Barbara

We just couldn't deal with their high pressing and ours has been down the hill. If you look back, this is how we were at some points against Boro last week. It looks like something is not clicking anymore, the thing is, we still have average players in certain positions, that had been shining in a system that worked on their strengths and limited their weakness, but if one thing is not working finely, we are exposed, not because of the system or because of the opposition, simply because we have some average players. I don't think Mauricio did anything extraordinary there. He played the way we were playing before the international break. We made their job easier because we aren't sharp as we were - which is even acceptable because no team is at the very top the whole time. Spurs are exploring our weaknesses, but I'm very confident we will win. I really want to see if they can keep that high pressing up for the whole 90 minutes. This out-of-nowhere-goal gave us new life and it was like a cold shower for them. I think we have the edge emotional edge now and that might influence on their endurance to keep that high pressing - which must be praised, they were perfect in their pressing

GOL.FUCKING.AZO amazing assist by Matic and what a screamer by Pedro

sloppy positioning for the goal... Ericksen was all by y hisemlf

WEll, I'm sure Spurs players will try to rile him up the best they can. I hope he doesn't get the yellow against them because we also need him against City It was a nice match imo. Yeah, the wasted chances were getting on my nerves - because you never know when someone is going to score a lucky goal like Giroud yesterday, but I think we controlled them well. They had just one shot on target if I'm not mistaken, and in those six matches that was the 9th shot on goal we allowed. It's not only about clean sheets, but how we aren't threatened. The defense is the zone I think looked the less sharp, even when the team improved, their passing, positioning in a few times wasn't compared to other days... and that's they I gave Luiz the MOTM vote. He was flawless, there wasn't a header he didn't miss, he had some nice interceptions and that through ball to Costa when Pedro hit the bar just put him above everyone else imo. The one time he wasn't on Negrero, Cahill allowed him to shoot (although it was a weird almost deflected ball).

we have to stop wasting chances if we don't want them to come and bite us in the arse

can't believe Pedro missed again. What a ball by Luiz

I don't think we weren't clicking on the third. We've created some nice chances, we just weren't sharp, but after 20 or 30 minutes we were dominating, including in attack. Also, I think it's a good scenario we handled here. We didn't start playing well, let alone scoring - as in all the previous matches and we still we managed the finish ahead in the break.

We improved considerably as the match went on, started being less shaky and disorganized as we were in the beginning. From some point we've dominated them through and through, but you can clearly see some players such as Dave are a little off pace, tired or whatever that might be. Let's not forget our boys are not used to playing twice a week this season and many of them played midweek. That's exactly the kind of goal Diego scores for you, everyone looking the ball and him being the first one to spot it and then capitalize. The exactly kind of goal I celebrated like a crazy person, putting sailors curses to shame

woohoo DIEGO FUCKING COSTA!!!!!!

Pedro, you should just shoooooooooooot

puta que pariu can't believe he saved it

ughhhhhh ignored users is not working fml @Jim@Jason

On the Willian discussion... Willian can be a really ordinary, average player - actually that's how he's been most of his time here. He had amazing moments, but he isn't an amazing player. When he isn't playing well he's pretty useless.

the international fuckery stop definitely had an impact on us. We are clearly less sharp, a little bit less organized in the pitch and the effects of being away are there for everyone to see. Hopefully we will just take a little longer still in the match to improve our sharpness, and even if we don't, I just want the three points, it could be a sitter at the very last second, I don't care, but the fucking break definitely left its marks on us.

