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Official teams and preview of Arsenal v Aston Villa

With all of the teams around us winning yesterday, Arsenal know that nothing less than all three points will do against today’s visitors to the Emirates Stadium. And Aston Villa have been really struggling in the Premier League recently, with no wins and just a single measly goal from their last four league games.

But Arsene Wenger has got a few problems of his own to deal with, as a hamstring problem has left the manager without his star player Alexios Sanchez. So that makes the continued asbsence of two of our other forward players, Welbeck and Chamberlain, even more problematic.

So the return from injury of Walcott and Ozil could not have come at a better time for us and the England striker will start his first EPL game in over a year, with Giroud in the centre forward role. Both Cazorla and Ozil start so we will have to wait and se which of our play makers take the central role and which plays out wide.

Our new signing Gabriel comes straight into the squad and makes up a strong bench, especially in the defensive positions, with just Rosicky and Akpom as attacking options.

Ospina
Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Ramsey
Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil
Giroud

Substitutes: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Chambers, Flamini, Rosicky, Akpom

Let’s hope for an early goal to settle the fans and players down and that could lead to a big score from the Gunners. But I would take a 1-0 win with a scrappy last minute winner.

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Tags Gabriel Ozil Walcott

152 Comments

  2. I thought that Coquelin won’t be on the pitch, if we loose him against Tot it will be a big blow …
    Wenger, what about Sissoko? he will kill those chicken next weekend
    3-0 to Arsenal
    Cazorla
    Ramsey
    Giroud

    1. The cut off dates for receiving a sanction as a result of accumulating cautions are:
      31st December 2014
      Second Sunday in April
      End of the Season
      Coquelin is NOT one card away from a ban

  3. Alexis isn’t even in the squad. I wanted him rested, but does this mean he didn’t pass his fitness test and is actually injured? Or is it just precautionary?

  4. Theo, 1 goal
    Olivier, 2 goals
    Aaron, 1 goal
    Mezut, 1 goal

    In that order

    assists:
    Santi
    Mesut
    Santi
    Hector
    Olivier

    lets have a beautiful game.

  6. Lets take care of business gunners, and get the 3 points! Lets keep it tight at the back and not take villa for granted!

  7. And Anthony Taylor makes the Villa starting line-up also. He caused us all sorts of problems in the corresponding fixture last season, with a red card for Kosh, two penalties and allowing a string of dirty tackles from Villa go unpunished. Let’s hope Arsenal play well enough to limit his potential influence on the outcome of this match.

    2. ah these bald referees again. I still have hope for these guys especially after how mike dean officiated the city v arsenal game.

  8. I’d really love to see how Ozil and Cazorla play together now that there is atleast a direct wide-man in Walcott playing alongside.

  9. I look at the bench and I smile.. I really like what I see. After all the struggles at the beginning of the season we are finally turning a corner.

    And with the likes of Wilshere, Welbz, Chambo etc close to returning, things can only get better.

    As touching the line-up.. I have just one complaint. And that is the fact that Ozil has being shunted wide again. I hope it is just looking so on paper. I hope he be able to rotate positions with Santi.

    I think the combo of Walcott and Bellerin will be a trouble for Cissokho. Game On. COYG.

    3-0. Anybody to score.

  22. We’ve got our Arsenal back….

    Time to chant some ”Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooospinaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

  24. We should be 6 up!!
    I’m of the belief that Ramsey slows our heartbeat down.. He’s having a poor season by his standards..
    Rosicky is the man that makes us tick..

  27. This is our problem, we go 1-0 up and drop the pace like the game is won.. Then when we concede it’s all panic stations..

  28. Get Ramsey off the park bring on rosicky … Walcott on his stroll and spurt routine Wenger’s biases are pathetic …. Should be three up by now getting very sloppy … Bellerin looking decent though and coq a step up from flamini … Ospina kicking ball too much

    1. Exactly we are not Stoke!!!!!
      Too sloppy.. Play like this against spuds and we will be beat!
      Walcott mayaswell be on holiday.. Ramsey crap… Rosicky and Sanchez missed today!

  33. There’s no fight in Ozil !!
    Great passer and bags of vision – no heart and not worth £42m!!!!

    2. As long as he makes assists, I’m content
      I’m not expecting the perfect footballer
      His assists and the occasional goal
      Assists means Goals

      1. Listen.. I want Ozil to do well.. But I believe he’s not worth the money we paid – simple..

  35. As far as I can tell Walcott is a passenger and a waste… He poses no threat to a team with pacey defenders

      1. Lol …. He should stick to financial trades then and leave football to decent players cos he ain’t one as just demonstrated

            2. Walcott has been out for a year and you are throwing a tantrum because he is not immediately back to his best. Now i know why people think us Arsenal fans are fickle. Give the man some time. You are being ridiculous.

    3. This a poor performance from most.. youre right Walcott is a passenger .. Giroud and cazorla so far our best players..
      Fluidity not there at the mo

        1. He should be doing better .. And if he’s not ready y don’t we play rosicky.. The game could have been wrapped up – Walcott and his rustiness could cost us all 3 points – would have been better to bring Walcott on when the game was won don’t you think..?

