Match Preview - Sunderland vs. Arsenal

Arsenal are back in business after their last win against Stoke City, and are set to meet Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Gunners are still in sixth place, with 41 points, while Sunderland are twelfth with 29 points. Sunderland lost to Reading last week by a goal and need at least a point to save some morale. Arsenal, on the other hand, will clearly be on the offensive to consolidate their bid for a Champions League spot.

This fixture last year was a thriller to say the least. Arsenal’s talisman Thierry Henry came off the bench to steal the winner in the dying minutes. Martin O’Neill certainly does not want a repeat and should start slow as opposed to the expected flurry by the North Londoners. Here are a few things to look out for.

1. Goal Fest?

Gunners are high on firepower, and they occasionally do go in to overdrive. Case in point being their demolitions of clubs over the years, like the 5-1 drubbing of West Ham earlier this year. Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud look in form, and Theo Walcott will get his jet pack along. Even if Giroud starts as the lone striker, which has been the case for some time now, Arsenal should be able to take charge from the start. Santi Cazorla will be right in the midst of things and his technical ability is extremely important. Between the four i.e. Giroud, Podolski, Cazorla and Walcott, Arsenal have scored 33 goals this season which is a feat compared to even leaders Manchester United, who have scored 37 goals amongst their top 4 scorers.

That being said, Sunderland are at home and are known to kill giants occasionally. Again, Arsenal are far from the definition of a giant currently and Sunderland too might pull a few punches. Leading them is their latest purchase, Danny Graham, who arrived on 31 January 2013 for £5 million on a three-and-a-half-year contract. Also in the mix is Steven Fletcher, who has scored 10 goals from 21 club appearances. Additionally, Sunderland beat West Ham United by three to nothing, followed by three goals against Wigan, winning it by a margin of a single goal.

2. Strategic Battles

The fixture is a game of chess, and might just play out even slower. Arsene Wenger will play around certainly, and if Abou Diaby is given a chance at Central Defensive Midfield, we can predict absolutely zilch. Diaby’s performance graph is not a sight for sore Gooner eyes. At best, he could switch on at the right time, bridging the defense and the midfield. At his worst, he will disappear in to the wilderness, making way at 60 minutes for a more attacking Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

Martin O’Neill also has a few aces up his sleeve and will use them to great effect. Again, Steven Fletcher and Graham will be a thorn in the Arsenal side, and will harass the undependable defense. Nacho Monreal is a good buy, but how quickly he finds his feet is of utmost importance. The central defense is also an area of concern, where Thomas Vermaelen has faced the absence of a suitable partner. Adam Johnson is another joker in O’Neill’s pack, who will threaten the flank with his agility and incisive crosses.

3. An Extremely Mediocre Game

This game, even from a neutral point of view, may end up in deadlock like the game in August. Neither team did much, and left the field very unsatisfied. However, Sunderland looked reinforced, at least back then, and successfully shut down many attacks. They nipped Cazorla in the bud, who was very new and highlighted Arsenal’s problems up front. We cannot forget the fact that this was right on the heels of Robin Van Persie’s departure from the London club, but we certainly cannot undermine that Sunderland were sure of their point. Carlos Cuéllar, who had a brilliant game where he quickly cemented a spot in the back four, was a contrast to Stéphane Sessègnon and Louis Saha. Wenger came out stating that it was a missed opportunity, and Podolski needed time to adjust to the pace. Giroud missed a clear chance too, but Wenger didn’t make much of it. Either way, both teams have had a chance and enough time. A mediocre game will just not do.