Gunners Cross The Bridge In Search Of Away Triumph
Sep 1st, 2018 by 'holic
Another Saturday, and of course television has moved our away match at Cardiff to Sunday lunchtime. Today’s action highlights the importance of us getting a result in Wales. Chelsea and Liverpool retained their one hundred percent starts to the season, and the reigning champions are also undefeated and following them menacingly.
Newly promoted Cardiff lost at Bournemouth on the opening day of the season but have since remained defensively sound, earning goal-less draws against Newcastle and at Huddersfield. We know what we can expect from a Neil Warnock team. They will be fired up for this one.
It will be interesting to see who starts for the Arsenal. Changes to the back five are unlikely so expect to see Petr Cech behind an unchanged back four of Hector Bellerin, Skhodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Nacho Monreal.
The midfield, both defensive and attacking, provides more of a problem for Unai Emery to solve. Can he provide a start for Aaron Ramsey against his old club? That would be a man-management masterstroke but also Emery has the issue of a potential call for Mesut Ozil following his brief illness last week. Granit Xhaka possibly has most to fear but he looked very good against West Ham. I doubt that he will cement a regular starting berth but it would be a tough call to drop him after a good performance.
Then there is the question of Lucas Torreira. He looks quite the player but likeliest to make way would be Matteo Guendouzi, a player who has impressed on his introduction to the Premier League. It would not be a surprise if one to lose his place this week was Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a cultured footballer but one who has looked unhappy in the opening weeks of the season.
The final question is whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is started on the left flank to facilitate a start for Alexandre Lacazette. The latter’s introduction as a substitute against West Ham proved decisive last week.
The hosts haven’t beaten The Arsenal for 57 years and were they to do so this weekend it would be a major surprise, but it’s early days in the Emery era and we need to show that we have overcome our difficulties on away days after last season’s travails.
Not that my opinion is of any bearing, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Xhaka and Torreira starting behind the box-to-box Ramsey, with Ozil on the right and Aubameyang on the left behind Lacazette.
The ‘holic pound
Danny Welbeck’s late strike secured the pound last weekend, and I’m hoping to go close again this week with a punt on 0-2 to the visitors at 15/2. A clean sheet will be put under pressure if the full-backs leave space in behind for the likes of Josh Murphy to exploit. Surely we have addressed that area of our performances so far in training this week?
Last Chance to win VIP tickets to the Legends match
Click here to see again your chance to win this experience. Entries close some eight and a half hours after the match ends in Cardiff. Good luck to you all.
Chris W
It was in November 2009 that we first received a drink from Oskar. Three years later he became Oskar the Dog. In March 2016 it was a shock to us all to read this drink.
Oskar (the dog) met his maker on Friday, put down after a heart attack following another bout of Pancreatitis. He’s been instructed to bring luck to the team from on high, although it may take a while to settle into his new duties so no blame please if it doesn’t go terribly well at Everton (as I fear).
Chris (the real me)
If you have been following the drinks on the competition post you will know that a couple of years on we have received confirmation that Chris and Oskar have been re-united. It is with sadness we read of the passing of yet another long-time poster.
I prefer to think we were lucky to know him, and to engage in debate with him. Being exiled in New Zealand didn’t make him any less passionate a Gooner. He would argue long and hard here with anyone, and the drinks will be a poorer place without him.
Thank you and RIP, Chris.
52 Responses to “Gunners Cross The Bridge In Search Of Away Triumph”
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Lovely tribute Holic , in fact there have been a number from the denizens of this bar. From all over the world united in a love of the Arsenal and of decent discussion with each other.
I like your idea of the team Holic.
I can’t read Emery well enough yet so I’d like your team to be right and the score also. It’s a pretty good estimate in my view.
RIP to Chris. We disagreed often but he taught me that you can disagree but not fall out. A true Gooner and a respected regular in this bar.
The alarm is set for 7 and countryman junior and I leave at 8 for an away trip to Wales. Here’s hoping I have something to write about on my return. This one’s for Chris, and his great 80” TV in the sky.
Thanks TTG,
Raising a glass to Chris. ?
I actually think he will retain Guendouzi, fair enough, and Mkhitaryan instead of Torreira and Lacazette.
My team will get a chance somewhere, I hope.
Have a good trip Countryman and junior. ?
Fine words, Guv’nor, about a fine Gooner and denizen of this bar.
Very rare result 0-2 away win in games between these two clubs, so rare, in fact, that there has never been one in 44 cup and league matches, and only four 2-0 home wins (three to us, one to them in 1926)
Evening H
Having only just finished toasting the 5th anniversary of the passing of our Football Correspondent in the Caribbean,one Gooner Terry, i now read the sad news of the passing of Chris, our FC in the land of the Long White Cloud.
Like most i did fear the worst,particularly when he didn’t post through the drama of the Arsene /Unai changeover.
As the Senior member of the Bar,he always had a permanent place reserved for him in the Snug with a drink of choice awaiting him,normally a fine glass of red,which he was very fond of.
He always stood his ground with good humor and the bar will be the poorer without him.
I hope his passing was peaceful,and that he lived a good and happy life.
As for the football,a game of head tennis is not my idea of fun,but even with the squad still coming to grips with the new system,i will be very disappointed if we don’t come away with all 3 pts.
I await Countryman’s first away day report of the season with great anticipation, as they are always a great read.
I am confident he will kick off with a winning post from Wales.
Welbeck to score at any time.
And it is worth a punt on Oskar the dog to bite back at any time. 😉
Thanks, ‘holic, for your sharing your research on Chris’ history in the Drinks, which may not have begun with Goonerholic. 🙂
*Awaits Countryman’s away day report with giddy anticipation.*
Thanks Guvnor – i hope you’re
right.
Warnobend is annoying, a poor
man’s Fat Sam, which is about
as low as a man can sink. I’d like
to see us stuff them but any win
will do.
A fine tribute to Chris, Guvna. He was an interesting man with a fascinating life history (if the tales he shared were any indication), firmly held and robustly argued views (Theo!!) and a fine taste in the cratur (Highland Park) and women (Michelle Pfeiffer). Oskar will have been jumping with delight at the pearly gates to see him again.
Chris’ contributions to this place will be missed.
Cardiff’s style may be a new challenge for Unai. I prefer the Guvna’s team selection to the one I expect to start. Hopefully the end result will be another payday for the Holic Pound.
Go win for Chris, Gunners.
Expected back 5.
Guendouzi and Xhaka start,
Ramsey, Ozil, Auba and
Laca up front. Certainly not
a defensive team.
AFC und CBA – be good xx (& wot bt8 @8 sed – comon!)
https://youtu.be/9UOweeSdI2k
He’s nearly there . I’d like to see Torreira start but pleased to see the two strikers in
Psed: pet insurance
One minute in and in trouble by faffing around in our area…against a Warnock team . Madness
Just scrap the bloody keeper thing…damn
Please stop playing stupid balls
around our area
Beyond a joke. Totally self-inflicted. At the end of five passes across and back we have to welt it anyway.
Nice to see they can panic in
defence too
Cardiff is very poor, we should be able to beat them by at least three diff
Then again, it’s us so …
One of the many things this error-prone Arsenal team needs is a strong dependable DM . We have a potentially world-class one and leave him on the bench. Guendouzi is a box to box player with lots of mistakes in him. Xhaka strolls around midfield and going forward we don’t have the incisiveness we used to . The defence looks fragile and persist in passing back to the hapless Cech . We don’t have confidence in a style yet
Poor pass by Xhaka in a dangerous and poor defending and we concede just before half time.
What a nonsense piece of defending
that was. So fucking annoying.
That goal showcases why I don’t want Xhaka in the team.
No pressure and a Hollywood ball that sets them up. Awful goal to concede but it’s been coming. We could lose this to a really poor side .
We are weaker than we were last season. This is a mid-table side
After failing to score against
Bournemouth, Newcastle and
Huddersfield, we let Cardiff score
against us.
I hope we batter them 2nd half.
Xhaka is a luxury we can’t afford. He strolls along like he has all the time in the world, keeps mis passing and against a physical side like Cardiff who press high up Xhaka will make a few mistakes. One of them led to to their goal.
But this match is winnable. We should be scoring a few if we get the passes in the final third correct and Auba and Laca show composure. Laca was unlucky to not score.
Dear me, what have we been doing all week at the training ground. We were lucky to get away with the Hammer’s lamentable finishing last week and here we are again making the same fundamental errors .
I am not a happy bunny even the strikers look out of touch. This could be a long afternoon.
Shambles nothing to add here
Delia,
You took the words out of my mouth. I can as yet not see any aspect of our play which Emery has improved. All we have now is a confused mindset because of trying to play out from the back which doesn’t work with this group of players and in a league like the Premier League.
If we do win this it will be a Laca or Aubameyang piece of opportunism .
Sadly I can see us getting out-muscled.
Cech is so poor passing out from back that he keeps getting the team into trouble. It is a dilemma as we don’t get possession when we lump it up as Cardiff are better in the air. Unai needs to find a reliable way out of defence.
Mustafi looking a threat at corners
today
Other than that we’re struggling.
Auba shows why he is so highly rated. Top strike. 1-2.
This ref is a massive homer. Bound to bottle a big decision for us.
Get in come on Arsenal!
Nice quick move, great finish!
Much more like it 🙂
All four yellow cards to us. Anthony Taylor is a doing his ‘job’.
Ksn
Yep, some things never change
We needed Torreira on after the goal. This is terrible
Cardiff which couldn’t score is now scoring at will. Unai knows even less about defending than Arsene did!
Fuck sake, come on Arsenal!
Get Welbeck in place of Xhaka.
Some more shit defending. Why hasn’t Unai done anything to organise the defence.
Now defend ffs
Laca belts one in. 2-3. Hope we don’t let one in.
Great finish Laca and nice assist by Torreira. And notice how Torreira instantly drove to the goal and was wide open if Laca did a return pass instead.
It is quite disheartening to learn of the passing of one of the regular patrons of this establishment, Chris. May he rest in perfect peace.
Welbeck on for Ozil. Thought Xhaka on a card would be the one to go.
Please, please don’t screw
this up
Finally, three points!!
I refer to 30 previously. Two quality strikes, he has to start these two together. Much more assured after Torreira came on. Xhaka is not an option away from home and Ozil worked hard but wasn’t in the game enough. Guendouzi is a super lad but if he plays he needs to play with Torreira. Mustafi did ok today but Lacazette was the MOTM
We made hard work of it but
Laca and Auba came through.
And now that we’ve won – I can
say that Taylor is a poor referee
without being accused of sour
grapes.
Hopefully our forwards will’ve
got some confidence from the
game. I just don’t want to talk
about the defence as what is
there left to say.
I hope Torreira will start next
game.
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