The first half could be the worst 45 minutes of football I've seen from Arsenal in a home match in recent memory. It was effortless, weak and unimaginative. It was like watching a pointless pre-season match against a team of semi-professionals. No-one wanted to make a tackle, no-one wanted to make a run and no-one understood the team selection.
What Arsenal Need: Firstly, they must put Portsmouth under pressure whenever they get the ball and not allow their midfield to pass the ball around. Secondly, they must use the width of the Grove's pristine pitch to get in behind the visiting full backs. Thirdly, Fabregas must look for the opportunity to slot passes through for the strikers to run on to. Finally, Arsenal must back up attacks by following in on the far post 'a la Robert Pires' just in case the ball makes it across the box as it so often does.
Firstly, the didn't put the opposition under pressure until the 56th minute, by which point they were two nil down. Secondly, they didn't even attack the flanks until Adebayor came on. Thirdly, Fabregas was absent for the first half and didn't get a grip on the game until late on. Finally, Arsenal didn't get many players in the box and when they did they wasted too many chances.
Things To Watch Out For: It will be interesting to see how well Campbell plays in his first trip to the Grove and I hope van Persie and Adebayor get him twisting and turning like the waltzers as I see this as his weakness. I believe Kanu will miss the game through injury.
Campbell didn't have too much to do especially when Wenge went to a 4-5-1 with Aliadiere on the wing and van Persie up front on his own. Sol wasn't put under enough pressure and was never really isolated. Kanu did play and got an excellent reception.
Hopes For The Match: I hope Arsenal are ruthless enough to take a higher percentage of their goal-scoring opportunities than they have at home so far this season. One goal from twenty shots is poor finishing and its a figure more like 5:1 that they should be aiming for.
Arsenal were impotent and thoughtless for the first half. Almost to a man they looked uninspired and nonchalant. Van Persie missed a point blank header and blasted a shot at James from only a few yards out. As I mentioned earlier, Arsenal never seem to score tap ins or goal mouth scrambles.
I hope Arsene uses his full compliment of substitutes at around the 70 minute mark and if so, I see Walcott, Baptista and Flamini getting a run out.
Wenger's hand was forced here as Ljungberg injured his hamstring after only a few minutes and Walcott was bought on. Adebayor replaced the hapless Aliadiere after 55 minutes and Flamini took over from Eboue who was injured late on.
I hope the Arsenal old-boys get a good reception as both served the club well, even though Campbell was released by Wenger as he'd intimated that he wanted to end his career in the sun on the continent somewhere. He didn't get far before he put his roots down in Portsmouth on the south coast... not very continental and not very sunny either!
Both old-boys received an approriate reception from the Arsenal crowd.
Team Selection: I hope Wenger plays with a 4-4-2 formation tomorrow. It would send out such negative vibes to the fans and the team for the Frenchman to feel he needs to persist with the 4-5-1 at home. I do concede that Portsmouth are the surprise outfit this season and are as dangerous as any team outside of the top three but we must play to our strengths not succumb to the strengths of others.
Wenger did start with a 4-4-2 but it seemed that it was largely to accomodate Aliadiere who started up front. He wouldn't be strong enough to play as the lone striker in a 4-5-1 so he was paired with van Persie with a midfield of Ljungberg, Hleb, Gilberto and Fabregas. Aliadiere hasn't started a Premiership game for Arsenal for years. I cannot understand how he can be maintained as part of the first team squad when there is better talent on loan in the likes of Bendtner, Lupoli and Stokes.
I cannot understand the team selection made for this game. With the Carling Cup trip to Anfield in mid-week this was surely not the game in which to make changes and give players a rest. Adebayor has worked hard in recent weeks but he should have played in this game as he is sure to be rested against Liverpool. Why Aliadiere warranted inclusion over the slowly improving Baptista we will never know.
Unavailable: New additions to the unavailable list are Ljungberg and Eboue and it remains to be seen how long they will be out. The mounting injury list is a growing problem.
Long-term issues: It will be a shame if Wenger sells Lupoli as I've only seen him say he'd not sell Stokes or Bendtner, which means the little Italian may be expendable in his eyes. Sadly, players at the age of 18 and 19 refuse to bide their time and work their way into the first team squad. Instead they'd rather be big fish in a little pond at clubs like Birmingham. Take comfort though, in the knowledge that as yet Wenger hasn't sold any youngsters that have come back to haunt us. The likes of Pennant, Bentley and Volz play well for the likes of Liverpool, Blackburn and Fulham but they aren't Arsenal calibre.
Wengers commitment and belief in the young strikers remains to be seen, as I believe at least one will be gone in January (Lupoli) and another in the summer (Stokes). I do hope that Bendtner is bought into the first team squad as the fourth striker and that Aliadiere is discarded as soon as possible.
Prediction: Arsenal 2 Portsmouth 0
Score: Arsenal 2 Portsmouth 2
