By Bulldog Drummond
A sunday noon kick off means there won’t be time for me to do the usual chit chat in the morning, what with having to get up and get to the meeting point for us all to drive from Northants to London (allowing time for the chaos that now seems to be a central feature of English motorways), so here we are with the team run down a day early.
As we have noted through the week Mr Wenger has been clearly dividing the squad in half, selecting one group for the midweek Europa game and then the rest of the squad to play the league games either side.
| Player | What’s wrong | When he’s back | Latest news |
| L Koscielny | Achilles Injury | October 1, 2017 | Late Fitness Test |
| M Ozil | Knee Injury | October 14, 2017 | |
| A Iwobi | Thigh Strain | October 1, 2017 | Late Fitness Test |
| C Chambers | Hip Injury | October 14, 2017 | |
| D Welbeck | Groin Strain | October 14, 2017 | |
| F Coquelin | Hamstring Injury | October 14, 2017 | |
| S Cazorla | Plantaris Injury | No Return Date |
So Physioroom are saying that Koscielny and Iwobi might or might not make it, but the rest of the list are out. Ozil, they are saying is now certainly out, and not just a doubt. There is chit chat about Theo coming back to favour after his performance in the Europa but I would be surprised to see him at all on Sunday unless all the injuries are real injuries. Maybe next time around.
If Koscielny is unfit then Holding, Mertesacker, Monreal or Elneny could take his place, but assuming for the moment that Kos is ok but Ozil isn’t, I’d expect a team that is something like this
Cech
Koscielny Mustafi Monreal
Bellerin Kolasinac
Elneny Xhaka
Ramsey Lacazette Alexis
However it is worth noting that the BBC is running the line on its site that “Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is pushing for a recall after overcoming a knee injury.”
If we want Ramsey to stay next to Xhaka in the middle, this is more difficult. I really can’t see Theo being asked to play again, and if Iwobi is injured as is Danny Welbeck, … well I don’t know, short of playing Theo again, or using Akpom, if he really was held back in Belarus because of the realisation that Ozil wouldn’t make it.
The point about the format above is that in effect Ramsey could slip behind Lacazette and Alexis be told to confuse the defence by turning up left and right.
Lacazette has scored four times at home this season in three games, so he’s obviously getting the hang of things and thus could be ready to adjust to a revolving front line.
So who is on the beach? Here are eight in case one of the players I’ve selected above is not going to make it. If all are ok then I guess Nelson drops out.
Ospina, Holding, Walcott, Mertesacker, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Nelson, Giroud,
But there are hints among the background chatter that Iwobi might make it after all – or at the very least make it to the beach, which would be a spot of relief.
Wenger’s commentary is: “I think it will be difficult to break them down because they are very well organised, they are very disciplined as well. Their team keeps the ball well and from what I’ve seen they have a good technical quality, they try to play everywhere and it is a different challenge for us.
“We have done very well at home until now, so we know that it is absolutely vital for us.”
One other little thing: a win against Brighton will mean nine successive home league wins, which equals the all time record at the Ems.
And to round it all off here are three more snips from the Corporation
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 31 league matches against newly promoted sides (W26, D5) since losing 2-1 at QPR in March 2012.
- The last promoted side to win at the Emirates were Newcastle in November 2010 – then managed by current Brighton boss Chris Hughton.
- Arsene Wenger could record victory over a 45th different Premier League club, which would surpass Sir Alex Ferguson’s feat.
http://www.wordwebonline.com/search.pl?ww=8&w=Plantaris
seeing that Cazorla has a Plantaris injury, I thought ‘what is it?’
The link is about the plantaris.
Sorry, I’ll comeback to the article posting. Has the indiscipline David Louis absence at the heart of Chelsea defence allowed Kevin Debruyne to score that absolute cracker which Courtoise had no answer to it? Can Chelsea comeback with an equalizer to level the game? Or will Man City hold on to their only goal lead in the game or still find a room to score again to finally put paid to Chelsea resistant and threats to equalize in the game? I’ll like to see the Blues equalize to end the match 1-1 if they can. I think this will benefit Arsenal in the table more than Man City winning the match.
Final Score at Stamford Bridge: Chelsea 0-1 Man City. Look like when Arsenal goes to the Etihad, the excesses of Man City wins in the Premier League will be put to check by Arsenal who will beat them right there in their backyard.
Tony,
How about a catering report as you leave Northants en route to the Ems tomorrow?
