The start of the new season is drawing ever closer, and still Arsenal have far too many players they need to offload. The only player they have managed to sell so far is Carlos Vela, and they have to sell more to make room in their first team squad.
They faced a similar situation last summer, and ended up loaning out some of the players they couldn't offload. The big obstacle in their attempts to sell these players seems to be the wages paid to them by Arsenal. Unfortunately Arsenal have had to pay very high wages to promising players to ensure they stayed at the club, and these players don't always make the grade.
As a result Arsenal have had real difficulty in selling players like Nicklas Bentner, Denilson, Marouane Chamakh, Sebastien Squillaci, Andrey Arshavin, and Ju Young Park. Their combined wages and transfer fees would probably be enough to bring in the two players Arsene Wenger is still keen to sign. It does look like he will make those two signings anyway with Santi Cazorla and Nuri Sahin looking to be the most likely players to arrive.
Those who are supposedly "in the know" have being telling Arsenal fans for weeks that these two players signings are imminent. The chances are they will eventually be right, but nobody is truly in the know in my opinion. The only people who actually know what is happening are those involved in the negotiations in both clubs, and I would imagine the players too.
I think Cazorla would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, and he could be the creative spark their midfield has being missing for quite a while now. With Jack Wilshere out of action until October I think the midfield needs some genuine quality added, and he certainly fits the bill. I just hope all of the rumours are right, and he dons the red Arsenal shirt very soon.
Of course the saga of Robin van Persie's expected departure continues, and it's effect on the other players and the fans is hard to judge. The players are continuing their preparation for the new season, but it cannot be easy for them to work with a player every day who would rather be elsewhere. I don't care what has been said about his supposed professionalism, as his statement from last month showed exactly how little of that he has.
For a club captain to undermine his own club in such a manner was quite incredible, and he will never be the same player again for me. Even if he stays for next season and sees out his contract I will find it hard to cheer him when he plays. The best solution for Arsenal is to be rid of him s soon as possible, and get on with the business of building a team with players who want to play for them.
As an Arsenal fan I have become used to players looking to leave the club, and the club have survived when better players than RVP have left. The most frustrating thing about the saga is how it is hanging over Arsenal's start to the new season. They have only one pre season game left before they face Sunderland in just over two weeks, and it's time for some action to be taken.
I know there is very little the club can do to get other clubs to increase their offers, but they have to think of what is best for the club as a whole. A disruptive influence cannot be allowed to fester at the club, and they need to cash in as soon as possible.
My ideal scenario would be for Arsenal to start the new season with all the above players I mentioned at new clubs, and a few new arrivals to bolster the squad. I can't see all of that happening in the next two weeks, but I hope it doesn't all come down to deadline day yet again. Last summer was a disastrous one for the club, and the transfer mayhem directly affected the team's start to the season.
It cannot be allowed to happen again, and I cannot imagine that it will. All the signs are that RVP will be sold, as new boy Lukasz Podolski has not been issued with a shirt number yet. I'm sure he would love to have RVP's number 10 shirt, but there is also the possibility of Park's number 9 being available very soon.
Finally for today I have to mention that my blog is four years old today. On this very day in 2008 I posted my first Arsenal blog on Oleole, and I have continued it on a very regular basis ever since. It's not always easy, but it certainly helps me to deal with my feelings for Arsenal by sharing them with others.
Hopefully I'll still be writing about Arsenal in another four years, and I'll have a few trophies to write about too.
Finally, finally for today don't forget to join my Fantasy Premier league for the new season with prizes for the top three teams. To join up just go to the site and use the code 17031-6252 to join my league when your team is set up. If you were in my league last season you should automatically be given a choice to rejoin it once your team is set up. There are over 400 teams in my league at the moment, and I'm hoping to match last season's total of over 1,000 teams.
That's it for today.
See you tomorrow.
Showing posts with label Maraoone Chamakh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maraoone Chamakh. Show all posts
Friday, 3 August 2012
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Trip To Swansea City Previewed.
Arsenal lost their last league game away to Fulham after leading 1-0 at half time. It was a big defeat for the team because they would have moved into fourth place with a win. It would also have left them six points behind second placed Manchester United with almost half of the season to go.
Thankfully the players managed to regroup and beat Leeds in the FA Cup last Monday with a little bit of help from the returning Thierry Henry. It might not have been a great display from Arsenal on the night, but the win and the clean sheet were very important.
Their next task is a trip to Swansea City on Sunday afternoon and it's another game which will be far from easy for Arsenal. Swansea have performed very well since their promotion to the Premier League last summer and they are a very good team to watch. They have struggled away from home, but they have lost only one of their 10 home games so far.
That defeat came against reigning champions Manchester United and Swansea were a little unlucky on the day. They have only conceded four goals in those 10 home games and no team in the Premier League can better that record. They have shown that they can play attractive football at home without opening up too much to the opposition.
Arsenal started the season very poorly and they only took one point in their first four away games. Since then they have improved though and they have now won four out of 10 away games. In the process they have scored 20 goals and only league leaders Manchester City can better that.
However, Arsenal have conceded 22 goals away from home so far and no other team has conceded more on their travels than them. It's not exactly a record for them to be proud of, but it is slightly skewed by the 12 goals United and Blackburn put past them in two games when they were really struggling at the back. Since then Arsenal's defence has gelled a lot more and Fulham were the first team in 10 games to score more than one goal against them.
Arsenal have struggled in their last few games as their team has become far too imbalanced. The current injuries to all of their full-backs have meant they have had to play central defenders in those positions and it is affecting the way they play in my opinion. What's worse is that the players filling in for the full-backs are dropping like flies too.
Arsenal lost Francis Coquelin to a hamstring injury in that match against Leeds, but at least Johan Djourou will be available again after suspension. He's not the ideal candidate to play at right-back, but Arsenal's options are so limited that his return has to be welcomed. Ignasi Miquel will more than likely continue at left-back and he looks more than capable of playing there.
Miquel would probably have gone out on loan this month if he wasn't required to play as an emergency left-back. Coquelin is the only real cover for Alex Song in the squad with Emmanuel Frimpong loaned to Wolves, and it has to be hoped that he will return very soon. Both of them look like they are capable of having a very bright future at Arsenal, but it's still very early in their careers to know for sure.
The options in central defence are now quite limited too and Laurent Koscielny is sure to start, but Per Mertesacker is a doubt with illness. Both Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky missed that game because of illness, and Wenger has to make a decision on their condition before Sunday's game. That would leave Sebastien Squillaci as the only experienced defender available, and he is bound to start if Mertesacker doesn't.
In midfield I would imagine Song, Mikael Arteta and Aaron Ramsey will again play from the start. Those three players have been the first choice trio in Arsenal's midfield for most of the season now, and they will remain so until Jack Wilshere returns from injury next month. What happens then is anybody's guess, but it can't be bad for the team.
Robin van Persie will return from his break in Dubai to lead the attack, and hopefully add to his tally of 17 league goals so far this season. It's almost impossible to overestimate his contribution to the team this season, and hopefully the break will have done him some good. He had looked a little stale in his last few games, but hopefully Swansea will pay the price for him getting a chance to recharge his batteries.
I would be very surprised if Theo Walcott didn't play on the right side of the attack, and I think Andrey Arshavin will probably start on the left. Arshavin tried a lot harder than I have seen him try for a long time, and I think he will keep his place in the team as a result. That would mean Thierry Henry will be on the bench, but I would imagine he will play a part at some stage.
His return against Leeds is something Arsenal fans will remember for the rest of their lives, but he's probably still a little short on fitness to start. I can't wait to hear the traveling Arsenal fans singing his name, and to see their reaction when he does play. The traveling fans are always a credit to the club, and I have no doubt that they will be heard for the entire game yet again.
I'm sure Swansea will approach the game as they always do, and look to play their own game right from the start. They are very good in possession, and they always look to play football the right way. They are actually quite similar to Arsenal in the way that they play, and it could be a good game for the purists.
Arsenal have being missing a lot of chances in recent games, but I'm hoping that the break for RVP will help to rectify that. To be honest Arsenal haven't played very well for an entire 90 minutes in a while now, but they will get the opportunity to do so against Swansea. I'm hoping the players can take that opportunity and put in a performance to show that they are right in there in the battle for fourth place.
The continued Premier League success for Spurs is becoming an annoyance for Arsenal fans, but the team has to be ready to pounce when Spurs falter. The vast majority of Arsenal fans are still sure that Spurs will falter, but they're not sure what the trigger for their demise will be. It's possible that the trial of their manager on charges of "tax evasion" will be the start of the downfall, or maybe his conviction on those charges will do it.
Spurs have four tough games in their next seven games, and they could be the real test for them. They have to travel to Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as playing at home to Manchester United. I don't believe they will be in the current lofy position by the time those games are finished in early March.
I think the game with Swansea will be a very tight one, but Arsenal have that little bit of quality that will get them the three points. Whether that quality comes from RVP or off the bench is another matter, but I do believe they will win. I'm predicting a 1-0 win, but as long as it's a win I'm not too bothered how it happens or who scores the goals.
In other news Wenger has said Marouane Chamakh will not be sold in the January transfer window. His last year at Arsenal has been very disappointing, nd he's currently on international duty at the African Cup of Nations. He won't be back at the club until next month, and that would seem to curtail any chance of selling him.
Finally for today Arsenal's Premier League trip to Bolton Wanderers has been switched from Tuesday January 31st to Wednesday February 1st. It's to accommodate the Fa Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa which has been switched to Sunday January 29th, and will be shown live on TV.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights of Arsenal's Fa Cup win over Leeds and that Henry goal.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Thankfully the players managed to regroup and beat Leeds in the FA Cup last Monday with a little bit of help from the returning Thierry Henry. It might not have been a great display from Arsenal on the night, but the win and the clean sheet were very important.
Their next task is a trip to Swansea City on Sunday afternoon and it's another game which will be far from easy for Arsenal. Swansea have performed very well since their promotion to the Premier League last summer and they are a very good team to watch. They have struggled away from home, but they have lost only one of their 10 home games so far.
That defeat came against reigning champions Manchester United and Swansea were a little unlucky on the day. They have only conceded four goals in those 10 home games and no team in the Premier League can better that record. They have shown that they can play attractive football at home without opening up too much to the opposition.
Arsenal started the season very poorly and they only took one point in their first four away games. Since then they have improved though and they have now won four out of 10 away games. In the process they have scored 20 goals and only league leaders Manchester City can better that.
However, Arsenal have conceded 22 goals away from home so far and no other team has conceded more on their travels than them. It's not exactly a record for them to be proud of, but it is slightly skewed by the 12 goals United and Blackburn put past them in two games when they were really struggling at the back. Since then Arsenal's defence has gelled a lot more and Fulham were the first team in 10 games to score more than one goal against them.
Arsenal have struggled in their last few games as their team has become far too imbalanced. The current injuries to all of their full-backs have meant they have had to play central defenders in those positions and it is affecting the way they play in my opinion. What's worse is that the players filling in for the full-backs are dropping like flies too.
Arsenal lost Francis Coquelin to a hamstring injury in that match against Leeds, but at least Johan Djourou will be available again after suspension. He's not the ideal candidate to play at right-back, but Arsenal's options are so limited that his return has to be welcomed. Ignasi Miquel will more than likely continue at left-back and he looks more than capable of playing there.
Miquel would probably have gone out on loan this month if he wasn't required to play as an emergency left-back. Coquelin is the only real cover for Alex Song in the squad with Emmanuel Frimpong loaned to Wolves, and it has to be hoped that he will return very soon. Both of them look like they are capable of having a very bright future at Arsenal, but it's still very early in their careers to know for sure.
The options in central defence are now quite limited too and Laurent Koscielny is sure to start, but Per Mertesacker is a doubt with illness. Both Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky missed that game because of illness, and Wenger has to make a decision on their condition before Sunday's game. That would leave Sebastien Squillaci as the only experienced defender available, and he is bound to start if Mertesacker doesn't.
In midfield I would imagine Song, Mikael Arteta and Aaron Ramsey will again play from the start. Those three players have been the first choice trio in Arsenal's midfield for most of the season now, and they will remain so until Jack Wilshere returns from injury next month. What happens then is anybody's guess, but it can't be bad for the team.
Robin van Persie will return from his break in Dubai to lead the attack, and hopefully add to his tally of 17 league goals so far this season. It's almost impossible to overestimate his contribution to the team this season, and hopefully the break will have done him some good. He had looked a little stale in his last few games, but hopefully Swansea will pay the price for him getting a chance to recharge his batteries.
I would be very surprised if Theo Walcott didn't play on the right side of the attack, and I think Andrey Arshavin will probably start on the left. Arshavin tried a lot harder than I have seen him try for a long time, and I think he will keep his place in the team as a result. That would mean Thierry Henry will be on the bench, but I would imagine he will play a part at some stage.
His return against Leeds is something Arsenal fans will remember for the rest of their lives, but he's probably still a little short on fitness to start. I can't wait to hear the traveling Arsenal fans singing his name, and to see their reaction when he does play. The traveling fans are always a credit to the club, and I have no doubt that they will be heard for the entire game yet again.
I'm sure Swansea will approach the game as they always do, and look to play their own game right from the start. They are very good in possession, and they always look to play football the right way. They are actually quite similar to Arsenal in the way that they play, and it could be a good game for the purists.
Arsenal have being missing a lot of chances in recent games, but I'm hoping that the break for RVP will help to rectify that. To be honest Arsenal haven't played very well for an entire 90 minutes in a while now, but they will get the opportunity to do so against Swansea. I'm hoping the players can take that opportunity and put in a performance to show that they are right in there in the battle for fourth place.
The continued Premier League success for Spurs is becoming an annoyance for Arsenal fans, but the team has to be ready to pounce when Spurs falter. The vast majority of Arsenal fans are still sure that Spurs will falter, but they're not sure what the trigger for their demise will be. It's possible that the trial of their manager on charges of "tax evasion" will be the start of the downfall, or maybe his conviction on those charges will do it.
Spurs have four tough games in their next seven games, and they could be the real test for them. They have to travel to Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as playing at home to Manchester United. I don't believe they will be in the current lofy position by the time those games are finished in early March.
I think the game with Swansea will be a very tight one, but Arsenal have that little bit of quality that will get them the three points. Whether that quality comes from RVP or off the bench is another matter, but I do believe they will win. I'm predicting a 1-0 win, but as long as it's a win I'm not too bothered how it happens or who scores the goals.
