ABW And Valencia Preview -Dreaming of Baku?
May 1st, 2019 by 'holic
“We need our supporters and we need to create a big atmosphere tomorrow and we are very excited and with big enthusiasm for the match tomorrow. We are looking forward to playing, to being with our supporters, to doing the first leg’s 90 minutes with a big performance and with a good result.”
Former Valencia coach Unai Emery calling on the supporters to create an atmosphere in which his current club can progress beyond the Europa League semi-final. He took the Spanish club into the Champions League three times. This competition may now provide our best chance of qualifying for the big one again.
The team news is mixed, and by far the worst of it is the announcement that Aaron Ramsey will not recover from his hamstring problem in time to play for The Arsenal again. That’s a crying shame, literally. Although he has known since January that he would be a Juve player next season he produced some of his most committed and accomplished performances in the second-half of this season. We will miss him, no question.
Mesut Ozil is back in the squad having missed the Leicester match with a bruised foot, and Nacho Monreal trained today. I would expect him to return to a back three alongside Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and in front of Petr Cech.
The quartet of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, and Sead Kolasinac virtually picks itself these days. Then the attack, so disjointed at Leicester. That probably means that Ozil will get a recall behind Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The good thing about playing at home first is that it gives us a chance to make a statement. Our best performances have come in front of the home crowd who have responded for the bigger matches. It is probably fair to say the atmosphere generated against Napoli was a significant factor in our triumph.
Valencia arrive as the sixth place team in La Liga three points behind Getafe in the final Champions League berth. They have two familiar faces. Gabriel Paulista “To return to Arsenal will be special. It will be a beautiful day.”, and Francis Coquelin. The latter is suspended for the first leg. We have previous with them. One of the worst nights of my life was in the Heysel when they beat us on penalties in the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final.
It’s no secret I really didn’t want them to qualify for this semi-final by beating Vilarreal. Welcoming Santi Cazorla back to the Grove would have added to the emotion of the occasion.
The ‘holic pound
Valencia should be no pushover. They have already qualified for the Final of the Copa del Rey. I am going with my heart rather than my head. They may have been a bogey side in the past but I am backing us to win 3-0 at 17/1 to all but clinch our place against the bus stop in Fulham, in Baku.
The ABW preview
Our new preview feature is below. Enjoy a Bergkamp Wonderland preview with Danny and Josh.
Have a great one ‘holics.
60 Responses to “ABW And Valencia Preview -Dreaming of Baku?”
Holic,
Lovely preview . The week between West Ham and Middlesbrough with Valencia in the middle was quite awful and it ended with an even finer midfielder than Ramsey leaving the club,
I’m expecting us to win 2-0 tomorrow, Sixth in La Liga? We just stuffed second in Serie A. We can do it despite the huge loss of Ramsey .
I’m watching tonight’s CL semi- Final. It’s on a different level entirely to
last nights shemozzle .
Hello TTG,
I saw your tweet re last night. I have to say I enjoyed the Ajax performance last night. Our Middlesex friends were outplayed. I have a nagging doubt they will launch an aerial bombardment in Amsterdam because that is definitely Ajax’ Achilles heel.
Said on Twitter earlier that I fancy Liverpool to take Barca out and they are desperately unlucky not to be at very least level here.
Fine preview Guvna. 3-0 would be just luvverly. I’ll be there trying to create the atmosphere to carry us to victory. Hopefully not single-handedly.
COYG
What a player, Messi! Great free kick to take Barca to 3-0. Pool can now concentrate on the league now.
Thanks for another fine preview, sir. I will take a 0-1 given our last week’s form and 3-0 to us will be a dream.
Liverpool have spent almost one billion pounds since 2010, more even than Real Madrid have spent. Result?
One League Cup.
1.07bn Euros.
Bang goes the two all English European Finals…
But WILL Liverpool be able to put their full focus forward on the Premier League? The feeling of deflation could be brutal.
Freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice for me please, guvnor.
