Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Tomas Rosicky will be back for the Gunners trip to Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Czech international has missed the last couple of games with illness but returns to bolster a squad that may well have heavy legs after Tuesday night’s exploits in Monaco.
“West Ham was a very physical game and we paid for it in the second half of the Monaco game,” said Wenger. “It’s a concern.”
The boss also gave updates on long-term absentees Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy. Despite both men being spotted in first team training earlier in the week, the boss insists they won’t be available for at least another three weeks.
The home side – who’ll be without Papiss Cisse, Fabricio Coloccini Cheick Tiote, Mehdi Abeid, Siem De Jong and Steven Taylor – aren’t on a great run at the moment; they’ve won only once in the last six matches slipping to 11th in the table.
Our record against them in recent years it also pretty good; we’re unbeaten away in five and have lost just once in the last ten meetings overall.
“We have good memories at Newcastle but they’re always very tight and difficult games,” noted Wenger. “The crowd is always motivated.”
Good memories indeed, mainly 1-1 away at Newcastle
Think you mean 0-1 away at Newcastle, 2013!
*whoosh*
Ah crap, it was too early, forgive me.
Thats all right sugar
*ahem*
ONE ONE AT NEWCASTLE
I’d be happy to see quite a bit of rotation for this one. If Gabriel’s fit enough, maybe a start for him and Gibbs should come into the side as well.
Ramsey is a certain starter and surely Theo merits a place (if only for his good scoring record against Newcastle). Was delighted when I heard that Coloccini got sent off in their last game. He isn’t a brilliant defender but he’s the best they’ve got.
Let’s go 4 up at half time, rest some legs and protect players from injury ahead of a busy run-in.
Oh wait…
agree with you on all counts.
When it comes to Newcastle, I still think 4-0 up at half-time is a dangerous scoreline.
A certain Phil Dowd isn’t taking the game is he?
I’d love to rest players, but i really think this is a “must win” game. We need to keep full pressure on citeh, manu and scousers. I’d go with best possible team. Then a few little Ferguson-like niggling injuries ahead of international break.
do what you gotta do, in Cagooner we trust… oh shit, wait, you aint the manager?
Walcott, Rosicky and Flamini to start?
Yeah I reckon, with Peter Ndlovu and Danny Cadamateri rested.
Theo has played bloody well against the Geordies over the years.
My favourite match is that one where Vermaelen scored late on at Ashburton Grove to secure 3 points. Krul time wasted so much…
Worst memory has to be that 4-4.
That 4-4 was a lesson in half time gloating I’ll never forget! Nor will my brother in-law ever let me forget!
That 4-4 was a shit show from Phil Dowd.
And Joey Barton! (head-butting Diaby then getting Diaby sent off for the retaliation)
Diaby, I remember him…
Choking Barton may have been the high point of Diaby’s career. No one needs a good choking more. Ten men should be enough to prevent four goals from being scored. I was more annoyed at Clichy and Rosicky keeping Newcastle attackers onside.
No this is the high point of Diaby’s career:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/20473/Terry-to-miss-Porto-clash.html
dodgy pen to Geordies by Dowd too, but they almost fooking won it late on. Hell game
Yeah for a push! it was a yellow card at best, Chelsea do worse every week.
It wasn’t a headbutt, it was a disgraceful tackle targeted on Diaby’s bad ankle.
Shit show indeed. I seem to remember Van Persie smashing one in from the corner of the box to make it 5-4 but it was incorrectly disallowed for offside. *Note: Memory could be playing tricks on me though.
Your’re right, but I remember it being very marginally OFF side.
Just as well, I was sitting with the home support – might have got lynched had it been given.
I’d have sacrificed you for the win!
(joke….maybe….)
Welcome to my home gunners. I am really pissed that Arsenal will score 3 goals at St James’ and i have to contain my celebration within me because i will be seating among the home fans. Geordies would not take it lightly when i celebrate their misery in their midst. COYG
If we can get 6 in the first half then you’ll have an empty stand for the 2nd half to celebrate in….
Wondering if we should rest sanchez for the Newcastle trip. Also glad cisse is suspended..
Rest sanchez for rozza or walcott, mert/kos for gabriel. Bring rambo in for either caz or ozil. If all is going swimmingly, try and rest giroud after 60mins for akpom.
Good suggestions, rest Sanchez, Caz or Ozil and a CB. Get them fresh for the Pool, though noting it is the international break after Newcastle.
Maybe Welbeck as number 9 with the option to bring on Giroud or Akpom.
Like the squad depth and the choices we have!
Has Sanchez been rested at any time this season? I can remember being surprised by him not being rested on a number of occasions, to the point where I wonder if he’s ever not started when he was available.
He definitely looks like he could use a break, especially since he’ll probably be flying to somewhere in South-America for some meaningless friendly next week. But by this point, I never expect him to be rested.
I’ve gone and fact-checked myself for a bit, and found that Sanchez has been rested at least once, in the meaningless final CL group game against Galatasaray. He also didn’t start against Brighton, but got subbed on anyway. Couldn’t find any other occurences, but someone with a better memory might.
Also, Chile will apparently play their meaningless friendlies in Austria and at the Emirates (ours, not the United Arab one), so that’s good news at least.
