Up Next... Arsenal at home - pre-match thread

[treer]

At the moment expecting to beat Arsenal, cannot be in any way classed as over confidence.

W e are rated 50% to win by football punters all over the globe

[car1os]

Suppose you have to take your victories wherever you can... 😆

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7656727/Arsenal-substitutes-wild-nutmegging-ballboy-rondo-ahead-clash-against-Vitoria.html

 

On a more serious note... I’m expecting a close game on Saturday.  Arsenal rested their first team against Vitoria, so can’t use that game as a basis in how Saturday will go. I’m flattered Emery has done this, clearly he’s more focussed on the Leicester fixture than a European game.

 

On form we should win but I have a horrible feeling that Pepe will score a free kick and one of Aubameyang or Lacazette will score... 

Edited 7 November 2019 by car1os

[TheLittleBigMan]

we'll smash these lot. They are dog sh*t.

[KingKoala]

I have a bad feeling about this game now Ozil is expected to play.

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, KingKoala said:

I have a bad feeling about this game now Ozil is expected to play.

He battered us at their place last season but since 15/16, he hasn’t really turned up at the KP when he has played. 
 

they do have the ability to ‘turn us over’ .... suspect Brendan won’t be drawn into making it a ‘game of basketball’ as their forward talent is exceptional if allowed to play freely.  to that end, expecting us to steamroller them will probably result in disappointment......... BR is too pragmatic and with the opportunity to put 9 points between us after a third of the season won’t be missed tactically. We did allow spurs the space to play a lot of football at our place and I do wonder if we may see a change/tactical tweak to the recent ‘settled’ line up. 

[Nicolo Barella]

I think we could see the return of Praet or Hamza in this game

[TheUltimateWinner]

8 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I think we could see the return of Praet or Hamza in this game

As good as they both are, I hope not, our current system works and wouldn't want to break it. 

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

5 minutes ago, TheUltimateWinner said:

As good as they both are, I hope not, our current system works and wouldn't want to break it. 

I completely agree. The back 4 and Wilf know their role, and because of this, are the best defense in the division. Whenever Brendan tries to "strengthen" us defensively, it just leaves everyone confused. Admittedly, they looked okay with three at the back to close out Palace, but against Burnley they lost the plot when Morgan came on.

 

If we need to manage the game in the final minutes, I'd rather see Hamza come on than Morgan, to tell the truth.

[UniFox21]

Obviously not their full strength team, but still full of talented players. This kinda stat should be embarrassing for them

[sylofox]

12 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Obviously not their full strength team, but still full of talented players. This kinda stat should be embarrassing for them

The vitoria map looks like a 4yr old has drawn it

[weller54]

1 hour ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I think we could see the return of Praet or Hamza in this game

Why change the side that started against Southampton and Palace? 

[Gerard]

6 minutes ago, weller54 said:

Why change the side that started against Southampton and Palace? 

 

We certainly shouldn't be giving them too much respect.

 

4-1-4-1 which we look a much better side playing and play our game. They're not good enough to change your system for. 

[urban fox]

Really hope BR does not go down the safety first route. I know that arsenal can hurt us on the break with their forward line but if we paly to our strengths and keep them on the back foot then we are more than capable of winning this.  I really do hope that we have learnt our lessons from the Man utd games and play to our own strengths rather than tactics being dictated by the opposition. we are the home side after all and these are suspect other than their forward line. It may be tempting to think that a draw would be a good result but on current form I truly believe that we should be going all out for a win here. I would rather see us go down having a real go than playing safe. Even a loss leaves us three points clear and the chance to go 9 points and open up a real safety cushion should be taken

[Dahnsouff]

Imagine we will either see the "backed into a corner" type performance from Arsenal, which could hurt, as |Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, etc can all be wonderful players, if they are on it.

Or we will see another "wtf are we doing after?" type performance, when they just look like they cannot be bothered and want Unai to bugger off.

Fingers crossed for option 3 (Where they accidentally concede 5 without response)

[StriderHiryu]

We played 4141 against Spurs at home and won and I’d argue when we played them they were in better form and considered the better team than Arsenal. Don’t forget that at Liverpool Rodgers also engineered a masterclass against Wenger for Liverpool when they went 4-0 up in the first 20 minutes. 

