By Bulldog Drummond
So here we are, nine points behind Chelsea with 11 games to play. On the same date in 1998 we were 11 points behind with 12 to play. And just like now, still in the FA Cup.
In 1998 we’d had a fairly awful late autumn, winning two and drawing two league games in eight from mid October to mid December. Seems Arsenal are not picky as to when things go wrong.
But I don’t recall any calls for Wenger to go, largely because the football was generally entertaining, and we had become so used to long spells without anything good happening that this didn’t seem unusual. In the six years leading up to 1998/9 we had ended up fourth, sixth (twice), seventh (twice) and tenth.
So we may conclude once more, context is everything. It’s not what we are, it is what we expect.
But Mr Wenger is not taking anything lightly and won’t allow any talk of title challenges, although six wins in the last seven league games is not too bad.
So moving over to the western outer reaches of our city we have the news that Aaron Ramsey is back with us. Maybe he is due a spot of relaxation on the beach – not least because it’s another five days until the trip to the far northern outer reaches of the kingdom.
Especially as this is a recurrent injury – but as Mr Wenger said, “When you have a repetition of muscular injuries, it can put the handbrake on your body a little bit – to get rid of that is a psychological problem. But I don’t think he suffers from that, looking at him in training.”
Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Flamini however remain beyond the pale and it looks like neither will be considered for the “kick them off the park” game at Man U either.
The key news of course is that Santi Cazorla and Ozil are fit and raring to go – and they have been the powerhouse of the whole squad since they came back together.
Which brings us onto the case of Per Mertesacker v Gabriel Paulista. There’s no clue at the moment (Wednesday lunchtime) what Mr Wenger thinks but of Mert he did say, “Like everybody, we are all here to serve the club and raise above our own interest. He has played many games, has a fantastic mentality, he has great mental stature, absolutely remarkable, and his contribution to the team has been excellent up to now.”
As for QPR Barton is, as ever, suspended, but Sandro is reported as fit again and their fans are already looking towards the final game of the season which is against Leicester. The two clubs with FFP issues as and when they depart the sunny shores of the Premier League for the dark waters of the Championship.
QPR have played seven games this year and won one – away to Sunderland. They have had one draw – on 1 January.
We have won the last three Premier League games against QPR. In the last seven it is five wins, one draw and one defeat. But… we do have some problems at Loftus Road where we have only won one of the last seven. and lost just one of the last seven.
But QPR’s record so far this year is not just poor – on the goal scoring front they have knocked in just six, letting in 11. Arsenal’s record over the last seven league games is scored 15 let in five.
Another negative stat for QPR is that they have not won any of their last nine games against London teams.
But… and this is the bad news, we have not won two away league games on the trot this season. That’s a bit naughty.
However to keep it all a bit more jolly let us recall that Olivier Giroud has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League starts, while Mesut Ozil has assisted five goals in 12 Premier League appearances this season. Including two in the last match.
So what of the line up?
Oooooooospina
Bellerin Gabriel Koscielny Monreal
Coquelin
Cazorla Ozil
Walcott Giroud Sanchez
Subs from Szczesny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Chambers, Ox-Chamberlain, Welbeck, Akpom, Mertesacker, Rosicky, Gnabry.
That is in fact the line up I predicted (slightly wrongly) last time around. It would be great to fit in the Ox, Ramsey and Rosicky, but how?
We could recognise that Alexis is tired or give him a nice break before Man U away, and do something like this
Oooooooospina
Bellerin Gabriel Koscielny Monreal
Rosicky or Ramsey Ox
Cazorla
Walcott Giroud Ozil
It might work – but without trying it in the training ground for a while I wouldn’t put my house on it delivering.
Anyway, we shall keep shouting.
Here’s the full list of tonight’s PL games, with some wild, wacky and totally ludicrous results.
- Liverpool v Burnley – draw (well one can hope)
- Man City v Leicester – home win
- Newcastle v Man U – draw
- QPR v Arsenal – away win
- Stoke v Everton – home win
- Tottenham v Swansea – away win (Tottenham hangover)
- West Ham v Chelsea – draw (Fat Sam in goal and blocks every Chelsea shot without moving).
But then that’s probably why I have never won my millions on the pools.
Have a great game.
Big Sam in goal blocking every shot without moving lol! Reminded me of a yo mama joke Sherman Hemsley made about Will Smith’s mum on The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire; “your mama was so fat that when she went to school she set next to everyone” 🙂
Hoping for a good result tonight, and keep the pressure on City. COYG!!
Thanks Bulldog. I wish, I really, really wish Theo would start tonight and I also wouldn’t mind resting Sanchez but PLEASE I don’t want the Sanchez-Giroud-WELBECK trio. I just don’t fancy it.
Very funny Al.
