After doubts about his participation ahead of tomorrow’s game against Liverpool, Arsenal have been handed a boost by the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to training.
The England man sat out training all week after suffering a groin strain against Newcastle last weekend, but after a fitness test this morning he took part in the first team training session, suggesting that he’s going to be ok for the Anfield showdown.
Theo Walcott, another player due a test on a groin problem, also took part, but with plenty of forward cover it remains to be seen if Arsene Wenger will risk him ahead of the busy festive schedule.
However, with Arsenal shorn of Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Mesut Ozil and Abou Diaby from their midfield options, the apparent good news about the Ox is very welcome.
We will beat Liverpool tomorrow imho! COYG!
Still, Ox playing 90+ minutes would be a big ask of him. (Sigh).
‘No Injuries, no injuries! My kingdom for no injuries!’
Hopefully he won’t need to play 90 minutes and he can be replaced early.
Still wondering about Monreal…
Guys, what happened to Diaby now? It seems he gets injured while being injured, I don’t understand
Diaby is two weeks.
No worries…he’ll be back in Jan and it’ll be like “a new signing.”
Brilliant!! Lol
I read that in Wenger’s voice.
I will believe that when he finally runs on to the pitch (unaided). I do really want to believe it though.
His strained hamstring now has a fractured metatarsal. Still, I think we’ll win tomorrow. If we do the Arsenal crisis will really be in… er, crisis.
Ox hattrick
he sure deserves one.
Would be a massive blow to ode him, we are desperately short in midfield, again. You think at the beginning of the season it’s the one place we won’t be short…thinking is for mugs.
4-3-3…..Ox, Flamster and Santa Cazorla as Mid 3. Alexis, Welbz and Giroud up front. Sorted! Smash ’em!
think you’re close, but we will probably see our classic 4-3-2-1…Giroud up top alone, but welbz drifting in and out from the flank. seems the best setup.
Welbeck as an inside forward, Alexis allowed to drift wherever the hell he wants.
a.k.a. the Christmas tree formation. With Santa in the middle?
Zi ox in zi Box said wegner…
Sir Chesney
Debuchy – BFG – Chambers – Gibbs
The Ox – Flamini
Welbz – Santi – Alexis Alexis
Olly
COYG
His name is actually Alexis Sanchez Sanchez, not Alexis Alexis Sanchez 🙂
Would love the Ox to get a couple goals against the scousers
Can’t wait to see our boys destroy our opponents tomorrow.
COYG!
Where do you place the coq? Arrrrrgh! See what I did there.
The other results make tomorrow’s game a vital one. If we get 3 pts, it would be the most morale boosting for some reasons
1. Close the gap on United to 3.
2. Deal a near mortal blow to a top 4 rival.
3. Would give the team a real filip for the remaining xmas fixtures.
Go for it boys, you can make it.
Good news about the Ox…quite a quality player.
But you just know we won’t win.
Just like the United game at home, this match is very winable. Liverpool are struggling in mid-table, and without Suarez and Sturridge look utterly toothless. We will never get a better chance to win at Anfield.
But Arsene’s average Arsenal are gutless and won’t be up for the battle in front of the noisey, intimidating Kop. So I’m expecting yet another defeat away from home against one of the bigger clubs.
But never mind: we’ll pick up enough points to get fourth – and that’s all that matters.
“We will never have a better chance to beat Liverpool”. Never knew they were difficult to beat. I remember a 2-1 win three seasons ago, a 2-0 win two seasons ago, in fact six seasons without a loss at Anfield. Makes last season look like a blip to me. I think we will get back to normal service tomorrow. The team may have been disjointed at the start of the season but they are gradually getting very good and will definitely get better as the season progresses. I expect us to have a stormer in the second round. Keep the… Read more »
All the pundits (most ex-Scouse) and the Liverpool fans who’ve never been to Anfield drone on and on about the atmosphere, as if it’s special. Apart from one terriblly shallow showtune sung in an horrific accent, there is nothing at Anfield that you don’t get at other grounds. I was distinctly underwhelmed when I went a few years back.
Hey Fatgooner,
Want to come to my Christmas party? Need to make sure it has an anchor just in case it takes off.
…
Whether you’re wrong or right tomorrow, my word you’re a bleak fellow.
Yup, agree. This is simply a must win game for us.
The media is underlying the fact that for either team a loss will be a huge set back as this has ended up being a pivot point for the season.
If we play as we did against Galatasary and Newcastle – higher tempo but with great shape – we should run them over. If we lower the tempo and exercise too much caution we will invite them on.
A win with flair and we really will be off to the races and starting to intimidate other teams.
Wenger will surly brings out his coq
The Ox to bring out an Arshavinesque performance tomorrow please
which Arshavin? The Arshavin of the 4-4 or the Arshavin that came on in place of the Ox and proceeded to do some crap defending, leading to a United goal? I think The ox will deliver an Ox-esque performance tomorrow 😉
Great.
Good.
Wenger will hold off the Coq until the 85th min then dangle his Coq in front of the Kop just to add insult to injury
Did you know that the Kop is named after a famous battle in the Anglo Boer war in the 1800s. Kop in Dutch and the Dutch dialect Afrikaans literally means “head”. Wenger to whip out his Coq at 85mins only for the Scoursers to give him ” head . 😉
I’m thumbing you up, not because I found it funny, but for the effort put in.
Do you know the soldiers that came from that war named one of The Arsenal end the Kop and the Scourses stole it from us?
I learned something new today but ugh the mental image.. In that case, hope Wenger keeps the Coq at bay and brings on Stanley Evergreen-Longbottom instead for the Ox following his hattrick
My silent wish/prayer for the heavy festive fixtures…
‘I wish SANTA Carzorla never forgets to wear his birthday boots’…
O holy SANTA, grant me this only wish and I’ll be forever grateful!
Aamenn!!!
My favourite player at the minute.
Come on the Ox! Smash em up.
And win me another 20 quid off my scouse mate.
Thanks…
Much prefer a 4-2-3-1.
3-0 with no injuries will make for a nice B’day gift. COYG!!!
Liverpool guy at work recons they dont stand a chance.
I hope hes right.
1-4
Ox is so gonna smash those scousers.
Alex oxen-cart chamberpot to ride roughshod over the toothless kop. I will take a 1-5 win over them.
I think we’ll give them a worse spanking than they gave is last season. Coq will replace Ox at around the 80th.
Great news.
Fear is that we can’t expect an OxFlam partnership to cover the whole of the festive period so fingers crossed for an early return for either Ramsey or Arteta to help out.
Otherwise Arsene will have to unzip his giant coat and whip his coq out.
Been living in Liverpool got many years, and seldom seen the Koppites so downbeat. The problem is, their view of arsenal is 10 years out of date. Football knowledge my ar#e! Their forward line-up looks good and tricky if it clicks . I’m not at all confident. Both teams have no real form, but we are the less likely to respond to pressure. Hope I’m proved horribly wrong. Can’t stand the thought of listening to all those Mickeys Mouser taunts. Must say, they even outclass our fans for schizoid behaviour and are on par with Spuds for delusion.