Emery’s Arsenal Get It Done?
The proof is in the pudding and it’s across the river to Selhurst Park to try and make it happen. Here are your line-ups:
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil, Iwobi, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Ramsey, Sokratis, Welbeck, Mkhitaryan, Lichtsteiner, Smith-Rowe.
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McArthur, Kouyate, Townsend, Zaha, Ayew.
Subs: Guaita, Meyer, Sorloth, Riedwald, Kelly, Puncheon, Schlupp.
I’ll be trying to describe the action as I see it on my TV screen. Please help me and keep the comments coming. What do we think of the line-ups? Xhaka at left back? Going for the big guns (Aubameyang) from the kickoff? Leno to continue in goal? Ozil, of course, gets the armband again. Give him the conductor’s baton and let him orchestrate more of those sumptuous goals from a week ago, I say, but then there are those who took that performance as an opportunity to tell us just how badly he’s disappointed. Too much winning? Probably.
Going for a (dirty?) dozen…
Let’s go ape-sh*t… Or at least bring your voice to the party and get in on the comments.
Go on then…
by 17highburyterrace
Bergkampesque 
Quick (2nd) coffee but I’ll be back for kick-off. Anybody to join me?…
Xhaka at left back is a scary thought, seeing as he will be contending with Townsend and/or Zaha. He will have to stay back a lot and be on top of his game. Hopefully, he’s had some time to get familiar with the role. How did both Monreal and Kolasinac get injured in the same period?
Coming on late on subject of this game and TA’s previous post. Looks like we are going to have to trust Giendouzi and Torreira to counter Palace’s big men, but with some good support and confident passing, nothing we can’t handle.
COYG!
Palace has only scored 5 goals in nine matches– and had been playing Zaha at CF lately.
Though today Zaha is at LW with Jordan Ayew at CF.
jw1
Hi ‘Eris… Glad to have you aboard…
Cheers Seventeenho. that is some bench we have there! 🙂
As half expected, Guendouzi gets a start – Elneny missing out which I hope is due to injury….
You too, J-Dub…
We have kick-off…
Eris, if we are able to dominate possession, then it would be more of Xhaka with the ball than without it. These days plenty is placed on “defending” with the ball.
Mo doesn’t seem in Emery’s plans, I fear, TA…
Little Torriera loses a couple balls early…as does Iwobi…No damage, however, but Zaha gets a FK working the ball near the center circle…
We’ve finally been pressing well these past couple weeks.
Hey PE… Seems we’ve got a few watching today… Nice…
Auba and Xhaka try and work in the left corner but nothing much doing as Ozil gets his first touch. Guendo seems very involved early…
Other end, Zaha wins a corner running at Mustafi, Bellerin blocking it behind…
Jordan Ayew is one the boys must not overlook as he is tenacious and can pick defenders’ pockets. We’ve weathered their early flexing of muscles and should soon start to dictate. Torreira has already intercepted twice and Zaha’s byline cross is blocked for a corner kick by Bellerin, who also heads away the cross for another.
Nice teamwork with Mustafi and Bellerin defending on a foray by Zaha on the left.
jw1
Some good defending by the Bells
Ayew gets the first yellow card for upending Lacazette as we attempted to counter.
Touche Eris.
YC for Ayew early.
jw1
Bellerin gets some hair to the corner to force a 2nd one which Leno grabs. Laca on the break forward wins a foul from Ayew…who gets a yellow for his trouble…
Our FK finds Holding’s head but it’s tame for Hennessey…
These kits make us look like… Man City…
OK, starting to work a bit of possession but Iwobi is loose with his touch and turn…
Kouyate is on his bike but Guendouzi has kept pace well and deflected his attempted cross, for an easy pick up by Leno.
Iwobi shoots high and wide after a decent one-two with Lacazette.
Some nice one touch work from CP but Bellerin breaks up their foray…
We look to be pressing just a bit from the front but CP have little trouble passing out of it. Kouyate bounces one off Guendo and into Leno’s hands… CP happy to let us get it into their half. Guendo goes down but Iwobi’s shot-cross isn’t close to anything…
Big spaces for CP… Townshend crosses and Zaha has all day to bring it down and shoot… Off the post…
And again we’re cut open but spared… Zaha to Townsend this time but wide… Big let offs both…
Got away with one there. Zaha hitting the base of the goal post. And another with Townsend missing the target from a cut back. We have to get back control.
Let me pause for a good watch.
Once again, Arsenal are luring their opponent forward, offering up opportunities…and riding our luck…
The sun is out in S. London… And we’ve got the ball… LT gets caught by Ayew but no 2nd yellow…
Ayew apparently doesn’t watch video (of Torreira).
