Facing a huge task in the Champions League away at Bayern Munich in just 45 minutes’ time, at least Arsenal fans head to Bavaria with hope having inflicted defeat on the team many believe to be the world’s best right now back on gameweek three.
With the Gunners going fantastically well in the Premier League at the minute, there is renewed belief that Arsenal can indeed plot a route back out of Group F at the right end of the four-team table rather than succumbing to Europa League fate or worse, out of European competition altogether.
That said, a defeat in Germany tonight would be a third out of four games played so far and would pretty much leave Arsenal in tatters.
According to some Gooners in the tavern, they claim that being out of European competition altogether may bode well for their league form and it’s hard to disagree with Arsenal’s injury problems surely being lessened if they’re only playing one game a week instead of two.
But with it being a dangerous game to place all of your eggs in one basket in this way, no Arsenal fan in the tavern is hoping their team lose tonight with a draw being looked on as a good result ahead of the two remaining fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb at home and Olympiakos away.
With Arsenal again down to the bare bones following Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott’s injuries, yet still coping, their first team squad is rather narrow but today, we’ve still devised a list of five Gunners stars who could be facing an axe in the January transfer window.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players facing the chop at Arsenal in January.
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Mathieu Debuchy
With Hector Bellerin agonisingly missing for the huge game against Bayern tonight, Mathieu Debuchy will deputise but we’ve seen rolled eyes around the bar all day given the fact the Frenchman hasn’t covered himself in glory when called upon so far this term.
Enduring really poor showings against both Dinamo Zagreb and Sheffield Wednesday away, we haven’t seen Debuchy produce the kind of consistent performances he used to display in his time at Newcastle United but in fairness, he isn’t being given a run of games to find his best form.
That said, you’d still expect better of an experienced senior French international who is now 30-years-old. Given Bellerin’s meteoric rise last season, he is and will be the firm first choice option under Arsene Wenger for the foreseeable future.
With Carl Jenkinson having penned a new deal before re-signing on loan at West Ham United and Calum Chambers still being able to deputise, perhaps this could leave Debuchy surplus to requirements.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Frenchman either who will be expected to thwart the effervescent Douglas Costa this evening which everybody by the bar rightly agrees is a monumental task!
Tomas Rosicky
According to Physio Room, Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky is set for a return to the team in January but perhaps this will be the same month that the long-serving Czech Republic international breaks his Arsenal association?
Having been a Gunner since 2006, Rosicky’s Arsenal career has been plagued by injuries, not to the extent of Abou Diaby but not far off that level either!
A hugely committed professional who was simply born to play for a team like Arsenal such is his technical quality and eye for a pass, the midfielder was reportedly keen on receiving more playing time by signing for Aston Villa back in the summer but Arsene Wenger denied a transfer.
With Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere expected to be back from injury before Rosicky, perhaps Wenger may view him as surplus to requirements in January, particularly if he is lining up a swoop for an additional central midfielder to get Arsenal over the line in the Premier League title race.
Glen Kamara
A surprise inclusion in the Arsenal team of late was Finland Under-21 international Glen Kamara who was pressed into defensive midfield duty for the Gunners’ recent Capital One Cup fourth round fixture away at Sheffield Wednesday.
But on a night to forget for the Gunners with the Owls prevailing by a convincing 3-0 scoreline despite being a league apart, Kamara quite simply didn’t take his big chance at all.
With Arsene Wenger having used the competition to blood so many successful youngsters in the past, he admitted solemnly after the game that several of his younger players weren’t ready and this won’t disappoint anybody more than the Frenchman who has so often put so much faith in youth.
Football can be a ruthless game and with Wenger and subsequently Arsenal fans having been temporarily acquainted with Kamara in the first team, they won’t like what they saw and who’s to say this might be his first and last appearance in the Gunners’ starting eleven?
More sensibly, a January loan switch may beckon to enable him greater opportunities in first team football.
Mikel Arteta
Currently on the sidelines with an ankle / foot injury, if the truth be told, Mikel Arteta hasn’t been called upon too many times this season anyway so far.
Given renaissance man Francis Coquelin has managed to crucially stay fit for the campaign so far, Arteta – who is still officially Arsenal club captain – has played a bit-part role, starting lesser cup fixtures while receiving 20 minutes from the bench here and there to shore up the midfield.
One hundred per cent a dedicated and committed professional, the sheer fact of the matter is that Arsenal have moved on from Arteta’s quality now and need a higher calibre and vitally stronger additional midfielder to succeed his services.
Yes, Arsenal have Coquelin but a Geoffrey Kondogbia or Grzegorz Krychowiak would’ve really suited in the summer and with the Gunners always scouting new players, perhaps Arteta might go if Wenger can find a new one in January.
Calum Chambers
Having enjoyed a fantastic start to his Arsenal career, Calum Chambers has unfortunately slipped into that category of being a utility player who is only usually called upon in cup games or when mass injuries strike.
A right back by trade during his time at Southampton, we’ve seen the England Under-21 international deployed at centre back more often for Arsenal but ever since that away game at Swansea City last term where he was terrorised by Jefferson Montero at right back, Chambers seems to be half the player he was when he signed.
Receiving his most recent chance against Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup defeat lately, Chambers was poor on that occasion too so perhaps a January loan move may be a wise idea to rebuild his good reputation and confidence.
Arsenal have Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista as first choice centre halves and we saw Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal pressed into emergency centre back duty last term so perhaps they could get away with loaning Chambers out.
Or better, signing an additional top quality centre back in January although this would be unlikely!
