It's the long awaited final tonight and I'm geared up for this. For more than five years we have waited to get a trophy and tonight it's time we fulfilled our destiny and given some credit to this young team. Let's hope the players don't become too fazed by the occassion and play with the handbrake on. We need to concentrate from the first minute and play without any fear. Let's go for it boys!
Though Cesc and Theo have missed out, we still have enough firepower to overcome Birmingham tonight. Birmingham will also play aggressively and we need to watch out from set pieces and counter attacks. Moreover, the referee appointed for this match may(and in all probability will) give decisions in their favour and we need to be careful not to make any silly mistakes.
Goalkeeping/Defence: Having outlasted Stoke City in our last match, this match will provide a similar challenge for our defence. Zigic needs to be marked tightly from set pieces as well as crosses.
Midfield: Rosicky steps in the midfield in Cesc's absence and he should be feeling good after scoring for Arsenal in a long long time. Jack and Song should look to help out the defence and create chances for the attackers.
Attack: Hope Robin keeps on firing. Arshavin is approaching his best form of late and he, along with Nasri should be key for us.
So, here comes the game that was postponed earlier in the season due to snow. Unfortunately for me, I'll be on the road tonight and I'll miss my first match of the season. So, this is not a last minute preview as such and I have "guesstimated" the line ups for both teams from current injury news and recent matches.
For us, it is a chance of getting some revenge against a side that horrendously put out a promising youngster the last time we played them. We showed real guts and character that night to come back as a team and eventually win that match 3-1. Aaron Ramsey has been on the road to recovery ever since that fateful night and I dearly hope he fulfils his immense potential soon.
This match also provides us the chance to bounce back from a 1-1 draw against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. And with the Carling Cup final coming up this Sunday, we need to start clicking in these sort of games where we are expected to win. We also have a chance to close the gap on Man United by 1 point, though having played a game more. With games coming up thick and fast, we really need to be switched on at all times if we are to hope for any silverware come the end of the season.
Early team news is that Robin van Persie and Laurent Koscielny have been ruled out due to short term injuries. Hope they are available for the Carling Cup final on Sunday. Diaby serves the last game of his suspension while Vermaelen and Fabianski are long term absentees.
Predicted line ups:
Arsenal: 4-2-3-1
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Stoke City: 4-5-1
Manager: Tony "Asshole" Pulis
Tactics:
Goalkeeping/Defence: It won't be an easy day for the defence and Szczesny today. Stoke will do their utmost to ruffle the young goalkeeper and this will be a challenge for the talented Szczesny. Stoke will pose us major problems from long balls, Rory Delap trademark throw ins, free kicks and corners. We really need to perform well defensively today. For all these reasons, I am thankful Djourou is fit and available to start. We also shoould not concede needless free kicks.
Midfield: I'm not hundred percent sure that Alex Song will start today; he played the Barca game and he played the full 90 minutes against Orient in the weekend, and he seemed to be off the boil a bit. Other rhan that, Jack and Cesc should return and look to dominate proceedings in the midfield.
Attack: With Robin missing out this game, Nicklas Bendtner gets yet another chance to prove himself. I just hope he takes his chances clinically - and he will get chances to score today. Hope Nasri is fit and fine and he can play without any discomfort. Theo should look to put in good crosses for Bendtner today.
Subs: I'd bring on Arshavin, Denilson and Chamakh/Eboue.
This is the first Champions League match I am previewing, and I'd have to say what a time to start! This is the match the whole footballing world is waiting for. Two "proper" footballing teams who play the most exciting and attacking brand of football. One thing is sure though: this match will live up to all the hype. So fasten your seat belts as we wait for an unforgettable game to be played out. But first, get ready to rack your brains as we break down on what is going to happen tonight.
Let us first take a look at Barcelona, the perennial favourites in any game and any competition:
Barcelona:
Formation: 4-3-3
Barcelona deploy a modified 4-3-3, as shown above. David Villa and Pedro hold the flanks while Messi slots in as a false nine, often dropping in the midfield. This allows Barcelona to outnumber the opposition in the midfield and helps in keeping possession. Also, their right back Dani Alves plays so high that he acts like a second winger. So, the two centre backs move out wide to compensate for this and Sergio Busquets slots in the middle of the two as a third centre back.
Do Barcelona have any weakness? Every system has its pros and cons and because Barca are so attack minded, the following points can be used against them:
i) Lack of a traditional centre forward: Since Barca do not have one, they cannot use crosses from the wingers even if the wingers are in a good position to cross.
ii) Lack of height: Most of Barca's players are short, and hence present a disadvantage in terms of set pieces. Often, Barca play out their corners by passing it short.
iii) High defensive line: Since Barca press relentlessly from the front, the back line is forced to move up very high in order for the pressing to succeed. But from time to time Barca have been caught out because of their high defensive line when a fast opposition player runs through to a pass.(I'll touch upon this in detail a little later).
The team news for Barca is that their captain Carles Puyol has missed out due to injury. So either Gabriel Milito or Eric Abidal will deputize for him in centre back position. Maxwell might play in the left back if Abidal is chosen over Milito.
Arsenal:
Formation: 4-2-3-1/ 4-3-3
Arsenal use a 4-2-3-1 with Song and Wilshere as two holding midfielders and Cesc ahead of them. The midfield trio is highly dynamic and they take turns to go forward, which really confuses the opposition. Robin van Persie plays the false nine role here too, the difference with Barca being that van Persie can act as a traditional centre forward if needed.
Strengths:
i) Lightning fast counter attack: The Arsenal Invincibles have come and gone but if one trait has remained all these years, it is the ability of the team to launch super fast counter attacks. With Walcott and Arshavin in the team, Arsenal will always pose a threat from counter attacks.
ii) Variety of attacking options: This season, 4 Arsenal players have scored 10 or more goals while Cesc has scored 9 and Arshavin 8. This just goes to show any attacking player can pop up to score at any time, and Arsenal don't depend on any one single player to score goals. And just look at the variety we have: the class and finishing of van Persie, the pace of Walcott, the poise and technical ability of Nasri, the unpredictability of Arshavin, the aerial ability of ChamakhFabregas, and don't forget the occasional yet crucial goals scored by Songhinho! All in all, we have an awesome all round attack.
iii) Quick and sharp passing: Not many teams can pass the ball from one part of the field to another. Even Barca don't pass as fast as we do, in terms of passing out from the back. Our sharp and pin point passing has many a time cut open stubborn defences frequently.
iv) Dynamic midfield trio: Though young Jack Wilshere is playing his first full season with Arsenal. he has already shown maturity and poise beyond years. Even Cesc has admitted that he wasn't this good when he was at the same age as Jack. And with his first England start underway, the 19 year old lad is brimming with confidence. And he has served as a great foil for our midfield destroyer Alex Song. Their understanding has been key in us maintaining a title challenge in the Premier league.
v) Francesc Fabregas Soler: What do I say about him that has already not been said before. He is, even at 23 years of age, the man and true leader of the team, our El Capitan. His vision and ability to pick out a pass is second to none and he will have a big role to play in this tie.
Weaknesses:
i) Set pieces and high balls: These have been our Achilles hell for a long time. Barca may not use these tactics as much as some teams in the Premier League but we really need good organization from set pieces to cut out basic and silly mistakes.
ii) Mentality: So many times recently, Arsenal have shown brilliance and glimpses of strength before collapsing spectacularly. When faced with a weaker opposition, we tend to lose our cool whereas when we face a strong opposition, we tend to go into a shell.
iii) Inexperienced defence: Even though our defence is showing signs of improvement, we've had 5 clean sheets in January, we're still inexperienced and there is still room for improvement. Our best defender Thomas Vermaelen has played just three games all season and we have suffered a bit. But Djourou and Koscielny have stepped in impressively and they will have a big big task come Wednesday night.
Team news:
The news doing the rounds is that SAMIR NASRI IS FIT TO FACE BARCA. That is a HUGE MORALEBOOST for the Gunners. Diaby is out with a calf injury but Rosicky steps back in. Vermaelen and Fabianski are long term absentees.
