Unai Emery and his team must be revelling in Arsenal’s nine-game winning run, but this week will be our biggest test as after tonight’s game against Leicester, we then have to travel to Lisbon on Thursday and then across London to Crystal Palace on Sunday. Emery insists that all we can do is take it one game at a time.
He said: “I prefer to play Saturday or Sunday. It [playing on Monday] has the advantage for more time to prepare the match – that’s one positive. After, we are going to play Thursday, we are going to play Sunday also, two matches very quickly after Leicester. For me it’s not an excuse because we are preparing for Monday. For us this match against Leicester has the same importance as the other matches, above all because I think the difficulty now is to not relax. After winning six games in the Premier League, we need to continue to be demanding in each match and think about the next match as the most important.”
I don’t think we will have time to relax in between these games, but we must surely expect a good bit of rotation on Thursday, but Emery also knows that a win in Lisbon will guarantee us top spot in the Group. It will be a difficult juggling job and the biggest test yet of Emery and the squad.
Could we come out with three more wins?
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The games are coming thick & fast (7 between now & the next boring international break) obviously rotation is a must, luckily we have a few coming back from injuries. I’m hoping Sokratis will be fit for Thursday.
Let’s hope we bag all 3 points tonight COYG
I’m confident as those three games are winnable for the gunners.
Agree, they look easy for a manager with Emery’s calibre
But maybe the Lisbon game would be more difficult, because the team have to travel
Arsenal need to be more cautious tonight , we should avoid making mistakes at the back
The team mental strength will be tested during this period. We need to rotate so that the players don’t burn out. Just as they always say “one game at a time” Lets make it ten straight win in a row tonight. COYG!
Arsenal is fast getting its full squad depth reinstated; therefore the upcoming matches are manageable/winable with Emery’s squad rotation.
Yeap fab four on hot every game is winnerble to us.let make it ten win in row
Hardly a thought provoking article to say the BL….NG obvious, that having three games in six days is pressure. Of course it is! But it comes with the territory of being a club who qualify for Europe. You can’t have it both ways. I bet NEWCASTE WOULD RELISH THIS “PRESSURE” RIGHT NOW, don’t you think! One new thought though does occur – and this is where I upset the would be don’t mention Wenger again self imposed censors, so don’t read on if you are a Wenger snowflake – under Emery we are not having our usual huge run of injuries that went on for years previously under “you know who.” Key players have this season , been mostly fit and available. We have had injuries of course, all teams do, but NOT on the scale of the WENGER YEARS. With that in mind, I believe we will cope rather well with these three games in six days. Not having Walcott, Diaby, Rosicky AND Wilshere around has helped enormously.
I have read many different articles from a variety of sources that it was Wenger’s training methods that caused a lot of the problems. So I guess it’s hardly surprising that there’s been a huge improvement in that area since his departure.
Phew! Good job I am not a Wenger snowflake, otherwise I would have gone nuts at you for stating actual facts! Haha
The boss will have a plan to shut down Jamie Vardy. Can’t wait to watch this unfold. Match day finally here. COYG!!
Yes as Vardy has scored 6 against us!!!
No rudeness intended Third Man JW, in fact, quite the reverse, when I say that older more worldly wise folks like you , me and several others on here, would not have a clue about being “snowflakes” ourselves. That term describes so many, though not all, millenials who are still wet behind the ears in life and Arsenal experience. Like mere kids who don’t remember Arsenal before WENGER AND THIS HAVE NO COMPARISON WITH THE TOUGHER, MANLY, GOOD OLD DAYS when a harsh word did not provoke tears and outrage on social media. That is WHY they are called “snowflakes!. No fortitude whatever. God help us all if THAT lot ever had to fight for our country! AND THE WORST SNOWFLAKE WHO EVER PLAYED FOR US WAS THE WEED WALCOTT!
Wenger’s training methods? I think it’s more about the nature of the players. Rosicky didn’t stop getting injured when he left us, Wilshere too, Ox is still injured at the moment, same case with Verminator. Moreover, even the medical team has been overhauled.
Now, when they say a player will be out for 3months, he resumes training after 2months. Unlike before, when they say 3weeks, it ends up being 3months.
