So firstly it's been a long, long time since I last posted and so much has happened, too much to cover so I'll assume we're up to date with how it stands. Today we take on Chelsea who have the title all but wrapped up and for that reason I think this afternoons match could be a borefest. Mourinho will set his men out to get a draw and I have no doubt that's what they'll do.
You can be as tactically astute as you want, when his team are setup like that breaking them down is incredibly hard. They hold their shape, break up play and make life miserable for the opposition. That said we know their threat going forward and to think they won't attack is stupid.
In terms of team news, our big doubt this weekend is Per Mertesacker who limped off furing our win over Reading at Wembley. In that game Wenger shuffled the pack a lot bringing in a raft of players who weren't sharp which I think is part of the reason we struggled. I expected Paulista will start today and the back four will resume with Monreal and Bellerin as the full backs.
Chelsea's main issue is their lack of a fully fit striker. Remy and Costa are out so our old foe Drogba will lead their line even though there are doubts over how fit he is. Trying to guess how Mourinho will setup is hard, he will be aware of Sanchez's threat so may deploy Ramires to deal with him. I expect Willian will come in to add even more muscle to the midfield containing Matic.
From a sporting point of view, the best thing to happen in this game is we score early on to draw them onto us although secretly aside from it being against us I don't think Mourinho would be devastated by a slim defeat with their gap. The three most likely scorelines I can see here are 1-0, 0-0 or 0-1. But only time will tell. This would be a huge monkey off our backs and a big victory for Wenger over that unbearable Portuguese prick. It would also take us back into second and following United's loss against Everton would give us a two point cushion over 3rd place City with a game in hand.
An interesting game it looks set to be.
Showing posts with label gunnarsblog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gunnarsblog. Show all posts
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Saturday, 14 March 2015
West Ham (H)
Well it's been a long time since my last post and I'm aware kick off is minutes away so I'll have to keep this one short ahead of the match at the Emirates against West Ham. A more thorough breakdown of the last few weeks to follow later before Monaco on Tuesday.
Team news today is that Welbeck and Cazorla have dropped to the bench probably with the Monaco match in mind if the manager has an idea of how he wants to line up ahead of that one. This means for the first time Sanchez, Ozil, Walcott and Giroud all lead our attack. They sit infront of Coq and Ramsey in the two holding roles. Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Monreal are the back four ahead of Ospina who regains his league place following SZCZs appearance against Man United on monday.
West Ham will line up with former gunner Alex Song who will be looking to prove a point against us. Of course they are without the other gunner in the side Jenkinson due to the terms of his loan deal. They've been in odd form of late which makes it hard to see how they'll play in this match. Sakho leads their line and he can be a handful on his day so the defence will need to be on the ball in order to prevent him for generally being a nuisance.
Well the match is underway so I'll leave it there. Come on you gunners!
Team news today is that Welbeck and Cazorla have dropped to the bench probably with the Monaco match in mind if the manager has an idea of how he wants to line up ahead of that one. This means for the first time Sanchez, Ozil, Walcott and Giroud all lead our attack. They sit infront of Coq and Ramsey in the two holding roles. Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Monreal are the back four ahead of Ospina who regains his league place following SZCZs appearance against Man United on monday.
West Ham will line up with former gunner Alex Song who will be looking to prove a point against us. Of course they are without the other gunner in the side Jenkinson due to the terms of his loan deal. They've been in odd form of late which makes it hard to see how they'll play in this match. Sakho leads their line and he can be a handful on his day so the defence will need to be on the ball in order to prevent him for generally being a nuisance.
Well the match is underway so I'll leave it there. Come on you gunners!
Friday, 20 February 2015
Crystal Palace (A)
It's been a long time since my last post for various reasons and a lot has happened since then including a derby defeat, progression in the FA Cup and a draw at Old Trafford in the next round. Rather than cover it all I'm just going to assume you're all following and move on.
The games come thick and fast now with FA Cup ties, Champions League matches and of course the league all starting to pick up so we travel to Crystal Palace this weekend and there's a chance to leapfrog Southampton in fourth as they entertain Liverpool at St. Mary's on Sunday. Tottenham sit just two points behind us and we need to make sure they don't steal a march going into the business end of the season.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a revival under Alan Pardew and will be difficult to beat away from home. Pardew's sides are always physical so we know what to expect, but we're also on a good run and it'd be good to keep the pressure on those above us. Team news is overall positive with Wilshere returning along with the OX after spells on the side lines. Sanchez overcame a knock to play against Boro in the cup and I expect him to retain his place. Impressive Mesut Ozil will be hopeful of keeping his place also. Hector Bellerin is a doubt and needs to be assessed but if not we have Chambers who can step in as cover. Ospina should regain his place between the sticks after a break at the weekend.
Palace are a side who's dangers lie in the potential pace from the likes of Zaha along with star player Dwight Gayle who can hit a ball and find the net with relative ease as Liverpool have found out on various occasions. At the back Hangerland will give Giroud a tough time with his height and build but the pace of our players going forward will cause him problems. They also have a new left back who is lined up for his first taste of Premier League which could be an outlet for Sanchez to get in behind.
So 3 points this weekend could be very welcome with Southampton and Tottenham facing tricky games against Liverpool and West Ham respectively. Let's hope we can push on before our huge last 16 game against Monaco on Tuesday. COYG
The games come thick and fast now with FA Cup ties, Champions League matches and of course the league all starting to pick up so we travel to Crystal Palace this weekend and there's a chance to leapfrog Southampton in fourth as they entertain Liverpool at St. Mary's on Sunday. Tottenham sit just two points behind us and we need to make sure they don't steal a march going into the business end of the season.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a revival under Alan Pardew and will be difficult to beat away from home. Pardew's sides are always physical so we know what to expect, but we're also on a good run and it'd be good to keep the pressure on those above us. Team news is overall positive with Wilshere returning along with the OX after spells on the side lines. Sanchez overcame a knock to play against Boro in the cup and I expect him to retain his place. Impressive Mesut Ozil will be hopeful of keeping his place also. Hector Bellerin is a doubt and needs to be assessed but if not we have Chambers who can step in as cover. Ospina should regain his place between the sticks after a break at the weekend.
Palace are a side who's dangers lie in the potential pace from the likes of Zaha along with star player Dwight Gayle who can hit a ball and find the net with relative ease as Liverpool have found out on various occasions. At the back Hangerland will give Giroud a tough time with his height and build but the pace of our players going forward will cause him problems. They also have a new left back who is lined up for his first taste of Premier League which could be an outlet for Sanchez to get in behind.
So 3 points this weekend could be very welcome with Southampton and Tottenham facing tricky games against Liverpool and West Ham respectively. Let's hope we can push on before our huge last 16 game against Monaco on Tuesday. COYG
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Aston Villa
Another solid(ish) performance last weekend against Brighton in the FA Cup, securing our passage into the next round and setting up a home clash with Middlesborough, in a few weeks time. In reality the 3-2 scoreline made the game seem a lot closer than it was, we were always in control and when Theo Walcott scored his first goal since his return from injury after 6 minutes, it seemed as if it would be one way traffic. Mesut Ozil made it 2-0 with a smart finish and Arsenal were cruising. Brighton pulled one back, but no sooner where they back in it than Arsenal finished the match off as Rosicky, who was outstanding all match, scored a thumping volley to cap his performance. Although Brighton got a second Arsenal managed to hold on.
Today we have a chance to draw level on points with 4th placed Southampton if we beat Aston Villa at the Emirates. Villa are a side who are in big trouble and have struggled this season. That said they are in desperate need of some points and we all know that Villa at home is far from a banker. We've struggled against Villa at home before and we know what they bring with them and how they play. They have the powerful Benteke upfront who despite a dry spell is always dangerous infront of goal along with the likes of Agbonlahor and Fabien Delph on the wing they have the potential to pose a huge test for us. After a wonder strike last week Charles Gil might be their biggest threat though purely because he's an unknown quantity.
