Manchester City 3 - 1 Arsenal

This was a comprehensive beat-down.  From start to finish, and especially in that dreadful second half, City was so much better than the Gunners that it made a top four finish for us seem like a ridiculous notion.  Yes, our defense was abject, but our midfield was outplayed and our front line seldom had the opportunity to even look threatening.  I don't fault the effort; the other guys were just a lot better on the day, and it's hard to argue that we looked like a squad that could finish ahead of Chelsea or United, or make a Europa League run.

Assuming that another sixth place finish is likely, where do we go from here?  Lichtsteiner is practically gone already, Sokratis, Nacho, and Kos are hardly the future, and Mustafi was a mistake.  Chambers is presumably coming back and Holding will heal.  Mavropanos, Bielik, and other young defenders may or may not turn into the sort of quality players we hope.  Bellerin will be back and he is top class.  I have some hope that Kolasinac will start to get good at the defending part of his job, which is most of it.  I guess Maitland-Niles is stuck in as the backup fullback, though why Jenkinson isn't starting ahead of Lichtsteiner I don't know.

If Ozil and Ramsey are leaving, we better hope that Smith-Rowe develops quickly.  Guendouzi and Torreira look like as solid a pair of central mids as you'll find anywhere, and they're near the beginning of their careers.  Elneny seems like a squad player at best.  Xhaka can still be very effective.  But creativity is lacking.  I have always liked Iwobi; maybe he'll kick on and be the player so many see him capable of being.  Auba and Lacazette are fantastic offensive weapons and need more regular service.  Laca in particular is the sort of player every team wants, working hard at all aspects of the game, and able to do the extraordinary every few games to get a big goal.  I don't know Suarez.  Mkhitaryan looks like a guy who's in the twilight of his career.  I hope there's a future for Welbeck here, but he's unlikely to lead our line in any big game.

Add it all up and Arsenal would need massive infusions of talent to contend for a top four spot.  They're not going to get it.  The top scout has been pushed out and there will be no big checks written for the transfer market.  Arsenal will be fighting every year just to play in the Europa League.  10th place seems more likely than 1st for a good long while.

Bad day for Stan.  His Rams looked as pathetic against the Patriots as we did earlier.  Maybe more.

Dialing it Back

Fortunately, today's loss to the bottom side in the league was not televised.  It looks as if injuries to a slew of defenders is going to doom our chances of a top four finish.  I will never understand why they loaned out Chambers.

I'll be doing some traveling soon and will not be keeping this blog up, not that anyone will notice.

Man U 2 - 2 Arsenal: Two Points Dropped, Two Men Down

United was as lively as I've seen them this season, and it proved enough to deny us three points when we were the better team.  The goals were all pretty ugly, frankly, so I'm not going to write about them.  The most important result of this game is almost certainly the injuries to Holding (knee) and Ramsey (ankle) just as the "festive period" gets underway.  Both will be missed, but it's the center back's absence that is more problematic.  Again, I don't understand why Chambers was loaned out.  Monreal and Koscielny may be fit soon, and just in time.  I suppose there may be a youth prospect ready to fill in, but I'm not sure who it is.

Marouane Fellaini is a disgrace.  He came on late, and his contribution consisted of yanking Guendouzi's hair to bring him down, and elbowing Torreira (I think) in the head.  He should not have finished this game.  Disgusting.

Fortunately, our Europa League game is meaningless except as a way to integrate some young guys into the first squad to add needed depth.

Arsenal 4 - 2 Tottenham

Since this is my blog, and no one reads it anyway, I can say that we did catch Spuds at a good time.  Our Thursday fixture was a walk in the (very cold) park compared to their must-win struggle against Inter.  We rested almost all our starters, whereas they had to play most of theirs.  I think this contributed to Harry Kane's muted performance, especially compared to the lively Son who played maybe 25 minutes mid-week.  It also helped that we were at home.  On the other hand, Mike Dean was officiating, which is usually worth a goal for Spuds, and so it was today.

It was shocking that we were behind at the half, despite our history of doing just that this year in the EPL, given how well we played.  Two PKs and a GK error...that 45 minutes deserved better.  We dominated, but TOT had their moments.  They had no answer for the questions we asked in the second half, though.  The goal of the match was Auba's equalizer, of course.  Magnificent!  What a goalscorer.  Ten so far in the EPL.  It was the right decision to hit it first time, and boy did he hit it.  Laca's left-footed slipping shot took a wonderful deflection off Dier, so yeah, some luck there.  But Torreira's run and finish were superb.  Spuds had few prime chances and when Vertonghen was sent off for a very ugly flying spike tackle into Lacazette's standing leg, the only question was whether we were going to make it 5-2 for old times' sake.

