Arsenal will look to make amends and improve on their last two champions league games – losing to Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk both away from home – and get through to the knockout stages of the clash with Partizan at the Emirates.
Luckily for Arsenal, Partizan have no chance of qualifying as they sit rock bottom of Group H with zero points earned during their time in this year’s champions league. However they are currently five points clear at the top of their league in Serbia so they will be out to impress with some of their key players like Cleo, the Brazilian striker and attacking midfielder Babović, out to show their talent as big clubs do some window shopping before the transfer window reopens in January.
Arsenal will only need to draw or lose IF Braga fails to beat Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. But with Arsenal being on high following their victory over Fulham on Saturday and currently top of the Premier League, you have to bet in favor of nothing else but an Arsenal victory.
Latest news regarding Thomas Vermaelen indicates that he will be out until next year with his Achilles tendon injury that he picked up playing for Belgium in a Euro 2012 qualifier back in September. This is bad news when you consider our current centre backs Squillaci and Koscielny nearly knocked each other out on Saturday when they accidently clashed heads to concede a comical goal from Fulham.
With Samir Nasri in top form, scoring two amazing goals on Saturday, the second of which has a good chance of being goal of the seas on, Arsenal will go into this game full of confidence and ready to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. Cesc Fabregas is still sidelined again with his hamstring problem so it looks like Rosicky will temporarily take the captains armband, unless Arsene Wenger opts to start with Van Persie who is slowly getting back to match fitness.
Our goalie, Fabianski, will be feeling much better after pulling some great saves against Fulham. He may be the answer to our goalkeeper problem after all should he carry on like this. This will put an end to the controversy of buying Shwarzer and Hangeland during the January transfer window. Like Mr Wenger says, we must be patient, the youth is our future, we must stick to our young guns as in the end they will bare fruit. Right now they are on the verge of ripening. Knowing how Mr Wenger works I for-see him not buying anyone during the transfer window and relying on our young guns like Gibbs and Eastmond, should their services be required I have every faith in these England players of the future to do a good job for us.
Have no doubt; this is another vital game for Arsenal who will see nothing but a win against Partizan as a good result. With Arsene’s young squad finally looking like they are maturing and digging out victories in games they would have previously lost, this could be the start of a memorable season, which could see Arsenal pick up trophies when everyone else has disregarded them as no hopers. As Arsenal fans, that’s exactly how we like it!
Team (from): Fabianski, Clichy, Squillaci, Koscielny, Sagna, Arshavin, Song, Nasri, Wilshere, Rosicky, Chamakh, Szczesny, Walcott, Bendtner, Denilson, Gibbs, van Persie, Eboue.
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