Everton this afternoon then. A good team playing well.
So what? We are a great team , playing great , in our own stadium. We are stronger in every position including the dug-out.
Everton will come and play football. Good, lets see how that works for them.
Following yesterdays results we can go 7 points clear of second placed Liverpool. I think we will.
Bearing in mind the magnitude of our following 3 games , I have no idea what team Arsene will pick, but it will be good one no matter what.
However. a word of caution, if yesterdays results told us anything, its that any team can lose or drop points anywhere. Should we lose we will still be 4 points clear and a draw will see it increase to 5.
Lets hope for a great game of entertaining football and no controversy.
Positively Arsenal 
Georgaki,That Greek bloke was a numpty
LikeLike
Short and sweet eh George. Well at least you resisted the temptation to engage in team selection. I suspect that Wenger will start his best 1st XI today and then make some tactical changes on Wednesday when at least a draw will put us through to the next round of the Champs League.
LikeLike
I find it amazing how Everton lost the quality of Arteta, then their manager, and allegedly their best player Fellaini to Yoo, a player who has failed thus far and who every second Arsenal pundit said was must-buy DM “Arsenal-quality”, and Everton have since gone on to seriously state their intentions as a top four side, tripping on the heals of every team except Arsenal. A win for Everton places them joint second, but even if they lose they are top six and flying high. I suspect Arsenal will squeak this one, based partly on that extraordinary record that places us now by some distance as the best defense in the EPL, 7 goals conceded since Aston Villa.
LikeLike
PG
That synopsis lasted about as long as chewing up a toffie.
Watch out everyone – A. Taylor is the 4th official.
Good to see Loomer is being transfered up to the gifted kids class.
LikeLike
AS PG says, Martinez likes his teams to play football, which is often not the smartest tactic by the opposition team at the Ems. There are plenty of ‘northern’ type players left in the Everton squad for them to think about digging in, parking the bus and settling for a draw. They would get a lot of praise in the media for doing that.
Webb will let them away with a lot of kicking.
My suggestion would be play Flamini and drop Jack today, but reverse that at Napoli.
Do we start with Theo, or does he come on as a sub for Santi after 60-70 mins?
Everything else in the team selects itself.
LikeLike
I think its important to find a place on the bench for supernic today although the bench is looking very small these days, as squeezing everyone on it is increasing difficult.
I think that people can just about get most of the starting 11. the bench however is a mystery week to week and will get more of a conundrum in the coming weeks.
A good problem to have considering we have the weakest squad in the league.
on my way now COYG
LikeLike
IMO, the biggest challenge facing Wenger is whether to start with both Arteta and Flamini. We know Arteta will play, after all he was rested on Wednesday and this is a match vs his old team. Frankly we have seen enough to be confident that the Ramsey-Arteta double pivot with the array of attacking midfielders in front of them will be too good for Everton. We simply need to be smart and play as a team to limit the opportunities that the Toffees seek to create for Lukaku et al. That is the sum of my expert knowledge.
PS: It is good to see Loomer and Dups show their face. We all suffered together in the past. Hopefully we will be celebrating by end of season.
LikeLike
PG
I felt that kastrinakis made a lot of sense. However, I would like to understand his comment on how AFC’s obsession with PR held us back?
LikeLike
Only a dodgy ref or illness can stop this team,we’ll be fine,Arteta Jack & Rambo for me in midfield with Ozil,Theo & OG up top with lots of options on the bench-leaving for the game shortly..COYG!
LikeLike
Should be a terrific game today, two excellent sides in what will be one of the most buoyant Emirates crowds since the ‘new’ place opened.
Suspect of the two, Everton will be the more anxious, although the propensity of the modern game ‘managing’ referee to take centre stage for all the wrong reasons shouldn’t be under-estimated.
And under-estimation is a trait that has been much in evidence with most professional commentators and AFC detractors in general this season. The fact that one of the last sticks used to try to thrash (or at least belittle the side) – the idea that we had yet to face any real tests – has been all but largely abandoned gives some measure of our stately progress. But the disasters that yesterday befell manure, citeh and the chavs against teams AFC at least would be ‘expected to beat’ shows how seriously pundits are misjudging the overall quality of the EPL this year. Even mega-spending spuds made heavy weather of beating lowly Sunderland.
Any setbacks AFC experience today or in the coming games HAS to be considered in the context of what has gone before – and not just yesterday, either.
I don’t anticipate any setbacks but equally I’m not naive enough to assume plain-sailing ahead.
However, what I feel I do know is the team’s likely response to any draw or defeat. We may yet lose the odd battle but this squad has been configured and primed to win the war. Putting us down and keeping us there will take some doing and quite honestly I don’t see any other club in a position to do so at this stage.
Just heading off myself to the ground shortly so wherever you are, near or far, enjoy the game.
LikeLike
Excellent points AA.
LikeLike
Kastrinakis was shown on Untold to have written a fair amount of made up crap about the club, and he had his blunt and useless bludgeon out for AW. Just another lame hack scribbling a living from the uncredible Sun. That’s the polite account.
LikeLike
GP
I take only a little pleasure in watching The London Fulham Gazprom franchise lose a game. With their mutant squad it’ll take more then the odd defeat to see them off. Can’t laugh too soon!
But Utd? I have no problem laughing at them. Moyes rolled out a niggled striker and Carrick in the game against Arsenal, what price that victory? In a way Arsenal are responsible for their shocking run since that game. Heh!
LikeLike
Heading off to the supporters club soon, so enjoy the game all.
Up the Arsenal!
someone wake up Hunter.
LikeLike
I don’t mind wondering what the team will be. Fitness and stuff is as big a consideration as anything else, probably more important then anything else. So, with Walcott not having trained as much as others due to illness he could be given that first start back against Napoli.
