To be fair, we were done on a combination of set pieces and goalkeeper howlers today. I don’t think it was the counter attacks that done us, in general I thought we defended pretty well in open play.
Arsenal 2023/24 - Born to be runner up
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The set pieces were well planned by Luton, and were the main reasons we conceded goals yes.
But Luton’s central access were far too frequent in this game, in comparison to the norm this season. Arsenal defended reasonably well yes, but that third goal for Luton doesn’t happen this season.
Scraping a win at the worst promoted side since Derby 2007/08 means you're prime Barca 2006-12.
Come on, Arsenal. Get the job done this time.
Can’t win with that keepet
We are not winning the league with these goalkeepers. Ramsdale was probably just about good enough last year, but now his confidence is probably shot and Raya...well his confidence levels must be at an all time low. The defense barely gave Luton a sniff today and somehow they knocked three in.
Bunch of fecking cnuts doing that to the poor Lutons. In injury time too, what a bag of cocks.
Villa have a nice two game home stretch starting with City and then us on Saturday. Probably one of our toughest games of the season coming up.
Yes hope so. feck 115 winning 4 on the bounce.
What a game. The last couple of games have felt more like last season; breathless stuff where we’re attacking well but are perhaps less solid defensively. No doubt Raya individually is to blame for 2 goals, but I thought White could have gotten tighter to Barkley for their third.
Havertz looks like he’s settled now, was very good today and contributing a lot more to our play. Rice clutch again.
Havertz looks like he’s settled now, was very good today and contributing a lot more to our play. Rice clutch again.
That might work if they were bottom of the league this season, but there’s 3 teams below them currently (2 if you take Everton out), but of course you know this.
I swear, the league is just jerking the fan base around, always giving Arsenal and Pool enough injury time to get a game winner. City must feel slighted after that...
Wanna trade?
Poor City, the true underdog!
Fair point but league position doesn't usually reflect actual team ability until nearer the end of the year when everyone has played eachother. United were 5th after playing 5-6 bottom half sides in quick succession. I think Luton Town are the worst side for a while and I believe other metrics support that (Transfermrkt squad value, etc.).
They scrape through so many games it's unreal.
This Luton Town team is absolutely nothing like that Derby team. Let's see how many more away teams score four at Kenilworth Road. I wouldn't be surprised if it's none.
Luton made it very very difficult but, let's be honest, without the Raya errors it would probably have been Luton chasing a goal in injury time, not us. Especially when Zinchenko came on, we completely controlled the game and pushed them back. It's not pure luck that we score late goals. By being able to relentlessly pin teams back, we create the possibility for those goals. This was VERY late though.
Declan Rice - I think we underpaid.
Luton made it very very difficult but, let's be honest, without the Raya errors it would probably have been Luton chasing a goal in injury time, not us. Especially when Zinchenko came on, we completely controlled the game and pushed them back. It's not pure luck that we score late goals. By being able to relentlessly pin teams back, we create the possibility for those goals. This was VERY late though.
Declan Rice - I think we underpaid.
Only Burnley and Sheffield United have let in more goals than Luton so far this season.
Yes they have a poor defensive record - away from home. At home, the most they have conceded in a game before last night is two.
I'm not even saying they're great or they'll stay up. I just don't think they're easy to beat at home.
I really don’t like seeing this lot happy
They’ll give most teams a game at home, as Spurs, Liverpool and ourselves can now testify.
Every defeat so far at home has only been by the 1 goal as well, so they are always in the game.
Against the big teams it’s almost like the turn the tie into an old fashioned cup tie, small ground, big atmosphere, and players running and tackling with intensity. Strong, willing runners and a big team as well so a threat on set pieces.
These tend to be the types of games we’ve struggled with in the past, those awkward, sticky games, so the main thing for me was going in, trying to get the 3 points and get back out of there.
Sorry.
Now you know how it felt when United scored all those late winners circa 1996-2002.
Didn't stop in '02.
Don’t worry they’ll be trophyless again come the end of the season.
But we'll have a fun time getting there at least.
Do you see anyone comparing arsenal to prime barça?
You could counteract that by saying the most they've scored at home is two until last night!?
You could, yeah, but I'm not too worried about that as we still have the best defensive record in the league I think (cba to look).
They are no mugs that's for sure, they have us a good test also.
However I disagree regarding these being the types of games you usually struggle with. They're not, usually you tend to struggle with the teams that play a combative style, Dyche/Pulis type of teams, yet Luton for me don't play that way.
They like to get the ball back to front relatively quickly and are quick in the press, but they like to play football too and don't tend to drop that deep, they try and win the ball back quickly which usually plays into Arsenals hands.
