Match Day Thread Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough 2016/17 Official Match Thread

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Venue: Emirates Stadium
Saturday, October 22nd 2016
KO Time: 15.00 BST

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Head to Head Against Middlesbrough:
Played: 125
Wins: 62
Draws: 32
Losses: 31
Goals For: 240
Goals Against: 144
Goal Difference: 96

Last 6 Meetings:
Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough (FA Cup)
Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 2-1 Arsenal
Middlesbrough 1-1 Arsenal​

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Arsène Wenger has given an update on our latest team news ahead of Saturday’s game against Middlesbrough.
on the latest team news…
Well, from Wednesday night it looks like we have no big problems. The only uncertainty I have is Santi Cazorla, who got a kick. We’ll see how he is today but we have nobody coming back. Of course we lose Xhaka because he’s suspended and everybody else should be available.

on Ramsey and Giroud…
They are progressing well. Olivier Giroud could maybe be involved on Tuesday and certainly will need one more week sharpening up. He could be available but we want him really to be 100 per cent fit before we bring him back.

on Ramsey’s progression…
Ramsey is progressing well and I believe fitness-wise he is 90 per cent there. His potential return could be not against Reading on Tuesday, but maybe Sunderland.

on Welbeck..
He could be back in January. After that let’s not forget he was already out for a year, so we might have to be patient. To get him back to a really competitive level… it will certainly take two months of competition to get back to his best.

on what stage he is at…
No [he is not out running yet], he will be starting to run in two weeks.​

 

• Mesut Ozil has scored or set up 51 goals in 90 league games for Arsenal (18 goals, 33 assists), the same total he had after 90 league games for Real Madrid (14 goals, 37 assists).

 

Just seen a clip of an interview with Bellerin. He gets asked what he would do if Barca contact him and he replies "I won't answer the phone" while laughing. Great response

 

With our next game being in the league cup and Wenger likely to play those with less game time I think we will see a strong team today.


--------------Cech--------------
Bellerin-Mustafi--Kosc---Monreal
------Coquelin----El-Neny------
Walcott------Ozil-----Oxocube
--------------Sanchez-----------

Unless Cazorla is fit to play after his knock during the week in which case he will be in for El Neny. I think Oxo will play after his goal during the week as Wenger will want to give him game time while he is confident, but it may be Iwobi.

Gibbs, Ospina, Perez, Gabriel/Holding and El Neny all to play during the week.

 

I would go with a similar lineup. Unfair to bench Iwobi but its good to see OXO play well. It will also be good to see both Coqs and Elneny play together and maybe try Perez as CF and put Sanchez back to left wing.We have a few options even with a few injuries.

I didn't think it would happen but Ramsey might find it hard to break into our midfield when he's back. Our midfield has really strengthened to the point where players like Ramsey will find it hard to come back in. Welbeck will face a similar problem as Walcott is on fire and if Perez starts firing, then he will find it even tougher. I can only see injuries open up opportunities for both.

 

Various live streams - https://www.reddit.com/r/soccerstre...tch_thread_1400_gmt_arsenal_vs_middlesbrough/

 

Very sloppy start,maybe that wake up call will help.

 

This is rubbish, we've created nothing and Middlesbrough could have had 3

 

Up date, Shocking performance so far.

 

Despite us dominating the ball, Middlesbrough could easily be 3-0 up. Not good enough so far.

 

Need to really wake up 2nd half. Poor performance.

Give Perez a run at 60 mins if nothing changes.

 

I think we are suffering from the midweek exertions - physically, some of lads thinking it is only Boro - (mentally), we just need to turn up and also Santi will be big miss, so will Xhaka. The Coq and Elneny are far too similar imho.

 

Lucky to be on level terms,say's it all really, hairdryer required.

 

ermmm reality check time!!

 

0-0. HT.

After the first 20 minutes, where you would have thought it was only a matter of time before we scored, Middlesbrough came into the game. Traore has been skinning both of our fullbacks, as well as Koscielny, who is no slouch. From that point on, they've grown in confidence. Ramirez should have scored twice as well. Monreal has been poor, Iwobi hasn't been in the game and we've not been creating much because our build-up play/final ball hasn't been good enough. Defensively, we haven't been clearing our lines properly, either.

At the very least, we're fortunate not to be 2-0 down. Some excellent goalkeeping and bad finishing are the only reasons why the score is 0-0. They've had double the shots that we've had, which is pretty embarrassing.

Need to be more focused and penetrative in the second half.

 

This game shows how vital Santi Cazorla is to the team.

 

Monreal having a poor last few games

 

Wenger needs to make changes now. Arsenal are playing so lethargically.

 

Why does Wenger take so long to make changes? What we're currently doing isn't ****ing working, so do something to change it ffs