Watching Arsenal face Udinese last night, it was hard to ignore the fact that the Gunners look far off the levels they have demonstrated even in recent years. For sure, any team who has lost Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri to suspension as well as the likes of Jack Wilshere to injury, would struggle. With Alex Song suspended for three matches too, the Gunners side that they will have to put out against the Reds on Saturday is not going to be the strongest they could select.
For this reason, there has been a lot of confidence among Reds fans that we should seal a victory at the Emirates. For sure, the prospects of Liverpool winning are a great deal higher than they would have otherwise been, but it certainly not a time to be complacent of getting a result.
The most likely team to face Liverpool will still consist of the likes of Robin van Persie, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky. These are all players which can give Liverpool problems and the Reds will need to up their game from their display against Sunderland.
It is certainly a game we can’t afford to step off our opponents like we did against Sunderland, especially in the second half, and we will have to be at our sharpest and fittest to get a result. If we start and finish the game in the same manner as the first 20-30 minutes against Sunderland then we will definitely give Arsenal a few problems, and unlike Udinese, the likes of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll will not be so wasteful in front of goal if afforded the same opportunities.
One of the most noticeable things from the Champions League qualifying match last night was how fragile the Arsenal defence is currently. Although both Kieran Gibbs and Johan Djourou had to go off injured, to add to the Gunners’ injury problems, the back five which started last night were all first choice players. Bacary Sagna at right back, Gibbs at left back, Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen in the centre and Wojcech Szczesny in goal would all expect to play the majority of matches this season.
Against Udinese, this back five, when playing together in the first half, still was cut open a number of times by the Italian side, and the way left back Pablo Armero ran through the backline with ease to get away a strike on goal in the first goal, should give the Reds some encouragement.
Still, I think the match will be a very tight affair as Arsenal are always dangerous in the attacking third and I would be very surprised if the Reds go through the 90 minutes without conceding. Saying that, with the departure of Fabregas and the current uncertainty surrounding Nasri’s future, this is certainly the best time to be facing Arsenal. Later on in the season, they may have bedded in some new signings as well as having cooled speculation over some of their player’s future. At the moment, the Reds should have the upper hand going into the match, and they must capitalise on any weakness that the Gunners currently have.
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In your dreams.
We will hand arsenal their heads,carroll will demolish what arsenal calls a defense
As a very despondent Gooner, I will be happy if we can actually take a point out of Saturday’s game. We will have a 19 year old right back who has 7 league 1 games under his belt)playing at left back, no Wilshire, Song or Gervinho. It’s a good time for you to be playing Arsenal!