Arsenal vs Sheffield United

v.
EPL Week 4 - Sunday 4th October 2020 - Emirates Stadium​

Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?match-day/match/arsenal-vs-sheffield-united.512/

Officials:

Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant Referee: Mark Scholes
Assistant Referee: Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: Robert Jones
Video Assistant Referee: Andre Marriner
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Peter Kirkup

Coverage:

Follow via S24SU Twitter: https://twitter.com/s24su

Live TV Coverage:

 

[robbiez666]

From Andy Giddings' Twitter

CW: “First half out of possession we were really good. I was disappointed with our hold up play. We are obviously not playing with that flow and confidence that I would expect. It was a solid performance.”

CW: “For 60 minutes it was good. We were difficult stubborn opponents, but they just opened us up. Then two great pieces from them has put us in a really difficult position. We felt a little bit sorry for ourselves for 5-10 mins.”

CW: “But great goal from Didzy. It’s what happens when someone takes responsibility and all of a sudden the confidence came following back, but we just couldn’t find that extra little bit.”

CW still chasing a replacement for Jack O’Connell before tomorrow’s transfer deadline.

CW on Luiz-Burke red call: “My reaction was beep, beep, beep. 4 people saw it, everybody on TV saw it. There is a tug of the shirt and the shirt moves. It’s a foul. What’s going off here. Have the balls the make that decision. They are making other decisions.”

CW: “Are we a test case? It’s The consistency we want. If John Egan had pulled Nketiah’s shirt it would have been the talk of the #EPL. You’d be bored of watching it. It’s something else we have to fight against.”

CW on transfers: “I want to bring somebody in to replace Jack. I’ve left that with the recruitment and the club.”

CW: “Every transfer request I make is for the betterment of the football club. Not to go ballistic. Not to have unreal requests. Always have been, always will be. And I think people understand that and expect it.”

 

[CoatesyBlade]

Norwood has to start against Fulham. We’ve missed his vision, switching of play, defence splitting balls, set pieces so much that we’ve become a completely different proposition going forward (or not as was the case today)
Don’t fully understand what we’ve substituted those qualities for with the current personnel.
I don’t think Wilder will change the formation (although I honestly thought we would evolve this season) but we have better players for me sat on the bench.

Ramsdale
Ampadu Egan Robinson
Bogle Berge Norwood Fleck Lowe
Burke Brewster

 

[Russ]

Chris - you are right about the shirt pull.

Please stop moaning though and give us something to cheer. That was a terrible display there’s no arguing. Lundstram, Basham didn’t do anything of note.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

They aren't even that long. Barely hit the front man

There's an exaggerated backward lean flowed by a three yard drop in front of our nearest player.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

No excuses, we just defended & offered nothing up front, 78 minutes until our first shot says it all. We only got a foot in the game when they dropped off & Billy came on & we had a more offensive formation.

Thought Osborne & Lunny were poor today & SB was not great, but very little going forward to pass to!

But another goal from a header is criminal, I cannot understand why GB did not stand on Sako & challenge for the ball instead of playing statues on the line.

The sharpness & intensity that Leeds are playing with this season is what we had last season, but it has disappeared completely. The amount of times we got into a crossing position and did not get a cross in was poor. We look like we have no urgency or energy, never mind quality.

At the moment we have what looks like a Championship strike force playing in front of a team that has forgotten what made it so successful! Personally I think RB will be one for the future, whether he can do enough for us this season waits to be seen.

Today was the first time I have been questioning of CW, it was as if we set up not to lose & failing that keep the score down, then when all is lost give it a go. It was difficult not to watch this & not see the gulf in quality that was present, & will be there all season.

As said earlier, I think we will be bottom 6 until December at the earliest & maybe later. Then I think the weight of games that others will have [CL, EL, Carabaou] will start to take their toll, & then we will have a chance to get some points.

But for the first time in 4 years I have to question CW.

Happiest team today is Burnley!

Season may well be on hold at some point this winter.
Lock down is coming.

 

[robbiez666]

 

[Deadbat]

Signing an O'Connell replacement will not see us creating more. Amazed he cannot see where the problem is. We are creating sod all and have no penetration from midfield at all.

 

[petcharlie]

Once again we let one in at the back post .maybe if we had our center back in the team it might have been different.We are not playing on the front foot like we used to until we let one in .The last 15 mins proved we still have it in us but up to then we were so negative apart from the running of Burke but he forgets what to do with it at the end. We have no bite on the front line I just hope we have sorted it when Brewster gets his chance.Also what has gone wrong with our crosses?

