What a different Arsenal team this is from the one which faced Sunderland all those weeks ago. Months ago in fact. I don’t know if your memory stretches all the way back to October when we last played the Black Cats but I had to go and look up the game to remember it – possibly the result of so many hours of footy consumed in the intervening period, possibly the simple degenerative effects of great age, who knows? What I discovered was this starting line up
Szczesny
Gibbs
Mertesacker
Chambers
Monreal
Cazorla
Arteta
Alexis
Flamini
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Welbeck
and it made me realise that I have an idea of the Arsenal first team now, an idea I didn’t have for much of the last season or the one before that. Just look at that list. I only count four players who we now consider as first choice and one of those started out of position. What does this tell us? Well not a whole lot to be fair. Just that when Arsène has most of his players fit he isn’t the kind of manager to tinker and rotate for the hell of it. If you get a place in the starting line up then as long as you keep doing the right things you will keep it. In truth the comparisons between the side to which we’ve become accustomed and the one that travelled to the Stadium of Light last year tells us the story of our season.
Back then we were ravaged by injury. Players were on and off the physio’s table, swapping positions, never getting a chance to build partnerships and understandings. There were new faces trying to fit into a disrupted squad and some older faces struggling to find their best form, players were in and out like a dog in a butcher’s doorway. Once things settled down and people began to return from the knackers yard and actually remained fit for more than two games the season took on an entirely different aspect. The embattled, struggling, disparate ensemble of 2014 became the slick, mean winning machine of 2015.
Granted we’ve stumbled in the last couple of games and it would be absolutely peachy if we could get back into the swing and win our final three, that would set up next season just beautifully. As you know I missed the live match on Sunday but I managed to get to the highlights without hearing the score. Sadly some chump did announce that Man U were leading and a glance at the old Timex told me the game was well into the second half so it was pretty much ruined for me as a spectacle. Never mind, it was good to see Theo score albeit through a deflection. Would I have swapped that lucky break for one against Swansea at home? Probably not. If we had to lose against one of those two I’d rather it wasn’t the red Mancs.
By the way if you were listening to the incoherent rambling with which I fill the space in between the music during my radio show you’ll have heard the precise moment at which I remembered that we have a game tonight and I had a blog to write today. Please accept my apologies therefore if things come across a little rushed and sleep deprived but as I get older I find it harder to function properly on anything less than twelve hours kip per day. How could I have forgotten we were playing? Well I have started to ease away from social media now that all people want to do is fantasise about breaking up our wonderful team and buying everyone else’s players. It’s boring. I can do without reading it and of course I avoid the radio and the papers for the sake of my sanity.
As far as tonight goes my exhaustive research indicates that Laurent Koscielny’s fitness is in doubt. All I can say is I hope he gets better in time for Wembley. Such an unsung hero deserves the reward of a final, as does young Hector and judging by Arsène’s comments Debuchy’s frustrating first season looks like continuing. He definitely won’t feature tonight and so must be uncertain of playing again before the summer break. Talking of which I am for the first time in a long time looking forward to a bit of time away from the footy. Foreverheady pointed out recently that with the World Cup filling last summer this has been a marathon of football virtually unbroken since August 2013. If Santi looked a little jaded in the first half on Sunday it’s no surprise. I only have to watch him and I’m starting to feel the strain a little. Thank goodness we have the Ashes this summer, it’s just a shame the tour doesn’t start a little earlier.
This is a strange time of year isn’t it? A sort of post pre season period where odd results can and do get thrown up. Aston Villa got tonked the other day as, so I’m told, did Chelsea. There is a sense of players performing with one eye on the deck chair. Blogs are moving over to summer transfer insanity leaving actual football behind them until the autumn and the ribbons are being ironed in preparation for Wembley and the descent of the final curtain. The generously proportioned lady may be gargling the warm honey but our boys still have a job of work to do.
Sunderland certainly won’t come and lie down, they need a point from their last two games to be safe and if they don’t get it against us they have to get it at Stamford Bridge. Of course Hull may do them a favour and lose at Old Trafford but our visitors cannot be certain and so will fight every bit as hard as Swansea did. We will need to be on our game tonight and I’m confident that we will be. Surely we will have better fortune in front of goal than we did last Monday. As much as I love an exciting game I don’t want to go through another night of hammering at the door and fumbling for the key. A first half goal will suit me just fine and of course the over riding prayer is no injuries, please.
Although Sunderland find themselves in danger of going down, they have been in reasonably good nick lately. Of their last six games they’ve lost only one and are unbeaten in their previous four. The league positions can be deceptive, that’s all I’m saying, sides at the bottom can be tough to play against in the final fixtures. Which is why I don’t think we’ll see wholesale rotation tonight. Enforced changes of course but don’t expect to see a Carling Cup line up when we still need a point and are facing a determined, motivated side.
I’m sorry but there really isn’t much more to say. I could guess the starting line up (Theo and Gabriel in, Santi and Kos out) advise Arsène on tactics (score more than the opposition) and tell you next weeks winning lottery numbers (08, 14, 15, 22, 31, 33, 40 bonus ball 19) but you know and I know that all the other Arsenal blogs do that sort of thing so much better than I ever could so what would be the point?
Truth be told I expect a similar experience to that which we enjoyed last Monday evening, and if we can cap the great football with some goals then it’ll be a lot more relaxing to watch. Win tonight and we can all look forward to the visit of Pulis in our pre cup final last game jamboree on Sunday. Actually that scares me more than the thought of losing tonight. The idea of that man sending his troops out to kick our lads before such a massive game is so horrific that I really, really want the job done and dusted tonight. Perhaps then we can encase certain players in bubble wrap and leave them on the shelf on Sunday and let their understudies face West Brom. You never know I might get to see my beloved Tomáš start just one more time. That would be a treat all in itself. Anyhoo, I’m off to put the coffee on and begin the long countdown to the match. Hmm, ten hours to go. Maybe I can get in a little power nap between now and kick off – give me a shove if you haven’t heard from me by eight o’ clock would you?
Positively Arsenal 
I cocked up this morning and published an article I shouldn’t have done. It wil be up again tomorrow.
Stew. You are right in everything you say. It will be very hard tonight. Very hard indeed.
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a nice haul of goals to be able to sort out man C goal diff! would be nice
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You catch the gradual wind down in the season succinctly Stew, the canvas not quite done in the PL but two games in which the final touches can be applied, and signed off as complete. Like you I expect a few changes as we played a hard game just three days ago, on top of a hard season. We have a big talented squad, lets use it.
They have had an erratic few weeks since Advoccat turned up as the latest holder of the poisoned Wearside chalice so Gawd knows what to expect. For Sunlun tonight is a ‘Cup Final’ ( cliche klaxon) and I expect them to approach it as such. A point, or even betterfor the visitors, would just about put them in the clear and consign their much loathed neighbours or Bruce’s boys to hell in the Championship. For all SAFC’s thrashings this season they are still the side who beat Chelsea a year ago at the Bridge and ended Jose’s winning streak at home.
Anyway whatever the plot tonight I shall again not be in attendance personally or digitally, though the recorder is set. An evening ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show provided by my youngest daughter has intervened.
Enjoy proceedings and I shall probably be following as I am able.
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George, you’re planned post tomorrow, if I remember right a couple of weeks back DC said he would provide a post match write up of Sunlun as he was going to the game.
If he is still on for that maybe a delay in publishing the second piece to allow Positivistas to absorb the full value of both ?
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Lovely write up Steww. As usual you are a voice of sensibility.
4.45am kick off here. Delayed watching at 7am it is!
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Yes Andrew. Another cock up averted. Thanks.
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My pleasure G – I read it when it went up earlier and it is well worth waiting for !!
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Steww – You have a way of stoking our appetite prior to a game. The way you write make us cooks know who is really the master chef around here. After struggling for that metaphor, time to set up my DVR.
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Yes Shotta, I’m a Micro meals man.
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Great stuff as ever, Stew.
Fortunate enough to be going and, with the 3 women in the family away for a few days, it leaves me all alone and off so I’m planning an early trip Friday and a long leisurely afternoon watching the pubs fill and the atmosphere build.
One problem I have however, is you’ve been sneaky and named one too many lottery numbers! Which one am I supposed to drop?! Or do I have to do 7 entires to cover all options?
Football wise I feel remarkably chipper re tonight’s game. I’m thinking a chilled out, scare-free ride. Time, of course will prove me right or wrong. As it will with Stew’s lottery numbers.
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Friday?! Could have sworn I typed Today.
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who is going tonight then?
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Well spotted Steve! I leave these little traps to see if anyone is paying attention.You win.
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might have a spare ticket ….
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or two…
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Spare ticket, eh? I would come…depending on how long’s the flight from Sydney to London…another Concorde maybe? Maybe a Soyuz and a parachute.
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George: A little this. A little that. Splash. Dash. Blog.
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Thanks Steww and as well as the great piece a timely reminder to find your radio station which is perhaps accessible to a wider Geographical audience in these digitally enhanced times.
Thanks for the offer Hunter but am on Netball duty tonight. Not quite as posh as the Flower Show, but pressing nonetheless. With luck I should be back in time to catch it on the TV.
I am going on Sunday and would love to meet up with any regulars who are likely to be in an always positive, if occasionally idiosyncratic, mood.
And if George’s extra post isn’t Alabama’s passionate and non-void like declaration from the early hours of this morning then we have three posts to look forward to, because those fine words deserve the widest audience.
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It would be great fun watching the footy with Hunter but I can only make the west brum game – anyone else going to that one?
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steww you once said seven or eight games in a row for a player involved in the PL an CL is usually the point when they need a breather, especially if a game is three days after the last.
So it’s a real shame chambo and Welbeck aren’t ready to deputise today, but those who get the starts won’t be complaining!
Come on the arsenal!
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..and now theyre gone…..
see you at westbrom game fins!
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Thanks for the offer Hunter but am on Netball duty tonight.
sorry i had to google netball
its like basketball without a board ?…… what is this?
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Lovely stuff Stew,leaving in an hour for the game,be lovely to see TR7 out there tonight.
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Sav from Australia
May 20, 2015 at 12:38 pm
there is always the phantom 7F-DX that can hit mach 5 …all you got to do is infiltrate the base at gladstone…do it like trevor…
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great review of early season in your preview of tonight Steww if you know what i mean.
It highlights how injuries have probably cost us the title once again. Big worry that kos has flu as the last thing we need running around a big and heavy wembley pitch is the team to be disabled with a virus.
with hulls late serge abruptly halted (by us) I think those further north consider themselves almost safe especially with manures home form. That mindset might just play in to our hands. I cant quite work out who will be on the beach first out of city and the saints so maybe we still have a chance of second. Although knowing how practical Arsene is I dont think he will worry about the difference between second and third place and will focus on the F.A.cup
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Reporting for duty, Mr. George!
Pencil and note pad in hand for tonight.
Also will have drinking hand in action too.
I have to meet so one in the ASAC before the match, but can meet any posi vistas later.
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Hunter,
Meet at the The George après match?
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As always, Stew, a fine pre-match read. And impressively done on the fly, too. I knew you’d have plenty of time.
FH, you are too kind. I spent all that time writing it, and then realized with the matchday post going up this morning, probably no one would see it! It was therapeutic for me to write, nonetheless.
Scrambling to get some work done, then I’m going to try to sneak out for a late lunch and see if I can catch most of the game. Fingers crossed…come on boys!
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Dont worry Kelly, everyone will see it . I promise you that.
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Yes dc see you there ..running now..shit imstillat wor,
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arsene should as a matter of must rotate tonight. i’ll give the whole world to see rosicky and abou. give alexis a break. maybe santi too.
the midfield combo of coq, aaron and jack, which i personally think is the future of arsenal midfield is what i expect to see.
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TEAM NEWS: WILSHERE STARTS
Arsène Wenger has made two changes to the Arsenal side that drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday.
