Arsenal got their first win of the season with an unconvincing, but very welcome, 1-0 over Swansea at the Grove today.
The Gunners handed debuts to Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta and both impressed on their first starts.
We fashioned the first chance of the game after just 80 seconds. An Arteta through ball found Aaron Ramsy in the box but he shot high and wide, admittedly under some pressure.
Swansea then almost scored, of their blokes whose name isn’t that important, got a toe to a cross from the left. It looked as it was going to nestle right into the bottom corner but somehow Szczesny got a hand to it and made a brilliant save.
Theo Walcott, played clean through by Arteta, nearly put Arsenal ahead but his shot took a small deflection of the goalkeeper, taking enough pace off the effort to allow the defender to clear off the line.
Arsenal dominated possession but found Swansea well organised at the back, denying them space and frustratin Arsenal in the way many teams do. So when the goal came it was something of a gift.
Goalkeeper Vorm took a Walcott shot which had looped high in the air, as he tried to roll it out to his right back it hit the defender’s legs and fell for Arshavin who curled it home first time from a tight angle. A horrible mistake but a fantastic finish from the Russian and the goal would turn out to be the only one of the game (goal clip at bottom of report)
Swansea, knowing they had nothing to lose, played very well in the second half while Arsenal, already not at their level, seemed to drop off and looked tired at times.
Assured goalkeeping by Wojsciech Szczesny meant Arsenal had a solid platform at the back but the big Pole was beaten when a Scott Sinclair crashed off the bar.
Arsene Wenger tried to freshen things up, introducing Coquelin for Frimpong, Benayoun for Arshavin, and, rather inexplicably, Chamakh for van Persie despite the fact Theo Walcott treated the second half like a game of hide and seek. And he wasn’t the seeker.
Still, the Moroccan almost scored, a fine header from a Gibbs cross forced a good save from Vorm.
As Swansea pressed Arsenal became more nervous and the visitors should have been level in injury time. Szczesny came for a corner from the right, missed for the first time all game, and Danny Graham had the goal at his mercy from 6 yards out. Somehow he contrived to spoon it over the bar and maybe that’s the bit of luck that this team needs.
In the end Arsenal hung on and the win is more than welcome. Today was never about performance, it was all about getting the points.
We did that.
—
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Frimpong, Arteta, Arshavin, Walcott, van Persie
Subs: Fabianski, Park, Andre Santos, Djourou, Chamakh, Benayoun, Coquelin
Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Caulker, Williams, Taylor, Agustien, Britton, Allen, Sinclair, Dyer, Graham
Subs: Tremmel, Dobbie, Lita, Moore, Bessone, Gower, Richards
Hmm. It’ll do, but better next time please.
Welcone win, bit the play was very slow. Felt like half the game was played at walking pace. Benefit of the doubt from Interlull hangovers, but expecting better next week.
Three points is three points is three points
Playing less than your best and winning is much better than working your ass of and loosing.
so many times has that happened to arsenal. this team is proving that even when they’re not at their best, they’re still producing some wins. i think this season may surprise a lot of people
this team isn’t proving anything yet! .. This is the first premiership games. I think this season will surprise you a lot !
There are bound to be people who are going to complain about the performance but we got the win what was needed and grinding out a result like that should help go towards building confidence and by keeping a clean sheet should also give some belief to our defence. And confidence and belief will be needed for next weeks away trip to Blackburn which will be a game where we will have to slog it out and fight.
I’m happy for the three points, but throughout the second half, I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that by full time, it would be revealed that Na$ri is, in fact, a cunt
It was painful to watch, but if painful is what gets us a trophy, bring on the pain!
The game today reminded me of my S.F. Giants last year on their way to the post season. They won but none of the games was easy and, late in the season, some fan described the Giants’s wins as “torture”. Today’s game was torture, but if the Gunners continue to win in this fashion, I’m used to it.
I thought Coquelin looked good. Frimpong is ball of fire and Coquelin is more composed and better at finding balls forward. It will be fun to watch them progress.
Also I thought Chamakh’s head was going to explode when he didn’t know what to do with that captain’s band. Not a bad day for him though.
we needed the 3 points and some luck to get our season
started….with gervinho and song to come back in
our next game in CL and next weekend….we can
only get better….and yes we deserved the win…we as
the FANS and the team too!! COYG!!
Just wat the doctor ordered; 3 welcome points.
Good result, especially with Liverpool losing. We’re now just 3 points behind ‘Pool who are our most likely rivals for 4th. Not bad considering our nightmare start and at least we’ve got Old Trafford out of the way.
