And Leicester
Feb 9th, 2015 by 'holic
After a string of free midweeks the visit of Leicester on Tuesday could not be better timed. Very quickly the mood that has followed Saturday’s tame defeat can be improved as the pointed end of the season looms into view. Arsene Wenger is under no illusion about the size of the task facing Arsenal in the coming weeks.
“We have a very important period in front of us, with the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup. It is important that the team responds very well and very quickly. We are going into a period where we play many games and where all our squad will be highly important.”
The good news for the Gunners is the return to the squad of Alexis Sanchez. It would not be a surprise to see him return on the right hand side of the advanced midfield trio. Perm any two from Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck for the others. Behind them it must be tempting for the boss to play Tomas Rosicky as the link between Francis Coquelin and the attack, so giving Aaron Ramsey a breather.
I would be surprised to see any changes in the back four for this match, particularly with Middlesbrough up next. I have seen some discussion of David Ospina since Saturday. It is likely he will start on the basis that he was not at fault for either of the goals at White Hart Lane.
Leicester’s preferred approach is to defend deep and look to break down either flank. That could favour the selection of Alexis and Welbeck out wide with their appetite for tracking back and helping their full-backs. Both would also give Leicester’s wide men a fair test when we have the ball too. Olivier Giroud could face a battle too with Robert Huth set to debut for the Foxes.
The visitors have had a torrid time of things since holding us and beating Manchester United in the salad days at the start of the season. They are rock bottom and the mixed reports around the club regarding the position of manager Nigel Pearson cannot be helping their preparation. If there is a warning sign to be heeded, however, it comes in the shape of their 1-2 win at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup 4th round.
I’ve seen all manner of wild predictions for a high-scoring home win and frankly they make me nervous. Leicester will have numbers in defence and we have had many frustrating games against difficult-to-break-down teams before. Having said that I think we might do well in the latter stages, particularly as we are likely to have a mixture of guile and pace to bring on from the bench as defenders tire. I’m having some of the modest 6/1 available from Paddy Power against a 2-0 win for the Gunners.
Those that are going, wrap up warm. It promises to be fresh, but dry too, thankfully. A chest bug will keep me firmly in the warm hunting for a stream. Hopefully the match is being shown somewhere in the world.
Have a good one ‘holics.
131 Responses to “And Leicester”
First
Cheers H! Two zip would do me and all.
and where has the right reverend been lately, anyway?
nice note of caution, holic, I hope we play with that but ready to release that to fly as the opportunity arises.
feel better, too.
Trophy?
Pound sensibly placed, ‘holic. I’ll jump on that with you.
Three points anyway is what we need, but a win by a wide margin would be a good boost to the goal average.
I’m wildly predicting a high scoring home win and hoping not to get tossed out for celebrating Danny’s second home hat trick 🙂 Keep warm, don’t be nervous and make sure that old bug buggers off.
Good analysis/option. I think I’d do same but pop on Theo for Welbeck for more than the legally prescribed 20 mins. Rosicky is a good shout; he’s earned it and I wouldn’t be nervous. I’d give our new defender some minutes if all is well and start him in FA cup.
Speaking of which, whatever happened to the inimitable, And Lester?
One of my favourite posters on here and now sadly absent.
Ned, showing your age.
Its goal difference that’s all the rage these days. 😉
Nice one, Holic – here’s wishing you a speedy recovery. 😉
And Leicester have conceded 6 more than even Aston Villa – and that’s even with the 5 we put past the latter. I shall, therefore, only be satisfied with at least a five goal margin tomorrow night.
Embarrassed, puffed out, red Leicester ?
That’s their hard cheese. 😉
*been a long day* 😉
Ned, yesss! Both average and difference! They are but different measures of same performance!
Nice preview and I’ll take 2-0 Holic provided we have n Etihad style rock solid defensive performance with no alarming moments and we have Mesut displaying a capacity to run the proceedings for 90 minutes.