In other news Wenger has said Marouane Chamakh will not be sold in the January transfer window. His last year at Arsenal has been very disappointing, nd he's currently on international duty at the African Cup of Nations. He won't be back at the club until next month, and that would seem to curtail any chance of selling him.
Finally for today Arsenal's Premier League trip to Bolton Wanderers has been switched from Tuesday January 31st to Wednesday February 1st. It's to accommodate the Fa Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa which has been switched to Sunday January 29th, and will be shown live on TV.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights of Arsenal's Fa Cup win over Leeds and that Henry goal.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United: The Return of the King
Arsenal faced Leeds United last night at home in the third round of the FA Cup, with a home tie against Aston Villa awaiting the winners in the next round. Arsenal couldn't have asked for a much better draw than a home game against a team from a lower league, and they were clear favourites to progress. The teams met at the same stage in this competition last season, and Arsenal needed a replay to dispatch Leeds on that occasion.
The biggest worry on the night for Arsenal was that a combination of injuries, suspension, and international duties had left 10 of their first team squad unavailable. The biggest problems were in defence with not a recognised full-back in sight for Arsene Wenger. Leeds had a few players of their own missing though, and Arsenal played a team which was more than capable of getting the job done.
Those injuries for Arsenal meant that Ignasi Miquel played at right-back, and Francis Coquelin played on the left. Unfortunately for Coquelin the full-back curse struck yet again, and he went off with what looked like a hamstring injury after 30 minutes. That meant Nico Yennaris got a chance to stake a place in the team for the last hour.
Wenger played the strongest possible midfield available to him, and Marouane Chamakh played at centre-forward after he delayed his trip to the African Cup of Nations. He was flanked by Andrey Arshavin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as Arsenal went in search of the goals to win the tie. The really big team news for the night was of course the inclusion of the returning Thierry Henry as a substitute for Arsenal.
Henry has returned to the club he loves for the next six weeks to try to do whatever he can to help them. He may not have the pace he had when he left Arsenal almost five years ago, but he still has a lot to offer the team in my opinion. Besides his obvious talent I am sure he can also pass on some of his expertise to players like Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.
With Chamakh leading the line Arsenal rested Robin van Persie, and the player took a chance to have a break in Dubai. Arsenal have been called a one-man team at times this season, as the goals of RVP have inspired the majority of their victories. Chamakh had a chance to show that he can play a part, or failing that there was always Henry on the bench.
Arsenal had the best of the early proceedings, but despite their best attempts they failed to take any of their chances. The best of those chances seemed to fall to Arshavin, but he certainly hadn't got his shooting boots on. He did work very hard for the entire game though, and if he continues to work that hard the fans will have no problem with him.
The pace dropped as the first half progressed, and the game became a bit of a stalemate. Leeds had set their stall out to defend, and Arsenal were having trouble breaking them down. It was 0-0 at half-time and neither team had actually managed a shot on target in that first half. Try as he might Chamakh looked to have all the confidence of a player who knows his days at Arsenal are numbered.
Arsenal started brightly in the second half, but still the goals would not come for them. At least they were making the Leeds keeper work harder this time, as they managed to get a few good efforts on target. The crowd were growing a little restless though, as they knew the introduction of Henry could not be far away.
At the mid-point in the second half Arsenal introduced Henry and Walcott for Chamakh and Chamberlain, and the reception for the Frenchman was magnificent. I have to Admit that it brought a tear to my eye to see him running out in his beloved red and white again. The stage was set for him to steal all the headlines, and all he needed was one chance to do so.
Only 10 minutes after coming on Henry managed to lose his marker in the penalty area, and latch on to an excellent pass from Alex Song. He was through on the left hand side of the goal with only the keeper to beat, and it's the position from where he scored so many goals for Arsenal in the past. He looked up and calmly stroked the ball into the far corner, as if he had never left the club.
Henry celebrated with the fans, the manager, and the other Arsenal players too. Afterwards he said that it was his "first goal as an Arsenal fan", and hopefully it won't be his last one over the next few weeks.
Leeds came into the game a little more after that and they had a couple of decent half chances, but Arsenal emerged victorious. The script could not have been written any better for Arsenal fans, as their returning hero scored the goal to see them through. He will play a bigger part in the weeks to come I am sure, but last night was all about his glorious return.
There were plenty of problems there for all to see in the Arsenal performance, but I'll deal with them on another day. The man of the match award went to Henry which was a little unfair to Aaron Ramsey who had a fine game in my opinion.
The team needs some new blood to boost it, and hopefully Henry won't be the only player to arrive during the current transfer window. Some of Arsenal's injured players will be returning over the next few weeks, and hopefully their returns will be a boost to the team too.
Last night was all about Thierry Henry, and after his goal I'm sure the sale on number 12 shirts will be boosted greatly. It's the number he wanted when he first arrived at the club, and it's his for the next six weeks now. Hopefully during those six weeks he can relive a few more of his former glories, and help Arsenal towards some glory this season too.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last night's game.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
The biggest worry on the night for Arsenal was that a combination of injuries, suspension, and international duties had left 10 of their first team squad unavailable. The biggest problems were in defence with not a recognised full-back in sight for Arsene Wenger. Leeds had a few players of their own missing though, and Arsenal played a team which was more than capable of getting the job done.
Those injuries for Arsenal meant that Ignasi Miquel played at right-back, and Francis Coquelin played on the left. Unfortunately for Coquelin the full-back curse struck yet again, and he went off with what looked like a hamstring injury after 30 minutes. That meant Nico Yennaris got a chance to stake a place in the team for the last hour.
Wenger played the strongest possible midfield available to him, and Marouane Chamakh played at centre-forward after he delayed his trip to the African Cup of Nations. He was flanked by Andrey Arshavin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as Arsenal went in search of the goals to win the tie. The really big team news for the night was of course the inclusion of the returning Thierry Henry as a substitute for Arsenal.
Henry has returned to the club he loves for the next six weeks to try to do whatever he can to help them. He may not have the pace he had when he left Arsenal almost five years ago, but he still has a lot to offer the team in my opinion. Besides his obvious talent I am sure he can also pass on some of his expertise to players like Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.
With Chamakh leading the line Arsenal rested Robin van Persie, and the player took a chance to have a break in Dubai. Arsenal have been called a one-man team at times this season, as the goals of RVP have inspired the majority of their victories. Chamakh had a chance to show that he can play a part, or failing that there was always Henry on the bench.
Arsenal had the best of the early proceedings, but despite their best attempts they failed to take any of their chances. The best of those chances seemed to fall to Arshavin, but he certainly hadn't got his shooting boots on. He did work very hard for the entire game though, and if he continues to work that hard the fans will have no problem with him.
The pace dropped as the first half progressed, and the game became a bit of a stalemate. Leeds had set their stall out to defend, and Arsenal were having trouble breaking them down. It was 0-0 at half-time and neither team had actually managed a shot on target in that first half. Try as he might Chamakh looked to have all the confidence of a player who knows his days at Arsenal are numbered.
Arsenal started brightly in the second half, but still the goals would not come for them. At least they were making the Leeds keeper work harder this time, as they managed to get a few good efforts on target. The crowd were growing a little restless though, as they knew the introduction of Henry could not be far away.
At the mid-point in the second half Arsenal introduced Henry and Walcott for Chamakh and Chamberlain, and the reception for the Frenchman was magnificent. I have to Admit that it brought a tear to my eye to see him running out in his beloved red and white again. The stage was set for him to steal all the headlines, and all he needed was one chance to do so.
Only 10 minutes after coming on Henry managed to lose his marker in the penalty area, and latch on to an excellent pass from Alex Song. He was through on the left hand side of the goal with only the keeper to beat, and it's the position from where he scored so many goals for Arsenal in the past. He looked up and calmly stroked the ball into the far corner, as if he had never left the club.
Henry celebrated with the fans, the manager, and the other Arsenal players too. Afterwards he said that it was his "first goal as an Arsenal fan", and hopefully it won't be his last one over the next few weeks.
Leeds came into the game a little more after that and they had a couple of decent half chances, but Arsenal emerged victorious. The script could not have been written any better for Arsenal fans, as their returning hero scored the goal to see them through. He will play a bigger part in the weeks to come I am sure, but last night was all about his glorious return.
There were plenty of problems there for all to see in the Arsenal performance, but I'll deal with them on another day. The man of the match award went to Henry which was a little unfair to Aaron Ramsey who had a fine game in my opinion.
The team needs some new blood to boost it, and hopefully Henry won't be the only player to arrive during the current transfer window. Some of Arsenal's injured players will be returning over the next few weeks, and hopefully their returns will be a boost to the team too.
Last night was all about Thierry Henry, and after his goal I'm sure the sale on number 12 shirts will be boosted greatly. It's the number he wanted when he first arrived at the club, and it's his for the next six weeks now. Hopefully during those six weeks he can relive a few more of his former glories, and help Arsenal towards some glory this season too.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last night's game.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Monday, 2 January 2012
Arsenal's Premier League Trip To Fulham Previewed
Arsenal played against QPR on Saturday afternoon, and just over 48 hours later they have to play against Fulham. Of course their opponents will be in the same boat, as they played Norwich City on Saturday afternoon too. It's not easy for the players to play so many games so often, as the modern game is so intense.
I'm sure Arsene Wenger will look to make a few changes to the side that just about beat QPR 1-0, but he won't have too many options in his defence. Thomas Vermaelen picked up an injury in that game, and he'll be out for a few weeks according to the manager. It looks like he will have to move to sign a full back on loan, as his defensive options are so limited at the moment.
Arsenal actually had no defenders on the bench against QPR, but both Alex Song and Francis Coquelin are capable of playing there. I would imagine Ignasi Miquel will be added to the squad, and he could well play at left back too. I'm not sure whether Sebastien Squillaci is fit or not, but I would still prefer to see Miquel in the team before him.
Manuel Almunia returned to the bench a few weeks ago when both Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone were injured, but he is still Arsenal's reserve keeper at the moment. I thought Fabianski had recovered from his knock, and I'm a little worried that Almunia might be ahead of him in the pecking order. I know Fabianski has had his problems, but if Wojciech Szczesny picks up an injury I would not like to see Almunia take his place.
With so few defenders available to him Wenger will probably have to keep the same defence that played against QPR with the exception of either Miquel or Coquelin playing instead of Vermaelen. I thought Coquelin did well when he came on for the last 35 minutes, and I wouldn't really have a preference between the two of them.
In midfield I think there might be a change or two, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Tomas Rosicky or Yossi Benayoun play from the start. Aaron Ramsey did have a rest against Wolves and he might be up to playing the full 90 minutes, but surely fatigue must be a factor for Mikael Arteta. If Arteta is up to it I'm sure he will play, but if he's struggling he shouldn't be risked.
I would be very surprised if Gervinho doesn't start, as this could be his last game before he goes on international duty to the African Cup of Nations. Wenger wants both Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh to be allowed to stay for the FA Cup game with Leeds United next week, but they're scheduled to leave two days before that game.
Robin van Persie has suffered with injuries throughout his career, and I would be surprised if he is risked today. I think he will be left on the bench, and only introduced if he's needed to try to get the team out of a tight spot. The most likely replacement for him is Chamakh, and his inclusion won't fill me with a lot of confidence.
There is an argument for starting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team, as he has done so well on the other occasions he has played. There is a possibility that Wenger is not including him at the moment because of Arsenal's lack of actual full backs. I have heard it suggested that the defensive side of his game may need some work, and until the full backs return his chances will be limited.
Fulham almost beat Norwich on Saturday, but they drew after a last minute equaliser against them. Norwich are not an easy team to play against, and I'm sure the Fulham players will be feeling just as tired as Arsenal.
The two teams played only a few weeks ago, and Fulham took a point at the Emirates after Vermaelen scored for both sides. It was a game Arsenal probably should have won, but they did well to get a point after going 1-0 down half way through the second half.
Since their poor start to the season Arsenal have won four of their last five away games, and only league leaders Manchester City have beaten them in that time. They struggled a little in their last away game against Aston Villa, but they just about did enough to get the three points. I think they have a little more freedom to play away from home because teams don't sit back quite so much.
I think today's game will be a tough game for Arsenal, but they will emerge with a 2-1 win. I would love to see them dominate Fulham and beat them by a good score, but any win will do. As long as they take the three points I'll be happy enough to see them remain in fourth place.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at all 226 Thierry Henry goals for Arsenal.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
I'm sure Arsene Wenger will look to make a few changes to the side that just about beat QPR 1-0, but he won't have too many options in his defence. Thomas Vermaelen picked up an injury in that game, and he'll be out for a few weeks according to the manager. It looks like he will have to move to sign a full back on loan, as his defensive options are so limited at the moment.
Arsenal actually had no defenders on the bench against QPR, but both Alex Song and Francis Coquelin are capable of playing there. I would imagine Ignasi Miquel will be added to the squad, and he could well play at left back too. I'm not sure whether Sebastien Squillaci is fit or not, but I would still prefer to see Miquel in the team before him.
Manuel Almunia returned to the bench a few weeks ago when both Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone were injured, but he is still Arsenal's reserve keeper at the moment. I thought Fabianski had recovered from his knock, and I'm a little worried that Almunia might be ahead of him in the pecking order. I know Fabianski has had his problems, but if Wojciech Szczesny picks up an injury I would not like to see Almunia take his place.
With so few defenders available to him Wenger will probably have to keep the same defence that played against QPR with the exception of either Miquel or Coquelin playing instead of Vermaelen. I thought Coquelin did well when he came on for the last 35 minutes, and I wouldn't really have a preference between the two of them.
In midfield I think there might be a change or two, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Tomas Rosicky or Yossi Benayoun play from the start. Aaron Ramsey did have a rest against Wolves and he might be up to playing the full 90 minutes, but surely fatigue must be a factor for Mikael Arteta. If Arteta is up to it I'm sure he will play, but if he's struggling he shouldn't be risked.
I would be very surprised if Gervinho doesn't start, as this could be his last game before he goes on international duty to the African Cup of Nations. Wenger wants both Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh to be allowed to stay for the FA Cup game with Leeds United next week, but they're scheduled to leave two days before that game.
Robin van Persie has suffered with injuries throughout his career, and I would be surprised if he is risked today. I think he will be left on the bench, and only introduced if he's needed to try to get the team out of a tight spot. The most likely replacement for him is Chamakh, and his inclusion won't fill me with a lot of confidence.
There is an argument for starting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team, as he has done so well on the other occasions he has played. There is a possibility that Wenger is not including him at the moment because of Arsenal's lack of actual full backs. I have heard it suggested that the defensive side of his game may need some work, and until the full backs return his chances will be limited.