Of course some might say we should target 1st not 4th but we’ve got to start somewhere and there’s still a long way to go!
Well said mate! Couldn’t agree more!
Did anyone else hear we got Asomoah Gyan (Sunderland) for a season long loan? If true, sounds like a welcome addition to our attacking and finishing options. Gyan has never been one to shy away from taking shots on goal, and despite his small stature, he looks a physical player who, with a year of premier league experience already under his belt, should strengthen our bench, and perhaps break into the first team giving more competition for places. However, if Gyan is coming to the Emirates, it does make you wonder if Ryo and OxChamb are going to see much… Read more »
Oops, sorry about that. Gyan is going to Fenerbache, not Arsenal. Apologies to for jumping the gun and any confusion.
Who needs Gyan, we’ve got “Ju”
Last I heard he was heading to the middle east……personally I don’t think we need him….
no, he’s off to the u.a.e…
Clunky dull team looked unrecognizable from the flowing football days, a very lucky three points against a team that’s sure to be going down. If that’s what it’s come to, and it has, I’ll take it.
I don’t give a rat’s ass about how well or badly we played…we won.. we have three points. Merte Solid, Yossi Nervous, Arteta Neat, Theo Woeful, Chamakh Welcome back, RVP & Ramsay Tired, Kosser Santa’s Little Helper, Arshavin hogwash, Sagna Magnificent, Frimpong Hit the wall at 65min, Gibbs & The Pole in Goal… Men of the Match.
Note to players: Have a good night sleep…the stress of this game has been immense…so sleep well… Next game Tuesday… CL. Well done Arsenal.
nice summary I couldn’t have put it better…..
Got to agree with this…
To all the people who go on about the bad performance: I absolutely agree that wasn’t a great performance. But a good performance starts with the players re-gaining some confidence and belief in themselves and that starts with 3 points.
So right now I’ll take the 3 points.
This was their first return after a horrible series of red cards, injuries and additions of new personnel. It will take the boys some time to gel, and until then we should all hope for these kinds of games – tough, disjointed, but 3 points in the end.
I think once we get Messrs Forehead, Song and Wilshire back, we will start to flow again.
Thank god for the Pole. After having endured a few years of tense keeping, he is the man I trust the most in the team now. Oh, if only last season’s forward line and this season’s back line played together.
Aresanl 1 Swansea 0. 3 points for the arsenal ,but more importantly sam nasri is a cunt..
I concur , he is massive cunt
Judging by the ease Rooney and Chicharito scored their goals against Bolton I’d say we got the better CH in Mertesacker. Cahill wastely overrated.
A clean sheet and three points. Yes its ‘only’ Swansea but right now I’ll take the positives where they are thanks.
Who needs Na$ri eh?The cunt.
Man City had to get shot of Adebayor when Na$ri arrived, otherwise they would have been “overcunted”….apparently having Adebayor, Na$ri and Balotelli at the same time proved the theory that “three cunts don’t make a right”…
Surely 3 CUNTS don’t make a pussy!
Come on you Arsenal!
Bored of the nasri cunt thing already, let’s move on
Yep, guilty of it myself but he’s just not that important.
“We’ve only just begun….”
Fabregas is pussy?
Bad performance. I had new hope once we actually bought some players but what I saw today gives me no confidence what so ever. They had 2 chances in the second half. I don’t remember us having any. There a championship side and we’re playing at home. We should be winning these games 4-0. It’s true to say If we finish 4th it will be a miracle. Something has to change at the club or we can forget any chance of picking up trophies. Man shity and manure are leagues above us. Chelsea as well. It’s all gone very Pete… Read more »
Even new signings take time to acclimatize to the surroundings and players around them.
But top 4 is gonna be difficult this season…
We can do it. Mugsmashers look vulnerable, and imagine if Suarez gets injured – they will be utterly toothless, more so than if we lose RVP. Spurs, well let’s not even go there. For me, the only other team that might push us for fourth is Stoke, and to tell you the truth, they do kind of scare me. But we can make it to fourth, definitely within reason.
Now we have a fantastic goalkeeper and the team is still scratching,when we had a better team we craved for a good goalkeeper,hopefully tins will blend soon,in Arsenal we trust not Arsene,3points in the bag.common gunners
1-0 TO THE ARSENAL!
WE LOVE YOU ARSENAL, WE DO…
Top effort, north bank today.
Fuck it, Chelsea (chav, shit club no history, twats) would’ve been happy with that result.
Mertesacker was MOTM.
With only a 2 days to prep a team for this game, I think Wenger could have done a little better. Had he started with fresher players maybe we would’ve seen a few goals before half time. Walcott and Ramsey looked particularly tired and any counter attacking oppo
Sorry let me continue.
Counter attacking opportunities lacked pace coz everytime Walcott got the ball he didn’t have enough to break away from tje defendors
Bit of perspective needed, most of the squad played on Wednesday and the new faces have had a total of 2 days at most to get in the Arsena groove, add in a player playing only his second premiers game. We still have 3 top quality players missing.
It wasn’t vintage stuff but we had one off the post, one cleared off the line and one top save.3 points is all that matters.
3points and finished with 11 men on the field. Going in the right direction
Benny Noon reminded me of Pires – only in as much as he runs like s fairy – good win – up the Arsenal.
well said saint …bang on, only missed one thing out!!!
We won without Na$ri the CUNT (yes i am shouting it) The grove should resound with that sound every time we play.
How do i sum it up – i guess we’re going in the right direction. 3 points is 3 points. I could say more but i’ll just take the victory.
I just don’t think Wenger is still the right man to get us a trophy, new players or not. Hand on heart – who honestly sees us winning a “major” trophy with Wenger and this team? I really wish I could believe it
Was I the only one almost to tears of nervousness the last 4 minutes of the game?
actually with the pole in goal,i never feel more relax 1 goal up and the other team trying to push up well with with our previous gk i would have shit in my underwear or slice my wrist
but with super szcesny in goal i was sure they would have to score an amazing goal to score even if gibbs was a little busy to give swansea a chance to do so
and why the fook theo cannot use his amazing pace to beat their left back
It’s just, we have conceded too many goals at the final minutes of the game. Naturally I would get nervous. Buy you’re eight, I should put more trust in szczes
Why do you say that? They only missed a sitter in the 92nd minute…… not as bad as that Welsh bloke the other night but not far off…….
Ground out a result, kept a clean sheet, signings will settle into the team and perform better, we have four key players that were missing. It will get better from here on in
We gunners fans have a lot of reasons to be proud. Believe in our way.
I think our timing couldnt be worse. If szcz matured like this season, we would hv been a champion. If we signed a def last jan, if, if, ifs..
Anyway i m sure we will score more goals once gervinho and song are back. Also i think by moving arshavin to replace ramsey is a good option. Arshavin has a cesc or na$ri touch of passing. With arteta, we will find a lot of chances. I was quite frustrated with ramsey on last few games. He slows down the flow a lot. Rarely find player who move for thru ball. Sure he has potential. But he will be better play for carling cup or fa.
Saw the game and was happy to see the win. Fans backed the team as well. I read a lot of comments about players coming back from international break and how Theo and Aaron were tired. Well, Rooney, Ashley young and Hernandez were playing games too but did people see Rooney’s commitment in helping in the defence. We talk a lot about Total football while other teams are playing it (in their own way). I still feel we need a totally tuned in striker. RVP scores goals and has a great record this year but numerous chances go begging or… Read more »
Wenger should show his young guns (esp. Theo) hernandez’s 2nd goal against Bolton. Classic example of being alert and not waiting for the whistle. While our players usually tune out if someone is marginally fouled in the box, Man U kept the focus and put the ball in the net. Compare that with Theo getting frustrated and waiting for the whistle when being fouled yesterday. BTW, Gary Cahill was totally skinned by Man U strikers yesterday. Didn’t hear any snide remarks from pundits / commentators during the match like they usually commented abt Kos every time he made some mistake.… Read more »
[…] In yesterday’s match, a goal from Arshavin ensured that we secured our first win of the league for this season. I will briefly touch on the main aspects of the games, so if you want a run down of what happened read it here. […]
here’s your so called cesc-replacement-world-class-playmaker, ramsey
http://arsenalist.com/video/?id=xl0klg
left me speechless
Yeah, until he learns how to do really crap stuff outside our own box just before half time at 0-0 against one of the most punishing teams in the world in an incredibly important game then he’ll be nothing on Cesc.
In case you’ve forgotten how impossibly stupid it was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG33271Exu4 (1:18)
Quite easy to make something fit your agenda when you choose 4 seconds of one match to show, isn’t it? If Ramsey puts in performances like he has in the other games this season, and like the one for Wales against England, then he’ll do just fine.
We have some major injuries and suspensions at the moment. When we get everyone back, we will have a very good starting 11 that can go on a long unbeaten run. Yesterday’s game was piss poor, but we got the 3 pts. Some of the lads who started yesterday would or should not start if everyone is fit. Gibbs looked brutal and only him being English is saving him from some real venom from the press and pundits. I don’t know if Santos will be any better, but maybe he will be a revelation. Frimpong would normally be replaced by… Read more »