Sure, because Bayern will just let us do that.
Ox with a killer cut back for Podolski makes it 2-0 after the restart! The Ox is having a MOTM performance.
As the game goes on Sanogo still looks like raw talent. Good movement, not heaps of pace, but super strong, I'd say stronger than Giroud. Winning lots in the air but has had a lot of passes/crosses/cut backs cut out.
Also we're up to 5 yellow cards so far with the tackles coming thick in fast, the Ox has drawn 2 from Liverpool being dragged down on the counter attack.
Podolski hero to villan giving away a cheap penalty against Suarez. Gerrard slots home on 'favorite side' according to commentators, Fabianski goes the other way. 2-1 and it's a little nervy again...need that 2 goal lead back.
Flappyianski had a *moment* and agger got a free header on goal, everyone expected it to go in but it went wide!
Sanogo's had a poor 2nd half, he got put in Skrtel's pocket and couldn't win a ball in the air. In fairness to him Skrtel wasn't playing fair with arms all over him but Webb wasn't giving him any relief.
Rode our luck before our goal, some great saves from fab and some excellent last ditch interventions from each one of our back four at times. Fabianski had a great game, loved seeing him so excited at the end there. Sounds like he's outta here but if we somehow managed to convince him to stay I'd be very very happy with our top two keepers. Both of them have really improved in the last 2 seasons.
Took our chances beautifully. Sanogo looks very very raw but I love his strength. Agger couldn't deal with him at all, lost his rag on numerous occasions. The two air-swings were a bit of a worry LOL - although his blocked volley that led to the first goal gave a suggestion that he does perhaps have some technique under there!
We blocked up the middle compared to last week but we still got done on the flanks. Podolski's lack of defensive nous definitely made things hard for Monreal, but I still felt he had a good game despite suarez/coutinho pinging balls over him for the wide runs all day.
101greatgoals always deliver... highlights plus gifs and clips of all sorts of things from the match here;
https://www.101greatgoals.com/goals/england/arsenal-v-liverpool-team-sheets/
And good quality highlights will be posted here, probably not til overnight tonight though;
great result for a decidedly average performance
luck was rode for sure
how Ox got away with the hit on Suarez defied belief. And 2 minutes later Gerrard was somehow spared an early bath.
Ox, Fab, Flamini all good. Carzola should of scored and Podolski blotted his copybook with the penalty.
Like our second goal, nice football. Overall Liverpool were better though. I tend to agree with Buffy, it'll be a caning on Thu morning if we don;t lift dramactically for Bayern.
E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
How would you play against Bayern?
I imagine we'd be looking at something like:
Szy
Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Flamini Arteta
Ox Ozil Cazorla
Giroud
However Wilshere/Podolski are pushing for starts, and Rosicky/Sanogo/Ramsey (if he's back) would be good options from the bench.
How would you play against Bayern?
I imagine we'd be looking at something like:
Szy
Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Flamini Arteta
Ox Ozil Cazorla
Giroud
However Wilshere/Podolski are pushing for starts, and Rosicky/Sanogo/Ramsey (if he's back) would be good options from the bench.
I reckon Wilshere will start ahead of ox.....rambo is still about 3-4 weeks away :(, dont think people have mentioned how much of a huge loss he has been
go gunners
He's been a huge loss hasn't he. Ramsey and Walcott both would be handy players to have had available in recent times.
I don't know brumbys, I'm not a huge fan of Flamini and Arteta together. I know in the recent FA Cup game vs 'pool they did a job, but we sat a lot deeper than we normally would, more of a 4-4-1-1 than when it's usually a 4-2-3-1 and then the combination of them two seems to just be up to not much. I like it in theory, and it should work, but we just seem to move forward to much slower.
