Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis, Iwobi, Giroud
Subs: Ospina, Chambers, Gabriel, Walcott, Welbeck, Coquelin, Campbell
—
Two first half goals from Alexis Sanchez put Arsenal into third as they ran out 2-0 winners over West Brom at the Emirates this evening. Arsene Wenger made three changes to his team with Per Mertesacker, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud returning in place of Gabriel, Francis Coquelin and Danny Welbeck.
The game kicked off with swathes of empty seats all around the ground , but those that stayed away missed an early Arsenal goal. Ramsey fed Alexis, he span the defender, took it on an cracked a low 25 yard shot in which left the keeper floundering. 1-0.
Mesut Ozil almost doubled the lead a couple of minutes later, but his shot – after good work from Iwobi and Monreal set him up – was blocked. Ramsey’s rebound volley from the edge of the box went wide.
The game settled down a bit after that, with not much in the way of chances for either side, although an Alexis flick allowed Hector Bellerin to drive into the box in the 24th minute and fire a shot not too far wide of the near post.
There was a 28th minute let-off when, from a corner, McAuley thumped a header off the crossbar with Cech rooted to the spot, and Bellerin again got into a good attacking position but skied his shot over the bar.
The young Spaniard was in the mood, getting in behind the defence again, slipped in by Ramsey. His low cross found Ozil, he took a shot which the keeper let slip between his legs, but it was cleared off the line. The clearance fell to Elneny who cracked a shot over.
The lead was doubled in the 38th minute when a positive run from Aaron Ramsey won a free kick on the edge of the box. Mertesacker and Giroud were on the end of the wall, Alexis hit it towards them, they got out of the way and the ball curled past Foster who had no chance. 2-0.
Unlike the West Ham game, there were no slip-ups before the end of the first period, and we took that two goal lead into the break.
Tony Pulis did make two half-time changes bringing on Rondon and Olsson for two people I don’t care about one way or the other so I can’t be arsed remembering who they were. It meant a change of formation too with the visitors playing two up top.
Nice work from Iwobi ended up with Giroud getting a shot on target, but nothing that troubled the keeper. James McClean’s header was easy for Cech, and alert defending from Ramsey denied Sessegnon a shot on goal as West Brom sought a way back into the game.
Alex Iwobi went down in the box but after his last game, referee Jon Moss would need to see a player beheaded then his corpse violated before he gave a penalty, so he waved play on. There was another shout moments later when Elneny appeared to be pushed in the back but again there was no penalty from the referee.
Gardener replaced McClean for the visitors, before Ozil had two sights of goal, one saved and one deflected over the bar. Giroud set up Iwobi for a shot which flew straight into the keeper’s arms, and another lovely move saw the French striker frustrated when Ramsey slipped as he made a cross which should have given him a good chance of scoring.
There was danger from a West Brom corner when Cech came and missed, the ball found its way to Rondon at the back post but he couldn’t make any kind of attacking contact.
Iwobi and Bellerin showed their relative rawness with some indecision in the final third, before Arsene Wenger made his first change, bringing on Francis Coquelin for the 19 year old forward.
There were two more changes quickly, with Walcott and Campbell coming on for Alexis and Ozil, and the Costa Rican almost made an immediate impact, firing a shot just wide after being set up by Ramsey. Giroud saw a shot rebound off the keeper’s face after more nice build up, and another effort poked wide after a one-two with Campbell.
In the end though, a relatively comfortable win, and we go into third ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sunderland.
A much better performance, especially in the second half, but how terrible are we at finishing chances? We should have scored 4/5 today.
We just need that top striker. I don’t think we played that much better today than we have all season, but Alexis was firing so it saw us through. as Michael Owen once said, ‘sometimes in football, you have to score goals’…
JUST a top stiker?
I wud add to that list –
Two top defenders
ATLEAST one top holding midfielder.
Arsenal have thrown away more leads than anyone, and I think its time the defence were asked questions.
45,I reckon.
