Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[ONeill]

That was a massive win yesterday. The football played in the first half was the best I've ever witnessed from Arsenal and that includes the 2002 and 2004 seasons. As the BBC site said it mirrored the 70s Dutch football (hope not the same end results!). All 11 players played the ball on the ground, 1-2 touch football. Wonderful.

However, when Villa upped the work-rate in the second as O'Neill's teams tend to do, Arsenal struggled massively. I've never seen Wenger's men put under so much pressure right until the death and that includes the Utd or Liverpool games. Normally teams eventually tire against Arsenal after 70 mins. Villa were mightily impressive in this regard and I hope that defeat doesn't harm their confidence.

Good games from Sagna, Diarra, Hleb and Adebayor.

Newcastle on Wed night. I see Barton has upped the stakes with the crowd for this game. It'll be a cauldron though an early goal will quell that.

[Norf Tyrone]

That was a massive win yesterday. The football played in the first half was the best I've ever witnessed from Arsenal and that includes the 2002 and 2004 seasons.

Was a key game for the goons yesterday. I was hoping that Villa would highlight a brittle interior for Wenger's men but this doesn't appear to be the case. I didn't see the game, but on the radio, and in every forum/media outlet since they were drooling about the Arsenal performance.

Its difficult to know what will happen in the Spring during 'squeky bum' time but a tricky away victory ground out is one hurdle cleared IMHO.


C'mon the Geordies!

[Puckoon]

Superb result from arsenes boys yesterday. The ability to grind out results is what is setting them apart from the previous few years. The football in the first half was sublime, Ive never witnessed anything like it. Was a crunch fixture, and after O'Neills prediction of the seville result, it was imperative to bounce back yesterday.

[ildanach]

From arsenal.com

Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini have been ruled out of the trip to Newcastle on Wednesday.

The Arsenal squad left for Tyneside on Tuesday without FOUR international midfielders. Cesc Fabregas and Abou Diaby missed the 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday with hamstring and back injuries respectively. They will not be returning at St James' Park.

And during that morale-boosting victory in Birmingham, Hleb collected an Achilles/hamstring problem while Flamini fell victim to a recurrence of his thigh injury. Arsène Wenger will bolster his midfield by adding Denilson to his squad. He also has options in Lassana Diarra and Gilberto. However striker Robin Van Persie (knee) is still a couple of weeks away from a return.

"We have lost Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini from Saturday at Villa," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Tuesday afternoon. "We have no-one back so that's Diaby, Van Persie, Hleb, Flamini and Fabregas out for this game.

"At one stage we thought it was congested in midfield but now it looks bare," he joked. "But we still have quality players coming in there. We have Gilberto while Denilson is back after an injury. He is travelling with us. So we are very confident that we are still strong in the midfield."

Hleb and Fabregas are unlikely to be back for Arsenal's return to the North-East on Sunday at Middlesbrough however there is more optimism over the chances of Flamini playing at the Riverside Stadium.

i would go with  a 4 4 2, with sagna,kolo,gallas,clichy,walcott,diara,gilberto,rosiky,eduardo,adebayor.

newcastle are in a bad way at the back at the minute.Whoever i am always worried about a team who have agot a couple of bad beatings as the eventually have a lock out. 

[ONeill]

Hoping for:

Almunia
Sagna-Toure-Gallas-Clichy
Gilberto
Walcott Diarra Denilson Rosicky
Adebayo

[Galwaybhoy]

1-0 to the Arsenal after only 3 minutes.  Newcastle have it all to do.  I'd say Man Utd are worrying about Arsenal this year, bet they wish they could play as good as football as Arsenal...

[new devil]

Yes because we play such shit football

[Gabriel_Hurl]

As a Liverpool fan - I love watching them play - they are a far better team without Henry

[An Fear Rua]

Wan - Wan.

another non english signing by wenger?? what age is this one?

[redcard]

Wan - Wan.

another non english signing by wenger?? what age is this one?

Looks like he's ready to play himself 

[ONeill]

Worryingly, Arsenal forte of exhausting the opposition to submission in the second half has been missing v Seville, v Villa and now v Newcastle.

Happy with the point though. Breathing space. 

[Galwaybhoy]

Yes because we play such shit football

I never said they did.  Compleatly overated, I wouldnt say ronaldo, Rooney or Rio and a few others are hardly worth £15m.  They will do lucky to get forth this season.

[under the bar]

They will do lucky to get forth this season.

But they play in the Scottish 3rd Division?

Stop adding to the Galway drugs epidemic ye bone idle westerner!

[full back]

Thought the gooners started brightly but faded badly in the 2nd half & indeed Newcastle looked the more likely to get a winner. Arsenal miss Fabregas in the middle as when they were getting it tight there was no-one to put their foot on the ball & take control.
Good result overall

[Puckoon]

These are the points we cannot afford to lose, hopefully walcott can make a difference.