Arsene Wenger has revealed that he was furious on the Arsenal bench when Mesut Ozil took a short corner before the goal.
With just seconds to go, the Gunners had a chance to get a ball into the box, but instead the German played it short to Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean’s cross was nodded on by Theo Walcott and bundled in by Laurent Koscielny, but in those few seconds the Arsenal manager was not best pleased.
Asked if he thought the goal should have stood in his post-game press conference, Wenger revealed he didn’t even see the ball go on such was his ire.
“I was fuming because we played a short corner,” he said. “It looked to me like we were at the end of the two minutes – why did we not take a direct corner?
“And I didn’t see the ball going in. But I’ve been told, yes, by the television, that we were a bit fortunate to have the goal allowed.”
And the Frenchman had some sympathy for Burnley after their defensive efforts came to nought.
“I must say, I am long enough in the job to know that you feel disappointed if you are in Burnley’s shoes because they gave absolutely everything,” he said.
“You can understand that they are a bit gutted to lose a game like that because they had put all the effort in to get the result.”
Which is very magnanimous of him, because we don’t. Although we do share his dislike of short corners.
Short corners are the work of the devel
devil even. Shit.
We suck at direct corners though. I don’t get how all of our corner takers fail to beat the first man so often. I see no harm in the occasional short corner if it means the ball actually ends up in dangerous areas.
Without Giroud on the pitch direct corners make much less sense.
We’ve always been sh*t at taking corners. Even The Invincibles were pony at it.
They scored more goals from the opposition’s corners (by quick breakaways) than they ever scored from their own.
There’s a time and place though. Most of our short corners end up starting either an opposition attack or one of those 30-sideways-passes non-events that end up with us losing the ball. With just seconds left I imagine that’s what he was expecting. It was definitely what I was expecting. I wonder if he was fuming more than I was?
It’s wonderful to look back on the conversation later though… “Bloody short corner? We haven’t got fucking time for that you stupid GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!”.
Hahaha, we did not deserve that result, but I couldnt care less about that!!
Ok, was it just me or did Burley handle the ball like 2 – 3 times in the penalty box? I thought we deserved that game 100%.
https://websiteoftheyear.co.uk/vote/arsenal/
get voting!
We’ve won this the last few years but don’t bother if you are getting bored of us winning!
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/782948997682106368
I must say I kept thinking a chipped pass in by ozil was the only way to break the deadlock.
Voila
It’s certainly the greatest goal I’ve ever seen!!!
So surely one of the best things Mesut has ever done for Arsenal !
Totally agree with him..
I was like fuck.. The whistle is going to be blown even before the ball is going to be put inside the box.. But fortunately it turned out to be a decision in our favour. Thank Bergkamp for that.
I love the Ox but yesterday I was screaming at him to run at the defenders and he wasn’t. You can really tell he’s low on confidence as usually he runs at them with pace and power. However, when the goal went in he celebrated wildly as if the weight of his shoulders dropped. Hopefully that can now spur him on and gain him confidence.
Hope so. It’s a bit a comic as his shot was really poor and would have been nowhere near target if it hadn’t hit Koscielny.
It was a kosielny shot.
Why do you “LOVE” OX? For his dribbling? His decision making? His “on target” shooting? His pre-game dancing? I cannot understand anyone who LOVE this player. You might because he’s one of our player so we need to show support but to LOVE him? C’mon man!
Are you Tottenham,
Are you Tottenham,
Are you Tottenham in disguise,
Are you Tottenham…
Probably because he’s an Arsenal player and I’m an Arsenal fan? The fuck is wrong with you???
Hopefully being picked for England will help his confidence too.
Flim squim blimmy blim
Maybe not for the last kick of the game but in general short corners would be more effective against Burnley. They are taller than us in nearly every position. We were going to struggle in aerial duels if the ball was hung in the air. Short corners allow us to get closer to whip it in a bit more rather than hanging it high.
Hang em high..great movie
Due to a toddler distraction I didn’t realise how close to the end it was and looking at the replays I was actually less than pleased with Kos and Ox being about 2 yards out, free and contriving to put the ball out! However, all is well that ends well.
Usually we are at the wrong end of last breath goals… Good to have one going for us. Gutted for Burnley.. Sure but I don’t care at this point…
Last gasp…… Lol
We walked it in, literally.
No… Actually we “Handed” it in!!! Right on time too! Unlike me with my home work in the past!
Theo “Steve Bould” Walcott. TheoBould?
Boullcott
Mesut Özil was our second tallest player on the pitch after Koscielny and he is taking the corner, why take it direct?
