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Swansea v Arsenal Preview, Line-up and Score Prediction

Swansea vs Arsenal Preview, Predicted line up and score by KJ

After the midweek capitulation, this game against Swansea has become that much tougher. They will have studied the result thoroughly and will look to get at our players mentally in the hope that they are fragile from the result against Anderlecht.

Wenger will most likely play it cautiously against Swansea but we need a win if we’re going to maintain any sort of momentum in our top 4 challenge. A loss would be quite damning after finally getting those two Premier League wins in a row.

With Arteta out, Flamini will start which immediately causes issues. We need to assert control over the game against Swansea and unfortunately, Flamini provides the opposite for us. This means the likes of Ramsey and Wilshere will need to step up massively to compensate and will need to be far more intelligent with their play (especially the Welshman).

Line up:
Szczesny
Chambers – Mertesacker – Monreal – Gibbs
Flamini
Alexis – Ramsey – Wilshere – Chamberlain
Welbeck

The defence will be the same as usual but Monreal will have a massive test on his hands against Wilfred Bony. He will be physically abused for the majority of the game but will need to keep calm and try and work around that.

Like I said, Ramsey and Wilshere will need to use their brains when in possession and to not lose it needlessly when we are in the transition.

Alexis is in phenomenal form at the moment and the team looks to him for that spark of brilliance. It’s unfortunate that we’ve almost reverted to a one man team but the Chilean will need a big game like always in order for us to win this.

Chamberlain had a strong game against Anderlecht and deserves to be rewarded with another start. Hopefully with Theo hot on his heels, he’ll start pushing on.

Finally, Welbeck will need to step up as he’s dropped off for about a month now.

This is going to be a very difficult game but I hope the players manage to regroup mentally as we can’t afford to drop points now. I believe Wenger will tell them what is needed and we’ll win 2 – 1 on the day.

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Tags Bony Ramsey Sanchez Wilshere

41 Comments

  1. Swansea is a tough oponent and a tricky trip Liberty stadium but should Arsenal be on song then this is going to be an easy game 3-0 will do.COYG

    1. The team does not play well when he is playing. Our attack is more lethal without him running into 4 players only to lose the ball. Those little one twos he initiates in the box very rarely results to a goal. Most of our good perfomances this season have come when he is not in the starting XI. The team has to change the formation just to accomodate him, some players are played out of position.

      1. uh which good performances are those…there have been so few…wilshere attracts 2 or 3 players to him because he is a player who can hold the ball and find a pass its up to wenger now to ensure he has the right support which means everyone converging on the work rate of sanchez and getting ozil basck asap…of course none of this makes u for the fools refusal to bring in the 2 quality defenders needed in the window but nothing can be done about that til xmas

    2. And I would have an out of form Ozil playing #10 any day instead of Wilshere, Alexis is more dangerous in the middle than Wilshere and yes an out of form Santi is still better than Wilshere as #10, even Arteta is better than Wilshere if playing as an attacking midfielder.

      1. I agree, Özil is by far our best No.10, then Santi after him. I think its a shame so many people have made their opinion up on Özil already this season. We’ve only seen him play one single game in his actual No.10 position this season. What happened? A goal, an assist, the game was over within half an hour. Alexis does play very well behind Welbeck, but not really as a No.10, more of a second striker really, we’ve been playing a 4-4-2.

        To me our best formation should be 4-5-1. It incorporates Özil, Alexis, Welbeck, Walcott and Ramsey in the same team. It isn’t our best formation at the moment because we have no decent defensive midfielder to hold it all together. Last season it actually worked quite well with Arteta as a holding player. He isn’t the best holding midfielder out there but it worked, 79 points isn’t too shabby. But this season we haven’t even had Arteta. Plus last season we had a proper defence.

    1. Agreed! He provides energy and can see a pass forward. What is the point of keeping Rosicky in the squad if he can’t come in when we are so weak and injured in midfield. Rosicky for Flamini, and drop Ramsey back on defensive duties.

  5. I predict a 3-2 win in favour of Swansea. Sorry to sound so pessimistic guys, but this is just my gut feeling 😉 Hope the boys resoundingly prove me wrong though 😀

    2. It ok that you spoke your mind, at least we all know what you think. But that’s why it’s called “PREDICTIOn”, not a “WISH” it’s not like u wish we lose.

      1. Besides, who, on this site, predicted we will lose to Southampton? If u had said ur prediction before that game, u would have been made toast, but we lost.

  6. Don’t play Monreal at CB, he is a nice guy but he just makes me nervous everytime he is on the pitch, be it at LB or CB. He just looks clueless and uncomfortable every the ball come close to him. He hardly ever wins headers and when he does they are just pathetic, no distance on them, no direction on them etc…what I have noticed about him is his lack of positioning, he can’t read the game, he is reactive rather than being proactive in situations.