I wish Sanchez is given a rest and Welbeck and Walcott starting on the wide sides. Rosicky replaces Cazorla and Monreal and Chambers in full backs. Hence this line up.
Oooooosssssppppiiiinnnnnaaaa
Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin
Rosicky
Walcott. Ozil. Welbeck
Giroud
playing a 4-1-4-1 formation Cazorla and Sanchez on the reserve for Man U clash.
I am not over worried about who plays. The important thing tonight is three points. After that no injuries please.
COYG
I would like to see Walcott start in place of Alexis ,but then Alexis comes on late to devastate QPR.
Am hoping another big double decker bus blockade at Upton Park . Meanwhile at St. James’ Park – Pappy Cisse to run wild ?
Well we can dream can’t we ?
I’ve been pushing medians, and I found 7 predictions of scores. The median prediction is in square brackets after Bulldog’s prediction. And my biased predictions after that, in braces.
Liverpool v Burnley – draw (well one can hope) [3-1] {0-0}
Man City v Leicester – home win [3-1] {0-0}
Newcastle v Man U – draw [1-2] {1-0}
QPR v Arsenal – away win [1-2] {0-3}
Stoke v Everton – home win [1-1] {1-1}
Tottenham v Swansea – away win (Tottenham hangover) [2-1] {1-1}
West Ham v Chelsea – draw (Fat Sam in goal and blocks every Chelsea shot without moving). [0-2] {0-0}
COYG!
A good start to today’s results – The U18s have at long last won a game beating Leicester City 5 – 3. Moore opened the scoring for Leicester in the 7th minute, Mavididi equalised in the 20th minute and O’Connor (35) gave Arsenal a two one lead at half time. Second half goals from Mavididi, Ayoma, and Zelalem ensured we got the points before two late goals from Leicester. Bielik reported as starting to settle into the side. The team finish in the bottom 4 of the division meaning that their remaining games will be in the lower play-off group. There is no U21 game this week so the team was far more representative of actual ages of players rather than relying on a heavy contingent of lads from the U16 team.
West London Sport has this for the lineup.
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Gibbs, Coquelin, Cazorla, Rosicky, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud.
Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Chambers, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Welbeck.
If nothing else, Gabriel is getting to spend time with both Mertesacker and Koscielny.
COYG!
Really looking forward to this game but would’ve like to see Walcott start ahead of Sanchez (he needs a break) and Koz ahead of Mert.
Looks like everyone is in agreement who should start, lets hope AW is listening, or should i say ahead of us.
Prepare to be nerve wrecked, hope to be thrilled.
Why is it so calm over here?
@Para, I started eating my nails already (literally, not joking).
Hope we can finish this game early and start enjoying an easy match, but its Arsenal, and we cant make it the easy way.
Can’t lose with Batman playing at DM
Looks like we are doomed then? Naw.
Listening to dub while i watch match, no commentry.
Leading elbow on gibbs eh?
I’m really glad Kos gets a break this game, as Mert had a break last game.
COYG!
COYG!!!!!!!!!!
Only 10 minutes in but friend showing what sort of night it’ll be for us. The levels of incompetence are shocking.
You’re right para, heard one of these commentators say Coquelin invited the challenge by losing the ball and going to crash into Austin or something like that. I’ve just muted it, got to stay sane.
It’s going to be a long night, our players are not being allowed any sort of contact with qpr players. Each time that happens qpr get a free kick.
Finally looks like we’re getting into the game. COYG!
Look at QPR playing Arsenal game.
We just need to concentrate and not get spooked.
Can’t help but think the ref’s listening to an ebook with the lack of attention he’s showing!
We’ve outfouled QPR?
COYG!
—
Player in distress at WHL:
Conor McNamara
“On several occasions in the past Bafetimbi Gomis has fainted on the pitch, including three separate episodes in 2009.
“He underwent a series of medical tests for fainting episodes in ’09.”
Hah..yellow!!!…
Thats a surprise.
Now this yellow to Bellerin is a joke……
Excellent save by Ospina…
Come.on gunners
Unbelievable, Gabrielle’s injured after getting his first full game on Sunday. Crap that was close!
At least RoboCoq is showing some metal! 😉
Oooooooooo santi…
Go gunners
Come on Arsenal.
And when we had a chance to score, Friend suddenly remembered he should stop the game for injury,really?
If it was the other way and QPR had a counter, would he have stopped it?
Wait till you see the pen not given for Newcastle folks! Evidence, I tell ya. Not incompetence,something else. Linesman watches a player get clean touch of ball while another very clumsily and very clearly kicks him and takes his leg a fraction of a second later.
Clear view, can’t be anything but a pen, but not a pen.
Now a little seasoning on yor corruption pie. Ha, Evans spits on cisse; Cisse spits back at him. Pundits saying Evans surely didn’t mean it (not that kind of guy); Cisse disgusting.