One more and we’ll have a man advantage.
jw1
CP look (by far) the more dangerous team but we do enough to stop them down our end, first through Guendouzi, then Bellerin. Ozil whistled so they come again…
Iwobi steals back the ball after making a hash of a pass, only for Laca to shoot wide, inexplicably (from his positioning and form).
Dangerous looking FK hits nothing but turf… Offside flag up anyhow…
We move it up quickly and Lacazette does well to nick the ball off the CP defender. His left-footed attempt, however, isn’t nearly so good…
Tough touch by Laca– shoots wide with his left.
jw1
Bellerin needed too many touches and his shot is charged down quickly. We are getting chances now, too.
That was a good chance spurned…
And another… Bellerin is closed down in a very good spot… took too long trying to get it onto his right foot…
The ball was running away from Laca… was stretching. Commentators are so predictable .
The corner is taken short (and wasted) but we’re keeping pressure on them in their half and the bounces (as always, it seems) are starting to fall our way…
Candidate for ‘Worst Short Corner Taken’.
The envelope please?
Winners are: Lucas Torreira and Mesut Ozil!
jw1
Zaha wins another corner down our right side…
We try to break from it, but Laca’s pass can’t find Auba… Back our way, Townsend is wasteful and it’s back with Leno…
Playing it out of the back… not so smooth but we get it into their half before Guendo loses it…
Zaha wins yet another corner…
This one Leno punches but our break is stuttering…
Xhaka goes face to face with Kouyate after arms are flailed… The good news? Xhaka forced him out of play and the ball is back with us…
Well done by Xhaka– defending Kouyate’s run to the goal line.
jw1
Getting tetchy in MF…Little Torriera doesn’t get a call, but Xhaka is then whistled for his intervention…
From their FK we are able to defend well enough, a Xhaka pink-boot trying to set us on the break…
Again we lure them forward and again we try to move down their way… Iwobi forcing a ball into touch…
Mustafi dispossessed by Zaha but loses it back to Lacazette… Every touch seems contested right now…. We have a FK but it’s lofted and easy for Hennessey to claim…
Ref Atkinson is having to use his whistle… but, for the moment they’re in our favor…
Ozil and Bells work down the left, the latter using his left foot to cross and win a corner…
LT takes it but Atkinson whistles Laca for pushing down a CP guy…
“Every touch seems contested right now…. ”
And few calls for the over-enthusiasm CP is exerting in bodying-up our midfielders.
jw1
Nothing going forward down our left.
Xhaka looks a bit leggy at LB leaving a ball short for Auba… Back with us but we’re only working it around the center circle…
A bit of penetration and progress down our left but it ends with Laca left-booting it out of play and wide right…
Now, might have rather seen Welbeck there to start.
jw1
Ayew goes down theatrically in the corner of the box but Atkinson waves it off… Replay shows he’d left his foot behind to hit Mustafi… Outside the box at that…
Atkinson could have easily given a penalty for that trip on Ayew but must have deemed it a mere coming together. Mustafi needed to be more aware of the tricks there.
Some (more) tame possession…ends with Holding overhitting a long one to Xhaka…
If he felt it was Ayew trying to fool the Ref, then that should be a second yellow for him there, no?
Eris, he also could’ve given Ayew a 2nd yellow for simulation, I thought…
Atkinson is not a ref I’d prefer to have the fate of the match in his hands…
We lose another into touch on the left… Holding concedes a corner…
And from it, we concede a penalty… Looks harsh (to me) on Mustafi on the replay…
Eris–
Atkinson waved his hands palms up after the contact– to me indicating the contact was incidental.
This one, not so much.
jw1
Palace score from it… and we’ll go into the dressing room down a goal…
Our first pen conceded (this season), their first home goal…
What was the ball doing mostly in our half? We look devoid of ideas to attack.
HT–
That was a foul. In the box.
Again, Mustafi chooses to go to ground when a shot was not forthcoming immediately.
jw1
It didn’t look like much to me but Kayoute went down hard, the ball rolling harmless past…
Palace have played very well defending and contesting every ball. We have no width on the left and not as much as Hector usually gets on the right, either. Maybe a little imbalanced as we are. Not much contribution from Auba at all.
Harmlessly…I meant…
Yeah, JW, it did seem a not so smart kick out… How did Holding concede the corner in the first place… Gotta run more tape back…
Well, we need a(nother) 2nd half miracle… As per usual I don’t see where it will come from given that CP look pretty comfortable defending and now have the lead…
Perhaps we need Atkinson to giveth instead of taketh away…
Personally, I’d like to see, you know, some midfield play…but that’s something I feel every match…
I live about 7 miles from Crystal Palace and that rain is pretty cold. This looks like one of those games we have lost in the past because of the other team being more aggressive than us. Hope we can keep our run going in the 2nd half. I think Emery might need to make some changes fairly
quickly
Rambo 2nd half hat trick… ?
