Alexis may get the nod up front for Arsenal’s final pre-season game!
Arsenal have had a very successful pre-season so far with wins in almost every match we have played except for the opening game. That day against Lens was our first game of pre-season and it mostly featured of young Gunners and fringe players, all whom were of course lacking in full fitness. A few weeks down the line and we can safely say that the majority of the squad is looking strong, fit and ready for the new season, with just one final pre-season friendly left to play.
Arsenal come up against fellow Premier League title rivals Manchester City in Sweden this Sunday and it’ll be interesting to see how the Gunners fair against not only a strong Premier League team but under Pep Guardiola’s new managerial regime. It’ll be Arsenal’s toughest test of pre-season and I’d expect Wenger to put out his strongest side available to him now that he’s had a few games to test out different combinations.
Going into the match, Arsene Wenger told Arsenal.com about the likely choices he will have to make regarding Sunday’s game. Wenger said:
“It [the Man City game] will contribute. I already have an idea. It will contribute but on Sunday we will play against top-class strikers who will want to do well against us. Our defenders will be tested so I might use a few combinations during the game. I believe that Bielik, Chambers and Holding will be fighting for the place between the three of them.
[Up front] I like Walcott in that position and I like Alexis in that position as well. I might start Alexis on Sunday because Walcott played a large part in Friday’s game [against Viking]. I don’t know how ready Alexis is physically for that intensity.”
Arsenal of course now welcome back Alexis and Ramsey to the side after returning from their respective extended holiday periods, meaning that the Gunners only await on Ozil, Giroud and Koscielny to return to full training. The trio are unlikely to make the Liverpool game due to a lack of fitness, however all three could make the bench ready to make an impact if needed. As for Sunday’s match, even though Man City won’t take it lightly, I’d expect they’ll have a slightly weaker side out, given that they have a Champions League qualifying match next week, before kicking off in the Premier League.
It gives Arsenal a chance to test Alexis or Walcott out up front against Premier League opposition, with one of the two most likely to lead the front line against Liverpool due to a lack of strikers. Of course I think most will agree they would prefer Alexis to play as the forward, but it will also be determined on fitness, with Walcott having been in training for weeks, whilst Alexis has of course only just returned from injury.
Role on the final pre-season game and let’s hope that we get a much needed win to boost us into the upcoming season.
By AH
No
Just sign a good striker instead of experimenting
this message was brought to u by every arsenal fan globally since rvp left.
someone please print this on t shirts
Personally as a long-term solution, and if we don’t sign a striker in this transfer window, which looks more likely with each passing day, I would welcome Sanchez as a striker over Giroud. I have said before, perhaps Sanchez could become our Aguero after some practice (10 or more games on the trot in the central striker’s position).
Having said that, for today’s game, it seems much too soon to start Sanchez in a game of this intensity after a one month rest and very little training. It asks for injury problems and burnout if you bring back a player too quick.
I would have expected Wenger’s planning to include the City game, being more or less a dress rehearsal for the season opener against Liverpool, to start with the squad he expects to start against Liverpool and to play at PL intensity. This would be too soon for Sanchez IMO. I would have started Theo tonight and given Sanchez 20 minutes at the end of the game.
In the absence of a new striker, I expect Sanchez to be our single most important player this coming season in terms of being able to decide games with his individual moments of brilliance. Don’t risk a player like that if you are not 100% certain about his physical readiness after only a short time of preseason training. Normally an ideal preseason gives players 6 weeks to get ready.
i’m curious but i’m forced to ask…
How many times do Articles get repeated on ere?
Cuz i done seen it before…
Last time Sanchez played the striker role…..Boy was so ineffective
would rather prefer Theo as ST and Sanchez on the wing instead of Sanchez as ST and Theo on wings (and that’s if wenger insists he must play walcott along with sanchez)…..Iwobi can have the opposite wing
but God!….i would have Loved for us to get a New striker and a proper winger to be brought in
well i’m not paid 8mil to make favourable decisions….am i?
