Arsene Wenger says that forward Danny Welbeck is set to miss another two weeks with a thigh injury.
The England striker aggravated teh ongoing problem in the 2-1 win over West Ham on December 28th and is facing a few more games on the sidelines.
Thankfully it’s in an area where we are, for now, relatively well stocked with Olivier Giroud, Alexis, Theo Walcott, Joel Campbell and even young striker Chuba Akpom all available.
Kieran Gibbs will face a fitness test today to see if he can make the trip to Manchester on Sunday, while recently injured trio Aaron Ramsey, Walcott and Mesut Ozil are all in the squad.
Wenger also confirmed the club had agreed a fee with Legia Warsaw for midfielder Krystian Bielik who will undergo a medical today, and that he was actively looking for defensive reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
Is AOC injured? He is not listed in the atttacking options
He is a given.
Think he was more referring to central striker position rather than listing all our attacking options.. never seen the ox play lone striker..
On other news, let’s fucking put these top team demons away, couldn’t even remember the last time we beat a top 3 team? Artetas winning goal against city at the Emirates?
He is not a Striker
Ramsey to Özil.
Ozil finds Walcott in acres of space!
He’s 1-1 with Joe Hart.
Will he make the finish?……….
Yes he will.
Well written.
You had me chewing on my finger.
Ozil wouldn’t need to find him in acres of space.
They guy would find all the needles in the hay stack.
After a year away Theo must be hungry for goals….
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152805873407713&set=vb.20669912712&type=2&theater
… c’mon Theo do the same thing you did last year at the Etihad.
With Chambo, Le Coq, & Cazorla on form, I think Wenger will have a hard time to include those three in the team. It will be interesting though. Who do you guys reckon will be in and out of the starting squad?
It’s a tough call. I think all three players will start the game. Chambo on the right side of attack obviously, Santi partnering up with either Maestro Ozil or TR7 in the middle ahead of le Coq. I’d go for Rosicky though and Ozil to replace him at around 60 mins. I’m not the manager though so I could be very wrong.
COYG!
I think he should leave Giroud on the bench and start with Sanchez in the middle.
Something like that:
Coq – Flamini
Ox – Özil – Cazorla
Sanchez
Or maybe with Rosicky (or Ramsey) instead of Flamini. But we shouldn`t have too many players on the pitch who haven’t played for a while.
no, we need Giroud up top for this game. We don’t play well with Sanchez up top on his own. Plus Giroud will help out on corners/free kick in our end.
I think it will be the same players against stoke except ramsey coming for rosicky because he is a natural CM and could help coq more protecting the back four, but wenger did change formation this year against liverpool playing with two CDM because last year humiliating loses away, maybe he will do it again with coq and flamini, but i would say he will go with ramsey and coq.
Wenger, 60 min sub? hah.
I know right, it wasn’t even worth a long shot… what the hell was I thinking??? Damn man
I agree with you. AW is busy now cracking his head concerning selection problems because everyone is around. but i will rathe rprefer to go with the same team that have been winning and bench those stars, Ramsey, Ozil and Theo, because The Coq is very serious
I can’t see Wenger starting Ramsey with no game action since his return, but could see him starting Ozil in place of Rosicky from last week’s lineup vs Stoke. However, I would think it’s best to let Rosicky start since he is more of a two way player and has been doing well lately and then bring Ozil in for him in the second half. We have got to be strong defensively, especially early, and as much as I’d like see Ozil back in the lineup I don’t think this is the match to do it in.
Personally, I would play the same team that started against Stoke (Bellerin for Debuchy) and look to bring on Ozil, Walcott, Flamini or Chambers depending on how thr game goes. I’d sit Ramsey out this last game to let Tomas do it the Arsenal.
Bellerins playing great but if City is playing Kolarov then I’d pick Chambers over Bellerin. Other than that same team as last week. We just have to keep Silva quiet, Francis is gonna be one busy Coq!
COYG!!!
I don’t think we’ll miss him, tbh.
If Burnley can leave Etihad with a point having gone two goals down and bearing in mind that any team we put out will be miles better in quality than Burnley( that compensates for City’s lack of a striker against Burnley), the least I expect from the boys is a draw though I have a strong feeling that we will get the three points.
Does that last one sound like blind faith?
Our record against the top three is P21, W2, D7, L12 conceding 44 goals. It would be a remarkable achievement if we can come away from the Etihad having not embarrassed ourselves 🙁
There is an extent to which we can rely on history and statistics. The most important thing is our form on the night (our game against Barca three seasons ago spring to mind). If the team can raise their game to the level they are evidently capable of, they certainly will not be embarrassed.
