Burnley 0-1 Arsenal: 8 on the bounce

Well, that was tough. Tougher than I expected. We took the points for the eighth consecutive game without really being troubled after we scored, but found chances hard to come by to double the lead. You can see why Burnley drew with Chelsea and United and took all three points against City at Turf Moor. Although it seems these days any half-decent side can overpower Pellegrini's men.

The game wasn't much it terms of actual football happening, so I'd rather do my usual trick in these circumstances and break the review into points of interest.

The squad and approach

I was really surprised to see an unchanged starting XI. Before the game kicked off I thought that maybe at least Ramsey was moved infield with either Cazorla or Ozil wide, however I was wrong even here. Aaron once again played the role of a winger.

The only changes to the side that bested Liverpool a week ago were Szczesny for Macey and Chambers for Gabriel. Both filled me with joy, as I was nervous to have a rookie goalkeeper even for one game, while I've already expressed my point of view concerning Chambers. He should at least make the bench because of his versatility. Should the need to sub Bellerin/Debuchy arise, there must be a right-back at the ready. And as having three defenders on the bench is too much, one of them should be able to fill in at two positions. Chambers is the only such player.

However, the respective omissions of Arteta, Wilshere and Debuchy left me scratching my head. Did Arsene decide to just give them one more week, or does they genuinely miss out due to the high level of competition?

The latter option seems unlikely to me. Surely at least the skipper could be reinstated at Flamini's expense? However, it looks weird when three players of this calibre don't even make the bench for the second game running.

As for our approach, we went with a rather unusual one, namely: we put a lot of effort into scoring an early goal. Sanchez blasted a shot wide early on and the combination which led to Ramsey smashing the only goal info the net saw four shots from four different players.

After the goal we just fell back, kept our shape and exercised what can be called "sterile possession". Whether it was sterile because we were content with it or because Burnley pressed us all over the pitch for the duration of 90 minutes, we will never know.

Burnley's moments

They had a few. The two most dangerous happened during the first half. No, three.

The first one occurred at 0-0 when Vokes bursted down our right only to be denied by some brilliant goalkeeping from Ospina. The other two were from free-kicks.

And I have to say these were some dodgy decisions from Mike Dean. I'm not implying he was on Burnley's side, he was, as someone on Twitter nicely put it "shit all around", but these free-kicks were both flimsy calls, to say the least. To me the situations which led to what Dean viewed as fouls were just common duels. Coquelin and Koscielny won both, the ref whistled and Ospina found himself putting some solid walls of players together.

The first kick was blocked by the wall (was it Coquelin?), the second resulted in Ospina going full-stretch to deny Trippier. Good job by the Colombian.

Burnley had one more decent moment I can recall, deep into the second half, after Bellerin got fooled on the right and Boyd needed to only hit the target. Luckily, he swung his leg at thin air.

Bellerin "hitting the wall"?

I may be seeing things where there really is nothing to see, but I didn't like the way Bellerin played yesterday. I definitely didn't like his defensive contribution.

Firstly, he was caught high upfield several times, the most damaging could have been at 0-0, but, luckily, Ospina interfered. Secondly, the young Spaniard looked flimsy in one-on-one situations. Whether he faced Barnes, Vokes or whoever played at right-back for Burnley, I grew less and less sure of his ability to cope as the game went on. He was again at fault at around 70th minute, when Boyd failed to get on the end of a low cross. Cross, incoming from Bellerin flank after Hector was roasted there.

Was Bellerin too sure of himself after a brilliant showing against Liverpool? Was it the approach of the opposition, some particular skills demonstrated by Barnes or just good old exhaustion? I remember Arsene expressing concerns in late December as to Chambers' physical and mental condition. Wenger noted, that all young players "hit the wall" after 15-17 games and need a breather, a period to recharge his batteries. Bellerin played slightly less this season, something around 12 games, but it's not exact science we are dealing with. The Spaniard may have hit his personal wall a bit earlier. If so, remove him from the firing line, reinstate Debuchy. Or give Chambers a run of games, if the Frenchman is still not ready.

The width

I'm sure Wenger noticed what I did: that Bellerin was, largely, not coping with Burnley's threat. So why did he keep Hector on, despite having Chambers on the bench?

