FA Cup; Arsenal Vs Liverpool; 16th Feb 2014; 4pm

Well, we know what arsenal's best available 11 is like. We demolished them in 19 minutes last week. What else do they have up their sleeve?
- Flamini; better tackler than arteta and more naturally defensive although perhaps not as good at reading the game.
- Gnabry; not as polished as the Ox but stronger.
- Bendtner; better in the air than Giroud.
- Podolski; direct, accomplished but past his best.

One thing our demolition has done is made arsenal's fans more humble, and depressed. Giroud is now 'the fat kid in PE you don't want to pass to'. I expect the above 4 to feature given their game against Bayern 48 hours later. The league should be our priority but a win could really derail their season. I am in two minds about all of this given Wenger's expertise in making the champions league. A bit of me would prefer for them to be distracted for as long as possible.

I think this could be a replay. 1;1.

Will jones, Kelly, Moses/Taxeira,  Allen and Agger play?

I'd give Kelly, Johnson, Agger, Allen a game.

Give Suarez a rest - he looks a little mentally tired - and just play Sturridge up front with maybe Aspas. I wouldn't play Jones.

What to do? Go win the cup and get top 4 would be a great season. Or rest lads possibly get beat but maybe go on and shock everyone and win the league?

Option 2 for me all the way! Sorry but Id rest a few lads and give others who need game time a run, who knows when we might need them to step in over the last 12 games.

Mignolet, Kelly Skrtel Agger Flanno: Moses Allen Stevie Ibe: Aspas Sturridge

Subs: Jones, Johnson Toure, Hendo Coutinho, Tex, Luis

change formation and all for me as they'll plan for our 4-3-3

For me, it's an unchanged team.  We have a week off after this game to prepare for Swansea, while Arsenal have to have one eye on their midweek game against Bayern. 

Go out and win this and we are into the quarters with only the winner of the Chelsea/City game as our biggest threat to lifting the trophy!!

For me, it's an unchanged team.  We have a week off after this game to prepare for Swansea, while Arsenal have to have one eye on their midweek game against Bayern. 

Not just the week after this one, currently we don't have another midweek game scheduled for the rest of the season. Considering that, we should go and play as strong a team as possible like you say and try to keep the confidence flowing. Plenty of time to recuperate.

Strong first XI, with some youngsters like Texeira to come off the bench if we're doing well.

For me, it's an unchanged team.  We have a week off after this game to prepare for Swansea, 

Very valid point but I think mentally some players need a rest physically someone like Hendo could do with a rest. While I think we need to get the likes of Kelly Agger and Aspas in the thick of the action as we will need them at some stage on the run in

I say Play our best team or is it me who only wants to win it? We have a really good chance of winning the competition this year, all the big boys will be out except for whoever comes out victorious in the City Chelsea game. Its there for the taking!!

Same team except Agger for Toure

Same team again apart from Agger for Kolo, don't think we should risking Stevie with 3 games in such a short time so Allen come is. Raheem looks knackered so either Ibe or Tex.
Suarez needs to play and bang in a couple early doors then replace him with Aspas.

If we use the same XI and, more importantly, exact same tactics as the 5-1 game, I think we lose this actually. I just can't see Wenger not making any adjustments. Then again, Wenger often times defies logic, so I can see Arsenal playing the exact same way, albeit with different personnel. What we'll have to watch out for is Arsenal swamping Gerrard, which is something they didn't do when we hammered them.

I do think we should go all in for this match though and treat as if it's a league fixture. With no Europe, we have enough time to recover.

this game is going to be a lot tougher than the one we had last weekend.  Arsenal is a great team so lets not get too carried away with our last result.  remember we lost to hull 0-3 away earlier in the campaign... so we have had our off nights.

Arsenal is a home now and after two disappointing games, they are going to be eager to right the ship. 

We should play our best XI.  if Agger is fit, I would start him over toure (he is starting to look tired both physically and mentally).   Suarez and sturridge def stays as does sterling and cou.  Gerard and hendo are going to have be on their A game again.   

Either way, imo if we can get through this round, I truly believe we have a fantastic chance to make it to wembley

cmon lads, lets do this!

The Arse were paralysed against the Scum.

All their play suggested fear of losing.

Back to us again within a few days and the psychological shock of having to face us ...... recurring nightmare ...... means they will be playing with paranoia.

Dont change the tactic Brendan ..... dont ......... do the unexpected .
Play like at Anfield but at the Emirates.

