Written by Mean Lean on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 00:34

After watching last night's El Clásico, I very much have the taste for Arsenal football this evening. It may not be as glamorous as the two largest teams in Spain going head to head but Carling cup nights at the Emirates has been a bit special for the Arsenal over the last few years, there is a sense of freedom and enjoyment around the stadium when the Carling cup rolls into town.

Wigan Athletic provide the obstacle, behind them await the semi final's, so it is a very good target to aim for and I am sure the players will want to grab the opportunity with both hands.

Wigan are not strangers to this fixture, recently beaten by chippy Vela and company a few years back and they have also broken Arsenal hearts when Jason Roberts bundled his way through to put the away side through.

Arsene will send out a strong looking team into the game, it will be a chance to see Robin Van Persie start the game for the first time since August. That is very exciting, a game where he can sharpen up without the pressure of the Premier League. Robin will not be the only offensive player looking to be included in the team, as I mentioned on Twitter and yesterday's blog, the squad looks very attack heavy with too many players wanting to play in the available three slots. Theo Walcott is almost certainly likely to start on the right with probably Nicklas Bendtner on the left.

This would of course mean a substitute place for both Carlos Vela and Jay Emmanuel-Thonas who would have wanted this chance to have shown their value.

I believe that Nicklas Bendtner will start in a wider position and if he does not make the starting eleven then I will have to believe all the whispers about his future being elsewhere.

In midfield we have less options as Abou Diaby is injured and Aaron Ramsey is currently doing his thing for Nottingham Forest. I think it is almost certain that Denilson will play alongside Craig Eastmond but the third member of that midfield is not quite as straight forward. Samir Nasri will be rested I would imagine so the choices could be limited to Rosicky or Wilshere. As Tomas has had less football, I believe Wenger will choose him.

Koscielny could forge a partnership with Johan Djourou and Emmanuel Eboue has made a speedy recovery and will be our outlet down the right side. Kieran Gibbs will please the masses down the left.

Mean Lean's Predicted Line Up

One to watch: Robin Van Persie

I think it is pretty obvious who the Gooners are especially looking forward to feasting their eyes on and yes that is Emmanuel Eboue. I mean we usually only come to see Eboue. This time round the Gooners will occasionally glance down the field to check if our number 10 is actually really on the pitch.

Everyone knows that Robin has supreme ability, it is now a question of fitness and sharpness. He needs to board the match fit train as the games are coming thicker and faster. I miss Robin fainting a shot on his right, cutting inside his man and then bending into the far corner on his left. Perhaps we will witness that tonight.

Man for man we will have a very good team but as ever on wholesale changes, I wonder how the team will gel together. Walcott, Bendtner and Van Persie are all lacking games and they will be required to combine and interchange as the games progresses. With our midfield perhaps missing a little spark, much of our creative influences may have to come from our forward trio.

Mean Lean's Match Prediction

Arsenal 3 (Van Persie, Bendtner [2]), Wigan 0

Hopefully we will continue our quality football from the weekend but with some added end product in the form of Van Persie and Walcott. We should really have too much for Wigan at home as long as we apply ourselves correctly.

If the game is anything like the game last night then we should be in for a treat.

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Comments (19)

• 30-Nov-2010 10:37 | | John  - erm...
  

  Eboue is injured...

• 30-Nov-2010 11:08 | | Mondo
  

  Hey John, do your homework
  http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/35807/injury-news
  
  Nice team selection ML, although I would switch Bendtner to the middle, with Robin right and Theo left.
  Also thinking of Lansbury over Eastmond, with Denilson to shield the defense.
  
  Cheers

• 30-Nov-2010 11:13 | | PGroves  - Exciting Line Up
  

  I'd be surprised if Vela didn't start. That front 3 (although what we all want to see) is for me, unlikely. I'd expect JET in the side as Fulham at home on saturday is an absolute must win.
  
  Visit http://gifts.kudosnetwork.co.uk/90692

• 30-Nov-2010 12:56 | | Illybongani  - twit
  

  Mondo - you do YOUR homework first. Lansbury is on loan at Norwich. D minus - stay behind after school!

• 30-Nov-2010 16:40 | | wortex  - Arsenal
  

  My video for Arsenal Please Watch in HD : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjllaw88oWQ

• 30-Nov-2010 16:42 | | wortex  - Arsenal
  

  Watch my video of the Fabregas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXvOFPcIYsg

• 30-Nov-2010 20:50 | | MeanLean
  

  It is no surprise that we haven't been firing on all cylinders, many of the players have had limited amount of games or have not played many games in a row so it was always going to be a somewhat disjointed performance, however the players have many more gears to go up if needed. Hopefully they will settle down a little for the second half and we can get the victory needed to face West Ham ;-)

• 30-Nov-2010 22:08 | | richie  - West ham comfortably next (=:
  

  The teams overall performance (as you mentioned) ML was a little disjointed like any team that hasn't gelled, through lack of playing time together. But we had more in every department overall than Wigan. We didn't need to move up through the gears because at no time did we look under threat. Thankfully we didn't ever look anxious. I thought Kosh had a good game making timely interceptions and cutting out threats before they'd even emerged. The obvious sharpness was missing from many, RvP in particular, everything Theo tried failed. Dennilson gave away.
  The sharpness was only in our regular first team players. This was a good fitness builder and much needed "run out" for many.