To this I have only one suggestion: Bellerin was the only player giving width to our attacks. Monreal sat back more than usual to keep an eye on Ings, Sanchez looked refreshed and up for it, only for his knack to drift infield impeding us from stretching the play. And Ramsey? He is not a winger. Simple as that. He fared well a week ago, which was, in my opinion down to the opposition and to Rambo's more disciplined approach to his duties as a wide man.

This time around he was less disciplined, preferred to move inside on a number of occasions, and so Bellerin was handed an enormous task of playing as both a winger and a defender. No wonder he wasn't particularly good at both.

I felt that, as soon as we stretch the play, we'll score that second and put the game to bed. We needed someone to get behind the opposition's fullback and get crosses in. That's where Oxlade would have come in handy. But even without the Englishman we had options.

We could have subbed Ramsey for Welbeck, or Cazorla for Welbeck and moved Ramsey to play alongside Ozil or Coquelin. We, or, rather, Arsene, could have let Walcott come on. Finally, he could have just swapped Ramsey's and Cazorla's/Ozil's positions. He did nothing of the sort, as a result we (unsuccessfully) tried to break through the overcrowded midfield and thus played into Burnley's hands, while also deriving Giroud of service. The Frenchman tried dropping deep to collect the ball and gave up after a few failed attempts. And so Arsene chose to sub off Giroud and bring on Welbeck.

Again, I can only guess why Wenger did nothing to stretch play. My bet is that the Frenchman didn't want to interfere and fix what wasn't really broken. We coped with Burnley the way it was, and so Arsene decided to hold onto what we had and not try and score the second goal.

"70% of the Earth is covered by water, the rest is covered by Francis Coquelin"

Man of the Match, hands down. 11 interceptions (league high in a single game), 9 ball recoveries and two successful tackles. The interceptions stat is particularly impressive, since Burnley only enjoyed 31% possession and made only 194 passes. That means more than every 20th pass Burnley made was intercepted by Coquelin!

As if this wasn't enough, Coquelin actually started the only attack that led to a goal by intercepting (surprise!) a pass and vigorously attacking the space in front of him. He then celebrated no less brilliantly.

I could rant on about how good our Coq was, but I feel no need. I'll just give you the manager's take on Francis:

"First of all he’s shown his individual quality winning the ball and passing it quickly, and he’s very strong in the challenges. He also contributes to the balance of the team and that’s very difficult to measure. You know that the balance of the team sometimes depends on one player who has some characteristics that the others don’t. He looks like he has hugely contributed to that."

And the link to the usual "By the numbers" section over on Arseblog.

The verdict

It was not the best of performances from us, but important thing is, we won. Won where others dropped points and dropped these points for a reason.

Our eighth consecutive win didn't see us bridge the gap to Chelsea, unfortunately. The Blues scored an 88th minute goal from their only shot on target to get the points at Loftus Road and thus we trail Mourinho's men by seven points having played a game less.

We didn't get room for manoeuvre from behind either, as United thrashed City at Old Trafford. As a result we have put some distance between us and Pellegrini's side, but are still a single point ahead of United. Tough.

Then again, when wasn't it? You want a high place, you battle to the very last moment.

And remember, we are playing Reading in the semi-final this week. We are going to Wembley, guys.

Have yourselves a very good week.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Burnley preview: gunned and ready

Hi everyone.

We face Burnley away in what will be our last league game in two weeks, because, as you may well remember, we miss the next BPL clash due to the involvement in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. A nice reason to miss a league match.

Truth be told, I was a little baffled to see a cup game take place on the weekend, something that will wreak havoc with our timetable by forcing us to skip a league game, but then I think all big games in the cups are played on either Saturday or Sunday (or even Monday, if BBC airs it). I distinctly recall we faced Everton on the weekend in the quarters last year, so I guess it’s not that surprising after all.

Anyway, back to the task at hand and we have an almost fit squad to take on Burnley.

Team news update

Diaby, Arteta and Wilshere should all be available:

“They came through the game on Tuesday well. They were at a good level physically and they should all be available from now on until the end of the season hopefully.”

As should Debuchy:

“Debuchy is alright. I can only play three players over 21 [in the under-21 league] so he is physically fit and ready. He lacks a bit of a competitive edge but overall he has no medical problems.”

However, Oxlade is still unavailable for “at least two more weeks”, while Szczesny and Koscielny face late fitness tests. No word was said on Ramsey, so I’m presuming the Welshman is ready to play.

