Carrying the Big Mo!: Arsenal v Stoke: FA Cup Preview
Rest For The Weary?
So let me ask you this – you’ve gone top of the league. You’ve got league matches against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool over the next two weeks. In order to stay in the hunt for the title you need a healthy 1st team. It’s a challenge because you don’t really have a healthy squad. Throw in added pressure of not winning any silverware over the last 4 years. How seriously do you take the FA Cup and what squad do you field?
Well we should get the answer to all that Sunday when Arsenal travel to the Britannia stadium to take on another set of hackers – Stoke. Stoke are a side more intent on trying to cut your legs out from under you than actually playing the game. They figure if they can’t play with you, they’re sure as hell going to make sure you can’t play at all. Jamiacan striker, Ricardo Fuller believes all you need to do to beat Arsenal is play a physical game with them.
“It has been proved in thepast. Chelsea and Bolton have them up and tried to bully them. We can be rought and aggressive when we need to. But we have quality as well, so we can mix it up.
It couldn’t be a better draw, as we did well against them here last year.”
Well, Mr Fuller I would say the operative word in your statement is TRIED. Against Chelsea the only one bullying anyone in that match was Drogba – which he pretty much does to every team (when he is not diving). And against Bolton did he really watch the match? A physical side was absolutely dismantled on TWO occassions by Arsenal. The bogey of physicality may have been true in previous seasons, but this Arsenal squad have shown a very un-Arsenallike quality of absorbing the beatings and focusing in on their game. Still in a few occassions they have meted out their own punishment. Rosicky (when healthy) and Vermaelen have shown themselves to be more than able to dishout as good as they get.
Still, the quandry for Arsenal is what squad to start in light of what happens in the fixture list right AFTER this FA Cup tie. Arsenal Their league hopes while they wouldn’t be quashed would take a hit if they weren’t healthy for the next four games. Players need to rest and be ready for that quantlet of matches. Surely coming out that with 8 or 9 points keeps them in it or still in first. Arsene confirmed that reserve players Jay-Emmanuel Thomas, .Kyle Bartley, Francis Coquelin, GIles Sunu, and Craig Eastmond have all been called up. All of them starting is unlikely but some of them should feature.
However, the best story of the match is the possibility that former Arsenal Captain Sol Campbell is set to get the nod to start at CB for the first time since he left the club in 2006. By all indications the former England man is in pretty good shape. Reporters following the club seem to think he looks like he is in pretty good shape and the manager has been pleasantly suprised at his fitness. And frankly if Stoke do want to play physical, I can’t think of anyone more suited for that type of game than the brick wall of a defender.
Stoke have to be wary of Arsenal, they are undefeated in their last nine matches in all competitions. They’ve won their last three on the road and have not lost a domestic away match since the 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the Carling Cup. Stoke for their part have won have gone back and forth in their league form winning their last match but drawing once and losing the previous three matches. Their challenge is tob ump an Arsenal side out of the FAC that have only been dismissed in the 4th round of the FA Cup once in the last nine seasons.
The task for the Gunners will be to beat a Stoke side that haven’t lost to Arsenal at home since 1990 (FA Cup). However, in the last seven times Arsenal and Stoke have met on in the FA Cup, Arsneal have proceeded to the next round each time.
Regardless of the stats the match is important if for anything else it continues the momentum that Arsenal have carried since their loss to Chelsea. And while most of the first teamers will rest and heal there should be enough talent to draw on to have an effective match against the Potters.
How the Match Should Play Out:
Look for Stoke to try and to do exactly as Fuller as said be physical with the Gunners. I think that this is at the peril of the club. If they are intent of just clubbing their way through the match and not playing it will only be a matter of time before they are carved open. If they don’t adopt a pressing style similar to what Everton and Bolton did they will surely be the next team vanquished. Look for Vela or Walcott up in the central role. I’d go for Walcott in the central role but knowing Wenger he is likely to put Vela there because of his ability to dish the ball. I expect Arsenal to try and outrun the Potters early and take the Britannia faithful out of it. A goal early opens up the game and takes away the possibility of a more physical match.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Sol Campbell. The link back to the glory days. He is set to return and is chomping at the bit to show he still has the class necessary to compete. Many will argue that Sol has lost his pace. Can I ask – when did Sol ever have pace? His ability to read the game was his strength. He has an uncanny to see a play develop and get himself in position to make the play he needs to make. When he featured against West Ham’s resereves he was clearly more talented than any reserve play and in dropped right back into directing the players on the pitch. It will be interesting to see if the experiement works. If it does – good one for Arsene if not – let the moaning begin.
Stoke: Robert Huth could make his 100th club start.
Probable Starting XIs:
Might be some slight changes
Injuries/Unavailable:
Arsenal: Nasri (hamstring), Merida (ankle), Diaby (ankle) Bendtner (groin) Djourou (knee) Gibbs (ankle) Van Persie (ankle) Senderos (foot), Ebou (ACoN) Song (ACoN)
Stoke: Beattie (knee), Delap (groin), Faye (ankle)
Match Officials:
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referees: David Richardson & Jeremy Simpson
Fourth Official: Lee Probert
Recent League Form:
Arsenal: WWWWW
Stoke: DWLLL
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YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal – 2
Bolton – 1
