Arsenal’s are the latest club to have a match postponed due to the latest Coronavirus situation, but I don’t feel like it will help us to get a result against Manchester City. Guest post by Sarah Rohan
Covid has claimed another fixture in the league and this time it’s our own game against Wolves on Tuesday.
Will this come as a hindrance to our run of games where we’ve been performing so well? I’m in two minds to be honest. Yes, we deserve a little break after the hectic festive period, but this means our next game is against the free scoring Manchester City on Saturday Afternoon.
Is a full weeks rest really going to benefit our team with no match play in the week? I don’t think it will. Wolves would’ve been a great test for us. We’ve had tricky games against the Wanderers in the past few seasons and I see them as a bogey team to us.
I’m a tad disappointed that with our team set-up, and the probability Arteta would’ve changed it around a bit to rest some key players later on in the game, that we won’t get a tester before the Sky Blues visit us.
Now City are playing Wednesday night against Brentford. After seeing Brentford’s game against Brighton, I don’t think there will be much worry for Pep and he will probably use some of the players who didn’t play in their 6-3 beating of Leicester City today.
The likes of Grealish and Jesus could come in to give the other players a rest. So they’ll be fully fit and raring to go against us unfortunately. When there’s a fully fit De Bruyne in the team, I worry!
So what are our chances against City Gooner family?
We all know how impressive we’ve been this Christmas period. We seem to be a tight unit at the moment, we are creating more and scoring more, but most of these games we was expected to win.
We’ve got some players on fire at the moment and will likely give the Man City defence the run around, if Arteta sets the team up as he has been doing.
Our defence has been more solid but we are still struggling to beat the likes of Liverpool and I don’t even want to talk about the games against Man Utd and Everton. Best to leave those games in 2021!
Although I would love a result on Saturday Afternoon, I don’t think we will win. I hope I’m wrong but I still think City will have too much for us, but it will be a great test for our defence that has been much improved of late. If there’s still absences in our defence due to Covid this could give us some serious problems…
A draw I would be happy with or a close match will do. It’s still early days with this young team and we can’t put too much pressure on them. Let’s just support them and enjoy their progress even if we do get beat by the bigger teams.
We need to stay in contention with the top four now Spurs and Manchester United have games in hand over us, and are coming into form. One thing’s for sure, it will certainly be a close contest and will be a rollercoaster close to the season, and the table will change constantly…
Do you believe our postponement could help us get a result against Man City come Saturday?
Happy New Year Gooners!
The postponement of the Wolves match is of no importance compared with the worldwide efforts to combat the coronavirus. Having said that it would be great for us football fans to see the season completed with as little disruption as possible. We are unlikely to beat Man City but must try to continue our improved form. At last we are scoring and looking stylish. Much of it down to … Odegaard.
I watched the Man City vs Leicester game and I can tell you that the yare beatable or a draw can be gotten out of them. Leicester approached them wrongly from the start and I knew they only had a chance if they pressed than to cowardly sit back and should’ve scored more goals tbh. We need to initiate a well organized press against them and overload the middle. I watched Burnley and Southampton against City away and they both gave City issues with the same style and could’ve won. A thrashing will expose this team and reduce its confidence. A mediocre performance from the team would be unacceptable. I have seen massive improvement in the execution of our attacking tactics and general play. I am confident that if our tactics are sensible from the start we can beat City or if not put up a great display against them.
Nobody can say they predicted Arsenal to be top4 after the first round. Nobody. I predicted 6th/th7 by Xmas and 5th/6th by May. So the team has exceeded all expectations and we are only 25% of the way through the two year process. Quite remarkable. Why we had to play 48 hours after our last game then have 4 days before Man City is weird. Surely two three day breaks would have made more sense? With our Carabao Cup semis, a possible final an FA Cup game and if we get another postponement could mean our fixture backlog could mount. But most clubs face a whole lot of rescheduled fixtures. If the postponements continue clubs could end up playing Sat, Mon, Wed, Sat like they did once back in the 80’s. Staying calm and being ready to play is the key.
What people predicted, including yourself, is irrelevant. What is relevant is that this team/manager has shown how good they can be and should be held to this standard now. To allow regression just shows a poor mindset.
So if you owned a business and had a new employee that had exceeded expectations you’d be perfectly ok with him dropping his standards and slacking off because you didn’t expect him to do so well in the first place? Weak, cowardly and loser mindset honestly.
What 2 year process? lol
The long history of failure has given Arsenal fans not to expect much and once in a while when much is given, fans don’t think they have a right to it
The postponement against Wolves is a speed bump in our progress. Against Wolves, who conceded a little and scored a little, would have given us the opportunity to learn to breakdown a stubborn defense. All we need to concentrate on, is to stay focused, which Leicester didn’t in the late second half. We can be on top of city, by playing high earlier, drop in the last 15min of the 1st half, and repeat the process in the second but in reverse. Us for a 1-0 win
It is quite impossible to predict anything in football at the moment.
We have three players with covid and who knows what that might mean during the week?
All things being equal, however, I expect us to, at the very least, to COMPETE!!
If we don’t do that as a minimum, then we can all be very concerned about any process being made.
Mc is the acid test.They have just scored six..However all runs have to end at some point and why not at the ES.
Ma has to play it tight .Hes better at defence than Wenger.The gunners have to stop the well timed runs and not to give the likes of Sterling and company spac.
Then we shall see
When does Partey go to AFCON ? He will be missed vs MC
I read that players don’t have to be released until 3rd January.. 👍
If Wolves didn’t have players in covid protocols, they would have come into the game with a weeks rest, while Arsenal would have had just over 48 hours. Man City aside Arsenal have a much better chance of picking up the three points against Wolves if the teams are playing on equal rest. This is probably the best thing that could have happened for Arsenal.
Zeddo: Partey doesn’t leave for AFCON until after the City game.
Yes. Because Man City have to go to Brentford, before going to London two days later
The postponed match against Wolves is a huge plus for Arsenal to get better prepared to challenge Manchester city on January 1st, 2022. With the current form at home ,the players must now believe that they can take the fight to Manchester city and play without fear. Arsenal must be tight as a unit throughout the game. City have been beaten by teams lower down the table this season,so,Arsenal must be motivated by that. Hope that Tomiyasu will be fit for the game, as I worry about Holding in the side. Please, no Aubameyang. Keep him out.
Why do you worry about Holding?.In the limited game time he has had this season, has he let us down?
Holding has not let us down at all.
Who determines the accuracy of these covid tests ? If a player catches the common cold will he test positive for C-19? if all these players are suddenly catching covid then I don’t see how they will be able to finish the PL the backlog will be insane, Tottenham still haven’t played they’re final conference league game and have a pile of games in hand.
Oh shut up been on this site before you knew it existed
the tests detect specific proteins of the virus(viral antigens), which aren’t present when someone is experiencing what you might refer to as a common cold…Cheers Kev82
TRVL I don’t know mate it was claimed on sky that a Chelsea football tested negative, positive then negative again, so how accurate those tests are I have no idea but my point is the PL will struggle to finish at this rate Omicron will still be here in the spring and many more games will continue to be cancelled.
Kev, Rennes were awarded a 3-0 win, Spuds are out of Europe..
apparently you can test as a false negative but can’t test as a false positive with a pcr test.
I guess the accuracy depends on the test being used. The rapid antigen test is less accurate.
honestly though, I have heard people test a banana and it comes back as positive.
How true, I do not know.
Mambo….The late assassinated president of Tanzania tested a goat and a pawpaw..gave them human names and both came back positive….you can fact check it…..btw Tanzania did not go into any knockdown and Tanzanians will tell you their country never had C 19…..you can fact check these out…..!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/covid-19-coronavirus-coverup-tanzania-11636042309
Well , if it helps, I tested a banana in a laboratory and it was indeed confirmed to be a banana. I was already POSITIVE it was one. So I ate it! END OF PROBLEM!
End for the banana too, sad to relate. But I do miss it so incredibly much, now its gone!
why was my simple response to Kev82’s question regarding covid tests removed from the site???
We have been boosted for the City game yes but I’d prefer to keep playing the weaker teams like our last 3 games while our form is good and picking up the 3 points.
Who knows what our form will be like when we play Wolves in the rescheduled match.
With all that being said, if we get drilled but 3 goals or more against City now there is no excuse to hide behind.
I’d have preferred to play the Wolves game too.
There is no guarantee that we’d win but confidence is high and it’s a game we really should be winning
I expect us to give the problems…..
I wish we played the Wolves game….
Great article except…
Wolves game being postponed is a perfect thing for us right now. Most of the kids have been playing some sick minutes, I like it as it helps them develop that much faster but also we need to be cautious to not drain them. ESR hasn’t been playing not for lack of form or anything but simply cause arteta wants to preserve him for second part of season. His goal scoring substitute cameos are truly impressive.
In regards to free scoring city… so are we. Just as free scoring so please let’s not go into panick mode 6 full days before the match even starts, swap the club names and you’ll have equally ‘fascinating’ article for city fans.
Chill, support the team the players and the manager and trust the process…😜😂… no really, TRUST THE PROCESS!!!.😈
It’s a boost, our front 4 needs rest tbh, and hopefully Tomi will recover in time for Saturday
The last time we beat City in the PL was 2015! What is important is that we protect our goal difference so if City win, they should only win by a 1 goal margin.. but who knows, maybe we can get a draw.
The process is working…..Arsenal are in 4th with a very young team…..they are not invincible..they will loose some games..don’t let that get you guys down……!
Guest writer Sarah Rohan is plainly badly wrong to say that had the Wolves game not been postponed, that would have given us an advantage against City, as compared to it not being postponed.
That is a nonsense comment and shows a lack of understanding of how football teams need adequate rest.
At this busy time of year, with Covid everywhere and in all clubs, to varying degrees, the postponement of our Wolves game is a Godsend and we are fortunate it is off.
As to the City game , IF- WHICH MUST BE A BIG IF- it is even played on time, we are likely to be beaten.
All teams are being rolled over by them at present and we are not yet at their level. I expect a two/ three goal defeat but with a brave try and to cause them some difficult moments.
BUT AS YET NOT MORE THAN THAT.
I accept that the three clubs above us are in a different level to all thr rest. But I see a fourth place finish as a three hosre race between us Spuds and United.
IMO these three teams will finish in 4th ,5th and 6th.
I make us right now marginal favourites of those three, with perhaps a 40%-42% chance of fourth, with the others having the remainder of whats left percentage chance.
“…. Compared to it BEING postponed.”
Absolutely out of order professor lalala you should apologize to Jon fox. your comment is uncalled for and childish
@Jon fox
I might not agree with you on many things but I’m in full support with you on this.
Please Ad Pat, do the needful.
Wolves would have been a solid test but the Arsenal go into the City game without any excuses, tired bodies rested, a home game, and a lot of pride on the line. I hope Arteta gets it right and sends his players out in a seriously positive mood with everything to play for in terms of season’s expectations.