Thought Arsenal were completely average again there. Don't see anything from them so far (admittedly early days) to suggest that they'll be any different from what they were last season.
Premier League Gameweek 2
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Best start since 2009 apparently.
Really? They've only won 2 games and have a +2 GD.
Woo hoo!
I think they've improved, trading Iwobi for Pepe is good as they don't really have anyone to play RW. Ceballos and Tierney gives them depth. The one thing they really did need though was a CB of a higher calibre than David Luiz, if they did get someone good in I'd have given them a shoe in for top 4.
It's what the commentator said at the end of the match. Kinda depressing if true.
Maybe that says everything.
That right there, that was a low IQ play by Rodriguez. All about glory with a highly difficult skill.
Luiz is going to be a big help to Arsenal, he's somehow become grossly underrated. Best CB they have had in years.
Aston Villa 2 - 1 Bournemouth
Brighton 2 - 1 West Ham
Everton 3 - 1 Watford
Norwich 2 - 1 Newcastle
Southampton 0 - 2 Liverpool
Man City 3 - 2 Spurs
Sheff Utd 2 - 2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 1 - 1 Leicester City
Wolves 2 - 2 Man United
Brighton 2 - 1 West Ham
Everton 3 - 1 Watford
Norwich 2 - 1 Newcastle
Southampton 0 - 2 Liverpool
Man City 3 - 2 Spurs
Sheff Utd 2 - 2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 1 - 1 Leicester City
Wolves 2 - 2 Man United
Honestly the only signing I'm jealous about is Tierney. Would have loved us to take a punt on him, may not translate well to the Prem but if he does they have a fantastic left back.
Ceballos looks good but would I want him over Lo Celso or Ndombele? Not on your life. I'd rather play Foyth than Luiz as well.
I think Pepe will be a good player for them but he's never one I'd want the club to spend 72 million on.
Disgraceful on our part. We truly have had an awful six years.
If United signed Sokratis, people would go mental, and rightly so. So slow, so poor positionally, and next to Luiz I cannot imagine that they won't concede a ton of goals once things get going. I could be wrong. Like ourselves and even Liverpool, their season lies firmly in the hands of one or two players. An injury to Aubemayang would be fatal for them, like us with Pogba and Liverpool VVD. To be fair, perhaps only City would be truly unaffected by injuries to a couple of key players.
I didn't see what all the fuss was about with Ceballos today. As I said early, he makes a five yard pass look very flamboyant. For all the flicks and tricks, very little came to anything. In my opinion he'll go back to Madrid next May with little tears shed, and Perez still desperately trying to find a buyer.
Sokratis is better than Luiz. Koscienly a couple of years back was better than Luiz. There's a reason Lampard was happy to shift him to a rival. He's not a terrible option for them but he is not the kind of cb you sign if you're having serious defensive issues. He's also getting on now and doesn't seem to have matured to the point where he can read the game and doesn't have to rely on pace.
Will cost them goals this season.
Barnes is on 3 goals already?
Get in there!
People like to overrate arsenal's performance and their players. They were nothing special today and were wasting time against a Burnley side. Imagine if emery was our manager he would have been eaten alive by caftards and the media. Boring brand of football relying on individual moments to get them through. I expected more from them.
I'll take it.
I think they will undoubtedly start dropping a lot of points if these games are anything to go by.
Yeah i just don't rate that defence at all, and i'm not too crazy on that keeper either. I can't really say that i know much about that Pepe, but he looked very average by there. Certainly not an £80 million player, or whatever it was. Obviously being a little harsh here as it's his first game.
But i just don't see it from Arsenal. Think they'll be pretty much the same.
You'll be taking it from Liverpool after the international break.
I want to see Pepe cry when he realises what he's done.
Especially is they insist on playing out from the back, because they're simply not good enough for that.
We'll beat them 2-1 with Pepe scoring in injury time.
Based on needs I suppose. Both clubs needed to sort defense, add quality in midfield & some goals.
We sorted defense out properly and added some youth to our attack while losing Lukaku, but ignored our midfield. We're left with a unbalanced squad where we need Fred & McTominay to improve and are desperate for Pogba to both stay and not get injured.
They used band-aid on their defense with Luiz (& Tierney) while adding creativity (Ceballos) to their midfield that already has defensive runners, and added Pepe who had a good season in France for their attack.
Naturally not all transfers work out and both clubs have a decent amount of youth in them that could improve. I think people rate Arsenal's window above ours more because they potentially addressed more of their needs than we did. Who got the better quality in is of course another debate.