Kieran Gibbs replaces Nacho Monreal at left back while Jack Wilshere makes his first start since November to start on the right of midfield, with Aaron Ramsey moving into a central role in favour of Francis Coquelin.
Elsewhere, Alexis Sanchez makes his 50th Arsenal appearance while Theo Walcott could make his 300th off the bench.
Full team: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud
Subs: Szczesny, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Flamini, Rosicky, Walcott
Copyright 2015 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the sourc
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150520/team-news-wilshere-starts#AiZZ1t2HpjJbGX82.99
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Stew, time to wake-up. pronto!
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What’s happened to Calum?
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dkg who would you leave out of the squad for Chambers. also the lad will be playing at the U21’s this summer and has already played 36 games for AFC this season and a handful of internationals too, we don’t want him over used
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Hmm – what? Eh?
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edu – I don’t know really – rhetorical question, I guess. Just haven’t seen him mentioned for a while. Thought he might be tried in DM role.
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Like watching paint dry.
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We need someone who can play on the left and go OUTSIDE the defender. Alexis always turns inside – they know that and it’s easier to defend against.
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anthony taylor still an inept ref
a few of our players have gone a little off the boil in recent weeks and we are finding these massed defenses impossible to break down, we better figure a way for the FA Cup final.
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Sunderland have delayed their relegation by one year, methinks.
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Anyway, now we can rest a whole load of players for the last game and give it gas in the Cup Final, even though Villa’s game plan will probably be to go for the penalty shoot-out.
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Or maybe play the Cup Final team against the baggies as a rehearsal.
But wtf do I know – I’m just another waffler.
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we have not secured 3rd yet, yes we have 7 goal difference to utd, but utd have won every game v Hull they have played, and if we don’t approach WBA game in right way then we could ship in two or three, then its a disaster.
Cazorla, alexis and Giroud are all off their game in recent weeks, and a few others seem to be blowing hard too.
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THREE FOOKING MINUTES. That is all the added time at the end after time wasting by the goalie, treatment of Larsson and 3 substitutions. How often we see Arsenal hanging onto a slim lead or fighting for a draw and the other club get 4-5 minutes for barely making substitutions. This is fuckery but the refs know they can get away with it. Never seen them try that shit at Old Trafford when Ferguson was in charge. Tells you all you need need to know about the institutionalized bias vs Arsenal Football Club. But f*ck them.
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the way the 4th official was laughing as he put up the board with 3 minutes on it says it all as far as i’m concerned. their was five subs brought on, 3 sunderland and 2 arsenal, then larrson down injured, couple of other stoppages, and the goalie time wasting all game, as I said earlier, anthony taylor is still an inept ref, or maybe I should have said he is actually doing exactly what the pgmol want him to do when it comes to Arsenal, as there has to be a reason why he gets so many of our games
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Hunter ?
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I got thrown a late ticket for the game courtesy of some snotty nippers and so found myself happy not to be paying to watch Taylor at work. Sorry DC can’t make the George have to head back, wasn’t planning to be out!
Did Sly Sports show Walcott counting time for the bungling official? Footballers aren’t the smartest so they say. If the bias is obvious to them?
People can dress these performances up any which way they like but they simply are what they are.
On the football, well, what can you say about koscielny, not a lot more! Amazing player. Hector, with a little bit more experience and confidence would’ve had more joy on the right, Gibbs starting off with a lack o sharpness but as they game progressed you could see that he’d simply been lacking fitness/minutes and he found his rhythm as the game went on. Wilshere who’d been out for far longer was feeling the pace by the time he came off so that seemed like both players are being brought up to fitness for the final whether it be off the bench or starting.
Some good saves from the keeper!
Fortunately fletcher is even more rusty then Walcott atm, though of course I was overjoyed to see Walcott an Sanchez as part of the same three. It’s coming.
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Fins: It is one of those games where the lucky side hung on. It should have been 2:1 to Arsenal by the law of averages, Note I am giving Sunderland at least one of their rare chances.
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Hang on a minute. Nearly the end of the season, a Cup Final to think about and a result to suit both teams. Who’d have guessed it?
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