Anorthernsoul 1221 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 TEAM NEWS Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is out with a hamstring problem so Francis Coquelin has been recalled from a loan spell at Charlton as cover. Defenders Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are injured, while Calum Chambers serves a one-match ban. Newcastle are without midfielder Moussa Sissoko and defender Steven Taylor because of suspension. Captain Fabricio Coloccini is expected to be fit, while midfielder Mehdi Abeid could return from a toe injury. MATCH PREVIEW Alan Pardew celebrated the fourth anniversary of his taking over at Newcastle this week. More than once over those four years it's seemed certain that the axe has been about to fall, but Pardew has survived this far and can justifiably reflect that it's been a job well done under sometimes trying circumstances. In some ways, this season has been a microcosm of those four years - Pardew's side were bottom of the table after four games and he found himself the subject of demonstrations calling for his head. Newcastle didn't climb out of the relegation zone until mid-October, but now find themselves level on points with this weekend's opponents in an extremely healthy seventh place, and with a League Cup quarter-final to look forward to as well. Of course, some might say that being level on points with Arsenal isn't what it used to be. Arsene Wenger is the only current Premier League manager to have stayed in his job longer than Pardew - by some 14 years - and is becoming the focus of open revolt with his side languishing well off the pace in the Premier League. It will be extremely interesting to see how Arsenal's home crowd reacts to any repeat of the nasty abuse the manager suffered at Stoke station or the unfurling of the banner seen at The Hawthorns. The Emirates Stadium is not often a hotbed of raw emotion, in either a positive or negative sense, but feelings are running abnormally high. The midweek stroll in Istanbul was perhaps most memorable for that extraordinary Aaron Ramsey goal, but the return of Mathieu Debuchy and Wojciech Szczesny to fitness, and that of Lukas Podolski to the scoresheet, will have pleased Wenger just as much. He needs all the options, and friends, he can get. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Arsenal have won five league matches in a row against Newcastle. They have scored 12 goals in their previous three matches against Newcastle at the Emirates. Newcastle have won just two of their last 28 meetings with Arsenal in all competitions (W2, D8, L18). Arsenal Arsenal have lost three of their last five league matches. They have only suffered one defeat in their seven league games at the Emirates this season, but they have also drawn three of those games (W3, D3, L1). The Gunners have come from behind to draw or win in four of those seven home games. Arsenal haven't scored in the first half of any of their last six league matches. Alexis Sanchez has either scored or assisted nine of Arsenal's last 13 Premier League goals (seven goals, two assists). Newcastle Newcastle have won six of their last eight Premier League matches. Only Manchester City (16) and Manchester United (15) have won more points than Newcastle (13) from the last six games. Seven of Newcastle's league goals this season have been scored by substitutes - more than any other top-flight side. The Magpies are the only team yet to score in the opening 30 minutes of their league matches this season. Their earliest goal this season has come in the 37th minute. Since the start of last season, Newcastle have been shown more red cards than any other Premier League side (nine). ---------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 71 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Good time to play them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADP 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Wonder if he'll start Podolski. Two great goals against Galatasaray the other night. Ramsey will be a big loss for them and they are completely patched up at the back due to injuries. I know that we are down a load of players and Arsenal are decent attacking, but if we play our pace against Mertesacker we will be dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimaad22 4156 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Colo being fit might be the key. Sissoko will be a big miss of course. Think Pards will go with Abied, Tiote and Colback which'll be too defensive. They should still have too much for us. I'd be delighted with a draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClubSpinDoctor 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Bottle job of a starting line-up probably, Gouffran and as many defensive grafters as he can pack in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Who do you reckon he should play? I agree not Gouffran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClubSpinDoctor 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 He mentioned Aarons should be ready so if he's fit start him. Never really bought into this 'not fit enough to start but fit enough to come on' malarkey. Play him and if he's fucked later on bring him off. He won't play Cabella because he's not defensive enough for him and he's been making noises that he won't start, but his performances have been improving and a key part of his youtube highlight reel is him tearing Arsenal a new one. So those two would be my wide men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClubSpinDoctor 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 He'll play one up top as well, when we should really play two and try to expose Debuchy at CB as much as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChezGiven 0 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Agree on Aarons. Sounds like Sammy will get the nod ahead of Cabella. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 13869 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Debuchy at centre back should be interesting, providing we don't launch long balls at him since he's canny in the air. I think their injuries are negated by us having Sissoko out who has been our most influential player this year by a mile. If we sit back and try and hit them on the break, I don't see anyone in the team who could carry it out like him so I can see us being pinned back for a lot of the game while Arsenal bore us into submission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McFaul 35 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I'm hoping for a 1-0 win, I think we have a chance but if it's a defeat it's not the end of the world, I'm confident about our up coming fixtures. Arsenal are no where near the classic Arsenal's of 98 and 2002. About 6 Arsenal players from that era would be their best players now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaser 1207 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I think we will lose this one, anything at the emirates is a bonus. Sissoko is a big loss. I don't think it's a negative to be playing with 1 up top and some pace in the wings. Its the counter that has been effective for us. If it encourages Arsenal to play higher up to expose their lack of pace then it may work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddockLad 17270 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I'm hoping for a 1-0 win, I think we have a chance but if it's a defeat it's not the end of the world, I'm confident about our up coming fixtures. Arsenal are no where near the classic Arsenal's of 98 and 2002. About 6 Arsenal players from that era would be their best players now. I think post the summer of 2006 Arsenal lost about 6 players who were at one stage of their career or other we're genuinely world class iyam. They've never recovered. Nor would most sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I still think Wenger is up there with the best of them mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 71 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 0-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 13869 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I think post the summer of 2006 Arsenal lost about 6 players who were at one stage of their career or other we're genuinely world class iyam. They've never recovered. Nor would most sides. Just looked there. In two consecutive windows, they lost Bergkamp, Pires, Campbell, Cole and Henry but did sign Pascal Cygan so I suppose it's not all hardship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddockLad 17270 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Just looked there. In two consecutive windows, they lost Bergkamp, Pires, Campbell, Cole and Henry but did sign Pascal Cygan so I suppose it's not all hardship. Yeah that's the ones, add viera to them and building a new stadium at the same time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneColdStephenIreland 74 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Gouffran needs to be as far away from the starting line up as possible. Arsenal can be exploited even without sissoko so I'd bring in Abeid for Sissoko, Dummett to CB with Colo, Haidara at LB and have Cabella and Sammy on the wings. Not too fussed who starts out of Perez and Cisse as I think we should win this if he doesn't revert back to the tactics he played vs Burnley and West Ham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Park Life 71 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Wenger has destroyed Arsenal with his stubborness to spend big. Living in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClubSpinDoctor 0 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Destroyed and still in the Champions League every season, you sound like Piers Morgan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 30612 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Wenger has destroyed Arsenal with his stubborness to spend big. Living in the past. He has spent £230m in the last four seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 13869 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Aye, it's a myth that he doesn't spend, he just spends it in strange ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I don't think he's relied on spending as much as other managers and the key difference is that Arsenal's spending in generally economically sound - not like Chelsea, Man City's bottomless pits or Manchester United's crazy debt. It's a bit harder for him to build a squad these days I suppose. He gets a lot of stick from clueless, entitled Arsenal fans and I hope he does go and I hope they have a succession of gash managers and win fuck all for decades. It's amazing how quickly the Arsenal fans have forgotten about winning the F.A Cup in May. #Wengerout etc, pricks like Piers Morgan saying he has to go etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddockLad 17270 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 (edited) Some younger posters won't remember how utterly fuckin reviled the pre George Graham( appointed 1986) Arsenal actually were. Any gooner over the age of 50 calling for his head should be shot with shit tbh. Edited December 13, 2014 by PaddockLad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 The state of them man From 2:18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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