On Sunday, City play host to Arsene Wengers Arsenal. They don't need much of an introduction. Widely accepted as one of the finest teams to watch, games against The Gunners are always ones to look forward to.
For all Arsenal's beautiful football though, they're without a trophy for five seasons. Ok, it doesn't come close to our own barren spell without silverware. But cast your mind back to when Arsenal were winning three FA Cups in succession, or when they went a whole league season unbeaten and it would have been near impossible to imagine a lean period like this.
It does seem that the same criticisms have been levelled at the men from North London for several seasons now though. All style, no substance is one. Wenger is also regularly criticised for his apparent unwillingness to sign a better goalkeeper then they have at present.
And of course, there is the suggestion that they throw away silly points. A home defeat against a West Brom side they might have expected to brush aside does nothing to contradict that statement.
So, what are Arsenal fans thinking? Is Wenger still the right man for the job? Can they push for the title this year? And as ever, we get a view of what the opposition fans think about City.
This interview is with my Gooner friend Sammi Abdoh. Big thanks to him for taking the time to do this, as ever it is much appreciated.
Ciao,
Richard
www.twitter.com/RichardTheBurns
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W.A.D: Before the season started, what were your expectations for Arsenal?
Sammi: I was fairly optimistic before the season started. Wenger virtually said in press conferences that he was in the market for a ‘keeper and two more defenders, so I, like many other Arsenal fans, thought he was finally resolving the issues in our team that had cost us in previous seasons. But alas, for whatever reason we only signed Squillaci, and Almunia remained our first choice keeper. Despite that I was quite hopeful. Man United and Chelsea, in particular, had really bad pre-seasons, and keeping Fabregas was absolutely massive for us, so before the season I was expecting at least a second place finish.
W.A.D: And eight games into the season, sitting in third, have your expectations changed at all?
Sammi: To be honest, no. The only game I've been disappointed with so far this season is the 3-2 defeat to West Brom. The loss to Chelsea was a bit unfortunate, I don’t think we were outplayed like we were last season, and we actually had control of a lot of the game. The problem, as ever with Arsenal these days, was injuries. With Almunia, Vermaelen, Fabregas, and Van Persie injured it was always going to be an impossible task. If those players dont suffer any long-term injuries then I think we can still finish in second.
W.A.D: Though you’re still a good thirty years off City, it’s been a while since Arsenal picked up a trophy. Is Wenger still the man?
Sammi: Wenger is still very much the man, although he's not untouchable like he once was. There are more and more fans questioning him, especially when he failed to sign a keeper, and I think it could only take one more goalkeeping blunder against a team like Tottenham or Man United for the fans to finally lose their patience with him. Having said that, he's kept us competitive on a nothing budget, it really is phenomenal. I don't know what the figures are exactly, but I honestly don't think anyone could've done a better job. Personally, I'm just so frustrated, because he does an incredible job of spotting talent and building this team from nothing, but then he won't address the goalkeeping issue, despite every fan and pundit knowing it will cost us again this season.
W.A.D: Who is your all time favourite Arsenal player?
Sammi: This is a difficult question. We've had so many great players since I've supported Arsenal... Adams, Wright, Bergkamp, Vieira, Pires, and of course, Henry. My favourite would have to be Ljungberg, and he wouldn't be a lot of people's first choice, but I just love him. He scored against United on his debut, and made a habit of it for a few years, had an incredibly cool hairstyle, and he was such a fan favourite during the 2001-2002 season. We had a run of about 7 or 8 games that we won 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, and he basically scored in all of those games. He popped up with such important goals during that run, and I remember my brother saying that had he scored at Old Trafford (if we won that game, we'd win the title) he would've dyed his hair red. As it was he didn't score, but he played a huge part in the goal, and for that he'll always be a hero.
W.A.D: Who is your favourite in the current squad?
Sammi: For me, it still is Fabregas, despite the fact that he'll be leaving. I think he's the first player that I've sort of grown up with, when I was 15 I remember the first game I saw him play against Man United in the Charity Shield. He was just so composed, and really ran the game, and everybody was so excited about him (similar situation with Wilshere now). I think in fairness to him, he genuinely does love Arsenal, but it's inevitable he'll leave.
W.A.D: And if you had to sell one, who would it be?
Sammi: Clichy. I think if he went to a club like Real Madrid we could get about 10-12 million for him. He's just become too much of a liability and with Gibbs waiting in the wings I really don't think he'll be missed at all. I also think that if Van Persie doesn't have a great season then we should part ways, just because we'll never win anything when our first choice striker is on the sidelines. Having said all of that, the next player we sell will definitely be Fabregas, unfortunately.
W.A.D: Having seen another summer of heavy expenditure, what are your expectations for City this season?
Sammi: Even though they've started the season really well, I think they'll finish third. Just because, and I know it's a cliche, but you need time for all those players to settle, and I'm not entirely convinced you've got a good enough defence to win the league, although that can easily be remedied in Jan or the summer. As soon as you get Champions League football you'll be able to attract literally any player in the world, and then I think you'll be unstoppable.
W.A.D: Who in particular will cause City problems on Sunday?
Sammi: Ha, I don't really know. I've been hugely impressed with Chamakh this season, but he went missing a bit against Chelsea, and he's just not as clinical as I'd like him to be. This could be a bit of a bad call (because he might not even start), but I'm going to go for Nasri. He's got a goal in him, and teams often focus on stopping Fabregas and Arshavin so much that he can slip under the radar. He's had a good start to the season, and I think he enjoys the big games, so I'm going to put my neck on the line and say Nasri.
W.A.D: Which of City’s players are you most worried about?
Sammi: It has to be Adebayor, not because he's your best player, just because I completely loathe him and if he scores it will frustrate the hell out of me. He might not even start, but after his hat-trick he'll probably feel he warrants a starting place. Whoever's up against Clichy will have a field day as well, so Adam Johnson will cause up lots of problems too if he gets the nod.
W.A.D: And finally, score prediction for Sunday?
Sammi: I'm going to go for 1-1.
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