Alexandre Lacazette says he’s proud of the way Arsenal performed against Man City on Saturday, despite a 2-1 defeat.
Finishing the game with 10 men, the Gunners looked as if they were going to take a well deserved point but for a late goal to win it for the visitors.
However, there was a lot to be encouraged about in terms of our performance, and speaking to RMC, the Frenchman said the difference between the game between the sides earlier this season was apparent.
“I think we’ve improved between the first leg and this game,” he said. “We saw a totally different Arsenal team with a lot more ambition. We know how to take risks, to control.
“We can build on this game, even if the result didn’t come. I’m still proud of what we did today.”
The game swung in City’s favour when VAR awarded them a penalty despite ignoring our first half claim, and when Gabriel was sent off a few moments later. The frustration felt by fans about the refereeing is shared by the players.
While not going into specifics, Lacazette made it clear he felt the Gunners were punished far more severely than their counterparts.
“It’s frustrating to see some of these decisions,” he said.
“We’re not going to comment on them, so as not to have any problems. There’s a lot of frustration over some of the decisions today, especially based on what the referee told me.
“Over all the decisions in the match and the cards he gave us, I didn’t see many for their side, despite committing the same fouls.
“It’s part of football and VAR.”
“We’re not going to comment on them, so as not to have any problems.”
That pretty much says it all. The refs have no accountability.
ls there a way players can link incidents with certain referees names in interviews without seeming too prejudicial, i.e. We were a bit unlucky when Mike Dean missed one of our players being decapitated and dismembered by their center half even when VAR asked him to take a look etc. etc. (not that VAR would of course)
Says it all without really saying anything.
Laca is very clever here, were on a good run despite the result against City, the worst he could do was comment and face a ban, he knows his place in the team is important right now.
Yeah, I think/I have the feeling that he is much more important than we think. His attitude is spot on, he is intelligent, his close control suits well in our attack/build up play.
My ideal screenplay for next year would be he (with a 2 years contract) and a top class young talent as our 2 CFs (Johnathan David, Joao Felix or Isak for example)
What about that top-class young talent named Martinelli?
A lot of things went against us last game and at the very least we deserve a draw, but there is absolutely no excuse for there first yellow Gabriel got. Why the fk would you mess with the penalty spot, or Xhaka pulling a shirt in the box. We could have avoided some things, but overall the performance and commitment was top class. We need to mentality go into every game like that.
I don’t think Gabriel got the first yellow for messing with the penalty spot. He was shown the card after the penalty was scored. Watch the Match of the Day footage. The ref gives him a yellow as soon as he comes up to talk to him.
You are right. The media says it was for something he said to the referee after the penalty.
Just a wild guess:
“That was never a penalty you myopic cunt.”?
I doubt he know’s myopic in English yet unless he read’s this and has looked it up. “moppy”?
its been 3 days already you still don’t know why he was booked, even with pundits, tv replays and several platforms stating he was booked for what he said to the referee, which was question the referee on why he didn’t review our earlier spot kick.
I don’t like this interview.
What Laca should have said is: “We are very proud of the way we played but we lost the game because of naivety and a lack of discipline. We will learn from this and become more streetwise.”
Arsenal fans should stop blaming referees. We were 1-0 up and bossing City until we self-destructed. The golden rule should always be: “Don’t give the referee a decision to make.”
I somewhat agree, but somewhat disagree. Sometimes it is necessary to voice to the referee that decisions are clearly unbalanced in a match. From all reports I have heard, Gabriel did not cuss, did not insult the referee, and that what he said was normal, everyday stuff when he got booked for dissent. His first yellow never should have been. HOWEVER, his blatant foul was indeed his indiscipline turning the match. That was daft on a yellow, even if that yellow was undeserved. That said, there probably should have been a few more yellows for City if Gabriel’s was that… Read more »
He got the yellow for digging at the penalty spot. It helps to be more rational once we have had some space. I was at the game and everyone was fuming with the Xhaka penalty. It was a penalty and silly bollox done us again. Fats is right. Indiscipline cost us ultimately. Let’s hammer the scum in next game.
That is just wrong. The Premier league came out and said the yellow came from a comment, not attacking the penalty spot. The media picked up on it because they couldn’t see anything else and have pushed that narrative ever since.
