Diaby set for Stamford Bridge return
Arsenal ace Abou Diaby is likely to make Sunday’s league trip to Chelsea.
The French international has been sidelined for two weeks now after been forced off by injury in the 4-2 home victory over Bolton.
Diaby had a slight chance to play a part in last weekend’s clash with Manchester United but failed to shrug off a calf problem in time.
Should all go well by Sunday though, the 23-year-old will boost Arsenal’s physical presence in attack for the tense clash with league leaders Chelsea.
Diaby’s return will be much welcomed after Arsenal’s forwards Rosicky, Arshavin and Nasri were dubbed as “a front-line of Oompa-Loompas” by BBC pundit Lee Dixon on Sunday as United resisted threat from Wenger’s men.
Nicklas Bendtner is also likely to regain a starting place and stiffen Arsenal’s muscle in the Stamford Bridge showdown.
Of course, both Bendtner and Diaby were missing when Chelsea battered Arsenal 0-3 back in November.
Great news! Cheers for the info Mr Randy
Yep, with Diaby in, the physical bullying we suffered on Sunday and in November’s Chelsea game might have been different.
I mean, despite that own goal, didn’t anyone think Diaby was terrific when we went to Old Trafford in August?
I remember an instance when the guy got Rooney and Wes Brown booked at the same time after both of them tried and failed to stop him in a Walcott/Arshavin-like run on the right wing.
Imagine him playing last Sunday. And in his newly found, more consistent form.
Anything can happen with this guy, but I agree his form has been impressive lately.
It’s not like Lee Dixon is a man mountain himself!
We need to beat chelsea!!!!!!!!!
i really hope we can do it. and that cesc doesnt go!
Give Terry a Kick. He deserves one for his disgusting behaviour. Haha.
Sometimes, I respect football fans supporting teams such as Leeds, Newcastle or other teams that dont win regularly. Why can’t we be like them. Just appreciate the football that our club plays. Don’t behave like ManU/Real Madrid/Barcelona fans who have gone crazy and demand their teams to win everytime.
What I want to see when Gunners play is their 1)fighting spirit; 2) teamwork; 3)passing; and iv)skills. They need not win everytime.
Hull City held Chelsea to a draw shows that they are not a team to be feared. We are obviously a better team than Hull. So long as our players remain focus, discipline and play to our actual strength, victory is in our hand. We are no less than Chelsea. We are as good as Chelsea if not better. Go Arsenal GO!!!!
It is a welcome development. Hope Diaby would not make own goal again?.
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Verminator Clichy
Song
Diaby Fabregas
Rosicky B52 Arjavin
..and we might stand a chance.
The lineup looks cool, how about shifting Verminator to the left and partnering Gallas with Sol ? Sol is big enough to take on Drogba whereas the Verminator is quick enough to cover our left wing:
Sagna Gallas Campbell Verminator
??
cool man! I like what you’re saying. I have many times felt arsene should try this.
Well how about playing Gallas as a defensive midfielder alongside Diaby and Song where he can always move forward easily and assist Bendtner getting those headers upfront and create problems for chelsea defenders,while at the same time when we are under attack can ease the pressure from Thommy and Sol by distabilizing Drogba’s movement.Check this lineup;
Mannone
Eboue/Sol/Thommy/Clichy
Gallas/Song/Diaby
Cesc/Arshavin
Bendtner
Subs-Rosicky/Walcott/Silvestre/Sagna/Aluminia/Eduardo/Ramsy/Vela
AlbonosK, lovely formation that on away grounds at the Bridge I would like to try to at least earn a respectable draw.You can even change the formation later in the second half.If it were down to me, I will set out a formation to first stop Chelsea from playing by cutting off the supply lines to Lampard and Drogba as well as pin back Cashley and Ivanovic. If we can do this, we stand a chance. With the formation you set out with a committment to BEAT THEM will turn the game in our favour. UNFORTUNATELY, AW is in bondage to HIS STYLE and will still send out those players for slaughtering with his ‘ultra-attacking’ formation that will get physically abused and outplayed. Let’s simply look beyond thegame and see how to rescue the season AFTERWARDS.
yeah, i kind of agree. eboue is better going forward, but sagna is MUCH better defending. that will be critical.
but mannone in keeps for this match would be foolish. agree he’s likely GOING to better than almunia, but not sure he’s ready for such a pressure cooker. and hey, almunia makes me nervous as hell!
go gunners!
We must remember that Diaby hasn’t played quite a while so we don’t know what shape he will be in. The main problems against Man utd were a goalkeeper who lacks in confidence consistently and Gallas’ disrespect of a game like the one against the one against utd, surely he has to leave the attacking duties to the forwards and the midfield. Lastly ringing alot of changes will do all but ensure our loss to chelsea but still the only changes i want are of firstly Almunia, then Walcott for Nasri and Bendtner for Rosicky. Bendtner goes upfront and Arshavin on the left. Don’t restrict Denilson to the silly zone play give him a free roll and Song be hind and the results will be ours.
