Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

There’s plenty of ranting and raving amongst Arsenal fans this morning which isn’t surprising or even unwarranted. Some of the stuff is a bit unreal, but that’s true every day now!

What we have left now is the fight for fourth. It’s achievable, but at the moment we have a downward momentum that will be difficult to turn round. I hope that the home crowd can try and play a part in that, as well as the team and management.

The game against Sunderland was always going to be tough after Wednesday and started of course with another defensive reorganization. Koscielny and Gibbs will hopefully be our for just the one game because our patchwork back four only survived about ten minutes before Coquelin was helped off clutching his hamstring. On came Sebastien Squillaci. He hasn’t played in ages and it showed as he misjudged the flight of the ball and struggled to stay goal-side of Sessignon.

He must so regret his move to Arsenal. He had a solid reputation where he was and things didn’t start to badly. But now he lacks confidence and pitch time. And as fourth or fifth choice he inevitably only plays when Arsenal are up against it.

Yesterday we weathered an early onslaught but never really found a rhythm. We could have had a penalty, but we could have conceded one too. We were found out by two determined goals that both went it off our own players. Neither was the fault of the player involved, but it just seemed to some up where we are at the moment. As on Wednesday, the response to going behind was to drop Van Persie a bit deeper and put someone in ahead of him. Henry on Wednesday. Walcott this time. Didn’t work this time either. Neither really got into the game.

That doesn’t mean two strikers isn’t the answer. It’s just that at the moment it seems like a last gasp panic measure. And I’m not sure that Theo makes a great point-man. If this is plan B, then how about:
_______ Song ______
AOC _ Arteta _ Gervinho
_______ Van Persie __
____Chamakh _______

I know Chamakh hasn’t impressed but he has only played bits of games and he is probably more of a threat in the middle than Walcott. He can use his head too, which would give us variety.

But the main thing we need now is heart, in big measures. Last year, going out of the cups put us in a real spin, but we clung on to that Champions League place. Now we have to do the same, despite more teams in the mix this time. The rest of the season looks like a mini-league of Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool. The other three have their troubles too, but it’s going to be a big challenge.

Come on Arsenal.

So yesterday Arsene Wenger locked the team in to tell them exactly what he thought of the performance on Wednesday night. Probably just the right thing to do, but he must of thought quite hard about how to play it with the next crucial game coming up so soon.

This is a big game now. If we hadn’t been so abysmal on Wednesday we might be discussing a relatively relaxed approach to the FA Cup, firmly of the view that the Premier and Champions League are what we are really about.

But that would be a dangerous approach now. At times like this it’s about momentum. As we found out too painfully last season, if you pick up too much speed running down hill it gets hard to stop. Barring a miracle we went out of the Champions League on Wednesday. Tomorrow we really need to stay in the FA Cup.

If we don’t, we will be in a very bad place mentally for the next game against the best Spurs side in twenty years – defending fourth spot. We are only in fourth on goals scored. Bloody hell this post is getting depressing.

Who should play then? Obviously Koscielny is out and Henry departed, but Gervinho has returned. Will he go straight back in. No-one who played on Wednesday really distinguished themselves although Van Persie saw so little of the ball the he had no real chance.

None of them could complain if they were dropped and some will be, but I’m not sure that this is the moment for wholesale change. It’s more a case of players going out there and restoring their professional reputation. Which is probably why Arsene Wenger decided that letting fly with both barrels was the way to go yesterday.

I’m guessing that Djourou will have to partner Vermaelen in the centre of defence rather than Squillaci or Miquel. The next most likely change is Gervinho for Walcott or Oxlade-Chamberlain. Neither were great on Wednesday, but AOC probably showed the most grit of the two.

The other possible change I guess is to use Coquelin somewhere in midfield.

I not going to predict a team at this stage. This is mainly going to be about mental strength and what Arsene Wenger saw in each of their faces after he told them the facts of life in short easy to understand words.

Can’t help feeling that these next two games are our season now. Come on Arsenal!

No big surprises in the Arsenal squad that travelled to Milan.

Goalkeepers
Lukasz Fabianski, Wojciech Szczesny
Defenders
Johan Djourou, Kieran Gibbs, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen
Midfield
Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun, Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Song
Forwards
Andrey Arshavin, Thierry Henry, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott

Yesterday Arsene Wenger spent a lot of time saying nothing decisive about whether Gibbs will start. On the one hand it’s the natural thing to do but on the other it would be the San Siro for first game back etc.

But he did also talk about Vermaelen being more natural in a central role. He hasn’t taken Miquel to Milan, so if it isn’t Gibbs or Vermaelen then Sagna or Coquelin are is going to have to play wrong-footed if you see what I mean. I suspect that Arsene Wenger does know what he’s going to do but is happy to keep Milan guessing about any area of uncertainty he can get away with. I think Gibbs will start.

If Milan have weaknesses they are generally reckoned to be a lack of pace and width. If the plan really is to get after Milan from the start then that’s got to be an argument for both Gibbs and Oxlade-Chamberlain getting a start.

It would be good to see Arsenal with two genuine fullbacks again. That isn’t a criticism of all the players who’ve been plugging the gap: Coquelin, Djourou, Koscielny, Miquel and Vermaelen. But none of them are really fullbacks and it’s had a noticeable affect the way Arsenal get forward.

I hope we’ll see Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain making surging runs into the box. I know that Blackburn and AC Milan don’t belong in the same sentence, but the pace and width we employed in that game showed how we can make the players we’ve got more dangerous.

I think that a confident and determined Arsenal can come away from tonight with an away goal and a result.

Come on you Gunners!

Well that feels a lot better of course, though the toothless Bolton game still does my head in.  Look where we could be!  Anyway, back to the good news.

After a run of Sunday games we were first up for a change with a lunchtime kick-off. Our rivals are all still to play.  What a game it was.  Same squad as Bolton but Coquelin and Rosicky started rather than Sagna and Ramsey.  Sensible changes.  Ramsey has looked jaded of late and Sagna is coming back from a long lay-off.  On Wednesday of course the whole team looked jaded.  Not yesterday.

In less than two minutes Walcott set up Van Persie for a tap-in.  Confidence flooding all around.  Arsenal in control, on a stroll, not going to blow this one!  But then Koscielny pulls down Modeste just outside the box.  Pedersen’s freekick was inch perfect and Blackburn were level.  Surely we weren’t going to blow it again?

Despite getting level, Blackburn just didn’t seem to have it in them to take advantage.  So Walcott and Van Persie went and did exactly the same. 2:1.

That was the game for Blackburn then.  They had nothing left and the stage was set for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first Premier League goal.  Set-up by Van Persie with a fantastic pass onto a clever run from Chamberlain.  With composure he took three touches to collect the ball, get some room and then score.  3:1

As Arsene Wenger said after the game, Chamberlain has made a very rapid transition from youth player to confident first-teamer.  I’m not always a big fan of Mark Lawrenson’s punditry, but he was spot-on last night about AOC: what marks him out already is that he has a bit of everything.

Explosive pace to lose opponents, head up early to read the game, intelligent runs, strength to stay on the ball under pressure, composure to finish.

We all rolled our eyes in the summer didn’t we?  There goes Arsenal blowing a thick wad on a teenager when we need maturity.  Well we were right but so was he! Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a major signing for Arsenal.  He’s currently leading our match poll.

Today the pace and movement of Ox and Walcott either side of the sublime Van Persie looked unstoppable.  OK, so we can’t play Blackburn every week, but it looked fresh and dangerous.  Running into the box scares the hell out of defenders good and bad.

Blackburn were dead now but not content to let Arsenal to do all the burying!  A desperate two-footed lunge from Givet on Van Persie earned him a straight red.  All this and the second half still to come.

The second half was more one-way traffic.  Arteta collected a loose ball from a corner and forced a goal through a deflection.  4:1

Then a great run from Walcott sets up AOC for his second.  5:1.

Another hat-trick for Robin Van Persie.  Very similar to the first two, but this time the pass came from Coquelin.  You could call them all tap-ins, but that takes something away from Van Persie.  He has that talent to check and dart that loses his markers and gives him space to receive the ball and score.  6:1

Now the most curious bit of the game.  We’re 6:1 up and RVP, without whom our season etc etc, has already suffered a couple of crunching tackles.  He can surely come off can’t he?  No he can’t!

Sagna, Henry and Benayoun come on, but Van Persie stays put.  Just how big a cushion is needed to let Park Ju-Young give Van Persie a early finish?  Clearly Arsene Wenger doesn’t rate him highly, but really, just how bad can he be?  If a five goal lead against ten isn’t safe enough, there have to be other players in the squad who can sit on the bench don’t there?

Anyway, the game was nearly done.  It just had enough in it to let Henry play one-two with Van Persie and score number seven.  Bit of a lucky defection true, but he worked hard to win the ball and get there so he deserved the goal.  7:1, majestic, emphatic, about time!

Now we can relax and watch our rivals play later.  Dream results would be losses for Chelsea and Newcastle against Man Utd and Aston Villa respectively.  Both possibilities!  Then tomorrow Tottenham play Liverpool.

So potential to improve our standing having finally got it right yesterday.  All good.

So, Thomas Eisfeld then?  Haven’t a clue to be honest.  I mean, we’d all learned up about Mario Gotze and it turns out we’re buying the other teenage attacking midfielder from Dortmund.  The one who isn’t tipped by all the big past stars of German football and isn’t called Super Mario.  Poor kid!

Not sure how much we’ll see of him this season.   He has played no first team games for Borussia Dortmund and Arsene Wenger has said that there will be a period of adaptation.  So I doubt that he will feature much before the autumn.  Which is a pity because the bad news of the day was confirmation that Jack Wilshere is unlikely to feature before next season as well.  So Gotze would have been just the job.

But the truth is that no ‘big name’ was likely to come in this January.  People can witter on all they like about Arsenal having plenty in the bank and that Arsenal have to buy, but you can only buy if people want to come.  What big star would commit to Arsenal in January when we are six points off a Champions League spot?  This may be unfamiliar territory for younger fans, but it’s where we are and we will only change it on the pitch with the player we have.

The news about Jack Wilshere is quite a blow as we could do with more midfield cover as the season goes on.  Arteta and Ramsey have both done a great job but Ramsey is looking a bit jaded and Arteta didn’t have the best of fitness records before joining Arsenal.  Rosicky is doing a great job at the moment bit you don’t see him starting many consecutive games.

Which brings us on to the team to face Bolton tonight.  Bolton are fourth from bottom but we haven’t let such things get in the way of an embarrassing slip-up before.  Laurent Koscielny is right to warn against any complacency.

Last night, Chelsea were kind enough to leave a couple of points in Swansea, so we need seize the opportunity.  Arteta, and Henry are apparently both good to start, but it is less likely for Sagna.  There are no additional injuries from the Villa game.

Our current league form is, of course, dire with three losses on the trot.  Bolton on the other hand have had a good month with victories over Everton and Liverpool and progress on the cup.  Losing at Old Trafford was their only problem in January.

So a strong team choice is order to ensure we get back to winning ways.  Only two real choices to makes I guess, Sagna v Coquelin/Djourou and Ox v Arshavin.  Bolton are not particularly pacey on the left so Djourou would be ok, but I would prefer Coquelin.  As for the other choice, Arsene Wenger has talked of a cautious development of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s career so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arshavin start with the younger player back on Saturday at Bolton.

So something like this:

______ Szczesny ______
Coq _ Merte _ Kos _ Verm
________ Song _______
___ Arteta __ Ramsey __
Walcott _ RVP _ Arshavin

If ever there were a game of two halves….  Amazing turnaround yesterday to go through to the fourth round against Sunderland or Middlesborough.

January has been a crap month for us with three league games lost in a row and controversy over that substitution.  Put together with the likelihood that the temporary appearance of Thierry Henry will be the only form of reinforcement it was looking even more grim by half-time yesterday.

In the first half we watched that frustrating Arsenal that shows flashes of class but then sloppily squanders them.  Signs of superiority for a while, but without taking control.  It took Villa a little while to capitalise, but you feared it was coming.  Come it did, twice.  The second was a good finish from Bent on a very tight angle, but both were poor goals to succeed.

In the second half though, Arsenal were transformed.  Eager, faster and more direct.  Don’t know what Arsene Wenger said during the break but we were a different team.  All three Arsenal goals came as a result of strong runs into the box.  A bit of luck too, but the sort of luck that doesn’t come without pressurising your opponents.

