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.

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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)

The battle for the №1 shirt

It's fair to say the goalkeeping situation is unstable right now. Just as it seemed Wojciech Szczesny established himself as a proper number 1 during the run-in in 2012-2013 season (even Ospina admitted he was initially brought in as back-up, an atrocious start of 2014-2015 campaign, discipline issues and a particularly feeble performance from the Pole resulted in Arsene dropping Woj. And we haven't looked back since. Ospina came in, provided us with his calming presence, stable performances and 7 clean sheets in 13 games. Wojciech, despite making three appearances in the FA Cup, did nothing to suggest he should be reinstated and is left to observe games from the bench, sulking more and more with every passing match. His position became so unprivileged, that rumours emerged he might leave us this summer and Cech might come in. Even if that does happen, however, would the Czech become our number 1? Does Ospina deserve to be dropped on the merit of his recent performances? I'd like to say "no" to both these questions.

The uncertainty of the situation is new to me and, maybe, to a healthy portion of other Arsenal supporters. And so this article won't be as much about our current situation (God knows it's been done to death already), rather, I'll look at our goalkeepers past and their respective places in ever-changing Arsenal sides. (In brackets I specify the time a goalkeeper was an actual №1, not his time at the Club).

Jens Lehmann (2003-2007)

I'm starting with the German because he was our number 1 when my journey as an Arsenal fan began. I didn't watch a lot of games back in 2004 (and this trend continued for the number of years after. You see, as a pupil, my notion of support hasn't yet reached the highs of watching every single game. I only started doing that roughly five years ago, maybe even four).

But I vividly remember the first game I saw: a 2-2 draw against Bolton, headed by Sam Allardyce back then, unless I'm much mistaken. Despite the fact we've let in two goals, I grew to like Lehmann from that moment on. And I was not alone.

I recall Lehmann having a rather lengthy lay-off due to injury, with Almunia deputising for the German for roughly ten games. Jens was greeted like a hero when he finally returned.

But my sharpest recollection of Lehmann as someone I admire even now was the 2005-2006 campaign. We wobbled heavily in the league, securing the fourth place in the last game (sounds familiar?), though we were brilliantly tenacious in the Champions League. I've seen Arsenal beat Real at the Barnabeu (with Henry's help), pummel Juventus at Highbury courtesy to goals from Fabregas and Henry and then scrape past Villarreal in the semis.

And who was the hero during the run that saw us wrack up ten clean sheets, six of them in playoffs? That's right, Jens Lehmann. Though this campaign will be remembered as another near miss, for me it was no less thrilling because of the man between the sticks.

Lehmann wasn't the best goalkeeper around. He wasn't even first-choice in the German national team, Kahn was. But Jens firmly believed he was the best and this belief was visible throughout his performances. He never hid from mistakes and his mere presence instilled confidence in even the most make-shift defences. He emanated the kind of composure our keepers lacked ever since.

Manuel Almunia (2007-2011)

Is it unfair that I will remember Manuel for the two goals he conceded in 2006 against Barcelona? It probably is. Arsene demonstrated enough faith in the Spaniard to drop Lehmann twice: in 2004-2005 for a short period of time and later for good in 2007-2008 season. However, I cannot recall any moments of brilliance from Almunia.

That doesn’t mean he was a bad goalkeeper. He was a decent one, but he found himself the victim of the circumstances. He had to hold the fort in what was arguably the darkest period in our recent history. Even Lehmann struggled in two seasons prior to his departure from the Club as the Invincible back four slowly but surely dissipated, what could we expect of Almunia?

Was the Spaniard in a position to do better than he did? It’s hard to say. I never thought Giroud would reach the heights he did when we initially signed him. Hark work and dedication paid off for the Frenchman. For me, Almunia will forever remain in Lehmann’s shadow and will mostly be remembered for his rushes of blood (more than just occasional) and nervous attitude.

