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: Sunderland Played: 143 Wins: 56 Draws: 39 Losses: 48 For: 227 Against: 197 GD: 30 Last 6 Meetings: Sunderland 1 - 3 Arsenal Sunderland 0 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal 0 - 0 Sunderland Sunderland 2 - 0 Arsenal (FA Cup) Sunderland 1 - 2 Arsenal Arsenal 2 - 1 Sunderland please log in to view this image Manager's Views: (To Be Updated) My Team: please log in to view this image
I'm hoping that the Bayern game hasn't taken it out of our players too much, because that was an intense game. We'll need to be just as sharp against Sunderland as they are having a mini revival under Poyet. Definitely a game for Rosicky to start and I agree that Ozil should be on the bench for this one to give him a breather and some time to get his head right.
It will be interesting to see what team Sunderland put out with them playing in the LC final next weekend
It's going to be their strongest team. The league cup final matters little compared to premier league survival.
Do you not think the LC final will be on their minds and consequently may well affect the way they approach the game ?
Nah, at clubs like Sunderland I think the importance of staying in the league and avoiding relegation is huge. Poyet's number one aim is to avoid relegation, I think they see the league cup as a welcome bonus.
Alright ladies and Gents. Looking forward to this one. You're welcome over to our match thread any time you like. Hope to see you there. http://www.not606.com/showthread.ph...rland-Official-Sunderland-Not606-Match-Thread I think we'll line up like this Mannone Bardo-------O'Shea------Vergini----------Alonso Bridcutt------Colback Ki Johnson-------------------------------Borini Jozy
Lets not forget there is also the unveiling of the statue of the king tomorow, he will also be at the game, and i dare say will be speaking to the players, if a visit from the king cant inspire them to win, nothing will.
Had to google that. You mean Dennis Bergkamp, I gather? I was thinking, 'A visit from Elvis? But he died in 1973!' That was a real WTF moment.
He didn't die. He faked his death and now works in Lidl's in Preston. Wanted a life out of the limelight you see ....
Lol. Always get years mixed up. I was born in '77, too! Maybe that's when he had a kid or divorced his missus who was in the naked gun film? Anyway, i associate that year with Elvis for some reason. Possibly it came up in a pub quiz.
My team: Fabianski Jenkinson Mert Kos Monreal Arteta Rosicky Cazorla Ozil Podolski Giroud Many of the players who played against Bayern will be knackered, so don't think it's a good idea to be playing them again just 2 days later, they will be tired, and so run the risk of injury. I'd play Ozil, I think dropping him would dent his confidence more, so play him, and give him the opportunity to make up for his miss against Munich, I'm sure he wants to make up for it.
Wrong. A comment from Gus Poyet about Lee Cattermole for this weekends game: “Normally, that would mean Lee stays in the team – he certainly deserves to after the way he has trained this week – but I have to think about the cup final, so that makes it difficult. “If he was to get injured against Arsenal, or even sent off, that would leave us without someone who can play that role in the cup final because Bridcutt is not an option.”
