Sunderland -v- Arsenal [3pm]

cson

courtesy of the BBC...

TEAM NEWS
Sunderland loan signings Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos could make their full debuts against Arsenal.

Nicklas Bendtner cannot play against his parent club under the terms of his loan agreement.

Arsenal full-back Kieran Gibbs has recovered from the groin problems which have sidelined him since the start of October.

Marouane Chamakh is also available again, while manager Arsene Wenger has reported no fresh injury concerns.

MATCH PREVIEW
After four Premier League games without a win, Arsenal shot back to form in style last weekend by hitting seven against Blackburn.
It was their biggest league victory since blowing away Middlesbrough in January 2006 and should have given the Gunners a timely confidence boost before a run of three away games in a row that involves two trips to Wearside either side of a Champions League engagement in Milan.

Sunderland's impressive defensive form will be put to the test by the country's most lethal striker by a distance this season, Robin van Persie

Confidence in the Sunderland camp has, of course, been soaring ever since Martin O'Neill took charge in early December, and the top flight's most in-form team are chasing an eighth win from 11 league games under his management.
They've also got the chance to rack up four Premier League wins in a row for the first time in more than 11 years, having won their last three without conceding a single goal.

That impressive defensive form will now be put to the test by the country's most lethal striker by a distance this season, Robin van Persie. A double from the Dutchman secured a 2-1 win for Arsenal when the teams met at the Emirates in October, and took him to seven goals from seven games he's played against Sunderland. His record this season now stands at 28 goals in 30 games across all competitions - that's 44% of Arsenal's goals tally.
O'Neill has only ever steered a side to success against Arsenal once in 16 Premier League games against them as a manager - a 2-0 away win for Aston Villa in November 2008. But I don't suppose he's ever put a team out to face them in better heart than he will for this one.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Arsenal are unbeaten in the last four meetings, although they have failed to win on their last three trips to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland
Sunderland have earned an unrivalled 22 points in the Premier League since Martin O'Neill's first game in charge on 11 December (W7, D1, L2).

They have won three consecutive matches without conceding a goal. They haven't managed four successive top-flight victories since December 2000.

Only Manchester City and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the 24 by Sunderland.

Stephane Sessegnon has either scored or set up a goal in seven of his last eight league matches.

Sebastian Larsson started his career at Arsenal, making 12 appearance in all competitions between 2004 and 2006.

Arsenal
The Gunners ended a four-match winless streak with their biggest league victory for six years at the expense of Blackburn last weekend.

They have lost three matches from winning positions - only West Brom have fared worse.

Arsenal have had a league-high 11 shots cleared off the line this season.
Robin van Persie has scored 22 league goals this season, including 21 in his last 19 appearances.

According to Opta, van Persie has been involved in 29 league goals this season (scoring 22 and creating seven) - nine more than next best Sergio Aguero.

Alex Song's next appearance will be his 200th in English football, while Johan Djourou awaits his 150th club career appearance

Teams
Sunderland (from): Mignolet, Westwood, Bardsley, Bridge, O’Shea, Turner, Kyrgiakos, Lynch, Richardson, Gardner, Larsson, Elmohamady, McClean, Meyler, Colback, Sessegnon, Wickham, Ji, Campbell.

Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Sagna, Walcott, Song, Benayoun, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henry, Rosicky, Arteta, Van Persie, Park, Arshavin, Fabianski, Ramsey, Chamakh, Gibbs.

We're gonna be something like this I think;

---

Szczesny

---

Sagna ---- Mertesacker ---- Koscielny

---

Gibbs

---

Song

---

Arteta

---

---

Ramsey

---

Walcott

---

RVP

---

Chamberlain

Can't see AW breaking up Mert-Kos yet and TV hasn't been in great form. He'll put Ramsey back in even though he probably doesn't deserve it ahead of Rosicky and Gibbs will start imo.

cson

Oh and prediction; 1-1.

I'd have gone for a Sunderland win had they not had such a tough game Wednesday. We just do not get results Wearside.

Vurnon San Benito

cson wrote: »

Oh and prediction; 1-1.

I'd have gone for a Sunderland win had they not had such a tough game Wednesday. We just do not get results Wearside.

No.

But ye do get this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q95n-kAXo-0

:pac:

gnfnrhead

Really hope Rosicky starts over Ramsey. Ramsey has been dead on his feet and needs a few games off to himself together again while Rosicky has been great every time he's played this season.

I think Koscielny will be left on the bench today with the idea of keeping him fresh for Milan.

cson

A 95th minute Darren Bent goal put that right.

New Roker is a ****ing graveyard for us.

Noo

I think he'll do a Sagna with Gibbs, have him on the bench maybe bring him on later. I agree with your ramsey/rosicky point.

cson

Teams confirmed;

Sunderland Team
Mignolet, Bardsley, Richardson, O’Shea, Turner, Larsson, McClean, Colback, Gardner, Sessegnon, Campbell.

SUBS: Bridge, Wickham, Dong-won, Meyl,er Kyrgiakos, Elmohamady, Westwood.

Arsenal Team
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Van Persie.

SUBS: Fabianski, Gibbs, Coquelin, Ramsey, Arshavin, Benayoun, Henry

Delighted Rosicky starts ahead of Ramsey.

cson

Also, majorly surprised at O'Neill starting the exact same team that went 120mins away to Boro on Wednesday.

Noo

Im happy with that team

Pacifico

Any streams going??

cson

Seriously lads just pay the £6 for liveonlinefooty; you'll never go back.

