Even though Olivier Giroud is out of form and lacking in confidence after his slow start to the season with Arsenal and the France national team, whose friendly fans helpfully booed the big striker this week, I did not expect Arsene Wenger to drop him for the clash with Stoke City today, but that is what the Frenchman has done.
Theo Walcott comes in and will probably occupy the centre forward position, although I would not mind seeing Alexis Sanchez given another chance to show what he can do there. THere is not likely to be a lot of space in behind as Stoke will surely try to stifle the game and defend deep.
THe only other change is Gabriel replavcing Mertesacker who does not even make the bench so must be struggling for fitness or with illness. But I think that could make our back line stronger and could be the shape of things to come for Arsenal in the future.
This is a big game for the likes of Ozil, Cazorla and Ramsey as it could be a difficult and patient job to break down a stubborn and determined Stoke side. And early goal would, of course, be ideal and if we get one this could be a goal fest. Any win wil do though, so Come On You Gunners and get the job done.
I like Paulista starting and giving Walcott a go up front. Good for Giroud motivation and hopefully good for the team / result.
I still think Walcott is a winger but hey, I support the team.
hopefully one day we can have someone proven like…
stephen naismith?!! WHAT THE HELLLLL
one goal from his weaker left foot, his right and one header.
thats a full house lads
taxi for jose
Id rathet ramsey not being on the wing….. He offers F all more then what the ox does! I just dont get it
3 PAST BEGOVIC
Twig, you can have your nice walk….
Get Theo on the right. He has worked too hard to have an injury being sandwiched between two CB’s.
It’s only a matter of time before ramsey gets injured again, he plays every minute of every game, wenger is not managing him well as he is injury prone too. He needs to sit on the bench some times, he is one of the few player in epl to have played every minute this season. I will like chamberlain to be given like a 5 game run on the right wing as i was really excited to see his progress after preseason. Hoping for a 2-0 win.
Steven naismith completes his hattrick against chelsea 3-1
NAISMITH……….. Hatrick!……… Against CheLshit!……………… EPIC!
Mourinho should really consider switching from yokohama to goodyear!
Naismith……………. Hatrick Against Chelshit!…………….. Something Giroud has never done even against a relegation team!
I think you actually love Giroud deep down.
still found a way to diss your club’s player, you sir are a c**t.
yea i Love him(Giroud) thats why i challenge him to do better…….or get replaced………. Think i’m more of the Latter
been very impressed with john stones…
an evertons play in general.
yea @ muff…………Stones……..Lil wonder why Moaniho was willing to fork out well over 30something miL for him………. Thank God! The transfer fell through
Chelsea lost for the third time in five matches, sms have given up 2+ goals every March this season, yet Arsenal are the specialists in failure. Piss off Mourinho, I can’t wait for you to get fired, again.
next week we play them
lets see who the failures are
MAN OF THE MATCH: Naismith and Stones
Theme of the match: “Nai-body does it better” …….. L()L
stoke will destroy arsenal…
i know. i have never had this little confidence in arsenal. A win would be a welcome shock. We are so slow in our play.
So…chelsea was active in the transfer window….so…..the just lost to Everton. …so…..3-1…so…
Wenger out!!!!!!
I like this line up ?
Whatever Naismith can do, Walcott can do better ?
I got a good feeling we will smash the potters!
7 or 8 nil … now then, where did I leave my crack pipe ?
Don’t do crack m’kay, crack is bad m’kay.
lol
It’s even more important for us to win now because of Chelsea result to start building up points against our rivals.
Must winger use Ramsey, santi, Ozil and coq in the same match.
He need balls to bench one of the first three.
I would prefer to use Oxlade myself, but I can see why in theory a better passer with a better scoring history could prove more useful trying to break a ten man defense. However ..Oxlades dribbling capabilities should not be underestimated in trying to ware down rigid backlines.
If we are winning I have no qualms with it but if we are finding breaking the deadlock a stubborn thing well then it makes even more sense to get our best dribblers out there.
Naismith is World Class
Wenger MUST get him
He will gladly leave Everton for us
Well go look at Walcotts twitter account. He tweeted praise for Sanchez then tweeted this about himself ….
“Alexis played well as a #9 for Chile and Theo looked great in his best position as a wide right forward. #afc
So at last Walcott admits he is no striker and that the wing is his best postion.
Bob …. Please note this.
If Walcott is playing as a striker, I expect a performance which will be less than what Giroud, Wellbeck and Sanchez would produce. I therefore think Sanchez should be up front. He can play with his back to goal unlike Walcott, will not keep turning into centre-halves and will have 3x more chance of scoring a goal and 5x more chance of giving an assist.
Has Walcott ever made an assist as a striker? Has he even passed the ball to another player before it is snatched away from him while playing as a striker?