I wonder whether AW will take the chance on Gabriel to rest Kos’s Achilles tendons for a fortnight.
Yep, me too, zico.
AL hasn’t been seen at The Tollie for ages either.
And get well soon, Holic!
Heh @ Cheesy Trev.
It should be on a Wednesledayle evening really. 😉
Weather promising to be bright and Briezy.
This, of course, is the club that Peter Stilton used to play for. 😉
Evening all. Lovely to see so many friendly faces. Thank you.
And zico’s in too. 😉
You alright holic?
@ 19
All but momentarily.
The internet is evil. 😯
zico@10: Is it? Whatever will they think of next. Turning on lights so games can be played of an evening?
Simon@12: Actually, goal average and goal difference can generate a different league ranking from the same set of results.
Take this triangular tournament:
Blues 1 v 0 Reds
Reds 3 v 0 Greens
Greens 6 v 0 Blues
Final Table:
Reds P2 W1 D0 L1 GF 3 GA 1 Pts 3 GD +2 GA 3.000
Blues P2 W1 D0 L1 GF 1 GA 6 Pts 3 GD -5 GA 0.166
Greens P2 W1 D0 L1 GF 6 GA 3 Pts 3 GD +3 GA 2.000
All three level on three points but Reds win under goal average and Greens win under goal difference.
Trev: Leicester was also the club of Albert Cheesebrough.
2-0 if Danny starts. 4-0 if Theo starts. 3-0 if neither starts.
Öskar
This Leicester business looks tricky and could turn a horrible weekend into something much worse unless we are switched on this time. Come on the clean sheet and we can worry about the goals later. 2-0 would be just what the doctor ordered, both for Arsenal and for Liverpool.
Oskar. Would that 3-0 involve TR7 scoring all three goals?
Thank you Simon. I’m ok. 🙁
BtM. Stay safe and give candy to the stewards. 😉
2-0 ?
Wimps ! 🙁
Firstly Holic I hope you recover very quickly. I’m hoping for a very encouraging performance as well as a win. We have been excellent at home for a while. I have a feeling Santi may start on the bench with Ozil central and Danny and Alexis wide. I’d love Rosicky to start. I think Gabriel will debut on Saturday and I expect Nacho and Bellerin to keep their places. I think it will be 3-1 to us.
Nigel Pearson ahhht!!!!
Puts his hands around the throat of an opposition player, then pulls his shirt to prevent him returning to action. Can you imagine the media reaction if Wenger did that? The Spanish Inquisition would seem like a picnic by comparison.
Zico – was chatting to And Leicester on Twitter the other day.
Stay warm and feel better soon, ‘Holic. A medicinal single malt seems to be what the doctor should order.
Nice preview H. Get well soon. I’m just relieved it’s not man flu. We all know how serious that can be.
Tonight is a chance to re right the wrongs of Saturday. I’m also going for a barnstorming goal fest.
Bring it on.
Lovely preview guv.
3 points. A clean sheet. That would be great. I don’t think this will be easy though.
Ttg- I think a Saturday debut for Gabriel would be very unfair…
A barnstorming goal fest would be very very nice. However, just win, is my simple request!
Hi guys.. I am a gooner from India. Im in London for a week and would love to watch a match at emirates. That would make my trip unforgettable.. Can someone help me get 4 tickets for Middleborough match.. Any help would be appreciated:)
The starting eleven of today’s game is full of possibilities, Ramsey or Rosicky, Cazorla or Ozil or both, welbeck or walcott ? If we take the assumption the back four will be the same, i think we have only three players who are for sure in the 11 : Coquelin, Sanchez and Giroud.
I think Ozil will start the game too. Should we put Cazorla on the bench because of his last match, it would be like a punishment for our best player of the last month. I think Wenger should show him his confidence a give him a chance to play well again. He won’t be tired he did not finish his match on saturday.
I think Welbeck will start on the bench, he played 80 mins for his return and should be rested, he could play instead of Giroud for the FA cup match.
