Can Arsenal Turn Dortmund Form Into League Points?
Nov 28th, 2014 by 'holic
So some 63 hours after completing a hard-working 2-0 win over Dortmund the Gunners will be starting their latest Premier League challenge at the Hawthorns. It’s a ground that holds reasonably happy memories for me, but once again we will have to adjust to enforced changes to the side.
The extent of those were unclear at Arsene’s presser earlier. Certainly Wednesday night cost us the services of Mikel Arteta and possibly Yaya Sanogo. Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Mathieu Debuchy, and Mesut Ozil (yes, and Abou Diaby) are also ruled out still. Danny Welbeck, David Ospina, and Wojciech Szczesny are likely to be missing as well offering another opportunity to Emiliano Martinez between the sticks.
A bit of good news arrived in the shape of Laurent Koscielny’s availability after injury. Arsene may choose to start him on the bench and ease him back to full match-fitness given Nacho Monreal’s growing confidence in the central role. An unchanged back four to start, possibly.
In midfield one would assume that Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey will primarily hold and Santi Cazorla could be recalled in the hole ahead of Tomas Rosicky. The flanks are likely to be unchanged with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain so impressive on Wednesday and Alexis Sanchez being the player of the season to date. Olivier Giroud is eligible for the Premier League and will surely start up front.
The hosts have blown hot and cold this season, beating only Burnley at home in the Premier League. They have, however, taken points off Sunderland, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace. They have been more successful on the road beating Tottenham and Leicester as well as holding in-form Southampton. Jakob and Olsson will be missing, but dangerous young striker Saido Berahino will play despite his arrest on a drink-drive charge earlier in the week. He has eight goals to his credit this season and links well with Stephan Sessegnon.
So which Arsenal will we see? Despite defeats in the last two Premier League outings the performance against Dortmund has hopefully restored some much-needed confidence and belief. This is certainly a fixture we should be going into expecting to bring points home. The key may well be in our midfield. If they click then we look to have the quality elsewhere to grind out another decent result.
The ‘holic pound
I need a result as much as the Arsenal. You’ll think I have gone mad, but Arsenal will beat someone heavily when they click, so I am throwing a hail Mary, well two to be precise. I have taken Paddy Power’s offer of 325/1 against a 0-6 away win, with a back-up punt on 1-6 at 275/1 with the same firm.
What happens when you leave your smartphone with professional footballers?
A usual day at the Arsenal F.C. training centre consists of a strict regime of shuttle runs, stretching and ball skills but at a recent shoot for Vitality the players took the opportunity to take a breather from training with a few casual selfies on an unguarded smartphone.
England internationals Theo Walcott and Calum Chambers posed alongside Aaron Ramsey and captain Mikel Arteta in several selfies which made for a surprise for the smartphone’s owner. It’s surprising that Lukas Podolski or Wojciech Szczesny didn’t get in on the act given their well-known selfie obsessions. Podolski has a history of posing for selfies with Bastian Schweinsteiger and German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the World Cup final win. While Szczesny took one of the most well known football selfies of last year, and guess what…Podolski was involved too!
For a chance to win a trip to see Arsenal FC in training, enter your details at http://blog.pruhealth.co.
The competition ends on 23:59 Sunday 30th November 2014 – good luck, and have a good one ‘holics.
126 Responses to “Can Arsenal Turn Dortmund Form Into League Points?”
C’est moi?
Öskar
Nice one Holic.
Local juicer in the Seat of Kings for this one. Guinness at lunchtime – what could go wrong? 😎
0-6, ‘holic? Yes I think you’re mad. I’ll be happy with 0-1 but hoping for a little more, maybe 3 or 4 nil?
Can’t wait to see who is actually fit enough to play. Should I dubbin my boots? Younger members ask your granddad about dubbin.
Öskar
Remember dubbin on the boots, and the ball Oskar. Still got the lace-prints on my forehead to prove it 😉
I still have dubbin somewhere and I used to linseed oil my cricket bat. Do they still do that?
Anyway you’ve gone quite mad Holic! West Brom have a massive advantage tomorrow. We’ve played a very tiring game on Wednesday and this is an early Saturday kick- off. We need a bit of rotation but we haven’t got many fresh players and we okay Southampton next week. Certainly Giroud should start as should Koscielny just cause they are fresh. Ox is playing too well to drop. I’d bench Santi who did a lot of running on Saturday and play TR7 who likes the Hawthorns. I might rest Gibbs and give Nacho his old job back . Otherwise we don’t have too many options.
If we can find the energy and Sanchez sees enough of the ball I think we will get a 2-1 win
Told you we’d smash Dortmund! Should’ve been at least three nil, that’s my only gripe!
UTA!
Good stuff Goonerholic,
The same mature, holistic, organised and responsible display without the ball, as against BVB, will invariably bring all three points and yet another clean sheet. 3 – 0 to the Arse if another disciplined team performance without the ball is exhibited. COYBG!
Ah, linseed oil on the bat. Sand it first. A happy memory. I can smell it now ttg. I think the modern bats are impregnated with something, so no. My last one (retired twenty years ago) had a plastic cover. Most odd, but it was made originally for Mike Denness when he was at Essex. County Bats gave him six a year and this was one he rejected. I had a huge Gooch handle put on it and it saw me through to the bitter end.
*sobs gently* 😉
TOP 10
Fine preview maestro. However your bets confirm the BtM slipped you an optimistogenic mickey finn before jogging up the road for his pizza the other night. I do hope you win one of those bets though. 🙂
NOW you’re talking, Holic! I’m on 7-0 myself 🙂
Leave the back four unchanged, bring Kos on around 64.5 minutes. Ease these Achilles in gently, we can’t afford another 3-monther.
Ramsey and Flamini are definite.
Doesn’t poor old Alexis deserve a break though? I think I’d start Rosicky, Giroud, Ox up front with Santi in the middle. Otherwise, why do we bother paying TR7?
Enjoy, Holics. I tried to get a ticket to sit on my hands ‘mongst the home fans. Computer said “No!” so I’ll be on a stream tomorrow.
It’s the ‘nil’ I worry about more than the credit column. To score 6 means leaving ourselves open enough that a goal or two the wrong way becomes more than likely. So I’m going to revise my most optimistic scoreline to 2-4. I agree someone has to get a proper Arse walloping before long, but maybe when we have a full week between games and more crocks back from the physio room.
Give TR7 a go please AW.
Öskar
Usual good preview, Holic, but
6-0, 7-0, ??
WIMPS ! I thought you believed in the team. 😉
By the way,
How come we play Wednesday night and Saturday lunch time while Chelsea play Tuesday night and Sunday ?
They do need the help I guess. 🙁
Same reason their players don’t have to bother showing up to Internationals, Trev. Wouldn’t want anyone to break a nail.
One chants out between two worlds…
Cheers guv’.
Any win will do me.
Come On You Redssss.
howdy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB-i24ah8f4
is it cool ?
is it a good tune ?
is it ?
yes
it is
yodel away ya wee mad spudling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pXnZdy5U1Q
happy happy happy
he was a centre half fer barnsley
he was
he
was
he was
Nice post Holic.
A repeat of Dortmund will do.
COYR.
I can also confirm that the long lost art of oiling your own brand spanking new cricket bat with linseed oil and knocking it in yourself for 6 hours after a light sanding is stil a preferred method for a quality bat for those that can be bothered.
My young fella (U14’s) has just completed the task prior to this summers cricket with his first, grade 1 english willow cricket bat, and enjoyed the pride associated with the end result which is simply a fantastic middle…that is far superior to the pre made skin covered bats…
A light sanding, oiling and knocking in before working the bat in for another hour with an old ball in a stocking before taking it to the park for its first match.
The bat has a much better middle than the standard bats used these days which are normally not English willow and have a false skin covering so they are ready to use straight out of the shop.
Of course most people don’t have the time or the patience to bother with such a task which is a shame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOdXNGLtn-8
oh yes
oh yes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmenLzDtTXY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNGFlke_BcM
my aunty podes loved a good tune
god rest her
half 4
gimme 1
and a bit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaG0bdm7QkY
UKIP
“the same . shirley”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v916En8ORvI
shirley
no ?
.
bigotry has got all complicated an stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlfcBn67GNs
is the ep worth any money ?
prob not
i have the luck of a tuppenny tart
still fuckin great
fuckin great
great
– goin to the roundhouse ed ?
na – can’t make it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYfpV4kf_Lg
woo
hee
haa
haa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34G5Ie_HOCg
*combs sideburns*
*muttonchops it*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_oBy4U8qgU
at last
REAL MEN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FMjCB5-xw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnrHaMa4xnE&list=RD9FMjCB5-xw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNY-_Jo6oQ
badaa badaa
bumm bumm bumm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxGntzAjixA
shong shong shong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTvWuHEnRcY
howdy ‘hol
howdy ‘hols
pints all round
ya mad hoors
Good to see you back cba. We missed our resident ‘poet’.
