I know that Arsene Wenger has been keen to play down the importance of Arsenal’s recent poor record against Chelsea, and especially his own record against their sneering manager Jose Mourinho. But I do think it is closer to the truth the way the football media is presenting the Sunday clash between the top two clubs at the Emirates stadium.
A typical take on the game is the one by Jeremy Wilson in The Telegraph in which he claims that the Gunners really are starting to put the years of financial troubles behind and becoming a team capable of winning the Premier League title again. But he also sees our manager’s terrible record against his rival, no wins and seven defeats in 12 games, as a major obstacle in our path back to glory.
Beating Chelsea on Sunday may not be enough to wrest the title from the Portuguese manager’s hands this season, in fact it almost certainly won’t. But it will land a significant blow on Mourinho and Chelsea, while at the same time imbuing Wenger and the Arsenal players with real belief.
The confidence has been growing in the Gunners camp and was significantly boosted by last season’s FA cup trophy win and by beating Man City, Liverpool and Man United already this season and almost ending the big game bottlers tag. But can we pass the final exam against Chelsea which will give us the qualifications needed to become champions of England once more?
Yes!!!
I am more confident than ever, Alexis with brace to win the PFA player of the year award ahead of Hazard. #COYG
i reckon hazard will only pip it as chelsea won the league.
this is alexis debut season! his first!
look at his stats-insane!
no contest it wont but it should go to alexis
Anyone believes Jose that he has no strikers ?
Surely we can. We have a good form and an excellent team spirit but wenger and the boys must maintain a balance between attack and defence. We should never be too exuberant in attack as chelsea can hit us at the counter. We must attack and defend as a group.
COYG…….. Arsenal for life……
Yes…COYG
I hope we won’t see Ramsey on the wings on Sunday. We need to go back to proper wing play and attack the Chelsea defence.
Dont worry, he will be right there.
too bad the ox is still out. Time to play theo then?!
Honestly, I’m damn serious: I’ve never been this desperate about having a side well beaten like this before.
I badly want us to beat Maurinho’s Chelsea, even if it’s just by a single goal.
this feels like mortal kombat.
we beat manchester clubs (gorro)
now we must beat chelsea (shang tsung)
err wenger is raiden?!
All I want is: FATALITY!!!
people makes me laugh saying Hazard is better than Sanchez. deduct the penalties he had scored and his goals from open play are pathetic though he is a good player.
In my eyes they are equals. Dont get me wrong, this is Sanchez first season with us and he will become even better, but just thinking of Hazard at Arsenal, wow.
Hazard is an one man army. Just give him the damn ball, and will finish the job. Cant imagine Chelsea withut him.
please even ramsey outscored hazard last year but the difference is hazard is more consistent and the guy is always healthy. So there is never a dip in his form, wilshere, ramsey and ox can all make a solid case for the PFA or PFA Young player award but their seasons are always riddled with injuries.
Talking about goals from open play now look at Giroud.
Evening mate,hope you are well
Evening mate, I am great thanks how are you good I hope..
Ok thanks mate busy at work though
Hazard is good but he doesn’t deserve Player of the Year imo, the main reason Chelsea are on top is because of Fabregas and Costa. What I don’t get is why the media rate players based on their club’s position ? Hasn’t it done enough damage to their national team ?
We need to deliver and earn us some respect. Teams nowdays dont respect us, that for its very important to win againest big teams. Chelsea are being crowned champions not bec they are so good or do play nice football or strong bs defence, but bec the competition has become weaker.
The Cl is a cup competition where you can go earn your self much respect. Us never being able to win it is a big problem and damages our reputation, same goes with us going with 9 years without winning the Epl.
I am not happy about this. The season so far has been an okay season bec it doesnt feel so bitter like before where we fought with the spurs and everton for the 4thh place, but second place is only the first place losers. We need to win big and bring glory to this great club.
How to kill off a football fan like me, take his fav player who seem to be always the club captain, watch him go to rivals, watch him score against you, and then watch them win something you always wanted to win. overkill.
