This match at some point looked like a mirror image of the tie in April..Everton looking Rampant and Arsenal looking limp indeed. It was almost unbelievable to watch. The first half was as bad as you can imagine,we enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges with a couple of half chances falling the way of Chamberlain. However Everton looked more purposeful going forward while on the other hand we didn't look like a team who were sure how to go about finding the net.Alexis was all over the place, while Ozil on the left didn't look Dangerous at all. It was the kind of game you just prayed we would get the first goal to help bring a bit of calm to our game but that didn't happen.
The manner of the goals we conceded were avoidable, first it was Chambers with a careless foul on a player who was going nowhere resulting in the set piece that saw them nick the first goal. 2nd goal was one the officials didn't exactly cover themselves in glory. First an obvious foul on Mertasacker went totally ignored.. then the offside call which given the linesman's position (which was perfectly in-line) should have been given. So 2-0 down and it looked like lightening was about to strike twice in the same location.
Cue the 2nd half changes where Sanchez was excused and Giroud who's more familiar with the rigors of games such as this was brought in to add presence in the box. It paid instant dividend as his first contribution was to lash a volley just wide of the crossbar. A warning of what was to come. Camped in their half, we stoked up the pressure on Everton with chances falling to Giroud and Ramsey but none taken. Just when it was starting to look like that lifeline would not be coming, Ramsey was first to meet a good cross by Carzola and made it 2-1 in the 83rd minute. At that point,with our tails up i kind of knew we'd draw the game..especially as Everton were looking exhausted. And so it proved, in the 89th min Giroud climbed above Distin to connect with a well floated ball from Monreal from the left & nodded us level.
Overall i'll give the performance a C-.. Our turnovers in midfield were astronomical, many of them left us badly exposed. We need to find a way to cut them out somehow or it'll be Etihad all over again whenever we meet another top side. However a point is always welcome compared to no-point at all, especially if its a point drawn from the jaws of defeat like last night. All attentions shift now to Wednesday as another tricky battle awaits.
Cue the 2nd half changes where Sanchez was excused and Giroud who's more familiar with the rigors of games such as this was brought in to add presence in the box. It paid instant dividend as his first contribution was to lash a volley just wide of the crossbar. A warning of what was to come. Camped in their half, we stoked up the pressure on Everton with chances falling to Giroud and Ramsey but none taken. Just when it was starting to look like that lifeline would not be coming, Ramsey was first to meet a good cross by Carzola and made it 2-1 in the 83rd minute. At that point,with our tails up i kind of knew we'd draw the game..especially as Everton were looking exhausted. And so it proved, in the 89th min Giroud climbed above Distin to connect with a well floated ball from Monreal from the left & nodded us level.
Overall i'll give the performance a C-.. Our turnovers in midfield were astronomical, many of them left us badly exposed. We need to find a way to cut them out somehow or it'll be Etihad all over again whenever we meet another top side. However a point is always welcome compared to no-point at all, especially if its a point drawn from the jaws of defeat like last night. All attentions shift now to Wednesday as another tricky battle awaits.
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