You cannot afford to throw in the towel that easily based on some historical record.
I still we will either win or get a draw.
Right now we should be striving for much more than just not embarrassing ourselves. As should our fans.
As for our record. One word: bollocks. It’s meaningless.
When have we ever had Alexis, Giroud, Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey. Walcott/AOC, etc. on the same pitch against a Man City without Yaya Toure and a rusty Aguero?
Man City are there to be beaten and, for once, we absolutely have the talent to beat them.
The talent, yes, but not the guts. Bottling big games is our “thing”.
I get what you mean, it’s not the personnel that’s been the problem. It’s the mentality. In a lot of the big games we looked defeated before we even come out of the tunnel! But if we go there with real belief, we’ll get something from this game
Yeah and as much as I value optimism, I wouldn’t say our record against the top teams is “meaningless” either.
My point to yourself and Ricky is that when an Arsenal eleven take to the field it is invariably different season-on-season. There is no necessary connexion between one set and another. Each matchday there are differences in personnel, fitness, psychology, and form. When people use statistics they invariably do so to reinforce an argument and equally invariably it’s meaningless to try and do so. In the recent past we have been largely unsuccessful against the likes of Chelsea and Man United simply because of spending power. The top teams (in Europe) are always going to be a tougher task. Now… Read more »
I mean we couldn’t beat Man u with a backline of mcnair, blackett and ashley young.
Shitty may be without yaya and aguero might be rusty, but this is arsenal: No bottle or whatsoever when we come upn against a big team.
Two weeks? What a surprise.
At least he didn’t say the dreaded three weeks.
It’s been thre weeks already so now it’s the two weeks curse until he’s fit.
Don’t fix it, if it ain’t broken! Keep the winning team together, Let ozil, ramsey and theo fight for their first team places, i might only be tempted to put in ramsey for rosicky who needs more recovery time. Coyg!
The 1 week gap between games should be enough recovery time for TR7.
It’s the 2 games a week periods that see old legs feel the strain.
Let’s just do this bloody thing! Comon lads….
Hope he plays Santi box to box, coq holding, mesut 10, Alexis and ox wide and hfb upfront. Santi’s been dropping deep to pick up the pill anyway..
I’ve been waiting for someone to say that. People point out that Cazorla’s recent form is due to his playing in the middle as opposed to the wing, and try to use that as an argument that it’s either Cazorla or Ozil but never both. Well, bollocks to that! Cazorla has no issue with dropping deep and playing the box-to-box role. With Coquelin in the holding role, that let’s us put our favoured front four on the pitch – Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez, and Giroud (given the recent form of Oxlade-Chamberlain, I’d have no problem with his replacing Walcott for now).… Read more »
A serious question: What kind of injury does he have and how long long are Diaby out for?
Read the very first sentence
I don’t expect to see Diaby in an Arsenal shirt again. Nothing against the fella, just being realistic.
Diaby?
Well there is Giroud but if he gets injured there really is no replacement in Wenger’s system.
I wonder if Walcott has used his time away from football mentally perfecting his secret weapon – the ultra soft strike. Beats the keeper every time.
They will be missing Toure, their muscle man in the middle as well as their new signing Bony. It’s really the best time in the season to play them. I really hope to hear some “Is There A Fire Drill” songs on Sunday at the Etihad!
also that cunt nasri is not playing and aguero is rusty, with toure out to afcon i would agree with you that is the best time to play them, we always score against them away or home we need just to produce great team defending to get out with 3 points.
Welbeck is fitting in perfectly at Arsenal with a muscular injury that takes longer to heal than expected with continued setbacks.
Walcott needs to get his shooting boots back on
Missed some sitters recently!
We have the players to beat City. ………………………………….Giroud……………………………………. Alexis…………………………..Santi………………………………….Ox ………………….Rosicky…………………Flamini………………………. Monreal……..Koscielny………………..Per…………………..Bellerin ………………………………….Ospina……………………………………. I’m tempted to play Coquelin next to Flamini in case City start aggressively but I feel Rosicky’s experience and link play will be critical for us. He should sit back slightly closer to Flamini who is still more experienced than Coquelin. Coq can come on later should we find ourselves ahead and need to defend the lead. We also have option of Walcott in place of Ox later on should we either need goals or need to shut shop with a fast outlet to hit at. And there… Read more »
Hope to see Welbeck soon. He has more goals in him but he should be played as CF. Its either him or Giroud up top. Welbeck can do a job at LW but we have options there and he is frankly wasted. He is likely more lethal in the middle and gives us different dynamics to Giroud.
They are both powerful tools at once similar yet different to do the job with. Either one or the other IMO.
Balls