We will get Anthony Taylor (and probably that linesman) for the league game at Old Trafford
Ozil had his arm pulled. The commentators’ reaction: “How much of that can the referee see?”. Really?
Not sure what game this ref is watching.
In the box, that is.
Rich
I can’t believe that! That’s outrageous. So the guy who spat first didn’t intend to, what a joke this league is.
The BBC is often fair in their comments about football.
> 20:50 CLOSE!
> Got to score! You’ve got to score! Mesut Ozil somehow knees the ball over the top from, what, three yards out? Open goal time after mesmeric feet down the right wing from Tomas Rosicky. Brilliant from the Czech midfielder, brilliant. How Ozil hasn’t buried that, you’ll never know.
—
> 20:53 Mesut Ozil – an apology
> I owe you an apology, Mesut Ozil! The reason he didn’t score [20:50} is that Karl Henry had him in an armlock as he tried to steer home. That should have been a penalty to Arsenal.
—
I think that must be the first time in history (TV and/or radio) that the BBC has said that Arsenal deserved a penalty.
Oops. That should read that the BBC is NOT often fair.
Frick the Spuds just went ahead.
Bring on Theo!
yes
Oh Yes! Giroud! Finally!
Yes.
Yes. Some really good moves by us.
It’s embarrassing, the way these media outlets are to eager criticise us,Gord.
That’s a beauty!!
Yes. He just had to make up didnt he?
yes another
Alexiiiiiis!
Sanchez!!!!
I guess Sanchez had to score. Giroud is getting too close in the scoring. 🙂
Did Giroud really score while lying on the ground?
It don’t matter to me, as long as they score (and win).
COYG!
Friend starting to be even now, I wonder if it’s because he can see that it’s beyond qpr now.
We have been warned now, do not relax.
We really need to wake up at the back. Sloppy goal!
We either relaxed too much or got bored. 🙂
4 mins of tense.
Damn ManU just scored.
Mertesacker, it has been a while since you scored. Get a goal from our end of the field. Please!
COYG!
Yes!!
gave too much space on that QPR goal…
Yeeeees!
We needed that especially as our rivals all won. Thought Newcastle might get a result. 🙁
It doesn’t look like we got any presents out of the other games.
But, we got the 3 points.
COYG!
We won! We’re still third!
Al- first,yesss;
2nd, to use the old cliche ‘I thought I’d seen it all, but…’ The incident was somehow perfectly designed as one you can’t talk your way around. Evans looks at him and fires off some spit; bad of Cisse to respond in kind, (but really all bets are off if someone spits on you) but clearly there is no way to escape the conclusion what Evans did was worse.
But they did. Big time!
Should be hilarious and a little bit soul-destroying to see how the media tries to spin it.
A good three points, with 10 games to go a vital win.
As usual the fastest match report on earth is published 😉
Looks like Newcastle were robbed, the shadow of Red Nose must still be lurking in the PGMO corridors.
For our match, well done the team, a difficult match successfully negotiated, despite an unfriendly ref. Along the way we played some good football, despite a lot of uncalled pushing and pulling from the opposition.
Henry, already on a yellow should have been off for the not given penalty on Ozil – but the guys stuck at it & got the result with the three valuable points.
@BJTGooner,
the shadow of Red Nose must still be lurking in the PGMO corridors
Yes it still is. Last year was not the year united lost that, it was the year which Moyes (the coach who criticizes Riley, who does not look corrupt) had to be removed. That with the the media attack on him shows its more than a sinple bias, its something more corrupt.
Did Chelsea win by an offside goal?
define luck? Watch Chelsea Westham game. 🙁
When is this Morinho gonna lose his luck?
Good win for the boys.
Hope Gabriel is ok.
Mr Friend was an enemy in disguise.
I thought chel$ky goal was offside.
ManU got Red-nose-resque help tonight, NC was denied a definite penalty.
It’s going to be fun+tension till the end of the season.
COYG
Yassin, Mourinho, not sure about luck, but things will start to go wrong for Mourinho after two or three seasons, then he will have to move, or be moved, a philosophy based on complete negativity in all aspects has a shelf life
Mandy, If you watch the highlights, or hear what the pundits/experts were saying (how lucky Chelsea were to not lose, as they were outplayed by West Ham), you will know what I am pointing at. Its every game, they get three points not based on how good they are, not based on tactics, but based on luck and a good GK. same story all season. Sometimes he does stupid tactics and then get away with it by luck and only luck. and everyone start sayin (on TV) it is a champion team attitude, but its been like this all year, parking the bus and riding their luck (except for the first games).
I hope he is gone sooner rather than later. I have nothing against Chelsea as a club, its just this man. he is a disgrace to football, him and his cheating methods.