This was a game Arsenal should have been expected to win, as they have been in good form this season, and they were aided by the experienced pair of Diaby and Coquelin. However, they were made to work hard for their victory, which keeps them at the top of the table.
The full line up of: Martinez in goal; Ormond-Ottewill(B54) LB; O’Connor and Hayden the CB’s; Bellerin RB. Midfield: Diaby And Coquelin Holding, and Crowley AM; (1st half) Zelalem CAM, and Akpom up front. Maitland-Niles was sort of somewhere between second striker, winger and AM.
The first piece of action from the Gunners’ came on the counter, with the ball played out to M-Niles who showed good pace, drifted into space from the left and hit a beautiful controlled curler that hit the bar, with the keeper beaten all ends up. Sadly, that was the last time he was seen out there during this half. Arsenal really struggled to control the game through some sloppy passing. Zelalem hardly got a touch of the ball, Coquelin and Diaby were trying difficult passes that Villa were able to cut out.
However, the solid central barrier of O’Connor and Hayden – the latter had the captain’s armband – meant Martinez was never troubled, despite getting a series of corners off other defenders. These were not always cleared effectively, but Martinez claimed everything that came his way.
Going the other way, Crowley showed some good skills, but had a couple of long range shots when a pass might have been better. Akpom’s 1st goal came about not from a tremendous build up play, rather more a case of a defender trying to be too clever and allowing Akpom strength to rob him just outside the Villa box. He showed a neat bit of skill in committing the keeper one way, skipping past him and cutting it back into the bottom left hand corner. A real composed finish which was all by his making. He had a glorious chance to double the score when showing some real pace to get clear of the defence, one on one with the keeper, but he took it too close to the keeper who just managed to get an outstretched leg to it. And the half ended with just the one goal lead.
Whilst Arsenal had the better chances, Villa could, or should have made more of theirs. On one occasion they had a man over when both Bellerin and B54 were caught up-field, leaving acres of space behind them. Both the full backs made some great overlapping runs down the line which did not bring any joy in front of goal, so one suspects that one of the ‘holding’ midfielders were not holding their positions?
It was to change in the second half.
Bellerin’s runs over the halfway line were noticeably curbed. Zelalem suddenly became Mr Available rather than Mr Invisible in the first half. M-Niles now was instructed to stay on the right, and thus keep Bellerin from advancing too far forwards … But it was Villa that came out with the greater threat.
Their first attempt went through Bellerin’s legs and deflected past Martinez’s far post. Another saw our keeper make a last minute stop as a ball sped towards the inside of the upright. Although his parry went straight to a Villa player, he was ruled off-side when the ball came in … and from two yards he skied it anyway, which sort of summed up Villa’s night.
Meanwhile our attacks were looking much more menacing with Zelalem getting involved much more. M-Niles cut in from the left and hit a tame shot on his weaker side. Hayden found himself in the opposition box and cut a precise pass/cross to the far post. Unfortunately, both M-Niles and Akpom were waiting, and the former put it wide. A similar thing late on with Bellerin: having a mazy run off the right wing took him past three defenders, one of our strikers, only to come to a halt when Akpom helped make a double barrier with the defender clearing.
Finally though, Akpom was on to a trade mark Zelalem pass that Ozil would have been proud of, squeezed past two defenders as the keeper came out, and as he was falling he toe-flicked towards the far post with the keeper helpless, and it curled in off the post. Similar to Sanogo’s 4th against Benfica, except this had further to travel.
So top honours went to Akpom, who might have had a second hattrick, but has now scored 6 in 3 games for the Under 21’s!
Of the others, Diaby got through 90 minutes. Held on to the ball well, but will need a few more games like this to get his real sharp passing going.
Bellerin was ever keen to get forwards but played a more disciplined role in the second half. He made some good defensive tackles too, but also lost out a few times when over-doing the trickery.
Hayden had an impressive game, giving out an unruffled calm worthy of Per himself. If I was to be picky, I would say he could direct his clearances at teammates rather than just clear the lines, but that is being really picky!
Coquelin was hard working, but sadly he doesn’t look the part for a step up, and time is running out. He will get more opportunities at this level, but his passing is a bit wayward.
B54- Brandon Ormond-Ottewill to give him his full title made some great runs down the left, and followed it up with some dangerous crosses. He has not had the exposure that Bellerin has had, and has a little more time to develop, but is a lively sort who may just be right to take over from Nacho in a couple of years?
O’Connor is only in his first season and will benefit from having Hayden around. He should take advantage as he will get a new partner pretty soon, I think?
Whilst talking of defenders, Martinez in goal looked like somebody who had stepped down a level. I think he will be anxious to strut his stuff with the first team whenever he can.
Crowley has a touch of goal thirst on him from what I saw. Somebody will be having a word in his ear to tell him he is a creative midfielder, and that creativity should be directed at others first, and should only shoot when there are no better options available. That was not the case tonight, but he is one of the younger ones stepping up. Skillwise he looks the part.
Zelalem was a tale of two halves. When he can nail his second half display into a 90 minute performance, he will be a force to be reckoned with, and this second 45 will do his confidence the world of good.
I felt I was robbed of seeing the true Maitland-Niles tonight. He may not have the high profile of some of his team mates, but I see a very good player developing in him. He may not make it through to Arsenal’s first team anytime soon, or maybe not at all? But he will do any side proud for effort and no mean skill on the ball.
Chuba Akpom? What don’t you know already? He is tall, strong, quick, with a deft touch around goal … and he has got his head down to get a first team start. The COC beckons, and with a slight vacancy for pace down the left side, he could make more than one appearance … this season.
Overall, it was Akpom who made the difference in the scoreline, but all can be happy with some parts of their game. As to claims for a spot in the Southampton COC tie, Hayden is the standout for me. Others will have to see who is rested.
Written by: Gerry.
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The Curious Case of Francis Coquelin – and our youth academy in general.
Francis on his way to Schalke 04 or will he get a chance in the first team next season?
After seeing Arteta limp off the pitch against Wigan on Tuesday, there have been questions surrounding his fitness for this Sunday’s crucial tie with Newcastle. Will Arsenal be able to cope without its fearless leader, engine, and one half of the blossoming DM-pivot partnership? Who will replace him in the starting line-up if he is indeed not fit?
The obvious choice, if healthy, would be Jack Wilshere. However, Arsene is reluctant to use Jack unless it is an absolute necessity (in which case this may be one), since he is on heavy pain relievers until he goes under the knife to remove a pin in his ankle once the season concludes.
The next logical option would be Francis Coquelin.
Once labelled as the DM of the future, together with Frimpong, the two young Arsenal academy products were seen as the ideal midfield combo to lead our team for years.
So then, what does Arsene now do with Coquelin? There is plenty of promise to his game, but he is either not receiving the minutes he needs to properly develop his play and confidence, or his progression is simply not living up to the expectations demanded from him.
In my opinion, starting Coquelin in such a crucial game this Sunday would be setting him up for failure. He has not started a match since mid-February and would clearly be off-form. His confidence will surely be very low and we cannot afford to allow a player time to “shake off the rust”, with Champions League qualification at stake.
Media circulated rumours are swirling that Schalke 04 have inquired about the availability of purchasing Coquelin on a permanent transfer. Many Arsenal fans, including myself, are extremely reluctant to let such a promising talent leave the club, only to blossom elsewhere. However, at what point is a move away from the club for first-team opportunities in the best interests of the player?
We’ve started to see academy players leave our club in search of first-team action, such as Bartley to Swansea, Angha to Nuremburg, Ebecilio to Twente etc. It remains to be seen if these prospects will ever amount to anything, but Arsenal also seems to lack the presence of a club like Barcelona, where their youth products are always itching for an eventual return to their boyhood club.
One must now ask the unavoidable question: is our youth academy failing to produce the necessary talent for the first-team, or is AW not affording our youth the opportunity to prove themselves at the highest level?
Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to this question, but I do speculate it is a combination of both aspects, with a heavier emphasis on our youth simply not developing at a rate quick enough to match, or better, the level of quality needed to compete at the top.
Now, this is not to say that the youth academy has been a complete waste, since there are some promising players coming through the ranks in Gnabry, Eisfeld, Bellerin, Zelalem, Olsson etc.
However, there are some key questions which need to be explored a bit further:
Will these players be given first-team opportunities early, and consistently enough, to satisfy their desires for top-flight football?
Or will we continue to see an exodus of our youth, and eventually have a few come back and haunt us as overlooked top talents?
What effect will purchasing top quality, established players from other clubs have on our youth and academy in general?
Fine, fellow Gooners, I would now like to open the floor and hear your thoughts. Would you start Coquelin this Sunday? Will we regret neglecting our promising youth in search of top quality players that can help us now?
Since the departure of Fabregas, almost two seasons ago, Arsene Wenger has struggled to find the right combinations in midfield.
Last season, he experimented desperately to get enough creative spark in his beloved 4-2-1-3 formation. He tried Ramsey as his lone creative/attacking midfielder (CAM) but it did not work out. If and when Rosicky was fit, he was played as our CAM and the team often played a lot better as a result. But Tomas Rosicky’s anagram of ‘Sick Room Stay’ seems to always follow him, as he was once again more injured than available for Arsene. Wenger was hoping either Wilshere or Diaby would return to fitness, but they also remained in the treatment room, and in both cases for the entire season.
Ultimately, Wenger found a solution in asking Song to become our lynchpin player between defence and attack, which included producing a significant number of assists. Song did a great job at this and together with Theo and van Judas he saved our season, in terms of goals and assists. Many fans criticised some of his defensive performances, but these were the price to pay for the invaluable support he gave to our attack.
The Cameroonian’s partnership with Arteta had become a very strong one, and if Arsene could have added a new CAM during last summer, or JW10 would have returned to full fitness from the start, we finally would have had a strong and consistent midfield to kick-off the 2012-2013 season.
Inexplicably, Song was sold late in the summer and no replacement was brought in. Yet, Arsene did bring in a quality CAM in Cazorla, and luckily, JW10 finally returned to full fitness as well. Initially, everything looked great as both Arteta and Diaby started the season strong, both individually and as a ‘double DM tandem’.
However, Diaby became injured once again and Wilshere took his place once he became fully fit. With our defence not firing from all cylinders, and Arteta not the prototype DM many of us have been asking for, Jack was forced to stay back and help out on the defensive side a lot – and I would say too much. At the same time, Santi struggled to really give shape and purpose to our attacking play, and it became clear that the balance in our midfield was not right, once again.
During the January Transfer Window, we were linked with a number of typical, hairy-arsed DM’s, but regrettably, nobody was signed. Diaby has returned and has played a number of games recently. However, he is a shadow of the player we applauded so much after his game at Anfield, at the start of the season. Furthermore, and even more worrying; his partnership with Arteta has gone flat, as both players struggle to protect the defence properly, or support our attacking moves with the necessary impetus and gusto.
Rosicky has been fit for a while now, but does not seem to be able to get a foot into the first team anymore. This is surprising, given that he signed a new contract not so long ago and Wenger has always liked him. Rosicky had a decent game against Blackburn last weekend, but did not start against Bayern, and did not feature at all against Aston Villa. What is going on here?
I know that Song is not every Gooner’s favourite player, but I feel we are missing him badly at the moment. I am convinced that if Arsene would have asked Song to play as a sole, traditional DM, he would do this with gusto, and be very good at it as well. But he was sold and not replaced, and I feel strongly that this is biting Arsene badly in the arse at the moment.
So what to do with our midfield and with the likes of Diaby, Rosicky and Arteta?
I was glad to see Jack being played in the CAM position this Saturday, but just as against Blackburn a week ago, both Diaby and Arteta did not provide him, or the defence, with the required quality of support. This is a worry, and on top of that Diaby is injured again, and God only knows how long it is going to take before the lanky Frenchman is fully fit again.
We cannot buy a DM until the next TW, so we have to make do with what we have. I guess the easiest solution for Arsene is to put Jack next to Arteta and play Cazorla as our CAM. Another option is to combine Arteta with either Ramsey or Coquelin. For me, they are both not ideal but either of them should have a run of games now. Another option is to play Rosicky as our CAM, or even next to Arteta, but Wenger does not seem to want to play him regularly anymore.
However, Wenger will need to get this balance right as soon as possible: our defence needs better quality protection and our attack the right level of thrust and creativity. If he gets it right, we will finish in the top 3/ top 4 this season; if not, it will most probably be ‘Channel Five – Thursday Night’ for us.
It was once the toughest away fixture in the Premier league, with Chelsea holding the greatest sequence of unbeaten home matches: 86, from March 2004 – October 2008. But hey, Roman Abramovich’s millions can buy you almost anything these days…yes it can even help you win the Champions League title.
