UCL Match Day 1: Arsenal v FC Braga; Match Preview
Da Group Stages Return
“It’s a short way to go to Wembley, but a long way to go to the final,” – Bacary Sagana on Arsenal’s start to their 13th successive Champion’s League appearance.
Arsenal start this most recent foray into the Champion’s League at home against the runner ups to the Portguese league, Braga. Braga finished just behind eventual league leaders Benfica and aren’t no slouches as they beat both Celtic and Sevilla in the playoff rounds to reach their first proper Champion’s League excursion.
For the side from Portugal though they may actually feel right at home at the Emirates. In the 1921 the club paid the ultimate homage to the North London side and changed their green and white stripes to the red and white kit of the Gunners from London. Their appearance is so like Arsenal that they have been dubbed, Minho’s Arsenalistas (Arsenal from Minho).
The portuguese side lead by Domingos Paciencia, come into London looking to make history. They say all the right things about the quality of their opponent but have their eyes set on coming into London to score the upset.
It should be hard however. They are with out first team keeper Quim until the new year as he went down with an achilles injury in pre-season. Additionally, starters, Eldersen and Leandro Salina are both serving one match bans for infractions suffered during the playoff stage.
Additionally their domestic campaign has gotten off as well and their last weekend result was 2-1 loss to Porto.
They head to England with a history of not doing to well. Their most recent trip was in 07/08 for the UEFA cup group stages where they drew against Bolton 1-1. In two previous trips to London they have played Spurs and lost both times.
The Gunners are Champion’s League regulars. They’ve been here for 13 years straight and have made it out of the group stages the last 10 years in a row. Last season saw them go undefeated at home until the 2-2 draw against Barcelona.
Their finals aspirations are known and Wenger believes he has the right ingredients this season to make a run for it. And he may be right. The biggest addition for this tournament is Maraoune Chamakh.
In 19 CL appearances Chamakh has five goals. He keeps the ball well and his selfless play has already endeared him to Arsenal players and fans alike. Last year it seemed to be his coming out party as in the last few games Bordeaux played Chamakhs name was on the score sheet more times than others.
The Champion’s League is the one piece of silverware that has eluded Arsene Wenger and he would like nothing more than to add it to his cabinet and say he had a fruitful career at Arsenal. But the road is long, as Sagna states, and it is alreadt frought with some difficulties.
Injuries are cropping up and no less than 5 first teamers will miss the match. Diaby suffered an ankle injury against Bolton and his diagnosis remains unclear. He is basically game to game. Vermaelen is running with a niggly ankle injury and will likely be back for the EPL action this weekend. And of course, Van Persie, Walcott, and Ramsey are all out.
So with that there are probably some nerves that we may lack some oomph but in reality, I am not sure that this isn’t a match our reserves could win. Not to be too bold because as we learned last season, you could have the horrible opening like we did against Standard Liege.
But Arsenal are on a monster run at home. They’ve only conceded one goal at home in their last 9 matches. They are scoring on average of 3 goals a match and alot of this is without regular players in the lineup. Additionally, it looks like Captain Fabtastic has finally awaken and looks like he has something to prove. With him in the lineup against this team I suspect, as soon as he sees his opening he will shred them.
How this Should Play Out:
I don’t expect Arsenal to sit back and be cautious. Playing cautious cost Tottenham a 2 point lead yesterday. I think we will come out flying and looking to signal our intent. After lacklustre performances by other teams Arsenal will want to show that they are a team to be considered when thinking of CL finalists.
Possible Starting XI:
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Clichy, Squillaci, Koscielny, Fabregas, Song, Wilshere, Rosicky, Chamakh, Arshavin
Braga: Felipe, Silvio, Rodriguez, Miguel Garcia, Vardinho, Luis Aguiar, Alan, Lima, Paulo Cesar, Matheus
Injuries/Suspensions:
Arsenal: Diaby (ankle) Vermaelen (achilles) Walcott (ankle) Van Persie (ankle) Ramsey (ankle) Bendtner (groin) Frimpong (knee)
Braga: Quim (achilles) Eldersen (Suspended – 1) Salino (Suspended – 1)
Broadcast:
US: ?????
UK: ?????
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YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
Braga: 0
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I watched most of the Braga match again last night in order to show my wife the glory of it and it was good. It was also a lesson in how not to play against us (giving us space and, I think, believing that they might outscore us, mostly on the break). The team looked good (of course) and I was especially impressed by what I see as good rotational work by the midfielders. (If players go forward others drift back from the weak or non-ball side to provide potential defensive cover.)
