Morning all.
The FA Cup draw did Arsenal a favour on Monday night by bringing out a home tie. Then, out of the pot came Wigan Athletic. The last time we faced Wigan in this competition was back in 2014 when a penalty shootout decided the result at the DW Stadium. We went on to lift the cup that year thanks to an Aaron Ramsey goal in extra time. What a weird final that was but the players showed great character to overturn a 2-0 deficit.
Arsene Wenger loved the FA Cup, or at least I think he must have. He certainly won a few! Seven in total during his time at Arsenal, two more than old red nose managed at Utd. I’d love for Mikel Arteta to double his tally this season and if the squad stays fit, healthy and injury free, then it’s doable. There is a long long way to go yet though.
Right now, the focus is on tonights League Cup semifinal first leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The other semi-final which took place last night with City winning 2-0.
Just a few weeks ago, Chelsea and Arsenal went head to head at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League fixture and the performance from Mikel Arteta’s side was pretty poor. Chelsea were in control until Caicedo received his marching orders on 38 minutes following a nasty challenge on Mikel Merino. Despite being down to ten men, the home team went ahead early in the second half from a corner. Ten minutes later, a Bukayo Saka cross was headed home by Mikel Merino and 1-1 was how it stayed. Putting things into perspective, both Gabriel and William Saliba were missing for that match, there was no Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz either. Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Odegaard were on the and Riccardo Calafiori had to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly around the hour mark.
Even so, up against ten men, we could/should have been better…
Tonight, we face a team who will playing at home for the first time under new manager Liam Rosenior. Why is it we seem to play clubs who have a “new manager bounce” on their side? I know Rosenior used to run around for Reading FC for a couple of years but not until he was linked to Chelsea did I realise he’d gone into management. Anyway, he’s just 41 years old but a tactical genius apparently. We’ll see eh..
Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke on tonight’s opponents:
Liam Rosenior’s first game in charge at Stamford Bridge presents a tactical trip into the unknown. He is a versatile head coach who can happily switch between a back three and back four, using 3-4-2-1 on ten occasions this season with previous club Strasbourg. The most likely scenario is that he will not deviate from the 4-2-3-1 he inherited and used against Charlton Athletic last weekend. It is a shape which suits their personnel, especially out wide where he is spoilt for choice when it comes to talented wingers.
No matter who plays, Chelsea will raid down the flanks as a matter of course. In previous roles that has been a key part of Rosenior’s approach anyway, so with Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Estevao and Jamie Gittens at his disposal, he will target wide areas and demand that they take on our full backs.
In our league meeting the Blues were aggressive and forceful. Looking to press us at every opportunity – even with ten men – they made it a hostile encounter. Will the new head coach follow that path? He does like his teams to press, but in a semi-final first leg we may see a little more pragmatism this time. Let’s see.
Set pieces will be important for Chelsea. Reece James clips lovely inswinging corners into the box from the left, as we found to our cost when Trevoh Chalobah scored against in late November from a near post flick. The England international is also a classy free kick taker, so showing discipline with our tackling is going to be important. With 12 set play goals to their name in the Premier League, dead balls will be a threat on Wednesday evening.
Chelsea’s main weaknesses are at the back. They do not have a settled rearguard, so partnerships and a lack of chemistry could be an issue when put under pressure. That is why we must show adventure inside the opposition half and flood their box with numbers every time get onto the front foot. The more chaos the Blues’ defenders have to deal with, the better.
Ten top-flight teams have a better expected goals against record than Chelsea, who have let in just under six fewer goals than the stats suggest they should have done. They have also gone seven games in all competitions without a clean sheet. I expect us to create chances and score in this first leg.
Christian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Max Dowman are ruled out for this game, Mikel Arteta said in his press conference that William Saliba and Leandro Trossard are both doubts too so our defence is pretty much down to the bare bones. Too early for Marli Salmon to start a game?
Moises Caicedo is reported to be out of this game due to suspension after picking up his second booking of the tournament against Cardiff City. Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill remain absent due to injury. Malo Gusto, Cole Palmer and Reece James face late fitness tests.
With an opportunity to get to Wembley, will Mikel Arteta play his strongest side or will he continue in the same vein as previous rounds against Premier League opposition? Mind you, they were one off fixtures and at home. Will Kepa or David Raya be between the sticks? Considering Kepa was part of the group which got us to the semi-final, surely he’ll get the nod. Hopefully, the other players who have got us here will too. Personally, I hope to see Ebe Eze, Ethan Nwaneri, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyokeres, Ben White, Christian Norgaard, Gabriel Martinelli etc on the pitch.
Anyway, I hope for a really good game with the guys in red and white coming away with a win.
Catch up in the comments.
It’s 2 leg football and with knowing Arteta’s propensity to being cautious I expect a team selection based on looking at the second leg as the game where the outcome is decided. It would be nice to go back with a 2 goal lead but I fear that this is unlikely.
Morning Rico/all
Yes I get the feeling Arteta wouldn’t be unhappy with a draw,which would make us big favourites for the second leg. It’s a risky strategy though.
If Saliba is not fit,I would go for Norgaard,an experienced player who looks at home. To be fair Salmon was very good too.
Chelsea outplayed us for large parts of the league game so we owe them payback. They absolutely hate us,I’m not sure if they still have the – taking the Mikel – placard up,but they are so jealous we’ve been the better team recently.
Whatever team we put out should be good enough,here’s hoping.
Morning Potter, Limey.
I fear a home win tonight. Hope I’m wrong though.
With Calafiori out I would move Timber over to Left back and play Ben White at Right Back,White combines really well with Saka.
Me too… He’ll put Crystal Tips in his place..
Afternoon Gooners, afternoon Rico.
Going into a game with a bit of apprehension isn’t always a bad thing, it’ll focus the mind.
I expect Arteta to go full-gas but not risk Trossard and possibly not Saliba, that’ll leave us light at the back but we’ll just have to deal with it.
I expect to see Arsenal make a couple of signings in the next 14 days, one a loan with an option and one a young Mosquera type. Injuries might force the club to bring forward a couple of deals from next summer, with so much on the line we can’t afford to procrastinate now, it’s shit or bust…
Narrow win tonight for the Gunners.
Afternoon Kev, hope you’re right re the win.
A couple of signings eh, which positions do you reckon? Striker/Winger?
I’ve just realised Crystal tips is Cucurella,that fella is easy to dislike. Chelsea have a few,but he is the worst.
I reckon a defender and a box 2 box midfielder to understudy Declan and Zubi. I think we’re sorted up front. Might see a couple of youths brought into the academy as well, depending on PSR of course.
Cucurella really has the kind of face you’d love to punch.
Wondering how many minutes before Cucurella’s first foul on Saka. Secondly how many fouls before he gets booked and we are saying ‘he should be off by now if only the ref had done his job’. Gillett VAR
Newcastle’s left fullback, Tino Livramento, was of interest a week or so ago but he’s now injured and will not play for several weeks.
I think we have to find a solution to the left back problem. Calafiori is too injury prone, MLS is not a fullback which leaves us with just Hincapie or playing Timber on the wrong side.
I’d love us to dip into the market this month but just can’t see it happening.
Definitely be fighting for first place in the queue to slap Crystal Tips..
Interesting..
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6963032/2026/01/14/saka-cucurella-arsenal-chelsea/
It’s behind a pay wall , so cannot comment.
I’ll copy it.l
There is not always a standout one-v-one battle to look forward to before matches, but Chelsea versus Arsenal has had one brewing for a few years now.
Whenever these sides meet, the individual skirmishes between Marc Cucurella and Bukayo Saka always seem to play a part.
November’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge was dominated by their duels, and that has been the case since their first meeting as Chelsea and Arsenal players that same month in 2022. Cucurella had previously faced Saka and Arsenal while a Brighton & Hove Albion player in the 2021-22 season, but that afternoon, all it took was two and a half minutes to reintroduce himself, cynically stepping across the England winger after the ball had passed by.
A similar challenge (below) was deemed fair later in the first half. Saka, shocked by this decision, retaliated by deliberately fouling Cucurella and was booked.
It was a spark for what has come in the intervening years, but that afternoon, Cucurella bettered Saka in some instances and vice versa. The Spain international made sure to be front-footed whenever he engaged Saka, whereas the winger left west London with a match-winning assist for Gabriel from a corner.
The pair have faced each other five times since, and including that match at Stamford Bridge. Cucurella has committed 13 fouls (11 of them on Saka), while Saka has assisted four of Arsenal’s 10 goals in those five meetings.
Saka has found success, but Cucurella does not make life easy for him, which is what sport is about — two competitors trying to get the edge and rising to a challenge. With this pair in particular, the momentum is constantly ebbing and flowing.
“I try not to give space,” Cucurella told Sky Sports when asked what he needs to do well when facing Saka after a 2-2 draw between the sides in November 2024. “I try to always be close to him. We know he’s a special talent, so I try to help my team.”
Take a look at any match between Chelsea and Arsenal, and that touch-tight approach is noticeable when Mikel Arteta’s side move the ball to their right wing.
When done correctly, defenders set the tone well, but it is a balancing act. When those challenges are mistimed early on, the attacker takes the upper hand, which was the case in that 1-1 draw a couple of months back.
Their competitive feud reignited within 30 seconds of kick-off as Cucurella gave Saka a nudge which caused him to miscontrol a throw-in. Arsenal’s No 7 was shown chuckling to himself, and two minutes later, he was on the receiving end of Cucurella’s first foul of the game. The left-back was then booked after 11 minutes for going through the back of Saka on the halfway line.
From then on, the England international was in control of their individual duels.
He often baited Cucurella to follow him one way then dashed off in the other, before putting the defender on the back foot to work a crossing angle for Arsenal’s equaliser (see below).
Similarly, his other two assists when facing Cucurella have come after the Spaniard had been booked. Both were in the 2023-24 season and can be seen below.
For the first, a late Leandro Trossard equaliser, Cucurella was immediately looking to contain as Saka dropped a shoulder to cross from just outside the box.
For the second, Saka drove Cucurella back into his box again, threw a couple of step-overs at him, then simply laid the ball square for Kai Havertz to make it 4-0.
That type of response to on-pitch pressure has been a necessary part of Saka’s growth as a wide threat.
He has regularly been double/triple-marked since he was 20 years old in the 2021-22 season, which has taken a toll. Since the start of 2019-20, he ranks seventh for fouls won (359) in the Premier League and fourth for fouls won in the final third (111).
When asked in 2023 about the increasing number of kicks the England international was taking, Arteta said: “If you ask him how it used to be when he was aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 — it isn’t very different. Wingers and talented players get kicked and fouled and (also) get the demand to win games, and that is the chance he has.
“He needs to learn when to take certain balls, what to do with that ball, how to use his body, when to jump (to avoid impact injuries). There are a lot of things we can train (him in), but it is very difficult to understand what the opponent is going to do.”
Saka’s use of his body has since become a staple of his game.
Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson told The Athletic in 2024 that the Arsenal wide man is “one of the strongest players, pound for pound, that I’ve played against”. It’s easy to see why he may think that when Saka gets between man and ball before rolling away from pressure, like below.
Reflecting on his quote from 2023 about Saka dealing with kicks from opposition players, Arteta said: “Every position brings challenges. The opposition learns from you as well, and they try to stop you in the most efficient way. You need to have solutions against each opponent to be efficient and beat him.
“The impact that he has consistently is remarkable. It’s very difficult to see a player in his position constantly doing what he’s doing. It’s a credit to the team as well and the players around him to support that.”
As Arteta alluded to, Arsenal’s benefit is that their attack does not just depend on the outcome of Saka versus Cucurella duels. Saka did not assist Arsenal’s goal in the 1-1 draw of November 2024, but Martin Odegaard managed to by playing a cross from a similar area to the one where Saka assisted Trossard in the encounter 12 months earlier.
The number of threats Arsenal carry besides Saka was even more pronounced in April 2024. While Saka left that match with an assist for Havertz, solely watching his encounters with Cucurella may suggest the game was tighter than the 5-0 victory Arsenal eventually secured.
With Cucurella back from suspension after getting sent off in last week’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Fulham and Saka rested for Sunday’s 4-1 FA Cup win against Portsmouth of the Championship, both should be in line to lock horns again in west London this evening (Wednesday). Now at the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup, it’s an opportunity for both men (and their teams) to lay down a marker.
Cucurella said to Sky Sports about facing Saka: “We’ve played each other a lot of times. I think it’s big respect. I try to do my work, he tries to do his, so it’s a good battle and hopefully we can do more.”
There are likely to be moments this evening and in the second leg next month where one seems to have the better of the other, but if previous meetings show anything, that momentum can swing quickly. Three weeks passing between the two matches may take some of the tension away, but this should be the battle to look out for, both at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates Stadium.
we need anew left back and Kwior is not the solution
I predict that the first foul of the night will be committed by Cucerella on Saka.
either Zinchenko
Arsenal: Kepa, White, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Subs: Raya, Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Havertz, Lewis-Skelly
At least Gyokeres will get better service with Ben White starting. How do you score a hat-trick and get benched the next game?
Kepa, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Odegaard, Rice, Zubimendi, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Gosh, I wasn’t expecting that lineup..
Haha, might be first or second tackle on Saka, and Cucurella booked! Now take him on the outside which he didn’t do first half.
White’s last three goals have been against Chelsea, no wonder Arteta fancied him tonight!
Trossard has a yellow. Arteta should bring in Martinelli with his pace to run Estevao off the pitch.
I agree Martinelli for Trossard.
Get in Viktor 😂
Saka is definitely winning the battle with Cucurella…
Darn it!
Good result, shame they scored a second but we just have to make home advantage count..
Three for, two against, good result away from home.
Pleased for Viktor G, he deserved the goal.
Saka certainly won the battled with Cucurella.
G’night all.
Night Cicero, all.
Zubimendi was outstanding, delighted for Gyokeres but only White makes that cross, Timber would be inside. A couple of slips by defenders and half clearances and Garnacho scores two goals, we should have won 1-4, now park it and focus on Forest, maybe bring rotate a bit for that one and Inter next week, it doesn’t get any easier but I’m enjoying it.
Nice win, looking forward to seeing highlights
just read. The independent have a story that Ofcan had received 0ver 600 complaints about Gary Neville comments at Martinelli, and more complaints to other sites but did not mention the sites.
if Neville does not get sacked then Arsenal should ban him from our ground.
Zubimendi has to be one of the best, if not the best, summer 2025 PL signings. Such a great player for us. I’ve always liked Merino but I think he has vastly improved too.
New post up.