Patience To Be Rewarded At The Arsenal?

There are days you look forward to rather more than is necessary. Arsenal versus Aston Villa may, or may not, be ninety minutes of pulsating action designed to enthral. Add that prospect though to a gathering of some truly awesome Gooners from around the globe and I, for one, cannot wait for the morning to arrive.

Anybody who has listened to me trying to make sense of the match on this week’s Arsecast will know I am expecting Villa to arrive with a plan. They are without their most experienced defender, Richard Dunne, and their leading marksman, Darren Bent. It will be banks of four and five designed to deny us space, and hope Agbonlahor can work some magic up top. Expect lots of sideways and backwards passing as we look to coax them forward and create some small pockets of space in behind. Over half of their points have come away from home. They don’t leave too many gaps.

The directness of Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott will be important. I would also throw Gervinho or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the mix ahead of Aaron Ramsey. Then again that is exactly what I would have done at Goodison too, and the boss got that one right. We’ll get behind whoever he sends out there to record a seventh straight Premiership triumph, and I’m sure we’ll show a degree of patience as well, if needed.

Deciding where the ‘holic pound will be pointed as I sup my fifth Guinness of the evening, I find myself getting rather bullish. Even though Phil Dowd is refereeing I am going for 3-1, a scoreline I really didn’t expect to predict until the delicious pints flooded my tonsils, and which is available at tens with Gunners Gaming.

By the time we get underway at the Grove the result of the match between the fourth and fifth placed teams at the bus stop in Fulham will be in. Villa will be a ‘game in hand’. Will we be looking to extend our lead over the neighbours to four points, or playing to regain third spot once more? That’s just one other reason to get just a little bit excited about on match-day thirty.

Whatever happens elsewhere, I have no doubt at all that a mighty good time will be enjoyed at the Tollie, before and after tomorrow. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of you there.

Wherever you plan to be for the game, have a really good day, ‘holics.