Braga’s best attack of the night was the play where Cesc ran stride for stride (and arm in arm) with a Braga player on the ball….It was solid defensive work for an attacking midfielder (though he could easily have been called for a foul) and a great example of defending from the front. Wilshere, Nasri and Song all tracked back willingly…Arshavin, perhaps not as much….
I think we’re looking much, much stronger this season playing this 4-2-3-1 and the early season injuries have forced a fairly predictable squad that seems to be growing in cohesion. There also seems to be reasonable solidity at the back and growing confidence between the new French boys and Almunia. (As opposed to our keeper and the embittered, barking old one: Gallas.) I would not be at all surprised if we stick with the exact starting 11 from Wednesday for the much larger test of
Sunderland away. (Though I could also picture Rosicky getting the start ahead of Nasri.)
It IS a big one, but with the memory of last season’s loss, I expect a good response. (And with another match with Chelsea following shortly and RVP out, the sense of Deja Vu is very strong.) The off season additions (and subtractions), esp. the emergence a strong front man in Chamakh, find us far more prepared. Sunderland have lost their former Captain and hard-man, Lorik Cana, as well as the current one (Lee Cattermole, to suspension) not to mention Kenwyne Jones. Still, it will be interesting to see if WC star/goat Asamoah Gyan can pair with D. Bent effectively. If they can get the first goal they’ll be in with a chance. Otherwise, I like ours….
Yeah, when Cesc went arm in arm with that Braga player, where was Clichy?
Sadly, he continues to be a liability who will get caught in bigger games. :(
In our 4-2-3-1 the full backs will often go all the way forward in attack making that MF rotation, like what Cesc did on that play, absolutely key….I’ll have to watch the actual play again to see if Clichy was truly at fault or just “naturally” out of position due to our formation….
Cesc is such a pro.
“We made a mistake at the back towards the end of the first half and were punished – we cannot afford to do that at this level, and it shows there are still things to improve on,”
“In our defending as a team, we will need to get a little better to be at the top.”
Sounds like he is the only guy who doesn’t believe in the “3rd/4th is like a trophy” mantra.
Well, maybe he’s the only guy they interviewed that day….
Qualifying for the CL IS a positive and it helps attract players including the first teamers we picked up in the off-season as well as young ones for the future.
The article you linked to above comparing United-Pool and Schalke-Dortmund is very instructive. While I’ve seen sentiment on this site about the willingness to sacrifice long-term financial soundness for short-term rewards, most see the folly in that stance. I sometimes read comments from United supporters about their situation and they are far from sanguine. (Losing C. Ronaldo and now his “replacement” Valencia has taken/will take a toll. And how long can United rely on ancients like Van der Saar, Ferdinand, Giggs and Scholes?) Liverpool supporters are grasping at straws of hope that make our situation seem extremely positive. And then you could get going on the troubles of Pompey & Leeds supporters, and on and on and on….
Arsenal (through Gazidis) have openly declared that our financial strength allows us to hold onto our players, and we are enjoying the fruits of that in the performance and leadership of Cesc. How long that situation maintains is anyone’s guess, of course, but the statement of his personal hunger for success (and his experience of it w/the Spanish National team) will transmit throughout the squad. There is, however, a very fine line between situations that seem hopeful and ones that seem the opposite. Good results (Bolton, Braga) engender hope, but bad ones can destroy it just as quickly. We need to maintain our focus and keep getting results as this team, unfortunately, does not have a wealth of positive experiences (trophies) to fall back upon if things go the other direction (as Chelsea and United do). So far, so good, and the top three clubs are already creating a gap from the others in the league (And, with the first round of CL results in, one could argue that Arsenal and Chelsea have a nose in front of United in these early days). The only way forward, for this (trophy-less) group is to continue accumulating results and, with it, confidence….
Like :)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8986321.stm
Very nice article.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3aley1x1lo
Bring back the glory days !!!
After the winner, everyone jumps over Vieira and Jens, including Pat Rice. Only Arsene was missing. :)
Arsenal’s home and away record last year (all competitions)
Home P 27 W 22 D 3 L 2
Away P 28 W 11 D 5 L 12
This season’s home wins are par for the course. It is away that we have to improve and what better place to start than Sunderland, where we lost last year.
