Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[Dinny Breen]

Sorry O'Neill, thought you would have had this up already...

Pretty confident about Sunday, as I think Liverpool will struggle to score against us...

[Windmill abu]

Liverpool will struggle without sissoko. The gunners need to start with Adebyor and stop trying to make every goal "the perfect goal". With Eboue & Senderos back fit, it gives them a lot more options at the back

[ONeill]

Liverpool are on a bit of a role, something like 5-6 wins. However, Arsenal are sure to be aware that anything other than 3 points may leave them with too much to do already. Does Adebayor get the nod over Van Persie? As someone said earlier the Togo striker is not afraid to score an ugly goal.

Some BBC facts:

ARSENAL and Liverpool may both be going well in the Champions League and have qualified for the quarter-finals of the League Cup, but the pair are well off the pace in the Premiership as they prepare to go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are second in the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table, despite last Sunday's shock defeat by West Ham and the much publicised touch-line spat between the managers. But they're defending an unbeaten home League record, and manager Arsene Wenger has not seen his side suffer back-to-back Premiership defeats in over nine months. The last five Premiership clashes between Arsenal and Liverpool have been won by the club playing at home. The Gunners prevailed 2-1 most recently in March, when an error by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard allowed Thierry Henry to score his second, and the winner, in a dramatic finish at Highbury.

LIVERPOOL notched a fifth successive win and a third clean sheet in a row in all competitions with Wednesday's 0-1 victory at Birmingham in the Carling Cup. They now make their first ever visit to the Emirates Stadium eager to add to successive home League victories over Aston Villa and Reading, but have not claimed nine points out of nine since closing last season with nine victories in a row.

The Reds' away form in the Premiership this season has been poor. They've managed just one point out of a possible 15 from an opening day 1-1 draw at newly promoted Sheffield United, and have not scored in four games on the road since. Indeed they are yet to net from open play on their League travels this season.

The Merseysiders have not taken maximum points away from Arsenal in six attempts and only once in eight visits. Titi Camara was on target in the 0-1 triumph on 13 February 2000.

REFEREE

Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)


SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

ARSENAL
Club stats
Fixtures
Going into the weekend: 6th 18 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

1. Chasing a sixth victory of this Premiership season, but the last three League games have resulted in a win, a draw and a defeat, in that order.

2. Lost one of the last eight in the Premier League (1-0, away to West Ham, last time out). The game at Upton Park is also the only occasion in the eight games when Arsenal have failed to score.

3. Not conceded more than a single goal in any League game this term.

4. Conceded just six League goals this season - that's one every two and half hours of Premiership football played, on average.

5. Hold 100% Premiership records when scoring first (won four of four) and when keeping clean sheets (won four of four).

6. Arsenal and Fulham have gained more points from losing positions in Premiership matches this season than any other clubs. Both have picked up six points from games in which they were behind. The Gunners showed their resilience by winning at Charlton and drawing at home to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Everton.

7. Not lost successive Premiership matches in 21 games, since beaten away to Liverpool and home to Blackburn on 14 and 25 February, respectively.

8. Unbeaten in 12 home Premiership games. Won seven and drawn five at home since a 2-3 loss to West Ham on 1 February (won two and drawn three this season).

9. Arsenal are home to Newcastle, before they host Hamburg in the Champions League.

LIVERPOOL
Club stats
Fixtures
Going into the weekend: 8th 17 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

1. Won the last five against Reading (h, Carling Cup), Aston Villa (h, PL), Bordeaux (h, CL), Reading (h, PL) and Birmingham (a, Carling Cup).

2. Chasing a sixth Premiership victory of the season.

3. Hold 100% Premiership records when scoring first (won four of four) and when keeping clean sheets (won three of three).

4. Gone 21 top flight matches without a goalless draw, since the home clash with Charlton on 4 March.

5. Failed to score in five of the last seven away from home, in all competitions.

6. Gained just one point on the road, since ending the last League season with a 1-3 triumph at Portsmouth on 7 May.

7. Another away game follows this, at Middlesbrough, before PSV Eindhoven come to Anfield for a Champions League group match.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

ARSENAL
Squad profiles

Thierry HENRY is Arsenal's top scorer with six goals, five in the Premiership.

Henry has scored eight goals in 11 Premiership appearances against Liverpool, including a hat-trick at Highbury on 9 April 2004.

Jens LEHMANN, Cesc FABREGAS and Kolo TOURE have been on the pitch for every minute of Arsenal's Premiership matches this season.

If he plays, Lehmann will be playing the day after turning 37.

LIVERPOOL
Squad profiles

Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with eight goals.

If he plays, Crouch will be making his 200th career League appearance (QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich, Southampton and Liverpool).

Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have figured in every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.

Jermaine PENNANT made his League debut for Arsenal.

Craig BELLAMY is a hat-trick shy of 50 Premier League goals (Coventry, Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool).

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
12 March 2006 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Arsenal scorers: Henry 21, 83
Liverpool scorer: Luis Garcia 76
Sent Off: Alonso (Liverpool) 81

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and away
League: Arsenal 57 wins, Liverpool 67, Draws 40
Prem: Arsenal 8 wins, Liverpool 13, Draws 7

at Arsenal only
League: Arsenal 36 wins, Liverpool 20, Draws 26
Prem: Arsenal 5 wins, Liverpool 5, Draws 4

[Elias]

Glad to see this one up and running,

Always a good read on the other board! 

Up the Gunners!!!

[ONeill]

What's going on with Wenger?