Fulham almost beat Norwich on Saturday, but they drew after a last minute equaliser against them. Norwich are not an easy team to play against, and I'm sure the Fulham players will be feeling just as tired as Arsenal.
The two teams played only a few weeks ago, and Fulham took a point at the Emirates after Vermaelen scored for both sides. It was a game Arsenal probably should have won, but they did well to get a point after going 1-0 down half way through the second half.
Since their poor start to the season Arsenal have won four of their last five away games, and only league leaders Manchester City have beaten them in that time. They struggled a little in their last away game against Aston Villa, but they just about did enough to get the three points. I think they have a little more freedom to play away from home because teams don't sit back quite so much.
I think today's game will be a tough game for Arsenal, but they will emerge with a 2-1 win. I would love to see them dominate Fulham and beat them by a good score, but any win will do. As long as they take the three points I'll be happy enough to see them remain in fourth place.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at all 226 Thierry Henry goals for Arsenal.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, 30 December 2011
Arsenal's Premier League Game With QPR Previewed
Arsenal started their five game Christmas programme with a defeat to Manchester City, but they bounced back to beat Aston Villa 2-1 a few days later. Their next game was against Wolves last Tuesday, and despite their best efforts they ended up drawing 1-1 at home. They have taken only four points from the first three of those Christmas games so far, and it's vital for them that they win the final two games.
QPR visit the Emirates tomorrow on a run of only two points from six games, but their best results have all come away from home so far this season. Wolves had lost six away games in a row before they visited Arsenal, and it's possible that Arsenal switched off a little when they went 1-0 ahead of them early on. No team in the Premier League can be underestimated, and Arsenal have to keep their concentration for every minute of every game.
Arsenal created more than enough chances to beat Wolves easily, but a combination of good goalkeeping and poor finishing meant they had to settle for a draw. Robin van Persie went into that game needing three goals to break Alan Shearer's record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year. He will now have to score three goals against QPR if the record is to be his, but the three points are far more important for him and the club too.
Theo Walcott is available again after he missed the game with Wolves through illness, but otherwise the are no players to return to the squad. Arsene Wenger said that Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna could be back before the end of January, but Abu Diaby appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth. I would be surprised if Walcott didn't start, and I expect Aaron Ramsey to return to the team too.
With the trip to Fulham only 48 hours away Wenger might be tempted to use a few of the fringe players against QPR, but I think Arsenal need to play their strongest team to make sure of the three points. Arsenal can only play one game at a time, and more points dropped at home would be a huge disappointment. If they can beat QPR and then Fulham too it would give them a 10 point return from five games over the festive season.
After a fairly good start to their season QPR have gradually slid down the table, and they find themselves only two places above the relegation zone. They have money to spend in the January transfer window, and it looks like it can't come quickly enough for them. They will bring a couple of players with them that are familiar faces at Arsenal.
Arsenal sold Armand Traore to QPR just before the transfer window closed in August, and he's a player who never really got a lot of chances at the club. He was a left back who looked really good going forward, but he was very suspect in the most important part of his game. I was never convinced that he was defensively good enough to play for Arsenal, and I think that's the reason that he was sold.
QPR will also bring Joey Barton with them, and he's a player who seems to enjoy playing against Arsenal. He was the player who was responsible for getting Gervinho sent off when Arsenal played his old club Newcastle in the first game of the new season. His claim that Gervinho had punched him in the face was a joke, but it shows the depths that a serial thug and cheat like Barton will sink to.
I'm not saying that Gervinho should not have been sent off, but equally Arsenal should have had a penalty for the foul on him and for Barton dragging him to his feet afterwards. The referee was an absolute joke in his handling of the situation, but under FA rules that doesn't mean a thing. He could not have seen the mild slap by Gervinho on Barton, which means he believed Barton's version of affairs.
The previous season Barton was in the Newcastle team that came from four goals down to draw four all with Arsenal. It was his disgraceful tackle on Diaby that led to the Frenchman's retaliation and red card, but the referee let Barton away with it yet again. I hope the Arsenal players can keep their cool when faced with Barton, but I know if it was me I would target him for some payback.
It would be ever so sweet to see Barton receive his marching orders, as QPR are put to the sword by Arsenal. I would be equally happy to see him have no influence on the game, as Arsenal run out easy winners. I'm sure the Arsenal fans won't forget to let him know how they feel about him.
I think Arsenal can win this game by a couple of goals at least, as long as they approach it in the right way. QPR have found it difficult to score goals, and they have leaked quite a few at the other end too. They are on a very bad run at the moment, and Arsenal need to ensure they don't get a foothold in the game.
If Arsenal take the lead they have to do all they can to get a second goal, and maybe even a third too. The game with Wolves showed how fragile a one goal lead can be, and they simply cannot afford to let another lead slip at home. Heidar Helguson needs to be watched from set pieces, as he's on a good goalscoring run at the moment.
Arsenal have a lot more players that need to be closely watched of course, and QPR will have to fight tooth and nail to have any hope in this game. They have won three times away from home so far this season, and only once at home. Even if they defend as well as Wolves did they will have to have lady luck on their side, and I hope that doesn't happen again.
I think Arsenal will look to put the Wolves game behind them by putting pressure on QPR from the start, and they will run out 2-0 winners. I think the record is probably beyond RVP now, but I still think he will get at least one goal. I know Arsenal's attacking options are limited by their lack of full backs at the moment, but I still expect them to make plenty of chances.
In other news Wenger revealed that the deal to bring Thierry Henry back to Arsenal on loan for January and February is almost complete, but he's not sure when he will be available to play. I doubt if he will be able to play against QPR, but I hope to see him play a part against Leeds in the FA Cup a week later. It will be a momentus occasion to see him in the red and white shirt again, and I'm sure he will get a magnificent welcome from the fans.
With Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh heading off to African Cup of Nations duty in the next wek or so there will be opportunities for him to show what he can still do. I'm looking forward to it myself, and it looks like it's only a matter of dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's" at this stage. Hopefully the return of the king will help to bring some success to Arsenal this season.
That's it for today.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
QPR visit the Emirates tomorrow on a run of only two points from six games, but their best results have all come away from home so far this season. Wolves had lost six away games in a row before they visited Arsenal, and it's possible that Arsenal switched off a little when they went 1-0 ahead of them early on. No team in the Premier League can be underestimated, and Arsenal have to keep their concentration for every minute of every game.
Arsenal created more than enough chances to beat Wolves easily, but a combination of good goalkeeping and poor finishing meant they had to settle for a draw. Robin van Persie went into that game needing three goals to break Alan Shearer's record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year. He will now have to score three goals against QPR if the record is to be his, but the three points are far more important for him and the club too.
Theo Walcott is available again after he missed the game with Wolves through illness, but otherwise the are no players to return to the squad. Arsene Wenger said that Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna could be back before the end of January, but Abu Diaby appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth. I would be surprised if Walcott didn't start, and I expect Aaron Ramsey to return to the team too.
With the trip to Fulham only 48 hours away Wenger might be tempted to use a few of the fringe players against QPR, but I think Arsenal need to play their strongest team to make sure of the three points. Arsenal can only play one game at a time, and more points dropped at home would be a huge disappointment. If they can beat QPR and then Fulham too it would give them a 10 point return from five games over the festive season.
After a fairly good start to their season QPR have gradually slid down the table, and they find themselves only two places above the relegation zone. They have money to spend in the January transfer window, and it looks like it can't come quickly enough for them. They will bring a couple of players with them that are familiar faces at Arsenal.
Arsenal sold Armand Traore to QPR just before the transfer window closed in August, and he's a player who never really got a lot of chances at the club. He was a left back who looked really good going forward, but he was very suspect in the most important part of his game. I was never convinced that he was defensively good enough to play for Arsenal, and I think that's the reason that he was sold.
QPR will also bring Joey Barton with them, and he's a player who seems to enjoy playing against Arsenal. He was the player who was responsible for getting Gervinho sent off when Arsenal played his old club Newcastle in the first game of the new season. His claim that Gervinho had punched him in the face was a joke, but it shows the depths that a serial thug and cheat like Barton will sink to.
I'm not saying that Gervinho should not have been sent off, but equally Arsenal should have had a penalty for the foul on him and for Barton dragging him to his feet afterwards. The referee was an absolute joke in his handling of the situation, but under FA rules that doesn't mean a thing. He could not have seen the mild slap by Gervinho on Barton, which means he believed Barton's version of affairs.
The previous season Barton was in the Newcastle team that came from four goals down to draw four all with Arsenal. It was his disgraceful tackle on Diaby that led to the Frenchman's retaliation and red card, but the referee let Barton away with it yet again. I hope the Arsenal players can keep their cool when faced with Barton, but I know if it was me I would target him for some payback.
It would be ever so sweet to see Barton receive his marching orders, as QPR are put to the sword by Arsenal. I would be equally happy to see him have no influence on the game, as Arsenal run out easy winners. I'm sure the Arsenal fans won't forget to let him know how they feel about him.
I think Arsenal can win this game by a couple of goals at least, as long as they approach it in the right way. QPR have found it difficult to score goals, and they have leaked quite a few at the other end too. They are on a very bad run at the moment, and Arsenal need to ensure they don't get a foothold in the game.
If Arsenal take the lead they have to do all they can to get a second goal, and maybe even a third too. The game with Wolves showed how fragile a one goal lead can be, and they simply cannot afford to let another lead slip at home. Heidar Helguson needs to be watched from set pieces, as he's on a good goalscoring run at the moment.
Arsenal have a lot more players that need to be closely watched of course, and QPR will have to fight tooth and nail to have any hope in this game. They have won three times away from home so far this season, and only once at home. Even if they defend as well as Wolves did they will have to have lady luck on their side, and I hope that doesn't happen again.
I think Arsenal will look to put the Wolves game behind them by putting pressure on QPR from the start, and they will run out 2-0 winners. I think the record is probably beyond RVP now, but I still think he will get at least one goal. I know Arsenal's attacking options are limited by their lack of full backs at the moment, but I still expect them to make plenty of chances.
In other news Wenger revealed that the deal to bring Thierry Henry back to Arsenal on loan for January and February is almost complete, but he's not sure when he will be available to play. I doubt if he will be able to play against QPR, but I hope to see him play a part against Leeds in the FA Cup a week later. It will be a momentus occasion to see him in the red and white shirt again, and I'm sure he will get a magnificent welcome from the fans.
With Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh heading off to African Cup of Nations duty in the next wek or so there will be opportunities for him to show what he can still do. I'm looking forward to it myself, and it looks like it's only a matter of dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's" at this stage. Hopefully the return of the king will help to bring some success to Arsenal this season.
That's it for today.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Arsenal's Premier League Trip To Aston Villa Previewed.
Arsenal's great run of 25 points from nine matches came to an end last Sunday when Manchester City beat them 1-0. It was a tight game with both teams playing very well and having a few good chances each, but City had the better of them and managed to take one. The most important thing for Arsenal now is their ability to bounce back from that defeat.
Arsenal started off very poorly away from home this season, but before City beat them they had won three in a row on the road. They scored 11 goals in those games too, and only City have scored more goals on their travels than Arsenal. Their problem away from home has been their inability to stop the opposition scoring, but that is improving too.
Arsenal have four league games in the next 13 days, and the best way they can bounce back from the City defeat is by winning all of those games. It won't be an easy task, but if the team can play like they did against City they have every chance of doing so. Those four games start with a trip to Villa tonight, and it's a must win game in my opinion.
Arsenal are currently fifth in the table, and the two teams directly above them meet each other tomorrow night. If Arsenal can take all three points off Villa they will definitely make up ground on either Chelsea or Spurs, and maybe even both of them. For the moment the most important task for Arsenal is to move into the top four, and then they have to keep that position.
Johan Djourou had to be replaced early in the second half on Sunday after he picked up a knock, and he won't be available for a few weeks. It was hoped that Kieran Gibbs might be on the bench tonight, but he suffered a setback and he will see a specialist very soon. It means Arsenal's defensive options are even more limited, and it's a very worrying situation.
Arsene Wenger admitted that the club are looking at bringing in a full back on loan in January if there is bad news from Gibbs' scan. I think that a full back is an absolute must for Arsenal in January with Santos out for three months, and Gibbs so injury prone. The good news was that Bacary Sagna has started to run again, and hopefully he will be available before the end of January.
It means that Arsenal will have to start with the defence which finished the game against City on Sunday. The full backs will be Laurent Koscielny and Ignasi Miquel with Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker in central defence. I would imagine that Sebastien Squillaci will be on the bench, as he is the only other defender available to the manager.
I think the rest of the team will again be as it was at the start of the game against City, with the exception of the suspended Alex Song. Emmanuel Frimpong has been on the bench for the last two games, and I think he is the most likely player to replace Song. I would prefer to see Francis Coquelin get the nod, but he hasn't been in the squad for the last two games.
I can't imagine that either Andrey Arshavin or Marouane Chamakh will get a chance to start, as they had virtually no influence on the game when they came on against City. If Arsenal are going to use their substitutes I would prefer to see Yossi Benayoun get a chance to show what he can do. I would like to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the squad, but I suspect that Coquelin and Squillaci will take the two places available.
I've seen Villa play at home to both Manchester United and Liverpool recently, and I was completely unimpressed by them. They have sold some of their best players in the last two summers, and failed to replace them with players of anywhere near the same quality. Their only player to have acquitted himself well so far this season has been Gabriel Agbonlahor, but he was suspended against Liverpool last Sunday.
Arsenal may have a few problems from Agbonlahor because of their lack of actual full backs, but they should hopefully be able to deal with him. Darren Bent has enjoyed scoring against Arsenal in the past, but it looks like he will miss tonight's game due to injury.
Villa have become very defensive since Alex McLeish took over as their manager in the summer, and they have become a real bore to watch. They offered virtually nothing in attack against either United or Liverpool, even when they were losing both games. I think McLeish will look to keep things tight tonight, and try to score from set pieces.
Arsenal have improved their defending from set pieces recently, and it's actually Villa who have being conceding from them. Hopefully Arsenal can put Villa's defence under enough pressure from their own set pieces to get a goal or two. I have no doubt that Arsenal will create chances from open play too.
If Arsenal can be clinical enough in front of goal I think Villa are there for the taking, and there's a possibility of them getting well beaten. Their only win in their last five games was away to strugglers Bolton, and their inability to score is a real hindrance for them.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal, and I think Robin van Persie is very likely to score. He had one real good chance to score against City, and he wasn't happy with himself for missing it. I think he will set out to right that wrong, and Villa will pay the price for it.
