FA Cup Final Replay To Get Arsenal Back On Track

Match Preview: Arsenal vs. Hull– Premier League 18.10.2014

And so a long, interminable interlull has come to an end, mercifully short on internationally incurred injuries, and we’ll face a foe whom we defeated in May to earn the FA Cup. Hull almost qualify as a sight for sore eyes after the last two weeks without Arsenal and the preceding four or five watching an Arsenal that has been by equal turns infuriating and inspiring.

Which squad will show up? The cardiac kids who need a stoppage-time goal to equalize or the flat-track bullies who hang three or four goals on an opponent? We’ve shown a maddening ability to play up to or down to our opponent’s level; it’s worked well enough against the likes of Everton and Man City, less well against Chelsea or Leicester. There have only been two games in which we can claim to have played to our level, against Aston Villa and Galatasaray. We may have fond memories of the last time we faced Hull, but we’d do well to steel ourselves for a sterner test.

After all, back in May, there might have been some level at which Hull were just happy to be there. Newly promoted, losers in four of five previous matches but already qualified for Europa League, up against a superior opponent...and they went up 0-2 inside ten minutes. It took a monumental fightback for us to win it 3-2, and we'll be without many of the heroes of that match—Giroud, Ramsey, and Koscielny. They are, of course, but a few of the walking wounded. On paper, this is the first in a series of what should be a stretch of four or five winnable matches. On the pitch is another matter, as we all know.

At Hull's end, they're off to a bright start, just a point behind us. But for a few equalisers conceded late, one against Stoke and the other against Newcastle, Hull might even have earned a win or two. They've made a few nice pick-ups in the summer—Abel Hernandez, Mohamed Diamé, and Nikica Jelavić have scored 10 of Hull's 11 goals to this point, and somewhere in there is Hatem Ben Arfa as well. These new additions seem to have more than compensated for the loss of Shane Long to Southampton, and Hull look more ambitious than last season's lot, who seemed overawed at being back in the Premier League.

LAST 3

• Arsenal 3-2 Hull (17.05.2014)
• Hull 0-3 Arsenal (20.04.2014)
• Arsenal 2-0 Hull (04.12.2013)

FACTFILE

• The two clubs first met in 1913, a 0-0 tie.
• Arsenal have scored at least two goals in its last ten outings against Hull.
• Arsenal are undefeated in 21 home-matches in the Premier League.

INJURIES

Giroud, Debuchy, Sanogo, Özil, Koscielny, Walcott, Gnabry and Ramsey are unavailable, and Rosický and Diaby face late fitness tests. Chambers will serve a one-game suspension for earning his fifth yellow card of the season.

POSSIBLE STARTING XI

Szczesny; Gibbs, Monreal, Mertesacker, Bellerin; Arteta, Wilshere; Alexis, Cazorla, Ox; Welbeck.

Despite our injuries, we need to get our season on-track and this will have to start against Hull.

GOONERSPHERE PREDICTION

Arsenal 3-1 Hull

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