Like us, Valencia are not in the best of form right now, they are fighting for a top-four finish in almost the same scenario that we find ourselves in and they have lost their last two La Liga games including a home loss to Eibar.
Los Che may not be one of the elites of Spanish football anymore but that does not mean that they do not have a team of players that pose a significant danger to our hopes of reaching the Europa League final.
They are a well-organised side and while not prolific in front of the goal they are good in defence allowing fewer goals in La Liga this season than both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
I have highlighted three players that I believe we must keep a specific watch over, if we do not they can hurt us.
Gabriel Paulista
A former Gunner and you can take it to the bank that he will play out of his skin against us, he will want to prove a point, he knows our culture, what the crowd will be like and how we play and you can be certain that whenever there is a Valencia corner he will steam up that pitch with an eye on one thing and one thing only, scoring.
Dani Parejo
He is their highest goal scorer this season and has made the second most assists and he is not even a striker. If Parejo is allowed freedom in the middle of the park he will damage us and he has to be controlled for the entire game, he is highly experienced and poses a significant risk.
Ferrán Torres
He is only 19-years-old and is highly thought of, he flies down the wing and will give our wing backs a hell of a time, he has already played 20 times in La Liga and made six Europa League appearances this season. The defence has to be on their toes with Torres, especially down the flanks.
There are more players that one could name, as an example 22 -year-old Gonçalo Guedes, experienced defender Ezequiel Garay and the clinical Kevin Gameiro, however, it is the three players I have named above that I feel pose the biggest challenge to us.
I must have been dreaming Atletico played Marseille in last year’s final! So we lost the Europa League final last season ? ? Anyway let’s play a strong game to reach that 2nd successive final ??
You’re always dreaming, Kev ?
Well I hope we play better than the spuds! And you said Le Coq was booked, so won’t be available, right?
Absolutely not Sue unless I dreamt his yellow card ruled him out! If he plays Thursday I’m getting a brain scan ?
That certainly was a quality piece below.. gift of the gab, hey?! Bloody brilliant… almost had me reaching for a tissue ?? my favourite part was “the Egyptian warrior” ??
Haha I have no idea where that came from Sue ? too much bloody tv I think lol. The Totts have it all to do next week ? my man de Ligt was awesome again ? I’m predicting a comfortable night next week for Ajax at least tott supporters will have Amsterdam to cheer them up ?
Yes the penis fountain will work wonders! Yes he was, actually they all were, especially in the first half!
The spuds don’t like semi finals do they?! ?
Well they are a bunch of d*cks so they’ll enjoy that ?? yeah could have been more adventurous that game could have been well over by now ? vertonghen looks like he played his last game of the season too! I don’t know Sue they don’t reach them that often ?
Exactly!! I was thinking kn*bs, but d*cks will do ?
Yes didn’t look good for him, fancy sending him back on!!
I saw an article saying Rambo won’t play for us again… don’t know if it’s bs or not though.. shame if it’s true
Haha we can use yours k*obs will do ? I don’t even know what happened to him I had it turned down ? seriously? I thought he would be back by now ? Big blow then because I was thinking he would score the winner against Chelsea in Baku ?
Clash of heads with Alderweireld… you had it turned down? You mean you were too busy rocking!
That’s real bad news, I’m gutted for him.. what a way to bow out… ha yes he loves to score a winning goal in a final! Poor sod
So he was basically knocked out ? oh yeah the old air guitar was out and a hologram Jimi Hendrix playing all along the watchtower ? I might have to Lace up the boots show these kids how it’s done eh Sue ? ?
Reckon a busted nose too!
What an image I have right now ?
Haha I think you should… hat trick (at least) incoming…..
He looked a bit wobbly coming off looked like he skipped dinner and went straight for the Jack Daniels ? you found a guitar ?? guitar duo incoming ? well maybe not a hat-trick 1 or 2 though ?
When Skywalker is through on goal, there’s only one outcome Sue… The ball saying hello to the onion bag! ??
??? love it!! Good old Skywalker ??? sign him up!!
Makes total sense doesn’t it ?? you you cheering on Liverpool tonight Sue ??
No I’m bloody not ?? are you?! Can’t believe I’ll be cheering Suarez on ?
Oh yes absolute sense… and you could even wear Auba’s mask ?
Casilias had a heart attack ?? haha no I was just wondering if you were ?? I know ? who do you think will win ? ? I could wear the Darth maul mask ??
Sh*t, really?? Bloody hell ? poor sod..
Because I want Barca to win, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Liverpool do! Just imagine all the teeth on show tonight (Klopp, Firmino & Suarez! Yikes!)
Will we have to listen to Stevie G?? I honestly can’t stand the Scouse accent!! I remember when you said about your ex’s family were all Scousers (I did feel for you, especially when we were thrashed by them!!) Awful!! What do you think the score will be?
Oh yes Darth Maul all the way & maybe even the lightsaber?! ???
Need to look into athletes health, too many young people are having heart problems! That’s casilias, foe, muamba, puerta, feher etc! They could beat Liverpool but the way they performed against utd is worrying ? why, is he in the studio? ? Haha Sue blinded by the light ? no they weren’t Scousers Sue they were northern though and Liverpool fans ? lol I hate it too awful accent ? my head says 3-1 Barca heart says 2-1 Liverpool ? why not the whole costume ?
That’s way too many ☹
Wouldn’t surprise me & if not then it’ll be bloody Owen or Mcmanaman ☹
Oops.. well northern, scouse, it’s all the same ??
Haha yes the whole costume will do nicely… I bet that’s under your bed too ?
Haha I was listening to the stones – dead flower’s the lyrics take me down little Susie take me down, I know you think you’re the queen of the underground! Lol then I remembered that’s what your old man called you ?? hahaha almost Sue almost ?? Owen and McManaman and I can’t stand both ? haha along with my air guitar ?
Oh Christ not Susie ?? I’d hoped you’d forgotten about that!!
Your air guitar… I’m beginning to wonder what else is down there?! ??
You don’t get off that easy Suzanne ? I never forget ? hahaha nothing really it’s too close to the floor to get anything under there ? you watching the match Sue ? Why am I nervous ?
Damn it ??? not really, I’m looking at stuff on my phone… I think because it’s only a matter of time before Liverpool score (?)
It looked lush in the stadium just before kick off… and then Klopp walked in ??
So you don’t fancy klopp then ?? Barca scored Luis Suarez ? eBay ? Hahaha ?
Ewwwww no!! Haha!
Oooh Suarez.. did he celebrate? You bet he did!!
Haha no not eBay… although I could look for some costumes & masks ?
Looking on YouTube (I really like Wiley’s new song – Idris Elba raps on it – can you believe it?! Me neither!!) Haha!!
I watched a film with Idris Elba and Kate Winslet and it was pure rubbish ? haha love how he’s fighting with all Liverpool players ? haha I thought you fancied Him ? who’s Wiley ? you can take it to the Brighton game ??
He’s a wind up merchant for sure!!
Wiley’s a rapper!
So do you think I’d get away with wearing a costume on Sunday?! Would they let me in?! I suppose that’s one good way of getting on the tv!! ?
You like rap Sue ? haha yeah that will get you on tv for sure ? you could go as little bo peep ? ? Liverpool are playing well, come on Barca ?
Tbh Kev, I like a bit of everything… from Linkin Park to Clean Bandit, 21 pilots to Tinie Tempah… all sorts, not just one genre.
Little bo peep?? I’d be thrown in the looney bin!!
Ooh thank you Messi ?
Haha the looney bin ?? dembele how did you miss that ? Skywalker with that chance it’s good night ? great free kick from Messi ? me too Eminem the killers, the stones zeppelin rem Nirvana Tiësto ,van Buren tupac notorious etc etc ?
Yes, a couple of glaring errors which have now been corrected seems I was dreaming as well.
We all make them admin no harm done ??
Oh happy days, Kev…. 3-0 boom!!! ?
Lovely jubbly Sue ?
I used to love Nirvana! You’ve got good taste too then Kev!
So will 3-0 be enough?! ? I bloody hope so!
This time tomorrow, will we be buzzing??
Well I hope I do ? I really hope so Sue I do think Barca can score if they do then that’s that ? I will be bitterly disappointed if we aren’t I just long to see a European trophy more than any domestic trophy ?
We have to do it for Ramsey!
We have to do it for me ? Ramsey is a Juve player now I don’t get sentimental ? so the ref is Clement Turpin what do we know about him Sue ? Other than being a distant relative of Dicky ?
??? well let’s hope he’s not a dick ?
It’s funny isn’t it, how on Sunday, I was thinking I don’t want to watch another game of football, like, ever! And now I’m excited about tomorrow! Would have been good to have got tickets for it, but I’d be knackered, be a long day, flake out on the train & end up god knows where ?
When was the last time you went, Kevin? ?
Haha most of them are ? I thought you would have done your homework on him since your the go to gal for kit selection and refs ? Hogwarts ? I know we’re all the same we rant we rave and we relent ? oh god think it was September 2017 Bournemouth home game won’t be going again if Kroenke don’t start spending money sick of that miserable old git ?
Haha no, only in the PL.. can’t pronounce half of the ref’s names in EL (apart from Clement ?)
Ooh was that the 3-0? If so, I was at that game! I might have sat next to you.. !?
Hogwarts ? I hope not, can’t stand HP!! ?
Clattenberg reffing in China haha I’m watching him officiate ? it certainly was Sue ? have you got a mowhak ? ? Someone who doesn’t like HP finally ??
Really? ? Oh she’s probably senile by now ? yes we must win we just must ? it is Sue let’s hope dick Turpin has a good game I mean Clement ? no hazard tonight ?
Oops I did it again (no not Britney) I flaked out!!
Uh no, no mohawk, maybe not then ?
Oh you’re not a fan either?! Hurrah, at last!! My best mate loves it & I’m like uh “Why?” what a load of crap!!
Well Kevin.. tonight’s the night.. I’m still buzzing after Barca, so hope we carry on that trend ?
You sure it’s not Britney? ? Good, I thought that might have been you ?? oh no it depresses me Sue and so many bloody films ? but I also hate the Simpsons which everyone in this world loves, I could never get into it ? I hate first legs Sue, I’m so impatient, I just want to know if we’ll be in the final tonight ?
I don’t like the Simpsons either! D’oh!! ?
I don’t want to feel arsey tonight, so we’d better do it! I’m impatient too.. might have to call on mystic meg ?
I hope Chelsea lose too.. that would make for the perfect week..
The excitement is building, Kev ?
Four players that pose a threat to them.. Alex Iwobi the dangerous pacy Nigerian international has been making full backs have sleepless nights all season and boosts a powerful shot and clinical finishing! Henrik MKH the Armenian Messi has been a revelation since making the switch south from Manchester United the former Dortmund assassin has a host of assists and his link up play with Aubameyang has been compared to Iniesta and Xavi! Mohamed Elneny the Egyptian warrior signed from Basel for a modest fee has been considered a masterstroke from former manager Arsene Wenger, elneny makes Andrea Pirlo look like Joey Barton with a wide range of passing and close control the former Basel man makes that centre midfield role look easier than a duck gliding through water! Last but not least Shkodran Mustafi! The German. International signed from Thursday nights opponents Valencia has been a rock since signing for a reported 35 million the German ball winner is a a steady performer for club and country nicknamed Mr Reliable by Arsenal supporters.. hard in the tackle, pace to burn and is a constant threat from set pieces! Well none of what I wrote is the least bit true but it sounded good in my head and if any Valencia fans were reading before the end might have been a little bit anxious ? ah well I still believe we can win and we will win.. have faith fellow gooners ?
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UE has given us some good highs and some sad lows, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for one of those highs for Thur, we have the quality to beat them and I honestly believe that if we go to attack then we will get the result we need.
Keeping my fingers crossed that UE puts out his strongest team, obviously with the exceptions of unavailable players, if we can play to the players strengths then I do feel it could be a good night.
I have my fears and I a lot of us share the same fear, I have hope but I don’t think my finger nails will last 90 seconds let alone 90 mins…
There are five players who worry me,namely the entire Arsenal defence.(ex Leno)