Whichever way you look at our current injury situation, this is a monumental achievement compared to last season. Should everyone come through the game unscathed (fingers crossed), Oxlade will remain the only player sidelined when we face Reading in the cup.

The new challenge will be to keep everyone happy, but that’s a pleasant headache for Arsene to have. With all the bits sorted out, time to put together a likely squad.

Defense

It was interesting to hear Arsene say he could only play three guys over 21 in the game against Stoke. It means he probably would have played Debuchy had the restrictions not been so harsh.

Does that mean Debuchy is not yet ready to start games? I'd say yes. So I'd give the Frenchman another week or two and play Bellerin in the meantime. The Spaniard has been phenomenal as of late, so much so I'm really interested to see how things unfold once his French counterpart is fully fit.

Monreal should get the nod to start on the left, but who should do likewise in central defense? With doubts over Koscielny's fitness the best decision for everybody concerned would probably be to rest him and play Gabriel.

Then again, changing a winning formula is hard and we all know how Wenger doesn't like to shuffle his team and the back four in particular, although he has become more lenient in this regard lately.

Finally there's a simple consideration for the future: Mertesacker is in the later stages of his career, so playing Gabriel together with Koscielny as often as possible during the run-in should also be on Arsene's mind.

I'd personally go with a back four of Bellerin, Mert, Gabriel and Monreal, but, as I've illustrated above, there's no telling what Arsene might do. Good thing is, he has options.

Midfield

Gosh, we have EVERYONE available here. It's definitely the first time this season, question is when we last had all the midfielders at our disposal.

And so that means another selection headache for Wenger. I think Arteta and Wilshere aren't still at the fitness level required, however I have no doubt they will make the bench. In the longer run, it's interesting to see what the future holds for both of them.

They don't look like regular starters at the moment, not for me at least. That's despite Arteta being our captain and Jack being vital in the first half of the campaign. While with Arteta things look pretty straightforward (he signs a one-year extension and stays as experienced backup to Coq), the picture is not that clear with Wilshere. You can read more on the subject here.

However, even with Arteta and Jack in the category of "unlikely starters", Arsene still has plenty of options in midfield, seeing as Danny Welbeck is eligible once again and I don't even exclude a start for Theo Walcott.

Moreover, I think Ramsey on the right was a one-off, a stroke of genius from Wenger dictated by the opposition. Rambo was shifted wide to pressurise Moreno and Sakho (with more than a little help from Hector Bellerin) and it worked. I cannot, however, picture Aaron on the right on a permanent basis. His talents are better utilised in the middle of the park.

That means one of Ozil or Cazorla won't avoid the drop (unless we drop Ramsey himself). Personally, I'd go with Coquelin, Ramsey and Ozil. You know I prefer Ozil to Cazorla under the striker, and when it comes to balance, Ramsey provides us with more than the Spaniard. But again, that's only my view, I cannot tell what Arsene has in mind.

Attack

Giroud and Sanchez, obviously, both are on fire right now, but who will complement the trio on the right? Oxlade is the go-to guy under normal circumstances, in his absence we have: Welbeck, Walcott and one of our central midfielders.

The least obvious choice is the last: who do we shift out wide? Rambo was an exception as I've stated above, Cazorla was played in central midfield even with a fully-fit Ramsey and Ozil and the German himself only played wide right after his recovery. When it became obvious Ozil is excellent at 10 Wenger was, understandably reluctant to remove Ozil from there.

Then Walcott? To my mind playing Walcott means pairing him with a more conservative full-back: Chambers or Debuchy, in our case. Dropping an in-form Bellerin for the former will look kind of stupid, while playing Debuchy and Walcott is risky both because they haven't played together ever before and because the Frenchman isn't yet at 100%.

That leaves us with Welbeck and I'm perfectly fine with this option. Danny has pace, he helps Bellerin out a great deal and his inclusion means having an extra forward on the pitch.

The verdict

For the first time this season I find the job of predicting a likely XI that hard. Apart from Ospina, Monreal, Coquelin, Ozil, Giroud and Sanchez, I'm not sure about anyone. Whether they will be involved, to what extent etc.

And that's exciting. I wish I had such a headache every week. Much better than knowing you have around 18 players available and guessing everyone right simply because there are no real options. This time around the depth of our squad is such that even without Koscielny and Oxlade (worst-case scenario), we'll still have to drop one defender and a couple of midfielders. Not any forwards yet, but we are getting there.

Looking at the players at our disposal you can't help but think we are the overwhelming favourites to win this one. The confidence is flowing through the team, we found our cohesion, we got almost everyone back on their feet and we thrashed Liverpool to cap it all off. We should be too much for Burnley.

However, this doesn't mean the players can take the game lightly. Burnley are a Premier League team, one fighting to stay up and they are perfectly capable of producing shock results (just ask City and Chelsea).

The right attitude is all-important. After that, we have enough quality to get the job done.

So come on you Gunners.

Back with a review

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

What do you do when someone holds a gun to your head?

"I don't need an agent, because I will never leave Arsenal".

This quote by Jack Wilshere has become iconic. It almost reaches the heights of Adams's “Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they’ll remember the name on the back.”

Back to Wilshere and this quote epitomises why I love Jack so much. With devotion and loyalty hard to come by in modern football, this phrase by Jack is a rarity in itself. But that's not the reason I brought the quote up.

Rather, I'm in doubt whether this phrase is applicable to Theo Walcott. We've bought him nine years ago (can you believe it?) from Southampton and I still remember Theo's smiling face as he held the shirt and stood next to a no-less smily Wenger. Wenger with fewer grey hairs.

However, I cannot recall Theo saying something along the lines of Jack's phrase. Has he ever demonstrated this kind of devotion?

The freshest wound he inflicted upon the Arsenal's faithful still hurts. Theo did it 2,5 years ago, when negotiating a new deal. He knew he was of utmost importance to Arsenal. It was the season when van Persie left for United. We had no Ozil back then, and certainly no Sanchez or Welbeck. Oxlade was swinging in and out of hospital. We were trying to crack the usual enigma of getting into the top four. Cazorla was our only real number 10. Giroud was still adapting, Poldi had already become a professional sub.

Wenger handled the situation in as dignified way as possible under the circumstances. Despite us needing Theo and his goals, the Englishman only appeared from the bench for the first half of the season. But he knew he was in a privileged position. He knew we needed him more than he needed us. Especially after RvP left.

And Theo got his way. He got the 100k per-week salary. He got to play as a striker, though, thankfully, not for long. What really drove me up a wall is that the Englishman even negotiated a one-off £3 million sign-on bonus. At a time we were still paying off the stadium debt.

This whole thing hurt a lot at the time. But I, among other Arsenal fans, got on with it. However, I didn't forget what Theo did, why he did it and at what time he did it. It was like Walcott was holding Arsenal at gunpoint. And we had little choice but to give in.

They say that when the going gets rough, people show their true colours. If you want to know what a certain man is made of, give him the power over you and see what he does. And I didn't like what I've seen from Theo.

Fast-forward 2,5 years and what do we have? That's right ladies and gentlemen, we have Theo's contract which is due to expire in a little over a year. And what does Theo want? Right again, bigger wages. Only this time he's not our only winger or goalscorer. He's not even a guaranteed starter anymore. Oh how the tables have turned.

Do I sound ironic about the whole situation? Bitter? Disproving? Well that's because I'm all these things right now. And I'm certain I'm not alone:

“The first contacts have been established with the embassy. We will see how that progresses politically. Walcott was difficult to convince [last time] and that is why it took us much time. We started very early with him but it was slow progress. He is very quick on the pitch but off the pitch, not always.”

Have you ever heard Arsene sound as sarcastic about such a delicate matter in public? I know I haven't. And I understand the man completely. Unlike Theo, Wenger makes the impression of a man truly dedicated to his cause.

Most importantly, however, Theo doesn't hold the cards anymore. He wants bigger wages? Way I see it, he doesn't deserve them. What exactly has he shown after signing the new deal 30 months ago? His form slumped for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season, he was in and out of hospital from August till November in 2013-2014 and, after demonstrating a flash of form in December, did his cruciate knee ligament in January 2014. The injury kept Theo sidelined for a year and, upon returning, he found we were no longer over-reliant on him. In fact, we are no longer reliant on him at all. Despite shipping out Campbell, Poldi and Akpom on loan, Theo still performs the role of the sub. And, frankly, our best XI doesn't include Walcott at the moment.

Is he competing for a place in the team with the Ox? Then it's a lost battle, because Alex is a much better all-round player. His finishing is still far from perfect, but his overall involvement and output far outweighs his finishing. He takes players on, he terrorises defenders off the ball, he hugs the byline, he helps Bellerin out a great deal.

Then it's Alexis Theo tries to displace? Looks that way. Sanchez, much like Walcott, relies on his positioning and finishing when the Chilean gets into dangerous areas. Thing is, Alexis is a much better finisher, while also contributing in other areas of the field. No one in their right mind will bench Alexis to field Theo.

And look at what Wenger said recently:

"When you have the ball in the modern game you have to attack, when you don't have the ball you have to defend. All the players who can't do that, cannot play."

He's basically thrown down the gaunlet to Theo. Either you improve your all-round game, or you don't play. You want to play, fight, improve, show you are worth starting games. Arsene basically said: "You are no use to us if you don't play. What talk can there be of higher wages if you don't contribute on the pitch?"

The ball is now firmly in Theo's court. If he wants to stay, he has to swallow his ego, pick up his already big wages and fight. If he just wants bigger wages, then the door is open for him. Hell, I'll even hold it for Theo. And I won't chastise Wenger should Theo leave in the summer. I'll only do that if no replacement comes in.

I'll finish it with another Tony Adams quote:

“I will sign every contract Arsenal put in front of me without reading it.”

Not Theo's case.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Liverpool review: one for all and all 4-1

When going into the game, I honestly didn't expect for Arsenal to pull off something like that. It has nothing to do with lack of belief: I always believe we can beat the opposition, whatever the circumstances. Rather, I knew it was make-or-break for Liverpool: a loss would basically mean they finish outside the top four. With Sturridge, Sterling and Co(utinho) available, I was fully prepared for a tough ride, maybe dropped points.

What I saw on the pitch stunned me. For the first fifteen minutes we just dominated the Mugmashers. We created at least two brilliant chances inside this period, but were denied by some top goalkeeping from Mignolet. For the time being.

However, I do not want this article to become another minute-by-minute review. There's an abundance of these out already, so I decided I'll tackle mine differently. Whilst acknowledging it was an outstanding collective effort from Arsenal (so much so, I wanted to give my vote to all three contenders for MoM), I thought I'd rather go over individual players. Not because they stood out among the others, purely because their respective contributions should put an end to some of the wild assumptions circling the web. So here goes.

David Ospina

I've said it countless times already and I'll say it again: I love the way the Colombian plays. He's the calm before the storm, during the storm and after the storm.

And I can't stress the importance of this particular quality enough. Having a dead-calm goalkeeper behind helps the defenders psychologically a lot.

That's why I can't understand how after the game some a) levelled criticism at David for not saving the penalty b) remained convinced Szczesny is the better goalkeeper.

Regarding the first point, I'd say Henderson produced a good shot. Very low and very close to the post, even if not particularly powerful. Ospina guessed the corner, but honestly, it's a penalty. Had he not guessed it right, would you still blame him?

As for the second, I can agree Szczesny is capable of stunning saves which can mean we get the points, but again I wouldn't prefer him to the Colombian. Chezza is far from being either stable or calm, so he's not the number 1 for me.

Per Mertesacker

I was surprised at the German's inclusion. Not because he's a bad defender, far from it, rather because we opted to adopt a high-octane pressing approach.

It's not quite Per's game, but there was another surprise in store for me. It was the German pressing high up the pitch, not Koscielny, and our vice-captain was pretty damn good at it. He stuck in, won tackles, intercepted and, basically, sometimes played further upfield than Coquelin. We are in for a real fight between the German and Gabriel, ladies and gentlemen.

Hector Bellerin

"He’s one of the surprises of the season. He was at Watford on loan last year and didn’t get the games. He’s just 20 years old, if you look at what he does at 20 years of age… He played against a great player today in Sterling in the second half. Maybe he still has some experience to gain but defending one against one is good and going forward is good as well. He scored an important goal in a big game and that always shows that the guy has the mental quality to be there."

This game was game number 20 for Bellerin this season, 17th start. And boy did he grow during the season. He scored a vastly important goal, which allowed us to end the game as a contest in seven minutes. Hector also took his chance in style, showed a piece of individual skill.

Was it really a goalscoring opportunity, a clear-cut chance? No, Bellerin created the goal out of nothing. He took the ball, stepped inside the defender and curled a screamer inside the post with his left.