One vital factor that may influence the game is that Bacary Sagna is suspended for the first leg having picked up a red card in the final league match of the group stage.
Tactics:
Ok, enough of the comparisons. This is after all an Arsenal blog and right now, Barcelona are our enemy. So now, let us analyse the ways in which Arsenal can really hurt Barcelona.
First of all, Barca deploy an extremely high defensive line in order for their pressing to succeed. And as I have mentioned earlier, this has been exposed from time to time when a speedy player has broken through to capitalize on Barca's high line. And when we speak of speedy players, it does not get faster than our own Theo Walcott. Walcott terrorized the Barca left back Maxwell when we played them last time. This time though, Walcott is getting that chance from the first minute. Add to it that both Cesc and Jack can ping the ball forward for him, expect to see such situations as given in the following link:
And for some more recent and related evidence, check out our second goal scored against Wolves just three days ago:
Observe how Wolves are pressing extremely high, in our own half, before a fantastic through ball from Cesc Fabregas releases Theo Walcott who sprints down clear until he arrives at the same line of van Persie and lays the ball from him to score. That is the kind of pressing we're going to have to endure for 180 minutes and you can be sure we're going to make use of this.
Man to man: the battles that will decide the outcome
Villa vs Eboue: Deadly hit man vs unconvincing right back. If there is one area of weakness for us tonight, it is this. This is one of my biggest concerns and Sagna will be missed tonight.
Pedro vs Clichy: Clever winger vs getting-back-in-form left back.
Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets vs Fabregas-Song-Wilshere: This will be a real battle tonight.
Nasri vs Alves: Brilliant technician vs marauding right back. Nasri will be required to track back Dani Alves tonight.
Walcott vs Maxwell: The area of excitement for me and Arsenal fans. Watch this space.
Wild cards:
Lionel Messi: Hmm...so how do we deal with him??? He'll most likely drop back to facilitate Barca's passing game. Tracking him(by one of the centre backs) can be done but I don't think it is such a good idea.
Robin van Persie: The best false nine in business today. Hope he comes up with a big performance and takes his chances clinically.
Concluding thoughts:
Barca have changed some things since we last met them on a football field. Barca have now got David Villa in place of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he lends more fluidity to this Barca attack. This has resulted in Messi moving into the centre of the attack thus making Barca even harder to beat.
For Arsenal, we have come a long way from the last time we met Barcelona. We have a more complete attack, a better if inexperienced defence and a better midfield combination.Though we have capitulated this season to weaker teams, we also have shown we can realise our potential when we beat Chelsea 3-1. We have reached a cup final after a long time and we're on the verge of a quarter final spot in the FA cup. Not to mention that we are the only team left to challenge Man United in what is becoming a two horse title race.
But the most important of them all, we have a fuller squad this time round and we're near full strength as compared to last season when we had no van Persie, no Fabregas, no Arshavin, no Ramsey, no Song, and no decent centre back(remember we had Gallas back then, and he was also out). Add to that Nasri and Walcott were not half of what they are now, and the emergence of Jack Wilshere, Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny and the re emergence of Johan Djourou, we have made big strides. Barca may not find us easy to play against this time round.
My one big wish is that the game is not disturbed by refereeing mistake(s) or unsporting behaviour. Of course, my biggest wish being an Arsenal win without any injuries!
Prediction:
Let's wait and see.....(though I am feeling a lot more positive this time)
I AM EXPERIENCING UNKNOWN TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, PROBABLY MY ADOBE PLUGIN HAS CRASHED BUT ALL MY HARD WORK HAS BEEN UNDONE AND MY POST HAS VANISHED IN THIN AIR!!!!!!! AND NOW MY POST IS 45 MINUTES LATE!!
After a disappointing and bizarre match last week against Newcastle, tonight we welcome Wolves who by the way beat Man United, also last week thus ending their unbeaten season run.
