Calum Chambers says Arsenal can feel pleased with the way they ‘rode the storm’ at Old Trafford as Unai Emery’s men came from one goal behind to take a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
The 24-year-old looked like he might be in for a very tough evening when he picked up an early booking for a foul on the pacey Daniel James but, much like the team, recovered his composure to put in a solid performance.
After the game, Chambers said the result wasn’t bad although you get the feeling he, like those watching, knew United were there for the taking.
“As a team I thought we played well, we put in a shift and I thought we created chances throughout the game,” he told Arsenal.com.
“I think we’ve come off with mixed emotions. We know that Old Trafford isn’t an easy place to come, so when you come off the pitch feeling you could’ve won but get a draw, it’s not a bad result.
“Their fans were making a lot of noise. In those moments we had to stay strong as a unit, as a team, and I think we did that.
“We rode the storm and created our own chances, we put our own authority on the game as well. We came off feeling like we could’ve got something. It was a good, strong performance today.”
David Luiz also tried to put a positive spin on things. The centre-back, who probably had his best game in an Arsenal shirt so far, insisted that the result is part of a gradual cycle of improvement.
“We have to be happy with our performance,” the Brazilian said after the game.
“It is never easy to play here. It is not easy when you concede a goal [before half time] but after that it was a great game, a proper Premier League game, a proper derby.
“There is still a long way to go, we are trying to improve the team every week and I think we did a great game, and a mature game here. It is not easy to play with maturity here, but I think we did that tonight.”
Chambers is a much better RB than AMN. He is focused all the time without concentration lapses and he really deserves playing time…
AMN very much isn’t a RB and it’s shown. Not a jab at the player, like him a lot, but daft he was played there when Chambers is clearly a better backup to Bellerin.
agree. AMN has been struggling for quite sometime now, he really needs to watch avoid those concentration lapses. He is a confident player who could dribble his way out of trouble but the more time he has spent on right back position the worse he has become. how players don’t identify the mistakes they have been culpable of so many times irks me, we fans have spotted those errors for ages with certain players but does anyone at the club makes them watch the errors they have been making and how they could improve.
One has been a defender all his career, the other is Maitland-Niles. It’s not surprising.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder…. Chambers won’t be the first player to see his stock significantly improve whilst sitting in the stands. It wasn’t so long ago that Chambers was getting skimmed at right back week in, and week out…. and fans were screaming from the rooftops that he wasn’t a natural right back. He may have improved? he certainly has in the air, and I hope that’s the case with other aspects of his game, but he does lack agility, he’s very slow over the first few metres, and he gives away endless stupid fouls because of his… Read more »
We’ve got Bellerin. Don’t think it’s that outlandish to say that Chambers is a better back up option, AMN has never looked convincing at RB to me.
He’s not a right back, he’s a centre back. He’s good going forward and can tackle and position well enough, but bad when players run at him or the ball is played in behind him.
Actually he’s a DM who Arsene tried unsuccessfully to convert to a CB or RB. I like Chambers as a squad player who brings some quality to the attack but has defensive issues due to lack of speed on the wings. Good squad player.
Played predominantly at right back for Southampton…….
Only started playing DM when on loan (at Fulham it was, I think)
Played DM for Arsenal before that loan on a few occasions
I used to think he was just a CB, but this season he has been nothing short of Brilliant at RB, his technique has come SO SO far, his crossing is excellent, passing is excellent and he is dinking and beating guys with the ball – all traits of a full-back in attack. He might not be Bellerin quick, but he has also shown he is quicker in the turn than we first thought (maybe adjusting to the game better) and he isn’t getting beat at will by quick players. James is really fast and despite the early yellow, Chambers… Read more »
Player ability (f(x)) = player in his position struggles (x) × team struggles (y) ^ time on the sidelines (t)
Wow exponentially proportional to the time a player is out injured. Surprising revelation.
I’m not sure that’s fair, while he is not a right back either he is performing much better then he has there before. I can’t really think of many “ridiculous” fouls, he’s older and more polished. I also don’t think anyone is not behind our young players. I like everyone else like amn, but will point out anytime that he is less a right back then chambers.
I’m not sure anything that United team mustered can be classified as a storm. Rode a slight breeze and bit of drizzle perhaps. Should be giving them far more of a tough game than that with these players. I’d love to see what Willock and Guendouzi could do playing ahead of Torreira. Shame it looks like we never will.
do you mean ahead of Xakha? As for the match, the guardian put it well (sadly) that this looked like a match between two mid-table sides.
Sorry, mean ahead in the physical/ position sense. Not in the pecking order, so to speak!
I got that from the originnal post 😉
I disagree with Luiz; it was not a great game. The kids put on a better performance against Forest last week than the first team put on yesterday. Midfield again slow and ponderous, choosing safe lateral passes rather than progressing the ball down the field. We could not clear the first man with any of our set pieces today (Pepe and Ceballos). Pepe squandered the ball from so many promising positions and jogged back on several occasions leaving Chambers exposed. The only players who come away from this performance with any sort of credit are Saka, Kolasinac and to some… Read more »
Well below*
I thought Luiz and Sokratis both put in shifts today. They’ve both been poor of late so it was good to see them play a big part in us … well … not falling apart. Luiz’s passing and control was very composed and they both made timely interventions. Chambers too was excellent. And again I don’t get what Kola did wrong. He wasn’t brilliant, but he was there and solid (mostly on defense tonight, which people love to slate him for). This isn’t a terrible point in a but-shell (not great, but not terrible), but it reassured all the problems… Read more »
Ceballos has 40 minutes to show creativity and he didn’t. Same last time. Same the time before… Same even against Burnley (don’t mention the two assists: the goals are all Laca and Auba). Stop putting him and Özil on the same level… or we talk about Özil’s pass to Ainsley against Watford: THAT is creativity, not a louse ball for the strikers to do the rest.
ummmm…Might be looking into this Ceballos-Ozil link a bit much eh?! Ceballos has been fine, not great, but far from bad (especially since he has mostly played alonside Xhaka, who seems to make all his fellow mids shift their roles – against Burnley without Xhaka he was excellent). Ozil is a great player – but he is still a flawed talent and has he ever had a good away day against a top 6? That game wasn’t really suited to Mesut as a starter (madness not to include him on the bench). I’m all about getting Mesut more game time… Read more »
When was the last time Ozil played in an away match to a top 6 side? Genuine question. I don’t think he has under Emery and he was injured at the back end of Wenger’s tenure.
Can’t really say how he’d play in one tbh. Hell, at the moment we can’t really say how he’d play in any game in the PL, let alone away from home to a dysfunctional Manure.
I reckon he’d have created at least one chance for Auba last night, had he played instead of Pepe (for example), but who knows? Not me certainly.
two absolutely sensible comments. cheers
Thinking of Xhakha, I’m reminded of a line from The Usual Suspects towards the beginning where one copper tells the other ‘the gimp is protected from up on high by the Prince of Darkness’
Amidst all the doom and gloom and Emery outs think we should at least give him till the end of the season.
Automatic CL qualification along with a cup win would be considered a success.
Style and identity hopefully to come in season 3…
I can’t see how you can be so confident of CL qualification and a cup win with the clueless dross this team is serving up week in week out. What are we waiting for? He’s had over 60 games. I could understand that if he didn’t have the players at his disposal. But this squad is stacked full of quality and variety from youth and experience. Yet we are seeing some of the most dismal unadventurous football at this club since the Premier League began.
Yep I’d totally give him till the end of the season. I don’t want us to turn into Chelski sacking managers every 5 mins.
But yeah, please stick to some sort of football philosophy we can identify. I have no idea what he is trying to do anymore.
I’m all for that, but really can you see us getting to third place with the current lack of balance in the middle of the pitch and now with a big source of that imbalance as our captain? Auba just keep papering over the cracks with his sheer brilliance. I truly think we have a strong squad and a team that can push on right now, but I don’t trust Unai to be the guy to do it nor with Xhaka (our bloody captain) as the centre piece, defensive midfielder, and deep-lying play-maker in our midfield. With that I see… Read more »
He’s already had a season. What will another one show us? Pep was bossing the league in his second season as he learned all he needed to in season 1. Why should we accept what Emery is doing in his second season which looks like a manager getting to grips with a new team and a new league?
He’s declined
Rather sack him now and give the reigns to Freddie for the remainder of the season. Emery’s set up isn’t going to change and that set up isn’t going to win games. But most of all, the football is not fun to watch. It’s frustrating to watch the team set up in such a way not to get the best from the sum of the parts. On paper we have a much better team than MUFC but Emery can’t build a team around the payers strengths that are available to him. Emery is set to die on Xhaka mountain.
A point at Old Traford and 4th spot on the log is not bad coz other so called top 6 six teams are likely to drop points there. My worry is the coach and his treatment of Ozil. if you were to ask me choose between the coach and Ozil for a sacking, i would choose Emery. i seriously think this coach is Europa League material, Arsenal deserve a Champions League coach. Fabio Capelo please!!!!
UE did also much harm in PSG: ask Ben Arfa (or even Neymar to a lesser extend).
You had to fuck it all up by suggesting Capello, didn’t ya ?!?
Why can’t I comment on the new app unless I view on the browser?
Because the new app isn’t great. Only good for notifications tbh.
when your top striker with a 16 goals in 16 games record is putting in crosses from the left for your 1,50 meter defensive midfielder something is fundamentally wrong with the tactics. It’s obvious for nearly everybody exept our coach and our captain.
Some shoddy basic measurements apart, fine point!
Is there any way to access comment section via app or it’s only in browser? Help please
SACK EMERY NOW!!! He persists in playing fucking Xhaka at DM when we have Torreria, like what is the fucking point? Our best midfield consists of Torreria, Ceballos, Willock or Guendouzi NOT Xhaka! Play him in the cups, play in an advanced position, just not at DM – its obvious for everyone not named Emery or associated with the club to see. I blame them all, Raul, Edu, all of them. They see this shit happening and still allow Emery to do his bullshit – all their fucking heads should be on the line! Did we seriously go to OT… Read more »
Months, eh? Season only started last month. Anyway, why don’t you calm down a bit and take everything in perspective… There’s so much more to life than Arsenal! As for us, we’re still 4th and ahead of the rest of the so called top 6 and have already faced liverpool, spurs and united already within the first 7 games! Agree, this starting with 3 DMs when we should have gone for the kill needs to stop.
When I say months, I’m referring back to last year. Ok, you are right, I do need to calm down a bit. That was held inside from Watford/Villa and it boiled over. As for more to life than Arsenal, I know and agree. That’s why I learned to disconnect, that’s why I travel as much as I can, that’s why I love playing basketball, that’s why I try to educate myself as much as possible but it doesn’t change the fact; the Arsenal are a big part of who I am, have been since I was 8 and will be… Read more »
See ya!
I wonder what Edu makes of our shambolic displays. Surely he must be having words in private with Emery.
Xhaka ducking out of the wau of the shot did it for me. Our scared captain.
The only thing to be optimistic about this year seems to be the young core we have in Guendouzi, Holding, Saka, Willock, Chanbers, AMN, Tierney, Martineli, etc.. Of course Aubameyang is playing great and carrying us, but it’s the young players that have me excited about the future (as long as we get a manager that will best utilize their talents).
I think AMN, who has put in shifts in an unfamiliar and ill suiting fullback position, but has given it his all, deserves to be rewarded. I think he should be given a shot in Pepe’s position at RW.
He will give better defensive cover for chambers and give Pepe a break from getting slaughtered by our fan base while he adapts.
Most of the fans are whining and moaning after decent performance, mocking and crying over although it wasnt that bad. What the heck is wrong with you? Its only football, enjoy and take it easy. Could have gone either way.
Chambers could get a new position in public relations. Nice try, but I don’t think the performance was all that good on the whole. As to filling in for AMN and Hector, thought Chambers has done a fairly decent job including yesterday. This seems to be a stretch given the manager, but would really like to see him tried in the mid-field. A pretty decent passer, definitely good at reading the game, and he would not have to be in as many one on one situations in the middle as playing fullback or CB. Watched some Fulham last year and… Read more »
Blogs put it very well *Emery is trying his best but the club is too big for him* and his style of play is too defensive for Arsenal. Unless we have some sort of revelation this season and win a cup or two/qualify for CL again I cannot see his contract being renewed (I don’t see us sacking a manager mid season so we may have to just wait it out till the summer). As to the level of abuse he is getting on here, he doesn’t deserve it. To those of you laying into him *fuck you Emery, Emery… Read more »
I don’t think he is going anywhere for the time being no matter the banter. Not a fan of Emery’s by any means, but he still has four players on the sidelines that should be consistent starters, so maybe we should chill for a bit and see how things work out over the next couple of months.