Pierce_1991

Feel like this is one of the biggest games of the season. One of those places we never like to go, a win would be fantastic, any kind of win.

cson

Pitch is absolutely muck.

Oranage2

Pacifico wrote: »

Any streams going??

http://www.firstrowsports.eu/watch/106925/1/watch-sunderland-vs-arsenal.html


Here you go so you can watch a champions league side team

cson

RVP probably wasn't offside there.

Ver compact atm, gonna be **** all goals in this I think.

Draw @ HT is 5/6 with Paddy Power - gobble that up.

cson

Big chance for Sunderland there. Don't know what we were at at the back. TV just isn't a full back, constantly drawn into the centre.

That_Guy

Pitch is in absolute tatters.

cson

Harsh yellow for Richardson there.

cson

Walcott :rolleyes:

The first of about 27 times I'll be posting that exact line today I'm guessing.

cson

cson wrote: »

Walcott :rolleyes:

The first of about 27 times I'll be posting that exact line today I'm guessing.

#2

cson

cson wrote: »

Walcott :rolleyes:

The first of about 27 times I'll be posting that exact line today I'm guessing.

#3

Offence: Blind Alley

cson

Super work from Rosicky to win that back.

You'd never see that from Ramsey.

*continues one man thread*

HazDanz

Great volley :pac:

cson

cson wrote: »

Walcott :rolleyes:

The first of about 27 times I'll be posting that exact line today I'm guessing.

#4

Offence: Decision making - Outrageous effort at a volley from no angle.

HazDanz

cson wrote: »

#4

Offence: Decision making - Outrageous effort at a volley from no angle.

Only RVP has license to try those efforts

cson

Colback annoys me for no particular reason other than the fact he's terribly ginger.

dfx-

cson wrote: »

#4

Offence: Decision making....

You must be racking up a good total over a season...

HazDanz

Oh Per

cson

Would have been a very harsh penalty decision against Mertesacker there if that had been given.

Oranage2

cson wrote: »

*continues one man thread*

Okay I'm back, I just had to eat my dinner, roast pork, it was delicious.


The arsenal defense scares me to death. It's as if all our defenders have a free role.

That_Guy

Mertesacker showing his fantastic defensive attributes once again.

HazDanz

dfx- wrote: »

You must be racking up a good total over a season...

The thousands at this stage. It has to be.

cson

That_Guy wrote: »

Mertesacker showing his fantastic defensive attributes once again.

I'm guessing that's sarcasm but Per has actually been pretty decent for us this season considering its his first in the EPL. I think Sky showed a stat where our CB pairing is the 5th best in the league. And that includes two matches at the start of the season where we conceded 12.

cson

That's a free kick home crowd.

Ugh Arteta. Please don't.

cson

I don't think he's beaten the wall with a free kick yet this season.

Has Arteta hit a single free kick on target since hes joined?

tayto lover

Every week i'm saying this "what does Wenger see in Walcott?" He gave the ball away or did something stupid 7 times out of 10 in the first half. How does he get a place in the team ? I just do not get it. Brainless, cowardly and useless.

NUTZZ

LOF Arsenal stream down for everyone else?

EDIT: It's back up now!

ImpossibleDuck

Not at all happy with the Sunderland crowd's constant whinging...I can see a big decision going their way in the 2nd half now

cson

cson wrote: »

Draw @ HT is 5/6 with Paddy Power - gobble that up.

Free money.

0-0 is 5/2 atm. Its a big price based on what I've seen, this game has 0-0 written all over it.

The optimistic Arsenal fan in me hopes that Sunderland will tire in the second half after their midweek exertions. Other than that, we aren't going to be winning this game.

Oranage2

Arsenal match pretty dull and you can tell that when the commentators spend all the time talking about a handshake in the earlier game.

tayto lover

Oranage2 wrote: »

Arsenal match pretty dull and you can tell that when the commentators spend all the time talking about a handshake in the earlier game.

Our build up is far too slow. We are becoming easy to defend against. Would like to see players taking on their markers and creating something. We never look like we will score from a high cross.

cson

tayto lover wrote: »

Our build up is far too slow. We are becoming easy to defend against. Would like to see players taking on their markers and creating something. We never look like we will score from a high cross.

You're not giving Sunderland enough credit; they're extremely well set up.

Oranage2

Chelsea

losing so thats good news

cson

Oranage2 wrote: »

Chelsea

losing so thats good news

Yeah we really need to capitalise on results elsewhere today. We could concieveably gain ground on all challengers for 4th today.

wandatowell

Is this where I sign up for the "i hate Walcott" campaign????

Bit of a bore so far. Never liked playing away to Sunderland. They always give us a good game and now with MON they are gonna be a tougher to beat.

Im thinking 0-0


Not a bad point considering how awful the goners are

Oranage2

We've really struggled against teams that defend with 11 men that have a quick counter attack.

ImpossibleDuck

tayto lover wrote: »

Our build up is far too slow. We are becoming easy to defend against. Would like to see players taking on their markers and creating something. We never look like we will score from a high cross.

That's very naive. There's no space because Sunderland are pulling everyone back. Just look at when Chamberlain tries to take on someone, as soon as he gets past them there's another one right behind him ready to nick away the ball.

cson

Arteta really does have fantastic awareness.

wandatowell

That pitch is shocking!!

cson

That's a dive for me.

Seb Larsson freek kick.... :eek: