Arsenal Vs Sunderland Official Sunderland Not606 Match Thread please log in to view this image The Emirates Stadium please log in to view this image Match Appointments Referee:Andre Marriner Assistants:M Perry & P Bankes 4th Official:P Dowd Cup hopefuls Sunderland switch focus to their fight for Premier League safety on Saturday and the chance to gain a historic win at Arsenal. Gus Poyet's men slipped back into the relegation zone on goal difference last week when their match at Manchester City was postponed due to inclement weather, yet a superb revival has seen the north-east club lose just two of their last 16 matches in all competitions. Sunderland face City in the League Cup final on March 2 and are also into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after beating Southampton on Saturday. However, a 2-0 home defeat to Hull City in Sunderland's most recent Premier League clash served as a stark reminder of the task they face in a congested battle for survival. And that challenge is unlikely to get any easier against title-chasing Arsenal, who Sunderland have not beaten away from home since 1983. Arsenal Team News Arsenal have a host of key players out of action, with defender Thomas Vermaelen (calf) and midfielders Kim Kallstrom (back) and Aaron Ramsey (thigh) all unavailable. Theo Walcott and Abou Diaby (both knee) are long-term absentees and could be joined on the sidelines by defender Kieran Gibbs after he came off during Wednesday's 2-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich with a hamstring injury. Sunderland Team News Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood is unavailable for the trip to the Emirates Stadium due to a shoulder injury, while defender Carlos Cuellar has been given extra time to recover from a hip problem. Wes Brown serves the final game of a two-match ban, but Poyet could be handed a boost by the return of Steven Fletcher, who is hoping to make his return from an Achilles injury. Past Meetings please log in to view this image www.sunderland-mad.co.uk Form Guide please log in to view this image www.premierleague.com What the 'Experts' Say please log in to view this image Lawrenson Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been complaining that Bayern Munich forward Arjen Robben made the most of the incident that saw Wojciech Szczesny sent off in the Gunners' 2-0 defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday. But, if I were Wenger, I would be moaning more about the fact it was my keeper who made a decision to go for the ball and got it wrong. That red card did make a big difference to the game, though. Playing with 10 men against Bayern is just impossible and the Germans showed their class. We also saw Arsenal are a good side, no doubt about it, but they are not quite as good as the giants of Europe yet. The Gunners put in a big effort chasing the tie with 10 men but Wenger can make changes to ensure that does not affect them on Saturday. Sunderland beat a below-strength Southampton in the FA Cup in their last match and the improvement they have made on the pitch, and in terms of the spirit in the dressing room since Gus Poyet took over, is clear. But I don't think it is good enough for them to go to the Emirates Stadium and get anything. Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Merson Arsenal were bang unlucky against Bayern Munich. They had them on the rack in the first-half and if Mesut Ozil had scored his penalty then it could have been a different game. This is now an important game because the top four is getting very tight. Three weeks ago we were talking about them winning the league, but if they don't win this game they may struggle to get in the top four. A win here will see the title race back on again and I think they will win. Remember, Sunderland are in the Capital One Cup Final next week, something that doesn't come along too often for those players, so I'd be shocked if Wembley wasn't in the back of their minds. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Stats n Facts provided by opta Arsenal have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against Sunderland (W12 D7 L1). Sunderland have not won away at Arsenal in the league since November 1983, losing 10 of the 14 visits since. Despite Sunderland not scoring in four of the last five visits to the Emirates Stadium, the Black Cats have taken points three times in those encounters with 0-0 draws. Mesut Ozil made his debut in the reverse fixture earlier this season and set up Olivier Giroud’s opening goal. Sunderland have gone six on the road without defeat in the Premier League (W3 D3 L0) - this after winning just one point in their eight PL away games (D1 L7) prior to this run. Adam Johnson has scored or assisted eight goals in six PL apps so far in 2014, one more than he was involved in over 2013 as a whole (seven in 35 apps). The Gunners have lost just one of their last 17 Premier League games in the month of February (W13 D3 L1). Arsenal have not conceded a Premier League goal at the Emirates Stadium for seven hours and 36 minutes. All five of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s Premier League goals and all five of his Premier League assists have come at the Emirates Stadium. Sunderland have conceded the highest number of goals following crosses in the Premier League this season (12). Betting please log in to view this image Links please log in to view this image
GUS POYET believes Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich will have taken a toll on the Gunners for this weekend’s meeting with Sunderland. Arsene Wenger’s side played almost an hour with 10 men against Munich last night before eventually succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates in the Champions League last 16 second leg. And Poyet says that could give Sunderland an advantage in the latter stage of Saturday’s Premier League meeting in north London, as the Black Cats look to extend their unbeaten away run to seven games. When asked whether the Munich game would have an effect, Poyet replied: “For sure. “You can say professional footballers can recover, but you recover quicker when you win. “For the next couple of days, they will be trying to erase everything that happened. “But if the game is a high tempo and we can try to control it, it could give us an advantage at the end.” Poyet expects to gain an insight from the game, ahead of the Capital One Cup final eight days later. But the head coach is targeting points, as well as lessons, with Sunderland lying third bottom in the table. “We are going to play to win,” he added. “We are going to play the same way we have been doing, but it’s a great opportunity to see what we can do in the big stadium against one of the best teams. “I don’t think you can prepare better for a final than going to Arsenal. “It will give us a great opportunity to see whether we can play in a certain way against Manchester City.”
Ordinarily a trip to The Emirates is a daunting prospect given the potential that Arsene Wenger’s side have at their disposal and the swagger with which they often play. However, as Gus Poyet prepares his Sunderland side to make the trip to the capital I can’t help but wonder if this is a perfect time to face The Gunners? Last weekend Arsenal progressed to the next round of the FA Cup at the expense of Liverpool in a pulsating cup tie. However, the victory was far from routine and indeed Liverpool were arguably the better side that afternoon and unlucky not to at least force a replay. There have been signs for a few weeks now that this Arsenal side may well be beginning to feel the pace of a frenetic Premier League season and have at times looked a little jaded of late. No player better encapsulates this than their marquee summer signing, Mersut Ozil. The German showed initial promise following his big money move to Arsenal and I was lucky enough to witness his Premier League debut at the Stadium of Light as Arsenal put Sunderland to the sword. The playmaker was quite simply superb that afternoon, with his assist for the opening goal being something completely out of this world, bringing a ball dropping over his shoulder under control and into his stride in one eye-catching, fluid move. Fast forward from those halcyon, early days of the German’s Arsenal career to the present, and questions are quite rightly being asked of Ozil given his abysmal display against Liverpool in a humiliating defeat in the league, and another poor performance against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Despite initial, good work on the ball to earn his side an early chance from the penalty spot, Ozil proceeded to dust himself down and take the spot kick himself, resulting in one of the laziest penalties you will likely see. From that moment the confidence seeped from the Arsenal man and he was anonymous for the remainder of the game. As well as Ozil’s shocking loss of form, Sunderland can also be hopeful that they can capitalise on a tired Arsenal side that had to put in a grueling second half shift with ten men following the dismissal of Szczesny. If Arsenal had looked worn-out in recent weeks in both the Premier League and the FA Cup, then you have to wonder what effect such a punishing second half on Wednesday night spent chasing the shadows of Munich’s superstars will have? Spirits in the Arsenal camp could well have hit rock bottom, something Gus Poyet and his squad could well attempt to capitalise upon. Here’s hoping anyway!
Gus Poyet has vowed that there will be no 'parking the bus' when Sunderland take to the pitch at Arsenal this weekend. The Uruguayan is keen to try and take advantage of any tiredness the Gunners will carry over from their Champions League struggles against Bayern Munich in midweek, as well as believing the game to be ideal preparation for the following week's Capital One Cup final. He told reporters: We are going to play to win. If the game is a high tempo and we can try to control it, it could give us an advantage at the end. We are going to play the same way we have been doing, but it's a great opportunity to see what we can do in the big stadium against one of the best teams. I don't think you can prepare better for a final than going to Arsenal. It will give us a great opportunity to see whether we can play in a certain way against Manchester City. It's not often that we hear a Sunderland manager talking about going away to the top clubs and actually having a go. Then again, it isn't often that we hear a Sunderland manager talking about cup final preparations. The rule-book is pretty much out of the window at the moment. Has Arsenal's midweek disappointment and efforts with ten men made them vulnerable for this game? I don't think I'd ever describe Arsenal as vulnerable. However, the defeatist mentality with which lower table sides usually take to the top clubs is hugely irritating. I'd say you have more chance of getting something by having a go than you do if you just try to defend for 90 minutes and hope for a point.
