Three Standard Liege players that Arsenal must be wary of this evening
Standard Liege are approaching the Europa League in the same way Arsenal are, well, certainly in the early stages. They are rotating selection between the Europa League and domestic games.
As an example, the Standard team that faced Vitoria saw no less than six changes to the team that played their next game in the league.
So, it is not sure who will and will not be playing but based on form the following players could cause Arsenal serious issues.
Maxime Lestienne
The winger has scored five goals from eight domestic appearances but failed to find the net in the Europa League. He has not been the most prolific scorer but has started the season well and is full of confidence right now.
Renaud Emond
The 27-year-old has started the season off well scoring four from eight games and has had to see off quite a few strikers to establish himself. He has not been a regular in the Europa League but against Arsenal may be called up.
Mehdi Carcela
The experienced midfielder is at the top of the assist table with four in eight games and must be negated. The 30-year-old cannot be given room to feed the strikers or Arsenal will regret it.
I expect all three to play this evening because the opponent is Arsenal but there is no guarantee of that. That said, even the backups are fairly strong and whichever team Michel Preud’homme puts out will be organised and disciplined.
Geez, now you have got Emery all tangled up and busy picking the team & setting the formation how to contain these three😁😁
Another snooze fest with Emery in charge. We will make hard work of this supposed comfortable fixture at the Emirates.
Wish we could fast forward this season and be at the point where a decision on Emery’s future would be made. Our Arsenal no longer has an identity. Could as well be a championship side wearing the Arsenal kit! The only standout player is Aubameyang who remains classy.
I actually prefer watching Arsenal now, to the last 5/6 years of Wenger’s reign. Obviously Wenger still gave us some amazing entertainment within that period, but the majority of the time it was relentless backwards, and sideways passing. Possession for possessions sake! It was so boring! I prefer watching us now that we’re a lot more direct.
Are you sure we’ve been watching the same games recently? How direct is our playing out from the back routine? The only excitement in that is for the opponents whose eyes light up each time our goalie, defenders and midfielders chose to walk the tight rope without a safety net.
That’s why it’s good to watch spursday nights with Martinez in goal and a different philosophy with Friddie’s influence.
TMJW, agree to an extent, but we also got a decent amount of games where Arsenal were just leagues above the opposition. 90% of the Emery matches look like an eternal struggle just to look half-decent. Especially our creativity in midfield, which is not something I ever thought Arsenal would be lacking in. Having our first lethal striker since RVP is very nice to see though.
So, Lestienne has failed to find the net in the EL… gulp….. until tonight?!!! Haha couldn’t resist, you know how goal droughts are ended against us and first goals are scored against us!!
😁😁😁
You’re right Sue, we do always provide such platforms.
We gave Watford their first points this season. We gave Rashford his debut EPL brace a few seasons back.
In some ways, we are the gift that keeps on giving.
Yes, exactly that, Abel! I bet Hazard is sat there thinking if only we were playing Arsenal next 😂😂😂😂
@Abel, do you have a brother called Cane being nasty to you?!?! Can’t blame him if he did😁😁
You are a sarcastic beast!
Sue, I’m still surprised Greenwood didn’t score against us and make headlines. Seemed like something that usually happens to us.
Me too, RSH!!
McTominay isn’t exactly prolific though ☹
@Sue, remember how according to some Dani Ceballos is much better than Ozil? He played 35 games over two seasons for Real Madrid, with zero assists and at #8, but he is acres better than Ozil.
Similarly these three must be contained now😁
😯 everyone’s better than Mesut, Viju!
Off topic and a bit too early but surely Iwobi would produce a lot more in attack as well as defensively than what Pepe has brought to the table. What would it take for the coaches to tell him to stop cutting back and subsequently over hitting left footed crosses into touch with only Aubameyang to aim for in the box.
Abel, cut Pepe some slack please…the lad came out of African Cup, didn’t have preseason, went Lille, we bought him, no preseason with us either and Emery straightaway started playing him. Wenger bedded Auba and Laca in a phased manner and you can see the results. We cannot undo the past but we can give him time to settle, playing him in Europa & Cup games till he’s ready
Viju Jacob
Lol Wenger bedded aubamayang? You see why I said your comments are becoming more like jokes, Arsenal announced the signing of aubamayang on 31 of January 2018 and on 3rd of February he made his debut and scored a beautiful goal against Everton, where’s the bedding there. Your dislike for the coach is making you biased now. On 6 August 2017, Lacazette made his first appearance for Arsenal in the 2017 FA Community Shield against Chelsea, he even hit post in that match, On 11 August, ( Arsenal first match of that season)Lacazette made his Premier League debut against Leicester City and scored after 94 seconds to give Arsenal a 1–0 lead in an eventual 4–3 win. Emery didn’t start Pepe against against Newcastle, he was brought on in the 71st minutes for Nelson, he didn’t play against burnely, his first start came two weeks after that against Liverpool but you still think Emery is his problem lol.
Excuse me, when I say “bedded in”, it means not giving them starts or playing them the full game. They were started on the bench or substituted.
The joke is on you mate, so kindly wisen up, before I troll the troll.
