Ratings & Reactions: Arsenal v Villa

[Robtaylor200]

I need to see Unai Emery Cam for this game, anybody have it 

[mjmooney]

Thank you Arsenal for giving us:
1. The best manager in the world.
2. The best goalkeeper in the world.
3. Six points.
4. Three goals 
5. Two clean sheets.
6. The best boyhood fan.

Edited April 16 by mjmooney

[FLVillan]

17 hours ago, tinker said:

It will change once one of the leading pundits starts to take notice the rest will follow, just need to finish the season giving our best shot. Still not over by a long way as we all know anyone can beat anyone in this fantastic league (despite manky City cheating) 

Honestly would love to agree with you here, but I'll tell you from experience, the media won't change.  1981 was all about Bobby Robson's Ipswich blowing it and how we were lucky with injuries and 1982 was seen as a shock result against the star-studded Bayern..... Nowadays it's worse than then due to the Sky money and corrupt FFP rules... 

[TRO]

15 hours ago, allani said:

One thing that I noticed yesterday was that there were a couple of occassions when players made an error that put someone else under pressure - yet not once did that player berate his team-mate for losing possession or making a poor pass.  The error was acknowledged, apologised for and then the team moved on.  It's something that I think has been there most of the time (and is in direct contrast to what was happening under SG).  I don't think I've seen a team as united/together for a long time.  I mean I guess it is easy when things are going pretty well but it really does feel like most of the time we're playing as a team rather than 11 individuals.

Mistakes happen.  Sometimes we will concede as a result.  But the way we play requires the opposition to press us in the hope of forcing a mistake and more often that not that allows us to spring an attack.  It really feels like the team have really bought into that (even if not all the fans have yet) and so they are less worried about making a mistake and more focussed on trying to do something that will make the space eventually open up.

I agree.

I thought they won more duels, than normal.

I read somewhere, that Unai told them to be brave and not worry about errors....I think it showed as you say.

 

[TRO]

I think the Arsenal game....showed we can play with a savvy appreciation of defensive work. It was a canny display.

I was taken aback, at some of the performances from essentially attacking players.

I think if we don't play like that in future games, it's out of choice, because we've showed we can.

 

[TRO]

31 minutes ago, FLVillan said:

Honestly would love to agree with you here, but I'll tell you from experience, the media won't change.  1981 was all about Bobby Robson's Ipswich blowing it and how we were lucky with injuries and 1982 was seen as a shock result against the star-studded Bayern..... Nowadays it's worse than then due to the Sky money and corrupt FFP rules... 

I think the pundits are told, what bias to apply....else no future gigs.

[tinker]

44 minutes ago, FLVillan said:

Honestly would love to agree with you here, but I'll tell you from experience, the media won't change.  1981 was all about Bobby Robson's Ipswich blowing it and how we were lucky with injuries and 1982 was seen as a shock result against the star-studded Bayern..... Nowadays it's worse than then due to the Sky money and corrupt FFP rules... 

It has changed, the media is now more accessible to new comers, Chelsea and City have both benefitted from it.

Our new partnership/shareholders are leaders in promoting sports teams and have a interest in sky, it only takes a slight nudge at that level and things change

[tinker]

20 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think the Arsenal game....showed we can play with a savvy appreciation of defensive work. It was a canny display.

I was taken aback, at some of the performances from essentially attacking players.

I think if we don't play like that in future games, it's out of choice, because we've showed we can.

 

I was surprised by our out of possession work, it was in contrast to our recent displays, Rogers, McGinn Zaniolo, Ollie , Tielemans, Dignes all got stuck in, closer to the opposition and made it more difficult for them to play. 

Then when we had it we kept it, the balls across the defense, calm considered. The balls out of defense to our backwards running midfielders ,were hair raising at times but, McGinn and Tielemans kept it tight and Rogers, Zaniolo, Diaby and Ollie gave them options for a pass, they took responsibility, had the confidence to do it at the highest level in one of the hardest games we will have.

Emery gives them this belief,  it's an amazing time to be a Villa fan, he's the 2nd coming.

[villan95]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I think the Arsenal game....showed we can play with a savvy appreciation of defensive work. It was a canny display.

I was taken aback, at some of the performances from essentially attacking players.

I think if we don't play like that in future games, it's out of choice, because we've showed we can.

 

I have concluded that we deliberately play more open against 'lesser' teams because we back ourselves to outscore them and it usually works. Of course it does still come back to bite us occasionally like the 3-3 v Brentford.

But there is definitely something very satisfying about winning with a clean sheet and we've shown we can do it against the very best this season with the 3 clean sheets in 4 matches versus the top 2.

[RicRic]

15 hours ago, handsworthvilla said:

Man City was the best performance I've ever seen from a Villa side. But for some reason I enjoyed this more, and still now over 24 hours later I can't stop thinking about it. I've replayed the highlights nearly 10 times. I can't quite put my finger on it, maybe its because I'm in London and have loads of Gooner friends and I see the way they disrespect Unai. Or maybe its because I just did not expect us to get anything from the game at all, considering how we have been playing recently. But when Bailey scored I yelled like I haven't yelled in years. Pure, unrestrained delight just came out of me. 

My overwhelming feeling is one of pride, that the boys did that on the big stage, in front of all the cameras and pundits. The performance we all know they are capable of, and the world just saw it in HD. Special, special day.  

Love this and feel the exact same just pure joy

[TRO]

2 hours ago, villan95 said:

I have concluded that we deliberately play more open against 'lesser' teams because we back ourselves to outscore them and it usually works. Of course it does still come back to bite us occasionally like the 3-3 v Brentford.

But there is definitely something very satisfying about winning with a clean sheet and we've shown we can do it against the very best this season with the 3 clean sheets in 4 matches versus the top 2.

I am a big advocate of clean sheets, as many on here know.

I think it's the foundation, for everything we do, and I think we have one of the best in the business, between the sticks, to help us do it.

[rubberman]

Watching back again I was amazed by how chill I now am with the passing around at the back, even under immense pressure at times. Thinking back to when Emery started out on this journey and I'd be having a little nervous breakdown every time (though TBH they are much better at it now). We've come on such a long way.

[villan95]

47 minutes ago, TRO said:

I am a big advocate of clean sheets, as many on here know.

I think it's the foundation, for everything we do, and I think we have one of the best in the business, between the sticks, to help us do it.

Yeah I would like a few more too and it just seems a matter of showing a bit more care and concentration at times e.g. Forest at home.

[sheepyvillian]

I really do get tired of all this "We don't get enough recognition" talk. Every newspaper and media outlet was purring about our performance. 

[beachboys1]

Just now, sheepyvillian said:

I really do get tired of all this "We don't get enough recognition" talk. Every newspaper and media outlet was purring about our performance. 

carragher on mnf last night too

[sheepyvillian]

3 hours ago, rubberman said:

Watching back again I was amazed by how chill I now am with the passing around at the back, even under immense pressure at times. Thinking back to when Emery started out on this journey and I'd be having a little nervous breakdown every time (though TBH they are much better at it now). We've come on such a long way.

Torres has made a huge difference in our ability to play out of defence. I certainly feel more comfortable with that tactic when he's playing. 

[macandally]

9 hours ago, TRO said:

I think the pundits are told, what bias to apply....else no future gigs.

That would suggest a modicum of intelligence, I think they are just sheep