But then who would I choose if it were one over the other? I don't know. Flamini and Wilshere would be a bit of fun, one doing the dirty work, the other driving us forward in midfield a bit more than Arteta would. But his ball retention has been a bit crap recently. And with those two in there, you'd fancy some cards to come out. Arteta and Wilshere? Maybe not as much fight? Again, I don't know, I just feel that in this game Arsenal will need to do something different to take Bayern by surprise, otherwise it will be business as usual for them.
That point of difference would look something like this to me:
Flamini Wilshere
Ox/Gnabry Ozil Cazorla
Giroud
Ox or Gnabry told to play off the shoulder of their defence meaning they don't come too far forward / we can counter over the top.
rambo has been a huge loss
Arteta is suspended for this game, wilshere is probably a certainty to start in the middle with flamini unless he's still got a niggle
Often in big european games wenger will go for rosicky on one flank, but that could make us a bit too one-dimensional if cazorla is on the other flank. Need some pace in there, perhaps the Ox, but to be honest I'd go for podolski's experience in a game like this...
Szczesny
Sagna-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs
Flamini-Wilshere
Cazorla-Ozil-Podolski
Giroud
That seems pretty solid to me. A lot about these bayern ties will come down to our defence. We can score from anywhere on our day, but can we stop them from scoring? Tough ask.
we were posting similar stuff at the same time hawkwasp (can i call you that? lol)
Arteta is suspended for this game so argument is a tad redundant, but the flamteta axis is an interesting topic, found these stats earlier today which surprised me;
Haha, you sure can Paul. That is interesting, thanks for sharing. I wouldn't have thought that was the case, but without really any reasonable consideration to facts.
Also had no idea Arteta is out, so yeah, hopefully Wilshere is fine and that will be our central midfield combination.
Throw in Podolski and hope all the Germans fire for us? We certainly could do with clinical shooting, I just worry about being too boxed in without some genuine width / pace.
I'm still not convinced Cazorla and Ozil have really clicked with each other, how does everyone else feel about that? When Ozil arrived, we were expecting fireworks, then better give them some time, but now.. we don't have the Cazorla we once had, or the Ozil he is capable of being (still aware he needs Theo back in his life).
Personally I would like to see the stats between when Flamini plays and when he doesn't. Arteta struggles defensively without Flamini next to him.
Personally I would like to see the stats between when Flamini plays and when he doesn't. Arteta struggles defensively without Flamini next to him.
great call
i for one am a huge fan of flamini and think when fully fit it should be he and rambo in those two midfield berths
I was struggling to sleep last night, and ended up watching the 7-5 win over Reading. What a crazy game that was.
Big game this morning, big game tomorrow. Hopefully we can limit Bayern tomorrow and leave the tie open for the 2nd leg.
Must say I'm a big fan of the Germans at the Arsenal. They bring a lot of enthusiam and passion, not to mention they are always up for a laugh as your article above points out.
Agree Ramsay and Flamini are our best 2 in front of the back 4.
Watching the game tomorrow at the Celtic Club in Melbourne if any gooners reading are about over here
I really love our germans too
I really hope Poldi is happy and is persuaded to stick around despite not being in our strongest eleven, he's a real character and it's quite clear he brings the squad together with his great attitude.
surprises in the starting lineup... sanogo retains his place!
All i can say is giroud must really be in trouble for breaking team protocols or whatever. Silly silly boy. He was still tweeting last night too, claiming he didn't commit adultery or something. Stupid distraction to a very important phase of the season, giroud needs a slap upside the head. It's not like he can afford to giggs it up when he's our best striker only because we couldn't find a better one in the last two transfer windows.
Also what has bendtner done? I felt like he'd put his head down and was working for some starts. He's looked ok when he has played. Yet a raw sanogo has seemingly overtaken him...
Anyhow here are the lineups;
Szczesny
Sagna-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Gibbs
Flamini-Wilshere
Ox-Ozil-Cazorla
Sanogo
Bayern; Neuer, Dante, Thiago, Martínez, Mandzukić, Robben, Boateng, Götze, Lahm, Alaba, Kroos.
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