Arsenal Vs West Brom

Arsenal vs West Brom
Sunday 24th May 2015: 15:00 BST
Emirates Stadium


Farewell, Premier League

Well, this is it. The final game of the premier league this season. Funny how fast this season has gone honestly. Feels like it was yesterday where we played Everton at goodison and were losing 2-0 and came back to draw 2-2. Then went on to draw few more which basically proved crucial in depleting our chances of challenging for the title.

But meh, we all know we were never good enough to win the title. But that's for some other time.

I'd say PL was a bit poor this season though. It had its moments but never really felt special as it did last year. Maybe because we were not in a dogfight for 4th. Or maybe because Chelsea just ran away with the title. But it is a season to forget in terms of PL.

Finishing 3rd will be improvement though. And we can take a lot of positives with how we have improved in some other tactical aspects. But overall, let's just take a good break for the summer and regroup later.

WBA game tomorrow is practically dead rubber. But it is a match where we need to play well to build morale for the FA cup final. So I hope we can score few and end the season positively.


Probable Arsenal team

--------------------------Szczesny----------------------------------
Bellerin----------Gabriel----------Koscielny--------------Monreal
--------------------Wilshere------Ramsey--------------------------
Walcott--------------------Ozil--------------------------Sanchez
------------------------Giroud------------------------------------

Doubt it will be that but why not?

Match Facts (FourFourTwo)

• Arsenal have won six and lost none of their last seven Barclays Premier League matches against West Bromwich Albion.
  
• The Baggies have never kept a clean sheet against Arsenal in the Premier League (35 goals conceded in 17 matches).
  
• West Brom have scored only two goals in their last five Premier League games against Arsenal.
  
• Arsenal are unbeaten on the final day in each of the last nine seasons, the longest current run.
  
• Only West Ham have scored as many headed goals as West Brom this season (15).
  
• Saido Berahino has scored 14 Premier League goals. The only Englishmen with more in the Premier League this season are Kane (20) and Austin (17).
  
• Since 2006 Arsenal have finished the Premier League in the following positions: 4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 4th and 4th.
  Next season will be West Brom's sixth successive top-flight season, their best run since they went down in 1986 after 10 campaigns in a row in the top division.
  
• West Brom have kept 10 clean sheets in 17 Premier League games under Tony Pulis.
  
• Pulis has lost all six of his Premier League games as manager versus Arsene Wenger at the Emirates.

Great work RG.
You and Sam did great job this year and thank you both for doing so much work for us.

Emirates is not a fortress, We facing good team and hope we get a point. I cant stand Ramsey on the wings anymore, only Wenger does not see that.

I would give Ozil, Sanchez and Kos a rest.

--------------------------Szczesny----------------------------------
Bellerin----------Gabriel----------Chambers--------------Monreal
--------------------Wilshere------Ramsey--------------------------
Walcott--------------------Rosicky--------------------------Santi
------------------------Giroud------------------------------------

Arsenal team:

hmmm Wonder if starting Cazorla is Arsene's way of telling him he is in his concrete plans for next year. Not that it's wrong. Just that we know it doesn't work that well at times.

Ramsey deserves a rest I guess.

Walcott-Sanchez might very well make this formation 4-4-2

Ramsey is not being rested, he is being punished for not liking to play on the wings.

Anyways Theo and Jack are playing out of this world. I think will surpass Giroud today on goals.

Theo with hattrick.

Imagine talking about swapping Walcott

RealGunner wrote:Imagine talking about swapping Walcott

Who was talking about Swapping?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFx6YLEWEAAcncd.jpg

Walcott's movement across West Brom's backline today was excellent. Quick, dynamic, always a threat in behind - things you don't get with Giroud, and precisely the sort of forward Arsenal need to have in their squad. Really, really hope he signs a new contract.

Wembley next. Can't wait.

He is insanely good at breaking the offside trap and making the perfect run.

I hope he learns how to play with his back to goal. If he improves that then he really can play upfront.

Very happy for theo

with personnel we have RW seems best position for Jack in our current team

Fans at last with some atmosphere

superb cameo by Aaron getting those chances so unlucky

Agent Ospina making sure to Arsene we need new Goalie

So, the question has to be asked:

Giroud or Theo up front for the FA Cup final?

Giru, but Theo must surely start too.

If the opponent is afraid of Theo's speed and play deeper, Giru will be closer to goal and his ability bring others into play with be enhanced + more chances to get into the box himself for aerial balls.

