Arsenal – Wolves Preview

By: Martin | February 11th, 2011

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Position: 19th, 7-3-15 (24 points, -17 goal differential)

Away Form: 1-1-10 (-15 goal differential)

Recent Form: WLLLW

Last Meeting: Wolves 0 – Arsenal 2 (November 10, 2010)

Arsenal back from internationals and back in league action tomorrow against Wolves.

Wolves are a weird team this year. Even though they’re languishing in the relegation zone, they’ve taken some pretty big scalps, with wins over Liverpool, Manchester City, and last weekend handing Manchester United their first loss of the season. 19 out of their 24 points so far this season have come against teams in the top-half of the table. So they are giant killers who can give big teams some trouble, but haven’t been able to get the job done against the other relegation candidates this season. Weirdly, Arsenal have been the exact opposite — only 13 of our 50 points have come against top-half teams. So they’re a bad team who is great against good teams; we’re a good team who is great against bad teams. I feel like it should mean something, but I’ll be damned if I can figure it out.

Wolves gave us a good match earlier in the season, and we should be wary of them. They are tied with ~~Wolves~~ Wigan for the worst attack in the league, with just 26 goals in 25 matches, and only 9 in 12 away from home. Famous last words and all that, but honestly, we probably won’t face a more anemic offense than this all season, so let’s try to take advantage of this and exorcise the demons of last week’s terrible second-half collapse.

There’s no real mystery about Wolves. They’re a decent side who’ve made a habit of elevating their game against better sides, but they are more a team of solid pros than stars, and they don’t really have any true dangermen (no one on the team has scored more than 4 goals this season).

In news for us, the injury news is pretty good. Wenger said today that none of our internationals suffered injuries, so we can breathe a sigh of relief there. Johan Djourou and Alex Song both have tests today, but Wenger says he is positive over both — said that he expects Djourou to be available, and says that there is a 90% chance that Song will be fit as well. Denilson also returns, although I leave it to you to determine whether that’s a positive or not. He also said that Nasri is one week from a return — when specifically asked if that meant one week from a return to training, Wenger said that Nasri is already back in training, and is one week from a competitive return. So he’ll miss this one, and he’ll miss the first leg of the Barca match, but he may be available after that, which is good news — I was afraid we wouldn’t see him again until March. Here’s my best guess at a lineup:

Wojo

Sagna-Koscielny-Squillaci-Clichy

Wilshere-Song

Theo-Cesc-Arshavin

van Persie

Bench: Almunia, Djourou, Eboue, Denilson, Rosicky, Chamakh, Bendtner

I think Wojo will definitely get the start. Right-back could be a bit interesting, because Sagna played for France in midweek, and Wenger will definitely want him available next week against Barcelona, so I think there’s some chance that Eboue gets a start today — although I think it’s probably a bit more likely that Sagna starts and gets subbed off should we get out to a comfortable lead (then again, after last week, I have no idea what constitutes a “comfortable lead” anymore). I suppose there’s a chance Gibbs could start on the left, but I think it will be Clichy. Koscielny will start because he’s rested and he always starts, the only question is who partners him. I know it will certainly be tempting to start Djourou, just because he’s been so good this season, but if there’s any question at all about his fitness, I say that Wenger will start Squillaci to make sure Djourou is fully 100% rested and fit to play against Barcelona.

In midfield, Jack only played 45 minutes against Denmark, so I’m sure he’ll start. If Song passes his fitness test, I believe he will likely start (although I could see Wenger holding him out if there’s any doubt about his fitness, too, because he will be one of our most important, if not the most important, players against Barcelona); if not, with Diaby suspended it will be Denilson who gets the start. Cesc starts in the advanced role. Up front, I don’t really see anything changing. van Persie up top, Arshavin on the left, and Theo on the right.

One thing that will potentially be interesting is to see what is going on with Cesc and van Persie’s illnesses, which kept them out of the midweek international matches. I hope and suspect that they were more or less fabricated, but if they were serious, there may be some lingering effects from those. I doubt it, though.

This is a must-win, as are they all. We sit 4 points behind Manchester United, and just 1 point ahead of Manchester City. Those two teams play in the early match on Saturday, so hopefully Manchester United will drop points there and that will present a great opportunity for us to close in. But if they don’t, we can’t really afford to fall even further behind, so 3 points are crucial. We should have enough to team to do it.

I will be at a continuing legal education seminar (exciting!) all day today and I don’t think they have wireless, so I’ll be out of the loop if it comes to any injury or other news. Talk amongst yourselves in the comments. TV information — televised live in the US on ESPN2, and live in Canada on TSN2 – RDS. Not televised in the UK.

Come on Arsenal.

