If Arsenal are still in the hunt when Cazorla, Sanchez and Coquelin come back and the pitches firm up again then it will be game over.
1 Like
Decent enough opening 30 mins away to Stoke so far. Stoke have had plenty of possession but Giroud has had the games only real chance with Butland smartly saving.
Good game so far.
Arsenal will win the league this season with a points total that would have failed to win it in any of the previous 10 seasons.
If Arsenal donāt win the league this season then they are the EPL equivalents of Mayo.
Unrale double save from Cech.
Cech keeping us in this.
Happy enough with that result.
We march onā¦
No side has ever lost at Stoke and won the EPL. Unlike Man City, Man U and Chelsea, youāre still in the race pal.
Per. 
Idiotic decision so early in the game. Let him have the chance, have faith in your goalkeeper and even if he scored there was 70 mins left to get back in the game.
The wheels are coming off.
We are going miss Giroud at set pieces.
Big ask now but at least they are being positive in possession. Alexis could be the game changer.
A ballsy manager would not have subbed his leading goalscorer when down to 10 men at home in a huge game in the title race.
Apparently carrying a knock so probably the wisest call if he was unsure of lasting 90mins either way.
Giroud is shit against good defences anyway and Walcott and Campbellās pace is better for when theyāre countering
Heās their top scorer and has goals against Liverpool, City, Bayern, Olympiakos amongst other this season. He should not have been the guy who was sacrificed if Wenger had any intent on going for the win. A ballsy manager would not have done what Wenger did.
Only Bayern out of that lot are good defensively, and even they are rarely tested.You donāt want an immobile striker while playing with ten men when all of your chances are going to be on the counter
No teams are good defensively in the EPL.
Giroud isnāt that immobile, he is Arsenalās main goalscoring threat. You donāt take your main goalscoring threat off after 10 minutes (particularly if heās the only striker in the squad) if you have designs on winning the match. It was a cowardly move and it backfired moments later, they now need a goal, they need to chase the game and their top scorer has been made redundant for the rest of the game.
2 Likes
I would say when playing against a slow striker like Giroud Chelsea are good defensively. You need pace going forward when playing with 10 men against a good side
FOAD ye cunts.
Arrigo Sacchi?
Thereās a difference between knockout football and league football. Knockout football is all about not being beaten, league football is all about points on the boards and a win is worth treble what a draw is in points.