So tomorrow or today, depending on when this gets posted up on the blog, marks the start to what will be a season deciding week. How often has an Arsenal fan said that not only this season but in all of the last 6 seasons, whether it saw us challenging for the title or fourth. On this occasion we are fighting for fourth, an advantage to take into the second leg of the champions league and a quarter final spot in the FA Cup. If we get it right, then we will all be looking rather rosy and life as a gooner won't look nearly as bad. If we get it wrong, i fear for Wenger and the abuse that he will get at the following home match. The first match in our epic week, sees us travel to Sunderland, not the ideal trip before a big away champions league match but one we have to do nonetheless.
We had a tough game against them earlier in the season that saw the tale of two stunning free kicks, thankfully it was Van Persie's (as it has so often been this season) free kick which gave us the victory. That was playing Sunderland while they were in poor form, this time we face them under the resurgent tutoring of Martin O'Neill. He is not a manager i particularly like and i am sure most Arsenal fans don't like him but credit where credit is due, he knows how to pick a team up and make them perform to their strengths. It will be a difficult match but one that i think we can win, especially as we have the helping hand of not playing midweek. Sunderland had their tough midweek fixture which went to extra time which is why i am quietly confident that we can get a good a win, when the Sunderland legs start to tire.
There is good news on the injury front as we have no new injuries going into the game and we can welcome back Chamakh and Gibbs to the fold. I don't see Gibbs starting the game as he hasn't had any match time for a while and we all know his injury record. I see him coming off the bench when we have a lead to sit in front of Vermaelen at left back and just get 15-20 minutes under his belt, where he then could be thrown in against Milan in midweek. Chamakh i can only assume will take Park's place on the bench which doesn't really change that much, although i could see him coming on to rest Van Persie providing we are winning of course.
I don't really want to guess the team as i can see so many different options with such a big game in midweek. I can see Coquelin keeping his place but can quite easily see Sagna coming in for two games with Coquelin playing in the FA Cup game. I can see Arshavin or Henry starting with Chamberlain being used as an impact player. I can even see Chamakh playing upfront to give Van Persie a rest before two big cup games. Either Ramsey or Rosicky will play this weekend and be rotated out for Milan. I can also see Wenger keeping the exact team that beat Blackburn so comfortably. See why i don't want to try and predict it?
This is a big weekend though, a lot of the top teams face each other and it provides us with a great opportunity to catch/overtake our rivals. Man Utd face Liverpool, Chelsea go away to Everton, Spurs host Newcastle. By the end of the weekend we could be sitting in 4th place and 8 points behind Spurs. We could also be 13 points behind Spurs, 6 points off 4th and sitting 7th. It is amazing how the situation can change so dramatically in just a weekend of football. Hopefully it will be the former and we will be full of confidence going into the Milan game.
I am confident we will win tomorrow, mainly because of the renewed confidence after Blackburn, Van Persie and the Ox's confidence and the fact Sunderland will bound to be tired after their midweek efforts. I expect it to be a close game where its maybe 1-1 until the 70th minute but then for our fitness to slowly take over and over power them and for us to steal a 2-1 victory. Hopefully i am wrong and we can comfortably go 4-0 up by half time and bring on Gibbs and Chamakh for a run out and rest some key players. I some how don't think it will be that easy though.
I hope all the traveling fans have fun on their travels and i am sure they will be in full force.
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