The line behind Giroud will certainly be Sanchez – Cazorla – Ozil or Sanchez – Ozil – Walcott
H-9 before the answer.
Holic sorry to hear you are confined to barracks tonight. I hope I’m not tempting fate going with a nasty cold, with buses part of the way home eta King’s Lynn 02.10! Gooner Kevin has opted out of the late night mystery tour so will be on my own.
Lets hope we can regain our momentum and give us a performance to warm us all up. Surely Sanchez will be full of running and hopefully the rest will follow. I agree that Ramsey is well below par and Tommy might be preferred. We were hustled out of our stride on Saturday. No doubt Pearson will try and do the same so it’s up to us to start on the front foot and impose ourselves on the game from the off.
After all Leicester are propping up the PL so 3-0 sounds about right and may be more if we take our chances when they run out of steam late on in the game.
Thermals at the ready. COYRs
Nikhill@38
Strange that you did’nt have the foresight to organise this earlier.If you are all signed and paid up Arsenal members you could try on the Ticket Exchange on Arsenal .Com but you will have a huge slice of fortune to find four seats together.
My advice to any foreign based Gooners is to get signed into their local based Arsenal supporters group who if they are officially recognised by the club will be more priviledged for tickets than a long standing Red member.
The other way to go about getting tickets would be to go on to the internet based ticket touts and pay a hefty wedge over official ticket prices.The way to access these is to tap into your search engine “Tickets Arsenal Middlesborough 15/02/15”
Good luck but you would probably do best to save your hard earned and do a stadium/museum tour at the Arsenal and watch the match in a pub.
Nikhil, WUIF has summed up your best plan very well. The problem is that the game is not being broadcast live. There may still be some pubs around Highbury and Islington that have ‘pirate satellites’ but I don’t know them. Someone else may be able to help.
I really don’t care how, just as long as we win tonight.
Thank you all for your good wishes. Please take care on that journey home Delia. I have heard about the chaotic rail services from East of London right now.
GSD
Very well spotted. My thinking was he could make his debut 24 hours before the game and get the nerves out of the way before Sunday. It might be a bit lonely though
Plb
Get well soon ‘holic.
The game is being broadcasted live here in NL, on Fox Sports, so there should be a stream available.
As for tonight….. Hit ’em quick and hit ’em hard. They’ll still be realing from their home loss to Palace, which was pretty much a must win game for them. A few goals would be a bonus to get the GD up, it could be important in the end.
COYG’s.
Get one early and we could get plenty. Otherwise it might be squeaky bum time.
Come on Arsenal let’s see you go after every ball with a vengeance like you did not do against Tottenham. Home match against the bottom club, mid-February in the middle of a scrap for Champions League places. Anything less than three points is a disgrace.
4-0 to the good guys. No bother.
See you all on the other side.
COYG
New TV deal announced worth over FIVE BILLION
Sky have won five packages, BT have two.
Sky retain their Sunday packages and Mondays, plus they have the Saturday lunchtime package, with BT having Saturday nights and midweek games. Sky will also be able to show Friday night games.
Why do Foxes scream when Srivaddhanaprabha is crying?
Esso @ 33 – cheers for the info.
Last contact I had in twitsville with his Reverence was just before the Cup Final so glad to hear he is still shuffling his corporeal stuff.
Arsenal FC @Arsenal · 11m11 minutes ago
View translation
#Arsenal team to play @OfficialFOXES: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Rosicky, Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis
Arsenal FC @Arsenal · 12m12 minutes ago
#Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Ramsey, Welbeck, Giroud #AFCvLCFC
Heh Doctor Z. He was waxing lyrical about sarf landhan. Natch.
Well that looks a bit more like it.
@Arsenal: #Arsenal team to play @OfficialFOXES: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Rosicky, Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis
Oops – darn refresh 😳
Rock out with your fox out.
