Arsenal: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker (c), Gibbs, Ramsey, Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski, Walcott, Giroud
Subs: Fabianski, Monreal, Frimpong, Zelalem, Wilshere, Gnabry, Sanogo
Arsenal got their first Premier League points of the new season with a 3-1 win over Fulham this afternoon.
Arsene Wenger rested Jack Wilshere, not risking him to play 3 games in a week, with Lukas Podolski coming in and a place on the bench for 16 year old Gedion Zelalem.
The game got off to a cagey start in very wet conditions, and the home side had the first real attempt on goal with a John Arne Riise free kick, but the mallet headed Norwegian drilled it well wide.
At the other end Theo Walcott tested the keeper after some good play by Arsenal. It started with Jenkinson down the right hand side, he played it into Rosicky, who flicked it to Walcott and with the goal at his mercy the keeper saved his shot.
The Gunners then forced a series of corners. Giroud had a header which was cleared away by a stooping header before Cazorla saw a powerful shot deflect wide.
And in the 14th minute Arsenal were ahead. The ball came to Aaron Ramsey about 25 yards out, he took a shot which looked like it was going to drag wide. It hit Giroud, fell into his feet and he clipped it past the keeper to make it 1-0.
Fulham almost equalised a minute later when Wojciech Szczesny was forced into a smart double save. Taraabt took a shot which Szczesny parried out, it fell to Damien Duff who got his shot on target but the big Pole reacted quickly to save with his legs.
Good hold up play from Giroud creating a shooting opportunity for Cazorla, but it was drilled straight at the keeper. Szczesny was called into action again, claiming a deflected free kick as the home side sought to get equal, and had further efforts on goal by Taraabt and Parker, neither of which troubled the Arsenal keeper.
Fulham pressed and were through on goal with Riise but Mertesacker cleared and set up an Arsenal break from which they almost scored. Arsenal got free down the right with Walcott, he took the ball across goal, his pass to Gibbs, who was in loads of space, was a bit poor. The ball didn’t quite get out from under his feet and he dragged a shot wide.
But the goal they wanted came soon after. Arsenal moved it well in midfield, Cazorla fed Walcott whose shot was parried away by the keeper. Lukas Podolski was first to react and his powerful side-footed finish doubled the lead. 2-0.
It could have been 3-0 just before half-time. A quick Arsenal break saw Walcott feed Podolski, he was on his left foot, from a bit of an angle but instead of shooting he played it to the back post to give someone a tap in but there was nobody there.
The second half began with Szczesny making a good save from another Taraabt shot, this one creeping in at the near post. But it was Arsenal who bossed the game, playing beautiful, confident passing football.
Theo Walcott found himself on the end of a Gibbs cross but couldn’t get it on target, instead heading it backwards where it fell to Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman hammered a shot on goal which deflected just wide.
Fulham brought on Bent and Kacaniklic for Duff and Taraabt as the hosts look to get back into the game, and they did put the Gunners under some pressure and had a bit more of the ball.
However, it was the Gunners who went further ahead when they snuffed out a Fulham attack and played it upfield. Giroud’s touch was sublime, the ball came to Cazorla in the their box, he played it back to Podolski and the German arrowed a low shot into the bottom corner. 3-0.
Arsene Wenger then made changes, bringing on Wilshere and Monreal for Giroud and Rosicky, but the home side got one back after careless play in midfield from Gibbs gave the ball back to Fulham. Berbatov pulled the ball back, Szczesny got a touch and the ball squirmed to the back post, leaving Darren Bent with a tap-in. 3-1.
Podolski was then replaced by Yaya Sanogo who was making his full Arsenal debut. Theo Walcott could have scored a 4th in injury time after being set up, but Stockdale saved well.
The Gunners saw the game out to take the three points and set themselves up well for next weekend’s North London derby.
Professional shift from all the lads. Well done boys…very very well done. What a first class commentating team. New form of torture strapped to a chair listening to those 3 asshats with faulty mute button. W…….T……F? Been said many times already, but, gosh damn those away kits are sharp. Puma has their work cut out for them. Who is this Podolski fellow and where did he rock up from???? I still cannot believe my eyes when I sit here on August 24th and look at our substitutes bench. And then he actually brought Sanogo on. Holy smokes. Job basically done… Read more »
Good work by the lads, Cazorla dazzling, Rambo tireless, Podolski clinical, Giroud on form.
