Match Preview
Newcastle United v Arsenal
Barclays Premier League,
St. James's Park,
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Kick-off: 17:30
So it begins! (No not the line from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (King Theoden). The new season has finally come around and I am glad it has. Not the fact it's Arsenal playing competitively again, just good to see something to look forward to on the weekend.
Our squad numbers were released the other day and new signings Gervinho, Miyachi, Jenkinson and Oxlade-Chamberlain have been given numbers 27, 31, 25 and 15 respectively. As you can see Chamberlain has taken Denilson’s number and Gervinho has got his number he wore at Lille taking Eboue’s number who isn’t even in the squad,which means he must be about to move. Szczesny has been promoted to number 13 after wearing number 53 last season. Emmanuel Frimpong takes the number 26.
On to today’s game and it’s a tricky one. Newcastle came back from being 4-0 down last season at St. James’s Park to come back in a half to 4-4. You get one off games, so I can’t see it happening this time. If anything I can see Arsenal starting off quickly after a relatively poor pre-season. Maybe because the players have been pushed harder this year in pre-season training, they haven’t had much energy to play in those games, albeit aginst tougher competition to play against too.
Newcastle have had ups and downs with owner Mike Ashley in charge, more downs than ups. The likes of Joey Barton and Jose Enrique, now at Liverpool, haven’t helped the situation up on Tyneside. With no relative form from either team it’s a clean slate to start fresh with optimism for the new season and both teams will be eager to get their first win and 3 points on to the league table.
For Arsenal we have had unrest at our club too. Fabregas looks likely to be off any second now to sunny Spain. Nasri too will follow suit but to a much more cold and wetter environment up North in Manchester (Sky Blues not the Red Devils). If fact the move for Nasri could be a blessing in disguise, as rumoured a straight swap including Nasri for Carlos Tevez could emerge, I don’t believe that story one bit, but I would take that move any day!
Walcott is back in the squad after his injury in pre-season looked like he’d miss the opening game. Our squad looks a little thin in the middle, with Nasri, Fabregas, Wilshere and Diaby all out. This leaves Song, Frimpong, Ramsey and Rosicky as natural midfielders. However the first eleven should be strong enough against a Newcastle side who I think will probably get relegated this season.
The key man today will be van Persie as he has a tremendous goal scoring record away from home at the moment; in fact he can’t stop scoring anywhere. We’ll have to see how this one plans out as opening games of any season, results can be very surprising.
Probable line-up:
Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Rosicky, Gervinho, van Persie, Arshavin
Prediction: Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal
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