…..Rosicky, Walcott, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis
Does this mean we effectively start the game off five goals in front?
My money is on 7-0.
Hi All – can anyone recommend a good stream for the game?
Back up pound on 8-0 at 450/1 🙂
come on!
COME ON!!!!!!
Nea – http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/english-premier-league/10-02-2015-arsenal-leicester-city.html
Thanks Eandy
Cheers Eandy. Top Man.
that pass from Mesut to Theo..pure genius
streamcentral.tv/FOOTBALL
this has more options too…
KOOOOSSSSSS
From a corner!!!!
Our best striker for corners… KOS 🙂
looks nasty for Alexis :S
Take Alexis off!
He’s injured 🙁
hes being clearly targeted by Leicester defence, take him off Arsene before it becomes even worse.
FEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
FEO!
Ozil’s been brilliant!
Nice one Theo!
🙂
Ref should have given them 3 yellows already….
FFFFFFF~!
yeah..yellows should be out of the pocket by now
Oh yes…and Huth is a fucking cunt by the way ..hated him everywhere he played. (sorry for stronger language but I am having really nasty bout of flu and seeing that twat attempting to injure our players drives me nuts)
Have to fully concur with you there Eandy.. language and all too!
😀
Alexis back on the field? ..hmm.. hopefully it will not get any worse, they are trying to kick him out of the field.
I see what you did there, ‘Hols. Brilliant!…then again, I am attending a conference and have begun the “refreshments” a bit early, so the bar is set low.
BMBD
Coquelin immense again tonight…he keeps getting better and better shielding the back four and some great passing
Wake the fuck up
So.. it’s going to be one of those days..
COME ON!!!!!
Let’s get back at them!
AND sack the bloody REF!!!!!!!
We’re playing the orcs all over again….
Hand them yellows .. and REDS
How is this a yellow for TR?…are you fucking kidding me? ..first no hand ball on Cambiasso, than you give yellow only for impeding our goalie and first rougher tackle by us is yellow..fuck off
Dismal refereeing standards.. if any at all!
Should have been second yellow for the elbow over giroud’s neck!
FFFFFFFFFFF Ref!
Can never understand how this side just gets instantaneously nervous defensively for absolutely no reason. Why?
Men, we are living on a tight rope. COYG!!!!
JOb Done!
😀
BALOTELLI !!! Pool 3-2
You know why Bayonne? ..because of absolutely atrocious standard of refreeing throghout the match, I am all for letting the game flow but you absolutely have to be fucking consistent with your decisions..how on Earth TR got yellow for clean pick of the ball is beyond me..considering what he let pass..while yellow for OG was really having a laugh …worst refreeing I have seen whole season so far.
3 points.
By the end that was not even a football match. It was just watching the man ‘in charge’ make a series of ever more bizarre and incomprehensible decisions and the various players involved attempt to respond appropriately. Although the appropriate response to insanity is not easily mustered when you are a professional football player in the middle of a game. Mainly because that is a hugely inappropriate place for a madman with a whistle…
Spuds getting stuffed too!
🙂
Told you lads. Nice comfortable game.
*fucking hell*
COYG
@Eandy
Absolutely agree.. the refs leave a lot to be desired… they are the main culprits certain games are the way they are!
Ref allowed them to kick and elbow us off the pitch!
We still did them in… orcs shall not prevail!!
😀
Ahoy hoy!
Boom!
K oscillator !
Tabsed it. Damn.
I tried to score with ‘Koscielny’ but my spill chucker was having none of that.
On the other hand GSD, from now on Kos is henceforth know nas Bosscielny the Koscillator!
Agreed with Eandy and others. That was one of the worst refereed match I have seen us play in recent times, comparable with last season’s Villa home game. The yellow card to Giroud was so bizarre and so blatantly indicative of a decision bias — the replay clearly shows that the referee has his back turned when the shot hits Giroud’s back and he doesn’t even consult the assistants — that in a well-run league the referee should not get a game ever again. That was not a mistake, that was obvious bias.
Ozil, ALexis, Santi and Giroud were simply hacked around with impunity. That was not a football match. Any slightest appearance of a penalty in our box would have definitely earned Leicester a spot-kick.
The players knew they are in one of those matches. You cannot play football if you are simply bundled out physically without ever getting a free-kick decision.
Eandy. That makes him BTK. No forward wants to play against him…
We probably now lost Rambo for a while, the biggest negative from this match. Hopefully Alexis has a minor knock he can recover from in a few days.
Ozil looked good, very determined and actually quite strong in possession today. Theo despite some nice runs and the goal still looks a bit shy about getting his defensive duties done.
If Santi and co. were not being rugby-tackled in the middle of the pitch we would have had a few more.
Good game by Per, Kos, Monreal.
Theo will always look shy about defending. He always has.
Wasn’t pretty…..
But job done.
Cynic @ 107: But he is now supposed to make that next step, as Arsene said, to become a more complete player who has a presence all throughout the match.
Just like his scoring efficiency has improved so much over the last few years, this aspect can too.
Anyway, it was a strange match to watch as Leicester simply kicked and fouled their way to competitiveness. They have some good players — just a few weeks back they won an FA Cup away game at Spuds — and are disciplined enough, but I don’t think it would have gotten this nervy if referee, well, refereed.
What a disgrace!
Theo was rubbish. I’m happy enough to make allowances given how much footy he has played in the last year. But despite the obvious reasons for the low standard of his performance- it was still a low standard.
Despite that he still finished like (proper) Ronaldo. Winning goal too. No one at the club is just so clinical. I can’t wait till he gets his first touch back.
Fuck Theo’s defensive ‘duties’, he’s there to score goals. So far 3 goals in 3 prem starts, Danny 4 goals in 16…
Öskar
Agree with everyone that Mike Jones is clearly this league’s most inept official, and did stick his imprimatur on this contest. Still, you just constantly see this sudden collective nervousness that pervades the entire squad that leads to defensive fire drills. Not good for this oldtimer’s coronary system. Leicester had plenty of wide open chances in the second half that could have been punished.
And we always come back to asking why, and it’s not sorted out.
I know you like Theo Oskar. Fair enough.
I dunno why you need to dig Danny out to make that point though. Both good. Both different. Both play for the good guys.
And we are back above the enemy.
“Alexis Sanchez does not look bad, a kick on the knee. Aaron Ramsey is a bit more worrying because it is a muscular injury but the fact he had to stop straight away is not a good sign.”
——
Tough luck for Ramsey and relief for Alexis!
We’re a bit short now, hope Ox or Wilshere will be due back soon.
Going to need everyone for the extremely congested run in!
😀
The ref was only partly to blame, our passing was awful, our defending was all over the place, the keeper was jittery,
Santi and TR7 were shadows of their previous games, Özil started well again, but frankly lost it in the second half (with some justification, but that’s what you have to put up with in the Prem mein herr) and Alexis should have been replaced at half time and probably not started at all.
Theo is still not there by a long way, but he still made countless moves behind their back three only for the pass he demanded to be delayed too long so he had to back out.
Awful really and we were lucky they didn’t score more. They created better chances than we did and probably should have won the game, or at least drawn it.
This curate’s egg of team worries me. Thank Dennis we got away with another one, and back above the spuds tks to Balotelli of all people.
Öskar
Just on the train back home from the game. A win is a win I guess but it was a pretty lacklustre display. The only one that seemed to play with any energy was Tommy R.
I’m not going to pass comment on the ref. All I will say is that whatever people think of his display, he was in no way responsible for that poor performance. We looked disjointed and at times as if none of them had played together before.
Two highlights for me. Seeing Paulista warm up to the singing of….. (To the tune of the Poldi song).
He’s called Paulista, Paulista, Paulista
He looks like Keown’s sister, his sister, his sister.
