Welcome to the first post of my new Arsenal blog. I decided to create this blog because every Arsenal blog that I've looked at so far, well to be blunt, has been poor. Hopefully this one can break the mould.
Anyway to the imminent Carling Cup Final on Sunday. Now many people will see this as a banker, but I'm always a tad apprehensive when we play Birmingham. They have some dangerous players now including the towering 6ft 7 1/2in Nikola Žigić, who albeit only has 5 goals this season but I think is the sort of player who could make a difference on Sunday. Especially with our rather shaky defence that looks to include Johan Djourou and Koscielny at the back. Koscielny so far has impressed me this season despite having the odd moment of madness, Djourou however I'm not so confident in and could well be a weak link at the back. Another player who may cause problems for us, in my opinion, is Larsson on the left. However watching him line up against Sagna will be interesting and I have faith in our ponytail sporting right back.
With the return of Diaby and the loss of Fabregas, will Wenger start Song and Diaby? Unlikely. But knowing Wenger anything is possible. I would suggest what is more likely is a start for Song and then an appearance from Diaby at some point in the second half. Score dependent of course. The majority of fans now have confidence in our young Polish keeper now, me being one of them. The only problem that could arise from that is nerves creeping in playing in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley, but I think he'll do the job. A lot of people have been talking to me about the loss of Fabregas and how important that is. So how important is it? Well looking at the stats we do have a lower win percentage without him but I think we'll see how well Jack Wilshere has matured on Sunday after a blinding performance against Barcelona. A more vital loss and this is controversial, I believe is Walcott who has Wembley experience playing something like 8 times. He has been a vital player in the creation of chances in recent games.
A short note on captaincy being given to Van Persie. It doesn't take a genius to see that he has played phenomenally since returning from injury with goals against Wolves and Barcelona in recent weeks. Whether he'll excel as a captain is another question but I don't think it will make too much difference in the outcome.
I'll finish this post with some advice for those fans lucky enough to be going to the final on Sunday. I would strongly recommend using public transport as getting there is a bitch and parking will set you back a small fortune. I would also advise you to eat and drink before going into the ground as fish & chips with a pint of beer will set you back an eye watering £12.90. I'd also suggest the gamblers amongst you (although the odds aren't great at 4/7) to bet beforehand, not in the ground, as the betting kiosks get mobbed and you wont find the best odds inside. Whether you take this advise is of course totally at your discretion but most of all enjoy your day!
Thanks for reading
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Birmingham City