Go win, Arsenal.
cba!!!!
As mad as a box of frogs.
cba, that is.
Cheers H! Great stuff mate. Hey Zico, any chance of getting a pass from Roxette for the Barcodes mate? Me and the Big Hibee in town.
I’ve never dared open an online account, but have to say I’m seriously tempted by this today.
(Edit. Come back in the week Esso) 🙂
Kos is back!
Confidence restored. COYG!
Bloody hell, Holic, I thought my small wager on both Welbeck and Giroud to score at 9/2 was optimistic!
Ah, linseed oil on the bat. Sand it first. A happy memory. I can smell it now ttg. I think the modern bats are impregnated with something, so no. My last one (retired twenty years ago) had a plastic cover.
*Phones RSPCA*
Holic, as you say it, so let it be.
I have woken up in no great state and decided to save my poor grey matter the burden of actual thought by following you in on 6-0.
We just need to start keeping our shape and making it hard for other teams. Be solid and well-organised and the goals will come (all six of ’em!) We could beat WBA 3-2 after a scatterbrained game but what we need is to work on getting some consistency into the way we approach and play games. Everyone needs to know their role at all times. Repetition is key. And repeating that repetition. Repeated repetition repeatedly required, really.
Pleased to see you cba- I would imagine that your missus, after months listening to the lyricism that you normally vent on here, has frog-marched you back into the bar and told us all to play nicely. We can do that- lets hope our boys in red can…
UTA
Cynic@41
No bat was harmed in the writing of this blog!
COME ON!
WE got 3 strikers on!
😀
Interesting tactics,giving WBA all the possession and playing on the counter.
Good shape.. defence holding up well.
Let’s get a shot on goal!
Come On!
Monreal out… Gibbs in.
Let’s see if his pace will help!
FFS another injury.
Welbeck finding the space behind very good so far it seems.
Ohhh Welbeck… excellent runs and energy.. if only his finish could be a little better!
COme On!!!!!!!!
What a chance.. SANTI.. come on!
Oh Rambo, what a chance.
Now it’s Ramsey’s turn… Come on!
Typical .. they’ve got the ball in the back of our net… but this time…
It’s offside!
😀
COME ON!!
Give it to Alexis!
Should have done more in the 1st half but I hope we can do em in the second.
UTA
Come on Arsenal!
How on earth are we not at least halfway to the ‘holic pound? 🙁
No idea mate. Should be 3 or 4 up as we speak. Here’s hoping we can find the back of the old onion bag in the second half.
Heh, you may well ask. I think it’s because they are trying to stop us. :/
Cazorla left his shooting boots at home me thinks
We just lack clinical finishers… bring on Sanogo… ok ok .. maybe not..
Just pass it to Alexis.. he’ll score one at least!
🙂
What’s Zico doing on the BT expert panel?
… and Sunderland to beat Chelski today, just thought I’d sneak that in before the 2nd half.
🙂
Hacking it?
Thoroughly enjoyed that half. Lots of good play and if the ball had dropped differently at a couple of times we could be three up. But West Brom didn’t let us have it all our own way and played well themselves.
I was really pleased with the way we played. Looked like a TEAM.
Good football match. More of the same next half, except with six goals for us, obviously.
Come on Arsenal!
Here we go again!
Need to be more clinical in front of goal in second half, but love Santi’s clever play, pity about his finishing. How long before AOC gets a go!
We got lucky with that offside
Take the shot earlier!!!
Grrr…!
Wellbeck should have taken a shot there
Arsenal must lead the league in hitting opposition players with their shots, with Santi way ahead of everyone else.
How many chances do we need, worried we are now playing much higher up the pitch, please not another counter attack goal.
That’s more like it …welbeck.. use your head!
😀
Goal!!!!!!!
Get in!
Get in there Danny! 😀
Nice one Santi/Welbeck.
Sweeeeet!
Kos… what we were missing in defence!
COme on! Let’s get another!
Ramsey.. this isn’t a training match.. get your shooting boots on!!
Come On!
Come on, Giroud. You need to score for me now…
Gibbs injured now? can’t we catch a break?!
Take Alexis off.. he needs a break..! Put on the OX!
