Premiership football makes a brief return onto the Arsenal horizon today with the visit of Reading to The Emirates. Following on from recent weeks, today’s match is of vital importance to the Club in its pursuit of a Champions League place. Recent FA and Carling Cup activity has put the team into a strong position in the race for third place. Games in hand over Bolton mean that the two point advantage over Big Sam’s Heavy Mob can be increased to five with a win whilst should Manchester United emerge from their lunchtime encounter victorious, the games in hand over Liverpool could equate to a five point advantage in due course.
But I’m getting ahead of myself; Reading have to be overcome first of all. It is a game that Arsenal should win on paper but as Reading showed at Old Trafford, they are capable of defending resolutely if necessary. The only problem with taking that performance is that they played what was called a ‘second string XI‘ that day. In the Premiership, they have not travelled particularly well but have won games on grounds where Arsenal have lost; all four of their away victories to be precise. Perhaps their best result was the recent 2 - 2 draw at Chelsea. On visits to the top four, this is the only point garnered having been beaten at Anfield and Old Trafford. In 2007, they have won seven and drawn two of their eleven games so they are in rude health but let us not forget that in the Premiership this year, Arsenal are still undefeated.
Arsenal though took them apart at The Madejski, something that will no doubt prey on Steve Coppell’s mind in forming his tactics for today’s match as will the apparent ease with which Manchester United tore into them on Tuesday. He will be heartened by the fightback displayed and also that Arsenal have not won in four games, failing to score in three of them. Without Henry, Adebayor and van Persie, Reading will strongly fancy their chances to keep a clean sheet with Baptista and Aliadiere managing the sum total of zero Premiership goals between them this season. From Arsenal’s perspective though, Baptista is getting into positions to miss which in a perverse way brings hope that once a goal comes more will follow in the League. Unfortunately, the Brazilian has his fair share of detractors and the longer that first Premiership goal takes to come, the more vocal they are.
In midfield, Arsenal welcome back Cesc Fabregas following his rest in midweek. In the absence of Rosicky, he will play an even more vital role than he already fills; as Wednesday showed, the Spaniard is sorely missed when he is out. In defence, Johan Djourou may return and if he does, I would expect him to slot into the Right Back position in the absence of the injured Hoyte and suspended Eboue.
My guess at a team for the match is:
Lehmann; Djourou, Senderos, Gallas, Clichy; Walcott, Fabregas, Gilberto, Hleb; Baptista, Aliadiere
If I ruled the world, sorry Meglomania took over for a second there. If I picked the team, I would opt for Walcott ahead of Ljungberg to give more pace to the attack which should ensure that Shorey is penned back into the full back position rather than opting to push forward. I suspect that Denilson will drop to the bench following his exertions on Sunday and Wednesday. For company, I think he will have:
Almunia; Traore, Ljungberg, Denilson, Diaby
Fundamentally because there is no other member of the first team who is fit, unless of course Arsene is telling little Porky Pies about Le Captain but I suspect that he is not. A win of any sort will do for me this weekend, three points all that really matters. Encouragement is taken from the fact that the team are creating numerous chances in games and perhaps this could be the backlash against recent events; certainly something that would give the watching PSV scouts food for thought.
It is certainly a day for encouraging the team, getting behind them from the off and not getting on their backs if things don’t fall into place straight away. A day when the supporters take the lead rather than waiting quietly for the team to do so.
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