After today's game the players will play again on Monday at home to Wolves, and I'll probably preview that game on Saturday afternoon for obvious reasons. My usual Premier League predictions will probably be on Friday this week, but nothing is certain because of the time of year.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at what Arshavin used to be able to do.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Arsenal started off very poorly away from home this season, but before City beat them they had won three in a row on the road. They scored 11 goals in those games too, and only City have scored more goals on their travels than Arsenal. Their problem away from home has been their inability to stop the opposition scoring, but that is improving too.
Arsenal have four league games in the next 13 days, and the best way they can bounce back from the City defeat is by winning all of those games. It won't be an easy task, but if the team can play like they did against City they have every chance of doing so. Those four games start with a trip to Villa tonight, and it's a must win game in my opinion.
Arsenal are currently fifth in the table, and the two teams directly above them meet each other tomorrow night. If Arsenal can take all three points off Villa they will definitely make up ground on either Chelsea or Spurs, and maybe even both of them. For the moment the most important task for Arsenal is to move into the top four, and then they have to keep that position.
Johan Djourou had to be replaced early in the second half on Sunday after he picked up a knock, and he won't be available for a few weeks. It was hoped that Kieran Gibbs might be on the bench tonight, but he suffered a setback and he will see a specialist very soon. It means Arsenal's defensive options are even more limited, and it's a very worrying situation.
Arsene Wenger admitted that the club are looking at bringing in a full back on loan in January if there is bad news from Gibbs' scan. I think that a full back is an absolute must for Arsenal in January with Santos out for three months, and Gibbs so injury prone. The good news was that Bacary Sagna has started to run again, and hopefully he will be available before the end of January.
It means that Arsenal will have to start with the defence which finished the game against City on Sunday. The full backs will be Laurent Koscielny and Ignasi Miquel with Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker in central defence. I would imagine that Sebastien Squillaci will be on the bench, as he is the only other defender available to the manager.
I think the rest of the team will again be as it was at the start of the game against City, with the exception of the suspended Alex Song. Emmanuel Frimpong has been on the bench for the last two games, and I think he is the most likely player to replace Song. I would prefer to see Francis Coquelin get the nod, but he hasn't been in the squad for the last two games.
I can't imagine that either Andrey Arshavin or Marouane Chamakh will get a chance to start, as they had virtually no influence on the game when they came on against City. If Arsenal are going to use their substitutes I would prefer to see Yossi Benayoun get a chance to show what he can do. I would like to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the squad, but I suspect that Coquelin and Squillaci will take the two places available.
I've seen Villa play at home to both Manchester United and Liverpool recently, and I was completely unimpressed by them. They have sold some of their best players in the last two summers, and failed to replace them with players of anywhere near the same quality. Their only player to have acquitted himself well so far this season has been Gabriel Agbonlahor, but he was suspended against Liverpool last Sunday.
Arsenal may have a few problems from Agbonlahor because of their lack of actual full backs, but they should hopefully be able to deal with him. Darren Bent has enjoyed scoring against Arsenal in the past, but it looks like he will miss tonight's game due to injury.
Villa have become very defensive since Alex McLeish took over as their manager in the summer, and they have become a real bore to watch. They offered virtually nothing in attack against either United or Liverpool, even when they were losing both games. I think McLeish will look to keep things tight tonight, and try to score from set pieces.
Arsenal have improved their defending from set pieces recently, and it's actually Villa who have being conceding from them. Hopefully Arsenal can put Villa's defence under enough pressure from their own set pieces to get a goal or two. I have no doubt that Arsenal will create chances from open play too.
If Arsenal can be clinical enough in front of goal I think Villa are there for the taking, and there's a possibility of them getting well beaten. Their only win in their last five games was away to strugglers Bolton, and their inability to score is a real hindrance for them.
I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal, and I think Robin van Persie is very likely to score. He had one real good chance to score against City, and he wasn't happy with himself for missing it. I think he will set out to right that wrong, and Villa will pay the price for it.
After today's game the players will play again on Monday at home to Wolves, and I'll probably preview that game on Saturday afternoon for obvious reasons. My usual Premier League predictions will probably be on Friday this week, but nothing is certain because of the time of year.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at what Arshavin used to be able to do.
It's not too late to join the over 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook, which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Arsenal's Second String Lose 3-1 To Olympiacos
Arsenal made the trip to Olympiacos last night with a squad which only contained two of the players who started the 4-0 defeat of Wigan last Saturday. Those two players were Thomas Vermaelen and Andre Santos, but I didn't expect either of them to start the game. I was rather surprised to see their names on the team sheet, but I suppose Arsene Wenger wanted to make his defence as strong s possible.
The rest of the team was more or less as expected, and Andrey Arshavin got his chance to play in his favoured role just behind the main striker. It meant Arsenal were playing a mixture of youth and fringe players against a team that needed to win to have any chance of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League. Arsenal were in the enviable position of having won the group already, and the game was rather meaningless to them.
In an ideal world I'm sure Wenger would have preferred to have stayed at home and trained with the rest of the first team squad. Those players should be very well rested for next Saturday's Premier League home game against Everton. The most important thing on the night for Arsenal was to keep Vermaelen and Santos free of injury for the weekend.
Olympiacos knew they had to win to have any chance of making it through to the last 16, and they played like a team that wanted desperately to qualify. As long as Marseille didn't win away to Borussia Dortmund they would finish second in the group if they could take all three points.
Arsenal started off quite well and Marouane Chamakh played Arshavin in early on, but his effort was blocked by the keeper. Olympiacos were working very hard to close Arsenal down, and Arsenal found it hard to find time and space on the ball. They looked far from secure at the back, but they also looked capable of making more chances themselves.
After only 16 minutes the first goal arrived, and it came from Olympiacos. Arshavin lost the ball as Arsenal broke forward, and it got played in behind the Arsenal defence via two deflections. Lukasz Fabianski advanced from his goal line, but he was easily rounded by Rafik Djebbour who slotted the ball into an empty net.
Arsenal
continued to look unstable at the back, and the old "flappy" Fabianski returned. He didn't last long though, as a collision with Vermaelen led to him being stretchered off and Vito Mannone coming on after 25 minutes. I hope the very vocal Mannone would give some solidity to the Arsenal defence, but it wasn't to be.
After 36 minutes David Fuster added to Olympiacos lead with a goal that was of true comic proportions. I have no doubt that their second goal will appear in a "what happened next" clip on
A Question of Sport" one day. It was hard to believe how Olympiacos managed to score the goal, but it will live with Mannone for quite a while I'm sure.
He advanced from the penalty area to head the ball clear as Olympiacos broke, and Fuster shot as he retreated into his area. Mannone obviously lost his bearings and decided to try to clear the ball with his feet despite being in his penalty area. He missed the ball and it bounced three times before rolling into an empty net.
Mannone was completely at fault for the goal, but he was helped by his defenders either. When he advanced to clear the ball one of them should have dropped back to cover the goal line just in case he was lobbed. Nobody did what every amateur central defender knows is a basic requirement when the goalkeeper leaves his penalty area.
It left Arsenal 2-0 down with halftime approaching, and Olympiacos looking highly likely to finish second in the group. There was some hope for Arsenal though, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was giving the left side of the Olympiacos defence a lot of trouble. Every time he got the ball he was shadowed by two or more players, but he still did all he could to inject some urgency into the Arsenal attack.
The second half started off with Olympiacos keeping up the pressure on Arsenal, and Arsenal looking highly unlikely to do anything to change the outcome. That changed after 57 minutes when Chamakh chested down a good ball into the box for Yossi Benayoun to volley home, and give Arsenal some hope. Olympiacos tried to get another goal to guarantee victory, but they gradually tired and I though Arsenal might just sneak a draw.
Arsenal continued to make mistakes at the back, but Olympiacos didn't take advantage of them, and they looked a little nervous. In the last minute they guaranteed the three points, and looked to have sealed a place in the last 16 too.
A free kick from the right was headed against the post by Olof Mellberg, and when the ball rebounded out Francois Modesto was on hand to put it into an empty net. Arsenal called for offside, but Benayoun among others had played at least three players onside, and the goal stood. The final whistle was quickly approaching, but the Greek fans soon stopped celebrating.
News came through from the other game in the group that Marseille had come back from 2-0 down to beat Dortmund 3-2 with two goals in the last five minutes. It put Marseille through to the last 16, and left Olympiacos to play in the Europa League knockout stages along with the other also-rans.
On the night Arsenal looked to suffer from their inexperience, and their inability to impose their own game on Olympiacos. I think a full strength Arsenal team would have had a lot of joy against a team that pressurised them so much, and would have scored plenty of goals on the break. The game was good experience for some of the younger players, as it was played in front of such a noisy and partisan crowd.
It's not often that younger players get an opportunity to play in the Champions League, and in such an intimidating venue too. I'm sure they will have learned something from the game, and hopefully it will stand to them in the future.
There were some negatives for Arsenal too, and the performances of their second and third choice goalkeepers weren't exactly inspiring. I can only hope that Wojciech Szczesny doesn't pick up an injury at any stage this season, because the thought of Fabianski or Mannone playing in the team fills me with dread. If neither of them were to play the next options Manuel Almunia, and tht doesn't bear thinking about in my opinion.
I was particularly unhappy with the performance of Arshavin who got the chance to show what he can do in his favoured role. He missed a great chance early on, and he did very little for the rest of the game. When he lost the ball he looked disinterested in regaining it, and his days at Arsenal look numbered to me.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold in January, as he looks like he has little interest in playing for the club any more. His career at Arsenal started off so well, but it's been a while now since he has made any real impact.
Chamakh had another night where very little went right for him, but at least he kept trying for the whole game. It can't be easy for him knowing he will always be second fiddle to Robin van Persie, but he needs to make a better impression when he does play. He did well in the build up to the goal, but he was far too slow to shoot when Emmanuel Frimpong played him in earlier in the game.
Squillaci looked out of his depth again, and he's another player who won't be around for too long I would imagine. He's the fifth choice central defender at the club at best, and the chances are he will see very little action as long as he stays at the club.
I wasn't happy with the risk Arsene Wenger took in playing both Vermaelen and Santos, and it looks like it may have backfired. Santos went off injured six minutes into the second half, and it looks like he might be out for a while. He is currently the only fit full back at the club, and if he is injured it means either Ignasi Miquel or Vermaelen will have to play at left back.
Hopefully he can recover quickly, and both Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs can return before too long too. When Bacary Sagna returns I think the defence will look an awful lot more stable, as he is the best right back in the Premier League and has been sorely missed.
Thankfully the Olympiacos game can now be forgotten about and consigned to the record books, as it had no significance on Arsenal's progress. The club can now concentrate on playing Everton on Saturday afternoon, and celebrating it's 125th anniversary. I'll be at the game along with a few fellow Irish Arsenal fans, and it promises to be a great day.
There will be more about that before the weekend from the club I'm sure, and I'll preview the game before my very early morning flight on Saturday.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last night's game.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
The rest of the team was more or less as expected, and Andrey Arshavin got his chance to play in his favoured role just behind the main striker. It meant Arsenal were playing a mixture of youth and fringe players against a team that needed to win to have any chance of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League. Arsenal were in the enviable position of having won the group already, and the game was rather meaningless to them.
In an ideal world I'm sure Wenger would have preferred to have stayed at home and trained with the rest of the first team squad. Those players should be very well rested for next Saturday's Premier League home game against Everton. The most important thing on the night for Arsenal was to keep Vermaelen and Santos free of injury for the weekend.
Olympiacos knew they had to win to have any chance of making it through to the last 16, and they played like a team that wanted desperately to qualify. As long as Marseille didn't win away to Borussia Dortmund they would finish second in the group if they could take all three points.
Arsenal started off quite well and Marouane Chamakh played Arshavin in early on, but his effort was blocked by the keeper. Olympiacos were working very hard to close Arsenal down, and Arsenal found it hard to find time and space on the ball. They looked far from secure at the back, but they also looked capable of making more chances themselves.
After only 16 minutes the first goal arrived, and it came from Olympiacos. Arshavin lost the ball as Arsenal broke forward, and it got played in behind the Arsenal defence via two deflections. Lukasz Fabianski advanced from his goal line, but he was easily rounded by Rafik Djebbour who slotted the ball into an empty net.
Arsenal
continued to look unstable at the back, and the old "flappy" Fabianski returned. He didn't last long though, as a collision with Vermaelen led to him being stretchered off and Vito Mannone coming on after 25 minutes. I hope the very vocal Mannone would give some solidity to the Arsenal defence, but it wasn't to be.
After 36 minutes David Fuster added to Olympiacos lead with a goal that was of true comic proportions. I have no doubt that their second goal will appear in a "what happened next" clip on
A Question of Sport" one day. It was hard to believe how Olympiacos managed to score the goal, but it will live with Mannone for quite a while I'm sure.
He advanced from the penalty area to head the ball clear as Olympiacos broke, and Fuster shot as he retreated into his area. Mannone obviously lost his bearings and decided to try to clear the ball with his feet despite being in his penalty area. He missed the ball and it bounced three times before rolling into an empty net.
Mannone was completely at fault for the goal, but he was helped by his defenders either. When he advanced to clear the ball one of them should have dropped back to cover the goal line just in case he was lobbed. Nobody did what every amateur central defender knows is a basic requirement when the goalkeeper leaves his penalty area.
It left Arsenal 2-0 down with halftime approaching, and Olympiacos looking highly likely to finish second in the group. There was some hope for Arsenal though, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was giving the left side of the Olympiacos defence a lot of trouble. Every time he got the ball he was shadowed by two or more players, but he still did all he could to inject some urgency into the Arsenal attack.
The second half started off with Olympiacos keeping up the pressure on Arsenal, and Arsenal looking highly unlikely to do anything to change the outcome. That changed after 57 minutes when Chamakh chested down a good ball into the box for Yossi Benayoun to volley home, and give Arsenal some hope. Olympiacos tried to get another goal to guarantee victory, but they gradually tired and I though Arsenal might just sneak a draw.
Arsenal continued to make mistakes at the back, but Olympiacos didn't take advantage of them, and they looked a little nervous. In the last minute they guaranteed the three points, and looked to have sealed a place in the last 16 too.
A free kick from the right was headed against the post by Olof Mellberg, and when the ball rebounded out Francois Modesto was on hand to put it into an empty net. Arsenal called for offside, but Benayoun among others had played at least three players onside, and the goal stood. The final whistle was quickly approaching, but the Greek fans soon stopped celebrating.
News came through from the other game in the group that Marseille had come back from 2-0 down to beat Dortmund 3-2 with two goals in the last five minutes. It put Marseille through to the last 16, and left Olympiacos to play in the Europa League knockout stages along with the other also-rans.
On the night Arsenal looked to suffer from their inexperience, and their inability to impose their own game on Olympiacos. I think a full strength Arsenal team would have had a lot of joy against a team that pressurised them so much, and would have scored plenty of goals on the break. The game was good experience for some of the younger players, as it was played in front of such a noisy and partisan crowd.
It's not often that younger players get an opportunity to play in the Champions League, and in such an intimidating venue too. I'm sure they will have learned something from the game, and hopefully it will stand to them in the future.
There were some negatives for Arsenal too, and the performances of their second and third choice goalkeepers weren't exactly inspiring. I can only hope that Wojciech Szczesny doesn't pick up an injury at any stage this season, because the thought of Fabianski or Mannone playing in the team fills me with dread. If neither of them were to play the next options Manuel Almunia, and tht doesn't bear thinking about in my opinion.
I was particularly unhappy with the performance of Arshavin who got the chance to show what he can do in his favoured role. He missed a great chance early on, and he did very little for the rest of the game. When he lost the ball he looked disinterested in regaining it, and his days at Arsenal look numbered to me.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold in January, as he looks like he has little interest in playing for the club any more. His career at Arsenal started off so well, but it's been a while now since he has made any real impact.
Chamakh had another night where very little went right for him, but at least he kept trying for the whole game. It can't be easy for him knowing he will always be second fiddle to Robin van Persie, but he needs to make a better impression when he does play. He did well in the build up to the goal, but he was far too slow to shoot when Emmanuel Frimpong played him in earlier in the game.
Squillaci looked out of his depth again, and he's another player who won't be around for too long I would imagine. He's the fifth choice central defender at the club at best, and the chances are he will see very little action as long as he stays at the club.
I wasn't happy with the risk Arsene Wenger took in playing both Vermaelen and Santos, and it looks like it may have backfired. Santos went off injured six minutes into the second half, and it looks like he might be out for a while. He is currently the only fit full back at the club, and if he is injured it means either Ignasi Miquel or Vermaelen will have to play at left back.
Hopefully he can recover quickly, and both Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs can return before too long too. When Bacary Sagna returns I think the defence will look an awful lot more stable, as he is the best right back in the Premier League and has been sorely missed.
Thankfully the Olympiacos game can now be forgotten about and consigned to the record books, as it had no significance on Arsenal's progress. The club can now concentrate on playing Everton on Saturday afternoon, and celebrating it's 125th anniversary. I'll be at the game along with a few fellow Irish Arsenal fans, and it promises to be a great day.
There will be more about that before the weekend from the club I'm sure, and I'll preview the game before my very early morning flight on Saturday.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last night's game.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Arsenal's Champions League Trip To Olympiacos Previewed
Arsenal secured their passage through to the last 16 of the Champions League when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 a couple of weeks ago. They also assured seeding and a home second leg in their last 16 tie by winning the group too, and it means tonight's game with Olympiacos is relatively meaningless for Arsenal. The game does mean a lot to their Greek opponents though, as they will be looking for a win to secure second spot in the group and a place in the last 16 also.
If the game ends even and Dortmund beat Marseille it will leave the other three teams level on seven points, and then the outcome will become very complicated for all three of them. Olympiacos can still qualify for the next stage of the Europa League even if they lose, as long as Dortmund don't win. It should make for a very interesting night, but thankfully Arsenal need not worry about such trivial things as qualification for the last 16.
Arsene Wenger will obviously pick a very different team from the one which beat Wigan 4-0 on Saturday afternoon to move Arsenal up to fifth in the Premier League. I expect to see a very similar team to the one which lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Carling Cup last week, and hopefully a few of those players will avail of another chance to impress the manager. Arsenal are still very short of first team defenders due to injuries to three of their full backs, but that shouldn't matter tonight.
Arsenal have the chance to continue their Premier League progress at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon, and that has to be their first priority now. After Liverpool's defeat to Fulham last night Arsenal have the chance to move into the top four by beating Everton. With Spurs traveling to Stoke and Chelsea playing at home to Manchester City there is a real chance of some progress, and it simply has to be taken.
I would imagine that all seven players on the bench on Saturday will start which means Arsenal just have to add four more players to them to make a team strong enough to give Olympiacos a tough game. The only players who started on Saturday to actually make the trip to the game will be Thomas Vermaelen and Andre Santos, but I can't see either of them starting.
Looking at the squad Johan Djourou will have to play in defence and he will probably be accompanied by Sebastien Squillaci, Nico Yennaris and Ignasi Miquel with Lukasz Fabianski in goal of course. If both Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin play in midfield I would expect to see Tomas Rosicky in front of them. That would leave Marouane Chamakh to play up front with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun on either side of him.
That wouldn't leave room for Andrey Arshavin or Park Ju-Young in the team though, and both of them would really expect to be playing. I think Arshavin has to be played, but Park will only play if Chamakh doesn't. Chamakh has looked far from the player he was in the first half of last season, and the chances for him to prove he's good enough to cover for Robin van Persie have to be running out.
If Arshavin plays it will probably mean that Frimpong will be on the bench with either Arshavin or Benayoun playing as part of the midfield trio. I have been far from impressed with Arshavin this season, and he looks like a player with very little interest in playing for Arsenal any more. I know his preferred position is just behind a striker, but he knew he wouldn't play there when he joined the club.
Maybe he thinks he should get a chance now that Cesc has gone, and he probably feels he's the best player currently at the club to play in that position. The only way he's going to get his chance is by trying his best when he's in the team, and working his socks off too. If he continues to play with the apparent lack of effort he's showing at the moment I can see Arsenal deciding to sell him very soon.
I'll be happy with a good performance from the team that plays on the night, and any sort of result other than a defeat would be an excellent result. I always predict an Arsenal win because the thought of anything else is unbearable, and it will be no different this time. I'm predicting a 2-1 win for Arsenal's second string with Chamberlain again being the star player.
I love watching Chamberlain playing, as he has the ability to take players on and beat them, as well as a great eye for goal and an excellent shot too. He is already displaying an intelligence far beyond his years, and the future looks really bright for him and Arsenal too.
Arsenal are the only English team safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and it will be enjoyable to see how the other three teams struggle to attempt to qualify. I think City are as good as out, but United and Chelsea are still favourites to get through. When you consider Arsenal's start to the season their qualification as group winners with a game left has been a real achievement.
Their group included the champions of both Germany and Greece, and the runners-up in France, and both Dortmund and Olympiacos are currently second in their domestic tables too. Marseille had a bad start to the season, but they have climbed back up the table much like Arsenal have done. Both United and Chelsea have made hard work of much easier groups, and that's something I have really enjoyed.
Due to unforseen circumstances I wasn't able to do my usual review of the Arsenal game at the weekend, but here's the highlights from it even if it is a little late.
That's it for today.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
If the game ends even and Dortmund beat Marseille it will leave the other three teams level on seven points, and then the outcome will become very complicated for all three of them. Olympiacos can still qualify for the next stage of the Europa League even if they lose, as long as Dortmund don't win. It should make for a very interesting night, but thankfully Arsenal need not worry about such trivial things as qualification for the last 16.
Arsene Wenger will obviously pick a very different team from the one which beat Wigan 4-0 on Saturday afternoon to move Arsenal up to fifth in the Premier League. I expect to see a very similar team to the one which lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Carling Cup last week, and hopefully a few of those players will avail of another chance to impress the manager. Arsenal are still very short of first team defenders due to injuries to three of their full backs, but that shouldn't matter tonight.
Arsenal have the chance to continue their Premier League progress at home to Everton on Saturday afternoon, and that has to be their first priority now. After Liverpool's defeat to Fulham last night Arsenal have the chance to move into the top four by beating Everton. With Spurs traveling to Stoke and Chelsea playing at home to Manchester City there is a real chance of some progress, and it simply has to be taken.
I would imagine that all seven players on the bench on Saturday will start which means Arsenal just have to add four more players to them to make a team strong enough to give Olympiacos a tough game. The only players who started on Saturday to actually make the trip to the game will be Thomas Vermaelen and Andre Santos, but I can't see either of them starting.
Looking at the squad Johan Djourou will have to play in defence and he will probably be accompanied by Sebastien Squillaci, Nico Yennaris and Ignasi Miquel with Lukasz Fabianski in goal of course. If both Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin play in midfield I would expect to see Tomas Rosicky in front of them. That would leave Marouane Chamakh to play up front with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun on either side of him.
That wouldn't leave room for Andrey Arshavin or Park Ju-Young in the team though, and both of them would really expect to be playing. I think Arshavin has to be played, but Park will only play if Chamakh doesn't. Chamakh has looked far from the player he was in the first half of last season, and the chances for him to prove he's good enough to cover for Robin van Persie have to be running out.
If Arshavin plays it will probably mean that Frimpong will be on the bench with either Arshavin or Benayoun playing as part of the midfield trio. I have been far from impressed with Arshavin this season, and he looks like a player with very little interest in playing for Arsenal any more. I know his preferred position is just behind a striker, but he knew he wouldn't play there when he joined the club.
Maybe he thinks he should get a chance now that Cesc has gone, and he probably feels he's the best player currently at the club to play in that position. The only way he's going to get his chance is by trying his best when he's in the team, and working his socks off too. If he continues to play with the apparent lack of effort he's showing at the moment I can see Arsenal deciding to sell him very soon.
I'll be happy with a good performance from the team that plays on the night, and any sort of result other than a defeat would be an excellent result. I always predict an Arsenal win because the thought of anything else is unbearable, and it will be no different this time. I'm predicting a 2-1 win for Arsenal's second string with Chamberlain again being the star player.
I love watching Chamberlain playing, as he has the ability to take players on and beat them, as well as a great eye for goal and an excellent shot too. He is already displaying an intelligence far beyond his years, and the future looks really bright for him and Arsenal too.
Arsenal are the only English team safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and it will be enjoyable to see how the other three teams struggle to attempt to qualify. I think City are as good as out, but United and Chelsea are still favourites to get through. When you consider Arsenal's start to the season their qualification as group winners with a game left has been a real achievement.
Their group included the champions of both Germany and Greece, and the runners-up in France, and both Dortmund and Olympiacos are currently second in their domestic tables too. Marseille had a bad start to the season, but they have climbed back up the table much like Arsenal have done. Both United and Chelsea have made hard work of much easier groups, and that's something I have really enjoyed.
Due to unforseen circumstances I wasn't able to do my usual review of the Arsenal game at the weekend, but here's the highlights from it even if it is a little late.
That's it for today.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Arsenal's Carling Cup Game With Manchester City Previewed
Arsenal face Manchester City at home tonight in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup. It's a competition which Arsenal came very close to winning last season until disaster struck in the last minute of the final. Arsenal played a mixture of first team and reserve players in the competition last season, but this time around they haven't treated it quite so seriously.
Their victories over Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers were won with teams that were completely different to ones that had played in the Premier League on the weekends before those games. Those victories may not have been overly impressive, but they came at a time when the club were suffering.
Tonight's visitors will probably play a similarly weakened team to Arsenal, but the vast amounts of money they have spent means their squad is very strong. They can field an entirely different starting 11 from the one that drew with Liverpool on Sunday, and still have a team full of internationals.
Arsenal's current defensive injuries mean that they only have one fit full back at the club, and it won't be easy to find two players to play in those positions tonight. The rest of the team should be relatively strong with plenty of promise and experience available to Arsene Wenger. Players like Yossi Benayoun, Marouane Chamakh, Park Ju-Young and Sebastien Squillaci all have loads of experience, and should feature tonight.
Besides them there are the promising talents of Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who should all play along with Lukasz Fabianski. Andrey Arshavin started against Fulham on Sunday, but I have a feeling he will start against City too. It might be a team which is thrown together, but as long as they play as a team they will have a chance of getting a result.
The game could see the return of a couple of ex-Arsenal players, and if Kolo Toure and Samir Nasri play I imagine they will receive very different receptions from the Arsenal fans. Toure was a member of the invincible team of a few years ago, and he won a few trophies at Arsenal. He always gave everything he had when he played for the club, and I was genuinely sad to see him go.
On the other hand Nasri had a good start to last season, but he didn't exactly prove himself at the club. Despite agreeing to sign a new deal at the club he decided he would prefer to join a City team that would pay him a lot more than any other Premier League team can afford. He could have been the player to take Cesc Fabregas' role at Arsenal this season, but instead he left for what he considers to be greener pastures.
His place in the City team is by no means certain, and he is only another player at that club. He could have been so much more at Arsenal, but he chose to move and if it doesn't work out he will have to live with the consequences. I suppose Nasri will be happy to pick up his enormous wages every week, and progression in their career is hardly the most important thing to some players.
Many others have decided to leave Arsenal in the past when the club didn't want to sell them, and quite often they have regretted that decision. I can't tell for sure how things will work out for Nasri, but I do know the Arsenal fans will give him a rough time tonight. He deserves no more than that, and I'll be happy to hear him roundly booed every time he is on the ball.
It's not so easy to predict how the game will go because it's a game between fringe players at both clubs. I'll be happy to get another chance to see Chamberlain show what he can do, as he did against Shrewsbury and Olympiacos. I will also be happy to see Benayoun play, as I feel he's a player who could have a lot to offer the team at times this season.
Mario Balotelli probably would have played for City, but his red card against Liverpool on Sunday has ruled him out. They will still have Eden Dzeko available, and he has been in fine goalscoring form this season.
I think Wenger will decide which team he wants to pick away to Wigan Athletic in the Premier League next Saturday, and then he will pick the team to face City from those who aren't in that 11. It's infinitely more important for Arsenal to beat Wigan than it is for them to beat City, but a win over City would be a great morale booster for the players. I think Arsenal have a chance of winning, but they will probably have to ride their luck just a little on a few occasions.
It would be great if the team could win through to a semi-final, and possibly even the final too. A win in the Carling Cup would help to heal the painful memories of last season's defeat to Birmingham in the final, but progress would also add to an already busy schedule. I won't be overly concerned if Arsenal do go out, but of course I want them to win every single game they play.
I'm predicting a 3-2 win for Arsenal, and I'm hoping for Chamberlain to get a chance to run at the City defence. If he can play like he has done for the England under 21s this season he could cause them some real problems. It would be great to see Chamakh put in a good performance, and score a goal too.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at Chamakh at his best last season.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See You Tomorrow.