Fans like you that say “we shouldn’t blame the referees” or “the player should have known better than be put in a place for the referee to make that call” perpetuates the dangerous and blatantly wrong narrative that our players are always to blame and referees should never have accountability for their mistakes. Every player has his limitations and makes mistakes and they get crucified for it. But referees are the only ones that don’t seem to have to be held accountable with no repercussions for countless mistakes game after game. The game is changing yet referees and actions taken… Read more »
Needlessly pulling an opponent’s shirt and picking up two stupid soft bookings have nothing to do with poor referees: it’s poor footballers
That’s true, but the repeated inconsistencies throughout the game is poor refereeing. Not just the Odegaard non-penalty, but Saka asking for protection from the ref after being repeatedly fouled without consequences. Adding insult to injury, he get booked instead. Rodri only getting booked for taking his shirt off when it was too late to matter, after taking out Martinelli on the 49th minute and not even getting pulled up for a foul, let alone a booking.
sorry, got booked.
If i could i woukd give you a two thumbs up, @blogs make it happen. This here is a well put and thought out post. Its time we hear officials in real time when communicating during the game so we know what excuses or reasons they give for giving calls or not.
Far from the worst take I’ve read on here, the blaming of referee’s and certain players and the manager has been going on for years.
When Ederson caught Odegaards leg and not the ball the referer waved play on. VAR didnt intervene. When that happens a standard has been det. When Silva drives the referee waved play on and calls for Silva to get up. VAR intervenes and the referee changes his decision. After that call Attwell looses his head. Gabriel is given a yellow beacuse he is the last player calling out the ref after the penalty. The referee waved play on in both cases. That would be ok. When the VAR referee calls Attwell to the screen they only show the shirt pull.… Read more »
When Ederson caught Odegaards leg and not the ball the referer waved play on. VAR didnt intervene. When that happens a standard has been set. When Silva dives the referee waved play on and calls for Silva to get up. VAR intervenes and the referee changes his decision. After that call Attwell looses his head. Gabriel is given a yellow beacuse he is the last player calling out the ref after the penalty. The referee waved play on in both cases. That would be ok. When the VAR referee calls Attwell to the screen they only show the shirt pull.… Read more »
Oh! Well the referee went and dig and found a lot and did not waist time to abused his authority.
I don’t get why we as fans should be ok with such serious incompetence from the referee as we saw this past weekend and times we have been robbed. Xhaka was red carded in the City game earlier in the season even though he didnt touch the player and rightly so i must add, but Pogba got away with it the following day and United scored from the resultant foul. Saka getting kicked infront of rhe referee and only a yellow given. I will not detail all incidents. But getting back to Stuart Attwell, and his cohorts, denied a clear… Read more »
I was totally baffled by Saka’s yellow. Was it because the ref overheard him singing along with the the fans “The referee’s a wanker!” If that was the case then that was never a yellow card ha ha Instead he should have been awarded a medal
😂
Off topic guys but I have a question. Is there any way we can keep Alex? He’s now crucial at the way we play, in his peak and on good form plus he’s leading this young team very well. I know he rejected one year extension, buy since we can all see the transformation here why don’t arsenal hand him a 2 year contract. Plus the young lad we bring to replace Auba can integrate slowly and learn something from the captain as well. It’s a no brainer.
Given he is playing regularly now, perhaps he’d be more inclined to sign a new deal?
Hopefully.
I think we can all understand the frustration. When you see decisions go against you and the other team get away with similar fouls it’s maddening to say the least. It brings us back to our school days and the inequity when you’d get punished in class for talking and other people wouldn’t and you wonder why the teacher has it in for you. “GET UP HERE PETE” he would bellow and you had to stand there in front of everyone while he gave you a dressing down. There’s nothing worse as a kid that the feeling you’re being picked… Read more »
Hi Pete, just like to congratulate you on how well you have handled a difficult experience, some people might have become bitter, yes, even twisted by such childhood trauma, just goes to show the benefits of a philosophical outlook on life, well done you!
LOL
Hopefully you told him he should follow the Arrrr-senal.