Wow i cant believe how bad that away record is.
Anyone read these fucking ridiculous comments from Fat Sam?:
“Arsene has most of the media in his pocket now and is almost – almost – affecting the officials so that you can’t tackle an Arsenal player.
“That’s something he’s very clever at working on and it’s almost working in his favour, you can see that.
“Read his interview before the Stoke City v Aston Villa match, what he said and how he said it – he’s a very, very clever man in terms of influencing referees, officials and everybody in football.
“He can’t be brought up for it because it’s about another match – rather just before he plays us.
“There is a perception that we kick everybody and Arsenal’s motivation is that you can’t tackle us as you aren’t supposed to.
“In terms of saying people are trying to injure players he’s trying to influence, through the media, the referees and that’s something they shouldn’t get sucked in to.”
“He’s deflecting attention from the situation which says the game of football is a contact sport. You have to try to win the ball at all costs and if someone doesn’t get it quite right people get injured.
“It was much more apparent in my day when people use to go out to try to hurt an opponent every week, but today it very rarely happens.
“I completely deny that my team deliberately injures players, certainly not. In the Premier League the commitment and speed unfortunately brings players together at such pace that it’s almost impossible to avoid injuries.”
“We don’t do what everybody says we do and kick everybody, we don’t do it.
“You are associating fear with bullying, but it’s not that, it’s about the dominance of the team.
“The fear factor at Old Trafford is about Man United getting the ball and making life very, very difficult for you – that’s the fear factor I’m talking about.
“When you play the big boys you have to make sure what you do out of possession is giving you a chance to expose them when get possession, as we did with Arsenal.”
Yes, I read it and ignored it. :)
http://beta.oleole.com/blogs/arseblog/posts/verminator—the-t-shirt-the-history
Love it !
hi guys,
loved the game last night but i am not getting carried away as some have stated that we have seen this before season after season. The two main tests is our tactical maturity that has not been tested in these early games. I still feel that Chelsea are a step ahead of us and would still beat us. in the past we always conceded against them but more importantly we never looked like scoring against them and we all love jack but against essien we are asking too much.
What yesterday told us is that we will definitely be in the top 4 which is nice. But our biggest gift is also telling in that Cesc is head and shoulders above every one in our club. He currently has no peers in our team and he needs one or two. We currently have a good squad but not a squad that can beat Barca or Chelsea. As a fan ive accepted that and what every game but managing expectations is key.
On the plus note vela has scored 3 goals and we haven’t even played a CC game :-) break out season?
.
Spot on mate. We’re playing well, I’m loving it, enjoying all of it but my expectations for the overall season are low. I don’t see us beating Chelsea (though we could I suppose hit a run of form/luck in champs league).
Where in Kenya you from Sirep? I remember the days when I used to read Arsenal America (never posting) on the dial-up connection in Nairobi. It was hell!!
We absolutely thrashed Braga. It was good to see our attack in such verve. Our defence was hardly troubled.
I think the new faces have made a big difference. Kos and Squill instead of Gallas and Syl, Jack instead of Deni and Makh instead of Bendy. Even Vela is like a new signing. :)
Let us hope to continue in the same vein. Tougher battles lie ahead.
Interesting that we are looking so fluent and shapely without RvP, Walcott and Bendtner. Is that ‘inspite of’ or ‘because of’.
I’m a little amused that some think our depth has improved when we have seen the same names hit the treatment table with mind-numbing haste. If we lose either Chamakh or Song we’ll really struggle. These guys give the buzzy bees something to buzz around. It’s certainly nice to have something positive to celebrate, and nice that some of the old faces that we knew were not part of the solution have gone. But we know the EPL season is a marathon and we normally cramp up badly.
The Chelsea game will be fascinating. We play mainly dross until then so it’s truly our first serious hurdle. I think we need:
Arshavin…Chamakh…Rosicky(or RvP, or Nasri)
Wilshere…..Song….Fabregas
Gibbs..Vermaelen..Squil…Sagna
………..Almunia
With that lineup, and some decent sub’s we stand a chance.
I think the key so far is that Arsenal have generally played well regardless of whether Walcott and RvP have been in the lineup. That speaks volumes for the talent on the squad. As long as the first 11 isn’t reduced to basically the second 11 like it was at the end of last season then this squad should be able to handle most teams in the EPL.
