Mkhitaryan Now Knows Where He is Needed in the Team: Arsenal v Chelsea Review

That was some game the Gunners played last night. We have to give it to the Chavs, they were the best team in the first half. They pressed us high and did not allow the likes of Wilshere and Xhaka to receive the ball easily (within space and with time). As a result, there were a number of semi-forced errors which luckily only cost us one goal.

Elneny did his best to find space and time to undo the Chavs’ pressure grip on the defence, and Ozil and Lacazette came deep to help out with this, but we struggled to get into our game and press our opponents back into their own half. Chelsea then suffered the loss to injury of their impressive attacking midfielder, Willian, and they never were the same again after that.

Through a lucky double-pinball head-deflection of Nacho’s wild, ambitious headed attempt on goal, we had levelled the score and saved the atmosphere in the stadium. The crowd found their voice and you could sense that they were one with the hard working 11 Gunners on the pitch; and, in return, this reenergised the players.

There were a number of balls over the top and other clever passes that led to Lacazette and Ozil being flagged off-site; and more than once those decisions went unfairly against us. Still, we were not playing our game and struggled to create scoring opportunities.

Something needed to change and Wenger got it right after half-time. We played more compact in the second half, moving as a tight unit up and down the pitch, and making Elneny, Jack and Xhaka push the opponents back into their own half. Elneny offered also more support for the CBs, and there was little space in and around Koz and Mustafi to be exploited by the now much more isolated Hazard. Conte who had, to little effect, brought on his latest signing for the well-missed Willian, had no ideas, or perhaps suitable options on the bench, to battle back against Wenger’s tactical changes.

Our boys worked hard and played with a post-Sanchez spring in their step whilst the Chavs looked more and more exhausted and clueless. We missed the guile and direct danger of the Chilean at times, but we looked and played like a team of 11+, which I have not seen for quite a while.

Lacazette worked so hard to keep things going in attack, despite a lack of service/opportunities; and Ozil did the same in midfield. We needed another bit of luck for the second, and winning, goal: Lacazette found inadvertently – via the leg of a Chelsea defender – Granit Xhaka, who was just a few yards away from goal; he pounced like a lynx and left the keeper with no chance whatsoever.

Arsenal turned on the style after the second goal, and Iwobi was presented with a great opportunity to score a truly beautiful team goal to put the game to bed. Ozil, with such class and composure, had provided him with the finest of passes and Alex met it well enough, but he gave  the keeper a chance to save it and so he did. It did not matter in the end and we will now play the Northern Oilers in the final of the League Cup at the end of February.

I love Alex Iwobi and have no doubt that he will become a top-quality player. But, from watching the game in the ground last night, Henrikh Mkhitaryan will know where he is needed on the pitch, regardless of whether we will sign Aubameyang or not.

submit football lineup

By TotalArsenal.

Arsenal Player Ratings: Elneny MOTM, Mesut The Leader, Nacho We Love You!

We will do a match report tomorrow, but for now here are my player ratings:

Ospina: 6.5 – did what he had  to do for Chelsea’s only goal but had little chance to stop the Belgian’s cool finish. A bit dodgy on crosses at times.

Nacho: 8.5 – great engine and presence all over the pitch. Lucky with the pinball goal, but he plays with such passion, aggression and great anticipation and interceptions at the moment. Nacho we love you!

Koz: 8 – gave his all with fantastic interceptions and healthy aggression.

Mustafi: 7.5 – gave his all with fantastic interceptions and healthy aggression. One or two headers back to midfield were badly placed.

Bellerin: 7.5 – gave his all too and did very well against the threat that is Alonso (what talents both these Spaniards are). More focus on defending is doing him good – four at the back suits him better than three, I reckon.

Eleney: 9 – Superb, MOTM, performance by the Egyptian hoover. The Chavs pushed us back hard into our own half and we struggled with this, but Elneny stayed calm and created space and time for his teammates. A few fine balls over the top and some very slick passing. Used his head v well.

Geplaagd Arsenal in finale League Cup na winst op Chelsea

Xhaka: 7.5 – an extra 0.5 point for his goal. Both Granit and Jack struggled  to impose themselves in midfield, especially in first half. With Elneny behind them, they should push up and keep the opponent’s midfield in their own half. They did this much better in the second half, which made a big difference.

Jack: 7 – as per above. Jack had some very good moments but also gave the ball needlessly away by over-dribbling at times which could have cost us. Much better in the second half.

Iwobi: 7 – Great pre-assist for the winning goal by cleverly moving the ball to the right side of the pitch. Good defensive support for Nacho and some fine attacking contributions. Still a bit naïve at times when passing the ball and by getting crowded out, but that is to be expected from our 21 year old talent.

Lacazette: 7.5 – Worked his socks off but is often sooo isolated. Was rewarded with the key assist even though it needed a dollop of luck. Just love this player and the goals will come once we get the balance right in attack (which is not playing both Ozil and Iwobi around the Frenchman).

Ozil: 9 – deputy MOTM. What a leading performance by Mesut. Supported his team mates all over the pitch and took the team by the hand. Fabulous ball for Iwobi to score our third but the Nigerian sadly missed the opportunity. I think we should pay him £400k per week, more than Sanchez at the Mancs. He is worth it. Build the team around him.

By TotalArsenal.

 

4-1-2-3: Elneny the Hoover, JackXhaka the Battering Ram, Iwobi-Laca-Ozil the Bamboozlers

Arsenal v Chelsea Preview and Line-Up

After our painful, embarrassing and absolutely unnecessary exit from the FA Cup, we have a chance to reach the final of the lesser cup competition, the League Cup. As there is a lot at stake here – Wenger not-won silverware, to show Henrikh what a quality bunch he has joined, to show Alexis and the rest of the world there is life after him once more and, of course, we don’t want to lose to the Chavs, especially not at the home of football – I expect Arsene to go with a full strength team tonight.

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Rambo is probably not fit enough to start and Giroud and Welbeck are not fit enough to even be on the bench. I expect us to play with a back-four again and it will be another opportunity to rebuild confidence by establishing some solid defending between the fab four of Nacho-Mustafi-Koz-Bellerin; I am including Bellerin in this as I feel he stepped it up significantly in the last few games.

Elneny is Egyptian for very tidy and that is why I expect him to play in front of the back four once again tonight. He keeps things ticking over by accurate passing and good anticipation and allows both Xhaka and Wilshere to push up (I would also be very happy, ecstatic in fact, if Kola were to play in the Elneny role). Of course Chelsea is not Crystal Palace, so we need to see whether this attacking formation will work well for us tonight; but I reckon that the Swiss and English geniuses will sit a bit deeper than they did against the Eagles.

The left attacking side belongs to Arsenal again now that Sanchez is a Manc – “give the ball to me and I will decide what I will do with it, so get lost”, is no more. Our first three goals came from that side against Palace, which is telling. Alex Iwobi and Monreal will look to combine with each other at their heart’s desire on the left flank, supported as much as possible by Jack, Mesut, Granit and the omnipresent Alex Lacazetter.

I reckon our team will look like this tonight: 

submit football lineup

We could see Ainsley play instead of Nacho, who is fit again but may not be risked by Wenger. Rambo could start instead of Alexis Iwobi or Elneny, and Wenger may have a few other tricks up his sleeve but I would like us to start with the same eleven again. Against the Chavs we need to play with both intensity and discipline and our experienced back four and calm Elneny will offer us the right balance, I reckon. Let’s press them high and bamboozle with movement, slick, creative passing and deadly finishing.

Come on You Rip Roaring Gunners!

By TotalArsenal.

 

Henrikh Mkhitaryan Welcome to the Home of Football! Here is how you fit into 4-5-1/3-5-2

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a Gunner!

That is quite a mouthful of a name but with an anagram of ‘Hi Kink Arena Rhythm’ it is clear you knows all about sexy football. 🙂

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Welcome to the home – Arena – of football, Henrikh, where we play football the proper way. You should have chosen the mighty red and white straightaway, as under Mourinho you will never be allowed to express yourself and play football at your heart’s desire. The self-adoring one let Kevin de Bruine leave Chelsea, which should have told you all you needed to know. You were not born to play boring Italian-Portuguese clean-sheet football; you are meant to make the crowds go ooh and aah; and that is what Arsenal is all about.

You are a Gunner now and will be playing football with Mesut Ozil (at least another four months and hopefully many more years) Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. You will play in a team where there are no more self-serving superstars left. With Alexis gone you will find ten fellow Gunners on the pitch who are proud of the shirt and want to play as a team; and you will fit right in.

The next step is to bring Aubameyang to the home of football and then we are ready to play five in midfield and dominate teams in their own half once again. And that is what modern Arsenal is all about! Something like this:

submit football lineup

It is more likely that we go back to 4-3-3 which could also be more like 4-5-1 (4-2-3-1):

submit football lineup

How sexy does that look, Henrikh?