***********

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Category: Arsenal News, Fixtures, Premiership, Preview

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Homey_Mills

Well I'm watching Man Utd and Man City, and just as I start getting optimistic, I see the stinking goal of the year by Rooney to put them ahead. Wow. Brutal. Maybe City still can do something though.
JG

I just read the Xavi interview. Some of the comments he and the other Barca players said still seem dickish, but at least they now seem much more understandable. Actually, I just have this feeling Cesc won't leave until we win something major within the next 10 years- it's just this feeling I have.
Gunnerson

Vermaelen is said to be back in 3 weeks. I don't know if its just from injury or all together, but this is very good news. But then again, I'll believe it when I see it.
Gigi_man

offical site news?? it would be so awsome!!!
Hey where is Sairax?
Sairax

Hey Gigi, I've been dealing with some urgent family matters, but I'll be back soon
ASDF

The game would also be available on ESPN3 to watch online in US (live only)
Kxevin

I wouldn't worry about any Fabregas rumors. The statement of our sporting and economic heads make it very clear that nothing will be happening this summer. Your valuation of Fabregas is, in the current market, very fair. But that also means that it's too expensive for us to consider. So rest assured.

Also, given that we have Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Thiago and Bargain of the Century Afellay, with a Dos Santos in waiting, we're set at the position for years and years to come. Would we come calling in 2014, the year you will have to sell Fabregas if he doesn't renew? Probably, because he's still a vanity purchase for our president, RoSELL (He desperately wants to do what Joan Laporta couldn't.)

As for your chances against us, don't kid yourselves. They're better than they were last year, and would be even better if Nasri were healthy. And with Puyol out, our defense is very different. It also means that Walcott will essentially make Maxwell into a piece of burnt toast, which will unbalance the back line as Abidal (most likely) will have to cover for him. This will create passing and shooting space.

With us, you all have two problems: getting the ball, and marking attackers. Pedro is much improved this season, and Villa, though still kinda crappy, has to be resepected. Then there's Messi. Last season, Ibrahimovic set up camp off the shoulder of your defense and that was that. This season, everybody is passing and moving.

You'll have a chance in this tie if Wenger watches what Copenhagen did against us, and replicates it. That is, intense, physical, unrelenting midfield pressure for 90 minutes, and disciplined defending that plays areas, rather than men or the ball. Now even at that, Copenhagen were, thanks to poor finishing, lucky not to lose that match 3 or 4-1. But you all have better players. It's going to be one hell of a tie, I think.
Gunnerson

I totally agree with the Copenhagen game tactics against Barca. Last year we gave you guys too much of the ball or as Xavi said, "Too much respect". It felt like we weren't even trying to compete in the midfield. Its obvious our midfeld is much stronger than last year, our defense might be a little better (didn't we play Silvestre?), and we have our messiah RvP back and very fit. I think us gooners are a little more cynical than neutral fans when it comes to this tie, though we are absolutely right for thinking that we are quite the underdogs. If any team has the ability to control the midfield against barca, its arsenal, and I think that is the only way we can win this.
Jonathan

I thought sagna was banned for the barca game unless im very much mistaken?
JG

Yeah Martin, Sagna is suspended for the 1st leg due to receiving a red card in our last group game against Partizan.
Which means Eboue will play.. oh god..
Gigi_man

I think there is a typo here, wolves tied with wolves?: "They are tied with Wolves for the worst attack in the league"
(my first ever "good catch I will go fix it?" :)
Homey_Mills

I noticed that too, but I figured Martin would be at his super exciting CLE and unable to fix it.
Gigi_man

:( didnt earn me the "good catch" comment...
Homey_Mills

Oops, sorry. Yes, it was a good catch by you. =)
Martin

In related news, the following is something only an attorney talking about changes in estate/probate law would say:

"Well, if you were lucky enough to die in 2010, your estate would . . . but if you die in 2011, unfortunately, your estate . . . "
Martin

Nope! Got wireless, and I would much rather talk/read about Arsenal (or anything, really) than listen to the probate court update. Will go fix that now, was supposed to be Wigan, but when I get up early and write these right after I wake up I always make mistakes.
Homey_Mills

Knowing how boring CLE is from personal experience, I think Martin will set a world record for posting new comments today.
Martin

Soul-crushing. Makes me crave the excitement of a good document review.
Martin

Spanish paper Marca is reporting that Real Madrid will offer €60 million plus Karim Benzema this summer for Cesc.

(a) I don't think it is true.

But (b) if it is, I think it's good news. I don't want to see Cesc leave, but that is almost a Godfather deal, and I'm not sure how Arsenal could actually turn it down. And even if we don't take it, it's fantastic (frankly, it's probably pretty good in this respect even if it's just a rumor) because it establishes a very high bar for what Cesc is worth, and makes Barca look pretty foolish if they come back with another lowball offer.
Suckyourmoney

Finally, Behold!!! The true color of Arsenal fans : GOLD DIGGER
Gigi_man

GOLD DIGGERS FOR TALENT WE DISCOVERED AND DEVELOPPED?..YEAH WHY NOT.
TheGunShop

60 Million Euros is nice but what would we do with another center forward? Benzema has not been performing as well as he should in La Liga this year. If we lose Cesc, who could possibly replace him?
BERTRAND

