Arsenal v Wigan; Premier League Match Preview

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger contend that they answered their critics by their performance on Monday night at the Madjeski.  As much as I’d like to jump on that band wagon, I’m not quite there yet. It was good performance, but there still is long road and a long season to go where, as we all know, any permeation of things can happen.

All that remains for the team to do is focus on the game that they have to play. And for Arsenal that one takes place tomorrow at the DW stadium where they face a fading Wigan squad. Arsenal should feel buoyed by their performance. It was a solid performance and it was one that you would have to expect when facing an opponent like Reading.

However, they need to do it again. And do it with some level of consistency. Only then can there be any sense that the critics will be quiet.

The positive for Arsenal is they face another squad that is depleted by injuries and has only gained 4 points from their last 7 matches. Additionally, Arsenal’s away form has been solid and they head into a stadium where they continually shine. Their only loss to Wigan at the DW is a 3-2 loss in 2010.  Arsenal won the fixture last season 4-0.

For all of Wigan’s woes, their manager still garners high praise from pundits and neutrals alike. He sets his team up to play and you continually feel if he had resources he might be able to do something. He is one of the few managers who completely depends on a 3-4-3 formation.

That 3-4-3 changes though if his team snatches a lead and goes from 3 at the back to 5.  Michael Cox of Zonal Marking in his review points out that Wigan at home enjoy a lot of possession and that’s a style that should suit Arsenal. What Arsenal can’t do is let Wigan get ahead. We’ve seen how the Gunners react to a team that puts 10 men behind a ball – to say it plainly – we don’t have a clue how to unlock it.

That is why I am in favor of going with the same lineup we went out with against Reading. 3 up top with Theo leading the line. The top three of Theo, Podolski and Chamberlain were too quick for a weak Reading defense. With 3 at the back Wigan can get overwhelmed by our speed. Additionally, that speed on the wings will help spread the field and create channels for our midfield trio to have success and enjoy the space created.

We can ill-afford to come out with the mentality that was evident in matches preceeding Reading. It has to be full on bore to get through the holiday fixtures (a little aleviated now that West Ham has been postponed) and make some headway getting into January.

Additionally, the club management cannot approach things as if one win (okay 2) fixes all our ills and improvements aren’t needed. Wenger and Gazidis have been bigging up the fact we’ve come out of our financial wildnerness. While, I won’t call for exorbitant spending, I will still call for the need ot spend and improve the squad because it’s still needed. All this has to happen if we are goint to enjoy any sort of Arsenal-desired success.

It Reading hopefully was the start of it. Wigan hopefully is the continuation of it.

How the match should play out.

A lot of it depends on how Arsenal set up. If they go with the lineup we are projecting then look for the speed demons to really try and open up Wigan early. What cannot happen is letting Wigan get a lead as we mentioned previously.  If Wigan get a lead look for them to pack it in and hamper Arsenal’s creative efforts.

Players to Watch:

Arsenal: Theo Walcott. He already has 11 goals in all competitions this season. 2 more and he will eclipse his best season ever. He is continuing to make a case for himself – either at Arsenal – or not.

Wigan: Arouna Koné. An Ivory Coast product, his scoring prowess from Spain hasn’t exactly transferred over to England. He is still a mobile scoring threat that could give Arsenal defenders problems.

Projected Lineups:

Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal:  Diaby (thigh), Fabianski (back), Santos (stomach muscle)

Wigan: Lopez (hamstring), Watson (broken leg), Miyaichi (ankle/ineligible), Crusat (knee)

Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Cazorla 7, Walcott 5, Podolski 5

Wigan:  Koné 4

Assists Leaders:
Arsenal: Podolski 5

Reading: Koné 4

Last Meeting (EPL):
Arsenal: 1

Wigan: 2

Goals For:
Arsenal (away): 1.4

Wigan (home): 1.4

Goals Against:
Arsenal (away): .9

Wigan: (home): 1.9

Last Five:
Arsenal: WWLDD

Wigan: LDLLW

Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 13

Wigan: -14

Match Official:
Referee: on Moss. Matches 8, R1 Y23.

Broadcast Information:
US: ESPN2/ESPN3 07:45 AM EST

UK: Sky Sports 3 12.45  GMT

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3

Reading: 1

The Final Word

Arsene deserves a lot of criticism. His faults are many and widely discussed but I am amazed at some of the flak he is getting for signing his 5 young British talents. Some even calling it a PR stunt to entice Walcott to sign. The Final Word

The man is damned if he does damned if he doesn’t. If he hadn’t locked up Wilshere and the group and they left in a few years time, it would’ve been argued that Arsenal couldn’t keep promising talent. Each one of the players signed is an international player – one even was Captain of his national team until the untimely death of Gary Speed.

Two of the players are widely regarded as some of the brightest talents England has had in recent memory and the other two while not world class are clearly showing an upward trajectory in terms of their development.

Sure the team has problems but the club should receive some kudos for locking these guys down. And maybe the whole vision of relying on foreign youth talent was the wrong way to go. Maybe it should’ve always been relying on young English talent. Well, Arsenal have that and have it better in many opinion’s over anyone else in the league.

So circumstances and fortunes have required Arsenal (and Arsene) to rethink how they develop the core of the team.  Arsene should’ve won something with the players he had here back in 08. That squad missed it’s chance and the squad that crashed out of the Carling Cup final was also a squad very close to competing for honors but for lack of mental preparedness.

Had they won then maybe it’s a different tune we are all talking now. But they didn’t and foreign players who have no life-long allegiance to England and Arsenal left. It’s easy for them. And yes, there is always the likelihood that any of these five players could be lured away in a few years time on big money deals, they’ve at least shown to some extent they are loyal to Arsenal.

That should be celebrated not chastised as some PR ploy.

It still remains to be seen if Wenger and Gazidis support that core with good foreign talent as they have implied. If they fail to do so then more criticsim is warranted, right now I am going to enjoy the fact that a top club that once took to the pitch without any English born players now boasts more than most of it’s direct competitors.

That should be lauded.

/Rant_Off