The Manc-oriented press will all be salivating over Alexis’ arrival at the Theatre of Dreams but, at least here at BK, most of us are glad to see the back of him. He gave his all for the shirt, for which we are grateful, but he was not a team player and only passed the ball to his mate Mesut. The likes of Giroud and now Lacazette never got any decent service.

Play for the team and the team will play for you, Henrikh. And give your all and we Gooners will love you. The goals and the assists will come. Enjoy the ride.

By TotalArsenal.

Arsenal Blitz Palace 4-1 After ALEXIT

MATCH REVIEW: Arsenal v Palace

Faithful Treated to Rapid Return of Wengerball at The Home Of Football.


The joy of playing worry-free football was made evident 6 minutes into today’s match versus Crystal Palace. A swift-moving build-up left-side of the box resulted in Alex Iwobi’s well-hit shot from 18– being parried over the bar by Palace GK Wayne Hennessey. Granit Xhaka’s ensuing top-spin corner was overhit across goal– met by Nacho Monreal (outfoxing marker James McArthur)– heading downward into an open left-side of goal from 4yds. (No questioning the exuberance of this celebratory mob!)

1-nil. And the shackles came off.

The ball moved keenly around and through Palace’s defence (Jack!). Following a pair of promising build-ups– a slide-tackled ball squirted out of the box to Monreal on the left. Taking several measured touches on an unfettered diagonal run to the goal line– Nacho cut a pass back toward the 6, where Iwobi deflected his shot at a right-angle– slotting home just right of Hennessey.

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2-nil. Energy positively crackled and popped about the pitch.
Every wayward ball was finding an Arsenal foot. It’s what happens when things are going good.

Two-minutes later, Cech scooped up a ball that bounded to him after a lobbed cross– then uncharacteristically lined an Ederson-like offensive pass down the left flank to a streaking Iwobi; taking the ball in-stride. The move didn’t create a chance straightaway– but resulted in a possession that found Lacazette battling for a pass on the goal line with the GK and a defender. Resulting in another corner by Xhaka.

Palace MF James McArthur was already having a bad day. Monreal had scored, then assisted. Both times in McArthur’s supposed custody. It got worse. Xhaka again overhit the corner in from the right. Replays show Monreal (using judo-like moves) escaping McArthur for a third time. This time one-touching the ball back toward Kos front of goal, who, calmly bundled the ball in.

3-nil. Cool and ruthless. 13 minutes. 4 shots. 3 goals. (Arsenal would finish with 16/10 on target.)
Left to perform? A bit of artistry, leading to a predestined goal– for Alexander Lacazette. Which came shortly after.

In the minute building up– a 16-pass possession culminated with Mesut Ozil receiving a pass on the 18, touch to his left, windup and shoot(!). The rebound/clearance was captured about 30yds out and centre– leading to another dozen, 1-touch or 1-2 passes– with the brilliance of Mesut Ozil on display in all it’s splendour:

Elneny to Ozil to Xhaka to Iwobi (wide, dribble-in), to Elneny centre, squared to Ozil left (at 30), forward to Xhaka wide (at 20), returned to Ozil, diagonal to Iwobi (at 22), one-touch return diagonal to Ozil forward (at 22), square to Wilshere (at 20), one-touch return diagonal to Ozil forward (at 18)– who then flicks foot-top-of-ball behind to the lurking Lacazette who fires right-footed into the bottom-right corner from 12yds. (Gave me goose bumps!)

4-nil. A thing of beauty.
Arsenal quickly, efficiently, and to a man, wholeheartedly effected the act of ‘Alexit’ in front of an approving throng at The Emirates.

Iwobi had a 20yd rocket denied about a minute later. There were other chances too. But the energy in those first 25 minutes were exactly what the exorcist ordered. A clean break from the cursed morass of the day before. And days before that. Alexit.

Saw things today I’d not seen all season:
Ozil tracked back to our goal line and prevented a cross!
Iwobi popped around and played the role of conduit very effectively.
(Alex scored in taking three shots, and even had a defensive grass-stain on his bum!)
Xhaka played effectively in tandem with Elneny.

Also saw things we all suspected were true:
Jack was a field-general today. Playing instinctively, spraying advantageous passes to runners. Mesut looked fresh. His periphery was widened, as was the pitch– for everyone.
The wingbacks performed the length of the pitch. Hector was pretty good today.

The other guy?

MoTM. The Nacho Man.
Goal and two assists. In just 33 minutes.

 

Performances like this one?

