EPL Match Day 19: Arsenal v Chelsea: Match Day Preview
Merry Christmas everyone. Well, let’s hope that after today, Monday – it remains as such. Today, the eyes of the EPL are on this match as it is the only match on the calendar and because of its implications.
With the Boxing Day action in the bag, Arsenal v Chelsea takes on significance for both clubs. Both the Manchester clubs continued their impressive form. With United notching a 2 -0 win over Sunderland and Man City fighting for a 3-1 win over Newcastle. That means that as all things stand right now, United lead the league followed by Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Additionally, Spurs won 2-1 against Aston Villa and are knocking on the door of the top 4. A loss for either club and they can a.) kiss title aspirations goodbye and b.) plan on worrying about the clubs behind them for the remainder of the season.
It’s pretty much a must win for both clubs. And coming into this week both clubs look less than stellar. For Chelsea they fought for 1-1 draw against Tottenham. By all accounts they should’ve probably won, but if not for Gomes saving a PK after his collossal Almunia impression. For Arsenal, they did not bathe themselves in glory as they drudged along to a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford (for what its worth neither team deserved anything from that match – in all the years of history between the two clubs that was the worse match of my memory.)
There has been two weeks between now and when both clubs both played. The EPL whether the FA wanted it or not got a pseudo winter break when snow shut down fixtures a week ago. For Arsenal they will have to make up a lost match against Stoke. For Chelsea they have a date with United to make up. So both clubs are well rested. Something needed for both of them
The fact of the matter is this – neither of these two impressive clubs, look all that impressive. Arsenal’s issues are well known to all of us, no need to go over them all again. Suffice it to say, Arsenal seem to have a fear of the big match, the big moment – or whatever you want to call it. Whatever it is they don’t seem to grasp the key when it is dangled in front of them. In fact they right close up shop, go into a shell and let others walk all over them. Whether that is from inexperience, pressure or lack of leadership are all open to debate but the team has failed to show up on at least 4 occasions alone this season when greater things could’ve been achieved.
The visitors on the other hand, well, let’s just say, Petr Cech who on his day is the best ‘keeper in the league, has been doing his own impressions of Manuel Almunia, and the once terrifying Chelsea squad that were going to stroll to the title this season, can’t score and look at times more fragile then we do.
Which leads me to point of this whole preview today – If any of you have watched Chelsea during this slide, there is one resounding thing that pops up to me. When they go down now, the don’t seem to have the answers or wherewithal to get back into the match. With Arsenal we know when a team draws even our boys are likely to start thinking- “here we go again.” For Chelsea it seems that when they go down or concede a point right now, they are saying the same thing right now. They do not exude the confidence or fear factor they once did. In order for Arsenal to beat this club at home it must get on them early and often.
I truly believe that had Koscielny or Chamakh converted on those opening early attempts at Stamford Bridge we would’ve been looking at a different result than what we did see. Let’s not forget the Chelsea loss prior to that was the official start of their slide. The win against Arsenal was their only win in five matches. That was and this is not the Chelsea we are accustomed to seeing. And I feel the time is ripe now for Arsenal to break the winless streak we have had against this club.
We are coming back healthy. With the exception of Almunia, Frimpong, and Vermalen, everyone is back with the squad. I don’t remember the last time we only had three players out. The unintentional winter break means that some of our gassed players have been rested. For me this means we might see an Andrei Arshavin on the pitch that we haven’t seen on a while. He has shown that the match after a rest for him he is there in heart and soul. I have been very critical (and rightly so) of Arshavin’s performance this season. He hasn’t been the big match guy we need him to be. Well, on this type of rest he could very well be the x-factor in this match.
Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott, have had 2 additional weeks of straight training to get match fit – this may be even the longest Van Persiee has now gone without a knock (I jest really). Fabregas is also back in health. This is the healthiest we’ve been in the last two seasons. It’s time it paid off.
The big question as always remains the back four and who Wenger picks. None of us expected Vermaelen to out this long. We head into this match with Koscienly, Squillaci, Djourou as our choices. For me its a case of Djourou and either of the other two. Djourou should be rested and healthy and should get the start. When he plays in the back, he is calming influence back there mustering the troops. When it is Squillaci and Koscielny, it often times seems as disaster waiting to happen. But I should add that pairing did fairly wellint he first match up. Drogba’s goal was a fluke, freak thing that no defender or keeper (for that matter) would’ve been able to stop. Drogba doesn’t hit that 9 out of 10 times. Unfortunately that one time was against Arsenal ( isn’t it always.)
Will this be the match Drogba DOESN'T score on us?
Of course let’s not forget that our opponents are rested too. Lampard will likely get his first fledged start since August. Though I don’t expect him to be completely match fit yet. Drogba, I don’t know what’s going on there but ever since he contracted Malaria he hasn’t been the big threat he normally is (and my fantasy league has suffered through it). But he is an Arsenal bogey player scoring 13 out out of his last 13 matches against the Gunners. Malouda and Mikkel are getting back and Le Sulk if he can be bothered can be dangerous on his day. All in all the task at hand is not an easy one. And with fixture congestion over the next week (matches this Wednesday and Sautrday, and next Wednesday) this is the prime time to make a move in the league.
I believe Arsene Wenger knows the stakes. What I am not sure of is how he gets his players past the mental block that arises during big matches. We’ve seen what this club can do when it is up for a match, it can dismantle a club with the best of them. It really is a thing of beauty when this club hums along. I am not saying I expect this match to be a cake walk for either side, but Chelsea can be beaten and they can be made to look stupid (as can we). We need to get past the mental blocks rely on our talent and skill and push the Blues back. A win and people will have to pay notice. A draw goes some way to alleviating some of the worries – and a loss well, a loss is going to bring out a whole other conversation isn’t it. Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.
How the Match Should Play Out:
With all the rest these clubs have had, I do not expect this to be a snooze fest that we saw at Old Trafford. I expect both clubs and both sets of fans to be up for this match – even in the cold. A quick controlled tempo could be what the doctor ordered. Once thing Chelsea has shown this year is that their speed isn’t nearly as good as it has been. I suspect we’ll keep things buzzing early and press on the attack (while keeping the defenders home) Our attacking options are more plentiful and we have a few finishers in this match and when called upon early, I suspect that they will bury the biscuit. It wouldn’t be an Arsenal and Chelsea tie if Drogba scored but I look for the win to come late off a Van Persie PK from a Chamakh penalty in the box. Arsenal will break the long drought against this club.
Players to Watch:
Aresnal: Samir Nasri. I really think one of the keys to match is pressing John Terry into making mistakes. We have enough players who can do that but if the 2 week lay off didn’t have any effect on Samir, I suspect he to be the one who forces JT into some errors that are going to result in opportunities.
Chelsea: Didier Drogba 13 goals in 13 matches. I mean come on the guy needs a break. But there is no doubting his power when he plays against us.
Probable Starting XI:
Arsenal: 4-2-1-2-1 Chelsea: 4-3-3
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Almunia (ankle) Frimpong (knee), Vermaelen (Achilles)
Chelsea: Alex (leg), Benayoun (Achilles), Zhirkov (calf)
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Nasri12 (8 league) Chamakh 10 (7 league) Walcott 8 (5 league)
Chelsea: Anelka: 10 (3 league); Drogba 8 (7 League) Malouda: 8 (7 league)
Last Meeting: (EPL)
Arsenal: 0
Stoke: 2
Goals For:
Arsenal: 2.4(home)
Chelsea: 1.4 (away)
Goals Against:
Arsenal: 1.3 (home)
Chelsea: 0.9 (away)
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 15
Chelsea: 19
Match Officials:
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Assistant Referees: Scott Ledger & Martin Yerby
Fourth Official: Lee Probert
Broadcast Information:
US: ESPN 2 1500 EST
UK: Sky Sports 1 2000 GMT
Feeds:
www.atdhe.net
www.iraqgoals.net
www.jason.tv
www.myp2p.com
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2
Chelsea: 1
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Super busy with x-mas guests, etc., but also very pleased with the results….I’ll be in the GDC tomorrow for the Wigan match knowing that we have a LOT to make up for in that one….
For me, the benching of Arshavin was the bold move that allowed for a team defense from the front that had Chelsea struggling to get the ball out of their half. Once that was established, most notably with high stepping RVP (far from his offensive best, but always a worry) we were able to paralyze their wing backs and Obi-Mikel/Essien with our own central and wide players. And fortunately the first goal fell our way….
Given the Progress of Nasri this season and the contributions of Mahk the horse and Theo and Arshavin and the massive class that a mostly healthy Cesc brings, we look pretty scary all around. And if RVP can be a fright from behind (i.e., defensively) I’d think that any opponent would want to clear the ball anytime they have a chance.
We’re gonna see a lot of route one against us and hopefully we can stand tall at the back and make our possession pay….
Anybody else get an extra pleasure from the MASSIVE injustice of the goal that caused United’s dropped points?
See you tomorrow, I hope….
@highburyterracesteve,
Nothin’ like schadenfreude when it comes to a team you love to hate.
@highburyterracesteve,
I have been so caught up in my little world that I didn’t even realise ManUre played yesterday, of course I would have enjoyed the injustice of the goal, will have to check it out on MOTD later on.
Birmingham are quite solid at home so we will also have issues overcoming them when we go up there, but hopefully with our new found confidence we will win.
COYG!!
Some after thoughts:
MOTM – Arsene
the most effective tactic employed: restricting their time and space
Sagna’s left footed strike in the first half struck Drogba flush in the face.
When you start comparing a 22 yr old (almost 23) to a 26+ year old teammate and make no allowance for the age-experience factor – your opinion is just that.
Re: Bendtner
He fits nicely into our system of play; he doesn’t need foot speed to be effective with his teammates . In fact, you don’t need foot speed to be effective in football. This sport is all about hi IQ without the ball and technical and mental speed. Bendtner is on the same IQ as Cesc, vP, and Rosicky; ahead of Chamakh, Arshavin, and Nasri. (yes, Nasri)
Bendtner is not the issue of the team’s problems. As we witnessed Monday afternoon, when everyone fights to win the ball back, we create our own breaks; when we have players on the pitch that don’t have defense in their DNA – we are f*cked.
If the players don’t execute, there is no tactical plan that will work.
One match at a time. Wigan is our most important match of the season.
@Arsession,
Ars’ I for one do not see anything about Bendtners football that suggests he has a higher footballing IQ than anyone else.
Yep, he can thread a killer ball through every now and again but then again so can Alex Song. I have seen Bendtner make some apparently stupid forrays out right when he was supposed to be our lone striker. I think he may have been under instruction to mix it up a bit in an attempt to confuse Df and possibly pull them out of postion. However his application of the instruction appeared to be devoid of the high IQ you seem to think that he has.
Bendtner’s attitude on the pitch can sometimes be typical of why we often fail, he doesn’t work hard enough. When he hasn’t got the ball he appears to expect it to be returned to him rather than seeing the need to fight for it when there is a possibility of him winning it back. From my recollection he is not one for closing down oponents either. Do you know how many golas are created by pressuring a DF effectively and causing errors as a result? Bendtner is unlikely to create many of those.
Wow, the gods of fortune are definitely smiling Arsenal’s way.
The Wigan then Birmingham away games in the next 5 games will be absolutely crucial. We win both and we prove that are NOW a force to reckon with and that things have REALLY changed.