3 points well earned.
Now add some depth to this squad we are on route to that silver thing.
Looking back at Giroud asking for a new striker, I think Wenger has more faith in Giroud than Giroud himself. And he repaid that faith. Great player.
if both we and the players themselves had as much confidence in this squad as Wenger has, we would have a title-winning team this very year. re-sign Flamini, add one or two motivational and depth-providing signings and we’re more than ready to challenge. call me an optimist, but i’d like to see more gents (and ladies!) with such an attitude, and hear the resulting support. maybe we’d give our players that extra boost of confidence, instead of that recently usual negative crap. and, as a post-scriptum, i’d like all the Giroud-doubters to fill their naysaying mouths with numerous shit-smudged sp*ds… Read more »
Not saying that the naysaying is a good thing, far from it infact, but the boys definitely seem to be playing better when under a bit of pressure.
Thoroughly pleasing performance anyway. Gets the weekend off to a cracking start.
I still do not believe after all of the previous examples, that fans still write off a player in his first season in the PL.
Giroud has been saying all summer he was going to be better this year, and just wanted to have someone to share the load.
I think most sensible fans would agree that we have the core of a very strong team with an excellent work ethic and attitude. I just think the frustration is fuelled by the fact that with quality reinforcements and depth, this team could be not merely very good, but phenomenal. As it stands I can’t see us challenging seriously for the league, but if we were to build on what we’ve got… we could really go places.
It’s a matter of depth rather than quality. Giroud knows he can’t play every game.
That’s why I’m not excited about Benzema. I don’t think he would be a great improvement over Giroud and for anything more than 20M he is overpriced. Would rather we take a punt on some promising young striker than go for him. name me one striker that has moved from a perceived top club (like real) to a lesser club (like Arsenal, sorry) and seen his form improve? Psychologically the head drops.
Eh, neutral, have you heard of a fellow called Sanogo?
has anyone noticed that walcott sometimes seems a bit casual with his finishing ?? i mean his last two goals at the end of last season (the one against man-u and the one against qpr) were both goals were he was clean though and just the goalkeeper to beat, and yet both those goals took a touch from the keeper before going into the net, when with finishing capabilities such as his, both shoild have ben slotted into the bottom-corner. in this match after that great play from wilshere into the midfield and walcott had a great opprtunity to shoot… Read more »
I respectfully disagree. The main complaint about him (at least up until last year) was his lack of composure in front of the net. I think he is learning lessons from watching old videos of Henry who was always so cool and made it look effortless. While it may not come off every time for Theo, I think his finishing has greatly improved.
Very well said. He’s become calmer as a finisher it’s only a good thing in my eyes. He’s not fully there yet but the signs are very good i’d love some odds for him to score 20+ this season. If they were decent I would take them!
Just wait until the Spurs game.
It’s only villa and fulham. cant imagine about manure, citeh, spud, chelsy…
SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEND SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEND
WHEN WE SPEEEEND THAT FFFFFFFFF***ING MONEY?
Read your post out loud to yourself. Then ask yourself – do I want to sound like a retarded child?
It’s not that you’re wrong. It’s that you sound like a dunce.
Anyone who calls himself “Dude” ought not to be taken seriously..
Where’s my car? Dude!
Anyone who plays or has played for spuds is a cunt
Podolski – the white Messi
Is Messi the black messi?
Messi is the c*nt Messi.
Hey you! You can’t insult players online anymore. More jail time than a murderer for you.
And downvotes are more grave than your mum finding out you’ve been playing with the computer for too long.
Haha 😀 Well said.
Really?! Anyone who genuinely likes football can’t actually think that!? He’s a phenomenal player and I don’t hesitate to say I fucking love watching him play. He tore us a new asshole that time and all I could really do was stand back and say wow. Sometimes ya gotta just stand back and admit you are watching and being beaten by the best. No shame in it.
He may not always be involved but boy can he finish!
LOL
The reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.
Considering how much times we rise from the ashes in a season, we should trademark it.
*many.
Of course, let’s not trademark the part where we regularly shoot ourselves in the foot.
