Match Thread Arsenal 0-0 Everton, Sat 14th December, 3pm

[Timbucktoo]

Happy with a point of course - and maybe away at Arsenal is one of the few times we need to play defensively - but it was grim not seeing us have a bit of a go at them.
I'll never understand why we don't have at least one man on the half way line when we defend corners. It makes zero sense. They need 2 or even 3 to mark one of ours - instead of their whole team around our box.

And if you do clear the corner, the ball goes straight back to be crossed back into the area. The only time to bring everyone back is at the very end of each half when there would be no time to counter.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Good to get a point, but personally refuse to get drawn into the narrative that it's something we should be celebrating.

We are utterly grim to watch.

The good thing is, the Arsenal fans were subject to the same dirge we had to go through. Only thing is, a point means more to us than it does them.
There'll be a few sides that don't have the old trafford curse over us that won't fancy a long boring stalemate to face.

 

[Bwana]

….you can get good wingers on loan;

More anonymous matches than grand-ones. He was young.

 

[linderoth]

Yeah. It was as much a comment about xg not really telling the full story.

I think that that xG was a reasonably fair assessment. It was Dacoure. He probably needs about 10 goes in that situation to score

 

[linderoth]

It's not really though. In the sense that it's simply Dyche's modus operandi. He sets up the same way against Southampton at home. We'll have more possession because they'll lose the ball more frequently- It would be pragmatic to play that way against the likes of Arsenal away if we then attacked the weaker teams more.

Yeah. It's pragmatic when taken in isolation. But it's really the only show in town

 

[Amokachi1995]

I think that that xG was a reasonably fair assessment. It was Dacoure. He probably needs about 10 goes in that situation to score

Ha. Surely it's situational based on area of pitch etc. They can't say it's a 0.90 xg but as it's Doucs well give it a 0.05 xg.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Yeah. It's pragmatic when taken in isolation. But it's really the only show in town

Going up against Arsenal that way in our position is pragmatic yeah.

 

[PITA]

Not a chance against Forest, they are a much much better team. They have proven it’s not a flash the pan.

We didn’t have a chance of getting a point against Arsenal but we did. I’ll wait and see.

 

[linderoth]

Ha. Surely it's situational based on area of pitch etc. They can't say it's a 0.90 xg but as it's Doucs well give it a 0.05 xg.

To be honest, he scores there and I believe we go on to lose 4-1 or something. The dynamic of the game completely changes if he scores. Like a sliding doors moment

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Ha. Surely it's situational based on area of pitch etc. They can't say it's a 0.90 xg but as it's Doucs well give it a 0.05 xg.

If you take the expression 'expected goal' literally, you should apply a player's finishing ability to the equation.

In that position I would expect Haaland, Salah, Kane or any of the Arsenal attacking players to score there. When I saw Doucoure running through it was more hope of him scoring than expectation. I actually expected him to mess it up.

 

[Amokachi1995]

If you take the expression 'expected goal' literally, you should apply a player's finishing ability to the equation.

In that position I would expect Haaland, Salah, Kane or any of the Arsenal attacking players to score there. When I saw Doucoure running through it was more hope of him scoring than expectation. I actually expected him to mess it up.

I did as well. Just wouldn't have thought it worked like that.

 

[Jeff Jones]

The kin cheating. That was miles out for a corner. Disgraceful.

I could see that from here. Wasn't VAR watching? What if Arsenal had scored after.

 

[Drico]

Is he wrong? Do you really think, if we had to pick one team to deserve to win that game, a single objective person in the world would pick Everton? I love Everton, and i wouldnt ever argue we deserved anything more than we got from that game, and i would totally understand any Arsenal supporter being disappointed they didnt win. If any team deserved 3 points, it was Arsenal.
Thing is, they didnt win, ie they didnt deserve to - mute point Arteta.

Is he wrong? It's utterly irrelevant! "Deserving" has nothing to do with it - it's the refuge of the manager or team who/which has failed to press home his/its manifest advantages. That match wasn't played yesterday for the millions of people around the world to pick the "most deserving winner". It was played for points and we got one - whether we "deserved" it or not. Arteta's bleating simply shows up his entitlement and lack of managerial nous. How dare Everton play the way they did and still scupper the glorious Arsenal. He'd be better off reflecting on his own inadequacy and those of his players.

 

[GoldenToffee]

I could see that from here. Wasn't VAR watching? What if Arsenal had scored after.

VAR can't intervene. They've limited it to just give the referee enough discretion to cheat without VAR getting involved. Same with yellow cards.

 

[pejic]

No Arsenal fans joining in with our Super Kev song - very poor. I suspect a lot of them don't know he was