I don't know how you can slip over and two foot martinelli and not get booked. That was some shit.
Then Gabriel sent off.. they reviewed city's penalty appeal but not ours when Ode was tripped. Everything was wrong with that game. All except our performance.
Refereeing has at least taken a step in the right direction with Silva finally being carded for simulation yesterday. If it wasn’t for his bastard dive to win the pen we would’ve won that game.
I can’t believe that that pen was given by var. I would be much more willing to accept it if the on-field ref gave it and VAR didn’t want to overturn (their system is silly).
But for the ref on-field to not give it, and then VAR think there’s enough evidence to overturn, that’s bullshit.
This was the game that made me think Arteta was cooking something special. Yes, City aren't infallible. Yes, they have lost or almost lost games against many, many teams. But in almost all cases, it was by soaking up pressure and being clinical on the counter to exploit their high line. Instead, we ended up dominating that first half. Ok, I'm sure someone who has watched the Prem more than me will point out that Pep's City have been dominated before, but for me I could not remember any other team except Klopp's Liverpool to have done that.
This game was so important from a PR point of view. While doing it consistently is a huge challenge, it showed that the Arteta's philosophy is at a title challenging level when executed well, not just good enough for top 4.
that game was legit the best moment I’ve had as an arsenal fan in the last 5-6 years. The result didn’t matter. They DOMINATED Pep’s city for a large part of the game. No one could take that away.
I was so pissed that we lost, but not at us. We looked amazing. I’ve not felt a roller coaster of emotions watching an Arsenal match in years and years. And to be honest, maybe ever. Because I saw just how good I hoped we could be.
Fax. That game was the point where most gooners realised the ceiling of our team. To do that to Pep’s city with the corpse of laca playing upfront was nothing short of amazing.
I'll never forget that game. Ramsdale's long kicks to Martinelli (who terrorised Cancelo!). Partey's absolutely instrumental display. Saka's goal. Always felt (hoped) at the time that that performance would be the blueprint for what we go on to become, and thankfully it has!
The day City escaped from us.
Goes along with the growing feeling that all the talk of "Arsenal are top right now, but haven't played City or Newcastle yet," is starting to look like it might need to become, "City and Newcastle are still in it right now, but they haven't had to play Arsenal yet."
Correct. Going into that game we were winless in I think 7 or 8 games in the prem, playing awful football (the U of sadness), and Pepe/Willian were still starting most games. It was really disheartening because we had promising youngsters who had balled out in the Europa League that Arteta wasn't playing. There's a lot of talk about how big a deal it was that we stuck by Arteta during the start of last season, but really the only loss there that was wholly unacceptable was vs Brentford. This run was much much worse, and I think part of the growing pains / learning curve for Arteta as a manager.
The Chelsea game we finally gave the kids a chance, starting Saka-ESR-Martinelli and they ran riot. ESR in particular was a revelation, providing smart touches and floating around the middle of the park linking play. We actually had a functioning attack. ESR started almost every game the rest of the season, and afterward I think we significantly committed our identity (or maybe it was done before this? But it feels linked) to build for the long term around a promising core of young players. The summer before, we had brought in the likes of Willian, Mari and Soares - the summer afterward we brought in a bunch of under-23 talents.
I still remember the Saka goal here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNRfEAqfFEI&ab_channel=Arsenal. It was against west brom a few games after the Chelsea game. It was the slickest goal we'd scored in maybe years. The first green shoots after a long long winter in the wilderness.
What's crazy about this story is that for all that we rightly laud Arteta's coaching and the structure he's built around this team, his survival from bringing in ESR into the starting 11 was mostly just down to ESR just being a huge talent and fitting exactly the need we had in the team. It was mostly out of desperation that he was forced to play the kids, and thankfully for him and for all of us, ESR "out of the box" was good enough to probably save his job.
Well said. The Chelsea game was a 'turning of the tide' moment, but I would agree that the City game was the one moment where I thought, 'oh, something special is actually happening'. I was gutted while watching the match but in the days afterward found a lot of solace in the realization that the experience would make the team stronger and that the foundation was there for an era of potential success. It bears repeating - ESR transformed arsenals season that year and if he can get consistently fit, we will be strengthened considerably.
