Arsenal vs Drogba - 27/12/10 Sky Sports 1 - 8pm KO

Peyton Manning

1. Manchester United Pl: 17 Pts: 37
2. Manchester City Pl: 19 Pts: 35
3. Arsenal Pl: 17 Pts: 32
4. Chelsea Pl: 17 Pts: 31

Didier Drogba's annual butt-fúcking of Arsenal takes centre stage yet again tonight, but will Chelsea's poor form get in the way?

From a United perspective, the favoured results are in order: Draw, Arsenal, Chelsea.

To quote Alan Partridge, "Let battle commence!"

d22ontour

The other 3 teams in the top 5 will surely be hoping for a draw here.Chelsea could be in serious trouble if they don't win this, so they really need to turn up.I think le Arse might nick this.

Kev_ps3

Drogba 2 - 1 Arsenal I predict.

Frisbee

I don't even have the heart for a big write up on this one...

helimachoptor

Positive thoughts there Laura!

TanG411

2-0 to The Arsenal, if Sneezy is in goal. (I call him Sneezy, it's easier to pronounce ).

PHB

Come on Arsenal, put those ****ers out of the race! 6 points behind us already, if it was 9 we'd have a very big lead.

A draw would in theory be the best result (2 shared points vs. 3 shared points), but I think a loss for Chelsea in their current state could send them further down in the vital Christmas period. I'm fairly confident of Arsenal dropping off at some point as they always do (although eventually they will have to get it right once), so I'd prefer a Arsenal win, preferably with a couple of red cards each way

What do I expect to happen? I think Arsenal have been in good form, and I think while United's defence was able to contain them, I don't expect Chelsea's too. I expect a goal or two from Arsenal, and I think that Chelsea's midfield is still soft, so I do actually expect Arsenal to win this, which is weird

L'prof

PHB wrote: »

Come on Arsenal, put those ****ers out of the race! 6 points behind us already, if it was 9 we'd have a very big lead.

A draw would in theory be the best result (2 shared points vs. 3 shared points), but I think a loss for Chelsea in their current state could send them further down in the vital Christmas period. I'm fairly confident of Arsenal dropping off at some point as they always do (although eventually they will have to get it right once), so I'd prefer a Arsenal win, preferably with a couple of red cards each way

What do I expect to happen? I think Arsenal have been in good form, and I think while United's defence was able to contain them, I don't expect Chelsea's too. I expect a goal or two from Arsenal, and I think that Chelsea's midfield is still soft, so I do actually expect Arsenal to win this, which is weird

I wish I shared your optimism!

IvySlayer

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal
Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea
Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

Break the combo please tonight..

Pepe LeFrits

Here's hoping Squillaci and Chamakh are on the bench tonight.

Paully D

1-1.

dahat

The thread title alone is genius!!!

here is hoping for a draw!

little wager on an essien red card might tempt me tonight.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Djourou better start this one. He's the centre back with the best chance of dealing with Drogba.

While I would also certainly like RvP to start, Chamakh might be useful if they allow us to go wide and send in crosses.

Essien

We desperately need to put this bad spell behind us but I genuinely don't know what to expect from Chelsea these days. Arsenal have lost a few at home this season so that's at least some cause for optimism.

I'll sit on the fence, 1-1.

L'prof

playa3 wrote: »

Djourou better start this one. He's the centre back with the best chance of dealing with Drogba.

While I would also certainly like RvP to start, Chamakh might be useful if they allow us to go wide and send in crosses.

We never get behind tight defences enough to do this though.

the untitled user

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Here's hoping Squillaci and Chamakh are on the bench tonight.

I'd prefer both start tbh,

I'd have Squillaci and Djourou for CB, Djourou the man mountain to keep Drogba pegged in and Squiallaci because of his natural... well, he makes less mistakes than Kos.

Chamakh's strength is always handy against Chelsea, no to mention RVP has looked nowhere near fit the last few times out, it'll be Spring before he's back to his best.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

L'prof wrote: »

We never get behind tight defences enough to do this though.

True, but didn't Ray Wilkins say though that there tactic would be to allow us have the ball as much as we like in wide areas? It would still probably leave Chamakh outnumbered in the middle but if a good cross is sent in there's no denying his heading ability.

keano_afc

Just back from the future, finished 2-0 to Chelsea. Arsenal dominated possesion in the first half, no end product though. Passed the ball from side to side without having a shot on target. Got caught just before half time with Chelsea's first shot on target, a Drogba header. Came out in the second half but had no urgency, seemed afraid to commit players forward. Chelsea soaked up the pressure and hit them on the break with 10 mins to go, Drogba again from an Ashley Cole cross. Arsenal went back into their shell and played out the last few mins passing sideways again.

