Arsenal

[Petrousgyre]

I thought United were pretty poor.

Disagree, I thought they played very well in what was easily their biggest challenge of the season. A good game despite Webb's best efforts.

[superpretend]

Nah, I love Gallas. He's a proper continental centre back - lightning fast, good on the ball and a bit shit in the air. The after match interview says it all, he is giving everything for us, and it shows in our performances.

It's not a coincidence that Gallas leaving Chelsea coincided with us not winning the league last year. He's a fantastic defender. I always said you got the better deal in the Ashley/Gallas swap.

[Dude Ranch]

Nah, I love Gallas. He's a proper continental centre back - lightning fast, good on the ball and a bit shit in the air. The after match interview says it all, he is giving everything for us, and it shows in our performances.

Funny isn't it? I can't see either of those things. I wouldn't fancy him in a race with a top striker and I think he looks a bit uncomfortable on the ball. I'm pleased to be in the minority (of one ) on this though. I'll keep watching him, natch..

Anyway, pretty happy with the result overall. Not losing to the top teams is obv. crucial.

I always said you got the better deal in the Ashley/Gallas swap.

Yes, if only cos it brought the superb Clichy into the first team. Our fullbacks right now are brilliant.

[Shevchenko]

Very cool finish from Gallas.

Which leads me to a point I want to make. Gallas as captain I like. Gallas as a player I just don't see it. I've not been impressed one bit since he joined us. Anyone see it different, and if so why?

Anyway, I wanted four points from Liverpool and United. I'll take two though, especially in the circumstances . I think we looked a fair bit better than the pair of them which is encouraging. I thought United were pretty poor.

Pretty poor and they still nearly beat you lot if it wasn't for crap defending.

[Dude Ranch]

Pretty poor and they still nearly beat you lot if it wasn't for crap defending.

Was it crap defending then? Much different to their two goals, one of which was an OG and the other where the keeper went walkabout?

I expected more from a side on such a roll. Top side but not what I expected. Fair enough, we were at home but they never had us under any pressure.

[phresh]

Was it crap defending then? Much different to their two goals, one of which was an OG and the other where the keeper went walkabout?

I expected more from a side on such a roll. Top side but not what I expected. Fair enough, we were at home but they never had us under any pressure.

That would be why Arsenal strolled the match then?

I think both teams would have taken a draw at the start of the match though. I always wonder why they put games, which have the potential to be classics, in the lunch time slot. Lunch time games are always a little lacklustre compared to a standard kick.

[Shevchenko]

I always wonder why they put games, which have the potential to be classics, in the lunch time slot. Lunch time games are always a little lacklustre compared to a standard kick.

Champions league this week plus Sky can't show premier league games at 5.15pm.

[hercules]

I thought Man utd played exactly how i thought they would, defensive minded. In the 1st half they didn't try to let the game flow they were just contenet with containing us and playing on the counter attack, they got lucky with the goal and then in the 2nd half 1-0 up they decided to let the shackles off and play their usual attacking game, and they got punished for it within 4mins. I couldn't believe the second goal it was just bad defending from everyone. But we finally done what i wanted us to do which was put the ball in around the 6-yard box as it always causes problems and we got a goal from it. A good take from Gallas. Overall i can't argue with a draw though i'm annoyed we played with only adebayor upfront.

I like Gallas personally, i still feel he hasn't hit top form yet and is still getting his sharpness back lets just hope he doesn't get injured again before he does.

[Dude Ranch]

That would be why Arsenal strolled the match then?

Who said we strolled it? We weren't at our best but I think we controlled most of the game. You can't really dispute that. I'm not saying it was one sided and we were robbed, just that I thought United would have a go or at least look more the part considering the momentum they've had recently. I still think we saw the best two teams in the country.

[phresh]

Either way I think saying we put you under no pressure is a slight exaggeration. Alumnia must have been under pressure (or at least under the influence) for the second goal. United were never going to play the way they have recently, certainly not for the entire match anyway. I thought they did well considering the midfield pairing has had barely a single match together. Looking forward to the champions league games now, yourselves and United should seal qualification and I expect Chelsea will this game if not next. Not sure about Liverpool though.

[Steve007]

Disappointed not to win today as we bossed the game

[Dude Ranch]

Either way I think saying we put you under no pressure is a slight exaggeration. Alumnia must have been under pressure (or at least under the influence) for the second goal. United were never going to play the way they have recently, certainly not for the entire match anyway. I thought they did well considering the midfield pairing has had barely a single match together. Looking forward to the champions league games now, yourselves and United should seal qualification and I expect Chelsea will this game if not next. Not sure about Liverpool though.

You know what I mean by pressure. Periods of the game where you dominated. Take it as a compliment . Given your form I thought we'd be up against it and, going behind not withstanding, I don't think we ever were.

Good game though, not much in it. As has been said, the spirit of both teams was good.

Disappointed not to win today as we bossed the game

Me too.

[SeanR]

on the plus side, the Arsenal Members packs turned up today.

Nice.

[Steve007]

Y'see, I didn't see that at all. You had the majority of the possession but never looked threatening with it. You couldn't break down the United defence.

United always looked the most dangerous, particularly down the wings.

Nah. Gallas should have done better with that header, Hleb's strike would have troubled van der Sar if it was lower, Tomas's shot with the outside of his boot was a whisker wide and we have a few other chances to score too. United had Rooney's header, Gigg's long range drive and err, that was it. It was a game of few chances if the truth be told, but we didn't take half of ours which is why we only got a draw out of it. It was a good point for both teams, so I think everyone come away from the ground quite happy. I'm just disappointed we didn't get all three as we were in charge for most of the game.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_2849104,00.html

Bit of dignity from a player. Take note Jens!

