Arsenal vs Aston Villa

What Liam said. Strongest team, strongest bench. I would hope that players like Miquel weren't in the squad because if they were it means we had injuries!

Just hope we beat Villa first.

Does the strongest team include a jaded Ramsey and an out-of-form Walcott?

I think first thing would have to win for the agro to be lifted off the players shoulders...
The kids coming through should understand this if the strongest 1st is playing..

Zaid Derweesh wrote:Does the strongest team include a jaded Ramsey and an out-of-form Walcott?

It shouldn't, but the options are pretty limited.

Mario Leontiou wrote:

Zaid Derweesh wrote:Does the strongest team include a jaded Ramsey and an out-of-form Walcott?

It shouldn't, but the options are pretty limited.

If Arteta is fit then id stick him in with Rosicky rather than Ramsey for this one, personally.

Agree with playing the strongest team possible. Remeber the chelsea cup final? Was good to see Arsenal go up 1-0 early and JT knocked cold (diaby showed psychic abilities there) but we eventually lost 2-1. Used to be let the kids play on. That was before the 6 year drought. Now in FA cup panic mode!

We've still played pretty strong teams in the FA Cup, I wouldnt say we have the same policy as we do in the League Cup unlike some people have intimated on here.

Jenks1981 wrote:We've still played pretty strong teams in the FA Cup, I wouldnt say we have the same policy as we do in the League Cup unlike some people have intimated on here.

Agreed.....Wenger knows it's a serious cup and the fans take this as a big pot hence his teams have normally been as strong as possible
This is the only likely thing we can go for this season...
Full strenght for me imo..

---------------------SZCZESNY---------------------
YENNARIS---MERTESACKER----VERMAELEN----MIQUEL
-------SONG----------ARTETA----------ROSICKY----
CHAMBERLAIN-----------HENRY------------BENAYOUN

I haven't been impressed with Ramsey lately, so I'd bench him for this one and replace him with Arteta. Hopefully Chambo has shaken off the strain. Benayoun is an easy pick over Arshavin, as we all should know. I'd start Henry, but put Park and RVP on the bench (Park to sub in Henry gets tired or we're in the lead, RVP in case of emergencies). Walcott on the bench in case either of our wingers don't cut it on Sunday.

Wenger is a fan of the FA Cup as well. The only time we played a weak team in recent years was against Stoke 2 seasons ago and that was because our first teamers were plagued with injuries.

Van Roy Bostanian wrote:Wenger is a fan of the FA Cup as well. The only time we played a weak team in recent years was against Stoke 2 seasons ago and that was because our first teamers were plagued with injuries.

Yes I remember that and he got canned by the press for apparently fielding a week team if I remember rightly..and also I do remember we had just as many if not more out then than we do now...

Szczesny
Yennaris Koscielny Mertesacker Vermaelen
Rosicky Song Arteta
Theo van Persie The Ox

Sagna is back to first team training. Can he start then?

Samritpal Singh wrote:Sagna is back to first team training. Can he start then?

As much as I would love to see Sagna back in action, I think Wenger might deem it a bit risky to start him immediately. But one can hope.

I don't think Sagna has any hope of playing this game. I would imagine he needs at least a week or two of full training before match fitness

I would say don't throw him in...all the chance of pulling up with a muscle injury if not careful....if we can get arteta in and I think Theo and the ox on together..should be a nice win for us those two alone should eat villas back 4...and even if Theo is still struggling a little

Sagna has only just returned to training, he wont be ready for at least 2 weeks. Give Yennaris a go and see how he does.

Szczesny
Yennaris Kos Mert Miquel
Song
Benayoun Rosicky
The Ox Park Theo

I would defo start the game with theo and ox on the wings...just out of curiosity has Wenger tried it yet for a 90 mins?

Isn't Koscielny suspended?

Mohamed Samir wrote:Isn't Koscielny suspended?

Yes 5th yellow 1match

No, Koscielny is not suspended. You need to get 5 yellows before the end of the year or something to get a suspension. He needs to reach 10 to get a suspension now.

Ahhh yer that's right it ended in December...available then lol

Alex Hadjicharalampous wrote:No, Koscielny is not suspended. You need to get 5 yellows before the end of the year or something to get a suspension. He needs to reach 10 to get a suspension now.

Agree, but he needs a rest. But he seems to be a durable guy and it helps having someone like him in our team full of fragile players. We need to play a full strength team and beat Aston Villa. We need some confidence before we go on our dread February fixtures !!!

I didn't want to start a new thread for this but speaking of Kos...

Arsene Wenger feels that Laurent Koscielny has developed into one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League this season.

The Frenchman was heavily criticised last season as Arsenal's season crumbled, culminating in a terrible error between himself and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the League Cup final.

The 26-year-old failed to deal with what should have been a routine clearance, allowing Obafemi Martins to prod home late on for Birmingham to win against all odds.

This year has been a different story altogether for Koscielny though, who has been a mainstay in the Gunners' defence.

Wenger told Arsenal.com that the first time he saw him, he knew that his fellow countryman had all the necessary attributes to make it in England.

“We found him in France of course, from a smaller team. But you could see that there was something special there,” Wenger said.

“He played at Lorient but first he played with a friend of mine in Tours, who talked to me about him when he played in the second division. Then of course we monitored him with our scouts."

Wenger admits that at times last year Koscielny may have struggled with the physical side of the game in this country but now feels that is part of his overall game.

“I believe that last year you could already see the potential but he did not have that dominance in the duels that he has found this season.

“That makes him, I personally believe, one of the top-class central defenders in the Premier League.”

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/01/28/2871089/laurent-koscielny-is-one-of-the-best-says-arsenal-boss

With Man Utd out of the FA cup, we should be doing our best to get into the finals and win the damn thing so that the voodoo of the trophy cabinet is stopped at once