You are a 22 year old goalkeeper plying your trade playing for a a little club called Legia Warsaw when one of the top clubs in Europe with one of the most respected Managers in the world comes calling for your services, your club accepts the offer and the transfer gets completed, you are now playing for the almighty Arsenal FC under Arsene Wenger, life could not be much better. You wait patiently as keepers sit ahead of you until you become the club's number 2. Then, it happens, your mate Almunia gets injured and you get a small run in the team and even a day out at Wembley in the FA Cup Semi-final. You wake up that morning dreaming of the name you can make for yourself, the game arrives with your fans cheering when your name is announced. LIFE IS GOOD! Then your team go 1 - 0 up. LIFE IS GREAT. Then towards the end of the game, the opposition defender boots a long ball down field, it been a quiet game for you so so you run out to collect the ball and start another attack, you pull your right foot back, swing, and then.............Oh crap, where's the ball gone? Look around and Drogba has just scored while you're in no man's land. You lose the game and the chance of playing in an FA cup final, you have a string of dreadful mistakes, a few more terrible performances pretty much help to guarantee your club ends another season with no silver ware. Another season, another chance, you're still the club's number 2, you failed to take your chance, Now, your third season starts and the number 1 position is firmly up for grabs, your mate again gets an injury and you are called up to play in goal in the Champions League.............. How would you like the story to end?
Unfortunately the only one who can decide that is Lukasz Fabianski. He has a chance to prove how good a keeper he is again tonight as we play Partizan Belgrade. There is a lot of pressure on the young man's shoulders as he has an opportunity to show he should be our number keeper. He shouldn't have too much to cope with tonight but think he'll do enough to keep a clean sheet
I get the feeling tonight will be a harder game than it should be on paper, although no team in this competition should be under estimated, Arsenal should - on paper - be able to dominate all three of the other teams in our group but an away trip to any European team on a cold night will be difficult.
Arsene should field a strong side tonight but I'm sure he will be thinking about Chelsea at the weekend so he'll be hoping for a big lead by the hour mark so he can rest some stars. We need a win tonight but more importantly a decent performance by every one of our players, we can not go to Stamford Bridge low on confidence, if we do we will be beaten before we arrive.
Gibbs is back and I think he'll get a start partly for him to get game time but also to rest Clichy for Chelsea. Chamakh should start and I expect Arshavin will join him up front and Eboue will get the chance to make up for a dismal display againt West Brom. Hopefully Nasri will be given the chance to shine again in the attacking midfield 'Fabregas' role and I expect Wilshere will start along side him.
My predicted line-up
Fabianski
Sagna - Squillaci - Koscielny - Gibbs
Song
Wilshere - Nasri
Eboue - Arshavin
Chamakh
Score: Partizan Belgrade 0 - 3 Arsenal
Now, I admit I know pretty much naff all about Partizan Belgrade but I do know that they are doing very well in their domestic league and will be full of confidence but in fairness they play in an average league at best so we should come out on top. (Then again, I said that on Saturday too)
Come on Arsenal!! Come on Lukasz!!
Goonerfish.
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