Wo oh wo oh wooooooo etc.
Highlight number 2 was Lee Dixon and Ian Wright at half time. Wrighty was just different class. If just a fraction of his attitude and emotion could rub off on some of those playing tonight then the world would be a better place.
I like Danny, GSD, an excellent attitude, a good quick winger and a team player. But a striker he is not, and I get miffed by the number of people who insist he is and would have played him ahead of Theo in this game. Theo is in a different class, imo.
Öskar
With any luck we’ll be third by the end of tomorrow!
😀
The tightest race yet to the finish this has been… fingers crossed that we bag another cup… (preferably CL!)
Up The Arse!
🙂
As with the last game, the ref’s performance mirrored ours. Not complaining though, the three points in the bag is what matters most.
So much for 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 and even 7-0 and 8-0 in this drinks round. The players must have been thinking along the same lines.
Öskar
Oskar.
No doubting which of the two you would rather have one on one with the goalie!
I think Theo is a bit further along his path to being the player he can be. I do think Danny can be lethal but he is much further away at the moment. Theo has been accused of being poor in front of goal over the years too though. And boy has he improved. I hope Danny catches up…
By which time Theo has improved. Sparking an arms race of precision finishing that drives them both to new and previously unimagined heights and which only comes to an end when they call a truce, realising they must pool resources if they are to get near the mighty Chuba, who has blossomed into the most feared attacker in the country and surpassed them both with effortless excellence. Or something.
Good luck with all that, GSD. 😀 I just hope they all stay fit enough to be fighting each other for a place in the team.
Öskar
And Oskar again.
Did you see Reus signed a new contract at Fort mud? (Dortmund via spill chucker)
Hoping they stay fit? Now you’re just being unrealistic… Wink.
I saw the Reus headline but haven’t read it yet. Curious to say the least, although probably contains a clause relative to possible relegation. Or it may simply have to do with his release clause. I better read it!
Öskar
No, apparently it’s an extension to 2019. Odd indeed, although Dortmund is his home town and Reus may be one of those rare birds, a one tem player.
Öskar
*team
Bet they are chuffed at Fort Mud. And if Reus does stay there for his whole career then fair play to them and him.
If he does move this contract means it will be for top dollar now though.
A result in what is turning into a shit week. Have it ! >>>>>>>>>>>>
I really can’t understand all the sympathy for Walcott.
This is his 10th season at the club and for 9 of those seasons – he has been consistently poor.
In his last 3 appearances including tonight, he has scored 2 goals. Not a bad stat on its own. But to anyone who has watched him play in those games, I don’t think its unfair to say that his general play has been seriously lacking. And I really don’t buy the thinking that this is all down to him being “rusty” on account of his recent return from injury. Walcott consistently makes the same mistakes over and over again each and every year. For every single chance he takes (and in fairness, his finishing is very good) he will spurn so many other team opportunities whether its strikes that end up in row Z or basic passes that he will mistime, misplace or miscue. But the biggest impediment seems to be his natural sense of righteous expectation at this level despite not being remotely prepared to put in the hard defensive yards that other players are now prepared to do. For me, Sanchez, Welbeck, Oxlade & Rosicky are all competing for 2 places on the wing and they are all ahead of Theo for a first team place imo. And if you really want to see where Wengers mindset is on Theo, I think it was evidenced most recently when he was benched against the Spuds – a game of real substance and magnitude. Not only was he benched – he wasn’t even the first substitution off the bench.
So if 4 other players are ahead of him in team selection and if we’re likely to go to the market in the summer where we will most probably purchase more attacking options – it all begins to look a little ominous for Theo I feel. Furthermore, I don’t think you can’t legitimise letting a finisher of the calibre of Poldi go and not be prepared to apply the same standard of thinking to Walcott. Both are very similar situations I feel. Something also tells me his greed during his previous contractual negotiations have done him no favours at all this time round. So I think he will be sold this summer!