3-0, or 1-1? Take your pick

Another game?
By Boris Mellor
November 12 2006

Arsenal have only had two kinds of Premiership result at the new stadium, either winning 3-0, or drawing 1-1. That’s three 1-1 draws and two 3-0 victories.

For some its evidence that the Gunners haven’t settled in at the new stadium, but the Gunners have lost two games away, so even less settled there then. At home is still, so far, a sort of fortress.

Henry, according to some Arsenal fans doesn’t care, however Thierry believes he is suffering post World Cup hangover, as is Ronaldinho, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and others. As Henry says footballers are not robots, and I agree with him that wholehearted support is a better way to encourage the team than constant moaning.

Nobody has booed Henry, or the team, but the air of impatience is unsettling, there is great potential at the new stadium, at times the atmosphere lifts off, then the discontent at missing 49 shots out of the last 50, in last two games, begins to unsettle the crowd. Do they think the team is missing on purpose? Or are they buying into the must play ugly theory?

Mr Hansen tells us we will buried in the North West, yet so far the Gunners have buried Man U and Everton up there. I don’t think the team were beaten by in your face football at Upton Park, they were beaten by losing concentration in the last twenty minutes. Wenger rarely gets his tactics wrong, but Pardew’s substitutions worked more effectively. None of this is cause for hysteria or writing the season off, There are still 28 games to go for the Gunners.

Meanwhile Liverpool have not won away from home since the 7^th of May this year. These kinds of stats make me uneasy, you know the sort of thing, the opposition hasn’t scored for three months, guess which mugs give them a goal? A team has not won back to back home matches for 6 months, guess which mugs gift them a win?

The Gunners are always so much better when the opposition are on their best start to the season ever, and no one gives Arsenal a chance.

Since last week Rosicky has joined the long injury list, on the other hand Clichy and Eboue have left it. Freddy and Baptista are expected back around about November 18. Lauren and Diaby are not expected back until the New Year.

Eboue’s powerful running should open things up more, and if Wenger opts for 4-4-2 then Adebayor could get a start. Van Persie, or Walcott could replace Rosicky, unless Arsene uses Flamini after his excellent run out against Everton.

Liverpool have lost Sissoko, which might see Gerrard return to central midfield. They haven’t scored away from home since the start of the season, so they are bound to do it against us (I really hope I am wrong).

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