Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 28 October 2012 09:04

Match Review - Arsenal 1 QPR 0 - Premier League

Yesterday's match against QPR was all about stopping the rot, all about putting an end to a week of misery and getting the right result. We achieved that aim in the end even if the performance is still some way short of our best.

Arsene had hinted that he could turn to Jack Wilshere in a bid to add some freshness and spark to a team lacking in belief. Arsene Wenger had said post match that he informed Wilshere and the rest of the team at 10.30am that morning, leaving it late so the player had little time to think about the match ahead.

Wilshere certainly did not look like a man worried about returning to top flight football. 17 months without top level football, he came back and made it look effortless.

While he is still not at his best or sharpest, he gave us that drive with the ball that we have been missing for the last few weeks. He has not played with most of his team mates so it will take time before he develops an understanding with his team mates and they understand him.

Some of the combination play was much better from Arsenal than we have seen in the last week but we still lacked a little bit of quality in and around the penalty area.

All the left footers Santos, Giroud, Wilshere and Podolski all had attempts on goal but none of those shots were good enough to beat an inspired Brazilian goalkeeper. When he was beaten by an Aaron Ramsey header, the crossbar came to his rescue.

Julio Cesar in the QPR goal had one of those away goalkeeping displays at the Emirates. The type of game where they save their best for our players and once again we found it hard to put away our chances.

Wilshere had lasted 62 minutes before he was replaced by Theo Walcott, allowing Aaron Ramsey to move back into his more natural central position. Santi Cazorla had a glorious chance to win the game but when the ball dropped to him at the penalty spot, he blazed high over the bar. He had time to take a touch, steady himself and score but when confidence is low, players make rash decisions.

I thought that was it, the chance for all three points had been wasted until Gervinho got injured attempting to cut the ball back with his left foot. He wasn't on the pitch for very long and had to be replaced with the last throw of the dice that was Andrey Arshavin.

Poor Oliver Giroud had been waiting for decent service all game again and it finally came in the shape of the enigmatic Russian. He stuttered towards his full back, switched it onto his left and dug out a cross better than many had on their stronger foot all game. It found the head of Oliver Giroud who powered a header towards goal which was once again saved by Cesar, Arteta headed the rebound against the crossbar and for once luck went in our favour when the ball came back to Arteta to poke in from the goal line.

We were very lucky to have scored as Arteta was standing in an offside position when the ball came to him following Giroud's header but I will gladly take that right now.

After a few minutes of possession after the goal along with an Aaron Ramsey daisy cutter to which the keeper was once again equal to, we went about doing our very best to let QPR grab an equaliser. Thomas Vermaelen's positioning was suspect to say the least, unfortunately it isn't the first time I have said that in recent months. Taarabt floated a ball over the top, Vermaelen was not goal side and it allowed Granero a chance to run in on Mannone but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Substitute Mackie ran past three Arsenal defenders and should have scored but for a very good block from Vito Mannone in the Arsenal goal. After his mistake at Norwich he needed something to redeem himself and that was just about it.

Before our goal Mbia stupidly kicked out at Vermaelen after losing to a shoulder barge. Rather strange behaviour and was rightly sent off for it. Without that, we may never have managed to get the goal so let's all raise a glass to the stupidity of Mbia *clink*

I felt sorry for Carl Jenkinson who hadn't put a foot wrong but a fit Bacary Sagna came straight back into the side, I think the need for freshness also played its part. Carl shouldn't be too disheartened though he should start against Reading in the Capital one cup.

It may not have been an inspired victory but it is a victory all the same. I don't suppose that any of the players who started yesterday will feature in midweek so it is a chance for our squad to rest some legs before the big trip to Manchester United. I actually like the fact that we are total underdogs, the pressure is off and we often produce in that situation.

But next up Reading.

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Comments (25)

• 28-Oct-2012 10:33 | | Godfrey Nyakapaga  - Go Gunners go
  

  Keep pushing guys , we will be there . Lets have confidence in our game ,things will come right to us.

• 28-Oct-2012 11:14 | | Anonymous
  

  

• 28-Oct-2012 11:34 | | Waterboy
  

  It was a good effort by the players vs QPR. Good round up ML! I thought Jack, Santi and Arteta worked well together in the centre of midfield as did Ramsey, at least in an attacking sense, when asked to play there in the second half. I still get nervous when watching Ramsey attempting to discharge the defensive duties of Arsenal's box to box central midfielder. His defensive positioning seems all over the place a lot of the time. The same can be said about some of his attacking positioning when asked to play in the RCAM role. A number of times he popped up on the left side of the pitch despite not actually appearing to swap positions with the LCAM Podolski? Those things aside thou I thought he had a good game.
  
  I was nervous about how Santos would fair as well before the match but I thought he actually had a good game and combine well with Podolski when Santos advanced but stayed on the flank, whichY allowed Podolski to move in closer to our central midfielders and help initiate attacks.
  