Let me be more accurate on my view of him - so you know what it means, big wall post. I think he does well in the attack for us. Crosses aren't simple things to do and he has some good crosses on him, as pointed out the chances he created for Moses at the end of the first half and for Costa in the second. The cross for Moses was Cesc esque, a cross and a through ball all in one. You can't ignore his vision to do it, it was clear to me he wasn't aiming Costa because in two other occasions during the match he aimed the running guy coming in, not the one already in the box (in the vid above at 3:27, and the ball for Costa on 5:15). So he's a FB with vision and that's not so easy to find.So if I were to rate his crosses, I'd give him a solid 7.5. He moves well in the attack as well, and he makes a good partnership with Eden, better than the any other FB/WB we had since Eden is here imo because might as he want, Azpili is a monster, but he isn't that impressive supporting an attacker. He does the basic well, but I think Alonso does it way better. So attack link up I'd give him another 7. Now the biggest concern regarding a FB/WB in a physical league such as the PL is always going to be defensive skills and while I think he lacks some, I also believe we should give him time to adapt. He seems a little bit gangly or clumsy, but I think it's because of his tall stature and thin built. At first it might look like he's easily bullied, but he isn't because he won't give up the ball easily. There were at least two fouls the referee called yesterday where he was shoved on the pitch and still he tried and completed the pass - one of them in the second he could have set up a good attack but the referee was too anxious to call the foul. That's the mark of a player that will not let someone get the ball away from him easily. But talking about his ability to bully opponents and not be bullied, I think he can improve on that, of course, and he isn't a strong guy by any standards, but he isn't as bad as people make him out to be. I do believe that's the area he has more room for improvement, but he's young, he's new at the league we must not make the same mistake José did with Luis, we must cut him some slack and allow him time to adapt and improve. EPL is always going to be a tough league for foreign defenders to adapt. Also in another brilliant move by Conte, instead of having the guy that might be prone to mistakes being protected, like Luiz, once again our master decides to do the opposite and makes the guy that needs protection the guy who actually protects other. It's a brilliant move. If someone isn't good enough for whatever reasons to be the reference in defense instead of bringing half a team to protect those guys (like we've seen Mourinho and others before him do it to Ivanovic, Cahill, Cesc, Mata and others millions times), Conte capitalizes on their limited ability to defend, so instead of offering support for those guys, Conte made those guys the ones that offer support. When Alonso is defending Cahill isn't that far away. We all know Cahill's limitations and I don't deny any of them, quite the opposite, but he is used to the league, so Conte put an experienced player behind Alonso to eventually cover his messes in case he fails to mark his man properly. I just have ONE huge problem with Alonso's defending and is exactly the same thing Cahill masters at: he backs away from players instead of closing the gap and tackling them. More than once I was momentarily mistaken thinking it was Cahill executing the backing when it was actually Alonso himself. I don't know if that's fixable, but we have an Italian managing the team, so if it's possible to fix, Conte is just the right man to do it. So when h is static I give his defending a 6, but when he's in the run, because of his tendency to run backwards and back away, I give him a 4.5 with som concerns but because of the formation, he will rarely be in this position, so I don't think it's something that will cost us much at the moment. So let's give the lad some time for him to grow as a player, to adapt better to the league and to mature his game. Let's not forget defenders normally take more time to become their best version of themselves because rarely they are technical like Luiz for example or just natural skilled like Terry. Most of them take time to learn how to defend properly and that's the good thing about defending, it's easier to learn than attacking because it relies less on technique imo. A disciplined defender can be amazing even if he isn't a gifted one. I think Alonso can be the man for the job, while being aware he isn't anything special, but incredibly useful and if he continues his development and doesn't stagnate maybe he can be even more than that.

I know a lot has been said about our defense, as it should, 5 clean sheets in a row is like an alternate universe, but when I said we don't look at all like a defensive team, I didn't have realized yet we have the best attack in the league, with 26 goals. Even if Arsenal and/or Liverpool become top scorers tomorrow, it just shows that this team has an attack vocation. 16 goals in 5 matches averages over three per match and we haven't played anyone from relegation fold but Hull in those matches. While Leicester aren't on the best and United continue to be stock laughing, we've overcome two of the best defenses of the league among those in Soto away and Everton. Top of the table, best attack, biggest goal difference, best defense streak and second best defense in general. Not bad at all - especially because those stats include the horrendous 0-3 against Arsenal (which was a blessing in disguise as we've changed from water to wine ever since).

Bad-form Diego (I read this even last week), is not only the top scorer with 9 goals, but the player in the league most involved in goals (12, with his 3 assists). I do admit he's been missing more than usual, but as long as he keeps scoring, is cool in the pitch and keeps fighting and giving us his best, I can certainly overlook this. Also, many of his 'wasted' chances have been saved.

saw in MOTD that it's the first time in his career he's scored in four games in a row

I was an angel at the school's halloween - a homage to the little angels I teach thanks

they already did http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2016/11/05/bbc-match-of-the-day-week-11-full-show-2/

no, you've missed the joke. I'm incredibly attracted to him, so I claimed him for me. Barbshuayi as in being my man edit: or maybe I didn't get YOUR joke... there's a big chance I didn't, lol

Let's elope!!!!! I promise no hugs included in this marriage

how did I miss this celebration fail? LOL look at Costa's reaction I still don't think he is as bad as people make him out to be although he's far frm anything special.

I can't resist captains... have a thing for them I'm in such a good mood! I wish I drank so I could join the collective let's get drunk vibe right now