Why not, we could sue Spurs at the end of every season.
When Liverpool, City, United, Chelsea or the Spuds win – ‘they were brilliant’…. when Arsenal win – ‘the opposition
were poor.
we make them look poor to be honest
but never get the credit for it…..
Who care’s about credit. All we need is 3 points, not the approval of these clueless idiots who show week in week out that you don’t actually have to understand the game to have been good at it.
I still think we need 18 new players. Also, each successive win convinces me more and more that Wenger is continuously losing it – and he had already lost it to start with!
Just like Fenerbahce in midweek that wasn’t putting an effort, so neither was Fulham today – Berbatov’s sister is a gooner, and clearly they didn’t want to upset her – Fact!!! – that’s what! Complete farce!
What a sad state of affairs.
That’s right. Trust the opposition to not give a fuck when this club needs to lose more than ever!
“Your only winning cos the opposition can’t be bothered
Your only winning cos the opposition can’t be bothered”
Spend some fucking money.
…
Ian Wright – is that you?
Uninitiated football fan: Why are you booing the Arsenal?
Fulham fan: They don’t feel at home otherwise.
——
Neo-initiated football fan: Remember to follow this precise ethic religiously, Gooners. It works!
The Fulham fans clearly didn’t get the message today, the only ones singing were ours
I thumbed it up because of the great sarcasm.
Yup.. Not sure the “51” thumbs down got it thou to be honest.. And they say I’m crazy..
Hey – oh.. I see dead “Bruce Willis” people..
deal with it 😀
We played solid… no messing about && gettin on with the job.. Once again Ramsey was great. The whole team was great.. anwaysy 3 points COYG !!!
Rambo and Jenks were fantastic again.
Wilshere had a good game too. But, he is inconsistent. He went from brilliant to poor to brilliant in the space of a few minutes. And considering where he plays, it could really hurt us against team with lethal counter attacks like Manchester United.
Hopefully, as he gets back into the game, the semi-frequent losing of possession and over-dribbling goes away.
Title challenge with one central defender? Only Arsene could accomplish that.
Sagna was brilliant at the back as well.
But Sagna is brilliant on so many occasions, I just assume his brilliance to be what he always does. But yes, credit where it’s due. He was brilliant. Get him a sparkly new contract.
football fans are fickle. Suddenly we’re saying things like “only arsene could achieve that”. Lets win more games before we start to feel that way. Good performance though
Have a pancake will ya??
With choco syrup while you at it..
Ummm… Pancake’s… DOH!!!!
will definitely stick with Rosicky for NLD. Rosicky >>> Wilshere atm. More tactically aware. Had another low profile but brilliant game, got the ball rolling (and what about the unbelievable one touch volley pass to Theo?)
Class act.
Hopefully Wenger sticks with him too.
See what happens Tuesday.
Personally I think the Ramsey — Wilshere — Rosicky combo works best of the 3 we have fit (see last Wed), and then argue who we stick on the left.
Besides, if you don’t play a fit Jack in the NLD, he may well explode.
Why do people always pick out Ramsey and Wilshere? Ramsey started well, but he seem quiet for much of the game. All I remember of Wilshere was that sliding tackle and burst forward. To be honest, Szczes, Jenkinson, Mert and Sagna, Poldi and Giroud, Cazorla had a better game than Ramsey and Wilshere.
remember when I said podolski is one rippling net away from enjoy his footie?
there you go! beautiful german!
I don’t recall you saying that, lies and slander!
Feel sorry for Hangeland with his hairline backed up further into his ass trying to stop a Podolski’s screamer.
Loved when he tried to pat Poldi on the head but Poldi was having none of it, gold
Crisis? What crisis?
This team might actually have enough quality to achieve some good things this season, but with a chronic lack of depth, the squad isn’t.
So the team and the squad are nearly one and the same thing at the moment.
So c’mon Arsene – help them. Help yourself.
Use the week well, qualify for the group stages, strengthen the squad with some extra quality and let’s mash the Spuds next week.
Give us and the players and yourself a fighting chance this year and you never know…
MotM Cazorla in my opinion. Great win, COYG!
Thought Sanogo edged it to be honest
Ramsey, Jenkinson, Sagna, Cazorloa, Giroud… hmm, too many!
