After stuttering recently Arsenal return to the familiar surroundings of the Emirates, to hopefully get a warm arm around the shoulder from the home crowd and a timely reminder that this season is far from over, time to get back on the bike.
Newcastle is in town and this is exactly the sort of fixture we need to shake us out of this malaise we got ourselves in recently, to rebuild faith, restore confidence and get going again.
The Magpies having seven losses and one draw in their last eight matches, means nothing less than a win should be a reasonable expectation. A result I have no doubts of us getting as the Ems has been very good to us this season.
On what we can expect in today’s game, Arsène Wenger said this in his pre match presser:
“We’ve played recently against two teams who defended extremely well at home. Maybe we have to speed up our passing and have more penetrating runs in the final third to create more chances. Maybe we need support for our central strikers in the box as well.”
So theres will be a reaction… and one with real purpose.
This game won’t be a contender for match of the season but it could be something that will put a smile on our smiles.
Am I putting the mockers on our team? Nah! Just think that getting out of the funk starts with us. I believe we because:
WE ARE THE ARSENAL!
Team news: the Boss made four changes against West Ham, but I see us going back to something like the side which did duty the games prior. With Ramsey out for the rest of December, Jack could retain his place and Mustafi may return back from injury.
Enjoy today Gooners, this game will be a bit easier than the last three and it is probably the ideal one ahead of Liverpool.
To the Emirates faithful, continue doing what you have been doing so well, its such a shame you can’t all join the team on their travels.
Those watching from home, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, so get ready to spread the Christmas cheer.
By @LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
And Tottingham are away next Saturday evening to Burnley Eddy – Sean Dyche must fancy his lads to squash these feeble southern Jessies in a pre Christmas orgy of direct football
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Ed. Crushing my hopes of a youthful team there.
Been enjoying seeing other lads get games in cups so wouldn’t be too disappointed with senior team. Just something extra special about youth players getting chance.
4 of own in 11 for last two is excellent. Chelsea can win all youth cups they want but it is the only true measure of success, and, as things stand financially, we surely need a number of very good home produced players to ever defeat unlimited £
Got a feeling Wenger won’t use Kolasinac for it, so think DaSilva at least has a great chance.
Don’t see Jack playing, heard somewhere Giroud got a knock, Iwobi too, so that might well leave space for another youngster
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I was wrong about Martin Keown as a pundit, I thought he was just bad at it where Arsenal are concerned, but I now realize he is bad at it no matter who is playing
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Rich a semi final spot is at stake, and to me it makes more sense to give those closest to the first team a game to improve their sharpness, if thats a youth fine, but the indications are that the older players are ahead of them.
The last EL game showed me that when senior players are fit they get in the starting 11 ahead of the Nelson’s, Nketiah’s and DaSilva’s, and probably rightly so.
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find it odd that now we are back playing a 4-2-3-1 formation that Walcott is not even getting in the squad
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Nice link up from Sanchez, Giroud and Wilshere for latter’s good chance.
Was surprised to see Sanchez almost playing important involvement in a goal as impression from twitter was he had been disastrously off it. Giroud, too, got his normal bit of stick.
Interesting to see him knock a ball down again like that, as he did it once or twice against West Ham and it looked about our likeliest route to a goal in later stages of that game.
Don’t recall seeing it much before, but it may well be one of the things we are working on for deep defences.
Would make a lot of sense, given his aerial ability, it being a little easier often to pick out a teammate than get a good header on target, and how good a chance it can provide- with defenders having no time at all to adjust to a bit of movement from runner- relative to normal bus ones. Something to look out for
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Burnleh vs Spuds, the true media Derby of 2017
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Can we not have a three of Ramsey Wilshere and xhaka, with coq or elneny when more defence or injuries required?
Thought Jack did well today, speeded up tempo, broke through lines, and any other cliches along those lines
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we are not going to win the league title this season. why we shouldnt take the cup competitions very seriously is what i struggle to understand. we play an epl team who we fail to beat at full strength and we are here suggesting we use fringe players to beat them in a cup game. well, i dont agree. the young players will surely have oppurtunity in fa cup but a chance at playing a semi final in a tournament wenger hasnt won should be taken more seriously.
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The penalty notwithstanding, Spurs were completely outclassed & outplayed despite their fouling tactics. I can see why some Gooners are uncomfortable with City looking like becoming an Invincibles this season and even crashing through the 100 point barrier. Even knowing everything that I know about City and including the manner of their league wins over us I can’t help watching them with admiration. Either they are the perfect Premier League team or the rest of us are absolute crap.
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I am confused re Alexis.Many posters slagging him but they fail to see that Alexis contributed to both of our goals against Burnley and Soithampton. He was the one who scooped the ball for Ramsey for the penalty and Girouds header.I agree he is,not playing true to his potential but still he is contributing in the final ball for sure.
Correct me if i am wrong.
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New post up
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Ed, Theo has a slight groin problem but will be considered soon.
Rosicky, Alexis is undoubtably a top talent and when on form is an asset however you have to consider the amount of times he loses the ball, fails to pass or just goes round in circles.
In close games and when teams are defending deep he disruptes the flow and when he loses the ball takes the pressure off the defending side. This also means we lose varste amounts of time, even more than from opposition goalkeepers.
He always cuts inside (although at the moment the whole team are guilty of that) making him easier to defend against and because he prefers to go on his own rather than pass other players stop overlapping him.
The debate is would we already be goals up in those games where he plays apart in late goals or would the whole team be as wasteful without him in. I think Arsene probably agrees with you but on this one I think he is wrong.
Its similar to the problem we had with Limpar, great player but getting him to pass was a nightmare. The only difference is Limpar had a manager who didn’t like playing through the midfield.
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Bollocks, Andy has scuppered me again
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