Arsenal banter 5

02 Mar 2026 12:58:03
Just want to shout out for Raya. What a signing and what a player he has been this season, the saves he is currently making are out of this world. Long may he live and long may he continue making these saves.

Good decision by Arteta. We have some right gems in our squad We fans need to stick behind the team as I think that will make a huge difference.

02 Mar 2026 16:30:01
He has completed his metamorphosis into a cat.

03 Mar 2026 10:25:44
I have to hold my hands up and say I was wrong. When he first came in, I said he was no better than Ramsdale, but he had turned out to be one of the best, if not the best, keeper in the league this season.

03 Mar 2026 15:50:40
Lots of us said that as well, Dracred! lol

02 Mar 2026
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02 Mar 2026 11:20:41
In today's Premier League set pieces are extremely important. While we Arsenal fans certainly have seen our team benefit from that, do we really want to see this type of football in the future?

For me the answer is no. I want to see open play being the more important source of goals. So how do we change that?

At this point we need to not look just at Arsenal but the league as a whole. We're not the only team emphasizing set pieces. I think the league needs to change first so that the football can get better.

I feel like the refereeing has a big impact on the kind of football we're seeing. Corners are just ridiculous because of the amount of wrestling that is allowed. Rice could have conceded a penalty for handball last night, but frankly the kind of hold he had on Hato should already have been enough to warrant one. But it has become standard to allow that kind of play sadly.

If you allow players to wrestle each other to the ground and you have a good corner taker who can consistently deliver the ball in a dangerous area, then of course you have a massive weapon at your disposal. But if you stop allowing players to hold each other, maybe it decreases the chaos and thus makes defending easier. Meaning teams have to start figuring how to actually play again.

The referees on the pitch become more clueless by the day. They are afraid to whistle because they fear they get the decision wrong. But not whistling is a decision in itself. VAR only intervenes if the mistake is clear and obvious (and even then they might miss it or get the decision wrong) . I for one can't believe that the financially biggest national league has one of the worst sets of referees. It's hurting the final product a lot more than is being talked about, at least in my opinion.

02 Mar 2026 12:52:40
Hi Ice, mate. I totally agree with you on the set pieces. I just held back on raising it because this year (after 3 consecutive runners up) we have to win the league, however it comes. We have an overreliance on set pieces, and it feels like we play for them and sacrifice fluidity, so it will get boring in a year or two.

During Wenger days we played beautiful football but could not defend and get results, and we used to cry when teams like Stoke bullied us with our current tactics. So I will enjoy the results this season and hopefully celebrate the championship, and worry about the tactics for next season.

02 Mar 2026 12:40:38
I've been scrolling round the other sites and the consensus is the same Ice.
Not only is it ridiculous but the keepers are so boxed in, especially shorter keepers like Raya. I think he has been a warrior this season. if this sort of bundling was in open play it would be penalised.

I know we have become experts at set pieces but surely this doesn't have to mean it always ends up with practically the whole of both teams in the box?
Perhaps its time to move on from this tactic and dream up something equally as successful to catch other teams on the hop?

02 Mar 2026 14:27:42
Good points from both of you. I will certainly enjoy it immensely if we win the league, no matter the style. But, at the same time, I hope that in the future more is done to de-emphasize set pieces in general.

I don't blame us for exploiting tactics that the referees allow. They just need to stop allowing that and maybe then the league as a whole will change to a more entertaining one.

01 Mar 2026 21:45:09
We achieved the win we set out for today and at this stage getting three points is all that matters.
It wasn't a pretty game and we were laborious to watch. Last few games we are struggling to keep hold of the ball and give away possession easily. After the red card, we should have controlled the game better but we didn't and invited the pressure.

Not controlling the possession in the last 10 mins has cost us lots of points. These are the fine margins that will decide our fate in the last 9 games but tonight I can sleep well.

01 Mar 2026 10:38:00
Leeds gave a proper go but city rode their luck yesterday. Slightly nervous for today still hoping to get the win we need! COYG!

01 Mar 2026 15:29:05
We have to concentrate on our own game. Nothing but a win will do. Come on, you Gunners.

28 Feb 2026 17:27:15
Come on Leeds! COYG.

27 Feb 2026 22:28:53
Emery not shaking hands again, maybe he didn't see rob Edwards at the end like he didn't see arteta.

27 Feb 2026 19:40:12
Still buzzing

Bring on the Chavs.

27 Feb 2026 11:52:04
CL draw has been very very favourable for us BUT BUT one game at a time.

27 Feb 2026 12:48:59
Yes, Banbury, mate. Best we could have hoped for. But, one game at a time. Bodo have been a surprise package this season, so no easy games for sure.

27 Feb 2026 12:57:11
Hello Banbury, mate, that ain't a bad draw at all. Just to let everyone know, I could not remember my password, so I had to register as HighburyBill1956, not as HighburyBill.

27 Feb 2026 13:28:51
Hello Bill, that's happened to me a few times lol. Yep, it's as good as we can possibly hope for.

27 Feb 2026 06:51:45
I'm with you Bill, I'd take the CL over the PL for sure, it's the one we are missing, after that anything else is a bonus eh?

Avoid Liverpool / City and I think we win it but meeting up with them and it's a flip of a coin I'm afraid, we have a shocking record against them.

26 Feb 2026
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Arsenal Player Sightings page entitled,

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