Arsenal v Reading

[Finchley Royal]

I've just put £20 at 6/1 (!) with Hills on the win, and £1 at 150/1 Kitson/Reading win 2-1 scorecast.

6/1 on a two horse race!!!

Three horse race.

Occasionally, games are drawn...

[Huntley & Palmer]

I actually consider 6/1 to be quite short considering no-one has beaten Arsenal at home in the league

[EASTENDER MARKY]

From the Arsenal site:

For the record the full list of absentees for Saturday’s game is: Adebayor, Eboue, Toure (all suspended), Henry (foot), Rosicky (groin), Diaby (ankle), Justin Hoyte (hamstring), Mathieu Flamini (foot) and Robin van Persie (foot).

[spickroyal]

"Reading will never have a better chance of beating Arsenal away"

[southbank1871]

Arsenal will still create a load of chances with their midfield, but I'm not sure they'll have anyone to finish for them.

I'm going to go for an optimistic 1-0 victory, with Lita grabbing the winner in the 74th minute.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Bikey against Baptista could be interesting.

[brendywendy]

Arsenal team news for tonight:

The visitors will also be without the injured Thierry Henry (foot), Tomas Rosicky (groin) and Abou Diaby (ankle), while Justin Hoyte (hamstring), Theo Walcott (shoulder) and full-back Gael Clichy (foot) are all doubtful.

looks like our best chance of getting a victory over one of the big 4 all season, with all those out, and them looking forward to the CL game, which if they dont win pretty much ends their season
revenge could be ours on saturday, im feeling lucky

[PREMIERSHIP_ROYAL]

i heard walcott is a doubt aswell

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Yeah, looks a good side BUT we all know waht happens when a lot of players are put together without the 'team' play recently. Could be a lot of individuals out there on Saturday.

I still think the odds for Reading are VERY generous. Might not come off but I reckon we could be in for a smashing game.

Generous? Really?

i started a thread before the game at OT asking if people fancied our chances, pointing out this stat:

In the last 200 odd fixtures where a big 4 team has been at home to a non big 4 team, the away team has won only twice. Both last season, West Ham at Highbury and Blackburn at OT.

Based on that, i'd say the 8/1 being offered is shocking value.

[Spirit of Elm Park]

looks like our best chance of getting a victory over one of the big 4 all season

No, thats Liverpool at Home

[Huntley & Palmer]

Yeah, looks a good side BUT we all know waht happens when a lot of players are put together without the 'team' play recently. Could be a lot of individuals out there on Saturday.

I still think the odds for Reading are VERY generous. Might not come off but I reckon we could be in for a smashing game.

Generous? Really?

i started a thread before the game at OT asking if people fancied our chances, pointing out this stat:

In the last 200 odd fixtures where a big 4 team has been at home to a non big 4 team, the away team has won only twice. Both last season, West Ham at Highbury and Blackburn at OT.

Based on that, i'd say the 8/1 being offered is shocking value.

Same, the only punt worth taking in this game for me is any time goal scorer.

[runrunrunrungilksey]

Emirates is a fortress, no denying however records are there to be broken. Pressure is on at the Arsenal at the moment as well. I would say that this is the best possible time to play Arsenal at thier place!

Arsenal 1 Reading 2
Walcott 11mins
Sidwell 44, 90+1

[Fred Sharpe's Nose]

After all their recent tribulations, Arsenal will be looking forward to a nice, easy game...

[Tilehurst End]

With a bit more luck, better finishing and a referee who's able to watch a players whole body from ten yards away rather than just the top half, Arsenal could have easily won the last 3 games.

Agree we have to close down quickly but Blackburn did the same thing on Wed. and were still left chasing shadows on occasions and that was without Fabregas. The main thing is, whatever the personnel, you know how Arsenal will play so you can try and set a plan to stop them. I would not be surprised to see Lita up front on his own with Gunnarson coming into a 5 man midfield.

2-2.

[brendywendy]

Yeah, looks a good side BUT we all know waht happens when a lot of players are put together without the 'team' play recently. Could be a lot of individuals out there on Saturday.

I still think the odds for Reading are VERY generous. Might not come off but I reckon we could be in for a smashing game.

Generous? Really?

i started a thread before the game at OT asking if people fancied our chances, pointing out this stat:

In the last 200 odd fixtures where a big 4 team has been at home to a non big 4 team, the away team has won only twice. Both last season, West Ham at Highbury and Blackburn at OT.

Based on that, i'd say the 8/1 being offered is shocking value.

Same, the only punt worth taking in this game for me is any time goal scorer.

theres loads of good bets out there, scorecasts on 0-1,1-1,0-2, 2-2, 2-1, 1-2 for lita and kitson all give great odds, and a half decent chance of being correct

[Tony Le Mesmer]

The bet for me is to get high on the total goals market.

You can buy with IG Index at 2.8. Based on our previous games and the previous game at the mad stad, there could easily be 5 or 6 goals in this match. Especially if we line up with a 442. Worth hanging on till late to see our line up though, i think we will go 451 given that 442 failed miserably at home to them.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Yeah, looks a good side BUT we all know waht happens when a lot of players are put together without the 'team' play recently. Could be a lot of individuals out there on Saturday.

I still think the odds for Reading are VERY generous. Might not come off but I reckon we could be in for a smashing game.

Generous? Really?

i started a thread before the game at OT asking if people fancied our chances, pointing out this stat:

In the last 200 odd fixtures where a big 4 team has been at home to a non big 4 team, the away team has won only twice. Both last season, West Ham at Highbury and Blackburn at OT.

Based on that, i'd say the 8/1 being offered is shocking value.

Same, the only punt worth taking in this game for me is any time goal scorer.

theres loads of good bets out there, scorecasts on 0-1,1-1,0-2, 2-2, 2-1, 1-2 for lita and kitson all give great odds, and a half decent chance of being correct

If you are getting anything less than 100-1 on a correct scoreline and first scorer then you are being done. Thing about it, the odds on that actually happening are massive. So many external factors you can't account for. At least with anytime scorer you have an entire 90 minutes for one person to score (substitutions allowing), Lita has pocketed me some decent money at just over 4's against Birmingham in the Cup

[Seal]

When Coppell tried messing about with formations against Arsenal at home we started very poorly and were punished. The same against Man U.

In light of Coppell's comments post Man U game, I would hope he reverts to a 4-4-2, but I'd imagine the strikers will be asked to play deeper and do a lot of pressing from the front.

[SpaceCruiser]

When Coppell tried messing about with formations against Arsenal at home we started very poorly and were punished.

Er, I recall us starting with 4-4-2. We started poorly because we still had the Chelsea game on our minds.

I don't think we changed formation until the League game at Anfield.

[biscuitsrus]

Arsenal will still create a load of chances with their midfield, but I'm not sure they'll have anyone to finish for them.

I'm going to go for an optimistic 1-0 victory, with Lita grabbing the winner in the 74th minute.

Result=Lets go mental