Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal match thread

Both teams not at full strength on account of impending Cup Finals accordingly the match was a non-event.
Jolly well done to Rio Cardines.
A real concern for me is Adam Wharton who looked in discomfort, was substituted and headed straight for the dressing room which is never a positive sign.
Brennan Johnson was spared the ignominy of being introduced from the bench and facing the derision of the Arsenal supporters !
 
PatrickA said:
Surely one of the great mysteries along with who shot Kennedy.
How have Arsenal achieved this with their rough house tactics and persistent fouling and cheating?

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A few people have asked this today. I think it's to do with the nature of modern football. Arteta didn't invent shithouse football, but he is the industry leader in deploying it to exploit the blindspots and skewed priorities of modern refereeing, including VAR.

Hence, he will permit very little in the way of forceful tackling but encourage systematic niggling, trips, and clips, especially to stymy counter attacks (see Lewis Skelley today).

He recognises that VAR is desperate to give free kicks and penalties for any little thing it can find, but is never bothered about play acting and gross exaggeration of tiny contacts. Hence his team generally stand their ground when defending set plays but try all sorts when attacking them. Throwing yourself at the floor is encouraged (see the penalty they did get and the other one they wanted away to Ath Madrid). Holding your face and rolling around is encouraged, because you have something to gain and very little to lose.

He recognises that refs never clamp down on the conduct of big club managers and so does all he can to exert pressure by jumping around screaming like a c*** for every decision.

Arsenal get away with what they've identified they can get away with. Not much new there, but they and their manager have taken a cold reliance on data and analysis and a generally logical, unromantic approach and made it their religion. It has not only led them to sell a goalie who was doing very well and replace him with one that seemed no better at all at first, or to introduce taller players and to focus more on set plays than flowing football, but also to hone their cheating and shittiness down to a fine art in a way few have managed before. They are poor champions in lots of ways, but in other ways they are fitting ones in that they embody the era they are playing in. They are a direct response to modern football.

The irony is that none of this is necessary to win. I've no time for Man City, funded by highly dubious sportwashing money that they all just overlook, rule breaking, tedious football. But at least they play the game properly. And they do ok.
 
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