Arsenal v Sunderland; Premier League Match Preview

There are two questions  facing Arsenal this week. The first is the same one we’ve been asking for most of this season – which Arsenal team will show up to the Stadium of Light. The second question is whether or not Martin O’Neill will once again pull up his great big red & white striped Sunderbus and try and get Arsenal on the counter.

I’m now going to say something that I know a few readers won’t believe or can’t see – but on its day the Arsenal starting XI are as good as any XI in the Premier League. Let that stew for a moment. Let me say it again – on its day the Arsenal starting XI are as good as any in the Premier League.

For a moment try and put aside any of your grievances about Wenger, the board and the mentality of this club (we’ll get that in a second.) Now, take a look around the league and you will see that top to bottom there isn’t one team in this league that can defend. Even Manchester United for all their ability to run away with the league this year – they already have let in more goals than at any other time in a similar part of the season.

Simply put the defending of Arsenal is just as bad as everyone else’s.  The fact that Arsenal are within a sniffing distance of third after such a crap run is a testament to that. The Premier League is just poor this season.

Where Arsenal are deficient are in a couple of areas. First off, the entire team hasn’t clicked together. At some times we have 2-4 players playing well, a few others doing alright and 2-3 just playing like absolute shit.  The dovetails into the next component which is consistency – if Arsenal were all clicking together at the right time you might see less of a frenetic up and down season with peaks and troughs close together, and  more of a season where the peaks went on for a while and the troughs were about a couple of weeks.

Add poor consistency on the fact that at times certain players seem to approach the game with no desire, no hunger or just look plain lost and you can further identify why Arsenal are in the predicament they find themselves in.

Finally, when everything else seems to be going right, there is always one clown who makes a stupid, boneheaded mistake that winds up costing us – Koscielny wrapping up Aguerro comes to mind or Vermaelen’s idiotic misguided pass to the feet of van Persie.  Arsenal have been their own worst enemy this season.

Now, when you see all this happen you end up a game thinking – we deserved to lose with those kind of performances.  But have you walked away from a game and said “we deserved to lose” because the performance of the opposition was that much better? I haven’t. From the clubs we’ve played against, I haven’t really watched one team truly dominate us – except for Swansea. That match I felt from start to finish we were outplayed – but you could make an argument (that’s been confirmed by the players) that Arsenal completely overlooked Swansea.  But I don’t – that game – we got beat soundly.

Now let me be clear. I do believe we have a good Xi. I feel we are weak on the bench. I feel there are issues with an inability to make tactical changes as the opposition dictates.  But it doesn’t change the fact that Arsenal can achieve something this year.

I’ve heard people say they only way there can be change is to have Arsenal and Arsene Wenger fail. No matter how frustrated I get with this team its neigh on impossible I will ever allow myself to go there. I will not and cannot root against this team and wishing for it to fail is just that.

I want change but not at that cost.

So what’s all this got to do about Sunderland? Sunderland and the great red & white Sunderbus are another step forward if Arsenal so choose it. While they’ve certainly improved over the season, they are a team Arsenal should beat.

Forget the stories you’ll hear about the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light – its crap. Sure the beer is cheap but it’s just as crappy as the atmosphere.  Arsenal can go into this away match and come out with all 3 points and they need to.

As crappy as the others are around us, it only takes another misstep for the Gunners to lose ground.  So they have to go into this match with all the purpose they can muster.  There can’t be any let downs.  The good thing for Arsenal is that Sunderland have just as inconsistent at home as the Gunners and the home side have only managed 14 goals at the Stadium of Light. Conversely, they aren’t allowing a lot either at just over 1 a game. So Arsenal are going to have to find their chances and take them.

Players to Watch:

Arsenal: Jack Wilshere. He absolutely was a star against Brazil. Hell, he probably had Brazil wishing they had a Jack Wilshere. While it’s too early to foist lofty expectations on the lad – he continues to show he has the mettle and shoulders to handle it all.

Sunderland: Danny Graham.  A shock move by O’Neill brought the Swansea striker to Sunderland. Whether he gets the nod or not remains to be seen.

Projected Lineups:

Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal:  Gibbs (thigh), Coquelin (hamstring), Gervinho (international duty), Fabianski (match fitness) Vermaelen (ankle).

Sunderland: Cattermole (knee – fitness test) , Cuellar (hamstring), Brown (MCL)

Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Walcott 11

Sunderland: Fletcher 10

Assists Leaders:
Arsenal: Podolski 9

Sunderland:  Johnson 4

Last Meeting (EPL):
Arsenal: 0

Sunderland: 0

Goals For:
Arsenal (away): 1.3

Sunderland (home): 1.2

Goals Against:
Arsenal (away): 0.9

Sunderland: (home): 1

Last Five:
Arsenal: WDWLL

Sunderland: LDWWL

Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 20

Sunderland: -5

Match Official:
Referee: Anthony Taylor. Matches 16, R4 Y36

Broadcast Information:
US: FoxSoccer Plus 10:oo AM EST

UK: BBC Match of the Day One (Highlights)

YAMA Prediction:

Arsenal: 2

Sunderland: 1