Some really rate Richard Dunne and I’ve seen him put in some solid, professional performances.  But for Arsenal’s first goal he panicked big time.  Aaron Ramsey surged into the box but had probably pushed the ball a bit further ahead than he wanted.  He was certainly only evens with Given to collect first and odds against to score.  But before either could win that race, Dunne appeared on an unstoppable slide that cleaned Ramsey out.  Penalty, no question.

Nicely taken by Van Persie.  Given guessed right and was agile as ever, but the ball was beyond him.  Van Persie sprinted back to the centre spot with the ball, Arsenal were in with a shout.

Then we were level.  Again it came from a strong run with the ball into the box and a slice of luck.  Theo Walcott jinked his way in from the right, along the line, but there was no obvious pass on.  Another jink and a hopeful stab could have come to nothing but for the hapless Hutton stabbing the ball back into Walcott’s path for a rebound into the goal.  Another piece of well earned luck.  Alan Hutton you had that coming after your last appearance against Arsenal.

Same again for the third goal.  This time Koscielny surged forward, bursting through into the box.  Darren Bent had tracked most of his long run and I guess a sort of mental momentum took over.  He went for the tackle even though he was too late and too directly behind Koscielny.  On the ground he gestured hopefully that he’d got to the ball, but no chance.  He’d gone straight through Koscielny to get there and it was another straightforward penalty decision.

Given gambled on Robin Van Persie repeating the first one and went early to his right.  Robin went the other way and we were winning.  After that we weren’t going to throw it away.  Villa did have the odd attack, but Koscielny, Mertesacker and Fabianski dealt with them all.  Mainly it was more Arsenal pressure.

Henry, Arteta and Sagna came on as late subs to keep Villa exercised.  Good to see Bacary Sagna on his way back, because to be honest Francis Coquelin had a torrid old time against Agbonlahor.  Arteta though wasn’t so badly missed last night as Tomas Rosicky played an absolute blinder.

After the game, ESPN pundit Martin Keown was talking through the highlights.  With Laurent Koscielny onscreen he said that there were some real leaders beginning to emerge in this team.  He was certainly right about Koscielny.  He is a star and he is putting some backbone into Arsenal too.  He is the clear winner in our match poll despite strong support for Rosicky and Van Persie.

So, finally some cheer to end a dismal month.  Next up this week is a double helping in the league – Bolton on Wednesday, Blackburn Saturday.  The first half Arsenal will turn both into nail-biters, won or lost on a late, lonely goal.  Second half Arsenal will take six points with ease.

Come on you Gunners.

Apart from Thierry’s winner against Leeds United, January has been a thoroughly crap month. Let’s hope we can end it with a win against Villa tomorrow. I know the league is our main focus nut when you’re in a losing rut you just need any kind of win.

A big part of our problem has been injuries of course and the news there is good and bad. Arteta, Henry and Coquelin are likely to be available and Sagna could make the bench.

The news that Jack Wilshere has suffered a set-back this week is depressing. He’s said to be gifted and I’m sure he is. It’s frustrating for us as fans, must be so much worse for him.

Of the potential returnees, I think it’s Arteta we’ve missed the most. We’ve definitely lacked composure and possession whilst he’s been out so if just one of them is ready I hope it’s him. If there’s any doubt about Coquelin, I wouldn’t be disappointed to see Yennaris at fullback. He’s looked alright and it’s his position.

Last time we played Villa we won with a late Benayoun header. Since then they’ve added Keane on loan. He may not be quite the player he was, but he’s still a big threat. I think it could be a tough game.

Will Oxlade-Chamberlain get a start? I think he might just, although Arsene Wenger was on bit of a mission to fix Arshavin’s confidence yesterday. But form is the thing and managers earn their corn by being ruthless when required. So it would be good to see AOC, even if he doesn’t have the stamina for ninety minutes yet.

Course, if he can’t do ninety minutes, Arsene Wenger won’t relish repeating THAT substitution! But if Henry is fit he can be spared that option.

Maybe he’ll start them both and leave Theo sitting on the bench pondering where to pitch his contract bid.

Predicting a team line-up is difficult when so many players are on the cusp of match fitness, but how about something like this -

______ Szczesny ______
Yen _ Merte _ Kos _ Verm
_______ Song ________
__ Arteta ___ Ramsey __
Walcott __ RVP ___ AOC

He may not be as fast as before and we will have to see what he’s got in the tank. But in twenty minutes he showed that he still has a level of movement off the ball, composure, skill and commitment that can change a game.