• 30-Nov-2010 22:39 | | MeanLean
  

  Yup, was certainly a run out type of game. We should really be looking to win this now. Loving the Mancs result after a few changes. Hope it has a knock on effect. Wishful thinking me thinks

• 01-Dec-2010 10:39 | | richie
  

  Too right we should now look to nick it!
  There's no one left to fear out of those left below - But the other teams will have cup Fever believing they only have us to beat for cup glory - We must Beware complacency.
  West Ham
  Birmingham or Villa
  the Brom or Ipswich

• 01-Dec-2010 10:46 | | MeanLean
  

  It will be interesting to see if Wengers team now becomes even stronger in this competition.

• 01-Dec-2010 11:46 | | richie  - Next up
  

  I personally think that at this stage its less about a teams make up more about cup expirence, but although this cup is not a high priority for us as a club, nevertheless as a club, we could do with being in a final to put some confidence in all the youngsters coming through. Therefore it follows a strong team.

• 01-Dec-2010 11:55 | | SAPMAN  - EASY NOW
  

  say wenger fields his premier team for next game of cc ...and nasri gets injured cause overzealous hammers want to also win ..what happens then? we look like mugs for putting all our efforts for the dman cc just to please a bunhc of gloryseekers in arsenal ranks who allow the tree to hide the forrest in front of them?
  
  wenger should let the juniors battle for that and keep his best for the serious games and competitions
  
  and the fans must support the team constantly and create atmosphere of intimidation to opponents and rivals whenver they set their foot in the emirates...
  
  they call it HOME ground for a reason...cause it is meant to be HELL for our opponents.....

• 01-Dec-2010 12:42 | | richie  - Sapman same book different chapters
  

  I acknowledge your points about our prioriy's and the CC will always be the least important competition for us, but you cannot run a football club fearing injuries, or chose teams on that basis.
  We have one team to beat to arrive in a final. Suely that then becomes a priority, No?
  
  If it was a choice between the CC & the FA I'd naturally say go for FA. Likewise with 2 weeks to go in the league if we're in the same position as now challenging 2pts behind, then we all know what comes first. The money paid out for each stage of the CL, if anything becomes even more important, especially if Arsene has designs on any purchases.
  
  But I think a cup even the little CC would give everyone at the club a lift bigger than its actual size and could even help to give us a push on in other competitions, team/club confidence wise.
  By the way I'm no glory hunter I had to suffer the 60's after the Spuds double & then continued FA success. I was on the pitch on a balmy night in 70 when we won our 1st bit of silverwear in 17 years.

• 01-Dec-2010 13:05 | | MeanLean
  

  It is an interesting argument and there is little doubt that the Carling cup is the lowest ranking of the trophies before the season started. From a business point of view it brings in the least revenue, I am sure that winning an extra Champions league group game brings in more money than winning the actual Carling cup.
  
  But as we are in this position, I am sure that Wenger will want his players to win the trophy from a psychological view point which could help the players take the next step and win bigger prizes.
  
  The strength of squad in the semi final will almost certainly depend on the fixtures and injuries at the time of the game.

• 01-Dec-2010 13:48 | | richie  - Agreed less money less glory less everything......
  

  I think its important only for the psychological lift it could give everyone at the club, mainly the kids. Winnings a habit, its one we could really do with getting back. Although its our last choice we could hopefully use it to push on from. I'm sure it'll still be 4th priority, but all the games from now on start to become big games Xmas being almost on us, come Jan where we are ia gonna all important on all fronts. Lets not forget dispite all our collective gloom from not long ago we could still nick the league! A good run please.

• 02-Dec-2010 10:29 | | SAPMAN
  

  i agree that the cc could be a stepping stone for our overpressured young team but i just disagree in putting all our emphasis for that or turning it into an obsession as wenger says.
  
  imagine the kids getting carried away thinking that " damn we got towin thsi cup now , its all that matters" ....while also having to juggle europe and epl and why not f.a cup...
  
  the other thing is that ..if we win the carling cup ...and celebrate as if its the world cup we;ll look like mugs ...i want this arsenal squad to win the league purely for wenger (he deserves to see the fruition of his work) so that he can raise the middle finger to all the media that has been slating him and to all the mercenaries in premiership who want to buy the league.

• 02-Dec-2010 11:03 | | richie  - Amen 2 that Sapman
  

  I'd love AW to be able to offer the pundits, media and the many mercenaries fans (even unfortunately from our own ranks) the proverbial finger next to index! Which would only be possible when we retake the EPL unless of course we got the CL

• 02-Dec-2010 11:12 | | MeanLean
  

  New post up guys

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