My guess is that, once fully-fit, Debuchy will be reinstated straight away, and, while it's probably the right decision to make, you still have to feel for Bellerin. He's been phenomenal and doesn't deserve the drop in the slightest. We'll see how this one pans out.

Aaron Ramsey

When the squads were announced I saw neither Walcott nor Welbeck on the teamsheet. And so I thought it would be either Ozil or Cazorla on the right. I have my reservations about both playing out wide. However, having seen Mata, a typical playmaker, destroy Moreno two weeks ago, I thought Cazorla or Ozil were primed to do exactly that. Like with Mertesacker, I was wrong again.

Instead, Aaron Ramsey played on the flank. And this, I think, can be explained by the approach we took. Without Oxlade, Ramsey provides the team with endless energy better than anyone. One can make the case for Rosicky here, but both the Czech and Rambo aren't natural wingers and so choosing Aaron over Thomas was the sensible decision.

And The Welsh Jesus walked on water. He and Bellerin terrorised Moreno the entire game while also putting  the central defenders under pressure. A brilliant move from Arsene. Unconventional, but no less remarkable for it. In the end, Ramsey bagged two assists and his second, preceded by a touch-and-turn, was a thing of beauty.

"Invisible" Ozil

Those who think Ozil disappeared need to watch the game again. Watch Ozil's off-the-ball movement. Then watch this video (link). If, having done all of the above, they remain of the opinion that Ozil got lost during the game, they need to slap themselves in the face repeatedly and quit watching football.

For everyone else, I don't need to say Ozil was brilliant. Coutinho is still sliding as I write this, Lukas and Can are trying to figure out how Ozil got past them (the latter is doing that in suspension) and Mignolet will have nightmares about that freekick. In a nutshell, I'm delighted Mesut Ozil is a Gunner.

"Beast" Alexis

"He worked very hard. He gave absolutely everything and had a great first half. Alexis is a guy who never gives up. I had a decision to make between him or Ozil and I subbed Ozil because I felt he was in danger of being injured. Alexis did fight very hard until the end."

And that's Alexis's main asset. He never gives up, never quits, never shies from responsibility, never hides. He keeps at it and it paid off against Liverpool. His goal was his only shot on target, but what a shot that was. A bouncing ball, outside the box, poof. Golazio. Apart from the goal the Chilean wasn't really noticeable, and I don't mind it in the slightest. He did his bit as usual and scored a beauty of a goal. Can't really ask for much else.

Olivier Giroud

As Can was sent off and we were passing the ball around at the back, content to let the clock tick away with the scoreline we had, a fellow Arsenal fan sitting beside me said: "I'm not leaving without Giroud's goal". Just as I was prepared to say " Then you'll probably stay here for a week", Giroud got the ball outside the box, rounded off Toure and let fly. 4-1 and my friend got to go home and Giroud bagged his 14th strike of the campaign and 18th overall. He's now tied with Sanchez in terms of BPL goals and just two behind in all competitions. Despite spending three months out of the game.

While folks were admiring Costa and Kane and whatnot, Giroud quietly evolved into the best striker in the league. I'm not overestimating. Look at the number of goals, then at their quality, then at the time the Frenchman spent sidelined and you'll have your answer.

The verdict

Nine above Liverpool and Spurs. Ten above Southampton. Second-placed (though City have a game in hand). Ten wins in eleven games. Red-hot Giroud, Sanchez, Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey etc. etc. Sound thrashing of Liverpool. What more can you wish for?

One last thing. When it became obvious we were going to win the game, Welbeck came on. Not Walcott. And so I think it's time to say cheerio to Theo. Sad really, but with Oxlade returning, I fear Walcott will not only find himself benched, he may find himself out of the squad altogether.

That's it for now.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Liverpool preview: vital game for both teams

Actual football returns as we take on Liverpool at the Emirates in what is probably the most important game during the run-in. Win, and we open a nine-point gap on the Mugmashers and maintain at least a seven-point one on Spurs and Southampton.

However, Liverpool is a dangerous team to play right now, exactly because of their position. Missing out on the top four hardly tops Liverpool's priority list and the game against us is the last chance to put their campaign back on track. If they lose, they'll most likely find themselves outside Champions League places come May.

