[Albion] Arsenal-there for the taking!

[ruthers]

Definitely there for the taking if we press them rather than sit back and accept an ‘acceptable’ 0-2 whilst spouting that we’re “in a difficult league”

 

[mickybha]

were they stronger then ? are we stronger now ? score 2 -3 January 2015

Albion
13
David Stockdale
2
Bruno 63'
3
Gordon Greer (c) 87'
5
Lewis Dunk 90+3'
30
Joe Bennett
22
Danny Holla 79'
24
Rohan Ince
14
Inigo Calderon
18
Jake Forster-Caskey 82'
9
Sam Baldock 73' 75'
11
Chris O'Grady 50'
Subs
4
Aaron Hughes
7
Adrian Colunga 82'
12
Craig Mackail-Smith
15
Adam Chicksen
26
Glen Rea
27
Solly March 63'
31
Christian Walton

Arsenal

1
Wojciech Szczesny
21
Calum Chambers
6
Laurent Koscielny
18
Nacho Monreal
3
Kieran Gibbs
20
Mathieu Flamini
14
Theo Walcott 2' 70'
16
Aaron Ramsey
7
Tomas Rosicky (c) 59'
11
Mesut Özil 24' 80'
12
Olivier Giroud 70'
Subs
4
Per Mertesacker
17
Alexis Sánchez 70'
19
Santi Cazorla
26
Emiliano Martinez
34
Francis Coquelin 80'
38
Chuba Akpom 70'
39
Héctor Bellerín

 

[B.W.]

were they stronger then ? are we stronger now ? score 2 -3 January 2015

Albion
13
David Stockdale
2
Bruno 63'
3
Gordon Greer (c) 87'
5
Lewis Dunk 90+3'
30
Joe Bennett
22
Danny Holla 79'
24
Rohan Ince
14
Inigo Calderon
18
Jake Forster-Caskey 82'
9
Sam Baldock 73' 75'
11
Chris O'Grady 50'
Subs
4
Aaron Hughes
7
Adrian Colunga 82'
12
Craig Mackail-Smith
15
Adam Chicksen
26
Glen Rea
27
Solly March 63'
31
Christian Walton

Arsenal

1
Wojciech Szczesny
21
Calum Chambers
6
Laurent Koscielny
18
Nacho Monreal
3
Kieran Gibbs
20
Mathieu Flamini
14
Theo Walcott 2' 70'
16
Aaron Ramsey
7
Tomas Rosicky (c) 59'
11
Mesut Özil 24' 80'
12
Olivier Giroud 70'
Subs
4
Per Mertesacker
17
Alexis Sánchez 70'
19
Santi Cazorla
26
Emiliano Martinez
34
Francis Coquelin 80'
38
Chuba Akpom 70'
39
Héctor Bellerín

Yes... and yes...

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Arsenal's weak link is their back 4, even more so if Monreal is injured. However this was supposed to be Liverpool's weak link too.
As per every game against top 6 this will come down to tiny margins. We will need all 11 players to have 8+ games and need some Arsenal players to have sub 7 games, and we HAVE to take our chances if and when they come.

Don't agree with that.

Man United (a) - we were all over them and on the front foot. Deflected own goal won it for them. Didn't need to play any better, just needed to be more clinical in front of goal.
Liverpool (h) - exactly the same. We had chances and didn't take them which changed the complexion of the game. No need to play better - did need to finish better. They did, and won well because of it.
Chelsea (h) - two poor early goals and they went into cruise control, but we had opportunities. Then we had to chase the game and a couple of their players had 9/10 games.

So for me it's not a case of doing much different other than being far more clinical in front of goal. And maybe now, on current form, we will do that.

3-1 Albion.

 

[Mayonaise]

I was quietly confident about this fixture until Ian Wright started ranting on about the Arsenal players being on easy street, disrespecting the club and not wearing the shirt with pride etc.

At the end of his 'rant', I couldn't but help thinking we are going to be on the end of the backlash!

Thanks Wrighty!

 

[neilbard]

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

This will be another difficult one unless we are at the top of our game.

Yes, Arsenal are vulnerable - and so were Chelsea, who were weakened by a number of injuries (but not, unfortunately, to Hazard or Willian). Yes, Arsenal sometimes fail to turn up to away games - but so do Liverpool, and we know what happened next.

