Match Preview: Arsenal Vs Newcastle United
Match Info
| Kick-Off:
Sunday August 14th 1.30pm BST (Live on Sky Sports 1) |
| Venue:
Highbury Stadium (London) |
| Referee:
Steve Bennett |
Match Preview By Ally
Campbell (13 August 2005)
Here we are then, the first game of the 2005-2006 season and we travel
to Highbury for the last ever time before Arsenal move to the Emirates
Stadium. I can't believe its been a year since the Middlesbrough match
where half the team had conjunctivitis.
And in typical fashion, we're in the headlines once more this year.
The lack of a striker and a left-winger has left the squad wafer thin
and the team almost picks itself. The new season excites and yet terrifies
me at the same time, and unless Souness and Shepherd get moving before
the 31st the coming season doesn't look good at all.
Injuries/suspensions
Titus Bramble misses the first chunk of the season through his arm
injury which is a big blow to the squad. Michael Chopra is the only
other definite injury after his withdrawal for the reserves this week.
Whilst Chopra isn't a first team player, as it stands, Alan Shearer
is our only available striker for this match.
Shearer missed the match against Bray Wanderers this week but is expected
to play this game, even if he isn't fully fit. A similar story follows
Shay Given, although at least we have a replacement for him!
Babayaro is in the squad after a pre-season injury but I'd be very
surprised if he played on Sunday. Despite a lack of match practice,
I expect Kieron Dyer to start the match. It's also worth noting that
Shola Ameobi is suspended for this match following his tussle at Goodison
Park at the tail end of last season, in which he saw red.
What approach should we take?
Our three new signings Scott Parker, Emre and Craig Moore all seem
certain to start their first Premiership games for the club, and these
players will fit in to a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation. In an ideal world
we will go out to attack Arsenal and give them a good game, but with
only one striker, and a slow one at that, I expect us to play on the
counter-attack.
For this approach to work we need our pacy players to perform, that's
Dyer, Emre, Jenas and co. I do worry where the goals are going to
come from, and it pains me to say that with Shearer in the team. Emre
and Parker, despite being excellent players aren't noted goalscorers
and neither are Dyer or JJ. Our best chance for goals comes from set
pieces against Arsenal in my opinion, so we've got to be accurate
with corners and free kicks.
Arsenal are the kind of team that will punish you very quickly, we
aren't good enough to be able to waste good chances so any that do
come our way they need to be put away first time.
Parker is likely to be the holding player in the midfield three which
I think he can do well, but for long periods I expect the entire midfield
five to be behind the ball. Taylor will probably play left back, with
Boumsong, Moore and Carr. They need to stay tight and Boumsong needs
to stay tight on Henry like he did last season.
Potentially we can shut them out, but the slightest mistake or slip
and they'll punish us.
Key Players
Arsenal – Following Patrick Vieira's departure, the weight of Arsenal's
expectations lies with Thierry Henry. He's a world-class performer
and Arsenal will need 30 goals as usual from him, and he'll want to
get the season off to a flyer. He knows that against Boumsong he'll
have a quality player marking him, so it won't be easy, but Arsenal
will certainly see him as the key man.
Newcastle – In our current situation, it has to be Alan Shearer. No-one
at the club wanted him to be the focal point of our attack but lack
of signings has left him as just that. In my opinion he needs crosses
to score goals this season, and the lack of any real wingers at present
will see him struggle.
Regardless, there will be plenty of long balls played from defence
as usual and Shearer needs to be at his best to make something out
of them, while the midfielders need to read his game and seize knockdowns
and any scraps that fall our way.
Verdict
Any points from this match would be brilliant, and my heart is telling
me a 1-1 draw is on the cards, but my sensible head sees a 3-1 defeat
for the Toon. Howay the lads!
Likely Lineup
A bit unfair on Lee Bowyer perhaps following good pre-season form,
but the only way I can see him playing is if Jenas isn't in the right
frame of mind. He’s unsettled and will only be an asset to the team
if he’s fully concentrated, if he’s not then Bowyer will fill in well.
Referee Steve Bennett
Bennett was the man in the middle of United's Premiership opener last
season too. Lets hope he has a better game this time round. You may
remember he failed to spot Middlesbrough's Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink
punch the ball into the back of the net, costing Newcastle all three
points in the game. Had we won that game, our season may have panned
out a whole lot different.
Last Season: Arsenal 1-0 NUFC (23/1/ 2005)
Last season we were beaten 1-0 at Highbury with Dennis Bergkamp scoring
the goal in a game where we could have lost by a much bigger margin
had it not been for the heroics of Shay Given in goal who put in a
great performance to keep Arsenal at bay, pulling off a couple of
world-class saves. We were never really in it but Darren Ambrose did
have a late chance to grab what would have been an undeserved equaliser.
Lets hope we fair better in our final ever League game at Highbury. |