In our team news Wenger confirmed earlier in the week that his is "unlikely" to risk playing Sanchez who had a slight thigh issue. I would imagine this means he'll be on the bench and will only be used if he's desperately needed. The free space in the midfield I think will probably be take but the newly fit Mesut Ozil albeit in his least favourite position on the wing. Danny Welbeck remains sidelined but is expected to be fit again for the NLD next weekend. Coquelin is expected to regain his place as the holding player in the middle of the park whether that's alongside or behind Ramsey remains to be seen. The battle at right back is on between Chambers and Bellerin. My gut instinct looking at Villa's left flank would be to play Bellerin purely because of his pace against Delph and Agbonlahor. New boy Gabriel Paulista is fit and could see some action but I expect him to start on the bench.
With all teams around us winning yesterday we need to step up and show some steele to make sure we aren't the big losers of the weekend. A win would also put some pressure on Southampton who play against Swansea in the late game today. COYG!
Today we have a chance to draw level on points with 4th placed Southampton if we beat Aston Villa at the Emirates. Villa are a side who are in big trouble and have struggled this season. That said they are in desperate need of some points and we all know that Villa at home is far from a banker. We've struggled against Villa at home before and we know what they bring with them and how they play. They have the powerful Benteke upfront who despite a dry spell is always dangerous infront of goal along with the likes of Agbonlahor and Fabien Delph on the wing they have the potential to pose a huge test for us. After a wonder strike last week Charles Gil might be their biggest threat though purely because he's an unknown quantity.
In our team news Wenger confirmed earlier in the week that his is "unlikely" to risk playing Sanchez who had a slight thigh issue. I would imagine this means he'll be on the bench and will only be used if he's desperately needed. The free space in the midfield I think will probably be take but the newly fit Mesut Ozil albeit in his least favourite position on the wing. Danny Welbeck remains sidelined but is expected to be fit again for the NLD next weekend. Coquelin is expected to regain his place as the holding player in the middle of the park whether that's alongside or behind Ramsey remains to be seen. The battle at right back is on between Chambers and Bellerin. My gut instinct looking at Villa's left flank would be to play Bellerin purely because of his pace against Delph and Agbonlahor. New boy Gabriel Paulista is fit and could see some action but I expect him to start on the bench.
With all teams around us winning yesterday we need to step up and show some steele to make sure we aren't the big losers of the weekend. A win would also put some pressure on Southampton who play against Swansea in the late game today. COYG!
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Brighton & Hove Albion + Signings
Well I've been away for a few weeks and what a few weeks it's been. We went to the Etihad and played a style of football I never thought I'd see Arsenal play, we set out and protected the back 4 through the simply brilliant Coquelin and a simply magical performance from Santi Cazorla. It was a big performance and hopefully we've broken through this mental block we seem to have in the big games.
Since then we've made a couple of signings. Firstly in the form of a youngster from Legia Warsaw called Kristian Beilik. He's a holding midfielder but at 17 years old I think he's definitely one for the future. The other which is all but confirmed is the signing of Villareal centre back Gabriel Paulista. He's been part of a defence that have conceded just 17 goals this season in La Liga. Joel Campbell is going the other way on a loan deal but there is a sticking point to this deal and that is his work permit. As he's not a Brazilian international there's no guarantee that he'll be granted one. That said, with a fee rumoured to be around £14m, I can't see us dropping that sort of money without being confident enough to get it sorted.
Yesterday was a quite brilliant day and a fantastic advert for the FA Cup. Chelsea crashed out at Stamford Bridge losing 4-2 to Bradford City in an amazing performance. Man City also crashed out to Middlesborough 2-0 at the Etihad. Along with those Southampton and the spuds also went out in surprise results. United and Liverpool have replays so who knows what will happen. As good as these results are they should server as a very serious warning about how dangerous this competition is. We need to make sure we aren't another victim of this mad weekend. We take on a Brighton & Hove Albion side who sit 19th in the Championship but will be right up for it today.
I expect we'll see starts for the likes of Walcott and Ozil who have been watching from the bench recently. I also expect rests for players such as Sanchez and Cazorla who desperately need them, not that you'd know by the way they've been playing recently. We have enough to get through this fixture but we just need to make sure we don't take our foot off the gas.
So fingers crossed we aren't another victim of this weekend. COYG.
Since then we've made a couple of signings. Firstly in the form of a youngster from Legia Warsaw called Kristian Beilik. He's a holding midfielder but at 17 years old I think he's definitely one for the future. The other which is all but confirmed is the signing of Villareal centre back Gabriel Paulista. He's been part of a defence that have conceded just 17 goals this season in La Liga. Joel Campbell is going the other way on a loan deal but there is a sticking point to this deal and that is his work permit. As he's not a Brazilian international there's no guarantee that he'll be granted one. That said, with a fee rumoured to be around £14m, I can't see us dropping that sort of money without being confident enough to get it sorted.
Yesterday was a quite brilliant day and a fantastic advert for the FA Cup. Chelsea crashed out at Stamford Bridge losing 4-2 to Bradford City in an amazing performance. Man City also crashed out to Middlesborough 2-0 at the Etihad. Along with those Southampton and the spuds also went out in surprise results. United and Liverpool have replays so who knows what will happen. As good as these results are they should server as a very serious warning about how dangerous this competition is. We need to make sure we aren't another victim of this mad weekend. We take on a Brighton & Hove Albion side who sit 19th in the Championship but will be right up for it today.
I expect we'll see starts for the likes of Walcott and Ozil who have been watching from the bench recently. I also expect rests for players such as Sanchez and Cazorla who desperately need them, not that you'd know by the way they've been playing recently. We have enough to get through this fixture but we just need to make sure we don't take our foot off the gas.
So fingers crossed we aren't another victim of this weekend. COYG.
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Manchester City
It's been a good couple of weeks for Arsenal on the pitch, victory against Hull in the cup and then a good 3 points against Stoke in a controlling performance. But in football you can only look forward and today we take on Champions Man City away. Any wiggle room we might have been gifted by yesterdays results didn't materialise as Chelsea, Southampton, United and Sp*rs (lucky again) all won so today's game means just as much to both teams.
Last season we went down 6-3 in a bizarre game that although on the face of it looks like a demolition, I don't think it can be in the same class as the Stamford Bridge or Anfield mess. On another day we could have taken something from that match. But still we'll be eager to right some wrongs in this one and City are in patchy form, although we are too.
We're without Debuchy after the news that he'll be out for 3 months after a deliberate and unpunished push from that thugish shit Arnautovic. So I think Chambers will fill that gap on the right and it seems Gibbs is still out so Monreal will retain his place at left back. Ramsey returns to the team so he could partner Coquelin in the deep lying midfield role, Ozil is also back despite lacking match sharpness so I think he might start on the bench. The big decision for Wenger is whether he opts to keep Ospina in goal or revert back to SZCZ. My gut instinct is he sticks with Ospina but only time will tell.
City have Aguero and Kompany back in the side (of course they do) so we'll have problems defensively and offensively. Our defence will have to be on top form to keep the live wire quiet. Kompany is obviously a quality defender but I don't rate Mangala so if we can force anyone into some problems it will be him. Silva is the other player to stifle, the ugly Spaniard usually provides a moment of magic so stopping him should be our other priority.
This is a huge match for us today and anything we can take from this is a bonus, a point will take us back above Sp*rs on goal difference. A win though would keep us within touching distance of the top 4. Til next time, pray for a win.
Last season we went down 6-3 in a bizarre game that although on the face of it looks like a demolition, I don't think it can be in the same class as the Stamford Bridge or Anfield mess. On another day we could have taken something from that match. But still we'll be eager to right some wrongs in this one and City are in patchy form, although we are too.
We're without Debuchy after the news that he'll be out for 3 months after a deliberate and unpunished push from that thugish shit Arnautovic. So I think Chambers will fill that gap on the right and it seems Gibbs is still out so Monreal will retain his place at left back. Ramsey returns to the team so he could partner Coquelin in the deep lying midfield role, Ozil is also back despite lacking match sharpness so I think he might start on the bench. The big decision for Wenger is whether he opts to keep Ospina in goal or revert back to SZCZ. My gut instinct is he sticks with Ospina but only time will tell.
City have Aguero and Kompany back in the side (of course they do) so we'll have problems defensively and offensively. Our defence will have to be on top form to keep the live wire quiet. Kompany is obviously a quality defender but I don't rate Mangala so if we can force anyone into some problems it will be him. Silva is the other player to stifle, the ugly Spaniard usually provides a moment of magic so stopping him should be our other priority.
This is a huge match for us today and anything we can take from this is a bonus, a point will take us back above Sp*rs on goal difference. A win though would keep us within touching distance of the top 4. Til next time, pray for a win.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Hull City
The Third round draw of the FA Cup wasn't kind to us really although it could have been worse. We take on Hull in a repeat of last seasons final where we needed extra time to beat them after nearly being put out of sight within the opening 20 minutes. It'll be a hard game particularly with our injury hit midfield even though we may have Flamini returning and in Wengers own words "a small chance" of Ozil making an appearance although I struggle to see it.
After our abysmal performance at St. Mary's we need a big result today even though I'd have preferred to see us rest players who are quite clearly shattered (Sanchez). But with our team in the shape it's in currently I think we can dismiss that idea. We know that one thing is for sure and that is David Ospina will play in place of SZCZ and according to the club this was planned long before his comedy show at the weekend. Theo Walcott is expected to start which will be good for him after being out for so long. If anything he takes some of the emphasis off Alexis with his pace and penetration.
Upfront I've heard mixed news about Welbeck ranging from he has a chance to he's ruled out. I would suggest he wont play so Wenger will decide whether to put Chuba Akpom upfront or whether to play Alexis as the lone man again. In the middle Francis Coquelin may play again pairing up with Flamini this time instead of Chambers. Aside from that I don't think we have any other team news. Our defence looks set to remain the same against Southampton let's just hope the don't repeat their performance.
I'm not sure about Hull in terms of who they have available to play but I do know they've been struggling for form recently and goals which probably means they'll unload on us. They have got a goal threat from Jelavic amongst others but the big man I assume will be the one we need to keep quiet. Their defence is there to be got at if we can pull them out of shape with our pace going forward.
Big performance needed today boys, let's repeat the outcome in May.
After our abysmal performance at St. Mary's we need a big result today even though I'd have preferred to see us rest players who are quite clearly shattered (Sanchez). But with our team in the shape it's in currently I think we can dismiss that idea. We know that one thing is for sure and that is David Ospina will play in place of SZCZ and according to the club this was planned long before his comedy show at the weekend. Theo Walcott is expected to start which will be good for him after being out for so long. If anything he takes some of the emphasis off Alexis with his pace and penetration.
Upfront I've heard mixed news about Welbeck ranging from he has a chance to he's ruled out. I would suggest he wont play so Wenger will decide whether to put Chuba Akpom upfront or whether to play Alexis as the lone man again. In the middle Francis Coquelin may play again pairing up with Flamini this time instead of Chambers. Aside from that I don't think we have any other team news. Our defence looks set to remain the same against Southampton let's just hope the don't repeat their performance.
I'm not sure about Hull in terms of who they have available to play but I do know they've been struggling for form recently and goals which probably means they'll unload on us. They have got a goal threat from Jelavic amongst others but the big man I assume will be the one we need to keep quiet. Their defence is there to be got at if we can pull them out of shape with our pace going forward.
Big performance needed today boys, let's repeat the outcome in May.
Friday, 2 January 2015
Southampton Review
Our string of festive victories came to an end yesterday as we went down 2-0 away at Southampton. We started the game with our first choice back four but a makeshift midfield left us struggling to control the game as we like too. Not to mention not having a single fit striker apart from Giroud who's stupidity to get sent of the other day is proving costly. Alexis started the game upfront but never really got going.
However the most disappointing part of the game was that we gifted them both their goals quite literally. The first was poor defending from Kos combined with a SZCZ moment that reminded me more of Almunia. The pole came tearing out of his goal and forced Mane wide, but as Koscielny decided to linger in the middle rather than go to him Mane lobbed SZCZ and with a lot of spin and a strong wind blowing goal-wards the ball bobbled over the line.
The game continued and bar an effort from Cazorla that was well saved by Forster we offered very little. Then another moment of madness from the Pole in goal gifted Tadic with the easiest goal he'll ever score. A ball in it hit Debuchy and rolled to the feet of SZCZ who was on the floor at the time and instead of letting the Frenchman clear up, SZCZ poked the ball away from him and straight to Tadic.
The atmosphere in the away end was poisonous, the point proven when a fan (somehow) managed to reach the dugout and confront Wenger. Obviously not something we like to see but its so easy for our fans to turn at the moment. One moment we a string some wins together and all is well. The next we lose and it's back to tit for tat within our own ranks.
I don't know what to make of Arsenal at the moment really. Blowing hot and cold. We have Hull in the cup on Sunday and in my opinion this is a good chance to rest the likes of Sanchez who clearly is exhausted.
In other news Lukas Podolski's time at the club appears to have come to an end. The German International has made it quite clear before that he wants to be playing football and at his age I can understand that. Still I will miss him and I think he's a good option to have and in recent times has been underused in my opinion. At the moment it is unclear whether it is a loan with a view to a permanent move or just a straight forward transfer, either way it appears he's played his last game for the gunners. I wish him all the best.
Monday, 22 December 2014
Liverpool Review and QPR
I've wondered many times this season (and previous ones) where I end up horrendously frustrated with Arsenal and yesterdays match was right up there with the best of them. Appalling is not the word to describe our performance yesterday, it was without a doubt our worst performance this season. We had the lowest possession stats in match since Opta began, Liverpool had the most shots by a team since Opta began. Luckily our abysmal defending was only matched by Liverpool's shocking shooting. Unsurprisingly we went 1-0 down then somehow Debuchy headed in beating Skrtel at the far post after the ball was powered back in by Flamini.
We started the second half marginally better but the game was still ridiculous by any standard. Sanchez played as poorly as I can remember and he's clearly exhausted. Welbeck had a mare as well. If the OX was fit then I'm the fucking tooth-fairy, he misplaced every pass, gave everything away and was just generally poor. Cazorla was, along with SZCZ, one of the only positive players in the game and it was through him we took a surprising lead. He produced a brilliant run down the left and then pulled it back for Giroud who powered the ball between Brad Jones' legs. A great finish from the big french man who was also fairly good.
As the game rolled on it was so painfully obvious what was going to happen, any Arsenal fan can tell you that. Borini came on and 18 minutes later was sent off so Liverpool were down to 10 men. Any top team should be able to see a game out against 10 men. Then 6 minutes into injury time (9 minutes due to Skrtels injury) we had a corner. For whatever reason we had nobody on either post and the man who caused such a lump of injury time Martin Skrtel powered his header in across the goal. Writing on the wall but still horrifically frustrating. A point away at Anfield is nothing to be sniffed at but the manner at which is happened is what is annoying.
That's done now no point lingering wen we play in 4 days. We take on an improving QPR at home before a tricky trip across London to West Ham so we need some points desperately. Team news right now is non-existent so I can't speculate on who will play, all I know is that we need to win and there should be no reason as to why we don't. We showed what we can do against Newcastle, we need to start doing it more. QPR will be buyoed by their late win against West Brom at the weekend but at the same time they also shipped 2 goals early on so they are there to be beaten.
Obviously their man man is Charlie Austin who has been banging the goals in for fun and he's the one our defence will be tasked with keeping at bay. Mertesacker is terribly out of form and he needs support from team mates. Personally I would shift Debuchy back out to the right and put Chambers into the middle just because I think that's where we'll get the most use from him. Debuchy knows how to get back and cover when needed which I think is where Chambers lacks a little pushed out wide.
So that's Boxing Day and although Arsenal are all over the place right now, it's time to forget about football for a few days. Merry Christmas and I'll be back soon.
