Aston Villa v Arsenal Pre-Match Thread

[class-of-82]

Let's hope the Greeks send em out the champs league and we finish em off on Sunday, ayew hat trick for me

[The Edge]

Guzan might have to move over a bit.


What is it with this spellchecker??

If he breaks his habit of gifting  a goal a game away I'll be happy.

[ACVilla]

Villa win 1-0, Gestede 76.

[ez]

We have no choice but to go for the win and we'll get picked off on the breakaways. 0-3.

[russon]

Villa win 1-0, Gestede 76.

That prediction started badly and went downhill from there. You appear to be suggesting that a) we'll win, b) a lampost will score for us and c) that we'll keep a clean sheet against free scoring Arsenal despite a back line that leaks like a tap. I'd start again if I were you AC.

[ACVilla]

Villa win 1-0, Gestede 76.

That prediction started badly and went downhill from there. You appear to be suggesting that a) we'll win, b) a lampost will score for us and c) that we'll keep a clean sheet against free scoring Arsenal despite a back line that leaks like a tap. I'd start again if I were you AC.

Check the betting thread, you'll see how bad I am at predicting football results. I wouldn't imagine we will have a huge upturn in fortunes on Sunday. If I tipped Villa here, had a bet on Arsenal to win you can all but guarantee it would be a draw.

[mallo]

We'll do well to keep this less than 3. This is a watershed for me - collapse here and that shows no fight, scrap every inch for a sh*t 1-0 loss and I'd still believe. However, given the tendency for others to actually win odd games we realistically need to win one of the next 3, the rest doesn't matter after that.

[brontebilly]

Let's hope the Greeks send em out the champs league and we finish em off on Sunday, ayew hat trick for me

tough midweek game for Arsenal and they are struggling with injuries anyway

Sunderland were unlucky not to get a result off them last weekend, Arsenal back four seemed to have zero protection so should be space for the likes of Veretout to exploit. We are starting to improve going forward. Ayew and Veretout looking dangerous up top, Sinclair and Gestede offer zilch though so best not to start both. 6/1 seems a very big price on us imo.

Although I expect Theo Walcott to be on the right wing and to have a field day

Think we will score a couple, might not be enough though. 2-2, Bacuna to get sent off

-------------Guzan
Richards, Okore, Clark, TBD (Bacuna)
-------Sanchez, Gueye----
--Traore, Veretout, Sinclair
------------Ayew-------

would have Grealish back on the bench, think with Richards at right back we could afford to chance Traore on the right. Very harsh to drop Hutton, gives it everything but Richards would be a lot better on the ball. Left back is likely to be Bacuna who I have zero confidence in back there. Sinclair probably our best bet to put a shift in ahead of Bacuna but thats the position Grealish should be coming in for.

Bunn, Hutton, Lescott, Westwood, Grealish, Just-Head, Flabby

[tomd2103]

Let's hope the Greeks send em out the champs league and we finish em off on Sunday, ayew hat trick for me

tough midweek game for Arsenal and they are struggling with injuries anyway

Sunderland were unlucky not to get a result off them last weekend, Arsenal back four seemed to have zero protection so should be space for the likes of Veretout to exploit. We are starting to improve going forward. Ayew and Veretout looking dangerous up top, Sinclair and Gestede offer zilch though so best not to start both. 6/1 seems a very big price on us imo.

Although I expect Theo Walcott to be on the right wing and to have a field day

Think we will score a couple, might not be enough though. 2-2, Bacuna to get sent off

-------------Guzan
Richards, Okore, Clark, TBD (Bacuna)
-------Sanchez, Gueye----
--Traore, Veretout, Sinclair
------------Ayew-------

would have Grealish back on the bench, think with Richards at right back we could afford to chance Traore on the right. Very harsh to drop Hutton, gives it everything but Richards would be a lot better on the ball. Left back is likely to be Bacuna who I have zero confidence in back there. Sinclair probably our best bet to put a shift in ahead of Bacuna but thats the position Grealish should be coming in for.

Bunn, Hutton, Lescott, Westwood, Grealish, Just-Head, Flabby

Yep, quite like the look of that team.  Still think Ayew would be more suited cutting in from the left, but he's probably our best striker option at the moment.

[Des Little]

Another afternoon of pain. Consolation being we are on the piss in town afterwards. Again. 

[barossavilla]

Just-Head that is just brilliant

[Bad English]

Flabby is not bad either.

[JUAN PABLO]

Even with all their injuries, they still have Ozil and Ramsey, and both are on fire at the minute. I think Giroud is good for a goal away from home. Lescott has earned his place for his desire alone, start an actual left back in Illori. We're at home, so lets get one or two anyway, Them to score early and often, 2-4.

Guzan
Hutton Richards Lescott Illori
Gana  Sanchez Vertout
Adama Ayew Gil

Subs: Bunn, Clark, Bacuna, Gabby, Gestede, Grealish, Kinsella.

Not a bad team.kozak for gabby thou and okore shouldnt be dropped

[Breezeblock]

I try to be optimistic but i'm afraid I can't see anything other than a full-on dicking. At least 3, probably more. I'd rip anyone's arm off for a nil-nil right now!

[mattjpa]

If Garde is going to have much of an effect I would expect to start seeing it about now. We had some bad luck against Watford and some good luck against Southampton. Hell, if Ashley Westwood hadnt been so scared of getting clattered and instead had concentrated on his shot we could have quite conceivably won that game.

We cant keep relying on luck to decide how many points we are going to come away with from a game. We need that level of ruthlessness bringing in so that the 1 or 2 really good chances we create are taken and any bad luck we suffer in the last 10minutes does not affect the points.