A very good morning to you all,
It has been quite an eventful week football wise to say the least. I'll try and stick to Arsenal related news, there's a lot to get through and I've plenty of time to do so. Due to snow and freezing conditions, I'm once again stranded in my home but I won't complain. It's nice to have the odd day off and catch up on all the latest news.
We'll begin with Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Wigan at the Emirates. I said I was confident going into the game, we were on the back of a good result at the weekend, Wigan weren't plus they aren't exactly a good side anyway. So nothing less than a win was required no matter how we went about it. The boss sprung no real surprises in the line-up although it was rather strange seeing us line out in a 4-4-2 formation or as some referred to it as 4-2-3-1. Denilson played the holding role as expected, Wilshere was the advanced midfielder while Vela and Walcott occupied the wings. Up front we had two men with points to prove in the injury magnet Van Persie and the vocal Bendtner.
We should have been ahead in the second minute as Van Persie put in an exceptional cross from a free-kick only for the unmarked Bendtner to totally fluff his header. Wigan almost punished us straight away as the promising Victor Moses turned Eboue inside out but his left footed effort could only find the side netting. The Latics weren't didn't play the free flowing football some were expecting. They practically put 10 men behind the ball hoping to catch us on the counter. Carlos Vela missed a glorious chance to give us the lead when he was set clean through by Van Persie's brilliant back heel. I think everyone was expecting him to do his usual chip over the keeper but he messed it up and it went harmlessly wide. We were firmly in control at this stage. Wigan's problems weren't helped when Moses went off with a serious looking shoulder injury. He was basically their only threat going forward. We had two penalty shouts, the first a blatant offence committed by Figueroa, the second from the slighly more innocent McArthur. However we did find the net just before half-time as Theo's corner was missed by Bendtner but Alcarez was on hand to head the ball into his own net. It was a major weight off our shoulders going into the break.
The majority of the Emirates were on teh brink of a cardiac arrest at the beginning of the second half as Van Persie looked to be in pain after being sandwiched by two Wigan players. Thankfully though, he was able to resume play after some treatment. This half wasn't as action packed as the first. We seemed to take our foot off teh accelerator without being complacent, we made sure Wigan didn't get a sniff. There was always the fear though that anything from a simple mistake to a moment of magic could bring the Latics back into it and take the game to the much unwanted extra-time. Just over 20 minutes from time, we made sure of the win. Vela picked up the ball down the left and slid a beautifully weighted ball scross the penalty area which was met by the good old poacher Bendtner who's shot was scrambled into the net. The Mexican could have made it 3 only to be denied by Al Habsi. Theo's pace terrorised the Wigan defenders in the latter stages of teh game but he couldn't find the net despite going close on more than one occasion. The job was done though, we had secured a spot in the semi-finals.
Here are my player ratings following the victory:
Szczesny: 7 - Didn't have much to do but was assured when called upon.
Eboue: 5 - Had a poor game to be honest, Moses gave him a really hard time before going off injured.
Koscielny: 7 - Not troubled really, easy day at the office.
Djourou: 7 - Continues to improve, really pushing for a regular spot now.
Gibbs: 8 - Fantastic, always a threat down the left wing and was solid defensively.
Denilson: 7 - Did his job even though it was relatively easy against an ineffective Wigan side.
Wilshere: 7 - Good game, some impressive through balls.
Walcott: 7 - Pace frightened the life out of Wigan, deserved a goal.
Vela: 7 - Much improved performance, needs to keep on working and will get his rewards eventually.
Van Persie: 8 - Sharpness is coming back, moments of brilliance and staked his claim for a start against Fulham.
Bendtner: 6 - Not at his best but got his goal. Still needs to do more for the team.
Subs:
Eastmond: 6 - Came on and did the job of seeing out the game.
Emmanuel-Thomas: 6 - Didn't get involved, will have better days.
Nasri: 7 - Came so close to scoring after moment of sheer brilliance.
Mission complete then. We'd put ourselves in the semi-finals and even better news followed the game as West Ham had hammered Man.Utd 4-0. On Wednesday night, Birmingham won teh battle in the Midlands derby as they defeated Villa 2-1 and Ipswich pulled off one of the shocks of the tournament, knocking out West Brom at Portman Road. We looked ahead to the draw with real optimism. We were more than capable of beating any of the remaining teams. For once I was practically fearless going into a cup draw. It was made straight after Wednesday's games and we were paired with Roy Keane's Ipswich. I'm trying not to come across as cocky but it is a game we should really win with ease. The first leg is at Portman road which commences on Wednesday, Januray 12th with the second leg at the Grove on Tuesday, January 25th. Should we win, we will face either West Ham or Birmingham in the final which will take place at Wembley, a place I'd like to see more of in years to come. I really fancy us to go on and win it, our only enemy would appear to be complacency but to be honest, that shouldn't be a factor. We've got an opportunity to end our long trophy drought, what more motivation could you possibly want?
Anyway looking ahead to the Fulham game tomorrow at the Emirates. First of all and I'm blue in the face from saying this, nothing less than three points is acceptable. The Cottagers are on a poor run of form. It was only two weeks ago that they took a hammering from City in front of their own fans and generally they aren't good travellers. This game also gives us a chance to get one over that cunt Mark Hughes. Usually he comes across as a decent bloke but when up against the top sides, he activates super prick mode. A good thumping tomorrow would do no harm but I'd take any scoreline aslong as it's in favour of us. There are a few whispers going around that Van Persie's showing midweek will earn him a spot while Nasri will supposedly be rested after picking up a slight knock. Here's how I expect us to line out:
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Koscielny - Clichy
Rosicky - Song - Wilshere
Van Persie - Arshavin
Chamakh
I wouldn't be surprised if we did line out like that. Rosicky has been impressive lately so he deseves to get the nod in midfield if Nasri is going to be rested. Song and Arshavin should also be reintroduced, the Russian occupying the left wing. RVP will probably hover around just behind Chamakh, drifting in and out of midfield. At the back (I almost forgot), Sagna, Squillaci and Clichy will be welcomed back. Some say Gibbs deseves to keep his place but I can't see it happening this weekend. Above is a team capable of really hurting Fulham but we will have to be on top of our game in order to do so. If RVP and Chamakh can link up, then we could see one hell of a partnership.
As for Fulham, I'm expecting to see a line up consisting of the following players:
Schwarzer
Baird - Hughes - Hangeland - Kelly
Davies - Etuhu - Murphy - Gera
Dempsey
Kamara
This is a side riddled in injuries. Going forward you wouldn't expect them to cause major problems but we need to be really careful when defending set-pieces. We're conceding far too many goals from corners and free-kicks lately. We need to be stronger and get tighter to our opponents. Hangeland and Dempsey in particular are very good in the air. Mark Schwarzer has just signed a new contract for the Cottagers and will be eager to show Arsene what he's missed out on, no doubt he will want to make an impression.
Our players know we can't afford anymore silly slip ups, espeically tomorrow because we've got United at Old Trafford after this in the league. Hopefully it won't be the usual heart stopping drama we're so used to be now. Let's get ourselves an early goal and kick on from there!
Now for some other news. First of all Arsene has revealed he won't be rushing Cesc back from his hamstring injury and he's 100% right. I'm willing to leave him out of the game at Old Trafford if it means he comes back sharper and fitter than ever with no problems with either hamstring. This problem has been going on too long and it needs sorting as soon as possible. The boss says he will take advice from medical staff before deciding when to welcome the captain back. I thought you were supposed to take advice from them anyway? Ah well.
Denilson has been speaking about our progress in the Carling Cup. He says:
"I think we can win it this season, and I want to win it this season because for five or six years we haven't won any trophies, but now we are a little bit stronger than last season," the 22-year-old Brazilian declared.
"Last season we lost some big games, and this season we are more experienced.
"We have a great team, we have young players, but quality as well."
He makes a good point there. If we do win this competition, it will install the beleif to go on and win more silverware. Tony Adams was talking about the Arsenal team in the 1980's saying they were a "nearly" side. Then they won the League Cup and from there the trophies just kept coming. I honestly believe this could also be the case with the current crop of players. Also, as the final is in late February, think of the mental boost it would give us in the title race. Let's not get ahead of ourselves now, we need to take each game as it comes and give no less than 100%.
This week Marouane Chamakh has set himself a target of scoring 20 goals by the end of the season. He's certainly made the right start. Not many players come to England and score 10 goals before Christmas. He has been quite sensational for us and I still can't believe he didn't cost a penny. Now you see why Bordeaux rated him so highly in the first place. They were looking for 20 million euro last year.
The Morrocan was also speaking the Arsenal.com this week explaing why the fans have taken to him so quickly. He reckons it's mainly down to the fact that he gives his all in every game. He says:
"I think the fact that I give everything [is why they have taken to me]," he told Arsenal.com.
"I give 200 per cent, I play with my heart, I've got guts, I give everything I've got. I don't cheat or cut corners, that's my strength, my character and I think that they like me for it."
"Personally, I've never been a great goalscorer, I've never scored more than 20 goals a season, but it's up to the manager as to how he uses his players," he said.
"For me, if I can weigh in with 15 to 20 goals, it would be a very, very good season. Whatever happens I hope to continue my progress, which went really well under Laurent Blanc [at Bordeaux] and long may it continue.
"It's gone really well with the set-up here, I hardly knew anyone when I arrived but they've all made me feel very welcome. It has been easy to settle in and this has allowed me to express myself and that's very important.
"Personally, I'm happy. I can do better but yes, I am happy."
He does make a good point although I wouldn't say he is completely innocent of no play acting. Some of the penalties he earned us earlier in the season were rather dubvious but he seems to have cut that out of his game already and that what I like to see. Players learning from their mistakes all the time.
Well I think I've gone through everything I intended to. Let's hope for a comfortable win tomorrow with the other two dropping points. Have yourselves aan excellent weekend.
Till next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment