So the draw for the group stages of the Champion's League was made yesterday and it was quite favorable for Arsenal. With respect to the other teams in the group, this really was a plum draw. No long treks to Moscow, no Real Madrid and we don't play against Partizan or Shakhtar, away from home, deep into the winter months (albeit we face the latter away at the beginning of November). Of course, the big news about the draw is the fact that Eduardo will return to the Emirates which will make for an emotional night for all involved.
But there is a concern going forward into these games. After 5 of the 6 games, we go away from home in the Premier League. In those fixtures we face Sunderland, Chelsea, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Manchester United. It really is an unbelievable run of games but then again it's all a part of being a big team.
The only consolation about these fixtures is that, apart from Sunderland and Aston Villa, we face teams who are also involved in Europe. So when we face those teams it really will be a test of squads. As long as we go into those Premier League matches with the spine of the team fit, we can expect some very positive results.
Something else that I found interesting to come out of the ceremony in Monaco was Ivan Gazidis' interview on ATVO. He spoke briefly about the draw and the current state of the squad. He felt the squad was stronger than last year's and he also stressed how we've added 'some experience and steel' to the squad. Now, I do appreciate the fact that Gazidis will always sing the team's praises in every interview he does but the word 'steel' has stuck in my mind. It makes me think that Wenger's main objective over the summer was to toughen up the team and the way he has talked about the new signings is evidence of this. Tomorrow's game at Ewood Park will tell us if he has managed to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment