West Ham vs Arsenal

And we meet again, with Fat Sam's side that is. He will set his side up to frustrate us, kick us, and bully us. We should be at the top of our game and we should punish them when we get the opportunity. I expect Giroud and Mertesacker to start and Coquelin to keep his place because we need physical players. We can't really drop points, we should win. I expect us to concede but still win at the end 2-1.
Expected lineup
Mannone (when will Szczesny be fit)?
Jenks Mert Verm Gibbs
Arteta Coquelin Cazorla
Gervinho Giroud Poldi
The AOC hasn't been bad and hasn't been brilliant lately and Gervais doesn't deserve to be dropped, but at the same time we need Giroud, so I put Gervinho on the right. All front three help us defend as well. I'd like to see Vermaelen more disciplined with less silly fouls near the box, personally, I'd go with Mert and Kos, but he's our captain and dropping him might not be such a good idea.

Dropping the captain is never a good idea....unless he is burnt out/injurie...

Szcz is still out for another week or two so it seams...still expect us to win but only just a narrow 1-0 has it for me....if mert is in place at he back I fulled expect Sam's long ball tattics to be blown fully out of the water....not too much to to worry about with west ham gervinho should cause them all kinds of problems that said so should podolski..

Szczesny came out of his protective boot last weekend. I saw him wearing it vs Coventry but it was off at Chelsea. I didn't get a chance to ask him but someone I know did and he said 'about 4 weeks, it looks worse than it is'. That was at Coventry. So I guess he will be looking at one of the games a week after the international break.

I'm worried about this game. They have the game to frustrate us and bombard us with long balls. I see a 1-1.

Im sure i just posted on here

I think if Merts available we need him up against Mr Carroll.

I think we'll be alright in this one, 2-0 or a 2-1.

Think we'll lose this one. AOC doesn't look convincing in 2 games already. Also, Cazorla looks tired against Olympiakos.

West Ham 2-1 Arsenal.

There's a theory going on that shows that players who will start will wear different colored bibs than the ones that won't start.

so far Podolski, Giroud, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Chamberlain are wearing white bibs.

If you see our official site's training pics, you can see the players wearing different bibs.

Mannone

Jenk - Per - TV - Gibbsey

Coq - Arteta

Gervinho - Santi - Pod

Giroud

2-0 to us, Giroud and TV.

Samritpal Singh wrote:There's a theory going on that shows that players who will start will wear different colored bibs than the ones that won't start.

so far Podolski, Giroud, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Chamberlain are wearing white bibs.

If you see our official site's training pics, you can see the players wearing different bibs.

Unlikely to be true, they were probably playing 5-a-sides or a training match

Herd that bib theory before.....

It's as Chris said nothing more than the squad broken up into usualy 4 different teams to alternate during 5 a side matches.....

the very same question/theory was put forward to a coach when i was at summer camps at arsenal we were split into 10 teams for mini tournaments they used to grade good and bad performances then brake those teams up and slot them into 4 teams for 4 full 11 a side matches and rotate the rest as subs throughout the 4 teams......

That said good performers the following days kept the same coloured bibs as potential (make it category) and nothing more than helping markers for the coaches....

Actually worried about this game, Big Sam has a habit of putting out obdurate teams who are tough to break down and im not entirely sure we're clinical enough in front of goal to take what will be very few chances

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud.

links?

Been absolutely shit so far.

nice goal by Giroud, finally up and running in the league, he's got thr potenyial to be a really good striker for us.

He's been great since the start of the match. Running his socks off, annoying defenders when he doesn't have the ball. Excellent off the ball movement as well. Nice one-two with Poldi there and a nice goal for him and a top class celebration. Happiness and relief were both on his face. He was about to cry from joy. He needed a goal and boy what an important goal for him and us. We're trailing 1-0 and don't look like scoring and BAM. He got a good striker's goal.

Giroud with ANOTHER assist! Lovely run and finish by Walcott!! Really seems to have stepped up his game in his last few appearences.

Holy fuck santi just made me jizz!!

what....a....fucking....goal

Jason Morrison wrote:Holy fuck santi just made me jizz!!

bang on its a jizz-fest

anyone see the coins flying in the sati goal replay??...cunts

How good was this goal then? Im gutted I dont have ESPN anymore...

Anyone else get really excited to see Vermaelen, Mertesacker, AND Koscielny all on the field at the same time?

A hard fought away victory for the boys after having gone down. Really nice. Arteta and Cazorla brilliant today. Giroud did well, worked hard, got his goal and an assist, should've scored one more, but he will score more, not worried. Theo with a goal and an assist as well, and an awesome celebration with the crowd, I think he deserves to start after his good cameos vs Olympiakos and today.

Santi Cazorla, I love him more every time he plays!

Jason Morrison wrote:nice goal by Giroud, finally up and running in the league, he's got thr potenyial to be a really good striker for us.

I misread this as 'he's got the ponytail to be a really good striker for us'