Having lived in Norfolk for almost forty years, if I have a second club then I suppose it must be The Canaries. That said, there is no doubt as to where my loyalties lie today, whole-heartedly with The Gunners.
A quick glance at the Premiership table is all it takes to indicate just how important today’s game against Norwich City is. If we want to retain third place we must take all three points on offer. It’s not a want-to-win game, it’s not a must-win game, it’s an absolutely vital win game.
Team Played Goal Diff. Points
Manchester City 36 61 83
Manchester Utd. 36 53 83
Arsenal 36 24 66
Tottenham 36 23 65
Newcastle 36 9 65
Chelsea 36 21 61
A win today would put us beyond the reach of Chelsea but anything less could see us overtaken, if results go against us, by Newcastle and the other lot when they play, respectively, Manchester City at home, and Aston Villa away.
Norwich City will be no push-overs, they play good attacking football, they have in Paul Lambert an excellent manager and have done well to establish themselves on their return to the Premiership. Currently in fourteenth position, on a safe 43 points, they have nothing to lose and will no doubt be out to avenge the 2 – 1 home defeat to The Gunners back in November when RvP scored both the equaliser and the winner when we came back from 1 – 0 down.
A special word of praise today goes to Tomas Rosicky who picked up his second EA Sports Player of the Month award for April having also won the award for March. Our Czech mid-field maestro has been a revelation, particularly in the second half of the season. He has been outstanding in his work rate, ball control and passing. He has been our most creative force for much of April, especially important during the enforced absence of Mikel Arteta. Tomas provided a wonderful angled cross for van Persie to latch onto and score the equaliser against Stoke last week.
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Team News
Nothing much to report on the injury front, Theo Walcott is making progress and could be available for the final game of the season at West Brom. Oh! Diaby is out for the rest of the present campaign with a calf injury; he might make the Euros and the whole of France is waiting with bated breath.
Szczesny in goal, no question. Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen and Gibbs or Santos, I think Arsene will go with Gibbs for an hour and then bring on the Brazilian.
In mid-field Song and Rosicky are certain starters with maybe Ramsey, although I would prefer to see Oxlade-Chamberlain instead.
Up front probably Benayoun and Gervinho just behind van Persie.
Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs
Ramsey Song Rosicky
Gervinho Benayoun
Van Persie
One thing I would like to see is a bit more urgency in getting the ball forward, a bit less inter-passing between the back four, play the ball to Gervinho more quickly and let him use his pace and dribbling skills to get at the full-backs and create a bit of panic in the City defence.
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Final Thought
It’s not only the last home game of the season, it’s the last home game of Pat Rice’s illustrious career at Arsenal. Pat played over 400 games for the Gunners and became Arsene Wenger’s No.2 on his appointment in 1996. So let’s give Pat a resounding thank-you and cheer The Mighty Arsenal on to victory.
Let’s give Pat and the Gunners a Rip Roaring send-off!!
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