In the present, they do not hold that psychological advantage over their opposition, so we should travel across London on Sunday showing no fear. The only person who should be holding any sort of fear should be Rafa Benitez. In what is perhaps the most demanding managerial position in football today, the pressure is persistently mounting on him. It’s only a matter of time before he joins the long list of Chelsea casualties; we shall see who is next through the revolving door soon enough.
Last time around, we were beaten thanks to some set piece problems and a few important players missing. This time we have almost a full squad to choose from with Szcz, Sagna, and Wilshere available for the return fixture. Chelsea won’t know what hit them this time, because these three are perhaps our most important players in our starting line-up.
Let’s begin now shall we!
Missing in Action:
Arsenal: Rosicky (calf) remains on the sidelines (not sure he left to be honest), which is unfortunate because he could provide a much needed rest to either Santi or Jack. Arteta (calf) and Fabianski will also miss out.
Kozzer returns from his one-match suspension. Gerv misses this one due to Coupe d’Afrique des Nations duty.
Chelsea: Romeu is out with a knee injury. Everyone’s favourite defender Terry returns after a two month absence. He appeared as a sub midweek, so I would not be surprised if he comes back in to the starting line-up for this one.
Chelsea are also devoid of both Mikel and Moses because of ACoN.
Predicted Line-up:
I would not change the line-up from the one we saw midweek. As far as I’m concerned I think that is our best possible line-up. I like Coquelin over Arteta because he is faster and more tenacious, and his attacking link up work is also very underrated. Santi gives us the width that Ramsey doesn’t, but can also wander in field and create opportunities. Diaby is unplayable at times, and without Mikel he really has a chance to boss the midfield. Let’s give it a go again!!!
Expect to see Terry back at CB and Ivanovic to return at RB. Now Lampard has signed a pre-contract with LA Galaxy, it will be interesting to see if he keeps his starting position, or whether he relinquishes it to Ramires and Luiz. Chelsea will most likely use a 4-2-1-3 formation with Torres up top, Mata and Hazard on the wings, Oscar at AM, Ramires and Lampard central, and a back four of Tumbling Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic, and some traitorous swine known as Cole.
Previous Encounters:
Arsenal 1 – Chelsea 2
On September 29th Arsenal faced a Chelsea team that was sitting on top of the ladder and in red hot form. Diaby tested Cech from long range early on and subsequently injured himself in the process; an injury that looked rather innocuous at the time but kept him on the sidelines until last weekend. Chelsea responded with a goal thanks to a bit of skill by Torres from a set piece…however, it was the poor marking from Kozzer that allowed the expensive flop Torres to score. Gervinho levelled the score before half time with a rather impressive turn and shot (his only real involvement of the game it has to be said). Mata finished off the tie with a great free kick that took a slight deflection of Kozzer. Not Kozzer’s best game but I still maintain that he is our best defender when fully confident. Nevertheless, Chelsea got it done when it Mata’d…I’ll get my coat.
Arsenal 0 – Chelsea 0
Two great saves from Cech and some wasteful efforts from another traitorous swine meant Arsenal could not breakdown a robust Chelsea team.
Form Guide:Arsenal: WLDDW Chelsea: DWLWL
Despite dropping points against the Manchester Oilers a lot of positives could be drawn from our second half performance. Although we only beat Swansea 1-0 midweek we played all over them for the entire match and could quite easily have belted them all the way back to Wales. The signs are positive, we must continue to build on the momentum we have.
Chelsea haven’t had too much luck recently (they did beat Stoke away 0-4 which is not to be scoffed at) losing out to QPR, Swansea, and drawing against Southampton in their last three home fixtures. Let us hope the nightmare continues.
This week I’ve dipped into the Arsenal Archive and pulled out this video clip. It is a highlights package from our 2-0 win over Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final. Oh To, Oh To Be, Oh To Be A Gooner!!!
One to Watch:
Theo Walcott: He finally signed the thing! Hallelujah we can all breathe again. Now it’s time to get fully behind him and let’s see what he can produce under Arsene’s tutelage. His stats are undeniable, his speed is blistering, and his finishing is top notch. It’s time for him to put his money where his mouth is, and I have complete faith in him doing so!
