By Bulldog Drummond
Quite how Sunderland mutates into Wonderloaf and what Wonderloaf was and what it had to do with north London was revealed in our last Sunderland piece in October last year.
Anyway, there is not too much news around about this evening’s game, but there were two stories away from our match I spotted which I’d like to pass on.
First, Vodafone has pulled out of its £20m deal for the ludicrously named London Stadium where the club formally known as West Ham reside. Everyone is being very correct in saying that the breakdown had nothing to do with the fact that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs busted into WHAM’s offices and took away a load of material in relation to illegal tax avoidance. It’s good to know that.
Second eight of the clubs contacted by the independent inquiry into football’s sexual-abuse scandal have failed to respond at all, not just once, but twice. I just cannot comprehend a) how clubs could do this, and b) why the FA has not acted a lot faster to deal with these clubs. I love football, and watch lots of matches, but protecting children from predators seems to me one hell of a lot more important than allowing any club I go to watch to continue if it won’t co-operate totally with these enquiries.
According to the Guardian one specialist child-abuse lawyer described the level of non-cooperation as “deeply concerning”. I think that is putting it lightly. How can professional clubs that are so very much in the public eye just go around refusing to co-operate on such a serious matter.
For the moment we don’t have any more information on this, but I know Untold will cover the story fully as more details emerge.
Meanwhile relating to the somewhat less important issue of our match, there are a few statistics around. For example, Arsenal take a lot more shots to score a goal than Sunderland do. But Sunderland also has a much worse discipline record than we do, a lower possession rate and a lower pass success rate. Figures from WhoScored….
| Team | Shots pg | Discipline | Possession% | Pass Success% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 14.3 | 62Yel / 2Red | 56.6 | 83.7 |
| Sunderland | 10.4 | 75Yel / 4Red | 43.1 | 72.4 |
Another rather interesting comparison I found was the source of the goals.
| Team | Open Play | Counter Attack | Set Piece | Penalty | Own Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 52 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Sunderland | 18 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
Sunderland score far fewer goals than Arsenal, but amazingly have had more penalties that have become goals than Arsenal. Which led me to wonder who had scored the most penalties this season. Here is the top 10. Four teams have scored seven penalties.
| R | Team | Open Play | Counter Attack | Set Piece | Penalty | Own Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 54 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | Tottenham | 50 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 44 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Bournemouth | 31 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| 5 | Burnley | 18 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Sunderland | 18 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 7 | Stoke | 23 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 32 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 2 |
| 9 | Leicester | 26 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 10 | Arsenal | 52 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 4 |
Just one more of these. Who concedes the most free kicks away from home? Answer: Sunderland
| R | Team | Fouls | Dive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 35 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion | 34 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Leicester | 30 | 0 | 11 |
| 4 | Hull | 29 | 0 | 9 |
| 5 | Tottenham | 28 | 0 | 4 |
Now we know what to expect.
Here’s a few more odds and ends from the stats department
Victory this evening would be Arsene Wenger’s 20th victory in all competitions against David Moyes – more than against any other manager he’s faced with Arsenal. That will show Moyes what he gets for saying the jury is still out on Ozil.
Olivier Giroud has scored four times in his last four games in all competitions against Sunderland, including twice as substitute in the reverse fixture, when he scored with his first two touches. Giroud is also two short of 100 goals for Arsenal in all competitions.
But to get four players into double figures in the scoring chart this season it is Ozil we need to pick up a couple more.
Sunderland on the other hand have failed to score in 19 Premier League matches this season, more than any other side – they last failed to score in more games in a league season in 2002-03 when they went 20 games without scoring.
Jermain Defoe, the one player who can score, has failed to score in nine previous appearances at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions. His only previous goal away to Arsenal came in West Ham’s 3-1 defeat at Highbury in January 2003.
