Arsenal v Montpellier; Champion’s League Match Preview
First a correction – our intro graphic says the match starts at 2045 GMT. Its actually 2045 CET, 1945 GMT and 2:45 EST. FSC is running the game on delay at 5:00PM. Sorry for the confusion there. Now on to the match.
Tonight marks the 15th straight season, Arsenal have appeared in Europe’s premier club competition. It is only the 2nd time in the last seven however, that the Gunners have not had to run the gauntlet of the qualification rounds to get in.
As the Gunners take to the field tonight they will be riding off the high of an impressive win against Southampton. That win combined with their solid start to the domestic season, will hopefully set the team up for a win this evening.
Their opponent, is not completely unfamiliar to Arsenal fans, if only because current Arsenal forward, Olivier Giroud carried Montpellier on his back to win the league and gain their first ever Champion’s League berth. However, since he has left, the current title holders have not had a good go of it. They are currently 16th in Ligue 1 and have dropped 3 of their opening matches already. Something is not right and there seems to be no logical explanation.
Arsenal should again not look beyond their opponents tonight. Regardless of their form. While Giroud has left, the club still has some very talented players who can hurt clubs. Younés Belhanda springs to mind. This is a very impressive midfielder that Michael Cox of Zonal Marking has likened to Santi Cazorla in his playing style. But he is not just a finesse player. He also is very strong and uses both guile and strength to get himself free. If anyone can cause Arsenal problems it will be this man.
Arsenal look set to keep the same team for the most part that played on Saturday. Andrei Arshavin has been left behind in favor of Abou Diaby. Szczesny is still in London nursing an ankle injury so Vito Mannone will get another chance between the sticks. I’ve projected that Giroud will get the chance up top again but I wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger trotted out the formation from this weekend that saw Gervinho through the middle and more of a flat four with Podolski, Cazorla and either Oxlade Chamberlain or Walcott.
Another familiar face missing from the team will be Wenger himself who starts the first of a three game UEFA sanctioned touchline ban. This means it will be the new number 2, Steve Bould who will manage the squad tonight. How this affects the club is unknown but in the past the change in manager hasn’t really affected the team as they’ve been pretty successful when Wenger has been watching the match from afar.
How the Match Should Play Out:
This is a pretty hard one to call. Of course we can expect Arsenal to get most of the ball. It is there style and Montpellier aren’t known for the ball control. As its a continental match, I suspect that it will be an open affair affording Arsenal plenty of space to play their game. It’s more than likely that Arsenal will come out quickly to try and snatch an early goal and settle down the 30,000 fans supporting the home side. By controlling the ball it should be a game suited to Giroud who does his best work in the box. In the end look for Arsenal to come out France with a convincing first win.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Oliver Giroud. The join leading scorer of Ligue 1 last year gets his first taste of Champion’s league football, not with the team he carried there, but with his new team. Leaving the confines of the Premier League might be a good tonic to help him open his scoring account.
Montpellier: Younés Belhanda. With Giroud no longer at Montpellier, he is their biggest threat. He likely will offer the Arsenal defense their biggest challenge so far of this early season.
Projected Lineups:
Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Diaby, Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski, Giroud
Montpellier: Jourdren; Bocaly, Yanga-Mbiwa, Hilton, Bedimo; Saïhi, Estrada; Cabella, Belhanda, Mounier; Camara.
Arsenal Injuries and Suspensions:
Szczesny (ankle), Fabianski (back), Wilshere (knee), Sagna (leg), Rosicky (knee) Frimpong (knee)
Leading Scorers (UCL):
Arsenal:
Montpellier:
Domestic Form (last 5)
Arsenal: DDWW
Montpellier: LWLL
Head to Head Tournament Stats:
|
Arsenal |
Montpellier |
|
| Goals Scored |
0 |
0 |
| Attempts on Target |
0 |
0 |
| Attempts off Target |
0 |
0 |
| Corners |
0 |
0 |
| Offsides |
0 |
0 |
| Fouls Committed |
0 |
0 |
| Yellow Cards |
0 |
0 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
0 |
Match Official:
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)
Assistant referees: Roberto Alonso Fernández (ESP), Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez (ESP)
Additional assistant referees: Carlos Gómez (ESP), Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Fourth official: Roberto Díaz Pérez del Palomar (ESP)
Broadcast Information:
US: Fox Soccer Channel 5:00 PM EST (rebroadcast)
UK: SkySports 2 HD 1945 GMT
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
Montpellier: 0
3 comments
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LOL….Stag finally has the site to himself…. Everybody else just waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. Soon enough, we can only hope…..
Despite the win and being well set up for limping through our group as the Autumn moves on, I was mystified by the line-up and the lack of subs. Arteta, Cazorla, Poldoski and (most particularly) Diaby played the whole match (or nearly so) and it was a long one, given that we had to come from behind and that the referee was (typically) unpredictable. Bould clearly believes that we can be comfortable without the ball and the result doesn’t lie (as they say) but it’s equally clear that we rode our luck in the second half and that our attacking group grew awfully leggy as they chased and chased and chased…..
Given the bsrn-burner up in Madrid and very weird defensive arrangements and performances (and criticism by keeper Hart) it’s not really the time to take on a wounded ManCity squad. I guess the thought is that 5 days is plenty to get everybody refreshed and that a compact squad and maybe a 3-7-0 is the way forward.
In other words, I’d look for the same line-up with maybe the Ox in for Giroud on Sunday (but on the right, Gerv in the middle again?). It’s all a little strange, IMO, but there seems a conviction that we can compete by keeping players back, hustling and flooding the MF. Long balls to Giroud (our best hold-up player in ages?) might be plan B and/or the quickest way to dispense with Coventry in the league cup. Who (the f**k) knows? My hunch is that City may prove a sterner test than (wasteful) Montpellier…..
The other issue seems to be Sneezy’s injury and Mannone being in the right place at the right time. Do we hope those items persist? I dunno, despite the good results, (and esp. at GK…..) I get the feeling that hope IS the best plan for the match ahead and in lieu of that, being able to make a speedy (mental) recovery from a (potential) beat down could also be very important. After all, we can’t really expect to go to the home of the league champions and get a result. Certainly the (compact, predictable) squad should get their chance, with the following midweek match maybe a chance to add some characters into the mix before the home match vs Chelsea.
I think everybody’s gone!
I have the whole website to myself!!!
Not a single comment other than mine after a CL win!
That my friends, is APATHY!
I figured we could win, if we played to win… Montpellier has not started well without their “talisman”… Giroud.
He didn’t score, but set up our first for Poldi.
They definitely came on strong against us in the 2nd half, but we held on nicely for the win.
Wenger must be over the moon now… Top 4 in the league, and a win in the CL on the road!
Arsene Wenger, RIGHT AGAIN!!
;)
Amazing game between City and Real Madrid…
City will be in a bad mood after blowing that game!
Wenger refuses to sign a new deal… (that bastard Judas, SELL HIM!)
and ManU profits SOAR… (sorry for all those folks waiting for their financial demise, ain’t happenin’!)
and alas, we have CL Football again.
I was hoping this game was later in the CL stages, I wanted to travel to France!
But I think it should be a good atmosphere, and I think if we play to WIN, we will…
GIROUD to get his first today.
Enjoy.