We face Aston Villa in the Christmas period this season and we faced them last campaign around the same time.
At the moment Aston Villa, like last year, are flying high. I have every reason to believe that they can last the pace this time around.
About 12 months ago I had plenty of Villa supporters coming on this very site and lets be honest, they were giving it large! They honestly believed that they would finish in the top four and, of course, it would have been at our expense.
I told them to jog on and come back at the end of the season because I didn't think they could last the pace, that Arsenal would come good before the end of the season and finish comfortably above Aston Villa in the league table.
Call me Mystic Wrighty but it happened and to be honest, I've hardly heard from a Villa fan since!
This time around Aston Villa can last the pace and I expect that they will be challenging for the last Champions League place at the end of the season. I look at Villa and I see a strong side with a good manager. The disappointment of last season will be a good motivation for them.
Looking around some Villa blogs I've read a lot of Villans saying that they shouldn't fear Arsenal and many more are even suggesting that they have a better side than ours. Now, I agree Villa shouldn't fear us but they do not have a better side than ours. That would be called getting above themselves again!
At the moment the difference in ambition is that Arsenal are going for the title and Villa are going for the Champions League places. Villa are dangerous but championship contenders they are not.
Of course they will argue differently. They have beaten three of last seasons top four already this season and are aiming to make us number four. While I see this as a difficult game I think we will have too much for them.
Villa fans have a lot to look forward too. They will not fall off the pace this season and I genuinely believe that. They will challenge for the top four.
We however, also have a lot to look forward too. We can win the league! We can be champions! Chelsea and United are there for the taking and we have to take advantage. We have to win games against the likes of Villa and I'm sure we will this weekend.
Keep it Goonerish.............
32 comments:
I agree wrighty but we have to beat villa to stay in this title race... it might not seem that important as they are not one of the big for but this is a massive game lose this game an the christmas period will be a disaster it will define our season if we come out of these few games with good results well then il be very confident for the title.
COME ON THE GOONERS
HAPPY HOLLIDAYS WRIGHTY
Agree with that Dean.
This is a very important game mate. We've got ourselves back in the mix and we have to keep winning.
Have a nice Xmas mate.
Nice article mate, I agree Villa are looking good again this season, they have been far superior to Liverpool for example.
One thing i would take issue with is where you say our ambitions are for the title and villa's are for the Champion's League. We are on the same points (admittedly with a game in hand), so surely they should be considered too.
If we win, and we should at home, I think it will send out a big statement to Chelsea and United who both lost at home to Villa. I'll be there supporting as usual, really hope we don't blow it this time!
One final, off topic, point, but we are going to Miss Alex Song as much as chavski will miss Essien next month.
the only reason villa will last the pace this season is because they were too shit to compete in the UEFA cup and now they have freed up the midweek fixture. i hate teams like villa citeh and sp*rs who think they should get a c/l place but yet cant compete in the uefa cup
Hi Goooooooooner,
I know what you mean about the points situation mate.
I just feel that over time Arsenal, Chelsea and United will pull away from the likes of Villa.
Not major points away, maybe 8-10.
But as you say, they are amongst it right now.
Artful Gooner,
I know what you mean mate. Sometimes these clubs believe that they have a rightful top four place.
They have to earn it.
artfull gooner that was an important comment. they do not understand that t o compete in the big league, you have to do well with the small things. be faitful with little.
They dont understand that if they develop that mentality from now, then they wont make money from champions league because they would not have been prepared mentaly for midweek fixtures and its challenges. THey would end up making less money than some1 that one the uefa cup because they would have droped out at the gropus stages.
So if one of them "breaks into the top 4" at liverpool's expense, i think it wud be short lived and the forth position would alternate each year till liverpool get it back consistently and the top 4 remains.
U r rite Wrighty.
I have read at few places that their team is better than ours and only Arshavin and Cesc would get into their first team and so on.
While I believe ,
They arguably have the better keeper in Friedel.
Gareth barry would be on our bench pretty close to the first team.
Young arguably would be in our first team.
Agbonlahor wont get in if RVP is fit , even maybe Bendtner.
I do not believe there is a chance or comparison anywhere else.
So of the 11 spots , it should be 8-1 atleast to us , while maybe we are tied in 2 positions.
Hi Sam_India,
I think if you merged the two sides then Arsenal would have more players in there for sure.
Interestingly like you say, Villa fans disagree!
Sam India,
What's Gareth barry got to do with it? We can obviously take what you say seriously as you don't realise GB moved to Man City!
Also Cesc wouldn't get into the Villa midfield. Milner and Petrov are too good together. You will see at the weekend.
Oops. Sorry Guys. Still I could not think Barry and Villa apart.
Cesc would get into any Midfield in the world maybe apart from Barca, even that is arguable.
