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AV Post Match Podcast – EP36: Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 4 – Cup kings, Season review & Summer transfers
Elliot (@YankeeGunner), Paul (@PoznanInMyPants) and James (@GoonerFanatic49) revisit the super duper 4-0 FA Cup victory against Sherwood's Villa, they also go over the season as a whole and venture into the wonderful world of transfers.
Aston Villa (n) – A day out to remember as Arsenal retain the FA Cup (Incl Video)
The atmosphere at the Emirates was far better than I would have imagined before we got there. It was better than plenty of actual home matches. Maybe that was down to the occasion, perhaps the vibes around the game were all positive, who knows. Whatever it was, it made the occasion so much more enjoyable. I don't know how viable it is but I'd be up for watching more games on the big screen at the Emirates, perhaps the big televised away matches but I don't
Aston Villa (n) “he was the difference-maker with the outstanding quality” – Q&A
I think if we all looked at the game objectively perhaps. This was a team we trounced 3-0 and 5-0 before the exit of Paul Lambert and while Tim Sherwood has gotten them to this point and with huge improvement in the form of Christian Benteke, they have still been capable of getting shelled due to their desire to be an attacking side. With that in mind we should have been a lot more confident, but you can't blame Arsenal fans for being a nervous wreck. Last year's final was several heart attacks in 120
Aston Villa (n) Opposition View: “Jack Grealish is a pesky player who could cause some problems”
Above all else, he’s just taken the reigns off the squad. Villa were dull, negative, and just looking to hold possession (though doing nothing with it) under Paul Lambert, and he’s completely flipped that around, which was exactly what the club needed; there’s not a lack of attacking talent here. He also brought Jack Grealish properly into the first team, which has been huge.
Aston Villa (n) Thoughts & Preview: Szczesny start, Dino Benteke & 2nd chance for Mean Lean junior
My constant and probably quite random outbursts of 'we really cannot lose this game' did not go unheard. On cup final day I along with a few Gooner friends went to watch the game at another friend of ours where we consumed plenty of beverages and food, pre match it was all going so well and the spirits were high until we of course went 2-0 down, nearly 3 but for a Gibbs clearance off the line. It was that point where I received a phone call from Mrs Lean telling me to try and refrain from passing on my football stresses to Lean junior in future. He had moved into the kitchen to get away from his younger sister who was winding him up and obviously didn't understand the seriousness of the situation. By gee it was serious. Sitting on his own upset at what he had seen on TV. 'This is a match Arsenal have to win' he told his mother desperately trying to fight back the tears
Wenger Dealt a Winning Hand?
Wenger is loath to sign players in order to keep them from the clutches of other teams; Fabregas was the most recent example, opting not to sign the player due to Ozil’s status at the club despite knowledge that Chelsea would follow up with a bid. Similarly, Wenger recommended Antonio Valencia to Wigan back in 2008; having scouted the player for quite a while, Wenger recommended him to Steve Bruce as we were well stocked for wide players at the time. It is one of the attributes that makes him such a fantastic man to work with, his compassion and respect for his players is well known and is one of the reasons he is spoken of so highly of by former players. But with the financial arsenal at his disposal, it may now be the time to become rather more cold-blooded.
West Brom (h) – Walcott scores Wright goals and makes case for final
First Alexis Sanchez made a similar run to the one he made at Wembley against Reading but then checked his run when he saw Özil shift to his left a bit more instead of playing the pass, now Theo Walcott thought he could be in and made a similar dart into the same area that Alexis went into just ahead of him, it was Alexis moving back into his left position that fooled the West Brom players and left Theo on his own on the right edge of the box. Özil gave it to Wilshere who knocked it on to Cazorla and the Spaniard slipped Walcott in who had been screaming for the ball. Walcott took a touch to get it out of his feet and whipped a shot across the keeper into the top corner of the goal.
AV Post Match Podcast – EP35: Arsenal 4 West Brom 1 – The Theo Walcott show
Elliot (@YankeeGunner), Paul (@PoznanInMyPants) and James (@GoonerFanatic49) Talk about the excellent 4-1 beating of West Brom. You won't be surprised to hear that Theo Walcott is a big talking point, they also talk about Wilshere and Ramsey
West Brom (h) “Outstanding first half, and was electric in the box” – Q&A
Theo is the obvious candidate for MOTM. I didn't see any particularly bad performances today, but one thing needs to be said about our number 1(3). One of the main complaints about Szczesny was often that he is prone to zone-out during matches we have total control of, and lose his focus for the one or two chances he needs to do well in - which might result in conceding a counterattack goal or being sent off. Ospina had nothing to do most afternoon but push out some goal kicks and take a back pass from Gabriel every ten minutes or so. But for the two real chances WBA produced, he did comically bad - one corner he went out of his line to collect to but clearly could never reach, and another long shot he nearly Fabianski