It is far from being an ideal situation for Arsenal in the Champions League play-off tonight. We simply need to beat Besiktas in the second leg at the Emirates tonight, but the injury to Olivier Giroud has left Arsene Wenger in a very tricky situation.
Because of the World Cup and injuries disrupting our pre-season preparations, it looks like the Gunners may be forced to start the game tonight with a front three of players who are not really ready for action. Yaya Sanogo missed the last two games with injury and even if he has recovered properly, I doubt whether he is at 100 percent, but Wenger has little option but to start with the young French striker down the middle.
Then we have Alexis Sanchez on the right and Wenger has already admitted that the Chile international is only working his way towards full match fitness. And it looks like Lukas Podolski will get his first game of the season after his summer holidays were extended with the World Cup winning celebrations.
Even if the Arsenal boss decides to go with Santi Cazorla rather than the German striker, the Spaniard looks like he has been overdoing it on the tapas, so with us really needing to score tonight, I am worried whether the fitness issues up front will mean that we fail to make the UCL group stage for the first time in 17 years. Am I right to be so worried?
leave it out – we will spank them.they couldnt beat us at subboteo let alone at the emirates
my only regret….that we may miss out on zigic
once again Wenger being stubborn could cost us and this time it may be a disaster. We had the chance to sign a real CF long ago and tonight we might get in trouble. But I think the rest of the team will come through and hopefully Podolski will get a start and score. 2-1 for us…fingers crossed
why are we in a situation, where if a player is injured (happens often to our type of players), the falloff to the 2nd choice is so poor?
This is an unforgiveable playing-with-fire by Wenger (saying sanchez or sanogo can fill in for CF is completely unacceptable)
I’m confident we will play well and win, expecting nothing less than a solid performance from Wilshere and Ox. To be honest, Wilshere here has a great chance to prove his worth and try to cement a starting place in the team.
OFF TOPIC: If Wenger is seriously considering buying Zigic, i swear we may as well hold open trials for anyone to get a chance to join.
I really think Zigic’s agent spotted an opening in a big team and is saying arsenal have contacted his player in order to create interest from other teams. Just trying to get one last pay day for himself before his client retires. (I really hope so anyway)
Also, any chance Joel Campbell gets meaningful playing time tonight?
Honestly, Campbell should start upfront tonight. This is a great chance for him to expose his abilities and I know he could easily tear Besiktas’ defence.
I don’t think he will cry (lol) but he might “tare” through their defence… 🙂
That made no sense whatsoever
You spelt tare as tear you dumb a*s
LOL, Clearly you’re the retard here, it’s spelt TEAR not tare. Learn how to spell moron. Get of this site, no spuds allowed.
I honestly dont care/know much who is better to be played up front between sanogo and campbell. Sanogo showed great potential with his four(!) goals against Benfica, but Campbell may have proven for several months that he is ready to take the step up for arsenal. What i think is for sure, is that we will see both of them play tonight.
5 days 5 hours and 53 mins Wenger………. DM and striker……….
Let’s do it tonight Gunners!!!!!
kallstrom and zigic- keep the faith cupcake- we can do it, if we B & Q it
That sounds like summat you’d actually find in B&Q, the new all-purpose varnish from Kallstrom and Zigic.
Campbell getting 1 sub appearrance in 3 games would be the only reason he’s unfit.
Not only will we qualify but I believe with the capture of Zigic we could actually win it……..
I miss the times when i only feared Barcelona and Manure slightly. Still always being confident. Now days i fear every facking team in the world.
have no fear.
ziggy’s here 🙂
He scores when he wants,he scores when he wants Nicola zigic he scores when he wants oh……………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BBC SPORT
Real Madrid to By Falco with the di maria money
why not offer them silly money for Benzema
as he would be a sub
Ill watch the game wearing my new arsenal puma jacket wearing headphones in the library streamin from vipboxam dont lose now 🙁
Sent from my new iphone 🙁
Should have gone for a bigger screen phone. In the future Ziggy isn’t going to fit on a tiny iPhone screen.
Fak your jacket bro. If we lose to Besiktas Europe want be save from those Turkish fa%gs
If Wenger gets Zigic, I will kick him square in the balls.
& very hard to!!!
Ziggy Stardust to the rescue
if Wenger gets Zigic, it means wenger got no balls, so you’ll have nothing to kick 🙁 🙁
Lol if bendtner was lord bendtner then surely zigic is god zigic…buy rory delap to compliment zigic if u r at it lol.
Arsenal’s unfit forwards may cost a lot more than just this CL qualifier. The other big EPL clubs have no problem spending their cash. Wenger has admitted the cash exists but……….. he has some kind of mental block on this.
I can’t remember if Flamini is on a yellow. If he is does anyone know if it carrys through to tonights game?