Afterwards Wenger said it was a hard result to take but the players were a bit naiive. He did however say they would learn from this defeat and we'd see a different Arsenal next time.

Prove me wrong lads. :rolleyes:

Can't see anything but a Drogba win

SlickRic

i know it's the 21st Century, but they really shouldn't be allowed broadcast rape on TV.

NeoKubrick

SlickRic wrote: »

i know it's the 21st Century, but they really shouldn't be allowed broadcast rape on TV.

Try again, lad.


Arsenal don't have to worry about Chelsea's attack (aka Drogba) as much as they have to worry about their own. Arsenal were ineffectual against Chelsea and United. It all hinges upon Wenger's selection: if he picks Chamakh again, then Arsenal's attack will likely be ineffectual again. Van Persie has to play to encourage the rest of the team to play through the middle rather than out-wide which usually results in a pointless cross pitting one Chamakh against two central defenders which will include Terry.

If Chamakh starts and Arsenal win, it'll be pure chance.

SlickRic

NeoKubrick wrote: »

Try again, lad.

um, ok, 'lad'...

Arsenal don't have to worry about Chelsea's attack (aka Drogba) as much as they have to worry about their own.

yes they do.

if a plan isn't made to contain Drogba, he will run riot for the umpteenth time. Wenger's lack of a proper defensive plan to deal with the likes of Drogba is symptomatic of why Arsenal always fall short. he doesn't care about defending enough.

the biggest thing about Guardiola's Barcelona for instance, that differentiates them from the previous Barca teams this decade isn't down to the players being so good technically. while that is a huge part of it, it's the intensity of their defending that has taken them to the next level.

until Wenger realises this, IMO, he will continue to fall short with this Arsenal team.

If Chamakh starts and Arsenal win, it'll be pure chance.

while Arsenal's attack is obviously important, you're being very harsh on Chamakh IMO.

as long as he can get the likes of Cesc, VP and Nasri around him, then he can do fine on his own as a focal point of the attack.

SantryRed

Had a dream last night that Malouda got sent off. Gonna have to stick money on it!

Panthro

We need to contain Nasri, he has been on absolute fire of late, his abilities could cause serious damage considering our midfield hasn't been up to scratch in the past few games.
Drogba hasn't been fantastic since his return, but he has has had an extra few days due to the other game being cancelled, so it really is a tough call on whether or not he will perform.
Obiviously, I would only love to see Chelsea demolish Arsenal and show us for certain that they are capable of returning to the form shown at the beginning of the season, but I will happily take a sheeeety single goal victory for the Blues, purely to keep us in the title race.

Blatter

Tom_Brady wrote: »

From a United perspective, the favoured results are in order: Draw, Arsenal, Chelsea.

Personally as a Utd fan I would prefer Arsenal, Draw, Chelsea.
The further Chelsea are out of sight the better, 6 points clear of them with a game in hand against Blackpool would be awesome.

Sorry Arsenal fans but as I've said for the last 5 years, you can't and won't win it. The team lacks mental strength, experience at winning PL titles, good cover in Central defence, Clichy a liability and too many injury prone players(Walcott, Rosicky, Nasri, Van Persie etc.) Oh and add to that you do not have a solid goalkeeper by any stretch of the imagination.

In other words, I'd feel very comfortable with Chelsea 9 points behind!

sonic85

best of luck to the lads tonight a loss would almost certainly end our hopes of winning the PL so really its a must win.

chelsea have been poor by their own high standards recently but as the saying goes form is temporary class is permanent - they wont play badly forever and im worried that tonight they could find form again.

i think best case scenario is a draw worst case scenario is drogba goes to town yet again and chelsea end up winning by 2 or 3 clear goals

smuckers

A big game expected from Malouda Drogs and Nic tonight if they perform well we win, simple as that.
wonder who will make way for Frank, prob Ramieres.

L'prof

Surely Chelsea & Draw @ 1.40 is like printing money!!!

KaiserGunner

With an Arsenal team at relative full strength, there is no reason why we cant get a win. We are long overdue a win against Chelsea, a similar performance that we had at Stamford Bridge, but with more clinical finishing, then I will be happy.

I am quietly confident about tonight, although I feel that its vital that we dont concede the first goal.

Panthro

Yeah can't see Rameries starting, more than likely Essien, Mikel, Lampard with Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.
Rameries really got thrown into the deep end of Premiership football, I thought after a few games he really began to show signs of real quality. He has bucket loads of energy.

angel01

Hoping for a draw here, best result in my mind.. but fancy Arsenal to win this one. I am interested to see what Chelsea can come up with..

NeoKubrick

SlickRic wrote: »

yes they do. [...]

No, they shouldn't. If Wenger's style is weighted towards attack, which it is, then it should concern Wenger and Arsenal more that the time, space and energy they're weighting towards attack is not producing a relative result close to the resources they're putting in than a defence which conceded two goals against a free-scoring home side. So, the argument that Arsenal and Wenger should prioritize defending against one player and the predictability of Chelsea's attack rather than attacking and actually scoring against their rivals is a flawed one for winning (in order to win games, to point out the paradoxical necessary but redundant obvious, you have to score); Arsenal have to win this game.

Chamakh has been the focal point of the attack for two important games and Arsenal have failed to score in both games. It's foolish to pit Chamakh alone against Vidic plus one or Terry plus one; it's even more foolish to supply Chamakh with high balls and thus playing to Terry's and Vidic's strength. That position is vital to Arsenal's set-up and it should not be occupied by someone in a big game who needs to be carried, which your claim that along as he has the likes of Cesc, VP and Nasri around him, you suggest.


You're correct that Guardiola's Barcelona are great at pressurizing the opposition without the ball in midfield. However, Drogba terrorized Barcelona's defence in the semi-final of the Champions League, and the result would have been different with another referee and on another night. What separates Barcelona from Arsenal is their ability to completely dominate midfield, break down top teams and cut nine-men defences open better. Those three qualities all pertain to 'attack', not defence.

SlickRic

excellent post, however i do still believe Wenger should be weighting a bit more of his thinking towards being able to defend a bit better.

i'm all for accentuating your strengths as much as possible; but Arsenal's inability to defend properly is a continuing concern.

Chamakh needs to not be isolated. i agree that he's not absolute top-tier in terms of forward players, but he's capable of doing a good job if he is supported adequately by a firing Nasri, Cesc and RVP.

away to City is an example of what Arsenal can do against a top side without RVP up top.

PHB

I don't really buy into this whole Arsenal are an uber attacking team. Frankly, I think that they are afraid to lose possession. It's a philosophy about maintaining possession, but they do so by not making as many killer passes. They take less risks and wait for the space to open up. It results in more possession, but in my opinion, it's not particularly attacking nor defensive, it's just a different style of football.

Personally, if you gave me the choice of United's attacking football (which isn't currently being utilised but was best seen during the double season), vs. Barca's attacking football (which is being seen at the moment), I'd prefer United's. It means less possession but more chances I think. United are ok with defending, and when they attack, they are more direct.

I think it's a good illustration of the different between say Messi and Ronaldo, or Xavi and Ronaldo. I think Messi makes much "better" choices, in that he is very unlikely to lose the ball. Ronaldo pretty much gets the ball and legs it towards goal, direct and to the point. Messi takes a much more refined approach, nowhere near as direct, much more atune to Barca's philosophy.

I don't think one is more attacking than the other, it's just different ways of playing football. Once the goal is still to score goals ahead of not conceding, it's all good.

Pepe LeFrits

SlickRic wrote: »

excellent post, however i do still believe Wenger should be weighting a bit more of his thinking towards being able to defend a bit better.

i'm all for accentuating your strengths as much as possible; but Arsenal's inability to defend properly is a continuing concern.

Chamakh needs to not be isolated. i agree that he's not absolute top-tier in terms of forward players, but he's capable of doing a good job if he is supported adequately by a firing Nasri, Cesc and RVP.

away to City is an example of what Arsenal can do against a top side without RVP up top.

Arsenal's inability to attack against the likes of United and Chelsea is a bigger concern. When was the last time Arsenal scored first against either? In fact, when was the last time Arsenal managed to score in the first half against either United or Chelsea?

Too much is made of Arsenal's defensive displays in these games; you're generally going to concede at some stage against quality like Drogba and Rooney. The embarrassing 3 or 4 goal beatings invariably come when the attack has again failed to make any impression and the whole team overloads in an attempt to make inroads.

shano_88

keano_afc wrote: »

Just back from the future, finished 2-0 to Chelsea. Arsenal dominated possesion in the first half, no end product though. Passed the ball from side to side without having a shot on target. Got caught just before half time with Chelsea's first shot on target, a Drogba header. Came out in the second half but had no urgency, seemed afraid to commit players forward. Chelsea soaked up the pressure and hit them on the break with 10 mins to go, Drogba again from an Ashley Cole cross. Arsenal went back into their shell and played out the last few mins passing sideways again.