Gus Pre match interview. I'll paste it as soon as it's available in text. http://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2014/february/gus-poyet-press-conference-pre-arsenal Also we have Vito's comments http://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2014/february/vito-on-arsenal-return
I'm hopeful we could nick a win. I know the wind has to blow in exactly the right direction but I've got hope.
Haway lads, is there only myself Tony and Nordic interested in this game? This is our Capital Cup dress rehearsal! It's got to be our best starting 11 for the final hasn't it? A true test for our best available 11 before the final?
Simple terms for the players, you are playing for a cup final shirt so bust your ****ing nuts. Clearly Arsenal have some incredible players, but they are not invincible, far less daunting than Chelsea or City, and we often give them a game down there. I do think we can get something, although I can't see a win. I'm going 1-1, and a nice little pre Wembley bonus point.
I think 1-1 too. Looking forward to this match, after Pep said it's impossible to take the game to them Gus has come out and said we're going to take the game to them I'm with Gus. The top teams hate been pressed, it's the last thing they'll want after last nights match. Cazorla will be fresh though.
Defend in numbers and play the long ball game to make them chase back, Giacchi and Borini up front. If we press too high they would hurt us with their speed. I can see a close one, if the wind is right as Concrete Tony says.
Might be a good idea to play the likes of Giacch and Gardner as I think the regular 11 will have their mind firmly on Wembley.
LEE Cattermole can expect to be the first name on Gus Poyet’s team-sheet in next weekend’s Capital One Cup final – which is why he’s likely to be left out of Sunderland’s team at Arsenal tomorrow! Head coach Poyet says it will be a difficult call either way going into the Gunners game over whether Cattermole or Liam Bridcutt is handed the important defensive midfield role at the Emirates. But the Uruguayan confesses that he is likely to err on the side of caution, with the Teessider so important to his Wembley plans. “I have a decision to make over Lee and Liam and it’s a very difficult one,” Poyet told the Echo. “Obviously, Liam is cup-tied from his time at Brighton and cannot play in the cup final and, on top of that, Lee was outstanding in the FA Cup tie against Southampton the other week. “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.” Poyet says he will think things through carefully before tomorrow’s game, but the likelihood is that Cattermole will not be risked, allowing Bridcutt to continue his Premier League education. The £2.5million January signing can expect to be one of a number of changes to the Sunderland side which ejected Southampton from the FA Cup and earned the Black Cats a quarter-final place last week. Poyet made nine changes from the previous week’s league side for the Saints cup tie and most of those players can expect to return, including Ki Sung-Yueng and former Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who is making his first return to the Emirates since his £2m sale to Sunderland last summer. The Black Cats’ head coach said: “I don’t think Vito has anything to prove at Arsenal. “I hope, first of all, that he gets a good reception there because it will be a special day for him. “Secondly, I hope he’s relaxed because we need him to be focused. “He did very well for Arsenal and he’s been outstanding for us and we will need him to play well. “Obviously there will be changes made to the side going into the Arsenal game, but I have to say that every one of my players involved against Southampton last weekend did a great job and has given me plenty of food for thought. “Vito will come back into the side, but last week his replacement, Oscar Ustari, didn’t put a foot wrong in goal for us and a lot of the players who came in to the side showed that they have claims for a first-team place.”
The Arse still have key men missing and they'll be feeling pretty bruised and tired after their loss on wednesday night. Lets hope all that chasing the ball shows tomorrow. Now's as good a time to play them! And hopefully Ozil will play - he was awful the other night! Think we can nick a point. We're definitely better away than home at the minute. 1:1 - will settle for a win though
