Arsenal

[Guest]

Poor from Sagan so far and a terrible mistake from Ramsey. Hard 70 minute ahead.

[Silent Runner]

Well worth the equaliser. Great pressure since their goal.

[Guest]

Yep, great match!

[pinholestar]

COME ON! My man-love for our French dreamboat continues unabated <3

[toythatkills]

Worrying look of pain on his face at the end there

[El Pibe]

Shame that Cazorla shit didn't fly in, that would have been a lovely goal!

[The Fox]

Arteta all alone in midfield for that goal. Lewa shouldn't be on the pitch really.

Bendtner will save us.

[Guest]

Bendtner's hair

[The Fox]

Such a strong look

[hauk]

Really thought we would win that, Dortmund's pressing dropped off after Cazorla came on and I thought it would at least be a draw. Oh well a result in Dortmund's not beyond us.

[wev]

Felt we lacked urgency all through the game, it wasn't a bad performance but there was an element of Arsenal of the past couple of seasons there tonight.

[pinholestar]

Something of an undeserved defeat, I think.

[The Fox]

Bit wasteful in the final third. Bender did a good job on Özil. We were the better side 2nd half.

Arteta was very good I thought.

[KRP]

We didn't deserve to lose, but it's okay, I think it's going to make us stronger.

[Silent Runner]

Thought Arteta was MOTM for sure.

Very good performance after their goal but the last ball into the box was pretty poor. Ramsey and Wilshire didn't have their best night and Gibbs went AWOL a couple of times. 4 points in the next two matches (Dortmund away and Marsaille) is attainable.

[Stagger Lee]

We can beat them at home.

I thought it was an average performance from us. We didn't really put any pressure on them when they had the ball for the majority of the match.

First goal shouldn't have happened. Ramsey should have hoofed it, passed it back, basically anything other than try to dribble it out of trouble.

I think we missed Flamini tonight. Arteta played a blinder but when teams are physical with us we don't have a reply unless he's on the pitch.

[The Fox]

I think we missed Flamini, but not because of anything "physical", just that Ramsey looked pretty knackered. I guess he'll get a couple of games off now though for Palace/Chelsea.

One thing's for sure - Dortmund are comfortably better than any PL side. Can you imagine Carrick/Fellaini against that movement?

[The Fox]

Definitely need to rotate for the next couple of games. Can't imagine Wilshere will be risked for the next game, and Ramsey and Ozil in particular look a bit tired. For Palace I'd go with:

----------------Szczesny--------------

Sagna--Koscielny--Vermaelen--Gibbs

-----------Flamini----Arteta------------

-----Gnabry-----Ozil-----Cazorla-----

-----------------Giroud----------------

Subs: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Monreal, Ramsey, Rosicky, Bendtner

IMO that's a team that *should* be capable of getting the job done against a rather poor Palace side. If it's not working out there's plenty of quality on the bench too. Get Ozil and Giroud off as soon as possible.

And for Chelsea in the Capital One Cup:

---------------------Fabianski-------------------

Jenkinson--Mertesacker--Vermaelen--Monreal

----------------Frimpong---Arteta---------------

-----Gnabry-------Wilshere------Cazorla-----

--------------------Bendtner-------------------

Subs: Viviano, Bellerin, Olsson, Flamini, Ryo, Zelalem, Akpom

Then see how things stand injury-wise for Liverpool and Dortmund. I think if we're on our game we can get at least a point against BVB (we'll be better prepared to the intense pressing which you just don't get from English sides, and hopefully after a rest Ozil/Ramsey can be more effective). It's just a shame that Walcott doesn't look like he's going to be back in time; we could really have done with him in the first leg.

[Petrousgyre]

First in a two part interview with Cesc by Sid Lowe. Heart warming stuff.

Edit: Part two.

[The Fox]

Speaking of him, he just popped up in this promotional email I received:

[The Grand Pursuivant]

When did he join The Village People?

[pinholestar]

Uh oh...

[hauk]

Was that a second yellow for Arteta?

[pinholestar]

Straight red, wasn't it? Denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity & all that.

[Shimmyhill]

Never a red that, still think with 10 men you would beat Palace!

[anders limpar]

Marouane Chamakh has a vagina.

[pinholestar]

Phew!

[Stagger Lee]

Brilliant.

[toythatkills]

Straight red, wasn't it? Denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity & all that.

A foul on Chamakh is never denying a clear goalscoring chance, I think that's an official rule so hopefully we appeal.

[Larsen B]

The only thing we can all be clear on is that BT Sport is absolutely terrible.