Arsene Wenger says that the performance of his team for the 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest is an indication that they’re all good enough to start this weekend against Chelsea.
It remains to be seen just how much the manager will shuffle his pack against Antonio Conte’s side, but he’s enjoying the fact that he has decisions to make.
“We had a good game at Hull and we had a good game at Nottingham Forest,” he said. “I believe that everybody at the moment deserves to start the game and be in the squad, so I will decide that today.
“It’s always difficult to pick my team because everybody is doing well, we have seen that again against Nottingham Forest so it’s positive.
“We have a balanced, mature squad where there is a fight for every single position.”
And he has put it up to his team to change a disappointing recent record against Chelsea.
“Chelsea in the last 10 years had very, very strong teams,” he continued. “You realise that today as well. Before that period, we were always beating them, after they were always the stronger team for a few years.
“Now, it looks like it’s a new era where it’s a bit more balanced again and we feel we are progressing at the moment so we have a good opportunity to grab and to change what I call ‘the inconvenient facts’ of the recent years.”
BOOOOOOOM Xhakalaka
BOOOOOM Xhakalaka
How about Chelsea last season? They weren’t strong or organised and we didn’t manage even a goal against them. Sounds like a bit of excuse making to me.
I fancy us to beat them tomorrow.
I think this is just Wenger’s subtle way of saying let’s put our dismal record to one side, they’re a different team with a different manager and on paper we are just as strong if not more so. And he’s right. It’s been a while since we could match a team like Chelsea player for player and look the stronger of the two.
I think we all just need to recall arsenal vs Chelsea league cup game during mou second spell first season to see how thin and weak our squad was back then.
They’ll always trump us in cuntishness..I hope our the ref doesn’t get conned into their usual cheating ways and keeps it 11 vs 11, for once! Then we certainly have a great chance to win this one..we City motoring the way they are, we NEED to win. COYFG!!!
I never fancy us to beat them anymore, just false hope.
Santiago is my favourite player but I think games like this need Coquelin and another out of, Elneny or Xhaka
To be fair, their best player against us in the last few seasons has been the ref.
‘the inconvenient facts’ 🙂
Let’s beat them tomorrow and change it.
Oliver is the ref tomorrow, so expect a draw…
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/article/2000217118/referee-oliver-takes-charge-of-arsenal-vs-chelsea-match-gunners-fans-are-concerned
Mike Oliver, Mike Dean, they’re all the same.
Don’t agree with that. Objectively speaking, I think Michael Oliver is the best referee in the country.
Explain the records then.
Explain the records? There’s not much to explain, such small samples will often give skewed results. But anyway, as one of the FA’s top refs he’ll often take charge of big games so it’s not that surprising we’d have a fairly poor record in those compared to weaker teams.
Have to say I happen to think Michael Oliver is one of the best refs around. Let’s hope I still feel that way this time tomorrow
There was a time when nobody cared about the referee’s name. There’s no doubt we’ve been on the wrong end of poor refereeing decisions numerous times in the past but so have other teams and we indulge in the usual schadenfreude when that happens. Get over it. I’d like us to win on our own terms which is what we did routinely against Chelsea a while back. This is seemingly the best team we’ve had in a while and we should have the confidence to win this one. Arsene is right in saying that we’re in a better position that… Read more »
I want some convenient facts. Give it to me by beating Chelsea tomorrow.
Can’t wait for us to spank them is long overdue
I love his idea to start everyone.
What’s our best starting 22?
🙂
At least three people are injured (Ramsey, Sanogo and Per), so that takes care of itself…
Ospina AND Cech would be awesome, they’d probably cancel out each others weaknesses.
Two goalies would be entertaining … might collide and knock each other out tho
We’d be swarming all over them with 22 players, moreso than usual
Genious….maybe you should manage Arsenal…
I’d be disappointed if we list tomorrow. Matter of fact, I’d go as far as saying if we don’t win tommorow, I won’t take us seriously as title contenders. This will be a test of our “mental strength”. We’ve seen it happen before…flying high till we meet chelsea(or man united in the past) who are off form and we’re expected to beat only to end up losing.
At the moment, this squad is VERY balanced (a bit weak upfront), so no excuses not to push for the title to the very end.
*lost
You’ve seen plenty of games where we should have won but the officials prevented it.
