Arsenal return to our screens on Tuesday night, after a dismal performance at the Britannia Stadium. Arsenal were outfought and at times, out played. The Potters netted three goals before the half time whistle, only for the Arsenal players to finally wake up. Stoke thought they netted a fourth after half time, however Diouf had his goal wrongly disallowed. Arsenal staged some sort of a comeback however, they were unsuccessful in completing their quest. Santi Cazorla netted a penalty and Ramsey scored a fantastic volley from a corner kick. Arsenal’s overall showing was truly shocking. Hours after the game, fans were seen hurling abuse at Wenger as he was boarding the train, as the tension around the club continues to build. A win against Galatasary in the Champions League, may ease the pressure just a little.
Arsenal travel across to the Turkish capital, Istanbul. A Champions League match against Galatasary, will certainly test the squad Arsene puts out. This game is pretty much meaningless, since Arsenal have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. However, Wenger has confirmed that Sanogo, Campbell and Podolski all start. I personally can’t wait to see Joel Campbell in action. The Costa Rican forward was phenomenal at the World Cup, however the signing of Sanchez and the form of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell has found it difficult to slot into the starting lineup.
I am interested to see how Podolski reacts to this on the pitch. I fear if he doesn’t performing well know, it could signal the end of his Arsenal career.
Player To Watch
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The Arsenal player to watch for me, is Lukas Podolski. The German has been growing frustrated by the lack of chances in the starting lineup, and his ability backs up his dissatisfaction at his squad role. However the German has been competing against the workhorse in Alexis Sanchez. Although Podolski has a lethal left foot in his shooting armoury, his overall work rate is questionable. The Galatasary defence isn’t the most secure defence in Europe, however Podolski has the experience to challenge whoever he’s up against. The Türk Telekom Arena is well known for its intimidating atmosphere, where Podolski and co will be playing. It’s up to Podolski whether he clutches this opportunity with both hands and really proves Wenger & the fans wrong. He is a World Cup winner and in games like this, he must show his worth if he wants start regularly for Arsenal.