***official city v arsenal match thread***

[Blue Stu]

I'm in Austria on Holiday, and judging by the commentator on SS Germany, he was jazzing his undies at the performance!

I'm annoyed with Didi Hamman who blamed pants for goals 1&2 on twitter, and told Joe to get warmed up for next week!

The ball did bounce twice before crossing the line it was that weak and Pants didn't even move. The commentators went on about how he was unsighted, but his movement didn't anticipate the only place the ball could have gone and so it trickled in as he watched.

Mystifying - he could've taken two steps to his left and caught it at strolling pace. That with a couple of lousy punches (that should've been caught) makes me agree with Didi now.

And those lobs (Arsenal and Saints) - isn't he trying to save them with the wrong hand?

He was unsighted for the one where Demichelis bizarrely tried to head away a stomach-height ball and completely missed. I'd be blaming the defender for that one. It would have made more sense trying to body block it.

[City64]

Absolute wonderfull week to be a blue. Fantastic game of football at the Etihad yesterday ........ It really should have been twelve !

City fans were top top class again ...... Awesome day.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Anybody know the score today, I've only got 8 fingers ;-)

I believe Jack Wilshire has a spare one going.

You beat me to it, I was going to say Wilshere could give him one.

Wilshire couldn't give himself one

[dazby]

I thought if Pellers was looking for an excuse to get Joe back in the side, pants gave him one. He did some excellent things in the game but there were some moments.

[Twobob]

I thought if Pellers was looking for an excuse to get Joe back in the side, pants gave him one. He did some excellent things in the game but there were some moments.

Looking back on the 'dribble' goal it was pretty feeble, i originally thought that it had taken a deflection off Demi's noggin but doesn't look to have done.

I do think that Hart is a better keeper, we all know his weaknesses (distribution, rash rushing out ) and Panti has weaknesses too but he certainly isn't making it easy to drop him back to the bench and I've been impressed overall, certainly with a keeper he'll make some mistakes, they all do and you cant drop keepers for the odd cock-up or you'd be rotating keepers every other game.

[Moonchesteri]

Loved that Vinnie's run. Loved it. As well as the other dribble and through pass to Negredo.

But, mark my words. We will also concede this season because of this confidence of Vinnie (& to lesser extent Demichelis) and the way he occasionally tries to dribble his way out of trouble. That will not come off every time and somebody will rob him or Demi and that will cause trouble. Kompany already had one scary moment at Southampton

[MilnersJaw]

Looking back on the 'dribble' goal it was pretty feeble, i originally thought that it had taken a deflection off Demi's noggin but doesn't look to have done.

I do think that Hart is a better keeper, we all know his weaknesses (distribution, rash rushing out ) and Panti has weaknesses too but he certainly isn't making it easy to drop him back to the bench and I've been impressed overall, certainly with a keeper he'll make some mistakes, they all do and you cant drop keepers for the odd cock-up or you'd be rotating keepers every other game.

It took Joe 18 months of constant cock ups to get dropped. That first goal against us is the first bollock I've seen pants do.

[Nige]

But Panti catches ever ball like either a cake or a balloon. Nothing sticks! Scary shit & a few mistakes waiting to happen.

[Slim]

I'm hoping it's a case of how long does Joe need to get his head right, rather than this being the norm now. He is a far better keeper and I think we all know that, but can't have him throwing away points like this. Costel is decent backup but should never be seen as a long term solution if Joe doesn't come back.

[budfox]

They can put Stevie Wonder in goal for all I care if we win 6-3

[Ted Hughes]

Loved that Vinnie's run. Loved it. As well as the other dribble and through pass to Negredo.

But, mark my words. We will also concede this season because of this confidence of Vinnie (& to lesser extent Demichelis) and the way he occasionally tries to dribble his way out of trouble. That will not come off every time and somebody will rob him or Demi and that will cause trouble. Kompany already had one scary moment at Southampton

I thought his first run & pass to Negredo was superb & should have ended up as an assist, but that 2nd one, whilst being fun to watch, is an example of why central defenders should mainly defend; runs away from all of City's midfield, then passes the ball to Arsenal having stranded himself on the left wing, knackered.

Re the debate about Pants; I thought he was dodgy, moreso than Joe Hart has been. Two flappy moments could easily have ended in goals as well as his lack of reaction to Demichelis' pathetic attempt at stopping Walcott's shot (what the fuck was HE doing ?)

But it is a bit of a quandry as to whether you bring Hart back.

If we play Rodwell & Garcia in front of a scratch defence at Leicester though, Joe may get his chance to impress.

[Beefymcfc]

Listening to TS this morning is making me wonder if we actually deserved the win. All's I'm hearing, and reading by the way, is how unlucky Arsenal were with the decisions, not that they got their arses handed to them.

Warnock saying it was a definate penalty whereas my thoughts are how can you give a pen for a non-deliberate arm-ball where the arm would have to be torn off after the deflection so not to hit it. Then there's the offside decisions which on each occassion, although marginal, was the correct decision. Saying Giroud's goal was disallowed is laughable as the ref had already stopped play and by the letter of the law, Giroud should've actually got a card.

Is it the London press just trying to keep their hopes up, aided by Wenger's assumption that they have played just as good teams in Everton and Southampton; did those 2 put 6 past them?

Everytime they came back we stepped up a gear and put another 1 or 2 past them. Surely they can see that?

[Tesl]

Honestly I've been amazed by how much blame they have tried to shift onto the referee and linesman. The handball could have gone either way but it wasn't really unreasonable for it not to be given, we'd have been unlucky ourselves if it had been awarded.

I can't remember these guaranteed goals that were incorrectly given offside, but apparently there were 3 of them. The one they actually scored was correctly ruled offside no?

Apparently the fair result was 6-6 and we were fortunate, or perhaps corrupt and in with the officials.

It is a bit of a joke, we were the better team, and particularly after the 4th went in they were lucky we didn't score a hatful. After they took Flamini off they basically gave up the midfield to us.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Listening to TS this morning is making me wonder if we actually deserved the win. All's I'm hearing, and reading by the way, is how unlucky Arsenal were with the decisions, not that they got their arses handed to them.

Warnock saying it was a definate penalty whereas my thoughts are how can you give a pen for a non-deliberate arm-ball where the arm would have to be torn off after the deflection so not to hit it. Then there's the offside decisions which on each occassion, although marginal, was the correct decision. Saying Giroud's goal was disallowed is laughable as the ref had already stopped play and by the letter of the law, Giroud should've actually got a card.

Is it the London press just trying to keep their hopes up, aided by Wenger's assumption that they have played just as good teams in Everton and Southampton; did those 2 put 6 past them?

Everytime they came back we stepped up a gear and put another 1 or 2 past them. Surely they can see that?

It's weird isn't it? I'm not saying it's a perfect rule but if the ball first hits your legs and then bounces on your arm it's not a penalty. Simple as. I know Dowd made a different interpretation when Micah was in the same situation against Liverpool in the League Cup two years ago but I also think he's the only one who I've seen give them.