A wins a win no matter which way it comes, and no one can deny Arsenal are grinding the results out which is really all that matters.
Which games are those?
Last night, Wolves, Brentford, Chelsea, City, us, Spurs. Lots of games you've either played crap in, been outplayed and lucky to win or scored in the final moments to salvage a win or draw.
No, no, no, no, no, no and no.
Just wrong everywhere.
Have you watched those games at all? Or at the very least seen the descriptive statistics or highlights for them?
Not a single one of those games you mentioned was a scrape through performance from Arsenal. Goals may have been missing yes, but it was a dominant performance against every one of those teams.
The only "scraped through" performance was the Newcastle loss, which you missed. That was a draw at best.
It took you a last minute stoppage time winner last night to win.
Against Brentford you scored in the 89th minute to win.
Against Chelsea you needed goals in the last 15 to draw and Chelsea arguably should have put you away or held off before then.
Against City you needed a goal in the last 5 by a deflection to win in what was a crap game by both.
Against us you were really crap and we defended well, it took a great goal to win the game.
Against Spurs I found them to be the better team and your goals were an OG and a penalty.
I watched all of them aside from last night.
So to begin... Ill just dismiss your talk of OG's, deflections and penalties. You just sound like a salty rival fan and I wont engage with such nonsense.
We beat Brentford and limited them to almost zero chances on our goal. You cant scrape a game if the opposition cant even get at your goal to score.
Arsenal came from 2 goals down to equalise the game. By creating two of their own chances from open play. How is coming from behind, against a Chelsea team built for counter attacks somehow scraping a result. Or as you suggesting perhaps... holding on for a result.
City had next to zero chances on Arsenal's goal. How is that scraping a result? Because of a deflection? No, there is no team in Europe that limits City the way we did at the Emirates. Get it right.
Against Everton they could do nothing on Arsenal's goal. You couldnt create a single counter attack yet we were crap? At the very least say that YOU were crap because you couldnt create a single opening. When you designed your game to attack the turnover ball by using a tight midblock.
Against Spurs they couldnt build up at all, and needed a mistake by Jorginho to equalise, and a counter attacking situation to score a goal. I can concede however that Spurs had the better second half, when we lost Rice's cover in midfield.
Its fine to not like Arsenal, but be realistic with your criticism, or at least ask if you dont understand.
The reason Arsenal are winning games has nothing to do with scraping results. Its mainly got to do with Arsenal being excellent in their defensive organisation, particularly controlling their opponents when out of possession.
Outside of the 3-4 game against Luton, which is an anomoly by this season's standards... Arsenal are the best defensively organised team in the PL. THAT should be a clue for you.
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You said to look at highlights if I don't understand. I would suggest you do. In the Brentford game two of their shots were goal line clearances.
Most people believe Chelsea outplayed you and deserved the victory in this game and they should have put it to bed. The mistake by Sanchez began the silly mental breakdown by them.
We had no intention of trying to do what you suggest. Our game plan was defend well and nick a set piece. We almost executed that but didn't, but that doesn't mean Arsenal played well at all.
They again had a few counter-attacks to score but didn't pull it off hence the creation of the Ramsdale clapping meme. A dubious penalty and an OG helped you draw the game.
You're a decent team and deserve to be top 4 but you have got a lot of points this season with a hefty amount of luck and yeah, I class that as scraping through when you need last minute goals etc. to win or draw.
I don't really like Arteta but like the football you play at times, that doesn't mean I dislike Arsenal. I just say it how I see it. I think we all defend our club a bit too much and find it hard to accept when people are critical of them and I think you suffer from that a little bit, as do we all.
Hopefully we can scrape through all the way to the title
Here's hopingThey had two chances cleared off the line by defenders - how is that limited to 'almost zero chances' where the "opposition cant even get at your goal to score"...?
Not so much of a typical grind as slipping up to let the weaker team back in as of late...or in other words making it more difficult on ourselves. It's been the case for a lot of our games this season. That first Luton goal was ok...yes, failed to cover that zone...it happens and it was still a good header. Those other two goals were terrible.
We have two positions that were markedly better last season. One Ramsdale who had his senior moments last year was better than both him and Raya of this year. We still haven't quite replaced Xhaka either. Havertz has had a few decent games in a row now though. He was one of our better players again yesterday! Hope he keeps improving.
We have two positions that were markedly better last season. One Ramsdale who had his senior moments last year was better than both him and Raya of this year. We still haven't quite replaced Xhaka either. Havertz has had a few decent games in a row now though. He was one of our better players again yesterday! Hope he keeps improving.