Santi - and patience - will be vital if Arsenal wish to beat Sunderland
Match Preview: Sunderland vs Arsenal - Premier League - 29.10.2016
Complacency, for me the key thing to avoid as The Arsenal head to the North East, for the Saturday lunchtime match vs Sunderland in their next Premier League fixture.
Allow me to explain my thoughts, in recent season's past The Gunners have this thing, you know, that thing where they rock up at a team low in the table for a seemingly inevitable 3 points only to get turned over and return to London with tails firmly between legs and the media sharpening their pencils ready to write off the title challenge for another season. I think back to West Brom away last season and it still hurts!
So, focus, hunger and organisation will be vital if Wenger's men are to take maximum points. As poor as Sunderland have been this season I personally think it's all about what mentality Arsenal have on the day. In short, if we're at it we'll win comfortably, anything less and it could be a long afternoon.
Looking at the hosts, to say David Moyes is having a tough time would be an understatement. Not a win to speak of this season, only 6 goals scored and a team very much not clicking in any way right at all - things look somewhat bleak and the shadow of former boss Sam Allardyce appears to be coming in to view once again! All that said they do carry a threat, former Spu*s man Jermaine Defoe is the obvious one, but also the set piece skill of Patrick Van Aanholt, the creative talent of Whabi Khazri and the direct running of Fabio Borini, so Arsenal's back line certainly need to take this seriously and in my view a strong defensive performance could be the key to coming away with a narrow win.
So, for our boys, that base of a good defensive performance aside I feel the holding midfield area will be vital in our attacking start points. If Santi Cazorla is fit, for me he needs to start, his technical craft and ability on the ball could be the key component in releasing the pace from wide areas or Alexis through the middle, something I have mentioned time and again already this season, but that said it is my belief that the little Spaniard will only make the bench, leaving a huge responsibility on Coquelin and Elneny to not only win the ball back but also distribute it effectively and create from deep areas. Mesut Ozil will also play a big part in a goal threat, his world class vision and ability to thread the eye of needle on a big pitch could be the difference.
Overall I can't see this game being a thriller, so my prediction of a 1 goal win would be most welcome, if a little tough on the nerve endings! A chilly October afternoon in the North East isn't exactly what many of our players will relish, but these are the game that could be the difference come May.
Summing up, I think patience may be a word we have to keep reminding ourselves as fans tomorrow, but that said with Sunderland's fragile confidence at the present time we could blow this game wide open and end up with a convincing high scoring win, confirming I know absolutely nothing! Let's hope so, I'll happily be wrong! COYG!
LAST 3 MEETINGS
- Sunderland 0-0 Arsenal (24.04.2016)
- Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland (09.01.2016 - FA Cup)
- Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland (05.12.2015)
FACTFILE
- Arsenal, have only 2 defeats in 14 visits to Sunderland, shipping 6 goals.
- Sunderland, no wins all season, conceding 2 goals in 6 of their 11 matches.
- The Mackems have only scored more than 1 goal in a home game against Arsenal once since 1984!
INJURIES
Lucas Perez (ACL) ruled out for 6-8 weeks. Mertesacker, Welbeck and Akpom also remain long term injuries. Giroud and Ramsey are available for squad places. Xhaka serves final game of a ban. Walcott, Bellerin and Cazorla face late tests but all expected to be available.
STARTING XI
Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Coquelin, Elneny, Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi, Alexis.
GOONERSPHERE'S PREDICTION
Sunder 0-1 Arsenal
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