Arsene Wenger has been at pains this week to keep the Arsenal players’ feet on the ground and their minds on the task ahead following the euphoria of rescuing our Champions League campaign from being up the creek without a paddle. So the Frenchman has spoken about focus and about the potential dangers facing the Gunners from today’s opponents Aston Villa.
You do feel that the biggest obstacle that Arsenal have to get over today is our own complacency because even with big players like Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez and Francis Coquelin on the injury list, Arsenal have plenty of top quality in the team and are in good form.
And certain Arsenal players like Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and the hat-trick hero Olivier Giroud are in great form individually so it is no surprise to see them start. In fact the only surprise, and it is not a very big one, is that the Frenchman has not shuffled his pack at all.
So Wenger has stuck with the same starting line-up that did us so proud in Greece, meaning that Theo Walcott starts in a wide role once more, although I assume that he will start on the left this time as the team looked so much better with him there and the much improved Campbell on the right.
Cech
Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Flamini, Ramsey
Campbell, Ozil, Walcott
Giroud
subs Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Gabriel, Chambers, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi.
I think that is the exact same bench as well and hopefully Wenger will be able to use it when and if he wishes after the starting XI put the home side to the sword. One thing we do have to worry about is the powerful Gestede in the centre forward role, so our centre backs need to be on their mettle from the start.
Will Arsenal be on top of the table tonight? We had better be.
usual suspects
COYG
On their day, this Line-up can kill……..
.
U’ve see what they are capable of doing to zeus, artemis, hermes , poseidon and other greek gods!…..
I am eagerly waiting. I hope we climb that table in 150mins time
Time to stick at that first spot. would be disappointed with anything less than three points..
And Ozil, can you assist me with that?
ozil just did.
Good lineup. Hoping for a big performance from Theo. Let’s do this boys .
Oh well, you can’t believe everything that you read!
Wally goes missing in training, yet he is starting today.
Okay… let’s hope he doesn’t pull anything!
Still no Gabriel ? What’s happening there?
Talk about getting your money’s worth out of meatysucker.
Come on you Gunners!
do u really mean this?
Wenger need to do something about AOC’s form and confidence. If he cant play now when we have so many injuries I doubt if he will play when players like Alexis, Welbeck, Rosicky and Carzola are back
3 – 0 to the gunners goals from kos,Campbell and ozil…see ya after 90mins…..hala!
1-0 gunners! Giroudddddd!!!!!
Worringly our right side is the weak link. What happened to Bellerin?
Thank god we r playing one of the worst sides in premiership history … Did anyone show up yet?
Beautiful.
At last a bit of quality … Credit to Ramsey
well ,this looks like a good game.
Ramsey haters have gone missing again i see.
The lads work ethic and positioning is world class and that is why people in football rate him so high.
Keep it up Aaron
actually his positioning in defence is his biggest wekness coz he tends to go forward often. but that’s what makes him ramsey and i enjoy the conflict of his decisions. he is having a great game thou and his work rate is priceless.
Selfless play from Ozil there. Arsenal’s best outfield player this season.
Ramsey should stay in his preferred position. He looks lost on the wings. Relaxed first half I must say. Not something we get very often. Really worried for Aston Villa- they might get relegated.
I missed the first half due to work. What did I miss? Anyone care to summarise?
Not very convincing at all but well we are playing the worst team ever. It looks like Wenger has problem in motivating his players to send a statement to all our competitors!
I’m sorry but the football we are playing is utterly hapless … That said once Walcott mert and flamini are nowhere near first team starters we should have a decent starting 11 for second half of year .. Campbell to his credit works his socks off just lacks a bit of quality .. Ditto Ramsey … We could get one of Madrid strikers plus bender and would be in with a serious chance in the worst EPL I can remember
What the f is wrong with you. 3 points, clean sheet, f off.
I have seen these games before, we will end up hanging on for a win yet we could have put this game beyond Villa!
This game is for us to take but our players like to scare to up their gear.
Wonder did Wenger ask them not to score to many goals, give their manager some face.
A team is moulded around the coach’s character. Have you ever saw Wenger during the second half? Why because he is ok with the way we are playing. Look at his substitutions…Says everything you need to know. For whole 2nd half we have been pegged into our own half by the worst team you will have play with! No team will ever fear us when we let these teams in. This a really boring game I tell you.
Reading the comments someone would think we are 2 goals down not leading by 2! We are going top of the league! Agreed we are not playing our best but we don’t really need to. I would be more than happy with this scoreline, no injuries and fully fired up team for City.
Not sure if Gibbs is still required in the team. He’s been playing poorly this year.
Him and Ox sadly bring nothing to the team on a consistent basis and have been rightly passed by Nacho and JC.
I would consider loaning out Ox to a Villa/Bournemouth type squad to accumulate valuable playing time and possibly regain some semblence of form. Sadly at the moment youth is the lone intangible that merits his future @ the club.
Is this the worse attempt we create in all matches?
Definitely worst PL ever, weak teams all over, maybe if PL lose a CL spot things will improve.
We are also very weak, no where near CL winner quality.
F’n OX, 3 on 2 and he decides to dribble past those 2.
Broken record syndrome but he still has youth on his side?
Loan him out when the January window opens and rotate Walcott/JC/Welbeck(if he ever returns from injury) going forward.
I don’t really get the complaints. We are 2-0 up and will end up winning. No need to push ourselves to score more goals in an away game like this. No need to risk getting more injuries. We gave it our all on Wednesday and won. We are getting our result today.
Our worry is not this game but with any half decent team like Nowich or Westbrom we will lose or draw. It has been happening but you are too blind to see that is where we will lose the league!
So you are pretty much basing our title challenge to two games we didn’t play great? But you choose to ignore all the other games we’ve won? Logic?!?! I’m the blind one?
Boring boring Arsenal this year.
Besides frim MAN u game have we played well?
Really? The amnesia is strong
Oh yeah only played well there for 20 minutes, then usual stuff.
MOTM is No one
All subpar today, highest rating is probably a 6 max and that’s being generous
Comment rating:
Sack-Wenger: -15
It’s cold in there, huh?
Im sure when we whipped Olympiakos Sack Wenger comprised a laundry list of complaints aimed @ Wenger, the players, the team physio, tbe kir manager etc…
Tough being a closet Spurs fans I guess
Am i missing something?, arent we 2nil up? reading the comments you would think we were getting absolutely hammered. yes we are not at our best, but under our current circumstances 2 goals and a clean sheet sounds good to me.
My god there is a lot of complaining on here.
They played their socks on Wednesday and looks like they will get the result today to go top of the league but I suppose we still cant please everyone.
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