EPL Match Day 11: Arsenal v Newcastle United; Match Preview
Here come the barcodes
I’ve been reading a couple of things with some slight amusement – Gareth Bale is supposedly as good as Messi, Newcastle United are suddenly NOT the Newcastle United of old and that Arsenal’s loss in the Champion’s League was somehow unexpected.
I won’t address Gareth Bale as I think the Spuds losing to Bolton quite admirably did that for me. So I will turn my attention to things more important like this weekend’s tie between the barcodes from Tyneside and the red and white army from London.
In week 11 of the English Premier League 2010-2011 season, The team from on Tyne comes to London with all the gumption of a contending team. A lot has been written in the press about their impressive win against Sunderland last week. And it was impressive. They shredded a team that is managed well and on it’s day (as we know) can give contending teams a little bit of tussle. The prognosticators then have been ranting and raving about the succes of Carroll and Nolan and not to mention the rebirth of Joey Barton.
Fair enough the team did well. And frankly all the talk about manager Chris Houghton being sacked is quite perplexing because the team has done very well. The thing is – let me remind you – for all their success – they are still Newcastle United. The fact that ownership – that fat whale with the HP sauce on his bib who’s name I can’t remember shows his complete lack of footballing brains by even suggesting Houghton should be fired. The team itself as Arsenal fans should know is a a club we like to play. We’re undefeated in the last 6 tries against them and have only lost 1 in the last 15 meetings. Finally, Newcastle for the new found way to tnet have only scored once in their last 7 trips to Arsenal – a 1-1 draw in 2006.
Carroll and Nolan are strikers (Nolan is actually a midfielder) we are going to have to contend with but I think our defence is well suited to the task. Koscileny has proven up for the task and has done quite well against some of the stronger strikers int he league. Carroll’s main advantage is his height but Koosh and Squillaci are no slouches either. As a tandem they have done quite well and while I still cringe on corners and set pieces – its not always the look away disaster it has been in the past.
For Arsenal the task is easily defined, win and stay within a whisper of a Chelsea slip up. Lose and sit firmly in third. The Gunners need to show some set of resilency coming off the loss. But unlike the press I am not so stunned by the mid week loss. The team we went in with wasn’t our strongest. Wenger, looked to take advantage of the points they had and rest some key players. The players we had were good but they were playing against a team that has been absolutely solid at home. Throw in the fact that Arsenal have never travelled well to the Ukraine and the loss isn’t as suprising and in my opinion is more of a hiccup than something for the Gunners faithful to be concerned with.
What we need to concern ourselves with is focusing in our continued success in the league. For everyone that said we were dead after the appalling losses to Chelsea and West Brom – we are back in the hunt. Ultimately what we need to do is refortify at home or as Laurent Koscielny said – make Arsenal at home an “unbreakable” team (that means ankles too). The team has been good at home though the loss to West Brum and hard fought wins against Birmingham and West Ham may make it seem like it has been otherwise. Teams need to find it difficult to play in our yard. How we do that is successfully play our football with an added defencive dimension.
The club itself look set to be in good form, Walcott is back and could start. Fabregas, Song, and others were “rested” midweek due to “injuries” and are slated to return. And Jack Wilshere is fresh off his 3 match domestic ban. All in all the team is getting healthy and when healthy it can compete with any team in the top tier of the league.
How It Should Play Out:
I suspect Newcastle are going to come at us right away. Carroll has been yapping in the press about where our weaknesses are. However, Carroll musn’t have watched us lately as I don’t Arsenal as much of a physical pushover as we have been in the past. I don’t think though that Newcastle have an answer for an in form Theo Walcott or can handle the dynamic abilities of a midfield of Fabregas and Wilshere. Walcott shredded Newcastle in the Carling Cup. And while some of the Newcastle team is different, some isn’t – Theo if he continues in his form will have his way wit this defence.
Players To Watch:
Arsenal: Duh!!! Theo Walcott is showing exactly what he can do when applies himself. Look for it to continue and his pace to absolutely force Newcastle into errors.
Newcastle: Joey Barton. Why oh why not, I think he is still a useless twat and what not but he has come back to life in this new Toon side.
Probable Starting XI:
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Almunia (elbow) Vermaelen (achilles) Van Persie (ankle) Ramsey (ankle) Frimpong (knee) Gibbs (knee) Diaby (ankle)
Newcastle: Ben Arfa (leg), Best (ankle), Campbell (thigh), Gosling (knee), Harper (shoulder) Taylor (shoulder)
Last Meeting (Carling Cup):
Arsenal: 4
Newcastle: 0
Last 5:
Arsenal: LLWWW
Newcastle: LLDWW
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Nasri 7 (4 league) Walcott 7 (4 league) Chamakh 6 (3 league) Arshavin 5 (2 League)
Newcastle Nolan 7 (7 League) Ameobi 6 (3 League)
Match Officials:
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referees: Simon Beck & Simon Long
Fourth Official: Peter Walton
Broadcast Information:
US:Foxsoccer.tv 8:30 AM EST
UK: Sky Sports 1 1330 BST
Feeds:
www.atdhe.net
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
Newcastle: 1
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