Most people agree that, for Arsenal at least, it is win or bust today. Beat Chelsea and there is still a chance that Arsenal could catch and challenge the current Premier League leaders for the title. Lose or even draw and that hope would be little more than blind optimism.
Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger his selection options in central midfield have suddenly disappeared at the worst possible time, so with Cazorla, Xhaka, Ramsey and Elneny all unavailable, so the Frenchman has had to put his faith in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and you would think that his performance and effectiveness in the middle will be a key factor in the outcome of this hugely important Londo0n derby.
The manager’s other big decision, although this one was brought on by having lots of options rather than none, was how to line up in attack. Alexis Sanchez gets the nod so both Welbeck and Giroud will start on the bench and Theo Walcott and Iwobi will play on either side of the Chilean striker.
Cech
Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain
Iwobi, Walcott, Ozil
Alexis
Subs: Ospina, Gabriel, Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adelaide, Welbeck, Giroud.
Chelsea’s line-up is pretty much as you would expect with Pedro preferred to Willian. Can Arsenal repeat our dominant performance over Conte’s team in September or at least get the result that we need to keep the title race alive?
Bob.
Where is Perez?
Sitting next to Wenger and XXXhaka ?
His on bouncer duty today.
???defo. Lucas should get more playing time
we wiil win 1-3
i can feel it in my girls knickers
up the gooners
Not entirely a bad selection but I would have preferred Welbeck instead of Iwobi based on tracking back and speed for counter attacks. But I believe Wenger inserted Iwobi to increase creativity in the middle. Not bad though.
Right – Welbeck in stead of Iwobi, would be better for protection. I wonder what happened to Perez, because I also think he could have been good for us in that position.
At least Wenger is going for it with this lineup.
Maybe Gibbs with his pace would have been a better choice instead of Monreal?
I’m Glad that Gabriel is on the bench, better to save him for towards the end, so that he can come on and do Costa,that’s if we’re getting hammered.
Come on Lads, show some fighting spirit.
Cough ?
Costa will bully us today as usual.We have no real men in this team, just snow flakes who melt when th going gets tough. 3-0 Chelsea
0-1 already Lol
Sorry 1-0
you seem to be celebrating, congrats
Just realistic
Only one goal to go .This team is a joke
Hope you put money on that.
That’s the team I expected, but I hoped he go with Welbeck. Come on Arsenal, after midweek a good performance alone won’t be enough, get these points, come on!
Perez cannot even make the bench now, wow! Talk about favouritism of the highest order. Obviously I hope we win, but I cannot see anything other than a Chelsea victory. A score draw is probably the best we can hope for.
3-1 to Chelsea.
Wow – good call
Lucas didn’t even make the bench?
Is he injured?
I was hoping that he or Danny would play on the left, but Iwobi should do fine.
But I’m happy
Coquelin and Ox
Alexis up front
Theo on the right
We have a decent chance
Chelsea are not invincible and if we work hard, defend hard and create chances, then who knows
predictable … perez and welbeck over walcott and iwobi for me … all depends on whether ozil and sanchez turn up and ox can cut it against big teams … without that can kiss this game good bye … and the season
Perez probably left out since we need an extra CM! I would prefer Perez to Iwobi. But you can’t drop Iwobi after his last game display.
Hope I’m wrong but I feel we are on for a thumping today 🙁 Chelsea will want payback for the 3-0 defeat and they have a well drilled unchanged side with no injuries and power off the bench. Sink or swim for Ox!
All jokes and the last result aside,
If our boys are up for this (awake) we will win today.
I have a good feeling after looking long and hard at both lineups and formation.
COYG’s
Fingers crossed they have had their yoga session
This is the best possible line-up as of now!
Like the way we are closing them down so far
I see a draw at best. I hope they prove me wrong.
Useless
Well what else do you expect
There it begins. 12 points down. Chelsea the big team in London.
and the usual story starts…
Both cbs pulled out of the middle. Kos to the crosser and mustafi by hazard. I must admit I tuned in at 12 minutes and was shocked that Chelsea hadn’t scored yet.
The injury begins. Wenger’s excuse for the loss.
hahaha, can’t wait for akbs who think this team can win the league with that fart as manager
shove your akb patter up your ****
Coyg!!!!!
Bloody hell Cech. Look like you’re trying at least!
He was always the oil barons blue eyed boy ?
This will get embarrassing
Ozil is -1 in big games.
OX trying to be Messi?
