please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Arsenal travel to Villa Park this Saturday evening to take on Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Gunners go into this having secured their passage to the last 16 of the champions league in midweek. Arsenal beat Montpellier 2-0 at the Emirates and with Schalke beating Olympiacos, Arsenal had done enough to get through to the next round. In their last league game, they secured a brilliant win against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby. Spurs took the lead through Emmanuel Adebayor who then got himself sent off after a terrible tackle on Santi Cazorla. Arsenal took advantage and put three goals past Hugo Lloris before the half-time whistle was blown. Santi Cazorla extended the lead before Gareth Bale pulled one back for Spurs but Theo Walcott put the finishing touches for Arsenal on another emphatic win against Tottenham Hotspur. This was a win that Arsenal so badly needed and Arsene Wenger will be hoping that this result gives them the confidence that the Gunners so badly lacked going into the game against Tottenham. Aston Villa got thrashed by Manchester City in their previous league game and it was a defeat that saw Villa drop into the relegation zone. The Gunners having lost their previous two away games in the league, will be seeking to get a third straight win in all competitions and start to build the sort of winning run that will bring Arsenal back into contention in the league. For Villa, it’s all about survival. Arsenal have won their previous two games against Aston Villa at Villa Park, but this is a very different Villa team. Arsenal can really start to build some confidence with a win here and the Gunners have to improve tenfold from their previous two performances on the road if they are to win here. Just three years ago under Martin O’Neill, Aston Villa competed with Arsenal for a place in the Champions League and now they are a team that are trying to fight relegation. Their decline in those three years has been surreal. Last season, they just about managed to remain in the Premier League despite being terribly managed by Alex Mcleish. Randy Lerner, was left with no other options other than to get rid of Mcleish in the summer and he recruited Paul Lambert from Norwich as the man to take over the reins at Villa. Lambert’s work with Norwich was astonishing and he was rated as one of the best up and coming managers in England. Lambert took Norwich from a League one team to a Premier League one in the space of two years. Unlike with the appointment of Mcleish, most Villa fans welcomed Lambert into their club. But Lambert has got a very tough job on his hands and he will have his work cut in getting Villa out of trouble. He was not given the money that someone like Martin O’Neill got from Randy Lerner and has had to rely on young players and some shrewd buys for not much money. Christian Benteke was one of those shrewd buys and he has been the man that has got the goals for Villa this season. With three goals in all competitions, he is their top scorer and has provided Villa with a real physical presence up front. In the league, Villa have only scored ten goals in twelve games and that is simply not good enough. Like they did last season, Villa are struggling for goals. Darren Bent is a man that can get goals but he has been nothing more than an outcast under the management of Paul Lambert. He has only had three starts in the league and Arsenal will not mind seeing Bent on the bench, as he is a player that has hurt them in the past. In defence, Villa have had a massive shake up with the likes of Richard Dunne and James Collins leaving last season. Ron Vlaar was brought in from Feyenoord to play in the middle and was made captain. He has settled into his team fairly well and has not made many mistakes, but the Villa defence have been leaking goals. So far, they have conceded 22 goals in the league and conceded five against City last week. Joe Bennett and Matthew Lowton are the other two new additions to the Villa defence and they are both inexperienced players who have had to step up from the Championship and that step up has not been an easy one for the two youngsters. Aston Villa have only managed to win two games this season and that has seen them drop into the relegation zone. Recently, Villa gave Manchester United a very close run when the two teams met at Villa Park. Aston Villa actually took a two goal lead and looked set to record a famous win but they could not hold and United turned that game around. But, Villa can take a lot of positives from that performance and against Arsenal, they will be looking to displaying the same attacking intent. Last season, Arsenal met Aston Villa on three different occasions and the Gunners came out on top in all three meetings. This is a different Villa team and one that are low on confidence at the moment, and the Gunners can take advantage of that on Saturday. Arsenal lost their last two away games in the league and will be under pressure to stop that run against Aston Villa. Arsenal’s performances against Norwich and Manchester United were very disappointing and Arsenal lacked any sort of pace to