Afterwards Wenger said it was a hard result to take but the players were a bit naiive. He did however say they would learn from this defeat and we'd see a different Arsenal next time.

Prove me wrong lads. :rolleyes:

Painfully true.

L'prof

How the hell did this morph into the Messi v Ronaldo thread???

SantryRed

For anyone of the betting nature. PP are giving 4-1 for Drogba to score and Chelsea to win.

Ush1

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Arsenal's inability to attack against the likes of United and Chelsea is a bigger concern. When was the last time Arsenal scored first against either? In fact, when was the last time Arsenal managed to score in the first half against either United or Chelsea?

Too much is made of Arsenal's defensive displays in these games; you're generally going to concede at some stage against quality like Drogba and Rooney. The embarrassing 3 or 4 goal beatings invariably come when the attack has again failed to make any impression and the whole team overloads in an attempt to make inroads.

Great point.

I think the problems in these big games for Arsenal is midfield/attack.

amacachi

Not looking forward to this.

DOC09UNAM

SantryRed wrote: »

For anyone of the betting nature. PP are giving 4-1 for Drogba to score and Chelsea to win.

So they are.

Thank you kind sir.

Win
Single: Drogba to score anytime and Chelsea to win @ 5.00
1 line at €40.00 per line
Total stake for this bet: €40.00
Potential returns: €200.00

BERBA

praying for a draw 5-5 do nicely

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Arsenal's inability to attack against the likes of United and Chelsea is a bigger concern. When was the last time Arsenal scored first against either? In fact, when was the last time Arsenal managed to score in the first half against either United or Chelsea?

Too much is made of Arsenal's defensive displays in these games; you're generally going to concede at some stage against quality like Drogba and Rooney. The embarrassing 3 or 4 goal beatings invariably come when the attack has again failed to make any impression and the whole team overloads in an attempt to make inroads.

Last season against United we scored first(Arshavin). However that doesn't take away from your point. Getting a goal before conceding would be a lot better for the team then trying to keep it at 0-0 for as long as possible.

We should be a bit more potent with Fabregas, RvP and Nasri all potentially playing tonight at least.

Bodhisopha

keano_afc wrote: »

Just back from the future, finished 2-0 to Chelsea. Arsenal dominated possesion in the first half, no end product though. Passed the ball from side to side without having a shot on target. Got caught just before half time with Chelsea's first shot on target, a Drogba header. Came out in the second half but had no urgency, seemed afraid to commit players forward. Chelsea soaked up the pressure and hit them on the break with 10 mins to go, Drogba again from an Ashley Cole cross. Arsenal went back into their shell and played out the last few mins passing sideways again.

Afterwards Wenger said it was a hard result to take but the players were a bit naiive. He did however say they would learn from this defeat and we'd see a different Arsenal next time.

Prove me wrong lads. :rolleyes:

Hey thanks! Just threw a fiver on Chelsea to win 2-0 with Drogba scoring first.

Pepe LeFrits

playa3 wrote: »

We should be a bit more potent with Fabregas, RvP and Nasri all potentially playing tonight at least.

Hopefully, but the former pair have been badly short of fitness and form thus far this season so I wouldn't be too optimistic.

Wenger badly needs a win here.

Bounty Hunter

playa3 wrote: »

We should be a bit more potent with Fabregas, RvP and Nasri all potentially playing tonight at least.

anyone want to guess who will be starting in what kind of attacking roles for Arsenal as Arshavin, Walcott & Chamakh all have to be options too. nice attacking options to have on the bench although in some cases inconsistant hense the possibility of the bench

Nemanja91

0-0 Draw I'd say.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

anyone want to guess who will be starting in what kind of attacking roles for Arsenal as Arshavin, Walcott & Chamakh all have to be options too. nice attacking options to have on the bench although in some cases inconsistant hense the possibility of the bench

Wenger has mentioned a few times how it's been good for Cesc and Robin to have had 2 weeks to train so I think he will start them both. Also said that Chamakh has played a lot of games up top on his own which suggests he may give him a bit of a rest now that RvP is back.

Nasri will definitely play and Wenger will most likely pick Arshavin too. Then for Centre mid Diaby is back so he may play but I'd say it will be Jack and Song again.

DOC09UNAM

SlickRic wrote: »

i know it's the 21st Century, but they really shouldn't be allowed broadcast rape on TV.

This post resulted in my pants being covered in a mixture of milk/cookies.

Thanks Slick.

J. Marston

Prediction: Arsenal 1-3 Chelsea

Drogba will score. Obviously.

Bounty Hunter

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