Match report : Middlesbrough 2 - 1
Arsenal
The winter months are already starting to bite and their
teeth-marks are visible in Arsenals squad.
Arsène Wenger takes his side to Middlesbrough on Sunday lacking,
once again, four international midfielders and striker Robin van
Persie. It will be their third away game in the space of eight days
and the manager knows he must shuffle his side. Middlesbrough are
in the bottom three and form would suggest an away win. But
Arsenals on-going success this season has created on-going
pressure - anything less than three points will be considered a
slip-up in the developing title race.
The manager joked last week that he was losing a player per game.
Thankfully that did not happen in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle on
Wednesday. But Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Abou Diaby (back),
Mathieu Flamini (thigh) and Alex Hleb (Achilles) are not back and
are unlikely to return for the Champions League tie with Steaua
Bucharest on Wednesday. That means rotation is neccessary for the
return to the North-East.
Ill change a little bit, said Wenger at his pre-match press
conference. I think Ill look at one or two to see who is the most
physically fatigued and how many games players have played on the
trot. I can only make a decision after that.
Despite that we are confident. Players like Gilberto have a good
opportunity to show that they still have an important part in the
squad, and we still have Denilson, who did not play the other
night.
Also players like Bendtner and Walcott have come on in recent
games and are knocking at the door."
As for the injured, he said: Van Persie could come back next week
into full training, and then I will have to assess him. Diaby will
certainly come back into full training next week, but Fabregas
certainly not, Hleb no and so there are still a lot of players
out.
Van Persie has not played for Arsenal since October 7 and his
absence has meant players previously labelled as midfielders
Hleb, Rosicky and Walcott joining the attack at times. But
despite that and the fact Bendtner and Eduardo are still finding
their feet in the English top-flight, Wenger will not boost his
forward line in January.
"I'm not in the market to buy a striker, he said. I feel Walcott,
Bendtner, Eduardo, Van Persie and Adebayor, we will have
enough."
It is pertinent to assess squad strength ahead of this game.
Middlesbrough are without a win in 10 Premier League matches and
their record in the last 11 games in competition reads: P11 W0 D4
L7.
Truly they are bang out of form but the flipside of that is,
arguably, they will expect little. For their part, Arsenal have
injury problems and could be tired from too much time on the road.
Scratch away at the surface of this game and you can find a test
not far removed from those at Villa and Newcastle. Even Wenger
admits Middlesbroughs position is worse than their
performance.
Like many of the teams down the bottom of the table they have
potential, he said. But they have not responded yet. Still their
results have been worse than their displays. They have looked like
they have dominated the games but have not been able to take
advantage of that. Then they were punished afterwards.
Arsenals punishment has been their schedule. But this is the last
of four straight away games. Three of the quartet that follow are
at Emirates Stadium. A win on Sunday will ensure a sweet return
home.
