Gunners Hoping To End Their Form Nightmare

Match Preview – Swansea vs Arsenal – Premier League – 31.10.15

Languishing at the bottom of the Premier League and reeling from a 15-0 obliteration at the hands of Ryman League side, East Thurrock United, in the Champions League in midweek – a match that saw Alexis Sanchez break both legs and the rest of the Arsenal first team contract Ebola – Arsenal head to the home of five time World Cup winners Swansea, praying for an end to their miserable form.

I may have mixed up a few facts there but that’s how bad things are right? It’s not like we played a decent Championship side at their ground with a mixture of youth and rusty fringe players before losing two of our best players to injury in under 20 minutes. That would be understandable; crap, but understandable.

Arsenal are in a real funk. We’ve not picked up a single point this season and it’s all because Wenger decided he didn’t want to buy players but instead wanted to break a lifetime habit of healthy eating and blow the entire transfer budget on KFC popcorn chicken. I hope he chokes on it!

It’s not like we’ve only dropped points in one game where we deserved it all season and have bounced back from that disappointment to be level on points, separated only by goal difference, at the top of the league with a club who spent £152m this summer and £880m in the past 8 years. That would be understandable, brilliant even. If only.

To make matters worse we have to look up the table and see Chelsea storming their way to a successive league title and look at Jose’s smug face every day.

So now we head to Swansea desperate to win a “save our season” match and we’re going to have to do it playing our 2nd choice striker who’s only scored 5 goals this season and our 3rd/4th choice right winger. We might as well pack up now, sack the manager, clear away the KFC boxes, get a new manager and give him 9 months of solid training with the side, £200m to spend and start again next season. This one is a total write off. The worst season we’ve ever had in 129 years of history.

Wenger has never beaten Garry Monk in three times of trying, including two losses last year with a late goal from Gomis in a game that was heading for 0-0 and their first game was a draw courtesy of a freak 90th minute own goal from Flamini. Tactical ineptness, that’s what that is. Maybe we could convince Garry Monk to manage us if we can get rid of the chicken grease smell from the manager’s office?

It’s Halloween so don’t expect anything more from Arsenal than more of this nightmarish form and these awful results.

Arsenal from; Cech, Macey, Bellerin, Chambers, Debuchy, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Flamini, Iwobi, Özil, Campbell, Giroud, Alexis

Predicted Line-up

Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Özil, Alexis, Campbell, Giroud

I expect to see substitute appearances from Iwobi, Gibbs and Flamini.

Match Quote

“This is a challenge for me and for the players who come in to show their quality. At the end you can find yourself with a bigger squad – that is what happened with Coquelin and Bellerin last season.”  – Arsène Wenger

Last 3 Meetings

• Arsenal 0-1 Swansea (11.05.2015)
• Swansea 2-1 Arsenal (09.11.2014)
• Arsenal 2-2 Swansea (25.03.2014)

Form Guide

Arsenal Last 5
LWWWL

Swansea Last 5
WLDLL

Opposition watch

Swansea are a solid side who like to keep the ball. In recent weeks this has played into our hands as we have adopted a counter-attacking style. With Giroud up front and without the pace of Walcott in the side we may revert to our own keep ball style. It hasn’t worked that well against Swansea in the past but often the margins have been small. It’s rare for Arsenal to keep a clean sheet against Swansea but it’s equally as rare not to score against them.

Jefferson Montero will test Bellerin to the limits so whomever plays right wing today will have to give him a lot of support and protection. Possibly the best form of defence is attack so if they combine well to pressure Taylor at left back then Montero will have more to do in his own half. Gomis’ goals have dried up of late but the likes of Ayew and Sigurdsson have found a scoring touch.

Factfile

• Swansea did the league double over Arsenal last season for the first time since the 1981-82 season.
• Arsenal have won four consecutive league games, and six of their last seven.
• The Swans are undefeated in their last three league meetings with the Gunners (W2, D1).
• Swansea ended a five-match winless league run with their victory against Aston Villa last weekend.
• Arsenal and opponents Swansea have both used 19 players this season, the fewest in the division.
• The Swans have not won a home league game since August (D2, L1).
• Swansea and Arsenal have both hit the woodwork six times in the league this season – more than any other Premier League club.
• Arsenal have scored 1999 goals in all competitions under Arsene Wenger.
• Mesut Ozil has provided a league-high seven goal assists this season.
• Arsenal have always scored at least once whenever they’ve played at the Liberty Stadium.
• The Gunners have scored two goals away to Swansea in four of their last five meetings.
• Bafetimbi Gomis has been caught offside 21 times in the Premier League this season, 10 more than any other player.
• The Gunners have only lost one of their last 11 Premier League away games (W9, D1).
• Olivier Giroud has scored in four of his last five appearances for Arsenal in all competitions.

Prediction

2-1 to Arsenal.

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