  7. I have zero confidence on Wenger’s starting 11.

    We’ve been piss poor so I don’t feel like we’ll win (which is said to say because after all we are playing SWANSEA).

    1-1. Predict few players such as OX to start playing after we concede and celebrate a draw goal like a win.

  8. Plenty of goals as our defence is piss poor.. Let’s hope our strong midfield can stop the service to the powerhouse Bony..

    Of course we don’t have a strong midfield we have small kids in there with no speed or power.. Our only saving grace will be if chambers, Sanchez and the ox turn up and have good games..

    It’s a bonus walcott is back he will keep wellbeck on his toes..

    This could go 3-2 either way..

    Just more keystone cops defending will have us all reaching for the defibrillator …

    Can’t predict which arsenal will turn up so I’m not expecting anything…

  10. To the Admin…

    I am not a dangerous or vicious person and I don’t go about threatening people. Besides, how is it possible for anyone on this site to see or know in person whoever thumbs up or thumbs down your comment? The comment about me meeting whoEver has been thumbing my comment down was just a joke that you badly failed to get.

    Besides, have I ever threatened anyone on this site? How come you are saying u were giving me some last chance?

    Whenever I visit this site, my aim is just to have fun with everyone here, irrespective of the fact that we don’t see things from a common perspective. But I think you (Admin) personally dislike me simply because I am one of those who outrightly criticise Wenger because I personally do think he is tactically nonchalant and characteristically enigmatic.

    You (Admin and everyone else) don’t have to hate me, and I don’t mean to offend anybody in particular. At the end of the day, we all wish Arsenal the best.

  11. I think we’ll see Chambers at centre back today. Swansea play with a lot of pace out wide – Chambers isn’t very quick, it’d be a mismatch if he played fullback. Bellerin however is as quick as any.
    Bony is very strong, Monreal isn’t, Chambers is a much better match. I can also see the midweek performance going against Monreal too.

  12. Welbek too is becoming anoda Bentner, Giroud is better, anytime anyday more assist, more power, more goals, more defence help, more head ball, more work rate.

    1. I think Giroud’s style of play would suit us better at this point, with so many teams sitting deep in their own half when playing against us – Welbeck’s pace is nullified.
      I wouldn’t be too hard on Welbeck though, he does work hard. To me, he just looks exhausted. Giroud should be back within a few games though, so hopefully he’ll get a rest.

      Welbeck’s finishing is like Santi’s – a lot of shots, quite a lot on target too. Good shots, but for some reason they just never end up going in, they’re always saved or blocked. That refers to Santi’s shooting in general, not his recent form which has been terrible.

  13. All I want iz a victory from the lads today #COYG lets do this lads #Supporttheteam!!! #IN17WETRUST & jack dont be wack good performance from the lad today

  15. critical back four containing a certain Mertesacker and a monreaL ……. BeLoved fans! Get ready, we might be sweating in our butts today…..God heLp us all and turn things around!

  17. Play bellerin at RB and switch chambers to the middle as Monreal will get flattened and quite simply embarrassed by bony M ..!

    The rest of the team usually picks itself so no surprises there..

    All I wish for is the team look comfortable and settled when in possession – clinical in front of goal – compact in midfield and disciplined at the back …
    We can always dream….
    We simply need a win no matter what.. Manure after the international break and a few more games after that we are close to the transfer window where reinforcements are essential in midfield and defence..
    We might not be too far behind 2nd / 3rd place by then….

    1. Bellerin Chambers Mertesacker Gibbs
      Seems a much more solid back four than
      Chambers Mertesacker Monreal Gibbs
      doesn’t it?

      1. Debuchy chambers kos Gibbs and I’d feel confident of 3 pts

        But like so many seasons of late-our injury record seems cursed…

        But yes, bellerin at RB seems the obvious choice- but then Wenger doesn’t do things that seem obvious!!!

        Come 6pm we will know the answer…!?

  20. And the ref today is Phil Dowd. Remember him from the 4-4 Newcastle deaw? Hope we careful today since penalties and cards could be dished out freely today.

  22. We are going to have a problem of which right back to pick when everyone is fit. Currently we have:
    Debuchy
    Chambers
    Bellerin
    Carl Jenkinson
    I have a feeling that Jenkinson will leave this summer which is a shame as he isn’t that bad. Debucy will probably be first choice until we phase in either Chambers or Bellerin. But which one?

  23. After seeing the team to start I’m a little pissed off
    Because wenger keeps lying to cover his stubbornness and we accept it
    After the CL game one excuse was tiredness so he plays the same side in the next game WTF
    AND YOU ALL EXPECT HIM TO CHANGE IN THE JAN TRANSFER WINDOW
    HE IS RUINING OUR CLUB AND HE WILL GO OUT ” eventually” AS A AWFUL MANAGER

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