Is it time to sing, “It’s happened again…?” Hull v Arsenal. The preview.

By Tony Attwood

The last time Hull beat Arsenal at home was 2nd April 1915.  It was match 33 out of a 38 match second division season, in a game played at Hull.  The score was 0-1 to Hull, and the crowd was 8,000.  Of the remaining games we drew one, lost one and won the remaining three scoring 12 and letting in five.  We ended the season fifth in division 2 (although an error caused the official record to put us sixth – something that was not corrected until the 1970s).

Following the enlargement of the league after the suspension of games during the remainder of the war, and because of a notorious match fixing scandal involving Manchester Utd and Liverpool, an election was held as to who should be in the 1st division when it resumed in 1919.  Arsenal won one of the places.

Tottenham H. who were relegated from the first division have long since argued that this was fraudulently arranged, but without any evidence to back up such wild and whimsical claims.  If you want to know what really happened the story is here.

And just before we get back to today, remember that they beat us 2-1 in the first-ever top division game between us in 2008, so they are not total pushovers.

But now, to return to more recent matters…

Mr Wenger spoke patiently and calmly about Henry’s recent comments, rather like one speaks of a naughty child, saying, “We know all the system now of the modern media, especially on TV. I know how it works. They push you to be controversial because they give you a lot of money.   I can accept an opinion but the comment on Giroud was a bit more wrong, especially because I heard the same thing being said about Nicolas Anelka, about Thierry Henry himself and about Robin van Persie. And they all became world-class players themselves….

“We are not in need of absolute change. We have a strong squad. We have some strong young players behind. We have a very big squad, so we need to lose some players as well. We have Lukas Podolski away, Joel Campbell. Yaya Sanogo will come back.”

So, on we go, in the knowledge that Hull City have lost five and drawn one of the last six Premier League games against us.

As for scoring goals, well Alexis Sanchez has scored in both of his games v Hull this season, and Olivier Giroud has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League away matches.

We’ve won our four Premier League away games but only by a one-goal margin, so it is clearly time to knock in a few more.

Hull have won their last two, but haven’t won three in a row since October 2008.  And they have only lost one in the last 13 at home.

And here’s an odd item I found, over the last two seasons Hull’s Ahmed Elmohamady has sent over 429 crosses from open play which is 89 more than any other player.  Oh yes, and they have Michael Dawson.   Still, at least with him in the team, when we sing “It’s happened again, it’s happened again, Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again” someone on their side will get it.

Hull’s team looks to be in sharper shape than of late, since Nikica Jelavic and Andy Roberston back from injury and David Meyler returned from suspension.  Since Leicester seem to be on the up, relegation is still looming, and they know a poor run could drag them down.  They did it against Liverpool, so their expectation will be high.

Whoscored.com are intresting on the topic of Hull in that they have only one strength according to the site: ariel duels.  It is one of our strengths too, so that should be ok.  They are said to be weak on keeping possession and finishing scoring chances.

They are apparently very weak at defending long shots and defending against skillful players – which should make life interesting.

Thus they play an aggressive game with width, and attack down the right with long balls.

The outcome, according to Whoscored is that we will score as a result of individual skill and dominate possession, while they will be shown lots of cards (I really doubt it but you never know).

As for us Mathieu Debuchy is doubtful and Arteta and the Ox are not yet ready.  Jack might just get a game, although most likely he will come on as a sub.

So a line up… remembering that we have only failed to score in three league matches this season – twice against Chelsea and once against Southampton.

Oooooooospina

Monreal Gabriel Koscielny Bellerin

Cazorla Coquelin

Alexis Ozil Ramsey

Giroud

To come off the beach: Wilshere

Other residents thereof:

Szczesny, Walcott, Welbeck, Flamini, Debuchy, Mertersacker, Gibbs, Rosicky.

——————

The books

84 Replies to “Is it time to sing, “It’s happened again…?” Hull v Arsenal. The preview.”

  1. A 2-0 win to the Arsenal would be a great way to start celebrating St. Totteringham’s Day !
    So come on guys ,do your stuff !
    Up the Gunners !

  2. Michael Owen predicted our win to be just one-nil to the Arsenal…I hope we pump them so as to have an ok goal difference as its just 4 between us and City

  3. I think Nikica Jelavić is a Gooner. I’ve seen a picture of young Nikica wearing red-and-white JVC-shirt so I’ve always fancied the idea of him coming to Arsenal as a back-up for Giroud. He is well-known as an excellent first-touch finisher which means he should be denied space to do so.

