Sunderland v Arsenal Preview, Line-Up and Score Prediction

Sunderland vs Arsenal Preview, Predicted line up and score by KJ

We’ve struggled to pick up points against the smaller teams with two disappointing draws against Hull and Leicester. We also just about managed to beat Palace at home thanks to a last gasp Ramsey winner. We have to make a statement in this game that we’re going to destroy the smaller teams to ensure that we at least make the top 4 this season.

We still have a catalogue of injuries to contend with and now it looks like Koscielny is out for a month and Diaby unsurprisingly has picked up another knock. We should still beat Sunderland comfortably but the same should’ve been true against Hull and Anderlecht and we all know how those games went (I know we won against Anderlecht but it was anything but comfortable).

Quick passing from the off is going to be key. We need to overwhelm Sunderland and to actually dictate the game rather than playing in front of Sunderland and allowing them to break on us with ease. I’m hoping Arteta will start as Flamini is doing very little at the moment to prevent teams from hurting us on the counter.

Line up:
Szczesny
Chambers – Mertesacker – Monreal – Gibbs
Arteta
Sanchez – Ramsey – Cazorla – Chamberlain
Welbeck

I expect Monreal to play CB again and he’ll obviously be targeted by Sunderland as the weak point in defence. Chambers will also need to improve as he’s looked very rigid at RB this season.

Jack Wilshere is banned for this game and he could probably do with a rest anyway. Cazorla in central midfield seems good but he needs to step up as he wasn’t good enough against the Belgian side mid-week.

Finally, Welbeck will be playing a former club (on loan) so I’m hoping he’s looking forward to the occasion and can net us a goal in the process.

I hoping this is the game we finally click and I’m expecting a 3 – 1 win to Arsenal.

Tags Arteta welbeck Wilshere

30 Comments

  1. Living in Nigeria our we use 70 bucks to watch matches, thats about 0.3 pounds and i am now doubting whether watching arsenal is worth spending 0.3 pounds over…

  2. IF he plays, we have to be cautious of Wickham. The physical characteristics of a typical CF, the athleticism of a winger and the brains of a playmaker all in one makes him a goal threat from the left wing in many ways.

  3. I would play chambers instead of Monreal at CB and Bellerin at right back.

    I think Monreal at CB just weakens us. He has been excellent at left back when Gibbs was out but weak at CB. Chambers has proven he can play CB and Bellerin has proven he can play right back.

    1. I agree but …. I fear this is Wenger’s admission that he now believes his reserve defenders are not ready – this is of course contrary to some of his earlier claims when he tried to explain away his shocking negligence in securing defensive backups.

  4. Sunderland are gonna want to test our defense with long balls into the area as well (Monreal/Chambers I see you). But I think Fletcher shouldn’t be too much of a problem for us.
    As long as we don’t make things difficult for ourselves, we should win.

  5. Wickham! Wickham!!
    Jordi Gomez(more likely to play from the left also) could also be a real threat. I hope Chambers copes well.

  6. I would prefer chambers to monreal at cb where he’s much better and put bellerin at rb. if Sanchez plays right mid then he can help bellerin with his ridiculous work rate.

  7. J. Campbell and Ox on the wings for me. So Alexis can get a breather.

    …………Welbeck……………..
    Ox……..Cazorla………J. Campbell

    “We have to do better with
    our own possession to put
    more pressure on the
    [opposition], not lose so
    many balls in the middle of
    the park, and play more in
    the wide areas.” – Per
    Mertesacker.

    I agree with him. Our players
    need to go back to the basics
    of our possession game. And
    importantly, Wenger has to
    start playing with TWO (2)
    wingers!!!!!

  8. 1. I hope Szczesny keeps a clean sheet.
    2. Ramsey starts as a box-to-box and not higher up the pitch.
    3. Our main source (majority)of goals has been Sanchez, Welbeck. Hope someone breaks the duopoly.
    4. Ox starts in place of Santi. Quite frankly, Santi has gone terribly backwards since his first season and no i don’t think Mesut is the reason.
    5. It’s not competitive i.e. Aston Villa types. Get the game done in first half. Than stroll around and rest.

    1. @Sumo.
      I completely agree with your points, except point 4.
      Point 5 is very crucial. We might have avoided that Hull draw had they applied point 5.

  9. I predict a 1-1 draw in keeping with our displays against Hull and Anderlecht. Wickham to score in the 2nd minute, and Arsenal to keep gunners waiting all the way to the 92nd minute before Per Mertesacker salvages a point for the gunners. COYG!

    1. @Twig.
      You also think so too?! Now I’m sh*t scared. But I hope we manage to take our chances because we will get them if we play well. I hope Wickham doesn’t start.

  10. Last season, we beat the small teams and lost to the big ones. Fair enough. This season, we lose to the big teams (still) and draw with the small ones.

  11. Is it just me or what
    cause since we lost OG12 we struggle
    to score and we not that great with
    defending set pieces.

    Will like to know your guys thoughts
    on this

  12. I’d go young and fast:
    RB Bellerin, CD Chambers, LB Gibbs, CD Mertesacker, DM Coquelin, LW Ox or Campbell, M Ramsey, CM Cazorla, RW Sánchez , CF Welbeck, G Szczesny

  13. With Wenger the result will always be painful…I just hope we avoid the usual conceding goals against the run of play no thanks to criminal defending and then we take our chances early as they come cos we ALWAYS create them. #COYG

  14. My prediction. Bellerin to start at RB, Chambers to get booked again. I just hope Ramsey can have a decent game, he’s been very disappointing so far this season. I’d like to see Campbell start on the left with Le Coq at DM… but that’s not going to happen so I expect a close game with Alexis bailing us out once more.

  15. ……………Sanchez………….
    …Sanchez..Sanchez..Sanchez…
    Sanchez. Sanchez.Sanchez. Sanchez
    ………Sanchez…….Sanchez………..
    ……………Sanchez………………

    21-0 To the Arsenal 🙂

  16. As long as ramsey and cazorla are put in the middle and Wilshere is stuck on the bench,we will be OK

  17. A bit of our topic. But is anyone watching westham vs city’s match. I won’t mind a Alexander song return. He’s putting in the tackles in a what a pass from him in the build up to west ham’s goal. Our own Jekinson not doing badly at all.

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