Please don’t have Walcott up front.
LOL theo
double lol theo
crikey
What a joke walcott as striker, he’s already missed two sitters
Jesus Christ our finishing is bad
when u say our u mean theo lol
To be honest, Sanchez has missed as many chances as Walcott..
wolcott the mofo is shit how are we not 5-0up??
fk walcott
Theo has no footballing brains!!!!
Not getting a striker might cost us dearly
And ramsey at RW, what sort of useless point is wenger trying to prove
Walcott gives footballers a bad name
Walcott is Shitty up front
Put Cavani up front….oh wait, I forgot we didn’t get him
Put Giroud up front
Let the Theo Walcott name calling and bashing begin!
there already chanting for giroud lol
enough butland- your good- we get it
What a strike by Kosscielny?
Sergio aguero just limped off in man city vs palace game injured!
Anyone see a pattern here? Miss tons of chances, slowly the game will even up, maybe even concede a set piece.. COME ON, BURY THE BALL ALREADY!
THANK YOU!!
F OFF U THEO HATERS
no more walcott name calling uh? WALCOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Theoooooooooooooooo
And Walcott is back….
Ozil’s second assist!!!
insane pass.
mesut gets man love
Finally he scores, after missing loads of chances
Le coq is just amazing.
STRIKERS GOAL!
MAGICAL ASSIST!
MANLY TACKLE!
And people still doubt Coquelin!!
Theo!!!!!!!!! Thats what we wanted from you! 1-0 gunners!!!!
le coq with a monster tackle
ozil with a ridiculous assist
theo with the finish
lol goal indeed
ozil my boy
Believe in our players…..forget striker transfer saga…….support………………
NO chance of that on here
Another own goal for arsenal
11 in 11 now for Theo, but haters gonna hate!
Amazing assist Mr. Ozil.
Missed 2 sitters, still sucks!! There I said it
Not like you to be negative….
Not happy. Well happy about the goal but we should be 3-4 nil up. We are like 8 goals behind City’s GD, we need to be more clinical. I heard we are the worst team in the league, after Liverpool, in finishing. This needs to change.
long ball to walcott…..
the correct arsenal way??
Bloody brilliant top class goal by Theo. Started with a top class tackle, followed by a world class assist and finish.
Credit where it’s due. Yes, attempts were missed beforehand, but practice makes perfect and breeds confidence.
Ramsey…..lol
this is far from over. My God
Walcott been making great runs all game, need more long balls to take advantage of his incredible pace.
Maybe hang back a bit with Walcott upfront, to give him running space.
BS. sorry but there have been ewnough chances. hope it doesnt haunt us later
It’s either Cazorla and Ramsey, Cazorla and Ozil, pr Ozil and Ramsey. We cannot have all three and leave a proper winger in Oxlade out of the team. Wenger needs to understand this. One goal from Stoke, even a freakish one, and we will regretting those missed chances.
walcott is kiddin me right now. isnt he?
walcott 12 chances 1 goal , giroud with speed lol
we need a top top striker to win the league .
Great movement from Theo, dire finish…same as Mesut a few mins ago
Gabriel giving Stoke their own medicine….
Arnautovic, what a pu*sy.
Watching us miss those chances is agony..
We have made Butland look like the England #1
Walcott off … Giroud on
Bring on the crosses now!!!
the donkey strikes again…..
HOW THE HELL CANT WE HIT THE BACK OF THE FLIPPING NET??
this is psychological
loooooool
i refuse to comment
Giroud misses 1vs1 chance from 8 yards.. I can’t.. I just..
COME ON GIROUD!!!!
Santiiiiiiiiii…… so close!
Henry at 38 will convert those chances these our so called strikers are missing
sanchez?? and not ramsey?? PLOP…
The donkey scores after missing a sitter
Even after he scores people complain lol
AND GIROUD CONVERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shhhh haters just shhh and enjoy the win
From a 6 – 0 to a 2 – 0 ……. I’ll take it COYG
Some good news….. City hasn’t scored either
Giroud will make a good streaker.
Theo uses his pace, Giroud uses his head.
What striker crisis?
I gotta admit Butland is great….
Butt Land is having a pretty great game.
Why does everyone leave the Emirates early? Stay to the end and cheer the win…
That’s cause you’ve never been…tube is a nightmare mate
That makes sense.
Because they have important work to attend to?
Yayyyyy!
City freaking scored!!
Noooooo!
Iheanacho scores, happy as a nigerian
All the hardwork for Crystal Palace couldn’t earn them nothing
*anything
Sh1t….last minute goal…we would have only been 3 pts behind
Man I love Arsenal lol Le Coq is freakin awesome!!!
The good news is that both OG ( Giroud and Own Goal) are tied as ARSENAL top scorers