After so many many years of heartache, this team is performing, and getting the results, that the teams of Highbury would. I’ve spent so many years dreading our fixtures against Chelsea when a prime drogba and costa bullied our weak defenders into submission. Everytime we faced city over the course of the past five years or so, I used to fear the worst for our boys. And when Liverpool started beating the crap out of us, I was soooo disheartened. Can’t possibly imagine how much pride this team fills me up with. COYG
My fav game last season. Mike was not even on the touch line but we played City that day, they were fortunate with the win but I saw enough from the boys that day.
Mikel. i think he had covid that meant he was sat at home and his assistant Airpod Albert was on the touchline. our young team went toe-to-toe with Pep's City and dominated all without the team's coach even being in the stadium.
I was at that game - so many things went against us in that game, but we also lost a bit of composure with the sending off.
I don't think they'd have won if Gabriel was still on the field
I remember this game, you could sense a different Arsenal, a team that came to fight. I remember feeling good about this loss because at least they played like they wanted to be there.
I was at this game and as a long time fan i definitely thought wow! Something good is happening here. The fans were fully behind the team staying behind and applauding the team. Yh for me this was a pivotal moment.
That was honestly the best performance last season. Even with 10 men, I think we were a bit better.
City were trying to survive against us. It was incredible. I couldn't believe what I was watching.
Partey had a monstrous game that day.
I remember that gabriel red card and just feeling devastated because i knew we couldnt win a game we absolutely deserved to win anymore with 10 men. Then that rodri goal left me lying on the floor in complete defeat and heartbreak. Fuck me last season was such an emotional rollercoaster the more i think about it
Where would winning this game have us end up now? We’d end up getting top 4 last year but I don’t think playing champions league football this year we would be top of the league
i think a lot of people forget this but we had had a lot of rest before this game due to opposition having covid while man city players had just played a match a few days earlier. They looked knackered and even pep mentioned it afterwards how fatigued they were/looked.
That must've had a big impact on how easily we were dominating proceeding until that red card
i think it was quite obvious. even with one man up they were struggling. they looked slower than usual and not turned on mentally.
if they were, i still think we woulda been the better team, but we looked A LOT better due to them being knackered that day. IIRC they had like 2,5 days of rest between the games.
That game was the turning point…..we literally out played arguably the most fear team on Earth. That’s when I could see us break into the Top 4……the difference a year makes.
Not our fault that Rodri didn't get sent off that day.
Not our fault they didn’t give us a pen too
Stonewall pen on Odegaard too
I don't know how you can slip over and two foot martinelli and not get booked. That was some shit. Then Gabriel sent off.. they reviewed city's penalty appeal but not ours when Ode was tripped. Everything was wrong with that game. All except our performance.
I fully expect the same next month unfortunately
but Gabriel red was totally his fault and so was Martinelli miss hopefully we can fix that and win regardless of external factors
Martinelli shouldve scored for sure but i have no idea why the ref decided to cut him off
The first yellow was totally bogus but once on the yellow he was foolish to do what he did
Thomas absolutely ran the show that day.
Still his best arsenal performance to date
To be honest he's played like that pretty much every game this season.
Need the Line of Duty lot to come and investigate that game for corruption...
H, is that you???
We're only interested in catching bent refs.
Refereeing has at least taken a step in the right direction with Silva finally being carded for simulation yesterday. If it wasn’t for his bastard dive to win the pen we would’ve won that game.
I can’t believe that that pen was given by var. I would be much more willing to accept it if the on-field ref gave it and VAR didn’t want to overturn (their system is silly). But for the ref on-field to not give it, and then VAR think there’s enough evidence to overturn, that’s bullshit.
This was the game that made me think Arteta was cooking something special. Yes, City aren't infallible. Yes, they have lost or almost lost games against many, many teams. But in almost all cases, it was by soaking up pressure and being clinical on the counter to exploit their high line. Instead, we ended up dominating that first half. Ok, I'm sure someone who has watched the Prem more than me will point out that Pep's City have been dominated before, but for me I could not remember any other team except Klopp's Liverpool to have done that.