Same as many games last year, feels almost unfair to pick one of the guys out. Better question, did anyone at all play badly?
Very happy with the 3 points. Clean sheet would have been awesome though. Carl needs to work on his concentration a bit more, but other than that solid. Early yellow for Ramsey gave a me a scare though.
Awesome match! COYG!
Yay! Great win. Next up the 5pud2
Wenger OUT!!!!!. Oh, fuck me. Wrong timing…
last season we had 2 points after 2 games, this season its 3 = IMPROVEMENT
50% YOY
Translation: 50% year on year (improvement)
Gotta love poldi!
Well done lads. Great counter attacking. Now lets strengthen
Oh Santi Cazorla!!!! MOTM deserved a goal! Too unselfish! In the middle is his best position, was just sublime today! Great result, thanks boys!
Yes, Santi is a good player on the left, but in the middle he is just awesome.
Funny how the commentators kept saying Sascha Riether was young and that Fulham have a real budding talent in their hands. Absolutely clueless as always.
Haha yes! the 30 year old… maybe he had a rosicky injury?…
Haha yes! the 30 year old… maybe he had a rosicky injury?…
Haha yes! the 30 year old… maybe he had a rosicky injury?…
let me take over for you, ahem:
“Haha yes! the 30 year old… maybe he had a rosicky injury?…”
@ Bee
I’m going to sue you for making meself laugh silly..
Yeah alright mate we get your point.
Haha yes! the 30 year old… maybe he had a rosicky injury?…
Its easy to make that mistake when he is playing against veterans like Ramsey, Wilshere, Gibbs, Szczesny and Jenkinson, who will clearly make him look younger 🙂
CRISIS?! WHAT CRISIS! #kneejerkreactions
Now bring on the Spuds!
Now let get transfer sorted. Look like we will have a great season
You’re quite fast with your writing skills Mr. Blogs!
Today he showed the desire necessary to be a top, top writer. After the last match he had the handbrake on and produced an article in 100ms. Today I am very happy with the team performance, but especially blogs who released an article in under 50ms. I am pleased with his development.
cringeworthy brown-nosing
Lukas Podolski. He should start every game. Brilliant finishing. Loved the defensive performance from us. Sagna does look very comfortable at Centre Half. COYG.
If Podolski played like that all the time he would play most games, unfortunately he goes missing quite a lot. Decent player when he can be bothered.
Great win, never thought we’d handle our midfield this well sans-Arteta. These Podolski rumours better not be true, he was fantastic today
Will play all of our matches away from home please.
And keep Anthony Taylor well away
Well done lads! Never gave up after three goals, great to see.
Second excellent solid away performance in a week against a poor side.
Cazorla for me was the MOTM not Ramsey.
Now spend some fucking money!
Cazorla was fucking brilliant. His close control, ability to find space to make a pass and take 2-3 players out of the game doing it is amazing.
Agreed. A stunning player to watch.
I always want cazorla to have the ball, he creates space, can see a pass, good bit of trickery, makes the right decisions and can shoot.
And that’s all you need in the final third really!
All good. I just dont know why he has to play the full 90mins in all matches.
Let’s make it four solid performances and wins against poor sides by beating Fenerbahce and Spurs next week.
(Though I disagree about Fulham being a poor side, we just made them look poor.)
Up and running! Tues: rest a few and finish job. Sunday: spank spuds. 24 hours a day: find new players
motm performance from Ramsey AGAIN!!!1?? Now imagine if we had the kind of depth that a [player x] or [player y] would bring. It would scare the shite out of the opposition, and we might not even have to play them if the first XI stays fit (which they won’t).
Victoria Concordia Cresit. COYG!
Great result. Giroud looks better and better for each match.
And Podolski – just don’t let that fellow go anywhere. We need him!!!
Think this match proves that we have a really promissing first eleven. The bench however is VERY thin. However, with a couple of strategic signings, this could still be quite an entertaining season…
Now lets hammer the cunts next weekend
Great performance. Keep it up lads!
Great, hardworking, pressing game from the whole team. Every time we press hard and hassle the opposition we look a different side. I hope we stick with it this season instead of giving up on it in September.
Martin Jol, Scott Parker and Dimitar Berbatov. Three points and three goals for three ex-spuds.
