is the dividing line between 8th and 9th. Which is pretty close to the historical dividing line between the top group and the rest. Sunderland need do no better than the bottom part historically does, in order to get out of the relegation zone. It is entirely possible it is just chance that has them where they are now. But the time to change, is now. If they wait another 10 games, they might require exceptional results to save themselves.
‘I’m sure Atkinson speaks muskoxen.’
Only on Untold!
I love you all!
Atkinson’s bias was obvious. It was clear that Sunderland could foul Sanchez repeatedly with immunity.
He is a disgrace and his performance shows the corruption of the PGMO for all to see.
Atkinson sprinkled a few yellows in there to try to make it look good. However, in an incorrect ‘important decision’, he reverts to form and allows Alexis to be clearly pulled back in the box with no call. Cech’s yellow and subsequent pk was correct, IMO. Good win, good 3 points. What a season so far with 5 teams closely bunched at the top. This is fun!
More media pearls: According to Eurosport, the assist for Alexis’ second goal came from a player that wasn’t on the field. Alexis scored in 78th minute, and Ramsey came on in 79th minute :))
@Florian, i’m pretty sure Ramsey is the one who assist for Alexis 2nd goal. the players involve in the built up to that goal is Elneny, Ollie G, Ramsey n Alexis
It was Gibbs shot that hit the bar..fell for Rambo. Who assisted Alexis…
I understand that there were 22 passes in the build up to Sanchez first. “Typical Arsenal goal”?
OT
New World Cup betting scandal?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3886230/Match-England-s-qualifying-group-World-Cup-probed-FIFA-spotted-irregular-betting-patterns-Lithuania-vs-Malta-game-month.html
Untold clocks still on BST
Looked at the penalty incident again with Alexis. He not only got pulled but he also was caught on the calf by the defender. So a double foul in fact. Still only 1 penalty for this but should also be a yellow card (second). The whole world saw it apart from the blind mole in the middle.
WOO HOO , HOO ! A very good win .
Up the Gunners !
And fuck the PIGMOB !
Like many Hindus , I had celebrated Diwali or Deepavali , the festival of lights which is the triumph of good over evil , and was suitably impressed with our team’s fortitude against the forces of evil !
May we continue to battle ‘them’ and be triumphant over those who slight us .
A HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL ON UNTOLD ARSENAL ! CHEERS !
To those who are not familiar with this festival , you can just Google it and be informed. Many world leaders have sent in messages and wishes that you could find online.
This following ‘modern’ version definitely may not be one for the purists though !
Genesis of Diwali as understood by urban kids today –
A mom asked her elder kid to explain diwali to his brother ..
He replied: “So look, this dude Ram had, like a big kingdom, & people liked him but like his step mom or sumthin, was kinda weird and she forced her hubby to send this Ram to some jungle or something..
Coz he was goin for 14yrs, So his wife n bro got along..(U know just 2 chill)
But dude forest was real scary shit.. Was full of devils n things like dat, but dis dude killed them with arrows..
But den sum bad gangsta- Ravan , picked up his babe Sita..
Dis Dude Ram n his bro got real mad…huh….
So dey got an army of monkeys..don’t ask how…Attacked Ravan
got d babe n returned home..People thought atleast dey deserve something.
Dey had no bars or clubs or smoke stuff to party…
So they lit lamps..N this is how it all started .
Mom fainted !
@ARSENAL 13, i think it’s giroud shot that hit the post
Happy Deepavali BG, don’t eat to much n spare some murukku for me. cheers
sorry @ARSENAL 13, just watch the highlight n u were rite’ it was indeed Gibbs shot that hit the post. my bad
@ bushido -October 30, 2016 at 9:02 am – Thanks . And you can have all the murukku as I cannot bite into them with my dentures !
If David Moyes does get sacked , he could be in next line to take the England manager’s job. Just do think about , unless you have a better option ? So what if he is Scottish?
Just imagine that – 2 former Sunderland managers being appointed back to back England managers .
What pride it would be to the people of that region !
Well done to the team and manager, they were on to Atkinson and stayed smart. Giroud came on and Atkinson could do no more. The question is, Atkinson, has he stayed rogue, or is this the pgmol closing in?
I expect Clattenberg for the Spurs game, and Taylor vs Utd
That performance reminded me of a fairly recent game against Spurs, Dean was giving them everything, including a Bale dive. The players, led by the likes of Bac and I think Rosicky decided to do something about it, ended up scoring five. May need more of the same against the elbowers of Middlesex.
They all deserve credit, Giroud…..what can you say, great to see Gibbs having an excellent game and the Ox coming back, we will need them all
Alexis was superb for keeping his cool and hitting Atkinson back in the best way
It was good to see Atkinson for this game, means he won’t be in charge for the upcoming Sp#rs or Un!ted games. 🙂
well the pgmob have enough clowns to put us off. we have to be lucky or play perfectly. they still got dean, pawson, Taylor, clattenberg. we may get the latter three for the coming games
@brickfields…
They make soft (ish) murukkus now.
Btw…I got to know what murukku is today. I always called it chakkuli.
Happy deepavali to all…
Wow congz to all Gonners, looks like we are in for a long drive. I have two sons one supports Manure, Brian 23 and Bruce 19 supports Liverfall. Both of them are in Makerere University but yesterday i never watched the Liverfall game. But my boy Bruce told me that Dad,you know what! I thought Crystal palace could get at least a penalty and we could have lost a man today(Red card) but something is going on as we are pampered a lot these days!!!We are strong Catholics i don’t care about other religions and i don’t want to know but as per our belief we are supposed to be fair and just and my boy was telling me from the bottom of his heart. So we have to be prepared for the month of November.Walter/Gord/Andrew why do we have to play Manure and Spurs always in November for some seasons now is it how its supposed to be or its always a mistake in the FA(fuckin ass….)works.