[hercules]

When balls are played in the 6-yard box hard and low even the best defences struggle, which is how we got the equaliser and how evra nearly scored an og. Gallas showed his class and had some good chances he'll hopefully get better.

[Lucas]

Glad to see Almunia has once again been renamed "the hapless" Almunia. What was he thinking?

[Steve007]

Glad to see Almunia has once again been renamed "the hapless" Almunia. What was he thinking?

Yeah, he worries me. He's a good goalie, but not a great one and he makes some erratic decisions at times. I don't like to say it, but Lehmann is the better keeper.

[Dude Ranch]

Yeah, he worries me. He's a good goalie, but not a great one and he makes some erratic decisions at times. I don't like to say it, but Lehmann is the better keeper.

I said before that we should go out and buy the very best available, money no object. A decent keeper might be the difference this season. I'd offload Jens, tell the Pole and Almunia to fight it out for number two, buy the world's best keeper and take it from there. I don't think it's fair on anyone to persist with nearly men, we need the best. Keepers can win you titles, United and Chelsea have demonstrated that over the years.

[Daley]

I said before that we should go out and buy the very best available, money no object. A decent keeper might be the difference this season. I'd offload Jens, tell the Pole and Almunia to fight it out for number two, buy the world's best keeper and take it from there. I don't think it's fair on anyone to persist with nearly men, we need the best. Keepers can win you titles, United and Chelsea have demonstrated that over the years.

Who would fit the bill?

I like Almunia but he worries me in big games. Didn't he have a nightmare against United a few years ago too, when we lost 4-2 or something?

I could see he wasn't right after the first goal. He almost looked like he was blaming himself and trying too hard to make amends and went mental and rushed out for the second.

Also about Adebayor:

Wenger said: "Sometimes Adebayor was a bit too isolated up there. Maybe I could have played Theo Walcott up front, or Eduardo or Niklas Bendnter. But I went for a different approach. Without Robin van Persie the balance in the final third was not completely right. That's my fault. I'd look at that again. In the final third, we dropped a little bit too much off and that took something out of our game."

The last time we played one man upfront on his own was Henry in the CL run to the final. Not only was it Henry, playing superbly, but Freddie and Pires were both getting forward and running beyond him and creating space. At the moment we seem to be playing 5 men behind Adebayor and he looked very isolated on Saturday. Maybe it is his fault, maybe he doesn't hold the ball well enough, but I think his support is very lacking, in terms of people making forward runs and joining him in attack. I think if we are going to carry on with 5 in midfield then it's got to be Eboue out and Theo in. I know he is not the finished article but I think we need a change. We are playing well, Cesc and Hleb are on fire but it's not all clicking right now.

Still, 2 good draws and if you offered me 2 points a week ago I would have bit your hand off.

[Lucky]

I posted this a few weeks ago and I think it still pretty much stands.

I'm not totally sure about Almunia even though he has been pretty good this season, not really done anything wrong, but I think if you're going to be the best team around it's important to have the best keeper around.

Like when we went out and bought Seamen, United with Schmeichel and Chelsea with Cech.

Time will tell if Fabianski can turn into the best but until then we should go out and buy the best around.

What quality keepers are there around (available) at the moment anyway?

[Dude Ranch]

Who would fit the bill?

I don't really know mate. Buffon? Casillas? Carson? I'd find out and just go and buy him. Easy, yeah?

At the moment we seem to be playing 5 men behind Adebayor and he looked very isolated on Saturday. Maybe it is his fault, maybe he doesn't hold the ball well enough, but I think his support is very lacking, in terms of people making forward runs and joining him in attack.

Agreed, and as well as we played at Anfield I thought he looked lonely for a lot of that game too. I was wondering if his work rate had dropped but I think it's too much to expect from him.

[Lucas]

Maybe we should have played 4-4-2 with Eduardo up top as well? Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing.

I hate the way Wenger keeps sticking Eduardo on the left. Totally wasted there.

I wish we had Van Persie back, I think he would have made the difference.

[Daley]

[Lucas]

God, I loathe Ferdinand.

[Mars]

Cesc: "You've been merked"

[hercules]

I like carson but isn't he another young and promising keeper? Just like Fabianski. I dunno what to do about the situation, i quite like almunia though i agree he made mistakes but every player does you've got to remember that buying a new keeper could disrupt the squad so it won't be done till the summer at the earliest. Good keepers are hard to find really though benitez is generally good at spotting them.

[Lucas]

As ANR points out Almunia is (kids aside) the only uncapped player in the team. This means he is not one of the top four keepers in Spain.

[Lucky]

It's quite clear that we do need a top quality keeper, and I'm sure Wenger knows this, but it's a matter of buying the right keeper and at the right time. Changing the keeper half way through the season could be a bit disruptive, time to settle and build up an understanding with the back 4 etc. so because of this reason I would say January is out. Also it has to be the right keeper and if we are to buy someone then surely their current club would be less likely to sell it's keeper half way through the season.

I would be very suprised if Wenger doesn't buy a keeper in the summer. If he doesn't, he needs to give Fabianski the number 1 jersey and tell us all thet he is the real deal, proper top drawer quality.

[Lucas]

Fabregas, Toure, Rosicky and Hleb all left at home for tomorrow's game. With Senderos also out, how about Song and Gallas in defense?

Rosicky has another injury- a "slight" groin problem.

[Daley]

how about Song and Gallas in defense?

Ooof. Gilberto surely?