Getting nervous now. Hope we can give a good account of ourselves. Bit worried about the defence - wish we had Sagna and either Santos or Gibbs fit.
Just want to see us play with confidence and quality, and then hopefully things go our way.
According to their twitter account, City are lining up this way:
Hart, Richards, Kolo, Kompany, Zabaleta, Yaya, Barry, Silva, Balotelli, Nasri, Aguero
Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Savic, Milner, De Jong, A. Johnson, Dzeko
That's practically their best XI.
Hopefully Theo can give Zabaleta the really tough game that Chamberlain gave him at the Emirates.
Barry and Zabaleta are utter dross and Kolo is pretty poor nowadays, but the rest of that team is top notch. I feel optimistic about us threatening them going forward. I have no idea how we're going to defend against them with Sagna and Santos out though.
And we are as expected:
Szczesny, Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Song, Arteta, Walcott, Ramsey, Gervinho, Van Persie
Can't wait for this!
Our starting XI as expected. No Chamberlain on the bench.
Arsenal's lineup looks like expected:
Szczesny - Djourou - Mertesacker - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Song - Arteta - Ramsey - Walcott - van Persie - Gervinho
y va marquer wrote: Our starting XI as expected. No Chamberlain on the bench.
Really? fuck sake.
Well, that sucks.
What's Arshavin going to do?
Pepe LeFrits wrote: y va marquer wrote: Our starting XI as expected. No Chamberlain on the bench. Really? fuck sake.
Nope, he's not included. Subs from Al, Frimpong, Miquel, Rosicky, Benayoun, Arshavin and erm the mighty Chamakh.
I wonder what's up with Coquelin's injury. Second match-day squad he's missing out on since the Olympiakos game.
Klaus wrote: I wonder what's up with Coquelin's injury. Second match-day squad he's missing out on since the Olympiakos game.
Not heard any updates on his injury, he's not on the official list of injured on arsenal.com either.
Rumours doing the rounds in the French press that Lille are interested and he's said that above all else he needs to play.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2011/20111214_182715_coquelin-il-faut-que-je-joue.html
Yeah, I saw the story a few days ago. I don't know if we can afford to loan him out though. Frimpong will go to the ACN, right? It would leave us with no cover in midfield.
Coquelin and 15m for Hazard. I'd bite...
He needs to use his common sense here. Wenger has promised him chances, and is the best bet to help his career. At least see the season out and decide from there.
Humble Rex wrote: Coquelin and 15m for Hazard. I'd bite...
I was thinking that it might be something along those lines.
As for Frimpong going to ACN - I don't know, has he ever actually been selected to play for Ghana?
Build up for our game about to begin on Sky now that the direness that was Villa Pool is over.
After warmups, camera shows team in the huddle with RVP barking out orders...Loved it!
🙂 Wenger has just said "we've got a few Arsenal players on both sides today".
Nervous about this one, but I think this is a winnable game. If City take their foot off the gas like they did at Chelsea, we're definitely going to be in this.
Frimpong will more than likely go out on loan so Coquelin will get games if he stays as Song can't play every game.
Then if next season if he's really set on leaving and Lille are interested, absolutely, use him as a makeweight in a possible deal for Hazard if possible. Would rather hold onto him though, he's impressed me much more than Frimpong has.
Frimpong has declared for Ghana, but thing I read something about his eligibility being questioned or some shite like that during the week.