No one got on Auba & Laca’s case like how everyone is calling Pepe useless, so explain to yourself why, and who is the cause of this scenario. Auba and Laca were given additional support on the pitch with service providers, which isn’t the case now and you saw the consequences with Pepe at OT.
If you have basic football brains you’d understand all this, so I’m sorry I cannot spoon-feed you.
You make it sound as if Laca and Auba walked in to Emirates and played the game that they knew before joining the club, so don’t be Lenounhappy now
I knew you were gonna end it with that your Lenounhappy, I stated fact and all you can do is that Lenounhappy? I advice you before you comments again make sure they are real and genuine. Pepe is Pepe problem, Saka who is a youngster is outshining him and you think Emery is the problem, please get real.
Pepe had a one on one against Liverpool but he couldn’t score, he had a one on one against Watford early in the match but didn’t score, so is that on Emery, and I also believe he will come good but don’t make like Emery is his problem, and no Laca and aubamayang started their arsenal career as a starter and not on the bench, Pepe was introduced in the 71st minute.
Viju likes to act like he knows better than everyone else but actually has very little knowledge. Don’t let it bother you Lenohappy.
Do you know what Emery said to Pepe before bedding him?
Help us to your capacity, in our way, to be to helping the team in good way………….
Don’t change the argument bro, its all down to you I never said I have an inside information on how the players is being treated or according to you “bedded” in, all I did was state fact, you said Wenger bedded aubamayang in gradually whereas aubamayang played for arsenal a week after his signing and scored against Everton, Laca played In the community shield and almost scored, before starting against Leicester on a Friday night and he scored a header in the 97seconds, so please tell me where the “bedding” was, and dont turn a good debate to a personal stuff.
I cannot help it if you don’t know what goes into settling a new player in.
As for Pepe I had written about his performance elsewhere and I can’t blame you if you didn’t read it. He needs time and if he missed some goals, you may want to search the goals missed by Laca and how downcast he got at one point. It’s all down to the manager largely, and once in the pitch it is down to the player.
You are moaning about banter, so I won’t go there if it makes you unhappy. But do yourself a favour and watch the United match carefully and then come and attack me of what I said about Pepe being isolated on the pitch is wrong.
Now you can stay happy with Emery, in his way, in your capacity.
@Nitsram, welcome to the party with all your facts, knowledge and capacity. I can learn something
He has 100% proven you empirically wrong (auba and laca didn’t have bedding in periods, as you describe them, they came straight into the team). You make statements of fact that have no basis in reality and act obnoxiously about it.
You like to tell everyone else that they are wrong with completely made up facts or clear lack of knowledge, then act obnoxiously when they prove you wrong. You can disagree about opinions but “alternate facts” are not a real thing
@Nitsram, I learn so much from you, thanks. Now you can check the same info that I found in public domain about how Wenger settled Laca and Auba in. Check before going on your ad hominem attacks. The same info is available to you too. I don’t claim to be an expert but I read up, because I’m s fan of the club and the game. I don’t blindly appreciate anyone because it takes a long time for me to support anyone and that’s because I read all the information that I can find about our club.
So save the put-downs for someone else, not a 4 decade fan. Maybe you are an instant fan that thinks scoring a goal is bedding in already, but there is a lot more that goes into settling a new player in on the pitch. Check if what I’m saying is wrong. Check to see how many times Laca and Auba were hooked and how it made them disappointed, sometimes one replaced the other. I used to be aghast then, but I see the results now that’s why I feel sad for Pepe because he has no service coming his way.
I don’t want to bore you anymore, so next time come at me with holistic facts, not some low hanging data that will suit your narrative. I saw you whingeing in the other post, but make no mistake about where my loyalties lie
No viju, you claim to be an expert- you told me Henry had never coached at arsenal (he had) and that i should read up more or you could jog my memory. Now you’re saying laca and auba weren’t put straight into the first team (they were) and called someone else a troll for disagreeing with you and proving you wrong. I’m certainly no “instant fan” and you only care about put downs when you lose an argument and are proven wrong. That is why I call you obnoxious.
LDDWWWD…
Martinelli..
Nelson, Ozil, Niles..
Willock, Chambers..
Tierney, Holding, Mustafi, Bellerin..
Martinez..
Subs – Ceballos, Saka, Torreira..
You get your WDL sequence all wrong mate, always.
Emery has achieved what Wenger couldn’t despite numerous attempts. He has succeeded in lowering the expectations of Arsenal fans in such a short time. We now watch Arsenal matches with trepidation and dread regardless of the opponent. We no longer expect beautiful, flowing football. The stop-start version we play now is all we can aspire to.
What we wouldn’t tolerate under Wenger, we staunchly defend Emery for.
Some of us would do anything to catch a live game previously. Now most just want to know the results at the end of the game.
If nothing is done to arrest this slide in expectations, our travails would soon be aptly captioned “there was a club”
Abel, harharharhar, that was as wicked a backhanded compliment as they come. Good on you mate!!!
Oh, one thing we know for sure is how fearful Emery will be of all their players, and I’m sure he’s ready to put Sokratis as striker to stop them.