Onto the teams then. And I can’t imagine that we won’t play 3-4-2-1 again. It is just a case of who is fit and how it works
Here’s one solution to the current injury issue, with no Koscielny and no Alexis…
Cech
Holding Mustafi Monreal
Bellerin Ramsey Xhaka Gibbs
Welbeck Ozil
Giroud
Lurking on the beach that would give us
Ospina, Gabriel, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Pérez, Iwobi, which by and large is not too bad a beach.
So that’s it. Just one more game to go after tonight. Now I’m off to count the empty seats – after a little trip to the Swimmer (assuming the traffic allows me to get there on time).
- Arsenal v Sunderland: crowd protests against Herbert Chapman, titles, and “not a trophy” trophies.
- Arsenal v Sunderland: the starters
- A Little Humility Would Not Be Amiss
- How to fix the Premier League – a scoundrel’s blueprint
- Wanted: two more goals from Mesut, Granit the master passer, and why Crouch hates Gillingham
Lovely twist let’s completely ignore the number of penalties awarded just look at the number scored.
In relation to Sunderland v Arsenal Sunderland haven’t missed any of their penalties whereas Arsenal have.
’30 years today since Coventry City beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the 1987 FA Cup.’ according to the BBC.
What no one knew then was that it proved to be Glen Hoddle’s last professional game for spuds.
His next league and cup games were for Arsene Wenger. Arsene who?
Your starts and bench look good enough to play against Sunderland and beat them resoundingly well. But am still nursing a hope Sanchez would have recovered reasonable well from his thigh knock injury to start this match by the time the match kickoff. If he does, great! Another late fitness test on him 2 hours to kickoff time?
Let await Le Prof’s starts and bench to see how far you’ve gone in getting his own correctly. Sure, there will be some differences in hiss and yours because rarely does one gets his starts and bench accurately. But that’s not an issue. The issue is whatever starts and bench he puts out to play this match must perform well, outperformed and out played any David Moyes’ Sunderland team out to play against Arsenal and beat them resoundingly by 7 goals to nil at full-time to improved vastly on our goals difference in the table should in case it boils down to that between Man City, Liverpool and us to pick that UCL ticket we are scrambling to pick.
Le Prof has said some teams who are already save from relegation this season like West Ham, have stopped being competitive in the League and have gone on end of the season holidays already by playing for formalities in their remaining 2 matches left to play. Nevertheless, the Gunners should not allow that to get into their heads thinking the Black Cats will also come to the Emirates Stadium tonight and play for formalities too. They may want to dent of UCL qualification charge in next season’s campaign by holding us or even inflict a bad one us. God forbids both happening to us at this time. By the Way, what has the ground specialist said as regards to this match at the Ems between us? I mean what is the Sunderland’s record of results at the Emirates Stadium since Arsenal moved from Highbury?
Team sheets are out…..
It’s ARSENAL vs Manchester lite.
Goaooohhhhkkkaaaaayyyyyy
I’m guessing the PGMO idiot is doing the usual crap? Arsenal have committed 3 fouls, and Sunderland are doing absolutely nothing wrong. I’m surprised we haven’t had players sent off by now.
Is there a cloud in the sky there? Maybe a lightning bolt get strike that idiot referee.
COYG!
So Xhaka doesn’t get a foul in his favor!!
40 minutes, 7 fouls against Arsenal, 2 against Sunderland.
Incredible…
Another huge foul on Giroud in this Bellerin chance, nothing given…
News reports saying stadium is less than half full. Menace on the other thread, says there are a lot of people at the game, who otherwise wouldn’t be there. Who’s right? My money is with Menace.
But this foul/card situation is stupid today.
COYG!
From Guardian:
> 8 min: Alexis Sánchez from distance and it’s a goal! Or is it? It’s immediately waved off amid the celebrations of the Arsenal players by referee Roger East, who rules that it struck the hand of Olivier Giroud en route to the back of the goal.
No talk about whether the call was correct. No mention about the quality of officiating, or the huge imbalance in fouls/cards. Just more “high quality” work by the medja.