With a 12noon start, grub intake timing will be vital. 😉
Nicky; you sad sod get a life
Good evening Mr Drummond. For me, your starts is okay. I have a similar starts in mind too to make. But save, I don’t like to see Koscielny start this match but be on the bench for it even if he’s passed fit to play in the match. This is to allow his troubling Achilles a further rest to have him fully available for our away PL game against Watford which may prove to be a difficult away PL match to win for us after the international break. But with hopes the French national team manager will not over stretch Koscielny by playing him twice for France but once in their world cup qualifying games. So, I think Holding should replace him in the right side of the back three in the Gunners starting XI for our home Brighton PL match.
That said. Let me caution the Gunners who will start and as subs in this match not to take beating Brighton for granted and thereby become lacadesiskal in their playing in the match but take this 8righton match with every seriousness and discipline as if they are playing a big game against one of their top six opposition PL title rival clubs. For, every Premier League match has the element of surprise written over it. Therefore, to avoid being embarrassed in the game by Brighton, the Gunners must play to their full strength and not concede any ground to 8righton in the game but harass them with attacks relentlessly and not switch off or momentarily lose their concentration during the playing of the match, but force Brighton to submission in the game to concede 4 times to Arsenal even as they park the bus and rely on counterattacks to steal a goal against Arsenal.
Final scores @90” + is, Arsenal 4-0 Brighton.
OT: Happy birthday to 100livier the scorpion king Giroud. Many happy returns of the day
Happy Birthday to Giroud
@Bloggs,
Who rattled your cage?
If you can’t be pleasant, be quiet. 😉
@Bloggs what’s your beef? This site often features a catering report – its one of the few things Tony and I can guarantee is accurate given all the fake news flying about around football.
For the record Nicky Mr A was going to take coffee (and maybe a slice of toast) at mine before we left for the game today but a variety of circumstances mean I’m not able to go and Tony will travel down in a car full of small persons. I imagine his ‘lunch’ will consist mainly of hairdos and crisps, washed down with lashings of lemonade.
Haribos – (obs) NOT hairdos 🙂
Bloggs
Your just a horrible little prick really aren’t you.
Yes Monreal!
Haribos not hairdos – good one!
Looking forward to the catering report – we haven’t had one for a while.
Exciting match. Sounds like Martin Keown as co-commentator which is good.
@Thank,you,Blacksheep for the catering report.
As for Bloggs, we all have a cross to bear. 😉
Good work Gunners! I do wonder, if the foul count should really be so even.
Shots on target 10:1
_off target 7:5
Corners 6:5
Offsides 3:3
Fouls 7:8
Yelllow 0:2
Goal Kicks 6:14
_5 83
10 77
15 81
20 78
25 78
30 73
35 73
40 69
45 67
45+2 67
50 66
55 67
60 66
65 66
70 66
75 68
80 67
85 68
90 67
90+4 65
Not even 6am, and the game is over. Too early. 🙂
Hoping for an Everton win, and a Liverpool tie.
Walter
Just walked back from watching the game in the pub where’s the match report ha ha
COYG
I’m glad we gave our Belgian fans another win!
Well done, a real team effort. They all put in a shift today. 3 points, clean sheet, up the table. COYG!
Walter has been pre-occupied a bit this season. He might not get an early match report out today.
—
Looking through post-games “news”.
Congratulations to Wenger on taking over the most EPL wins record!
> The victory meant Arsenal’s manager broke the record he shares with legendary Manchester United boss Ferguson for wins versus Premier League teams.
This is apparently supposed to be embarassing. To me, it is the sign of a good player.
> Since the start of last season, Sanchez has been involved in an impressive 35 Premier League goals, scoring on 24 occasions and providing 11 assists.
Of course, the medja has to churn things. So, to see a news headline suggesting Arsenal fans are frustrated was in the cards. Bunch of dorks!
I gather Monreal twitted yesterday that he would score today. It’s wonderful that came to be!
A comfortable win – well for the most part. Brighton defended deep throughout which made the final third very congested. Lacazette unlucky when a thunderbolt came back off the right hand post in the second minute. Thereafter we were being patient with our buildup. Lava and Iwobi should have done better with decent chances. Our first half goal came from Mr reliable, Nacho Monreal with a low strike after a corner was recycled. Brighton then with a shot off our post. Halftime one nil
The second half really a repeat of the first a second a goal forIwibi completed the scoring. Mr Friend making up new rules towards the end of the game but Brighton not good enough to profit.
The media rats and their WOB are hiding deep down in their sewers.
Arsene is damn gd fumigator
How how how, the match report is published 🙂
Blacksheep – hairdos is a Hugh Hefner breakfast! not a small people thing.