Sunderland vs Arsenal

Premier League
15:00 K.O.

Sunderland in a cracking run of form since O'Neill joined. Going to be a very tough match, but still must win for us.

Luckily Sunderland play a mid-week FA Cup replay against Middlesborough whilst we have the week off.

Sunderland's recent results are impressive. They have 8 out at the moment, including Bendtner, and none look return for our game.

Gibbs and Jenkinson should be available. Sagna may be ready to start.

Massively important we win this as much for the psychological boost it will give us prior to the FA cup tie as for the league points. Simply a must win game.

I'm not confident about us getting anything here. I'm about as unconfident about this game as I was super confident about us hammering Blackburn.
Sunderland are the form team in the league and we have an awful habit of playing half arsed football after an emphatic win. All depends on how the players react. Will they now feel they've turned a corner and can stroll their way through the next game and come away with nothing? Or will yesterday's win push them forward and give them the hunger and desire to carry momentum and push on for the top 4?
I'm hoping this team has been through enough to know not to settle on anything but the latter.
At a push I can see a draw but that's it.

And I do realise 'unconfident' probably isn't a word but feck it. It's 10am and I still haven't had my coffee.

Very very tough game. Hopefully with Gibbs and Sagna in the starting line-up we can go for a 1-0 win.

Bit early to speculate on injuries seeing as we havent even heard who picked up knocks yesterday but on the Gibbs issue if fit, for me, Coquelin deserves to keep his place he has done very well so I would go with Sagna and Coquelin at full backs, I assume Sagna would play left side as he is more adaptable being a natural fb

Definately won't be an easy match but with the people they have injured it is winnable. Hopefully we can keep McClean and Larsson quiet from the wings. I can see us giving away a stupid freekick and either Larsson or Gardner hitting a stunner, but I also reckon we'll scrape the victory.

Who are their injured players ??

On the full backs issue, I think I have changed my mind now. I want Sagna and Coquelin, he deserves his place in the starting line-up for now at least. Maybe bring on Gibbs as a left winger later in the game if we're leading.

If we get more that 3 points in our next 3 games I will be happily surprised.

I really like Coquelin but if Sagna is 100% fit, I'd go with TV and Sagna as full backs. I can't see us winning there but for the sake of keeping our CL spot hopes high we should. And securing the double over someone is always nice.

Last year we defended very well there and only conceded when Koscielny's clearance bumped into Clichy and Bent scored in the 93rd min.
If we defend well, and I think we will with a back four featuring Sagna, Kos and TV I am hopeful we can sneak this 1-0, Henry to score.

We need to think of who is the best man we have to defend Maclean. Could be Coq, he has good speed and tenacity. Sagna can deal with Larson. Kos and TV in the middle. Its less likely Sessegnon will tangle their legs than Mert!

Sunderland have scored a lot of long range efforts in recent games Szczesny will have to be at his best to keep them out.

ralph avedikian wrote:Who are their injured players ??

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Such an important game. Will be very difficult to get a result, by 'result' I mean a win, but with what's happened this past weekend and our upcoming fixture list and the fixture list of those around us, a win is imperative because there are some big games coming up (not including FA Cup and the Champions League) where we will be dropping points, this cannot be one of them.


Our next 6 games:
Sunderland AWAY
Tottenham HOME
Liverpool AWAY
Newcastle HOME
Everton AWAY
Aston Villa HOME


Tottenham's next 6 games:
Newcastle HOME
Arsenal AWAY
Man Utd HOME
Everton AWAY
Stoke HOME
Chelsea AWAY


Chelsea's next 6 games:
Everton AWAY
Bolton HOME
West Brom AWAY
Stoke City HOME
Manchester City AWAY
Tottenham HOME


Liverpool's next 6 games:
Man Utd AWAY
Arsenal HOME
Sunderland AWAY
QPR AWAY
Wigan HOME
Newcastle AWAY


Newcastle's next 6 games:
Tottenham AWAY
Wolves HOME
Sunderland HOME
Arsenal AWAY
Norwich City HOME
WBA AWAY



The Champions League will make life much harder for us and Chelsea whilst the other teams (I've included Tottenham more to do with their difficult fixtures rather than me thinking they're in a fight for 4th) will have their midweeks off.

We really need to start picking up wins away from home if we want to have any chance of coming top 4, our away record is awful. Only Wigan, Bolton, QPR and Swansea have lost more than our 6 league defeats and only Blackburn and Wigan have conceded more than our 25 goals. Although only the two Manchester clubs have scored more than our 22!

With Sunderland having a cup replay tomorrow, there's a good chance they will have a few more tired players than us come Saturday. Unless they rest players and risk losing in a cup derby, if they do, still good news for us because it's an easier 5th round match next week.

I know we have AC Milan next week but I hope we don't see key players rested. That will probably happen in the FA Cup.

basically every game is must win for us from here on in. Just don't see it though considering how sunderland are playing at the moment and they always manage to make it tough for ua. draw at best

---------------------SZCZESNY-------------------
SAGNA----MERTESACKER---KOSCIELNY---VERMAELEN
------SONG-----------ARTETA---------ROSICKY-----
WALCOTT------------van PERSIE-------CHAMBERLAIN

Coquelin to come on at LB if we have trouble in defense. Ramsey to come on at Rosicky to provide some spark later on in the match. Henry on for Walcott or Chambo, hopefully Titi can score again. I think that starting 11 can get us all 3 points.

Surprised to see that people are suggesting Le Coq should start. He's done very well and all, but if Gibbs and Sagna are match fit, it's an absolute no-brainer as to who gets the nod.

That said, I assume Gibbs won't yet be match fit.

Christopher Flanagan wrote:Surprised to see that people are suggesting Le Coq should start. He's done very well and all, but if Gibbs and Sagna are match fit, it's an absolute no-brainer as to who gets the nod.

That said, I assume Gibbs won't yet be match fit.

Agree, Sagna should start and he needs minutes under his belt as he will be vital if we have to get something out of the Milan away leg. Vermaelen will play ahead of Gibbs.

Martin O'Neil has always made if difficult for Wenger. It's like he has some sort of personal enmity with Wenger. As usual even though Sunderland are at home they will sit back and try to absorb and try to hit us on the counter or with long balls.

Mclean will be a major threat. He is like the poor man's Bale so Sagna will have a good test of his abilities.

I was under the impression Gibbs has still got some way to go before being match fit. Whilst I think Sagna has to start, I certainly don't think it's a bad idea to consider Coquelin at left back - Vermaelen is a great defender but does look less comfortable at full back, and I think we could do with him in the centre.

Stephen Mitchell wrote:I was under the impression Gibbs has still got some way to go before being match fit. Whilst I think Sagna has to start, I certainly don't think it's a bad idea to consider Coquelin at left back - Vermaelen is a great defender but does look less comfortable at full back, and I think we could do with him in the centre.

Agree completely

Jenks1981 wrote:

Stephen Mitchell wrote:I was under the impression Gibbs has still got some way to go before being match fit. Whilst I think Sagna has to start, I certainly don't think it's a bad idea to consider Coquelin at left back - Vermaelen is a great defender but does look less comfortable at full back, and I think we could do with him in the centre.

Agree completely

Definitely. I just think Mert could be a liability against Sessegnon.

Sunderland playing 120 mins yesterday is fantastic new for us... apparently Sessegnon limped off towards the end as well. Could well have just been a cramp but they should be fairly knackered after that.

I'm telling myself that the Blackburn result will have filled the team with confidence but history tells us this will be an extremely difficult match to win.