Apparently we play better when their isn’t a stadium full of entitled fans who sit in tense silence until there’s something to collectively groan at
The Emirates atmosphere may not be perfect for your a-typical Yankee doodle armchair audience, but in no way can you blame the capitulation of this season’s league challenge on the fans. Home AND away, the fans do get behind the first 11.
The lack of quality on the field is only down to those ON the field, and 1 man OFF it.
Oh please do one. Once you’ve sat there for 30 years, through thick & thin, in the p1ssing rain & sun and seen what me and many others have can you say something like that.
‘Mississippi Gunner’ says it all, some bloke who got interested in football when it became fashionable, please start watching Baseball again before you cast assumptions on football fans who pay vast amounts of money (home & away) on watching our beloved team.
“Glocken,” some bloke who accuses someone of making an ignorant assumption, then makes an ignorant assumption
People like you really P1ss me off. It’s so easy to criticise fans behind a keyboard isn’t it? Do you go to games? Do you fork out over 2k a year to support the club? Do you travel to away games like I do? no, thought not.
I’m very privileged to be able to support the club home & away and it’s my choice, I decide to pay that money or not. What I can’t stand is stupid idiotic comments like that. Once you’ve been in a season ticket holders shoes can you make statements like that.
I am a season ticket holder and I agree with our Mississippi friend.
Thanks dude. To everyone else, y’all are just as stuck about Americans as Americans are about soccer. i’m sorry my level of Arsenal fan as a 21 year old born and raised in Mississippi, someone who has watched every game with FEW exceptions since I was 15, isn’t worthy of the same opinions as English fans. The opinion that our atmosphere to other shittier clubs is fucking weak. Sorry blokes, really.
*compared to
I’m from Illinois and I can’t count the number of times I have refused to get on the Internet or any social media in order to watch a replay of the match because I used to work every single Saturday while going to go school for the last three years or how many times I’ve gotten up at the ass crack of dawn for a noon kickoff (6am here). Good to know there’s lots more from the states living through the same struggle!
“Everyone” else…?!?
Glocken, how about Mississippi Gunner can make whatever statement he wants and you can respectfully disagree, rather than post long-winded hissy-fits like those keyboard warriors who piss you off so much?
He is absolutely allowed his opinion and in no way would I begrudge him that, everyone has that right. What annoys me is this generalisation that every season ticket holder is silent and waiting for an opportunity to moan like some some priviliged Eton school boy. It takes me 90 minutes more or less to get to and from games & I always support the team. We may get frustrated from time to time but we are there. It also costs a fair whack but again, this is my choice. This assumption that everyone in attendance is a fair weather… Read more »
Jesus shut up bredren. We’re all gooners here. Infighting is for potatoes.
Personally, I only go to 4 carefully chosen games per year. That about 56,000 km and a budget of £10k plus per year. Does that make me more of a fan than you?
Do one glocken. I’m a season ticket holder and thank fuck all those who don’t like arsenal anymore weren’t at the ground. You lot think we don’t hurt when the players fuck up? But you know what mister? I’m going to respect your opinion for wanting a change of manager. I fully disagree and think you haven’t thought about it properly and only reacting cause you’re a victim of trolling media and rival fans taking the Piss out of you in pubs, workplace etc. But what I won’t do or let you do is to abuse Mr Arsene fucking Wenger… Read more »
Oh… and stick your 2 grand up your arse mate. Noone asked you.
You want the title for arsenal or for yourself to bask to your mates?
Take your subculture behaviour to the lane and celebrate with the troglodytes so that you feel vindicated for Pissing on our manager/club/players like the fine supporter you are…..
Cunt.
Shut up bodiroga.
Wenger didnt pay out his pocket and neither did Arsenal. Self sustainability remember.
FANS PAID for the stadium they never asked for, with highest tickets in world football, so we could supposedly spend on players we never buy, and compete with teams we lose to on an annual basis.
On top of that fans pay Wenger £8million for the priviledge!
And mugs like you on your knees and say thanks!
Well NO THANKS from Moi.
WENGER OUT!!
What Ken said x 10.
We were told the stadium move was needed so we compete shoulder to shoulder with the best clubs in the world.
