Arsenal come up head to head with a team that at this early stage of the premier league sits above them, and as evenly poised match as can be, Arsenal need to WIN this one more than Aston Villa.
Guess what, old campaigners like Gabby Agbonlahor know this more than any other player on the park, including the Arsenal 11. This match is always intense and yields as many fouls as playing Sunday afternoon league.
Arsenal will be up against a rejuvenated Villa outfit, this the first time since the departure of Martin O’Neill does this Villa club resemble anything with self-belief, all this without their talisman Benteke who gave us all scares the last time we visited Villa park.
After a brilliant 1 minute, which yielded 2 goals, with enterprising play and finishes by Giroud and Wilshere, we left Villa Park with our heads held high after the humiliating defeat at the Emirates which to me sprung all this transfer frenzy. In came Mesut and the rest was thought to be history.
However, this last window was a disgrace, and going into this match with a backline as thin as can be, ‘touch wood’ no injuries by all costs. Arsenal need to WIN this one, and WIN it as clean as possible with no casualties.
Wilshere, Jack Wilshere, he will be immense, if anyone is up for a battle. I have this opinion of Jack that I just realised after the Man City game. Jack plays better if there is constantly an opponent trying to do battle with him in the centre of the park.
In fact, my realisation comes after both matches were against Man City where he stood head and shoulders above the rest, first in the Community Shield, then this past weekend. In the shield Yaya Toure was always in his face, this motivated Jack, this past weekend Fernandinho was constantly in his face and guess what Jack prevailed in both.
Jack seems to enjoy a central battle, he thrives on it. He never backs down, and that makes him a better player. Yes, he is a fantastically gifted, a natural baller, but he needs to be provoked, to show how good he is, and I am hoping, in fact, I pray Gabby or Fabian Delph takes it to him, gets stuck in his face, throws in some challenges, and guess what Wilshere will come out on top.
With Roy Keane as second, he will only have 1 contribution to the match, his advice on how his Villa team must be physical. This time, that is the wrong advice, if Wenger is sharp enough, he will be expecting this. Them playing us physically will be their downfall. If we managed to finish our chances City would have suffered the same fate to that tactics.
Villa Park is one of those grounds where we just cannot seem to lose, it’s been almost 16 years since Villa have beaten us there in the premier league, the last coming in December 1998, and guess what I see this trend continuing.
Our last 10 league matches there; we have WON 5 and played to a stalemate in 5. The 3 points is there for the taking, we need it more than them, a DRAW will be a failure, it will be 4 straight matches with no WIN, and we cannot afford that so early into the season. United have been dismal, we only a point ahead, which means only 1 thing. We have also been dismal.
Let’s get behind the boys and go to war, Jack our commander in chief, Gabby and Delph our pawns.
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