Arsenal need to score first against a defensive Palace

Can Arsenal see off Palace’s threat? by SE

It’s fair enough that Football is a game of glorious uncertainties on the pitch, but off it – you would think that there’s a lot more stability and calmness surrounding Football clubs and their administrative proceedings. However, Pulis walking away from the club last night – on the eve of a brand new Premier League season – tells you a completely different story altogether. And, that should turn out to be a huge factor in tomorrow’s game, which, until last night, was going to be a litmus test for Arsenal. It could still be a test for the North Londoners, but this incident is expected to have an impact on the Palace outfit, which walks out to the Emirates tomorrow.

Last season, ever since Pulis took over, Palace were a tough team to beat. They were defensively compact, tactically set out to counter-attack against big teams, for which they had the right personnel.

They visited the Etihad stadium, where the eventual Premier League champions were irrepressible in their goal-scoring form, and making a mockery of the visiting teams by hitting them for 5’s and 6’s. Pulis’s men however, resisted a repeat of such derision from Man City, and even though they narrowly lost 0-1, they had to be proud of what they mustered.

They rendered the same pattern of match at Stamford Bridge, and were the better team in the 1-2 reverse against Mourinho’s men.

Going to Emirates tomorrow, Palace will set out to be defensively impenetrable, and will play on the nerves and emotions of their superior opponents. Albeit they might not lineup in two walls of four players each, Palace could demonstrate a game plan closer to that pattern.

Visiting teams at venues like Emirates, Anfield and Etihad will ensure that they don’t go out of the contest early on in the game, and Palace will be no different in this regard.

Albeit the Eagles will bolster their lineup with pacey forwards to make use of counter-attack, Arsenal’s defense will have to hold out too. Koscielny is expected to be fit for tomorrow’s game, which would be a huge boost for the Gunners, but you still feel that Arsenal’s defense can be intimidated when you have pacey forwards running at them.

Also, being a home side, it’s natural to flood players forward to score goals and stamp your authority on the game, but Wenger’s men need to be defensively prudent. Normally, Arsenal’s full backs in Debuchy and Gibbs can be very good going forward, but defensively they will have to render resistance. Chambers is certain to start, and you don’t want him exposed against the likes of Bolasie and Puncheon, with Debuchy buccaneering forward to aid Arsenal’s attack.

This is the kind of game that stresses on the significance of the 1st goal of the match. Any team that scores up front will have a distinct advantage over its opponents. If Arsenal find that first goal early on, they will go on for more, and Palace could come apart, both defensively and offensively. On the other hand, if the inferior team scores, it could play on the emotions of both the players and spectators.

Patience will be indispensable for Wenger’s men, who, irrespective of the kind of threat Palace might render, should win, and secure all three points in their first league outing of the season.

Bottom line is that Arsenal ‘should’ see off a beleaguered Palace outfit.

Suhith

Tags Chambers Koscielny Palace

38 Comments

  1. We need to win the EPL. I dont care about UCL or FA CUP but winning the EPL is very important. UCL is a very long shot

    1. I’d take any cup. I don’t care what anyone says, I loved it when we won the FA cup and I loved it when we won the Community Shield. Nothing is too small.

  2. OFF TOPIC

    Spanish media buzzing and claiming that Reus is a done deal…

    ..For Atlético.

    to be confirmed in the next hours.
    If happens, clever clever move by simeone and company ( dont understand why they need reus, heard in colchoneros.com that they are changing tactics) . have to admit that im jealous.

      1. I dont know man, some spanish websites are even stating that the signing will be anounced in a few hours… I’m starting to think that they signed reus because they dont getted cazorla…

        I need a drink, this is just too much for me.

    1. Off topic:
      Has anyone seen wilsheres hilarious instagram picture? He put a photo of gibbs on saying ‘happy birthday to my boy’ and he tagged oxlade chamberlain

    2. In the next couple of hours Arsenal will announce the signing of Clark Kent. Come on, as if Dortmund wouldn’t wait for a bidding war.

  3. Sanchez is going to destroy the slow Palace defense. I see goals from Sanchez and Ramsey in the horizon. COYG!

  4. Pulis was one of the pundits at the Charity Shield.
    Scoring first IS the main thing. Last Season when we did, we rarely failed to get 3 points, in fact, if I remember rightly, only the opening game did we forfeit a lead and lose.
    Concede first and the heads go, which, is what happened in those disastrous away games.
    Hopefully the Manager, coaching staff, and players, have looked at that, and we will not go gung-ho for the equaliser, but rather stick to our formation and play ourselves back in, aware of the counter attacks should we get caught too high up.
    Difficult to know just how Pulis leaving will effect the players, but, I do not see it helping them.

  5. I think my 2 year old girl muttered the word “ARSENAL” a few days. Wife is pissed thinking i taught her the word “a%shole” lol. COYG

  6. What is this talk about Podolski leaving. If that is the case, then all of us have been deceived again, the net spend for this summer would be something like £12m if Podolski is sold. Thankfully all these rumours are coming out of some bad sources like Metro and Goal.com.

    I think we have enough strikers to play two at the top again, but I know Wenger won’t do that.

    We just need a CB and a big powerful DMF, without selling anyone else, and we are good to go for the season.

  7. Whether Arsenal score first or not, Palace is already beaten. With Pulis gone, they’ll be relegated. This happened to Wolves who sacked Mick Mcarthy after 3 seasons in the top flight and ended up in league 2 in just 2 years.

    1. He can be free but for over 150k a week he’s a pass. He’s good but not THAT good. It’s like doubling the salary he have at Real.

  8. Maybe Palacw will come out to lose their lives if they have to, just to porve a point.
    Or they just park a big bus.
    Either way (I think its gonna be either of these two strategies) we will face a kind of a tricky/ tough team under the circumstances.
    We need to be cool, patient and focused.

  9. Men…. The transfer speculations round d world are just so clumsy; I don’t get any more; only wenger n gazidis know. Wt dey r doing, hope we get d. Right players.

  10. Hope we get a very narrow victory, something like 4-3, which will

    1) Expose our defensive weaknesses
    2) Push Wenger to go for a top DM (wonder why he hasn’t done that already)
    3) And still give us 3 points 😉

  11. I beg you Mr Wenger, please DO NOT get Reus or Cavani or Falcao or Di Maria, etc. we have enough forwards. We don’t want. Just get what we all want. We want and need a CDM.

    We have wanted a top CDM for years. Now we have money.
    That’s all we need a CDM and CD.

    1. When you have the opportunity to sign either of Reus, Cavani, Falcao, or Di Maria, you sign them. We’re not Real Madrid or Barcelona. We aren’t full of world class players in attack to snub any. But anyways I agree with you on the CDM and CB issues. I think we will sign one or two. When Wenger says we are short in some areas and he doesn’t rule out signings. This is the man who never gives any hint on transfers, so when he’s this direct, it’s as good as done deal.

  12. I hate being a pessimist……we need a winning…start….and off course AKB so dont worry for new signings….they will come…. for tomo…its gonna be Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace….COYG!!!

  13. I don’t know about anyone but just my opinion. We Can still forget carvalho or khedira or any other player outside Epl and sign epl proven cdm and cb. For cdm we have nzonzi,tiote,jedinak,schneiderlin. My choice nzonzi as schneiderlin wants to link up with pochettino. And nzonzi has been around,young,not injury prone,tackles and very vocal and strong headed and again he is french. Cb we have vlaar,reid,fonte,agger,nastasic. My choice reid as he is young,not injury prone,very versatile,tall an is also quick. What do you guys think?

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