El Class Match Thread Arsenal -v- Chelsea Sunday 4PM

growler

3-0 Chelsea, Essien to get the hat trick he was looking for last weekend

I actually do think it's going to be a pretty close game, both teams can knock it about nmidfield well but I think that Chelsea's defence would give us a slight edge, big game for the gunners so they'll be fired up.

1-1

Pepe LeFrits

Hope Gallas is fit otherwise it'll probably be Silvestre to partner Vermaelen (can't see Arsene putting Senderos in there) and we'll get boned on the counter or by balls over the top. Set pieces will be a big worry either way. I'm not too bothered about Traore at left back - he's actually one of the few players that can physically match up with Anelka, Essien and co and Chelsea don't really play with much width so he may not be exposed.

A midfield trio of Song-Cesc-Nasri with Arshavin and probably Rosicky on the flanks should give us more of the play than Chelsea. Whether it'll be converted into goals though is another matter without van Persie or Bendtner to act as a focal point... Eduardo and Vela are still finding their feet in that role.

Hoping for a narrow win but a draw would be OK at the moment.

Prufrock

Arsenal to pass Chelsea off the pitch and not get what they deserve. 1-1

Gettin' nervous now...

SlickRic

eZe^ wrote: »

What position would that be exactly? Essien is a pure CMF, capable of making powerful runs into the oppositions box, quite like Keane back in his United days. Essien is categorically shackled over at Chelsea, he is set up so that his defensive duties are put first, if you watch him play for his country, or his old days at Lyon, he is not a DMF.

and if you've seen him this season, which i'm sure you have, you'll see that while his defensive duties are the most important, and he allows the others to play, he is certainly not shackled this season.

and i wouldn't disagree about fabregas being one of the form midfielders around, if not THE form midielder. but they're very different players, and it's very hard to compare.

Sheepy99

Judging by form, i'd say Chelsea will win and i'd like them to win but the fact that its at the Emirates I think the best result Chelsea can hope for is a 1-1 draw.
But at the same time Arsenal may not be back to their best after last weeks defeat at Sunderland.
Will be an interesting match I think.
Arsenal for the win though IMO. 1 or 2 nil to the Gunners.

Frisbee

Sheepy99 wrote: »

Arsenal for the win though IMO. 1 or 2 nil to the Gunners.

A clean sheet?

Are you mad? :pac:

Smegball

2-2 draw I would go with.

ShoulderChip

Chelsea to start playing to their potential, lookinng for big performances from the joe show and zhirkov if brought on to entertain after essien and drogba guarantee us the win by the 50th minute.

Joe has to show why we don't need Ribery.

ps where would this team (our subs for today) finish in the league
Chelsea

Subs from Hilário, Turnbull, Sturridge, Ferreira, Zhirkov, Bruma, Borini, J Cole, Kalou, Belletti, Matic, Alex, Mikel, Malouda, Kakuta

Barr

Anyone have a link to the game? ( my money is on Chelsea)

Kev_ps3

Hoping for a Arsenal win or a draw. But the way my luck has gone this weekend, a Chelsea win is inevitable.

SDTimeout

Getting excited now, I think we can do it, I think alex song is going to have a monster performance and so will cesc and Arsh.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Frisbee

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Fabregas, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Eduardo, Arshavin.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Joe Cole, Anelka, Drogba.

ShoulderChip

yay the joe show is starting.

CHD

Essien ain't holding the middle. We really shouldn't be allowed give him a more advanced role like this. I feel for Arsenal

Soby

Those that have a Xbox and use Sopcast for matches help me.Using sopcast your able to open the game in a external player (i.e Windows Media).Normally to stream videos you have to select them from your own files not whats currently playing can be streamed.Anyone know how it can/can it?

Vampireskiss

As a Manutd fan I really am hoping for an Arsenal Win here, it would set up next weekend nicely as chelsea are away to Mancity who I am expecting to be up for it plus I cant stand the cockyness from some of the chelsea fans here when there team hasnt even won the league in 3 years, its pathetic

~Rebel~

I Love Woy.

RasTa

Some difference in those teams on paper. Who should my anytime goalscorer bet go to?

PHB

Im rooting for Arsenal here, not just becaues it helps United, and its bloody important Chelsea drop points, but because when its non-United, I always favour expansive football against tight football

tony1kenobi

RasTa wrote: »

Some difference in those teams on paper. Who should my anytime goalscorer bet go to?

Nasri.

SDTimeout

RasTa wrote: »

Some difference in those teams on paper. Who should my anytime goalscorer bet go to?

Arsh,

Point to prove after not playing in the match last season, Scores against the big teams, The twenty games he's played for the club we've won 15.

SOMETHING IN and around that stat anyway

~Rebel~

the photoshopped blues brothers picture of Drog and Anelka Sky just showed is class!

Mikeyt086

Not as good as the charity work for Great Ormand Street Hosipital that Sky showed earlier:

adox

Be cheering for Arsenal myself.
I see the biggest English born diver Cole is starting for Chelsea. I expect to see him run Drogba close for cheat of the game.

CHD

Getting more hate as the weeks go on. People are worried. Love it.

Frisbee

I'm hoping Traore and Arshavin can cause Ivanovic some problems at the back.
Traore loves to get forward and has serious pace.

Frisbee

A tracksuit? A TRACKSUIT? And it's not pre-season!

Who are you and what have you done with Arsene Wenger?

Mikeyt086

CHD wrote: »

Getting more hate as the weeks go on. People are worried. Love it.

Yep, internet forums tend to have a huge bearing on where the title ends up.

MagicMarker

It's all arsenal so far.

That_Guy

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

Yep, internet forums tend to have a huge bearing on where the title ends up.

It's where they get their half time team talks from.

Shouldn't have posted all of those negative comments about Newcastle last season so.........

CHD

No they don't, don't be silly.

kenon

This is much nicer to watch than Liverpool v Everton.

efb

Go on you gunners!

That_Guy

I'd love Arsenal to win this. It'd make for an interesting title challenge.

MagicMarker

That looked like a peno to me.

CHD

Could have been a peno there

~Rebel~

Looks a fairly stonewall pen there!

That_Guy

Sagna is lucky.

kenon

Dodgy dodgy stuff from Sagna. Anelka didnt really protest though.

efb

Soft peno if it had been given

adox

Shoulda been a peno.

monkey9

Should have been a peno for Chelsea

Frisbee

Sagna was very lucky not to give away a penalty there.

Fair play to Anelka for staying on his feet

CHD

Typical refs at the Emirates

That_Guy

What was that object? Was it a mic?

CHD

That thing that was thrown was fairly big, lucky it hit nobody.

Royale with Cheese

Looked like a phone to me.

efb

mobile phone I'd say, prob a Nokia...

Frisbee

Disappointing from the Arsenal fans there. Fecking hate it when people throw stuff at players.

Also why in the name of Jesus is Denilson marking Anelka on set pieces???