By good-but-not-star players can happen– when a team uses the entire pitch and plays without subconscious restriction. The news so far about Monreal’s substitution at 33 minutes is ‘not bad’. Supposedly precautionary. Took a ‘kick’ to his just-healed hamstring (Please be true!). AMN filling in admirably.

The remainder of the game was less-than exciting– but solid. The defence was pretty good. (Mostly wagering myself when Zaha would be carded, and what hue. I lost that bet. Yet still, somehow, get a Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate for being a sport. 🙄 ) CP had 2-3 chances. Palace got their consolation goal late. Cech still waiting on his 200th clean sheet.

Reiss Nelson made his PL debut, coming on for Ozil (at 72′). Sead Kolasinac returning from injury, on for Iwobi (at 82′)

So? Everybody good? (So good? I nearly had a cigarette. And I’ve never smoked 🙂 )

Now that we’ve performed the Alexit ceremony?
Can we please just get the Hentrance exam completed now!

 

By jw1

Rock & ROL on: Ramsey, Ozil, Lacazette To Attack The Eagles – Line-Up|Preview

ARSENAL V CRYSTAL PALACE PREVIEW

The Biggest Question is: Who Does NOT Start!

Aubamayang and Mkhitaryan will not start. As at the time of writing, they still belong to Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United respectively. Their transfer saga drags on and nobody dare put money on their move.

Sanchez is most unlikely to start even though he is still an Arsenal player. It is rumoured he would be earning £500,00 per week at Manchester United. A broken limb at the Emirates against Crystal Palace would scupper that. Put money on him not even sitting on the bench, especially, with the story circulating that he has bid his Arsenal colleagues farewell at their hotel lodge yesterday.

Coquelin and Walcott will not even as much as sit on the bench: they now belong to other clubs.

Giroud is still out injured. He is expected back in a week. However, there is some speculations that he might make a move away as well, possibly to Dortmund. Don’t put your money on it, though. Apparently, Welbeck hurt some muscles in training and Maitland-Niles has fallen sick. This trio won’t be starting.

Ozil is back from injury. He has been training this week, just as Koschienly and Monreal. They join Ramsey and Kolasinac who came back last week. Will Wenger risk the five returnees as starters? Folly to second guess Wenger, but I’d start the five.  The times are desperate. The fact that Crystal Palace has six of their players out injured wouldn’t slow me down. Zaha, Cabaye, Tomkins are fit. Townsend is expected back. They will give us a fight.

My predicted line up:

submit football lineup

SUBS: Ospina, Chambers, Debuchy, Elneny, Iwobi, Nelson, Nketiah.

I can’t get myself to pray for goals galore in our favour. It might get Wenger stepping off the gas with only 11 days left in this transfer window. Two early goals to calm the nerves while they pull one back in the 88th minute would give five minutes of nail biting, enough to keep us on course. COYG!!!

By Pony Eye.

The One Player, Other than Ozil, Arsenal Cannot Let Go this January

It hurt a bit when we found out that Coquelin had left. Clearly, he was not able to hold on to a first team place anymore; and a player of his quality should not be warming the bench at the home of football. I wish him well at his new club. Arsene is struggling to get the balance right in midfield and, despite Le Coq signing a new contract last year, the gaffer must believe that Francis is not the answer (anymore). A real shame but we have to move on.

It felt more like a relief when Theo‘s move to Everton went through. At his age he should have been leading the team forward by now but all our investment in him did not lead to the sort of player you can bank on. He is as fast as Mertesacker is slow, and he takes his chances instinctively and fearlessly, but his footballing skills set is limited and, just like the other young Saints player we bought and came with sooo much promise, he is constantly in and out of games rather than an almost constant force. A nice, clever lad who no doubt will make it big in media/PR or marketing roles after his footballing career, but I don’t think many tears will flow at the home of football now that he has left for Fat Sam’s Toffees.

Alexis‘ departure continues to be imminent according to Wenger, and I guess most of us will feel a little sadness now he appears to be following the Judas’ path. I reckon we will play better as a team without him, as Lacazette has to become our main man for the goals and the team will have to focus harder on creating chances for him. With Alexis gone this will be easier. We will of course miss his ability to crack open a defence with his shots from around the box or his quick thinking in the box. I reckon he has a couple of top seasons in him, if he can stay fit that is. I wish him well but hope he will win nothing with the Mancs.