Mustafi exposed for lack of pace
can cech make a save for his life….ospina better for me now
It’s a shame our wingers can’t sense danger even within touching distance. I liked how we went with Ozil out wide and three in centre, but it looks like this move might have come too late in the season. Need Alexis on the ball, Chelsea doing everything to keep him off it. Come on Arsenal, stay in it, an equalizer might change it right round.
Early goal.. .why do we have to concede so early?
Don’t give up hope
A match is 90+ minutes
We can still do it
Theo is anonymous…get Danny on at half time or season over
If they are going to let players obliterate players when the ball is in the air then they must be coached to box out the incoming player before the ball takes it highest point. My bet is that Bellerin had little training on that throughout the year.
Arsenal are a shambles off the ball.
We’re getting hammered tactically.
Cech!! Ffs
no urgency no desire
no fight
come on lads, have something about u
we generally call the chelsea and city players as mercenaries… but to be honest our players are the real mercenaries who turn out every weekend without any passion and play for only paychecks
Men against boys !!!
Too slow to recover , defence all over the place …
Don’t see much threat up front either !
This is what it looks like when the other team is just all around better than Arsenal. Chelsea playing like champions, Arsenal can barley compete
gabriel puts that ball anywhere else, its 1-1, this announcer hates arsenal,
Chelsea is on a different level. This team is no better than Liverpool and Tottenham.
Everyone knew ozil was going to ruin that
6 0 to chelsea
I knew last week we’ld lose this game. Next game will be a hard earned win.
We have to get our attackers more involved. A goal could swing this game easily.
Ox has been our best player and with coq they haven’t conceded the middle which is a positive ozil good in parts Sanchez poor but Walcott and iwobi will never ever give the attacking options we need … Wenger 8m worth of cluelessness
you’re joking. Chelsea has ripped through our midfield several times. They always look like they are a pass away from scoring again. Kos has been terrible, and Coq/Ox has been too easy to glide past. That’s what happens when only half the team are working. Oil is a passenger, same with Walcott, and even Alexis is mostly just there. Arsenal just waiting to go 2-0 down.
Jesus … Kos has even terrible it’s true and Gabriel is a ki
Ck away from catastrophe …
Considering how Chelsea have an unchanged well drilled side I’m amazed were only 1 down. Gabriel at left back ox cm we are heavily disrupted and miss then creative balls from deep – cazorla. Chelsea are just so well drilled at the back with kante and magic dropping into the back line with ease when needed and even hazard and Costa are defending. Sourness said before the game we need to sign ourselves some men, I still don’t see the warrior leaders at least mustafi is vocal. On paper we have no right to win this, a point would be miraculous.
What a garbage call for the goal, CLEAR foul on bellerin, whether it was accidental or not you cannot hit him in the face.
Sigh, at least we’re creating chances, we can still turn this around! COYG
Nothing going for us in central midfield. All our attacks are from the wings.
When you jump into someone with leading arm, catching him on the jaw, virtually knocking him ot, is that not, like, a foul?
it was a foul. But Arsenal had rest of half to produce a goal. Gabriel heads straight to GK, and Ozil has lazy attempt. Same old Arsenal, Chelsea are just the far superior team and have been almost impossible to defeat for most of the season, and it shows. They have their game plans down to perfection, know when to break, know when to crowd Arsenal out… and us, we’re just all over the place.
Sanchez holding unto the ball too much 🙁
Did the same against Swansea as well
Yes it was a dodgy foul filled goal, but that aside, we don’t look like league winners, or any winners come to that.
It shows the level of accepted defeat within us all that we moan about the foul and aren’t lauding our amazing chances..
We (well me) have been Wengered.
On a serious note, it does seem putting AW in the stands has affected the team for the last 3 games..
A draw today would be welcome, a win would be miraculous.
First of all the goal shouldn’t have stood simply because if that happened anywhere else on the pitch it would be a foul. We’ve all seen something similar happen several times before so how is it any different now?
Secondly we aren’t necessarily playing badly but Chelsea are playing great and not giving us much space. The few chances we got should have been converted and as you can see, it is hard for any team to keep the pressure up for 90mn. I believe Chelsea will tire soon which will give our players a big advantage. COYG
1-0 at half time isn’t the end of the world
Its not 6-0 like some of you were saying
I’m unhappy too, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility to win this thing
So I’m going to be as positive as possible for rest of match, then if we don’t win, I will let it rip after the match
I’m hoping Danny will get in at half time.
I don’t think we need Giroud yet but he is available if we need him.
Try to stay as positive as possible, guys.
