We'll settle for a draw

The Gunners celebrate Ozil's 80 minute goal.

A tough match against Everton at the Emirates ended in a draw, after Gerard Deulofeu cancelled out Ozil's
goal.

Settling for a draw? When was the last time Arsenal drew? Don't answer that, it's rhetorical. It seems to me Arsenal have been playing so well in the Premier League lately that wins are almost expected.

It was a frustrating match to watch for me. 5am games are hard, time difference wise. The first half particularly was very slow, and that made it hard to keep me awake, come on Arsenal, think of me in New Zealand when you're playing football! Seriously though, it was a slow start.

Everton had an impressive performance. After beating Manchester United (insert David Moyes joke here), they were full of confidence and very solid.

Arsenal looked as though they had clinched a hard earned win at the 80th minute, with Ozil scoring a great goal, after Giroud missed the kick. Teamwork.

It may have been the commentators curse (ARSENAL HAVE LEPT AHEAD TO A 7 POINT LEAD) or they could have got complacent, or maybe Everton just played well and deserved the draw. Either way, the four minute lead was cancelled out by Deulofeu, who had come on as a substitute.

The final minute was almost heart attack inducing, as Olivier Giroud hit the woodwork. So close, but at the end of the day Everton deserved to share the points.  Arsenal are still 5 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

I feel as though Arteta was challenged a lot in this game and did not seem to poses the finesse and confidence he usually has in the midfield. This could have been more of a mental issue than a physical one. Was this because he was playing against his home team? It is hard to come back and play against a team you were with for so long.

This draw bought Arsenal down to earth a little bit I think. I think the Gunners needed a good test, against a good side, before the important games coming up against Manchester City and Chelsea (...and Napoli in the Champions League).

Arsenal need to focus. If I was Arsene Wenger I would be telling the boys these are must win games. We simply must win, and the time between how we end December and start January will really sum up our season. What do you think?

Guess what guys? I was retweeted by Arsenal and answered by none other than Arsenals number 1, Wojciech Szczesny! Totally made my day. FYI, Matt Damon would play him in a movie of his life.

This article was amusing in that it HAD to point out that women asked questions. But classic. Worth a read. They totally didn't attribute me. But I'll let it go. Twitter Q+A.

Until next time,
KiwiGoonerGirl

Arsenal extend their Premier League lead with a victory over Cardiff

Ramsey refuses to celebrate his goal. Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

Aaron Ramsey marked his return to Cardiff with 2 goals, showing how far he has come since he was an 8 year old in their youth academy.  But more so, it shows how much confidence he has and how far he has come in the last year, and come into his stride in this season.

In yet another man of the match performance, Ramsey scored 2 classy goals in an all round, top class performance.

The first goal was an amazing header, with a beautiful assist by Ozil. The header was just brilliant and he made it look effortless. Ramsey opted not to celebrate against his old club. Returning to the club that started his career in football Ramsey won the applause and respect from the home Cardiff fans.

With a 1-0 lead, Arsenal looked confident going into the half time break. As the second half began, the gap between the sides became less noticeable and Arsenal were feeling the pressure to score a second goal.

The second goal was Flamini's, and his face alone said it all and how much it meant to him. It was a brilliant strike and made me, and Flamini, smile.

In the 90th minute, Theo Walcott burst through with his speed after being on for mere moments, and assisted Aaron Ramsey for a second goal.  Ramsey celebrated with the iconic Cardiff celebration the Ayatollah.

The Cardiff city fans were absolutely brilliant.  It showed what mutual respect and class can do in football to bring people together.  Their applause at Ramsey's goals and chant of "One Aaron Ramsey", as well as the chant supporting Pat Rice was just heartwarming.  It is really inspirational and I have the utmost respect for Cardiff fans.

Not many teams have gone to Cardiff and beaten them at home.  They are a top side and I wish them the best for the remainder of the season.

As for Arsenal, another solid win and good performance.  They are the team to beat...but hopefully won't be beaten.

Until next time...keep being awesome.
Emma aka KiwiGoonerGirl

Gunners trump Saints

Jack Wilshere in action against Southampton

Hi Gooners.

I know I haven't posted in awhile...and that extends longer than the last international break. I apologise for that, I let university and work take over my life. But I want to get back into blogging to improve my writing skills and football knowledge. If I don't post again after the next game, hold me accountable on Twitter (@KiwiGoonerGirl) and force me to post something. Even if it's a selfie in my Arsenal jersey. I can do that.

Anyway, enough with the apologies. On to the game. Arsenal have been having a fantastic season so far.  I think there is more to it than the signing of Mesut Özil, although he has added consistency and firepower to the midfield.  The team just have a lot of confidence at the moment and are playing really great football, which is fantastic to see.

Arsenal played better than a goalkeeper blunder and penalty show for it.  2-0 is a score that does not really reflect the game.  Some fantastic chances in the first half, notably Jack Wilshere's "saved-by-the-post" attempt and Aaron Ramsey's attempted back heel were really great to see.  Only a player with a lot of confidence would try and put that into the back of the net, and Ramsey is having a great season.

Wojciech Szczesny had another great game, keeping a clean sheet and making some good saves.  Congratulations on signing a new contract.  He is a passionate gunner and a great asset to the team.

It was also good to see Theo Walcott finally back from injury.  He didn't make much of an impact in the second half but his pace was, as always, important and it is good for him to ease back into the squad. I am personally happy to see him back!