Lukasz Fabianski (2007-2014)

Much like Manuel Almunia before him, Fabianski will mostly be remembered for being second-choice, only the elder Pole played second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny. Despite the fact Szczesny became our №1 only in 2011-2012 and Almunia was on his last legs for the entirety of 2010-2011 campaign, Fabianski failed to establish himself during that season. The window of opportunity he had was pretty narrow, truth be told, however, Fab had his chance.

There was a lot of talk about how brilliant Fabianski was in training, yet time and again he failed to convert his brilliance into on-pitch performances. I have no clear recollections of the Pole doing anything of note or, indeed, putting a run together in the starting XI before 2012-2013 campaign.

And you all remember how it went, right? We lost to Bayern 3-1 at home and Szczesny got sent off. Mere days after that we lost in the North London derby (it still hurts, that game was winnable. Spurs weren’t great, they just capitalized on Vermaelen’s and Woj’s poor performances). Szczesny was suspended in the return leg against Bayern and Fabianski started in goal.

And Lukasz produced a performance nothing short of brilliant. We won 2-0 at the Allianz, fending off Bayern for 80 minutes and Fabianski was the hero. He kept his place in the starting eleven in several consecutive games, but sustained yet another injury and firmly lost his place to Szczesny.

But I will remember (how many times have I used that word already?) Fabianski for his last season with us. Second to a brilliant Szczesny (who got the Golden Glove in the end), Lukasz produced a string of professional performances in the FA Cup as we defeated Tottenham 2-0, then Coventry 4-1, then Liverpool 2-1 and Everton 4-1, before we took on Wigan and, finally, Hull. Fabianski later confessed he told Arsene in December he would leave in the summer and yet Arsene played Fabianski in all FA Cup games, including the final. And boy did it pay off.

Wojciech Szczesny (2011-2014)

Almunia, Fabianski and him (to a lesser extent) have one nasty trait in common: all three have rushes of blood. None of them can exactly be called calm and that’s why I like Ospina very much (more on the Colombian anon).

However, Wojciech also has the makings of a great goalkeeper because of his cockiness. In this regard he strongly reminds me of Lehmann and you can’t fancy a guy who shares even a little something with Mad Jens.

Wojciech’s downfall is his discipline and his inconsistency. One season he’s too hot, the other he’s too cold. I guess it’s also down to his temperament, you just can’t be cocky and consistent at the same time, but look where it had led Woj. He’s second-choice, it doesn’t look like he’ll be reinstated anytime soon and Poland’s national coach has already stated Fabianski will be the №1. There are rumours afloat Szczesny will leave and you can’t say, looking at how things stand, that it will be a huge surprise.

David Ospina (2015-present)

Righto, though the sample is still small, I like what I’ve seen from the Colombian. I like it very much. If his performances could be likened to a girl, she would look like this:

The Colombian is the first goalkeeper since Lehmann (for me) that has well and truly instilled confidence in our defenders. Sure, he had most likely benefited from playing behind a stable back four (Bellerin-Mert-Kos-Monreal + Coquelin), a luxury Szczesny didn’t have, but he has, to my mind, demonstrated the qualities Szczesny lacks: calmness and consistency. And we all know how Arsene loves consistency.

The verdict

It’ll be interesting to see how things progress over the course of the last two months of the season and then in the summer. There are several scenarios I can see right now:

1. Ospina stays fit (don’t jinx it!), cements his place as №1. Szczesny leaves, Martinez gets a promotion and we buy a rookie goalkeeper or push someone like Huddart in the first team.
2. Ospina doesn’t stay fit. Szczesny returns, puts together a decent run and reclaims his spot. No one comes in during the summer, Martinez may leave.
3. Ospina doesn’t stay fit, Szczesny returns, does nothing of note or (which is infinitely worse) produces a series of below-par performances and we revisit point 1.

Alright, that’s it. Hope I gave you something to chew on.

Until later

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Should a winger top our list of transfer signings?