We are all in it together
🙂
Fair comments, let’s get behind the team. 🙂
Why .There pointing any effort in .They are a joke
This is what a crumbling looks like! End of season for me! Next season wenger leaves… Sanchez and ozil follow… New players get bought…The team becomes manure… 10 years will pass…. We become Liverpool… The face of Crumble!
It’s not that bad, we are only a controversial goal behind.
Bellerin woke up to Stars and tweety birds and when the physio asked him what his name was he replied Tony Adams ?
Ozil needs to turn up or be replaced in the second half.
A few tweaks by Wenger at halftime and were back in this game.
Chelsea haven’t been that good, It’s not over yet.
see pedro
compare his desire to ozil
tired of this rolls royce atttude
sub him
perez welbeck
come on!!
This must be a joke ??????
ok guys signing off… no point in supporting this bunch of pu$$ies
Thats exactly what they are…. A bunch of pu$$ies!!! Absolute disgrace to the badge but it shows the lack of management, beginning of the season we dismantled this team and look at it now?!
lots of pace looking good without giroud bellerin was brilliant Sanchez look looking good up front Wolcott. creating lot if chance
It was inevitable folks, nothing to get upset about. Aresnal fans love this, and prefer Wenger over winning
True fans will now call for wenger’s exit … There is nothing else to do for arsenal other than this … The man is the biggest fake in football
yawn
yea, i’m bored of failure too.
No, I just find you and rkw really boring people, but I’m sure you’ve been told that before
tbh, I don’t even recognize your name or avatar. And I’ll keep being boring until there is a change at the club. My message has never changed, even in the beginning of the season when we were doing well.
Jesus would have thought idiots like yourself would just F off in the face of endless failure … But no just keep supping at wenger’s 4th place kool aid. Sad fan.
I don’t give a flying F*** what you think you cretin. You are a boring tit and you know it
I’m not happy with Wenger, but I don’t bore folk rigid with same old comments
Bring on Kanu
Sell Ozil. He is useless!!
What a goal.. not sure if i can even say poor defending because that was just brilliant
yeah ok – no communication between cb’s
marking was loose has been all game
GAME OVER
F*** THIS
WENGER PLEASE JUST GO. COULDNT ORGANISE THIS TEAM AFTER WATFORDS EMBARASSING WIN
DISORGANISED-NO FIGHT- NO COOMUNICATION
WERE DONE
please at the end of the season- just let us have a go with someone else
wenger bow out- dont care who leaves ozil sanchez
we wont win until he goes
We will, he’ll def go now
he wont mate
for years we been hearing this im tired of it
The game was over before it even started
Totally agree, league challenge over, champs league nearly over leaving just the F.A.Cup to exit and season over. Arsenal have no bottle.
O.T. i was told this morning that Barca are interested in Ozil, don’t know if this is true or not, can anyone confirm.
Lol. Pub team. Giving the ball away in midfield like little kids.
Did I mention the tactical naivety that’s so clearly visible? Conte won the game before it even started.
Hazard just beat Coq, Kos, Mustafi and Cech…. by himself… disgraceful
Agreed but would you say the same if it were Messi instead. Hazzard like it or not is a great player who makes things happen on the pitch and scores lots of goals, i’d love to have him at Arsenal.
The worst football club in the last 5 years. Only good at excuses. Mediocre fans too. Wenger should f*** off already.
Really, how?
I’ve been a fan of Wenger since he came to Arsenal and was on the fence last season when fans were calling for his head. Now however i believe it’s time for a new manager though i cannot see the board backing a new man as well as they have Wenger.
But in a few months we’ll barley get 4th and Arsene will win back favor of most of Arsenal fans. It’s a trick that works every time. Now we just wait…
u see the mentality of our fans
the top 4 is the celing – they overlook failure every year so we can play in competition we never get far in
unreal
no pressure no urgency from players- pointless
Not the faithful fans fault. We will support Arsenal forever…Blame the board or Wenger himself for not walking. Don’t know ANY fan who’s been happy in the last few years, doesn’t stop us supporting Arsenal.
So, next season huh! Whhffffffffffff.
People..Go out and voice your discontent with the way this team is going down.SHAMEFUL TO SAY THE LEAST. Look at conte desire on the touchline. that passes to the team and they never stop running, never stop fighting, Kante looks inmense but no we do not need him we got LaCoq ( anyone see how easy Hazard passed him out ). No shapes, No desire, no leader..NO COACH. We have ENOUGH.
