please log in to view this image Arsenal v Swansea City please log in to view this image Barclays Premier League Date - Saturday 28 October 2017 Kick off - 15:00 Venue - Emirates Stadium Following 2 successive home defeats in 4 days, next up for Paul Clement's misfiring team is a visit to Arsenal. Last Sunday, Arsenal were 5-2 conquerors of Everton away at Goodison Park, a defeat which saw the sacking of Ronald Koeman as Everton Manager. If the Swans are similarly "thumped", I wonder if Paul Clement will suffer a similar fate? A year ago, Guidolin's squad was playing better - far better - than the current squad under Clement. How long can Clement survive with the team playing so poorly? The Swans have played Arsenal on 23 occasions previously, winning 8, drawing 3 and losing 12. In the corresponding fixture last season, the Swans lost 3-2: Theo Walcott scored twice as 10-man Arsenal won their sixth Premier League game in a row, despite a spirited Swansea City display in Bob Bradley's first match as manager. Gunners and England forward Walcott took advantage of a heavy Jordi Amat touch for his first and a poor Jack Cork header for his second. The Swans looked dejected after the quick-fire double, though Gylfi Sigurdsson pounced on a Granit Xhaka error to curl in and give them hope before the break. Mesut Ozil volleyed an Alexis Sanchez cross into the top corner to restore a two-goal lead for the hosts, but substitute Borja tapped in from the impressive Modou Barrow's cross to set up a tense finale. Arsenal saw Xhaka sent off for a petulant trip with 20 minutes left and dug in to earn the win. Facts Arsenal have won back to back league games against Swansea, they’ve only won three in a row versus the Swans once before, between November 1982 and September 2011. Swansea have only failed to score in one of their previous eight league visits to Arsenal, drawing a blank in their first visit to the Emirates in September 2011. Swansea City have won three times away at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League – only Chelsea have defeated Arsenal in the competition more often there (4). Only Manchester United (four times) have come from a losing position to beat Arsenal in the Premier League more often than Swansea City (three times). Swansea City have attempted just 18 shots on target and 72 shots overall this season in the Premier League – the fewest in the league. Spurs’ striker Harry Kane has attempted three more shots on target than Swansea on his own (21). I expect Clement will revert to playing 3 Centre Backs in the hope of grinding out a 0-0 draw. My heart says we will get that draw but my head says 0-3 to the Arsenal.
Having to play a midfielder or right back on the left is going to be a huge problem. We will have to be more defensive ... but, I'm more upbeat after last night, provided Clement learns some lessons. 1) Ki, Routledge, MVdH, Mesa and Abraham must start most games (if you weren't at the game last night it might be difficult to imagine how much pace these player added to the side - and Routledge will drop back to defend. They are all likely more likely to make first time passes. 2) Abraham and Ayew are tireless 3) Clucas is bang average ... at best. A bit like Mawson in that he needs several touches before deicing what to do. 4) McBurnie, on his own works for the team but is unlikely to score. Fab ...........Fede .............VdH ............... Mawson Rangel ..................................................... Naughton ........................Fer ...............Ki .......... Ayew .....................Routledge .................... Abraham
Fab Naughton VDH fern Maw clucas Ayew Ki Carroll Dyer Bony/abraham First game of the rest of the seaon 1 -0 Swans vs injury plaqued Arsenal
Inside Clements head ..............................Fabianski............................. ...........Mawson......Fernandez.......VDH............... ?????.....................................................????? ..............Sanchez...............?????.............. ....?????........................................?????.............. .............................Abraham.........................
Clement already talking about using Clucas or Naughton at left back.. Last night showed what I've thought all along that Clucas is better in a forward role. Rangel was ****ed last night so if we play Naughton at LB who covers RB. Frankly we can't be any worse off if we play an under 23 at LB and at least it would give them some encouragement to think there might be an opportunity to get in the first team.
Rangel, Ki, Routledge, Ayew and Abraham were all good last night. Clutching at straws if we are looking to Clucas and McBurnie tbh. If anyone is interested in Hull's views https://www.not606.com/threads/clucas-13-5k.311441/page-3#post-11069216 originallambrettaman He ain't no left back. He ain't no left winger either. If you can't accommodate him in the middle, than you shouldn't play him. Walter Sobchak He plays LB like a CM playing LB. Tuckin Totally agree with the others. He's no left back. There may be more.
Easy win for the Gunners, they carved up the Toffees, who have a far better defence than us, now that we have issues with both RB and LB, we will be there for the taking, if I was the Cardiff boy Ramsey I would be relishing this fixture for the home fans. As for the result I'm going with a 3-0 win to the Gunners, though if we put 'Clueless' at left back it could well be 5-0 to the Gunners..........
Ashley Young converted from wing to left back, while Gareth Bale converted from left back to wing. Why not? lol
I use to be excited as hell days before we played a big team.....Now i dont give a fcuk and hope we get smashed so it's another nail in our coffin ...
Most players especially if they are two footed can play in most positions....Our own Tate joined Man utd as a keeper and he was pretty good but Ferguson noticed in his training sessions that Tate was not bad as a defender and switched him from a keeper to defender and he never looked back....