Jesus wtf are we doing come on
We need to be careful ,narrow escape .Oh for another goal.
4mins
I like Martinez….he should play more!
😀
3 happy points!
Scary moments towards the end but we hanged on in there! Phhhwweeeewwww!
To the Arsenal one nil!
Yes. Three points, and a good stable performance at the back, just what the doctor ordered. Keep them coming.
Just a whisker of the seven I was expecting.
Welbeck stepped up today.. and he’s showed that he’s quite a good winger too!
Alexis is tired! We need to REST him lest he picks up an injury!
Good defensive effort by the team in the dying minutes, west brom clearly wanted this one.
😀
Yes! Come on you Arsenal!
Hoy you’re one of the worst referees ever. On a par with Dean. Pair of cunts.
Nervous last 5 mins . Santi my MOTM. Now on to beat Southampton on Wednesday.
COYRs
Perfect start to the weekend. I’m as pleased as a puppy with two tails! (copyright Alexis Sanchez).
Away fans telling Wenger to say goodbye wtf?
3 points, clean sheet. Pretty good. Was there an imbalance with Alex, Giroud and welbeck? They all seemed to work hard, cazorla stood out. Pint for everybody.
The only problem is we’re playing southampton on wednesday.. surely we’re not going to rest Alexis then… 🙁
When is Theo coming back?!
whew!
Ramsey still hasn’t found form yet.. a goal or two from him would ease the pressure tremendously in a match. Hope he’s on target against the saints.
Ox should definitely start the match. Real glad Kos is back, Emiliano hasn’t put a foot wrong, he would have saved that Berahino header had it been on target.
Santi is hitting form superbly and Welbeck is getting better with his positioning and movement!
We can build on this win!
Up The Arse!
🙂
@ATG
I’m gonna make an away now this season, as a point of principle.
*seethes*
Its the same bunch of cunts who got a bit of a spanking at Wigan 2 years back. Love to bump into them fuckers again. They’re ‘in’ with the BSM and think they’re hard as a result.
Excellent game by Santi and three massive points. Arteta’s injury recovery can’t come soon enough. Unless we sign a monster of a defensive midfielder in a few weeks.
I’m seething along with Esso too. That banner is a low class gesture by people who probably think they’re wonderful Arsenal fans. Well they’re not!
It’s not appropriate if we were struggling near the bottom because it undermines morale which affects the team very directly- they would have seen that and it is treating a great man like an failure.They wouldn’t put that up at home and I hope it is never seen again. I have issues with Wenger on occasions but that is totally out of order.
As for the match we should have been home and hosed before their late rally. Defensively we were solid. BFG looked better with Koscilelny back and Santi carried on where he left off on Wednesday. Chambers was very solid but nothing is working for poor old Aaron yet, although he worked his socks off. Lovely header by Welbeck and a good three points
I note Coquelin’s loan has been extended until Dec 30th. Good job we are not short of defensive midfielders!
Great result.
Winning away on Saturday morning after a weds night champs league game in the midst of an injury crisis is not to be sniffed at. Team shape looked a lot better. Santi superb and Welbeck put a proper shift in.
Only real blot was the sight of that banner at the end. Bang out of order.
All of what N7 said.
Concerned that once again we are forced into another substitution through injury.
When does it end?
Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker (on Kos): Good to have you back with us Lolo! And big thanks to the fans for a strong away support.
—————–
Good thing he’s not paying attention to any shite banner!
Up The Arse!
🙂
Arsene…
on injuries…
Gibbs struggled a little bit with an ankle problem and Monreal with a knee problem. Oxlade-Chamberlain also had a knee problem.
on whether the injuries are serious…
I don’t know. We have to see how they recover on Monday. We have Oxlade-Chamberlain, Monreal and Gibbs who have knocks but I don’t know how bad it is.
————
Hope they have a full recovery…. next game is very important for us to keep the momentum going!
BB @96 – The way things are going, I reckon Jesus will be back before Theo.
An early goal would have probably opened up the game more and see us score one or two more goals. But this would do very well.
Defense looked solid. Martinez, belying his very young age, is rather an assuring presence. No slight to Monreal who was playing rather well in the unfamiliar CB position, but with Koscielny back Per appears so much more comfortable and confident.
Kos made one poor mistake though, playing Berahino on-side, for once we got a bit of lucky decision on that one.