We started the second half marginally better but the game was still ridiculous by any standard. Sanchez played as poorly as I can remember and he's clearly exhausted. Welbeck had a mare as well. If the OX was fit then I'm the fucking tooth-fairy, he misplaced every pass, gave everything away and was just generally poor. Cazorla was, along with SZCZ, one of the only positive players in the game and it was through him we took a surprising lead. He produced a brilliant run down the left and then pulled it back for Giroud who powered the ball between Brad Jones' legs. A great finish from the big french man who was also fairly good.
As the game rolled on it was so painfully obvious what was going to happen, any Arsenal fan can tell you that. Borini came on and 18 minutes later was sent off so Liverpool were down to 10 men. Any top team should be able to see a game out against 10 men. Then 6 minutes into injury time (9 minutes due to Skrtels injury) we had a corner. For whatever reason we had nobody on either post and the man who caused such a lump of injury time Martin Skrtel powered his header in across the goal. Writing on the wall but still horrifically frustrating. A point away at Anfield is nothing to be sniffed at but the manner at which is happened is what is annoying.
That's done now no point lingering wen we play in 4 days. We take on an improving QPR at home before a tricky trip across London to West Ham so we need some points desperately. Team news right now is non-existent so I can't speculate on who will play, all I know is that we need to win and there should be no reason as to why we don't. We showed what we can do against Newcastle, we need to start doing it more. QPR will be buyoed by their late win against West Brom at the weekend but at the same time they also shipped 2 goals early on so they are there to be beaten.
Obviously their man man is Charlie Austin who has been banging the goals in for fun and he's the one our defence will be tasked with keeping at bay. Mertesacker is terribly out of form and he needs support from team mates. Personally I would shift Debuchy back out to the right and put Chambers into the middle just because I think that's where we'll get the most use from him. Debuchy knows how to get back and cover when needed which I think is where Chambers lacks a little pushed out wide.
So that's Boxing Day and although Arsenal are all over the place right now, it's time to forget about football for a few days. Merry Christmas and I'll be back soon.
Saturday, 20 December 2014
Liverpool (A)
It's been a while since my last post and in that time we've won some big games against Southampton and Newcastle but also lost a disappointing match against Stoke. After we thrashed Newcastle last weekend hopefully we can kick on as we get right into the thick of the Christmas period and we take one Liverpool at Anfield.
Now Anfield is a place where we've had mixed success after years of good performances we got taken apart last season. However Liverpool have been in even worse form than we have this season. Losing Suarez and Sturridge has cost them although their main problem so far has been at the back, where they have been leaking goals. Just last week their first choice keeper was replaced as they got thumped 3-0 at Old Trafford. If that doesn't scream problems then I don't know what does.
In terms of injuries our midfield that seemed so crowded at the beginning of the season has now been battered as we have a severe lack of central Midfielders. The OX faces a late fitness test ahead of the match and if he fails that, without Ramsey we are in big trouble. In some good news Chambers returns from suspension so I suspect we will see him slot alongside Mertesacker with Debuchy being shifted out to his familiar right. Welbeck, Cazorla and Sanchez will operate in supporting roles for Giroud upfront.
Liverpools back line tomorrow could be bare bones stuff with Johnson out and Lovren a doubt. We could see Arsenal old boy Kolo Toure handed a start. I don't rate Lazar Markovic as a wing back to whoever is on our right (probably Alexis) could have a field day as he wanders forward. Liverpool are also without Balotelli who has been banned by the FA so I'd think they'd go with Sterling upfront who has been hit and miss this season. Initially I thought this could be bad for us but thinking about it more, it means they have to pass the ball well and control the game which I'd like to think against us will be difficult. If they were playing Lambert the long balls and his hold up play may cause us problems with players making runs off him.
Looking at todays results with teams around us picking up points tomorrow is a huge game and hopefully one that we can take by the scruff of the neck and put in a shift that will take all 3 points back to the Emirates and set us up nicely for the Christmas period where we play 800 games in 10 days.
Now Anfield is a place where we've had mixed success after years of good performances we got taken apart last season. However Liverpool have been in even worse form than we have this season. Losing Suarez and Sturridge has cost them although their main problem so far has been at the back, where they have been leaking goals. Just last week their first choice keeper was replaced as they got thumped 3-0 at Old Trafford. If that doesn't scream problems then I don't know what does.
In terms of injuries our midfield that seemed so crowded at the beginning of the season has now been battered as we have a severe lack of central Midfielders. The OX faces a late fitness test ahead of the match and if he fails that, without Ramsey we are in big trouble. In some good news Chambers returns from suspension so I suspect we will see him slot alongside Mertesacker with Debuchy being shifted out to his familiar right. Welbeck, Cazorla and Sanchez will operate in supporting roles for Giroud upfront.
Liverpools back line tomorrow could be bare bones stuff with Johnson out and Lovren a doubt. We could see Arsenal old boy Kolo Toure handed a start. I don't rate Lazar Markovic as a wing back to whoever is on our right (probably Alexis) could have a field day as he wanders forward. Liverpool are also without Balotelli who has been banned by the FA so I'd think they'd go with Sterling upfront who has been hit and miss this season. Initially I thought this could be bad for us but thinking about it more, it means they have to pass the ball well and control the game which I'd like to think against us will be difficult. If they were playing Lambert the long balls and his hold up play may cause us problems with players making runs off him.
Looking at todays results with teams around us picking up points tomorrow is a huge game and hopefully one that we can take by the scruff of the neck and put in a shift that will take all 3 points back to the Emirates and set us up nicely for the Christmas period where we play 800 games in 10 days.
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Momentum Lost
So after 3 wins back to back we've faltered again. After a resounding performance against an under par Borussia Dortmund to ensure our passage into the next round of thee Champions League we then beat West Brom and Southampton albeit in very nervy games. I finally thought we were starting to click into out rhythm but sadly not.
Stoke has ever been a happy hunting ground for us which agitates me more than I can really put into words because behind the usual suspects I detest Stoke so much and their brand of rugby. They shouldn't even be allowed to play that style of "the beautiful game" in my opinion but there you go. We were 1 down after just 20 seconds to Crouch of all people. A complete fuck up in the defence gifted the lanky ex-tottenham wanker the easiest goal of his career.
Things went from bad to worse to even worse as we went 2 and then 3 down. Aside from Cazorla and Ramsey getting much needed goals the rest of the match was just irrelevant. Defensively I don't think I've seen a worse performance all season and I can't believe I'm writing this again. Mertesacker alone is a completely different player to a rested Koscielny. He doesn't seem to function with anyone other than him. I said at the start of the season our defensive frailties and the managers absolutely inexcusable decision to not bring in other defenders when it was painfully obvious we needed them was always to be our undoing.
I'm getting totally fed up by this now. It's pathetic. The season started with so much hope and now here we are. Sitting behind West Ham and Southampton 3 points off the top four when and failing poorly. Poor old Sanchez must be wondering what the fuck he's doing here. He left Barcelona for this. It was so obvious how disappointed he was yesterday and he is absolutely shattered. The manager said he needs a rest and midweek is the chance to do it.
Our next 4 games are: Galatasary, Newcastle, Liverpool and QPR. Gala aside we should see those games as all winnable with Liverpool somehow playing even worse than we are at the moment but I fear that we will be in trouble in all of those games.
We need to make it to January in with a chance of making top four but at the moment that seems very questionable. I'm starting to feel that this is the beginning of the end for Wenger despite the fact that I love the man for what he's done. His job rests on the results and his signings until February. The only crumb of comfort is that Chelsea have finally lost this season so we still have our ageing invincible season to cling on to.
Stoke has ever been a happy hunting ground for us which agitates me more than I can really put into words because behind the usual suspects I detest Stoke so much and their brand of rugby. They shouldn't even be allowed to play that style of "the beautiful game" in my opinion but there you go. We were 1 down after just 20 seconds to Crouch of all people. A complete fuck up in the defence gifted the lanky ex-tottenham wanker the easiest goal of his career.
Things went from bad to worse to even worse as we went 2 and then 3 down. Aside from Cazorla and Ramsey getting much needed goals the rest of the match was just irrelevant. Defensively I don't think I've seen a worse performance all season and I can't believe I'm writing this again. Mertesacker alone is a completely different player to a rested Koscielny. He doesn't seem to function with anyone other than him. I said at the start of the season our defensive frailties and the managers absolutely inexcusable decision to not bring in other defenders when it was painfully obvious we needed them was always to be our undoing.
