Morning all,
Another wet and dreary day really sets the tone for the
month and is the most miserable of backdrops for a potentially interesting
encounter in the land of Orcs.
To say Stoke are one of my least favourite teams would be an
understatement; I loathe Stoke to a level on par with our main rivals and that
in itself tells a story. They are an anti-Arsenal movement, (or so I have
convinced myself) and deserve to be dispatched in a way befitting them. I would
love to go into details but I am trying to keep this clean.
It will be a tough encounter and is probably as much a of a
“must-win” game as any other we have had over the past few weeks. Chelsea’s win
leaves our situation a little more precarious than it should be and I won’t go
into detail over their unlikely heroics other then to say; if they win the
Champions League it will be an absolute abomination. They are a really poor
team and deserve to be where they are in the league. The cup runs somehow taint
the picture and I quite frankly do not like it one bit.
Aside from my own neurotic thoughts, we have a serious game
of football which needs to be approached with all the vigour with which we approach any
big game. We will need to work hard, be strong, committed and certainly be
willing to put our life on the line. We need to press high up the pitch and
keep the pressure on the Stoke XI to ensure we dictate the game. We will
certainly need to be wary of any breaks/punts up the pitch.
Team news is as expected really; Diaby is unlikely to
feature yet again. This time illness strikes and really sums up the luck this
lad has. Many people laugh, I for one just feel sorry for him. He, and I hate
to use the word but, he has unbelievable potential. He could be a world beater.
The rest of the news according to Arsenal.com is; Walcott
(hamstring), Arteta (ankle), Mertesacker (ankle), Wilshere (ankle) Frimpong
(knee). It sounds as though Mertesacker is in line for a return sooner rather
than later but I would imagine his Arsenal season is certainly over. He does
have a chance to take part in the Euros as it seems he has returned to training
with the squad.
The team I expect to line up would be:
Szczesny
Sagna Koscienly Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Ramsey
Rosicky
Chamberlain Benayoun
Van
Persie
I expect that either Gervinho or Benyoun will slug it out
for a place on the left. Benayoun should be well rested and is on a good run of
form. In contrast Gervinho, after a fairly promising start to his Arsenal
career has been on a downward slide. He certainly seems to have the, dare I say
it, potential to become an important player. He just isn’t clicking at the
moment for whatever reason and I guess that is something that needs to be
addressed.
Aside from the pre-match news, the other big news from the
week is the double award for Van Persie for being the best player in the
league. Well that’s not news to me. On that note, I shall leave you.
Here’s to hoping we secure a vital three points.
Come on Arsenal!
GoonerVerse.
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