Arsenal vs Leeds United - Match Thread

[weasel]

It's not so much that the players on the bench are so much better, but more about making the right subs for the right game. Take Longstaff for example, his experience in the middle of the park would've helped once Arsenal gained momentum, or even someone like Gruev who is calm on the ball. Same with Bijol, he'd have been perfect for today and I'd have brought him on after we scored.

Also Okafor is the only player we have who can create something from nothing and we took him off while we needed a goal.

Possibly but there is a world of difference between bringing Longstaff or Gruev on or being able to bring Guimares on. We'd be trying to plug the hole in the dam whereas Arsenal were able to unleash a flood.

[Chilli D]

I agree the bench is quite poor, but I would've brought on Gruev, as he is calm with the ball, and we'd given it away a lot. I'd have also brought on Bijol, as he is a good defender and we'd have had to deal with wave after wave of attack.

Agreed.
The situation was taylor made for Gruev. Him and Ampadu could have sat on Odegaard and Guimerais (crap spelling) and nullified them.

[YorkshireSquare]

Agreed.
The situation was taylor made for Gruev. Him and Ampadu could have sat on Odegaard and Guimerais (crap spelling) and nullified them.

Very tempting to bring Gruev on after we score, especially with Tanaka on a yellow. But Farke criticised in the past when we sit back and try to contain against top teams in the final moments of a game.

I'm disapointed today, but I take the positives, we competed with Arsenal for 90+ minutes and weren't outclassed like we were last season. Bit of a tough run of games coming up, it's the point that we win in the next few that matter, not what we dropped today.

[DDB220]

Hard to know whether he was at fault for the first goal. Yes once he gets his hand to it you expect a save but it was from very close range so likely more of a reflex and likely not enough time to get a full hand behind the ball.

Just watched the highlights on YT - out of the country currently. The bounce caught him out it came up off the turf quickly and he couldn’t get his hands up quick enough.
On another day he might have saved it if he had made himself bigger but I think JT set himself for a low low shot. One of those that if it hims him regardless of whether he knew anything about it many was suggest it was a great save.

I look forward to watching the match when I get back next weekend. Sounds like we put in a decent performance.

[White Riot]

I honestly think we need to work on our game management on and off the pitch. We need to be more savvy in managing the game, break up the play, slow things down, disrupt it, and particularly when they had the momentum.

That's up to Farke to set the tone for some gamesmanship. He also needs to be way more proactive and imaginative with his substitutes.

Up to press we just wait for our opponents to grow in the game and then dominate us and then while DF is pondering bringing Bren Dan on our opponents have already won the match and then they start with the gamesmanship.

We're very naive, and this is a consistent theme that will stop us from progressing.

[DDB220]

Hopefully in time Wilson will come good. It took Okafor plenty of time to start producing. Wilso has the ability to score, or create, from nothing.

Pleased with Tanaka. Has taken him a while to really believe he is good enough at this level but his performance should get rid of any inner demons. Looked the equal of any Arsenal midfielder today.

I think we just have to accept that as we develop some players will step up and some will not be able to do so. Up to Aaronsen now to push himself on to a new level - wouldn't write him off just yet.

Are you suggesting forum members have some patience. You dreamer !!!

[DDB220]

Agreed.
The situation was taylor made for Gruev. Him and Ampadu could have sat on Odegaard and Guimerais (crap spelling) and nullified them.

Possibly, I don’t rate Gruev under the press - he plays backwards too much and has a tendency to play balls that puts team mates in trouble.

I know he has some quality moments but IIRC it was against Arsenal last season when Gudds headed to him in a tight situation and went to ground and Gruev passed it straight back to him when he was prostrate.
With no mins bar a few internationals this is not the right game to bring him on.

[Cjay]

Hopefully in time Wilson will come good. It took Okafor plenty of time to start producing. Wilso has the ability to score, or create, from nothing.

Pleased with Tanaka. Has taken him a while to really believe he is good enough at this level but his performance should get rid of any inner demons. Looked the equal of any Arsenal midfielder today.

I think we just have to accept that as we develop some players will step up and some will not be able to do so. Up to Aaronsen now to push himself on to a new level - wouldn't write him off just yet.

We can only hope

Just would have preferred Longstaff and Nmecha.

Say that as someone who doesn't rate the former.

But he'd get stuck in and less likely to be blown down by a breeze than Aaronson.

