THIS IS IT.
This is it. The final day of the season and Champions League qualification rests on this result. If we win: we qualify – and depending on Chelsea’s result against Everton we may have a third place playoff decider. (Although that is very unlikely.) If we don’t win, it falls into the hands of them down the road. I don’t even want to think about that though.
We last beat Newcastle United at St James’ Park in 2009; a 3-1 win, with goals from Nickas Bendtner, Abou Diaby and Samir Nasri, and even included a fine penalty save from Manuel Almunia.
Our trips up North have always proved testing, but with Newcastle now safe from relegation they have nothing to play for. Nonetheless, their squad is one with immense talent. I am a big admirer of Davide Santon and Yohan Cabaye, although their whole squad has underperformed this season and have only just steered clear of relegation.
Our last meeting with Newcastle at St James’ Park finished a rather uninspiring 0-0. This time around however I see nothing other than an Arsenal win although, I will admit I said the same about Wigan Athletic and at half time I was slightly concerned. The performance in the second half I’m pleased to say diminished any fears I had. We’ve clocked up an impressive 23 points from our last nine games and havevwon the last four away from home, albeit in not the best fashion. That said, we wouldn’t have won those games last year and I am pleased to see that we have started to grind out results especially away from home. I think this is in no part down to the blend of experience we now have within the squad, namely Per Mertesacker, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta.
“OH NO! ZAT LITTLE GRANDMOTHER IST SCHNELLER ZAN I AM!“
I have had tedious arguments with friends in regards to Mertesacker. We all know he’s not the quickest guy over 10 yards… hell, I’d back my nan to outpace him over 25 yards!… but his simple passing out from the back and safety first approach is fine with me. He is a rock and it is no surprise to me that Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are unbeaten in their last 17 starts together, winning 10 and drawing seven. With Olivier Giroud back from suspension, I’d expect to see him on the bench. Lukas Podolski had a quiet but effective game against Wigan, scoring twice and did enough to retain his place in the starting XI for me.
The decision to give Alan Pardew an eight-year contract was met at the time with plaudits from the footballing world that a manager could be trusted to build and mould a football team without fear of the ever present axe from above – now, however, that could prove to be a foolish move from Newcastle. I believe that Pardew has done all he can at Newcastle and agree with Karen Brady that he does this with all of the clubs he has managed. Pardew comes in, makes a few signings and the squad play good football for a season or two; then the slump sets in and his teams go downhill fast. I wonder what the reaction would be should Arsene Wenger be handed an 8-year deal?
We all know the ramifications of not finishing fourth. It would put a real dent in our ambitions of signing proven quality, not to mention the pockets of the club. I’ve seen some fans state they hope we don’t qualify for the Champions League in the hope it makes the club realise just how far we are from competing for the Premier League again. If we don’t qualify, I strongly believe it would be the start of a Liverpool-esque situation that will see us slide slowly but surely down the league for a good few years. It is imperative we get behind the team. Our away support is the best in the land and I know the travelling boys will be in full song come tomorrow at 4pm.
For one last time this season, Up The Arsenal!
Possible Starting Lineups –
Guardian – Possible lineups
Arsenal Subs From
Fabianski, Mannone, Martínez, Jenkinson, Monreal, Yennaris, Miquel, Vermaelen, Squillaci, Coquelin, Gnabry, Oxlade-Chamberlin, Arshavin, Giroud, Arteta
Newcastle Subs From
Alnwick, Santon, Amalfitano, Perch, Williamson, Bigirimana, Anita, Campbell, Sammy Ameobi, Marveaux
Injuries
Arsenal Miyaichi (ankle, Aug), Diaby (knee, Dec)
Newcastle Shola Ameobi (knee, Aug), Vuckic (knee, Aug), Haïdara (hamstring, Aug), Krul (shoulder, Aug), Sissoko (knee, Aug), R Taylor (knee, Aug 2013)
Betting Tips –
By Ryan Barker follow me on twitter @RyArsenal
The magic of The FA Cup sparkled again on Saturday evening with Wigan Athletic beating Manchester City 1-0. It was not only a victory for Wigan, but many mooted it as being a victory for football – a hearty performance from a squad that cost less than Gareth Barry, Oil Money 0-1 Hearty football. But that’s a different story for a different day. On to Tuesday evening where we host Wigan at The Emirates. Off the back of their FA Cup win, one of two things will happen; either they will attack from the off and be buoyed into believing they can avoid the drop (and FA Cup Winner omens are with them as no FA Cup winning team has ever been relegated in the same season) or they will be knackered from the weekend. I hope it is the latter. It does surprise me that Wigan are in this mess for the second year in a row. I traveled to The DW Stadium earlier in the season for our 1-0 win and although we didn’t put in a vintage display, Wigan played some good football, not only on that day but also throughout the season. The Roberto Martinez love in is one that I am not a part of. I am pleased for the man but it seems to me that Martinez is a manager who thrives under pressure. Regardless of my views, he will be looking to fire up his players for a vital clash with us. Arsenal however will be playing to ensure Champions League qualification. With Chelsea winning 2-1 on Saturday it is pivotal that we walk off the field with 3 points. As I write this, Stoke vs Spurs are about to kick off and I’m praying to everyone that will listen that Stoke do us an unlikely favor. It is vital that we do not switch off after the opening 25 minuets like we did at QPR last weekend. We have to ensure that we see out the game.