Overall, Arsenal had a commanding performance and really played like title contenders.  Southampton have been having a great season too, which cannot be ignored.  They have some quality players and did challenge Arsenal at times, but were no match for the on-form Gunners.

Keep being awesome.
- Emma aka KiwiGoonerGirl

Sidenote: Should I start a video blog? Would anyone listen to my ramblings about Arsenal? It's not all fangirlling, I swear.

Will Arsenal buy Rooney or Suarez?

Gooners: Form is temporary, Arsenal is permanent

Arsenal seem kind of lost in this transfer window.  In the past we haven’t had much money, so we have made investments in solid players with something to offer Arsenal. For example, players like Arteta and Cazorla have been really good signings for Arsenal, experienced midfielders who can provide direction for the younger guys in the team. 

But obviously what Arsenal is most well known for is the investment in youth players, not just from our academy, like Wilshere, but buying young players like Jenkinson and Oxlade-Chamberlain who are young but have serious future potential. I love this about Arsenal. I think our philosophy is brilliant and it is a great foundation for the club. We don't buy superstars. We make them.

Except this summer, there has been a serious plot twist. We have money. Money we can actually spend?! A decent bit of it to splash around?! Amazing! It's what fans have been begging for...for years now.

And yet we have a problem. Wenger doesn’t know how to invest in expensive players. It isn't his forte or specialty by any means. His strength lies in spotting talent, early, and building players up to reach their full potential.

So. Will Arsenal buy the big names of Wayne Rooney or Luis Suarez?

Rooney, in my opinion, is kind of past it. He has been a good player. As a person I think he is kind of a knob (same with Suarez), but there is no denying his talent. But he is not at his peak. I think he is passed his peak. Arsenal buying him would be a bad investment.

Suarez is a difficult one. He is horrible as a person, but a fantastic footballer. But I don’t think we will get him. Liverpool don’t want to part with him, and a 30 million pound offer is, to be honest, kind of embarrassing. It is a lot for Arsenal, but not enough for Liverpool.

Overall, I think we're looking in the wrong places with Rooney and Suarez. But where is the right place to be looking? I'm not an expert, but I know enough to realise when we're running towards a dead end.

This is finally a transfer season where fans could get what they want. But as time ticks on, it seems more and more like a fruitless summer transfer window for Arsenal and the gunners.

Let me know what you think, here or on twitter! Agreement, disagreement and "meh." are all welcome.
@KiwiGoonerGirl

Chelsea 2 - 1 Arsenal

   Photo: The Guardian

This result was disappointing, but expected at Chelsea away. Arsenal should have played better.  The more disconcerting fact is that fourth place or anything higher is looking incredibly unrealistic.

Our first half was appalling.  The penalty and yellow card against Szcesney were unfair, but we deserved to be 2-0 down with shoddy defending and inconsistent play up front.

The second half was an improvement, but we lacked the killer instinct and ability to fire the trigger when in front of the goal.   We fought back strongly and defended a lot better, and I would have been a lot happier if we got an equalizer at least.  Overall it was sort of the performance I expected playing at Stanford Bridge.

Arsenal's performance worries me when we consider the fact that we have Liverpool soon, as well as Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

It also frustrates and worries me when I consider the fact that we are still 7 points behind Spurs, but at least we have a game in hand.

Sagna played poorly, his defending and crosses were average and disappointing for a man of his usual standard.  I hope he just had one off game and will improve against West Ham next week.

Theo signing a new contract has really lifted my spirits, and he needed to stay to provide experience in the squad.  He has been playing for Arsenal for awhile now and improves every game.

I got distracted midway through the game, because at half time Djokovic was still playing Wawrinka in the Australian open.  At half time in the football I switched to that to watch the deciding fifth set, when Djokovic finally won.  It was well deserved, he played fantastically and is a true inspiration as an athlete.

Until next time,
xoxo - Gooner Girl

Disappointment against Southampton

Lukas Podolski in action against Jack Cork. Photo: The Guardian

Arsenal haven't ended their winning streak, but they haven't done well either.

The second half of the season kicked off with a draw, much like the start to the season.

Does not bode too positively for Arsenal, unless we make some major improvements.

The game against Southampton was disappointing. The Gunners were made to look mediocre against a team fighting relegation.

Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal were complacent and lacked purpose after the game, which is accurate to how they performed.

Southampton have scored 4 own goals this season, 3 against Arsenal. An incredible statistic, and not good for them.  Guly do Prado saved the day for Arsenal by deflecting in Theo Walcott's powerful free kick.

The Gunners looked boring and tired. They couldn't control the ball, or the pace of the game.  Both halves were appalling and fairly boring. I got up to watch the game and was already feeling tired at a ridiculously early hour of the morning so I almost fell asleep in the game. It was unexciting and uninspiring.  I can't think of any highlights partly just because I was just desperately trying to stay awake.

I hope Arsenal improve quickly, because we have several extremely tough upcoming fixtures. 

Swansea away in the FA cup will be challenging, with a lot riding on the match. The FA Cup may now be our only chance to win a trophy this season.

In the EPL, Arsenal face Manchester City and then Chelsea in quick succession.  It isn't an easy kick off for the second half of the season.

However with some improvement the Gunners can definitely still make the top four this season, and finish above Spurs. A trophy with the FA Cup would be the icing on the cake and restore a lot of relief and confidence in the players and fans.

Until next time,
xoxo
Gooner Girl