Match Preview: Arsenal v Swansea City: EPL Match Day 4

Ah, after the frenetic chaos that is the summer transfer window close and the pointlessness that is the international fixtures, it is finally nice to have some football back. And after all that mess, it would be fair to say this has to be considered almost a re-start to the season for Arsenal.
We endured the transfers of our biggest star and the biggest money grubbing . . . We also endured the endless rumours of the transfer speculation, hits misses and everything else in between. We also had the ignominious raping at Old Trafford that really got all our panties in a twist. But its gone and there are changes in the squad and for some fans there is a desire to fall in love with the team again. And yet, there are others who still think we are going to fall short.
Whatever your view is, it all starts again with the match at home against Swansea City. Swansea are this season’s debuante darlings and even though they have yet to score a goal they are putting on apt performances having eeked out two draws and made Man City work for their win. They do well to build from the back and feature a stout defence. They like to play in a 4-3-3 and much like another team we know, play to keep the ball.
For Arsenal much that happens on the pitch is going to seem strange to the fans. For the first time in a while the man at the center of the pitch pulling the strings won’t be a name we’ve seen before in Arsenal red. Last minute signing Mikel Arteta from Everton, is set to make his debut as the lynchpin in the Arsenal midfield. While the press are quick to try and draw us into the “replacing Nasri or Cesc” debate it is not fair to the player or any player to be compared to anything except what they do on the pitch themselves. Arteta while suffering from some injuries while at Everton, is a creative and capable player more than apt at filling in the role and making it his own. In fairness to him, he hasn’t had some of the talent around him that he finds himself with now. He hopefully will come out looking to show he belongs.
Also likely to make their Arsenal debut is Per Mertesacker. Merte, as he has been called, is looking to emulate the play of his Arsenal hero, Tony Adams. There are few people who could find a better player to emulate but Merte is no slouch. He has 75 international caps to his name. Has played in a league that is as good as the EPL. While Mertesacker would likely be better off with Vermaelen as his partner, he will start with Koscielny who is showing a rapid ascendence of prominence in the English game. He still makes mistakes but he shows constant improvement. They should be good at the center of the defence. What will be interesting is if with Merte in the line up Wenger resorts to old form and abandons the high line, instead opting for one of the CBs to venture forward if it is warranted.
Arsenal will also be bouyed by the returns Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Frimpong who all return from illness, injury and suspension respectively. Obviously the ones we will miss, Vermaelen, Wilshere and Gervinho (and Song) will be sorely missed. Though this is the last missed match for Gervinho and Song with this being the third match they will miss from their Newcastle suspensions.
Arsenal need to move on beyond the frustration of the first three weeks. They need to show that they can pull up the boot straps take the renewed excitement (and yes its there) about the team and run with it – literally. They need to get back to Arsenal football. And if that means grinding out 1-0 wins – so be it. I have to be honest, Boring Boring Arsenal is something I would be happy with so long as it meant winning. Either way, this team needs to show that it can be competitive. That it can win. This run of three games are all very winnable fixtures. If they falter here it will not take long for any questions to be asked.
How the Match Should Play Out:
Swansea as we said built from the back and they have a pretty good defending corps. They were resolute against City but once they made a mistake it was all over. Swansea like to to play football and in a 4-3-3, it plays into Arsenal’s hands. The question will be whether or not Arsenal are able to take advantage of the mistakes. Look for Arsenal to try and take advantage of being at home and build some early momentum. Walcott who has been in impressive form early on for the Gunners and international duty should have his way with the Swansea defence.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Mikel Arteta. He comes into central midfield with a lot of expectations placed him. He is is own man and his own player and he should show exactly why he is both of these in this match.
Swansea: Scott Sinclair. Has the ability to beat players one-on-one but is failing to deliver with any sort of shot consistency.
Projected Starting XI
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Gervinho (suspended – 1) Song (suspended – 1) Wilshere (ankle) Diaby (ankle) Vermaelen (ankle) Rosicky (knee) Squillaci (calf)
SCFC: Situ (inelligible – awaiting clearance) Halliche (inelligible – awaiting clearance)
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: Walcott 3 (1 league) Van Persie 2 (1 league)
SCFC:
Goals For:
Arsenal (home): 0
SCFC (away): 0
Goals Against:
Arsenal (home): 2
SCFC: (away): 4
Last Five:
Arsenal: LLD
SCFC: DDL
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: -8
SCFC: -4
Match Official:
Referee: Stuart Atwell
Broadcast Information:
US: FSC 1000 AM EST
UK: ???? 1500 BST
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
SCFC: 0
Final Words:
If the international break is any indication of our boys finding form then the Gunners could benefit from the time away their players spent with their national teams. New boy Ju-Young Park scored a hat-trick (header, goalazo, and rough angle shot) for South Korea in their match against Lebanon. Robin Van Persie scored 4 in Holland’s demolition of its opponent. Ramsey scored against Montenegro and was man of the match against England. Arshavin for the first time in a long time looked lively playing for Russia and wasn’t crucified by the Russian press. Walcott while he didn’t score looked very good up front for England. In the Poland v German match, one pundit said there was only one world class player on the pitch that day – Szczesny.