Only Arsenal could take the limelight off man utd’s humilation to MKDons with a single transfer rumour. Unthinkable to imagine what will happen if we actually do get knocked out the CL. This is why I held off laughing at man utd last night because I could only think about tonights game.
Our forwards will own Besiktas!!!! i hope
I think we will win tonight by a couple go goals but you never know…and if we do lose then wenger has no option but to go he has staked his managerial acumen and reputation on getting in to cl…this has nothing to do with loss of giroud … We are amongst the richest half dozen clubs on planet besiktas survive on a wing and a prayer and I have no idea the salary gap between wenger and bilic but obviously huge… So no excuses wenger win or resign and take the yank with you too
Apart from the latest hilarious transfer rumour, which is about as likely as the Queen knighting someone who isn’t a paedo, i reckon we’ll win comfortably tonight, no matter how much “Bulldog Bilic” rants from the sidelines. 3-0.
possible strikers
dream- cavani or falcao
really good- jackson martinez or bony
good and cheap- remy.
what i want to say is that the answer is right in front of wenger and he is ignoring it, jackson martinez is the answer, quick, athletic, good finisher, good header, pacy, tall ,strong and most importantly prolific and he has a 28m pound release clause which was inserted in his new contract and he would like to join arsenal. I just cant find a better deal out there for a striker out there. Psg would not sell canani, falcao said he is not leaving but he could still join madrid. serious for God sake sign jackson martinez!!!!!!!!!!
Qualifying for the CL may be our only hope of getting ‘iggy ziggy’
Him and his 6ft 7 hold up play will win us trophies. Dw about cavani and falcao. They may score more goals but hold up play is more important than goals.
The really sad thing about tonight with us missing Giroud is that we could easily, and i mean EASILY have bought a player over the last two months (feels more like aeons to me). Balotelli or Remy would have cost sod all, Bony somewhere around the £20M region. If Wenger really isn’t buying a striker then please, for the love of god, play Campbell up front. We badly need someone with pace that can get past defenders tonight. Ox and Sanchez on the wings, Ozil behind striker, bosh, job done. Tonight feels made for Rosicky to me though.
yep rosicky is such a ledge for us, never tire of him coming on like its his last game with limitless energy, hunger guile .
wenger dont forget campbell exists aswell!!
The manager has lost it, still no start for Rosicky or Campbell since the start of the season. The players in that starting lineup are so short apart from big Mert.
We will miss Rambo tonight a lot more than OG12. The next 5.5 days will be painful!!!
Arsenal team to play Besiktas: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Wilshere, Ox, Flamini, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis
hope cazrola don’t play on lw lacks pace + would have preferred chambers 2 flamini coygs
I can’t believe that after having a wonderful start to the transfer window, Wenger will ruin it by getting Ziggy Stardust. Surely, Wenger has something up his sleave.
If they’re able to win this and qualify Wenger must get to work immediately and not let this transfer window which so far as been great go to waist!!So far around 65m pounds have been spent but the team with the recent performances and injuries is worrying and if this window you were given around 100m pounds…no excuses!!You sold Vermaelen and got 15m pound in the process just buy a defender already…for all the great quality Chambers has you can’t ask him to play week in week out at the high level required;get Nastasic/Howedes for the same price,they both bring different experience!!Get a real DM; Khedira is gone so just go for Carvalho and if the latest rumour are true just give them Ryo and Coquelin on loan to reduce the price…is young,powerful,physical, has pace and is one of the hottest prospect along with Pogba in that position!!Finally as Puma is our new manufacturer…just get Falcao and get them involved,he’s one of the best in his position,single handled Chelsea on european super cup when at his best and would really fill the void left by Van Persie!!And for obvious reasons AFC in an upgrade in every way to Monaco with all due respect!!
So nervous for this game. The fate of the whole season hinges on this game. No UCL , no more big signings. Lets hope we get over the line. COYG!
Spuds got Fazio. I know he is not that real quality but still we are also looking for a back up CB only. Why is it so hard for Wenger to do that ?
No top CDM + No top striker + Ziggy = 4th place
Simple Maths
probably our best team right now…and the gaps are pretty obvious…but there is pace with ox and sanchez and the attacking midfield if it clicks will create chances the worry is behind this if flamini picks up a yellow early on i would take him off as he will be red carded..monreal and mert are vulnerable for sure..although they are not a team with real pace…truth is we should be comfortable but you never know…i do hope campbell gets at least 20 mins its difficult to judge what he can bring to epl otherwise
Wanted to see Campbell and Rosicky in the starting line up. I am not sure if Cazorla and Wilshere has earned their place in the line up.
Özil on the left wing to accommodate Cazorla and Wilshere, shm..
Best would have been to start Campbell on the left and shift Ozil behind Sanchez. But Wenger…..
Ozil on the wing so nothing has been learned from the Everton game.