Arsenal to stick with experience against Hull City today?
Arsene Wenger certainly changed the habit of a lifetime in the last League game against West Ham, with an average age of over 29, by fielding his oldest side ever!
It seems that todays line-up could be similar after Wenger extolled the virtues of experience when you are fighting for the Wenger Trophy. He said: “Experience helps you to deal better with pressure because you know what is expected and you can focus in a more efficient way to express your potential,”
“We kept our nerve when we were 1-0 down against West Ham. I believe that there was a strong, silent resilience. We didn’t let them disturb our game, we responded quickly before half-time and overall had good control in the second half with a convincing win. You could see the lift that we got from winning on Saturday in the semi-final. It had an influence on the psychological and the mental front because we had a much more serene attitude.
“Had we lost on Saturday, we would certainly have tired legs. The fact that we won gave us a big lift. And the players who had not played on Saturday – like Kallstrom, Giroud and Koscielny – contributed well physically.”
So I expect him to do the same today, and athere is another calming influence available to return to the side after suspension, Mathieu Flamini.
Wenger also is pleased that our 42million man Mesut Ozil will return to the squad for the final push for fourth place. The Frenchman said: “It’s important to have him back because he’s an offensive player who is important in the final third,”
“He still has the most assists and therefore he can put our strikers in good positions. That link between the deep midfield and the strikers is important.”
It’s nice to see Wenger calm and confident, so let’s hope we all see another convincing win from Arsenal to put some pressure on Everton before they play Man United….
