Aston Villa Vs Arsenal | Saturday December 9 1730

So basically what you’re saying is your definition of a must win game is different. Yes so failing to win at Villa makes going to Anfield a must win game.

No I don’t say that it’s impossible to win the title without win at Villa, but it’s the kind of place we should be winning if we do want to win the title. So in terms of our own destiny (where we can stay top with just a draw at Anfield) winning on Saturday and winning the following Sunday at home to Brighton is a must.

I think we had a chance to lay down a marker by winning at Newcastle and we utterly failed to do that. With the exception of the City game at home, we haven’t had a real marquee victory and it’s time.

If we lose or draw it’s not the end, but it’s a massive chance missed

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

So basically what you’re saying is your definition of a must win game is different.

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Yes.

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Yes so failing to win at Villa makes going to Anfield a must win game.

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Well, possibly. Those two games aren't consecutive. A draw in both would probably not be fatal, especially as we have both Villa and Liverpool at home later in the season.

Either would certainly be a statement win, I think we can agree on that.

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Originally Posted by Letters

Yes.


Well, possibly. Those two games aren't consecutive. A draw in both would probably not be fatal, especially as we have both Villa and Liverpool at home later in the season.

Either would certainly be a statement win, I think we can agree on that.

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I’m looking at it in terms of being top and wanting to stay top, and that no matter how well Villa played yesterday…it’s definitely going to be an easier place for us to go than Anfield. Drawing both would not be fatal to our title chances I agree, but if we want to stay top I think we really need to beat Villa and Brighton.

I guess I'm just less fussed about staying on top at this stage of the season, we were top for almost all of last season and it didn't do us much good in the end.
Right now we just need to stay in touch. It's what happens at the business end that counts.
But I am a fan of "statement" wins so one at Villa Park or Anfield could be important in that regard. It was a massive red flag to me when we lost to City at home last season.

My concern with leaving it late in the season is that it's where I think Arteta is weakest, all his chickens come home to roost as they did last season when lack of rotation tired the team out and no change in tactics made us easier to draw against or beat

So we need to build ourselves a cushion, even that won't gaurantee anything but I'm concerned we aren't a side that will finish strongly, unlike Citeh

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Originally Posted by Letters

No, it's maths.

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Spoken like a loser.

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Originally Posted by The Wengerbabies

Spoken like a loser.

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Boring troll is trolling. Boringly.

22Raya
4White
2Saliba
6Gabriel
35Zinchenko
8Ødegaard
41Rice
29Havertz
7Saka
9Gabriel Jesus
11Martinelli

Substitutes

1Ramsdale
14Nketiah
15Kiwior
17Cédric Soares
19Trossard
20Jorginho
24Nelson
25Elneny
76Walters

Predictable lineup although i'd have had Kiwior, Ram and Trossatd instead of Raya, Zin and Havertz

Kiwior was our worst outfield player on Tuesday wouldn’t have him back in the starting line up

Havertz deserves to be starting (for the time being)

Trossard was poor when he came on against Luton, doesn't deserve this one for me.