I suspect Unai will win one more trophy than Poch and Klopp this season. Not sure either of those two great managers are winners
Finishing the thought from #7: As Arsenal well recall from their Camp Nou visits where they witnessed Messi magic.
A trifle optimistic with your betting punt i fear H
Make no mistake,Valencia are going to be difficult to break down tomorrow.
In 35 league games they have only conceded 32 goals,a record only bettered by Barca and Athletico Madrid.
They have only lost 7 games,but only won 12,being draw specialists with 16.
It’s going to be a tough night and i think if their is a result,it will be by the odd goal.
Absolutely vital we keep a clean sheet to take to Spain next week.
On another note,
Good luck to our former Invincible Sol Campbell,who against all the odds is one game away from keeping Macclesfield in the Football league.
A win or a draw at home to Cambridge this weekend will see them safe.
The Club were down and out when he arrived,and the players were resigned to dropping out of the league,but Sol has turned it around while working on a shoestring budget,instilling belief in a squad of players earning 400 quid a week,with no training facilities of their own,using the local park and school pitches,no fitness coach,just his old mate Andy Cole helping out with the strikers 2 days a week.
So a monumental effort on his part,and a tip of the hat to him for taking it on.
On a final note,
I see the Spurs Ladies have won promotion to the Women’s Super League,so now we will have feisty local derbies to look forward to in both the Men’s and Women’s Comps next season.
Thanks for the preview Guvnor
A grim week in 1980 remembered,
a fond farewell to Aaron, our line
up for tomorrow and a bold 3-0
forecast. Cracking stuff.
Nice preview H
Emery makes a call to the supporters to assist tonight. I would like to make a plea to the manager. Play a proper team and the crowd will automatically get behind you. Play a weakened defence and leave better players on the bench again and they might not be as forgiving.
Assuming we play the best side available I’m with you on a 3-0. Making the trip this evening so hoping for a good performance.
Sad news about Rambo. He really did deserve the opportunity to play at least one last time. I echo everything that TTG said in the previous round of drinks. Rambo has handled himself impeccably. The club however could not have made a bigger mess of it if they tried. I would also agree that it’s no coincidence that our recent capitulation in the league and Rambo’s absence have run back to back. I would sincerely hope that a replacement has already been identified and that we are never involved in such a mess again.
If you’re going tonight, see you there.
I wish I could be so optimistic Holic. The whole Club seems to be in a terrible state, management and players.
I came away from Leicester last week feeling as low as I have felt in years after a game and I doubt whether we will be able to raise our spirits in one last effort to make the CL. As for Sunday I am only going for the end of season lunch at the Hemingford!
Hope I am wrong as without CL football next season our budget in the transfer window will be peanuts and we can’t expect Emery to bring us entertaining football, it’s not in his DNA.
COYR
I would take 3-0 in a heartbeat, but fear Clive might be nearer the mark, and if so, better a 1-0 than giving them an away goal.
Uhm tough one to predict it all really depends which Arsenal turns up later on today….
3:0 is a bit optimistic but you never know we managed to raise the game few times season so anything is possible.
BTW great preview Holic!
COYG!
Cheers Holic !
3-0 would be marvellous tonight and could be doable with, as Steve T says, our best eleven on the pitch and an early goal.
A good day in Brussells in 1980 turned into a horrendous evening on the pitch with that penalty shoot out, and off the pitch with giant fire crackers thrown in the stands and mounted police struggling to control a riot outside. The least we can do is send them away thoroughly miserable at the end of this evening, with the final out of their reach.
From that day in Brussells if there are any singers in the bar –
Valencia …
You stick your head
Between your knees
And whistle up
Your paso doblé. 🙂
Come on You Reds !
I hadn’t realised the significance of playing Valencia and seeing a star midfield player then leave for Juventus. Yikes that’s spooky. Is Kempes still playing for them?
Tonight will be Petr Cech’s last game at home . A fine servant acquired too late .
I think all that needs to be said or written has been . I’ve become less optimistic as I consider why we played well in the big games this season. Mainly it was movement fuelled by Ramsey and Ozil on a good day. Nobody in our midfield can replicate that movement or goalscoring ability. Xhaka and Torreira have no pace . We have no one else who could switch to do it. Mkhi might be able to but he has been pathetic recently and he won’t start. Ozil will just have to have the best game he has ever had for us. I think a 1-0 result looks pretty attractive to me now.
Gabriel will be interesting to view. I rated him more than Wenger did and would have kept him way ahead of Mustafi. Let’s hope he channels Mustafi tonight .
Cech; Sokratis, Koscielny, Mustafi; Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Ozil; Lacazette, Aubameyang
Monreal and Torreira on the bench. ?
That’s a pretty underwhelming lineup but the worrying thing is that, Monreal and Torreira apart, it’s the best XI he can put out.
Seven of that team wouldn’t be at the club next year if I was running it 🙂
They nearly scored. We are so used to our shit defending but they still surprise us. Key today for us is to not concede a goal.
KSN spoke too soon, damn
What a terrible start
Already down to a header by the only attacker surrounded by four of our defenders. Valencia is our bogie team or will we prove otherwise today.
Even Sanogo and Baptista would score against us.
THree centre backs, all of whom get caught under the ball. Sokratis runs after it and can’t get it as it goes over everyone to the back post, Mustafi is then caught under the ball at what was the near post and Koscielny is standing in the middle staring into the floodlights for both headers.
Clowns.
Get rid.
Put Ozil on.
Oh.
Not my fault G_KS, our guys are bent on enhancing their reputation as good defenders!
Fuck yes, a couple more please
Now that was a decent break.
Get in, nice goal by Laca after good build up work.
A step slow so far and could
be 2 down
1-1 !! Get in
Aren’t central defenders supposed to head a ball?
Get in Laca! Come on!
By nice goal I meant a poke into an open goal?
Inch perfect pass from Ozil.
Frankfurt lead Chelsea 1-0 in the other semi.
Laca gets a better goal with some help from their goalie.
Let’s destroy them now come on!
Just keep it in their half and we’re all right lol
Bit of half time reading. 25 years since we won the CWC on Saturday.
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/europa-league/2018-2019/by-george-arsenal-and-the-94-cup-winners-cup_sto7253210/story-amp.shtml
Ooooh Auba, no more excuses
Done well to turn it round
Aargh, unlucky Auba
Mustafi is scary giving away a free kick in a dangerous area.
AMN is not having a great game too, he improved as the game went on, Mustafi will be Mustafi sometimes scary as shit!
Good recovery score couple more and we should be good ?
Played better as the half went
on. Showed some fight. Good
to see after the last few games.
Need a better delivery from Kola
and Guen to stop giving the ball
away 2nd half. A couple more
goals would be bloody handy too
Torreira was just like “Fuck me, boss, brush yer teeth” when he was coming on 😀
Errm, how the hell did he miss the ball then?
What a miss by Laca, took his eyes off the ball in front of an open goal and missed a sitter of a header.
Fucking hell, man! Awful misses.
Need another goal as the match is too nicely balanced right now. Need to take a lead to Valencia next week.
The amount of easy chances Lacazette and Aubameyang have missed between them this season is quite incredible
I thought there was a hint of handball form the defender in front of Laca for his header
A change is due now, no? Kola’s crosses have been awful tonight.
Well out Cech
Lost a little focus since
Laca missed.
Wouldn’t of brought Mkhi on
but let’s hope he gets the third
Our physically sapping league looks to be taking its toll as Valencia have suddenly become dominant and keeping the ball really well.
Auba gets one after Laca misses another. 3-1.
And then Auba scores through the needle hole ?
Get the fuck in!! Come on!
Great job done in spite of so many glorious chances but we should be able to hold off Valencia in the return leg.
HAVE IT! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>