  Still concerned by some of our defensive play thou particularly Vermaelen whose positioning and decision making does seem to be becoming suspect at an increasing rate. Id love to see Per and Kossie given a run together in central defence as collective they appear to be much calmer as well as both being exceptional central defenders. With Verm as captain thou I don't see it happening anytime soon which is a bit disappointing.
  
  Looking forward to the Reading match and hopefully seeing
  Martinez
  Jenkinson, Kossie, Miquel, Angha
  Coquelin Yennaris
  Gnabry. Arshavin. Eisfeld
  Chamakh

• 28-Oct-2012 12:25 | | Joecarbonuk  - Patience needed
  

  I remember only two weeks ago how this team was being hyped up by fans and the media alike after a few decent displays. It's natural for performances to vary when the manger himself is still not sure of his best 11.
  
  What we have missed is a 'driver' in midfield, Diaby, wilshere and tommy r are such players in that they will drive past players in midfield and get the ball to the front men. Ramsay, coq and arteta are passers on the other hand.
  
  I am sure that there is so much more to come from these guys and it just needs a little more time.

• 28-Oct-2012 13:03 | | Don Oloo
  

  This is a team that is still struggling to gel, but i would say it's the best we have had in a long while. What i think though is that Santi needs- and deserves a rest, he has been looking wobbly lately and yet we can't afford to rely too much on him too soon.
  I trust Arshavin can play Santi's role, then we have Wilshere back, and Rosicky almost there.
  
  At the back, it's pretty hard to drop your Captain, & Per must play so i suggest Arsene 'rests' Vermalean to make way for Koscielny in one or two games. Kos was our best defender last season, and surely will not like the idea of playing once a month.
  It was an important win, and here's a toast to a long line of victories to come.

• 28-Oct-2012 15:52 | | bake aka likbakdat
  

  I thought we played prettt well.for 75% of the game but a nervous crowd makes a nervous team. Kick out the rich fans and bring back the real.fans to.enhance our 12th man. COYG

• 29-Oct-2012 08:53 | | jd  - Striker
  

  We lack a focal point up top and its not suprising since we never replaced RVP. Giroud will be a good player but like almost all other players signed from league 1 will probably need a season to settle and other than that we have no out and out striker. Its no wonder that we have to watch arteta and cazorla pass the ball sideways all the time if there is no-one giving the team penetration. This is highlighed by the fact that we have to play gervinho up front and he is not a natural goal scorer. He will continue to get stick if he is played out of position and we will continue to struggle to score if we have no striker. I am vey worried about man utd next week.

• 29-Oct-2012 09:54 | | paspartu
  

  Kick out the rich fans and bring back the real.fans to.enhance our 12th man
  
  BEST COMMENT BY FAR !
  
  out with the poser scum , in with the proper fans..fans who have a voice and support..not a voice to moan...

• 29-Oct-2012 09:55 | | paspartu
  

  believe it or not...arsenal;s biggest problem aint ramsey..not mannone...its the scum in the stands who sit and wait for a mistake to boo the team manager and players ...
  
  its all them parasites who want arsenal to do a "chelsea" and a "city" ...all them cunts who ;d rather support dein and usmanov instead of wenger and his work.

• 29-Oct-2012 10:41 | | Vuja De
  

  The result was the only thing that mattered against QPR, so I'm glad that we got the three points.
  
  Let's hope that Gervinho's injury isn't as bad as feared, and that he's available for selection sooner rather than later.
  
  It was good to see Sagna back in action for the first team. He's a world class full back, who consistently produces the goods season after season, so nobody should be surprised that, when match fit, he's come straight back into the team.
  
  Jenkinson has been good in Sagna's absence. He's still learning his trade as a professional, and his day as a first team regular will come.

• 29-Oct-2012 10:53 | | paspartu
  

  it is our duty to make van persie suffer in the next epl game...no way that cunt is gonna come and score wearing that shirt...if the arsenal players have any pride they will ensure that robin is constantly off balance so that he injures himself..make it a living hell for him so that he has to go in overdrive and get carried away in twisting something or stretching something or even breaking somehting.... we have to do it smart and not be accused of doing anything deliberately ..and let fergie yell all he wants....
  
  come on vermaellen..remember the time you two had a fight in a european fixture? time for payback! man to man marking..dont let him breathe..take him out of the game, unsettle him ...we know his temper...lets take advanatge of it.

• 29-Oct-2012 11:45 | | Sydney Gooner
  

  To get us into the spirit of our upcoming clash against Manure has anybody else read this?
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2224130/Nick-Harris- Manchester-United-rich-league-half-billion.html
  
  "United's income will be about £360million in the current season, then soar beyond £400m next season and could even climb past £500m in 2014-15."
  