Also, by taking it short with Alexis unmarked like that it basically just shortened the distance of the cross to make it easier to put an accurate cross in. Usually there is a man marking the player who wants it played short. Burnley played 92 minutes of amazing defending.
But they fucked up that corner badly.
Alexis free, Theo wins a flick on relatively unchallenged, and two men break unmarked to the back post.
Yup, whether or not the goal was legal they fucked up and we beat them on the play.
The only doubt is the sloppy final touch mess. Granted that is our most frequent problem, but you have to say the goal was well worked and highly unexpected from us.
Fuck the doubt. I say we deserved the win anyway!
Ozil is scared of aerial duels, Blogs picked up on that in Arsecast too
I would say it’s a touch of genius creativity for Ozil to play the short corner as it caught everyone ( including the Burnley defence) by surprise. That corner took one defender out (to close down Alexis) and disputed the overall shape of the Burnley defence, which allows Theo to win the flick on header.
I would say Burnley must have spent tons of training ground sessions to defend set pieces, but they may not have as much experience in dealing with short ones — especially at such a late stage and fatigue kicks in.
Ya, a short corner there was the last thing anyone expected, even Wenger, and that’s why it caught Burnley out. Usually short corners just end up being a waste, resulting either in a blocked cross or the ball being played back to defenders near the halfway line before being pumped back into the box, but because it was the 92nd minute Burnley failed to cover Alexis and the coverage broke down.
Burnley are the new Stoke
Bullshit. Burnley defended by marking tightly with a disciplined plan and not giving up any ground. Stoke defend by kicking the shit out of anything that moves. I’ve got a lot of respect for a team that plays to their abilities. Burnley didn’t foul, they didn’t dive, they didn’t play act, and they didn’t waste time – in other words, they were almost the exact opposite of Stoke.
Apart from Marney slyly tripping Alexis on a counter attack and not getting booked for it.
Short corners are only useful in pro evo.
Reason #33848215 to love Arsene. Use of the term “gutted” in interviews.
Reason #33848216 to love Arsene. Only uses the term “gutted” in interviews to describe the opposition after we have beaten them..
the goal should not have stood, But we are going to get shit referee decisions like that against us aswell over the season so just be happy when its in our favor I say.
I initially thought that, too, and I’m a referee. But someone on the “By The Numbers” article posted a link to a Dermot Gallagher article which explained exactly why it was right to allow the goal. I stand corrected. The goal was good.
four points from dodgy calls (see Southampton penalty winner with Kos lying injured in front of goalie and Kos hand of god v Burnley and also one point v PSG who couldn’t scored in a bordello) … what the hell is going on? The football gods are rewarding Arsene for 20 years? Let’s make the most of it.
Making up for screwing him over for about 15 of those years already, more like.
Go gunners…I have a good feeling about them this year
Short corners are awesome!*
*when we score a goal.
Özil sees everything.
Wenger: I was fuming! And then…. …. I exploded in my knickers! And sat in it all the way home!!!
Sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience.
Sometimes we just have to start gambling and take chances. Late in the game when the opposition is difficult to break down, it doesn’t hurt to shoot or commit numbers into the box (particularly as they had 9 men in the box. Another way would have been to use the more muscular Giroud but I suppose he is still nursing the old toe. Ox and Le Boss gambled at far post and got just rewards courtesy of the one good cross from Ozil all game and a surprising flick on from an unmarked Walcott. We were rewarded for persistance. This… Read more »
Have to add I was going apoplectic myself. The person next to me was asking me why I bothered as we were likely to draw which was better than the City result.
I told him I want us to win and gain the points and I was willing us to win….even if at last minute…and then the goal!
I expect the boss and a number of our fans here were all doing the same too.
Collective will triumphs.:D
Well done ozil and the entire team.
Trying to understand the maddness to opt for the short corner; would it have given an advantage based on the curve of the ball? would it be that the defence is positioned off the attacking player in a way to defend a ball curving towards the right, when Sanchez’s left curving ball would give the attacking players a better chance at getting a hit?
I’m relieved with the result but we failed to adapt to Burnley’s tactics, which was the same tactics employed by numerous other clubs against us in recent seasons. They packed the centre of defence to stop us playing through the middle, so you need to use your width to get around their defence to open them up. We didn’t do that or even try it. Every time the wide players came inside and our attacks broke down. Other teams will see that this tactic still works against us because we only play one way and use it against us.
The karma of the club is out of balance now.
We need to even it back before the next match.
Arseblog can you please donate some (slow cooked) meat and whiskey(atleast 20 years) on behalf of the club to the needy.
I have already done my bit (skipped my lunch and stopped farting for a day)