Arsenal v Chelsea | Premiership 21/04/2012

[mg86]

A result like this was just what we needed. I actually thought we would get thrashed by Chelsea today, 3-1 perhaps. Very much OK about the result because it moves us forward, keeps them at the same distance. Hopefully QPR can hold out this lead and keep Spurs from getting any points. Newcastle looks a threat, but all we need to do is keep getting points and not lose.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

If we had got a win today , with Scum loosing to QPR, we would have sealed our CL spot. We never take our opportunities by the scruff of their neck. I am not saying a draw against the Chavs is the end of the world but for me a win was very well within our means and we threw it away.

[CynicalGooner]

0-0 isn't a bad result

Not good though. We're in danger of falling into the mad scrap below us. It's a bad result for Chelsea though, they really needed to win. I'm slightly surprised they turned up to get a point, one eye definitely on Barca and it will cost them CL football next season. Excellent

[billie86]

Lucky spurs slipped up and we still have our fate in our own hands, these last 3 games are going to be dodgy though considering how we are playing at the moment. Arteta and walcott being out for the rest of the season isn't going to help, hopefully diaby will play instead of ramsey these last few games (he would have to beat his personal best though to play 3 games in row). Ramsey needs to be off loaded in the summer, he's never going to be good enough for the level we want to be at and with wilshere and arteta ahead of him next year i fail to see him playing anything but carling cup games. The whole team looks lethargic at the moment, no creativity anywhere on the field today. Felt sorry for rvp today he has no decent support and being stuck up there on his own is a hard task, i hope wenger goes back to playing 4-4-2 next season with rvp and podolski upfront.

[Zedie]

TBF to Ramsey, he finally started to get things going in the last 20 minutes, some of the passes he was spraying were sick, but we just havent seen enough of that this season.

Calling for his head is a bit premature imo, seeing as this is actually his first full season playing regularly after a broken leg. I can understand the frustrations though, but not the amount of OTT stick he gets. If hes off form, Wenger should be easing him in instead of blindly playing him in any position he can.

Yes Newcastle have won, but they still have to play Chelsea and Shitty, while the annual Spuds collapse seems to be really taking hold and that isnt going to get any better with them having Gallas and King left to play for their remaining games.

We need to pummel Stoke now, if these last 3 games arent winnable, i dont know who is at this stage.

Fix up boys!

[Nikolas]

Well i am being positive. At least we did not lose. We have that 3rd place finish in our own hands.

+

I agree with this, it is still in our hands...

[Leody]

0-0 isn't a bad result

No, it isn't.

But looking at how we have played against QPR and Wigan, and then today's display ... That's what's bad.

A point against a close rival like Chelsea is never a bad result though. Just stings knowing you played like shit and got the result, so where could we have gotten with a better display...

You must see the context in which the game took place.

Chelsea totally stretched with fixture congestion.

Drogba missing.

We are only competing for the league and relatively more fresh.

We were playing at home.

Chavs are a team of old farts whom we tore open in their own backyard.

We were coming off a poor result against Wigan and this was a must win game for us in view of above factors.

I'm not disagreeing AF.

The result alone isn't bad, how we got there is though.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

0-0 isn't a bad result

No, it isn't.

But looking at how we have played against QPR and Wigan, and then today's display ... That's what's bad.

A point against a close rival like Chelsea is never a bad result though. Just stings knowing you played like shit and got the result, so where could we have gotten with a better display...

You must see the context in which the game took place.

Chelsea totally stretched with fixture congestion.

Drogba missing.

We are only competing for the league and relatively more fresh.

We were playing at home.

Chavs are a team of old farts whom we tore open in their own backyard.

We were coming off a poor result against Wigan and this was a must win game for us in view of above factors.

I'm not disagreeing AF.

The result alone isn't bad, how we got there is though.

Absolutely. Chavs were there for the taking. chavs forums full of posts as to how piss poor both teams were and i tend to agree with them. IMO we did not show enough desire to go for the result. Chavs were playing away from home so its natural they were playing on the counter but we only woke up towards the end of second half.

[Trequartista]

I think the loss to Wigan really shook us up, we were desperate not to lose again and probably showed them a bit too much respect. Oh well, gained a poin of Spuds at the end of the day.

[golfinguy]

Ugh - that was a poor game. But Chelski were poor as well. Fair result, and not a bad one - just frustrating knowing we should have wrapped it up today.

My GF was on the phone with a friend, in the other room, and the friend heard me screaming at Song and Ramsey and all their poor passes. Oh so frustrating. And then Wenger takes off Rosicky instead of Ramsey... What . The . f**k!!?? Was Rosicky hurting or sick or something - made no sense (I haven't taken the time to look yet). Ramsey did then pick it up a bit, but I still think it was the wrong substitution.

Congest the middle of the park, attack on the counter. That is the opposition's game plan game after game after game... and we still do not do anything about it. Put two up top, or get some wingers that can skin defenders all day, or better yet - do both when needed.

[Zedie]

Yeah, apparently Rosicky was ill, it was surprising he lasted that long, he looked well pasty coming off. Rambo was again very lacklustre for the first 70mins, but did start to find his range towards the end. The ball to RvP for his trademark volley attempt was fantastic.

Hate to say it, but watching motd again made me realise that we lost because of RvPs woeful finishing today. Not ever going to hate on him, but he had enough chances to put us completely out of sight today, the chance when Walcott crossed was a criminal miss...

It even annoys me more that watching the Sunderland game, we have someone like Bendtner (who had a perfectly legit goal disallowed today) at another club, whos vowing to never play for us again, while the best we could look at from the bench is Chamakh when RvP isnt firing or we need an alternative.

[Zedie]

ps, i know Cahill is again the flavour of the month, especially with the Euros coming up and people going into wank mode over all English players, but he clearly pushed RvP out of the way with both hands in the box. That was more of a penalty either of Youngs over the last weeks.

What do we need to do to get a penalty at home this season? Everyone start swan diving?

[starmandb]

Finally he gets a start. His last was against bloody Milan, is he only contracted to play against good teams?

That is still a reasonably strong Chelsea team, they have depth in their squad. Think we will win but it'll be tight

he started at home to newcastle

[starmandb]

ft 0-0

six points from newcastle and spurs and they've got two games in hand... basically level

much better than 05/06 then when after a 1-1 draw with spurs at home we were 4 pts behind them though we did have a game in hand but had to play 3 games in 6 days the 1st was a bit of a gimme sunderland were as poor that season as wolves this but the other 2 were city away which was equaly as tough as stoke away is now and wigan at home i believe represented a tougher test then than norwich at home is now.
its in our hands

[starmandb]

We need 9 from 9, and even then we could hypothetically end 5th.

very unlikely
we would be 16 goals better than newcastle if we win our last 3 games
newcastle would then need to extend there run to 10 wins in a row which they have not done since they were in the 2nd division 19 years ago. then they would also need to win the last 4 games with a 16 goal difference[they have never won 4 games in a row with such a goal diff] and they would need to beat man city for the 1st time in 6 years and win at stamford bridge in the league for the 1st time in 25 years.
it is in our hands