Pictures showing lots of empty seats (at 27m is the note, who knows when the picture was taken).
It is raining there, maybe that “ref” can get hit by lightning yet.
COYG!
Yes it was handball and yes there are many empty seats.
And yes Monreal did a back-pass to Cech.
If Arsenal doesn’t score before, who wants to bet East will forget to add those 2 minutes when play was stopped…
Have to say I doubt there’s much more than 45,000 in attendance.
Ccooommmee ooooooonnnnn uuuuuuuuuu ggggguuuunnnnneeeeerrrrrrssss
Two more yellows for Ansenal? Oh, and a start to even things out, give one to Sunderland.
Wonders what it takes to get PGMO disbanded.
COYG!
I just don’t understand how this catermole guy has a football career….
Speaking of wonders, I wonder if Walter is finished writing his report yet. 🙂
COYG!
Giroooooooo….
Oh Danny buoy….
Hhheeellll yyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ccooommmee ooooooonnnnn
Aaron hurt his hamstring again?
COYG!
Finally! And its Alexis again! With Mesut the provider.
COYG!
By now catermole should’ve had 3 yellows…
Only took 73 minutes but Catermole finally has been booked!
Ref dint see Alexis handle the ball…else he would’ve seen red
What’s with opponent keepers and the ems…????
If Pickford can save a penalty we need to sign him!
How do you get a red for handball? Other than on your own goal line.
COYG!
ManC is ahead 3-0, and Reading leads Fulham 1-0.
We need more goals Arsenal!
COYG!
Hahhahahahahahhahhahaa
Yyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhh
Putting the poor standard of the ref aside. How are we continuously so poor in front of goal? It’s like we always miss that last 5% needed to put the flippin’ thing in the net!
@Gord when it’s ARSENAL…rules change.
How to go Alexis! One of the shortest guys on the pitch, and you score with another header.
8 minutes left, time for oh, 16 goals Arsenal? 🙂
COYG!
Does UA still want Sanchez sold because of his “flawed” character?
Moyes just wants to save Januzajs career I guess….
Okay 13.
Wasn’t Tony looking for Mesut to get a hat trick today?
COYG!
33 attempts scored 2. Thinks that sums us up and highlights where we’re going wrong.
Someone is letting the aaa back in again.
COYG!
No mention of how much extra time yet, and no mention of attendance on LiveScore.
COYG!
Come on Middlesbrough, we only need you to draw!
COYG!!!!!
I missed the extra time? Or it was inserted later? 3 minutes, so game is done.
And there is the “official” attendance, 59500. Hmmmmmm.
COYG!
Match report is on line.
The official attendance was 59,000+ plus but there’s no way in hell it was anything like that.
I wouldn’t mind those staying away in protest to never turn up again and leave their seats to supporters who are willing to support their team through thick and thin.
The ground had about 45000 or slightly less. The 59,000 is paid for seats & not populated seats. It is illegal to populate a paid for seat without the permission of the owner (unless you are FA or PGMO or some mothers do have ’em).
The official was totally blatant in his cheating. His selectively blind performance was as per the PGMOL Arsenal Laws of the Game. At least 3 penalties were denied Arsenal & several bookable fouls by Sunderland were just not given or if given were not booked. The holding & pulling went unchecked.
If arsenal win, the pgmol is a cheat,if they draw or loose its always the same…. I think according to some people on here Arsenal should have been winning the league every year but because of the conspiracy of the PGMOL against arsenal, arsenal cant win it ( sarcasm). its claimed that the media are the ones that made fans to believe wrongly about the team yet some people on here want people to believe its Pgmol that always cheat Arsenal to the title… its all depends on anybody view on the situation both I do not think anybody needs to make it look like it always the pgmol/refrees and not to look inward and say what needs to be corrected.
@Olad,
New here? Please look at the comprehensive referee preview and review this site does. If you could please go through it before making a passing statement.