I’m excited after watching this match. Over the summer I was a doom-and-gloomer but now I feel like a hippy-optimist. Whether or not it’s more realistic I could care less b/c it’s certainly more enjoyable. We didn’t get the GK over the summer but we did get 2 CB’s and a true CF. If we can compete with Chelsea we can compete for the title; only time will tell. (As for Man U I think they have some problems right now- still a good side but I bet we can take them.) Maybe I’m a fool for thinking we have a shot, and yes watching the past few “easy” games has softened me up, but I don’t care.
You are not alone in transition, quite a few of us.
I just think, that our squad as of today has a lot of potential to cope with injuries.
The sheer number of reserves that we have, who have been knocking for some time, softens the blow of injuries.
I just hope to see fully fit squad (ie not more than 2-3 injured) in the final couple of months.
Also, till now, a lot of players who were ordinary last year, like Mooney, Arshavin, Walcott, Vela, Nasri and Diaby are playing closer to their true potential.
Hope this continues.
And seeing Cesc play the way he is, is a delight on the eye.
Who the hell is Xavi. Who is Zinedine. Who is Scholes. Who is Kaka. We have got the one, and only Cesc.
No reason to get too excited.
In the 2008/2009 season from hell when we started the season with Fabregas, Denilson and Diaby as our ONLY CMs and played like garbage for the majority of the season, we still managed to pound Porto, then Champions of Portugal, at the Emirates.
That should put this result into perspective.
We beat Sunderland, then we can talk.
We beat Sunderland, then we can talk.
——————————————-
Deal.
@DAG,
Looks like you predicted the first half score :)
There are some players that impress you at first glance, Wilshere and Ramsey fall into that category. Most of you guys will disagree on this, but Song, Gibbs, Vela and JET falls into that category for me.
Cesc never impressed me until two seasons ago, and even then, I was unsure if he actually would become a great player. He has progressed leaps and bounds the past 2 years and his all round game at 23 years old is phenomenal. His passing vision and weight is unmatched at this time and he his now learning to head a ball and beat defenders one and one.
I believe that Ramsey is the only current Arsenal player with the potential to equal or surpass Cesc, with Wilshere not too far behind.
really?!?! only in the last two years cesc has impressed you?!?! we must not be watching the same player!! i vividly remember seeing a 10 minute clip of cesc playing in a carling cup match at 16 and knew right then and there that he had what it takes to be a world player of the year candidate. while he may not ever get that honer, i think it would be hard to argue that he is not one of the very top players at his position in the world.
I’m with JRoy on this one. Although I leave open the possibility that when I’m wrong, I’m more likely wrong the other way. i.e.- There have been instnaces where you feel that a kid is going to be something big but doesn’t end up being so. Case A – Quincy Owusu Abeyie.
But yeah, Cesc was something else altogether. And agree with Ramsey and Wilshere being right up there on the potential front as well.
“It is not a matter if Koz can handle Drogba, its a matter of Arsenal pressuring Chelsea like they played this evening – determined to win.”
_____________
That’s quite true we need to display the intensity we did today against a team like Chelsea to disrupt their suppy line. Yet that’s not the whole story. Chelsea don’t rely on 50/50 possession, they’re mature enough to live off 30% and to punish us by winning the ‘money plays’. So, if that’s the case the one-on-one’s between Drogba and whoever he picks on become rather important. Remember last season, we dominated Chelsea and yet Drogba simply picked his moment and punished us. That’s his class. A guy like Squil is likely to be better able to cope with Drogba over 90min’s in the sense of reducing his effectiveness. I could see Kos being treated like a rag-doll. I’m not being definitive, I think it too early to tell how Kos will go this season. His opening games have been mixed. That’s why I think Wenger might use him judiciously and try and maximise the availability of Squil who has had years of learning to cope with all types of awkward strikers.
No way we should put Koz up against a guy like Drogba. Thats the kind of experience that can completely ruin Koz’s confidence and career.
It has to be Squillaci who has actually met and tamed a less experienced Drogba before.
Infact once Verm gets back, Koz and Djorou should be our FA and CC cup pairing. They could also rotate for the lesser home league games.
If Wilshere can behave off-field there’s no reason to think he won’t be a star. He’s that good. Whilst he short, he’s chunky in the legs and hips like an Arshavin so hopefully he has the body to back up the fiesty spirit.
I liked what we were seeing of Ramsey last season before his injury. That said, I think we have to wait and see if he can recover physically. We have two examples of guys that have never fully recovered (Eduardo and Diaby). Maybe Aaron will be different – we all hope so.
If Aaron and Jack did mature and become regulars the return is likely to be enormous. Who knows, Ramsey might be a future captain. These kids could play in the Arsenal first team for 15 years. And they even have Arsenal DNA!!
Hips don’t lie…
Ramsey doesnt have Arsenal DNA unfortunately … Cardiff DNA!
But Cardiff is a weak ass club so we are safe with him.
Ramsey looked the part last year, and Wilshere looks it this year. Perhaps they can become Arsenal’s Scholes and Giggs (a duo I both despise and admire) further down the road. They have the right nationalities, and they were brought in as part of their club’s youth program… er, make that ‘programme’.
DAG, I seem to recall you mentioning awhile back (the Liverpool game maybe) that the board is conspicuously empty when Arsenal play well- this thread should put that to rest.
Can’t talk about the game becaue I haven’t seen it yet. Nevertheless, I’m happy with the result. It’s good that we’ve got a few more guys getting a run in the team now.
At CB, Wenger may implement a rotation like he did a few years ago where Gallas, Toure, and Djourou all played two games and sat one. They seemed content. Wilshere and Vela look hungry. Denilson, though he’s not popular, looked sharp on Saturday. Hope we had more of the same toninght. Almunia had a few moments the other day but he seemed to settle as the game progressed. Cesc and Rosicky are getting back to their best. Nasri’s fit again and Ramsey should be back in another month. We just need to stay fit; especially Chamakh. We need him until van Persie and Bendtner come back. If we can maintain, we’ll see where that puts us come January.
Without getting too excited, I’m very satisfied. The real test is Chelsea. I think our team matches up with them nicely; just keep Kos away from Drogba. He did well aganist Torres and I think he’ll match up well with Anelka. I also believe Chamakh will destroy John Terry. We’ll see.
With competitions against Blackburn (away) and Bolton past us, our two new true CB’s are an ‘upgrade’ from previous years hybrid (make-shift) CB’s. I believe Almunia will benefit from our new CB’s.
re: Koscielny
This player is genetically strong (like Chamakh). Both look skinny, but you can see they can handle most 1v1 tackles and aerial battles. Koscielny was purchased early in the summer (Arsene’s primary choice) and I see him as being paired with Vermaelen as the preferred starting CB’s. I think he is better at reading the game than Vermaelen and his positioning is text book.
It is not a matter if Koz can handle Drogba, its a matter of Arsenal pressuring Chelsea like they played this evening – determined to win.
“After all these years I’m still confused as to why Wenger bought Diaby. He patently doesn’t fit in to the pass and move ethos – doesn’t have the speed of thought I’m afraid and dwells as a result – and his strengths such as the odd slalom run do not compensate for that fundamental flaw. His much vaunted physical presence in midfield is an illusion as well due to lacking stamina.”
FUNNY, weren’t most of these descriptions used by Arsenal fans 2 years ago to describe Song?
Diaby and Wilshere have two different playing styles and over 60 matches, both can be utilized for the needs of the club.
As Fred points out above, the away match at Sunderland will test the character of this squad; but this year’s roster is exhibiting depth quality that has been missing for 3-4 years.
The difference is that Song seems to have grown as a player and Diaby is pretty much the same player that he was when he came to Arsenal.
Not sure majority of Arsenal fans will agree with your evaluation of Diaby.
Really? Just judging by the reaction to people on this site – which is a small sampling to be sure – most people don’t think much of him. What I mean is that while Song has grown into an almost automatic first team selection from a player that most people originally thought wasn’t very good and should be sold off. Diaby is still the same player who doesn’t play very good defense, has limited field vision and still dribbles into traffic without any idea what he’s going to do with it. He has flashes of excellent play which is what makes him so frustrating.
The team BETTER not let this result get into their heads.
EVERY time we have had a high scoring result in the league cup or CL group stage, we have LOST every away game that followed!
We have an AWAY game on Saturday and Sunderland are no mugs.
So the players better sharpen up!
———————————————————-
I loved the game, it was just smooth and easy on the eye. But the cynic in me would remember that we have done this in every SINGLE year for the last five years.
We ALWAYS trash some random team in September and every one is overjoyed. The real test hasnt started at all. This group is a procession.
Anyway, positives start with Almunia. Still detest him, but at least he has buckled up and is doing the simple things right. For now. Wilshere is doing the business and should be a starter now. Hopefully Vela gets more games.
Why did Fabregas have to play the whole 90 minutes with a must-win Sunderland away game coming up on Saturday?
One thing we have to give Wenger though is that he has created a team that barring the top 8 European teams will beat every other club in the CL with their eyes closed.
Infact apart from Man U, Chelsea, Inter, Barca, Madrid and Bayern it is unclear which other team we cant be confident of prevailing over. Hopefully we dont have to face any of these before the semis.
We have a certain formula that seems work time and time again against decent but workman-like european teams. We would have smashed Rangers yesterday for example and even United’s first team would have probably toiled against them.
I think tonight’s performance and attacking patterns are a bit different from recent years – tonight was more like 07/08 Sparta Prague type beat downs – but we have basically seen this before.
It all hinges on Wilshere. Can he play with the freedom he displayed tonight, at Sunderland? If he can’t, tonight means nothing long term.
Yeah, Wilshere combined with Chamakh and maybe Vela could be X-factors because every other dynamic is pretty much the same.
Your point about Wilshere is not really true. He may struggle against Sunderland but that doesn’t mean he won’t grow to love mopping the floor with them in the future. The kid’s still so young. He’s far from the finished product.
Long term in sense of this season. He needs to be consistent if we want to win things NOW.
Oh, that long term. Got it :-)
Agree. The issue has been that when we get to the semi’s, to the clutch, we can’t put out a decent line-up. With our offence-centric style we have to be able to dispatch teams and you simply can’t dispatch a top team with a patched up side. Our 2nd string has been inadequate and our first team has been flogged to cover injuries.
That’s likely to play out this season too.
The whole injuries thing would be rested players strategically.
Why flog Fabregas for 90s minutes on a Wednesday night when there is a tough away game on Saturday morning??
More quality depth especially in midfield will also mitigate the problem.
Wenger probably figures that Cesc and Samir needed the game time to improve their match sharpness. If this game wasn’t too brutal, it was the perfect opportunity to sharpen them up. As they get sharper, I’m sure Wenger will manage them differently. Chamakh, being our only fit CF, had got to come off. Denilson and Vela needed the game time too.
Great performance all round. Wilshere bringing a new – and possibly significant – dimension to the side.
I was thinking it’s good that he has emerged to challenge Diaby. To be honest I think even at this early stage he has perhaps a better alround package to offer. He seems to compete more consistently throughout a match and has more frequent dimensions of brilliance.
Yep – far more suited to the style Wenger aspires to create.
After all these years I’m still confused as to why Wenger bought Diaby. He patently doesn’t fit in to the pass and move ethos – doesn’t have the speed of thought I’m afraid and dwells as a result – and his strengths such as the odd slalom run do not compensate for that fundamental flaw. His much vaunted physical presence in midfield is an illusion as well due to lacking stamina.
Wilshere helps us play our game with more class and conviction and our ability to sustain that will always be the maker and breaker in terms of silverware.
There’s been a few odd young signings ;-)
Agree about Wilshere. His performance is consistent. He MUST definitely start ahead of Denilson or whoever.
I think the silver lining to Diaby’s frequent injury spells is that Wilshere will get a good amount of game-time.
I watched a replay of the Bolton game and observed Diaby. Sometimes things are as they seem. He has very skinny ankles – perhaps not particularly well-suited to taking a thumping in the EPL.
On a night like this there is so much to sit back and admire about Arsenal.
Chamakh, really is an intelligent player. Aspects of his play remind me of Alan Smith the tall slim striker under GGs reign. Goal-wise his aerial ability looks polished while his ground attack is good without perhaps being great. Maybe this is why his goal scoring tally isn’t higher. That said he looks a very good signing.
Arshavin, I think his form is improving. I think he’s typical of this creative attacking type – with a deep moody dynamic that needs to click. Truth is, he is class and if he gets his head and his body right he will help the attack hum.
Fabregas, looks to be enjoying himself again and even though he tired and some of his passing went off a bit he is truly world class.
Vela, exquisite finishing. Does he do this all the time when he plays?
Wilshere, looks the part doesn’t he. Clever and skillful. He has that nuggety-ness about him that is distinctly British. He’s small yet he’s like a terrier never intimidated having been brought up and tested in the physical British system. On todays form his finishing looks a little weak.
Song, I like him. He lopes about and yet gets through a lot of physical work. He protects the ball and has the physical stature to compete in midfield. He’s also got the skills.