Wilshire, Ramsey, Nasri...?
Gigi_man

60 M euros plus Benzema, I wouldnt turn it down. For whatever things have been said about him, his numbers are good, and for a team that has Higuain and Cristianita its not bad at all.
Oh..and he speaks french, better yet , he is french! AW could drool about this haha
Ramses27

I wouldn't be too sure that it's true though. Our president Perez is a pretty sneaky guy. He could just be offering a lot of money for Cesc in order to raise his market price, making Barca have to bid more to keep up with him.
Kxevin

Fabregas won't play for That Other Spanish Team. Not in a million years. I'm not sure where the thinking that he is so hot to leave Arsenal comes from. He did want to leave Arsenal for Barcelona, but he isn't, based on everything I have read, at all hot to leave Arsenal, period.
BERTRAND

Torres wouldn't play for Chelsea either.
Campbell won't play for Arsenal.

Figo won't play for Madrid..

O WAIT.
Martin

Yeah, I don't really see Cesc ever playing for Madrid, though. He grew up a member and supporter of Barca even before he joined the academy. Which means he grew up hating Madrid.

In other words, imagine if you grew up a member of Arsenal, going to games, and came up through the Arsenal academy -- it would be weird for you to go to Tottenham, especially if you were in a pretty good situation somewhere abroad.

I just think it's a good development because if Barca comes calling with 30 million, we can now say, "Well, Madrid is willing to double that, so no." And I think Cesc will understand that the club can't sell him under those circumstances.
Martin

Rosicky is apparently out for Saturday. Shrug.
SJGgumby

Is it still possible though that he gets called for a penalty?
Peevish

I'm presuming nothing serious - probably been sent to bed with a foil blanket, to counter the effects of acute shock from scoring a goal.
Darren_V

Which will leave him on his deathbed for the next year
Chris Sherriff

Chris Surrey Gonner.
I would love to think that we really had a chance of beating Barca, but they are not only the best team on the planet at present, but also they are on fire. I think that the Wolves game in a way is more important to us than the CL game, if we managed a win at home does anyone really believe we can win at Camp Nou! After last weeks fiasco, we really need to present a strong team at home tomorrow, and we need Arsene to be sensible and not make ridiculous changes as he did last week, Eboue for Walcot!! was the most crazy substitution I have ever seen, at 4-2 up, Eboue cannot and will never be a decent midfielder and that change cost us the game. Unfortunatly Arsene has his favorites that are played at the expense of the team, Bentdner Denilson, Eboue, Diaby, these second string players must be getting paid so much money to believe they are good enough, we all know they are not, one of them actually believes he could play for Barca!! I wonder if Arsene will risk any of those players against Barca, I very much doubt it, CL is Arsens favorite competition.
Homey_Mills

I was thinking the same thing. At this point in the league race, we're right there in contention for the title. Especially when we look at our schedule the rest of the way compared to Man Utd's schedule. Whereas, as you say, the CL is a long, difficult path. Even if we can win this game against Barca, it's very difficult to hold on to it at their place. And even if we get a miracle win overall, we still have a few more rounds to go. I think with us being in contention for the Carling Cup, FA Cup, and league title, those areas would be where I focus the most. But as you say, I don't think AW will view it the same way.
Gunnerson

So you want Arsene to send a message to all of Europe that Arsenal, one of the top top clubs in the world both financially and quality wise, isn't fit to play with the big boys in Europe? and that we would be happy with our little Carling Cup? How confidence shattering is that for players like Cesc, RvP and Nasri who are amongst the best in the world?? This is the Champions League man, its the biggest stage. There will be more viewers to the Barca - Arsenal tie than any game we play this year. We got to show what we are made of!
Gigi_man

We definitely are at better positions in EPL, but only for 2 games vs Barza. Yes they are the greates team, but one thing I said over and over is that their vicotires shouls be perceived as a win in a two-team league, no offense to the other teams, but they are really under level there).
What we have to do is play as best we can, keeping a clean sheet and doing a 2-0 or 3-0 would be the greatest.
Then last year we did the most difficult thing by scoring first over there (ahhh praise St Nick for that one), but then Disastre decided to pass Messi the ball...
So there is no distaster this year, I am not saying park the bus, that would be silly vs Barza (unles you d have an Inter breaking-up-everything defence), but we can surely hold to get one or two shots for RvP/Nick/Chamakh or even Walcott/ Cesc /Arsha (I heard they were concerned about Theo from our 1st leg last year).
Main thing here IMO? psiquis factor. They only have two player that stand from the rest and one who is older than most.
Junichi Ezechiel Bennett

I don't see us compete with that team. They are doing everything we do, but just so better than us...
Gigi_man

Yep, I think you are right, they do it better, but in a two team league. Of course, like someone above said, we play them with respect as Xavi said, and thats where they might be better, we have to respect, but nonetheless fight, and agin I think its psiquis.
Bops

small change.. sagna is not available for barca due to suspension so he will start methinks..
Martin

Oh yeah. Had forgotten about that. Then yeah, Sagna will definitely start.
FredJacob

Isn't Gibbs injured that's why he did not play for the under 21's