I'm getting totally fed up by this now. It's pathetic. The season started with so much hope and now here we are. Sitting behind West Ham and Southampton 3 points off the top four when and failing poorly. Poor old Sanchez must be wondering what the fuck he's doing here. He left Barcelona for this. It was so obvious how disappointed he was yesterday and he is absolutely shattered. The manager said he needs a rest and midweek is the chance to do it.
Our next 4 games are: Galatasary, Newcastle, Liverpool and QPR. Gala aside we should see those games as all winnable with Liverpool somehow playing even worse than we are at the moment but I fear that we will be in trouble in all of those games.
We need to make it to January in with a chance of making top four but at the moment that seems very questionable. I'm starting to feel that this is the beginning of the end for Wenger despite the fact that I love the man for what he's done. His job rests on the results and his signings until February. The only crumb of comfort is that Chelsea have finally lost this season so we still have our ageing invincible season to cling on to.
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Manchester United (H)
We appear to have escaped the break unscathed before we host an out of sorts United this weekend. We've been boosted by the news that Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta are back and available. Whilst they aren't the defenders we so desperately need it's nice to have them back to offer something different. We are in desperate need of confidence after shipping two leads in the same week. A win is needed this weekend and we're taking on one of the most top heavy sides in the league.
In terms of our team news those are the only returns from the squad and Welbeck is a slight doubt but is expected to make it. Quite who will line up at the back in anybody's guess but against a team with Rooney, rvp and Di Maria they will need to be on the ball to deal with them. United are without Falcao and more importantly in my opinion Daley Blind who gave them some sort of defensive stability. If we go forward with pace and quality that we all know we have there are goals to be got against this side and quite a few at that.
This weekends match could be an absolute goal fest the way both teams have been defending recently or it could be a cagey 1-0. It's a hard one to judge because both teams have had time to regroup after the international break so mentally they should all be focused. Make no mistake, although this match might not be the title decided that it once was it's still a huge game and it still carries huge importance for both sets of fans.
With confidence at a real low and just 4 wins to our name out of 11 league matches this season we need to buck our ideas up and sharpish. We still have a mountain of games to complete before we have to face before we can even attempt to address our problems at the back in January and if we're already out of the running by then it will be insignificant.
Onwards. Up the Arsenal.
In terms of our team news those are the only returns from the squad and Welbeck is a slight doubt but is expected to make it. Quite who will line up at the back in anybody's guess but against a team with Rooney, rvp and Di Maria they will need to be on the ball to deal with them. United are without Falcao and more importantly in my opinion Daley Blind who gave them some sort of defensive stability. If we go forward with pace and quality that we all know we have there are goals to be got against this side and quite a few at that.
This weekends match could be an absolute goal fest the way both teams have been defending recently or it could be a cagey 1-0. It's a hard one to judge because both teams have had time to regroup after the international break so mentally they should all be focused. Make no mistake, although this match might not be the title decided that it once was it's still a huge game and it still carries huge importance for both sets of fans.
With confidence at a real low and just 4 wins to our name out of 11 league matches this season we need to buck our ideas up and sharpish. We still have a mountain of games to complete before we have to face before we can even attempt to address our problems at the back in January and if we're already out of the running by then it will be insignificant.
Onwards. Up the Arsenal.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Swansea (A)
Arsenal have it all to do in Europe now after catastrophically throwing away a 3 goal lead against lowly Anderlecht. For 60 minutes the gunners played like champions, with pace and intent and quite frankly a cool penalty from Arteta, a superb volley from Alexis Sanchez and a very tidy finish from the OX should have put the game to bed. The tactics from us were bizzare. Most teams at 3-0 would hold the ball and invite pressure from the opponents then break on the counter. We continued to throw men forward and in the end that cost us.
Anyway we move back to Premier League football this weekend as we travel to Swansea. We need to put in a solid performance to boost confidence ahead of the international break. A win would send us above West Ham into fourth (it seems so weird writing that). A loss could leave us languishing in the pack and with tricky games against United and Southampton to come some points would be very handy.
So in team news Jack Wilshere is available for selection after illness, but we are without Arteta who went off midweek with a hamstring injury. Away from home I'm not sure we'll break out the 4-4-2 formation and Wenger may favour the 4-5-1. Theo Walcott will be pushing for some more minutes having returned from injury but I can't see him starting following Wengers comments yesterday.
Swansea are going to be awkward at home and are a team we've struggled against in recent seasons. They're playing well this season and we know Wilfred Bony and Sigurdson will be a handful.The defence will need to be on form in order to keep them quiet. Gary Monk has them playing good football and we need to retain possession well and they are good with the ball.
Tomorrow is going to be a tough game. Things need to to start clicking sooner rather than later cause it still doesn't feel like we've really got going this season and with some tough games and the busy Christmas period coming up we need to hit some form sooner rather than later.
Anyway we move back to Premier League football this weekend as we travel to Swansea. We need to put in a solid performance to boost confidence ahead of the international break. A win would send us above West Ham into fourth (it seems so weird writing that). A loss could leave us languishing in the pack and with tricky games against United and Southampton to come some points would be very handy.
So in team news Jack Wilshere is available for selection after illness, but we are without Arteta who went off midweek with a hamstring injury. Away from home I'm not sure we'll break out the 4-4-2 formation and Wenger may favour the 4-5-1. Theo Walcott will be pushing for some more minutes having returned from injury but I can't see him starting following Wengers comments yesterday.
Swansea are going to be awkward at home and are a team we've struggled against in recent seasons. They're playing well this season and we know Wilfred Bony and Sigurdson will be a handful.The defence will need to be on form in order to keep them quiet. Gary Monk has them playing good football and we need to retain possession well and they are good with the ball.
Tomorrow is going to be a tough game. Things need to to start clicking sooner rather than later cause it still doesn't feel like we've really got going this season and with some tough games and the busy Christmas period coming up we need to hit some form sooner rather than later.
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Sunderland (A)
Posts have been few and far between recently and for that I apologise. Hopefully this post will get this blog back on track this season.
I'll start with a word on Wednesday nights performance. For 89 minutes we were outplayed and quite frankly looked out of ideas. The only two players whose performances I remember are wonderful Sanchez who at the moment is carrying the entire squad and Gibbs who put in a real shift at left back. We were on the verge of a humiliating defeat and Chambers who had a poor night put in the cross of his life to find onrushing Gibbs who's side footed finish into the far corner was truly top drawer.
Then in a dramatic finale, some fantastic work in box fell to Podolski who had been desperately thrown on for Wilshere and the German turned and blasted the ball into the net sending the travel fans into delirium. It was a great win but it doesn't cover up the frailties and our make shift defence at the moment just looks so weak its concerning and this has been confounded by the news that Koscielny will be out for another month at least.
Anyway we're in Premier League action today away at Sunderland and we're desperate for a win. We've not won in the league since Aston Villa which was weeks ago and Sunderland will be dangerous today following their monumental (and rather suspicious) thrashing at the hands of Southampton. So we should go there under no illusion that they will be playing for everything.
Our team today will be interesting. Arteta is fit and I feel that he will come straight back into the side today. Our back line I think will swap around as it's pretty clear that Monreal isn't cut out to play centre back. As thats the case I expect Chambers to start alongside Mertesacker with Gibbs on the left and Bellerin on the right. That doesn't bother me much as I think Bellerin can hold his own well, he's fast and intelligent. Jack Wilshere starts his ban for picking up too many yellows so I think Ramsey will sit alongside Arteta. Our three behind Welbeck I think will be the OX, Cazorla and Sanchez from right to left.
Sunderland do have dangerous players in the shape of Fletcher the thug upfront and with others like Connor Wickham who every now and then puts in a stella performance. We will face our old keeper Mannone between the sticks who no doubt will still be hurting from last weeks performance and though he's a former player today we need to pile on the misery.
Midweek Gibbs was asked whether that result could be a springboard for this season and he said he hoped so. I think we all join him on that and let's hope it starts today with a nice comfortable win over Sunderland. COYG!
I'll start with a word on Wednesday nights performance. For 89 minutes we were outplayed and quite frankly looked out of ideas. The only two players whose performances I remember are wonderful Sanchez who at the moment is carrying the entire squad and Gibbs who put in a real shift at left back. We were on the verge of a humiliating defeat and Chambers who had a poor night put in the cross of his life to find onrushing Gibbs who's side footed finish into the far corner was truly top drawer.
Then in a dramatic finale, some fantastic work in box fell to Podolski who had been desperately thrown on for Wilshere and the German turned and blasted the ball into the net sending the travel fans into delirium. It was a great win but it doesn't cover up the frailties and our make shift defence at the moment just looks so weak its concerning and this has been confounded by the news that Koscielny will be out for another month at least.
Anyway we're in Premier League action today away at Sunderland and we're desperate for a win. We've not won in the league since Aston Villa which was weeks ago and Sunderland will be dangerous today following their monumental (and rather suspicious) thrashing at the hands of Southampton. So we should go there under no illusion that they will be playing for everything.
Our team today will be interesting. Arteta is fit and I feel that he will come straight back into the side today. Our back line I think will swap around as it's pretty clear that Monreal isn't cut out to play centre back. As thats the case I expect Chambers to start alongside Mertesacker with Gibbs on the left and Bellerin on the right. That doesn't bother me much as I think Bellerin can hold his own well, he's fast and intelligent. Jack Wilshere starts his ban for picking up too many yellows so I think Ramsey will sit alongside Arteta. Our three behind Welbeck I think will be the OX, Cazorla and Sanchez from right to left.
Sunderland do have dangerous players in the shape of Fletcher the thug upfront and with others like Connor Wickham who every now and then puts in a stella performance. We will face our old keeper Mannone between the sticks who no doubt will still be hurting from last weeks performance and though he's a former player today we need to pile on the misery.
Midweek Gibbs was asked whether that result could be a springboard for this season and he said he hoped so. I think we all join him on that and let's hope it starts today with a nice comfortable win over Sunderland. COYG!
Friday, 12 September 2014
Man City (H)
After a rather tedious International break we return to league action tomorrow with a huge game against Manchester City. It's one of those "season defining" games early on that the press bang on about and in our case with good reason. Last season we took just 5 points against the top 3 sides in the league. We lost all of the away matches against them conceding 17 in the process. Tomorrow represents a chance to build some much needed confidence going into the next spell of the campaign.
We have suffered one casualty over the last two weeks, one Aaron Ramsey which is far from ideal going into this huge clash but the rest of the side are fit to play. We have Gibbs returning along with Arteta meaning that the side will take a familiar shape in my opinion with new boy Danny Welbeck leading the line. Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla should slot in behind him with Wilshere and Arteta in the gap. City are without Stefan Jovetic who has tweaked a hamstring, that aside they are essentially at full strength and no doubt Toure and Fernandinho will bully our midfield so it could be a tough day for them all round.
Tomorrow will be a tough day for us all round but this City side have weaknesses as we exposed in the Community Shield and more recently Stoke exposed as they beat them 1-0 at the Etihad. What concerns me though is that we have struggled to find any rhythm in any of our matches so far and if City turn up and play like they can we'll get ripped apart based on displays in recent weeks. We need to stay switched on at the back an make the most of our newly acquired pace going forward. New boy Welbeck will be out to impress and especially against old foes City.
Tomorrow is our first big test of the season and make no mistake a loss will have the media all over us like flies should we not take anything from the game. A draw is not a disaster but it's not ideal. We need to ensure that we put on a good performance tomorrow an that we get a good result to boot. Only time will tell.
Until tomorrow COYG!
We have suffered one casualty over the last two weeks, one Aaron Ramsey which is far from ideal going into this huge clash but the rest of the side are fit to play. We have Gibbs returning along with Arteta meaning that the side will take a familiar shape in my opinion with new boy Danny Welbeck leading the line. Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla should slot in behind him with Wilshere and Arteta in the gap. City are without Stefan Jovetic who has tweaked a hamstring, that aside they are essentially at full strength and no doubt Toure and Fernandinho will bully our midfield so it could be a tough day for them all round.
Tomorrow will be a tough day for us all round but this City side have weaknesses as we exposed in the Community Shield and more recently Stoke exposed as they beat them 1-0 at the Etihad. What concerns me though is that we have struggled to find any rhythm in any of our matches so far and if City turn up and play like they can we'll get ripped apart based on displays in recent weeks. We need to stay switched on at the back an make the most of our newly acquired pace going forward. New boy Welbeck will be out to impress and especially against old foes City.
Tomorrow is our first big test of the season and make no mistake a loss will have the media all over us like flies should we not take anything from the game. A draw is not a disaster but it's not ideal. We need to ensure that we put on a good performance tomorrow an that we get a good result to boot. Only time will tell.
Until tomorrow COYG!
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Leicester + Deadline Day
After a sunny few days in Spain I'm back and annoyingly we've not hit the International break although that may be a blessing in disguise. On Sunday we played out a 1-1 draw with Leicester away on what proved to a thoroughly frustrating afternoon.
After just 20 minutes we took the lead through Alexis Sanchez with his first Premier League goal and his second Arsenal goal following his crucial finish against Besiktas. Cazorla picked the ball up on the edge of the box and scooped it over the defence to Sanogo who through a complete fluke somehow found Sanchez who smashed it past the keeper and defenders. As we looked to build on out lead Koscielny clashed heads and was rushed back on sporting a rather interesting piece of headgear. This decision proved costly bearing in mind it was a head injury. Leicester broke and the defence was at sixes and sevens allowing a simple header past SZCZ.
The rest of the game was utterly frustrating with Arsenal struggling to get any fluidity going. There were some particularly poor performances from Sanogo who I'll come to in a bit and Ramsey who was definitely off. Chambers who replaced Koscielny almost instantly after the equaliser played well in general but showed a moment of inexperience as instead of standing his man up went sliding in and allowed the player to simply drag it back across him only to shoot into the side netting. SZCZ made a huge save in the second half one on one and we simply failed to create anything.
The frustration on social media was clear to see as people called upon the manager to buy a striker after Sanogo's poor showing. I hate to put a young player down but he's clearly not ready for the step up to lead the line and I can't help but feel he needs to clear his head and get some game time in the so called "lesser" competitions.
As deadline day began fans were horrified to learn that Arsene Wenger had flown to Rome to referee a charity match. As the day wore on, news of Arsenal moves was non-existant until out of the blue Danny Welbeck was having a medical with us and the move was confirmed for around £16m. I'm not sure what to make of him as a player but United fans were particularly disappointed with the move. His work rate is evident and I do think with the right service when we get going that he could bang a few in for us.
However much more worrying was our lack of movement for a centre half. We are currently just one injury away from being worse than bare bones. Quite how we can go into a season with 6 fit first team defenders is beyond mind boggling. Chambers is the only senior (at age 19) stand in we have. Following that we have nobody. Arguably the player who was most likely to make the step up Ignasi Miquel has been sold, leaving us from either a) a makeshift back four with possibly the likes of Flamini in there or b) promoting a youngster.
I refuse to believe there was nobody available for the manager to sign and we are taking a huge gamble from now until January banking out our defence staying fit which let's face it we don't have the best track record of doing. However it's done now and this is our team so we may as well get behind them and see where we end up. I'll be back next week with a preview of the City game. Until then.
After just 20 minutes we took the lead through Alexis Sanchez with his first Premier League goal and his second Arsenal goal following his crucial finish against Besiktas. Cazorla picked the ball up on the edge of the box and scooped it over the defence to Sanogo who through a complete fluke somehow found Sanchez who smashed it past the keeper and defenders. As we looked to build on out lead Koscielny clashed heads and was rushed back on sporting a rather interesting piece of headgear. This decision proved costly bearing in mind it was a head injury. Leicester broke and the defence was at sixes and sevens allowing a simple header past SZCZ.
