Official Arsenal team and preview of Sunderland away

Arsenal need all three points from the trip north to face Sam Allardyce and his Sunderland side today, in order to go back above Man City into third place. A point would not be a disaster as it would put us five points ahead of the Champions League chasing Manchester United, but to avoid a play off next season and to have any chance of finishing above our north London rivals Tottenham once again, the win is vital.

It will not be easy, though, as Allardyce and Sunderland are on a good run and are putting absolutely everything into staying in the Premier League. So I am a little surprised to see that Arsene Wenger has not made any changes to the starting line up that played just three days ago, although they did win and perhaps the boss is reluctant to change that winning formula.

So Olivier Giroud gets the nod ahead of Welbeck up front and we need to see more of his form from the second half against West Brom when he was unlucky not to score rather than the first half when he was lucky to touch the ball. And Wenger has gone for the more creative Ramsey ahead of the solidity and defensive strength of Coquelin in the middle and the calm head and experience of Mertesacker over the pace and aggression of Gabriel.

Cech
Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Elneny, Ramsey
Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez
Giroud

Subs: Ospina, Gabriel, Coquelin, Wilshere, Campbell, Walcott, Welbeck

Will Arsenal win today and will we see the first appearance of the season from Jack Wilshere?

Tags Giroud Ramsey Wilshere

98 Comments

  1. Just a quick question before the game kicks off. Now, I know the likelihood of this happening is 5000 to 1, but should Spurs and Leicester both lose today and Arsenal wins, will you consider us back in the title race? Share your thoughts.

    1. Mathematical,possibilities don’t equal football realities …this is a test of managerial strength and acumen both sides should be equally motivated so it’s the wenger allardyce show again … We should win this comfortably and if ozil owobi and Sanchez show up we will …but you just never know with our guy in charge

  2. Elneny over Coquelin again. Elneny was playing great over the last month but defensively speaking Coq was still top dog. Guess it basically shows how Wenger sees football, we already knew he liked fullbacks who attack well, and defenders who can pass from the back, and DMs who can play forward too. This highlights what we knew I suppose, so when we next try to imagine an Arsenal signing I think we should all bare this in mind.

    1. I’d say that Wenger is slowly bringing back his favorite squad back. Soon enough Iwoby will be dropped for Walcott, Campbell will never see the pitch again and it’s all good in the world of Aresnile Wagner.

    2. Why do you mention eleny, and not ramsey. ramsey is the one who needs to see the bench, coz till now eleney and coqulin was a perfect match. dont you think.

      you brits are all clueless and bias

    3. Coquelin has been looking leggy in recent games. Always getting subbed off. Fitness might still be an issue for him.

      1. i heard his budgie died some days ago, and now he must probably go through some mental problems.

        wengers knows, and so do you

  3. What does this dude smoke?! I mean what the hell is he on. Please, someone tell me. OG to start over Welbeck. If Wenger stays for another season I’m not watching a single Arsenal game. Enough of this insanity.

    1. Welbeck was looking tired, he wasn’t moving the same way as those first two matches coming back. We rested him in the last game so you are probably right he could be rested enough to play today. Unless Wenger is thinking he needs more than a weeks break, he’s just come back from injury so I’m not too surprised.

  4. Oh really?? I stopped watching our matches right after the west ham game..not because we didnt win the match, but because we realistically lost the title that day.. and so far nothing bout our match freaks me anymore,i care less because its not a fight to be champions anymore, its a fight to be followers and to get our top four trophy…I aint gonna stress me to watch Wenger do the same he does every year,I for one, our matches will bore me if i watch…i wish the boys luck in the top four race…but my ass is gon seriously sit down for an Arsenal game next season not this season anymore…
    Oh and for ya’ll who celebrates St spurs day or whatever ya’ll call, kiss that bragging right goodbye also…

  5. Wenger’s managerial tactics are sooooo damn lazy! ?
    We may aswell have a scarecrow in his place, at least that has a beneficial use! ??

    1. was gonna ask u fatboy…whats best dip for my barbecue doritos?

      also if i want a sweet at half time that would go well with my tuna mayo baguette what can u recommmend

      1. Hahaha ?
        As wenger would say… ” Errrrrr .. I don’t know”
        I don’t like Doritos and as for a sweet after eating a tuna and mayo baguette…. I wouldn’t recommend any, as it would more than likely make you feel sick! …. Especially if we are losing at Half time ?

  6. Giroud over Welbeck, and Ramsey over Coquelin.

    Do you see why we cant win the leauge, why it is impossible for us to compete? We dont play to our fullest strenght but rather to ugly favorisem.

    And dont get me wrong, i love jack but Wenger will rather use Wilshere in the game rather then poor Campbell who is being frozen out, without any reasenable explanation, other then that Wenger is a frog.

    Arsenal fans deserve every tiny bit of madnes which comes from wenger, as all of you are guilty to accepts such bs from the manager.

    same old, same old

    1. you are so freaking correct, and when anyone is slightly crutical of giroud, the thumb downs come out, the guy never freaking scores when you need it, another terrible match by olivier, we have 65% of the posession and no good shots?

  7. Mike Dean ? Wtf!… There goes the 3 points! ?
    The Spuds get the Ref changed for the stoke game and in return we get MIKE – The Spud -DEAN? ?
    That’s beyond a joke!

  8. If everyone were healthy this would be my starting lineup on current form

    Cech
    Bellerin Gabriel Koscielny Monreal
    Coquelin Cazorla
    Iwobi Ozil Alexis
    Welbeck

    £140k per week Theo and £90,000 per week Giroud wouldn’t be on starting line up.

