After scoring late to salvage a point in what was a very frustrating afternoon at St Mary’s, Arsenal travel cross town to the London Stadium tonight for what could be another tricky encounter.
This past Saturday West Ham caught Chelsea sleepwalking 5 minutes in, defended for their lives thereafter, reducing the Champions to a team taking potshots from distance, to give themselves a much needed victory and morale-boosting suppository after being win-less since September this PL campaign.
David Moyes’ team had a good practice run the week before that though, after scoring the opening goal they stretched Man City to the very end. So Moyzie can take a lot of heart from his last two matches, look at this one and tell his players, “let’s go out there and not get beat”.
However, this is a fixture Arsenal usually win, losing just one and drew one this past decade. It was seldom easy, so to pull this one over the line we will need to do much better in the opening stages, especially the first 10-20 minutes, than we did recently.
You can have the best attacking players man, but if there’s complacency at the back you’ll always be up against yourself.
Our opponents have defended well recently and for us to get any joy we will need to play through them, not around them, and with all forwards involved.
On team news: Ramsey and Mustafi are unavailable. One or two others may get a rest either tonight or this weekend vs Newcastle.
Alexis Sánchez’s form, or lack thereof has become bit of a talking point. the thing with him is that if he doesn’t score those goals that can come out of nowhere, he offers the team very little everywhere else and it impact negatively on our overall structure. Which could become an issue during this festive period. Brave decisions has to be made regarding his involvement.
Speaking of brave, good luck to those braving the freezing London temperatures and going to the game, make yourselves heard. We can expect West Ham fans to turn up the noise after the Chelsea victory lifted so much of their gloom.
Everyone else watching from home… stay warm and keep them fingers crossed.
Why does every game feel like “the most important game”?
By @LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
Cheers Labo – you’re on it this morning!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m an internet wiz.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good preview Labo as always I fancy a 0-2 here myself
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good morning guys… David Moyes got his tail up. Taking at least 4/9 points from Mancity, Chelsea and Arsenal in consecutive matches wouldn’t be a bad return. We need to be alert.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hopefully I’ll be able to tune into some of the commentary from Hillier and Clarkie and also follow the comments here for the match tonight, the latter more likely then the former.
Come on you Gunners. My chosen ones.
Come on the Arsenal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘the most important game’ and maybe the most interesting selection so far.
Possibility of four at back, in which case Debuchy may well come in, but is Monreal as suited to cb in back four?
Midfield. Jack most likely to come in, but is he a suitable partner for Xhaka in current set-up? Woe betide we push on and those two are chasing back on a counter.
Giroud pushing hard for a start.
Not a damn clue how we’ll line up tonight. Even think if we stick with three, Chambers could be a surprise starter.
One guide is that Wenger prefers not to change too many elements at one time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohh Happy birthday Santi Cazorla
te echo de menos
LikeLiked by 2 people
I haven’t been up against myself for a long time!
Yeah we need a much better start and give them no reason to keep their heads up at any time through the game.
As this is a much harder game than Newcastle on paper I would imagine only inforced changes and Alexis playing to get form back.
It would be lovely to hammer the hammers but a win is win and I would be happy just to come away with the three points COYG.
LikeLike
Defense is key.
No Ramsey for me means le Coq pairs Xhaka if we keep the 3-4-3. Keep the BFG or either of Chambers/ Holding.
Or still 3-4-3, bring in Welbeck. Pair Ozil with Xhaka or Coq. 2nd half subs: Jack for Xhaka, OG for Laca/Welbz, Iwobi/Theo for Alexis/Laca/Welbz.
Expect a tight game. We should just nick it.
Cech
Chambers-Kos-Montreal
Bellerin-Xhaka-Ozil-Kolasinac
Welbeck-Lacazette-Alexis
+Ospina, Holding, Coq, Jack, Iwobi, Theo, OG.
LikeLike
The clown that is Jon Moss is Ref hope Granit has the sense to deny him his Hatrick
LikeLiked by 1 person
BBC Radio 5 –
“Burnley beat Stoke 1-0 to move in the top 4 above Arsenal, who play tonight.”
so as expected, and forecast on here -sorry can’t recall who posted it – Burnley only moved above then 5th placed Arsenal into 4th spot, not 4th placed Liverpool, nor above Spurs who were ahead of them yesterday too, no just Arsenal.
the narrative of Crisis Club Arsenal, has to be perpetuated
I see Sean Dyche is spinning the line about “Dreams”, lets hope that the PGMOL don’t decide to buy into it a la LCFC.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLike
now who saw that team selection coming
LikeLiked by 1 person
certainly not me but great to see the Christmas tree out for Christmas COYG.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Arsenal U18’s 2-0 up, Amaechi with both goals
LikeLike
west ham have a goal rightly ruled out for offside
arsenal passing been too slow so far, need to up the tempo here.
