Toon Next Up For Top Gunners
Jan 1st, 2016 by 'holic
A happy and healthy new year to you all.
Arsenal enter 2016 sitting atop the Premier League, and start the second half of the campaign with a home fixture against Newcastle United. The two injury ravaged squads have enjoyed contrasting fortunes so far. The Geordies, despite recent victories over Liverpool and Tottenham, are languishing in the relegation zone. On the road they have won at Bournemouth as well as Spurs, and they took a point at Old Trafford.
Only neighbours Sunderland have conceded more goals than Newcastle this season. Among the players ruled out are goalkeeper Tim Krul, Defender Mike Williamson, midfielder Vurnon Anita, and striker Papiss Cisse. Our 0-1 win there earlier in the season was our eighth consecutive win against the Geordies.
If we are to extend that run it may be down to Olivier Giroud again. The French international has scored eight goals in seven appearances against the Magpies. They must be sick of the sight of him. Mesut Ozil goes into the match looking to add to his sixteen assists this season. His performance against Bournemouth on Monday will remain in the memory. I am so looking forward to seeing him in the flesh again.
Of the four players rested against Bournemouth I would expect a recall for at least three, but it would not be a surprise to see skipper Per Mertesacker take his turn on the bench. It will be interesting to see if Calum Chambers is trusted in midfield again, or if Mathieu Flamini is recalled. Nacho Montreal should reclaim the left-back berth and Joel Campbell could come back into the side for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsene was acknowledging the task his side faces as the new year begins.
“If we are the best team from January to May, we will be very happy.ย Thatโs our target, and knowing that the Premier League is an extremely competitive league, and looking at the results around you, of course you know that you need to put in the effort to be competitive in every game.”
Meanwhile his opposite number, Steve McLaren, has spoken of how his team may have to resort to a physical approach.
“It is about collective organisation and discipline – and a certain amount of aggression will be required.”
That’s not what one wants to hear when Anthony Taylor is refereeing.
The ‘holic pound
The bookies favour a second consecutiveย 2-0 but I am going to be a little more bullish, preferring 3-0 at a tasty 17/2. If you liked that Giroud statistic then big Ollie is just 3/1 to score first.
For those who are going I look forward to seeing some of you in the battle of choice. Here is to maintaining that title challenge.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
88 Responses to “Toon Next Up For Top Gunners”
First strike of 2016 !!
Been a long time reader, never posted, but have a spare for tomorrow east stand lower tier if you know anyone who is searching for one?
A quick Hello through the railings tomorrow, Holic, as I’ll have Erin with me.
3-0 sounds good. Anthony Taylor, refereeing a side instructed by Steve McLaren taking lessons from Big Fat Sam Allardyce, does not.
Taylor still appears determined, each time he turns up at The Emirates, to show that he will not try to make up for that disgraceful performance with Aston Villa.
The greater danger might still be Wijnaldum though, who looks a very decent player capable of turning a game. Thus far he hasn’t turned too many, as their league position illustrates, but he’ll need watching.
HNY H
Maclaren has obviously taken note of the physical approach Southampton took against us,which worked very well for them.
There is of course, as we know all to well from the Stoke/Blackburn/Bolton
defeats we regularly used to suffer,and at Stoke,still do,a fine line between controlled aggression,and outright thuggery.
Some Referees unfortunately cannot tell the difference.
Newcastle won’t beat us playing football,so it will be shin pads back and front tomorrow.!!
But i do expect us to be too quick for them,and as long as the referee does his job,then i am confident we will pocket the 3 pts.
A well earned weeks rest will be most welcome,so we arrive fresh at the starting gate for our first defence of the FA Cup against Sunderland next w/end.
A tasty 3-0 washed down with a few tasty Glen’s will do me nicely thanks ๐
Calum Chambers to start again as DM please, Arsene.
Clive, there is a distinct hint of red appearing in that off-white black paint pot of yours. Good man!
If Anthony Taylor puts one foot wrong tomorrow I will be starting a petition to send him back to the Northern League.
Gabriel to continue his scoring streak on his way to breaking Vardy’s record?
More than a hint BTM !
HNY to your good self and of course her Nellieness.
Cheers H and Happy New Year!
3-0 sounds fuckin’ excellent! However, this is also the prediction of that gormless clown Lawro on BBC website. So, not happening.