hurt the home team on the counter. With the return of Gervinho and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, they do have that the pace but they will rue the absence of Theo Walcott. The Englishmen has again been ruled out with a shoulder injury and Arsenal will miss his pace and his clinical finishing in the final third. Kieran Gibbs has recovered from his thigh injury to return to the Arsenal squad and the Gunners have missed him. Gibbs was in excellent form before his injury and formed an excellent understanding with Lukas Podolski. The German, scored a belting goal against Montpellier in midweek and he has scored in his previous three games for Arsenal. Despite not always being involved in the game, Podolski has been effective in the final third. If he is not scoring, he is providing the assists for Olivier Giroud. Arsenal will need him at his efficient best against Villa if they are to have an easy night. Jack Wilshere scored his first goal for Arsenal in over two years when he netted against Montpellier and it was a goal that would have given Wilshere the confidence boost he needs after coming back from such a long injury lay off. Olivier Giroud got two assists against his old club in midweek and the big Frenchmen is really starting to have an impact at his new club. Arsenal having won their previous two games, are starting to build a winning run and they will need to maintain that if they want to get back into the top four. Aston Villa showed against Manchester United that they are no walk overs at Villa Park and the Gunners will have to battle if they are get their third straight win. Team News: Arsene Wenger: Form Guide: please log in to view this image Three Key Match-ups: please log in to view this image Christian Benteke please log in to view this image Matthew Lowton please log in to view this image Ron Vlaar Overall Record vs Aston Villa: Played: 184 Wins: 75 Draws: 44 Losses: 65 For: 293 Against: 262 GD: 31 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa Arsenal 3 - 2 Aston Villa (FA Cup) Aston Villa 1 - 2 Arsenal Arsenal 1 - 2 Aston Villa Aston Villa 2 - 4 Arsenal Aston Villa 0 - 0 Arsenal please log in to view this image Managers Views: Arsene Wenger on Jack Wilshere's goal scoring abilities: My Team: please log in to view this image Final Score: please log in to view this image
Everton is easily the more difficult game and there is an argument to rotate but our squad is not good enough to be doing that and winning away from home in the league, I feel.
Oxocube is capable of making something happen but i think i'd give Gerv or Arshavin a chance to start. Gervinho has been in good form this season and he always makes it down to the touchline, so he does well at pushing defences back. And arshavin has been good this season whenever he has been given opportunities. I posted his stats on another thread and he has been very effective. He has a goal or assist per game he has featured including sub appearances. I do think oxocube is a good player but i don't think he is quite ready to be starting games at a time when we need to string some good resuts together. He was our worst player against Montpellier. I have no doubt he will come good, but for now i'd prefer Gervinho, or for games where we know we are going to be on the attack alot, Arshavin. And Walcott for me is still the first choice when he is fit.
We have a big midweek game, the only good thing is that it's on Wednesday, and that is 3 days rest, but if I had to make some rotations, I'd probably rotate Sagna with Jenkinson, there was talk of fatigue with Sagna last week, so he definitely won't be able to play 3 games in a week, don't forget we have to play Swansea on Saturday, so this should be viewed as 3 games in a week, rather than 2, so I would rest Sagna for Jenkinson. Plus the back 4 of Jenkinson, Merte, Vermaelen, and Gibbs will all be familiar with another as that was the back 4 for the start of the season. Up front, if Walcott's fit then I'd slot him right back in, if not, I'd go for Gervino to start in place of OXO, or you know I wouldn't mind going with a front 3 of Gervino, Giroud, and OXO, and giving Podolski a breather as well. Anyways, I'm going to this game, and so far this season, going to away games have actually been for the most part better than home games, in terms of atmosphere, and results!
Walcott is injured and has been ruled out of the Villa, might make the Everton game.. Was listening to Wenger's press conference.
Villa have been seriously **** for a couple of seasons and I think they've been a bit fortunate to avoid relegation. But they were two up against Utd a couple of weeks ago and could have won the game with a bit more composure. I don't think we should take any team lightly and I don't think we should rest players either. We need to get the three points at Villa park. So we need to field as strong a team as possible.
I think we can at least let the second string attackers start the game. Its Villa ffs. if nothing is happening by 50 mins , give em the pod . Job done .
Verm seems to have got more up close and personal . http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddbal...th-sian-massey-during-arsenal-v-city-friendly