Arsenal have, in the recent past, lost to teams who get in their faces and press their highly suspect back four and defensive midfield. But they have also gone away from home and turned teams over by four or five goals. They still have great attacking players.

With a bit of luck, both teams' recent records will mean that our players don't get star-struck again and stand off the big-name players until we're a couple of goals down, individual errors won't cost us early goals, and Arsenal have another off-day and don't see this game as a chance to recover some dignity after two tonkings from Man City.

If we play at our best and everything breaks right, we have a chance of getting something. I hope the team aren't thinking any differently.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

We were good against United. We were good against Chelsea. Arsenal are far worse than both of those two teams IMO. I think we'll get at least a draw.

 

[Icy Gull]

The mindset has to be no awe and get in their faces chasing them down when they have the ball. Sitting back and hoping to catch them on the break is not the way to play them imo. They will score if we do that. I just hope we play to our best, to lose like that would be much more palatable than trying to contain them, as we won’t ..again imo.

 

[Munkfish]

To be fair we need to be playing for a draw and hoping we can nick a win, any points out of this is a bonus and if we go at them, they will open us apart like we did against Swansea.

 

[Milano]

Don't agree with that.

Man United (a) - we were all over them and on the front foot. Deflected own goal won it for them. Didn't need to play any better, just needed to be more clinical in front of goal.
Liverpool (h) - exactly the same. We had chances and didn't take them which changed the complexion of the game. No need to play better - did need to finish better. They did, and won well because of it.
Chelsea (h) - two poor early goals and they went into cruise control, but we had opportunities. Then we had to chase the game and a couple of their players had 9/10 games.

So for me it's not a case of doing much different other than being far more clinical in front of goal. And maybe now, on current form, we will do that.

3-1 Albion.

Yet you've agreed with all of it!!!
We need to bring our A game, hope they don't and we must take our chances!!
You have fantastic blue and white glasses on if you think we weren't thrashed by both Liverpool and Chelsea though.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Yet you've agreed with all of it!!!
We need to bring our A game, hope they don't and we must take our chances!!
You have fantastic blue and white glasses on if you think we weren't thrashed by both Liverpool and Chelsea though.

I don't agree with it. I'm saying our finishing hasn't been good enough. I think our general play has been good enough to get some points from those games.

 

[Durlston]

Looks like the match is really in the balance. No horse racing or rugby league today. Why should football be any different?

Get the Mancs down and then call it off. Punishment for last Sunday.

 

[schmunk]

Looks like the match is really in the balance. No horse racing or rugby league today. Why should football be any different?

Get the Mancs down and then call it off. Punishment for last Sunday.

I can't imagine there are many race courses with under soil heating?

 

[B.W.]

They were much better yesterday TBF...

 

[Tony Towner's Toe]

After Saturday's great win and with confidence clearly running high on the field, I was already doing my best to buy into the hype of finally having a snowflakes of beating one the top 6. But after having just checked Arse's upcoming fixtures before and after us, I am genuinely beginning to drink the cool-aid.

This Thursday they surely can't be happy about hosting Citeh at home in the Prem after being so comprehensively taken apart by them last night in the Reindeer cup.

That gives them two days for further wound licking before having to turn up at the Amex with what's left of their heads firmly on the real game they play 4 days after us -away to AC Milan in the Europa league.

As far as the Prem goes they already have 6th place pretty much stitched up and have no chance of catching Chelsea in 5th, so not hard to imagine them already losing a bit of focus. Add to that, Wenger's mojo looks like its currently tanking like a Panzer, will there ever be a better time to take them on?

Time to believe or just increase the medication?

Never in doubt!

 

[Albion my Albion]

TOOK!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

To be fair we need to be playing for a draw and hoping we can nick a win, any points out of this is a bonus and if we go at them, they will open us apart like we did against Swansea.

This is basically what happened, but Arsenal didn't make it hard for us

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Its like a thread full of Arsenal closet fans........BHA will win 2-1.......have faith.

Good call.

 

[swindonseagull]

Good call.

But in the prediction league I bowed to my wifes better knowledge and put 1-0.....