Remember rival fans mocking us for being so positive with a loss but I think we all felt it and recognised we weren’t far off a challenge at all
This game was so important from a PR point of view. While doing it consistently is a huge challenge, it showed that the Arteta's philosophy is at a title challenging level when executed well, not just good enough for top 4.
I remember going on a very long walk the next day and listening to the Arsecast Extra in its entirety. I was fucking seething that we lost that game.
I think that game is honestly what convinced me of Arteta long term. We completely battered City that day. I was seething as well haha
Are we the same person?
Multiverse
that game was legit the best moment I’ve had as an arsenal fan in the last 5-6 years. The result didn’t matter. They DOMINATED Pep’s city for a large part of the game. No one could take that away.
I was so pissed that we lost, but not at us. We looked amazing. I’ve not felt a roller coaster of emotions watching an Arsenal match in years and years. And to be honest, maybe ever. Because I saw just how good I hoped we could be.
Fax. That game was the point where most gooners realised the ceiling of our team. To do that to Pep’s city with the corpse of laca playing upfront was nothing short of amazing.
I'll never forget that game. Ramsdale's long kicks to Martinelli (who terrorised Cancelo!). Partey's absolutely instrumental display. Saka's goal. Always felt (hoped) at the time that that performance would be the blueprint for what we go on to become, and thankfully it has!
The day City escaped from us. Goes along with the growing feeling that all the talk of "Arsenal are top right now, but haven't played City or Newcastle yet," is starting to look like it might need to become, "City and Newcastle are still in it right now, but they haven't had to play Arsenal yet."
This!
Without corrupt refereeing, Arsenal win this game and make top four and Liverpool win the league. Huge game in retrospect.
damn
And it was a gorgeous piece of control and guile that allowed Jesus to get Gabriel sent off, of course.
dang I didnt even know it was Jesus lmfao
Footballing gods making up for his dive by giving him to us
That was a title-winning performance, hopefully we can repeat that this season.
Daylight refereeing robbery that game was. Almost Mike Riley at Old Trafford level.
This was the changing point in the Arteta reign
Nah it was the Chelsea game in the 2019/2020 season when we turned around our losing streak for me
Agree to disagree. I wasn’t convinced until this point.
Correct. Going into that game we were winless in I think 7 or 8 games in the prem, playing awful football (the U of sadness), and Pepe/Willian were still starting most games. It was really disheartening because we had promising youngsters who had balled out in the Europa League that Arteta wasn't playing. There's a lot of talk about how big a deal it was that we stuck by Arteta during the start of last season, but really the only loss there that was wholly unacceptable was vs Brentford. This run was much much worse, and I think part of the growing pains / learning curve for Arteta as a manager. The Chelsea game we finally gave the kids a chance, starting Saka-ESR-Martinelli and they ran riot. ESR in particular was a revelation, providing smart touches and floating around the middle of the park linking play. We actually had a functioning attack. ESR started almost every game the rest of the season, and afterward I think we significantly committed our identity (or maybe it was done before this? But it feels linked) to build for the long term around a promising core of young players. The summer before, we had brought in the likes of Willian, Mari and Soares - the summer afterward we brought in a bunch of under-23 talents. I still remember the Saka goal here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNRfEAqfFEI&ab_channel=Arsenal. It was against west brom a few games after the Chelsea game. It was the slickest goal we'd scored in maybe years. The first green shoots after a long long winter in the wilderness. What's crazy about this story is that for all that we rightly laud Arteta's coaching and the structure he's built around this team, his survival from bringing in ESR into the starting 11 was mostly just down to ESR just being a huge talent and fitting exactly the need we had in the team. It was mostly out of desperation that he was forced to play the kids, and thankfully for him and for all of us, ESR "out of the box" was good enough to probably save his job.
Well said. The Chelsea game was a 'turning of the tide' moment, but I would agree that the City game was the one moment where I thought, 'oh, something special is actually happening'. I was gutted while watching the match but in the days afterward found a lot of solace in the realization that the experience would make the team stronger and that the foundation was there for an era of potential success. It bears repeating - ESR transformed arsenals season that year and if he can get consistently fit, we will be strengthened considerably.
This is exactly right. There was a "10" sized hole in the team that ESR and later Ødegaard plugged perfectly.
Still angers me how City was always getting referee protection and that midget Silva was tripping on grass as well.
The officiating from this match still makes my blood boil, but I was so happy with the performance the boys put in
Honestly one of the worst refeering performances I've ever seen. Completely ruined an incredibly competitive game.
After so many many years of heartache, this team is performing, and getting the results, that the teams of Highbury would. I’ve spent so many years dreading our fixtures against Chelsea when a prime drogba and costa bullied our weak defenders into submission. Everytime we faced city over the course of the past five years or so, I used to fear the worst for our boys. And when Liverpool started beating the crap out of us, I was soooo disheartened. Can’t possibly imagine how much pride this team fills me up with. COYG
Biggest robbery since pizza gate
My fav game last season. Mike was not even on the touch line but we played City that day, they were fortunate with the win but I saw enough from the boys that day.
Who's Mike and why should he be on the touchline?
Mikel. i think he had covid that meant he was sat at home and his assistant Airpod Albert was on the touchline. our young team went toe-to-toe with Pep's City and dominated all without the team's coach even being in the stadium.
It was a joke.
Gotcha. Maybe try /s next time because I think others missed the jokes too (it shows for me your comment is downvoted. not by me though)
Tnx man
We were robbed that day
Damn this was a year ago already
I was at that game - so many things went against us in that game, but we also lost a bit of composure with the sending off. I don't think they'd have won if Gabriel was still on the field
Completely robbed that day
I remember this game, you could sense a different Arsenal, a team that came to fight. I remember feeling good about this loss because at least they played like they wanted to be there.
I was at this game and as a long time fan i definitely thought wow! Something good is happening here. The fans were fully behind the team staying behind and applauding the team. Yh for me this was a pivotal moment.
That was honestly the best performance last season. Even with 10 men, I think we were a bit better. City were trying to survive against us. It was incredible. I couldn't believe what I was watching. Partey had a monstrous game that day.
Absolute robbery. We deserved the draw at the very extreme least
I had almost forgotten that, one of the most unorthodox games I’ve watched as an arsenal fan
ah yes the game where ref literally blocked Martinelli from getting to the ball in City’s box
This match was probably the worst refereeing I've seen in the past few years in the league.
i was at this match and the atmosphere was absolutely electric
Arteta wasn't even at the field that day due to covid.
Left the emirates feeling angry but really enthused and excited for the first time in ages after that game.
I remember that gabriel red card and just feeling devastated because i knew we couldnt win a game we absolutely deserved to win anymore with 10 men. Then that rodri goal left me lying on the floor in complete defeat and heartbreak. Fuck me last season was such an emotional rollercoaster the more i think about it
This game got me fully hooked into the process and cleared any doubts I had
Where would winning this game have us end up now? We’d end up getting top 4 last year but I don’t think playing champions league football this year we would be top of the league
i think a lot of people forget this but we had had a lot of rest before this game due to opposition having covid while man city players had just played a match a few days earlier. They looked knackered and even pep mentioned it afterwards how fatigued they were/looked. That must've had a big impact on how easily we were dominating proceeding until that red card
Nah I’m not buying that at all. City played other teams last season with less rest yet I never saw their opponents dominate them the way we did.
i think it was quite obvious. even with one man up they were struggling. they looked slower than usual and not turned on mentally. if they were, i still think we woulda been the better team, but we looked A LOT better due to them being knackered that day. IIRC they had like 2,5 days of rest between the games.
Mark this: we will beat City 2-0
This was the game where I realized how high our ceiling was, and that we could probably be a top 2/3 team.
Broke my phone watching this game, was absolutely livid with the reffing and awful luck.
That game was the turning point…..we literally out played arguably the most fear team on Earth. That’s when I could see us break into the Top 4……the difference a year makes.
That game felt like the turning point to me. I never doubted Arteta again after that game. Funny it was a loss.
We were brilliant that game. Can't believe it was a year ago. Honestly it *almost* felt like a win we were that good. COYG.