The rest of the game was utterly frustrating with Arsenal struggling to get any fluidity going. There were some particularly poor performances from Sanogo who I'll come to in a bit and Ramsey who was definitely off. Chambers who replaced Koscielny almost instantly after the equaliser played well in general but showed a moment of inexperience as instead of standing his man up went sliding in and allowed the player to simply drag it back across him only to shoot into the side netting. SZCZ made a huge save in the second half one on one and we simply failed to create anything.
The frustration on social media was clear to see as people called upon the manager to buy a striker after Sanogo's poor showing. I hate to put a young player down but he's clearly not ready for the step up to lead the line and I can't help but feel he needs to clear his head and get some game time in the so called "lesser" competitions.
As deadline day began fans were horrified to learn that Arsene Wenger had flown to Rome to referee a charity match. As the day wore on, news of Arsenal moves was non-existant until out of the blue Danny Welbeck was having a medical with us and the move was confirmed for around £16m. I'm not sure what to make of him as a player but United fans were particularly disappointed with the move. His work rate is evident and I do think with the right service when we get going that he could bang a few in for us.
However much more worrying was our lack of movement for a centre half. We are currently just one injury away from being worse than bare bones. Quite how we can go into a season with 6 fit first team defenders is beyond mind boggling. Chambers is the only senior (at age 19) stand in we have. Following that we have nobody. Arguably the player who was most likely to make the step up Ignasi Miquel has been sold, leaving us from either a) a makeshift back four with possibly the likes of Flamini in there or b) promoting a youngster.
I refuse to believe there was nobody available for the manager to sign and we are taking a huge gamble from now until January banking out our defence staying fit which let's face it we don't have the best track record of doing. However it's done now and this is our team so we may as well get behind them and see where we end up. I'll be back next week with a preview of the City game. Until then.
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Everton (A)
Last night we played out a 0-0 draw with Besiktas in tough conditions. When you factor in the partisan crowd and the appalling state of the pitch it's no surprise than many people are happy with that result. Personally I'm always nervous of a 0-0 away from home, look at Chavski last season, but I'm more concerned about the loss of Aaron Ramsey for the next leg after he got himself sent off with 10 minutes to go. On reflection it looked harsh but with the referee being card happy, Aaron should have known better. Hopefully next week we, on our pitch, in front of our home support we can do the business.
Before that we have another tricky away trip to Everton. I'm worried about this match. Quite a lot. In our first two competitive matches following the silky display in the Community Shield we have really struggled to get going. Yes we have new players gelling with the team and yes we have players out but we can't wait around forever. We need to hit the ground running and if we don't against Everton we'll get punished. So far there have been glimmers of what we can do, but key players so far haven't performed.
Cazorla seems to be struggling for whatever reason at the moment, his delivery against Palace was shocking and he didn't really get into the game last night. I do think that with Sanchez on the other wing, whoever is on the left may be neglected but it's up to whoever is in that position to get stuck into the game. Giroud is another player who hasn't got going yet, he was an improvement on Sanogo against Palace but last night he managed to fluff his lines multiple times and his touch was what I'd expect from a 12 year old. The big Frenchman has a key role to play this season and I do think goals boost his confidence so the sooner he can find that opening goal the better.
In terms of team news we have a number of players out for the weekend. Gibbs is expected to out for the fabled 2-3 weeks so expect to see him by the end of December. Arteta was taken off last night and with only Flamini to fill in or potentially Chambers all of a sudden our depth looks a lot lighter than it was before the campaign. I don't think any of our three world cup winners will take part, the earliest I expect to see them is next week against Besiktas.
Our defence looks very threadbare and we're only two injuries away from being in big trouble. Fans are crying out for a defender to replace Vermaelen and various reports link us with Olympiakos centre back Kostas Manolas. I know nothing about him, but at 23 he has a lot to offer if we are interested in him and if Wenger is willing to buy a player they usually have something about them. However last night the Le Prof stated that we weren't close to signing anyone but he is aware we are light at the back and I suspect we'll bring in at least one more player before the close of the window.
Right, I'm off on holiday tomorrow and will miss our next three matches so until then let's hope we do the business. COYG!
Before that we have another tricky away trip to Everton. I'm worried about this match. Quite a lot. In our first two competitive matches following the silky display in the Community Shield we have really struggled to get going. Yes we have new players gelling with the team and yes we have players out but we can't wait around forever. We need to hit the ground running and if we don't against Everton we'll get punished. So far there have been glimmers of what we can do, but key players so far haven't performed.
Cazorla seems to be struggling for whatever reason at the moment, his delivery against Palace was shocking and he didn't really get into the game last night. I do think that with Sanchez on the other wing, whoever is on the left may be neglected but it's up to whoever is in that position to get stuck into the game. Giroud is another player who hasn't got going yet, he was an improvement on Sanogo against Palace but last night he managed to fluff his lines multiple times and his touch was what I'd expect from a 12 year old. The big Frenchman has a key role to play this season and I do think goals boost his confidence so the sooner he can find that opening goal the better.
In terms of team news we have a number of players out for the weekend. Gibbs is expected to out for the fabled 2-3 weeks so expect to see him by the end of December. Arteta was taken off last night and with only Flamini to fill in or potentially Chambers all of a sudden our depth looks a lot lighter than it was before the campaign. I don't think any of our three world cup winners will take part, the earliest I expect to see them is next week against Besiktas.
Our defence looks very threadbare and we're only two injuries away from being in big trouble. Fans are crying out for a defender to replace Vermaelen and various reports link us with Olympiakos centre back Kostas Manolas. I know nothing about him, but at 23 he has a lot to offer if we are interested in him and if Wenger is willing to buy a player they usually have something about them. However last night the Le Prof stated that we weren't close to signing anyone but he is aware we are light at the back and I suspect we'll bring in at least one more player before the close of the window.
Right, I'm off on holiday tomorrow and will miss our next three matches so until then let's hope we do the business. COYG!
Monday, 18 August 2014
Palace Review and Besiktas (A)
Our season got off to a good start on Saturday against a managerless Crystal Palace side. It was by no means a vintage Arsenal performance and you could tell that it was an early season game, but the result is all that matters and we got the right one.
We got off to a good start and created a few half chances. Our three new boys: Debuchy, Chambers and Alexis (as he prefers to be known) all started and both the boys at the back looked solid. Alexis looked dangerous and creative although he still looks a few games off being fully fit and bedded in with the team. That said Palace marked him off the pitch on Saturday and to be fair to them were very well drilled at the back.
It came as a bit of a surprise to most when after 35 minutes Palace took the lead. We were undone relatively easily from a set piece and Brede Hangeland flicked his header across goal and in at the far post which had nobody on it. This demonstrates how important Mertesacker is when we defend set pieces, his height is such an important asset in a relatively short team and we looked vulnerable from set pieces all game. Luckily for us 10 minutes later Koscielny spun off his man and headed home to bring us level in the 46th minute.
In the second half we Palace were again solid and it looked as if we'd be denied a victory. Palace had a couple of half chances and we had a penalty appeal waved away. As we pushed and pushed, time ticked on and we looked as though we'd run out of ideas. Jason Puncheon lost his head in the 89th minute and seconds later Arsenal took the lead in the 91st minute. After a scramble of headers, Debuchy's falling volley was saved by Speroni but his parry fell to, who else, Aaron Ramsey who poked home from all of 2 yards. Harsh on Palace but we'll take all 3 points in the opener of the season. The team showed great spirit and grit to earn a result.
We now have a quick turnaround as we head to Turkey for tomorrow nights game with Besiktas. Going to Turkey is never easy for a team and after a few years out of the big time Besiktas will be well and truly up for this match make no mistake. I'm always of the idea that playing away second is a slight advantage but we'll have to make do. We have a bit of team news already and it looks as if Koscielny will be OK to play despite fears that his achilles problem had flared up again. Keiran Gibbs will not travel however after going off on Saturday having tweaked his hamstring. The Germans will not play a part in the match but the rest of the team look set to travel.
