Reading 2 - 5 Arsenal: *insert Santi Cazorla name pun here*

We'll have to see more of Walcott upfront... especially at home when lower teams come at Emirates, sit deep and defend or against defensively better teams in general.

It's just a matter of picking the right striker against each side really.

Better than Gervais though in every single way... obviously.

Lex wrote:Wonder what Gervais is going to get his new best friend the bench for xmas?

Hopefully Ramsey as a friend so the bench does not get lonely when he is away at AFCON.

Eman wrote:Theo can work against mobile, attacking teams like Reading, Southampton, Swansea, etc who allow space at the back, but imagine if we played Stoke today - I just can't imagine he would be as effective as Giroud. It's all about picking the right player for each particular game, or possibly partnering them. Hopefully this convinces Arsene not to pick Gervinho in these types of games anymore though.

He would still be a bit more effective than giroud imo, can you really see giroud winning much headers against stoke anyway? no. whenever, we knock it long we ALWAYS lose the ball whether it be walcott or giroud upfront it makes no difference. we need to play to our strengths which is passing the ball on the ground and having 11 quick and pacey players on the field. you dont see passing teams like barca or shaktar having a big target man upfront because it doesnt work. strikers like giroud just dont suit our style of play, simple. no matter which way you look at it.

My point is that we've seen Theo play as a striker for us one time against a team that couldn't defend to save their lives. Considering Giroud actually does win headers, especially from crosses, and does so more than any Arsenal player we've had in a long time, I'd expect him to do a better job against a team that defends with everything. For the record, against Stoke or another team that defends deep, I would play with two strikers anyway.

Good win, fantastic performance and great result. Everton lost at Reading, while United scrapped a 4-3, it's a better result than I think some are giving us credit for.

Just a good all round display. The 2 goals we conceded were very typical - sloppy mistakes - but going forward, albeit against a dreadful side - possibly the worst PL team since Derby - we we devastating.

Delighted for Cazorla with the hattrick, happy for Theo showing he can play down the middle (at least tonight he proved it) and Podolski and OX really bounced back with excellent displays.

Wenger in press conference tonight:

"After building new stadium, we had restricted potential financially,"

"At 4-2, I could see your (media) headlines coming!"

Great win but not convinced yet.

Theo sign the contract and please practice one on one and put away your chances.

Wenger please leave Hervinho and Rosemary on the Bench for the reminder of the season.

This team can do wonders with a top Striker, Huntaaler would have scored few goals today.

Who has missed more 1 on 1 chances this season?

Theo?
Giroud?

Thing is Theo can perform in the middle against teams like that who give him space.... well all know this.

The real test will be against teams who don't give him space and see how he performs.

If he performs then it's save to say he can play in that role.

Arteta, Wilshere, Podolski and Cazorla
Arsenal cannot afford to push so many men forward and leave Arteta back and to do the dirty work against more better teams. Some of the link up play has been beautiful to watch!

Great performance, amazing flow at times. This is how we should be playing.

A good confidence booster, but Reading really did make it easy for us. Their pressing was dreadful and uncoordinated, and this allowed us to move the ball freely in the final third.

We (and Theo especially) still need to prove ourselves against deep lying defences that actually know how to press effectively. I would also like to see Theo given more chances up front cause there was a real fluidness about our attack today which we've been lacking all year.

I know Gibbs made a dreadful mistake, but apart from that he was extremely solid. He keeps getting better each game.

Theo didn't have a perfect game but he looked better at that position than ANYONE else we have put there so far this season. imo. He just put himself in good positions throughout the whole game. If we give Giroud and Gervinho several several games to adjust so should theo.

One decent performance from Theo later and people forget how vital Giroud actually is "/

No Ramsey + Gervais = Win.

Ratings

Szczesny: Not busy apart from when Arsenal inexplicably hit the panic button for 15 minutes. He flapped about himself at that point:6
Sagna: Solid. Defended more than Gibbs and hardly put a foot wrong: 7
Vermaelen: Made some important interceptions, one of them at 0-1 was crucial. Did get himself pulled out of position at times: 6.5
Mertersacker: Looking better with each passing game, regardless of our form. Has been a 'coming of age' season in the PL for Merty: 7
Gibbs: Played more like Marc Overmars than a full back. Absolutely raped Reading down their right side, but gave a sloppy goal away with a dreadful mis-placed pass. Didn't defend well but was good going forward: 6.5
Arteta: Sold, got around the pitch and was unfussy in everything he did: 6.5
Wilshere: Maybe I was watching a different game, but the press are saying how good he was. He was ok, but a gave the ball away a few times and found the pace of the game difficult. He did take a nasty knock, right in the crown jewels early on. That may have had an effect:6.5
Ox: Provided power and PACE (remember that). I was really impressed with him first half: 7
Santi Claus is coming to town: No words needed. Just a score: 10
Podolski: Yep. More of the same please. Looked up for this one. He needs to show the same desire every game: 8
Walcott: MAde some good runs, pushed the defence back and created space for others. Missed a few chances and struggled to hold the ball up. Finished his goal like an accomplished CF. Now sign the F'IN contract: 7.5


Subs: All N/a (Ramsey, Coquelin and Giroud all had under 20 mins)

Now we need four things to happen.

