Saints Next For Weakened Gunners
Dec 15th, 2018 by 'holic
Sunday lunchtime, Southampton away, a fixture that became a difficult one for us, particularly in 2015. We have won just once at St Mary’s in our last seven visits. Whilst we appear to have found an answer to the inconsistency of recent seasons there is the worry about our lack of central defensive options as we seek a 23rd consecutive unbeaten match.
Laurent Koscielny, just back from a serious Achilles injury, is our only available specialist centre-back. The options to partner him probably start with another player just back from injury, Nacho Monreal. If Unai wants the additional protection on the right of a three then his options are Stephan Lichsteiner, Carl Jenkinson, or Mohamed Elneny. That is unless he trusts Zech Medley to make the jump up to Premier League football?
Should we opt for a back three then it is hard to see where Mesut Ozil would fit in. Hector Bellerin, Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, and Sead Kolasinac would surely be the middle four. Given our best chance of securing the win will be to outscore the Saints then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette should both start? That leaves the right side to be contested by Alex Iwobi, Aaron Ramsey, Ozil, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Southampton have had a torrid start to the season and having settled in the relegation zone they sacked manager Mark Hughes after just eight months in charge. His replacement, former RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, is a 51-year-old Austrian who has been out of work since leaving Leipzig in May. This will be his first match in charge. I hope nobody has told him that equine fancier Charlie Austin has scored in each of his four appearances against us.
The ‘holic pound
It’s back to an unlucky favoured punt for me. They will be looking to impress the new boss, and our defence looks potentially leaky. I’m looking for a repeat of the 3-2 to the Arsenal we achieved at home in April at an enhanced 25/1.
The Arsenal players in the community
The entire Arsenal first team and some of the Arsenal Women’s squad have continued Arsenal tradition of giving back to the community, as they have been out surprising children throughout the local community on Friday afternoon, and spreading some festive cheer.
The Arsenal players and staff have been visiting local hospitals (Whittington and Barnet), our Arsenal in the Community Hub (meeting some of the 5000 participants that are reached every week through our community programmes), Highbury Quadrant Primary School (where we hold weekly Double Club session that use football as a tool to engage children with literacy and numeracy), and the Skinners Academy, where The Arsenal Foundation recently donated £50,000 to create a football pitch for the children to use. Mesut Ozil also surprised one of his biggest fans at a local primary school. If you aren’t usually on Twitter click the link below to view.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1073667603065921538/video/1
Good luck to all making the journey to Hampshire. Wherever you happen to be watching, have a good one ‘holics.
61 Responses to “Saints Next For Weakened Gunners”
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Great preview Holic, thanks.
It will be interesting to see whether Emery has any regard for the Carabao Cup game in his team selection. Normally he wouldn’t have but this is a game against revenge- seeking S***s.
I don’t think he will but I think he will ensure that Torreira gets booked against The Totts and he will look very closely at how we rotate against everyone before the Liverpool game. Southampton with a new manager in place is a tricky start but one that shouldn’t be beyond us if we can control midfield and shield the experimental back four. I think he may go with Koscielny and Monreal and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ozil make a return but it’s more likely he will play next Wednesday.
I think we will prevail 2-1
Nice one, Guv’nor, Small point, but it is one win in seven at St Mary’s in the League. We also had an FA Cup win there last season.
Your line-up sounds about right, including the quandary over the last starting spot.
Doubt that Medley will start. He would have got a longer run out on Thursday and more than nine minutes playing alongside Kos, were he to be starting on Sunday, I would have thought, such is Emery’s attention to detail. But he looked skilful and assured on the ball, especially for such a big lad. Vieira-length telescopic legs. Makes Sokratis look small.
Crack of dawn start as we head towards the M3. Be kind weather! My last time in the stadium we won comfortably (5-1?) in a Cup game. Be nice to see that again!
Fair point Ned thank you.
Just read that Zech Medley has travelled with the squad. Interesting.
TTG, bookings in Carabao Cup and the Premier League don’t apply to the other competition this season I’m told, therefore we need Torreira to be booked tomorrow to miss Burnley, or against Burnley to miss Brighton. He will still be available for the Middlesex Nomads.
Fine preview, H. I feel somewhat nervous about tomorrow.
The concatenation of our makeshift central defence, a new coach boost for the opposition, our abysmal record at St Mary’s and the duration of our unbeaten run (coming closer to its termination with each game) lead me to believe that the risk of an adverse result is higher than I would like.
Nonetheless we have the advantage of Unai’s strategic genius, the energy of wee Torry and the in-form dynamic duo of BamBam and Laca on our side this time, so I hope for three points.
I concur with the team you’ve selected plus Mkhitaryan on the right (he owes us a good performance, a couple of assists and a goal) though I suspect Unai may have Laca on the bench to start.
See. Bath shows us the quality of this establishment. In how many other football blogs would you find the (correct) use of the word concatenation?
Strictly broadsheet we are. And all the better for it.
??
Team concatenation is all fine and good if it includes this player on the right.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/estherstoffer/12856167263
Broadsheet, C100? Three sheets, more like.
I think Kosser will play a blinder tomorrow with Lichtie and Nacho on either side of him. I expect Ramsey to start too.
I can’t see them scoring twice, Holic. The old favourite, 2-1 to good guys, is written al over this one.
Speaking of Kos, if you haven’t already I highly recommend watching the documentary of his injury and rehab on Arsenal.com. If his rehab really went as well as they say we need to offer him a new contract.
Fine preview Guv.
Tricky game, fingers crossed for aging
hamstrings, achillae and other twangy
bits and bobs.
A hard fought 1-0 will do nicely.
Given recent form both Iwobi and
Mkhi have something to show, I hope
it’s today.
3-2, 2-1, 1-0 ??
3-0 all day.
UTA.
Cheers H.
That Ozil video at the end put a huge smile on my face. Brilliant!
As for today, any win please. No injuries. Smiles all round.
So far the weather is doing Countryman proud. Long may it continue!
Just arrived in Southampton. GSD you will be interested to know that it is pissing down.
Missing Burnley would be best for
Torreira and us.
Sun’s beating down on my beach, Countryman – but my wifi’s pretty crap. You’ll get wet and see 100% of the game. I’ll only get wet if I go for a dip and it’s unlikely that I’ll see even 50%. So, I’ll await eagerly your own and Holic’s match reports.
Enjoy!
Countryman.
Bugger.
iBtM.
You bugger! ?
Enjoy!
COYG
Countryman @6, so concatenation DOES mean a country full of dishonest see you next Tuesdays?
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Lichsteiner, Koscielny, Monreal, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Aubameyang
Subs: Cech, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Lacazette, Nketiah
Leno
Bellerin, Licht, Kos, Nacho
Guendouzi, Xhaka, Torreira
Mkhi, Auba, Iwobi
Ozil, Ramsey, Laca among the
subs
Kola out with a thigh strain
Too slow 🙂
I guess it’s 4-3-3 unless Iwobi is
going to play more as LWB
Will miss Kola’s forays up the left flank as he, with Bellerin, spread opposing defences which created scoring opportunities for Auba and Laca. Can Iwobi do that equally effectively? We will soon know.
Great ball Guendouzi, first
good chance for Auba
Redmond’s contribution is twice that of Mkhi so far. Good footballer.
Here we go again.
Down as usual and worryingly the Saints are playing well and creating a lot more than us. COYG.
Can we have the half-time talks NOW?
Like for like. 1-1.
Not a great response to going a goal
down so far,
Yes!!!!!!
A couple of assists Mikhi and you’re good
brilliant interception by the Soton
defender unfortunately
Saints chasing and closing down well. They’ll tire quickly in the second half I think.
Such a bad goal to give away
Yes, OM. Big blow with Bellerin going off too.
No creativity, poor going forward, unless we put offensive players in, no chance I fear
My commentator has just said “Arsenal not their usual selves”. Really?
Flat back four in the second half, or Medley alongside Kos? (Not Jenkinson. Please).
Needs some Emery magic and Laca
on the pitch in the 2nd half
If Hectors gone then AMN on at LB and the
3 defenders move across.
No Jenks on a he bench iBtM
At my sons Paintball birthday party. Freezing my arse off too!
Not a great first half again, how’s it looking Holics?
Good solution, OM. Laca’s a must too for Iwobi, I think. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Ramsey also for Mkhi.
Oh dear, playing Granit in a back 3 which hadn’t played together before and Kos obviously rusty was a bad idea and we need a re-jig in the second half.
With Hector going off perhaps AMN will come in at LB and Nacho move to the centre, at least he has played along side Kos there in the past.
Southampton look dangerous so it’s going to be difficult to come out of this one with 3 points.
COYR
Arthur, it’s looking like if we score more than them in the second half we’ll either win or draw. Anything else and we’ll lose. 🙂
On a brighter note, the Holic pound is still on the cards (although the card has been the deuce of clubs for most of the season).
The back five was looking as make shifty as it could and the saints took full advantage of that – Ings time and again getting between the two centre halves defending crosses. Mkhi with a terrific finish after good wing play by Iwobi and Monreal. We are missing the drive of Kolasinac down the left flank – he has been our most potent source of cut backs and crosses recently. Monreal is being more cautious trying to protect Xhaka but we will need to risk it if we are to prosper against their back three. They have pressed us really tight until now but we have proven this season that we are a really fit side and take advantage once opposition tires. The midfield needs to take more control and Ramsey might play a crucial role along with Laca in the second half. Once again we need to make a comeback but human beings are creatures of habit and here is hoping that our habit of making comebacks serves us well again. Massive second half coming up – they are there for the taking if we raise our game, COYG
So we are down in the 5 mins I couldn’t watch, not surprisingly.
Every team is out to kick our players and refs have decided not to card any of the offenders.
We are so slow that we look like we are playing the snails
Get in Mkhi!!!! 2-2.
@ksn spot on, they look like stoke 2.0
Thanks iBTM
Looks like we certainly need to score more fingers crossed ??
Oh Iwobi
Kos looks slow, he will need more game time to get back to his usual self.
Redmond off, big blow for Saints. He’s been MotM till then.
To be fair to Iwobi he had the
right idea
We need to make chances for
Auba and Laca as I think we’ll
need 2 more to win this
Well fuck that
We know Austin is a def scorer against us but we leave him totally free. End of our run.
Holic and the Holic Pound, King Midas in reverse. 🙁
Well, well, well, three headed goals. Not a great day to be without CBs.
5 minutes to pull our arses out the
fire.
Been tough today with a makeshift
defense
3 fucking soft goals, as soft as they come
Shot ourselves in both feet though
What a bastard
We didn’t turn up at all. We deserved to lose but feel gutted. We were too slow and predictable and the number of chances Auba misses is unbelievable.
Sorry for the late >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>