Can The Gunners Recover at Molineux?
Apr 24th, 2019 by 'holic
“I want to keep all information we can have for tomorrow, sorry.”
If you were hoping for an insight into who might be available against Wolves tomorrow then you would have been disappointed by Unai Emery’s press conference. Is he playing his cards close to his chest, or is he showing signs of feeling the pressure as two potentially tricky away games follow the Easter fiasco at home to Palace?
I’ll have a crack at it, as ever. Hopefully I won’t be far off. Bernd Leno to start behind a three of available again Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Konstantinos Mavropanos, and Nacho Monreal. Laurent Koscielny needs a rest and Shkodran Mustafi needs to be taken out of the firing line, although I have no doubt he has the strength of character to put his horrendous Sunday behind him. Let Papa guide Dinos through a tough test.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac to start outside Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira. Granit Xhaka is still a doubt, it is rumoured, although he did take part in Tuesday’s training session. Pray we have him back for Leicester on Sunday if he doesn’t make Molineux. I would obviously prefer to start both strikers with Mesut Ozil again, but after Sunday I can see Unai opting for Alex Iwobi ahead of one of them. Don’t ask me who, for I fear it may be the golden boot seeker.y
Obviously Wolves have done very well against the top six sides this season and were unfortunate to leave the Grove with a share of the spoils courtesy of a late Henrikh Mkhitaryan strike. They may be without a win in two Premier League matches, following their FA Cup semi-final exit, but remain in the hunt for a top seven spot which could bring Europa league football for them next season.
The Wolves love nothing more than to play on the swift counter attack (not that I want to scare you, of course!) and in Jota and Jimenez have two willing strikers who will get on the end of anything we fail to deal with. Beware also the big defenders Coady and Boly at set pieces.
The ‘holic pound
After the four combatants for third and fourth places made a complete and utter Horlicks of Easter we fortunately still have our destiny in our own hands. We have to be focused on three points from this one.
My heart wants a good old-fashioned one-nil to the Arsenal, but a clean sheet, at Wolves? I will doggedly persist with 1-2 to The Arsenal. I’ve grabbed 10/1 while it is available.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
83 Responses to “Can The Gunners Recover at Molineux?”
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1:2 It is then, settled.
Jammy spuds! 🙂
3 one to the Arse!! C’mon you Gunners!!!
Thanks for the insomniac preview
Guvnor ! Works for me on Japan time
UE has some big decisions to make
as you say. Kos is one of them and
personally I hope we go with a back
4, play Torreira and Xhaka, and rest
Auba unless we go behind.
2-0 to The Arsenal. A clean sheet for
Leno, AMN, Papa, Kos and Nacho.
COYGS!!
On Dexter’s keepers for next season
I mostly agree too – except Emi.
He’s failed to get into too many teams
on loan for us to take the risk.
Nice one, Guv’nor, and captures well the selection conundrum facing Emery following the Palace debacle and matches coming thick and fast at the pointy end of the season. However, these are footballing ‘first-world problems’, and, as others have noted, it is a welcome change from recent seasons to be involved in meaningful games this late on.
Squeezing the vital three points out of this evening is still going to be a tough ask.
bt8b@the previous drinks: your cautions about comparing Mustafi and Chambers’s stats are well made, which is why I was general in my assessment, but it is possible to get a sense of direction by comparing their achievement percentages in defensive actions, such as tackles or aerial duels won. There also appears, on a quick reading, to be a difference in the stats for Mustafi the centre back and Mustafi the right back, with the latter being the more reliable defender.
Fine preview Guvna. Fingers crossed that Unai is able to select a decent defensive unit and a midfield that can both shield them and supply the attackers. It’s squeaky bum time as red-nose used to say. COYG
Fine preview as ever Holic. I have a better feeling about the next two than the last one! I think we will do it 3-1 and I think Koscielny and Xhaka will start.
United to perish 3-0 . OGS to get the push and Poch to replace him.
You heard it here first
COYG !
I have no time for all this red zone chatter. Stick a needle in him and get him on the pitch. 🙂
Thanks for the preview, ‘holic. 1-2 is beyond my wildest expectations so I will take it. I don’t know why people have a better feeling about this game than the last one, but feelings are important they tell me. 🙂
Ned, thanks for the clarification @5. Chambers being so tall he should certainly have better stats in aerial duels so is he squatting when he should be jumping? As for tackles he should have learnt not to dive in after Montero went around him 50 different ways at Swansea a few years ago.
Cheers Holic,
Any win would be just fantastic but hopefully your 1-2 will pay up.
So much iffing and butting everywhere re Mustafi. Nothing very original to add but if I were trying to be positive, i’d have to cling to the fact that he has had some very good games for us. The problem is they are interspersed with so many horror shows. Emery has to try to build him up again, in case he needs him, but I’m with Cynic (mostly).
With four games to go, Kos has to start if he can. We could keep him for Leicester but he might there have a clash of heads in the first minute and have to come off anyway. Second guessing is not really for this stage of the season.
Soccertits, Kos and Nacho, with A MN and Kola as wing backs has been by far our most effective line up and we should play it. The rest will depend on who is fit but that should be the basis of our team.
Hoping for a stream that flows considerably better than Subday’s.
It does seem unfair that the only place you can’t get games in the English Premier League is England.
Everything crossed now, indlucing my fignres ??
Right. Off to the Black Country. Come on you Gunners!
Nothing but 3 points!! COYG!!!
many reasons why today happened
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loads dipping their self interest and quills in
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never met a professional politician i didn’t not like
.
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transient outrage
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.
.
again
doggerel alert finishes
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COME ON YOU REDS
W
Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Torreira, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Iwobi, Lacazette
No Auba in the squad as he had a sinus procedure but will be available for Leicester on Sunday.
Good selection.
The line up looks almost the strongest possible.
Hopefully should be enough for tonight.
I’m hoping we can adjust to a four at the back. Happy to see my boy Eddie on the bench as well as Willock. Fingers crossed that we can do the necessary tonight.
Line up looks better balanced , could be a good night for us, fingers crossed.
COYR
Great preview Maestro!
I can only watch first 15 minutes of this game then I will be on a flight back to UK so fingers crossed for the lads!
That is the best first 11 we can muster at this moment in time. Looks more defensive than offensive but Wolves will be tough to beat anyhow.
Like the XI, it’s who I’d have picked!
Cagey opening – lots of pressing
and some misplaced passing.
Doing ok but not incisive
Coming together but they get the free kick and they score. 0-1.
Flight slightly delayed and we go one behind just terrific
Bastard that.
COYGS!!!!!
Laca is cut off, Iwobi and Mikhi nowhere
We do look clueless really
We are being taught in how to play football
kants
No defence against the flighted ball in the box and we are two down. As someone said above, we don’t seem to have a clue. Game over.
I’m getting flash backs to last season…
Just sad to watch
Shit
Stains
Need to show something now.
Not a good time for Leno’s first
mistake in ages.
This is embarrassing as fuck.
3-0 now. Always knew Wolves were a very good counter attacking team and they are showing why. I don’t rule out a five goal rout.
If we manage to make 4th it would be nothing short of miracle. We have fucked even the goal diff
What a dreadful squad we have given Emery to work with.
Part timers and below average wage collectors.
Guys,
We don’t belong in CL anyway not sure what the fuss is all about
Agree re strength of squad but we are finding the games catching up with us now. But Emery and Sanllehi needed to loan a defender not the waste of time that is Suarez.
How wrong could I be, it’s bad enough listening to it on the audio, feel sorry for Gooner Malcolm and Countryman who have made the trip.
Buck up Reds but with little on the bench I can’t see us getting back into the match.
ATG – money, for the squad, wishful thinking
How many of this squad would you hate to see sold?
We haven’t got a single player I would be gutted to lose.
Gunner_KS
I know it’s the money we need to get better players but boy we are being clueless and ripped apart there….
That’s the season for me. Will sit out the rest of the matches. Only path left is Valencia-> Chelski….not much hope there really ..
See you next season!! Cheers!!
Now then? No hope serious hope on the bench.
Support through thick n thin son!
Missing Ramsey I guess. Blame that little shite Gazidis
Over to you Raul. Start earning your pesos.
Stan better splash the cash!! Hahahahaha!!
He couldn’t splash his own boots when he had a piss.
I feel like crying really. Just so frustrating. Tippy tappy possession.
Groundhog day in many respects.
A golden opportunity to finish 3rd and enjoy a St Totts day has been just chucked away.
That is why you can’t blame the shortcomings of this squad on Mustafi, our back four today should be able to cope with Wolves obviously that is not the case.
and
i’m the balloon
We haven’t had a shot on target yet abysmal!
For the first goal, why on earth they wait to make a foul so close to the box, just take one for the team at the center of the pitch
Mustafi and Sokratis are about on the same level. I know that’s a widely held opinion but Sokratis has been unimpressive for me. You’d expect more from Monreal and Koscielny and AMN is no right back, no matter how many times he plays there and how many people tell you he is good there.
The manner of the defeat is shameful though. Bad as they are, where’s the effort?
That should say “NOT a widely held opinion”
ATG, Mustafi penalties against Palace costs us 2 points. Penalty against Spurs another 2 and errors against Palace at Emirates another 2 points if we give him benefit of doubt for the corner. He’s a professional paid lots of money but can’t do basics, he’s had huge part to our season.
Just got in and was going to watch the game.
What the hell has happened there??????
SG
Agreed he error prone, but do you honestly think he cost us so many defeats this season and each one of them is on him?
It’s a team game too you know our forwards haven’t been exactly scoring hat tricks either…
Hey Steve T,
Didn’t know there was an Arsenal game on tonight ?
Well at this point it’s safe to say we only have the Europa as the only path to UCL next season, that is, if we win. Am utterly confused as to what is going with my team. Change of manager and personnel and much haven’t changed. DAMN SAD!
ATG
70% possession as well…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9434BoGkNQ
We can lose a game but not like this, better like the Palace game, at least we showed smth up front
True it is a team sport, Ned can help us with our goal tally relative to our direct competitors but I think we’ve done pretty well in the scoring Dept. I don’t mind errors in positioning, not tracking runners etc and thus I give him benefit of doubt with Palace corner. But rash tackles, pushing people in the box and what he did for 2nd Palace goal have cost us badly.
Not that much of a change of personnel though, this is still Wenger’s dross in large part.
Evening Arthur.
Clearly, there isn’t?????
The best way forward is to let Ramsey walk away for nothing at the end of the season??? That will solve all the problems??
?
I am now counting on Man U to beat Chelsea on Sunday after they lose tonight’s game @ City.
Steve T.
Think back to any of the less than impressive performances witnessed over the last decade and you have tonights story.
Same old same old is creeping back in. The quality of the squad isn’t good enough, even 13 years after leaving Highbury so that we could compete financially with the top European clubs. Supposedly.
How on earth are going to beat Valencia with this squad?
Steve,
You said it our best player is leaving because they could be bothered to sort his contract out.
Utd to lose tonight, beat the chavs and we somehow limp over the line in 4th place and win the Europa league!!
Can’t see us beating Leicester away Dexter. Not when we play like this.
At least Manure are losing 0:2
To be fair Arthur, Good player that he is, isn’t he getting around 400k a week at Juve?
We’d never match that. I think Ozil got away with one because we was letting Sanchez go. (Which turned out a good decision by chance lol)
Hurrah! Got a goal back. 10 mins left + injury time. COYG 🙂
I’d be really earger to see what the business at the end of the season would be and what happens next season. Things aren’t just adding up, what a season ?
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