I wonder if the comments by the Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta this week were intended as a gentle reminder to Arsene Wenger that the Spaniard is fit and ready for action and has been itching to get back on the pitch for some time. Arteta has been a sub in two Premier League games and the Community Shield win over Chelsea, but is it time for him to start a game?
The coming week provides the Arsenal boss with two very good opportunities to get his captain back in the starting XI, with Stoke City at home and then Dinamo Zagreb away. For me the game at the Emirates stadium on Saturday looks like it is made for Arteta, as his greater passing and creative ability will probably be more valuable to the Gunners as we look for a vital win and the Potters will be happy with a point.
I can perfectly understand why Wenger has stuck with Francis Coquelin as our deep lying midfielder so far, because the young Frenchman has been fantastic. Arsenal do need more though, and we cannot rely on him to play every single game. Surely it would be better to start sharing the load sooner rather than later and start each player in the games most suited to their talents.
So Chelsea away next weekend is nailed on for Coquelin but with two games before that in the same week, Arteta must be in line for a first competitive start since last November. Would you bring him back for Stoke or wait for the midweek Champions League game in Zagreb?
How do you know Stoke will come for a point?teams come to win games nowadays with a simple game plan of defend deep and counter attack at The Emirates!
I wonder if West Ham also came for a point.
Arteta bashing is pretty popular round these parts but I think people forget that he was our best player against Dortmund when he got injured and he made a great goal saving tackle in the dying minutes of Crystal Palace this season. He can still contribute albeit not on a regular starting basis. To your question, yes Arteta should start one of the games but my fear is that Coquelin will be asked to start all three.
Yeah, I afraid too. If Cock is overworked, good performance can’t be guaranteed.
It might be nice to use Coquelin in the stoke game. They will be hoping to counter all game.
Cech
Bellerin. Gabriel. Kos. Monreal
Ramsey. Coq
Ox. Santi. Alexis.
Giroud
I believe this is a similar line up to the Man city game last year. Probably one of the best games in years for arsenal
Coquelin does not need to start the game against Zagreb.
This will be stoke first 3 points Of the season.
Could be exciting watching Arteta linking up with OG upfront…cant wait!
My goodness. How’s that exciting???? Arteta, for all I know, only links up with the defenders behind him and the keeper.
Morinho won’t sign him even for free. Let us not fool ourselves last season we compared OG’s ability closely to Sanogo and he was even being replaced by Sanogo in big matches, remember the match against Bayern in UEFA. But his counterpart went to Crystal palace on loan and he didn’t made even a single start to the palace lineup. You guys, these kind of players (i.e. OG, Sanogo, Niklas) look good at arsenal because of the free flowing football from our midfield players. Surely Giroud does not make it to any of the top five EPL team and there is no any single manager from the top five will want to take him even for free.
I’m his biggest fun but no I don’t really think it should be starting right now
Nicholas Anelka has some message for you, guys. Audimus!
No there will be plenty of games for him to play and start in, there is absolutely no reason to bench Coquelin for the games coming up. Le Coq just had a nice test over the international break he should be fit and ready to go.
Wenger did not buy a DM
because he believes Arteta
and Flamini are good enough
to start v any one.
Well prove it and start Arteta against Stoke
and start Flamini v Dynamo.
other wise they are just expensive deadwood.
Arteta’s hard work and loyalty has been rewarded with captaincy and two FA Cups. I’m glad he has been apart of our trophy success as he left Everton for us and been a good player for us
He still is very useful. Coquelin needs rest once in a while because he is so important
I wish we had another top LW so Alexis could get rest once in a while
I think AW knows that he needs to put the best 11 on the pitch for each game. Coq is playing very well now and has attributes that Arteta does not have. Hopefully he will continue to start him unless fatigue is a factor.
just dont make miss pass
We need to get consistency in our team first, before we rest the coq.we get anything, other then a win against stoke and it will be world war three.
Get young Chris back from loan. He is a great player and need to play with this team but AW can’t see it. Look at FQ how he has been since he came back? Do the same you stupid man
I want Arteta to have a chance as an AM at Arsenal. Even if it’s for an injury time kick about. My recollection of him from Everton is of a number 10 with accurate match winning screamers.