By Bulldog Drummond
The Physioroom league table of injuries shows Arsenal in the lower reaches of the table, along with Chelsea. Top of the tree and out there on their own is West Ham on nine players injured. After that comes Newcastle on seven, Liverpool and Cardiff on six, Tottenham and Southampton on five, Bournemouth and Watford on four, and then on three we have Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Brighton, Huddersfield, Manchester United, Burnley, and Crystal Palace. The remaining three clubs are on two.
I rather imagine the nutters who used to go around saying that Mr Wenger was the sole cause of Arsenal’s injuries because of his crazy training methods are now claiming this table is proof; remove Wenger and the injuries stop!
Our three players out are the long term three: Mkhitaryan, Welbeck and Holding. There seems to be a general consensus that Welbeck will not be seen playing for Arsenal again and that he will be released at the end of June as his contract ends.
Mkhitaryan is apparently expected to be back in training next week.
Morata is said to be a slight doubt for Chelsea, while Loftus Cheek and Ginkel are long term injuries Fabregas has now of course gone to play for Monaco with Thierry Henry.
In the media all the injury talk of course is about Tottenham with Kane and Son missing. It will be interesting to see how the the Tiny Totts get on without them.
In terms of the home form, at the start of the season I speculated that if we could maintain our home form of last season and get our away form back to what it used to be, we’d be able to make the top four this time around. Although the away form has improved, sadly so has everyone else’s form and we need to work on that further. But the home form has been very decent.
Home games only
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 10 | 30 | 33 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 24 | 28 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 26 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 25 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 6 | Everton | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 21 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 18 |
Just the one home defeat and that at the very start of the season. Incidentally we also predicted right back at the start of the campaign that Tottenham’s home form would be their problem. Of course then we didn’t know that “home” would not be the much heralded and trumpeted New White Hart Lane (Newhl) but Wembley in Middlesex, the club’s ancestral home. But still, it is hard to get everything right.
So for us, played 11, eight wins, two draws and one defeat. Third best home scoring record, third best defensive record.
However when we look at the away form we can see the Chelsea are no slouches. Our position of eighth is an improvement on last season, but as noted, not enough.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 30 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 7 | 16 | 29 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 22 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 20 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 20 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 17 |
| 7 | Watford | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 15 |
But the point this weekend is Chelsea, and Chelsea have done well away from home with just two defeats, scoring fractionally under two a game while conceding under one a game. On this basis if we are going to win it is going to be by the single goal.
And what we could do with is the ability to take the lead, rather than going behind and then having to throw everything at the opposition in the second half. Quite why we can’t do this I don’t really know. Surely it can’t be a tactic? If it is, is a very dangerous one and doesn’t do anything for my blood pressure.
More anon…
Well, provided Arsenal beat Chelsea in the PL tomorrow at the Ems, personally, I will not mind if Arsenal could only beat them by a single goal margin in the match. For, what is of importance to us Gooners and the Gunners too in the match is to see Arsenal collect all the 3 points that will be at stake in the match to close the gap on Chelsea in the top four fight table to 3 points which Arsenal carelessly allowed to widen to 6 points by losing to West Ham at away last Saturday. A draw in this match is not the way forward option on the table for Arsenal to take. But a win in the match by whatever goals scored margin should be made the only option on the table by the Gunners for Arsenal to take in the match unfailingly.
Will Unai Emery like to look at my Arsenal 4-2-3-1 match playing formation starts against the likely to be Chelsea 4-3-3 match playing formation starts, now that Ozil could be back for Arsenal in the match and fabregas is gone for Chelsea in the match? These are 2 players who on their having a good day in a match can influence a win result in the match to the favour of their clubs.
My Arsenal starting XI:
Leno;
Bellerin Mustafi Sokratis Kolasinac;
Torreira Xhaka;
Niles Ozil Iwobi;
Aubameyang.
But am I being orthodox or contemporary in my starts making? For, Emery could be inclined to consider starting Koscielny ahead of Mustafi and Monreal ahead of Kolasinac in the Arsenal back four. So could also consider starting Ramsey in the match instead of to start AMN in it.
Bench:
Cech Koscielny Monreal Guendouzi Ramsey Willock Lacazette.
Mkhitaryan is not available to start the match or be on the bench for it. Thus, I have AMN takes his place to start in the match. But let Emery warn him to be up and doing effectively for Arsenal in the game by giving some goals scoring assists and even score by himself for Arsenal in the match. He was largely missing in the West Ham game last weekend. Ramsey is leaving Arsenal but not yet on the verge of leaving. Arsenal refusal to sell him this January widow is baffling. But he won’t kill himself anymore in games for Arsenal, would he? I start him from the bench for the match. Save, if it happens by fortitude, I am not expecting Ramsey to play big intentionally in this match for Arsenal if he is started in the match or brought on into it to play. Willock who influenced a win over Blackpool for Arsenal in the FA Cup should be allowed one of the 7 spaces on the bench to sit on it for Arsenal and even be brought on to play in the match say, with 10 to 15 minutes left remaining to play in the match if situation in the game permits that to happen. Nkethia at senior level has only been warming the bench for Arsenal as he has shown in the Blackpool FA Cup match when given the chance to play for Arsenal missed 3 sitters. But Willock impressed in the same match by scoring twice and denied scoring a hat trick in the match by the linesman raising the flag. But was the flag correctly raised? What did the VAR say?
We will not beat Chelsea, sorry. Our best bet is a draw. And we won’t finish top 4. If the draws and results are kind,we could sneak into the CL via the Europa. But even this is doubtful.
Sorry, I’m not playing the doom prophet here, but this Arsenal team does not inspire me, never has, even during the so-called unbeaten run.
I’m not sure where the problem is, but if something drastic is not done soon, we may find our darling team in dire straits imminently
@CorporateMan, sadly, I find myself agreeing with your prognosis. There are too many negatives percolating in the changing room that may make this outcome a possibility. Just crossing my fingers for an acceptable score line to us Gooners today. Frankly, it is one match that is coming at us at a wrong moment in time.
@ CorporateMan
Don’t give up the day job……………….