Arsenal are now faced with a fantastic opportunity to seal an early place in the first knockout phase of the Champions League. The Gunners are sitting in a healthy position, five points ahead of Anderlecht with the Belgiums due at the Emirates stadium on Tuesday night.
So a win would leave us eight points clear but there is no way we should take the result for granted, especially after we had to use up a massive slice of our good fortune to bring all thgree points back from the away tie. Anderlecht will c ertainly feel as though they can get something from the game after taking the lead after 70 minutes of our last clash.
And Arsene Wenger has already suggested in his post match comments from the win over Burnely, as reported by Arsenal.com, that the Arsenal players might have to show the same patience that we did on Saturday. Because it was around the same time that we scored the first of three against Burnley that the Belgians took the lead. As the manager explains, you sometimes need to keep your shape and keep playing your game even when you have not made the breakthrough.
Wenger said of the Burnley game, “We had a strong team pressure and we had to intensify that in the second half, which we did. Slowly you could see that the chances were coming and at the end of the day, it became easy when it was 2-0. They did very hard and we did make mistakes at the back. Overall I think it was a very satisfying win. Recently at home we haven’t got the results we wanted but for the confidence of the team it’s also important to win without conceding a goal.
“Yes [the patience was impressive]. In the recent games at home we were not patient and we have learned. We look a bit more balanced between offence and defence. We were less in trouble when we lost the ball today – we were serious and that is very important in the efficiency.”
You can bet that the visitors on Tuesday night will try to frustrate us and if Arsenal do not get an early goal, it could be another bervy game. But the Gunners are starting to show their class again and the confidence of getting late goals should help for us to have that patience.
Play a front line of Welbeck, Podolski, Sanchez and Ox, then bring Walcott on after 55/60 mins (Walcott and Pod on the wings vs burnley looked lethal) with those players all being clinical in front of goal we should ship in a fair few goals
Would it be bad if Walcott were to start? I really believe Podolski will start at the wide instead of Cazorla. I mean Cazorla has been so so poor in the finishing category and when Podolski and Walcott came on we were fantastic. Its either both start or both come on in the 80th minute, but i hope they start.
Podolski starts. We took too long to start shooting last game. Lucas will put a foot on the ball and force defenders out to defend.
We need Flamini/Arteta to start, to stop any quick goals by Anderlecht. They have some speed.
Lucas, Welbeck(Campbell at 70 minutes)
Alexis, Ox(Theo at 60 minutes), Flamini, Arteta(Ramsey at 50 min)
Gibbs, Monreal, Per, Chambers
OT guys but when we are fully covered (I know its hard to imagine but plz just imagine it) how will our team line up in this 442 that Wenger is enjoying ATM…
Sze
Debuchy Per Kos Gibbs
Walcott Ramsey Ozil Cazorla
Welbeck (most likely Giroud 🙁 ) Sanchez
If this is the team where on earth is our DM. This would be way too attacive and we would get destroyed with nobody covering the back 4.
We all know Wenger loves Giroud and Wilshere so maybe switch Caz with Ozil and we see Ozil continue to struggle and see Wilshere and Ramey struggle cuz they can’t play together and WIlshere running into people and falling??
What is happening with Ramsey? he needs to get back to his form quickly
I would go for same starting 11, actually no, would bring in sanogo to help bully Anderlecht defense line and perhaps get on to one of those crosses which were a quite a few in the last game, i deem him to be physically stronger than welbeck who was left frustrated by the physicality shown by anderlecht defenders and sanogo is better in the air also.
i would use a ramsay instead of Arteta and ask him to hold a more defensive posture than offensive, with a few runs from the deep, which is his more suited role, in the second half changes can occur, from the 60 minute, welbeck, for sanogo, walcott for ox and podolski or rosicky for sanchez or cazorla
Glad its a home game…. no need to worry about travel.. just hoping for a good performance
”The Vultures are patient birds”. Should there be a need for the Gunners to be patient, let them please be. They could allow the Whites to run themselves aground, tired and looking dirty, become unidetifiable in their white kit as a result of getting soaked up in their sweats. Then, the Gunners will look for at least 4 fairly looking clean kit on the Whites, pull them off and take them to their dressing room as spoils from the battle. Gunners 4-0 Whites FT 90+