Arsene Wenger says that his side will be out to win a ‘defining’ Champions League tie against Napoli tomorrow night.
Top spot in the group is up for grabs, and although Arsenal can qualify for the round of 16 without even winning, the boss will be sending his team out to get three points.
“It is a defining game,” he said. “It is a decider – it is to be in the Champions League or not. Rafael Benítez has a lot of experience, he is a very intelligent manager, I know he will prepare his team very well.
“The only way to counter is be at our best and put in a good performance. An average performance will not be good enough.
“We have our usual game, we try to take the ball, take control of the ball, try to play our game. It is another game that we want to win. It is the only way we can approach the game.”
And despite speculation that he might make significant changes ahead of the Man City game at the weekend, it looks as if the boss is going with his strongest XI, saying there’s nobody approaching that fabled ‘red zone’.
“We can’t afford to rest players,” he said. “I rotate a little bit sometimes, never more than two or three because stability is important.
“Overall, we have no major sign of fatigue medically.”
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You can follow every kick of the game tomorrow on the Arseblog live blog.
All players are important obviously, however I’m just scared incase anything would happen to giroud! Hopefully he is fit and firing until January at least (all season preferably) so we can hopefully bring in another striker to share the workload!
Hopefully yeah. hopefully. did i say hopefully?
Are there some matches we’re in to draw or lose? we go to Napoli to fucking win.
Yeah, when we smash barca in cl semis 6:0 at home we will go for a draw with the b-team.
Yes we are in to win it…one game at a time…i believe this is gonna be our mantra for the season..with that self motivating spirit and zeal…its gonna be Arsenal ontop come may…hows Podolski..?
Up the arse!
But not yours clearly.
Napoli who??
We’re in it to win… because that’s what we do.
“One game at a time”
“Together”
i’d like ramsey and ozil on the bench so that they have a rest!! especially ozil, he played all matches since he came!!!
Tell me sir, what else would you like?
We must win the game
That’s a pretty disgusting username you’ve picked there…
Smash ’em in the first half. Rest players in the second
In Theory!!!
BOIL EM MASH EM STICK THEM IN A STEW
We need to win at Naples,win at city. COYG !!!
Rambo needs a rest game. His passing was off and sloppy vs Everton. For the record – I fckn love Rambo.
I’m reckoning that he’s the source of Wenger’s comment about how some players look tired and may need a rest but then are ready and recovered for the next match, as good as ever.
I don’t know what we’ve done to him but it must involve some form of bionics, he’s gone from Samuel L Jackson to Bruce Willis in 6 months..
Absolutely agree ^^^ we have to rest Ramsey – he’s played over 20games for club and country since August and we need him fresh for city. Team should be: Schez, Jenks, Per mert, Kos, Monreal, Arteta, Flam, Theo, Rosicky, wilshere, ozil. Giroud must be rested for city. Theo can play on counter attack with balls over/through from midfield. It won’t be a great v Napoli, but it doesn’t need to be.
Team as follows:
Szczesny
Jenkinson Koscielny Vermaelen Monreal
Flamini Arteta
Walcott Rosicky Wilshere
Bendtner
I thank you
No.
You’re welcome.
Giroud is not just an attacker he provides us a very good defensive stability when the ball is inside the box so in no way Theo can replace giroud in such crucial game
There is that aspect to it, which is why I have gone for both Arteta and Flamini in the middle as defensive anchors. With Theo up front we definitely lose defensive control in the air and the ball will stick in the final 3rd less, but the Napoli defence will always be worried about that bill over the top, thus maybe playing deeper – they wouldn’t be able to press us high up the field then, because it will leave gaps in between defence and midfield which Ozil is perfect for. You have to remember, with Ozil’s final ball being… Read more »
Even if we splash the cash in transfer market we can get only a goal scorer not a Giroud kind of player. Wenger has pulled off one more master piece in Giroud’s transfer. And giroud’s prolific scoring is not far away, that 25 yards missile vs everton was an proof to it
Just woke up with a fright, thinking of OZIL’S balls, what a fucking player, on words and up words lads…… Love this team
Heh, my eyes darted to “OZIL’S balls.” Doesn’t say much for me I guess.
But yes, what a player. I thought he was fantastic against Everton. Our best player outside the CBs.
Napoli knows there is no way they can beat us 3-0,so i dont think they will come to us “all guns blazing” COYG I thought we are the GUNNERS?….I hop they come “all wearing buletproofs”
we nid 2 rest mesut nd ramb
szce
jenks,mert,kos,nacho
arteta,flamin
theo,rozza,santi
Giroud
Strong enough lineup 2 evn get us 3points
The way our defence has been this last couple of months I just don’t see anyone scoring 3 goals past us. I think he will only make a couple of changes think Ozil will get a rest along with Jack.
Assuming Dortmund beat Marseille…
– We beat Napoli, we win the group.
– We draw with Napoli, we win the group.
– We lose by 1 goal to Napoli, we win the group.
– We lose by 3 goals to Napoli, we go into the Totts Cup.
As I understand it, if we lose by 2 goals to Napoli tonight, we finish second. Is that right? The BBC are saying we finish top if we avoid a 3 goal defeat tonight. I don’t think that’s right.
You are right _except_ that if we lose we cannot win the group, that is, if we lose by one or two we finish second, but of course that’s not going to happen.