 

This arsenal team is fragile and lacking in confidence. Rodgers will demand a fast start and I feel that plus a raucous home crowd will get the job done. 

[turtmcfly]

1 hour ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I think we could see the return of Praet or Hamza in this game

 

Seriously - to negate what? Even if Arsenal at home was a game for an alternative set up (with this Arsenal team, in the state they're in, it isn't) what has the 2 DM approach actually achieved this season? Based on the current table, its best contribution has been a draw against a Chelsea team we could have beaten.

[Dahnsouff]

46 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Obviously not their full strength team, but still full of talented players. This kinda stat should be embarrassing for them

F**k me - thats a shocking map, and tantamount to sackable offences.

Can it really all be down to Emery??? 

Maybe social media takes more time than I think, and training has to take a back seat 

 

[Gordon the Great]

12 hours ago, urban fox said:

Their fans are really not happy bunnies are they.  Even towards the end of Puel's reign i had come to the conclusion that it was time for him to go but i never actually wanted us to lose. They must be the worlds worst whingers. I can understand that they are a bit frustrated, the team is a shambles, they have several under performers and have a  manager who for some reason seems to persistently leave out their best player. Expecting to lose is one thing but actually wanting it is another.

Bring it on..... couldn't be a better time to play them, just a shame that it is not at the Emirates as the atmosphere would be toxic and work in our favour

Don`t underestimate these, they are always dangerous even when they aren't playing well.They are still Arsenal and like us can beat anyone on the day....confident but not arrogant.....caution is the watchword.

[Gordon the Great]

26 minutes ago, urban fox said:

Really hope BR does not go down the safety first route. I know that arsenal can hurt us on the break with their forward line but if we paly to our strengths and keep them on the back foot then we are more than capable of winning this.  I really do hope that we have learnt our lessons from the Man utd games and play to our own strengths rather than tactics being dictated by the opposition. we are the home side after all and these are suspect other than their forward line. It may be tempting to think that a draw would be a good result but on current form I truly believe that we should be going all out for a win here. I would rather see us go down having a real go than playing safe. Even a loss leaves us three points clear and the chance to go 9 points and open up a real safety cushion should be taken

Really good post.

[Dahnsouff]

Agree @Gordon the Great - lets not get billy big RAWK for this match. Arsenal are a good squad of players (Excluding a laughable defence) who are either badly coached or just plain unmotivated.

[surrifox]

11 hours ago, urban fox said:

Yeah i saw that one too. cracked me up. At least some of them have a sense of humour. Best bit is that it got a few . you gotta love 'em

I liked "Lord Vardy will be coming to the rescue this weekend"

[UniFox21]

42 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Agree @Gordon the Great - lets not get billy big RAWK for this match. Arsenal are a good squad of players (Excluding a laughable defence) who are either badly coached or just plain unmotivated.

They're a great team, when they turn up. Aubameyang is a world class striker, Lacazette as well. Ozil can unlock defences without looking bothered, just look at the last time we played them at their place. 

Leno as well is an ace keeper.

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

They're a great team, when they turn up. Aubameyang is a world class striker, Lacazette as well. Ozil can unlock defences without looking bothered, just look at the last time we played them at their place. 

Leno as well is an ace keeper.

Yes, important not to lose sight of that and expect to win by default

Its just their bad luck that currently we are better 

[Billy Big Balls]

Arsenal have played 4312 recently, the same as Spurs did against us. Every time we play against a narrow team Brendan likes to match us up in the 442 diamond. He did it in preseason against Stoke and although we started in 4141 against Spurs, he changed to the 442 diamond at 1-0 down just after VAR ruled out the second. If I remember correctly he substituted Perez for Praet so the team on the field was:

               Schmeichel 

Pereira Evans Soyuncu Chilwell 

                    Ndidi 

        Praet          Tielemans 

                Maddison 

         Barnes           Vardy 

Spurs struggled to cope when we matched up against them and we came back to win 2-1. 

 

I'm still not sure if I'd like to see us try a narrow formation but there's a good chance we will see it at some point going off what Brendan has done in the past. 

[Nicolo Barella]

1 hour ago, weller54 said:

Why change the side that started against Southampton and Palace? 

I'm not saying we should, just think Rodgers might give them too much respect