Bate Preview And Gunners Spread Christmas Cheer
Dec 6th, 2017 by 'holic
On a cold Thursday night at the Grove for which over 50,000 tickets have been paid for it will be interesting to see if more than half that number actually attends. With the top spot in the group already secured the match with Bate Borisov will serve principally as a opportunity to give the squad players and youngsters some competitive playing time.
It is pure guesswork on my part that Per Mertesacker will be on standby to replace Skhodran Mustafi at Southampton on Sunday. This would point to a back three of Mathieu Debuchy, Rob Holding, and Calum Chambers in front of David Ospina. That would pave the way for Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson to occupy the wing-back positions.
If the defence looks a bit makeshift there is more experience in the advanced areas. Mohamed Elneny may be charged with providing the cover in front of them with Jack Wilshere getting a box to box job, and Alex Iwobi a free role behind two from three out of Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, and Theo Walcott. It would not be a surprise if the latter missed out. I don’t know why he has fallen out of favour but with the chinese whispers that he will be allowed to leave in January it looks as though we are calling time on his Arsenal career.
The visitors were beaten 2-4 in Belarus with Wilshere controlling the midfield for long periods, but it wasn’t as straightforward as the scoreline would suggest. Particularly in the second-half where Bate came back into the game and could have added to their brace with a little more luck.
They won the Belarus Premier League last week when they scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to claim a draw against Gorodeya, and their 12th consecutive title to boot. Bate will be praying for a draw between Cologne and Red Star which would let them progress with a win at the Grove.
The ‘holic pound
It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, the smaller than usual crowd will have on the teams. I am looking at 3-1 to the Arsenal and found a bookmaker offering boosted odds of 11/1.
Pic courtesy of Arsenal Football Club
The Arsenal players were out in force for the long standing Christmas tradition of spreading some festive cheer in the local community this week.
Arsène Wenger’s squad and members of Arsenal Women visited hospitals and schools in north London, meeting local youngsters and handing out Christmas presents. Players visited young patients at Whittington Hospital, Homerton Hospital and Teenage Cancer Trust. They also dropped in on Blessed Sacrament primary school, to help out with an Arsenal in the Community Double Club session and Stoke Newington secondary school for a girls’ football session.
The visits came ahead of The Arsenal Foundation’s dedicated charity matchday against Newcastle United on December 16th, when the manager and first team players will donate a day’s wages to support projects in the local community, and around the world.
Shown are the Gunners who visited the hospital of my birth, The Whittington.
Finally a big up to those of you going to the match. The rain is scheduled to stop in the afternoon but the temperature will plummet so layers will be the way forward.
Have a great one, ‘holics.
35 Responses to “Bate Preview And Gunners Spread Christmas Cheer”
First is a trophy, no?
Nothing to disagree with in your preview, ‘Holic. AW says it will be an ‘experienced’ side but I suspect some of the older legs will be pulled early regardless of the score not to tire them too much with three games in a week coming up, and to give some youngsters a runout.
That makes sense too, Ned. I hope we give it a good go for the sake of Cologne and Red Star.
Nice preview H. A bit of a nothing game all ends up. I must say that I certainly won’t be going tomorrow night. Weather looks awful as said so good luck to any brave soul that gets there. I will be enjoying a festive reunion with some very old friends.
I imagine the team that goes out will show 11 changes from this and last weekend. I just hope they all come out unscathed.
Enjoy boys and girls.
Youngest grandson singing at John Lewis. Three line whip from Mrs TTG but not a hard decision . Hope it is a good game and opportunity for young tyros like Nketiah. We may win but it could scarcely matter less.
On Friday I’m running a charity lunch with the great Bob Wilson for the Willow Foundation. He is a genuinely nice man and I may tease some gossip out of him like Mesut stating which is a hot number at present !
Mesut staying. – apologies
An interesting preview for a dead rubber.
If you’re going, as Holic nearly said, have an ice time ! ?
Mesut staying and Theo going could be the right decision for both of them. It would be a nice gesture to let Theo play one last time though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYE8S662mT4
According to AW he doesn’t want
anyone to leave in January. And
Theo still has a part to play.
It seems contract discussions
have started with Aaron/Danny
but not Theo/ Cech – course that
bit is just press reports not what
AW said.
