Well what a boost that will be for Arsenal, in finishing off their 2016 pre-season campaign with a grinding 3-2 victory over Manchester City.
Arsenal came up against fellow Premier League title rivals Manchester City in Sweden, in what was both club’s final fixture of their respective pre-season campaigns. It was a game that held many positives as well as a few negatives, but overall Arsenal can be pleased to have got one over their rivals right before the start of the new premier league campaign.
The game swung one way and then another, with City leading 1-0 at half time. Arsenal then turned it around and lead 3-1 in the final minutes before City pulled another goal back in rather sloppy fashion from Arsenal’s part.
Arsenal’s goals had creative instinct (as well as a plenty of luck on the third), whilst I think Manchester City’s second was a poor goal for Arsenal to concede. The defence switched off having thought that the game was done and dusted, and the back line allowed City to attack straight from the off. A small defensive lapse from Arsenal in the first half also gifted the run of Aguero to finish off in style.
Arsenal also wasted a number of good opportunities in the first half before City took the lead, with the Ox, Ramsey and Coquelin all having great chances to score. It seemed as if we were going to struggle with taking our chances once again, an issue that has been present at Arsenal for the last few years due to a lack of an out and out striker.
One major concern on Arsenal’s front is the injury to Gabriel, who had to be taken off the pitch in the final seconds with what seemed to be a very nasty injury. We will have to wait and see what the extent of the injury is to the Brazilian, but with Mertesacker already out for the long term, as well as Koscielny’s absence, will this latest injury finally force Wenger to make a move in the market?
Arsenal will take many positives from today’s performance and hopefully it gives the players a big boost ahead of the first game against Liverpool.
By AH
Euuuhhhh, nothing….!!
It means f**k all…!!
Liverpool trembled Barcelona and then got destroyed by Mainz…
Liverpool played B team against Mainz so their defeat doesn’t mean they didn’t perform well against Barca. They had two matches in two days so you can’t blame them.
@mall-gooner
Pool did not play their b team. But the intensity with which they played against Barca took a lot out of them. Playing again the next day didn’t help them none either…
We had to matches in 2 days we beat one 8 0 and the other 3 2 it could have been 5 nil easy but for the mistakes gabrial we conceded 2 and not being 100% but we hit the post
Pool played a B team, may be go and check who all played, I hardly knew 7-8 of them before. And it was 2 in 2 days
Pool did not play their B team!? Huh?
So the following indicates they played a strong lineup does it:
“Makeshift Reds torn apart …”
“The German named a much-changed starting lineup…”
“9 changes as Grujic & Origi start…”
Klopp: “The line-up was a compromise, we flew a few players in this morning…”
Why tell mall-gooner he is wrong when he is clearly right?
Arsenal truly do have the most ungrateful and “entitled” fans. Walcott scores a nice goal chipping Heart, Iwobi scores from outside the box and some say it doesn’t matter cause it was a friendly. If it helps the players grow in confidence it matters. Credit where credit is due. Arsenal played well and they won. Whether it is a friendly, community shield, under 21’s or Arsenal Ladies. It’s a victory and should be celebrated especially as many would have had doubts about the players who performed well in the game, namely Walcott.
I agree – nothing. But it didn’t go unnoticed on here how many gave it the “yeah, the 8-0 against a middling Norwegian team meant nothing but just wait until we meet City….blah, blah”.
what we learnt
Akpom is gonna become our main striker.
our defense will be terrorised by coutinho.
Another unbeaten pre season means no new signings
It depends a lot. Given the lack of height in our defense we may see Benteke given a shout. I don’t believe Coutinho will be the main threat to us because our DM are more than capable. Just hope they do their job properly.
If we look at the first half it was apparent we drastically need a striker. City are an attacking team and gave us lots of room. When we come up against crowded defences we will need a sharp opportunistic goalscorer. We do not have that. Yes we are a good footballing side, but with the present squad we could in no way win the league. Amazingly the Spuds bought Jansenn even though they have a top striker in Harry Kane. Sadly Wenger is deluded and history will no longer see him as a great manager. As Mourinho said it is now clear that Wenger is, and I quote, “a specialist in failure”. Gazidis and Kronke both gave the game away when they both said they were not going to spend.