Coqueling snap the sh*t out of Cesc plz.
Another important
step along the way.
The final test is to win
the EPL ECL double.
make it sound like the natural order of things davy
it doesnt happen alot unless ur madrid bayern or barca
Yes indeediii Muff:)
Are we there yet?
Watching Real v Athleico
Monaco v Juve grinding
it out at 0-0 for 100 minutes
game on a knife edge.
Were we better than Monaco?
If so could we have outlasted Juve
over two brutal pressure battles?
Noted a previous article about Bellerin vs Debuchy to start..for me starting XI should be:
Ospina, Bellerin, Gabriel, Kos, Monreal, Ramsey, Coq, Ozil, Cazorla, Sanchez, Giroud playing in 4,2,3,1. Ospina has been far better than Szczesny as of late, Bellerin has been an excellent debutant (if he can even be classed as that anymore?) and Debuchy looked a bit off the pace v Reading (understandably). If Mert is unfit, CB’s pick themselves. Monreal has looked very solid at LB recently and beats Gibbs to start. Giroud undoubtedly up top with Sanchez on the wing. It’s the rest of the team where questions may be posed.., do you go with Caz or Ramsey beside Coq? If Caz I’d rather drop Ramsey and play Welbeck on the other wing, yet I can’t see Wenger dropping Ozil/Cazorla/Ramsey for this game. As such, would rather have Ozil on the left and Cazorla playing behind Giroud..Subs: Szcz, Gibbs, Chambers, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott, Welbeck
Id go with those players also and i believe Arsene will too. I think id go with 4 1 4 1 formation though as we will need to stretch that che unit. Our wingers need to play clever when to hug byline and when to move centrally.
The thumbs down are interesting, would like to see others’ opinions on who we should play? Not saying in any way I’m right it’s just an interesting guessing game these days to see who walks out onto the pitch! Definite possibility Ying Yang, the lack of width against Reading was plain for all to see, although with Ozil/Ramsey likely to start on one wing interchanging with Cazorla I can’t see us playing with much width in any case..
We can only hope 4 d best… Any team put out there shd know wat to do
Imo we have the best squad to pick from to win on Sunday as long as we make no silly mistakes,will be a tough game but I’m quietly confident COYG
Of course Arsenal will not can, but will beat Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in this Sunday BPL game evening kickoff time. And even win the Barclays Premier League title this current season that is about drawing to a close soon. Infact, to me, Arsenal have won the Premier League title already. Whether Chelsea are topping the table with 10 points ahead of Arsenal now but later are not leading Arsenal with 10 points anymore. As soon as Gunners delivered the sucker punch to the Blues on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, Chelsea will collapsed into coma. And by the time they are resurcitated, they will discover their 10 points lead on the table have been packed away into the Emirates Stadium points bag and Arsenal have been declared the 2014/2015 Barclays Premier League Champions.
OFF TOPIC: Just saw an article about Jack Wilshere revealing reasons for us winning a couple of big games this season. Imo, the biggest reason we’re on top form currently (in fact very good in the second half of the season) is because Jack has been sidelined (no more losing the ball in the midfield and opponent fast break and everyone know wt happens with Mert at the back) Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Jack and i love his passion, fighting spirit, loyalty and of course his hatred for spuds.
However, Wenger has been treating him too well and he has shown no progress in recent years. I really would like to see him go on loan for a year, especially when our midfield is already full of CAM like ozil ramsey cazorla rosicky, not mentioning if for real Schneiderlin or Wanyama (or even Isco) is coming in summer, there will be no place for Wilshere. Instead of putting him out of position on the flanks (we know wenger), why not repeat the miracle of Coq? He’s got the No.10 shirt and (hopefully) he’ll be the future Arsenal cap he needs to fight and earn for his place. He should realise he’s not getting the same treatment when wenger retires.
COYG!!!
Everyone is saying hazard is a threat, okay if he is threat then our focus should be on cutting the supply to him. You cut the supply make him frustated and sidelined. I mean this is what I see the best to stop Hazard.