Arsenal Vs Wigan [F.A Cup Semi Final]

Arsenal Vs Wigan
FA Cup Semi Final
Wembley Stadium
April 12th, 17:07 BST Kick Off
Referee: Mike Oliver


The 2nd Biggest Game Of The Season

So...here we are then. Two days before the 2nd biggest game of the season. A game which has cumulatively become extremely significant over the last few months. A game which is perhaps the only thing that matters to the Arsenal fans these days. However as much as it hurts me, let me refresh our last few months for you guys. Arsenal were 2 points clear in the Premier League just 2 months ago while also competing in the Champions league and the FA Cup. Disaster struck as Arsenal cracked and we slowly threw everything away. GoonerJay once said that Arsenal still haven't recovered from the Liverpool game, and in many ways that still applies to this very day. We saw against Chelsea how pathetic we were, we then saw against Swansea how impotent we were, and we then saw against Everton how average we were. It just builds up bit by bit and as much as we can blame the team and the manager, it's natural to have morale so low and mentality so fragile.

However, that has asbolutely no place on Saturday.

It's been 9 long years since we have won anything! Granted the team has completely changed and the players probably don't feel it as much but as fans, we have suffered 9 long years of no trophy and for a club like Arsenal that is really pathetic. There is absolutely no place for complacency on Saturday. There is absolutely no place for sluggishness on Saturday. There is absolutely no place for poor mentality. Look at the situation we are in. Does this club need any more embarrassment? Do the fans need to suffer more? Can the team afford to throw this away? Can Arsene afford to throw this opportunity away? FA Cup is 2 stages away. Just 2 stages. If we can't win it now.

Then we never can. That's the harsh reality. We will be Fulham of the top 4. Just there without doing anything. On Saturday, it's time we show everyone who we are. And on 17th May, our biggest game of the season, we get back to the glory days.

Wigan the Fearless Holders

I guess it's relevant to remember that Wigan are the Cup holders. They have absolutely nothing to lose like us and everything to gain. They will play with high intensity and full of courage. A team that kicked out City in the last round at the Etihad. Wigan will be more difficult than playing most of the PL sides for sure. With our really poor form and the injury list, I think we have to be at our very best to actually win this game. Some of the players will have bad memories from the CC final few years back but like I said before, that has no place on Saturday.

The best way to beat teams like Wigan is an early goal. That will settle the team and it will put pressure on the opponent teams to bring the game to us and that opens up the space which we can exploit(hopefully, as we can barely exploit a packet of crisps these days). I am fully expecting the team to give their all and with Ramsey back. We should win this.

Team News

For Arsenal, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs are doubts, and Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere – as well as long-term absentees Theo Walcott and Abou Diaby – are still out. Laurent Koscielny and Ozil should be back by next weekend, while Aaron Ramsey "is ready to start" having made his first appearance since Boxing Day in the 3-0 loss at Everton.

For Wigan, Rosler rested 8 players in midweek for this game so they all should start. With last season’s FA Cup final hero Ben Watson out for the season with a broken leg, Manchester United loanee Nick Powell and Callum McManaman should return to the midfield after sitting on the bench in midweek.

Probable Arsenal Team

-----------------------------------Fabianski---------------------------------------

Sagna-----------------Mertesacker------------Vermaelen-------------------Gibbs/Monreal

--------------------------Kallstrom-----------Ramsey------------------------------

Rosicky--------------------------------Cazorla-----------------------------Podolski

---------------------------------Sanogo-------------------------------------------

Probable Wigan Team

---------------------------------------Al Habsi---------------------------------------

Boyce-----------------Barnett----------------------Ramis-------------------Beausejour

-----McManaman---------McArthur--------Perch---------McEachran--------Gomez-----

---------------------------------------Powell------------------------------------------

Match Facts(Yahoo)

• Arsenal have never met Wigan before in the FA Cup. The overall head to head record is played 20, Arsenal wins 15, Wigan wins three and draws two.
  
• The last time Arsenal met Wigan was in May 2013 just after their FA Cup final win over Man City. The Latics were relegated after losing 1-4.
  
• Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last five FA Cup games, including three in three substitute appearances this season.
  
• Lukas Podolski has scored four goals in four FA Cup games.
  
• Mikel Arteta has scored four goals against Wigan in the Premier League; only against Blackburn (6) has he been more prolific.
  
• Thomas Vermaelen has scored four goals in his last four starts against Wigan.
  
• Arsenal have lost both previous matches they have played at the new Wembley Stadium by a 1-2 scoreline, to Chelsea in the 2009 FA Cup semi-final and to Birmingham in the 2011 League Cup final.
  
