please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Day: Sunday 1st January 2017 Kick Off Time: 15:00pm please log in to view this image Head to Head against Crystal Palace: Played: 32 Won: 21 Drawn: 9 Lost: 2 Goals For: 68 Goals Against: 26 GD: 42+ Arsenal's form: WWLLW Crystal Palace's form: WDLLD Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Crystal Palace Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Teams News: Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs and Shkodran Mustafi as they prepare to host Palace on New Year's Day. Speaking after the 1-0 win over West Brom on Boxing Day, which Walcott missed, Arsene Wenger said: "Theo has a small calf problem, but a very small one." Meanwhile, Shkodran Mustafi could make his first appearance since the win over Stoke on December 10, While Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to be in contention and Gibbs will have a 'kick to the knee' assessed before the game. Danny Welbeck, Per Mertesacker, Santi Cazorla and Mathieu Debuchy remain sidelined. Palace midfield duo James McArthur and Joe Ledley missed the draw with Watford on Boxing Day and could again miss out. Loic Remy, Connor Wickham, James Tomkins, Steve Mandanda and Bakary Sako are all still nursing injuries. Damien Delaney is suspended. More updates to follow...
We had a poor result against them last year at The Emirates when we drew 1-1, but the players seemed completely demotivated and were going through the motions after a relatively underwhelming second half of the season. But historically, we've always seemed to get good results against Palace, as our H2H shows. Obviously they may feel buoyed and their players will want to prove a point with Big Sam in charge, and I have no doubt they will look to employ identical tactics to Pulis, so I still think we should start with Giroud up top for this one because I can't see us getting too much joy if we try and break them down with slick, intricate passing. Especially without our key man Santi. With Zaha, Puncheon and Benteke, they will have more lively attacking options than West Brom. So, whilst we will most likely dominate the ball, we need to keep focused at the back because they have speedy players who can damage us if we fail to maintain our discipline. Still expect a tight victory, though.
I can see this one being very much like the West Brom game. Fat Sam will come to shut up shop and try to hit us on the counter. Patience will be the key in this game, unless we get an early goal, which will then force Palace to come out. Agree about Giroud, he's done well whenever he's come into the team this season and I think he deserves a start in this one. We can always switch things around later with Sanchez and Perez if we need to.
Another option would be to start Perez, with Sanchez wide. Perez has done well when he's been in the team and deserves a chance to show what he can do from the start. We've got options to change things around either bringing Giroud on, or moving Sanchez into CF and playing Perez wide.
Personally I think Perez should start this one. Iwobi has been erratic and Ox is injured (but when he starts, he's incosistent too), so Perez should be given some time to shine. Last time he started, he got a hat-trick after all!
Yep, mentioned this above, albeit in a CF role starting. But equally he could start on the flank. I think he's earned a starting place and with Ox and Walcott out, there's a chance for him to stake a place.
Ah sorry for the lack of contact as of late. I've been back in Nigeria for vacation and it is nigh impossible to get WiFi out here. So thanks for the past couple of threads @BrunelGooner I won't be back in the US until about the 7th of January so you'll need to keep up the thread duties until then. Cheers.
We don't get nearly as much activity as we used to get on here. I think a few key posters became more busy in the real world plus a couple have left all together. The only way to change that is for people to try and post as much as they can, stimulate debate etc... And hopefully we'll see activity and member numbers go up!
Mustafi possibly being back for this game or the next is great news. We have look d far less steady at the back since he went out! Him and Kosc are unbeaten when playing together in the league still I believe and it showed when he went out injured! Walcott injury looks to only be a small issue which is good news too. Gibbs is a bit of an issue though as he has looked really good recently while Monreal has been off form.
I did the west brom thread you ungrateful ****ers Sure, it was only one sentence, but it was better than **** all
Yeah good news on the injury front. If mustafi, Gibbs and Walcott are all fit, then for me they should all be starters. I've really liked seeing Gibbs on the left. He offers us another attacking threat down that flank.
But it was a spectacularly boring and uninformative sentence though...this is how I mark my psychos homework...they call me a **** and attack me afterwards but as you dunno where I live I will use you to keep me in practice until school restarts next week
Not happy with Elneny coming in for Coquelin. The Xhaka /Elneny combo has been poor soo far this Season.
Xhaka has played best for us when he has the freedom to move the ball between defense and attack with a player next to him sitting deeper. He has a solid defensive side to his game but with Coq sitting behind him he has the freedom to use his passing range. When El Neny and Xhaka play together it's like they aren't sure who has the defensive responsibility. One of them needs to be the main deep lying midfield player and the other the link between attack and defense.