Arsenal to play strongest XI against Ludogorets

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After beating the chicken farmers 6-0 at home, Arsenal have a chance of securing Champions League knock out qualification with 2 games to go tonight.

With Ludogorets missing the half dozen day labourers who have been unable to get the day off work at their London building site, tonight really should be a walk in the park.

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A victory for Arsenal, and as long as PSG avoid defeat against Basel, will see Arsenal through to the next round for the umpteenth time in a row – I lose count; but I do not really care as we never win it.

There has been a lot of chatter about what side Arsenal should put out tonight:

I am of the opinion that Arsenal should put out the strongest line up possible.

Firstly, the point about Spurs. We play today, we then play again on Sunday – 12 noon (pubs on Holloway Road open at 10am). That is a full 5 days between. Plenty of time to recover before Spurs. Obviously anyone carrying a knock after Sunderland should be rested if not fit to play, but there is no need to rest anyone before Spurs.

After Spurs, we are then into another international break (thanks UEFA!). We do not play our next game until November the 19th against Man U, so there really is no benefit resting and rotating now.

I would much rather we go and win this game, then rest and rotate against PSG and Basel.

But we want to finish top of the group you all cry.

Let me get something straight, I really do not care about finishing 1st or 2nd. At the end of the day, you have to play the top sides in the Champions League at some point if you want to win it. If you get knocked out in the 2nd round, the QF or SF against them, it does not really matter if you do not win the competition.

The only benefit of getting a bit further is a little bit more money. And a few coefficient points. There is no difference between getting knocked out in the 2nd round against Bayern Munich or getting knocked out in the QF against Bayern Munich.

And finishing top does not guarantee an easier draw. Last time we finished top (2011/12), we played AC Milan in the knockout stage. We lost 4-0. There side contained the likes of 32 Abbiati, Mexes, Thiago Silva, Van Bommel , Seedorf, Ibrahimovic and Robinho.

As things stand, if we finish 2nd, we could face the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid or Juventus. But we could also face Napoli or Monaco.

Meanwhile, if we top the group, we could end up with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or Sevilla. The other sides could be Copenhagen or Besiktas.

So it does not make much of a difference finishing 1st of 2nd.

Also, looking at Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, PSG is sandwiched between trips to Man U and a home game against Bournemouth, whilst a visit to Basel is after West Ham away, and before Stoke City at home.

Between the next international break and Christmas, Arsenal play:

Saturday
Wednesday
Sunday
Wednesday
Saturday
Tuesday
Saturday
Tuesday
Sunday

9 games in 29 days. A hectic schedule. Win tonight and it means that 3 of those 9 games we can play a 2nd string. It might be sacrificing top spot in the Champions League, but it gives us the best chance of getting top spot in the Premier League.

To those out there today (I imagine you are all in bars and not reading pointless blogs) enjoy the game. I am in now way jealous that I decided to go Sunderland away rather than visit Sofia.

Up the Arsenal.

Keenos

Arsenal Form, Chelsea & Newcastle / Sunderland

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Arsenal Form

DWWDWWWWWWWDWW

Since the opening day defeat to Liverpool, Arsenal have now gone 14 games undefeated in all competitions. We are in scintillating form. With some nasty fixtures coming up (Spurs, Man U, PSG) it will be a tough job to keep that run going. But with 2 of those 3 at home, we have a chance of following up an unbeaten September and October with an unbeaten November. Starting tomorrow with a trip to Ludogorets.

Chelsea

For me, this season has been defined so far by misreporting by the media. No more so when The Guardian announced that Liverpool and Tottenham are setting a thrilling Premier League pace – when they were 3rd and 4th. Spurs now sit 5th. Still unbeaten mind!

Another narrative written incorrectly was by those who were quick to write off Chelsea. Reports even surfaced that Antonio Conte was about to get sacked.

Yes, we dicked them, but 10 games in they sit 4th. Just a point off the top.

What has been interesting is that whilst a lot has been written about how Manchester City fans need to give Pep Guardiola time whilst he rebuilds the way they play, the same ideology has not been applied to Chelsea.

Conte has now moved to his 343 (or whatever!) formation that saw him so successful at Juventus and Chelsea have now won 4 on the spin.

With players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, Chelsea are in this title race. They should not be written off.