Na na na na na na nah na na na nah Giroud!
So great to see him scoring every game. Hoping for more like this from him.
This is what we would have done last week if we had unbiased officiating
I am going to have to wash my mouth out, but Mr Webb was excellent today, in stupid conditions.
Credit where its due I suppose……………
I thought Webb was excellent too, he let me off a booking for clattering Theo after he’d already booked Ramsey for something very similar.
hehe, bar that
That was almost as hard to read as it was hard to agree with. Well done… (mumbles)*you fergie-loving, bald-headed cunt*.
Agree. How often can you go away from an Arsenal game these days, and can only winge about a single decision, and one that had no impact on the game.
Then again, if we had not been playing the best club in West London, (but the second), or someone from Manchester, not sure I’d be saying the same thing.
Poldi showed his class. what a player!!
But it would be a rape on intelligence to loan Podolski out to Schalke. Don’t do it Wenger.
Giroud was not happy about being taken off the pitch. Good sign. Sanogo needs to learn positioning and the difference between making a goal and letting one fall to your feet.
No player likes to be taken off while they are playing well and have the energy to finish the game, but the game was pretty much won so smart move to not take any chances with our only striker. Also tactical change to close down the game. Early days for Sanogo.
Where are all the Giroud doubters gone? 3 in 3, playing confidently, he is literally beautiful to watch. Ramsey? What a Top Top Top player. FANTASTIC again, all over and tbf did very little wrong. STILL we need more players, Aaron needs a rest now, Jack is being rushed in because of our lack of options. It took Ramsey half a season to regain confidence and form after returning from injury, you cant help but think Jack will need a similar amount of time. He is a warrior, therefore im sure having him on the pitch brings a more fierce… Read more »
Bring on spurs, and who the f..ck barbetov thinks he his, with them elbows
How good was Sagna at CB??
New 2 year contract please.
Great all round team performance today, though everyone did their part effectively so we could win this game. This is the year of the RAM!
Two great away performances under extreme pressure. A little bit of strengthening during the week and bring on the spuds. Delighted with Poldi performance.
Did Sanogo touched the ball at all?
Time and time again when we are compact and dont go all gun hoe we are getting the job done. At the Emirates with the fans on their back they tend to want to all score and forget about the tactics.
Just stay compact in your half and pressure them when they have the ball,counter when we nick it and finish your chances.
Simpples
COYGs
Great performance by the lads and regarding all those moaning about transfers,the man who can sign 5 players in 2 days can sign 25 players in 9 days.Keep the faith.
Nope, u got that wrong. That’s 22 players and one diaby.
Darren Bent is a poo
People will come on and talk about atmosphere. But I think the most important thing is the way teams play against us in their own home as opposed to at the emirates where they pack the bus and hit us on the break.
No way in hell we could av gotten so many counters if we were at home. And that would have meant we needed to create something special to get a goal.
Wish we could play all the small teams away from home and the Big teams at home
Nah, we pressured them early, broke them down and got the goal.
After that they had to push forwards or get nothing from the game. The only difference between home and away is that at the Emirates they would have given up at 2-0 and just tried to minimize the damage.
First 10 minutes it was pretty even, then we started turning the screw.
To a certain extent, yes, but when you need a confident team to play passing, attacking football and there are boos whenever they are even drawing, it’s not the easiest atmosphere.
To the players credit though, no-one’s bitched about it but just said that they need to raise the fans so they don’t boo at the drop of a hat, seems fair to me tbh.
Good result but sloppy at times and lucky. It could have been 1-1 at halftime and a different game. Why is it that when we score the first we sit back and relax? Today was the same as the Villa game (and a lot of games last year).
Walcott needs to step up his game. He gets his “points” but other than that he’s been rubbish and contributes nothing to the team effort. A waste of space today.
If we had been lucky it would have been 5 or 6.
What you are calling luck is us having a decent defense and an in form keeper.
Walcott’s ‘points’ left him with the 4th best goal/assist tally in the PL last year, if he is quiet and repeats that I’ll be happy.
Just having him on the pitch puts fear into left backs, and that alone is enough.
imagine how good he’ll be if he’d look up at the right moment and not when theres a defender pressuring him,