http://www.arsenal.com/sportsappcon...e&type=com.sportapps.news.NewsItem&id=4465475 I love Arsene but this just screams of "there is an international friendly coming up and there are too damn many fixtures for my players to play in all of them" With the 2 games after this being the 2 most important of our season, as was predicted, he'll have to rest our best players at some point, and there just isn't another opportunity.
Unfortunately, billy, you've hit the nail squarely on the head. In the grand scheme of things, the match on Sunday is basically a "freebie", so he's got to rest some guys when he can. If those three sit along with Cole, it will look like a reserves match out there.
Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to call this a reserves match.... So Gilberto and Edu both play together and Freddie gets to play on the left. Clichy plays for Cole, and he's as deserving as first team play as any in the EPL. That leaves Sol getting a rest, which I think he's needed for a while. Hardly a poor team. We've had full strength teams against much weakened Chelsea teams, so we just have to lump it...
I still want to thrash those Manc twats...no matter who is playing. It would be nice for us to win or draw with a few reserves out there..just to show the league how great we really are...sweeeeet!
We've played Manure with under strength teams a few times and, with the exception of the 6-1 drubbing in the Worthless, we've done pretty well that way. Funny old game init? This match last year was one of the most televised events in sport and this year... AW's using it as an opportunity to rest key players and avoid some of the Intl friendlies? I think Clichy will do alright. His tussle with Rimboweldo should be interesting. Cygan will most likely come in for Campbell and if he plays like he has in the CL we'll be fine! My guess: Lehman Lauren, Toure, Cygan, Clichy Ljungberg, Gilberto, Edu, Reyes Bergkhamp(Kanu 70) , Henry(Aliadiere 75/80) The above presumes Paddy will get a rest. If he doesn't then Reyes will be benched and Gilberto pushed wide. Gilberto in the middle is the one that bothers me? If Scholes or Nisteldiive pull him out of positon, Cygan will have to step up and then we might be exposed to the ball being played in behind him; and everyone will blame Cygan, poor sod! Otherwise this "weaken" line up is still pretty awesome. There are 5 potential goal scorers there. Who do they cover, especially when they don't have a back line good enough to play the way Chelski's did on Wednesday!
I can't see any of them being rested. Now that Cole is definitely out we need Campbell more than ever. I reckon they'll all play, but will pick up small knocks which keep them out of the internationals and will mysteriously recover in time for the cup semi-final.