Cheers H!
Out for the office xmas dinner tonight so will miss all the fun.
The weather forecast for Barysaw in Belarus today is for temperatures to fall to minus 1 Celsius and for there to be snow, so the Ems will feel positively balmy to the BATE Borisov boys tonight.
Props to Bayern Munich fans for again protesting against the money in the game ahead a of UEFA disciplinary hearing today following their fans throwing fake money onto the pitch in protest at ticket prices for the Champions League game at Anderlecht last month.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/06/09/470565E700000578-5150725-image-a-10_1512552499646.jpg
http://www.espn.co.uk/football/bayern-munich/story/3281351/bayern-charged-over-fans-fake-money-protest-against-anderlecht-prices
If we did retain Ozil I suspect Wenger would write off the £30m he might get for Sanchez unless he gets a mega offer or we get the opportunity to replace him with a Draxler for example.
I think Theo will stay until the summer.
morning ‘hol
morning all
brilliant thunder T – mixing in legend circles
met our next one Big Pat
i knew he was gonna be there
and like an outlaw in an oul western
with his ear to the railway track
i heard him rumbling a good 30sec before i saw him
then
eejit that i am i mumbled , shook hands
then proceeded to be transfixed by his hair
.
never been good with people i admire
not much cop with people i don’t either
?
.
.
UP THE ARSENAL
Pat (Jennings?) not gone bald then?
I woulda at least wished him a happy Christmas ?
Rice?
Looking forward to tonight’s game and hopefully the Mosconi Cup will be wrapped up before kick off.
Pool, beer, chilli con carne, snow, Arsenal. Possibly not in that order.
“Big Pat”, cba …. ?
One of the herd misbehaving ?
?
May be too cold even to wander down to the cricket club to watch the game. A three-one-thriller at 11/1 sounds interesting. Good luck, Holic.
A couple of funnies in there, Trev 🙂
CBA
I have been lucky enough to meet Big Pat a couple of times. A complete gentleman. The last time was outside the turnstiles the night we threw away a 4-2 lead in injury time.
The Arsenal steward saw us speaking and asked who he was…..! He was at least ten when Pat was playing for us. A man with big ? ?
It’s time our fringe players put in personal performances that threaten the pretty secure places of our first eleven. Tonight is the perfect time to do it.
I can see why Arsene isn’t going to play the kids like many people hoped he would. Firstly he needs to know who amongst the fringe players has the right attitude to force his way into the PL first XI and because, as pointed out by the Guvna, we need to respect the competition and not risk an accusation of gifting three points and qualification to Bate.
Just win.
Stay warm Gooners. Winter is a-coming in.
I honestly wish that our fringe players do take these games seriously and realize this is their only chance to impress or make some inroads, else they will continue to warm the benches. I do wonder if some are ok with it and if that is the case, then it is completely wrong.
Suddenly everyone seem to want Mesut and willing to let go of Alexis, i maintain the same, Sanchez is our match winner and unless we are replacing him with another one, it makes no sense to let him go.
More worried about saints saturday than today, i will take a draw today provided we win saturday.
should we wish that deplorable so and so team and manager to win sunday just to cut city to their size? it is united and more so jose, so na, rather want city to lose to a relegation threatened team, soon though.
DEBUUUUUCHY!!!
Debuchy monster of a goal!!
Watch out.
GOOOAAALLL!!!
JACK!!!
Wilshere for 3-0. Now to let the Bate side have a goal and give ‘holic his deserved early Xmas present.
And good for Deboosh to get on the board. Feel sorry for him, as no one thought signing him (experienced premiership back, French national team first choice at RB) was a bad one, only for him to get arnautoviched and then have AW stash him in witness protection.
Jack is running rings around their defense, such as it is.
OK so which brave newspaper or blog is going to use the ‘Arsenal Master Bate’ headline tomorrow?
much as i like welbeck, he has been largely atrocious today. he should have scored 1v1 with their keeper, and was damn lucky his aborted stepover was deflected to theo for #2. step it up, danny!
Damn, what a way to ruin ‘holic’s night 😉
GIR-
GIROOOUUUD!!!
ELNENY!
FANTAstic!!!!
Woohoo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>