Match Preview: Arsenal v Hull City; Limping to a win?

“Injuries to left of me, injuries to the right, here I am stuck on the physio table with Giroud.”

Gallows humor, or as Lord Byron so aptly put it:

If I laugh at any mortal thing, tis that I may not weep

The fact that Arsenal are once again top of the Premier League table, is laughable, sad, and frustrating all at once. The Gunners are left without key cogs yet again, when they are most needed. Really, Byron captures it perfectly, I laugh at it all so I don’t cry. You just can’t make this stuff up.

And while everyone wants to blame Wenger for this, can you really do that? If the story is true, it turns out Wenger had no real insight into Özil’s possible injury. What could he do about the ball striking Giroud’s foot, or Debuchy overstretching for the ball. What about Koscielny’s inflamed (tendonitis) laden ankles that either happened before or during the World Cup.

Okay wenger has to take the brunt of criticism for not getting a suitable back up at CB or a DM but those pale in comparison to the injury woes and frankly, I hope that something via Shad Forsythe can be done about because its flat out laughable at this point.

Still, there is a match to play and you have to play with the talent available at your disposal. And while Arsenal may look threadbare in some spots they certainly have enough talent to call on to do a number on Tottenham’s reject squad. With Özil out, we hopefully will see Cazorla move to the middle behind Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere take a space along side the returning Mikel Arteta. We had hoped that Theo would be available for this match on the bench, but he featured for the U21s along with Serge Gnabry on Friday and likely won’t be available until the Champion’s League tie versus Anderlecht next week.

Coming in for the injured and suspended defenders are likely to be Hector Bellerin in for Chambers who is suspended for too many yellow cards and Nacho Monreal for Koscielny who is out with tendonitis in both ankles. It wouldnt surprise me however, if Wenger through a curve ball at us all and put Hayden in the central defense. Still Monreal featured in pre-season at CB and seems to be Wengers 4th choice CB at this moment.

And to me that’s the biggest substitution worry I have in this match. Bellerin slots in fine at the RB position but Monreal as we all know is a LB not a CB and isn’t the quickest player in the world. As a tandem with the BFG our central defenders are only marginally faster than an aircraft carrier turning in the wind. And while Hull may seem an easy team, the duo of Jelavic and Hernandez give them a strong duo up front that could give the Arsenal tandem some problems. Jelavic is the classical striker, sitting up top, back to the defense, holding up play and feeding the ball while the Hernandez is mobile and quick.

The hope for Arsenal is that their speedy front with Cazorla supporting can create space out wide forcing the FBs to stretch out and leave areas for our attackers to make runs and create chances.

Something needs to change for this squad. We’ve been lethargic on most occasions and the injury bug has riddled this squad. At some point someone has to step up and say enough is enough and inject some energy and hope into this squad and into this fan base. We’ve been hearing how the “boys are mentally up for it.” I’m sorry outside of a few moments there hasn’t been much on display this season to make me believe that. The thing is, I think there is enough in the squad to make a solid run between now and when the season switches over to the down hill turn. But it’s all go to stop and it’s got to stop now – good thing is, I expect it shall.

Players to watch:
Arsenal. Santi Cazorla. Not because he is filling in for Özil at the #10 role but because Santi continues to show why is he the most important player Arsenal have. He is the spark and the engine and with his two-footed nature he is always likely come up with something out of nothing. Oh, and lest we forget, last time he faced Hull he single handedly turn the match upside down.

Hull. Nikica Jelavic. Already has totaled his goal tally from last season.

Projected Lineups:

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Hull City (3-5-2)

Injuries & Suspensions:
Arsenal: Chambers (suspended – 1), Debuchy (ankle), Giroud (foot), Koscielny (Achilles), Özil (knee), Ramsey (hamstring), Sanogo (hamstring)

Hull City: McGregor (shoulder), Snodgrass (knee)

Head to Head

Infographic: Seasonsal Stats Compaison

Match Officials:
Referee: Roger East (1M, 3Y 0R)
Assistant Referees: Beck, Nunn
Fourth Official: Foy

Broadcast Information:
UK: Highlights on BBC MOTD
US: NBCSN Extra Time 10:00 AM EST

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal 3 – 1 Hull City

Match Facts (courtesy FourFourTwo)

• Arsenal have won their last five Premier League games against Hull City, since losing their first ever PL meeting in September 2008.
• Nikica Jelavic has already equalled his Premier League goal tally from 2013-14 in just seven games this season (4). He played 25 times last season.
• Jelavic now has eight goals in 23 Premier League games for Hull City; only Geovanni (11) has more goals in the competition for the Tigers.
• The Gunners have won just one of their last six Premier League matches (W1 D4 L1); this after winning their previous six in a row.
• No Arsenal player has assisted more than one goal in the Premier League this season. Seven Arsenal players have one assist to their name, as many as former Gunner Cesc Fabregas has alone (7) for Chelsea.
• The Gunners have not lost back to back Premier League matches since January 2013.
• Since he made his Premier League debut in August 2010, no player in the competition has given away more penalties than Laurent Koscielny (7).
• This is Arsenal’s joint-second worst league start to a season under Arsene Wenger (10 points from seven games, same as 98/99) – the worst being 2011-12 (seven points from seven games).
• Hull City have not won back to back Premier League games since September 2013, despite winning nine matches since then.
• The Tigers have won just one of their last 12 Premier League trips to London (W1 D2 L9), but this victory came in their only trip to the capital this season (1-0 at QPR in August).