By Bulldog Drummond
Physioroom now has us on six injuries – equal with Man City, Tottenham and Southampton and two behind West Ham. Burnley are on five.
The latest news is
- Bellerin: a major doubt for now but probably back by Boxing Day
- Mkhitaryan: ankle injury – no return date set
- Kolasinac: a doubt for this weekend, probably back by Boxing Day
- Mavrapanos: no update – he has been said to be coming back in training for several weeks now
- Holding and Welbeck: out for the season.
The latest addition to the injured at Burnley is Lennon.
Last season ended on a high for Burnley for after many papers had been saying that they could finish sixth (which was never really likely) they nevertheless did qualify for Europe by coming seventh. However this meant them starting the new season almost before the old season had finished and perhaps as a result they have only won one game in the last ten.
After beating Aberdeen and İstanbul Başakşehir home and away, the final qualifying games against Olympiakos saw them beaten and so all that pre-season effort came to nought as they didn’t make the group stages of the Europa.
The disappointment seemed to rock the team as it took them six games to record a win in the Premier League. Two wins and a draw in three seemed to spell the start of a better run but even with all the cups out of the way since 1 October there has been just one win in the Premier League
| Date | Game | Res | Score |
| 06 Oct 2018 | Burnley v Huddersfield Town | D | 1-1 |
| 20 Oct 2018 | Manchester City v Burnley | L | 5-0 |
| 28 Oct 2018 | Burnley v Chelsea | L | 0-4 |
| 03 Nov 2018 | West Ham United v Burnley | L | 4-2 |
| 10 Nov 2018 | Leicester City v Burnley | D | 0-0 |
| 26 Nov 2018 | Burnley v Newcastle United | L | 1-2 |
| 01 Dec 2018 | Crystal Palace v Burnley | L | 2-0 |
| 05 Dec 2018 | Burnley v Liverpool | L | 1-3 |
| 08 Dec 2018 | Burnley v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 1-0 |
| 15 Dec 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley | L | 1-0 |
Tottenham’s performance against Burnley was particularly poor, and this was the only game in which Burnley kept the opposition down to one goal in their defeats. But letting in just one goal in each of their last two games shows that they are learning to put up the defensive shutters. This looks like being a case of “Are you Bolton in disguise?”
So away from home they have one win, two draws, six defeats with six scored and 18 conceded. Given our home form we should not have too many problems.
Except…
We have seen so many times before that when a team has a great run that comes to an end, it doesn’t just end with one defeat but rather the results really can go wrong over a period of time.
Arsenal didn’t exactly fall apart at the end of the Great 49 game unbeaten run but their results were not up to the standard experienced during that run…
As you will recall we lost under ludicrous circumstances on 24 October 2004 to Manchester United – a match that convinced many of us that our earlier concerns about PGMO and its employees had some merit. After this, we didn’t lose a whole string of games but in the next ten games we only won three – way below our previous standard.
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 24 Oct 2004 | Manchester Ref v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 27 Oct 2004 | Manchester City v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | League Cup |
| 30 Oct 2004 | Arsenal v Southampton | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 02 Nov 2004 | Arsenal v Panathinaikos | D | 1-1 | Champions League |
| 06 Nov 2004 | Crystal Palace v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 09 Nov 2004 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 3-1 | League Cup |
| 13 Nov 2004 | Tottenham H v Arsenal | W | 4-5 | Premier League |
| 20 Nov 2004 | Arsenal v West Brom | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 24 Nov 2004 | PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Champions League |
| 28 Nov 2004 | Liverpool v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 01 Dec 2004 | Manchester Utd v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | League Cup |
This is always the danger after a run, and the two defeats that we have just had suggest the club really has to focus on the psychological issues.
- New referee research is valuable but is still fundamentally flawed
- Matchweek 18 – All the Games, All the Officials; and the predictions
I think Burnley rode their luck at Wembley Stadium away to Tottenham Hotspur in the PL last Saturday to the inefficient goals scoring attempts striking Totts on day who were mostly not efficient in the Burnley eighteen area missing to bury their chances but once when they finally scored I think at the death of fulltime. I watched the match live on my TV because I wanted to see if they’ll drop points in the match so that Arsenal can capitalise.
