Giroud Loves Scoring Against Newcastle
Match Preview – Arsenal vs. Newcastle – Premier League – 13.12.14
Like Oliver creeping towards Mr Bumble in sheepish appeal with his bowl held aloft in audacious expectation Arsenal supporters today are desperately hoping we’ll pull a centre-back of sorts from somewhere.
Newly returned Debuchy looks most likely to play centre-half alongside Mertesacker today but might it be a risk too far? Debuchy played against Galatasaray as though he had never been away but fresh from a long lay off is a weekend game straight after a Champions League too much too soon?
I think Debuchy is capable of playing centre-half but I wonder if today is the right time to test that out with just a few minutes under his belt. A lot will be expected of him with Mertesacker in an uncomfortable role on the left of defence and young Bellerin likely to play at right-back. The inexperienced Spaniard did not cover himself in glory in his first games against Dortmund and Stoke but few would when given such a baptism. To his credit he performed admirably at left-back against Galatasaray and that’s no mean feat according to Nigel Winterburn whom sat next to me as I watched the game – more on that in the next few days.
No solution is without risk and Wenger believes his options are to play someone out of position (Debuchy) or call on the services of a youngster (eg Ajayi). I see the thinking behind playing an experienced defender out of position but in this case I feel it’s too much messing around as it requires playing one green defender in Bellerin, one player out of position and one more in a role with an unfamiliar perspective.
Much better, and quite possibly one Wenger will choose to go with, a solution would be to play a young centre-half alongside Mertesacker and have Debuchy in his natural role. Mertesacker’s calming influence should help the league debutant to focus on his task and with Debuchy covering Mertesacker on the right he can keep his attention on marshalling the fledgling next to him. Also, Gibbs is not without experience of his own and will be able to offer his own protection to the nascent defender to his right.
Critics of the management and results will not be quelled by an Arsenal win today but a positive result should subdue them a little. The defeat to Stoke was as demoralising as any I have witnessed in the past few years but I do not accept aspersions being cast portraying them as a pub team we should have annihilated. Stoke are a decent team who play an effective brand of football. They’ve been in the Premier League for a number of years and have taken points off some big teams this season already.
That said, Arsenal should not be going 3-0, almost 4-0, down to a team of Stoke’s stature. A closely run defeat can be stomached but despite the close scoreline that was never a result that was in doubt once Stoke had scored their second. We were abject and negligent and we need to do better and immediately so. The Galatasaray result was a welcome confidence boost and we need to ensure our boost carries us further than that of the first team to defeat the ‘hyperbole invincibles’ in the league.
Newcastle are not without their own injury issues so the question will be which team has the better reserves. The answer should be Arsenal.
Arsenal from; Szczesny, Martinez, Debuchy, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Ajayi, Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, Flamini, Podolski, Giroud, Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla, , Sanogo, Welbeck and Campbell.
Predicted Line-up
Szczesny, Bellerin, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Chamberlain, Flamini, Cazorla, Welbeck, Giroud, Alexis
I expect to see substitute appearances from Campbell, Maitland-Niles and Podolski
Match Quote
“People don’t [consider] that you can go away to Turkey on Wednesday night and then Sunderland on Saturday morning, then after you lose the game everybody says ‘what a scandal that is!’” – Arsène Wenger
Last 3 Meetings
- Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle (28.04.2014)
- Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (29.12.2013)
- Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (19.05.2013)
Form Guide
Arsenal Last 5
WLWWW
Newcastle Last 5
WDLWW
Opposition watch
Newcastle started the season poorly and Alan Pardew was odds on to be the first managerial casualty of which there have oddly been none in the Premier League thus far. However, since then they’ve picked up form winning 6 of their last 8 which includes the first defeat for Chelsea. On that front we probably owe them one as it has swiftly put to bed comparisons with the real Invincibles. We can be thankful to Newcastle for bursting the media Chelsea fap bubble but we cannot afford to offer them any kindness on the pitch.
Newcastle have their own injury problems and an attacking style of play. Both of which would normally play into the hands of a superior team but this is Arsenal and so far this season we’ve only been superior in goal difference. Time to add some points to that.
Factfile
- Olivier Giroud has scored 4 goals in 4 Premier League appearances against Newcastle
- Arsenal have outscored Newcastle 12-4 over the last five fixtures
- The Magpies have won just one of the last 14 league matches against Arsenal losing 8 of them
- Arsenal have won the last 5 league matches against Newcastle on the trot
- Newcastle are the only team yet to score in the opening 30 minutes of their league matches this season
Prediction
Giroud has an excellent record against Newcastle and I fancy him to score today but the first goal will be crucial. I expect Newcastle to defend any advantage they get but if we can score first then I think they might do an “Arsenal” and open up for us whilst chasing the equaliser.
3-1 to Arsenal with Giroud, Alexis and Cazorla scoring.
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