Arsenal travel to Swansea for what is arguably their toughest remaining away fixture this season. Three points are vital today with both Tottenham and Chelsea enjoying routine home London derbies tomorrow; keeping the pressure on the two teams immediately above them in the table as well as those immediately below with Everton and Liverpool facing Manchester City and Southampton respectively. An Arsenal victory would surely put distance between themselves and the Merseysiders below them in the table.
The win in Munich has put a spring in everyone’s step but there is a marked contrast in the two fixtures. The Champions League match was one with relatively low expectations, few expected a win, certainly not one big enough to progress. Having come that close to an unlikely aggregate win, pressure now returns to the Arsenal camp. Expectations are now raised, quite rightly as well. With ten games remaining, slips can be ill-afforded in pursuit of what is deemed by the manager to be the minimum expectation for a season: Champions League football. That emphasis was carried in the words of Mikel Arteta,
It has to give us confidence but we have to keep our feet on the ground. We haven’t had the consistency required at this football club. It is a massive game coming up. We are going to face a very difficult team. So we need to get back on it, get the legs, we don’t have 72 hours to recover. This club cannot afford to be out of the Champions league. That’s in our mind. That’s the target.
The home fixture was arguably the nadir of the season, not just in the result but a performance which was devoid of imagination or positives. To a certain extent that was put right in the second half 0f the FA Cup tie in January when Arsenal came within a whisker of winning at The Liberty Stadium and produced as one-sided a single victory in the replay as you will have seen since 1997-98s relentless pursuit of the silverware. Indeed, it is that remorselessness that the misfiring squad need to produce for the final quarter of the season, achieving the consistency that has eluded them thus far. And if ever a single match underlined that the squad is capable of producing those performances, Munich was it. But the biggest failing has not been on the pitch, it has been in the heads of the players, confidence never instilled despite assertions that this small unbeaten run or that performance would do so. If beating one of the favourites for the Champions League on their own turf does not breed the necessary belief, I am not sure what will.
The biggest question for Arsène is what tinkering to do with the side. Nacho Monreal will drop back into the side and no matter Kieran Gibbs fitness or performance, I think it is a change that was always going to be made. The rest? It is a tough choice. Lukasz Fabianski played well but more importantly, his demeanour was much improved, more confident than before. But – and it is a big BUT – can he produce this on a regular basis; he’s played well before, only to be a short hop away from a costly mistake. However, if he isn’t given the chance, that question can never be answered. Wenger it seems has already made up his mind on retaining Fabianski,
Every position is up for grabs. You have to face it like that. The last game decides the next one.
The tough love approach of resting his first choice goalkeeper and captain being seen as a sterner approach to the squad, shaking any sense of complacency out of players.
Yet there is a balance, there must be resistance – probably futile – on the part of the manager to restore players to the line-up just because they are his favourites. For example, the temptation will be for Abou Diaby to be included at the expense of Tomas Rosicky. Unless the Czech is injured, that makes little sense given the balance of the side looked good on Wednesday night. Diaby will add a physical presence to the midfield but guile will be lost. Against a side who prefer to pass the ball, Rosicky offers more opportunity to exploit space than the Frenchman.
I would expect the line-up to show just the one change from Wednesday,
Fabianski; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Rosicky, Arteta; Walcott, Giroud, Cazorla
Arsenal need to beware of this match. They came unstuck last year in the corresponding fixture, sucker-punched having equalised. Swansea have once more produced a formidable home record, losing just twice in the Premier League this season, holding Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea to draws. Anyone who thinks this will be straightforward needs to think again. That’s the danger of wins such as Wednesday nights; arrogance and complacency take hold rather quickly. You sense the players do not think that and that is half the battle.
Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.
’til Tomorrow.
Lets hope that Fulham and or West Ham pull off something nice for the Arsenal tomorrow
Second place is do able. It will be hard but it can be done. Things have to brek right but so far so good.
@Dukey
I’m surprised you visited the site to be honest. It is funny that no matter what happens people their just cannot help comparing their excellent posts with people here.