You've read the heading and most likely said: "What an idiot. Everyone knows we need a screening midfielder, that world-class striker we've been promised, probably a world-class goalkeeper, maybe another centre-back. But definitely not a winger. What is this guy even thinking?" Well, read on.

I'm not saying we don't need these players (mind you, I'm not saying we absolutely do, but this is a topic for another article). What I am saying, though, is that the need for these purchases isn't pressing. We've bought Gabriel and Chambers, Ospina fares well, Coquelin does an outstanding job and few will deny Giroud has been classy this season. We also have some genuine squad depth, should we need somebody to fill in.

And now look at our wings. Or rather, let's do this together.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Probably our most natural winger at the moment. The number of games he's played (despite spending some time on the sidelines) is amazing. He was a regular starter before Boxing Day madness began. Ox was right up there with Chambers, Mertesacker, Cazorla and Sanchez in terms of minutes played and this hints at Wenger viewing him as a starter as well.

And Oxlade is a very good winger. He knows how and when to hug the byline, he can get past opponents using his speed or sheer power, he feels when a cross needs to be put in or when squaring the ball is a better option. Ox has a powerful shot and, when he becomes more clinical in front of goal, we'll have a ready-made winger on our hands.

But there is a teeny tiny little problem: Arsene sees Oxlade's future in our highly-congested central midfield. Even when Rosicky, Arteta and Cazorla will be gone, we'll still have at least Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil. And Coquelin, and whoever else we may buy.

Thing is, however, Oxlade's best games (Milan, Crystal Palace) took place when the Englishman was deployed centrally, so you can see why Wenger wants the Ox to play there. However, shifting Oxlade inside will rob us of a genuine option on the wings. Gnabry's situation is quite similar in this regard. Bar playing time, he's a mini-version of the Ox for me, yet Arsene craves to deploy Serge in central midfield. Sigh.

Alexis Sanchez

Much like Oxlade (or is it the other way around?), the Chilean ticks all the right boxes when playing on the wing. He's quick, he can find his way out of tight spots, he's hard to push off the ball. He tracks back to help defenders out and, basically, he's a really good winger.

Unlike Oxlade, though, Alexis drifts inside more often and his finishing ability is much better. He's, currently, our left winger of choice, but is it his natural position, will he remain there in the long term? We all know we bought Alexis to play central striker, Wenger himself said the magical words in August. When asked whether Sanchez will be able to stand in for an injured Giroud, Arsene answered:

Can he (Alexis) can play up front for 3-4 months?

"For three or four months? He can play there his whole life. I bought him to play as a striker, not to play only on the flanks."

There you have it. And though it's subject matter for a whole new article (thesis, maybe) of whether or not we should change our Giroud-oriented target-man system and tailor it to Alexis and his style of play, I'm not sure Sanchez is our stonewall left winger in the long run. In fact, I'm quite certain he isn't.

Theo Walcott

Will he even be with us next season? I personally doubt it highly. If he can't find his way into a team without Ozil and with a half-dead Sanchez, his case is a lost one. Besides, he is not your typical winger. He drifts inside all too often, he exposes his right-back regularly and he doesn't exactly possess the physique or cunning of Alexis and/or Oxlade. Theo's weapons are his speed and sense of positioning, but his all-round game leaves much to be desired. It won't surprise me in the slightest to see him go in the summer. It would be a sad moment, I remember the day we signed him and I can't picture Theo playing for someone else. Unfortunately, it's how life goes. You either adapt to new reality or you miss out on it.

Danny Welbeck

Not a winger for me, sorry. And, despite Arsene's trait to utilise Danny on the flank, I think the Frenchman doesn't see Welbeck's future there. To me it looks like we have a young Giroud on our hands. Only a pacy Giroud.

Welbeck is unlikely to power his way through on the flank, even more unlikely to pull off a skill move to get by his opponent and, finally, he drifts inside more often than Sanchez and Walcott combined.

