Arsenal are facing a very tough test tomorrow as we travel to face an in form and high flying West Ham. Sam Allardyce has really got his players working as a solid team this season and their place above the Gunners in the Premier League table is no fluke.
Having said that, an Arsenal win will take us above them into fourth place, or even third if Chelsea beat Southampton. But despite the fact that West Ham lost their last game, against Jose Mourinho’s side on Boxing day, they will still be fairly confident against Arsenal and we will have to be at our best.
West Ham are especially strong at home, where they have not lost a league game since the end of August. They have also beaten the reigning champions Man City and Liverpool in that time. So the players need to be ready for action and Arsene Wenger needs to get his tactics right. And one of those tactics is how best to exploit the fact that West Ham will be missing one of their key defenders.
As Carl Jenkinson is on loan from Arsenal, he cannot play against us and he has been their first choice right back. His replacement is likely to be Joey O’Brien, who has started just three games all season, so that should be a weak link in their defence which we must try to exploit.
One way of doing that would be to play Alexis Sanchez on the left of our attack to pile the pressure on O’Brien, but the red card shown to Olivier Giroud may mean that Welbeck goes into the middle and Podolski comes into the starting line-up. If that is the case then Wenger needs to tell Kieran Gibbs and Santi Cazorla to help the German out in attack as much as possible. We must get at the right back as much as possible because that could be where we win the game and with a trip to Southampton to follow on new years day, Arsenal badly need the points and the confidence.
yep sounds about right, welbz in the middle,pace on the wings, missus in the kitchen.
half decent post bobinski 🙂
now lets get into the real nitty gritty….is it still classed as cheatin, if you cant remember what happened?
Lol
Szczesney
Debuchy – Mertesacker – Koscielny* – Gibbs
Flamini – Rosicky
Campbell – Cazorla – Alexis
Podolski
*Monreal if Kos is still unfit
Rozza & Flam worked decently yesterday, so if it aint broken why fix it? I think we need a bit of energy to kill off West Ham and I would like to think Campbell and Alexis on either side would do the trick.
I would have Theo over Campbell.
Campbell has enthusiasm but is very raw and his passing is poor.
We NEED to win this game or risk falling badly behind.
I wouldn’t stick Theo into a fixture like this from the start, Hutton will go all out to put him back on the injury table. Having thought about it again, a front 3 of Alexis, Welbeck & Podolski would be most ideal, unless of course Theo is match fit for this game in which case Podolski stays on the bench.
2 games in 4 days??
Wenger fail to rotate
i m not surprise if we fail to win… the same shit as usual..
Hafiz has learned a new word – rotate – so expect a lot more of this copyist junk from him.
Theo will be a huge asset in this game with his pace on the wing!
Wenger should Start “little mozart” again, so he can make those attacking runs of his at their defense to open it up! Coyg!
West ham will be no “push overs” tomorrow at upton park, so the gunners must be focus, and at their best tomorrow! Best of luck gunners! Coyg!
Looking for another MOTM performance from our talisman “alexis sanchez” tomorrow at upton park! What an awesome player this guy is! Coyg!
I think Alexis has shamed some of our other players into putting in the effort needed in EVERY game – there are no pushovers in this league!
Would make sense to exploit a flank where there’s a new player but do you think Wenger thinks tactics like this?
No, we will go to the match with the same line up and same mentality. Except now Giroud is out so he has to do changes. Also if OX is fit, he will start ahead of Rosicky, doesn’t matter what Tomas does, OX is one of the privileged.
dont know why you are getting thumbed down. Everything you said is true, haha.
I don’t like it myself but it will probably happen. Podolski scored a brace against Galatasaray and he defended like hell. He looked like a completely different player and his reward – bench for a month.
You can’t judge Campbell on a super goal @ world cup. I agree Wenger hasn’t given him enough opportunities. However, the few times he has played he has not been impressive. Added to that the fact that he has played 2 full previous seasons for 2 clubs and averaged 6 goals per season.