    In my opinion we need at least 4 new players : Top CF and RW, another good DM or top DM, RB

  9. Giroud …. A championship level player but wenger doggedly sticks by him expecting brilliance ..sad tired manager …. Hold up play?? Could have bought Hanson from guisely town for a tener and a couple of pints … And Ramsey … Seriously wenger is clueless

  10. Sorry but Ramsey shouldn’t be in starting 11 nor OF if we get the right players. Big overhaul needed

    1. Wenger loves Aaron. He wants to play him as often as possible even if he isn’t on form.
      Earlier on in the season Wenger was playing Ramsey on the right even with Theo and Ox healthy, who are more specialised on RW.

      We should have played Coquelin and Eleney at the back of midfield

      LOL I may be proven wrong if Ramsey scores or plays really well in 2nd half.

  11. Giroud is the best in the world. He will score 30 goals in the league when Sanogo scores 50 championship goals in 10 years.

  12. We’re in real..desperately need of 50 million wc ST. What a waste of title with player not scoring for 12 games and I’m not against OG but he’s just squad player.

  13. Draw no good but with a mert Ramsey giroud spine we are always going to look average …. Lucky with penalty but how can a central defender turn his back on an 8 yard shooter … Pathetic … Also iwobi is talented with great feet but can look fragile at times .. Sadly Wenger won’t change until we go one down

  14. Ramsey, Giroud, wilshere, Walcott,Ox, Flamini and mertesacker are the waste of squad space and money which have resulted in us not being able to contest for the premier league or champions league.

  15. Wenger seems to drop all players if they poorly in one game except his favorites like mertesaker, giroud and Ramsey who somehow manage to win the place even if they are in poor form. Joel Campbell and Gabriel seem to be dropped after just one bad games what a biased manager.

  16. To be fair both penalty shouts were none claims, but I’m disgusted how the pundits kept talking about Mertesacker’s like it was for the remainder of the damn 1st half it was so annoying. They can argue arms in natural position or not all day long but that shot was at point blank range and Per did the best he could to turn away in a natural way. As slow as Per is you can’t expect him to play with his arms glue to his side like he’s a robot. If anything the Sinderland one was more of a penalty but like I said both calls were fair.

  17. Watching this game is just an advert for a new manager … But giroud still being on the pitch is shocking

  18. Ramsey, Giroud, Per are not good enough for Arsenal. Iwobi great talent just not ready yet imo but in time will be brilliant. Ozil looks like hes alredi at the Euros plotting his next move, Monreal is not the same plyr… need a young replacemnt! There is no hunger in this team whatsoever

  19. To be honest am reaching the point wher a 5 th place finsih looks like the best option for us thus season … Wenger will brush of this sh.. In his usual babbling way

  20. Wenger to make 3 substitutions

    1 when Sunderland scores
    2 75th minute
    3 82nd minute

    Wenger- tactically clueless

  21. YOU MUST BE KIDDING US ALL.WAI TO CONCEDE. ? KOS DUCKING.? ALWAYS 70 MINS TO TRY.? TACTICALLY CLUELESS

  22. Three quarters of a game against a bottom 3 side and we look average … Pretty sad state of the club

  23. we will be in 4th place behind vardy, aquero and kane, we have no scorer on our team that is in the same league as those three, 70% possession, 1 shot on goal, this is the issue. kane dominates, aquero dominates, aquero dominates, giroud worthless, walcott worthless, welbeck… bench player… the teams above us are better as they have quality consistent strikers

      1. yes, those three are abbove us in the leaque, and yes defoe looks more hungry, giroud spends his time complaining, flapping his arms, tired of that crap, like a spoiled child, needs to play in spain where they complain half the match,

  24. If this doesnt make every Arsenal fan want change then there is seriously something wrong with our fan base.

  25. Where are barca with their 60m quid bid for Ramsey … Please please take him … But no we will keep him on and take of ozil

  26. maybe wengers ex left him, bec he is showing more affection towards ramsey then to her. hahahah

  27. Here we go.Ozil off and Jack in.Ramsey still on..utterly sick. Ready for the excuses. ? Sunderland is fighting for survival, , made it hard for us bla bla..Rubbish, , Resign for the good of Arsenal FC.

  28. Wenger has lost his touch
    4th place trophy is no longer guaranteed
    United could take it in addition to the FA Cup maybe.

  29. OUT..OUT….OUT..OUT..OUT..WE LOVE OUR TEAM..SHAME..BELOW PAR..TOP 4 ENOUGH. .OUR TEAM NEDS CHANGES.NO MORE LAUGHING STOCK. LEAVE WHILE WE STILL ADMIRE WHAT YOU DID FOR US. LEICESTER GUTS, HUNGER, MOTIVATOR .SPUDS HHNGER, MOTIVATOR. .US NONE.

  30. That arsenal man (coach/technician) standing beside walcot during iwobi’s substitution really shouldn’t be involved in football,he looks so old and funny

  31. Hey Wenger,

    OG….Championship striker
    Theo….$140 a week bench warmer
    Ramsey….Squad player @ best
    BFG….about 5 years past his mediocre best
    Welbeck…Not a EPL striker, decent bench player
    OX….forever a potential player under Wenger
    Ozil & Sanchez….disenchanted by the lack of quality around them, soon to be off in the summer.

    Thx for stockpiling that EPL and Champions League contender Arsene, $8M well earned

    The Laughing stock of the Premier League yet again

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors