There have been a number of very important games played in our new home: the Dennis Bergkamp Testominial (the first ever game), Aston Villa (the first ever Premiership game), Dinamo Zagreb (the first ever Champions League game), Hamburg (the first 'must win' game).
Of all the games that have been played at the new stadium this is the most important. If there are 'must win' games, this can only be described as a 'have to win at all costs or we'll remember it for the rest of the history of the club' game.
It would be a disaster to get anything less than three points in the first North London derby at the Grove.
Gut Feeling: I see a real fight on the cards tomorrow. The first twenty minutes are going to be hectic as both teams look to control the midfield. I think that Arsenal will win this battle and dominate posession. Arsenal will get about fifteen shots on goal, but they won't score until about half an hour in. My instincts tell me that we'll score twice: once from a counter-attack and once from a penalty area scramble. I don't see Arsenal conceding.
What Arsenal Need: On the technical side: Arsenal need to maintain their width in attack, with the full backs overlapping as often as possible. They need to tackle with enthusiasm and passion and once they win possession of the ball they need to counter-attack with pace. In defence, they need to concentrate at set pieces and protect Lehmann at corners.
On the psychological side: Arsenal need to battle like their lives depend on it, but if things go against them like referee's decisions, they need to keep their heads. Equally, they need to be positive throughout and play with that swagger and confidence that they did in the Champions League last year.
Things To Watch Out For: I'll be interested to see how well the referee controls the match. There's sure to be some crunching tackles and I hope he's sensible enough not to throw around ten or twelve yellow cards and end up sending someone off. I'm sure we'll see the usual histrionics from the girls from up the road, but that's just par for the course with them isn't it?
Hopes For The Match: I hope all of the home fans appreciate the significance of this game and get behind the team, as the atmosphere tomorrow will be citical. We know the Gunners are under a certain amount of pressure so we need to let them know we're behind them and also how much the result means to us. Although I'd like to see a few more Englishmen in the squad, I have no issues with having a squad of internationals. My only hope for the internationals is that they all understand our passionate and primeval rivalry with those up the Seven Sisters Road.
| My team selection for this game: van Persie Rosicky, Gilberto, Baptista, Fabregas, Hleb Clichy, Djourou, Toure, Eboue Lehmann Subs: Almunia, Walcott, Hoyte, Flamini, Adebayor |
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Unavailable:
Henry - Still out with a neck injury.
Gallas - Injured his quadriceps taking free kicks in training and will be out for a few weeks.
Diaby - On course to return in January after suffering a fracture-dislocated ankle last season.
Lauren - Still rehabilitating from a knee injury that has kept him out since January 21st.
Long-term issues: It's good to see van Persie emerging as the goal scorer we always thought he was, but I'm afraid that we are missing goals from the midfield. It's easy now to see that Pires was priceless and I'm waiting for Wenger to purchase a left winger to replace him.
Prediction: Arsenal 2 Seven Sisters Road 0