Reality – we get our pants pulled down by the likes of Barca and Bayern, and we are looking up to Leicester and Spuds with less chance of winning the league than when we were at Highbury.
I think Misssissippi has a good point. The atmosphere is a bit mute compared to away games (at times it seems the away fans make more noise than ours at the Emirates). I think as a club we may be too polite. The team refuses to see out games (can’t recall us keeping the ball in the corner in a tight match), they do not press the referee as much as other teams do (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Ferguson’s Man Utd, but most of all The Invincibles); hell even the ballboys are not tuned into the match, I don’t recall… Read more »
Like he said, entitled whining.
You can do one too ken. Noone asked you to pay a god damn penny. It’s your choice. Grow a pair, a spine, generally grow the fuck up you classless cretins. The stadium is for supporters. Moaners can stay home….We don’t need you…let some of the other 40k fans on waiting list come and support. Besides you don’t support us anymore uou only come to moan. Go to a psychologist if arsenal and Wenger ‘hurt’ you so much…get some therapy
Anyway, what baseball team do you watch when you’re not trying to follow ‘soccer’?
No class
The first part of your comment had me nodding in agreement, but then you went on to piss all over it in the second part.
Reply to Glocken’s first comment.
Yeah me too. A right to be angry and to feel annoyed at the club for all he/she’s put in. But for all the changes in the football and life, just about every aspect of social life has a reoriented relationship between user and provider, where users are no longer participants but passive consumers of a service who just go to different brands when they don’t like what they’ve got and all things then change because of this movement under market principles. Problem is, football just isn’t like that. The relationship with the club has changed and the people who… Read more »
30 years. Luxury. I’ve done over 40. Your 30 years have been mainly good times.
Mississippi Gunner, I’ve been going regularly for 45 years now and I whole heartedly agree with you.
I’ve done 25 solid and also agree with Mississippi
The Emirates atmosphere may not be perfect for your a-typical Yankee doodle armchair audience, but in no way can you blame the capitulation of this season’s league challenge on the fans. Home AND away, the fans do get behind the first 11.
The lack of quality on the field is only down to those ON the field, and 1 man OFF it.
Quit spamming.
Apparently we also play better when we have nothing to play for and no one has any expectation what so ever regarding the performance or result.
Lovely football, I almost forgot what it looked like. I believe we were lucky with some aerial balls, and we should have better vision and decision making in the final third, but it was a good victory.
I really enjoyed that game but I cant decide on whether we were good or westbrom were complete crap, looking at our remaining fixtures tonight’s game is one of the easiest, bar Villa on the final day.
not out of the woods yet, I hope we beat City to send them into 5th place, would rather see Guardiola take over at a City without champions league than United missing out, United are crap anyway.
Hope Leicester clinch the title
WB wre crap. We were actually quite slow on the wings and once Alexis got tired, the game got numb. That’s why it appeared that Joel made an instant impact – he is quick and versatile, while when together Ozil, Giroud and Iwobi are kinda slow…
West Brom were crap. If that header had been 4 inches lower we would not have won the game. Points desperately needed and gratefully taken but I didn’t see anything to convince that the problems are fixed.
I’m awaiting the comments supporting Wenger by the same clowns that were calling for his head on Sunday.
I’ve never seen such a fickle bunch in my life.
I don’t think anything that happens the rest of this season will change the opinions of most of the fans who want a change, and rightly so.
Yet your comment received over 20 dislikes, even though it points no fingers and makes complete logical sense. Arsenal fans are some of the worst on the internet. They change their mind about players and managers more times than they change their underwear…
Who put sand in your special place?
Nice performance, intensity good, Ramsey a headless chicken again – the heroic annual charge for fourth is ON!
You mean the guy who assisted the first goal, won the free kick for the second goal and made a crucial tackle to prevent them from a very good scoring chance late on? That guy?
Headless chicken indeed.
What’s your problem, guy?
Individual performances cannot be praised or condemned around here. Players are either useless make-weights who are always terrible, or the sun shines out of their butt-hole.
Sort yourself out.
