Arsene Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.
As expected, Laurent Koscielny misses out having picked up a hamstring strain against Olympiacos in midweek. The French international is set to be missing for three weeks, which could see him miss the games against Watford, Bayern Munich and Everton.
Mathieu Flamini is also out having strained his ham last weekend against Leicester, while Mikel Arteta also misses the game with a thigh strain.
However, there’s good news with Francis Coquelin available, suffering no reaction to the knee problem he sustained against Chelsea.
Meanwhile, there’s good news for David Ospina, set to miss out this weekend to Petr Cech, as he’s been named in the 59 strong long list for the Ballon D’Or.
Insert your own joke about him dropping it here: ____________________________
I don’t a reason to be joking on Ospina in particular… The whole team was awful the other day…
Bar Sanchez… But I see where you’re coming from.
We need to keep thinking we’ll walk over teams after a great result and play with the same determination/concentration that we do after we loose.
And we shouldn’t have the attitude that we can beat Bayern because we lost. If anything, we should have the mentality that every team to beatable on our day. Can’t see Viera, Henry or Adams settling for less.
Forever COYG!!!
If he questions my knowledge on football then so be it. I continue to question Ospina.
I like Tim’s take on this issue. The way we play sometimes is insane enough to be clown like in its purest form so I’ve been refusing to rise to the dumb comments from other trolls because the team may have behaved like bottlers or over confident idiots but it is STILL much better than having a team of chav cunts or sp*rs arseholes. They may be clowns but they’re my clowns and I love every one of em. COY beautiful Gunners.
Couldn’t have said it better!
I was there on Tuesday and walking away at the end, I can’t say I felt that way. They were unlovable clowns that night. Three points on Sunday and all will be forgiven and forgotten.
Koscielny will be missed no doubt. Gabriel and Per to step up. We can’t afford anymore injuries at the back.
Ospina is an Arsenal player. He is an international player and was statistically the best keeper in england last year. He has made relatively few mistakes since he arrived and I am not sure how us slagging him off is consistent with ‘support.’ The team conceded 3 goals at home to olympiakos – that’s not all on him – in fact he pulled off a few saves in the game that could have seen it worse. Cech may have not made that howler but to be frank 2-2 was still a shockingly crap result. There is steel missing further up… Read more »
In truth Ospina is one of our most consistent performers. Dont know why he gets all the stick when it was first and foremost a abysmal team performance. Ospina has been among Europe’s top goalkeepers the last 3 seasons when you look at his stats. For ogc nice he topped Europe in saves per goal ratio and he only conceeded 0.79 goals per game playing behind the shittiest defence the world has ever seen in a relegation battle club because the forwards was equally crap. Its quite an achievement being in the relegation battle when you have a goalkeeper who… Read more »
I definitely concour with you on this one. I just do not understand why some people will single out particular players to blame when the team as a whole played like amateurs at a 5 a side game on a sunday morning. I was really happy when Wenger threatened** to stop the press conference if they continued talking about Ospina.
Ballon D”uh
Ospina is a good shout stopper. His height means he isn’t convincing in set pieces. Watch all his games and you’ll get the feeling that he gets nervous during corners especially
‘Watch all his games’… well… this is gonna take a while.
We can’t blame wenger coz he’s professor awesome. We can’t blame the players coz there are none out there better than them. Who the hell else is left?
Just because we vent out here doesn’t mean we don’t love the team. Just get off your f*cking high horse.
You don’t need to blame anyone. Supporting a team is about externalizing blame and forgiving internal factors. We have a squad on paper that is capable of great things. The problem with Wengers philosophy is that it is too orchestrated and requires a great deal of focus to deliver with or it cracks and looks a mess.
You can blame Wenger for having a very difficult orchestration but then you should blame him when it works as well because those days when it all hangs together are the real problem. they are the reason he persists.
It’s just a matter of a difference of opinion. Fans are not necessarily fed up because he lost a game that’s probably inconsequential in the big picture of things. Every team, even top teams loses important games. This is not blaming but being indifferent after seeing the same mistakes being made but the people in control (managers, players etc.) not having a plan to rectify those mistakes. If no one is accountable, then what is the point?
It’s a team sport. It takes multiple people to fuck up a match like that.
Yeah, but it all come back to the manager. He signs the players, picks the team, dictates tactics, motivates, sends on substitutes. If there is one person to blame when the team fucks up it is Wenger.
Well said! My thoughts exactly. We should be happy for Ospina instead of ”inserting our own joke”.
Appreciate we lost a match we should have easily one with the team we put out, but the Alumina-esq mocking of Ospina does seem a bit over the top.
He is still one of the top ten keepers in the world, represents his country and had two pretty good tournaments, this and last summer.
Arsenal were, if I recall, lauded for signing him last summer.
“He is still one of the top ten keepers in the world”
No, no, he really isn’t. He wasn’t when we bought him and he isn’t now.
Ok downvoters. 10 goalies better than Ospina from the top of my head, who would you switch?