A bad decision from Mustafi.. I think we really need to bring Sokratis in.. for either Xhaka or Guendouzi.. and play with 3 CB..
A bad decision from the referee also.. first for not giving Ayew his second yellow card from diving.. Thing may have change a lot if Palace play with 10 man..
We’d bank on our 2nd half reputation. Xhaka is not producing any attacking threat at LB and we know about his defending. Id gamble on replacing Douzi by Xhaka and gamble Welbz at LB.
Hard to tell about the weather, Retsub… At times the sunlight looks awfully bright… Or maybe that’s just Arsenal getting exposed…
The team’s been plenty aggressive, I think, but upon a few looks, I must agree with JW…Mustafi was overly aggressive on the big CP player as he moved away from goal, allowing him to crumple dramatically upon contact and sell the penalty well…
And we continue the trend of not having led in any league game this season, going into half time. Xhaka is at risk of missing the next game should he get a yellow card today (hear he is on his 4th at this time). There may be an argument for why Auba is a better 2nd half substitute. He lacks fight when the opponents are on their game so, he avoids contact and usually goes for the easier option when he could take on his man with his pace and some trickery.
Let’s hope Emery has his usual 2nd half Renaissance or, we may have something other than a ‘W’ against our charts. Interestingly, it is reported our 12 game run of 2007 ended vs Liverpool on this day, in 2007 (not researched that, mind).
With Chelsea leading at Burnley, surely we know we have to match C.P for their work rate.
Bellerin out for Lichtsteiner?…
Torreira looks to have some starch taken out of him– by the 2-3 hockey body checks he took in the first half. He’s not turning with the ball upfield at all. I’d like to see some of that if only to have Ayew allow it– or pickup a 2nd YC.
jw1
He gets his first touch early but it looks iffy stumbling to get a pass back to Leno…
Good throw in from the Swiss guy…and we’re trying to break their lines, at least… Laca looking active across the front…
CP clear and we start again…
Henrychan seems to have the more likely idea for having a bit more bite. But for his heroics in the last game, I’d say Ozil off for Ramsey, as well. He’s being smothered too easily and isn’t finding the spaces he thrives on…. but, what do I know?
Iwobi thinks he’s won a corner but Hennessey holds it in…
We’re not quite opening with the dominance we showed after the break vs Leicester…
CP keeping it in our half, in fact..
Not a bad break there but Iwobi’s cross is defended… Torreira and Guendo did their part to get it forward…
LT fouled hard outside the corner of the box…
XHAKA!!!!!!
Top corner… Unstoppable… Pink boot right through it… Wow…
Great goal from Xhaka.. 1-1
What a belter by Xhaka. Boom xhakalacala!
Back level… but CP win another corner… We defend but Zaha retrieves but cannot replicate Xhaka’s top corner accuracy…
Decent move breaks down at Iwobi on the right, but here we come again… Traveling fans finding their voice…
Not sure of the wind direction, but a big clap of thunder nearby
Wow.
I’m about 4 mins behind after getting food at half.
Textbook set piece by Granit!
jw1
Lichtsteiner wins a corner…
AND WE SCORE FROM IT!!!!!
Oooh…looked like a handball from Laca….
Regardless, what a put in with his studs from Auba with no angle to work…
We’re back in front…and Laca nips another ball but LT gives it back…
Safe now with Leno but Zaha’s been a handful and we’re just getting the right touches to his crosses and play across the top of the box…
More replays of the handball, but what a poach from Aubameyang…stunning, I think…
Someone tel Mustaphi to keep on his feet plse
No.. Lacazette’s hand didn’t tall enough to reach the ball.. but still an unnecessary thing to do.. almost cost us..
An hour played and…we’ve got the lead… Can we keep it (or add to it)?….
Mustafi, cynically fouls…but at least it’s miles from our penalty area…
Can’t tell after 12 replays 5 angles… but expect the ref to make a call live, full speed.
Same here J– no telling. Though Henry is correct– If not? To what end?
jw1
Down our left corner, Holding puts a boot through it to clear… CP build again and Zaha and Licht look ready to trade blows… No cards and just a little talk with Ref Atkinson, who I still fear, has a role to play today…
From the FK Leno punches poorly but eventually, after work by Meyer which hits our post, we clear it…
CP pushing on us but we’re defending, LT doing a few interventions… Still a lot of game here…
Often unnoticed brilliance by Torreira, using his body.drawing the Xhaka free kick.
Iwobi makes a couple of defensive stops but CP build again…
Lichtsteiner blocks Zaha and Meyer fires over… They’re getting their chances…
Now we have the Sky/NBCSN version of PL VAR.
On the on-screen chyron it read just below:
Should Lacazette been called for handball?