Yes I’d fancy a touch of the 3-0s . If we can get ahead their morale is poor and we have been effective at home recently. I won’t be there tomorrow in person but will very much in thought. I hope there is an Ozil masterclass for those lucky enough to be there.
COYG!
Ozil career vs Newcastle: Played 1, Scored 1, Assisted 1. You can get 7/1 on him scoring first and 21/10 on scoring anytime.
3-0 looks conservative to me. OG could get those on his own, with extras from Ozilla and Theo. Time for a statement win I say.
Oskar
Hi Furious, let me know here if you can’t get rid of that spare. I know someone that would love to go..
HYN to you all.
Hopefully the lads went to a different club New Year’s Eve than the one on Christmas Eve ๐
The Toon adopted a thuggish approach at St James’ at the start of the season and quickly amassed 1 red and several yellows. Hopefully A.Taylor esquire has seen how such an approach, if re-enacted, should be dealt with. Am expecting a comfortable win to start our surge to the title.
Nufc is facing relegation.
They will be motivated. Insee a hard fought 2-1 to the good guys.
Tho I hope the holic pound is more on the mark.
Esso, I didn’t know that. You’re right, I have wasted my dosh.
Fine preview H.
Just win and survive unscathed is the order of the day.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/jan/01/arsenal-second-wind-arsene-wenger-lee-dixon
——–
I am ready for the remaining games of the season…undefeated!
๐
Hi Mike @ 12. No one wants to claim the spare, let me know how to contact you and it’s yours.
Hello and a happy new year to all the ‘holics ๐
Hope 2016 is a good one for the Arsenal!
Hi Furious. I’m on 07564266612. Can meet you outside the gate of your choice for half two if that suits? Cheers, Mick
Afternoon everyone and a happy new year to you all.
I’m not at the game today but will still be expecting a comfortable victory. Of course they will be fighting for their lives but there is a reason they are in the bottom 3 and we are top. It’s time to be professional and just get the job done.
I was a bit worried to read that AW just cannot afford to rest Ozil. Surely he is far to valuable to run into the ground like we did with Alexis? If he needs a break then give him one. Whilst I would expect to see him shine today I would also expect him to be nowhere near the place for next Saturday. If he needs a break then give him one.
For those going today, enjoy. I will be there in spirit.
Alan..’The Barcode’..Shearer says we need 3 signings….
He should lay off the ‘hoss’ piss.
๐
Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud
Bench: Gabriel, Gibbs, Iwobi, Reine-Adelaide, Ospina, Chambers, Campbell
Was hoping Chambers and Gabriel got a full game.
Strongest team out…no chances taken!
๐
Happy and Healthy New Year wishes to all of you and yours.
5-0
The bet is on.
time to show the gooners are going to boss 2016 like 2015…
Liverpool went ker-klopp I see! none of that, then.
A win by a goal and no injuries will do for me. Wish Holic and holics a very happy 2016 which, hopefully, will see Arsenal win the League.
COYG.
http://cdn12.crichd.in/channel-4-live-streaming
If required. Some annoying popups at the start but good quality
Come on Arsenal!!
Switch wingers please.
Sloppy.
Look like the gunners have heavy legs.
Happy new year to all Holics!
Come on Arsenal!
Ramsey is so frustrating with his Hollywood stuff.
Theo useless today; Campbell on to give some life.
Come on lads pick it up
Ozil not happy with his teammates
sigh. a promising start, but we didn’t put them to it and let them back in it. I keep expecting Ramsey’s leg to tear off, yowza. let’s hope they tire and the rain eases up. and that we can get it together for a goal or two next half.
Weak first half need to better in the second
Come on Arsenal!
Walking on thin ice here
Scary moments
We being ripped apart by newcastle.
Mistake after mistake come on lads wake up!
C’mon boys, wth!
Theo, Ox, Ramsey midfield blues let’s go! Campbell!!
And Anthony Taylor definitely in mid season form.
Campbell on please Arsene
Take Ox off………..
Ref is blind too
Looks like a new year hangover
Kos is Boss
Asgghhhhh!!!!!
When we get one we get two
Haha.. Soccer Saturday – Le Tiss (doing our game) screams GOOOAAAALLL whilst Charlie Nick is doing his report on Sunderland, Charlie breaks off to go YES! and it’s obvious who has scored ๐
KOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get in!!!!
