3 hours ago, abramovich said:

You can literally replace Arsenal in your post with ManU and that's what everybody said a week ago.

Maresca needs to start proving himself against the big boys. He got beat by Pool and City and barely rescued a point against a struggling United side. If he loses to Arse, there'll be some serious questions about how good he really is. At least Poch had an injury list excuse.

Spot on.

6 hours ago, Girish said:

I don't feel like we are still there yet as a proper team and this match just feels like it has a draw or a slim loss written all over it. Our defense continues to let us down and I don't think Maresca will be able to fix it with the current set of players. So, the only chance of us winning this game is trying to outscore the Arse, so if we show up with the same mentality as we did at OT, we are doomed.

I know I may sound like negative Nancy but it is what it is.

More you are taking a realistic look at where we are.

Feeling optimistic about this one, it's about time we put on a statement performance and win against a contender. 

Only worry as always are the defenders, they need to be 100% focused.

I hope Palmer is okay to play.

4 minutes ago, dR3 said:

Feeling optimistic about this one, it's about time we put on a statement performance and win against a contender. 

Only worry as always are the defenders, they need to be 100% focused.

I hope Palmer is okay to play.

Don't see how we stop Sakas set pieces ripping us to shreds. Our second largest Achilles heel (behind Sanchez), is their greatest strength.

Team to face Arsenal: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Madueke, Palmer, Neto, Jackson.

Not at all confident.  Arsenal have had a funny run of results, and the inevitable Chelsea turning point for a club is well-timed for them.

More objectively, we've won 21%, or 1 in 5 games, against the big 6 since the start of the 2020 season (43 games to this point).  We've lost 44%, of effectively 1 in 2.  This young Chelsea team has not figured out how to win against bigger sides, and Arsenal's smarts may be too much.

Hope I am wrong, but think we'll see some great moments, the odd mistake, and a draw at best.

KTBFFH 

Did people seriously expect us to get results against city and Liverpool? 

City was first game of the season and I thought we played OK given that's probably the hardest starting game any new manager could have. 

Liverpool are arguably the best or second best team in Europe currently and again barring sanchez being a useless goalkeeper we may have got a result. 

Utd was poor no hiding from that.

Let's see today but arsenal are due a bounce so I'm not going to lose sleep if we aren't regularly challenging the top teams yet. If this is still an issue in the second half of the season then I'll pass judgement. 

Top 4 on merit after 10 games is a good start and not something I expected so I'm willing to give maresca the benefit of the doubt for now. I personally want to stay positive for once, it's been hard to for far too many years.

For all of Arteta's whining, that looks suspiciously like Arsenal's first-choice XI (sans Califiori).

Obviously delighted to see Palmer back as that is the only way we're getting anything out of this. Interesting that Maresca has dropped James for Cucurella - who will be the ersatz attacking mid out of Cucurella and Gusto??

Shocked how Madueke keeps blagging his way into the lineup. He’s been absolutely pony since Wolves.

46 minutes ago, Gordon Bennett said:

Unfortunately I think we'll lose this one. Sanchez will f**k up as usual and Havertz will probably get a couple of goals.

2-1 to Arse FC.

Not like you Gordo. Thought you woulda gone for a Jacko hat-trick and a brace for Mudryk the sprinter?

Really thought today might have been the day he finally started Carney.

Drops our leader for Arsenal?

Right then Maresca...

Just now, axman2526 said:

Drops our leader for Arsenal?

Right then Maresca...

Would have been a right-footer up against the left-footed Saka too. Can't really imagine Cucurella doing much against him.

2 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Drops our leader for Arsenal?

Right then Maresca...

Can James play no.10 like Gusto?!?!  Real threat 🙂

If this team aspires to be among the big boys we need a big win here. No passengers. Looking at you Sanchez. 
 

Oodegard and Rice both start for Arsenal. That’s a massive boost for them. 
 

Maresca looks like he’s gone for the safety first approach. He’s gone full Rafa Benitez. 

I wonder why Reece is on the bench. Hopefully protecting him - but he kind of need him 

30 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Don't see how we stop Sakas set pieces ripping us to shreds. Our second largest Achilles heel (behind Sanchez), is their greatest strength.

We'll see, they look pretty vulnerable atm. Not that we don't...

If our defenders don’t have any brain farts then we will stand a chance. This match is solely dependent on our defence turning up. 
 

Don't have any issue with Cucurella at left back, but Gusto ahead of James is a brave call from Maresca ... I wish he'd find room for Chukwuemeka and Guiu on the bench as well. Do we really need all three of Tosin, Badiashile and Veiga ?

Arsenal at full strength then. Guess more Ten Hag timing.

Brace yourselves, guys. The sh*t pie is back on the menu with chefs Sanchez, Jackson and Madueke making sure you are full. Another spineless performance incoming by the looks of it. 

God in heaven help us if Sanchez has a bead game. I mean his best game is sh*te 

In our last 9 games vs Arsenal we have 1 win, a 2-0 in 2021, 2 draws and 6 losses.