Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Match Preview: Arsenal Vs Manchester United (Time to find out if we really WANT THIS TITLE..)





There comes a time in life when you have to face your fears... doesn't matter what that fear is.. you will just have to look at yourself one day and face the inevitable. Some fear things like failure..while others fear less-conventional things..(such as clowns). But one thing is for sure, as long as you refuse to address that fear factor, you will remain its slave.

Arsenal have a problem with Man united. In 13 previous meetings with the reigning champions we have won just 1 game, drawn twice and lost 10. The only thing worse than this statistic is the fact that, even in this current season where they have been handing out maximum points to just about everyone, we haven't managed to get the better of them. As annoying as that circumstance is, today is the day we must draw a line under it. Our clash with the stuttering Red-devils at the Emirates is not so much a ''must win'' game to save our title hopes, its one to fix  the obvious fear we have against Big teams in this league. I know a few people might counter this by pointing at the Liverpool victory at the Emirates this season, but our stats overall against the Big sides down the years tells its own story.


The beating we suffered in the hands of Liverpool notwithstanding, this game with Man U is one fixture i desperately want to see us win. I have supported this great team for years and never once in all those years did we go into a fixture against United under any sort of complex. They were always 50-50 games. Yes, our lack of Trophies in recent years when compared to their trophy successes contributed to our timidity, but now the tide has turned (obviously), Sir Alex Ferguson who was like Kryptonite to Wenger is gone, therefore i feel things must change, starting from tonight.

Wenger has Charged the boys to forget the Liverpool debacle. He termed that infamous result as an Accident. And went on to state how our season won't be judged by that loss but by how we respond to it as a setback and bounce back. We all know our manager is a sensitive man, and for all his lyrical waxing about loving this group of players and saying how much they deserve success it won't amount to anything if the players themselves don't believe they are worthy of being successful. If they think they are worthy, then today is the day to show it. They must want this success beyond just mere lip service. David Moyes and his band of bottlers are not going to make it easy for us. They may not be the fearsome outfit of seasons past but we mustn't let any complacency stemming from their recent results deceive us. A rapid start from the blast of the whistle is the way we must approach this game. As i type this post, i see Chelsea has just been held to a draw by West Brom. That result paves a way back to the summit of the league for us, if we can show the same response to defeats to Aston Villa and Mancity.


Team news from the official site states every one from our previous game is fit to play. With the addition of Yaya (like a new signing) Sanogo from Injury. I've spoken about a collective response from a team perspective, but i'll have my eyes out for Mesut Ozil's individual response to the criticisms that have deservedly come his way of late. The German play maker has been in a funk lately and  despite his managers vote of confidence he must feel the need to up his game as the team needs him now more than ever. They say its during adversity you get to know the make-up of individuals..So Ozil the ball is in your court.

A draw is simply not good enough today. We must make a statement of intent, it kinda feels like the heavens are working in our favor..The setbacks of Mancity and now Chelsea at winnable grounds like Norwich and Westbrom look like gifts from above..the big question is what we do with it?






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