please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Arsenal take on Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium this Wednesday and the Gunners will be looking to build on from their hard earned victory against Montpellier in France. Olympiacos, will be aiming bounce back from their defeat to Schalke at home. Olympiacos are normally very strong at home so it was a surprise defeat and a defeat that puts them on the back foot. Arsenal have become past masters at qualifying from the group stages and their away win in France has already put them in an ideal position, especially when you take into account their excellent home form in the Champions League. Only Manchester United have managed to beat Arsenal at their own ground in nearly 10 years. Both Arsenal and Olympiacos have become familiar rivals in the Champions League over recent years. They have faced other four times in the last three years. The home side has claimed victory in each of the four previous meetings between the two teams. So going on previous games and Arsenal’s form at the Emirates in the CL, an Arsenal win looks like the most likely outcome but the Greek Champions have been in an amazing form in the Greek Super League. They have played five and won five, so they will go into this game in great form compared to Arsenal who come into this game on the back of a defeat. Arsenal lost their first game of the season against Chelsea at the Emirates last Saturday and the manner of the defeat raised some serious questions. Arsenal conceded two sloppy goals and those are goals that undermine this new defensive structure that Arsenal have implemented this season. Against Olympiacos, Arsenal have the chance to bounce back from that defeat and a win here will leave them with the perfect start to their Champions League campaign. Greeks sides are notoriously weak when travelling in Europe, but this current Olympiacos side pushed Arsenal close at the Emirates last season. There was only a goal in it and Andre Santos’s strike in the first half proved to be the winner. Arsenal will hope for a much easier game this time. As mentioned earlier, Olympiacos travel to London in excellent form so they should be in confident mood. Olympiacos like Arsenal have become regular fixtures in the Champions League and they have a few players who can hurt Arsenal. One of those is Rafik Djebbour, who already has six goals to his name this season. The Algerian scored against the Gunners when these two teams last met and his all round play caused the Gunners a lot of problems. David Fuster is another player that has created a lot of problems for Arsenal in the previous meetings between the two sides. He scored against Arsenal home and away and he offers a real goal threat from midfield. Olympiacos are not a team that struggles for goals and they have scored 12 goals this season but they are the stand out team in a very weak league when compared to the real top leagues in Europe. So you could argue that Olympiacos failed when they came up against the one serious team they faced this season, and that defeat came against Schalke. The Germans ran out 2-1 winners and although the game was tight, losing a home game in the Champions League really does set you back and now the Greek champions have an uphill task. They travel to Arsenal without any points in Group B and a defeat at the Emirates will really leave them teetering on the edge. For Arsenal though, a win here will set up two exciting games against Schalke, who are seen as Arsenal’s only real threat in Group B. Winning away from home has always been Arsenal's most difficult challenge in Europe but they already have won a game away from home this season. At home in Europe, Arsenal are formidable and they have dispatched many a team. The Greek champions are not to be taken lightly but if Arsenal are anywhere near their best then it could be a long night for the Greeks. Abou Diaby has been ruled out for three weeks after injuring his thigh against Chelsea last Saturday. It was hardly unexpected and sadly it’s become the norm for Diaby. A talented player but one that is brittle and now Arsenal will have to make do without him. One of Aaron Ramsey or Francis Coquelin will surely replace Diaby and it will depend on how attacking Wenger wants to be. Aaron Ramsey showed his best form against Manchester City last week and he has shown some improvements this season. But against City, he played from the right and Ramsey has yet to show the ability to be trusted on the ball. Giving away sloppy passes in the heart midfield will lead to problems and Ramsey has been guilty of this in the past. Upfront, Arsenal have a few selection conundrums, despite scoring four goals this season, Gervinho has yet to convince and he is still a hit and miss player. Olivier Giroud got off the mark against Coventry City but has not started in the last two league games and Wenger is holding him back. In fact, he has yet to hit the target with any of his shots in the league. But he will surely get another chance to start and Olympiacos at home should give the chance to get more goals under his belt. Theo Walcott has only started twice this season and one of those was in the league cup, with his contract situation still up in the air, Walcott’s chances seem to be limited. Lukas