Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace: Match review

Arsenal let more points drop as late Yannick Bolasie goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw at the Emirates this afternoon. Arsene Wenger made one change to the team that drew 3-3 with West Ham, with Petr Cech returning in place of David Ospina.

The Gunners had the first pop at goal in the 5th minute with a Mohamed Elneny effort that was blocked at the edge of the box, and a beautiful Mesut Ozil pass almost created a chance for Danny Welbeck but the striker couldn’t get the ball under control on the turn.

There was plenty of possession for the home side but not much in the way of incision. A Palace corner led to a Scott Dann header which drifted wide, and not much else happened. Then the referee fell over and I was all ‘hahaha’ because it’s funny when people fall over.

Bolassie had a shot which was easily saved by Cech, Laurent Koscielny headed an Ozil corner wide, and Alexis saw a 25 yard free kick deflect not too far wide. The Chilean then combined well with Ozil, but the German international’s shot was saved at close range by the Palace keeper.

It was dull stuff but in first half stoppage time the Gunners went ahead.  We won it back at the edge of their box, Welbeck chipped a lovely pass over the top, Alexis bravely ran on to head over the onrushing keeper. 1-0.

A nice time to score as the half-time whistle went 60 seconds later. Alan Pardew made a change at the break bringing on Sako for Jedinak, but the game continued in much the same vein with lots of Arsenal possession.

Coquelin created a good chance for Iwobi which the youngster headed wide, before Ozil curled a free kick just wide of the post. Just after the hour mark former Arsenal player and still massive prick Emmanuel Adebayor was introduced for Connor Wickham, adding a little bit of booing and spice to proceedings.

Welbeck was denied by a point blank save after a scramble in the Palace area, Alexis headed wide and then again after a quick Ozil free kick. Scott Dann went in the book for a hack at Welbeck just before Arsene Wenger made his first subs, bringing on Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey for Welbeck and Iwobi.

Cech had to tip a header over the bar from a corner, and some more nothing happened in much the same way that nothing happened for most of the game before that.

I thought about a book I once read.

Then in typical Arsenal fashion, we let Palace score with just 9 minutes of normal time remaining. Bolasie cut inside Coquelin, shaped to shoot, then cracked in a shot at the near post which Cech really should have done better with. 1-1.

Theo Walcott was sent on for Elneny as Arsenal sought a winner, his first contribution was to get the ball with all the time in the world then run into a couple of opponents, fall over and lose it. Koscielny headed an Ozil free kick on target but it was easy for the keeper, and the centre-half almost gifted Palace a winner with some shocking defending only for Gabriel to mop up.

The players, who hadn’t really given a shit throughout, couldn’t muster up anything to get the win and the game ended with a chorus of boos emanating from the stands.

More points dropped, more dreadful football

Arsenal cancel The Emirates Cup 2016

Arsenal have confirmed that the Emirates club will not take place this summer due to player commitments at EURO 2016 and a desire to undertake significant pitch reconstruction.

The Gunners have hosted the pre-season tournament in August of eight out of the last nine years but will instead focus their attention on the brief tour of the US.

Speaking to Arsenal.com why the club have taken the decision not to play the two-day event, Ivan Gazidis explained:

“We know how popular the Emirates Cup is with our fans here in the UK and around the world, so we are disappointed that we will not be hosting it this summer.

“The shorter pre-season window and the need to relay our pitch has resulted in this decision being taken. We look forward to hosting the tournament in 2017.”

Arsenal have confirmed that they are exploring the possibility of playing further friendly matches on the continent when they return from the United States. As things stand matches against the MLS All Stars and Chivas de Guadalajara are scheduled for 28 and 31 July respectively.

New Match review of Arsenal vs Crystal Palace tomorrow 

West ham 3-3 Arsenal: Match Review

Arsenal went 2-0 up, down to 3-2, and got it back to 3-3 to take a point against West Ham at Upton Park this afternoon.

The Gunners were unchanged from the team that beat Watford, meaning Arsene Wenger resisted the temptation to bring back Petr Cech with David Ospina keeping his place in goal.

There was a blistering start from the home side, Lanzini heading just wide after a Cresswell shot bounced across goal but the flag was up for offside. Andy Carroll picked up a 4th minute yellow card for a nasty challenge on Laurent Koscielny which left the Arsenal skipper needing a few minutes of treatment.