I’m glad they have a home to extoll their views but some seem to act more like jilted lovers. I don’t agree with all their views, I don’t agree with all those that post here but I do respect your right to have your own opinion.
Yogi, for me you are a pure quality read.
Couldn’t agree more Miami, Yogi gives the most unbiased and informative Arsenal blog on the net.
wel if jenkinson continiues to grow like this we will soon have an all English full back pair in Gibbs and Jenks. It will be weird the day we field Walcott, Ox, Ramsey, Gibbs, Jenks and Wilshere. Its like an all brithsh team. And not just any british team but he back bone of the english national team and future captain of Wales.
4th should be our aim. 3rd would be great but 4th, that should be the goal. And it is achievable, ones we are on 4th we can look forward- But atm take one step at a time and secure 4th. That would be great….
what whas that michu thing with Fabianski btw? i hear that he went for Fab after the final whistle blew ? and that he had to be dragged away?
Excellent result ARSENAL…
CONGRATS.
Going from strength to strength .
With some good luck we can make 3rd or possibly 2nd.
COYG.
WE BELIEVE..
booers & moaners get ready to eat crow. Here is for the home support being ready to do a proper job in our home games. One down.nine more consecutive wins to come. Enjoy the ride..
Thanks for the heads up Duke. It’s incredibly amusing how obsessed the guys on George/Steww’s blog are with ACLF and the comments section.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but they left here because of the tone, right? Why in God’s good name are they still so interested and twisted about what goes on here? Why in particular are they moaning about the comments section not being positive enough? What did they expect? The lack of self-awareness is from people who spend a lot of time pretending to be smart is beyond belief.
Just watch and see how people who had begun to prepare their minds for non-CL places are going to join the gloating when (knock wood) we do make the CL. They’ll point to doomers and fence sitters and of course, completely miss the irony.
I’ve always said that some of the people pretending non-critical support don’t do it out of for love of the game or club, but out of their dislike for other kind of fans. Not very positive support if you ask me.
I tend to think even if some are obsessed, we should not be. They have there own play ground now and let them have there fun in it.
I know for me there are a couple of people at the blog that contributed good pieces at times here, that said they all pale in to any kind of comparison with Yogi.
MA,
Don’t get me wrong, I used to enjoy reading most of them. I understand the need of some to only surround themselves with people they agree with. I find it weird personally, but hey, each to their own.
The ones who are truly happy about their newly found ‘oasis’ never bitch about this place or try to disrespect Yogi, imo. At least they stop when called up on it.
I can understand that sour grapes behavior if you were banned from here.
Anyway, I hope I’ve made my point.
WHAT
A
RESULT
!
WOW
!
We are still alive.
Understand what you’re saying Henristic but I trust that Yogi has banned these people because their posts were unacceptable fr whatever reason. I believe their site really is a more “pro Arsene” site rather than a pro “Arsenal” site. Sad really.
JD,
I understand why they were banned. I didn’t agree with it and said as much, but it’s Yogi’s rules. The point is that you can see where such people are coming from, to an extent.
On the pro-arsene v pro-arsenal stuff. I see it differently from you. People find things they like about the club and emphasize that aspect. The bemusing part, imo, is when such people believe they are some sort of ideal model for every fan to follow.
Apparently i am weak willed and basically a shit fan.
It’s interesting that for someone who doesn’t want to start a ‘slanging match’, he was the one who actually initiated it.
If you have so much disdain for people, then they are not important, therefore why waste you’re valuable time on them?
I’m glad that some over there have at least said they don’t want to get involved.
The only reason i’m even commenting is because my comment was picked up and used as an example by people who apparently think im less than shit, it still baffles me why you would then have the time and effort to slate people. I genuinely don’t understand.
Oh and by the way, “supporting” your team through the internet actually has no effect at all. It’s the internet.
No one on the whole wide internet cares about blog politics/bs more than Henristic. That thing about the customers resigned to missing out on the CL vs who/whatever the hell else he was talking about was just flat out gobbledegook. So hilarious. Nice one, dukey.
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=10830
Morning troops