Podolski scored against Montpellier in the last round of the Champions League, and he has shown his prowess in front of goal but his performances against Chelsea and Manchester City was not the best. In defence, Per Mertesacker should be in line for a recall after being dropped for Thomas Vermaelen against Chelsea. The big German has been Arsenal’s best defender this season and without him, the Arsenal defence did not have the same calm authority. Many wrote him off for being too slow but Mertesacker has shown why he has earned as many caps as he has for the German national team with his form this season. Against Manchester City, he made seven interceptions and his reading of the play is top notch. An Arsenal win here will mean that the Gunners would have got off to the perfect start in the CL and they have a perfect home record against Olympiacos. If last season was anything to go by, then this game will not be straight forward but Arsenal do love to turn on the style on Champions League nights at the Emirates, and hopefully against Olympiacos, we are in for one of those nights. Team News: Arsene Wenger: Three Key Match-ups: please log in to view this image - Rafik Djebbour please log in to view this image - David Fuster please log in to view this image - Pablo Contreras Overall Record vs Olympiacos: Played: 4 Wins: 2 Draws: 0 Losses: 2 For: 5 Against: 5 Goal Difference: 0 Last Four Meetings: Olympiacos 3 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiacos Olympiacos 0 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal 2 - 0 Olympiacos please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Arsenal vs Olympiacos Schalke 04 vs Montpellier Managers Views: Arsene Wenger on the form of his two full backs: My Team: please log in to view this image Final Score: please log in to view this image
We really need Arteta for this game. I don't think Ramsey or Coquelin can do anywhere near as good a job and Diaby is out too.
I'd start Gervinho ahead of the OX, in all fairness, the OX hasn't really looked that impressive in the games he's started for us, other than the Capitol One Cup game in which he scored against Coventry, but other than that, I don't see him justifying a start ahead of Gervino who just happens to be our top goal scorer at the moment and is playing really good for us. And why are people worried about Coquelan and Ramsey starting? That's our great midfield in depth players, those players were always mentioned as proof that our midfield is rock solid and we don't need any new midfielders, so why concern all of a sudden? Is it perhaps people were talking utter sh!te and didn't want to speak the cold hard truth, which is that Arsenal needed to sign another top quality midfielder? And that's not just to you Piskie, I've seen many Arsenal fans fretting over Coqualan and Ramsey starting. Personally, I'm not that worried about those 2 in midfield together, but the point remains, we definitely need another quality midfielder in there.
"They have faced other four times in the last three years. The home side has claimed victory in each of the four previous meetings between the two teams"
For the glory of the Western World. Athenians this is your day , strike the barbarian down. Like Olympian Thunder curse the moment you saw such evil.
The western world?? You realise they are playing Arsenal - based in London, Owned by an American (in Majority) and comprosied mostly of a staff and players from Europe so you are basically saying Olympiakos should fight Gervinho?????
Hope the board are watching this. How many points is it we have sold Man Utd so far ? Still .... money in the bank eh ? Those posts from the dumb manure fans last year about our "one man team " are hilarious now aint they. Coz without him they would be feackin cr@p
The **** wanted out, and it was right to let him out. Tired of this "board" bullshit. Players have a say in it.
we are not so broke that we couldnt say to the twat " get on the bench for 12 months " id rather see him washing Wengers car every saturday for 12 months. But NO its better to sell him to our main rivals to increase their points . Clever . Of ALL the clubs in the league we are one of the few that could AFFORD to have ignored " player power " AND sent a message to the others in the team who are waiting in the wings to stab us in the back. but nah ..we cave in just like the rest for a few poxy quid.
How **** is Evra these days? Lucky for him that the guy who was roasting him in the first 15 minutes went off.
2 goals against the mighty whateverthefuckteam they are playing? So impressive. Because Rooney couldn't have done that right? The team is more balanced without him so enough with the bitching every time he scores
well lets see what happens when he scores 2 against us. In the league or maybe the champions league. Then the folly of selling your best player to one of you main rivals ( when you did not have to ) may magically appear to you . That will be amusing wont it. Whats the point in being one of the most financially secure clubs in Europe if you are then gonna sh1t on yourself for a few extra million quid ?
Considering United are playing like **** and that they lost to SPURS AT HOME, and are struggling against some nobody team, thier lack of a midfield and shaky defense....I doubt that will happen.