• Wigan have won both FA Cup matches they have played at the new Wembley without conceding - last year’s semi-final and final.
  
• Wigan are unbeaten in their last 12 FA Cup matches, winning 10 and drawing two.
  
• Jordi Gomez has five goals and five assists in his last 10 FA Cup starts.
  
• On four of the last five occasions that Sheffield United have made the FA Cup semi-final, Arsenal have gone on to win the FA Cup (1936, 1993, 1998 & 2003), including the last three in a row. In the other (1961) the team that won it was also from north London, Tottenham).
  

Final Words

Arsenal pls.

wigan have got a good premier league side, damn.

wew need to just force ox to play, without him we are doomed.

Nice preview RG.

One thing is for sure, Wigan will certainly fancy themselves against us! Also, if we do beat Wigan, whoever we get in the final will certainly fancy themselves against us too.  
I expect the players to show fight and determination to end our trophy drought.
For the love of God Wenger, don't play Giroud and Arteta.. try to win this one instead of embarrassing yourself.  

Why is Flamini suspended?

Good preview RG

All I have to say really is..

PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WIIIIN OMMFFGGGGG SLDJKFSLDKFJALWFIJADOWIDJAOWDIJAOWFIEOSFJSOEFIJAOWKJDAKLWDJALKWD

BRING BALANCE TO THE FORCE... FULFILL THE PROPHECIES

I fear for the Wenger backlash if this goes wrong.. Win it for Arsene.

RG wrote:Wigan will be more difficult than playing most of the PL sides for sure.

Good, good, it's always better to make the excuses up before the game, the Arsenal "strong mentality" way   

May the Bergkamp of light be with us, let's do this!!!

Alot depends on the team selection. Forget about mentality fatigue etc he just needs to put the right player in the right position.. The team will gel back instantly.

If i was wenger i would go for this team and treat wigan with respect.

Great work RG
MAKE OR BREAK
Lets do this
strong start
take the lead and let wigan take the game to us

we will have more than twice as many fans so should be a great atmosphere

http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/835x1000/apr_14/zp_484121305_SM_9651_33_2AAC60_8450.jpg

COYG

What formation should we expect Wigan to play
if 3-4-1-2
then we must take the lead or will be in trouble

they are underdogs ,more pressure on us yet they experienced playing at this stage last season
us?....
that makes me worried
hope we handle it well

Raptorgunner wrote:Nice preview RG.


Why is Flamini suspended?

10 yellow cards this season. 2 game suspension

Anybody know why all this weekend's games begin at 7 past? (1507, 1707, 1337 etc)

Hillsborough weekend so all games will start 7 minutes later after paying respect etc

Sina wrote:What formation should we expect Wigan to play
if 3-4-1-2
then we must take the lead or will be in trouble

they are underdogs ,more pressure on us yet they experienced playing at this stage last season
us?....
that makes me worried
hope we handle it well

Should be 4-5-1 for them.

This must be our midfield this weekend, and please god help Giroud, he is hopeless.

Is this game the most important game in the past 9 years?

2nd most important

The most important is the final on 17th May

Win or die!!!

Simple as that.

Btw, a win would be the best gift for my birthday.

It's goddamn Wigan ffs. we wiped the floor with them last time we met and sent them packing to the championship. There is absolutely NO reason why the result tomorrow should be anything other than a win.

Lord help us if we don't...

Lex wrote:It's goddamn Wigan ffs. we wiped the floor with them last time we met and sent them packing to the championship. There is absolutely NO reason why the result tomorrow should be anything other than a win.

Lord help us if we don't...

Exactly.   

Apparently 55,000 tickets have been sold to Arsenal fans for this game, so it's practically a home game for us.

A combination of Arsenal not playing well and Wigan being in the semi's by beating City at the Etihad makes this game appear considerably less straight-forward than it was a month ago when the draw was made. This being a cup game, though, means we can put aside all our worries about our league form and just focus on progressing to the finals. I mean, if the team can't get motivated and focused for a bloody semi-final of the FA Cup then something is seriously wrong.

I don't really want to think about the consequences should we not win, and thankfully I don't think I'll have to. It's not an easy game, but is still one where we have the talent to win despite all the injuries and lack of form. The players just need to remember how they performed against Everton, Liverpool and Spurs in the previous rounds and take that into this game.

Incidentally, I won't be around to do the post-match stuff tomorrow.

Great work RG!

Going to Wembley tomorrow with a mate. We're in a box! (So someone else will have to do the 'Arsenal v Wigan LIVE' thread tomorrow around 4pm  

We have to win. That's all.