Unai Emery certainly has got Arsenal playing like Champions against all the lesser teams so far, and we have notched up an amazing 11 wins in a row, and are set to make it TWELVE tomorrow. Like a lot of our opponents in this winning run (except for Sporting Lisbon!) Crystal Palace are languishing down in 15th place, just two points above the relegation spots.
Let us start by looking at Palace’s League results this season……
As you can see, since the opening day of the season they have had one win away at lowly Huddersfield, and at home it is worse where they have only gained one point from 4 games.
We also have to add to these stats the head to head record with Palace which shows that other than a 3-0 home win over us 2 years ago, they haven’t beaten us since 1994!
The Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, is tying to put a brave face on, despite their abysmal home form when he said: “We can and we will [win home games] because the support we get from the Crystal Palace crowd at Selhurst Park is very, very important. The atmosphere is very congenital to us. It can help us play on the front foot and I’m hoping for that on Sunday.
“As a unit, Arsenal are playing extremely well. They’re working very hard for each other, they’re pressuring the ball very well. I don’t see any obvious weaknesses. It’s going to be a question for us really of making certaing that we work hard to minimise their opportunities, to try and control them as well as we can. We saw Leicester City do that well in the first half of the last league game on Monday night.
“We can play evenly with them. There are no secrets, there are no words really that will enable us to get any points. It’s a question of what we do on the field, how hard working we can be, how organised as a team we can be and then creating enough chances and I’m hoping take some of them.”
To be honest, I really can’t see anything other than a very easy win for Arsenal.
Sam P
I don’t think it’s gonna be very easy, because it is still an away match. But I’m confident this is going to be Arsenal’s 12th wins in a row
It is the Liverpool game that I’m worried about. Salah and Mane have been scoring like crazy again in this season, especially in their last match tonight
We’re gonna murder Palace no doubt. 0-3
Cardiff hadn’t scored at home until we turned up, I hope that’s not the case tomorrow with Palace! It’s not going to be easy, but I hope we go for it & come away with the points COYG
Off topic.. He may be ex spurs, but all the best in your fight to get well Glenn. Gooners are thinking of you too.
Yes. Brilliant footballer.
Well said! It is important to always remember we are human beings first and football fans second.
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Yes thoughts with Glen and family and Leicester Cty and affected families.
Well said Declan ?
Visits to Selhurst Park are anything but easy for Arsenal or any other EPL time for
that matter. Arsenal have yet to face such a hostile crowd on the road and will have
more than a few nervy moments in this fixture. I anticipate a similar performance
to the Fulham game although the score line will be far less flattering.
3-1 to the Gunners!!
OFF TOPIC, with Henry calling the shots @ Monaco I took a quick glance @ the Ligue 1
standings and the job ahead for our one of our clubs greatest players. The Frenchman will
definitely have his hands full and the thought of relegation a few years after hoisting the
Ligue 1 title is a realistic concern. If Thierry only had these talents at his disposal.
Anthony Martial—-Man United
Kylian Mbappe—PSG
James Rodriguez—-Bayern Munich
Bernardo Silva—-Man City
Thomas Lema—-Atletico Madrid
Yannick Carasco—-Dalian Yifang
Tiemo Bakayoko—-AC Milan
Fabinho—-Liverpool
Benjamin Mendy—–Man City
Geofrey Kondogbia—-Valencia
Layvin Kurzawa—PSG
Although a few of these players have struggled with form after starring in the French
Rivera I can merely shake my head in amazement at the collection of talent this small
club was able to develop and sadly for there fans gladly sell on.
Stop this arrogant hype.We are not playing a conference team.They battred us not that long ago….
At last 1 fan not getting carried away.
No premier league games are easy in my opinion. Palace is like a wounded animal and very dangerous. They have nothing to lose, at home, so I expect them to really attack and be aggressive in all facets of the game.
Surely we’ve learned that arrogance has consequences haven’t we? The minute you ease up and start coasting in games, this league will humble you.
We need balanced midfield tomorrow, disciplined performances, and playing together as a unit. Hopefully Leno gets the start and Ramsey on the bench.
If we struggle playing out from the back if Cech starts, and Ramsey leaves holes in midfield by constantly (and irresponsibly) bombing forward, we could be in real danger.