Welcome back, Pete! I’ve missed you. Let this be a positive sign for the year 2022 and the true stories from you.
You’ve been missed Pete, welcome back
Welcome back, Pete, we’ve missed you!
Great to have you back Pete.
I wonder – do you have another name you post your usual (non-rambling) comments under? Or do you only ever ramble?!
@Blogs Please give Rambling Pete
his own column.
Welcome back Pete. I don’t know you but we’ve clearly missed you
Upvoted you just for your name!
I’ve missed Pete! Stopped reading blogs after he stopped commenting. So out of curiosity I searched online for rambling Pete and saw an arse blog link just two months old! Came here, and nope, This isn’t Pete! This isn’t rambling Pete! This is way too forced, way too regular! Anyone go and read rambling Pete! This isn’t our dear friend..
I hope wherever he is, he is OK.
And I wonder why blogs haven’t tried to reach out to the old and original rambling Pete! Surely they have his email or something… Give him a monthly column! We want to know him… He is part of the arse blog folklore! We love him!
I have just watched the City penalty again; there is no way that is a penalty. Silva is already on his way down in an attempt to con the referee.
Sad, sad decision by the referee.
On the Odegaard one, Elderson does not touch the ball!
Very bad day in the office by VAR
1. I have seen two clips clearing showing Ederson playing the ball first. I think Ødegaard’s poor imitation of Ashley Young’s Famous Flying Frog didn’t exactly do him any credit. And it’s a myth to say VAR didn’t look at it. How can you know that, AB? If they looked at it and agreed with the ref’s decision then there would be no need for him to go and review it. Just a word in his ear that he was right. 2. The City penalty was different. The ref thought it wasn’t then replays showed ample evidence for a review.… Read more »
Those clips are doctored by Stuart Attwell. Ederson didn’t even touch the ball, he kicked Odegaard who then kicked the ball resukting in a direction change. Clear penalty. What ample evidence? Of Bernardo diving, Xhaka did give him a tag but Silva was already on his way down way before then. A clear and obvious dive. This is not a defense of Xhaka’s offence but up untik Xhaak who else got a penalty for a light shirt tag? What happened to this season we allowing something to go, some contact etc if a light ahirt tag of a player who… Read more »
In a related development, Man United have just been beaten 0 – 1 by Wolves at home!
There is no way that joke team will challenge us for top 4 this year.
It’s going to be a shoot out between us, Sp*rs and West Ham.
Rangnick is turning out to be as good as Ole.
Time to stick it up the sp*d c*nts in the next game and make a statement! Hopefully we thrash them that badly the refs, VAR, PMGOL, and the FA can’t do anything about it.
Man U proving that you can’t win anything in football these days with three luxury players on the park. I feel totally naive. I assumed that when the high priest of the high press agreed to take the Man U job he demanded the right to drop Ronaldo, Carvani and Fernandez. Obviously not. Rangnick deserves everything he gets.
This refree is the same that missed the boot to Tomiyashu’s face when we played Everton. Not a coincidence huh? Lol
We need to put in a complaint about this ref or refuse to play if the gormless git tries to officiate anymore of our games!!
No doubt about it, Mike Dean now has a serious rival to his Biggest Anti-Arsenal Cunt Ref Of All Time accolade.
As I’ve pointed out before, supporters of every team hate Mike Dean and believe he is prejudiced against them. The reason, I think, is that he seems to regularly put himself into the centre of things, sends people off unnecessarily, and does it with a flourish. More often than any other official, he spoils a match.
The most frustrating part is that I thought VAR was supposed to overturn calls only if there was a clear and obvious error. I can see why the foul on Ederson against Ode wasn’t overturned based on that standard. It took like 8 different camera angles to see that it was, indeed, a foul. Hard to call that a clear and obvious error. If it had been called a foul on the pitch, it probably would have stood the scrutiny of VAR. Analysis of Xhaka’s foul is certainly more subjective, but, again, if Atwell had called it a penalty during… Read more »
As for Atwell, he is just a really poor referee, seems insecure about his calls and therefore very defensive and quick to flash a yellow. In some ways, the opposite of Dean, who is maddeningly, stupidly, always sure of himself.
This thing “referee words is final” should be thrown in bin and burn it.