It would also be a nice set up for the Man City game on Jan 4 too.
——————————————————————–
How the mighty (Alex Hleb) have fallen! One day you are taking an opportunistic trade to Barca, the next you find yourself in a relegation battling EPL team contributing fuck all! He isnt even the main man for B’ham.
And the kicker. He has scored ZERO goals for Birmingham!
Infact, he has scored ZERO goals in the last two and half seasons since he left Arsenal.
The most astonishing statistic I have ever come across.
@Fred,
Not really ‘astonishing’ when you consider something that you’ve made a point of mentioning below i.e goals per minute on the pitch, and also the fact that he’s a midfielder who has not scored goals his entire career, and also despite not scoring, Barca were still prepared to pay £12 million for him.
Nice try Fred :evilgrin:
@Mazza,
LOL … how is this comparable to my Bendy/Chamakh argument? Bendy has more goals per minute last season than Chamakh this season. That is a fact Bendy has in his defense against accusations of being useless.
Unfortunately the Hlebmeister has no such escape route … there just is no way to dice ZERO goals!
Whether you want to dice it into games, minutes, hours, days, months or years, ZERO goals still makes for a big, fat, nice and round zero on ALL metrics. :-)
We have a bit part substitute player, Rosicky, who hasnt scored since March and the fans are already dogging him. It must be demoralizing for B’ham fans to find that their “star” playmaker is as likely to score as their goalkeeper. His assist stat is garbage as well.
As I said, how the mighty have fallen.
@Fred,
Like Chacago pointed out you can find stats to back most arguments both ways and as someone possibly yourself said in the past stats ain’t everthing.
Let us consider Bendtners glaring misses and compares those to Chamankh let’s also look at work rate on the pitch. I do not know the stats neither do I need to look for them as I am sure Bendtner would not compare favourably to Chamakh in those respects.
@arthur3sheds,
Actually, you cant find stats to back most arguments both ways.
Goals per minute makes far more sense over goals per games IF one player plays 90 minutes on average while the other plays 30 minutes. Infact it is a better metric even if comparing two starters as one might be continually subbed while the other finishes the games.
As for glaring misses, Chamakh has made quite a few incredible ones this season, so it would be pot-meet-kettle to compare him favorably to Bendy on that metric.
I just consider the irrational demonization of our 3rd choice striker completely lacking in grounding – especially as NONE of our other strikers: Chamakh, RvP or Vela is really doing that great.
YES!! Man U drop 2 pts at Birmingham. If it were possible to have any more inspiration for tomorrow than the team already had after the 3-1 over Chelsea, this is it. Our main title rivals draw (for the 7th time on the road this year), allowing us to go level at the top if we do our own work tomorrow.
Its hillarious how we are all concluding that Bendtner is utter garbage who doesnt produce while Chamakh is absolved.
The facts dont really bear them out. Bendy scored more goals per minute last season than Chamakh has this season. That is despite Bendy not really starting games till early March.
My point? You cant slate Bendy goal record and say Chamakh is alright. Yeah sure Chamakh is stilll getting used to the EPL but he wasnt exactly a goal pummeler in France either.
Both strikers are in my view very useful strikers for OTHER teams that play a different style. Put Bendy in a team like Schalke or Stuttgart and he will match Edin Dzeko easily. Put Chamakh in Lazio or Valencia and he will really break out.
No point arguing who is more useful or productive, both are in their own limited way.
@Fred,
I never said I though Bendy was worse, just that I don’t like his personality (at least not the part of his personality that he displays to the public- there’s no telling what people are like in person until you’ve met them).
That being said, I think you are being very selective with your statistics. Here’s a different stat set for you (one that includes Bendtner’s whole Arsenal career):
Chamakh: 25 appearances10 goals, 6 assists
Bendtner: 132 appearances, 39 goals, 15 assists
Chamakh: 0.40 goals/game, 0.24 assts/game
Bendtner: 0.30 goals.game, 0.11 assts/game
-My point is you can come up with stats to prove either of them is better. But we have a chance to win THIS YEAR: Chamakh is contributing to that, and Bendtner isn’t, and it’s b/c the manager has judged (rightfully, IMO) Chamakh to be more deserving of playing time based on his abilities, attitude, and most importantly, usefulness to the squad.
@ChicagoGooner,
Goals per game is not directly comparable between the two players because Bendtner’s “appearances” have been mostly as subs in the last 20 minutes of games, while Chamakh has usually played close to 90 minutes in most of his games!
A better metric is goals per minute played. Won’t you agree?
Chamakh on average plays more than twice as many minutes per game, so you have to break it down into mintues played.
And how can one determine that Bendtner isnt productive this year? He has only played 74 minutes in the EPL so far, scoring 1 goal. (Too small a sample size).
Nicky scored quite a few crucial goals and last minute winners in the 2 months he started near the end of last season, so I am a bit bemused that it is now conventional wisdom to completely right off our 3rd choice center forward. Its not like he is Vela or something lol.
Mind you, I personally dont think Bendy or Chamakh is what Arsenal need. We need explosive. Both these gentlemen will never be explosive.
@ChicagoGooner,
Here’s hoping Bendtner is playing in Germany by January!
That’s if he can get his ego onto a plane.
Frankly, he’s never done shit.
@ChicagoGooner,
Here’s hoping Bendtner is playing in Germany by January!
That’s if he can get his ego onto a plane.
Frankly, he’s never done shit.
@stag133,
Typical, facts-free Staggy boy … flying in the face of FACTS. Typical Fox news watching type of guy, you :-) You’ll take feeling over raw, cold facts any day :-)
Bendy has a more prolific record than Chamakh as of right now. If THIRD choice Bendy hasnt done shit (I guess his last minuters last season dont count) then the older, starting Chamakh aint looking too good.
