please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Team News: (To Be Updated) Form Guide: please log in to view this image 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 Manchester City: Played: 180 Wins: 90 Draws: 41 Losses: 49 For: 295 Against: 207 GD: 82 Last 6 Meetings: Manchester City 6 - 2 Arsenal Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City 1 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal 1 - 0 Manchester City Manchester City 1 - 0 Arsenal Arsenal 0 - 1 Manchester City (League Cup) please log in to view this image Manager's Views: (To Be Updated) My Team: please log in to view this image
If you want a positive angle, our home form has been pretty impressive this season, and we have beat Liverpool twice, Spurs twice and Everton at home, while also drawing against Chelsea. Problem is we have one injury too many. Kos,Wilshere,Walcott,Ozil and Ramsey is one serious injury list.
Yep injuries are killing us at the moment. How badly have we missed Walcott since he's been out ? The whole team seemed to have slowed down to a snails pace and we have nobody turning the oppo defence around to face their own goal. The situation at the moment reminds me of all the frustration of the last few years where we play tippy tappy around the oppo box only to lose the ball and get sprung on the counter. If we play that way against city we will get ****ing murdered.
Yep, we can't counter against the big teams because we are so slow. We did get smashed by Man City away from home this season, but at least we posed a threat going forward and we scored three goals and could have had more. Walcott scored two that day and was always a constant threat on the break. Against Liverpool and Chelsea away we offered NOTHING. That was the scary thing about those defeats, we had no outlets and they just kept coming at us. I know we are at home against City this time, but to beat them, ideally we would set up to defend deep and counter, but we just have no pace to give them anything to worry about. I can City pressing us high with Kompany charging around and City are going try to swarm us in midfield, because they know that we offer no real pace to peg them back and hurt their high line.
why is it that ox who is the fastest we have is playing in the middle ? what happened to Gnarby as he was looking good. when are any of the injured players going to return
No idea why Wenger played Ox in the middle against Chelsea. Gnabry is still very raw and I do not think Wenger trusts him defensively, he is only a kid and still has plenty of things to learn. As for the injured players, Wenger just keeps saying '2 weeks'.
I would set up with Ox on the right flank and Rosicky on the left, Arteta, Flamini and Kallstrom in the middle. Podolski up front as Giroud has been poor. Set up defensively like we did against the Spuds and try to hit them on the counter when we can. Give the ball to Pod and let him shoot. We can't afford to be playing with eight men in around their box as they will pick us off every time.
I like the idea of going for a midfield full of enforcers and the couple of players we have with pace on the wings. But I don't think pod should play up top. I agree giroud hasn't been playing well but in a game we are likely to be doing a lot of defending corners and free kicks giroud is a great asset defending. He clears a huge amount of corners.
Completely agree. This season we have been playing with far more penetration and directness when players like Ramsey, Walcott, wilshere and ozil have been playing. They all look to attack and either go past there man towards goal, make runs in behind the back line or always look for the killer ball. With them out we have reverted back to the way we played in the couple of poor seasons we have had where don't have the ability to crack open the final third. This is why we signed ozil, (the tippy tippy controls the game but we needed that final bit of penetration) and since he's been out no-one opens up other teams in the same way. We get to there box and then the ideas run out.
Fellaini finally did something right. Honestly though this guy is probably City's main attacking threat or one of them. Him being out will relieve some pressure on our midfield and defense.
Not convinced that playing a midfield comprising of all enforcers would help us, especially as it's so against our natural game. Where would our attacking threat coming from when there is no one creating anything in the centre, we would get mullered being constantly on the back-foot. But playing both Flamini and Arteta is a good idea and Cazorla as our main creative outlet, switching with Rosicky who will be on the left. I'm not sure playing Kalstrom in such an important and tough game is a good idea, as he has had little to no playing time with us. Play Giroud or Sanogo? Giroud has been ineffective against the top teams so I would opt for Sanogo. Hopefully they will be able to bring in Oxo, Cazorla, Gnarby and Rosicky into the game.
Källström should play this game ... he is a fighter and has a great left foot and many times for sweden he passed from his own half onto a runner... I can see him making an assist to a running Oxo.
Here are my 3 key reasons why Arsenal will likely lose to Manchester City: 1. Injuries - we all know that a handful of our quality midfielders as well as defenders are injured. It has been reflected in our humiliating 6-0 defeat to Chelsea. The sad fact we all have to face is Manchester City who are known with their scoring capabilities which goes to number 2.. 2. Aggressive play of City - Most of Pellegrini's midfielders and forwards scored at least 4 goals this season. Even without Sergio Aguero, they are still left with quality players to fill the hole. Plus their recent performance in Manchester Derby goes to show that they are POWERFUL. 3. The players and the entire team itself lacks the winning mentality! Yes, Arsenal can thrash mid-tier and rock-bottom clubs but we end up choking when faced with huge teams. That's just me and based on my observation. If City's breakthrough goal opened in the first 10 minutes, I'd go for 4-0 shutout. Going for a bet over 2.5 is feasible as well. Here's a good place to place your bets, for first time depositors, you can double your first payout here!