Nmecha atleast would habe retained the pace and direct threat Okafor had.

Aaronson and Wilson just seem predetermined.

Speaking of the ginger Geordie he's well out of favour, only played 10 minutes in the league and far as I remember he's not injured?

[Aussieleeds]

Second was lovely but I don't think they score the second if we prevent the first.

Because the second would then be their first, right?

[The Subhuman]

Because the second would then be their first, right?

No, gameflow...

[malcolmw]

We did clearly have a slightly defensive minded focus and line up from the start. But that was likely a prudent decision, given who we were playing and the battering they gave us last season.

As a result, to me, we looked very tentative going forward in the first 25 mins or so. Okafor in particular. But we were the better team for an hour of this game.

We simply cant attack for 90 minutes like Arsenal can. Our bench is light only in the area of goal scoring threat. They brought on a player who scored the winner who cost 75million pounds in the summer. We just dont have that depth.

I dont think any other combination of subs would have made a difference.

We have a defense now which can compete with anyone in the league. We can now focus on more confidence in attack.

I am disappointed because I think we deserved a point, but I have few real complaints. Well done lads. Lets win next week.

[1964white]

[1964white]

Last season the Gooners brought on a child (Dowman) to run rings round our championship team

This season Arsenal brings on a world class midfielder to beat our Premier League team.

[WhiteRose]

Still a bit disappointed with yesterdays result but that in itself is a sign of how much better we seem to be given we were embarrassed 5-0 there last season. We have started well when you consider the average current place of the teams we have played is 8th, we have got results from 2 of the form teams in Brentford and Brighton, demolished Newcastle and ground out a win at forest. Palace is the only let down really where we didn’t play well.

[GreennWhite]

We did clearly have a slightly defensive minded focus and line up from the start. But that was likely a prudent decision, given who we were playing and the battering they gave us last season.

As a result, to me, we looked very tentative going forward in the first 25 mins or so. Okafor in particular. But we were the better team for an hour of this game.

We simply cant attack for 90 minutes like Arsenal can. Our bench is light only in the area of goal scoring threat. They brought on a player who scored the winner who cost 75million pounds in the summer. We just dont have that depth.

I dont think any other combination of subs would have made a difference.

We have a defense now which can compete with anyone in the league. We can now focus on more confidence in attack.

I am disappointed because I think we deserved a point, but I have few real complaints. Well done lads. Lets win next week.

Well said, a post with some common sense

[Anderson]

The Sunday papers annoy me again.Not a peep how well Leeds played.Its all about Arsenal were sloppy and laboured.It happens too often when an underdog nearly gets a result against one of the top6.Give a lot of credit to the underdog for a change.

[Bon]

Was saying exactly the same myself during the game
How many times was Alan Smith sent off for an elbow like that, stach should have gone to ground forcing var to intervene....for what good that might have done

[weasel]

We did clearly have a slightly defensive minded focus and line up from the start. But that was likely a prudent decision, given who we were playing and the battering they gave us last season.

As a result, to me, we looked very tentative going forward in the first 25 mins or so. Okafor in particular. But we were the better team for an hour of this game.

We simply cant attack for 90 minutes like Arsenal can. Our bench is light only in the area of goal scoring threat. They brought on a player who scored the winner who cost 75million pounds in the summer. We just dont have that depth.

I dont think any other combination of subs would have made a difference.

We have a defense now which can compete with anyone in the league. We can now focus on more confidence in attack.

I am disappointed because I think we deserved a point, but I have few real complaints. Well done lads. Lets win next week.

Although for me the line-up showed attacking intent. Namely JJ in the starting line-up rather than Bijol. For me if we'd decided it was to be a backs to the wall type game then we start with Bijol and possibly JJ instead of Bogle.

I think we played our normal game, note Gudmunnson getting a shot in, JJ getting the goal and having another shot, Bogle getting in the way of Stach's shot

[The Subhuman]

Wonder if Hull willl go past us again...

[weasel]

Was saying exactly the same myself during the game
How many times was Alan Smith sent off for an elbow like that, stach should have gone to ground forcing var to intervene....for what good that might have done

Nothing has been said about Konsa going straight through DCL which stopped him getting on the end of the cross that made its way over to Gudmunsson who had his shot well saved by Raya. For me that should have been a penalty. DCL is in his favourite place looking to get on the end of a crosss and Konsa just ploughs through him.