LikeLike
No yellow for that foul on Jack, outrageous Moss is a bent Cunt
LikeLike
Jon Moss is an awful ref
LikeLike
Iwobi shot hits the post
LikeLike
need Ozil and Iwobi or Wilshere to get into the box and give us more bodies in at them
LikeLike
Moss is an awful ref
LikeLike
HT: West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
tempo far too slow, players taking far too many touches before passing, Iwobi and ozil and Xhaka more than most.
Not enough players getting into the area, really missing someone doing the Ramsey role.
LikeLike
Just remember what he sent Granit off for twice, professional northern bent tosser
LikeLike
Is it me who is a bit grumpy or was that a bit low quality ?
LikeLike
Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird
1m1 minute ago
Ft. Arsenal 2 Sheff Wed 1. Amaechi brace sends Arsenal through to fourth round where they will face Liverpool away. Smith, Burton, Daley-Campbell, Medley also very impressive.
LikeLike
it was sleep inducing stuff anicol, way too slow, and too much “no after you” from our midfield.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you Anicoll. Quality of our game is below expectations
LikeLike
It’s West Ham lads ffs
LikeLike
Uninspiring stuff so far
LikeLike
if Jack Wilshere was the answer, what the fuck was the question, but i’m sure some will tell me he has been outstanding tonight.
LikeLike
Ffs, we have giroud, why aren’t we getting wide and putting proper crosses into him?
And may they very soon prove my critique wrong
LikeLike
we are not getting another penalty this season
LikeLike
Not after upsetting the latest media darling with our last gasp pens
LikeLiked by 1 person
cech is poor under the high ball
LikeLike
we are well on top but still not playing well
LikeLike
Another one not given, well I never.
LikeLiked by 1 person
should take off Iwobi and bring on Lacazette
LikeLike
Iwobi off, Welbec on
LikeLike
is there some reason why our player when running onto a ball on edge of the area can not strike it first time, they keep taking a controlling touch which give the defenders time to block the shooting route
LikeLike
about 10 minutes left
Alexis off, Lacazette on
LikeLike
10 minutes lads – get it done
LikeLike
cech with a great save
LikeLike
FT: West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
dominated possession, but huffed and puffed all game, tempo lacking, and a real lack of quality to our play, too much no after you play, too much passing the buck, down to 7th in the table, all our rivals bar liverpool gained two pts on us this round of fixtures
LikeLike
We seem to be in one of our funks at the moment, yes, they parked the bus for much of the game, but we seemed a bit timid, narrow, handbrake on. Perhaps some changes could have been made a bit earlier, at the risk of stating what so many state.
Need to get a grip, results have not gone our way this evening, having said that, I remember several weeks of that happening last season
Time to be a bit bolder , starting with Newcastle
LikeLiked by 3 people
no one stepped up to the plate to make it happen, timid is one word for it. Bellerin needs to be taken out of the firing line, he is adding nothing to our play in recent games, time to bring in Debuchy.
LikeLike
This lack of goals, and not much tonight even tested Adrian, is wrecking us. As you say Mandy Bolder
LikeLike
a piece of play from Welbeck summed up our play and players this evening
charging at the area with the ball, once a defender got near him, he just stopped, turned back looking to play the safe backward pass, instead of continuing his charge right at their goal.
LikeLike
Played into West ham’s hands. Same as Southampton. We have a fantastic header of the ball in Giroud and players like Ozil, Sanchez, Jack who can put it on his head but don’t.
We need to mix it up and improve our movement in possession otherwise there are going to be a lot of these type of games.
LikeLike
Playing with Welbeck is like playing with a man down. I’m still at a loss as to what he brings to our game.
LikeLike
Strange, almost unrecognisable,just doesn’t seem like a Wenger team at all, narrow, timid.
Maybe psychologically set out not to lose after letting in silly early goals, and took it too far into the game,
Not sure what’s up with Theo, but he can do ok against this team, and we could have done with him, or for that matter, Danny.
Wonder if Wenger feels under more pressure than usual, because, despite the odd three nil nils in a row in the past, isn’t his truest instinct to attack, almost to a fault?
Maybe he needs to rediscover his true football love, be himself.
But rightly or wrongly I cannot but help going back to a player we miss so much, and really have not replaced, a player who to me is Wengers embodiment on the pitch. Not an easy player to replace
LikeLike