After the shock of seeing some top teams drop down into the Europa League, Arsenal still have to play their last group game tonight against BATE. We have already easily qualified as group winners but BATE still have an outside chance of reaching the knockout stages if they win this game.
Although the game is a dead rubber, Wenger has made it clear that he will still be playing his experienced reserves to give them a little more match fitness ahead of our congested fixture list in the rest of this month, so it is certain that our front line will consist of Wilshere, Walcott and Giroud again, although I expect Welbeck to be given a run out as well at some point.
Wenger said when asked if our winning the group would affect his team selection, and he replied: “Not too much, because I have many players available who need competition. Next week we go into a week with three games and so some players need competition, some experienced players. We’ll play quite an experienced team tomorrow.”
So this is the most experienced side that Wenger could play…
Ospina
Debuchy, Mertesacker, Holding
Chambers, Coquelin, Elneny, Maitland-Niles
Walcott, Wilshere, Giroud
I am sure that he will give a couple of youngsters like Nelson, Nketiah or Willock a chance to play if given the chance, but I am hoping for some impressive performances from our reserves to prove they deserve promotion for our League games, but after our last few underwhelming Europa League displays I won’t be holding my breath….
So, on that note, I am going to predict a fighting game from BATE, who have absolutely nothing else to play for but this game, but we will have just enough quality to win the game. So my score prediction is 2-1 to the Gunners…
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Would love to see Nelson in his natural position, but there’s more chance of Wenger winning the league again than that happening!
What are the odds of Nelson even starting in goal? I warrant they are shorter than the odds of winning the title with Wenger!
With a decent number of experienced players in tonight and with the inclusion of Walcott to add workrate steel and hunger for the ball, …..oh I must stop as I am laughing so much at the absurdity of what I was about to say about Walcott. But him aside , we still have enough good players, Giroud, Wilshere, Ospina and some decent younger budding stars to expect a decent win . By three goals against what is a poor opponent. Sorry about the Walcott joke. As his fiercest enemy I was going to play devils advocate and see who was first to challenge my lie but I SIMPLY COULDN’T GO THROUGH WITH IT. I have tried everything in my power over a whole decade to garner fan support to put pressure on the club to get him out but even I am getting fed up with writing the same old thing and still he stays, picking up huge money -our money indirectly- for wasting his career. Though I detest him as a player, as a man who has successfully “stolen” many millions in wages over twelve long years, making himself filthy rich at our expense and conned Wenger into offering him several new contracts at increased wages, I have a certain sneaking admiration for his “con artistry”, as one might have with the villains in films. You know what I mean.
All the Wally Walcott lovers and anti Arsenal success “fans” out in force, disliking realism again I see. How depressing to us REAL fans. These people are the very ones accepting mediocrity and thus the enemy of future success. I don’t believe they have much idea of what is truth actually is. If it offends anyone , me using REAL language against Walcott, then that offence is NOTHING when compared to the offence this bone idle, lazy shirker has given to Arsenals REAL fans over many years past. I think you fools should get real and smell the coffee AND DECIDE IF YOU WANT CONTINUED MEDIOCRITY AND PLAYERS WHO DON’T EARN THEIR MONEY. Or if they prefer real success with hardworking, motivated players. You can’t have it both ways.
THE ONLY WAY O COULD SEE WALCOTT BEING GOOD IS PLAYING A 4-4-2 HE IS GOOD A RUNNING BEHING THE DEFENDERS SO I WOULD LINE UP LIKE THIS:
OSPINA.
DEBUCHY-MERTESACKER-HOLDING-JOHNSON
…………….WILSHERE….COQUELIN
NELSON…………………………………….WILLOCK.
………….. WALCOTT…GIROUD…
WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS?
SORRY FOR THE GRAMMAR ERRORS…
Sounds like you’re having a bad day Jon, grab yourself a beer and chill man.
Quite obvious Arsenal sees these Europa games as practice matches so far. I believe with the calibre of teams now in EL, it will only get serious from here. I’m not expecting any starter for Southampton game to start here and I believe we have enough to win the game. Whichever way , our European sojourn continies in February. COYG.
With us already through as group winners,I guess wenger will not have a better chance all season to give some of the promising youngsters a full 90 minutes…
OT..Just felt like laughing..please who still want MICHU,DEMBA BA,KOKORIN,M.RICHARDS,C.TIOTE,P.CISSE,M’VILA..The media is crazy i swear..lol
Theo earns more than Giroud. Why?
Because he works so hard obviously, whereas Giroud is lazy and hides. Sorry must go now, there are two men in white coats at the door waiting to take me away!