Today’s preview is from Vidur Sawhney, the main man among our friends over at “OOOh! To Be A Gooner!!“
So I’m sitting here staring at my laptop at the end of a very tiring day, pondering about how to proceed with the preview for the match tomorrow. And as with all exhausted my minds, my thoughts are wandering down every path imaginable. It’s got me thinking about how we’ve reached here. Boy, WHAT a season it has been thus far. For a defeatist, a naysayer, a cynic nay a moaner doomer, the summary of our journey is “we suck, we won’t win, sell everybody, buy everybody and Wenger out!”. Well, if you’re one such person, I request you to kindly give yourself a swirly. Your head truly belongs there.
It certainly hasn’t been an easy season. We started the campaign on a good steady note with a set of solid defensive performances, but slipped up in the middle as the team’s relative unfamiliarity and lack of chemistry and cohesion began to show. The best of teams have off days; you just can’t win them all and a couple of missteps along the way saw the confidence drop. Add the “encouragement” from certain sections of Arsenal “supporters” to that (rather miserable) mixing pot and you have the recipe for disaster! Ordinary teams would crumble in a similar situation. But on the contrary, we got back up in time, dusted ourselves off and have gone back right into the thick of it. We’ve shown our mental strength, heart and desire, and we’ve started to come together as a team, showing the chemistry and cohesion that was lacking earlier in the season. We’ve also started to prove why we’re a cut above many others (though quite how people earlier in the season could fathom us finishing below the likes of those like our opponents today is beyond me). Currently on a streak where we’ve gained 19 points out of the last 24 and are on a run of 3 straight wins across all contests, we’ve picked the perfect time to go on a good run of form as we get to the business end of the season.
We have eight fixtures left to secure our Champions League ambitions, and I’m prepared to bet my left nut we’ll make it there as always. While the team just needs to get its head down and do its job in every game, I would also like to beseech each and every one of you to do your job as well. How? Simple, just get behind your team wholeheartedly and vocally whether it is in the stadium, at the pub or in front of your TV or Laptop. The team has the quality but it can use all the positive vibes and support it can get to give it an extra edge to push it smoothly into the Top 4 which makes a potentially promising summer (if you take heed of all the smoke from various directions) into a certainty.
Moving onto this week’s game; we face West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns this Saturday, in what promises to be an exciting encounter. For us. We’re in a rich vein of form as we travel away to the West Midlands and I can see us easily getting three points from the fixture. The team have been putting together one assured performance after the other, and I feel that the Bayern Munich game was a turnaround point for our season. We’ve only lost one game in the previous six, and have gained 20 points of the last 24 that have been up for grabs and we currently find ourselves in a very promising position; just two points adrift of fourth place in the League with a much simpler fixture list in the closing stages compared to the two immediately above us.
The Baggies on the other hand, started the season with a bang under new manager Steve Clark. But as with all middle table teams, they’ve not been able to maintain any consistency as the season wore on and find themselves in an unenviable eighth position in the league. Their current form is rather abysmal, losing 3 and drawing another game out of their last 6. Furthermore, the absence of Mulumbu, their primary midfield enforcer due to suspension will seriously hurt their chances against the quality we have in our midfield.
Last time we faced them, we beat them rather easily at the Emirates with a 2-0 scoreline that actually flattered them considering the number of chances we had. The Baggies will be undone on account of three factors today: Our defence will nullify Lukaku, their midfield will be neutralised by our central trio who will have them chasing shadows with their passing movement and possession (further limited supply to Lukaku), and we’ll play swift, attacking football that the Arsenal have always been synonymous with. We should get the three points and watch Bale FC crumble without their first team tomorrow against Everton. You heard it here first. UTA and have a great weekend everyone.
Positively Arsenal 
Every nice post.
Lets hope we get an early couple of goals .They I can relax and enjoy the game
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George I been waiting all morning to read this post and make a comment first maybe lord thingy of whatsit has a point.
anyway that post was exactly what I wanted this morning calm my nerves and take my excitement and run with it
fly that positive flag COYG
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today we all need to forget about injuries to a and suspensions to b and some tosser on sky saying we lucky because of some monkeys collapse, its all about us today and bringing home the 3 points.all we can do is carry on winning and fuck everyone else on and off the pitch
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Szczesny not even on the bench apparently
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arse_or_brain ,he is right,I am a “fucking prick” .Full marks to him for spotting it so quickly.It took Yogi 3 years.