Thierry Henry, did I need to say who, was the inevitable winner of our match poll. He probably would have been so just for stepping onto the pitch, but scoring the winner made it a no contest. It changed the game too of course.

Arsenal dominated possession and created chances. Arshavin worked like never before. Arteta, Ramsey, Chamakh and Chamberlain attacked and attacked. But it was almost as if they were trying too hard. The final ball often faltered rather than found the target. By half-time we must have had about a dozen chances and only tested the Leeds keeper on a couple.

We never looked in danger but the longer it stayed goaless you began to worry about us losing to a sole Leeds strike on goal. To add to the anxiety we suffered another defensive injury. Sprinting down the right to overlap with Chamberlain, Coquelin pulled up and fell to the ground clutching his hamstring. I’m guessing that’s the last we’ll see of him for a few weeks and it adds impetus to the search for some loaned reinforcement at the back.

Some say that playing out of position adds to the risk of injury and you wonder how often Coquelin sprints like that in training. He was replaced by number fifty-something Nico Yennaris, who, apart from nervously conceding a couple of corners, did a good job.

But back to the story which is dominating all sports coverage this morning. When Henry came on he showed the difference between good endeavour and class. He got into dangerous positions, he found space where the others got lost in a crowd of Leeds defenders. For extra encouragement he also ran to block and cover when we didn’t have the ball.

The goal when it came was classic Henry. He drifted wide, pulling a defender with him but still getting a yard of space. Looking along the line of defenders, he timed his move to perfection. Song played the ball through the gap and Henry was there to collect it. As he made his first touch I smiled and thought: I know what he does from there. He opens his body up and with his second touch he strokes the ball across the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. Beautiful.

It was a fairy tale script made real. Good job too, because we were struggling to break through a Leeds defence that worked and concentrated hard throughout. They didn’t many chances because they played so deep. But they were keeping us out despite having little possession.

If Thierry Henry hadn’t been there, either Arshavin, Arteta or Ramsey would have been man of the match for their sheer industry. And you don’t get to say that about Arshavin often. But we would probably be facing an unwelcome replay at Elland Road.

Instead the substitutes Walcott and Henry did the trick. Walcott’s pace and Henry’s experience stretched the Leeds defence just a little bit more than it could take and the gaps and the goal came.

One-nil to the Arsenal and the return of the king instead of frustration.

A year ago we played Leeds United in the Third Round of the FA Cup, just as we are today.  We very nearly went out. Arsene Wenger changed half the team and we couldn’t cope with Leeds.  They got a goal and kept us pegged back.  In the end we escaped with a very late penalty and won the replay.

Just like last year we are going to have changes to the team.  Djourou is our with a red card.  Gervinho has departed to join his national team in the African Cup of Nations.  Arsene Wenger has decided that Robin Van Persie must take a break and it’s hard to argue with that.

So that’s three changes.  Then there’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Ahead of the Fulham game, Arsene Wenger said Chamberlsin was very close to a first team start, but he didn’t feature.  Was Arsene Wenger thinking ahead to this game?  Is that four changes?  Then we also have to think about Arteta, who had played just about every game since he joined the club.

So very quickly you can see a case for changing half the team, just like last year.  And as Arsene Wenger says, this is the third most important competition for the club out the three were in.  But we don’t want to lose right?

What that means is no start for Thierry Henry, though I would be surprised to see him on at some stage to get some match time.  I also think that it means Song stays in and Coquelin stays at fullback.  I’ve seen some suggesting that Song could be rested, but I think that would be a change too many.

I reckon there are two big choices.  First is whether to put Squillaci or Miquel in the back four.  I would like to see Miquel.  He is the future, so give him experience.  Second is whether to give all the attacking slots to players with something to prove, or whether to put Arshavin or Benayoun in to add experience.  Whether Arteta needs a rest is something that only Arsene and his team know.

So I hope we won’t see in any more changes than this:

______ Szczesny _______
Kos _ Merte _ Miquel _ Coq
________ Song _________
_ AOC _ Rosicky _ Rambo _
___ Chamakh _ Park _____

But that might still be too many.

