Good Sunday to you all,
I had a bit of a lie-in, which was most welcome indeed. Well rested and reinvigorated ahead of what’s going to be an absolutely massive few days for Arsenal.
It starts today with the game against the Mugsmashers. We know how important it is. A win would be ideal, a draw would be acceptable but defeat would be a disaster. We now find ourselves 4 points behind Aston Villa who won yesterday and although it’s United in 4th at the moment, and only two points between us, they’ll have two games in hand on us at about 6pm this evening.
So a result today is vital as is the game on Friday against Villa at Villa Park. As it’s Christmas time talk of miracles and all that is par for the course, but normally they’re about matters more pious that Premier League football. Robin van Persie has called our continued participation in the title race a ‘miracle’ and he’s under no illusions how important today is, saying:
We all realise the importance of this match to us and our season, just like we did before the United game and before the Chelsea game. No one is talking about it but you just sense the mood when you come to training. As for me, I shot down Chelsea and now I’m aiming to do the same to Liverpool, I hope I can.
I hope you can too, Robin. We need our big players to perform today. That means van Persie, Adebayor, Cesc, Nasri. Well, we need the whole team to perform but we need a little bit extra from those players because they’re the ones that can provide that something special, the spark of creativity or genius that can win us the game.
Remember, Liverpool have not won the league since 1990. This is about the best position they’ve been in at this time of the season for as long as I can remember and they are going to be highly motivated for this one. They can pretty much finish our title chances today and go a long way to improving their own.
We just have to hope that the Arsenal of the United and Chelsea games turns up today. The one that gave everything from the start, that played well, that took its chances and that got a bit of luck that you sometimes need. This is the biggest game of the season since the last biggest game of the season and ahead of the next potential biggest game of the season on Friday.
In terms of the team the only area we could speculate on is midfield. I think if Nasri plays he’ll play Eboue on the right and then one of the three to partner Cesc. It’ll be interesting to see who he chooses. Although he could just as easily surprise us all, play Nasri on the right, Diaby on the left and Song or Denilson in the middle. Anyway, we’ll find out later on.
Come on Arsenal and come on the Gods of Mugs who do not take kindly to their Mugs being smashed by Mugsmashers. Time for them to pay for the cataclysmic damage they have done.
You can get Cesc’s thoughts on the game and facing so many of his Spanish compatriots at the Mugsmashers here.
Arsenal ‘open to Usmanov’ says the Observer. Danny Fiszman’s quote when asked about a seat on the board for the Fat United supporter? ‘We’ve only just started talking to each other’. Hardly the same thing.
Wenger to Real Madrid says the News of the World. Can’t see it, he just wouldn’t work under that structure, but the prospect of his departure is no longer as unthinkable as it once was. Which is a real shame.
Right, not much else going on. Here’s to the three points today. Come on Arsenal. Come on.
Mañana.