Jon, give it a minute.
While I do believe that our injury matters will improve under this regime, I would still give it a minute, at least to see if it plays out. Before going on about it I might wait a wee second, as it could look just a tad bit eager to bash/real-talk.
But our players are ALREADY SHOWING much greater mental toughness and far more enthusiasm. Look how joyful ALL are when we score; mass celebrations. Wonderful to behold and so different from the dog days under Wenger. What I am saying is that toughness is in mind as well as in body and that is evidently here already. In spades too!
I agree, that feels weird to say. Though the happiness could have been something much more different had the close calls not worked out for us in the end. It could also be argued that they might not have worked out that way, had last seasons hostilities still been evident. The mental strength, I fully agree. The enthusiasm, giving it more out there, again, I agree. The feelings within the fan-base are so different from last season, that it’s not even funny.
I feel tonights game is very important. We must start strong and score at least one goal in 1st ’45. I dnt care about Lisabon game cos we have enough points in EL, so Palace is our next one – also crucial, cos then I think is Liverpool game for which I have a very good feeling… although we can ruin everything before that. If we win tonight and at Palace we will have very good vibe for Liverpool so suprise can happen in PL on 3rd of November!
Doesn’t it make you laugh how Sky Sports are trying their hardest to brush over the Mourinho incident Saturday with all their presenters laughing it off as he chased the Chelsea coach down the tunnel” Oh, it was just handbags, nothing serious, their all old mates, surely the FA are not going to take any action” Compare that to when Wenger kicked the water bottle at Stoke. First they put on their stern, very serious face before saying ” Oh, he should know better, you just can’t behave like that, he could well be facing a misconduct charge. Makes you sick doesn’t it, Anyway 3 games in 5 and a bit days for us this week, 3 games in eight days for their beloved. And still there’s people on this site who blah, blah,blah…………
I thought it was absolutely hilarious watching that coach goad Maureen like that!! Good on him.. now the boot is on the other foot Maureen doesn’t like it.. I’m loving watching all this drama, couldn’t happen to a nicer team. I just saw that Sanchez is ruled out for tomorrow, although when he does play it’s like they’re playing with 10 men! He’ll have to tickle the ivories instead ? I hope Ronaldo gets a brace!! Come on!!!
Yes all this United pampering does make me sick Kenny
Surprise surprise Kenny he got away with it, the Chelsea coach was charged!! Said online about Wenger/Pardew bust up – the same sort of thing happened, Arsene was fined 10k, Pardew was cleared!!
Well said Sue but did you really expect anything else from the FA. Just back from the Emirates. What a second half performance. Hope the Cech/ Leno debate is finally put to bed. The confidence in the defence with Leno between the sticks is clear for everyone to see.
It was brilliant Kenny! What a run we’re on! What a team! Totally agree about Leno ?
Kenny, as a fellow Sky Sports watcher for many sports, I usually ignore all the hype and nonsense. Many of the so called experts- though NOT Souness, Neville and Carragher – are just football fly weights trying to scratch a living by talking nonsense most of the time. BT Sport is even worse with the applling likes of Owen, and Savage amongst them and no superb “tell it like it actually is” Souness’s to save the day. I also believe far too much fuss in general is made over nothing at all. IF IT IS PART OF THE ACTUAL MATCH , THEN FINE, DISCUSS IT. But all other handbags nonsense is just food for snowflakes, many of whom are sports programme editors/ producers. My take is that, unlike many, the whole WENGER WATER BOTTLE AND MOURINHO JUMPING UP and all that ilk is just TV programme padding and inane time filling and not worth serious discussion. Unless one is a snowflake. And I am NOT!
I have no idea how we will rotate
It will be difficult especially in defence
I don’t want us to play too weak of a team against Sporting
Thankfully I have faith in Emery to make the right rotation
I forgot what its like to lose 🙂 haha let me not get to ahead of myself HAHA.
But if the team can get through this week – physically and mentally, then i dont see why we couldn’t cope with the rest of the season, especially the away games.
December is always tough as well with away games, December to end of Jan.
As we know as well Nov, is not always our favorite month.
Hoping for the best. COYG
Loved that first line mate, brilliant!