All what we need is a fine tune and we learnt that from 8 nil encounter I still believe we need a striker and now we need a defender but even if we dont get any I still will support the Arsenal even though I know deep inside that MR wenger should have addressed the issue the weird thing is perhaps MR wenger addressed these issues by bringing in players from the academy such as chuba apkom
Nothing new really. Maybe it had been better to get beaten by a few goals, if that could make Wenger wake up. Our defence is still shaky, and our midfielders and offensive players don’t work hard enough to take the pressure off them. So we are looking at another season of the same. Occasional greatness followed by defeats to even mediocre teams, who easily can get balls into our penalty area.
typical arsenal performance….create tons of chances, miss a lot of them, concede stupid goals because of poor marking.
And we did all that without Giroud. It shows consistency
As I said before as well. You can’t make out much from pre-season as in last two pre-seasons also we performed well.
We are really sort at back and in front. Not sure if Wenger is planning to buy anyone as he answered to one of supporter “we have plenty of players.” when he inquired about Mahrez.
If that is the case then we will again be fighting for top 4
I am not blaming Liverpool?
I am just saying that there is nothing to read about us beating Man City.
Friendlies mean absolutely nothing.
I just hope more signings are coming our way (Yeah right!) because going as is, would suggest the players carrying this club again with Wenger watching powerless and tactically drain, lost and clueless (been as such for years anyway) and hoping for a top four ending (early exit in the CL, as usual, and a possible insignificant domestic cup).
You say friendlies mean absolutely nothing but I bet you would have had something to say if we had lost. I bet you would have commented on how apparent the need for new signings was if we had been destroyed by City.
Personally I was impressed that we held them off with the defenders we had available and the fact that Iwobi and Akpom got on the score sheet and beat an experienced goal keeper was a positive.
Everyone was saying that we were not being tested by beating Vikings and how Wenger hand picks easy opponents. Not only did we beat City but we beat a City team managed by Guardiola.
Here’s a thought why not support the team and give them some credit. Mourinho celebrated his Man U side beating Leicester in the charity shield which is a glorified friendly and their fans celebrated their success.
Some very nice football played at times, especially in the second half. We could have absolutely thrashed them, but for three to four players, missing each a glorious chance. We won though, and scored three, it was a nice little run out. If we had lost, it would have become a huge deal to some on here, so now they’ll nit pick player performance instead. I wanted the win, and Arsenal gave it to me, a team performance more so than individual headline grabbing. It was a little strange coming up against a Pep team without being completely dominated by possession. We showed some very good stuff, but now onto the challenge.
Pre-season results are meaningless, but pre-season isn’t.
It’s clear that our fitness levels are where we need them to be.
I’m neither unrealistic about our prospects this coming season, nor pessimistic about our prospects this coming season.
Arsenal have as much chance of success as any team.
I will continue to support, and show support for the team. No Matter What
Up the Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You’re a typical Specialist in failure fan! ?
And it’s because of the likes of you that our club has stagnated, under the leadership of Mr won’t -spend the -Wonger!
At least I’m not quoting the “odious One”.
I agree Arsenal have stagnated, but I disagree with persistent negativity.
Up the Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey fat boy…seem to recall you saying to everyone a few days ago that Viking meant fa and to wait for the city game…wrong again hey? Always the pessimist.
Some of you guys simply have your own agenda. It’s fa to do with supporting a club, but your bi polar preoccupation with Wenger and spending money. Leicester demonstrated the former is not the answer, us finishing above everyone bar Leicester proved it ain’t Wenger.
I’m with herbdog in so far as just being whinging fckuers, is just a pain in the arse.
What a load of b’s… People like him have caused the club to stagnate…really as I think you and your mates saw at the end of last season the much hoped for protests never materialised, in fact the paying fans said fu! No, the reality is it’s you the fat boy club and vocal minority, who wouldn’t recognise the Emirates other than from a postcard, that constantly, persistently, undermine the club and create a culture of pessimism and negativity.
What’s amusing, is that your voice and that of your moaning mates is an irrelevance. Wenger clearly pays no attention and the vast majority of fans who attend the Emirates don’t agree with you. It’s just meaningless cliche after cliche.
Why you, Soapy, Ramterta et al follow AFC is simply beyond me. You don’t get behind the team at any point. So what is the point….I probably know, but hey its your life.
Jesus ….when did followers of the reverend moon take over the arsenal fan base ….actually I’m with herbdog is fast becoming my favourite hashtag line for brainwashed corporatised and lobotomised zombie supporters who when they were alive actually wanted their club to win stuff but have come back to shuffle around the emirates on a Saturday afternoon as part of the living dead spitting venom at anyone who thinks we should be doing better and munching on their brain cells in the hope that this will bring back the glory days… Bruce Springsteen and George Romero please save us!!!
Fatboy Gooney – a typical ‘specialist in negativity’ fan!
I noticed you tried to diss me on the previous article. Must have mistaken me for someone else. Make sure you read the names properly next time before you launch blind attacks. As much as I want to diss you back I won’t lower myself to your standards. Joker!
Hi JAmerican, not dissing yo, just your lack of support and negativity.
Which I shall continue to call out.
Do you have anything positive to say about The Arsenal???????
Keep it up herbdawg… but this pessimists will never learn that they are just that.. pessimists and not realists.. and nobody likes pessimists 😉 well overly optimists are annoying too, but they just think that we are overly optimists but we also dont like everything.. but what’s a fan who doesnt want to enjoy a win?
Apart from Iwobi, nothing really! Walcott’s goal probably buys him another season, Ramsey was poor, so that’s his starting place assured, Gabriel got injured, so that’s a full-back at centre-back then, and we won the game, so clearly new signings aren’t a necessity.
What is certain is that supporters of teams with a realistic shot at the title are looking forward to kick off coz they have strengthened in several departments in the window …. That includes both Manchester clubs Leicester spurs and Chelsea … And arsenal … Well we are a bit stronger where we were already more or less okay … we are not prepared as both an attacking and defensive outfit and management is looking like a rabbit in the headlights …. And wenger there is an fing locomotive heading towards you …. So stop worrying about whether or not to,spend other peoples money and think of the fans for once
I agree we need at least 2 signings – but you could have cut and paste the old mantra about “everyone else has improved from any previous season”. Every frigging year the same line is trotted out. Must be pretty obvious by any objective analysis that half a dozen new players and £100M+ spend guarantees nothing. The pre-season noise about our doom and the new all conquering dynasties of United, City, Chelsea and Spuds last year was deafening.
Nothing!
We tend to do well in preseason and against Man City in particular.
Lord! The world know we need a striker and a center back for years that’s why other teams have been making it so difficult for us on the market when it comes to those players. Now with all the injuries we will have to pay even more money to get one and Lord Wenger hardly wants to spend big! Lord!
Alexis tries hard but is no striker – kept on drifting away from the box.
Gabriel and Holding very poor in defending and Holding was over playing like a kid. Makes me very nervous. I don’t know if the old fart sees this…
Walcott tried but not enough.
Cech – one word ‘FANTASTIC’
Ramsey – one word ‘PATHETIC’
All others just run of the mill, nothing special! Ox not far away from an injury..
Pool will be very happy seeing this AFC performance – rubbing their hands with Glee!!
Old fart will be preparing his after match spill in a board room with his yankee bosses…
I disagree with Mr Wenger in spending 34 Million on Xhaka and 120,000 per week in wages on a player who is very similar in style and age to Coquelin. Arsenal needed a defensive midfielder of the same mold of Arteta who control the flow of the game all around the pitch. Elneny is that player, Xhaka is a total waste of money.
With Welbeck out for virtually the whole season and Olivier Giroud looking pedestrian, that money should have been spend on a striker.
I can give you some jamaican high grade if you promise to leave the crack alone dwl.
Exactly! ?
And now…..Sit back and watch the mad frenzy panic buying kick in.
Pre Season Games mean a Big Fat NOTHING.
How is Xhaka playing?
Just a little twist/food for thought! What if Man City set-out to make us look good to fool Wenger into believing that he made the right decision not to buy any additional players before the season starts!!!
If they did that then in backfired them because now with Gabriel injured not even Wenger believes we are in good shape.
Jesus- if only read comments on hear you’d assume we got beat.
We must be the most miserable set of fans – still complaining after we win against one of European best teams, with arguable the worlds best manager, and a bottomless pit of cash
I’ll take the win – and be very happy about it thanks. More of the same please
Simon_MrMac. I think most of arsenal fans are interested in new signings than victory. First when arsenal won the first two preseason games, they said it was against mediocre teams. They were waiting to see manchester city disgrace us so they bark more criticism. Well, arsenal disapointed them by beating city in style. They forget teams spent over millions last season and still finished below arsenal.We need to support our team and be a little bit optimistic .
I think we looked promising going forward and shaky in the back. The Liverpool game could go anyway IMO. I have seen enough to believe we could win big, lose big or have a scoring draw.
Chances are we will lose though, given our CD situation. Guess he will have to pair Monreal with one of the young guys who are not ready or with Debuchy. Holding and Bielik have looked suspect to me even in friendlies.
Pep was right to ban junk food!