Wheeeeewwww!!!!
most certainly I need a drink.
but we’re top of the league!
Petr Czech man of the match for me scary game but hey no complaints here a win is a win and as much of a struggle as it was we got there in the end! Kos loves scoring against the bar codes!
We are top of the league! We are top of the league!
Scruz
Some Zubrรณwka on the bar for you!
btw, sto lat, Arthur. and happy new year!
Skin of our teeth!
Alexis! Wherefore art thou Alexis?
๐
and one for you, thanks, Arthur!
Three points are all that count. We remain top of the league as Leicester plays out a draw against Bournemouth. Hope Man City’s away form continues against Watford.
We played ok but finally made it. Newcastle played really well but did not take their chances. A big win.
Blimey, that was a tough watch.
Not at the races really, midfield was over run and they really should have put at least one of their many chances away, but they didn’t and we nicked it.
Masive three points and the type of victory that can make you champions.
WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE, SAY…
Load of pish but you need games like this to win titles.
Three points all that matters.
Wow. St Petr.
Ugly win but it still counts!
3 points all that mattered. Hopefully getting a win having played poorly will aid the mentality that this is our year.
And a happy New Year I hope it is for Holic and Holics!
@Cynic 55
Heh! I saw that. Still love Charlie.
Unlucky; Watford couldn’t hold on.
Very, very unlucky for us with City in the Watford game. We probably needed at least the 6 point buffer to stay in contention until the end. Our second half of the season fixtures are much tougher than City’s. Next few games with the key players out will probably determine the end of the season standings.
City over rated.
That’s their first away win since Sep 12th.
Matt Foley @72
O ye of little faith!
Citeh have played most of the struggling teams at home and have to go to Old Trafford , Stamford Bridge , Anfield and West Ham and play us, Spurs and Leicester at home. They are extremely fragile and to draw any conclusions at this stage of the season is impossible.
We have tough away games but we have a set of very winnable home games and the lesson is that we are better now at playing big teams than we were. I amazingly think that the tiny Totts may be a bigger threat
TTG @74,
You said “I think the tiny Totts may be a bigger threat” – you’re clearly still plastered from the Xmas festivities old chap! They’ve no feckin’ chance! The inevitable implosion in the league’s pending with the perennial Europa League awaiting for the LillyWhite Cunts! ๐
Up the Arse all day and all night. COYBG!
Esso – The love our ex players have for the club always warms the cockles.
Except for Stewart Robson of course, the bitter West Ham cunt ๐
Lucky Arsenal.
Oskar
We have not been playing well for a while and today was another scratchy performance. After a promising opener where we had a number of half chances we allowed Newcastle into the game and then it was an uphill battle to achieve the 3 points.
Cech was my man of the match by a mile, he kept us in the game at 0-0 and had the Tynesiders put just one of their chances away I doubt whether we would have responded.
We lacked ideas and too many of our attacking players had off days. It was left to Kos , a defender, to plough forward and give us the points.
I am sure any neutral attending the game would not have guessed which team was top of the league and which was fighting relegation, we were that poor.
Ozil was far from his best . We must find some form before we hit Stoke and Liverpool otherwise our title aspirations may be over. We can only get better, I hope.
COYRs
Santi, Jack, Alexis and Coq would help.
Oskar
Come on Arsenal. I would never have predicted a minus one goal differential from the Soton, Bournemouth and Toon matches but we escaped with six points and we are a few weeks closer to getting our players back and newbies signed. The near future looks bright, red and white. ๐
At least two of the dozen points Cech will win us this season came yesterday. If Newcastle had had a couple of forwards who could score goals of the quality Man Citeh produced yesterday we could have been looking at another Southampton-like scoreline. But we got away with a clean sheet and the three points. Eighteen games to go.
So we’re in for Aubameyang now??
๐
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Not the best display, to put it mildly. But three points it was and that’s the main thing.
Oh, and Anthony Taylor is such a poor referee.
Hey you can also try http://livecrickethub.com
nice one…
http://www.livesportsly.com
I have enjoyed your comments. I love cricket
http://icct20worldcup2016highlights.com/
http://ipl9t20.com/
hehe.,. Check for cricket updates.
http://icct20worldcup2016highlights.com/
http://ipl9t20.com/