As you say 'glimpses' here and there, but a lot of it has been bloody dross, slow sideways and backward passing and downright boring to watch. The days when everyone wanted a season ticket at Arsenal are long gone.

As of May this year there were 40,000 odd people on the waiting list to get a season ticket...so I would say they are quite a popular draw still.

Yep, I'm aware of this - what Arsenal fan wouldn't. I'm talking about when even non-Arsenal supporters waxed lyrical, pundits etc "if I could have a ST to watch any team in the PL it would be Arsenal" due to the great football they play. Not any more.

If there's an area where I get really annoyed its this. Having loads of possession then conceding first or alternatively scoring first then conceding stupidly. I don't know what stats are available but I'd like to see our conversion v chances ratio compared to other teams.

Sad to see the game but not surprised we lost.

Glad Gabriel has some fight, need a few more with that spirit, but he was naive to get sent off.

Watching the Italian game tonight and Higuain should and would have been a huge signing.

Lets hope which ever team plays on Wed shows some fight in the derby. No excuses not to.

It seems that a significant percentage of Diego Costa's game is about getting opponents booked or sent off.

It's obvious to just about everyone except the referees.

Especially Mike Dean. There's a petition going around asking for him not to referee any more Arsenal games.

Diego Costa should be banned from the game, he is an insult to football.

Or no shows in the first half! And then stumbling on the pitch in the second and trying badly to score.

... and the Arsenal squad it would appear.

I don't know, you'd have thought that in any proper prematch preparation the manager would have stressed the possibility of Costa acting up and encouraged his team to either ignore it or, just this once, play him at his own game and make the most of Costa being Costa.

Costa charged for violent conduct. Hit Koscielny in the face(3 games) then knocked him to the ground(3 games) so 6 games ban pls.

Oh I see! There's us thinking it was Costa's fault, or Gabriel's fault for biting, or the referees fault for not handling it better... when all along it was Wenger's fault!

Dear oh dear. You couldn't make it up.

Gabriel has been charged too.

Absolutely - but this is the manager who couldn't even identify that Ivanovic has been an utter liability this season and get Alexis et al to run him ragged.
Thus Chelseas' appalling full back has his easiest 90 minutes of the season.

I hope so, he is ridiculous and needs a long ban to stop his ridiculous behaviour.

Why?
He was already booked (2nd yellow) for kicking out, naive maybe but isnt that enough?

That was a straight red I thought. Violent conduct and that brings a 3 match ban. The club are looking to get this reduced though using similar examples last season where bans were reduced on appeal, Chelsea players ironically.

The extra charge the FA are hitting him with is failure to leave the pitch promptly once he was sent off. So they may reduce the original 3 match ban to 2 or less games but give an extra match ban for the reason given. We may come out break even or possibly a 4 match ban if we are unlucky with the appeal.

At least Costa should receive a 3 match ban if nothing else.

Alter our "tactics" to focus on the opposition? What is this madness you speak of?


It was a straight red and the charge is for not leaving the field of play immediately. The appeal is against the latter and we're using the Matic example from last season as a precedent.

I can see the first red card being rescinded but him getting another one for the improper conduct.

The red card has been rescinded. I'm amazed really given most former Refs have said it was a red.

Also amazing that Mike Dean is still down to ref this weekend given the above and Costas charge.

Gabriels 3 match ban has been overturned..still faces a possible one match ban for misconduct. i think he will take it.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...-match-6493993

I think that is fair, let's hope he learns to walk away in future.

Very surprised by the FA decision. The chavs and Maureen must be seething

He is going to be a fantastic player.

Good to see the FA see sense. Does kind of cloud the whole issue of what constitutes violent conduct and should referees be able to apply common sense when it's a few verbals and handbags? I use the words common sense in it's possible loosest form when it comes to referees mind you. All was needed was for Dean to tell them both to cut it out once the original incident had been dealt with. Now it appears Gabriel will serve at least one match ban but all things considered it's not a bad outcome.