Loss PL: Arsenal 0 - 2 Chelsea | 22nd August | KO: 16:30 | Sky Sports

[Makingtrax]

Lokonga was excellent today. They would pass it into Lukaku time after time, it was hardly carving through ffs.

You should have watched the match.

 

[Diesel]

The crowd tried their best but most of our players looked bemused, tactically inept and largely unfit and unprepared. Chelsea didn't bother leaving 1st gear in the second half and but for a Leno wonder save it's 3-0. Meanwhile Arteta stared at the ground for the last 15. He's done. Now, not in 10 games time.

Football wise confused. When we win.... something always doesnt seem right. Its never convincing. Alot of that has to do with drop off in quality.

 

[Makingtrax]

Thought Lokonga was very good on the ball if I’m honest. On the ball though.

Wasn’t convincing out of possession, looks a bit flimsy at times too.

Lokonga was OK on the ball but as a defensive midfielder he was totally ineffective.

But until Arteta goes I still don't think its fair to judge players too harshly.

 

[teamsoutheast]

Last 5 games were dead rubber games. Take them away and it was a fairly mid-table second half performance as well. Most of the season we hovered around 10th place. We also got played off the pitch by ****ing Slavia Prague.
Also speaking of circumstances, Mikel is ****ing lucky to play away and home with no fans. This ****er will not survive games with fans.

No such thing as a dead rubber game in the Premier League. And we thrashed Slavia back at their ground and won convincingly on aggregate.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Plenty of pro Arteta bias at the Athletic. Although, being pro Arteta is anti-Arsenal, so I guess we’re on the same page.

The Athletic? Mate, 1-2% of the football fans read the Athletic. The vast majority camp out on Sky, read the Sun, Daily Mail etc. That is where the large anti-Arsenal media majority sits. The Athletic! You are having a laugh! You think the normal English football fan reads the Athletic?

Don't get me wrong, I read the Athletic, but I also read the Guardian and the NYT etc. All quality publications, but not what most especially English fans consume.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Yeah he's like a better version of Xhaka, but he's playing next to Xhaka, so it ain't good!

Until Partey returns, we need to play a back 3...we don't have the midfield or defenders right now for a 4.

Lokonga might turn out to be a very good player for us but was he even necessary this window? Same with White.

Chelsea today had Rudiger and Christensen who both were surplus to requirements 12 months ago but both looked solid because they have quality in midfield, it’s probably their strongest position as a team and they’re protected by Tuchel’s system.

I’m sure if you put VVD in our current system he’d be exposed. It’s actually bizarre how we haven’t strengthened our midfield properly this window and instead decided to go for back ups.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Yeah he's like a better version of Xhaka, but he's playing next to Xhaka, so it ain't good!

Until Partey returns, we need to play a back 3...we don't have the midfield or defenders right now for a 4.

How is he like Xhaka? Lokonga can turn quickly with the ball at his feet! Partey can do this also. Something Xhaka can only dream about!

 

[Beany]

 

[Makingtrax]

The Athletic? Mate, 1-2% of the football fans read the Athletic. The vast majority camp out on Sky, read the Sun, Daily Mail etc. That is where the large anti-Arsenal media majority sits. The Athletic! You are having a laugh! You think the normal English football fan reads the Athletic?

Don't get me wrong, I read the Athletic, but I also read the Guardian and the NYT etc. All quality publications, but not what most especially English fans consume.

@Macho and I both read the Athletic and we're normal English fans, where's your data from?

 

[avenellroad]

Willian getting paid 200k for this ****.

You couldn’t make it up.

Its like living in a real life parody of a football club.

 

[Riou]

Lokonga might turn out to be a very good player for us but was he even necessary this window? Same with White.

Chelsea today had Rudiger and Christensen who both were surplus to requirements 12 months ago but both looked solid because they have quality in midfield, it’s probably their strongest position as a team and they’re protected by Tuchel’s system.