Their victories over Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers were won with teams that were completely different to ones that had played in the Premier League on the weekends before those games. Those victories may not have been overly impressive, but they came at a time when the club were suffering.
Tonight's visitors will probably play a similarly weakened team to Arsenal, but the vast amounts of money they have spent means their squad is very strong. They can field an entirely different starting 11 from the one that drew with Liverpool on Sunday, and still have a team full of internationals.
Arsenal's current defensive injuries mean that they only have one fit full back at the club, and it won't be easy to find two players to play in those positions tonight. The rest of the team should be relatively strong with plenty of promise and experience available to Arsene Wenger. Players like Yossi Benayoun, Marouane Chamakh, Park Ju-Young and Sebastien Squillaci all have loads of experience, and should feature tonight.
Besides them there are the promising talents of Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who should all play along with Lukasz Fabianski. Andrey Arshavin started against Fulham on Sunday, but I have a feeling he will start against City too. It might be a team which is thrown together, but as long as they play as a team they will have a chance of getting a result.
The game could see the return of a couple of ex-Arsenal players, and if Kolo Toure and Samir Nasri play I imagine they will receive very different receptions from the Arsenal fans. Toure was a member of the invincible team of a few years ago, and he won a few trophies at Arsenal. He always gave everything he had when he played for the club, and I was genuinely sad to see him go.
On the other hand Nasri had a good start to last season, but he didn't exactly prove himself at the club. Despite agreeing to sign a new deal at the club he decided he would prefer to join a City team that would pay him a lot more than any other Premier League team can afford. He could have been the player to take Cesc Fabregas' role at Arsenal this season, but instead he left for what he considers to be greener pastures.
His place in the City team is by no means certain, and he is only another player at that club. He could have been so much more at Arsenal, but he chose to move and if it doesn't work out he will have to live with the consequences. I suppose Nasri will be happy to pick up his enormous wages every week, and progression in their career is hardly the most important thing to some players.
Many others have decided to leave Arsenal in the past when the club didn't want to sell them, and quite often they have regretted that decision. I can't tell for sure how things will work out for Nasri, but I do know the Arsenal fans will give him a rough time tonight. He deserves no more than that, and I'll be happy to hear him roundly booed every time he is on the ball.
It's not so easy to predict how the game will go because it's a game between fringe players at both clubs. I'll be happy to get another chance to see Chamberlain show what he can do, as he did against Shrewsbury and Olympiacos. I will also be happy to see Benayoun play, as I feel he's a player who could have a lot to offer the team at times this season.
Mario Balotelli probably would have played for City, but his red card against Liverpool on Sunday has ruled him out. They will still have Eden Dzeko available, and he has been in fine goalscoring form this season.
I think Wenger will decide which team he wants to pick away to Wigan Athletic in the Premier League next Saturday, and then he will pick the team to face City from those who aren't in that 11. It's infinitely more important for Arsenal to beat Wigan than it is for them to beat City, but a win over City would be a great morale booster for the players. I think Arsenal have a chance of winning, but they will probably have to ride their luck just a little on a few occasions.
It would be great if the team could win through to a semi-final, and possibly even the final too. A win in the Carling Cup would help to heal the painful memories of last season's defeat to Birmingham in the final, but progress would also add to an already busy schedule. I won't be overly concerned if Arsenal do go out, but of course I want them to win every single game they play.
I'm predicting a 3-2 win for Arsenal, and I'm hoping for Chamberlain to get a chance to run at the City defence. If he can play like he has done for the England under 21s this season he could cause them some real problems. It would be great to see Chamakh put in a good performance, and score a goal too.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at Chamakh at his best last season.
It's not too late to join the almost 1,000 other teams in my fantasy league, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See You Tomorrow.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Arsenal Beat Stoke 3-1 As Football Triumphs Over Rugby.
On the day that New Zealand won the rugby World Cup final it was fitting that Arsenal should get to play against the Premier League's very own rugby team. Stoke City play a brand of football that is particularly unappealing to the eye, but it has been effective for them since their promotion to the Premier League just over three years ago. Their previous three visits to Arsenal had all ended in defeat, and Arsenal were looking to win their sixth home game in a row in all competitions.
The big team news on the day was the inclusion of Marouane Chamakh at the expense of Robin Van Persie who was on the bench. Arsene Wenger had threatened to rest RVP, but nobody actually believed he would leave Arsenal's star player on the bench. Before yesterday's game RVP had managed 23 goals in 25 Premier League games in 2011.
The other changes from Wednesday's win over Marseille were the inclusions of Johan Djourou, Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho for Carl Jenkinson, Tomas Rosicky and Andrey Arshavin. Jenkinson had picked up an injury in that game, Rosicky was surely due a rest and Arshavin had played so badly he couldn't be included. There was still no place on the bench for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he will get his chance against Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night.
I was a little worried to see Djourou at right back, but there were very few options for Wenger due to Arsenal's continuing injury problems. As it turned out Djourou did a pretty good job apart from a near fatal mix up with Wojciech Szczesny with the scores at 1-1 in the second half. It's tough to know who was at fault in that mix up, but thankfully Szczesny's footballing skills got him out of a tight spot.
Arsenal slowly got the upper hand in the first half and it was no surprise when Gervinho put them 1-0 up in the 27th minute. Aaron Ransey played an excellent ball over the too of the Stoke defence, and Gervinho was on hand to take it down and neatly slot it past the keeper. It was exactly what Arsenal needed, but unfortunately they failed to build on that lead.
Only seven minutes later Arsenal's fragility at set pieces was exposed yet again when Peter Crouch equalised for Stoke. He was given a very soft free kick after Laurent Koscielny challenged him for a header, and Crouch appeared not to actually challenge for the ball.
When the ball was floated into the Arsenal box nobody went with Ryan Shawcross, and when he put the ball back across goal there was panic in the Arsenal defence. Crouch eventually put the ball into the net from no more than six inches out to level the scoreline. It meant the teams went in at half time level at 1-1, and Arsenal would have to start again in the second half.
Midway through the second an ineffectual Chamakh was replaced by RVP, and Arshavin replaced Theo Walcott soon after that. It meant Arsenal's captain had twenty five minutes to try to get his team a win, and true to form he delivered. He scored two goals within 15 minutes of coming on to end Stoke's resistance, and earn Arsenal another precious three points.
Both of his goals were made by some excellent work from Gervinho, and I was delighted to see him starting to make a real impact. I was highly unimpressed with his efforts against Sunderland last week, but he showed exactly why Arsenal spent so much money on him last summer. His return of one goal and two assists from the game was no more than his man of the match performance deserved.
It's hard to over emphasise the importance of getting behind the opposing defence, and turning defenders around. Gervinho managed to get to the end line and cut the ball back for both of RVP's goals, and it's a quality which could prove to be a huge asset to Arsenal. Defenders do not like to see the ball coming across the goalmouth in the manner Gervinho put it across yesterday, and it makes it easy for attacking players to score.
Let's hope that Gervinho can use that performance as a cornerstone for the rest of his season, and he can help Arsenal to climb back up the table if he does.
It's impossible to judge how important RVP has made himself in the current Arsenal team, but his return of 25 league goals in 26 matches so far in 2011 says it all. Arsenal seemingly have nobody capable of taking his place when he is injured or rested, and they are dependant on him staying fit. Chamakh is still short of any sort of confidence, and Park Ju Young has hardly got a look in since he signed in August.
Wenger did say that Park will start in the Carling Cup against Bolton tomorrow night, but it's not easy to judge a player when he is part of a second string team. I hope he plays very well and shows Wenger that he has another genuine option besides RVP, but he only has 90 minutes to do so. It's a game I'll go into further tomorrow, but hopefully another win for Arsenal will help with the current process of restoring confidence.
The weekend worked out quite well for Arsenal as they attempted to make up ground on the teams above them. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all dropped points, and had problems of their own in their games too. It was fascinating to see the collapse of United at home to City, and the indiscipline of Chelsea in their defeat to QPR.
Arsenal's next league game is against Chelsea, but unfortunately the majority of their suspensions from yesterday's defeat will take place in their midweek Carling Cup game. Didier Drogba will miss out though after his straight red card, and he has been a constant bane for Arsenal in the past. Arsenal will not be expected to get anything from that game, as their away record has been so poor this season but that might just suit them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
It's not too late to join over 900 teams in my Fantasy League, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
The big team news on the day was the inclusion of Marouane Chamakh at the expense of Robin Van Persie who was on the bench. Arsene Wenger had threatened to rest RVP, but nobody actually believed he would leave Arsenal's star player on the bench. Before yesterday's game RVP had managed 23 goals in 25 Premier League games in 2011.
The other changes from Wednesday's win over Marseille were the inclusions of Johan Djourou, Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho for Carl Jenkinson, Tomas Rosicky and Andrey Arshavin. Jenkinson had picked up an injury in that game, Rosicky was surely due a rest and Arshavin had played so badly he couldn't be included. There was still no place on the bench for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he will get his chance against Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night.
I was a little worried to see Djourou at right back, but there were very few options for Wenger due to Arsenal's continuing injury problems. As it turned out Djourou did a pretty good job apart from a near fatal mix up with Wojciech Szczesny with the scores at 1-1 in the second half. It's tough to know who was at fault in that mix up, but thankfully Szczesny's footballing skills got him out of a tight spot.
Arsenal slowly got the upper hand in the first half and it was no surprise when Gervinho put them 1-0 up in the 27th minute. Aaron Ransey played an excellent ball over the too of the Stoke defence, and Gervinho was on hand to take it down and neatly slot it past the keeper. It was exactly what Arsenal needed, but unfortunately they failed to build on that lead.
Only seven minutes later Arsenal's fragility at set pieces was exposed yet again when Peter Crouch equalised for Stoke. He was given a very soft free kick after Laurent Koscielny challenged him for a header, and Crouch appeared not to actually challenge for the ball.
When the ball was floated into the Arsenal box nobody went with Ryan Shawcross, and when he put the ball back across goal there was panic in the Arsenal defence. Crouch eventually put the ball into the net from no more than six inches out to level the scoreline. It meant the teams went in at half time level at 1-1, and Arsenal would have to start again in the second half.
Midway through the second an ineffectual Chamakh was replaced by RVP, and Arshavin replaced Theo Walcott soon after that. It meant Arsenal's captain had twenty five minutes to try to get his team a win, and true to form he delivered. He scored two goals within 15 minutes of coming on to end Stoke's resistance, and earn Arsenal another precious three points.
Both of his goals were made by some excellent work from Gervinho, and I was delighted to see him starting to make a real impact. I was highly unimpressed with his efforts against Sunderland last week, but he showed exactly why Arsenal spent so much money on him last summer. His return of one goal and two assists from the game was no more than his man of the match performance deserved.
It's hard to over emphasise the importance of getting behind the opposing defence, and turning defenders around. Gervinho managed to get to the end line and cut the ball back for both of RVP's goals, and it's a quality which could prove to be a huge asset to Arsenal. Defenders do not like to see the ball coming across the goalmouth in the manner Gervinho put it across yesterday, and it makes it easy for attacking players to score.
Let's hope that Gervinho can use that performance as a cornerstone for the rest of his season, and he can help Arsenal to climb back up the table if he does.
It's impossible to judge how important RVP has made himself in the current Arsenal team, but his return of 25 league goals in 26 matches so far in 2011 says it all. Arsenal seemingly have nobody capable of taking his place when he is injured or rested, and they are dependant on him staying fit. Chamakh is still short of any sort of confidence, and Park Ju Young has hardly got a look in since he signed in August.
Wenger did say that Park will start in the Carling Cup against Bolton tomorrow night, but it's not easy to judge a player when he is part of a second string team. I hope he plays very well and shows Wenger that he has another genuine option besides RVP, but he only has 90 minutes to do so. It's a game I'll go into further tomorrow, but hopefully another win for Arsenal will help with the current process of restoring confidence.
The weekend worked out quite well for Arsenal as they attempted to make up ground on the teams above them. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all dropped points, and had problems of their own in their games too. It was fascinating to see the collapse of United at home to City, and the indiscipline of Chelsea in their defeat to QPR.
Arsenal's next league game is against Chelsea, but unfortunately the majority of their suspensions from yesterday's defeat will take place in their midweek Carling Cup game. Didier Drogba will miss out though after his straight red card, and he has been a constant bane for Arsenal in the past. Arsenal will not be expected to get anything from that game, as their away record has been so poor this season but that might just suit them.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.
It's not too late to join over 900 teams in my Fantasy League, and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league, just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook, too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Arsenal's Premier League Game With Bolton Wanderers Previewed
Arsenal play at home against Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League later today. Bolton are one of the three teams still below Arsenal in the league, and anything other than a victory would be yet another huge blow for Arsenal. Arsenal's current ambitions for this season are to finish in the top four, but their terrible start has made even that look a difficult task.
The injury news from the club is a little encouraging, as only Yossi Benayoun and Johan Djourou are added to those already out. That list includes Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen who are currently badly missed by an Arsenal team struggling to find any consistency. At least Bacary Sagna should return from injury, and both Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are available again too.
The Arsenal team should have a fairly similar look to the one which lost to Blackburn last week, but Sagna limped off in that game and was badly missed. He has had an impressive start to the season despite the form of some of those around him, and his return will be very welcome. Arsenal suffered badly on the right side of their defence when Sagna went off, and he will be needed to keep a close eye on Bolton's Martin Petrov.
The only question for Arsene Wenger in his defence will be whether he picks Andre Santos or Kieran Gibbs at left back. I have a feeling that Santos will play even though he was far from impressive last week. The manager spoke of his passing and shooting ability before last week's game, but it was not on display in the game.
The midfield trio will probably be the same, as Arsenal attempt to find some consistency. The chances are that Alex Song, Aaron Ramsey and Mikael Arteta are Arsenal's current strongest available midfield combination, and they need to play more games together. There is an argument for including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team after he performed so well against Shrewsbury Town, but I can't see Arsene Wenger picking him yet.
I do hope he is included on the bench though, as he has the ability to change the game in an instant and it's a rare thing in football. He cost Arsenal a lot of money, but he looks like he can start to repay that very soon.
I would imagine that both Robin Van Persie and Gervinho will start again, but there is a possibility that Theo Walcott will replace Andrey Arshavin. I'm not saying Arshavin was any worse than some of the others last week, but he always seems to be the first to be left out of the side.
Bolton have lost four of their first five games, and only an opening day victory away to Queens Park Rangers has given them any points. Their defence has looked a little vulnerable at times during those games, but then again so has Arsenal's. Kevin Davies just loves to put himself about, and I have no doubt that he will get stuck into Arsenal.
