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| Özil loops in his 9th Goal of this season |
I really don’t have to say this
but…….WOW!! That’s 9 in 9 now, I mean 9wins on the bounce for Chelsea as they
put in another clean sheet in a slim but enough 1 nil win over the baggies.
Nice one, Conte must have really hated the 3 nil hiding they got at the Emirates
back in September. Anyway on to things gunners sheeeyy? Arsenal got the much needed
win against Stoke but they had to earn it the hard way…..as usual. It was a
test of the team’s character having to fight back from behind. In the preview I
mentioned the fact that Stoke these days can play and they came into the game
in some kind of good form. Arsenal kicked the game off but it was Stoke who
seemed to settle quickly trying to get at the gunners from the get go, Koscielny
had to be alert to make a couple of clearances from as Shakiri and Arnautovic
in swingers, Muniesa had a pop of a volley from one of such clearances and his
shot had Cech scrambling his fingertips just to make sure the ball was not
going in, early warning signs. The pendulum swung as arsenal started to settle
in, but no sooner had we started to reign in the potters than the first of the
mishaps happened. Mustafi falls down to an injury having pulled a hammy, it was
clear that he was struggling and had to be substituted in the 25th minute. Not one of the brightest starts one
would want but Mustafi had to go and in comes Bellerin who thank God was fit
enough for the Arsenal bench, while Gabriel moved into central defence. The substitution
turned out to be arsenals disappointment that became a blessing but not yet.
Xhaka had one of those careless moments where he half jabbed half wrestled
Allen in the penalty box, leaving Referee Mason no choice but to point at the
penalty spot, Up stepped Charlie Adam to calmly slot hom the spot kick sending
Cech the wrong way. How many Penalties against us now? Don’t have the exact
figures but we must be really careless the way we concede them penalties. At
0-1 down the boiz woke up and started to really boss the game with Bellerin
providing better width on the right side, no offence to Gabriel who was a
capable if not equal deputy in his absence. Arnautovic almost made it 2 nil
when he went on a mazy run into the box but Monreal was on hand to make the vital
block. With the clock ticking, Arsenal started to turn the tide for the
equalizer. Sanchez found bellerin in space just outside the Potters penalty
box, the right back whipped in a dangerous low ball into the box which Walcott
turned in at the near post for the equalizer and his personal milestone of 100
club goals, he gets a coffee machine that according to him. Game on, Arsenal
almost made it 2-1 before the half when Bellerin found Ox again with a sweet cut
back but Ox couldn’t find the right finish so 1-1 it ended at half time.
The second half started where the
gunners left off and in no time the gunners were ahead again, Özil stole in
behind the defence Ox tracked his sneaky movement by sending over the back line
a deft lobb, Özil had just enough time to spot keeper Lee Grant in between somewhere
and nowhere and then went ahead to loop a header over him. It was deft smooth
and sublime all at the same time. Kudos to Ox for spottin Özil’s run, that was
pure vision and I hope Ox continues to improve all round, his stats are definitely
pointing in that direction and long may it continue. At 2-1 in Fvour of the
gunners, Stoke wasn’t gonna just roll over like Westham , they were still in
with a shout. A third goal was needed to
kill off any ambitions of acomeback by stoke. Sanchez was fouled at the edge of
the box but referee allowed the advantage which Iwobi curled into the lower
right corner. 3-1 to the gunners. Smiles all around.
What I like the
most about this win was the way the team dealt with the early set backs,
Mustafi going off injured and that silly penalty we gave away. Wenger should stop
crying foul cuz it was a clear penalty if you ask me. If it had happened to an
Arsenal player, I am sure Wenger would sing a different song. An Arsenal team
of old would most likely have buckled under the pressure of those setbacks but
this team showed character by getting on with the game and getting the win
regardless of the fact that they weren’t at their best and things weren’t going
the team’s way at first. These are good signs, plus, Sanchez in double figures
for goals & Walcott too, then you have Özil approaching those numbers for
the 1st time, Ox and Iwobi chipping in here and there. All of which can
only bode well for the team as any trophy winning team needs at least 3 of its
players getting in double figures of goals scored, coupled with a good defence,
such team stands a chance. That’s where I worry for the gunners, we are not
shutting out teams, clean sheets are nowhere and with the festive season games
kick off midweek, most teams will be stretched. A test of our resolve you might
say, well let’s wait and see, up next is Everton and then Man City both teams
in some sort of limbo right now. Perfect timing or potential banana skin? Time of
180+ minutes will tell, till the next preview from us it’s……..Ciao
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