I’m sure if you put VVD in our current system he’d be exposed. It’s actually bizarre how we haven’t strengthened our midfield properly this window and instead decided to go for back ups.

Feel Lokonga will be very good, and was necessary...but even though I will give him a chance, White was definitely not needed.

Saliba should be playing for us this season, could even play him Holding and Gabriel in a 3 if needs be, or keep Luiz another season and play him with the 2 young lads...considering the money spent on William, it's mad the club didn't sack Arteta and Edu over his treatment.

We have signed a ton of CBs and spent a ton of money, but still look weaker in that area than I have ever seen us before

 

[CaseUteinberger]

this whole interview

Is this actually HairSpray or is it Manberg? I am confused...

 

[avenellroad]

Lokonga might turn out to be a very good player for us but was he even necessary this window? Same with White.

Chelsea today had Rudiger and Christensen who both were surplus to requirements 12 months ago but both looked solid because they have quality in midfield, it’s probably their strongest position as a team and they’re protected by Tuchel’s system.

I’m sure if you put VVD in our current system he’d be exposed. It’s actually bizarre how we haven’t strengthened our midfield properly this window and instead decided to go for back ups.

We have needed two hard bastards in defence for years. It has been neglected for so long. If you get lucky and get someone dominant but also good on the ball in someone like VVD then you roll with it. Our fabled academy hasn’t produced a single CB worthy of a first team place since Adams?

Arteta fails to grasp that you need to earn the right to play. Mari looks like he’s won a contest to play professional football.

Genuinely think that becoming hard to beat is the first step in this Arsenal team evolving into one that can challenge consistently to get back into champions league contention. Conte is absolutely needed.

 

[A_G]

Is this actually HairSpray or is it Manberg? I am confused...

Who said it was Manberg?

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Who said it was Manberg?

I'm just being silly! I just miss that crazy diamond! He was an epic poster, bans and all!

 

[CaseUteinberger]

@Macho and I both read the Athletic and we're normal English fans, where's your data from?

Welcome to the 1-2% then my friend!

Plus not going to trawl the internets for readership figures. I leave that to you if you care!

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Didn't watch the game after we went down 0-1 but how the hell isn't that a penalty on the foul on Saka? ****ing PL refs never fail! Had that been a Chelsea player at the other end it would have been a pen 100%!

 

[HairSprayGooners]

You should have watched the match.

You don't think Lokonga was good despite everyone praising him. That's enough for me for today cheers.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Other fans from other clubs even saying how good Lokonga is. Yet some of our fans are chatting **** about him. Brilliant.

 

[teamsoutheast]

That “ageing squad” had £150M injected into it after they achieved 5th place (1 point from 4th) before Mikel took over. So stop chatting **** and pretend that 8th place two seasons in a row is some kind of achievement when it’s clear that he’s underperforming with the squad that he has. To be honest, hiring him in the first place was a joke. What top club hires a ****ing rookie to oversee a rebuild. Ducking daft ****s. Your faith in mid-table MIK is misplaced. I’d understand if you were urging for patience for a world class manager who has “done it before” (because you know…you can look at their body of work and be like well they’ve won **** before, maybe they need some time)….but Mikel has no history of managing let alone winning league titles.

And it was probably fans like you who were moaning about Emery, despite his final league position at the time saying we lack an identity in our style of play. Moaning about XG and saying we were too defensive. I also think Emery needed more time and it was the language barrier which was his downfall. Last season we had the 3rd best defensive record behind Chelsea and City. We conceded under 40 goals which we have not done since the 15/16 season. If we can find the missing piece, which is the link between defence and attack, we'll be fine IMO. Lokonga is already looking like a decent purchase. If we can get rid of Torreira, Elneny (Fenerbache and Besiktas are interested) and Kolasinac and Willian, and upgrade on those outgoings it really could change our season. And if you want to talk about 'Rookie' managers not being successful, go ask Ruben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon or Julien Nagelsman at Bayern.