Arsene Wenger says that Arsenal can’t afford to let the gap between them and the top four grow any wider, and that the points dropped at West Brom means there’s even greater pressure ahead of tomorrow night’s game against Chelsea.
Last season’s champions visit the Emirates, and fans will be hoping the Gunners can pull of a repeat of last season’s enjoyable 3-0 win.
It’s a task made more difficult by the loss of Sead Kolasinac, who joins Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey on the treatment table, and big doubts over Laurent Koscielny who limped off at the Hawthorns.
Generally though, Arsenal have been better at home than on the road, and three points tomorrow would add some respectability to what has been a difficult period.
“The gap is not big at the moment,” said Wenger. “We know that our home form will be absolutely vital and we just come home from West Brom frustrated because we lost two points. We know it puts us under even more pressure to deliver a big result tomorrow.
“We’ve played Chelsea many times and the results were always tight, apart from at home last year, we beat them 3-0.
“We’ve played them many times and they were always big battles. Chelsea are coming back into good form.
“They’ve been consistent recently so it’s a big challenge for us tomorrow.”
Something similar to what we did against Sp*rs would be lovey, but it’s impossible to look beyond Arsenal as anything other than a Forrest Gump box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.
Not looking forward to the game
I am. When Kolasinac is fit then play Kolasinac LWB and AMN RWB. I would like to see that combination. Bellerin just hasn’t been himself and AMN a naturally right footed player should find it easier to play on the right than left. Also just stick with 2 defenders, as Arsenal don’t really have 3 to play in the middle. The 3rd guy ends up being a liability more often than not. Kos Mustafi with Coq supporting them in the midfield. Cech Bellerin Kos Mus AMN3 Coq Wilshire Xhaka Ozil Sanchez Lacazette I have long lost faith in Wenger, but… Read more »
I want Bellerin to play just so he can score a goal whilst elbowing Alonso in the face followed by some pashunate celebrations.
He just has to want it more.
Under pressure? From who exactly? The fans who the board doesn’t listen to anyway? The board who rewards you by extending your contract? The only pressure Arsenal are feeling are from the only two decent players they’ve managed to sign in over a decade jumping ship because they’re the only ones in the club with half a brain to see the shambles it has become.
But we beat Crystal Palace so I guess that’s nice..
I think if we get beat by Chelsea we could start to see a similarish thing happen to last year when we got beaten by away at Palace 3 nil and the players just seemed to completely chuck the season.
In this current form, with a load of injuries, I just cant see us beating Chelsea at home.
Very well put. Most clubs honor their great managers by having their statues put up somewhere or naming stuff after them, not by letting them run the club into the ground. #WengerGTFO
It’s hard to not to feel like ‘oh shit here we go again’ injuries piling up and a big game against an inform team doesn’t normally work out to good for us. we’re desperate for the points and playing some dire stuff. it’s gonna take one hell of a team performance right from the off to win this one. To start 2018 with any kind of win will be a massive boost. I’d love to feel better than I do going into this game.
Sadly we have a clearer idea of what we are gonna get so I’d take a draw at this point. Hopefully we get a ref who doesn’t make things up.
I don’t have a good feeling about this. The defensive injuries, we’ll be on shorter rest and they rotated as well, also our midfield has lacked control and we’ve been giving away chances and getting away with it – to bad teams.
Just gives me this perfect storm vibe to it.
Yet Arsenal is under pressure but Wenger is okay. Or maybe he has become Arsenal?
Not looking forward to this one.
We don’t seem to have any gumption.
I say play the starting defence from the FA Cup final last season. That was all doom and gloom leading upto the game yet the lads put in a shift and did freaking awesome!
“Under pressure Arsenal” not “Under pressure Arsene Wenger”. Difference.
Feels like a slow end game with Wenger but ffs it’s going to be slow methinks
With players out of contract and wanting to leave, where is the motivation for this game? The title race is done and top four increasingly unlikely. Lets face it, Sanchez is not bothered by top four because he’ll be gone! Also, it’s the ‘second team’ that has more to play for as they have got Arsenal to a league cup semi-final and progressed in the Europa league. Like most fans, I’m bored of watching Arsenal’s ‘first team’ and can’t get excited about tonight’s match. I hope we win but fear the worse.
I don’t care if we win , lose or draw this pathetic game , it doesn’t matter , we are not gonna get top 4 this season , our only hope is Europa League and at the end of season getting a new manager.
The sooner people accept that both Arsenal’s & Arsene measures of success is not based on what happens on the pitch but how healthy our finances are. Most players don’t care either as long as we pay top dollar for bang average and the few world class players we’ve had recognise this and move on to win things see RVP, Fabregas, Nasri, Cole etc. We sold our sole for money when we flogged the club to Kronke and now have a life sentence.
arsenal are not under pressure, but YOU are, what happens tonight wont make any difference, if we loose so be it, but if we win it will be a bonus.