Westham Preview: Who Gets Hammered

So, here we are days after that loss to Southampton. I like to kid myself that that's officially our first loss this season, well we all know that's not true so let's get on with it. The thing with being outta the confines of civilization is that one gets to miss the world go by, you are just a part of it.....lol. Arsenal's B team had a task on Wednesday but failed the test in both paucity of goals and meh of s performance. It was always going to be very difficult against a well drilled side especially when your attack is being spearheaded by a hitherto injured Perez. Ramsey tried as he may is not the player we all saw a couple seasons ago but then again....are we expecting too much from him so soon since he just got back from injury? Iwobi I would not slam too much as he needs a shot of confidence right now, a goal might do the trick to help remove any cobwebs of the champions league mishap. Why Wenger chose not to start Ox is still a mystery but no excuses, Let's just say Arsenal were worthy of being beaten cuz they were second best on that night period.
November gone, big guns out and it's a visit to Upton park...... scratch that. It's a visit to the hammers at their new Stratford stadium where they have been playing like anything except a home team. It's understandable, being a new playing ground for the hammers they haven't really been up to it . Less than 3 wins at home this season thus far, slaven Bilics side is really struggling to capture the form of last season's fantasy heights which saw them threaten the top four status quo with away wins at Arsenal Liverpool, Man City and Tottenham. It's been an opposite this season as they flirt with the opposite end of the table just above the relegation scrappers. Arsenal on the other hand have turned the corner with the win at Bournemouth, or so we want to think. With both teams having lost midweek EFL cup matches and both teams being better away than at home. The Gunners seem to have the slight edge on this....just slight. I want to believe Arsene and his charges understand the importance of bouncing back with a win after the midweek loss. It remains to be seen how or which Arsenal turns up this evening. An Alexis Sanchez fired up Arsenal or a lumbering lethargic one. My team selection will have the Chilean  leading the line having gotten a rare opportunity of one full weeks rest. Giroud, Perez on the bench as well as Ramsey vacating Özil's #10 spot. Coq and Xhaka anchor behind him. Due to my current x n Y coordinates we won't be able to do a more picturesque line up as we usually do, please bear with us. Now having said that, these are the kind of games a title harbouring ambitions side contrives to win, West Ham will be dangerous with Payet and Antonio..... especially Payet, he is their live wire. Arsenal will need the industry and guile if it's big players to snuff them as well as assert our own game plan. Whatever happens, I hope we build on last week's win ahead of the hectic schedule of the festive season. So here's to a win for Arsenal this evening, enjoy the game wherever you are......ciao

EFL Quarters Here

    Good day to ya where ever you are and welcome to us over here, we do appreciate your stopping by and even more if your comment and share ur post. You might be wondering the anaijagunner team is in an upbeat mood today, well the question is why wont we be? Arsenal finally got back to winning ways however dicey the rout to the win might have been. After 3 consecutive draws in all competitions since our only win in November, we finally got the 3points against Bournemouth, Pheww!! I didn’t see the match (long long story so don’t ask) but I caught a few highlight reels. I get the picture that Eddie Howe’s boiz gave it a good go and the gunners were against the ropes for some time, during which the game could have swung either way. Said it in the preview that, Bournemouth on their day would cause teams problems but because of their open style play, they are also very vulnerable. Having said that, I think it’s time Monreal did sort his out of sorts limbs and general form, though it wasn’t a penalty if you ask me but the ref had other ideas. I thought he was lucky against Man U, now a similar flay of arms against Bournemouth, nobody can keep that run of luck. Petr Cech deserves a honorable mention for that point blank save from a header using his legs, if that had gone in at that time…well who knows, as for Mattieu Debauchy well all I can say is, sad  sad for him, nothing else.  All that is history though, job done 3points in the bag, moving on.

     Wednesday evening is a date with the saints from St Mary’s, Southampton come to the Emirates in some kind of out of sorts form too, 1W 2D 2 L in the last 5 league games isn’t the best when you look at it that way but when you look at their last two games, 1 D 1W against free scoring Liverpool and Everton respectively then you would have a rethink. Claude Puel’s wards are no slouch couches and they can be a tough nut to crack anyday. It took the ingenuity of a controversial penalty to get us a 2-1 win at the emirates back in august in a premier league meeting. Now the focus is on a Cup, you know how these teams bay for blood when the chance for an upset is around. That’s what domestic Cup competitions are known to be about [hopefully not this time]. The narrative continues cuz the saints knocked Arsenal out of this competition last season in a 4th round tie, 1-2 it ended in favour of Southampton. Can the gunners respond this time or is that feeling of de javu a sign of the things to come? I just hope the team is keyed in on this. 

   I expect wenger to keep faith with his varied mix of fringe experienced players with a mix of youth. Martinez in goal, Jenks coming back in at right back with the Debauchy misfortune, Holding and Gabriel or Bielik in central defence and Gibbs at left back if fit. In the middle of the park I liked Maitiland Niles in the last match, neat tidy with a bit of skill, along with Neny and Xhaka. attack is where we have bare options, so Ox and Maybe Akpom with Jeff come in here….Perez is still out and Wenger is unlikely to start Giroud, that’s just me thinking sha, u never know with that old man. My line up looks thus.

    The key to winning this match will be what I have being banging on about in recent times, a clean sheet, stay compact, defend with better organization. Looking above though that may be a tough ask (I hope I am wrong).  The experienced guys will have to bring theirs to bear by shepherding the young gunners, Gabriel and Gibbs at the back, Xhaka in the middle. Arsenal will have to take their chances when they come else it may be another farce of a performance. Having said that, home support should count for something too, so here is hoping they can rouse the boiz with a good "gingerr"cuz if we can clear this hurdle then maybe just maybe we may go all the way and win this cup for an Arsenes first  but first we have to end our not so stellar November form with a win.  Do enjoy the game wherever you are…….Ciao