We are often told that a derby clash means that the form book goes out of the window and with Arsenal travelling to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham on Saturday, there is not that much difference in form or league position anyway. But I don’t think I am rare among Arsenal fans in feeling confident that the Gunners will get a result, because we are playing well all over the pitch and have a new solidity that makes us very hard to beat.
And the fact is that we need a result, a draw at the very least. To avoid being leapfrogged by the spuds for one thing but also because I think that this could be a crucial part of the season for the Gunners. The way that the fixtures have fallen and a few other little factors have given us an opportunity to catch up or overtake the teams above us and open up a gap on the chasing pack. A draw would put Arsenal into third place before the other clubs play.
According to ESPN the league leaders look set to be without Fabregas through injury as well as the suspended Costa for the next two games. They are away at Aston Villa and then at home to Everton and could drop points, helping us catch up as well as knocking their confidence and increasing the pressure.
Because of the Ivory Coast reaching the AFCON final, Man City will be without Toure and Bony foir the next two games as well. They should still easily beat Hull at home this weekend but then travel to Stoke on Wednesday and we know how hard that can be.
Man United have a tough trip to West Ham this weekend, Southampton are away to a QPR side fighting to impress a new manager and Liverpool have a derby clash away to Everton. And then Liverpool play the spuds in midweek while Southampton face West Ham.
So Arsene Wenger can reasonably expect a few of our rivals to be dropping points in the next few games, while we have Leicester and Crystal Palace after the derby. If the Gunners keep up our run then we could soon find ourselves in a much better looking position in the Premier League table before that massive home Champions League game with Monaco.
First things first though, Mash the Spuds!!
we need to make the most of the rest of the season , not just next few games.
the race for fourth has never been tougher.
3rd or even 2nd is not far, let’s just keep the focus. Can we win against Man U for once?? I love that win more than any win. Win NLD and win against Manure, and am happy with even 4th.
Was the site under construction? When ever I opened the site, it showed “Database Error”. Anyone else had the problem or just me?
Yeah I had it too Sumo…
Maybe admin went on a smoking session with you know. But “There is no smoking culture at Arsenal” I just insist.
I think it was general problem, I don’t that I love this site until I missed it.
Oh good, wasn’t my computer then. I had the same.
Arsenal next 10 games in all competitions:
1. Sat 7th – February Tottenham vs. Arsenal
2. Tue 10th February Arsenal vs. Leicester City
3. Sun 15th February Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough
4. Sat 21st February Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
5. Wed 25th February Arsenal vs. Monaco
6. Sun 1st March Arsenal vs. Everton
7. Wed 4th March QPR vs Arsenal
8. Sat 14th March Arsenal vs. West Ham United
9. Tue 17th March Monaco vs. Arsenal
10. Sat 21st March Newcastle United vs. Arsenal
A few tricky games but its not the worst fixture av seen, we can really go on a good run here. Its important we remain grounded though and focus on our teams results, whether team X is missing X player and so on should not come to mind. 3rd and potentially 2nd spot is up for grads at the moment. Lets continue our winning streak by picking up another win tomorrow!!! The rest will unfold on its own.
*Sobs in relief as ADMIN finally fixes database error*
So do I mate! I’m been up talking to my cr*ppy server host most of the night!
Thank whoever its fixed at last!
Tomorrow is not a “London derby”, just another occasion to remind everybody (especially Spurs fans) that we are their “daddy” and this is how it is supposed to be and why it will never change.
Sanchez is out (he needs the rest as he has been carrying us most of the first part of the season), but we have more than enough to implement punishment on those “overoptimistic” spurs fools.
I don’t think it will be a 5-2 or a 4-0 (even though it would set my weekend on the right path), but we will win the game.
A draw (noticed that I am not even talking about losing) is not even on the agenda.
Goal.com Spurs and Arsenal combined team:
Lloris
Bellerin Koscielny Vertonghen Rose
Bentaleb Cazorla Eriksen
Walcott Alexis
Kane
SUBS: Giroud, Chadli, Ospina, Mertesacker, Ozil, Lamela, Ramsey.
Rose, Bentaleb, Lol, what are they smoking out there!!!!! Not shisha that’s for sure
Saw a funnier one at soccersouls.com (5 Arsenal/6 TH!!!):
Lloris
Walker Vertonghen Koscielny Monreal
Chadli Cazorla Coquelin Eriksen
Kane Giroud
As of today, I honestly could not convince myself to swap a single Arsenal player for one of the Spuds. I might take Lloris at the end of the season but right here, right now I am not going to dump on Ospina. I’d also have another look at Kane at season end. Eriksen would be a good squad player but don’t see him in our 1st X1 if everyone is on form and fit.
I think it was general problem, I don’t that I love this site until I missed it.
The player I would take from our “bitches”, the spurs, would be Hugo Lloris. Ospina still needs to adapt or “determine” himself… As for the Polish one, I would sell him as soon as possible… I won’t be surprised if he becomes another “Alumnia”…
Our players are just better at and in every departments of the game (except Lloris, like I said before) and tomorrow will be just a reminder of what it is clear and obvious.
Harry Kane, Harry Kane… Koscielny has dealt with much better striker and it should be another walk in the park for our French defender.
Ospina at the world cup was awesome. In the game against argentina he kept a clean sheet with a phenominal display including a double save which was out of this world. He now has four consecutive clean sheets for Arsenal. I am hopeful that by the end of the season we would not want to exchange him for anyone.
Fellow Gooners, enough of the over-confidence. Let the players do the talking on the pitch. Some of us have already won the game before tomorrow even comes, yet they’ll all come and moan after the game.
@Tyno
I understand your concerns, but we all know this is a game WE CANNOT LOSE OR AFFORD TO LOSE.
It does not matter if we were first or last on the league table… Spurs winning tomorrow and we will not hear the end of it…!