  "United can expect TV money from the Premier League alone to be about £100m per season, their Chevrolet shirt sponsorship will be earning £44m per season, and Nike (or an alternative kit maker) could be paying as much as £50m a season, maybe more."
  
  How can that lot really have anything to complain about when things both on and off the field fall perfectly in place for them?

• 29-Oct-2012 12:43 | | Don Oloo
  

  @Paspartu, am so wit u on this one.... we should even station a sniper somewhere in the stands to snipe his bow legs... just in case he is having a good game!
  I hate his every touch, and i wonder when Shawcross' son will come around.

• 29-Oct-2012 13:57 | | paspartu
  

  that cunt has to suffer for daring to celebrate with his new CHEATING buddies and with his CHEATING cunt of a manager the theft that occured at s.b. last night
  
  i want french wenger with his german podolski and his spannish arteta to piss on everything that the "brittish flagship" united represents !!!!

• 29-Oct-2012 14:01 | | paspartu
  

  also...the momment ferguson stands up to complain about something ridiculous i expect the arsenal fans behind him to start throwing everything theyve got at him ..even mobile phones.... dont be pussies like the chelsea fans who were watching their team getting slaughtered by an incompetent ref and fergie also yelling for a 3rd card plus a penalty among other things.....what a cunt...

• 29-Oct-2012 16:48 | | paspartu
  

  the epl is a farce.... the referees could nto be any worse..appaling level..semi pro.
  
  all these "human errors" tend to favour one team. and before anyone accuses me of anything ..i will talk with facts.
  
  just this season
  
  a) united plays southamtpon and is in serious danger. at 2-1 the ref (mike dean) gives a penalty to united after a dive from robin. he missed it. the replays show jose fonte going for the ball.
  
  b) one week later united plays wigan and beats them 4-0. however when the game was at 0-0, mike oliver ( the ref) gives a penalty to united after a dive from welbeck in an apparent collision with the keeper el habsi. " You know what he is trying to do there. I have come to united;s ground 3 times and for someone reason they dont treat us equally. Wellbeck dived." said poor martinez who was fined 10,00o poiunds for his comments.
  
  c) we saw the same "movie" at anfield, where mark hasley ( the ref) sends shelvey off when its evans going with BOTH HIS STUDS SHOWING on the tackle. the ref then gives penalty to a valencia dive.
  
  d) against totenham - the only other game united lost since premiere with everton- ferguson made complaints about the refereeing ( lol what a cunt)
  
  e) in the next fixture against newcastle, alex ferguson saw robin van persie remain on the pitch even after elbowing cabye in the face. no action taken by the f.a. papis cisse goal wrongly disallowed.
  
  f)and right when youve thought youve seen it all and that it cant get any worse on comes clattenberg and gives two red cards to chelsea and then united;s offside goal stands as legit. clear alteration of the result.
  
  
  
  cheer up......these "incidents" even themselves out through the course of the season ...thats the doctrine that united and the country;s media like to put out....nevermind the CLEAR AND SYSTEMATIC favouritism that the red side of manchester has been receiving ever since the brand name "manchester united" rakes in millions for england;s finest exporting commodity (epl)
  
  
  well i have yet to see the following incidents corrected in our favour
  - the multiple solkjaer dives and injury simulation when facing sol campbell
  - the multiple dives and simulation by van nisltory
  - the multiple dives and simulatiuons by wayne rooney
  - the multiple dives and simulation by nani and ronaldo
  - fletcher two footed stud challenges right on arshavins ankles inside penalty area
  - our legitimate goals against middlebro and sunderloand in 07 when we were indeed going for the title even after the psychological war our players had to endure after the eduardo incident
  - the disgraceful refereeing performance of none other than phil dowd against newcastle and tottenham
  
  but sure...blame wenger and the foreigners......
  
  this country and its football establishment is an enemy to any foreigner who threatens the "brittish flagship" united. its been going on for years and years non stop.
  
  if it were only one club;s fans complaing about united favouritism i would agree that we are crazy..BUT we have liverpoolfans..evereton fans..newcastle fans..chelsea fans..tottenham fans ..arsenal fans ..we cant all be wrong yes? then youve got benitez, wenger villasboas martinez ancelotti ..everyone knows whats going on ...we all know whats going on .but the momment one dares to speak out is fined 10k pounds and hounded by the media.
  
  fuck your epl and fuck your referees and you ferguson and united...wenger if any english bastards pull any "tricks" on us order the team off the field and tell them to shove their league where the sun dont shine.
  
  ENOUGH!

• 29-Oct-2012 20:20 | | Man United Killer  - Arsenal is back???
  

  3 points.Good but unconvincing.I amazes me how many of you are so out of touch with reality.
  But I have to say I admire your blind optimism although optimism does not win trophies.
  As long as we have more dross than quality in our team trophies will always evade us.What else can we do but draw traces of optimisim from a half good performances.right? *smh*

• 29-Oct-2012 20:25 | | MeanLean
  

  Interesting comments MUK. Do tell us folk with 'blind optimism' how you propose to change it all?
  
  Because isn't that what you are saying.
  
  "I admire your blind optimism although optimism does not win trophies."
  
  Can you tell me how being more like yourself can win trophies?
  
  Thanks.

• 29-Oct-2012 20:49 | | paspartu
  

  oh well muk ..imagine spending like chelsea and then having your titles taken away from you by dowds bennets deans webbs and clattenbergs and given to ferguson...
  
  why spend money in a fixed league? why spend our fkn money so that ferguson and his refs can have field days?...and if that isnt enough ..they will tarnish reputations of suarez, torres pires, eduardo vieira henry ..HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN? or have you not seen such things happeingn in this league? how old are you if i may ?
  
  have you not realised yet that the competition is in fact a show ?

• 30-Oct-2012 00:30 | | ManUnited Killer  - Response to ML
  

  Do I really need to repeat myself to you everyday ML?Of course you may be happy with our squad but can you sincerely tell me that this squad can indeed win a trophy?

• 30-Oct-2012 00:35 | | ManUnited Killer  - ML Paspartu
  

  If you want a clean debate I will give you one but if you wish to be condescending, I am not the sparring partner for you.All you have to know about my age is, I have been a Gooner,going to games and supporting the club I love with my hard earned paper longer than you have been alive.These young fans!arrgh!

• 30-Oct-2012 00:53 | | MeanLean
  

  No need to repeat anything MUK, I did it for you.
  
  You said "I amazes me how many of you are so out of touch with reality.
  But I have to say I admire your blind optimism although optimism does not win trophies"
  
  Which implies that hoping for the best and enjoying your team regardless does not win you trophies, I agree. I was asking you what you can do to win trophies?
  
  If we both cannot do a thing then isn't it better to support the staff we have? Perhaps you can turn that on and off depending on trophies, I am not sure that we all can.
  
  I'd still be supporting the team if we were fighting relegation. You may think differently but luckily the way we support Arsenal does not affect eachother right?

• 30-Oct-2012 10:07 | | paspartu
  

  but can you sincerely tell me that this squad can indeed win a trophy?
  
  who told you that trophies are the priority for a club still repaying its stadium investment?
  
  oh thats right ..its in your own head..your own fantasy....
  
  the trophies ..the serious ones..are two.
  
  -epl money
  -cl money
  
  since winning the league is out of the question ( for the time being- although upsets have happeend before) and the champions league is also a dream ( considering what madrid barca and others spend to win it) it makes sense to go for the positions that pay the most money excluding 1st. we will also sell players too..perhaps even our best...
  
  if you cant cope with this ..which has been going on since 2006 ..then dont bother supporting this team for a while.
  
  come back when everything is in order, no bank loans to repay, when the club can purchase players who can make the difference at the highest of level ...come back then and dont bother us now with our moaning ....
  
  grow a spine ..

• 30-Oct-2012 10:16 | | paspartu
  

  we can not have a clean debate when youre so far off in the realistic targets the company arsenal fc has as priorities..
  
  you think that the club;s priority is to spend and spend and spend in order to win titles....but you wont dare tell us what happens if after the expenditure youre looking for, the club still dont win anything ( likemanure last year). what do you do then? spend some more? ok...so you want an owneship model which is closer to chelsea and city.....admit it.
  
  the priority of the club is to repay its stadium ...
  
  as things stand we are too far apart to initiate any negos/discussions/debates...you will have to lower your fanaticism and expectations and join the REAL world where " you spend what you generate" and not rely on the finacnial bublles that money laundrers are creating in the epl recently.
  
  also i dont feel comfortbale with your request for a debate ...we are not politicians..neither are we seperated in for and anti..we are all arsenal ...if youre unhappy with the phase the club has to go through then you can simply NOT PAY THE TICKET.....
  
  leave it for the ones who understand and give their full backing.

• 30-Oct-2012 10:24 | | paspartu
  

  you must first understand what arsenal has chosen to do, the way/method it has chosen to do it, the difficulties it has to deal with, the alteration of the league and the game in general AND ONLY THEN will i accept you as ready enough for any debates on arsenal matters.
  
  since youre a fan from the old times... ( hehe) ...you must have been a witness of the real shit this club was going through in the past..
  
  we didnt have a stadium to pay back then did we ? nor was there a wenger to complain to back then...nor was there a russian billionaire and the sheiks spending money like sailors in a casino full of whores....
  
  instaed of feeling pride that our club wants to do things the right way you are complaining for not following the rest of mugs whose extravagant spending policy could destroy them in the future.

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