Thankfully Ivan Klasnic is suspended, as he has started off this season in good goalscoring form, but Bolton will still pose a real threat. The last time the teams played was towards the end of last season when Arsenal's inability to defend set pieces cost them all three points. Bolton will have seen how Arsenal struggled from set pieces against Blackburn, and they will be determined to punish them again.
The deliveries from Petrov could be a real problem for Arsenal, but the best way to counter Bolton is for Arsenal to control the game. So far this season games have got away from them too easily for long spells, and the opposition have punished them during those spells. Last week against Blackburn was a classic example when Arsenal conceded three goals in the first 23 minutes of the second half.
They came back very strongly before the end and probably should have scored more than the late goal from Marouane Chamakh, but they were wasteful. If Arsenal get an advantage against Bolton they have to expect Bolton to come back at them, and Arsenal have to fight to maintain their advantage. That doesn't mean they need stupid red cards like the one against Newcastle, but they can't be afraid to stand up to Bolton either.
Bolton may play a better style of football these days, but with Davies and Paul Robinson in their team they know how to hurt an opponent still. If Arsenal show any weakness or hesitancy they will quickly be on the backfoot. RVP is the captain and it's up to him to ensure Arsenal stand strong and are not intimidated.
The pitch at the Emirates is very big, and Arsenal need to use every inch of that pitch to run Bolton ragged. It's not an easy task for a team seemingly devoid of confidence, but the players on show against Bolton didn't play on Tuesday night which means they have had a week to train together. That's the first time those players have had more than a couple of days together since all of the new players arrived on deadline day.
The games have been coming so often that there has been no real opportunity for the coaching staff to get some real work done. Hopefully the players will have a better idea of their defensive responsibilities and duties, and they will adhere to them too.
Despite all of the negative publicity and doom-mongering surrounding Arsenal I am feeling confident about this game. It's about time Arsenal took their chances and hammered a few goals past an opponent, and for some reason I think they will do so against Bolton. RVP has been a little slow off the mark this season, but I can see him putting in a performance to show why he is so important to Arsenal.
I'm predicting a 4-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging a couple of those goals hopefully. I know it's probably a crazy prediction, but I have a feeling Arsenal are going to win well. I hope to see some of the free flowing football Arsenal have become famous for as well, and for Arsenal fans to feel a little more positive after the game too.
A good would be a great boost for Arsenal before they play Olympiacos at home on Wednesday night in the Champions League. After that game it's a short trip across north London to play Tottenham the next Sunday, before another dreaded international break. When that international break ends it looks like Vermaelen might be available again, and his addition to the team will be a huge boost.
The game against Bolton won't be live on TV in my part of the world, but I might be making a trip to a local pub which will be showing the game. With my laptop still out of action it's impossible to get a good stream on my PC, and I don't like following Arsenal games on twitter. Hopefully the part I've ordered to mend my laptop will arrive on Monday, and then it's business as usual again.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at Chamberlain's goal against Shrewsbury.
See You Tomorrow
The injury news from the club is a little encouraging, as only Yossi Benayoun and Johan Djourou are added to those already out. That list includes Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen who are currently badly missed by an Arsenal team struggling to find any consistency. At least Bacary Sagna should return from injury, and both Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are available again too.
The Arsenal team should have a fairly similar look to the one which lost to Blackburn last week, but Sagna limped off in that game and was badly missed. He has had an impressive start to the season despite the form of some of those around him, and his return will be very welcome. Arsenal suffered badly on the right side of their defence when Sagna went off, and he will be needed to keep a close eye on Bolton's Martin Petrov.
The only question for Arsene Wenger in his defence will be whether he picks Andre Santos or Kieran Gibbs at left back. I have a feeling that Santos will play even though he was far from impressive last week. The manager spoke of his passing and shooting ability before last week's game, but it was not on display in the game.
The midfield trio will probably be the same, as Arsenal attempt to find some consistency. The chances are that Alex Song, Aaron Ramsey and Mikael Arteta are Arsenal's current strongest available midfield combination, and they need to play more games together. There is an argument for including Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the team after he performed so well against Shrewsbury Town, but I can't see Arsene Wenger picking him yet.
I do hope he is included on the bench though, as he has the ability to change the game in an instant and it's a rare thing in football. He cost Arsenal a lot of money, but he looks like he can start to repay that very soon.
I would imagine that both Robin Van Persie and Gervinho will start again, but there is a possibility that Theo Walcott will replace Andrey Arshavin. I'm not saying Arshavin was any worse than some of the others last week, but he always seems to be the first to be left out of the side.
Bolton have lost four of their first five games, and only an opening day victory away to Queens Park Rangers has given them any points. Their defence has looked a little vulnerable at times during those games, but then again so has Arsenal's. Kevin Davies just loves to put himself about, and I have no doubt that he will get stuck into Arsenal.
Thankfully Ivan Klasnic is suspended, as he has started off this season in good goalscoring form, but Bolton will still pose a real threat. The last time the teams played was towards the end of last season when Arsenal's inability to defend set pieces cost them all three points. Bolton will have seen how Arsenal struggled from set pieces against Blackburn, and they will be determined to punish them again.
The deliveries from Petrov could be a real problem for Arsenal, but the best way to counter Bolton is for Arsenal to control the game. So far this season games have got away from them too easily for long spells, and the opposition have punished them during those spells. Last week against Blackburn was a classic example when Arsenal conceded three goals in the first 23 minutes of the second half.
They came back very strongly before the end and probably should have scored more than the late goal from Marouane Chamakh, but they were wasteful. If Arsenal get an advantage against Bolton they have to expect Bolton to come back at them, and Arsenal have to fight to maintain their advantage. That doesn't mean they need stupid red cards like the one against Newcastle, but they can't be afraid to stand up to Bolton either.
Bolton may play a better style of football these days, but with Davies and Paul Robinson in their team they know how to hurt an opponent still. If Arsenal show any weakness or hesitancy they will quickly be on the backfoot. RVP is the captain and it's up to him to ensure Arsenal stand strong and are not intimidated.
The pitch at the Emirates is very big, and Arsenal need to use every inch of that pitch to run Bolton ragged. It's not an easy task for a team seemingly devoid of confidence, but the players on show against Bolton didn't play on Tuesday night which means they have had a week to train together. That's the first time those players have had more than a couple of days together since all of the new players arrived on deadline day.
The games have been coming so often that there has been no real opportunity for the coaching staff to get some real work done. Hopefully the players will have a better idea of their defensive responsibilities and duties, and they will adhere to them too.
Despite all of the negative publicity and doom-mongering surrounding Arsenal I am feeling confident about this game. It's about time Arsenal took their chances and hammered a few goals past an opponent, and for some reason I think they will do so against Bolton. RVP has been a little slow off the mark this season, but I can see him putting in a performance to show why he is so important to Arsenal.
I'm predicting a 4-1 win for Arsenal with RVP bagging a couple of those goals hopefully. I know it's probably a crazy prediction, but I have a feeling Arsenal are going to win well. I hope to see some of the free flowing football Arsenal have become famous for as well, and for Arsenal fans to feel a little more positive after the game too.
A good would be a great boost for Arsenal before they play Olympiacos at home on Wednesday night in the Champions League. After that game it's a short trip across north London to play Tottenham the next Sunday, before another dreaded international break. When that international break ends it looks like Vermaelen might be available again, and his addition to the team will be a huge boost.
The game against Bolton won't be live on TV in my part of the world, but I might be making a trip to a local pub which will be showing the game. With my laptop still out of action it's impossible to get a good stream on my PC, and I don't like following Arsenal games on twitter. Hopefully the part I've ordered to mend my laptop will arrive on Monday, and then it's business as usual again.
That's it for today.
Here's a look at Chamberlain's goal against Shrewsbury.
See You Tomorrow
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Arsenal's Carling Cup Game With Shrewsbury Town Previewed
With the weekend Premier League defeat to Blackburn Rovers still fresh in the minds of their fans Arsenal are back in action tonight. They face a home game against League Two side Shrewsbury Town in the third round of the Carling Cup. Arsenal took this competition a lot more seriously than usual last season and reached the final where they were beaten 2-1 by Birmingham City.
It was a game Arsenal should have won, but a comical piece of defending in the last minute cost them the game. It's a scenario that sounds all too familiar to Arsenal fans and this season has started with more of the same from the team. The manner of their defeat to Blackburn on Saturday was another episode from the Arsenal manual of how not to defend, and it's a problem which has to be sorted out before it's too late.
A good win against Shrewsbury could be just the tonic the Arsenal players need, and that's a good argument for playing a strong team against them. I think the players might be better served getting in a full week's work on the training ground, as there has been no real time for the new players to settle in since they signed on deadline day. Hopefully a full week of defensive work on the training ground will be of some advantage to the team as a whole.
If that's the case then Arsene Wenger will use the fringe players and younger players against Shrewsbury, and I think that's the most likely method of team selection. It means the Arsenal fans will get a chance to see some of the promising players at the club showing what they can do, and I like that prospect. In previous seasons those young players have performed really well in this competition, and they have never let the club down.
I expect Arsene Wenger to start with a completely different team to the one that started against Blackburn on Saturday. It should see Lukasz Fabianski in goal with Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs as the two full backs. I think the central defensive pairing will probably be Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel, and it will hopefully give Djourou a chance to play in his favourite position after his troubles as a substitute for Bacary Sagna on Saturday.
The midfield should see Emmanuel Frimpong play from the start and I think Yossi Benayoun will play in front of him. The other midfield player isn't so easy to predict, but I think Alec Oxlade-Chamberlain can play there. He's probably seen as a winger, but I think Wenger will be happy to see him operate behind a central striker.
The attacking trio will probably be led by Marouane Chamakh with Ju Young Park on one side of him and possibly Ryo Miyaichi on the other if he is fit enough to play. Chamakh got his first goal since last November when he came on as a substitute on Saturday, and hopefully it will help him to regain some confidence. The two wide players will be making their competitive debuts for Arsenal, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do.
If Ryo isn't fit enough to start I think Francis Coquelin will play in the midfield with Chamberlain going into a wide role. If he was to play alongside Frimpong it might give the team a more defensive look to it, and I don't think Wenger will go for that. That Arsenal lineup has six full internationals in it, as well as some really promising talent and it's good enough to get a result on the night.
Shrewsbury have had a good start to the season and they currently sit in an automatic promotion slot in League Two. However, Arsenal have to be huge favourites to win the game, regardless of how they have played so far this season. The class of the Arsenal players is not something which is in doubt, but their ability to make that class tell is under scrutiny.
In previous seasons the young Arsenal players have gone out and played with passion and commitment in the Carling Cup, and with no little skill either. The performance tonight might point to how much recent results have affected the whole squad if the players turn in a below par performance. I'm hoping for the opposite, as the youngsters take the opportunity to showcase their talents and show Wenger why they should be considered for the first team.
With the club selling Carling Cup tickets at a reduced price there should be a large turnout for the game, and hopefully those fans can get behind the team. A good performance from the team, as well as some very vocal support could be just the tonic the club as a whole needs.
I want Arsenal to win of course, but ultimately the Carling Cup is the least important competition the club will play in this season. I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with Chamberlain hopefully playing a starring role. I would gladly sacrifice progression in the Carling Cup for six points in Arsenal's next two league games against Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
The game isn't live on TV to the best of my knowledge which means I'll be looking for a stream like so many other Arsenal fans if I want to watch it live. The details to follow me on Twitter are below, and I'll gladly share any stream I get with anyone looking for it.
That's it for today.
Here's a little bit of what Chamberlain can do.
It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See You Tomorrow.
It was a game Arsenal should have won, but a comical piece of defending in the last minute cost them the game. It's a scenario that sounds all too familiar to Arsenal fans and this season has started with more of the same from the team. The manner of their defeat to Blackburn on Saturday was another episode from the Arsenal manual of how not to defend, and it's a problem which has to be sorted out before it's too late.
A good win against Shrewsbury could be just the tonic the Arsenal players need, and that's a good argument for playing a strong team against them. I think the players might be better served getting in a full week's work on the training ground, as there has been no real time for the new players to settle in since they signed on deadline day. Hopefully a full week of defensive work on the training ground will be of some advantage to the team as a whole.
If that's the case then Arsene Wenger will use the fringe players and younger players against Shrewsbury, and I think that's the most likely method of team selection. It means the Arsenal fans will get a chance to see some of the promising players at the club showing what they can do, and I like that prospect. In previous seasons those young players have performed really well in this competition, and they have never let the club down.
I expect Arsene Wenger to start with a completely different team to the one that started against Blackburn on Saturday. It should see Lukasz Fabianski in goal with Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs as the two full backs. I think the central defensive pairing will probably be Johan Djourou and Ignasi Miquel, and it will hopefully give Djourou a chance to play in his favourite position after his troubles as a substitute for Bacary Sagna on Saturday.
The midfield should see Emmanuel Frimpong play from the start and I think Yossi Benayoun will play in front of him. The other midfield player isn't so easy to predict, but I think Alec Oxlade-Chamberlain can play there. He's probably seen as a winger, but I think Wenger will be happy to see him operate behind a central striker.
The attacking trio will probably be led by Marouane Chamakh with Ju Young Park on one side of him and possibly Ryo Miyaichi on the other if he is fit enough to play. Chamakh got his first goal since last November when he came on as a substitute on Saturday, and hopefully it will help him to regain some confidence. The two wide players will be making their competitive debuts for Arsenal, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do.
If Ryo isn't fit enough to start I think Francis Coquelin will play in the midfield with Chamberlain going into a wide role. If he was to play alongside Frimpong it might give the team a more defensive look to it, and I don't think Wenger will go for that. That Arsenal lineup has six full internationals in it, as well as some really promising talent and it's good enough to get a result on the night.
Shrewsbury have had a good start to the season and they currently sit in an automatic promotion slot in League Two. However, Arsenal have to be huge favourites to win the game, regardless of how they have played so far this season. The class of the Arsenal players is not something which is in doubt, but their ability to make that class tell is under scrutiny.
In previous seasons the young Arsenal players have gone out and played with passion and commitment in the Carling Cup, and with no little skill either. The performance tonight might point to how much recent results have affected the whole squad if the players turn in a below par performance. I'm hoping for the opposite, as the youngsters take the opportunity to showcase their talents and show Wenger why they should be considered for the first team.
With the club selling Carling Cup tickets at a reduced price there should be a large turnout for the game, and hopefully those fans can get behind the team. A good performance from the team, as well as some very vocal support could be just the tonic the club as a whole needs.
