The squad for tomorrow I must say can't be described as ideal. Wilshere has been ruled out for up to 3 weeks with a knock picked up in training. Koscielny is also out which leaves us with defensive problems as always but Djourou is in the squad and ready to play. However on the positive side Song and Gervinho are available as is Van Persie and Emmanuel Frimpong who played a blinder against Liverpool until getting sent off.
Anyway looking at Udinese they are a dangerous team and if we underestimate them then we may be looking a Europa League for the rest of the season. In terms of their key players the threat comes obviously from Di Natale who is a quality striker and was top scorer in Serie A last season. Other striking threats come from Barreto and Pinzi who can both pop up with a goal here and there. As we saw at the Emirates they can create chance after chance however this tends to leave them open at the back which I think will be our chance to get at their goal. However AS IT STANDS the pressure isn't on us to attack, whoever scores the first goal will set the mood for the game. Should we score first then I think we'll settle in and their moral may drop, however should the reverse happen I can see us panicking and that leads to errors I just hope we can score first.
I think this is the most important game of Wenger's career and I do mean that, yes we've been in cup finals and huge PL deciders but this is the game that will define this season, his most important yet. If we win tomorrow and lose at Old Trafford then I think many Arsenal fans would accept that, I always see Man U away and expect a loss. However lose tomorrow and we drop into the Europa League, moral will plummet and the fans will get more and more agitated, which I can see leading us into a disastrous season. Don't get me wrong should we fail to qualify tomorrow I will be devastated and angry and Arsenal fans everywhere have the right to be. Either way I don't think we'll be seeing the "In Arsene we trust" banners around the Emirates as often as we used too.
So tomorrow is an enormous game and I really mean enormous. I think (hope) we can pull it off, keeping a clean sheet at home was pivotal and should we score once Udinese will need to score 3 and I'm not sure they will do that. A word to the wise for fans going to Udine, firstly you've left it fucking late, secondly their fans are complete lunatics and will kick fuck out of anyone who they see as getting in their way. However the atmosphere will be electric and I'm sure you'll enjoy the game.
Prediction: Udinese Clacio 1-1 Arsenal