Demba Ba…again! We had to deal with him not long ago at the Emirates and he managed to put two past us on that occasion. The man is a quality poacher and scores whenever given a sniff. If I was Torres I would be worried because Ba can deliver (as he showed midweek against Southampton) and is eyeing his starting position. It’s unlike Chelsea to do a shrewd bit of business, but I feel this time they’ve struck gold for a fraction of the cost.
Mata will also be one to keep our eye on; last time around he was afforded too much room, and we can’t let it happen again!
Key-Match up:
Francis Coquelin vs Juan Mata
Our young midfield enforcer against Chelsea’s most dangerous player and creator Juan Mata (8 assists, 7 goals). Now that Walcott has signed his contract. all that remains for most Arsenal supporters is the need for a midfield enforcer/beast/monster/barbarian/troglodyte/cannibal, in other words a snarling midfielder who can protect the back four and boss the midfield. Nigel De Jong is only 174cm and 72kgs, Gattuso is 177cm and 77kgs, Flamini is 178 cm and 67kgs, M’Vila is 182cm and 80kgs, Francis Coquelin is 182 cm and 75kgs and still developing. So you don’t have to be a brute to be a great defensive midfielder! Coquelin has his chance to usurp Arteta’s position (tough, given our winning % without Arteta is 14.28%) in the starting line-up (similar to how Flamini did to Gilberto) by putting together more strong performances like the one against Swansea. He and Diaby complemented one another brilliantly; what a partnership they could forge for both Arsenal and France!
Mata caused us all sorts of troubles at the Emirates (1 goal and an assist), so Coquelin must be watching him like a hawk the entire game. Not give him an inch, and he and the team must be careful not to commit any fouls around the box because he is deadly! Shackle Mata and we go a long way to winning this match.
Pre-Match Finger:
This week’s finger goes to the Bori! They are a secret coven of demons responsible for the possession of bad luck. Searching the Encyclopaedia of Demons was the only next logical step to curing Diaby of his injury curse. He is a magnificent player who always slips so seamlessly into the line-up. He has a powerful shot, amazing dribbling skills, fluid movement across the pitch, long legs that allow him to dispossess opposition players easily…he is our Paddy V version 2. The only problem is he cannot stay off the treatment table for too long. Arsene has been very patient but how much longer can it last? He is commanding a good salary and potentially holding back another player in the squad.
Now rumour has it that to get rid of this demon one must say the word ‘iron’ repeatedly…I’m suspect though. because Jack is made of iron and surely that’d be enough to exorcise the demon from Diaby! The only other solution is a special dance; now Sagna, BFG, and Podolski tried it in the pre-season…
But, it clearly wasn’t enough because it only worked on Diaby temporarily. At the next home game we need everyone at the Emirates to perform the same dance once Diaby comes on to the pitch! Let’s vanquish this demon so we can unleash our own in the centre of the pitch!
Pre-Match pat on the back:
This week’s pat on the back goes to Jack Wilshere. Not because he is a future Arsenal hall of famer (he will be!), not because he’s going to be one of the best in the world (he will be!), not because every Arsenal male fan has a man crush on him (they do!); it is because he’s everything we love in a player. Not because he scored the winner against Swansea (it was darn good though!), but because the kid has a wise head on his shoulders. He has come back strong from a serious injury and does the little things on the field that others don’t. Against Swansea, towards the end of the game, he made a simple gesture to his team mates to ‘think about what you are doing’. We had the lead and the game was drawing to a close and he was making sure we didn’t lose our heads once again. Keep the lid on it he’s still young you say…sorry, that lid blew off when he scored this pearler at the tender age of 16.
see 1.19 mins
‘Ask the opposition’ returns again, this week. It is designed to get some friendly banter from our opposition fans and get their insight for the match ahead. This week the answers were kindly provided by CD from http://www.chelseadaft.org, and Blue Champion from http://www.bluechampions.com or his twitter handle @bluechampion. Let’s see what they’ve written for us this week:
1) What happens with Torres now Ba is scoring for fun?
CD: Torres is still the clubs number one striker. He has been good at times this season but badly needed a rest. I expected a better reaction from him the other week against Swansea after watching Demba Ba score two on his debut at Southampton but he didn’t seem bothered for the first time and the fans turned on him including me.
BlueChampion:Torres goes to the bench. And in the summer (if not this month) leaves the club and saves about £9m per year in salaries. Earlier his results were poor and now his efforts are also poor. Barring a miracle, he’s a goner.