Meanwhile, the draw for the next round had already happened and if we sort out Leeds, we are at home to Villa which isn’t the easiest of games but not the hardest either.  Most interesting tie in the draw is Liverpool v Manchester United after the Suarez incident.  Will Evra play. Will he suffer abuse on or off the pitch?

Hopefully this will be a chance for players and fans to step up, but I’m not holding my breath.  I hope Liverpool are going to be proactive about creating the right atmosphere for the game.

The transfer rumour mill spins on, now throwing out entertaining claims that we will pay £100m for Hulk from Porto to replace a departing Van Persie or, alternatively that we will swap RVP for two Real Madrid players.  Well I suppose that’s more exciting than pondering a loan deal for a fullback!

Back later with Arsenal Man of the Match Poll.

I have dozed and slept most the weekend and what have I missed? Not too much really. No great cup upsets to speak of. Bolton should have seen off Macclesfield and QPR should have buried MK Dons. Wigan fans will be slightly irked by losing to Swindon, but they know that fighting relegation is the more important battle. I have woken up for United v City, which is getting interesting.

When I was a kid I was completely transfixed by the FA Cup and would spend the whole of Saturday switching between Frank Bough on Grandstand and Dickie Davies on World of Sport. There were features on carworkers and shopkeepers who would be playing for ‘minnows’ like Bideford or Alvechurch against ‘giants’ like Derby County and Nottingham Forrest. Teams like Hendon would get a draw at St James Park and then get tonked in the replay. Blyth Spartans sounded strangely exotic, but wasn’t.

Now, somehow I’m unmoved. Have I just grown up or has the long diet of European football cast the FA Cup into the shadows? Then again, there was that barney we had up at Old Trafford! The one with the pizza. That got my attention but the competition as a whole doesn’t move me so much now.

The most notable thing to happen in the Third Round so far has been that someone at Anfield shouted racial abuse at a black Oldham player. A man has now been arrested. Presumably his defence will be that he found the club’s guidance on the subject confusing and that, in any event, he only meant the words in a friendly way to calm the lad’s nerves on the big occasion.

Meanwhile, the papers would have us believe that great transfer tussles are going on with Arsenal pouncing or, alternatively, getting snubbed over various players. Matius Suarez is the flavour of the weekend for Arsenal rumours and gives me the chance of two Suarez tags in the same post. Demba Ba also gets some mentions by those who’ve forgotten the stories they wrote last week about Newcastle struggling now the African Cup of Nations is upon us.

My transfer window predictions remain the same, in the following order of likelihood:
1) Henry plus a fullback on loan.
2) Just Henry.
3) Henry, a fullback and a striker.

Anyway, the odds’n'ends are taking over this post so back to the plot. Who will play for Arsenal tomorrow against Leeds United? Will it be the return of the King?

Part of me can’t wait. Part of me dreads the thought of some Leeds United numptie deciding to get fifteen minutes of fame by reminding Thierry just want cup football on a cold January evening is all about! Followed by an announcement that Thierry is out for at least six weeks.

We played Leeds in the FA Cup last year of course, snatching a late draw and then winning the replay 3:1. This was the team for the draw:

Szczesny
Eboue, Djourou, Squillaci, Gibbs
Song, Denilson, Rosicky
Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner

Vela, Walcott and Fabregas came on as subs and Cesc saved our embarrassment with a late penalty equalizer. In the replay the starting line-up was beefed up by Sagna, Koscielny and Nasri.

So what about tomorrow. Well we know that Thierry Henry is available and Chamakh. But Van Persie and Gervinho won’t feature.

How will Arsene Wenger perm four from: Coquelin, Squillaci, Mertesacker, Miquel and Koscielny? Is there a start for Yennaris maybe?

Up front, Wenger has talked of Chamakh and maybe Park. Perhaps he will play both with Thierry waiting on the bench.

Before the Fulham game, Arsene Wenger said that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was very close to a start but he didn’t feature at all. Will he be in for the Leeds game?

How about:

______ Szczesny _______
Kos _ Merte _ Miquel _ Coq
________ Song _________
_ AOC _ Rosicky _ Rambo _
___ Chamakh _ Park _____

Or is that a bit risky up front? What do you think?