by Bulldog Drummond
Mr Emery has been talking about the evolution of Arsenal under him and the way in which the game against Liverpool showed the direction he was taking the club in terms of the power within the team. “Our idea is to repeat matches with this pace over 90 minutes,” he said.
“It is about the progress in the team. The progress is about continuing to create confidence and creating also tactically different ways to improve.”
Of course judging by recent results and history over the longer term, Wolverhampton should not be a major threat to Arsenal, but the BBC of course found something to worry about saying, “All three of Wolves’ Premier League goals against the Gunners have been scored via corners.”
That is across the whole of the history of the Premier League however. Three goals against us in the Premier League. Anyway, best not to let them have any corners.
Another snippet is that we have got 59 points from a possible 63 in the last 21 league games at home to newly-promoted sides, winning 19 and drawing 2. So yep, no corners and we should be safe. Indeed as I suggested in the last little piece, what we really need is a big win to make sure we get our goal difference gets way above that of Tottenham.
One more little stat: Arsenal have won more points from a losing position this season than any other PL team – at least before this weekend’s games. So no need to panic if we go one down.
However there is another stat: neither Arsenal nor Wolverhampton have been in the lead at half time this season in a Premier League match! So either this is all about the breaking of runs, or else it is going to be 0-0 at half time and then we thrash them in the second half by ensuring they don’t get any corners.
There we are: football in a nutshell.
And oh yes, when Lacazette starts at Arsenal stadium he normally either scores or assists – he has done so in 16 of 18 PL games this season. 12 goals and four assists. I’d say he was a dead cert to start today.
And one last silly fact: the last 25 times Wolverhampton Wanderers have played a side in the top half of the PL table they have not won. Not once.
So let us now move on to that pesky business of picking a team only to find that Mr Emery has selected another group instead…
Leno
Bellerin Mustafi Holding Monreal
Torreira Xhaka
Iwobi Ozil Aubameyang
Lacazette
The possible changes could be Maitland-Niles or Kolasinac at left back instead of Monreal, if Monreal is still not ready to return. Iwobi might be consigned to the beach and Mkhitaryan could play in his place.
As to whether Auba should start – he did look pretty ordinary much of the time (at least from my seat in the stadium) in the mid-week game, but I think all the players were affected by the terrible injury to Danny. The normal benefit of Auba coming on as a sub is that he can be so electric in his pace that he is taking on the opposition as they are starting to decline.
But then much the same can be said about Iwobi and Mkhitaryan – Iwobi can be a great impact sub, and we don’t really need more than one latter day impact man in a game.
Then there is the question of Mustafi – the hate figure of the fans at the moment now that Xhaka has been rehabilitated. We do have three obvious choices for the centre of defence who are fit: Mustafi, Sokratis and Holding.
Holding, for me, has looked to be coming into his prime, and every time I see him I am still astonished that we could get him for £2m from Notlob. (Don’t get many chances to write Notlob any more since their collapse back to their spiritual home in the lower divisions). He is still only 23, and could be with us as a star defender for years. As I have mentioned before, there must have been something very, very odd going on at Notlob for us to be able to pick him up in 2016. One of Mr Wenger’s latter day triumphs.
Staying with the selection above that would give us larking about on the beach, Cech, Sokratis, Jenkinson, Maitland-Niles, Smith Rowe, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Kolasinac. That’s eight, I suspect Jenkinson could miss out.
And that’s it. I’m about to leave, a drive through Market Harborough’s chaotic traffic system, meet up with some of the gang, a drive through the eternal roadworks that is the M1, a nip through the backstreets to the Swimmer to meet the rest of the gang, a saunter to the stadium, and then the game. It’s a tough life.
- Arsenal v Wolverhampton and what to do after Danny’s injury
- Arsenal v Wolverhampton: the form, predicting the score, and the last time we played them
- Which teams are benefitting most from referee decision making this season?
- Which clubs inflict the need for treatment on others, the most? The weekend fixtures.
COYG…Going with the team you selected (nothing we can even do about it) hoping for an arsenal win by 3 goals. Gunners for life… Get well soon Welbeck. We love you Danny boy…Enjoy the game all gunners.