It's the fact that people are saying that here, as if this game is evidence they fixed their issues better than United did. They may well have done, but this game hasn't shown that.
Personally I think Arsenal's window rests a hell of a lot on whether Pepe replicates his form in Ligue 1. Suppose you could say the same with us and Ndombele though.
We seem to always play Liverpool in one of the 3 first games and last year we had Chelsea + City as our openers
I hope Ceballos can keep it up and have a good season, we might be able to sign him at the end of the loan for a reasonable price.
I see Ceballos has been listed as having two assists but I thought Lacazette's goal seemed to touch Monreal last?
Since Klopp’s arrival your results at anfield have been:
2-2
3-1 defeat
4-0 defeat
5-1 defeat
We also haven’t lost a home game in the league since March 2017.
I’d say we’re big favourites.
Funny match. Clearly still getting to grips with a new midfield, players getting up to speed etc. Best thing* about today was seeing the new players - Ceballos, Luiz and Pepe all look like great signings.
Thought we had good spells at the start of each half but then just drifted out of the game. Will have to be better to get anything against Liverpool, but I don’t see it. They’ll destroy us down the flanks, and Firminho will play like prime Ronaldinho/ Ronaldo rolled into one.
* Apart from seeing Theo of Wolf Alice a few rows behind me. Legend.
Thought we had good spells at the start of each half but then just drifted out of the game. Will have to be better to get anything against Liverpool, but I don’t see it. They’ll destroy us down the flanks, and Firminho will play like prime Ronaldinho/ Ronaldo rolled into one.
* Apart from seeing Theo of Wolf Alice a few rows behind me. Legend.
Luiz looked shaky and Pepe's only contribution was to underplay a pass.
I don't think he was serious. Everyone knows Arsenal going to Anfield is basically like pigs to the slaughter.
Yeah though Luiz was one of Arsenal's weakest performers.
People who say it's definitive that Arsenal have had a better window are overreacting. But people who think they have had a better window are just thinking through the lens of everything working out, I believe.
I think Ceballos is working out will be more important for Arsenal this season than Pepe. They already have Nelson, Lacazette and Aubameyang who can play up top or on the wings. They really only have Ceballos for that central creative force, seeing as Özil is not wanted.
Either way, United should have cash to add to the midfield in January. Hopefully the club will do that.
I do agree with your sentiment that Ndombele will be important for you guys. From what I've seen and read from you Spurs fans on here you seemed a whole different (in a negative sense) team after Dembele no longer could do the job. I do think Lo Celso could be a good alternative to both Ndombele and Eriksen from what I've heard about the player from a Norwegian who follows La Liga closely.
The feck? NBC have a programme about what would happen if Gerrard didn't slip?NBC advertising something called "Crossroads: What if Gerrard doesn't slip?"
Liverpool fans do love their fanfics.
Liverpool fans do love their fanfics.
If Ceballos has a properly brilliant season though it's a double edged sword because I imagine Real Madrid will go 'thanks for developing him Arsenal, we'll take it from here'. Obviously an important signing for this season, but there's a reason I think other clubs backed out from the deal, loan without option to buy is dodgy.
I liked what I saw of Ndombele in the opening game. Not perfect and looked like he needed to adjust, but he was constantly looking to get forward with the ball rather than being a sideways merchant, which is impressive for me because it's easy to be cautious on a debut.
Is that a joke? Luiz looked his usual clowny self and the only thing Pepe did was play an awful pass that cost Aubameyang a certain goal.
Looks to me like Bayern were right to doubt Pepe's ability to function without tons of space, although granted it's early days.
Pepe changed the game. Apart from Ceballos he was our only player who could beat his man and drive at Burnley. Was exactly what was missing from our first half and created so much space.
I like Ndombele. I think he will be awesome for you guys. If he does well for you guys and Eriksen stays and plays well or Lo Celso does well then I expect you guys to make top four (I still think Eriksen will leave, but I know nothing). It'll be between Chelsea, Arsenal and United to fight between themselves for top four if you guys have another good season. Out of those 3 I think it's between Arsenal and United, with me thinking Arsenal are more likely due to them being more likely to get the goals to win 3 points.
And yes, when I talk about the transfer-window I'm only talking about the current season. Arsenal will need to spend again on a creative midfielder (and certainly defender) in the future due to short-term fixes if Ceballos plays really well.
Luiz is a stop gap for a couple of years. Good replacement for Kos and miles ahead of Mustafi and Chambers.