As i told a fellow supporter before the game, “I have very little expectations of this game. if we draw I’ll be happy and if we win, ecstatic”. His response was, ” ecstatic enough to buy a round?”.
That comment cost me $60.00 after the game,
Like most fans, I thought DJ and Song were co MOTM’s, but the unsung hero for me was Sagna. No one ever seems to recognize his contributions, but he had Malouda, Ferriera and company in his pockets all game, defended fiercely in the box and put pressure on Chel$ki by continually going forward.
This was a collective win for us and no single player played poorly, although I thought wilshere was a little overawed by the situation especially in the first 20 minutes and Fab was off on a lot of his passes.
Like Joshuad said, this win means nothing if we can’t maintain this type of play game in, game out. However, I will surely take this win and savor it until tomorrow and hope we don’t bottle it against Wigan.
OBSERVATIONS:
1) Wenger’s best tactical move in years was pairing DJ with Koz.
2) Clichy only had 1 brain fart.
3) Walcott finally learned after 25 minutes that he should cut inside instead of standing on the side line when Sagna came down the wing.
4) Kalou should have had a straight red for his Kung Fu assault but trust Crappendburg to mess that one up.
5) Chel$ki supporters were in great voice before the game, but we neither heard nor saw them after the 3rd goal. “MADE MY DAY”.
@Caribkid,
Agree completely.
As for MOM, I think DJ deserves it because he was charged with marking Drogba. He has gone and done something no Arsenal CB has done in 5 years.
yeah buddy. it’s about time. we usually outplay chelsea but fail to outscore them. not yesterday.
for me, arsenal’s most outstanding quality was pressure, presssure, pressure. when arsenal lost the ball, they applied immediate pressure to win the ball back all game long. it wasn’t just song and wilshere but everyone was in the trenches. this pressure led to chelsea players being quickly surrounded and either being dispossessed or making a bad pass. that made it difficult for chelsea to establish possession in critical areas, which made it virtually impossible for them to create scoring chances. pressure was the watchword on yesterday and should continue to be for the remainder of the season.
barcelona apply an approach that when they lose the ball, everyone presses the ball hard for seven seconds in an attempt to win it back. i believe this is the key to barcelona’s strong defense. arsenal seemed to apply this same approach yesterday and it worked for us too. if the arsenal players can remain vigilant in their pressing, this team will win trophies this year.
Bendtner is my least favorite Arsenal by far. One of my least favorite things in this world is overpaid sports stars who don’t produce and yet have an arrogant, self-inflated view of themselves. I dislike them no matter who they play for, but especially when they play for one of my teams, b/c I like my team to be better than that. I would be delighted to see that arrogant prima domma get the boot.
The worst-case scenario for what the Chelsea game will eventually mean: we drop points at Wigan and in our other upcoming matches, thus nullifying this result and putting doubt back into the minds of the players and supporters about the ability of this squad.
The best-case scenario: This game is a new version of that 1997 win over Man U at Highbury: rebirth, renewal, renaissance; a turning point that ushers in a new era of brilliance and success for Arsenal F.C., not only for a single season, but for an extended period of time.
@ChicagoGooner,
I wonder if Bendtner is as arrogant as he is made out to be though. it could be all media hype stemming from his outrageously confident statements.
Some people say things to hype themselves up. If they say it, they will believe and therefore they are more likely produce. It could be a philsophy to inspire confidence rather than arrogance. You never know.
His big talk is so unsubstantiated it would be hilarious ihad he not been our player.
Some things –
First @Fred – I asked you to give it a rest because you came with the negativity before the match even started. At least in the past you waited until the match was over. It’s a freakin broken record. I will never begrudge anyone’s negative opinion of the team – even when at times I don’t think it’s deserved.
As for the match – my negative aspect of it – It means fuck all if we come out Wednesday and next weekend with lacklustre performances. What this Arsenal team need to realize is that type of performance wins silverware not just big games. They need at least similar minded attitude and performances against all teams in the league in order for their true potential to be fulfilled.
That being said, I believe a large mental block may have been gotten over. Not only did they beat Chelsea they prevented one of their true bogey players from scoring.
I thought Song was MOTM of the match closely followed by Djourou. As a matter of fact there is a new Arsenal chant going around – “Who kept the Drog out – Djou Djou Djourou”
The most important aspect of the match was Djourou’s adjustment to Drogba after that first attempt. He played off and gave him the opportunity to put it on net – from then on there almost every battle between the two was one Djourou. (Though I forget ho shot the ball directly in Drogba’s face – classic moment – may have alsot had something to do with it). But Seriously I have been talking up Djourou since he returned and I am glad he got the start. He was exactly the defencive panacea we needed.
With a solid partner Koscileny showed he can play he made one or two mistakes but honestly after a while I just stopped thinking there was going to be a clossal blunder.
The midfield was perfect and for the most part was a good combination of control and attack. Song was a beast defencively and Jack Wilshere showed some necessary steel that we haven’t had. I really think they could grow well together. Jack still has some passing to work on but overall I thought there was a yeoman performance in him out there.
Song was perfect in this match. He was as good as he was against Messi in the first leg of the champion’s league last season and showed that when he concentrates he is as agood a midfielder out there.
Cesc – well Cesc was Cescy wasn’t he? He was in control from the get go – had a few errant passes. But overall he bossed the midfield and Chelsea really didn’t have an answer for him. He saw the soft parts in the Chelsea defence and was trying to take advantage of it at every opportunity.
The attack was solid throughout. Van Persie is almost there. I think he offers a different dimension that everyone has already been talking about. He is silkiness to Chamakh’s strength on the ball. They are two different types of player. They will offer us options based on the teams we are playing.
I am not sure I can remember seeing Ashley Cole look so feable but when confronted with speed in front of him he looked lost. He had no answers. I wanted Walcott to keep that pressure up. I wanted him all over Cole. But I can’t the first time I thought he was here for the game is when he took the ball in allong the near goal line and forced Cech to make a weird save. His goal was clinical (which requires thought) and his assist was a deft touch to Cesc that also requries thought – there was nothing mindless about his performance. Theo is going to be our XFactor especially in games like this and he should’ve started against United.
As for the Nicky B and Chamakh arguement – Nicky B is a useless log. He has been here for how many seasons and he has performed fuck all. He can’t score with any level of confidence – even his own inflated one – and he can’t even head the ball strongly. He offers us nothing – a loan or better yet a sale is the best thing for him.
As for Chamakh – remember folks this is his get aclimated season – he was bound to hit a wall. But he has already put more goals in, in half a season that Nicky B does in an entire season. Simply put there is no comparison. It’s Chamakh over Nicky B any time of the day. That being said if there isn’t solid progression by Chamakh year over year then he will have been a waste.
Good day to be a Gooner – now on to Wigan .
@DaAdminGooner, DAG – I think when most people here criticize Walcott they aren’t calling him stupid or mindless – or at least meaning that way. Having watched him play I think he just does better when he doesn’t have to think about what he is doing. When he scored the goal and assisted Cesc on the other one they were bang-bang plays. He didn’t have time to try to figure out what to do, he just did it. When he has time to think on the ball is when he tends to lose control or dribble into a corner and get trapped. Some players can do it, some can’t. I personally don’t think Theo can.
@DaAdminGooner,
Funny how opining that Diaby shouldnt start and Djorou should is now “negativity before a match”.
I have been posting on Arsenal America since 2003 (a lurker since 2002) and on YAMA since last year. That is over 8 years of continous posting amongst the old AA group (the only other Arsenal blog I have followed for longer is Arseblog). You can trust I will say whatever the hell I want whenever I want.
If you want to turn your blog into a kumbaya opinion-dictatorship feel free to. I stand firmly by all my comments.
@Fred,
I am not looking for kumbaya hippie commentary but to come at anything with a negative tilt before even a minute is played – well its old and tired.
I am not saying you negativitiy isn’t justified – the team hasn’t always lived up to its billing and needs to be criticised. But on my end, I try to withhold criticism until something has happened to make criticism warranted.
Please by all means keep coming at me with your team criticisms- while I do find it tired at times, you are spot on for most of it.I just would prefer not read any sort of negative tone until at least the team does something to deserve it.
@Fred,
“Funny how opining that Diaby shouldnt start and Djorou should is now “negativity before a match””
No I think he was referring to the one I quoted earlier.
Rattled Arthurs cage now you got the Admin upset, you are so endearing Fred LOL! I’m joking dude.
But I wonder who would win unpopularity stakes on this site, I think I would I just about shade it with you close behind, what do you think? :-D . I don’t expect a reply just a laugh.
Yayyyy :) incredible and Arsenal stopped Drogba from scoring. Wow!! I had a feeling Arsenal would win this morning because I was going to miss a Chelsea clash for the first time since 2004. I could not even check the score as I was driving non stop to the mountains for my vacation.
Now Arsenal need to find a way to win against Man Utd without requiring me to drive to the mountains :) although I will be driving again on wednesday so I will make sure to drive during game time just in case Arsenal need some help.
I have been waiting soooooo long to see that dejected look on Drogba’s face. Can’t wait to see the game when I get back.
@sachin,
“Now Arsenal need to find a way to win against Man Utd without requiring me to drive to the mountains Smile although I will be driving again on wednesday so I will make sure to drive during game time just in case Arsenal need some help.”
LOL, how about a vacation to the mountains every weekend? :-)
@arthur3sheds,
That’s funny Arthur :) I would love to help out with the title but it’s not just a financial thing. I enjoy a mountain vacation as much as a stoke blackburn match. A few times is fine but every week will be too much.
Hallelujah!!!!!!!!
a BIG win against Chelsea.
Very good game for Theo… and I thought Djourou Song and Clichy also played well.
Good effort… massive win.
Chelsea have lost their way. Their confidence is gone… and they can’t cope with injuries right now. They will be buying in January. They need new blood…
Great to see us victorious against one of the Big Two.
We really needed that win…
and 48 hours later, we simply can’t afford to drop points.
Arshavin and Chamakh rested, and both will likely start…
fresh legs… lets keep the ball rolling.
@stag133, What injuries do Chelsea have? Alex? anymore?
All those big names, big money signings and big wages and they are hardly any better than Arsenal, money isn’t everything Stag hopefully our boys will go on to undeline that fact by beating ManUre to the title (i know, Hippie hope, but you never know).
Agree Chelsea will have to buy in Jan to get back into the title race, not sure who thay can get apart from a solid Df who will make that much difference. Fortunately they cannot buy Messi he is one of the few player who could destroy the EPL singlehandedly.
Great win!
How can anyone criticize any Arsenal player for their performance today?
For me you can’t compare RvP and Chamakh – different skill sets; both have importance in football.
Koscielny, Djourou, Sagna, and Clichy were terrific. Song was MOTM – everywhere he was needed!
With a sub par Cesc and RvP…….totally dominated play!
Johan Djorou was an absolute monster. Man of the match.
Song also played a blinder.
Fantastic win!
Dont allow Walcott to think and he can be deadly. His future is surely as a counter-attacking forward. No brains for the wings.
Pure joy. The only things missing were a fourth goal in the last ten mins to put a cherry on the cake and A. Cole getting sent off.
I’m still amazed by how quickly this Chelsea side has fallen apart. For the first 30mins it was deja vu all over again. They contained us without too much effort and showed signs of catching us on the break, but then we keep pushing and found a rhythm for the 10 min spell that culminated in the first goal.