And look, I have no problem with that. I really think Danny will become our next centre-forward. His first touch has already vastly improved, he will have plenty of time to iron out his finishing and positioning (and his overall ability to serve as a springboard for attacks) while Giroud is the main man. For now, playing on the wings can benefit Welbeck, but I don't see him there in the long-term. Finally, he drifts inside more than Sanchez and Walcott combined.

Lukas Podolski

If we can call Walcott's case a res judicata, then what can we say about Poldi? I'm prepared to bet a fiver the Hashtag King will leave us in the summer. I should probably look what William Hill can offer me on this one.

Even if we assume the German will stay (don't laugh), what does he bring to the table? Finishing? How about 13 games without a goal in Serie A? 11 starts mind you, not some bit-part involvement.

Positioning? But Poldi doesn't play close to the byline. He plays in a narrow corridor between a winger and a striker. He would be a good player to have around in a 4-4-2, if we used one.

Technique? Aha. Helping out full-backs? Like hell. Pace? This is getting ridiculous, perhaps I should stop.

Joel Campbell

His situation is only marginally better than Poldi's and probably worse, than Walcott's. The Costa-Rican spent three seasons on loan, had a couple of good games during the World Cup (as a CF, mind you), returned to Arsenal to sit on the bench for half a season and was subsequently shipped out on yet another loan.

True, Joel has put pen-to-paper on a new deal, but I do wonder whether it's because we are protecting our investment rather than demonstrating belief in Campbell's future with us.

Let's say he does have a future. In this case, I'm inclined to say he'll be behind both Sanchez and Oxlade in the pecking order, maybe even Gnabry. However, I think Campbell possesses some valuable qualities and, if we opt to keep him, fine-tuning these can result in us having an extra winger.

Campbell is fast, he's hard to push off the ball and if he works on his passing and decision-making, then who knows. I'd say he's still in the process of developing into a reliable player. Question is, will we be willing to see this process through?

Bonus (Santi Cazorla)

I have almost forgotten about our little Magician, but I had a reason to: it doesn’t look like Santi will again be shifted out wide. He was magnificent under the striker in his debut season (didn’t he score 12 goals without any pens among them?), then faded a bit during his second season. Though some may call it the usual “second season syndrome”, I tend to think Santi was less influential exactly because he was asked to play wide. I know it was his position in Malaga, maybe the physicality of the Premier League rendered him less effective on the wing.

Whatever the reason, it looks increasingly unlikely Cazorla will be asked to fill in on one of the flanks on a permanent basis now. He excelled under the striker when Ozil was out (and got two player-of-the-month awards for his trouble) and then moved even deeper infield after we were hit with an injury crisis. Right now Santi may be behind Ramsey in the pecking order (MAY be), though whether he is behind Wilshere is another question entirely. With Jack set to return after the break, I’ll guess we’ll have the answer soon enough.

The verdict

Have I managed to convince you we really need a winger this summer? If you ploughed through all of the above, then I probably have.

Right now we have only two players who tick all the right boxes (Alexis and Oxlade) and both could be deployed elsewhere even next season. Unlikely, but you get the idea.

Until later.

Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal: two different Arsenals get the result

Hello everyone.

The last round of games before the international break took place this weekend and, truth be told, I’m a little relieved there will be no games for the next two weeks. The build-up to matches with rallying cries from managers and players alike, nerves spiking during games themselves and a short respite after the 90 minutes before the process repeats itself can be highly exhausting, especially when games take place every three days or so.

Luckily for Arsenal fans, the team performed admirably since the turn of the year. There were blips, no doubt about that (one such blip cost us a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League), but you have to admit we’ve put quite a run together: 15 wins out of possible 18 in all competitions. Impressive.

What is particularly heart-warming is that we go into the break on the back of another win. Thus there will be no dissection of mistakes, no “what-ifs” and no negativity for at least two weeks. And now, onto the game itself.

