Easy West Ham game makes life easier for Arsenal ahead of Monaco clash

Arsene Wenger has never made any secret of the fact that he views Arsenal’s priorities a little different to the average Gooner. It led to the famous statement that the football media jumped on to label a Top Four spot the ‘Wenger trophy’.

Of course the Frenchman would rather win the Premier League but after that his priority is to keep the club in the Champions League. A big reason for that in recent years has been the money situation and he did amazingly well, just ask the Spuds, Everton, Liverpool and now Man United how much they would love to hear that spine tingling music as their team takes the pitch in midweek.

So we know Wenger’s thought process and he made it clear earlier this week that the West Ham game was his main focus. I expected a full strength Arsenal side this weekend and then a hopeful but much changed XI on Tuesday. However, as the West Ham players dropped like flies, Wenger must have thought his dreams had come true.

He was able to rest Santi Cazorla, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck and was even able to give Alexis Sanchez a rest towards the end of the game. In fact none of our players were over-taxed as we won comfortably. Theo Walcott got a much needed hour on the pitch and Ramsey will be buzzing after a great performance, while Gabriel could be fit for Tuesday as well.

All this means that Wenger now has the option to play his strongest Arsenal side in Monaco on Tuesday without worrying about his key players being burned out. Whether that will be enough is doubtful but it must make Arsenal’s chances of progressing that much better.

Tags Bellerin Cazorla Gabriel

7 Comments

  1. if u put a horse in a headlock an shout naaay…he will reverse two steps shake u off him, turn around an kick u into the air….emmerdale used to be alot better

  2. Lets take this fighting display we showed against westham, to france and attack monaco! Its a tall ask but with a confident mindset, it can be done we must believe! Coyg!

    1. Arsenal has the ability to make any team look bad on our day, westham frustrate chelsea last week and the cudnt move close to us, not sure we can replicate this against monaco but am sure we can score the needed goals….so bad d 1st leg wasn’t 2 1.

  3. We need to be solid as a rock in defense
    Clinically efficient creating and converting goal scoring opportunities

    But we can do it

    I bet £50 on us going through

  4. Can we do it? Yes, of course.

    Will we do it? I can’t bring myself to say yes. I just remember how awful we were in the first leg. Having to score three goals is a tough task against any team, let alone in the champions league, in the last 16, away from home, against the team with the best defensive record in the competition, on a narrow pitch with little space to create chances…

    I just can’t see us doing it. I think we’ll score in the first half, and get a second late in the second half but not have enough time for the third… I don’t usually see myself as a pessimist, but that result pretty much follows our record in the knockout stage in recent years: have a shocker in the first leg, then put out a good show in the second but not quite doing enough.

    The most important thing to know going in is that we can do it. I just hope I’m wrong on Tuesday.

    1. Good summary Mick. 3-1 to Arsenal in normal time is not the most extraordinary scoreline I could ever imagine and then have the advantage in extra time like PSG had against Chelski with their goal effectively counting double. I would have thought the bookies would have had 3-1 to Monaco at the Emirates as a far longer shot but it happened.

      My head says we will fall short but 3 little things give me some hope:

      1) Monaco must be in a dilemma as to how to approach this game, attack and kill it off or sit and ride it out. I fancy our chances better if they play it safe. We have no confusion as to how to approach the game.

      2) Perhaps the most unintimidating away ground in European football.

      3) Fate/dreams/destiny.

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