Liverpool will have to fight tooth and nail, however, they'll do so without several players. Gerrard and Skrtel miss out due to suspension, Lovren is also likely to miss the game (though through injury), while there are question marks hanging over Sterling, Sturridge, Lallana and Lucas.

I'm pretty sure Sturridge, Sterling and Lallana will play and I find it disgusting. Not their involvement itself, but rather the way Liverpool covered up for them, so the trio wouldn't feature for the national team and get a nice long rest for the key game. If they really do play against us, I suggest FA investigate how these players were mortally ill to represent England, but were miraculously revived to face us a week later. Back to Arsenal, however.

Team news update

Debuchy, Arteta, Wilshere and Diaby all played against Brentford behind the closed doors (yes, Diaby!), though Arsene revealed most likely none of them will be involved on Saturday.

Which is completely understandable. Arteta and Wilshere didn't play since the end of November, throwing them at the deep end in a game of such magnitude is risky, to say the least. Debuchy could have perhaps played, he was out for a shorter period, but Arsene knows his players better. If they need another week or two, then be it. It's not like we don't have depth to compensate for their respective omissions.

Oxlade also remains sidelined, while Welbeck's participation is unclear. Wenger said the Englishman "has a little chance" to feature. So your guess here is as good as mine.

With all that more or less sorted out, time to put together a likely squad.

Defense

In Debuchy's absence Bellerin should continue to deputise at right-back, though if Arsene chooses to start Walcott further upfield, a start for Chambers is in order. And I won't rule out such a scenario.

Monreal will most likely be preferred to Gibbs once again, while I'd go with a Gabriel-Koscielny tandem in central defense. Whether it's Sterling or Sturridge up top for the Mugmashers, I wouldn't fancy Mertesacker's chances. He may start as he's vice-captain after all, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Midfield

I still remember what a make-shift midfield we had at Anfield: Flamini, Oxlade and Cazorla. And we paid the price for it. Cazorla desperately tried to hold onto the ball, the other two let him down time and again. It's understandable: Flamini is Flamini and Oxlade isn't a CM for now.

This time, however, we have options. I'd prefer to see Coquelin, Ramsey & Ozil started. Ramsey is in fine form, he's our best number 8 and he's forged a good understanding with Ozil.

However, I wonder whether Arsene will be itching to fit in Cazorla somewhere and not somewhere on the flank. Santi has been phenomenal in central midfield, though less so alongside Coquelin (or should I say Coquelin was less phenomenal in tandem with Cazorla?). I won't be really surprised if the Spaniard starts. But again, I think Ozil really ought to.

Attack

Not the least because I have a feeling neither the German, nor Santi will, or, indeed, should be shifted out wide. A side as dangerous as Liverpool might just use it to our detriment.

If Welbeck is fit, then he, Sanchez and Giroud should start. However, difficulties will arise if Welbeck doesn't make it.

Should we play Walcott in this case? After he had 14 touches for England in 55 minutes? Taking into account his contract situation?

I somehow get the feeling Theo will deliver on Saturday given the chance. So I'd start him (just not over Welbeck). He's also a better winger than our other options, like Santi or Ozil.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, while we don't have this problem just yet, it's only a matter of a week or so before we do: squad depth. We have too many (can you believe it?) players for a starting XI and the bench. Some will have to miss out, maybe even as early as our next game. ClockEnd Italia speculates who that might be. Give it a read.

The verdict

Alright, I'm now going to try this reverse psychology thing: we are not going to win this game. And playing before our own fans and inside the Emirates (where we have only lost two league games in two seasons) isn't going to help us in the slightest.

Look at the situation in the table. We literally have nothing to fight for, while Liverpool are a whisker away from challenging for the title.

Whichever way you look at it, Liverpool is just too much quality for us. We won't be able to contain them, especially since we don't even have a full squad at our disposal. Not a chance in the world we can beat them.

Our recent form also isn't encouraging. Just look at how bad we were in the last ten league games and you'll know how this one is going to end. Liverpool, meanwhile, are cruising to victories all over the place. And them having some key players out is just a mastermind diversion from Rodgers. We all know these key players aren't actually the best, their replacements are. Brendan is just keeping it under wraps.

Phew, I've done my bit. And remember, if this reverse trick doesn't help, it's solely because some crazy Arsenal blogger out there not only thinks we can win this one, he also has enough stupidity to put it in writing. God knows there are fools aplenty around.

Back with a review.

And come on you Gunners.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)