If I remember correctly, he missed one before/during the quiet week in Jan so he had something like 10-14 days….. I think!
We need to bounce back quickly, Newcastle really aren’t very good.
Ospina
Mertesacker Koscielny
Bellerin Coquelin. Gibbs
Ramsey Cazorla
Walcott. Welbeck
Giroud
Bouncing back from five consecutive wins could be cruel on Newcastle.
…from the disappointment of the CL exit I believe.
Yeah but we won the game and played well. Depends what you think we have to bounce back from, we’re playing some of the best football we’ve seen all season. I don’t think the result of going out of the CL as a consequence of a bad first leg should have too much of an effect on the confidence in the way we are playing, or the momentum we have recently built up in the league.
Agreed, but it’ll be the tired legs syndrome after that game in Monaco.
got me stitches here blogs
Tim Cruel?
I, for my part, don’t like your formation. Playing with 2 in the back and then three holding midfielders surely is too risky, no?
Wenger at his diplomatic best…”the crowd are always motivated”
We invariably have problems after CL away fixtures – particularly if we’ve just been knocked out.
This will be a real test.
I can’t actually find a stat for that. Really?
It’s a pity that Mozart wasn’t available against Monaco. Bringing him on for the last 15 minutes against those tired legs could have helped us create more chances.
We should win this pretty comfortably; the team is that good at the moment.
Ramsey should start for me. He is getting back to the Ramsey we saw last season. 2 goals in as many games says it all.
Time to give Alexis a deserved rest; play Walcott, Giroud and Welbeck in front. Coquelin, Ramsey and Ozil behind them.
Bellerin, Mert, Kos and Monreal at the back.
Szczesny in goal for me. This is not to restore him but I see this as a low-risk game we can safely use to keep him fresh for the FA cup semis.
I agree with your line up, other than Gabriel should come in for either Mert or Kozza…..
was there no mention of wiltshire or gnarby ? the lost men
Maybe cuz Wiltshire and gnarby don’t play for Arsenal? However I think Wilshere and Gnabry both are still not fit.
Arteta and Debuchy were only mentioned because of their progress; people saw them in first team training.
Thanks. Less snarky than my response!
That Joe(fucking)Barton incident was gervinho mate. It’s was during the Great Geordies Comeback.
I believe barton got both gerv and diaby sent off in different games. barton is like school in the summer…no class
They were separate incidents, but I don’t recall which was the 4-4. I always thought it was the Diaby red for some reason, but me and my memory don’t really get along. Barton went over the ball on Diaby and put two legs into Diaby’s standing leg straight on – it was quite ugly actually – and Abou grabbed him by the throat and put him to the ground. Abou was out for one of his extended recoveries after that match. The Gervinho incident Barton did something else cunty, which is a given, then said something that must have been… Read more »
Just looked it up. The Diaby red was the 4-4.
To salt the wounds Barton also walked away with 2 PK’s.
Would be interesting to see a Sanchez, Welbeck, Walcott attacking three, would certainly open things up for everyone as they couldn’t just key on Walcott.
Trouble is teams would play v deep v us and we have no real physical presence to disrupt the defence, mean yea it can work, but I wouldn’t think its better than what we have now. Tempting though
This is why Giroud is so pivotal. Flicks and 1-2’s with the speedsters, and keeping the CB’s busy. They don’t want to sit too deep and let him hang around in the box all day. To me it seems the varied attack option – holdup combos, or speed – keep the opposition guessing. They have to watch Giroud, leaving the wingers man marked or with space. I would hate to play against that. Danny seems to be improving though in the few chances he gets at winning aerials, bodying up, and dropping back to combine. If he can add that… Read more »
Re goals against Newcastle bring back my legend -D.B
As there is an International break after this game I would play our strongest X1 get the points in the bag and hope those around us slip up. 1-3
One of the greatest Arse performance Ive seen – against Newcastle late 90’s I think, amazing 1st half , still cant figure out how we lost that one 3-1. Another awesome Arse match was the 1st half against Bayern in the CL, of course we fucked it up 2-2. And there was this match early 2000’s I think, draw against Blackburn, was like 25 shots on goal , off course Brad Friedel decides than to be a world class goal keeper . 0 – 0 draw. funny how some of the great matches we play are the ones we don’t… Read more »
Would like to see theo get another start, his finishing has been very hit and miss since he returned but his pace always allows him to get into scoring positions that none of our others players could and noticeably helps Giroud ozil and Rambo in being able to exploit the panic and spaces he creates in defences. His finishing will come as well remember in 2012/13 he was putting all his chances away so it is there he just needs to regain that confidence which will only come through playing. The Coq’s insane athleticism and ability to cover ground should… Read more »
Just saw an article stating Newcastle have only 13 outfield players fit for the game. Wow!
i believe that the audience in general have to start appreciating one thing…this league is not about winning the most but more like refraining from giving away points unnecessarily… No shame being the ‘flat track bullies’ if you could also grind out decent results (and i believe this is sth we are beginning to develop this season, except for our below-par performance against Chel and Harry-Kane F.C.) against those solid teams…. I, in particular, do not see much glory in mullering the almighty Chelsea 5-3 and then dropping 2 points against westham at home (not to mention being knocked out… Read more »