          1. Nah, I don’t …we’ll win this game easily and Theo will get properly match fit.
            But great idea of yours to play the 34 year old in every game haha

            1. If someone’s good enough… Doesn’t matter how old they are Gerard has played every game up until lately you keep your best team.. Bad management. And if we lose more ground on the top 4…
              But hey.. Like you say.. We will win this easily.. Haaa hope so

    4. True
      With Sanchez out we need Walcott to compensate
      I’m glad Giroud and Ozil are on their game

    2. thumb up! have you all noticed that ospina is yet to concede a single goal? 😀 that was his first save in like 5 matches! tremendous.

      1. he’s been switching with Ozil. Same as with the Brighton game. Its not really giving us an advantage though, so who knows.

      2. Interchanging position with Ozil. He hasn’t been terrible really. But he -like the team as a whole– has played below his potential.

  41. Walcott is killing off our moves.. He is has been so predictable, waits too long and gives the opponents a chance to tackle..

  43. I really am loving Mesut’s assist. The moment when he reminds everybody that he can be as good as Bergkamp was for us!

  45. Coquellin has been watching flamini too much wreckless at times but at least he had a decent half… A typical performance game should be over instead a nervous halftime…. Ramsey and Walcott off rosicky and akpom on….can’t believe fans still put their trust in these two mediocre players

  48. it is frustrating but it has been very fluid at time. we might be going a little too fast.
    we are playing well.
    don’t forget cazorla hit the post

  49. always thought fans wanted A DM to do the dirty job….

    get rough and tackle…..

    this shows that coq is not good enough。。

    wanyama will never get a card still makes countless tackles and interceptions…..flying from one end to another…..

    thats the diff between a world class DM and a championship standard player

  50. too many loose passes and a bit indecisive in front of goal, but i think were playing fine. Not spectacular, but I’m confident we’ll get a 2nd goal and close the game out. another good performance by Cazorla and Giroud so far. Ozil also getting into the game which I like. Ramsey too many loose passes but good energy as usual, and Walcott is still rusty and making poor decisions in front of goal. I give him time though. Think people are being a bit too harsh for no reason.

  51. We start off nicely and then when we score we drop off.. What is wrong? I am not saying we should go gung ho but we need to control the game properly, we are letting a poor Villa side get in and around or penalty area which is making me nervous..

  52. All of you giving Walcott a hard time, you all are football noobs. He has been in his first full PL outing after almost one year and you should expect him to be not at 100% in terms of match sharpness. The timing, the reflex, the chemistry takes a little time to come back when you are playing at the PL level. Grow up you fu*ktards.

    1. Walcott’s ball control and finishing haven’t been great, but the runs he’s been making have been really good. He’s stretched Villa’s defence and they aren’t daring to push up the pitch again after Walcott got through early on. That’s creating a lot of space for our midfield.

    2. Yawn…. Timing reflex chemistry …. What the f**** r u a high school science teacher …. The guy is a whippet he runs fast that’s it … He is mediocre even when fully fit whatever that means… If they score first we r in trouble

    3. Fed a diet of FIFA, some people expect real life to be the same…Walcott is looking pretty good considering how long he has been out.

      The same people were slating Giroud last year, and now look at him…in rich form as some of us predicted he always would be. A very good striker.

      Regards this game, we obviously need to soak up their pressure and hit on the break….it’s either gonna be a high score or squeaky bum time…not sure which yet!

  53. With Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis and Welbeck all out, Walcott has to last 90 minutes. We can’t afford to take him off or we’ll have no pace in the team.

      1. Pace for what he poses a zero threat at 5 or 25 miles an hour get akpom on before they score …. We are being dominated by a bottom six club

  54. we stuck w OG and its paying off finally, same with Ozil, he looks much better, really picking villa apart,

  55. You guys can say what u want about #WALCOTT thats 1 of my big players coyg support the lad he jus came back from a long injury, only gunners fan will criticize their own player!! Smfh

  56. @invincibles49. Know what your saying but walcott didnt look too rusty when taking his goal last week.

  58. I’m really down about Walcott’s performance but I think he will bounce back at Spuds if not in the second half.

    I think Maybe sub Walcott with Akpom to make Walcott play better next week. Spuds away will be even more difficult and we need EVERYONE at their best.

  60. walcott is so over rated. would rather have, welbeck, sanchez, ox, gnbary over him every week.

    he doesn’t track or tackle. he can’t beat a man in a 1 v 1. always turns back. he was like this way before his injury so coming back from that is no excuse.

  72. 1st goal. Ozil assist. Giroud Scores.
    2nd goal. Giroud assist. Ozil scores.
    Cazorla pulling the strings in midfield.
    Enjoying watch my beloved gunners today 🙂
    (Would love to see Ramsey score)

  75. could have been a brace for ozil, caught slightly offsides on the first, not to mention a great assist to OG on the first goal, how is he not MOTM so far? Theo!!!!

  84. Ozil scored last week as well. He isn’t really known for scoring goals but I don’t care. Ozil is Back! It’s going to be a toss up between Ozil and Giroud for MOTM

    Also great play by Cazorla and Coquelin

  87. 2-0 Hull, 3-0 Stoke, 2-0 Man City, 3-0 Villa… 10-0 in last four EPL matches, and there are still haters?

  89. Happy about what … That we have quality players like santi and ozil who will always create goal opportunities …. Absolutely …. Not with the mediocre players around them though …. Let’s see how akpom does now

  95. Good finish Walcott.. Good to see you back henry like finish..
    Still a bit rusty – hopefully better by the next game against the spuds

  97. clearly AFC playing the best football right now in the EPL, we dominated City, we will thrash Spurs, we have our weapons back,

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