Fear of change, but AW is going to have to leave someday no matter what. Chelsea failures one season, but now quickly heading towards the title. Rather we struggle, but actually be heading somewhere instead of this useless pattern we got through every season. And can’t compare us to United, because he left the club on a high and had to replace the best EPL manager ever. Wenger has not been the best for a decade. As I’m writing this Ozil gets pushed of the ball for tenth time today. It’s embarrasing.
look at how hazard just disgraced coquelin and his entire family
We will buy some teenager and fans here will make him look like a messiah. Wenger will get his fans back again and the history of Wenger will become more important than any trophy for the season ahead.
Okay NOW it’s over LOL
I can only stay positive and hopeful for so long.
Barring a miracle we have lost this match and the Title
Wenger Out
We have been patient and loyal for too long
Some may say we have been muggs too
a useless manager with mediocre players but still making tons of money for the greedy yank.
We are totally f####ed for many more years to come.
my prediction in october was we finished 5th, I still think top 4 w this squad is going to be difficult,
Anybody know why we’ve got Maitland-Niles and Reine-Adelaide on the bench yet Lucas Perez doesn’t get a look in? Is it any surprise we always find ourselves in this embarrassing position? #confused
giroud, no goals vs chelsea in 9 appearances… ummmmm….
how much did we pay for xhaka and how much did chelski pay for kante who is worth ten times. more at least.
Arsenal players are the most overpaid in the league … But dead fish rots from the head down … Most overpaid manager … Not rocket science
trot off Theo…useless display
Walcott was on the pitch? Are we watching the same match? He’ll correct his 100 grand anyway.
why isn’t it ozil to go off???
Walcott just go got paid a hundred grand for that performance ….
KANTE EVERYWHERE, WHERE DID HE CAME FROM? HE IS LIVE WIRE..WHAT ENERGY AND WHERE IS OURS? 4th Place? Are you happy Arsenal fan? Please
shut up…we’re all Arsenal fans, all suffering…what makes you superior??!?
I’m not superior to nobody here just probably a dammn believer like you think we are good enough. I’ve been Arsenal fan for 27 years and You? I’m realistic as most here not a dreamer. WE NEED CHANGE SIMPLE AS THIS
Yeah, longer than you pal. How the f*** is any of this the Arsenal FANS fault. ?
Firstly, your language said lot about you, secondly I did ask Are you happy with this Arsenal fan? that included me so you have been arsenal fan longer than me then you are in your 55’s? i’m 50 and i’m realistic about the team chances since last time we won the EPL and it has not been improved ever since but anyway, let’s just leave it to your opinion as i expressed mine. much respect in the site with your language next time around.
I’m off…the rugby must be better than this….call me if they get 2 goals back lol
Beech Martin Atkinson. What were you looking at when that Chelsea guy hit bellerin. Fookin crap referee.
Anyways guys, how’s the weather? Lol
Same sh*t, different season. Enough is enough people, time for a new manager, someone with DIFFERENT and FRESH IDEAS. Respect to Wenger, but I’m tired of living on end of the month salty cracks.
No passion no power no purpose … That’s the consequence of wenger staying six years beyond his shelf life …. Six years people with more than 3 football brain cells have been saying this but the krish s and nick s and buds of this world refuse to acknowledge the truth …
Fabregas scoring must be the icing on the cake, eh!
but tbh, I have no ill feelings towards him anyway.
WTF!!
4th place may be difficult this year, as other teams are breathing down our necks.
Still, if we come 5th/6th we may get a new manager! 😉
We can only hope .The trouble is we always manage to make it
I was right 3-0.The worse thing can now happen is wenger will sign another contract after we finish top 4 .On dear how many more years of this pain?
It seems odd that an experienced goalkeeper like Cech should do that. One of the best keepers in th world? Someone in the Sunday league would’ve picked the ball up to relieve the pressure
Sums it all really, this club makes it so hard to support. Wenger do the best thing for everyone and leave even now.
Who still want to talk about the 3:0 earlier this season? ??????
We beat them 4 3 on aggregate!!
what an A$$ whoopin, so many players on that pitch overrated,
We scored a goal at Stamford bridge. Progress!
LOL
Garbage, utter garbage. Ox Ozil Iwobi, moved to midfield three, sure what else could you expect. Cech, no excuse for that. Hazard goal, no excuse for not stopping him in his tracks. The opener, Walcott no excuse for not blocking his run. Our few chances, no excuses in missing them all. Redknapp was spot on, we allow teams to play, how many times did che interrupt our rhythm, yet we allow them to make fools of us if they can.