January 17th & 20th, 2010 Reebok Stadium & Emirates Stadium 11:00AM EST & 2:45PM EST Sky Sports 1, Setanta Form... Arsenal - W D W W W D Bolton - L D W D D W Expected Lineups... Arsenal - 4-3-3 - Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Denilson, Ramsey, Diaby, Nasri, Arshavin, Eduardo Bolton - 4-4-2 - Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Taylor, Davies, Klasnic Ramifications... Arsenal - up to 2nd, stay at 3rd Bolton - up to 13th, down to 19th
Double-headers like this are perfect for creating or nurturing rivalries. Cesc Fabregas has announced he'll return this weekend but I don't think Wenger will start him. He should play, though. With two games in four days I wonder how much Wenger will tinker with the lineups? Perhaps we go full-out against them in the away fixture and depending on how we do either keep it up or tone it down for the home game.
I can see Wenger completely resting Fabregas or he might get a cameo role in the second-half. This should be a comfortable win but you can never predict football. I can see us pushing for a coupe of goals in the first half to kill the game off as fast as possible. Then we'll probably sit back and put in a couple of youngsters.
^ If there is one thing we haven't done this year it's score much early on. We tend to win games after the hour mark. But I agree, a goal or two in the first half will pretty much end it for the Wanderers.
Gael Clichy and Cesc Fabregas have both been activated for this game but will probably start on the bench.
The away win was important... the home win should be easier (knock on wood). Good to see Fabregas put in a good 90, too. Traore was terrible again. He needs to take a seat now that Clichy is back.
It's that permanent French blood running through the team. I'll be missing Ramsey over Nasri -- He has been playing great the past couple of games. It isn't all that bad, though. Fabregas and Clichy returned, plus we have Bendtner coming back in the next week or so. Another note, why is Eduardo so fucking dreadful?
Also, I hope Almunia will eventually learn (ASAP) that Andrei Arshavin is 5'7" in combat boots. No matter how many times you kick a goal kick straight up the middle he won't get it. Zat Knight is 6'6" for chrissakes...