Dan P is one of the more vocal “Venga out” mob who, if memory serves me right, a couple of weeks ago suggested we hire Mourinho next season because he’s a proven winner or something like that. Not very balanced unless he’s a troll and if so he’s trolling nicely.
Do you do sarcasm? I was defending a player that has been slated of late and had a good game yet still gets called a ‘headless chicken’.
Come off it, and please don’t tell me to sort myself out.
That’s more like it, Arsenal. That’s actually how it goes. Play for 90 mins. Not score once and then switch off.
A welcome three points. I still think we lack that killer instinct. Disappointing to see so many empty seats. Giroud really needs a goal. Looks lost at the moment.
How he managed to get his foot on the ball that unfortunately hit the WBA goalie in the face I’ll never know. That was skill and had it gone in it would have been an amazing goal.
He still a good team player but as you say, he definitely needs a goal.
Same old story. Only start playing better when the pressure is off. Wenger out. Enough of beautiful and meaningless football.
I thought Arsenal, City, United, West Ham, and to some degree, Pool are in a race for the CL places.
That may not be what these teams wanted (except W.H.), but that is what it is and there is pressure, I guess. This ‘no-pressure-great-performance is a fallacy of pundits. Arsenal blew away United in October abd beat City in December, Olympiakos in December too when we were under real pressure; were these victories delivered under pressure or not? One can’t be that definite about these things.
it’s not even beautiful football anymore
I have to agree. Our play is most of the time boring, Regardless of whether we win or lose. There is no more excitement..no more nail biting
The lack of excitement for me right now happens in front of goal where we continue to fluff chances. The build up yesterday was good, ruthless at times, but as soon as we enter the box the shot goes wide, hits an opponent or just gets soaked up by their defence. Time and time again. THAT is getting boring IMO.
Campbell made an immediate impact. We looked really dangerous when he came on, even without our two most productive players, Mesut and Alexis. I just don’t get it how does Walcott have more privilege then him.
Good result in the end but there are still many questions that need to be answered, especially over crossing and finishing. We seem to be determined to walk the ball into the net every single time, even when it’s blatant that we should having a go at goal. It was clear that Foster was not having the best of days yet I feel we didn’t really test him enough. Nonetheless the 3 points was exactly what we needed and today the team delivered the desired result. Also great to see Alexis regaining his confidence – let’s hope his good form… Read more »
Comment:Supporting arsenal is like living in north Korea.Numb.
Not really
Comment: Is unnecessary to write comment, before a comment
Took the fans boycotting the stadium eh lads?
I’m not buying this but I’ll Take it.
Oh who cares. Just get the old man out.
Oh just die, will you.
I don’t even care today, because Prince died.
Gotta be honest, 2016 has not been a good year for celebrities.
Ramsey hasn’t scored for a while
Hasn’t been that great for Arsenal either.
2 Ramsey Assists = Goal = Dead celebrity?
Our passing and movement is too slow giving the opposition time to get back. If we can improve on this we can score loads of goals
This is the way Wenger sets it up. We keep possession high up the field, side to side, until they break and one of the opponent’s donkeys like Andy Carroll gets up to score. Groundhog day. We have been doing this for twelve years now.
I always get the impression that we have difficulties transitioning from defence (ball playing) to attack. It’s not that we keep the ball high up the pitch, but that once the ball goes back to the defence we invite pressure and end up having to pass back to the keeper for a hoof upfield or midfielder has to drop back. This is fine, but then there is so little movement that we then get stuck passing it around in tight areas on our half way line inviting pressure.
Good win. Let’s now go all out and cement third position.
Pressure off? I don’t get it. The team is at risk of losing their CL spot and you claim there is no pressure. Leave that narrative to the pundits. LVG would give an arm and a leg to be where Arsenal is right now.
Four points ahead?
Don’t compare us with man utd.Totally different situation
Meh, we need a change of manager at the end of the season
Very vital points
Campbell looked good, I hope we keep him and give more chances to him
Campbell will consider himself extremely unlucky that Theo seems to be ahead of him in the pecking order. Totally unjustifiable.
I still can’t believe that Campbell doesn’t start every game, why Wenger?
How sad did Wenger look? I hope he performs with fire under his belly next season cuz he obviously cares.
Well played guys, good all round performance, I thought Mert and Ramsey played well on their return to the first team. Personally I think at home against a side looking to park the bus, Coq and Elneny aren’t creative enough to play together (works well away from home though.)
Campbell looked quite sharp when he came on, which was good to see, – yes he should have had more game time these last few weeks, but great to see a player come on with point to prove .
Comment:I’d look sadder earning 8million a year.
I feel like something is fishy with that Campbell story. Arsene really is a stubborn fella but if a players performs well he usually gives him a chance. Hope that Joel isn’t on his way out already.
westbrom has absolutely nothing to play for so it’s hard to measure this performance. a win is a win i guess. still need a new manager.
Neither did Palace…
40 points seems to be the magic number for escaping relegation. palace only had 38 when they played us whereas westbrom has 40. so i do think palace had something to play for.
I truly hope that the boycotting will continue on for a good while. The team plays better when there aren’t a bunch of pathetic ungrateful and self-entitled so called fans bringing the entire stadium down with their negative energy.
Yep, it’s the fans fault we’re shit, nothing to do with the multimillionaires in charge of managing the club.
Did Prince die??? Oh well sign of the times I guess!!!
What, no comment from Arshavin in the article? Disgraceful.
No comment.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called… the end of the season.
A good performance from the lads. Much needed urgency in the buildup play and boy Elneny is everywhere in the damn pitch. Also good combination play between Özil, Sanchez and Iwobi. They seem to be building up a nice little partnership.
Having said that, both the performance and the result is too little too late. Had the team played the same way for the 2nd half of the Season, we might have had something to rejoice about, rather than regret. Same old, same old.
crowd is just a disgrace. people all over the world longing for a seat in the emirates and people who actually have the opportunity so silent u could hear a needle drop. i can see someones point when they are frustrated about the situation but aint a excuse. would make me sangry(sad+angry) but thanks to vital sexy alexis i dont bother today. COYG!!!
I love the philosophy. I love Wenger. Sometimes when the players seem to be obliged to pass the ball with one touch into the net from max 3 meters, I laugh out loud. Sometimes I scream. Sadly I am witnessing an end of an truly amazing era. Times up mate.
Bellerin would have more assists if he only looked up. The number of times he gets into the box and fails to pick someone out for a simple tap in is so many it has eluded me. . And why so many cut backs when you can just fizzle one across the area for a tap in?..
Otherwise… Elneny!
Great performance. In Arsene we trust.
Ozil must perfome, not just at the midfield but on the box as well.
Good win albeit against a resigned West Brom side with nothing left to play for. I’l take it But Sunderland on Sunday will undoubtedly prove a much tougher challenge since they are fighting for survival.
Sunderland took a point from us last season with a 0-0 at the Emirates, to clinch survival. We had tons of chances that evening but lacked clinicalness.
Arsenal to win next four matches.
Leicester and Spurs to lose next four matches.
I have seen it. The Universe has shown me. It is known.
Crickey Bid and Glocken…you mean tha bloody lads got knackered after a bit of kicking about tha pitch? Bugger all I’m kinda gutted and gob smacked they lost the plot. I felt the urge to chunder as the lads were turning the match into a damn squib by actually getting knackered when they shoulda just put a blinding on ole West Brom. I was giving them a good right bollocking through the tele till ole Joel Campbell or as I call him tha bees knees came on. West Brom was taking tha piss outta us because our lads just got… Read more »
Giroud and Campbell have a real connection together, I would enjoy seeing it a tad more…Cheerio!
For the first time ever the ads on here are relevant to my interests: a infra-red meat cooker and “pro performance charcoal” haha
Wenger Out!!!
Well, no matter the different situations, United would do anything to get CL football next season. Arsenal is also not yet home and dry – that should be the case if we win the next 2 games (Sun. and Nor.). My point is that we are still playing under pressure contrary to what many would have us believe.