Leno
Bellerin. Holding. Sokratis. Monreal
Xhaka. Torreira
Iwobi( or Welbeck) Ozil. Aubamayang
Lacazette
This lineup is hot fire right now, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
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Being too arrogant is how you drop points. Selhurst park is a hard place to go and they got players like Zaha that can punish us. Just keep the good vibes going throughout the squad, without writing off opponents. Months ago we were terrible, now we find form and suddenly lower table teams we don’t worry about? Didn’t CP smash us a couple seasons ago? I think Arsenal can get even better and improving our performances even more is more important than looking down on opponents.
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I was watching a highlight reel video of Guendouzi and the PSG youngster we were linked with before popped into my head Adli I think his name was.
I remember at the time being really disappointed when he decided to stay at PSG but I genuinely think if it was indeed one or the other I’m delighted it ended up being Guendouzi.
I love watching the way he moves around the pitch and he seems to have a bit of everything.
I won’t pretend I’m the most tactically aware and someone please educate me and correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Guendouzi a better, more robust, quicker version of Xhaka who covers much more areas of the pitch in a game?
Why is he not starting as one of the double pivot duo alongside Torreria in front of our two centre backs instead of Xhaka?
I think a duo of Torreira and Guendouzi together is a tactically great combination that complement each other perfectly at the base of our midfield for the way Emery wants us to play.
It’s got everything, great protection for our central defenders who are a work in progress and need the help, physically strong, energetic and reasonably quick, both can read the game, both are great passers, tenacious with a great work ethic and have positional sense.
I’m not convinced on Xhaka and personally think his level is that of a good squad player.
Torreira and Guendouzi are our future and the quicker they start playing together as first team regulars and get to know each others game the more beneficial it will be for our chances of success.
In my opinion a title winning team is made up of little relationships all over the pitch. Your fullbacks with their wingers, centre backs, offensive midfielders with the striker/strikers and centre midfielders with each otter.
In this run of 11 victories Xhaka has stated nearly all the games and Guendouzi appearing from the bench but from what I recall Guendouzi, in his limited minutes has contributed more to this run than Xhaka.
I don’t think so, one of the evident things of Emery’s era is rewarding consistency and punishing inconsistency, irrespective of who you are. Xhaka got subbed off in our first two games and torreira came on, and when it was time for torreira to start, guendouzi paid for it.
The only thing I believe guendouzi will do better than xhaka is win the ball back and cover more distance but when it comes to driving forward, finding full backs on the wings and those switching diagonal passes, xhaka marginally edges guendouzi, only that xhaka does his own with less flair and makes it look so simple, if guendouzi really deserved to start ahead of xhaka, emery won’t hesitate to do so.
I think the coach knows the reason he’s starting Xaka over Guendouzi. I agree with you on all the qualities you mentioned about Guendouzi, but there might be something the coach sees in Xaka that we don’t.
Not only Xhaka by the way!!
Wasn’t the majority of posters on here calling for Ozil, Bellerin, Iwobi and Welbeck to be sold sooner rather than later?
Just goes to show exactly what we, as individuals, really don’t appreciate a PROFESSIONAL coach/manager brings to the table.
ken only crazy people wanted ozil gone … iwobi has no doubt improved significantly under emery and deserves to start so has proved me wrong though i still have worries about the connection between his feet and his brain … bellerin remains a huge defensive liability and we still need a quality right back if we are to contnd at the top welbeck can leave anytime .. that said am still confident about me ramsey prediction
Till this point arsenal have not show our class by supporting Leicester
Guendouzi is young and relatively inexperienced. He is looking a great prospect, but needs to work on his passing range, accuracy and weight. He also has to be more rotective of the ball, as he is losing the ball too often when in possession.
There are no easy games in the epl .The teams at the foot og the table can beat the top 4 teams.This wont hsppen in Germany,Spain or even France..
If the gunners take it easy it could come back to haunt them.
I expect the gunners to win but it aint going to be easy.
This type of arrogance scares me. We are on a great run but expecting easy wins is exactly bring downfall. Hope the players stay humble and focused and not arrogant like some fans.
Considering how poor our away form was last season, and that wasn’t too long ago, I am always cautiously optimistic. Emery has done very welk to maximise points through the period where we didn’t play any of the top teams and that is exactly what was needed to lay the foundations for this season to have any hope of improving on last season.
I need 12 please
PLEAEEEEEEEESE 12
I’m used to winning now
I like it too much
I read this before the game and knew it was a stupid post even then. Palace aren’t scoring many but they’re playing alright, they probably would have beaten Everton last week if they’d scored the pen. Virtually no prem game is easy and especially not away, were very lucky to get a point today