11/04/19 | Arsenal 2-0 Napoli | Europa League

[Roycck]

What a really poor second half, but the only real talking point is the utterly ridiculous substitutions by Emery. Shocking.

Of the two strikers, Lacazette actually started the second half ok - holding the ball a couple of times and linking play. Auba did nothing at all and continued to do nothing (but make errors) for the entire match.

Torreira was excellent and gets taken off for Elneny?

Ozil was running the midfield and gets taken off for Mikha - when that happened we dropped our level.

Not sure WTF Emery was doing.

Let's pray 2-0 is enough.

I guess he needs them for Watford for 60 mins.

[Santi]

1 goal away and they need 4

so...we come out guns blazing?? or sit back and tryda counter?

We press from the start. We start an attacking team like tonight and press them up the pitch just like we did in the first 20 mins tonight.

me too. i dont trust the D enough to sit back and tryda counter

Napoli are more counter pace than a slice and dice team though. If we go for it then it leaves the spaces for the likes of insigne.

It’ll be one of those games where if we go through then the tactics mean f**k all and if we lose then whatever we did will be labelled the wrong choice. Feels stupid to risk a two goal lead though, not sure why Kepwn is convinced Napoli will score about 6 at home when they couldn’t pop even 1 away.

[theHotHead]

We cannot defend for shit so it is not an option to go out and hope our defence won't get breached.

We also cannot go gung-ho and commit suicide

I think we attack them yes, but don't over commit and hope we get an away goal. We need to play the same team, the same formation and tactics and see if we can dominate again. If the game pans out to be more open and they attack us more in the first half Emery will need to think about it and make changes.

But I fear Emery putting out a negative team, we will get destroyed because this team cannot defend for shit.

[LMAO]

1 goal away and they need 4

so...we come out guns blazing?? or sit back and tryda counter?

We press from the start. We start an attacking team like tonight and press them up the pitch just like we did in the first 20 mins tonight.

me too. i dont trust the D enough to sit back and tryda counter

Napoli are more counter pace than a slice and dice team though. If we go for it then it leaves the spaces for the likes of insigne.

It’ll be one of those games where if we go through then the tactics mean f**k all and if we lose then whatever we did will be labelled the wrong choice. Feels stupid to risk a two goal lead though, not sure why Kepwn is convinced Napoli will score about 6 at home when they couldn’t pop even 1 away.

Because Arsenal Away eat glue.

[Ach]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47909511

Just shoot the c***

[Pudpop]

Imagine racially abusing Koulibaly when one of our best players last night was AMN

It's already stupid as f**k to be racist, but to be racist and also be blind is mind boggling

[Angelito]

But I fear Emery putting out a negative team, we will get destroyed because this team cannot defend for shit.

My fear too. If we go out there with a defensive mindset, we'd be as good as out before the first whistle. His subs against Napoli were weird. We can't afford any lapses at San Paolo. It's the biggest game of our season.

[DiamondGooner]

His subs were not weird at all.

Only to those who don't get it.

We had our 1st team out in the 2nd half and we were losing control of the game, under the cosh.

Lacazette and Ozil had pretty much given their all approaching 70mins so Emery wanted to bring on two fresh attackers who will be more lively to defend the flanks and drive at Napoli on the counter to help pin them back.

It almost paid off 3 times, Ramsey missed a sitter, Auba hit the side netting and there was another chance where I think Kola fked it up by doing a wayward pass.

Either way we didn't concede to a Napoli pressuring for an away goal, if we were in control of the game when he made the subs I'd see peoples point more ........... but we had no possession and were close to getting overrun.

Final sub Torreia hasn't played for about a month, Elneny was brought on to see out the game.

Not sure why some don't see this tbh?

[jayramfootball]

His subs were not weird at all.

Only to those who don't get it.

We had our 1st team out in the 2nd half and we were losing control of the game, under the cosh.

Lacazette and Ozil had pretty much given their all approaching 70mins so Emery wanted to bring on two fresh attackers who will be more lively to defend the flanks and drive at Napoli on the counter to help pin them back.

It almost paid off 3 times, Ramsey missed a sitter, Auba hit the side netting and there was another chance where I think Kola fked it up by doing a wayward pass.

Either way we didn't concede to a Napoli pressuring for an away goal, if we were in control of the game when he made the subs I'd see peoples point more ........... but we had no possession and were close to getting overrun.

Final sub Torreia hasn't played for about a month, Elneny was brought on to see out the game.

Not sure why some don't see this tbh?

Iwobi for Laca - Auba should have been benched, not Laca, as Auba was sh*te all game.
Mihka for Ozil - Not needed, neither is going to shore up a game and Ozil is simply better and wasn't looking tired at all.
Elneny for Torreira - Torreira was probably our best player. Didn't look tired either. Elneny is a disaster.

Ultimately, though we got away with weakening the team for the last 25 mins.
It remains to be seen whether 2-0 is enough. We'll never know if we'd have created more chances with a stronger team in the last 25.

[Power n Glory]

Lacazette started against Everton and had a tough game. Ozil started that game too. We had one eye on Watford and it looks like he was managing fitness levels.

[jayramfootball]

Lacazette started against Everton and had a tough game. Ozil started that game too. We had one eye on Watford and it looks like he was managing fitness levels.

Aye - that's all it can be, because we were neither more solid OR more creative after the subs.

[starmandb]

Arsenal playing well. We look an entirely different team with Ozil, Ramsey and Torreira. Auba and Laca have been pants until now

Home form. We're just shocking away from home.

Lost 1 game with ozil ramsey and torreira on the pitch
That was at home
We were ready 2-1 down when ozil came on
Martial made it 3-1

[starmandb]

I am loving this performance so far, not everyone is on form but our midfield is and that is what has seemed to count. This is the same feeling I had in that game against AC Milan where I was sure we would get the goals we need and then not much else happened. We need to keep this up and score some more goals, they look so flustered in defence, lets not dial anything down. No game until Monday and honestly it is not one we are favourites to win so lets leave nothing in reserve tonight.

We are favorites to win at Watford
We are 5-4
They are 11-5