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Arsenal V Palace match thread

Very good performance (bar the marking for the first Arsenal goal) and a great result away at the Emirates.

Mitchell appalling in the opponent's half - passing and crossing is atrocious and SO wasteful.
Kamada’s best game for us by a country mile - very tidy.
Munoz superb tonight.
We really paid £30M for Nketiah?! 😳
Great corner / goal from Ebs.
Devenny another promising performance.
Mateta goal absolutely sublime.

COYP! Bring on the Villa! 🔴🔵
 
I am delighted with a share of the spoils.
Apropos Kamada, we have not witnessed the best version of him but there is a player in there.
👍 👍
Everyone hopes so but it does raise the question: how many chances should a player get? He's fortunate to be a midfield player. Anywhere else on the pitch and he'd have been aimed out.
 
Not sure how he came across on TV, but I was pitch side and thought he had one of his best games. Wharton on the other hand….was poor.
I thought the corner he flighted for Eze's set-piece move was just excellent.
 
Kamada's best game by far, didnt put a foot wrong. Great team performance, after dodgy start.
Says a lot though that for him to have his best game so far, merely required him to not put a foot wrong. I think he was better than his usual low standards he's set for himself...but he didn't exactly excel or stand out tonight did he? He was just 'okay'. Still miles below Wharton, Hughes and Lerma for me.
 
Kamada was my motm, really linked up the play well today. Cool head, harried the opposition, blocked passes. Very impressive
Yes. You know, I reckon he's found his position: defensive, protecting midfielder who blocks, intercepts but then, crucially, gives a simple pass. When he tries to deliver long, it very often doesn't come off.
Once you've won the ball, keep it simple.
 
Says a lot though that for him to have his best game so far, merely required him to not put a foot wrong. I think he was better than his usual low standards he's set for himself...but he didn't exactly excel or stand out tonight did he? He was just 'okay'. Still miles below Wharton, Hughes and Lerma for me.
Just for the record, this wasn't his first good game this season. He's had a a couple. Granted he's not the player his wages suggest (hence I think the angst) but he's adapting to the the Prem, and I think he might make it. He's stopped the one touch pass round the corner efforts and is developing a pass back and move style... and makes more good decisions when to press which indicates an adaptability to the Prem... He's OK. Seriously.

Was unlucky not to score tonight.
 
All the stand-ins, Kamada, Devenney and Nketiah played pretty well tonight. Justin should probably have scored with his header - though Sarr's was a worse miss. Mateta's chip was a thing of beauty both in execution and awareness that he had to get it off immediately after he had shaken Odegaard off; very few players could have scored that
Wharton owes the team a performance at the weekend. His best game by far this season was against Villa so there is that. TBF, he picked out Esse well for his goal. Probably would not have taken the corner if Hughes had been on the pitch
 
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I noticed Devenney often forgets to check his shoulder. When he would receive the ball he was always looking back across the pitch towards Eze, whilst behind him Munoz is running about in acres of space begging for the ball.
 
The Mateta goal was one of the goals of the season.
He received the ball with his back to goal, had to evade a challenge from an opponent and then had the composure and technique to execute a perfect chip in an area of the goal which was unsaveable.

In general terms all the players did well.

Wharton is a very good player, but still looks off the pace though.
It wouldn't surprise me if Lerma and Hughes are the starting pair for Saturday.
 
The Mateta goal was one of the goals of the season.
He received the ball with his back to goal, had to evade a challenge from an opponent and then had the composure and technique to execute a perfect chip in an area of the goal which was unsaveable.

In general terms all the players did well.

Wharton is a very good player, but still looks off the pace though.
It wouldn't surprise me if Lerma and Hughes are the starting pair for Saturday.
Mateta's post match interview was interesting too - he mentioned watching Raya from the bench and noting that he was coming off his line so would try to exploit that when he got on.
Sky reckoned his MOTM award came after 5 touches which (if true) must be some sort of record.
Carragher, as usual, was keen to sell him but "not to a Champions League club but someone at the second level". Bournemouth? Brighton? Brentford?
Wharton is a mystery - maybe he he hasn't fully got over his injury in terms of confidence.
 
Saw JPMs goal again this morning, it really was a thing of beauty.

Having pondered last nights game and taken stock of the last few matches. I think OG has some real decisions to make. On form alone, Wharton would not be starting Saturday. There has been a really worrying drop off in his form especially his pin point forward passing. He has been caught in possession many times over the last few matches which nobody did last year as he moved the ball on so quickly. Hopefully just a ploy from OG?

Hughes has to start. He is the engine and I feel like the heart of the team.
Kamada. I have to say has looked really neat and tidy. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t think the world would end if he started 🫣. (I need to lay down).
Lerma also warrants a start as he has not let us down at all in any position he has played this season and could think himself unlucky if he doesn’t start. Devenny, he has done ok but is a sub at the moment.
Decisions decisions 🤔🤔🤔

On another note. Mitchell. If that boy could deliver in the final third, we would get record money for him. Defensively he is a very good player. He seems to get a rush of blood or just lacks a bit of confidence in the final third. Once yesterday he seemed to get the ball under control, he visually composed himself and put a fabulous cross in, so he can do it. Surely this can be coached into him?
 
Saw JPMs goal again this morning, it really was a thing of beauty.

Having pondered last nights game and taken stock of the last few matches. I think OG has some real decisions to make. On form alone, Wharton would not be starting Saturday. There has been a really worrying drop off in his form especially his pin point forward passing. He has been caught in possession many times over the last few matches which nobody did last year as he moved the ball on so quickly. Hopefully just a ploy from OG?

Hughes has to start. He is the engine and I feel like the heart of the team.
Kamada. I have to say has looked really neat and tidy. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t think the world would end if he started 🫣. (I need to lay down).
Lerma also warrants a start as he has not let us down at all in any position he has played this season and could think himself unlucky if he doesn’t start. Devenny, he has done ok but is a sub at the moment.
Decisions decisions 🤔🤔🤔

On another note. Mitchell. If that boy could deliver in the final third, we would get record money for him. Defensively he is a very good player. He seems to get a rush of blood or just lacks a bit of confidence in the final third. Once yesterday he seemed to get the ball under control, he visually composed himself and put a fabulous cross in, so he can do it. Surely this can be coached into him?
I suspect OG knows his starting line up - despite the nature of the two heavy defeats he has been resting key players to avoid burn out / injury / suspensions. This well earned draw has come just at the right time for confidence and morale.
 
Saw JPMs goal again this morning, it really was a thing of beauty.

Having pondered last nights game and taken stock of the last few matches. I think OG has some real decisions to make. On form alone, Wharton would not be starting Saturday. There has been a really worrying drop off in his form especially his pin point forward passing. He has been caught in possession many times over the last few matches which nobody did last year as he moved the ball on so quickly. Hopefully just a ploy from OG?

Hughes has to start. He is the engine and I feel like the heart of the team.
Kamada. I have to say has looked really neat and tidy. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t think the world would end if he started 🫣. (I need to lay down).
Lerma also warrants a start as he has not let us down at all in any position he has played this season and could think himself unlucky if he doesn’t start. Devenny, he has done ok but is a sub at the moment.
Decisions decisions 🤔🤔🤔

On another note. Mitchell. If that boy could deliver in the final third, we would get record money for him. Defensively he is a very good player. He seems to get a rush of blood or just lacks a bit of confidence in the final third. Once yesterday he seemed to get the ball under control, he visually composed himself and put a fabulous cross in, so he can do it. Surely this can be coached into him?
With regard to your final paragraph I think we just have to accept Mitchell as a very good defender who has attacking limitations.
On at least 3 occasions yesterday he was in good positions to pull the ball back to onrushing forwards or whip the ball in at pace .
On each occasion he lamely lobbed the ball into the keeper's hands.
This is symptomatic of his general attacking play in recent seasons, and I don't believe it will change or be coached out of him.
It certainly hasn't under Hodgson, Vieira or Glasner.
That being said, he warrants a place in the team for his defensive strengths.
 
With regards to Wharton. I think the opposition have been targeting him of lately. As in they close him down really quick when he gets the ball.

It's just something the best players adapt too and he will.
 

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