It looks like Wenger/Arsenal are playing chess with MU re Alexis. Mkhitaryan should come in return as Wenger wants to see Alexis replaced. We are also strongly linked with Aubameyang and, as per previous post, IF both would come our way before the end of the month, we can look forward to exciting, and hopefully winning, football in 2018.

The one player we cannot afford to let ago this January is the one who has the best song: Olivier Giroud. With Alexis gone, Ollie can work himself back into the team. He is the ultimate team player who creates space and opportunities for others and takes his chances at about a goal every other game. Aubameyang (hopefully) and Lacazette can work with him, and for Mesut Ozil he is also both a great chance converter and attacking pivot to work with.

Furthermore, Ollie is our supersub and a good team needs a supersub. He also offers a lot of support in defence when set-pieces need to be dealt with, and his work rate and love for the shirt are never in doubt.

So let’s keep hold of Giroud at least till the summer.

By TotalArsenal.

3-5-2: Aubemeyang and Lacazette up top | Jack-Mkhitaryan-Kola-Rambo-Ozil Midfield: Sexy or What?

Hard Times for Gooners across the world. It is easy to feel more than a bit down about our team and the immediate future; the BoD and Wenger, and his supporting staff, have their work cut out to change the mood in the coming fortnight.

Luckily, we are being strongly linked with a few excellent, experienced and ready-to-tango players to replace the imminently departing Sanchez and Walcott (and the already departed Le Coq).

As one of the biggest Arsenal signings of a January transfer window once said – the one and only Andrey Arshavin: we cannot allow ourselves to indulge in melancholy. Yes, we need to get back to positivity, to hope… to fascination for all that is Arsenal. As the Human League put it in one of their fabulous songs ‘Fascination’:

Keep feeling fascination
Passion burning
Love so strong
Keep feeling fascination
Looking, learning
Moving on

Well the truth may need some
Re-arranging
Stories to be told
And, plain to see, the facts are changing
No meaning left to hold

So let’s tell some stories and re-arrange the truth. Here are some TA-facts of the situation:

  1. Like it or not, Wenger is going to stay till at least the summer;
  2. Sanchez will be sold and  we will get Mkhitaryan in return;
  3. Theo will leave for a juicy £20m and we will not need to replace him;
  4. Le Coq has gone (feel a bit sad about that, good lad he was);
  5. We are going to stick with three at the back but put five in midfield and two up top;
  6. Welbz and Giroud will be kept as back up;
  7. We will sign Aubemeyang;
  8. Kolasinac will move in central defence and eat PL players for fun;
  9. Mesut will sign a new contract and get a statue next to DB10;
  10. Nacho and Koz will be fully fit soon and play the rest of the season…

Yes fellow Gooners, these ten facts will come to fruition and our team will look like this:

submit football lineup

How sexy is this, hey? We will smother our opponents in their own half with the midfield heavy weights of Jack, Rambo, Kola-the-beast-in-the-middle, Mkhitaryan and Ozil. Up-front we have the athletes of Laca and Aubemeyang running defences ragged and pouncing on the multiple opportunities delivered on a silver plate by Mesut, Jack etc. There will be little defending to be done and Nacho, Mustafi and Koz will be waiting for our bamboozled, and half-eaten opponents anyway.

Ah that feels a lot better.

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Feel free to add your very own fascinating rearrangements of facts! 🙂

By TotalArsenal

The Brain: The One Player Arsenal Should Sign Up

ENOUGH OF MURKY WATERS: (TRAPPED IN THE THRIFT-CULTURE OF THE EMIRATE YEARS).

Arsenal fell into Bournemouth’s trap. We were harried into hurrying our game without any plan or purpose. Bournemouth came at us with all they had and we couldn’t dance away from their flurry or keep them at bay with straight left jabs or put them down with stunning right counters. We did not have the brains, nor the punch, nor the skills, nor the stamina, nor the self-conviction. Of course, we lost.

Arsenal without Ozil is a team without a brain. Without Sanchez it has no punch. Sanchez is as good as gone. I don’t even want him anymore. But find a new punch we must. As for Ozil, we should quickly give him what he wants which very much includes quality players around him – but not Welbeck, neither Walcott nor Iwobi.

If recruitment were like a trolley dash in a supermarket, I would have rattled out about a dozen names we should immediately sell or retire or loan out. In parallel to that would be a dash in and a dash out, with quality that is befitting of our status as the second richest club in the world according to a recent survey, or, if you prefer one that has stood up to scrutiny over a number of years, the sixth richest one. Not in any doubt is that we are financial footballing royalty. Mark that the footballing royalty is qualified by the word “financial”. I take great pains not to be misunderstood.