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I miss Stew.
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Should be a winnable game.
Really can’t see it any other way with Santi, Rosicky & Ramsey so in-sync with MA8.
Will be fun watching Long, Odemwingie & Lukaku take on our back 4.
Gerv & Poldi to kill it off.
COYG!
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What’s up George? Being that humble, adorable soul as usual. Hopefully 3 points later today will keep you in fine fettle. Come on you Reds.
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Morning gents. Very nice write up. I read on 7amkickoff that Howard Webb is the referee.
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Time for another bloody mary to steady the nerves. Its the night that daylight savings switches over back to normal time in Sydney…I have no idea when the match is on…stupid daylight savings!
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George do you ever wonder why people wont engage in debate with you and automatically just abuse you 🙂 makes me laugh all the time !
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a_or_b at 2:28pm
George is a positive pro-Arsenal “prick”. Makes a difference you know.
Anyways is Steww still under the weather?
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glad to see an unchainged side again but three defenders on the bench and a dm leaving two out and out attacking options, I know gibbs can play left wing and there is plenty of flexibility in the starting eleven, hang on I started arguing with myself
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arse_or_brain I do wonder but I don’t have a clue .Do you have a theory?
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people don’t like being wrong, when you think you’re so right and someone comes along and points out why black and white you’re wrong then abuse becomes a defence mechanism and the fact your cheeky with it ….well its like you’ve got your fingers up their arse as well, I think that would make swear
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trois point s’il vous plait…mit zucher auf top….do it lads …siamo tutti con te…geronimo
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Stew’s on his hols with the world’s slowest internet connection (plus wifey); expect he’ll read anything written even if he can’t reply for now.
Which is a pity as he’s In The Know when it comes to the best streams – anyone offer anything up?
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LS HUNTER ,WIZIWIG , AND ARSENAL FORUM ALL HAVE GOOD STREAMS
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Cheers a_or_b
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First row is crystal clear today Andrwe
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Same line up. I like it.
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Hello folks I’m back. No time to check up on the posts but I shall after the match.
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god damn i love you arsenal !!!! ARSENAL!!!!! YES TOMAS!!!
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Gervihno basically played that in off TR7’s head.
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Lil Mozart scores, Gervinho with another very good assists. Great start!
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Rosicky!
Lovely pass from Arteta to release Gervais. Good stuff!
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A confident Gervinho is a sight to behold, eh? I hope that some of our less positive minded supporters will realise this and remember it the next time they want to boo him for a mistake. Booing our own only strengthens the opposition.
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Good effort from Gervais.
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clarke and west brom are playing for chelsea today….we need to punish them
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I can’t remember Webb ever being so pedantic when he has been refereeing us against ManU.
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What a move! Really unlucky not to have scored..
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come on ….now the 2nd ..kill em!
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putan ballon….
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first time aaron…stick your foot through it son …hahaha
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bravo lukasz …45th..delay!!
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ok …..now a 2nd till the 55th-60th minute and then control… do it!
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Good half. This must be a nightmare for any team. How do you defend a side that has both Rosicky and Cazorla playing? You mark one, the other has too much space. And if you try to take them both out, you end giving space to the likes of Gervinho, who can absolutely punish you.
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Good first half. 1 nil up in our latest cup final.
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How do you defend a side that has both Rosicky and Cazorla playing?
the whole trio…… caz + rosi = art …
and aaron robotatcha
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Webb’s a bit dodgy, isn’t he? Arsenal tackle – yellow card. West Brom tackle, play on. I hate that man. The team is showing its character getting this b/s treatment.
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the cazorosi theorem
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Sagna so close!
Good save from the ‘keeper
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Rock and Roll!!!!!
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Rosicky with a brace. What a fantastic weekend!
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If Fab doesn’t make it as a keeper he’d make a pretty good boxer
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Now it’s going to be interesting. COYG!
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Nice stamp by Long on Monreal.
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Massive three points.
How many games will Merts miss?
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Mental strength.
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I don’t normally swear but thank fuck for that. Well done lads
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