SULKING Arsene Wenger has cancelled his usual Friday Press conference — for the first time in 10 years.

The Gunners boss is still refusing to talk after being charged with improper conduct by the FA.

Wenger stormed away from Upton Park without comment after his touchline bust-up with West Ham’s Alan Pardew during the 1-0 defeat. He also failed to speak to the media after the 1-0 Carling Cup win at Everton on Wednesday.

Now the moaning monsieur has extended his vow of silence and is not even talking to the club’s official website.

Today’s boycott will be the first time since Wenger took charge at Arsenal in 1996 he has not spoken before a big home match.

And club officials cannot guarantee their manager will speak after Sunday’s clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

As Wenger’s lips remained sealed, it was left to Fulham’s Chris Coleman and Watford’s Aidy Boothroyd to jump to the defence of feuding bosses.

Coleman insisted the FA must be careful not to take the passion out of football.

He said: “Fans want their managers to show passion.

“It would be impossible for me not to celebrate a goal. I’ve found myself standing three yards on to the pitch after we have scored and could not even tell you how I got there.

“What we saw at West Ham was a manager who was under pressure and another who was disappointed that a couple of decisions didn’t go his way. It was understandable.”

Coleman said that Manchester United chief Alex Ferguson was the one boss he would not like to upset.

He said: “The hardest manager in the Premiership? There is only one hard man — and he’s a Scot.”

Boothroyd believes the FA should stop wasting money charging bosses and use it where it matters.

He said: “They should spend more time on the grassroots and educating coaches — and stop messing about with small things.”

Gilberto says:

There were no problems with Mr Wenger and the players because the problem didn't involve the players. But the situation left us scared. We know the manager and we know that he is very polite and calm. Something very bad had happened to make him react like he did. After the game, Mr Wenger didn't talk to anyone. As it wasn't a problem involving the players, he decided not to discuss it with us.

"I have seen it on TV many times, and when West Ham scored Pardew came to our bench to celebrate, but in an offensive way. That made Wenger react how he did, and that is why he had to talk to Pardew about that celebration.

"He was p***ed off about the way he celebrated and, as i said, that was the reason he reacted that way. As I saw it on TV, Pardew said some words that he, as a manager, should have thought about before saying. He should have showed a little more respect. Of course, he could celebrate the goal, but not in the offensive way he did. That is what made Mr Wenger react."

Can it be that AW is simply embarrassed? I don't get it....the media didn't cause this. He was shunning them (on Sunday) long before they had written a word.

[hitzelsperger]

arsenal are going through a stage where they cant score but are making chance after chance. every goal has to be a thing of beauty, they need adebayor playing, he doesnt care if he scores with his head or his arse as long as it crosses the line. thierry, cesc etc need to realise that a goal is a goal wether its from 30 yards or 2yard own goal. i have a feeling some team is going to get a thrashing (as in 5-0) very soon. cant see it being liverpool but i do think we'll beat them 3-1

[Elias]

I remember Arsenal going through stages like this before, and it came good before too much was made of it. Liverpool at home would be a good team to beat to put it behind us.

BTW Paddy Power has RVP @ 6's or Rosicky @ 8's to be tomorrow's first scorer. Worth a fiver maybe.

[ONeill]

I see it's Liverpool v Arsenal in the Carling Cup as well. Asking the reserves to beat Everton was tough enough, but the Reds might be a Mersey journey too far.

[Elias]

Mmmm. you're probably right O'Neill, and I can't see Wenger playing a more senior side as his outlook in the league cup has always been to experiment with the younger guys, something not many Premiership side would entertain.

A win over the "Pool" tomorrow would be enough for me, we need to get the league campaign underway before the others are out of sight 

[ONeill]

I believe Rosicky pulled up in training. A pity, as he was starting to shine as an attacking force.

[ONeill]

Surprisingly easy. A piss-poor Liverpool team were overturned with relative ease. Arsenal have played better in recent games and not won. I liked the Clichy-Gallas-Toure-Eboue back four. Fairly tight defensively with an attacking element down both flanks (even though it was the central defenders who scored). Good to see Henry rolling the sleeves up and getting stuck in - played the captain's part well. Again, Hleb and Fab spent much of the game weaving nice patterns - sometimes it works.

What is slightly annoying is that having won at Old Trafford and annihilated Liverpool, Arsenal are still 10 off the pace. No more losses to bottom half teams needed.

[Dinny Breen]

Surprisingly easy.

Na, always expected an easy 3 points here, Liverpool would always try and play football, once Arsenal scored first this game was never going to be in doubt.

[Elias]

Good victory today, always nice to win at home, esp this season, and to beat Liverpool by this scoreline is always pleasing on the eye.

And not a striker on the scoreboard!!!!

I was gonna post this on the Spurs thread, but it seems to have disaperred. So here it goes:

Reading 3-1 Tottenham

 

We actually STUFFED this team 4-0 recently, I'll write it again in case Mr Fearon doesn't understand this

Arsenal 4- 0 Reading

Makes a mockery of last season where you actually thought you were a better side than Arsenal : 

As if!!??

[Elias]

Sorry, Spurs thread still here, mores the pity 

[ONeill]

Henry scored the winner (another header!) for France v Greece friendly tonight. Surprisingly he played the 90 mins. Worryingly lacking the pace of 2004/5.
Hoyte scored the winner for Eng U21s but Walcott off injured.
Djourou/Senderos c**k-up for Switzerland v Brazil
Cygan scored for Villareal last week!