The team

Wenger’s selection was affected by the upcoming friendlies less than I anticipated. Chambers for Bellerin was the only such change. Gabriel was thrown on for Mertesacker (I suspect because we faced a pacy Perez), Cazorla started the game despite receiving a call-up to Spain’s squad, while the front three remained unchanged from our midweek escapades. Which is a bit strange: Giroud, Welbeck and Sanchez were all included in their respective squads, besides, at least the Chilean needed a rest badly. However, the side looked really well-balanced and it showed during the first half. Ozil missed the game through illness.

The first half

This clash was as much a tale of two halves as I’ve seen this season. We witnessed two completely different sides to Arsenal’s game and I liked both. The first half was a demonstration of what a balanced and relatively injury-free Arsenal can do. The teams exchanged moments in the opening stages, with Giroud failing to really make Alexis’s cross count and then Gabriel blocking Perez’s shot, before Arsenal seized the initiative.

Sanchez saw a shot blocked following Cazorla’s cross from a free-kick, Ramsey tried to fool Krul when a more obvious solution could have seen put us go a goal up and then we finally scored. Welbeck nodded another Cazorla’s free-kick into Giroud’s path and our man of the moment took a touch with his knee to send the ball past Krul. 1-0.

This goal broke the dam and chances came flooding in. There were a couple of “almost one-on-ones” and shortly after these Sanchez fashioned a chance for Welbeck. The Chilean’s beautiful flick helped him escape Gouffran and Welbeck only had to hit the corner of the net. Danny missed.

Cazorla performed a dance in the box with Krul helplessly staring at the Spaniard and the subsequent interchange led to a corner. Cazorla stepped up, swung the ball in and Giroud nodded past a stranded Krul. 2-0.

We could have scored a third, only for Ramsey to interfere with a cross destined for Giroud, however, we had strong defending from Koscielny and Gabriel to thank for going 2 up into the dressing room.

The second half

It was vastly different from the first and, despite the fact every Arsenal fan was fidgeting on the edge of his seat right until the whistle blew, there was something fresh and, dare I say, beautiful in the way we played.

Which was backs-to-the-wall stuff. The only moment of danger we produced happened deep into injury time, I think, when Bellerin (who came on for Welbeck to shore things up) almost squared the ball to the onrushing Giroud. Krul interfered with the Spaniard's low cross.

The rest of the half was all Newcastle. They scored in the 48th minute, after Taylor and Cabella fooled Coquelin and Monreal on the left, and the Frenchman pulled the ball back for Sissokho. Moussa took one touch to put the ball into the net with Ospina wrong-footed and I have to give some credit to Newcastle. It was a brilliant interchange, one that would have left us drooling, had it happened at the other end of the pitch.

The goal looked to have sapped us of energy, but I wonder whether we already were that way before. It's hard to say, cause this assumption is based on what happened after the goal, rather than before (you can't really make a definitive judgement on how the team played based on a three-minute sample).

I think, however, that a pretty straightforward thing happened: after the conceded goal, Arsenal players suddenly remembered they were human beings, who were well into their fourth game inside 12 days, a third away game. Most importantly, they faced Monaco in an exhausting encounter four days earlier and went out only just. That game surely left both a psychological and a physical trace and so Arsenal decided to shut shop. The Gunners didn't even try to counter Newcastle's attacks and so the Magpies were given free reign.

It could have proved costly. Perez curled a shot just wide, Gouffran blasted his straight into Ospina following a corner and then the Colombian produced a most brilliant save from Sissokho's point-blank header after yet another corner.

David was called into play yet again when Cabella powered through our defense and took a shot. Minutes later a substitute Gutierrez fizzed his attempt across the goal and, finally, Cabella was denied by Ospina with clock ticking away. A beautiful save from the Colombian with his legs. We held on in the end.