I want Arsenal to win of course, but ultimately the Carling Cup is the least important competition the club will play in this season. I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal with Chamberlain hopefully playing a starring role. I would gladly sacrifice progression in the Carling Cup for six points in Arsenal's next two league games against Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
The game isn't live on TV to the best of my knowledge which means I'll be looking for a stream like so many other Arsenal fans if I want to watch it live. The details to follow me on Twitter are below, and I'll gladly share any stream I get with anyone looking for it.
That's it for today.
Here's a little bit of what Chamberlain can do.
It's not too late to join over 850 teams in my Fantasy League and there are prizes for the top three teams at the end of the season. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.
To join the predictions league just go to the site and set up your predictions. Then use the code F688F-JCO to join my league. I'll update the league table in my predictions every week.
Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.
I'm also a member of a very good and very active Arsenal group on Facebook which you can join here.
See You Tomorrow.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Arsenal's Premier League Game With Liverpool Previewed.
Arsenal play their first home Premier League game of the new season against Liverpool tomorrow, and it's going to be a very tough assignment for them. The list of players Arsenal have unavailable through injury or suspension is bad enough, but added to that they have sold too many players without replacing them. Arsene Wenger is going to have some real problems putting together a competitive midfield against Liverpool, and Arsenal's chances could depend on his ability to do so.
When last season ended he said there would be changes in the Arsenal squad, and the club would be busy in the transfer market. He was absolutely right as Arsenal have sold Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Eboue and Jay Emmanuel Thomas and brought in Gervinho, Ryo Miyaichi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell. On top of the players being sold Arsenal have also loaned Denilson and Carlos Vela to other clubs for the season, and Samir Nasri, Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia look destined to be sold too.
I'm no mathematician but even I can see that the numbers don't add up and Arsenal are in dire need of at least four players to give their squad enough strength to compete in the Premier League. Of the four players signed only Gervinho can be considered ready to play in the Premier League, and the other three are teenage prospects and no more in my opinion. The question on the lips of so many Arsenal fans is how their club have arrived at this stage with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window.
Wenger has maintained all along that he will only bring in players of "super quality" that will improve his team. He says Arsenal have that quality already and he wants to bring in players who will improve the team. The team Arsenal field tomorrow will be a long way short of the quality needed to compete at the very top in the Premier League and the Champions League.
I know there are problems with injuries and suspensions, but problems like those occur in every team throughout every season. Arsenal's current squad does not have the depth to deal with those problems, and only Wenger can resolve the problem. He has less than two weeks to bring in the players needed, or he may find the minority of fans who want him out growing very quickly.
The drawn out transfer of Cesc to Barcelona didn't help matters, and neither does the possible exit of Nasri to Manchester City. However, Arsenal had money available to spend at the start of the summer, and they have added to that with the sales so far. If he is willing to pay approximately €15 million for Chamberlain, why will he not pay similar figures for defenders who the squad so desperately need.
The midfield has been stripped of it's playmaker, and without a suitable replacement for Cesc the team will be a pale shadow of what it once was. Robin Van Persie is an excellent striker, but he is also very injury prone and Marouane Chamakh looks like he will be his only deputy. The performances of Chamakh since last January fill me with dread at the thought of a RVP injury.
I know there are still two weeks to go before the transfer window closes, but the football season has actually started and Arsenal have some very tough games before the month ends. So far the defence has held tight with two clean sheets against Newcastle United and Udinese, but tougher tests lie ahead in the next week. After tomorrow's game at home to Liverpool there are trips to Udinese and Manchester United before the dreaded international break returns.
Hopefully Arsenal will emerge from the other side of the international break with all of their players fit again, and some new additions settling into the squad. If the players are brought in and Arsenal fail to deliver the goods then at least they will have tried, but if no players are added and Arsenal fail I cannot see where Wenger has to go. If he does not add the necessary quality it looks like he is writing the season off as yet another trophyless one, and it's a situation that cannot be allowed to develop.
As for the game against Liverpool it's not too difficult to predict Arsenal's starting 11 with so few players to choose from. Alex Song and Gervinho are suspended for three domestic games each after their stupidity against Newcastle last week. Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Abu Diaby are all injured, and Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky and Armand Traore are all doubtful too.
It could see Sebastien Squillaci recalled to the first team, and that's a sight which scares me. I don't think he is good enough to play at this level any more, and Arsenal look defensively very suspect when he plays. If he doesn't play it will probably mean that Carl Jenkinson starts as one of the full backs and makes his Premier League debut.
Jenkinson looks to be a very good prospect to me, but he was playing non-league football last season. That's hardly the "super quality" that has been promised by the manager, but I hope all goes well for him if he plays. I think he should be deployed at right back if selected, and Bacary Sagna should switch to the left.
The central defensive pairing of Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny is progressing well together, and hopefully they can continue that partnership. With Wojciech Szczesny in goal the defence will be relatively strong compared to some of the options elsewhere on the field. Andy Carroll caused Arsenal some problems with his height when he played at the Emirates for Newcastle last season, and I expect him to do so again.
In midfield the options are limited and it looks like Emmanuel Frimpong will have to start. He has virtually no experience at this level after he missed all of last season injured, but I can't see any other player being able to play the defensive role unless Djourou is considered for it. Aaron Ramsey will have to take on the creative duties for the day, but I still think he has a way to go before he reaches the form he displayed prior to his leg break almost 18 months ago.
The third midfielder will depend on the fitness of Rosicky, and if he's not fit I think Henri Lansbury has to be the man for the job. There are very few other options available to the manager and if Lansbury is to be a member of the first team squad he has to be able to play when needed. There is a good arguement for Arsenal playing four in midfield, but I cannot see Wenger changing his tactics.
Thankfully RVP will return from his Champions League suspension to lead the attack, and Arsenal have a real goal threat with him in the team. On either side of him I expect to see Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin, and both of those players are capable of finding the back of the net too. I was critical of Walcott after Tuesday's game against Udinese, but I still think he is a good finisher even if he is limited elsewhere.
There has been some suggestion that Arsenal will rest some players ahead of the return leg against Udinese in the Champions League next Wednesday night. I cannot imagine that the team could take any of the better players being omitted considering all of those missing already. Both Song and Gervinho should be well rested because of their suspensions, and that is more than enough in my opinion.
If Arsenal are holding off on buying new players until they have secured qualification for the group stages of the Champions League it's a dangerous game to play. I know qualification means roughly €20 million added to the clubs TV revenue, as well as at least three big pay days in home group games. However, the later the purchases are left the less likely the hances of them being completed.
Arsenal's confidence is so brittle at the moment that a collapse away to Udinese is far from unbelievable, and what players of true quality would want to join then. If the club have the players needed lined up then they must buy them immediately, or suffer the consequences on and off the pitch.
Liverpool have spent a fair deal of money this summer bringing in players who are good, but not exceptional. Despite all of Arsenal's current problems I still think they have a good chance of getting something out of this game, and if they can keep tight at the back I think they will. Call me a blind optimist, despite what I've written, but I think Arsenal will emerge with a 2-1 victory, and RVP will get his name on the scoresheet.
This has been an incredibly hard summer for all Arsenal fans, and it looks like it will continue right up until the final moments of the transfer window. On a personal level I will only be able to see the first half of tomorrow's game, as I have a wedding to attend. I hate missing Arsenal games, but family duties come first occasionally.
UPDATE:
The latest squad news is that Gibbs, Djourou, Rosicky and Armand Traore are all definitely out which means there will be a makeshift left back. Ryo and Samir Nasri are both in the squad though, and Ryo might get a chance at some stage. I would be shocked to see Nasri included in the team, as he didn't play on Tuesday night.
He is surely on the verge of a move away from Arsenal and the reaction of the fans to him could be quite nasty. Even if he is on the bench I think he might get an adverse reaction, and I cannot see how playing him could improve team morale. The sooner he is sold and new players come in , the better for all concerned.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last season's 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool.
See You Tomorrow.
When last season ended he said there would be changes in the Arsenal squad, and the club would be busy in the transfer market. He was absolutely right as Arsenal have sold Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Eboue and Jay Emmanuel Thomas and brought in Gervinho, Ryo Miyaichi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell. On top of the players being sold Arsenal have also loaned Denilson and Carlos Vela to other clubs for the season, and Samir Nasri, Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia look destined to be sold too.
I'm no mathematician but even I can see that the numbers don't add up and Arsenal are in dire need of at least four players to give their squad enough strength to compete in the Premier League. Of the four players signed only Gervinho can be considered ready to play in the Premier League, and the other three are teenage prospects and no more in my opinion. The question on the lips of so many Arsenal fans is how their club have arrived at this stage with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window.
Wenger has maintained all along that he will only bring in players of "super quality" that will improve his team. He says Arsenal have that quality already and he wants to bring in players who will improve the team. The team Arsenal field tomorrow will be a long way short of the quality needed to compete at the very top in the Premier League and the Champions League.
I know there are problems with injuries and suspensions, but problems like those occur in every team throughout every season. Arsenal's current squad does not have the depth to deal with those problems, and only Wenger can resolve the problem. He has less than two weeks to bring in the players needed, or he may find the minority of fans who want him out growing very quickly.
The drawn out transfer of Cesc to Barcelona didn't help matters, and neither does the possible exit of Nasri to Manchester City. However, Arsenal had money available to spend at the start of the summer, and they have added to that with the sales so far. If he is willing to pay approximately €15 million for Chamberlain, why will he not pay similar figures for defenders who the squad so desperately need.
The midfield has been stripped of it's playmaker, and without a suitable replacement for Cesc the team will be a pale shadow of what it once was. Robin Van Persie is an excellent striker, but he is also very injury prone and Marouane Chamakh looks like he will be his only deputy. The performances of Chamakh since last January fill me with dread at the thought of a RVP injury.
I know there are still two weeks to go before the transfer window closes, but the football season has actually started and Arsenal have some very tough games before the month ends. So far the defence has held tight with two clean sheets against Newcastle United and Udinese, but tougher tests lie ahead in the next week. After tomorrow's game at home to Liverpool there are trips to Udinese and Manchester United before the dreaded international break returns.
Hopefully Arsenal will emerge from the other side of the international break with all of their players fit again, and some new additions settling into the squad. If the players are brought in and Arsenal fail to deliver the goods then at least they will have tried, but if no players are added and Arsenal fail I cannot see where Wenger has to go. If he does not add the necessary quality it looks like he is writing the season off as yet another trophyless one, and it's a situation that cannot be allowed to develop.
As for the game against Liverpool it's not too difficult to predict Arsenal's starting 11 with so few players to choose from. Alex Song and Gervinho are suspended for three domestic games each after their stupidity against Newcastle last week. Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Abu Diaby are all injured, and Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky and Armand Traore are all doubtful too.
It could see Sebastien Squillaci recalled to the first team, and that's a sight which scares me. I don't think he is good enough to play at this level any more, and Arsenal look defensively very suspect when he plays. If he doesn't play it will probably mean that Carl Jenkinson starts as one of the full backs and makes his Premier League debut.
Jenkinson looks to be a very good prospect to me, but he was playing non-league football last season. That's hardly the "super quality" that has been promised by the manager, but I hope all goes well for him if he plays. I think he should be deployed at right back if selected, and Bacary Sagna should switch to the left.
The central defensive pairing of Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny is progressing well together, and hopefully they can continue that partnership. With Wojciech Szczesny in goal the defence will be relatively strong compared to some of the options elsewhere on the field. Andy Carroll caused Arsenal some problems with his height when he played at the Emirates for Newcastle last season, and I expect him to do so again.
In midfield the options are limited and it looks like Emmanuel Frimpong will have to start. He has virtually no experience at this level after he missed all of last season injured, but I can't see any other player being able to play the defensive role unless Djourou is considered for it. Aaron Ramsey will have to take on the creative duties for the day, but I still think he has a way to go before he reaches the form he displayed prior to his leg break almost 18 months ago.
The third midfielder will depend on the fitness of Rosicky, and if he's not fit I think Henri Lansbury has to be the man for the job. There are very few other options available to the manager and if Lansbury is to be a member of the first team squad he has to be able to play when needed. There is a good arguement for Arsenal playing four in midfield, but I cannot see Wenger changing his tactics.
Thankfully RVP will return from his Champions League suspension to lead the attack, and Arsenal have a real goal threat with him in the team. On either side of him I expect to see Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin, and both of those players are capable of finding the back of the net too. I was critical of Walcott after Tuesday's game against Udinese, but I still think he is a good finisher even if he is limited elsewhere.
There has been some suggestion that Arsenal will rest some players ahead of the return leg against Udinese in the Champions League next Wednesday night. I cannot imagine that the team could take any of the better players being omitted considering all of those missing already. Both Song and Gervinho should be well rested because of their suspensions, and that is more than enough in my opinion.
If Arsenal are holding off on buying new players until they have secured qualification for the group stages of the Champions League it's a dangerous game to play. I know qualification means roughly €20 million added to the clubs TV revenue, as well as at least three big pay days in home group games. However, the later the purchases are left the less likely the hances of them being completed.
Arsenal's confidence is so brittle at the moment that a collapse away to Udinese is far from unbelievable, and what players of true quality would want to join then. If the club have the players needed lined up then they must buy them immediately, or suffer the consequences on and off the pitch.
Liverpool have spent a fair deal of money this summer bringing in players who are good, but not exceptional. Despite all of Arsenal's current problems I still think they have a good chance of getting something out of this game, and if they can keep tight at the back I think they will. Call me a blind optimist, despite what I've written, but I think Arsenal will emerge with a 2-1 victory, and RVP will get his name on the scoresheet.
This has been an incredibly hard summer for all Arsenal fans, and it looks like it will continue right up until the final moments of the transfer window. On a personal level I will only be able to see the first half of tomorrow's game, as I have a wedding to attend. I hate missing Arsenal games, but family duties come first occasionally.
UPDATE:
The latest squad news is that Gibbs, Djourou, Rosicky and Armand Traore are all definitely out which means there will be a makeshift left back. Ryo and Samir Nasri are both in the squad though, and Ryo might get a chance at some stage. I would be shocked to see Nasri included in the team, as he didn't play on Tuesday night.
He is surely on the verge of a move away from Arsenal and the reaction of the fans to him could be quite nasty. Even if he is on the bench I think he might get an adverse reaction, and I cannot see how playing him could improve team morale. The sooner he is sold and new players come in , the better for all concerned.
That's it for today.
Here's the highlights from last season's 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool.
See You Tomorrow.
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