Alexis OUT! Can these two Arsenal stars do the biz instead?

Arsene Wenger held his pre-match press conference today ahead of the FA cup clash between Arsenal and the Championship league leaders Middlesborough at the Emirates stadium on Sunday. And although the Frenchman did not confirm it completely, it appears highly unlikely that we are going to be able to call on Alexis Sanchez for the crucial clash.

So with the visiting team having an excellent recent record, especially defensively, the concern will be about how the Gunners manage to break them down without our star man. With 18 goals so far this season, the Chilean is clearly our most potent threat and is the only Gunner that has reached double figures.

But we should not be panicking just yet Gooners, because Arsenal do have a couple of other weapons in our armoury. I am talking about Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, who are both just recently back from their own injury problems.

Wenger has been very careful with the England international after he spent around a year on the sidelines but Theo has now played a few times and should be fully fit and fired up to take the place of Alexis on the wing. And he has already found his shooting boots again, with three goals from his last three starts, including a second minute opener against Brighton in the last round of the cup.

Ozil has been even better, rediscovering his old knack of providing assists but also scoring the goals that his talent deserves. The question is whether having these two stars back and in form can counter the absence of Alexis Sanchez and get us past Middlesborough into the quarter-finals. What do you think?

Tags Middlesborough Ozil Walcott

28 Comments

  1. We’ll be missing some kdy players. So what? We should be able to beat any championship side even with our second team out, let alone with the likes of Özil, Walcott and Cazorla. It’s not overconfidence or arrogance, it’s an unwillingness to accept failure. There are no excuses for not winning.

      1. No, each side will field their best team for the job.
        City lost 0-2 but had 65% possession, 24 shots against 14 shots and 11 corners against 2.
        Middlesbrough didn’t win, City badly failed to score.

        Lets give Middlesbrough their deserved credits. They are 1st in the championship and only conceded 20 goals in 30 games (best defence).

        We have to win and there is no other option.

        1. Just saying. There are always excuses dished up post a loss or bad performance from both msnagement & players.

          I don’tike it but there always seems a reason other than blaming ourselves.

          I just hope we turn up this time.

    1. I agree but seems people are still reluctant to properly understand the true odds/probability in these cup games against lower league teams. We are better than Middlesbrough because over a full season in a league we would come higher than them 95% of the time. In a one-off match the odds are dramatically more even – you only have to look at the bookies odds. They have a 30% chance of taking us back to the Riverside and roughly 18% of winning. Not long odds at all. Not sure why people are still shocked with cup “upsets”.

      Needs to be our best team put out on the field, with or without Alexis.

      1. Also, you have to factor in when players from lower divisions play in the F.A cup against teams in the premier league they play their hearts out and generally perform to their highest possible level so to put themselves in the shop window and have the chance to earn/play in the big league. Generally, they’re more hungry.

        Not really applicable in Middlesboroughs case as they will be coming up anyhow barring a complete collapse.

        Should be the same for the PL players but it’s not always the case.

  2. We should beat them but it depends on which team shows up. The team thay beat city and villa, or the shambles from the last two games.

  3. give akpom the start/same with rosicky/gabriel/gibbs/szezcny/wilshere. Ozil should come off the bench i think he would change the game monumentally.

    off topic: have you guys been following how awful podolski has been at inter? now we’re surely stuck with him for good until his contract ends.

    1. I remember when so many people were bashing Wenger for not playing him and now everyone can see why. Podolski has always failed at big clubs and his only saving grace is for him to make his exit back to Koln this summer. We should have sold him right after Germany won the World Cup to maximize what we could have gotten for him…

  4. Remember what happened in the last round. Many upsets by lower league teams.

    All I am saying is that we Must not underestimate Middlesborough or go in cocky and lazy

    ……………….Szczesny
    Gibbs…Gabriel…Hayden…Chambers
    ……………Bielik…..Rosicky
    Welbeck………..Ozil………..Walcott
    ……………..Akpom/Giroud

    1. Even though Carloza plays better with regular game time, I think he needs a rest. Hoping he’s in street clothes or on the bench Sunday.

  5. I for one feels dat sanchez needs a rest, walcott can do a great job from the flanks after all its middlesbrough. I also expect some of our u21 players to be involved tomorrow

  6. On paper Arsenal is a class above Boro
    No matter their previous form we have
    better players and home turf advantage.
    We “should” win this. 4-1 Arsenal.
    I am resting Koz’s archilles and its
    a toss up between Roza and Caza.
    Bellerin is playing too well to rest.
    Akpom from the bench.

    Struggling to complete the bench.

    Szcz
    Bellerin deabreu Mertz Gibbs
    Coquelin Cazorla
    Wallcot Ozil Wellbeck
    Giroud
    Subs.
    Ospina Chambers Monreal Flamini Rosicky Akpom Gnabry/zelalem
    COYG 🙂
    We’re gunner do this !!!!!!!!!!!

  7. OT: Man I really wanted Dybala as a player because the kid will no doubt be a star and would have been the perfect Podolski replacement for me, but I feel the Palermo boss is right about his corrupted influences hence why he would fancy Man City or Madrid. We could have been the perfect club for him to develop into probably a world class player… Sad

    1. Don’t know why but I suspect Dybala maybe on AW’s radar..

      I hope so but I think there would be a fierce bidding war for his services.

      Cavani also welcome of course!
      Two very different players who would frighten our opposition.

  8. Szcz
    Chamber Mertz Gabriel Gibbs
    Flamini
    Rosicky Cazorla
    Wallcot Giroud Ozil

    Subs.
    Martinez Bielik Monreal Coquelin Akpom Gnabry Welbeck

  9. We should piss them simple anything else the players need to have a hard look at themselves in the mirror. There team is not worth 42mill get what I’m saying

  10. Boro are better than some premier league teams so let’s not be complacent…and I don’t expect arsenal to be. They know more than anyone the iota fe of doing the job at the emirates.

    Arsenal need a confidence boosting performance.

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