1) Sell Gervais and other deadwood and loan Ramsey. He may return to his best one day, but he(Ramsey)needs a season of 'no pressure' to find his game again. However, I have a bad feeling that he is just not good enough for Arsenal. I hope to be proved wrong.
2) Get Theo to sign da ting.
3) Keep the same starting line up for a few games. Give it a try.
4) Still buy in January. We have a decent first XI, but no real challenges for positions and no physical power in midfield, which will be needed in many games.

You see what happens when Arsenal plays 11 vs 11?

When Hervinho and Rosemary start we are 2 men down, please Wenger keep the same line up and pay Walcott.

GoonerJay29 wrote:Just to put a damper on things, I think Reading made it so much easier for us by not adopting the tried-and-tested Arsenal-beating gameplan of sitting deep, staying compact and hitting us on the counter. I still have doubts about our ability to counter that.

That aside, much needed performance and win.

that was in the past...
Nowadays we have problems against teams which press us in the midfield.. Yesterday, Reading made it easy for us by sitting back and defending, with no pressing.. Our midfield got enough time and space to buildup play and make passes.. Cazorla and Arteta were not under pressure which showed in their game.. So we advanced forward in numbers.. Gibbs and Sagna were almost entirely in their half.. Just after their 2nd goal, for about 10 minutes they played with energy and pressed us in the midfield.. and it resulted in us backpassing and sidepassing the ball in our own half.. So i will not be too excited with this result.. Our attack needs to come good against better defenses and against teams who apply pressure in the midfield..

Amar wrote:Great performance, amazing flow at times. This is how we should be playing.

A good confidence booster, but Reading really did make it easy for us. Their pressing was dreadful and uncoordinated, and this allowed us to move the ball freely in the final third.

We (and Theo especially) still need to prove ourselves against deep lying defences that actually know how to press effectively. I would also like to see Theo given more chances up front cause there was a real fluidness about our attack today which we've been lacking all year.

I know Gibbs made a dreadful mistake, but apart from that he was extremely solid. He keeps getting better each game.

totally agree...

i didnt think Walcott was that good yesterday for us to have this discussion.. He was average against Reading.. I didnt see him trying to hold up the ball or trying to link in the game.. He hung around their shoulders hoping that he will get the ball behind them.. He opened spaces for the midfield.. Had a few chances in the box.. Wasted some and some good attempts.. Atm, i will surely pick Giroud ahead of him the next game and start Walcott/Ox at right.. Although he deserves more chances upfront.. And surely ahead of Forehead...

Our midfield dynamic has changed for the better now wilshere is fitter. Before the only dribbler we had was cazorla, now we have 2 player's that can change the game by going past an opponent, and it makes us more dynamic and less predictable. Yesterday cazorla dribbled 7 Times, wilshere 4. Some other stats arteta had 4 tackles and 4 interceptions, more than any other on the pitch. Wilshere and arteta had 91% pass accuracy, czorla 86%. Cazorla set up 6 chances, wilshere set up 3. Each of them managed 1 accurate through ball, however cazorla had 5 attempts, which is where my problem with him is, to me he tries too much for the glory pass when he could simply build up play. I don't like how it disrupts the rhythmm when he loses the ball, which is too often imo, but more to the point so needless considering other options. Overall though it was an excellent display from our midfied.

Lex wrote:One decent performance from Theo later and people forget how vital Giroud actually is "/

Kneejerk reactions.

Diego Armando Maradona wrote:Our midfield dynamic has changed for the better now wilshere is fitter. Before the only dribbler we had was cazorla, now we have 2 player's that can change the game by going past an opponent, and it makes us more dynamic and less predictable. Yesterday cazorla dribbled 7 Times, wilshere 4. Some other stats arteta had 4 tackles and 4 interceptions, more than any other on the pitch. Wilshere and arteta had 91% pass accuracy, czorla 86%. Cazorla set up 6 chances, wilshere set up 3. Each of them managed 1 accurate through ball, however cazorla had 5 attempts, which is where my problem with him is, to me he tries too much for the glory pass when he could simply build up play. I don't like how it disrupts the rhythmm when he loses the ball, which is too often imo, but more to the point so needless considering other options. Overall though it was an excellent display from our midfied.

Am I missing something????

Arsenal goals vs Reading in GIF:

0-1 Podolski

Spoiler:

0-2 Cazorla

Spoiler:

0-3 Cazorla

Spoiler:

0-4 Cazorla

Spoiler:

2-5 Walcott

Spoiler:

Urban's GIFs

Anyway..re-watched the match because of my shitty stream.

While both of our goals were easily avoidable, our attacking game seems more and more refined by each week.

Of course it's Reading we're talking about so we have to take this result with a pinch of salt, but our overall mentality and work-rate is encouraging.

We're only 2 points behind 4th and there's no reason why we couldn't be 3rd on New Year.

Need to pick up some consistency and things won't look so helpless as the media and the so called pundits make it out to be.

Great performances in general especially @1st half ....let's do it again and again then ! Just why not ?