This was a classic NLD, complete with several multiplayer altercations, strong tackles, and controversial calls.  The whole team can feel proud, but Torreira was my man of the match.

On to Old Trafford!  Man U looked out of sorts at St Mary's yesterday.  I read that Mourinho called Pogba "a virus" in the locker room post-match.  That always motivates a player.

Bournemouth 1 - 2 Arsenal

I was hoping for an easy win today.  I expected it to be more comfortable.  But we got three points, with some assistance from a linesman and a stunning own-goal.  The Gunners did their usual routine, starting slow, and kept their perfect run of no halftime leads by failing to shut up shop in the last minute of the first half.  From a very dangerous possession in the Cherries' box, Iwobi lost the ball and a few passes later some unmarked guy in red and black finished beautifully past our keeper, who couldn't have kept it out.  We dominated the second half, but could put only one goal into the net off a rapid, flowing move off a free kick at the half line.  Auba stretched to tap in the perfect cross from Kolasinac, who'd been released behind the defense by a lovely through ball from Iwobi.  A last minute dumb foul by Mustafi (I knew it was coming) just outside our area gave Bournemouth a dangerous free kick that Stanislaus sent over the bar.  Phew.

Tactically, this game was interesting for a number of reasons.  We had three at the back, Mustafi on the right, Holding on the left, and Sokratis in the middle.  Maybe this was because Emery did not trust Kolasinac to do the defensive business; I endorse that opinion.  The comment I made most during the game was "Where is Kolasinac?!?"  He got forward well and looked healthy, finally.  On balance I thought he had a pretty good game.  Bellerin was excellent, though he can be criticized for not hustling back before the Cherries goal.  Torreira was great again, and had a shot hit the post.  Xhaka was good enough.  Our front three had an underwhelming game.  For me, Iwobi was brightest, Auba decent, and Mikhi poor.  In the second half, Emery had Holding push up behind Kolasinac, and it worked pretty well.  I didn't like the substitutions, which were all late in the game.  Torreira came out for Guendouzi (I'd have pulled Xhaka or Mikhi) and Ramsey came in for Iwobi (I'd have put him in for Mikhi).  Nketieh came in for Auba in injury time; that was OK but I'd have put in another defender.

Well, three points is very welcome, and it is probably a good thing that we didn't have it all our own way.  These guys have no reason for complacency.  Spurs are not going to be any easier.  I hope he gives youth a chance in Ukraine on Thursday.

Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool

Great game, wasn't it?  It could easily have been another 4-3 contest.  Considering the balance of chances and the disallowed goal, we were fortunate to get a point, but I would have been delighted with our performance even had we lost.  We went after them from the get-go and dealt with the counters very well.  We ramped up the pressure after going down and got the goal we deserved.

NBC had Laca as man of the match, but for my money Torreira was the key.  I was a bit disappointed with Mikhi, but overall I am not in a mood to complain about anybody.  I was afraid Kolasinac would be torched, but he had cover and I thought he did well.

Liverpool is a really solid team that can blow games open in a hurry.  This was a real test for us, and I think we passed it.  We need to kick on from here, winning against the likes of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth and taking points from other top six clubs from here on out.  My fear is that more defensive injuries could weaken us in the back.  The season thus far has been an endorsement of Emery's vision, strategy, and tactics that fans and players can plainly see.  Imagine how much brighter things would look had we beaten Chelsea, which we could have.

PK Heartbreak for DC United...Blackpool falls short in League Cup

Columbus did what they had to do tonight and pretty much throttled DC's offense until late.  They had more shots and more chances, and they might have felt unlucky not to have won it in regulation.  But a late equalizer in extra time by Nick DeLeon sent this to the spot.  Steffen looked a lot more assured against penalties than Hamid, and he saved two:  Rooney's and Acosta's.  Hamid did make a save, and another Crew player hit the post, but when DeLeon took the fifth for DC, he skied it over the bar, and it's the Crew who go on to try to get something off NYCFC in Columbus in their first leg Sunday.

Between the wind, the occasion, and a referee who was reluctant to blow the whistle, neither team found it easy to run their offenses.  Columbus's defense was tighter, I thought.  Audi Field magic wasn't enough.

...

Jenko got 90 for Arsenal and played his part in a dicey Carabao (League) Cup round-of-16 encounter.  Once again Mikhi had a chance to make his case and didn't.  Pleguezelo and Smith Rowe did very well, the latter scoring when Jenkinson's dangerous cross was palmed out to him.  Lichtsteiner had redirected a Guendouzi pass inside the far post for our first.  After the French teenager was sent off for two soft yellows, the Seasiders got one back off a corner, but a straight red when Auba was scythed down restored parity in numbers and we saw out the game.  Spuds are up next for the quarters at the Emirates.