How about a 3-5-2
Almunia
Gallas Campbell Verminator
Sagna Fabregas Song Diaby Clichy
Arshavin Bendtner
Sub coming on – Nasri, Rosicky and Walcott
Too bad he got injured when he was in awesome form. When I look at this squad, Arsenal has enormous talent but only Cesc, Verminator, Gallas, and Song have the hunger needed for winners. The rest do not fight or try to create things. Someone like Nasri has a lot to give but he isnt even trying, no movement no tricks, nothing! Arshavin is big player but when you need him he is not there. Tomas has nt been the same ever he started to go thru a series of injuries.. They have talent in them but they lack dynamism.. At Stamford bridge, we need them to find that form which saw them beat Totenham 3 nil, Aston Villa 3 nil.
sagna has been absolutely frustrating as well as denilson mistakes. eboue and diaby should come up.
granted, i’m a big fan of sagna.
but i think saying he’s as frustrating as denilson is a bit much.
i recall all of maybe 3 good crosses from sagna all season. he is THE MAN on defense. the only time he’s been skinned all year wasy by CUNTLY COLE against chavski last time. he is due for a big performance.
denilson, on the other hand, has been all around this this season.
can’t compare him to my boy sagna!
wow, that was crappy and typo-ridden.
make that: “but he is THE MAN on defense.”
and on denilson, make that: “he has been all around SHIT this season.”
If denilson and clichy ain’t playing we have a good chance, they’re the two worst players I’ve ever seen, plus there are rumours that chavski will have a few players out and that diaby, dudu and bentner will be back. C’MON U GOOOONERS!!
Vamalin is very good in scorin goals(air..land) than gallars…d only problem his havin is runin forward..and backward which is too loong..4any player..
I sugest wil put in mifield with song 2fence d mfield…4 gallars & so..dan he can move forward 2suport d fw &scoregoals at d samtim..go back 2suport d dfc…
Sag..gal..so…clincy
…….song…vaml…….
..Feb………………dia/nasr
……..bent…..arsh…..
So dat we wel hav solid sub…rosky,nasr,ebue,ramsy,taore….
Sol can later be sub 4ebue while vamalin wil move back.. Up gun
Funny how this season everyone love Diaby and Song and have now moved to Denilson and Walcot, Arsenal fans so fikle.Like Arsene said we dont get enough support from our fans, considering wat he is doing with the youngerst squad in the league. In Arsene I Trust – Keep up the good post Osae
ohh my this formation will demolish the chavz
fabianski
eboue – verm-gallas-clichy
Song
Diaby Cesc
Rosicky/Nasri Arshavin
B52
Good news at least we will be strong enough to face a physical and strong chelsea.With Alex,Diaby and Niclas BED.for sure we can make a differance at S.Bridge.
We love you Randy!
eboue gives us something different but i don’t think he will start…………..diaby and bendtner will give us much needed manpower…BUT:i dont think he will start diaby….i think he will start denilson!
randy by the way deceiving headline…..diaby is not back in training.
He IS back training (if he wasn’t, he would have been entirely ruled out like Vela and Dudu) but not NORMAL training. And I claimed Diaby was LIKELY to return (which he still is). I did not guarantee anything because he is infact “set to return” (in English grammar) if Wenger is still counting on him with a 50/50 chance to make Sunday’s squad.
I also said Eduardo MAY heal his harmstring not “will”.
Just because another blog has the time to counter everything on here doesn’t mean I’m a false reporter all of a sudden.
They were scheduled to return by now, and that’s what I went by. That’s not “misleading” anyone.
so basically u guessed that diaby was back in training
Diaby WILL be in the squad on Sunday. End of matter.
but you dont know that. diaby has a fitness test on saturday, so like you said above it is 50/50.
you dont have any sources so dont speculate man.
I don’t remember “speculating” anything. I was reporting the odds.
here is the link:http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/31622/injury-news
I didn’t predict the Man U. game for a reason! But I’m predicting Arsenal/Chelsea game. I can guarantee a win for Arsenal on Sunday! Hands down we will win! After that there is going to be this force that nobody’s going to want to mess with. Arsenal is going to go on a ridiculous form. Man U. will drop points same with Chelsea. Arsenal takes the title!
Let’s win this Sunday!!!!
looks like someone had a pretty good day………..loft!!……..isnt this a bit too far fetced mate?
I’m sick and tired of seeing a lot of negativity around the net, Usama! I will be honest with you…I do see Arsenal beating Chelsea!
We need diaby, particularly after he took enough rest his football is like magic. we need betner to start the game, he plays nice when he is in the first lineup. Eboue is also another physical and technical suppliment. I hate to see Denilson and unfit nasri and clichy. walcot is promissing.
dont get angry with me mate…just voicing my opinions randy!!and i dont read too many other blogs…………and for your information randy!! i hate gooner chris……….since the old arsenal spot days!!!!!
dont get angry with me mate…just voicing my opinions randy!!and i dont read too many other blogs…………and for your information randy!! i hate gooner chris……….since the old arsenal spot days!!!!!
It’s alright man, I will take back the heat on that a bit because I guess I prematurely went by the word from a mate of mine.
Maybe I should’ve waited till Thursday to post anything.(And sorry your comment didn’t appear as soon as you posted it. FYI, any comment with the phrase “gooner chris” in it is categorized in the “spam” section until I approve it.)
It’s all good man.
Hope Diaby is in the squad on Sunday as we expect!
almunia
sagna gallas vermaleen clichy
song
fab denilson
roisky/nsari denilson
bentz
wenger is gana start denilson
almunia
sagna gallas vermaleen clichy
song
fab diaby
roisky/nsari denilson
bentz
wenger is gana start denilson