Away from our game it’s been an interesting week transfer wise. Wayne Rooney has emerged as a potential target for us amid a lot of dismissive talk on Twitter. If we did actually bid for Rooney, I’d be over the moon. The signing itself would be a massive statement of intent, plus it would technically make us even for selling Van Persie to them. Rooney has seen a blip in form, but get him back to his best, which I believe we can and we’ve got a 25+ goal a season man, something we’ve lacked in recent years. I would prefer Rooney to Jovetic, mainly as Rooney is a proven success in the Premier League. Add to that he’s English, with Theo Walcott, The Ox, Jenkinson, Wilshere and Gibbs, we’ve got an English crux, something else that some fans have been crying out for a while for. So, let’s recap that transfer 1) Big money spent. Tick. 2) Big name signing. Tick. 3) English. Tick. 4) Proven quality in the Premier League. Tick. 5) Doesn’t need developing. Tick. Five things that some fans have yearned for. If this one’s got any legs, I’m ecstatic. Another potential target is Lukasz Piszczek of Borrusia Dortmund. The Telegraph are reporting that if Bacary Sagna departs in the Summer, Piszczek is the number one target. Costing around £12m he wouldn’t be cheap. The Telegraph also state that Begovic is also an option for us, but the £15m Stoke will hold out for would be a stumbling block.
Team News
Wigan – Antolin Alcaraz, Jean Beausejour (both hamstring), Maynor Figueroa (groin) and Ronnie Stam (ankle) have all picked up knocks in recent games, joining long-term absentees Albert Crusat and Ivan Ramis on the sidelines.
Arsenal – Giroud (suspended). Fabianski (Rib Injury) & Miyachi (Ankle Injury) could return.
Any comments/feedback @RyArsenal
With no game over the weekend due to Wigan’s participation in the FA cup, it leaves things reasonably quiet again from an Arsenal perspective.
We’re currently holding a one-point edge over Tottenham with two matches left in the race for a Champions League berth. The outcome will decide exactly how much leverage Arsene Wenger has during the always important summer transfer window.
Elite players are normally looking for a chance to play in Europe’s top club competition; so if the Gunners are planning to aim high in the coming months, they must take care of business in very winnable matches against Wigan and Newcastle.
As Arsenal focus on locking up a coveted Champions League spot, let’s examine some of the latest transfer buzz involving the club. It includes talk about Wayne Rooney, whose future at Manchester United remains up in the air.
Rooney has spent nearly a decade with Manchester United, developing into one of the league’s most dangerous attacking players during that time. Now he’s 27 and where he starts next season is likely to become one of the summer’s biggest transfer sagas.
Reports are circulating Arsenal and Chelsea have joined the Rooney sweepstakes, which already included Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. It’s also stated the longtime United star had requested a move before Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement.
If United decided to move Rooney, one of the biggest question marks would be whether or not staying in the Premier League is an option. If so, Arsenal could certainly use a natural striker like him to lead the attack. But it would come down to the asking price, which could be sky high if PSG is involved.
After two straight strong Premier League seasons with Swansea, it’s no surprise Williams is starting to generate some attention. The 28-year-old defender has been a stalwart for the Capital One Cup champions and could handle the jump to a bigger club.
Arsenal and Liverpool are both interested in adding him to their back lines. Swansea clearly isn’t in any hurry to move him, however, having reportedly placed a £10 million price tag on their budding star.
While that’s definitely a high asking price for Williams, it’s not an unreasonable starting point for negotiations. He would further solidify an Arsenal back line that’s been the most consistent part of the club throughout the campaign.
Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed my first piece. Up the Arsenal.
By Josh.
Follow me on twitter – @_JoshCazorla49
We’re really are at the crunch time the end of the season now and it is looking more likely to be a North London fight for the fourth spot in the league. With Chelsea doing what they had to at Old Trafford, that result couldn’t be more devastating for an Arsenal Fan. The points tally [...]
Once again Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been linked with League 1 giants PSG. This is by no means a new rumour, but the Telegraph report that ‘PSG’s most senior figures have been telling members of their circle that Wenger has been persuaded to leave north London after 17 years in charge.’ The French club’s [...]
There’s been gossip about arsenal transfers in every paper virtually since the beginning of the season, linking us with all sorts of players from zaha to cavani. It’s a roller-coster being an arsenal fan. When players get linked with us you get caught in a trap knowing its not going to happen but getting your [...]
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Click here to get the NEW Arsenation Mobile app FREE on iOS and Android! Theres just something about this Jovetic rumour, it just wont go away! Caught Offside report that Arsene Wenger is willing to break his transfer record twice this summer with a 70M pound spree, starting with Serie A sensation, Stevan Jovetic. They [...]
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