please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Wednesday, May 20th 2015 KO Time: 19.45 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Sunderland: Played: 141 Wins: 56 Draws: 39 Losses: 46 Goals For: 225 Goals Against: 194 Goal Difference: 31 Last 6 Meetings: Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal Arsenal 4-1 Sunderland Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal (FA Cup) please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger gave the following team news update at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday: on Mathieu Debuchy… He’s not in full training yet. He will be in full training on Friday. on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck… They are progressing well but they will not be available for Wednesday. on whether they will be fit for the FA Cup final... I don’t know yet, let’s see how they all recover next week. Danny Welbeck is not available yet, he is not in full training, so I honestly don’t know. They all have to get fit very quickly now because there is not a long way to go [to the final]. on the latest team news… We have an uncertainty about Laurent Koscielny that we will check today. Everybody else I will know a bit more about after training. Yesterday [Monday] was a recovery day and we have not trained a lot. Today we will know much more. Starting XI: please log in to view this image Subs: Szczęsny Gabriel Monreal Coquelin Flamini Rosický Walcott
I'd definitely play Giroud instead of Welbeck, especially as we need 1. a point to secure 3rd, and 2. Build some momentum going in to the FA Cup final, also 3. Welbeck won't be fully fit and isn't on form (at least I hope this isn't his best form!!!) It'd be great to see Walcott start, with Wilshere coming off the bench, but not sure that Wenger will change the team that much. Still we can hope, as Oxo's team looks good.
Think we need to change it up, it was a tough game VS United and we just get 3 days rest before we play Sunderland, and don't forget before the United game we already played Monday night, and then we play again this Sunday VS West Brom, that's a lot of games in a short space, and some players are already looking tired, so we don't want to burn out or fatigue our players before the huge game VS Villa, need them as fresh as possible, so I would rest a few key players who need a break, like Sanchez-Cazorla-Giroud-Monreal etc.
That is a good argument However I always worry when Giroud isn't in the team, as we seem to lack an out ball from midfield, and end up congesting the midfield by playing sideways balls, with everyone dropping deeper looking for the ball. I also think that Welbecks movement is quite poor, and he seems to make the wrong decision quite often, running away from space instead of towards it. But as you say all of Sanchez, Santi, Giroud and Monreal could do with a rest, as well as Kos. But I think I'd prefer to see Sanchez rested than Giroud.
TBH we should be good enough to beat Sunderland at home without a point man like Giroud, we should be beating them even if we play Walcott as our main striker.
Technically the Gunners will rotate their players with Koscielny (doubt), Arteta, Debuchy, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Welbeck are set to be a doubt in this match. Perhaps Wilshere, Giroud, Walcott could be in the staring line. Somehow I wanted Arsenal to keep their 3rd place at EPL. Hopefully they could have an automatic Champions League place
In my opinion we should play the strongest team possible against Sunderland.We need to win this game so that we don't have to go into the WBA game needing to get a result.By beating Sunderland we could put the youth team out against WBA as the result would be inconsequential and we could rest the entire first team squad prior to the final against Aston Villa.
This thread just highlights the problem we have with our CFs, we don't have a suitable backup to Giroud. As 87 said, we are at home and technically have a large enough squad to rest the likes of Giroud, Cazorla and Ozil. But I sense that quite a few here don't quite trust Welbeck etc to lead our line apart from Giroud. This would be a big problem should Giroud be injured or off form. But I'm with 87, we do have enough to beat the likes of Sunderland at home and rest some of our regulars. We need to start trusting our squad.
Hopefully Welbeck's injury doesn't turn into a year-lay off, there's not much news on what the main problem is, and for a 'small' issue he's been out for quite some time, the same with the OX, he's just been out of sight.
Now lads we need point for safety and you need point to finish 3rd. But if you go all out to beat us (you are after all a better team) then you may find you are playing against 11 clatterhards...so a gentleman's agreement 0-0 would suit both parties.
We have a certain Lee Cattermole who is currently going for the record of yellows in a season. He us not particularly dirty in that he never does cheap shots but never knowingly shirk from a challenge. Many of his yellows (no reds this season, as yet) are because of his rep. He does patrol in front of the back four well and actually passes long and short well. In the gooners powder puff midfield seasons you could have done with him. One of his nicknames is Clatterhard.
I really hope that you get the one point that you need to confirm third place tonight, lads . . . . good luck
I'm a Sunderland fan. Just can't remember anyone calling him that on the board or in convo, 'Clattermole' certainly but not the 'hard' part.
As above, this 'Clatterhard' confusion is because, as far as I'm aware, nobody has ever referred to Catts as that
