Yet again
Arsenal ind
themselves in a fight for fourth spot. During the course of March, out
of a possible 15 points, Arsenal have picked up 5. As a result, Arsenal are out
of the title race and Everton's recent form, (five wins out of five) have put
them bang in contention for a champion league qualification position. All in
all, this makes tomorrow's game at Goodison
Park crucial for both
sides.
I must admit to a fondness for Everton FC, they
are a real football club, they value their traditions and their fans and more
than most have a claim to be a genuine people's club. Under Roberto Martinez,
they have enjoyed a renaissance and play attractive football, a good passing
team with craft and guile. They also have a powerful attacking line up (Lukaku
in particular) and Naismith is vastly underestimated. Add to the mix that they
have two of the best full backs in the English game (Seamus Coleman cost
£60,000), Everton are a real threat. This game is made all the more
interesting, as it also poses the question, whether or not Arsenal's opposition
is being managed by Arsenal's next manager?
Currently, Arsenal have played 32 games and have
64 points, Everton have played a game less and have 60 points. If Arsenal avoid
a loss, I believe they will go on to qualify for Europe's elite club
competition relatively comfortably, the run in is soft, home games against West
Ham, Newcastle United and West Brom with away visits to Norwich and Hull,
whichever you look at it, the club should be able to accumulate 10 points from those
fixtures, and 74 points would be sufficient to guarantee Champions League
qualification.
However, should Arsenal lose to Everton, then my
concern would be that our confidence, fragile at the best of times, might begin
to falter and were we to drop points against West Ham, then things would look
very different. Everton's run is definitely trickier; away games at
Southampton, Hull and Sunderland and home games
against an improving Manchester United side (if Mata plays), title chasing Manchester City and a Palace team fighting for
their lives. Nevertheless, I can see them picking up 9 points from these
matches which is why so much depends on tomorrow's game.
For Arsenal to get something from the game, and a
draw would be a good result for us, it's vital that the team doesn't repeat the
fundamental error of being too open at the outset of the game, as we did at
Anfield and disastrously at the Bridge. Wenger should play Arteta, Flamini and
Oxlade Chamberlain and for the first 20 minutes they should play as a holding
three, I'd go for Cazorla and Rosicky (to my mind the best player at the club
at the moment) supporting Giroud. I would assume that Gibbs won't be risked so
Monreal will play at left back and against a physical, pacy outfit like
Everton, Thomas Vermaelen should be an asset.
It will be great to have Aaron Ramsey back in the
fold, this season, he is Arsenal's leading tackler, a worrying statistic
bearing in mind that he hasn't played for three months! The manager compared
him to Lampard at Friday's press conference, personally, I think that if he
stays fit, he can be Arsenal's Bryan Robson, I think he's that good.
This game should have a draw written over it, we
all know that Arsenal dislike lunchtime kick offs, but if they approach the
game in the right manner and show the same defensive shape and discipline as
they did at White Hart Lane, I think we can do it.
On a quick personal note, my ten year old wrote
to Arsene Wenger earlier this week and within two days she received a reply
from the man himself and a separate letter from his PA answering some of the
questions she asked, as well as some club freebies. Despite the trials and
tribulations the team puts us through, it's important to remember what a
classy, quality club we all support.
By Ian Byrne
Follow me at @RightAtTheEnd and I'll follow you
back.
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