2) Who has been Chelsea’s best player so far this season? What is he capable of?
CD: Juan Mata once again is our best player with Eden Hazard a close second. Mata finds space and can hurt you. You have seen at the Emirates that he can take a set piece, he can score goals and create them. He is a perfect number 10.
BlueChampion:Juan Mata. He’s the magician that pulls the strings for Chelsea. All attacks go through him and he has such chemistry with all forward players that he is a threat all the time. What’s he capable of? Wait until Sunday.
3) What’s your take on the Frank Lampard situation?
CD: Frank Lampard deserves another contract in my book. He is still fit, still performing and scoring goals in the Premier League. People forget he missed half a season through injury two years ago and remains an important part of our squad. You need experience in the squad to bring out the best in people and if he leaves this summer, Chelsea would have made a mistake.
BlueChampion:He’s 35 this summer. I’m with the club. Happy for one-year extensions with pay cuts. We already have a crowded midfield with young talents – Ramires, Luiz, Romeu, Oscar, McEachran (on loan) and Kevin de Bruyne (on loan). Looking forward to his Bobby Tambling record. After that he should stay at club’s terms or go.
4) Benitez…how much longer will he last?
CD: I hope Benitez goes sooner rather than the summer but I can’t see it happening. He is too slow to react to situations that are happening in front of him on the pitch. Look at Wenger or Mourinho. If things aren’t going well, they make instant changes to try and affect the game from the bench, positive changes. He has had chances to do that in our last four three home games, hasn’t done it quick enough and we haven’t won the game. Apparently, he told the team at half time on Wednesday being 2-0 up against Southampton at home “wasn’t safe” and we needed a third goal! Who on earth would say that to a Chelsea team 2-0 up and cruising against Southampton! (No disrespect to them of course!).
BlueChampion:Certainly until the end of the season. Remember his contract is for 18 months with an option to review at the end of the season. So if we don’t find a more permanent manager (which he is clearly not), he can continue his contract which runs till end of 2013/14 season.
5) What position/player is your weakest link?
CD: At the moment it seems that at right back is our weakest link. “Dave”( César Azpilicueta) has done well there but has been skinned twice in three league games against QPR and Southampton and we have conceded twice. I am hoping Branislav Ivanovic moves back out there with JT coming into the middle for Sunday.
BlueChampion:Our weakest link could be the double pivot (two of Lampard/Ramires/Luiz). All these are basically attack minded players in the supposedly defensive double pivot. You would find acres of space in the middle of the park to exploit and you can easily win the midfield battle. If only you had Arteta!
6) Which Arsenal player would you like to have and why?
CD: Theo Walcott. For the life of me, I have never understood why Arsene Wenger has never played Walcott through the middle as a striker until it has got to the stage of him leaving? He is a readymade Thierry Henry replacement with his pace alone. Of course he still needs work playing there but his raw pace and ability should justify him starting week in, week out. I see he is about to sign a new deal but if it falls through, I would love Roman to bring him to Stamford Bridge!
BlueChampion:Theo Walcott. Because he brings in a new dimension to the Chelsea squad. He can be a great plan B. We have too many ballers now but we need players like Walcott who can threaten you with sheer pace and he is a good finisher too. He can be a striker option as well as a wide forward player. Hope he doesn’t sign that extension of yours (oops too late!).
7) What is your prediction for the match?
CD: God knows to be honest. At home at the moment Chelsea are a nightmare. We have attacking flair, expressive players playing expansive football until we reach the final third and then find it hard to break sides down. Benitez talks of missed chances against Southampton, but there were hardly any real clear cut opportunities. Out of 18 attempts on goal just three were on target. If Arsenal come here and set their stall out to defend and hit us on the counter, we could have real problems. In saying that, if we can get at the Arsenal, we can cause you all sorts of problems too. Whoever defends better wins the game and it’s as simple as that.
BlueChampion:My prediction is a 2-1 win for Chelsea. Will be an open match. Arsenal’s defence (minusKoscielny) would just suit our bunch very well. We are a much better team now than we had met you last at the Emirates stadium. Even John Terry would be back. But you’re losing Arteta and Kosielny. On paper, Chelsea do look a stronger team with a greater possibility of a win.
