Gut Feeling: Despite beating Liverpool three times this year I still believe a decent display from the Gunners can secure the three points today. For Arsenal to win they need one of the midfielders to score because Adebayor can't be expected to do everything on his own.It's going to be the toughest and closest of this season's four encounters and I don't see more than a goal in it.
What Arsenal Need: I feel like its broken record time but here goes. The Gunners need:
1. To play with passion, commitment and hunger.
2. To defend well at set pieces, which includes stopping Lehmann going walkabout.
3. To take a better percentage of the goal scoring opportunities they create. Currently they are converting 13% of their shots. Today it will need to be closer to 30%.
4. To get more goals from the midfield players.
5. To avoid sustaining any more injuries.
Things To Watch Out For: It will be nice to watch what most consider the first choice back four working together. Although I have been impressed by the development shown by Hoyte this season, I feel Eboue's dynamism is a real asset, I just hope he leaves the theatrics at home.
Hopes For The Match: I hope Arsenal play with a certain trigger happy style today. I feel that going out there with a "shoot on sight" mentality is contagious and it creates second chances from deflections and fumbled saves. I'd like Arsenal to rely less on the 'walk-the-ball-into-the-net" mentality, which can get frustration.
Team Selection: For only the fourth time this season Wenger has the option to play his first string back four in front of Lehmann. Perhaps one good omen is that it was this back five that played in the impressive 3-0 home win against Liverpool earlier in the season.
Without wishing to sound flippant, Gilberto's injury will at least stop Wenger playing him as a pretend centre back and will force him to depend on using actual centre backs in the heart of the defence.
The Brazilian's injury does however have obvious implications in midfield. The first reaction would be to replace him with Diaby, but selection becomes more difficult if we concede that Diaby was already pencilled in to play alongside Gilberto in a five man midfield.
Another option would be to play five across a more defensive midfield with Fabregas in between Diaby and Denilson. On current form I would choose to leave Flamini on the bench as both Diaby and Denilson have played well recently. I'd prefer to play with a more defensive midfield and look to play a more counter attacking style, like the invincibles.
The catalogue of injury to Arsenal's strike force leaves Wenger with no choice but to play Adebayor up front on his own with a support player pushing forward from the centre of midfield. The choice to be made then is who to play in that role. Some would argue for Baptista, seeing as he scored four last time out at Anfield, whilst others would prefer to leave Hleb on the right wing and play Ljungberg instead.
| My team selection for this game: Adebayor Rosicky, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson, Hleb Clichy, Gallas, Toure, Eboue Lehmann Subs: Almunia, Djourou, Baptista, Flamini, Ljunberg |
|---|
Unavailable: Henry, van Persie, Walcott, Aliadiere, Gilberto,
Long-term issues: I'm still not convinced that Baptista should be retained at the end of the season. Of course he wants to stay at Arsenal, his time in Madrid was a real let down after doing so well at Seville. He is treated well at Arsenal, not criticised in the press by his manager and team mates. I know this has been a hot topic since January and it seems to me that fans are split on this. Here's my take on it.
At the reported £15 million I don't believe he is value for money.
That sort of money could be spent on a significant purchase of an established and proven player or three or four youngsters for Arsene's youth revolution.
For a Brazilian, I don't think his first touch is that good.
Arsenal's style of football requires a silky first touch and accurate passing. Baptista has neither and can look cumbersome and wasteful at times. People will say that he has underperformed this year due to injury and an inconsistent run in the side and I accept that, but you can't blame that for him having a poor first touch.
He's too slow.
Arsenal's style of football requires a player to have pace and he doesn't have that. At times the Brazilian looks like a centre back thrown up front and somewhat out of his depth. He's such a muscular man, I cannot understand why he isn't more athletic. He looks heavy legged so often that he makes it look like everyone around him is on fast forward.
Prediction: Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2