Your not?
Well you damn well should be.
Boy scored 7 goals in 10 games and 25 goals for Barca.. but I guess that makes him ineffective ?
Its strange how Giroud has become the
most dominant Arsenal striker since Henri.
The most recognizable face of Arsenal FC.
The epitome of what it means to be an
Arsenal footballer in the post Invincible era.
u spelt henry wrong
bahahahaha
wheres dennis ‘burghamp’ when u need him 😉
@muff……. Nah buddy……. How do u spell Henri saivet?
Just Like i could spell muff as “murph”
If Walcott is gonna be striker, he might have some confidence issues to get over. He basically threw in the towel after the mess that was last season. Wenger is trying to give him confidence by sticking with it. But how effective is he going to be after admitting defeat. Also, Wenger saying Walcott is bad at defending, I think he might have even used those words. Why did he give him the call in so many big games, if he knows he’s a bad defender. I wasn’t really impressed with any of this, it has a bit of a square peg round hole feel about it.
We used to compensate a bit… Theo would stay advanced with RVP/Giroud most of the time, pin his fullback back with him and a midfielder would come across and cover when needed. This was before Ozil, who obviously doesn’t have many defensive responsibilities….
I thought that we were supposed to be an Attacking side?
Well, we used to be one and basically because of cut backs or since making money became more important to the club, they didn’t spend to replace the likes of Henry and RVP and now our mediocre attacks are expected to defend.
This just goes to show that even Wenger’s so called game plan, has become contradictive over the years, to the point where even our style of play doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going! ?
How is a player staying forward not the sign of an attacking side?? Please explain….
maybe because he is too lazy to track back? makes him lazy not attacking 😉
Did you watch di matteo’s cl winning Chelsea?
That’s true Josh, he is good at pinning back defenses. But if the right people aren’t in the centre, it’s still a bit of a liability. And maybe Arteta Flamini Rosicky Jack Diaby and Aaron were not the right people.
Just one question, have we already signed Lacazette? ?
Because the MF is now Out injured! ?
It’ll be Sanchez we see tonight… But my money is on Theo starting vs Liverpool and honestly I think it’s the best option we have currently. (provided Sanchez is on a flank… obviously)
Now deep down I know this comment is going to get thumbed down into oblivion.. But whatevs, it needs to be said. Theo is the resident whipping boy at the moment and I personally think a lot of the frustrations of this window are being aimed at him. Yes, his wage isn’t relevant to his production, yes his performances on the tail-end of last season were incredibly poor. But the fans on here who act like he’s the worst player to put on the shirt and there’s absolutely nothing he can contribute this season is ridiculous…
I’ve seen many comments on here claiming Akpom should be given the nod for Liverpool. I mean yeah… I get it, a lot of you don’t like Theo. But do you really think the Liverpool players are going to go ‘oh wow, better keep an eye on him’ he’s just nowhere near that. How many ex-opponents and managers have to come out with how big of a threat Theo is before it’s noticed? Alaba just listed him in his most dangerous opponents just recently. Alaba’s a pretty good player if anyone doesn’t know who I’m talking about…
Theo started great last season. Was kicking goals, pressing opponents back lines, slide-tackles. And making the right runs for the time he was on the pitch. They were all too quickly forgotten when he came back for the tail-end of the season after an extensive injury layoff and was playing with the handbrake on..
I’m not suggesting his performances this pre-season warrant an automatic place, pretty far from it, and please, please, please don’t any take this as me excusing not pursuing another forward in any way because I will as livid as any fan out there if we don’t nab a class one. But the runs he’s been making have been brilliant IMO, dragging defenders all over the place and getting on the end of a lot of chances. He’s been guilty of the same Theo-ish moments but he needs to be taken as what he is. A player with limitations and massive strengths who can be devastating when we play to those strengths. If we use him as that lightning quick poacher he can be, I still think there’s a lot he can contribute this season…
(and for the record… The people who are calling for Javi Hernandez as a potential target.. You know Theo’s control, dribbling and vision is light-years ahead of his yeah?? Chica’s a pure finisher, a very good one, but just as limited as Theo on the dribbling side of the game….)
We have enough dribblers, what we lack is someone putting the finishing touches on our moves. And as for ball control, Theo’s ball control is not as good as Hernandez, if it was, then Hernandez would not be scoring at a decent rate. Theo can have a night when he is devastating, all pacy players can have those nights. The time he faced Alaba was one such time, it’s a bit like the slide tackle you mention. One or two games I remember those slide tackles, that’s not nearly enough effort. Of course Theo can contribute in some way, but would his place and our time not be better spent on a player who offers it much more regularly. I just think Theo has had enough chances already, personally I think he is one of the reasons why our team always comes up short in the title race. His lack of quality last season, in the striker role, to his bad defending when playing on the wing. Not enough effort really, and I think he’s had enough chances already.
Walcott said he is a winger. Wenger said Walcott is a striker.. This statement makes you wonder.. ..i doubt we are getting a striker and Winger..
Bingooooo! ??
Congratulations fellow and here’s your prize ➡ ???
Unfortunately Wenger ruined Theo by playing him as a winger. He should have played and mentored him as a striker from the moment he first arrived at the club when he could have destroyed defences with his pace which would have given him the single minded confidence to really carry on where Henry left off and quite possibly keep the club at the top instead of struggling the way we are now.
Guadiola will make City more consistent
so they will make the top 4.
Conte at Chelsea with no European football
will squeeze every last drop out of Chelsea
so I think they will make the 4.
The last 2 places are up for grabs.
Manu signing pogba means arsenal only have to fight off Tottenham (and Leicester?) For the last spot. I personally hope we miss out. It’ll be a wake up call, and we might win the EL, which is better than nothing the year after the upcoming season.
Jeez I can’t wait for wenger to retire!
Why not sign Bony cheap and proven and not a bad backup, better than nothing
@john0711……………..M sorry.who’s Bony???
Never heard of him L()L
His that skinny fellow who chased after the Arsenal bus (for like 10 miles) in Thailand, last year.
3 days in a row watching random football games, 3 different commentators 3 different channels. All I’ve heard is that City and Utd are favorites to win what’s looking like the toughest and best season yet, with strong mentions of Leciester, Spurs, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Not 1 single mention of Arsenal being in the mix, not a 1. Can someone tell me why again did we even leave Highbury?
Obviously, To make more money! And nothing to do with being able to compete with the big boys, in the transfer market.
FG, you are correct, it was nothing to do with competing in the transfer market. This is what wenger said just before leaving highbury.
“It will be emotional,” he said at Friday’s pre-match press conference. “When we walk out there we know we cannot come back and visit again as it will be destroyed. That makes it a little bit more emotional, as you know when you walk out it’s finished.
“But what convinced me [to change] was when we went to Wembley in the Champions League. It was a sell-out every time.
“I realised then that this Club has a massive support and you cannot turn it down forever. No respected company can turn away 30,000 or 40,000 people every week without trying to do something. That was unfair and I felt we had a responsibility to extend the capacity of the stadium.
So there you have it, it was unfair on the fans who could not get tickets.
No mention of it being unfair to fans to increase ticket prices to the highest in the country whilst selling our best players.
That is a load of Bs. Wenger chose a 60k Emirates over the other options being as much as 90k. The season ticket prices show you how well sought after these tickets are – the club could easily fill up an extra 30k seats.
Walcott as a Striker I give him 4 to 5 Games and he will be out injured. He is not strong enough to be a striker.
It doesnì’t matter if he plays as a striker or on the wing, he will eventually get injured no matter what
Mane looked like a beast for Liverpool against Barca. He cost Klopp 30m. Strong, pace, can play anywhere up front. Oh but Wenger thinks Walcott is better….