Tweet response to #MYPLMORNINGS
God Save The Queen. 😉
jw1
Ozil out and he’s upset… Welbs in…
Torriera with a pair of assists today, I think, Jnyc… Unless Laca’s hand is awarded the 2nd…
CP building again but we’re working hard to defend… Laca and Auba and Iwobi all doing their parts… In the end they take a pot shot from 35 yards…
Whoa, the goal line technology shows that our 2nd was in by millimeters…
Xhaka taking his time with a throw in…
Xhaka and LT force Zaha and Townsend out of our box for another throw…
Xhaka with some dogged tag-team defending with Douzi wins a throw off of Townesend.
jw1
Whatever Mustafi has is contagious.
Auba with a slide tackle in CP’s end.
jw1
Finally, a bit of the ball is in their half… We work it across the top of the box but never with any real control…
Mustafi plays back to Leno and Welbeck wins the big boot…
Iwobi takes a shot but it deflects not too far wide….
From the corner they clear and LT misses a touch… No harm from a CP FK soon afterwards…
They’re having some trouble playing out but Lichtsteiner is whistled…
Holding looks like it’s his arm but it’s just his hip…
Auba out, Rambo in… that’s all three subs, I’m pretty sure…
Ramsey on for Auba.
jw1
Immediately Rambo looks well placed to run the break, but his pass is just too long for Laca…
Licht finally gets his yellow for his “work” on Zaha…
FK from wide is cleared to Van Aarnholdt who tries to shoot… but it’s wide of the corner flag and actually out for a throw…
End to end…
and it ends with a Penalty… Xhaka bamboozled by Zaha…
2-2
Leno guessed right but it had a lot of power… Replay shows Xhaka was nutmegged but pulling his leg back as Zaha dived over it…
CP on the front foot and thinking they can take full points…
But Welbs defends and breaks with it… Iwobi gets into their box but they defend and it’s back down our end…
It’s all about conning Atkinson, it appears, for the CP guys at least…
Mustafi defends a bouncer with his head…and then his foot into touch… Van Aarnholt shoots not quite as wildly but it’ll still be a goal kick for Leno…
Xhaka got left on an island with Zaha. Should not have occurred leading 2-1 at 80′.
jw1
Kouyate out, Puncheon in… 89th minute…
We get some touches in their half and Xhaka almost finds Rambo’s head at the near post… That looked a real chance…
Xhaka crosses to Ramsey– who mistimes the header.
Possibly our best chance late.
jw1
4 mins added
jw1
We build again… Xhaka bullied off the ball by Townsend but still gets the throw… LT wins another very central but pretty far out…Xhaka to take it…
I wouldn’t have gone for goal there
Lightning does not strike twice…and neither does Granit…
2 of the 4 minutes played…
Late FK to be lofted in by Xhaka but it’s defended and Palace will have one after Guendo gives a good professional foul and gets yellow…
From it, CP are offsides…
Full time, finishes 2-2…
Four set piece goals… MOTM = Atkinson?…
Seriously we were too static in attack. Without a proper left back we were lacking in left flank build up play and the second penalty is way too soft. Motm? Zaha and his dives.
For me it is 2 points lost and not a point gained. We had a chance to move away from spuds with a win but we are trailing behind chavs 3 points. And 5 points off the top.
Never a pen , but then again Lacazette did a Maradona. I. Think it was a fair result overall and last season we would have lost it. A day for the engine room of the team today . Thought holding was probably our best player, along with Torreira.
.
A draw seems a fine result after a kick-about of this sort… 22 points from 24 between playing the top teams…to me, seems pretty much incredible…
CP dominated in terms of chances and dangerous possession, I’m pretty sure, but we battled (which is what we “never” did under Wenger)…and they had to rely on the whistle… Of course we couldn’t score from open play either…So…
…Not a lot of (what I would call) football played to inspire confidence for hosting Pool…
In my opinion…
Wife’s up, more espresso to be pulled… Over to y’all…
Well.
As usual. 🙄
I’m going to blame Mustafi– for both pens actually.
But I’ll wait for the review to explain.
jw1
Excellent live blog and follow up comments 🙂
Well done HT. Yours is a feat that is well beyond me.
My MOTM Lucs Torreira.
Good job to sustain the Live blog, lads. At some point, I was too nervous to be typing and watching. A fair result, if unwanted, it must be said. It was a right battle and if there is a positive for me, it is that we have not shrank away from the physical side of the game. We can only wish CP would give it a similar go whenever our rivals come visiting. As it stands, they’ve already lost to Liverpool, who are the only top 4 team to have visited them this season.
There will be time to put more analysis in; now, to watch the El-Classico which is 2-0, Barcelona at half time. It’s 0-0 at Old Trafford 20 minutes in.
New Post 🙂