The aftermath

We got a huge win in the context of other results. City hammered West Brom before we kicked off at St. James, Chelsea got a lucky bounce against Hull and even United pulled off a shock (at least for me) result at Anfield by beating the hosts courtesy of a brace from Mata. So we are still seven behind Chelsea, one behind City and one better off than United. However, there is now a bit of a gap between the top four and others. Arsenal sit six above Liverpool and seven above Tottenham and Southampton.

One last thing. Despite everyone crying about how poor we were in the second half, I am firmly of the opinion we saw a different side to Arsenal which is not all that bad. We showed some grit to hang onto our points and it's not the first time we did so successfully this year. There were slip-ups, sure, but there also were some pretty bright examples of how we got our way by defending backs-to-the-wall. Like we did against City and United. Like when we hung on against West Ham, Leicester, QPR (twice), Crystal Palace and others. I prefer to think of our second half as something more than just having a lucky bounce. To me it looks like this Arsenal side finally developed the valuable trait we've so craved for for years. The ability to win games after going up, or, as some would put it "the ability to win ugly". I'm not just fine with that, I'm happy.

That's it for now. Enjoy the break from (actual) football and I'll return as soon as something new pops up.

Until then

Newcastle preview: keeping the MOUmentum going

Hello everyone.

My, the last couple of days dragged by painfully slowly. I suspect it's as much to do with us playing on Tuesday as with all the subsequent introspection and self-reflection by the manager and the players. And the fans, and the media, and the pundits etc.

It's of little comfort, but other English teams didn't make it past the current round whatever the competition. A Joe-Hart inspired City (if clinging to a 1-0 loss can be called inspiration) went out at Barca's hand, Chelsea failed to beat a ten-men PSG the other week and, finally, Everton crashed out of Europa League in some fashion: by losing to Dinamo Kiev 5-2 and 6-4 on aggregate.

Back to Arsenal, and there have been all sorts of right things coming from the players and Arsene. Wenger, for instance, called for the abolition of the away goal rule. And while you have to admit it's a strange rule in modern-day football, which can lead to both teams shutting shop and playing on the counter for the entirety of the 180 minutes, it's a rule. Full stop. It was known well before we crashed out, everyone plays by it and everyone adapts. You can make a case that this rule is strange, surely (ain't the penalty shoot-out too?) and initiate a process of changing it, but while it's here, you have to take it into consideration. Play cautiously at home, don't concede three, adapt.

Back to the task at hand and we face Newcastle away. The presser took place yesterday, so now we know what players are available.

Team news update

There really isn't much new. Rosicky might be back, no one sustained fresh injures midweek and so what we have we hold. There are no comebacks for Arteta and Debuchy (both are at least three weeks away), Oxlade (should also be out for around three weeks) and Wilshere is still out. I wonder whether Arsene is playing mind games here. He just doesn't want to risk losing Jack in a meaningless friendly and I'm fine with that.

The more players we can keep during the Interlull, the better. We know for sure Chambers, Gibbs, Welbeck and Walcott are going to play for England, Koscielny and Giroud are going away with France and chances are Ozil, Sanchez and Ramsey will go represent their respective countries. Rosicky too, I think. My hope is that at least our Englishmen and Giroud/Kos won't feature a lot, as they are not established regulars in national teams, so we can dodge a bullet with them. Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez and Rosicky? Not so sure.

Right, with that sorted out, time to try and put together the squad.

Goalkeepers

Poor Szczesny. I think there are only two ways he can find his way back into the team: 1) a ridiculously poor run of form from Ospina (unlikely) 2) an injury to the Colombian. Last time Chezza was dropped and Fabianski was given the green light only an injury to the elder Pole saw Wojciech return to the starting lineup. He then put together a brilliant run of games (it was in 2013) and was the number one goalie for the whole of last season. Again, Woj was very good, got the Golden Glove and Ospina was viewed as solid back-up when we purchased him in the summer.