:beer:
We only score once we move beyond pretty possession into something more dogged and persistent.
The two goals in the second half were well taken moments of opportunism. Exactly the kind of goals Chelsea routinely destroyed us with over the past five years. I still love the way Theo picked the ball of Malouda’s foot for goal number three. Asleep at the wheel!
Let’s just hope this is the pivotal moment for overcoming our mental frailties and leads on to a real blossoming.
Nice to see Van Persie getting back to his old self. And Theo asserting himself despite early fumblings. I agree that Wilshere was instrumental in shutting down their midfield. And Cesc gives us real fight and guile in midfield once again.
I was braced for another meek anonymous defeat like the ManUre game, but this was a real Xmas treat.
Chamakh is not exactly quick enog
@Sean Macaulay, “Chamakh is not exactly quick enog”
Neither was Alan Shearer or Gary Linekar particularly fast still they were two of the most prolific scorers in English football history. If he can score as much goals as he has without pace and a decent shot, in his first season I might add surely that bodes well for the future.
@arthur3sheds,
Arshavin started well and didn’t improve. Same with a few other players as well. It’s no given that he’s going to improve in linear fashion.
I think he’s more likely to get worse and worse as he becomes more and more out of his depth. It’s happening even now. He looked totally clueless when he came on last night, a massive drop in class compared to RVP. It’s not as if he’s got previous pedigree either ; he’s been a average player his entire career and only in the last few years has he reached a decent level.
He is a very good option in games like Wigan tomorrow, when he can fall under the radar a bit and poke in a shot or header without much fuss, but he hasn’t got the explosiveness or personality, or ability, to lead the line at the Emirates or against top sides. The bloke cannot strike a football for crying out loud!
He’s scored goals but as Fred’s said, Bendtner had a better goal per game ratio last season and any half-decent striker would score for Arsenal.
A very strange signing overall IMO, especially when we are supposed to be strictly on the lookout for ‘super-class’ players now.
@Mazza, Goal per minutes ratio is only ever useful when taken in context as most stats. You would have have to look at teams played against and their form, look at the quality and form of the people each striker was playing with (i.e if Cesc is playing at his best ofr not) etc etc.
Chamankh works far more harder than Bendtner, he is better in the air and he has yet to fully settle in to the EPL, Bendtner has been here how long and never achieved any consistent form apart from half a season in the Championship.
RvP is a very special player do not expect someone as talented to play 2nd fiddle to RvP at Arsenal, do not expect someone of that quality to stay on the bench unless we are paying them Man City style wages. Look at Eduardo he wasn’t prepared to keep his career on the bench.
Yes Chamankh may not improve but it is more likely he will than not. Chamnkh was pivitol in leading Bordeaux to the title and pivitol to their Champions league success, although he is not super class his recent successes is not the hallmark of an “average” player.
I think you should give him a season and a half before making such a damning assessment of him.
At last, a win against Chelsea.
Djourou and Wilshere were outstanding I thought, and of course Song and Walcott deserve immense credit for actually being pro-active when it seemed we were slowly banging our head against brick walls again.
Some dodgy subs I thought (Nasri should have been taken off, and Chamakh is just awful) but very good performance and hopefully one which ushers in a new era of big game performances to supplement the victories against the lesser lights.
Didn’t even know we were playing on Wednesday until Fabregas complained about it post match, but alas we are, and we’ll find the answer to the question above pretty soon.
Nice that you showed up Mazza ;-)
I didn’t think Wilshere had a noteworthy performace to be honest, I thought he was going to be subbed for Diaby rather than Walcott, but I would have rather kept Jack and Walcott on rather than bring on Diaby.
Come on Mazz, do you not think awful is far too strong a word for our top scorer? RvP was hardly having a stellar performance as he returned from injury and Chamankh is far better defensively especially with RvP on a yellow card.
@arthur3sheds,
RVP was class. Little things he does like dropping deep, and also running behind. He also worked incredibly hard.
Chamakh comes on, barely breaks sweat, and continues to just amble about without any intensity or clue. Bendtner is far better.
Wilshere’s pressing was unbelievable, kept closing Chelsea down when they were trying to ramp up the pressure. I think if someone like Denilson or Diaby had started centrally we would have conceded after their first goal as they simply do not have it in their make-up to stay switched on. This might sound a bit “Little Englander” but I think him being local makes a big difference in that respect.
@Mazza,
I agree, Wilshere pressed really well and was consistent at it. Song was switched on throughout.
RvP was a bit too predictable though.
The threaded thru ball from El Capitan (for the third goal) was an understated masterpiece. He does it so consistently, yet no body ever notices unless he scores or something.
ummm.
Bendtner isn’t better than Chamakh. I doubt he’d approach his goal total if he played every game.
Fortunately, Bendtner is a yapper, and thinks he’s great… he’ll be gone soon.
@stag133, I agree Bendtner is nowhere near as effective as Camankh but he does have a better shot on him from what I have seen so far.
I would not be disappointed to see him go, it seems I have more faith in even Diaby becoming the finished article than I do for Bendtner these days. I am not sure which one of them is more lazy
@stag133,
“I doubt he’d approach his goal total if he played every game.”
Not correct. Bendy had more goals per minute played last season than Chamakh has had this season. So Chamakh hasnt yet proven to be any more prolific than Bendtner.
Any striker with half a brain who can avoid injury and start a significant number of games for Arsenal will definitely get well over 20 goals. Give someone like Eduardo a full, injury free season and he clears 30 goals easy.
As for the Bendtmeister, I wouldnt mind selling him IF we use the cash to buy an EXPLOSIVE striker to START for us. But thats not going to happen so I would rather we sold Vela instead.
As it is right now, Chamakh could collapse any moment … and ofcourse RvP is not to be banked on. Bendy will have his chance come February, March like last year.
I agree that Wilshere pressed well and i do agree in general English players in the Premiership give that bit more than the average foreigner because we tend to play an in your face game over here from birth. I still do not see how Wilshere had an outstanding game, considering we all know what he can do as an attacking threat. In the 2nd half at least it appeared he was given a more attacking remitt as opposed to Song but his passing was not good enough to put his stamp on the game. I would say the same about RvP, he has far more to give than what we saw yesterday so his substitution made sense in a defensive light IMO. Chamankh really didn’t have to work to hard though with us 3-1 up so late in the game.
I sense that some people are trying to underplay the role of Song in the victory. Both offensively and defensively he was outstanding yesterday. His passing must have been near fautless and his ball to RvP in the first half (that RvP should have put away) was reminiscent of one of Cescs inch perfect passes. When he appeared to be given the holding remitt in the 2nd half he won or cleared the ball so many times even more so than Djourou. To me he was the man of the match by far, simply outstanding bar his customary few fouls a game.
@arthur3sheds,
Yeah Song was outstanding yesterday and deserving of MOM. I sometimes think he ends up muddling up our attacks by going forward and causing others to drop deep to allow him to do his thing, when he’s usually not good enough to be deserving of that. Too many moves breakdown with him imo.
Last night he made his presence felt going forward and he has improved this season in that respect. If he can continue to produce going forward then fair enough.
Wilshere wasn’t spectacular but he did the things that I’ve been going on about for years that we never do properly. Pressing for the full duration, being disciplined, showing for the ball and keeping our heads. Clowns like Diaby and Denilson never do this and you cann’t win things with players that don’t do the spade work. If you look at last season against United and Chelsea our midfielders just stopped concentrating after an hour and that’s why we limply surrendered in those matches and never ever looked like coming back into the games.
@Mazza,
Mazz I am sure you are not the only one that has been advocating a continuous and consistant pressing game from our lads over the years. We saw at the beginning of last season how impressive we looked when we played with that determined and focused aggression. However it seems too many of our players cannot produce it week in week out. I do think it is about lack of quality but rather lack of stamina, maybe even over-training as brought up in a previous thread. The Flaminis of this world are far from being in abundant supply, he can run all day everyday, but how many can and play decent football?
I did not think Jack stood out in his defensive application although he did defend well enough, I cannot remember him winning a ball in the first 70 mins at least. I thought the team as a whole pressed well, all of them. They were up for this game and did what no doubt Wenger emphasised they needed to do for the duration of the game.
Yep, Diaby certainly lacks something defensively or simply doesn’t have the right mentatlity to be relied upon at the moment IMO. Denilson has shown a lot of improvement for about two half seasons and I think he would have thrived in that game with his teamamtes playing as they were, maybe even Diaby too but coming back from injury I think he would more likely have been a liabilty in the CM area.
I think the team attitude helped produce Songs MOTM performance. I have seem him look ineffective and quite silly at times, chasing the ball down seemingly always a half second too late. That’s because he was not getting any support from his team mates. If your team mates are pressing it is far easier to pick off the player with the ball as his options are reduced. He takes longer to think and if you read the game well and think quickly you can judge his most likely move.
It is not that I don’t rate Wilshere, I have done for a long time but he is capable of far more and playing a game with far less errant passes. This wasn’t a PARTICULARLY good game for Jack. As he gains confidence and form we will all see what he is capable of, which will put that kind of performance in perspective.
I quote: “We already have so many gaping holes for this game … Clichy will do his usual calamitous routine, Chamakh will be like a fly to their CBs, Song will be as idiotic as always”
Ummmh…
@arthur3sheds,
———————————————————–
“”Djorou starting is very positive. So is Arshavin and Chamakh getting dropped.
Thankfully, no Diaby either.””
———————————————————–
@Fred, LOL! True
Well, I guess people on this board just don’t like winning…
A shame isn’t it! Maybe it is an odd time of day over there or all that snow has given some of our dear supporters frost bite in the fingertips ;-)
@ChicagoGooner,
Smiley and edit feature issues again DAG.
It seems the smiley’s and edit feature only appear after refreshing the page. Do the smileys always have to appear after a line break? Not major issues just thought I’d let you know.
@ChicagoGooner,
Or maybe some of us had to stop by at work today because of a late project, take two hours off to watch the game at the local Irish pub, and return to work to make up for the lost hours ;-)
As Josh mentioned repeatedly in GDC, this result was all about our pressure when we didn’t have the ball. Suffice it to say Chelsea’s first shot on goal came after Arsenal were up 3-0.
Fantastic result and performance from the boys, shame on all those that wrote us off before we even kicked a ball.
Earlier on in the season we slipped 7 points behind Chelsea and some were pulling their hair out as if such a small gap at the beginning of the season was insurmountable. As I have said reapeatedly all season this Chelsea side under Ancellotti is not that good. I think today’s result has well and truly proved it.
I rarely call a score, I just do not want to jinx it or I simply have no clue as to the outcome. Today 3-1 was a good call, that’s blind optimism for you.
Great performance by Cesc, Nasri, Djourou and Song. Kosch looked good for most of the game too as did Theo when it was neccessary.
Song was the obvious MOTM with his goal, DF splitting passes in the 1st half and his solid defensive performance in the 2nd half. He was obviously given a clear DF remit in the second half and reminded us all of his value as the out and out DM that we have appeared to be lacking.
Anyway I will not be sattisfied until we beat ManU at the Emirates too. Let’s enjoy this one shall we, no excuses for Chelsea, injuries or not they got what they deserved today and so did we :-D
FUCK YEAH
From the time the commentators started talking about how nervous everyone, particularly Theo, was looking, Arsenal suddenly came to life. 1-0 and now Chelsea’s going to have to start coming forward.
Should be a better looking second 45.
Ha. This is still available to Edit and it’s already 3-0. That was quick.
Djorou starting is very positive. So is Arshavin and Chamakh getting dropped.
Thankfully, no Diaby either.
Starting XI: Fabianski, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Song, Fabregas, Wilshere, Theo, RvP, Nasri.
5Live is reporting Szczesny is actually in goal.
Also Nasri is on the left, Walcott on the right. Sagna and Walcott get to pin back Cole.
Chelsea Starters:
Cech , Ferreira , Ivanovic ,Terry , Cole , Essien , Mikel , Lampard , Kalou, Malouda, Drogba
BBC now reporting Fabianski injured in pre-game. Szczesny in between the sticks.
This kid better have some big cajones
I HATE THE BRITISH PRESS.
My followers in the Emirates are saying it is Fabianski and not Szczesny. Sorry for the confusion.
YOu can smack me later. Except Fred. He;’s in my dog house today.
@DaAdminGooner,
*SMACK* (I looked to see if there was a smiley smacking another smiley but there’s not.)
Just kidding about the smack. The fact that you’re constantly on the lookout for new info and updating the blog whenever you find it is more than enough. There’s nothing you can do if your sources fuck up.
This from Arsenal.com:
fabianski cesc koscielny rvp theo jack djourou all start. Diaby and Squillaci on bench
DJOUROU STARTS. THERE IS A GOD.
Interesting – Gilberto will be in the stands with Henry. Can they suit up?
@ session:
“The season has been unpredictable. Almost at the halfway point, and no team is invincible.”
Unfortunately Man Utd are still invincible at this point. As I stated in a post on the last thread, I hope this changes b/c that’s one of the few things we have that they don’t, in terms of records, accomplishments, etc.
@ChicagoGooner, statistically they haven’t lost and yet 41% of their matches (league play) end in draws……and if you talk with ManU fans, many view the team play with caution.
I’m not so concerned with what our competition is doing. My worry is fixing the attack. Restore the effectiveness of our attacks and other areas of team play will improve.
Which Arsenal player(s) will step up today?
CG – records are made to be broken, but I agree with you that I hope that Arsenal retains this accomplishment.
Football365 is reporting that RVP may start IN PLACE (not along side) of Chamakh for this game. I’m not sure yet if the story has any substance, or if the football press is just having a slow day. But the article does have quotes from AW about Chamakh needing a rest from being overworked. I hope he starts b/c RVP has shown me little if anything positive this season.
But is anyone really surprised that he is suffering from overwork? Overwork which was caused by lack of squad depth? This happens every season now.
Nice article DAG. I agree Chelsea are very beatable right now but also agree with the sentiment that so are we. Deep down I am always a bit pessimistic about these big games and as such I would think a draw is the most likely outcome. But anything less than a victory will finish a realistic title challenge.
Ars’ a rested Arshavin on the wing is more effective than RvP out there in my opinion. But I would like to see Arsene play all the big guns and play Naz alongside Song in that 4-2-3-1 with Song HOLDING. Play RVP on the on the left Arsh on the right Chamankh in the middle.
With Jack and Sicky on the bench with have a feisty versatile player who can add that extra bit of creativity if any ot the first team are not up to speed.
I agree Squilla and Kosch do not look too good together at the moment, Squilla look the less assured of the two. Although Squilla is the more experienced of the two I think he lacks the agression that Kosch possess and make him more naturally adept to PL football. Nevertheless it would be a coin toss as to which one of them should partner Djourou as we have seen Kosch’ aggression mixed with getting to grips with the pace of the premiership result in disaster on occasion. Regardless of who we think may start I think Wenger will go for the obvious and pair Kosch with Squilla, there is a pecking order after all.
Regardless of what my head says I will be really optimistic and go for a 3-1 or 2-0 victory to the Arsenal :victory:
How about we go for Song AND Djorou in DM for this game.
Djorou can sit with the CBs while Song does his headless chicken routine.
The MOST moronic thing Wenger could possibly do in this game is to start Abou Diaby.
We already have so many gaping holes for this game … Clichy will do his usual calamitous routine, Chamakh will be like a fly to their CBs, Song will be as idiotic as always, Arshavin as lazy as always, and our CBs are one quasi intelligent play away from disaster … so given all that if we are also going to play with 10 men (which is effectively what playing with Diaby would mean) … then we might as well not show up for the game.
Give it a break already Fred.
@DaAdminGooner, @DaAdminGooner,
Break from what? Opinion that doesnt tally with yours?
I double down on my opinion …. even Lord Wenger cant be moronic enough to play a “not played in over 2 months” Diaby today. The end result of that “bright idea” will be very predictable.
@DaAdminGooner,
Break from what? Opinion that doesnt tally with yours?
@DaAdminGooner,
Break from what? Opinion that doesnt tally with yours?
DAG /avid Arsenal fan:
One of your better posts.
My concern surrounds the return of Cesc, Diaby, and RvP.
They may have had two weeks of added training, but its a far cry from match fitness. They will have the same issues to overcome as does Lampard.
I would prefer to see RvP start in place of Arshavin, primarily because I see his linking play critical to our creating chances. I would start him out on the right wing (Nasri on the left) – leaving Chamakh in the center…….and prefer seeing us start out in a 4-2-3-1; Song and Diaby or Wilshere in front of the defenders.
The season has been unpredictable. Almost at the halfway point, and no team is invincible.
Anyway, our attack must find its mojo. I will be anxious to see which Arsenal team shows up for this match and is this a turning point for the season?
No injuries and take the 3 points.
Go Gunners.