Yes it was clearly offside, but made no difference to the result. Bring on the next game (Bournemouth).
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The 2018-2019 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
- Start date
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Liverpool look strong and confident.
Re Arsenal, really, I think it is something akin to the same situation as Chelsea and indeed, West Ham: A new manager, a new system, some new players and the need for around a year to allow the system, players and manager to bed in and blend in well together.
Both Klopp and Guardiola took well over a year to be able to blend what they had (and were able to skilfully acquire elsewhere) into a formidable team.
I would expect the same from Arsenal this year - a steep learning curve, and the need to banish some horrid old brittle habits.
Arsenal will do well to retrieve a point from today's game - winning it would be most unexpected, and - frankly - extremely unlikely.
[doublepost=1534091283][/doublepost]Damn.
But a necessary and salutary lesson: About gulf in class, about defending, about playing coherent, cohesive football.
"Systems" managers like Guardiola or Klopp take longer to get going than "firefighter" managers like Mourinho or Allardyce. If Emery is more of the former, it will take a full season or more before you really see his ideas being implemented the way he intends. Emery's job this term is really just to keep things together enough to buy himself time to get his system working next season or the season after. This isn't going to be an instant transition.
I'd say that, barring some sort of total disaster, we need to hold our judgment on Emery this season and give him a chance to bed in.
Clearly I do not know as much as I thought, about football.
Well, at least there are still 37 games to go, and Arsenal can do and get better.
Well, at least there are still 37 games to go, and Arsenal can do and get better.
Agree completely; transforming that team will take - at an absolute minimum - a year, - and, given Klopp and Guardiola's achievements, more likely two or three years to get a new system smoothly operating, and effortlessly internalised.
But, it is a salutary wake-up call to the "Wenger Out" brigade, that salvation will not and cannot come immediately; it is also a useful reminder to fans and players of the gulf in class that currently exists between the top two teams (Manchester City and Liverpool) and the chasing pack.
Personally, I think Arsenal and Emery will do well - very well - to take fourth place this year, and yes, it will be a long haul, and he will need both time and tolerance to do it.
It is also useful for him to see how what he has to work with actually perform on the pitch.
Kevin de Bruyner out for up to 6 months. I might have to rethink my Premier League prediction, as he is the catalyst at Man City.
I still think they will be there or there abouts, but I'm sure Klopp is happier for the news.
I still think they will be there or there abouts, but I'm sure Klopp is happier for the news.
Hm, a source (the Guardian) that I read last night suggested three months, while today''s Telegraph thinks four, rather than six.
Either way, it is a considerable blow for City.
While I still think they are the best team in the division, and would consider that they have an excellent chance to claim the title again, I do not see them (even before de Bruyne's injury) as likely to do so with one hundred points in the bag.
When fantasy teams meet the real world......
However, while it is very unfortunate for De Bruyne (and City), that, along with the improved Liverpool squad, virtually guarantees a genuine contest for the Premiership title this year.
However, while it is very unfortunate for De Bruyne (and City), that, along with the improved Liverpool squad, virtually guarantees a genuine contest for the Premiership title this year.
Ouch.
Arsenal.
Well, at least Mr Emery is seeing first hand what the team he inherited is capable of, and - for that matter - not capable of (such as defending).
Something tells me that there will be quite considerable changes over the coming weeks in the composition of the Arsenal team.
Arsenal.
Well, at least Mr Emery is seeing first hand what the team he inherited is capable of, and - for that matter - not capable of (such as defending).
Something tells me that there will be quite considerable changes over the coming weeks in the composition of the Arsenal team.
We forget that Pep Guardiola, and Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp all took a few years to build and craft their teams into something resembling what and where they wish them to be.
Unai Emery will need at the very least a season to begin to address the defensive rot and psychological brittleness that have attended Arsenal performances for the past while.
And, despite the summer purchases, he needs to give the established players a try-out, a chance, an opportunity to prove themselves, to let them see if they can perform (or not, as the case may be) so that when the time comes to jettison them, or ease them out, they have little excuse or argument against such a decision.
Of course, he needs to build a fresh team, and from the back, but this is a process that could well take the best part of least a season or two.
Or - equally candidly - we could be 6-2 down.
Iwobi, obviously.
Nevertheless, missing open goals is not something to be encouraged. Indeed, it would be preferable to have them converted.
A work in progress.
Actually, Arsenal have a lot of work to do. Defensively, in front of their own goal, and - offensively and in terms of actually hitting their target in front of their opponent's goal.
An exciting match. Both Chelsea and Arsenal fans have plenty of ammunition for both positive and negative assessments here. Both teams can be said to be in some form of rebuilding stage, and have some obvious vulnerabilities, but both have played good football at times here.
Arsenal really drew the short straw when it comes to the fixture schedule. They just need to dust themselves off, get a few wins against lesser opposition, and try to build some momentum.
Arsenal really drew the short straw when it comes to the fixture schedule. They just need to dust themselves off, get a few wins against lesser opposition, and try to build some momentum.