Good morning.
Today we play Liverpool at the Emirates and a win will go a long way towards boosting the confidence of both the team and the fans.
The Mugmashers trail us by only two points and that in itself shows, that they are on a strong run. The Suarez-Sturridge partnership cripples defenses time and again and that's a problem we'll have to solve if we want to beat Liverpool today. The answer may be as simple as to cut out the supply from their midfield, so Flamini will be sorely missed during this encounter.
The Frenchaman`s groin injury will also keep him out of the Dortmund game and only when we visit Old Trafford a week from now, will he be able to help us out. A pity, given how organised and disciplined our whole team looks, when Mathieu is on his game, but a Ramsey-Arteta duo should manage. They were, after all, key to our defensive improvement during last year's run-in.
Gnabry joins Flamini on the sidelines, so our flanks will have to, once again, be filled up with central midfielders. We'll see either Cazorla and Whilshere or Cazorla and Rosicky, depending on who got through the midweek clash better. It does not matter much, because, whoever plays out wide does so only nominally. With Ozil`s acquisition we seem to have finally nailed the concept of seamlessly changing positions (total football, anyone?), so I expect to see our midfield all over the pitch today.
We are even more likely to do that further still, seeing how Giroud has turned into a great provider. His smart flicks and passes do not always come off, but when they do, they usually create opportunities for others. And we have a lot of finishers on our hands who can make it count.
So I think we have plenty of players, who can hurt Liverpool`s defense. Hitting them on the break may be even more effective, than with our usual opposition, cause their defense is definitely their weakest link, being as immobile as they are. The key to our success will, therefore, lie in keeping Suarridge quiet. This will no doubt be the hardest part, because both strikers are firing on all cylinders and represent a threat from in and around the box.
Apart from that, news is, Podolski is back in training, which can only be a good thing. Still no word on how soon he'll be able to play, but he shouldn't be far from full fitness now. My sincere hope is, he'll be included in the team, that travels to Dortmund and will be a genuine option, when we visit United. Our flanks desperately need reinforcements and the same is probably true for our striker position.
Not much else going on, so here's for a win today and I'll be back tomorrow for a usual review.
Until then