Nasri, not eye-catching yet very involved and motivated. I think he will come good and become a key player.
Defence, the French defence did the business albeit without being put under pressure. The jumping of Kos caught my eye repeatedly. Squil seems to be an invisible type of guy yet I assume he does his work. Nice for them to get some game-time without undue pressure.
The whole team seemed ‘up for it’. There was a verve about their play today. I kind of like the fact some of the old hands at CB have gone (Gallas, Sly and Campbell). If Kos and Squil can be the goods and mesh with Vermaelen then let’s see what happens. I share the general concern around the ‘hardness and height’ at CB but I then thought back to one of the great defences of modern times – AC Milan. A defence with the longevity and effectiveness of Arsenal’s great D under GG. Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini and Tasotti. Why do I raise this point? Well they were actually quite short! Two at 6ft and two at 5ft 9. And yet they bossed and ruled in Italy and Europe for around 15 years. So maybe there’s a glimmer of hope.
I think Chamakh is key. He gives us shape. If he gets injured or worn out we will feel it deeply. I hope we learn to play off him more. There were a number of times when he won aerial contests beautifully and there was no one feeding off the knock downs. Hopefully the buzzy-bees will learn to buzz closer to Chamakh.
Agree with your post ….
However the AC Milan example doesnt hold. They never had to take an aerial bombardment or elbowing forwards EVER!
They would have crumbled easily if they had ever met Stoke away in December!
Agree generally though, Verm, Kos, Squillaci and Djorou seems OK and may become a solid unit.
I think the issue with Kos will be size, not height. I think he’s listed at 6’2″ but he certainly looks like he could use a sandwich or two.
I watched Chamakh a few times in the CL and I really liked what I saw of him. He isn’t the best finisher with his feet but he is so good at involving the rest of the team.
I agree. Kos will never be able to beat a guy like Drogba in an explosive one-on-one where upper-body strenght is key. He has to use his intelligence to nullify that type of threat. Only time will tell if he has that intelligence.
He looks to have good spring like Vermealen.
I can see Verme and Squil perhaps being the favoured pairing and letting Kos ‘find his feet’ in the EPL. If that works out, it could be ok. With Djourou…. you really gotta wonder if he’s ever going to fit-up. If he did his height would be an enormous bonus.
To be fair, Drogba has been destroying whatever the EPL puts in front of him for awhile now, so I wouldn’t hold that against Kos.
DAG says he’s watching the replay. He should enjoy it very much.
That’s a serious beating to suffer, especially in front of your own crowd.
Match was at the Emirates. But nevertheless, still a rough beating to take, especially for a team that’s used to winning.
Thanks. Haven’t seen the game yet.
I do believe that Braga got skull-dragged over a bed of rusty nails.
6-0 with style and panache. We are at last starting to see the Arsenal of old.
Cesc: 1 PK, 1 header, 2 assists.
The Man is back in town.
Arsenal this season:
P5 W4 D1 L0
GF: 19
GA: 3
Broadcast LIVE in the US on DirecTV, as part of their complimentary UEFA coverage. I believe we’re on 487. If not, it’s around there.
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/sports/soccer
DAG, what’s with that 2nd post on here in reply to your article? Is that some sort of Bot or what? I notice you can’t even reply to that post.
I am deleting it. It looks like a bot pulled my post to another blog.
I posted my thoughts and starting 11 at the bottom of the last thread….but it was boring enough that I don’t think it deserves cutting and pasting here. The one player I left out (I wonder why….) was Denilson, who, upon deeper reflection, I would guess, will start next to Song in our (newish) 4-2-3-1 formation. He may be our GG (Garden Gnome) but maybe his Brazilian ankles can test their keeper and perhaps his language skills (and life experiences in the favelas) will be useful in showing Braga that we are not to be taken lightly…So, Denilson today, Wilshere to be rested, but maybe to start at Sunderland….
It will be interesting to see if we can keep a clean sheet.
Braga have scored at Celtic and Sevilla.
Otherwise, it should be a straight forward win.
our match is being rebroadcast at 7:00 pm on Fox Soccer Channel…..
Hoping for:
– clean sheet
– 3 points
– no injuries
Great. I am flying back from New Orleans and won’t even get to check score updates on the iPhone.
Probably better I can’t watch, I don’t want to see what happens if we choke.
Prediction: 5-1 to the Arsenal…Chamakh triple ;)