Santi superb, Giroud-Welbeck showed signs they can play together, Alexis was visibly tired and probably should have been subbed.
Hopefully none of the knocks picked up today would keep anyone away from the mid-week game.
I didn’t see the banner at the game but the person with possession of it was next to me in the queue to get into The Hawthorns station after the game. He was delighted that he had been mentioned in the media. Describing him as a pathetic attention seeking idiot would be being kind. When challenged he had no sensible or realistic replacement.
@108 Cynic
One can only hope! 😀
What’s with our ever revolving injuries? Are we so soft that we can allow teams to steamroll us?!
Am all for a hatchet, mean but fair (as fair as can be anyways..) DM that will ‘sort’ out the teams that want to muscle us!
Time for us not to be pushovers ..since we’re never going to get any protection from the refs! (Blind bats the lot of them!)
Up The Arse!
The banner wankers can do one as far as I am concerned. Attention-seeking bullcrap is what it is.
A very nice win today, only had a very cursory back-drink but saw someone mention that it is always hard to play a lunch time away game after a high-intensity CL midweek fixure which I totally agree with, and it certainly took us a while to get into the game. And while we didn’t play anywhere near our best, a major difference today was that even though we weren’t firing on all cylinders we still created enough to have put the game to bed long before the final whistle. That is something we really haven’t done so far this season which I hope is a sign of better things to come.
But boy, did we miss Arteta in the middle. Don’t get me wrong, Flamini works hard and doesn’t hide or anything, but he doesn’t have the same ability to read the game and cut out passes through the centre like Arteta. We really, really need to strenghten that position as soon as possible.
As for the injuries? La la la la la, can’t hear you, la la la la la… *starts sobbing quitely*
Oh, forgot to mention Martinez. It is very easy to see why he has been so highly thought of within the club for a few years. Very calm and assured today and the fact that he wasn’t very busy for long spells makes that even more impressive. Very decisive when coming for crosses as well and while it’s only a couple of games he’s played I have been very pleasantly surprised by what I have seen.
Fuck off Chelski
Chavs dropped two points and should have lost the game if it wasn’t for rather wasteful Adam Johnson!
That banner is disgusting! They should be ashamed of themselves!
When
Roman is payingyou play for Chelsea, this is not a red-card offence:https://vine.co/v/OnHwF3rpzKw
Lars he does have a really short fuse, straight red there but hey the blue envelope keeps everyone happy 🙂
ATG, it doesn’t keep those of us who want Chelsea to lose happy 🙂
Apologies.. thought sunderland would win it. Well guess will have to take the draw!
Time for the chavs to come down to earth! They’ll lose the next one!
🙂
The scumbags who produced that banner should be re-educated. Dusgrace to the name ‘supporter’. McManaman called them out but they should be taken out.
One of them looked like he’s probably not left school all that long ago.
Imagine taking that thing all the way to a game, winning AND STILL USING IT.
Daft fuckers, they’ll get heaps at the next game….
http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2014-11-29/1163bdd0-77db-11e4-86d8-17ae56e79280_459708658.jpg
@bath 121
re-educated,the japanese way maybe?
So now we’re only 13 points off Chelski. We’ve played most of the season so far without Debuchy, Walcott, Diaby, Giroud, Koscielny, Ozil and Arteta. They’re beginning to dribble back.
The injury bus is overdue at The Bus Stop in Fulham. Any two of Hazard, Matic and Terry and their shape will assume that of a russian pear. Costa on a 3-monther and it’ll be iron curtains.
Nine points off Chelsea at the turn of the year and we’re in with a chance. Six points and we’ll win it.
Delighted with the 1-0 win today. Yes, we were hanging on a touch in the last five minutes, but overall I thought 1-0 flattered West Brom, and 2-0 or 3-0 might have been a fairer reflection of how the game panned out….
Great to see Kos back – as someone else mentioned, it seemed to add that extra vital 1-2% reassurance to the backline, Per in particular. Good also to see that the team prided themselves as much in retaining their shape and being hard to break down, as in their attacking prowess.
Talking of attacking prowess, Cazorla and Ramsey dovetailed nicely again, and surely they’ll be breaking their goalscoring drought any game now?!! Nice also to see Welbeck get back on the scoresheet. I thought he looked the liveliest of our front three today, and though at times he can frustrate with his outright striking efficiency, he’s a really estimable footballer – hardworking, physical, versatile, and he gives his markers a real tough going-over all game.
Onwards and upwards!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>