Neuer
Cech
De Gea
Curtois
Lloris
Ter Stegen
Hart
Sirigu
Krul
Buffon
Tim Krul FFS
You saw the Leverkusen goal against Barca the other day, right? Ter Stegen completely flapped at the ball and missed. He’s clearly a good ‘keeper, but made a mistake. Much as Opspina did the other day.
What I’m trying to say is, whilst Ospina’s mistake was undeniably bad, people are choosing to focus on minute details, and almost seem determined to see him consigned to the dustbin of Arsenal Goalkeepers past… make no mistake; he’s a hell of a lot better than Almunia ever was!
Sirigu can you find me the nearest Indian restaurant?
He is a good goalkeeper, and an excellent back up, but he is not in the top ten in the world. His height lets him down on crosses and set pieces, and pretty much got his national side knocked out of the last world cup. I remember Tim Vickery passing enough doubt on him to say Arsenal were not lauded when they signed him – still he is a very good backup though.
In respect of Mr. Blog who is asking for a joke about Oooooooo…
ooooown gooooal!
It’s so like arsenal.. Full of own goals even Arseblog signed Own goal as an editor
comeon Arseblog. You asking fans to troll Ospina? Will you do the same for Wenger? Ozil has disappointed so many times but never seen you doing the same for him. Why so biased with Ospina?
He has a pole for the pole in goal.
Why so biased with Özil? Why naming him and not some of the others? This is laziness, guy! Cazorla disappointed on tuesday but he is never trashed! Why? He costed a lot and he is paid, no?
Özil is the best creative players of the PL… He deserves respect but be sure he’ll leave next season and then your team will be 7th again as they were when he was injured last season.
It’s one of those biases I agree with. I’m all for playing Ospina in the FA cup. But not in the champions league surely. Wenger can spin it how he likes. He cost us a goal at a crucial time. We lost by a goal. Wenger made the wrong call.
Cech cost us 2 goals against westham – we lost by 2 goals. Wenger made the wrong call with cech too. It seems that no matter what call he goes for he gets wrong eventually.
Agree. Don’t give fans a reason to troll their own players. Most of us struggle to get behind them in adversity, to troll them is completely unacceptable to say the least.
Absolutely – It is US against the world – Look the other teams, the media, the refs, the FA, Uefa, our rival shareholders, our explayers ALL have a vested interest in trolling us and preventing us from success. Uefa don’t want a club with our financially organic model becoming a superclub Usmanov wants to seize control and uses the illusion and allure of money toachieve that. explayers find that there bread is buttered better when they say what sky want them to say -hence relentless attacks on the team from Henry, Merson etc. Paranoid maybe but i’m a supporter of… Read more »
The injuries are starting again?
COYG!!!..Honestly I’d be a whole lot more gutted if we lost this one compared to midweek Champions league..Call me optimistic but I really think, if the team gets a run going, and certain players step up to a level that they are very much already capable of, we have a chance at the league this year..and champions league was never really going to happen was it?..so the hell with it..being top of the table (fingers crossed man city drop some points this weekend) would be such a good feeling..not to mention beating them red cunts which is always so damn… Read more »
I would like everyone to ram my comments down my throat after we smash the Mancs on Sunday and hold aloft the Premiership trophy come May. But seriously until we finally DO learn from our mistakes this will continue to happen season after season.
no need to blame the players, you must blame the trainer, who bought them, and puts into the starting 11
Maybe the groundskeeper for leaving the grass 2 mm too long.
Arsene’s refusal to buy adequate competition for Coquelin is as baffling as his decision to not buy a centre half last summer, his decision to not buy a striker in the mode of Welbeck until Giroud got injured a few days before TD, his decision not to strengthen the squad in Jan 2013 when we we’re 5 points clear with injuries. I respect Arsene, but his indecision, dithering and the way we conduct our transfer business is an embarrassment. His refusal to beef up our midfield with pace, power and athletism season after season, is in undefendable It’s Groundhog Day.… Read more »
I just don’t know why people suddenly feel like joking about Ospina. For me he is still a great goalkeeper and the howler against olympiacos was a mistake no doubt about it but weren’t Fabianski, Mad Jens, Chezza and even Cech culpable for some atrocious mistakes. End of the day, team didn’t lose because of Ospina.
And it seems certain sections of fans have selected favorite players who just cannot be blamed and those who even mention their names are thought of as lacking football knowledge.
More worrying to me is this mobb mentality obsession with finding individuals to blame, slander on social media, and worst of all a couple players collectively (by some) chosen to outright hate. Players from our own fucking team. And make no mistake, some of the things said about these players can only be said out of hatred, or by damn fools who don’t even know what they’re saying. Complaining about a big mistake or a ref that is not fit to ref a team he is obviously biased against is one thing and not what I’m talking about. But some… Read more »
Absolutely!
Not good about koscielny. Id say at this point in time id prefer monreal slotting into centre back instead of chambers if we need for crucial trips to bayern ect if anything happens to gabriel and sack. I have full faith in gibbos potential to fill in at left back and nacho is turning into an absolute class defender.
Nacho typical centre half, but he’ll do the business.
In life, you can only move forward and leave your past mistakes. The game against Manure is really what matters now!
Very happy Le Coq and Gabriel will start (don’t worry too much )
Ospina made one mistake. The defence made two. Yet Ospina is blamed more. The entire team is at times caught ball watching.
We kind of expect this from the team
we lose together we win together when the players cross the white line its up to them to put in action the training and tactics, id like to see AW more animated when its not working on the side line and boldy, some players may have an off day, but we seem to have a team off day, our team errs on the side of brilliance and average. is this the team set up? over confidence in games ? we need to find the consistent mojo quickly going for win at home to Man u hopping for a backlash.
Ospina – dropped.
Ballon D’oh!
The real question I want to debate about…which is bigger? The Goodyear Blimp or Wayne Rooney’s huge ogre shape fuckin’ head. Discuss….
It is at this time that we need to be behind a player like Ospina. Ever since he started playing for us I can’t recall any howler that he has had and it really sickens and its unfair to now started making puns about him.
If Kos is out for 3 weeks then surely that means he only misses the united game due to the 2 week international break, not all the games blogs has suggested?
Ballon d’flor
Ospina is more than good enough to play in any Arsenal team. Criticism of him of his arial ability also unfair, especially when compared to Cech. Watch Cech very carefully next time the ball is in the air in the box – Chelsea fans will confirm he will not come for crosses. None of team played particularly well on Wednesday (Alexis excepted) but Arsene’s substitions were exceptionally poor. Putiing Ramsey on for LeCoq automatically weakens our defence and holes quickly appeared. Giving Campbell less than 10 minutes unfair on him and the fans. Should have given Campbell 30 minutes for… Read more »
Clueless Walcott with the goal and assist, in that same game, while Campbell has how many Arsenal goals and assists?
And he looks shit when he does come on
I’m sooooo happy Wenger is our manager and not you. Campbell has shown on every occasion he has worn the Arsenal shirt….that he is simply not good enough, hasn’t done anything to suggest otherwise, one good game at the World Cup and people want him playing over our in form striker! Also, Ramsey was probably our 2nd best player after Sanchez Tuesday evening, it wasn’t until he came on that we started showing any sort of urgency & had someone making runs from midfield
So is to be Coqzorla or Ramelin in midfield?
Our best central defender is out. Hope we will have better defensive display than the midweek game.
A cleansheet would do no harm.And keep the wonder boys “new ronaldo and henry “in your pocket Gabriel and co.
With regards to Ospina, one mistake made and we’re going apeshit to have him decapitated? Is that not how keepers lose all their confidence and turn into Almunia? He was not responsible for the result although of course his mistake didn’t help it. I think the problem was with the team, they are mentally weak and there is no real leader. I disagree with anyone who says Mertesacker is a leader of our squad, because if that is the case he should be single-handedly taking control of a defensive set piece and pushing all our players into place. Too often… Read more »
you want us fans to mock Ospina?? he made a mistake once or twice over his time here as a consistent performer. why not ask fans to mock board, managment or coachs for the failure in transfers, tactics, injuries and “results” over the long long years. blinded people all over… ffs
Two hammy’s and a thigh strain in one and a half games that keep them out for a few weeks each? Hate to see what shape the squad will be in after the busy period.
So the injury list now shows:
Wilshere
Welbeck
Rosicky
Koscielny
Arteta
Flamini
That’s about 1/4th of the squad and we are not even two months into the season.
I.m just bored of the same mistakes #kloppin
Shame on you blogs for having us mock Ospina. Ok he made a mistake, but let’s pretend for a minute he didn’t make that mistake. The result would’ve ended 2-2 and honestly what good would’ve been getting just 1 point? We’d be dead last in the group still. While you are at it why not mock OX that thus far has caused us 3 goals, or Mert. for not organizing the defense right after we just scored? Or the lunatic coach for not buying proper cover in key positions? I swear some fans….
Dude, it was a light-hearted joke. Relax
That’s why the grass doesn’t grow where they walk. Only crap does.
Thought Koscielny looked slightly below par against Leiecester and if anything, he needed a rest against Olympiakos. Don’t know how fit Per is cos the gaffer decided to rest him instead but Gabriel slotted in with Metersecker and crucially Cech back should make us solid enough. Still defending must come from the entire team. This isn’t the strongest United side but we have to get the basics at the back right rather than reliance on out scoring them from the front. Hoping for a positive result, hopefully the ref isn’t Mike Dean. Not another robbery following an insipid performance against… Read more »
Ospina really dropped the ball on that one.
Yes, it was an awful and costly mistake but lets not act like its apocalypse. In fairness to Wenger, Ospina before the night has had a decent record between the sticks.
Can’t help but think that Ox would be riding the bench if Welbeck or Wilshere were healthy.