How the situation has changed since then. Szczesny kept only three clean sheets in 17 games, capped this with a debacle of a performance on New Year's day and was subsequently caught smoking in the showers. He was dropped and has firmly become second-choice, while Ospina grabbed his chance with both hands, got 7 clean sheets in 11 games and during that run was robbed at least three times (Leicester, QPR, Crystal Palace). His best game was against Tottenham and, while suspect during the first leg against Monaco, did nothing criminal there either.

However slim Szczesny's chances look right now, I don't want to see him leave in the summer. He's a very talented goalkeeper, still very young and, though most Arsenal fans agree Ospina is a more solid and assuring presence between the sticks, they also hold Chezza in high regard and consider him a better keeper overall. So I really hope he stays, sorts out his discipline issues and grabs his chance when it presents itself. As it surely will.

Defense

I saw some criticism of Monreal post-Monaco and I find it surprising. He did nothing wrong while he was on, it was him who squared the ball to Walcott in the 79th minute and so for me the Spaniard should start.

As should Bellerin, but I do wonder whether Wenger will want to revisit his Gabriel experiment and who he will rest if he chooses to do so. I'm sure Gabriel-Koscielny is our solution in the long-term, right now, however, I'd rest Kos. He played a lot, he didn't get a rest like his German partner and he will go away with French national team. We don't want to overload his Achilles tendons, do we?

Midfield

On current form, Ramsey should start alongside Coquelin. Two goals in two games, the usual workrate, clever interchanges with Giroud. The Welshman is back to his best, when on form he's our most reliable number 8, and thus must play. He's the link between defense and attack.

However, Ramsey's inclusion raises an never-ending question: Cazorla or Ozil? We can, of course, shift the German on the wing and accommodate both, but I wouldn't do that while Ozil is as good as he has been lately.

In the long perspective, surely Ozil is our number 10, tomorrow, however, the issue of exhaustion might come into play. Ozil is likely to be involved with the national team soon, and for this reason I won't be surprised to see him benched tomorrow with Santi deputising.

Attack

Giroud is a guaranteed starter. He made amends with his energetic performance in Monaco, scored another goal and, moreover, he enjoys playing against Newcastle. 6 goals in 5 games, a field day at the Emirates last time we faced the Magpies. No question for me here.

But there is a question with our wingers. Firstly, Sanchez needs a rest. Simple as that. He looked absolutely knackered against Monaco, and it wasn't the first time he did in recent weeks. He's also likely to play every single minute for Chile, so I'd give him a breather tomorrow, start Welbeck on the left and Walcott on the right.

Yes, Walcott. He hasn't been great lately, but we must remember form won't come without game time, and game time is a non-existent quantity for Theo right now. Keeping him benched is hardly going to convince him to sign a new deal, so he should be given play time if we want to keep him. Whether we do is another story.

Bottom line is, Theo is better than his latest performances suggest and he'll only rediscover his form if he plays.

The verdict

Since that atrocious 4-4 draw in 2011, we have a great record against Newcastle, winning two games and drawing one at St. James Park (out of three, naturally). And you don’t need me to remind you how good we were at the Emirates for the past three seasons. It still seems like that Walcott hat-trick happened only yesterday, yet Theo got on the scoresheet almost two-and-a-half years ago.

Besides, Newcastle will be without Coloccini and Papiss Cisse. To say nothing about how their form slumped after Pardew left for Crystal Palace. The Magpies were 5th back then, now they are 11th and the aforementioned Palace can leapfrog them this weekend already. It’s a bit hilarious. But that’s not to say we are in for an easy game. There is no such thing in the Premier League.

However, we should have enough to win this game. Playing against Newcastle away isn't all that easy (remember our last game there?), but we have momentum on our side and will also have a nice long bench with plenty of options.

Besides, with Liverpool playing United we'll be able to widen the margin on at least one of these. Both, if we are lucky. On current form, I also don't exclude City dropping points against West Brom. If they do and we don't, we'll head into the Interlull as runners-up. Just imagine the scenes. Glorious. Fingers crossed here.

Right, enough said. Back with a review and come on you Gunners