It’s tiring, this hide and seek game of Alexis and no Alexis, of Lemar and no Lemar, of Ozil and no Ozil, of Malcolm and no Malcolm. It exhausts me (I represent the fandom), it exhausts the players, exhausts everybody. The whole drama has become an epic of penny wise pound foolish.

There are only 15 matches left in the season and we are 8 pts adrift of 4th place. The 4th place “trophy” that used to rile us has become our wildest dream. What a fall. Yet, only a few years back, we were told by the management that we had reached a position where we could compete for all top honours. It was not intended to deceive. They were convinced of the truth of it having failed to recognize that they had become trapped in the thrift-culture of their recent past. Resplendent in the garb of royalty but stewed in the culture of peasantry they kept rolling over budgets of subsistence. And I (representing the fandom) am left to suffer the contradictions.

We must jolt ourselves out of our stupor starting from this week. We should let Sanchez go even for just the sake of the club’s pride. If you don’t want me, I don’t want you. That’s how proud we should be if we are to be conquerors. The vibes from Ozil are different. He is asking for a pay packet that is commensurate with his quality. He is also demanding that we put quality players around him as that is the way he can thrive, the way the team can thrive. It is us, the club, who should put pen to paper and sign his dotted lines. We have the muscles to do that. Only our small timer mentality is what we need to free ourselves of. We should beat off all competitors and get Ozil to stay with us. Get into the vast and rich market and take whom we want. If there is need to fire sale any dead woods, so be it. There is always a lot to gain traveling light.

Can we claw back the 8 pts plus needed to get into the Champions League place? First, we have to put our house in order. Now! It’s our only home. Thereafter we take it one game at a time (OGAAT).

A Gooner never says die!

By Pony Eye.

Alexis’ Last Game, Ozil or Iwobi, Jack to Juice the Cherries? Line-up|Preview

AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal

The Cherries and Eddie Howe bring a football smile to my face. There is something really lovely about them. This is only their third season in the top league and last season Bournemouth finished a very, very respectable ninth. Eddie Howe lets his boys play proper passing football and they all work for the team. It is the system of football and team culture, rather than a collection of quality players, that make the difference at AFC Bournemouth; and this, my friends, is a sign of an excellent football manager. He is  a real gent in front of the cameras and clearly lives for the game.

It is also at Dean Court where Super Jack regained his confidence and game rhythm, and Howe really was the right manager for him to make this happen. For this we should be very thankful.

Despite all this respect we have for the Cherries and their manager (and possibly ours in the far future), we need to be focussed on just one thing: going home with all three points. We are desperate for a good run and a win today will reconnect us with the top five/four. Arsenal (22 games, 39 points) are at least five points behind fourth place (Pool, on 44 points, are playing Citeh later today).

With all the transfer window shenanigans going on this month and that substantial risk of getting (too) far behind the top four, it feels like today’s match is both critical and pivotal for the team and manager. It will be a test of character and pride in the shirt, no doubt.

We all know that Arsene and the team are struggling to get the balance right between defending and attacking. We let too many in and have been far too nice to the nets of the opposing teams. With Mustafi back in defence we now have a better chance of keeping it clean at the back, although we will still be without Nacho and Koz… but it is up front where we have real concerns. Lacazette has not scored for a while and the TEAM has to work a lot harder to bring him into scoring positions. The fab Frenchman could not work any harder for the team and now it is time to realise that Alex, not Alexis, is our main goal-threat. Wenger had this to say about Lacazette on Arsenal.com:

“Everybody goes through that spell. Alexandre Lacazette is a real team player and if he continues to give to the team what he’s giving at the moment, the team will give it back to him. At some stage, he will score very quickly. But because he’s not used to that, at the moment it’s a bit difficult for him to bear that, but I’m not worried about it, honestly.”

I reckon, we need ‘the team to give it back to him’ right here and now, and a tactical adjustment is required. Unfortunately, we have both too many good players (Giroud, Rambo) injured and back up players hopelessly out of form (Welbeck, Walcott and Iwobi); so Wenger has only a few options right now. I expect this to be Alexis’ last game in the mighty red and white, as Wenger has no option but to play him today and then to sell him for good money and go and get a replacement in time.

This is the predicted line-up:

submit football lineup

Ozil is a doubt and hopefully he plays. If not, it will have to be Iwobi. Time for some determined cherry-picking and to take back three points to the home of football. Sorry nice man Eddie.

By TotalArsenal.