Arsenal vs Aston Villa: Match Thread.

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

Team News:

Arsene Wenger:

Three Key Match-ups:

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

please log in to view this image

Overall Record vs Aston Villa:

Played: 186
Wins: 76
Draws: 45
Losses: 65
For: 295
Against: 263
GD: 32

Last 6 Meetings:

Arsenal 2 - 1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0 - 0 Arsenal
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 3 - 2 Aston Villa (FA Cup)
Aston Villa 1 - 2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1 - 2 Aston Villa

please log in to view this image

Manager's Views:

Arsene Wenger on the Premier League and the title race:

My Team:

please log in to view this image

Final Score:

please log in to view this image

 

Come on you Gooners.

 

If Ramsey is not fit, then Wilshere would be his obvious replacement.

 

You wouldn't start with Wilshire...?

 

Still not match fit and Ramsey has been immense in pre-season and also the final part of last season, Rosicky was also looking good in pre-season.

 

Ramsey has re-passed him now.

 

God i've missed these threads. Best match threads on this site.

 

Used to be better. But now, I simply do not have the time to write a 1000 word preview to go alongside the other stuff.

 

Who needs 1000 words when there's nice shiny pictures?

 

Exactly. Oh and here are the highlights of our last game against Villa.

[video=dailymotion;xxqzfj]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxqzfj_arsenal-v-aston-villa_sport[/video]

A dire game, which was lit up the magician that is Santi Cazorla.

 

On Villa, they have not done much eye catching transfer business this summer, but keeping Benteke was huge for them, and according to most reports he has looked brilliant in pre-season, and for me he is clearly the main danger. But I am confident that Kos can win that particular battle.

 

Anyway, on topic now, i don't want Jenkinson starting, he was dire in preseason, give him a few games off to rediscover some composure.

I'd go

Fabianski
Ramsey Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Wilshere Arteta (c)
Rosicky
Walcott Giroud Podolski​

My reasoning is simple. Villa will most likely play straight through the middle, feeding off Benteke, so fullbacks aren't such a worry. Ramsey filled in nicely against Sunderland, so he's proved he can play the position when needed, plus with his engine, he should be able to offer attacking support. Cazorla is on a plane back from Ecuador, he's probably going to be a bit jet-lagged, so i wouldn't start him, Podolski shouldn't have too much difficulty against their ****e defence.

 

I was there, it was absolutely bloody freezing that day.

 

It's imperative that we get off to a good start and win. I really hope Arsene doesn't make the same mistakes as he did at the beginning of last season, it's my personal theory that he wasn't happy with the lack of goals we scored despite having an incredible defence because of Steve Bould's input, and that he stopped focusing on it. But we saw a similar system reappear at the end of the season; so hopefully it's stuck.

 

Must have been tough for you to post that

 

I don't like Wilshere, so it was surprisingly easy.

 

Kyle is ****ting himself because he knows he's on Ramsey's hit list,
so he's trying to be complimentary to him in the hope that he will be spared.

But Ramsey never forgets

 

I'd put Wilshire ahead of all your other midfielders. No discredit to the other players but I'd even go as far as to say Jack is your best player #ratehimhighly

You've put him in the side ahead of Ramsey anyway

 

Arsenal 2 -0 Villa

Walcott
Giroud

I may have said Cazorla in the other thread

 

Wilshere will start if he's fully fit. He needs game time.

In terms of ability Carzorla is the only one in the squad who matches him.

If he's fit Wenger will start him.