Everybody Wins And The Pressure Mounts



"Look at Me" - back in the game





So after waiting what seems a ridiculously excruciating amount of time, Arsenal take the field again this Monday against Aston Villa.  On the face of it, this match should be an easy three points.  The squad after losing in an embarrassing fashion to the Villa-ans at the first of the season, should be looking to keep a clean sheet and put many a ball past Brad Guzman.

Speaking of the squad...we have a few players returning.  Ollie G. is back after being sidelined with an ankle injury and then a subsequent illness.  Having scored in the last match he played, a needed rest should bode well for a good performance.  Guardian writer Amy Lawrence's latest article (mostly about Arsenal's ad nauseum need for another striker) also painted a picture of Giroud that I'm not sure I was privy to before reading.  I think our BHF is a die-hard toughie.  After receiving what I thought was just a knock from a bad tackle, Wenger further explains the injury:

"He played the whole game at Newcastle with an open ankle and without complaining. And when I took him off, he didn't want to come off. He needed five stitches."  He goes onto to say  He's a tough boy. Even when the medical people say he should rest, he says: 'I'm all right'. He's always ready for a fight even when he's tired.

Giroud always works hard on the pitch.  I don't think anyone can argue with me on that.  The Gooner community admires his touch, his willingness to take on physical defenders, hold up the ball, and play his teammates in.  I don't think, however, that I am alone in being surprised that he did not want to come off the pitch when needing stitches.  I could be stereotyping the guy.  When I think of tough, physical footballers, I don't think of the French.  I just don't.  Plus - he's just too damn handsome to be that tough.  Maybe we should start calling him BHT?

Anyway, we also have Ozil back and possibly Gibbs.  Monreal has been excellent deputizing the position so I wonder if Wenger will start Kieran on the bench seeing as Villa is not a game demanding his immediate return.  I don't doubt that Ozil will start along with Jack and  in the midfield.  The question for me is who will start on the left.  For all Wenger's talk about how Ox could see some action against Aston after just returning from a serious layoff, it begs the question why Poldi has seen more playing time since his return?  I personally would like to see all our Germans start, put Santi in the middle (TR7 has had three great matches in a row...resting him would not be a bad idea before his hammies twang), and I would love to see what Serge could do against The Claret and Blue.  This could be a game that builds his confidence.  And I expect Szczesny to start in goal with the rest of the squad rounded out by Sagna, Kos, and Arteta.  I hope we go all out with offensive players.  All our rivals have one this weekend, and we need a terrific goal differential to go along with the three points.  Smear 'em, I say.

So, after having our rivals play over the weekend, we are sitting in third with first place (Chelsea) being two points away.  Dropping any points would not be the end of things, but it would certainly make the rest of the season all the more difficult.  And the past eight years have been difficult enough, haven't they?

That's it for now.  I could moan about weekday games and complain about trying to watch them during work, but what would be the point?  The matter of the fact is that I do not have control over the TV schedules, but I do have some control over my office door which I will shut from the hours of 2-4:00 PM CST with a sign that says "Do Not Disturb...Conference Call" taped to the outside of it.

Have a good one Gooners and Come On You Gunners!