After recent results, hard not to be confident we can go there and win.
Arsenal will have an eye on next weeks big CL match, might rest some players.
Interesting to see if BR makes many changes - maybe Allen, Agger, others coming in?
Yet another big game to look forward to

It's a difficult one for both sides. With Arsenal playing Munich just three days after they may rest a few players. They won't start with the same lineup as on Saturday that's for sure. Rosicky, Podolski, Flamini and probably Jenkinson will all start this game giving them a much more solid and formidable look than last weekend. You realise they've got the depth in their squad to rest the players they want without looking too disadvantaged and I'm sure they will.

As for us I find it hard to fathom how some of us have deciphered that Hendo or Raheem look knackered. Only the coaching staff know that. But if they are all in good shape we can only start out strongest side here.

Now is there a window for Johnson to slot back in at full back? It seems more likely he could be on the bench but this is a good thing. Even though he isn't exactly going to win player of the season for his efforts this year he gives us options going forward by being a decent footballer unlike Cissokho who struggles with the ball at his feet. However, in fairness to Aly, he has reclaimed a good deal of his reputation in the last couple of weeks or so with solid defensive performances against Everton, West Brom, Arsenal and Fulham.

One thing's for certain here however is that we return to the Emirates with a much stronger attack than when we went there in November, largely as a result of the immense form Sterling has shown since Christmas onwards and a Sturridge and Suarez front that just gets better and better. This is a real humdinger of an away fixture for us where we have an appalling record. Only recall one win there in recent years, back in August 2011, and even then that was against an injury riddled Arsenal squad that wouldn't have been fit for the league cup. It's going to be tough as ever at the Emirates but we go there with as vibrant a side as I can ever remember. We must and CAN put an end to this hoodoo we experience in that particular part of the world.

Definitely a road game where we can't come out all flat and such. Sure Arsenals gonna want some sort of retribution over last weeks embarassment. With that being said, wouldn't mind if we did sit a few starters and give em a breather. Suarez is due any game now to explode with a number of goals. He'll get hot at the right time as the seasons end draws near. YNWA

Agger for kolo. Rest Gerrard and sterling. Allen and Moses to come in. Bring sterling and ibe in the last 30 and have a real go at a tired arsenal

The Arse were paralysed against the Scum.

All their play suggested fear of losing.

Back to us again within a few days and the psychological shock of having to face us ...... recurring nightmare ...... means they will be playing with paranoia.

Dont change the tactic Brendan ..... dont ......... do the unexpected .
Play like at Anfield but at the Emirates.

Agree.  Arsenal are mentally weak right now. If we sit back and are too cautious from the start, we will play into their hands. If they get the first goal their confidence will surge.

If we get the first goal I think it would be easy to pick them off on the counter because their fans will be spitting cats and the players will be desperate.

I can see Arsenal really giving us a game after the recent humiliation. We definitely need to play a strong team and hope if we knock in another early one they will panic afraid of a repeat.

                          Jones

Flanagan       Skrtel    Agger     Cissokho

         Henderson   Gerrard    Allen
                     Coutinho

           Stirling        Sturridge   

I think Jones has been promised the F.A. cup games ? I think Suarez needs a rest and if we play on the break the pace of Stirling and Sturridge might be vital. Hopefully Johnson can get a few minutes off the bench and Agger is fit to start.   

Give Suarez a rest - he looks a little mentally tired

What?! He doesn't look at all tired! He looks more fired up by the end of a match than he does at the start of it, especially if he hasn't scored! Nything but mentally tired!

This will be a much tougher game with them having Flamini back, wont be expecting another 5-1 but I'd be more than happy with a scrappy 1-0 win given the fact it's at the Emirates.

Would like to give stevie a rest as he's been ever present all season, is 33, and the player we can least afford to get injured or knackered before the end of the season. But with lucas out, i think we will have to start him.


Put 4 past them in the first 20 mins, and then take him off.

Arsenal definitely has a tough choice to make.  Wenger must understand his players are definitely going to be tired in this short period.  With CL footy only a few days later, I would not be surprised to see him making a few changes so he can play his strongest side in CL.  Either way, like I said before, we are definitely going to have to go hard at them at the starting whistle and hope we can bang some in quick.  I reckon if we can score one super fast again, their confidence will be truly shot

I'm predicting a 1-1 draw then a replay at Anfield and we give them another hammering.

You seen it on this post first.