Even if Arsene Wenger does what most of us expect and make a few changes to the Arsenal starting line-up for the away game at Brighton in the FA cup, the Gunners will still be strong favourites to win the game and progress to the next round of the FA cup.
But the Arsenal boss is aware that these cup games against lower league opposition do not always go according to plan. We have had our very own experience of that at first hand in recent years, most notably on that terrible League cup night in Bradford.
So the Prof is determined to make sure that his players do not take this game for granted, reminding them that Brighton nearly managed to give us a scare a couple of years ago. The manager also knows that it can be very hard to put on a fgood performance if you do not start well, the old adage of not being able to turn it on like a tap.
So the Frenchman is urging the Gunners to be ready for a tough game and to start strongly from the first whistle. And with Brighton having scored three goals in midweek to beat a very strong Ipswich Town side, Wenger has identified their attack as a particular facet of their side for us to worry about, as an Arsenal.com report explains.
Wenger said, ““We have to keep their strikers quiet. In the cup, you have to be ready from the start on and people like that can always surprise you if you’re not ready.
“It’s always difficult in the Championship away from home. I remember it was a very difficult game two years ago against a team who were on the way up with Gus Poyet. We needed to dig deep to get out with a positive result.
“Chris Hughton will give them his experience and his competence, of course. He knows how to prepare a team for a challenge like this. For us the challenge is to turn up with the same spirit and show that we can be consistent with our attitude game by game.
“In the FA Cup, god knows that is needed. We know that it will be another big challenge for us to go there and come home with a positive result.”
After putting the early season troubles behind us recently and finally winning against one of the really big Premier League rivals last weekend, Arsenal won’t go and mess this up will they?