How we play is just as important as the result sometimes (even thou we want the result).
We’ll see what Michael Oliver organises a tomorrow.
We have not been tested defensively. I really think Costa will be just too much for Mustafi, hope Gabriel plays along side of Kos.
I’d rather we go with Mustafi. We don’t want a player with a vengeance in mind mucking around our box. The refs this season look pretty determined to punish incidents like those. The good thing is, we don’t have the fear of Per being outrun anymore. Personally I’ll start Xhaka and Coq. Then if either gets booked, bring in the mild mannered El Neny to beef up the midfield
Why?! I’d go as far as to say I’d consider Holding ahead of Gabriel these days, despite having barely seen him play.. He’s a lot to do to convince me he’s good enough for us, makes a monumental amount of errors and has been really quite lucky that more of them haven’t resulted in goals. I’d go Mustafi and Kos with Elneny and Xhaka ahead, however the fact that Xhaka played the full 90 during the week (not sure if Mo did or not) suggests that it’s not really on Arsene’s radar for tomorrow.
You want the same guy Costa got sent off to start over Mustafi in case he’s the one who can’t handle him?
Yes, being sent off is part of growing up! Gabriel is more attuned to PL then Mustafi – at this point in time! Mustafi may miss few balls, get DC in his face, and end up with red….
Once for a long time I feel optimistic about us beating Chelsea.
Hope Wenger starts with Le Coq/ Carzola in the midfield. Then xhaka in the later stages of the game. With Cunte, Kante and conte expect Coq to be booked by the 60th minute.
Nevertheless, damn I feel ambitious. COYG ???
I don’t care how, just beat the fuckers!
Ok guys so we all are being real, right and know it will be a unchanged side from Hull last weekend?
I know it’s exciting to change things around but c’mon we have all followed Arsenal long enough to know Wenger rarely makes changes to a team which has won previous round of matches, especially in Premier League and when we’re playing against a big team. Let’s not kid ourselves with comments of fancy formations and too many personnel changes. It’s not happening.
Ok? Awesome.. Glad we’re on the same page now.
I think we have to temper a bit of caution to our optimism. There is still plenty of hazard in a match up against the scum. For starters we have to be very careful and mature at the back. We have fallen prey too easily to Costa’s shameful antics of late. He/they will try and wind us up again. Also with new lads like Mustafi and (possibly) Granit, we have to be careful they do not exploit their unfamiliarity. We beat Nottingham Forest but lets also remember that was also a poor team defensively. The challenge this weekend is much… Read more »
With regard selection. Again I don’t see why it should be a zero sum game, either this player or that. All the players come with their own unique attributes to bear and gives us options. We won’t (SHOULD NOT) want to leave out Santi who holds the ball excellently for us and is able to dribble in tight confines, acts as a second fulcrum/node too launch attacks from deeper in concert with Ozil further forward. To some extent Granit is a bit different. He is more robust defensively maybe but he also possesses the deep passing ability of Santi but… Read more »
Xhaka with another cracker in the 94th minute to win it,thank you very much.
Or Xhaka with another cracker in the 94th minute to add double digit gloss to 8 man Chelsea after Costa and Cesc are both sent off. That would work too.
Costa………its all depends on the dirty, cheating villain from the spaghetti western !!!!
It !!! Stupid fat finger !!
Now that Maureen has gone from Chelshit, I am finding myself actually hating them as much as I always did.
Is that bad? 🙂
Please don’t call him Xhaka anymore. Call him Xman. His the only one with the badge to take long range short. #Xman
Really think that Gabriel would be better to start instead of Mustafi. Mustafi + Koscielny would get bullied, in my opinion.
Plus Gabriel seems cunty enough to try to get Costa sent off in a similar way to how he get sent off last season. As long as he can take the emotion out of it (which I think Wenger was referring to specifically) then his height and strength (not to mention the aforementioned cuntiness) would be a welcome addition.
Having said that, with the depth we have currently I wouldn’t be worried who started!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
A win would be a huge psychological boost. But Costa is arguably the leagues in-form striker and Hazard is on form so it’s probably a better team we are playing than last year. Need Lucas to start I think.
We haven’t played well in any of the league games so far. Don’t think, but I do hope, it will change today.