Morning all.

I hope Arsene Wenger made sure the players were up early, very early, in fact so early they think this match kicks off at 3pm.

Injuries:

Liverpool are without Daniel Agger, Jose Enrique, Glen Johnson and Mamadou Sakho.

We are without Mathieu Flamini, Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott, Yaya Sanogo, Abou Diaby and his new mate, Kim Kallstrom.

Put those injured together and you could have a full starting eleven…

Liverpool clearly have problems at the back, what team wouldn’t with four key defenders missing and today is certainly a day to test that defence. None of this fifteen passes in attempt to get around them, be direct, put them under pressure and see if they crack. I hope we see a bit of pace in the side too, I know we don’t have players as quick as Theo in the side but neither Gnabry or Chamberlain are slow, if either or both start, they need to be driving through the heart of the Liverpool defence or making the kind of run we saw OC make last weekend and be there ready for Santi or Mesut to place their pass…

Don’t give their midfield anything, don’t give them time on the ball or a chance to feed to two forwards. Want that ball, keep that ball and make sure every pass finds a team-mate.

At the back, more of the same determined and dogged defending which we have seen this season and Giroud, when Sagna get’s the ball down the right, he has to be in the area ready and waiting and not half way up the pitch still trying desperately to get there in time….

In my opinion, this fixture could turn out to be one of the most important in our season so far, win it and we kick on full of confidence, lose it and the doubting niggles could start to creep into the players minds and we don’t want or need that.

Twenty five years ago Michael Thomas was an Arsenal hero and he still is today for ‘that’ goal:

Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t talk to me about the goal. Everywhere I go it’s with me and I’m very proud of that. It was the highlight of my career, but it wasn’t just my achievement. It was Arsenal’s achievement.

I can remember it vividly. I made a last burst forward hoping someone would pick me out. I got a lucky bounce off Steve Nicol and then I was in on Bruce Grobbelaar. It seemed to take an age before I had the shot. Even when I see it now, I expect me to shoot sooner. When the ball hit the net it was just incredible.

Seconds later the ref blew the whistle and we were champions. I didn’t think you could get any more dramatic. We won it on goals scored at the home of one of the best teams in the world.

It’s all about the future now. Our team won the title back then and the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry did it a decade ago with the ‘Invincibles’.

It’s time for this current side to do it.

He’s right!

This is a huge game, it should be a great game and if our boys are all playing from the same song sheet, it will be our game to win…

COYRRG’s….