Newcastle / Sunderland

At the back end of last season, I posed a question when Newcastle and Sunderland were fighting for the right to remain in the Premier League.

Would you rather get relegated to the Championship, and run away with the league next year, or remain in the Premier League, and have another year fighting relegation?

My thinking was simple. People love winning. Last season Sunderland saw their side win just 12 games from 38 as they finished 2 points ahead of rivals Newcastle, who won 11 of 38.

Newcastle this season have already won 11 games. Sunderland still without a win.

Whilst Sunderland are now in a relegation battle for the 5th season in a row – the last 4 seasons have seen just 35 wins, Newcastle are having fun in the Championship. On course to come straight back up, as Champions.

I guess the best way to judge it is through attendances.

At 84.1%, Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League attendance table. Meanwhile, Newcastle are on average at 96.4% full to capacity. The Championship high. Proof, perhaps, that as a fan, the short term final day pain of relegation can soon be forgotten about by a successful season in a lower league.

Goodbye Sunderland – You will not be missed

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Sunderland were awful.

There is no way of trying to big them up to make it look like Arsenal were brilliant in a 4-1 victory. Sunderland were truly awful.

An awful city, an awful football team, and awful journey there and back. There will not be a tear shed when they go down. Hopefully taking the equally awful Swansea City, Hull City or Stoke City down with them. Let’s start cleansing the Premier League of these horrible little clubs who have horrible little train journeys. They won’t be missed.

Arsenal played OK. No better than they have played recently, no worse. But Sunderland were just dreadful.

Why would you play a high line when you have John O’Shea at centre back facing Alexis Sanchez upfront? You are asking for trouble. And to compound it, 5′ 6″ Sanchez opened the scoring with a header.

All Sunderland could do was try and kick us off the pitch. Sanchez took some treatment and it is testament to his mentality that he kept it together. A lesser man (Suarez, Costa) would have got sent off or (Reyes) gone into hiding. Every time Sanchez got knocked down, he got back up again. He will wake up bruised this morning and deserves his ice bath.

How Sunderland kept 10 men on the park was only due to referee Martin Atkinson ineptness. He was as bad as Sunderland. And how he did not give that penalty I will never know. I imagine he will be joining Jon Moss in the lower leagues next weekend.

Luckily for Arsenal, two poor refereeing performances haven’t affected the results.

One thing that yesterday showed was just how much we missed Olivier Giroud.

I said after the bore draw with Boro that had Giroud been on the bench, we would have won. He is the best Plan B in Europe.

When teams are defending deep, he causes havoc in the 6 yard box with his strength. He bullies defenders, draws them towards him, and if not scoring himself, makes space for others.

Against Boro we missed him. They packed the middle and left space out wide, but we were unable to take advantage of it.

Giroud’s first goal was typical of the Frenchman. Space out wide. Cross in. Get in front of the defender.  Sweep it in with his left foot. 2-1.

He gets his critics, but remember, he was always bought as a Plan B. This was what I wrote in 2012…

When we signed Sanchez, the rumours were he would play up top, like he does for his country. He started there but was soon moved out wide. By luck of design, he has found himself as striker again this season. Yesterday took him to 50 goals in 106 games. A phenomenal record.

His form, alongside the returning Giroud, gives us options up front. We can now change things up. Changes styles. Depending on the opponents, on the in game performance.

And having Aaron Ramsey back is a game changer too. Being able to bring on players of his and Giroud’s class shows our incredible strength in depth. Even with no Walcott, Welbeck, Cazorla, Wilshere & Perez.

Ramsey’s return will give Wenger a head ache. With Coquelin, Elneny, Cazorla & Xhaka all potentially available for Spurs next weekend, 5 into 2 doesn’t go. Wenger needs to not only get the individual personnel right, but also the partnership.

Plenty of arguments on Twitter last night as too who should play. Few agreed.

A final thought, when was the last time every player in our 1st 11 was replaceable by someone else in the squad? Take out Ozil, replace with Cazorla, Walcott for Chamberlain, Monreal for Gibbs. The depth is incredible, and is forcing players to maintain top form.

So Sunderland are the worst team ever in the Premier League. They won’t be missed. Bye-the-lad.

Have a cracking Sunday

Keenos