 

[blade.i.am]

According to the BBC the last time we lost 7 consecutive games in the top flight was in Aug/ Sept 1975. So, nothing to worry about

 

[ilovesufc]

It's depressing to see Villa at the moment 2 up against Liverpool and having a right go. We've been a way better side than Villa for the past few years...now they look head and shoulders better than us! Why?? Because for some reason we've stopped playing attacking, positive football! I'm sure Liverpool will ultimately end up scoring here but at least Villa are giving themselves a chance by scoring a few goals. And they just nearly got a third!

 

[Gee]

Signing an O'Connell replacement will not see us creating more. Amazed he cannot see where the problem is. We are creating sod all and have no penetration from midfield at all.

This.....
Surely an attacking midfielder is a no brainier. Move Enda into jocks position, play Ampadu or Lowe in enda’s position and bring someone in that has the skill set we need, like Buendia, Benrhama or someone similar On a loan to buy and play them down the right to run at defenders or play that Killer ball in that the strikers can get onto.
it plain to see that’s where we are weak.

 

[loyalblade95]

A flat midfield sacrifices a #10 but is a compromise worth taking if it means we are defensively solid. We aren't defensively solid at the moment and we completely lack creativity in midfield. I really think starting with a 3-4-1-2 again is worth trying.

If we're not defensively solid (which we aren't) what were Liverpool and man u playing at today

 

[Nesh Blade]

If we're not defensively solid (which we aren't) what were Liverpool and man u playing at today

Totally agree. Just watching Match of the Day and thinking fuck me I was pissed off with George losing his man today to let them score, and then you watch Liverpool and Man Utd defences roll over like that. At least our players have some fucking backbone

 

[sheff_blade90]

top team away is always a game you expect to get little out of. but our situation did make it 1 we needed a point from but its typical of our luck & premier league inconsistency Egan gets sent off at villa but for the same offence Luiz gets nothing. but thats the last 4 games. every decision is against us. but we have fulham next which is a must win & i fully expect we should win as we are playing well & repeat leeds we could have a hatful. if we lose to fulham then we can worry, but that should be straight forward

but kevin gage annoyed me & weve getting enough bad luck recently without him putting the commentators curse on us
60 - we look v solid. cant see us conceding
61 - saka 1-0
64 - pepe 2-0

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

 

[8lade]

I'm assuming the thumbs up is for the VAR referee.
(I'm pissed off with this shit.)

 

[petcharlie]

I'm assuming the thumbs up is for the VAR referee.
(I'm pissed off with this shit.)

Same here mate instead of enjoying my football i am starting to take it or leave it now.It is not the fact we are on a bad run it is footy in general inconsistant officials making up the laws as they go on .One week this applies the next week the opposite applies.As today when the ARSENAL guy is not even spoke to never mind a card of any colour.We are told VAR can not get involved in these decisions but two weeks ago Egan gets sent off for the same type of foul AFTER THE VAR GETS INVOLVED. Either the refs and officials are incompetent or it is bent,one way or another it wants sorting.Why did our player not go down like all other premier league players?are we to goody two shoes ?fight fire with fire lets start going down like the rest of them. In the Man U game one guy went down like a sack of spuds after a man u player gave him a lovers pat on the cheek ,he looked like some one had hit him with a base ball bat but it worked the idiot ref sent the guy off.The ref did not see what started the situation when the guy that was poleaxed actually did hit the other guy.Once again a cheat gets what he wants.NO VAR INTERVEND.

 

[YorkBlade]

"It's all gone too soft" Blades fan give their verdict on Arsenal 2-1 Sheffield United

 

[Freethinker]

From Andy Giddings' Twitter

CW: “First half out of possession we were really good. I was disappointed with our hold up play. We are obviously not playing with that flow and confidence that I would expect. It was a solid performance.”

CW: “For 60 minutes it was good. We were difficult stubborn opponents, but they just opened us up. Then two great pieces from them has put us in a really difficult position. We felt a little bit sorry for ourselves for 5-10 mins.”

CW: “But great goal from Didzy. It’s what happens when someone takes responsibility and all of a sudden the confidence came following back, but we just couldn’t find that extra little bit.”

CW still chasing a replacement for Jack O’Connell before tomorrow’s transfer deadline.

CW on Luiz-Burke red call: “My reaction was beep, beep, beep. 4 people saw it, everybody on TV saw it. There is a tug of the shirt and the shirt moves. It’s a foul. What’s going off here. Have the balls the make that decision. They are making other decisions.”

CW: “Are we a test case? It’s The consistency we want. If John Egan had pulled Nketiah’s shirt it would have been the talk of the #EPL. You’d be bored of watching it. It’s something else we have to fight against.”

CW on transfers: “I want to bring somebody in to replace Jack. I’ve left that with the recruitment and the club.”

CW: “Every transfer request I make is for the betterment of the football club. Not to go ballistic. Not to have unreal requests. Always have been, always will be. And I think people understand that and expect it.”

Well if cris is happy with that first sixty minutes then we are in big trouble