There are stories in the medja, saying that the culture of Arsenal has changed.
Has Arsenal changed the company that provides them with yogurt? Kefir? 🙂
COYG!
Watching the Chelsea v Everton and there’s no two ways about it but Chelsea have a friend with the whistle and cards.
Some of the tackling by Chelsea were orange cards but nothing given. Both Walcott & Syggerdson (sp) are lucky to be able to continue. PGMOL at its best 102%.
Gord
“There are stories in the medja, saying that the culture of Arsenal has changed”.
I keep reading things like this, often eminating from players, but I think most of it, if not all of it is nonsense.
There may be something to some of it I suppose because no 2 managers are the same, but by and large I just see it as players ingratiating themselves with the manager, or put another way, with the ‘bosss’.
It doesn’t bother me at all, I certainly don’t blame them and would probably do the same thing myself in the same situation.
The media love it though because it all adds to their ‘See, Wenger was shite’ agenda.
I find it all a bit sad, not the players, but the way the media still seem so desperate to undermine everything Wenger did, but honestly that is nothing less than I expected from that love life bunch of cretins.
Anyway, hoping for a good win today. Wolves will not be a push over but a good start (please) should set us up for a 3 or 4 nil I hope.
COYG
@ Menace
Also watching the same game as you , and totally agree with you , two (2) nasty tackles both playing the man along with Kante being fortunate as the referee played advantage and didn’t go back to him
team selection nearly right
Kolasinac Instead of Monreal
Beach – Cech, Sokratis, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi and Nketiah
COYG
It was kind of neat to see that all 3 of the spud substitutions yesterday were the result of treatments. If you live by the sword, you can die by it.
Liverpool got themselves an inverse treatment in the early game. So far, Chel$ea have inflicted 3 treatments in today’s game. And they are going to add a fairly large number to their caution total.
Nitram, I also do not like it when medja invent reasons to justify their hatred of Wenger.
LiveScore has a 4-2-3-1 lineup out now:
Leno
Bellerin Holding Mustafi Kolasinac
Torreira Xhaka
Iwobi Ozil PEA
Lacazette
Beach: Cech, Sokratis, Mhky, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Nketiah
Arsenal.com doesn’t seem to have anything up, so I don’t know how good this lineup is.
COYG!
Wolves
Patricio,
Bolt, Coady, Bennett
Castro, Moutinho, Neves, Doherty
Cavaleiro, Costa
Jimenez
Beach – Ruddy, Saiss, Vinaigre, Dendocker, Gibbs-White, Traore, Jota
Is the Arsenal game being broadcast in India? I know the Manc derby is on but who wants to watch overpaid rubbish.
I’ll listen on the web but prefer if its on TV.
Nice bodycheck by their no 5 on Iwobi…this coming from an ice hockey player.
Wonder whoz ghost Xhaka saw there…..left the ball for whom!!!!
Come on ARSENAL
Drat, that wasn’t the start we needed. That wasn’t a header was it?
It’s really early, but 88% possession to Man$ity?
COYG!
Arsenal 13 what channel are you watching the game on?
Found it on Star Sports 3. No worries.
Star sports 3…no hd
Some stats over the first half:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _15m _ 30m _ 45m
_ _Shots on target 0:1 _ 1:4 _ 1:4
_ __off target _ _ 0:0 _ 0:1 _ 1:2
_ _Possession _ _ 69:31 71:29 73:27
_ _Corners _ _ _ _ 0:0 _ 0:0 _ 3:0
_ _Offsides _ _ _ _0:0 _ 0:0 _ 1:0
_ _Fouls _ _ _ _ _ 1:2 _ 1:4 _ 1:8
_ _Goal Kicks _ _ _0:0 _ 1:0 _ 2:3
We don’t seem to be generating chances, with only 2 shots registered (1 on target). I’ve no idea of what the foul count should be, but you would think that at some point, the referee would have to start carding Wolves if this rate of fouling keeps on.
COYG!
Thanks mate. I cannot believe how many times Bellerin is getting kicked from behind without the ref intervening. I suppose its PGMOLs version of advantage.
Ozil gets carded? For what?
COYG!