Prediction:
Chelsea have only won one in their last seven home games, and I expect the bad run to continue. We will be choc-full of confidence after the Swansea game and the signing of Theo. It should be enough to see us get over the line on our way to a 1-2 victory. Now I wasn’t too sure about my prediction this week so I signed up to a free psychic website and asked a lady with 20-25 years of experience in the field a couple of questions:
Oz: Will Arsenal beat Chelsea this weekend? And by how much?
Jetember: More than likely yes. 1-0
Oz: Will John Terry fall over again?
Jetember:I’m seeing no
Oz:Bugger! My mate TMHT has had some bad luck in his life can you help?
Jetember:I can say a special prayer for your friend (she begins swinging a chain with a cross attached and speaking in another language. 2 minutes later…)
Oz:Thank you. Will we win the Champions League?
Jetember:Unfortunately no
That ended the conversation as I concluded that she knew nothing. I should have known considering she had rap music playing in the back ground. I’ll stick with my prediction! 1-2 to the good guys.
I must admit to being in two minds about our game against the Jacks tonight: one of anticipation and one of apprehension. As per yesterday’s post, Arsenal have a number of seemingly structural problems; every time we believe the team has made significant progress, they let us down again with the same problems resurfacing once more.
I am repeating a paragraph in yesterday’s post to sum it all up:
What is more worrying is the lack of form and shape to the team; the inability to organise our defence and get a run of solid defensive team performances; the lack of balance in midfield and inability to totally dominate this area anymore; the unsettledness, and unpredictable level of performances, by our strike-force; and most importantly, the lack of cohesion, leadership and collective fighting spirit throughout the team.
If Arsenal are to beat Swansea tonight, it will have to show a significant improvement in all the above areas, in my view. And that is where my apprehension is coming from: there is a lot that needs sorting and I am not sure we can do it all at the moment.
Swansea have nothing to lose tonight and will play their well-drilled game of absorbing pressure and try to catch us on the break.
It has worked against many teams, notably most recently against the Chavs, and why would they change it?! So, that is the tactics done again: Vermaelen to devour Michu and our team to play at a tempo that will not allow the Jacks to settle; oh and taking our chances when they arrive. Simples! 🙂
Rosicky For Sale?
What is going on with regards to Tomas Rosicky? He had a fantastic first half game against Olympiacos and then he got substituted and we have not seen him on the pitch ever since (if I remember correctly). I cannot get my head around the fact he was not played at all during the busy festive season, as the likes of Wilshere, Cazorla and Podolski could have done with a break.
Tomas is Arsenal through and through, signed a new contract not that long ago, he knows how Wenger wants to play better than anybody else, and he gives us shape and purpose?
So, why has he not played at all? The only answer I can give you is that Arsenal are planning to sell him during this transfer window, and for that they would have to keep him fully fit. Not playing him might also make him more keen for a move, as Tomas is the kind of guy who loves to play football rather than sit on the bench and collect his pay cheques.
Apparently, he has a slight muscular problem and won’t be fit for tonight….
Giroud must play.
Theo alone up-front is a work in progress and Arsenal cannot afford to play the same strike-force again against Swansea: the risk of another disjointed performance in attack is far too high. Swansea will also allow us little space which makes playing a fluid-three – Pod, Theo, Ox – up-front not our best option, in my view. Tonight, we need a strong pivot in attack.
I hope we start with Giroud in the centre and either Theo on the wing, or next to him in a 4-4-2 formation.
If we are to beat Swansea tonight, we need to get behind them as much as possible via our wings; and a lot will be asked from the most likely wing-combos of Sagna and Ox (or Theo) and Gibbs and Pod. Chelsea failed to use the wings enough against the Jacks last week, and they paid for it. On top of that, we need a strong target man, which Giroud clearly is. All other attackers should be able to benefit from Giroud presence in the box and I hope we’ll see goals by him and/or Pod, Ox, Cazorla (and Theo?).
Is this Coquelin’s chance or will it be Diaby again?
Enough has been said about Diaby’s rustiness in the ‘Arteta’ role and whether it is his best position in the first place. There appears to be a continuous reluctance by Wenger to play Coquelin in the Arteta role, and although I have doubts myself about his readiness, I feel Arsene needs to start him tonight. This should be the sort of game in which he can make his mark and we all need to know how ready he is for regular first team football.
Bergkampesque 