Earlier today, United have beaten Man City in their derby match and they have gone 7 points clear off the top. It now looks like the title is United's to lose but we have seen that Chelsea have been similarly in a very strong position at the start of the season to falter and well, you never know. What we can do from our part is put in a good performance and take the three points that are in offer today and put pressure on the leaders by closing the gap.
Wolves gave us a tough time in the corresponding fixture last season and we barely scrapped to a win when we visited Molineux earlier in the season. They will be upbeat having beaten United and they'll try to capitalize from long balls and set pieces. From our point of view, I hope the international break has given the players a welcome respite from last week's shenanigans and we pick ourselves up and show a strong response. I'm glad Arsene has chosen a strong line up and we should look for full points as well as no injuries. I also hope the boys have learnt a lesson and we don't get provoked by Wolves into doing something silly again.
Team news:
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Fabregas, Wilshere, Walcott, van Persie, Arshavin
Goalkeeping/Defence: Szczesny has apologized for conceding four goals in the second half in the last match and I hope he is a bit more commanding in the box. Wolves will likely follow what Newcastle did and pump in long balls in the box. Djourou is thankfully is fit to play after picking up a knock in the last game and his aerial presence was badly missed late on in that match. Hope Koscielny, Clichy and Sagna can pick themselves up and put in good defensive shifts tonight.
Midfield: Alex Song returns after a short injury layoff and he'll provide us with more steel in the midfield. Hope Jack and Cesc keep the midfield ticking and fine tune in the lead up to the Barca match.
Attack: Well, we have been concentrating on the events of the second half for sometime, and we have certainly missed out on a great first half in which we did almost everything right and swept the Geordies away. Robin and Theo were fantastic and hope they continue their scintillating form. Arshavin has been on the mend for the past few games and he should look to continue doing the right things.
Subs: I'd bring on Bendtner, Denilson and Chamakh/Eboue.
After watching us crumble at St. James's Park against Newcastle having taken a 4-0 lead at half time, YES A 4 NIL LEAD, you've got to wonder what the hell happened in the second half. Having silenced the home fans by utterly humiliating the opposition, we suffered a nightmare second half to eventually draw the game 4-4. Embarrassing, truly embarrassing.
Yes, there were other factors that contributed to the second half chaos: THAT DUMB ASS REFEREE, Diaby's red card, playacting and thugging Joey Barton, Djourou's substitution and real lack of defensive awareness(or a bit of negativity in our play). But that is a topic I will discuss in detail sometime in the future. I might even write a separate piece on the refereeing standards(or double standards) that have threatened and changed the course and outcome of our games very recently. Boy, this match surely has opened a can of worms!
But no matter what, you don't just blow a 4-0 lead away. A big part of the blame goes to the manager and the players for total lack of composure and calmness in the second half. And this could have been avoided had the half time team talk had been right. So, how does this half time talk influence the players?
I've listed a few possible scenarios below and the appropriate words to be spoken at the half time break:
Scenario 1: Arsenal 0, Opponents 1 or more(we have created very few chances) What to say: We've got to be sharper. Players need to make more forward runs and diagonal runs(from the wingers). If the situation doesn't improve till say, the 70-75th minute, bring on a target man and try to mix up things by getting crosses in the box. Tell substitutes to warm up.
In case we have created many chances in the first half, tell the players to have a bit more composure when they are taking the shot. Urge them to keep up their level of play. Tell substitutes to warm up.
In both cases, players should be told not to lose the ball cheaply and not to go attacking overboard lest we concede on the counter attack. We should throw the kitchen sink only in the final 10 minutes.
Scenario2: Arsenal 1, Opponents 1(we have created lots of chances) What to say: Be more clinical, don't rush into shots. But keep up the pressure and make more wise decisions in the final third.
In case we have created very less chances, tell the players to pass the ball better and improve their level of play. Tell substitutes to warm up.
Scenario 3: Arsenal lead the Opponents by 1 goal(we have totally dominated the first half) What to say: Tell the players we need to keep up the focus and be alert. Keep plugging and don't lose possession cheaply. We should not overreact if we concede an early equalizer.
In case we have taken a lead by a scrappy goal, or our performance hasn't been good, tell the players to raise the game. Tell substitutes to warm up.
In both cases, tell the players to expect more tackles and challenges from the opposition. Don't give away silly free kicks.
Scenario 4: Arsenal lead the Opponents by 2 or more goals What to say: Keep the ball. Play simple passes and don't give away cheap free kicks. Expect tackles and challenges from the opposition. Don't become complacent. Control the tempo of the game, in other words, slow down the game if the opponents try to catch up with our score.
Scenario 5: Arsenal 0, Opponents 0 What to say: If we have created good chances, see Scenario 1. In case we haven't see Scenario 2.
In addition to this, the players need to be told to hold the game tight when defending a lead. Look at World Champions Spain. They gave so few opportunities to the opponents once they took the lead. Our players are similarly technically proficient and a little bit of tiki-taka when we are leading will go a long way if we want to win trophies. Yesterday, I was a bit disappointed we didn't keep control of the ball better in the second half.
For example, as pointed out to me by a friend of mine, when Sagna got the ball, often he just tried to maraud up the right side without much support and all on his own, taking on two Newcastle defenders. This resulted in our team losing possession and enabling Newcastle to launch their attacks. But the problem does not lie solely on Sagna(he's a fantastic defender by the way and I rate him very highly in my book). It is rather a collective problem and we should really sort it out because we may face similar situations in the big games to come.
Similarly, the goalkeeper can also be instructed to slow the game down, not by time wasting(though this can be applied if we are desperate), but by giving simple passes to the defenders instead of launching the ball up field everytime. For example, in yesterday's match, Wojciech kicked out the ball straightaway whenever we got a goal kick in the second half. Since we: (i) were reduced in numbers, (ii) didn't have any tall players(Diaby and Djourou off, Bendtner on the bench) and thereby we couldn't hold up the ball, this resulted in the ball coming back time and again and the defence was really stretched. Maybe it was the inexperience from Szczesny, but he will do well to learn from this match.
Well, that's it for this time. Hope we pick ourselves up and get going again.
So Arsenal travel to Carroll-less Newcastle, after the young striker was sold to Liverpool for an incredible sum of 35 million pounds(World Cup hero David Villa cost less to Barcelona by comparison). So, a good bit of business by Newcastle but the transfer came too late for them to find a suitable replacement. Nevertheless, we should not take them for granted; we all know what happened earlier in the season when they visited the Emirates.
Arsenal are without Alex Song for this match and Nasri is expected after the Barcelona match(sigh!). Hope either Arshavin or Rosicky can step up and be really counted in the talented Frenchman's absence. No more injuries, please!
With Manchester United setting up the pace, we should really go for the kill today and anything less than 3 points should be disappionting. Hopefully, the recent furore over Cesc's alleged shameful behaviour should galvanise the team.
Goalkeeping/Defence: With Fabianski ruled out for the rest of the season, this could be the opportunity for Szczesny to show his talent and hold the Arsenal's No. 1 position for his own. We need to be alert and organized from set plays as they look like the most possible threat that will be used by Newcastle.
Midfield: Diaby steps in for the injured Song and hope he puts in a good perfoemance tonight. If Cesc and Jack continue to fire as they have done in recent weeks, we'll dominate the midfield yet again.
Attack: Arshavin starts today and I really hope he can continue the improvement he has been showing recently. He scored a crucial goal against Everton and he should be fired up for today's match. We didn't utilize Theo's pace that often in the last game, so I'm hoping at least Theo makes those diagonal runs into the box when Cesc has the ball in the deep. Hope Rvp continues his goalscoring form.
Goalkeeping/Defence: Everton will provide a big aerial test for Szczesny and the centre backs. We need to mark people in and around the box very properly.
Midfield: Jack and Song return to their familiar places and we need Cesc to conyinue the form he has shown in the last match/
Attack: Robin is firing all cylinders at the moment and we need him to fire gain if we are to conquer a stubborn Everton defence. Theo will have a tight game against Baines and we need to use his pace more. Rosicky steps in for Nasri and he should provide quality in the final third. Hope he really finds his scoring boots sooner than later!