Arsenal had some early moments, a couple of breaks that didn’t quite come off, and an Alexis cross found Elneny but his shot was blocked by Iwobi. In the 14th minute West Ham had the ball in the net but again the offside flag went up – luckily for us as Hector Bellerin appeared to be playing them onside.

The Hammers fury at that decision was exacerbated when the Gunners went ahead just minutes later.

After Nacho Monreal went down in the box, the referee played on, the ball came back in, Coquelin fed Iwobi,  he slipped it through to Mesut Ozil, and the German beat the offside trap then the keeper. 0-1.

The home side looked to get back into it, and with the crowd channeling their inner Stoke muppets – shrieking for everything – they won a couple of free kicks in relatively dangerous areas. Arsenal’s defending was solid however.

At the other end Alexis forced a save from Adrian, and it was the Chilean who doubled the lead in the 34th minute. Alexis drifted to the left, Coquelin picked out Iwobi, he lobbed a beautiful ball over the top for the Chilean, who found himself with just the keeper to beat. And beat him he did with a shot into the bottom corner. 0-2.

Carroll tested Ospina with a shot he saved, then fumbled, then got at the second attempt, and it looked as if Arsenal would take a nice lead into the break. However, two goals in two minutes from Andy Carroll totally changed the complexion of the half.

The first came from a cross from the left, the Arsenal centre-halves were nowhere and he ran onto it, out jumped Monreal who was at least trying, and planted a header into the bottom corner. 1-2. Then in injury time, Ospina punched a corner away, Noble put it back in and when the ball rebounded to him off Gabriel, he fizzed a shot in off the thigh of the Arsenal defender to make it 2-2.

Seconds later the half-time whistle went and what should have been a chat about how to keep the lead became something very different.

Wet Ham made a change at the break with Emenike coming on for Tomkins as Slaven Bilic rearranged, and early on had a penalty shout waved away, and another goal disallowed. Carroll did foul Koscielny, but the communication between the defender and Ospina was poor, the keeper failed to take it, Payet put it in the net but the goal didn’t count.

It was temporary pain for the Hammers though as a minute later they were ahead. Antonio burst past Monreal down the left, he crossed to the back post, and Carroll out-jumped Bellerin to thump home a header. 3-2.

It wasn’t working for Arsenal, prompting Arsene Wenger into a change, Aaron Ramsey replacing Francis Coquelin. There was more danger from West Ham with the impressive Payet, and they sat deep to deny Arsenal any space. Giroud came on to replace Elneny, and from a corner Monreal had a shot cleared off the line.

There was a equaliser in the 70th minute though. After a corner was cleared Ramsey crossed it, Ozil crossed it, Welbeck touched it, it came to Koscielny and he put it into the top corner from close range. 3-3.

A bad slip from Gabriel could have proved costly but for a Monreal interception, Giroud saw a header arc over corner of bar and post, and the game had a bit of an edge with some tasty tackles on both sides going in.

There was a chance for Alexis to shoot with his left foot inside the West Ham area but he cut inside and lost it. Arsenal then made their final change with Theo Walcott coming on for Danny Welbeck. It was hectic stuff in the final minutes with plenty of pressure from a team with Iwobi and Ramsey in midfield, but couldn’t fashion much in the way of chances.

Payet shot over as we went into 3 minutes of added time, Monreal blocked a shot, and we had two chances to put a dangerous free kick at the end but didn’t.

In the end a draw from a game we put ourselves into a brilliant position in feels like too little, and once more we’ve got nobody to blame but ourselves for dropped points. 

Team sheet wasn't right for this game, with an aerial threat like Carroll it would of been best to start Mertesacker. 

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Wenger on Alex Iwobi's new contract

Arsene Wenger has confirmed reports from earlier this week that the club are in talks with Alex Iwobi over a new deal.

The 19 year old has been hugely impressive in recent weeks, and the way modern football works means that new terms are on offer despite him signing a contract just last October.

He’s scored in two successive Premier League games, and the Arsenal manager says the club want to ensure his future is in North London.

“We are discussing extending his contract at the moment,” he said. “He’s a real Arsenal person because he’s been here since the age of eight.

“He has three years left at the end of the season anyway but we want to keep him here for longer. If there have been some positives in the last few months, it’s how well and how quickly he’s emerged as a player with a good impact.”