Eduardo out, but Arshavin, RVP to tear up all-talk Rovers?
So while everyone was having fun yesterday enjoying their football, Arsenal fans were wondering around like lost farts in a perfume factory, questioning the meaning of it all in a postmodern cultural funk.
What on earth can one do when you’re so used to your Saturday ritual of heading off to the game (or staying up til the crack of sparrows), only to be disrupted by the BSkyBs and ESPNs of the world.
Truly, football fans are a bunch of old, conservative codgers (and proud!), set in their ways of routine and there will be hell to pay if they tinker with the spectators’ rituals!
Somewhere in the distance, a TV executive yawned.
Anyways, it’s Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium today, and while you’d be forgiven to feeling quite confident going into the game, there are a few factors which can always lead to a shock loss or draw. Walrustastic favourite, Sam Allardyce is at the helm and with him comes that little-man syndrome of bone-breaking challenges and the chewing of gum.
But given they have Paul Robinson, former England goalie and conceder of 41 goals in 14 games against Arsenal extraordinaire, as well as Blackburn shipping 8 goals against us home and away last season, you’d seriously have to back us to win this game.
Injury news sees Eduardo sidelined with a thigh injury while Almunia is reportedly ‘close’ to recovery.
Meanwhile, Denilson, Fabianski and Nasri are still the mid-to-long term absentees. With an awful mid-season break coming up, however, it gives both Lukash and Samir time to recover, with Wenger speculating both could be ready within the month following the internationals. Good stuff.
The team I’ve gone for has Sagna back in place of Eboue – the Ivorian had a great little game against Olympiakos, but I think Rovers may play two strikers against Arsenal, meaning the more defensive Frenchman comes back into the side.
The rest of the side resorts back to type with Diaby maintaining his place while we wait for the other midfielders to recover from injury, and Bendtner should return to the right wing for this match, to add some physical rigour to the side.
Expect Rosicky back on the bench as he continues his touchy-feely football comeback, while Theo will be itching to get at least 30 minutes on as an impact sub on the right. Szczesny, Eboue, Vela, Silvestre and Ramsey should fill in the remaining places on the bench.
What to expect from the game? After a great start against Olympiakos, I expect the side to start as brightly as they can, especially with the added incentive of catching up to Manchester United, who dropped points at home with a 2-2 draw to Sunderland. We travel to the Stadium of Light within a month’s time, and that will be a tough, tough fixture, but that’s for another day.
Right now we’re playing Blackburn, and I expect 3 points. It might not be a 4-0 drubbing like last season or like our average 4-goals-a-game-at-home lately, but I think Arsenal fans, at this point in time, are intelligent and grateful enough to accept 3 points for what they are.
Still, with Arshavin and Fabregas just starting to pick up form and van Persie feeling his way into the central forward position, I expect the Blackburn defence to have a busy day ahead of themselves.
It looks like part of the mental battle has already gone our way, with Rovers players doing all the talking, clearly insecure about their status as thugs, despite not a word mentioned from the Arsenal camp. Hopefully that plays into our favour.
It’s an early 1:30pm start, so lets all enjoy Arsenal pinging the ball around in some nice sunshine. Unless there’s a weather forecast I don’t know about!
Yours in Arsenal-8-0-Blackburn-ness. Come on Arsenal!
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Filed under: Arsenal, English Premier League
Would be tempted to give Ramsey a start, Diaby has been pretty much awful to no-descript in the past 2 games.
Also given the returning Merida’s form at the U20 world cup … would look to fit him in on the bench somewhere.
I was watching the highlights against Olympiakos several hours ago, and I watched Diaby’s performance. I really think it was one of his best of late.
Unfortunately work commitments meant I could not get to the Olympiakos game … should have captioned that with the last two games I have been to. Games you have not been to seem to escape the memory when thinking about players performances.
I would still like to see Ramsey given a chance to shine (or fall) for 90 minutes
Heh. Fair enough. I agree, Ramsey (and Wilshere) deserve a chance to showcase their stuff, but the realities of first team football unfortunately mean that the older heads will prevail for a while. Remember, Nasri and Denilson will be coming back, and they’re above Diaby in the pecking order. So perhaps one way of twisting your words would be to let Ramsey ‘make hay while the sun shines’.
FYI, GMT is not the same as BST (which is the time the UK is currently on)
The realities are that if players of the likes of Ramsey, Vela, Wilshere, are not given opportunities to play in the premiership, they will be playing elsewhere in a couple of seasons time. You have to find space in your 1st team squad to give the chance for youngsters to break through (which is what Wenger always goes on about) … and today would be a good opportunity for Ramsey in my eyes … it worked for Gibbs when he was given the opportunity … more by luck than anything else … it could work for the others.
i think the youngstars can shine (given their performances in the carling cup against some premiership sides). as long as the defense is left intact and the midfield left with cesc and song. ramsey, vela, wilshire and rvp (or arshavin or bentner) as point person. wilshire and vela have pace and trickery and a daredevil’s attitude which is wat wld be gud against blackburn.