With Arsenal still carrying a pretty hefty list of players on the injury list, Arsene Wenger is having to cope without big players like Santi Cazorla and Shkodran Mustafi, and while the latest injury news on the in form Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is positive he will not be able to face West Brom today.
Aaron Ramsey was a possible inclusion but after some time out it would be a risk to throw him straight in and with quite a few options in central midfield I did not expect the boss to risk him. Ramsey has made the bench along with Mohamed Elneny and Wenger has stuck with Coquelin and Xhaka to control the centre.
The one major change is up front and judging by the fact Theo Walcott has not even made the subs bench suggests to me that Wenger’s hand has been forced a bit on this one, especially with the Ox unavailable. However I do think that he may have been thinking about going for Giroud as well as Alexis Sanchez anyway.
Cech
Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs
Coquelin, Xhak
Sanchez, Ozil, Iwobi
Giroud
Subs: Ramsey, Lucas Perez, Ospina, Holding, Monreal, Reine-Adelaide, Elneny.
It will be interesting to see how Arsenal set up today and I would like to see us go for two up front, but as long as Arsenal win the game I will be a happy Gooner.
Bob
OT
I remember when Arsenal signed Sol Campbell.
That was when Arsenal still showed lots of guts in the transfer window.
That signing is the equivalent of Arsenal signing Harry Kane today.
Wishing the boys an injury free win today.
except… Harry Kane has how long left on his contract?
Why can’t Lucas get a start? I would have liked seeing him a Alexis on the wings today with Giroud up top.
I still liked Alexis up front! But lets hope a win !COYG!!
Was gonna get a NOWTV pass but it’s not on SKY or BTSPORT, anyone got a reliable stream?
@Dr David Banner
First row.eu
Batmanstream.com
Enjoy Gooners
download Acestream then go to livefootballol
I was hoping to see Lucas on the left but this line up looks fine. As long as we win. We must win.
G-Traaaaaaaaaaaaaain!!!!!!!!
OT:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF PLAYER MANAGEMENT
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Wilshere has played more games in half- a season in a bournemouth shirt than he has for Arsenal in 2yrs……
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This got me thinking!
Gabriel makes me nervous, he is a mistake waiting to happen,
we are running into each other winger need to stay wide we don’t no how to make crosses inside the box iwobi is not going to be effective in agame like this
We won’t score today in fact I can see us losing .Today could be the beginning of another failed season?
the failed season started 2 weeks ago
And if he signs another 3 year contract we’ll have 3 more years of this rubbish
@highbury44…………hahahaha…me Lovin that big red tomato look u got ere!
watching giroud off the ball reminds me of the last 4 yrs of misery… the goal is that way > not that way <
chelsea up, man utd up…
Too much passing.
Meanwhile Chelsea is…….. Oh never mind
Why are the fans booing Ben Foster as if it’s his fault we can’t score?
Pass pass pass then take Giroud off and then start crossing it into the box.
you delusional fool’s giroud is not the problem we don’t no how to make crosses inside the box need two change iwobi for Perez Francis c for ramsey
giroud for 3 seasons was a 13 goal per season in the EPL striker, he is perfect for 13 goals eash season, if thats fine for you, great. enjoy 2-4th place. you need a 20+ scorer to win the league in that CF position. I want him to be successful, and often he is, but he could be much more successful if his positioning on the pitch was better, and especially if he quits complaining and just plays.
TIA=This is arsenal
TIA= Transient ischemic attack
Post 5 yards out, seems like this will end in a draw
What a load of rubbish ?
Too much Christmas pud? Or maybe there’s a lot of sulking going on over the presents they received from uncle Wenger?
There’s no desire, creativity or motivation and we’re Absolutely clueless in and around the opponents box. I’ve Seen this Xmas movie many times before, we will probably go a goal behind before our lot remember how to score themselves.
always 2 passes too many….
Arsenal FC – making every goalkeeper look like world-class (except our own), since 2006!
@highbury44…………hahahaha…me Lovin that big red tomato look u got ere!
If it wasn’t for Sanchez…well I don’t want to imagine………pay him what he is asking for or face relegation
So these players don’t cross the ball when girouds’ on the pitch. LoL
its a conspiracy, every time OG is on the pitch, they dont cross, last year when OG went 11 matches without a goal, it was because they decided not to cross
That is a stupid way to get injured. Wtf
Mr wenger any chance of doing some subs?
West Brom should’ve scored
West Brom have 9 defenders and a goalkeeper whenever arsenal attack. Change the ducking tactics already.
What’s so special about the number 70 Wenger??
Gibbs had a brain fart. That was his own undoing.
When we say the truth, some Wenger fanatics think they love Arsene or Arsenal more than us.
Arsenal will never win EPL as long as Arsene is in charge.
It’s funny, that same sentence has been said so many times in the past seasons. Still some people don’t get it. Some of us will find a position we are ‘lacking’, but this season that’s not the case. This team should be in the title race. We are not.
Players have come and gone in the past years. What’s the one position that has been occupied for the past 12 years?
Yes but some of the players who were needed are only new to the club. Mustafi we see we needed, but he’s missing right now at the same time our former first team CB is out. Xhaka will get better, but he’s not exactly slotted in like a hand/glove liken a Cazorla. He’s new to the club and that is a hugely important position he plays in. Perez is only new to the league also, and we know we needed more firepower. He hasn’t got ideal body strength yet, and the Arsenal way of playing is massively different to what he’s used to. These are positions that needed doing, but not everything happens/gels in an instance.
thinking Coq was our best player on the pitch, really matured nicely,
Bellerin for me.
he misses and he laughs,
Passing in and around the box against 10 players. What does Wenger think? Pass pass pass. Put the ball inside the penalty box through the wings, take some shots. Try VARIETY. This crappy tiki taka doesn’t work for Arsenal.
Good point, I didn’t expect a win. Better than losing again.
Not surprising that we scored from a cross.
did you dum fool’s learn anything that giroud can be effective if you play to is strength
Never in doubt, must applaud my fellow Gooners here for keeping calm in waiting. The calm before the storm ..or is it the other way<
why buy a player and keep him on the bench only to accomodate OG who can not run for crosses?
After reading through these comments I am left astonished.
A great win after a difficult period, do you not remember your Chelsea gold standard played almost the exact same game as us when they played WBA. Difficult, hard to break down, but got the essential 3 points.
Let’s move on and gain some confidence as we have some very beatable games coming up, gain some momentum and let’s concentrate on ourselves.
Also, some of you talk about an inferiority complex, or a losing mentality, the only side I truly see that constantly perpetuated by is our fans.
Grow up, support your team, for fux sake you children.
I have seen West Brom played Chelsea and they was just as stubborn one error cost them the game, we were far better in the attacking third than chelsea versus them, so i will say a well earned three points, i know we are pissed off from the past two games, but this was not a easy team to beat.
Let us hope clean sheets continue as we start building up steam, still a long way to go. WELL DONE GUNNERS