If the opponent dares push up to force Giru further from the goal/put high pressure on Arsenal then the ball in behind to Theo is on.

Basically if you play them both, one's strengths can be complimented by the other. If you play only one, it can limit you.

If Theo is up front alone and Villa sit deep, he wont have no space to play in and he cant bring others into play.

The issue here is that the midfield five is pretty much set in stone: Coquelin and Cazorla pivot, Ramsey right, Alexis left, Ozil 10. So in all likelihood it's going to a one-or-the-other thing with Giroud and Walcott.

Ideally we should play both but it's tough to make the room. I feel Cazorla is going to be vital in CM if Villa try to press high up as they did in the semi against Liverpool, and Ramsey is a match-winner. So we'd either have to drop Coquelin and play Ramsey-Cazorla, which would be very risky, or drop Ozil and have a mid three of Coq-Ramsey-Santi.

I'd be tempted to go with Walcott, if only because he looks fresh and sharp while Giroud has looked tired and hasn't scored in a while.

I would go for Theo personally but Wenger will start Giroud for sure. Theo because when Giroud is playing with all of Özil/Ramsey/Cazorla/Alexis we become too narrow and have a hard time to create chances, especially if the opponent is defensively well drilled.

Besides that, Giroud usually has a strong impact off the bench, and that has to be considered. When Theo comes on after 70 minutes, by that time Aston Villa will most likely defend with 10 men and that substitute will not have any impact at all.

Is Ramsey truly a "must start"?

The reason is becomes so narrow is because of players like him playing wide.

He is a match winner, no doubt, but why can he come from the bench?

i dont know why wenger loves to play players like ramsey and wilshere outwide it never works against any half decent defense.

In my opinion he is, atleast more a 'must play' than Giroud. Ramsey has a great goalscoring record away from home too, and is a man for the big occasion.

I love Cazorla but if we were to play a Alexis-Giroud-Theo front 3 then I would sacrifice him for Ramsey. Özil can take the dead ball situations and Ramsey replace his creativity from deeper positions. But then as Jay said, if Aston Villa decide to play a pressing game I believe a Coquelin-Ramsey duo could struggle greatly in which case we would bring on Cazorla.

But in the end I wouldn't drop Cazorla, my team would be:


Theo's movement off the ball creates space for the likes of Ramsey/Özil/Cazorla to maneuver in and find Alexis in goalscoring positions. Giroud is only acceptable if we play as The Franchise said, with Alexis and Walcott wide and one of Cazorla/Ramsey sacrificed to have a Coquelin-Ramsey/Cazorla-Özil trio in midfield.

I guess alot depends on how Villa come to play.

If they come to play football and go for it, then Theo will kill them in the space behind, either him or his runs draw attention for others.

If they come to defend and sit deep, Theo will be rendered ineffective.

If they try and do a little of both, try and attack but keep a deep backline then they open up space in between the lines for Ozil.

I hope to God we don't start Theo uptop. Lol Villa will suffocate him. If we want to start Theo, then Giroud needs to play as well. It's either both, or only Giroud.

I agree completely with Dani's post.

The Franchise wrote:Is Ramsey truly a "must start"?

The reason is becomes so narrow is because of players like him playing wide.

He is a match winner, no doubt, but why can he come from the bench?

Arsene loves starting a midfielder at RW because he (rightfully I guess) believes a midfielder out wide will serve two purposes at the same time. It will still keep the numbers high in midfield as Ramsey will drop in whenever needed, and it will also bring in extra 'technical security' in terms of balance which he doesn't find in starting two out n out wingers/strikers. It has worked quite well over the months though. It's kinda similar to why Iniesta was played at LW by Pep. But obviously it has its flaws despite being a good way to keep the balance right.

Villa I think won't park the bus. They will try to press us high and try win the ball up to start counters. They will rely on Benteke to hold up the ball and be a nuisance. But with Villa having a poor team, I don't think it will work that well since as Jay said, Cazorla in CM helps keep the ball better deep while also act as a DLP to initiate attacks quicker. But my worry is that an individual mistake (as we are great at them) will let Villa in and someone like Benteke can always score.

I don't know if Arsene will start Walcott. I don't think he will. He is going to stay loyal to Giroud. And Walcott can always be a good option if things aren't working well.

Need a FA Cup Final thread ffs. Came in here for post-match on last game of the season - which, of course, I missed - was on vacation in the beautiful country of Slovenia.

The boys put on a show for my first trip to the Emirates

Eman any pics bro?