It would have made more sense to send Campbell on loan instead of Jenkison, especially after getting Welbeck. We have so many forwards who can play on the wings but still no WC striker
Podolski
Walcott…..Cazorla…Sanchez
Rosicky…Flamini
Debuchy….Mertsacker…chambers..Gibbs
Szczesny
Our biggest worry, is who the hell is going to contain Andy Carroll in the air.
Normally u would say 6’6 mertesacker, but we all know when he jumps he only 5’10 tall.
I would seriously go with koscielny and debuchy at the back then add real pace on the flanks with bellerin and gibbs sitting behind Walcott and sanchez. Flamini in front of the back 4 with our little maestros santi and tombs loading the bullets for welbeck to fire
Szczesney
Bellerin debuchy koscielny gibbs
Rosicky flamini cazorla
Walcott welbeck sanchez
only good news is kos6 may be fit to start this match and lets be honest with west ham’s physicality they would go all ‘stoke city’ on us. Podolski has to start this game 3goals and 5 assists in 4 games against west ham.
Welbeck was horrible yesterday. Had giroud not been red carded yesterday podolski sure wud hav played, mayb walcott too. Just sad
I think Wenger will go with Sanogo. If he goes with welbz up top well the we could see theo or poldi but not both together. Its not the team sheet i would like but my guess is that he will go with the team below.
sanogo
Welbz sanchez
cazorla
ox flamini
gibbs cham/deby
kos per
sczc
Interesting line up you have there: 2-2-2-1-2-1. Best to leave Downing free on the WH wing eh?
West Ham will feel the CHRISTMAS period like any other team. I think arsenal playing 2 days apart is a good thing. But I would not play A S as he is on the brink of a big lay of injury. TW is back so that is a plan me thinks
Wenger will find some way to **** it up tomorrow. Only Sanchez/Rosicky intervention can save us.
Probably will go with
Welbeck – Sanogo – Sanchez
and we are f’d
Lineup:
Szszcesny
Debuchy Mert Kos Gibbs
Rosicky Flamini Cazorla
Walcott Welbeck Sanchez
Subs: Ospina, Monreal, Chambers, Coquelin, Ox, Pod, Sanogo
wenger going to send out a horrible lineup and somehow not include Podolski I bet. not looking forward to it. Giroud really screwed us over big time Welbeck simply doesnt score so we’ll be relying on our midfielders and wingers completely.
And I really think Carl Jenkinson has been class for West Ham this season, seeing as Debuchy is 30, I can really see Jenkinson featuring regularly for us in the future.
I see Calum Chambers as a future centre back.
Wenger probably sees him as a left winger
Wenger sees awful things sometimes,,, like looking at Podolski’s conversion rate,, he still sees him as benchwarmer and Giroud as world class striker who cannot even be substituted…..
i’m sure author meant to say fifth or possibly fourth
The rotation mantra is getting old. Ask Mourinho about squad rotation – he doesn’t rotate his starting 11 much because all his starters are performing. Accountability is the key, not rotation for the sake of rotation. Welbeck should be out of the starting line-up because he’s not performing. Podolski should be in because he performed well in his last start.
Theo is such a good player, but whenever i see his name, i cant stop thinking of Diaby.
Hope arsenal would win for next 2 away matches, I even didn’t remember when did arsenal win away game in BPL ….
Off topic,,, I must admit there must be some people out there who make it a point they spite Arsenal fans by cooking up stories about Wenger interest in players which just proves false when he signs an injured KK in January…. Now is becoz Wenger is too stubborn he would rather not sign than get a player that people will say…” told you so”….
And word on twitter is he’s been given a huge transfer kit….
I suspect, it’s all to do with Spurs fans, knowing if he doesn’t sign, we be angry at le Prof…
But on a very serious note, Wenger must sign a few defensive players,, otherwise I will personally manhandle him…
Szczesny
Debuchy-Per-Kosc-Gibbs
Cazorla-Flamini-Rosicky
Walcott-Welbeck-Poldi.
Subs: Sanogo come on for Welbz, Ox come on for Santi, Campbell on for Walcott.
How about
Szczesny
Debuchy – Per – kos – Gibbs
Mozart – Flamini – Santi
Alexis – Theo – podolski
In this case,all three forwards are lethal.I haven’t really been impressed with welbeck recently