C. Palace 1 Arsenal 2 Match Thread: FT!

Cazorla still miles ahead of everyone else

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted about a minute ago
Cazorla still miles ahead of everyone else
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In the right position yes....

Weren't ruthless enough up front, that was main issue. Defence needs to improve, but looked better for most of the second

comment by The Year of the Ox (U7080)
posted about a minute ago
Weren't ruthless enough up front, that was main issue. Defence needs to improve, but looked better for most of the second
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we need to be more clinical....

Should have been two goals up in the first ten minutes. Gotta improve on finishing. Then it still amazes me how a player of Koscielny's experience can be turning his back on a shot. Could have easily stuck out a leg and blocked the shot.

I actually thought Cazorla was very poor especially defensively.

Cazorla won man of the match , he can't have been that bad.

Positives: We created a lot of chances and should have been very comfortable. We defended well when the ball came into our box for the most part, and Palace didn't really get in behind.

Negatives: Our finishing was poor and it put us under a lot of unneccesary pressure. We didn't keep the ball all that well high up the pitch. Our defending from our midfielders and forwards was sometimes there and other times missing, and that was why Coquelin was exposed and could have ended up getting sent off. I still don't feel that all of our midfielders know what's required from them tracking back - they try hard but often make challenges when they don't need to or stand off when they should close down. How our players could allow themselves to get caught offside in the last ten minutes, when we just needed them to get the ball and hold on to it to relieve the pressure, I don't know. But it must drive Wenger and Bould insane. Giroud scored a good goal but didn't offer enough physically again. I don't care that he's not a world-beater, he can't help that, but he needs to work harder for the team as a result.

All in all a good result but not the best performance. It was much like the West Ham game, but it worked out today and hopefully that will build confidence and let us play with more assurance in the next game.

Santi was immense - as usual. Our fullbacks did well. Ramsey worked hard, but was sloppy. Ozil had a decent game and that cross for Giroud's goals was stunning. Alexis could have had a hat-trick. Pretty wasteful.

A great, hard-won 3 points.

So many of times I shouted at the screen for him to close down players and he just stood them off! Put our defense under pressure by being passive off the ball.