I like Martinez, his teams, but I hope they lose today!
UTA
LikeLike
Threeeeeee! We want the 3!!!!!!! The three!!!!
LikeLike
*butterflies*
LikeLike
Well my hand is tired tapping my own shoulders. It is the Arteta Ramsey double pivot. I wasn’t brave enough to guess whether Jack or Theo so I will mute my bragging. Top, top starting XI and bench.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Giroud.
Subs: Vermaelen, Walcott, Monreal, Fabianski, Bendtner, Flamini, Rosicky.
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Oviedo, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Pienaar, Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Heitinga, Jelavic, Naismith, Osman, Stones, Deulofeu.
LikeLike
Everton will be full of confidence after their win at Old Trafford, a result which had me a little worried knowing we would be playing them next. I wasn’t quite as worried once I saw the highlights; Man Utd have enough chances to score three or four but their finishing let them down. I think there will be spells when they will be able to keep the ball and put us under some pressure but we can absorb it. Then it’s just a matter of being sharp and fluid enough to put a couple of goals past them, which we are very capable of doing unless they can defend much, much better than they did at OT. Having rotated slightly against Hull we should also have the fresher team today so I’m quietly confident.
LikeLike
The build up is making me nervous……but LeoS just calmed my nerves a little. Many thanks buddy….
LikeLike
Zim, Barry’s signing was a coup. With him and McCarthy in the middle, Everton have become that much harder to break down.
I like Wenger’s passing line up.
LikeLike
If we can keep our focus (and forget about yesterday’s results) we will be ok with the quality we have. And focus is something this team has shown plenty of past few months, so I’m not too worried.
LikeLike
And dang with that bench…
LikeLike
COYG
LikeLike
A rested Giroud is going to be handful
LikeLike
Wtf missed kick off, fucking amateur. Damn hangover.
LikeLike
Started off slowly with Everton initially on top but not really threatening our goal. Lots of niggly fouls by Everton to stop us playing. But the last 10 minutes we stepped it up a gear forcing brilliant saves from Howard. If we sustain this momentum, there is only one winner in it and they don’t wear blue. (I remember saying this last season or the one before.)
Come on Arsenal. Come On!
LikeLike
Everton started to crack at the end of the second half. If they don’t get anything out of the first fifteen minutes of the second half, they wil not be able to sustain their high tempo beyond that.
LikeLike
Exciting so far – not great technically but plenty of bustle – time for a step up in the quality of our passing a notch
LikeLike
On this ‘Everton will crumble with fatigue in the last 20’ it’s doubtful
We have played far more games this season
LikeLike
Well my shoulder is hurting!
LikeLike
What an exciting game!
LikeLike
Really good game – fair result
LikeLike
Phew! Far too nerve racking for me…….
LikeLike
What a strike by Giroud!
Rosicky is a master at starting moves. He got a pre-assist for the goal.
Good game. 5 Points clear and now we have chances to get some daylight between both Chelsea and Man City. I hope the team approaches the games with a great attitude. I am sure they will.
LikeLike
Shame we couldn’t get all the points to extend our lead at the top, but unfortunately we can’t win them all as much as we might like to! I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t half an eye on Napoli distracting us, as that would be only human.
LikeLike
I’m away, so didn’t get to the game, but having just read the match report on Arsenal.com, a draw sounds like a fair result. It will be interesting to see if Everton can keep it up and take some points off our other rivals too.
LikeLike
That was a good game to watch. Not the best result but possibly a fair one. On to Napoli.
UTA
LikeLike
#@$@f#!% delafoe u little shit…pitsku materi
LikeLike
konscielny our best player i think tonight
LikeLike
George: Your comment on twitter about who the scape-goaters will blame had me thinking that Everton was superior to us in the loan department. Maybe we should whinge about that too.
LikeLike
Well, one more point ahead. If we had won – we might have had a cushion for any fuck-ups against the gas guzzlers. 5 points ahead will simply have to suffice.
Pity we couldn’t hold onto the lead for the last 10 but considering Everton’s overall play 1-1 was reasonable. Everton’s defence was outstanding, ours was just standing.
Webb has such a predilection to allow violent play, it’s frightening, Every Everton player was allowed at least 1 ignored good kicking against Arsenal before he would even consider a card, and when we made the slightest touch in a tackle, it was always a free against us. Minor quibbles but they add up in a game.
LikeLike
Does anyone else really think the Arsenal v Tottenham draw was a result of random selection?
LikeLike
Do we play them at home?
LikeLike
PG
Yes, but it’s another high intensity game we might have avoided. Yet another year where the kid’s don’t get many cup games to show their potential.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25280213http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25280213
Oh well, if AFC get far in the cup we would have to play these fuckers in March or April, so I suppose it’s best to get it over with sooner.
i.e. beat the Lilly White Scum.
I can only guess on their blogs that they are not too happy with the draw, as another route to justifying their season hits a brick wall.
LikeLike
Seriously PG, we get these LWC’s more often in cup draws than the laws of probability can justify. As for the laws of TV ratings, I can only guess at.
Shame for the tiny totts; we do them over more often than not, and FFS even when they do beat us in a cup tie, well it’s only a cup tie.
titles, europe – we are normally kinda too busy for domestic shit.
LikeLike
A good point at the end of the day. But instead of a draw lets call it a victory for football.
Don’t understand how wallace and pulis gets away with it.
LikeLike
Santi seems to be struggling.
LikeLike
PG
All those useless away games with Spain all over the fucking planet would catch up with him eventually.
When Plodders is back, and then the Ox we will have the luxury of being able to rotate more.
LikeLike
MOTD
Have the kleenex out for Everton.
LikeLike