Tomorrow night is going to be a very tough one but over the two legs we have the quality to do the business and a positive result tomorrow night will put us in good stead for the return next week. I may post tomorrow but if not there will be an early post on Wednesday looking ahead to the Everton game before I head away for a couple of weeks. COYG!
We got off to a good start and created a few half chances. Our three new boys: Debuchy, Chambers and Alexis (as he prefers to be known) all started and both the boys at the back looked solid. Alexis looked dangerous and creative although he still looks a few games off being fully fit and bedded in with the team. That said Palace marked him off the pitch on Saturday and to be fair to them were very well drilled at the back.
It came as a bit of a surprise to most when after 35 minutes Palace took the lead. We were undone relatively easily from a set piece and Brede Hangeland flicked his header across goal and in at the far post which had nobody on it. This demonstrates how important Mertesacker is when we defend set pieces, his height is such an important asset in a relatively short team and we looked vulnerable from set pieces all game. Luckily for us 10 minutes later Koscielny spun off his man and headed home to bring us level in the 46th minute.
In the second half we Palace were again solid and it looked as if we'd be denied a victory. Palace had a couple of half chances and we had a penalty appeal waved away. As we pushed and pushed, time ticked on and we looked as though we'd run out of ideas. Jason Puncheon lost his head in the 89th minute and seconds later Arsenal took the lead in the 91st minute. After a scramble of headers, Debuchy's falling volley was saved by Speroni but his parry fell to, who else, Aaron Ramsey who poked home from all of 2 yards. Harsh on Palace but we'll take all 3 points in the opener of the season. The team showed great spirit and grit to earn a result.
We now have a quick turnaround as we head to Turkey for tomorrow nights game with Besiktas. Going to Turkey is never easy for a team and after a few years out of the big time Besiktas will be well and truly up for this match make no mistake. I'm always of the idea that playing away second is a slight advantage but we'll have to make do. We have a bit of team news already and it looks as if Koscielny will be OK to play despite fears that his achilles problem had flared up again. Keiran Gibbs will not travel however after going off on Saturday having tweaked his hamstring. The Germans will not play a part in the match but the rest of the team look set to travel.
Tomorrow night is going to be a very tough one but over the two legs we have the quality to do the business and a positive result tomorrow night will put us in good stead for the return next week. I may post tomorrow but if not there will be an early post on Wednesday looking ahead to the Everton game before I head away for a couple of weeks. COYG!
Sunday, 10 August 2014
Arsenal ease past City + Vermaelen Leaves
20 minutes later Ramsey got in on the Wembley action, Sanogo again held the ball up well and slid it across to Ramsey. After a deft touch to lift the ball over the leg of Nastacic, Aaron fired the ball across Caballero again to make it 2-0. City got slightly better in the second half and Arsenal brought on 3 players: Giroud, the OX and Monreal. Sanchez, Koscielny and Sanogo made way. As Arsenal played their way back into control of the midfield the ball broke to Giroud who after teeing up a shot, crashed it past the City keeper from all of 25 yards. A truly great goal which rounded off a very nice performance.
Of course theres little point reading into this game as both sides were without key players, it appears that the only issue is that Koscielny has a minor Achilles problem and may miss the season opener against Palace. Aside from that there were brilliant performances from Chambers who I actually thought should have been MOTM and Debuchy. Considering Alexis Sanchez is still not fully ready according to Wenger he certainly looks like a very exciting player and I can't wait to see him properly this season.
In other news Thomas Vermaelen has left the club for Barcelona. I can't say I'm surprised but it still saddens me a little to think we're letting him go. However the captain featured very few times last season and for a player like himself he needs game time. Whether he'll get that in Catalonia I'm not sure but fair do's to him. He conducted himself phenomenally well over the last couple of difficult seasons for him and his message to the Arsenal fans and family was pure class:
After 5 years at Arsenal - and the last 2 years a proud captain too - it's time for me to move on. The club, the team, the fans, the manager, the staff and other employees, you all made me feel at home at both the training ground and the Emirates Stadium. It was a wonderful time and I feel blessed I've had the opportunity to be a part of such a great club. There have been so many wonderful games and experiences, with lifting the FA Cup as an absolute highlight. I would like to thank you all for your support, it was a huge honour to be a Gunner!
I wish Thomas all the best at Barcelona because a player of his quality and class deserves to play at the highest level for as long as possible. Wenger said earlier in the window is Tommy V left that he'd bring in a replacement so let's hope he does just that. Until next weekend when the Premier League season kicks off, have a great week.
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Emirates Cup & Community Shield Preview
Our pre-season preparations were kicked well and truly into touch at the weekend as we took part in our inaugural Emirates Cup tournament. This years competitors were Portuguese treble winners Benfica, Ligue 1's runners up Monaco and err 8th placed Spanish side Valencia. In line with previous season each team plays twice and Arsenal took on Benfica on the Saturday and then Monaco on the Sunday.
Saturdays match against Benfica provided something of a spectacle as Yaya Sanogo netted 4 times against the Portuguese side along with Joel Campbell as Arsenal thumped Benfica 5-1. The side was an interesting one with the manager experimenting with formations and positions. Wenger handed new boy Luke Chambers a start at CB along with Nacho Monreal strangely. The loudest cheer of the day was reserved for Alexis Sanchez who came on during the second half and looks like one hell of a player and a very exciting prospect.
On Sunday Arsenal took on Monaco with a totally different looking team to the one that played the day before. There were starts for Debuchy and Sanchez along with Giroud who returned from holidays. We went down 1-0 to the French side with Falcao scoring a header. That said we were denied a clear penalty and were unlucky not to score. However I'd much rather get bad luck out of the way before the season kicks of properly. It's important to remember that these matches are no more than match fitness tools, the results are of no importance, plus Monaco's season kicks off this weekend so it was their last chance to get in some game time. This was reflected in their team which was from what I could tell near enough first choice.
Technically from a competitive point of view our season also kicks off this weekend in the Community Shield against Man City but once again I don't think this will serve as much more than a chance to finish pre-season preparations and give players a chance to stretch their legs. Team news ahead of this is that none of our German contingent will be back for this and some may not be back for Palace the week after either. I don't think we'll see Giroud or other players who took part in the World Cup. I think it'll be a fairly strong team that take on the current PL champions but it would be stupid to believe that risks will be taken.
As it's of little importance there will be no preview for Sunday's game, should there be any transfer news of course I will post but if not look our for the preview of the seasons opening game against Crystal Palace. Till then. Up the Gunners!
Saturdays match against Benfica provided something of a spectacle as Yaya Sanogo netted 4 times against the Portuguese side along with Joel Campbell as Arsenal thumped Benfica 5-1. The side was an interesting one with the manager experimenting with formations and positions. Wenger handed new boy Luke Chambers a start at CB along with Nacho Monreal strangely. The loudest cheer of the day was reserved for Alexis Sanchez who came on during the second half and looks like one hell of a player and a very exciting prospect.
On Sunday Arsenal took on Monaco with a totally different looking team to the one that played the day before. There were starts for Debuchy and Sanchez along with Giroud who returned from holidays. We went down 1-0 to the French side with Falcao scoring a header. That said we were denied a clear penalty and were unlucky not to score. However I'd much rather get bad luck out of the way before the season kicks of properly. It's important to remember that these matches are no more than match fitness tools, the results are of no importance, plus Monaco's season kicks off this weekend so it was their last chance to get in some game time. This was reflected in their team which was from what I could tell near enough first choice.
Technically from a competitive point of view our season also kicks off this weekend in the Community Shield against Man City but once again I don't think this will serve as much more than a chance to finish pre-season preparations and give players a chance to stretch their legs. Team news ahead of this is that none of our German contingent will be back for this and some may not be back for Palace the week after either. I don't think we'll see Giroud or other players who took part in the World Cup. I think it'll be a fairly strong team that take on the current PL champions but it would be stupid to believe that risks will be taken.
As it's of little importance there will be no preview for Sunday's game, should there be any transfer news of course I will post but if not look our for the preview of the seasons opening game against Crystal Palace. Till then. Up the Gunners!
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