That would still make it 8-1 atleast :)
cesc wouldn't get into the villa midfield....Mate are u drunk?
Well if you are going to choose a strongest team from the two squads I think it would be:
Friedel
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Song
Fabregas Milner
Arshavin RVP Young
Milner just pips Nasri. Might have to drop Young when we sign Dzeko in January move RVP to the right and Arshavin to the left.
Villa are the best of the rest (the rest now includes Liverpool). It's a guaranteed big three of Chelsea, Arsenal, ManUre; put them in any order you like. There is one place left and Villa probably have the most to give. Their only real weakness is in central midfield. Spuds might do it, but I think there is more fighting spirit in Villa.
Arsenal
Chelsea
ManUre
Villa
Spuds
Citeh
Liverpool
Cesc wouldn't get in the Villa midfield??!!!
So a team with the best defence doesn't feature in the 11 lol!
Joint best son with Fulham. And without Friedel behind it it wouldn't be the best defence. You can't compare your defence to our back four.
Villa have a great central pairing in defence. So do Arsenal.
The reason Arsenal concede more than Villa is because our full-backs go forward more than theres.
We have a more adventerous back-line, bit like Brazil's so we leave the defence exposed.
If Arsenal did the same as Villa, keeping the full-backs back, then I'm sure we would concede less but our attacking play would suffer.
Look at how many goals we have scored compared to Villa.
well tbh i believe its going to be an arsenal win, lets face it can you lot really see villa in the champions league? and what do you mean fabregas wouldnt get into the villa line up, are you the drunk one? arguebly the best midfielder in the league on his day!
There isnt a team in the country (and possibly in Europe) that wouldnt welcome Cesc with open arms. Barcelona arent exactly beating down Villas front door with offers for their central midfielders are they??? Evidence enough isnt it? European cup holders want him for their team but he wouldnt get a look in at Villa? Seriously, try and be realistic. Ill be there Sunday for the 3-1 victory!
Just popped in to say "Happy Christmas Wrighty from us on Avenell Road".
Villa are on top of their game at the moment and are still trailing us so we just need to win Sunday then kick up a gear, which we are well capable of..
Cheers Wrighty and Happy Christmas to all Gooners!!!
Hey can we get back to CURSING AND HATING Phill Brown!!
Merry Christmas all!!
Hey Guys! I'm a gooner and want to say something but don't accuse me of being a plastic fan, the thing I want to say is this, Agbolahor ROCKS and you all wish he was playing for us! he is great and you should admit it...and besides! he hates our club!!
from beautiful Greece, i would like to wish all of you Merry Xmas and a happy new year, and please Arsene, i followed you and you fuckin' kids to Manchester, the Emirates and Karaiskakis stadium and i got two defeats out of three in the space of 1 week, please, please, fuckin' PLEASE Arsene, make the fuckin' fuckin' project fuckin' Youth work mate, we are payin' you 4 mil a year and we follow you around Europe like assholes, MAKE IT FUCKIN WORK NOW or leave now with some dignity.and something else. if you are a miserable little cunt who's never followed the Arsenal except wathcing it on some lousy internet stream, don;t dare to call me a bitchy whatever, cause i've followed the man himself throughout Europe singing just to make his fuckin' kids feel ok about themselves. enough. fuck this shit Arsene, i DEMAND results for next year, and i am pretty sure you're gonna give em to me. MERRY fuckin XMas everynone!! health and peace to all of you :)
Obviously you've never seen Warnock play then? Because ge does attack and you'll see on Sunday anyway! Can't believe your rating your central partnership to ours! Didn't Drogba destroy you guys?
Also we've conceded 14, Fulham 17! Also what you have to consider, Villa play counter attack so sometimes the pressure on our defence is immense! I think Vermaalen and Gallas would concede alot more if they played for us!
are you messing m8? fab arsh or even a fit rosicky could get a place in your cm. you guys have a good defence ye, and are looking like the real deal for a top four push but you've scored less than any other top4 contender and theres no way villas team are better than ours! they are better defensively yes, organized and more resilient, but there defenders are not better. its just the way the play. defensively. id take atm carew ( we need a big forward), young and friedel. knowone else in my 11
We'll see on Sunday, you are really underestimating our defenders which is a shame as Arsenal used to base themselves on a strong base at the back!
I'd rather villa finish in the top four than man shitty or tottenshite hotsore.
Do you still think Fabregas would struggle to get in Villa's midfield. What a joke. CESC FABULOUS. If he'd have played for 90 minutes fit he'd have scored 12
Sunday has come and gone. Milner Warnock Petrov. Mr Anonymous where are you now ?????
I stand corrected. Milner and Petrov didn't turn up. Well played.
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