Wigan to score first. 13 minutes. Arsenal will score in the 89th and 4th minute in injury time. Just to keep us all ****ting ourselves to the very end...
5 reasons to be positive It really shouldn't have got to this stage but we're relying on Wigan Athletic to get beat off Arsenal to help ensure our Premier League survival tomorrow night. It's depressing however you look at it considering things were very much in our own hands up until around 5pm on Sunday night. In an effort to try and think positive about this fixture and donning our Arsenal-tinged glasses, we bring you five reasons to remain confident that the Gunners will do us a big favour. 1. Wigan's Poor Record At Arsenal Wigan have only won once in ten attempts at either The Emirates or Highbury in their history. A mild worry is that was last season when goals from Jodi Gomez and Franco Di Santo ensured that Thomas Vermaelen's 20th minute goal counted for nothing. The game was slightly a misnomer though. Arsenal were in the midst of an injury crisis and forced to turn out the likes of Andre Santos, Johan Djourou and an on-loan Yossi Benayoun, and despite this went on to dominate the second half as Wigan claimed three points on the way to a great escape. 2. Wigan Are Poor Against Arsenal Generally Taking into account the above stated win, Wigan have only defeated Arsenal on three occasions in the last nineteen, with the Gunners winning fourteen of those, with two draws. Given that the visitors need to win tomorrow to have even the faintest slither of hope for staying in the Premier League, the odds would certainly be stacked against them getting what would only be their fourth win at Arsenal. 3. Arsenal's Superior Scoring Despite that one win, it's been grim for Wigan when visiting Arsenal given the Gunners have won the other nine. Not only that though they've won them comprehensively. Wigan have only scored six goals there. Arsenal have scored twenty-four. Only twice have Arsenal failed to score more than once. They've scored at least two goals in every home game against Wigan barring last season's 2-1 reverse and a 1-0 win for the hosts in 2008. 4. Tiring FA Cup Whilst caps should be doffed towards Wigan for their FA Cup exploits, you wonder how much they still have in the tank for tomorrow night's game. Tuesday seems to be just enough time for Wigan's adrenaline to have worn off a little bit and be brought crashing back to the reality of the situation they face. Teams bigger and better than Wigan would struggle with two 'cup finals' in a matter of days. Plus of course they have made the odd decision to go home for the day in between the cup final and the Arsenal game, going back on Saturday night to the North West and return to London on Monday. It's not an extensive travel by any means, but it's not really necessary either. 5. Arsenal Need The Win As Much As They Do In the wake of Spurs' win at Stoke City at the weekend, Arsenal need to win this one to have any hope at all of getting Champions League football next season. Missing out on that is something Arsene Wenger and the club simply cannot afford, no matter how much they might want to balls things up because, well, they're Arsenal and they kind of do that from time to time. Arsenal are on a great run at the moment, they've got a reasonable home support backing them and three points are crucial for them. With the superior talents available to them, and the fact they've got it all on the line too, they should be going all out for the victory tomorrow. Or so I hope and pray!
It is another cup final. Both teams need a win. Football is a funny game and while few on here give Wigan a chance, who really thought they would beat Man City? I am not relaxed about it like some and I cannot forgive the players for yesterday when they had a chance to make us safe. The truth is that if Wigan win they will have done something positive, not wait on others to fail. That said, they must have been relaxed about yesterday because you can bet on Sunderland to fail, they are very good at it. I am still fuming that we have to endure another game which will decide our season but over which we have no control. It is not over yet!
Is anyone else like me? Half the time I'm thinking "Wigan have no chance, they will be creamed" Half the time I'm thinking "they're going down there high on the FA cup win and going to get something" Why is it us - every season, all the time. x
If we do you the favour of saving your bacon tomorrow, you could do us the favour of nicking something, anything of Sp*rs come Sunday. That would be the biggest favour anyone has done us this season. No team seems to be able to take points off our rivals for some reason
I'd rather rely on the Arsenal lads than our lot at the minute! Cannot get a win off Stoke or Soton at home? Fark....
Benteke being suspended for Villa v Wigan on the last day still worries me..... If Wigan get something tomorrow night Benteke is a massive loss for the Villa....