  4. @Usama
    May 4, 2015 at 5:20 pm

    I liked the video. Thanks. – Obligardo!

  5. Where is Chambers?
    Haven’t heard anything about him for the last month…

  6. Sleekwale yes, we could do with a 0-4 or 1-5 for that goal difference but i will settle for a win anyway.

  7. Alan Smith and his Co commentator blaming Ospina for ‘clattering’ into Coquelin when it was clearly an elbow to the side of the face by a Hull playe… are these guys blind or whwhat????

  8. This summer Coquelin needs a jaw replacement surgery…

    ARSENAL…. Please replace it with a titanium one.

  9. Didn’t Michael Owen predict the name of the new princess to be Michele?

    —-

    COYG!

  10. Afraid Walter’s fears of a player or two getting injured tonight and missing rest of the season might come true.

  11. Glad you spotted that, Al.

    Goal scored now and 2nd yellow to Hull.

    Huddlestone follow through onto Ramsey’s knee – vicious.

  12. Mason bottled out of giving Livermoor a second yellow for the foul on Sanchez from which he scored from the resulting free kick

  13. getttttt iiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn tttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeerreeeeee!!!!!!!!

  14. Ramsey’s having a great game despite taking a kick from Huddleston

  15. 66% possession, 9 shots with 6 on target, 3 in the onion bag.

    Still need more Hull bookings.

    COYG!

  16. 28 – No player has assisted as many Premier League goals as Santi Cazorla (28) since he made his PL debut in August 2012. Diminutive.

    COYG!

  17. Arsenal, don’t let Hull back into this. Now we need another goal or 3.

    COYG!

  18. Daily Mail are claiming that Coquelin stamped on Quinn at 59 minutes.

    COYG!

  19. Mason missed the face injury which finished in a free kick for us in dangerous position

  20. It wasn’t a head injury. It was a brush rather. Kosielnys studs on Hull players face. But the ref should’ve stopped the game and started with a drop ball….

  21. Walcott, your turn to score? Somebody must need another goal at Arsenal.

    COYG!

  22. Good win lads, i know you did not want to demoralise Hull, but none of that next season hear? 🙂

  23. Good work Arsenal. Sorry about the clean sheet Ospina. I hope Ramsey isn’t hurt (or anyone else).

    COYG!

  24. Tailgunner
    Yes Wilshere was shoved off the ball as he got into the box. And he looked very sharp.

    Well done Arsenal. And happy St Totteringham day everyone 🙂

  25. Ah yes, it is a Totteringham day.

    What is it that Alexis says, a brace a day keeps the spuds away?

    COYG!

  26. The BBC just let slip what genius said something about Arsenal. You know, Phil Neville is about 1 brain cell away from having 2 brain cells. Go two foot tackle your mother.

    COYG!

  27. We have to win FA cup again, look what last one did for the team this season. 🙂

  28. This team today were playing like the fukin champions! I cant believe we are 2nd to those boring buses! Hull did not know what the heck was going on, rockets unleashed, they didnt give them a moment to breath! Even Wilshere, he destroyed their defenses. Ohhh those first matches, oh those ref mistakea, and ohhh those sht injuries…. We should have been the champions, we look like ones 🙁

  29. Yassin,

    That was exactly my thought as I saw the spectacle that our boys displayed this evening. We played like champions.

  30. Botoomee,

    Yes exactly, we are champions with less points, this run that we made since before december is unbelievable! Little credit we are given for. We deserve to be first, and watching today, it hurts. Just look at how Sanchez, Wilshere, and Ramsey keep on getting up from fouls, while Hazard keeps on going down, and still they hail to Chelsea.
    Its too unfair to give the Pfa award to anyone other than Sanchez, even Hazard.
    And there is no one who should challenge Bellerin to the best young player, its impossible to be otherwise, its cheating if bellerin was not the winner.

  31. Ohhh, it was given to hazard and harry kane?

    I can accept the Hazard, but what does a young 19 year old player, forcd early to play i stead of the so professuonal international Debuxhy do? to win the young pfa award? How on earth did Bellerin not win this, was he even nominated? Do those idiots watch football?

  32. Makes you wonder Yassin, a better guide is the fans player of the month, Cazorla has won it twice, ozil and giroud also winners.
    Bellerin has been amazing and will be a full international sometime next season I would assume.

  33. Bootoomee, we didn’t play like Champions, we played like Invincibles!

  34. We played WENGERBALL to show why the Gooners called Chelsea boring. Are you watching shitface Jose?

  35. Oh ohoh!! !! Can’t even wait for next season to begin. I hope we av quality time to prepare for the season though

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