Our away form this year has been impressive. We've had some convincing wins against the likes of Everton and Aston Villa, and Newcastle will pose a similar stern test.
The Toon Army will, in my opinion, back their team to the hilt now that their hero, Andy Carroll, has left. The good news is they are without the big target man, who was the main tormentor and scorer of the winning goal when the two sides met earlier in the season.
We go into the game with a few injury worries. Theo Walcott has recovered from a slight ankle knock, but I would be surprised if he were to start considering the games that are coming up. Alex Song will miss out due to a dead leg suffered against Everton mid week. I'd expect Abou Diaby to replace him in the defensive midfield role. It's good to have Diaby back, it is clear how much ability he has. It's just a matter of staying fit. Of course, with the emergence of Jack Wilshere, he faces a very hard challenge to become a first team member.
With news that Lukasz Fabianski is out for the season, it represents an awesome opportunity for the younger Pole, Wojciech Szczesny to grab his chance to become the outstanding no1 keeper. And it's an opportunity I fully expect him to take. As he hasn't had a bad game yet, the defenders are alot calmer with him in goal. He has a presence that I think Almunia and Fabianski lack. 20 years old for a keeper is very young, but Iker Casillas was the same age when he was no1 for Real Madrid, and look how his career turned out. It is a shame for Lukasz, as he was finally showing signs of being a good keeper. But when I heard the news he was out for the season, I wasn't too fussed. And that is all down to the performances of Szczesny. Another plus point for him playing so often, is that I now know how to spell his name without double checking!
At centre back I suspect our first choice centre backs to continue. Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny have been in impressive form of late, and that is highlighted by the fact Koscielny has been called up to the French national squad. Richly deserved. Two goals, his missus pregnant, and a national call up. I don't think Koscielny could of hoped for a better week!
Up front we have a number of pleasing options, and I expect van Persie to continue his fine form in the central role. I also hope Andrey Arshavin gets a start. Lately he has shown signs of improving, and he is getting his confidence back. I'd be a little wary of Walcott starting, I don't wanna risk him for the Barcelona game. We have Bendtner who can play on the right of the front three and I believe that's the three Wenger will choose.
We have a great squad, and now we've won alot of games on the bounce, it's time we don't let our standards slip. The Arsenal will be heavily backed by the impressive away support, and I expect them to return home with three points in the bag. Come on the Arsenal!
That's it for today, thanks for reading and have a good weekend!
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