By Phil Gregory
After a bit of an absence, you will probably be totally ambivalent to the fact that the Untold match preview is back (though I’d like to hope otherwise!). Like the site after the vagaries of technical issues, we are here and hopefully for good this season. The soul-crushing tedium of applying for graduate schemes alongside the workload of a final year student has meant that from time to time I have had to drop my writing commitments, but for now we’re back on track for a weekly preview.
Anyway, onto the game. We’ve got the early Saturday kick off, which means I’ll be able to watch virtually none of the game before heading up to coach my all-conquering 11 a side team for a 2pm kick off, which is a little disappointing. However, the uptick in Arsenal results recently means that we can travel over to Stamford Bridge hopeful.
Chelsea needed extra time to beat Everton and played on the Wednesday night as opposed to our Tuesday. On paper, that suggests we may be slightly fresher than them but really I can see it being a marginal benefit at best. Much more important will be the performance we put in (and Robin grabbing another brace of course).
The injuries have lessened recently, with the return of Vermaelen in the Carling Cup against Bolton a real positive for the team. While he did go off injured, it was merely cramp and Arsène indicated he is likely to be in the squad for Chelsea. Gibbs is out injured whilst Jenkinson may or may not be fit in time for this clash.
Szcznesy
Djourou Mertesacker Koscielny Santos
Arteta Song
Ramsey
Walcott Van Persie Gervinho
The team is pretty standard, I went for Djourou as I don’t think we’ll throw a potentially not quite fit Jenkinson into this one given there will be a lot of weight on his shoulders over the next couple of months.
Poor old Drogba is suspended for this game according to Chelsea’s preview of the game (and they should know), with Torres likely to come in for him. The Spaniard has looked a little sharper recently, so a note of caution should still be sounded despite the absence of our Ivorian nemesis.
As for the result… I’ll take 1-1 now, with all bets off if RefWatch throws something worrying up (as it quite often does). We’ve certainly got enough about us to be competitive and win the game, with the only real weakness being the right back position. It’d be great to keep up the positivity with a win, but I’ll hedge my bets and stick with the draw.
p.s. For all of Liverpool’s spending, they aren’t shaping up to challenge for the top four at this rate. Take a look at our next four fixtures versus theirs, and despite our horror start of the season we could be above them certainly after the next four games. If Tottenham are our main rivals for fourth, I’m certain we’ll get it come May.
Well Phil, I don’t think I’m ambivalent. This is my second trip back to read this.
I don’t know if RefWatch needs someone to look up the assignments, but just in case: Referee: A Marriner. Assistants: S Ledger, A Watts
Fourth Official: H Webb.
Some other miscellaneous news. I caught on Yahoo’s Eurosport web page, that Henri Lansbury has picked up a longterm knock on the knee at West Ham. I looked around the Arsenal site, and I can’t find any recognition of this.
@ Phil I missed you matey! It is good to see you resume your duties on untold. Good luck with the job situation as it is a tough time to be stepping into the job market.
I agree with your starting line up, though I was tempted to start Rosicky instead of Ramsey initially, but have since changed my mind. Ramsey is starting to show everyone why I think he is better than Cesc, his creativity in midfield will put the Chavs under a lot of pressure. I think we need to save Verm & Rosicky for the CL game.
I am a bit nervous that the referee might have another bad day at the office which will leave us a man short before the end of the game and/or our players will end up with too many yellow cards which will inhibit our game. Nevertheless I am feeling bullish and I think we will win this one 2-1.
Yes really good to have you back Phil instead of the erratic Billy the Dog. I have to say that…
ow…
stop it…
billy don’t…
oh bugger…
Speechless, I love this team!
The boys have gone and done it. Arsene seem to know they would. Now he is proved right. Don’t you just love it.
Delighted.
Want to see some good media coverage? How about Al Jazeera.
http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/football/2011/10/20111029132710898453.html
Starts with:
> Arsenal’s run of good form continued on Saturday with an impressive 5-3 victory over London rivals Chelsea in the English Premier League.
and builds from there.
Thanks Gord, that looked a very good report.
Here’s a humourous one. Wasn’t it Bendtner that wore pink shoes?
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/880121-aaron-ramsey-reveals-emmanuel-frimpongs-pink-hair-bet-after-arsenals-win-at-chelsea
Seriously what an exciting game! Arsenal were great and it looked like the Arsenal team I know and love playing Wengerball. It’s games like this one that sells the Premiership around the world. I knew we would win it, but never thought that we would put 5 past them.
We could of done a lot better in the first half, but such is the character and attitude of this team, I knew they would come out fighting. All the players did really well in the end and I thought quite a few showed their class. What I love even more is the fact that this team look like they can and will improve. No matter what the crap write up and spin given to this game, we did well and the other teams will be worried about us again.
A bit off topic, but to me it was entirely predictable that Arsenal would get Man City or Liverpool (away) in the Carling Cup and Man U would get Palace.
Thanks for the kind comments guys.
One of my substitutes today only came for the second half cos he wanted to watch the game… not a bad choice I have to say.
WHAT a result!!
Gooner Gal,
As we know this season’s meant to be Fergie’s Year: the XXth EPL, Lord Football peerage, etc., the Brand too big to fail. So the “random” draw of Crystal Palace only increases the odds of another milestone on the way to the great one’s Anointment. (How I long to be wrong.)
@ bob
I agree, I remember reading on the BBC website a business a little while ago an article on Man U’s proposed share issue in Singapore and the writer said the FA consider Man U to be the precious ‘jewel in the Premiership crown’. I almost spat my drink out. I later tried to show it to some else 4hrs later, but I could’nt find it as I think it got edited. Carling have decided to end their associated with the league cup so the FA need to make this year’s one as interesting as possible, in order to attract a new lucrative sponsor quickly. As it could feasibly end up being named after an Asian beer in the near future, it makes good business sense to have the global audience tuned in for as long as possible and Man U therefore need to stay in the competition. The FA saw the 1-6 demolition and had to take matters in hand.