I think the inefficiency in front of Burnley goal by Spurs may be attributed to the hard fought Ucl match they played away to Barcelona where they secured a draw to qualify for the knock out stages of the competition.
As a result of the serious exertions the Gunners must have had in the mid week Carabao Cup quarterfinal match they played against Tottenham Hotspur at the Ems in which the Gunners looked to have excerted themselves seriously in attempt to overcome the Totts in the game but they didn’t succeed but consequently could lead to them getting being fatigued in the Burnley match that they’ll play at home tomorrow in the PL.
Therefore, for Arsenal to win this match against Burnley tomorrow and not get pegged in the match to a draw game, the Gunners should be efficient in their playing generally in the match. More so, in particular the upfront Gunners who have no any other choice if Arsenal are to win the match but must choose to bury the goals scoring chances that come to them or the Gunners have created in the match.
I think I am enthused whenever Emery opt to have the Gunners play a back three defense-line in Arsenal PL match this season. The reason being that Arsenal will have extral on Gunner in the midfield where the majority of the game is being played. It could be in a 3-5-2 playing formation or 3-6-1 playing formation. And this is the playing formation that I think Emery will have Arsenal to start the match against Burnley tomorrow. Moreover, Emery doesn’t look to like Arsenal starting a match with 2 strikers.
My 3-6-1 match starting XI Gunners and my on the bench 7 Gunners I want to see Emery select to play the match are as bellow.
Starters:
Leno;
Lichtsteiner Mustafi Sokratis;
Ramsey Torreira Ozil Xhaka Guendouzi Iwobi;
Aubameyang.
Bench:
Cech Koscielny AMN Elneny Smith-Rowe? Lacazette Nkethia
So the AAA blaming Wenger for the poor defensive display during the, season and particularly after the two back to back defeats. I have no words for there biased opinions as when the team was on a unbeaten run it was UE as the saviour and as soon as results were negative blame was shifted to Wenger .
These idiots have split the fanbase for the last decade and will continue to do so in the days to come. These idiots did not took into account that UE has already changed the defensive line by his own signings as 1 GK 1 CB 2 DMFs are brought in post Wenger so blaming Wenger for any poor defensive display is utter idiotic. I would rather blame UE for not playing our most skillful AMs Ozil & Ramsey on a consistent basis which IMHO has resulted in unsettling our forward play with half of the season gone. I think if the pattern continues as it seems we are selling these 2 we may miss on the Top4 this season. I guess the malcontents will put the blame on Wenger again if we missed top4.
Rather I would say that if Wenger was allowed to build on the team of 15/16 with a long term contract for the great man we would have been challenging for the title by now surely.
@Rosicky@Arsenal,
You make a valid point about the need to use Ozil and Ramsey more consistently.
What worries me though, was the inability of our defence, in the last two games, to cope with (a) Southampton’s determined finishing of crosses and (b) the ease in which Spurs twice opened up space in order to score.;)
Since UE was reported to have said in his pre Burnley match presser that Mustafi won’t be available for the Burnley match, I am therefore inclined to make some adjustments to my earlier Arsenal 3-6-1 starting XI formation starts and the 7 man Gunners that I have on the bench for the match in the below order.
Starters:
Leno;
Lichtsteiner Sokratis Xhaka;
Ramsey Torreira Ozil Guendouzi Iwobi Kolasinac;
Aubameyang.
Bench:
Cech Koscielny AMN Elneny Smith-Rowe? Lacazette Nkethia.
I am not sure of the availability of Smith-Rowe. But if he has recovered from the injury he had and has trained very well and is in form to play, I think UE should start him from the bench for this match. Or alternatively, start Saka instead of him from the bench for the match if Rowe cannot be played this Saturday.