For the the most part Arsenal’s lads did well. They did not return with a plethora of new injuries. Though, Rosicky took a kick to the knee and is doubtful for the Swansea match. All in all it was a good international break. It came at the right time for this club and we can all hope that the boys know how to take their level of play from the internationals into the league (where it really matters.)
There were concerns that Park wouldn’t even make the bench for the match because of a Visa issue and the player was stuck in Paris. It looks like that has been worked out and Park will be in the squad along with Benayoun and Santos. Whether Santos plays is not known. His last competitive match was during Copa America and he is short on fitness. If he plays he will be on the bench.
Finally – for some extra reading might I suggest John Cross’s article on the injury issues at Arsenal. Crossie is always a good read and now has a weekly Arsenal piece every Thursday. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/john-cross/John-Cross-The-truth-about-Arsenal-injuries-Thomas-Vermaelen-Jack-Wilshere-Theo-Walcott-article795990.html
Until after the match – Stay Gooneris!!!
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Hazard turned it on last night as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqOlFMjScGs
Anyone else see Clichy’s performance for City last night?
Good to see the usual characters enjoying the three points below…..(winky face, of course)
To be frank, there was not a whole lot (beyond the result) to feel good about. Sneezy made a fine save early on and seems to know when to come off his line, Kos looked classy next to the new tall fellow who was unconvincing and Sagna begs the question why Gibbs is a first choice FB, despite playing probably the best cross delivered by an Arsenal FB in all of 2011….(Santos seems a shoe-in to be in our first 11 soon enough, no matter how out of shape he might be….)
Our 5 man midfield however was probably worse. “I pity the fool,” Mr T, used to say, and it seems his lookalike could benefit from some coaching….how to move to present an outlet, when to challenge, when to back off, how to take the easy pass….Ramsey knows these things but seems dangerously on the brink of being completely burnt out 6 matches into the season, with none of the (pre-injury) burst that allowed him to get around defenders for his (invariably right footed) final ball/shot…. Rest him on Tuesday, please…. Arteta IS a poor man’s version of Cesc: slower, less vision, a smaller range of passes. On the plus side, unlike his countryman, he seems chuffed to be wearing the shirt…..When Theo’s little sideline dance fails and he’s got nothing but the shot-cross, it ain’t pretty. And Arshavin, cool enough to convert the winner (several in the team would’ve choked it, I fear….), and with probably his best match in a year, simply cannot cover any ground at all. Benayoun, like Andrey (but at least he runs….) should be in and around the box, as he’s clearly not a “possession” MF….. I think we’ll look better on Tuesday with Song and Gervinho, but Wilshere out for the season does not bode well for creating chances against the lower teams (like depleted Swans….) where we must get full points….
Further forward, the main drama will be whether or not Captain Van Persie can keep his head up. Early on he did well with very spotty service, I thought, but it was telling that he stopped his run when he might’ve had a tap in had he completed it. And pity Makh the Horse who had his header well read by Vorm, a fine keeper who gaveth, but also tooketh away….(looking forward to seeing Park-Ju, who I pray is at least industrious…..)
Beyond individuals, criticizing tactics is all well and good, but we did grind out the result. Hopefully we can keep doing so and get our players in a more positive frame of mind. With the personnel at hand I actually think we’ll be better against the tougher teams playing on the counter and trying to “defend from the front.” Dortmund will be a good test.
The bottom line is that we struggled with basics today (esp. Gibbs, Frimpong, Theo, Arsh and Ramsey) and failed to control possession and create chances, and this, I fear, is likely to continue. Set pieces (better delivery please, Mikel and RVP…..) were also a waste but that Merte fellow is tall and Kos is actually good in the air….and we’re gonna need some cheap goals (like the one we got). We will not score as many goals as we did in years past (or as both Manc teams are doing currently), so more of the Sneezy clean sheets will be required….
Still, a win is a win AND we’ve got players coming back (and bedding in) and nobody got hurt (beyond Ramsey who trotted on for 90 mins) and more winnable (maybe) matches upcoming….It’s a thread, but I’m gonna cling to it…..
No surprises whatsoever. Extremely lucky to even get the points. Swansea needlessly showed this BS team WAY too much respect.
Arsene Wonga continues to be the tactical imbecile that he has always been.
What on earth is the point of playing ONE non-striker (RvP) at HOME against a PROMOTED side????
Especially with non of our three midfielders doing ANYTHING.
And he NEVER changed it!
Arteta is a waste of time. I have seen enough to make judgement. Same for Benayoun.
Frimpong is hands down the most brainless person I have seen wear the Arsenal shirt. The number of times he gifts possession and cheap free kicks is just incredible.
He is a worse version of that other mediocre “footballer” Alex Song.
The worst part of all this is that the majority of Arsenal fans consider Frimpong a “promising” player.
They’ll come to their senses three years from now, like they eventually did on Denilshit.
@Fred,
Yep. There’s still this hilarious perception going around that if Lord Arsene plays a youngster in the first team, then he must be some stud and future superstar, despite the amount of laughably crap rookies he’s blooded over the past few years. Craig Eastmond Gavin Hoyte say hi Arsene!
Frimpong is yet another in a long list of ‘brainless’ Arsenal youngsters to grace the shirt. Quite ironic when you consider how much emphasis Wenger likes to place on intelligence. He wouldn’t get into a championship side, and he’s done absolutely nothing in the reserves to suggest he was some precocious talent that staking a claim for first team football. Just yet another young player that is jumping in the Wenger gravy train.
The level of our performance over the last eight months has just been dire. Fifteen points in fifteen games. And if Wenger thinks this is the start of some renaissance his delusion levels are kicking into an even higher gear.
@Mazza, How about Jack Wilshere then :-)
@Fred, I think he’s got all the tools needed to become an excellent player. The maturity and calmness is clearly lacking, but are things that can be learnt. Will he though? It remains to be seen but there’s nobody at the club who’s likely to push him to become a better player. If left to his own devices does he have the mentality? ‘Zee mental stwength’ that Wenger’s always going on about. Hmmm… I’m not too sure.
But I have hope. M’Vila would have been better though…
Have to say that was NOT very impressive.
I just don’t think we have any players that stand out.
We are no better than a number of EPL teams.
We didn’t create much offensively all match.
The goal… was a joke, a gift… and we almost blew it at the end.
We’ve got 3 Arsenal players and one defender, and a mile of pitch… and Ramsey kicks a pop-up directly to their defender?
That’s the type of play that can’t happen, as 30 seconds later Swansea should have tied it up.
I think you saw today… what we are for the most part… a collection of decent players… we did NOT have a lot of possession… or chances.
Is this what Arsene was trying to create?
because a squeaking a 1-0 win over Swansea on a gift goal, is DIRE.
@stag133, That’s what you get for actually watching….. (winky face)…..
Very, very fortunate result, but I’ll take it…..
@HighburyTerraceSteve, the problem is, this was the Swans, at home… it doesn’t bode well for a road game in the Winter against the upper half of the table.
But whatever, this is what we are now.
what up, boys? i came back sunday but this is the first time i’ve turned the computer on. i’ll meet you in the gdc, steve.
a lot of players have gone out and come in. haven’t read back any of the discussion about the transfers but i’m sure it’s been interesting. personally, i am not too thrilled as none our signings are better than the players they’ve replaced. don’t know how good some of our new players, ie. jenkinson are but i can’t imagine he’s better than eboue. we’ll see.
game is kicking off now. i’ll chat you guys up later in the weekend.
It’s gone a bit quiet here on the YAMA….I guess it’s time for the team to put up or shut up and arguing about the transfers or other longer term narratives seems a little silly…..We shall see, as they say…..
I’ve watched bits of the Swansea matches in August and they look good. Their keeper, Michel Vorm, has played much bigger than his small stature. They also look very comfortable with the ball, though they’ve scored no goals, somewhat reminiscent of Arsenal in recent years. They’ve hit a lot of woodwork, however…..
No surprises with the starting line-up and you’d think (with Gervinho back next week) that this is Arshavin’s final 60 minutes to do something and stake a claim to some significant playing time so that he can get his (declared objective of) 15 goals this season. Frimpong likewise slots in for Song and would do well to just keep the ball moving, focus on his defensive positioning and not give up any fouls in bad spots. All eyes will, obviously, be on the new players to see if they can provide the (big) lift needed to stop the rot…..
But, enough has been said, and now it actually needs to happen. Count me as nervous….See you in the GDC……
Lineups:
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Frimpong, Arteta, Ramsey, Walcott, Arshavin, Van Persie (c)
@OziKenyan, Spot on DAG! well done..
Notice Mertasacker “standing out” :)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2035747/Arsene-Wenger-admits-summer-hell-Arsenal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml