Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[Dinny Breen]

Some observations

Good point for Arsenal and we saw today why Liverpool won't win the title because if that was Manure or Chelski playing against 10 men they would have gone for the juggular instead Liverpool persisted with their boring long ball football and kept 9 men the ball, Fat Sam would be proud of that.

Nice to see the Arsenal young lads show a bit of dog.

Howard Webb is a w**k*r, Adebayor won the ball with his body, Liverpool player makes a meal of the slighest contact and hey presto 2nd yellow and the game was ruined.

Diaby is a stick..

[corn02]

Some observations

Good point for Arsenal and we saw today why Liverpool won't win the title because if that was Manure or Chelski playing against 10 men they would have gone for the juggular instead Liverpool persisted with their boring long ball football and kept 9 men the ball, Fat Sam would be proud of that.

Nice to see the Arsenal young lads show a bit of dog.

Howard Webb is a w**k*r, Adebayor won the ball with his body, Liverpool player makes a meal of the slighest contact and hey presto 2nd yellow and the game was ruined.

Diaby is a stick..

Liverpool still had the best oppurtunities after the sending off. It was a weird game.

Also, it was a second yellow. A touch harsh but still a yellow. Look a the smack Arbeloa takes, I don't know if he "made a meal of it".

[Dinny Breen]

Look a the smack Arbeloa takes, I don't know if he "made a meal of it".

He like the vast majority Premiership footballers went down like he was shot, it was not a yellow card imho and Webb got it wrong. Liverpool were very poor after the sending and created very little, they won't win the premiership.

[J70]

Look a the smack Arbeloa takes, I don't know if he "made a meal of it".

He like the vast majority Premiership footballers went down like he was shot, it was not a yellow card imho and Webb got it wrong. Liverpool were very poor after the sending and created very little, they won't win the premiership.

I thought the second was a definite yellow. First maybe was harsh, but on the replays it looks like he went over the top of the ball and caught Insua, which is presumably why he was booked.

As for the premiership, we'll see. They're still hanging in there, and United and Chelsea, while they would have to be more heavily favoured on past performances, haven't been setting the world alight either. I think Liverpool just didn't want to lose the game, which, combined with Arsenal raising their performance in the last 20, meant that they remained cautious - both goals came from defences getting caught by long balls (obviously more hopeful in Liverpool's case), and there was no reason why Van Persie couldn't conjure up something again if given the space that would have been created by Liverpool charging forward. I would have loved them to go on and win it, but at the same time, I was very fearful watching it that Arsenal would score again. Overall, a draw like this will not be the reason for Liverpool not maintaining a challenge.

[Dinny Breen]

Overall, a draw like this will not be the reason for Liverpool not maintaining a challenge.

No but if they had went for it and got the three points, the belief and the pure statement of intent that it would have given off might have given them the impetus to really press on and win the title. They didn't and they won't Liverpool are more afraid of losing than trying to win.

[ONeill]

As with both sets of supporters, don't know what to think. If still harbouring ambitions of the title, it wasn't good enough. Having beaten Utd and Chelsea so far, Arsenal needed to win this to stay within an ass's roar. Played middlin against limited opposition. Liverpool were clueless when one man up. Arsenal upped the tempo but with RVP holding a lone fort up front after Adebayor's dismissal and Fabregas on the treatment table, options were limited. Denilson was a bit better than normal. Diaby is lost. Djourou's mistake led to the goal. Nasri came into the game late on and could see why Liverpool were double-teaming him.

Disappointed that Liverpool seemed happy with a point from 20 mins out.

[GalwayBayBoy]

I'm not so sure that they sat back in the last 20 minutes rather than the remaining Arsenal players upped their game considerably and started working twice as hard. We had actually started the 2nd half in complete control of the game and the sending off seemed to give Arsenal a kick up the backside more than giving Liverpool a boost. Still we had the better chances but couldn't capatalize.

On the booking I thought Adebayor's second yellow was a booking alright. Nobody would have kicked up a fuss if it had been his first. He was unlucky with his first one though. Same as Keane.

[Gaffer]

See Ade on MOTD2.

He misses the Boxing Day game against Villa

HE'S OVER THE MOON!!!

He can ate and drink all he wants on Xmas Day

If you re gonna be suspended for a game or three , make sure its at xmas time.

Would say Cesc mightn't be overly bothered about being out for 3 weeks either!!!

[corn02]

I'm not so sure that they sat back in the last 20 minutes rather than the remaining Arsenal players upped their game considerably and started working twice as hard. We had actually started the 2nd half in complete control of the game and the sending off seemed to give Arsenal a kick up the backside more than giving Liverpool a boost. Still we had the better chances but couldn't capatalize.

On the booking I thought Adebayor's second yellow was a booking alright. Nobody would have kicked up a fuss if it had been his first. He was unlucky with his first one though. Same as Keane.

Good post.

Also, on Arbeloa, i want to change my statement. He did take a smack on the gob, but he did make a bit too much of it. Not a meal of it, but went a bit too easy.

[T Fearon]

Good to see Robbie on the score sheet, pleasing all Spurs fans as usual

Arsenal surely no longer deserve to be knwn as one of the so called Big Four

[AFS]

Arsenal's season officially over

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7794770.stm


Fabregas faces four-month lay-off

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has been ruled out for up to four months after rupturing knee ligaments in Sunday's Premier League draw with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old Spanish midfielder suffered the injury going for a 50-50 challenge with compatriot Xabi Alonso.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted he could now make a move for new players in the January transfer window.

"It is more likely but we also have internal solutions and we are not desperate," said Wenger.

"But we also have a small squad so we have to be realistic."

Fabregas hobbled off the pitch in obvious discomfort after going in for the challenge with Alonso at full stretch just before half-time in the 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

"The news is not good. It will take three to four months, we count four," added Wenger.

"He will be working hard to come back earlier but I count four months."

If Wenger's assessment is correct, Fabregas will be sidelined until late April, and would miss all but the last five or six of Arsenal's Premier League matches.

The Gunners are eight points off leaders Liverpool in fifth place, and face a key encounter with third-placed Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Fabregas will also miss the Champions League quarter-finals, if Arsenal get past Roma in the last-16 stage.

"We will miss him, of course, but how much is difficult to say," Wenger added.

"We have to find a way and we want to find a way to compensate the fact that he is not on the pitch to give everyone a bit more. I'm sure we can deal with it.

"When he comes back he can help us get over the line in the final months. I believe we are able to do it."

The Gunners are already without midfielders Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky, who are out until well into the new year.

Fabregas's injury leaves Wenger short of options and experience in midfield with Alex Song, Abou Diaby, Denilson and Aaron Ramsey likely to contest the slot left by the skipper.

Wenger is yet to decide who will take the captain's armband from Fabregas.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia took over when William Gallas was stripped of the captaincy and Fabregas was serving a suspension.

[ONeill]

A hammer blow.

2 months ago it looked like a bright 2009. RVP was injury free. Walcott was maturing. Eduardo and Rosicky were nearing the end of their time out. Toure was back.

Now it has gone tits-up with Walcott, Rosicky and now Fabregas. Arse-shaving might be arriving sooner than first thought.

[ONeill]

How predictable was that? This group of players, albeit supremely talented, have one hell of a brittle nature. When Arsenal were 2-0 up and pressing, RVP smacked one off the post. At that moment you knew the doubts would begin the surface...the fans felt it too. That's how fragile this side is. I long now for the days of Adams, Keown, Campbell, Vieira, Bergkamp, Pires etc who knew they could and probably would win every game. Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, RVP et al have their moments but just lack that bit of drive needed when the screw is being turned against you. How long can AW wait for this to mature whilst other sides are simply buying their way to the title at the start of every year with 2-3 ready-made winners?

To have beaten Man Utd and Chelsea, drawn with Liverpool and Villa having been ahead in both, shows that Arsenal have a side capable of great things. Unfortunately the lack of experience at key times in matches is killing them, coupled with moments of madness every other game from Gallas. Fairly disillusioning. You'd accept it if the players were mediocre.

[ONeill]

RVP on the bench, Bendtner preferred. Nothing less than 5-1 will suffice.

[Carmen Stateside]

Is that The watcher pats cousin right back?