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Arsenal vs Anderlecht Preview: Time to Back it Up
By Brian Wong
Back it up, that is what I think Arsenal has to do now that they have finally won a game this past weekend. It is not that Arsenal hasn’t been playing well, it’s just that this Arsenal team seems to never be clicking at the same time. I would like to continue this post by saying how Arsenal are going to be winning this game and making a statement, but I doubt that will be the case. If the first game was any indication, this is going to be a close game and Alexis Sanchez is going to scrap home the game winner.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Anderlecht
1) Alexis Sanchez Continues to Impress
WOW, Sanchez is a work horse, Sanchez is extremely skilled, Sanchez is going to be an Arsenal legend? Maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch, but 11 games into the season and he is on track to be this generation’s Arsenal great. Sanchez has great skill and speed with the ball on his feet, and when it is away from him, his movement without the ball is equally impressive. But the talk of the season has not been about those components of his game, it is his work ethic that gets all the rave. And watching him play, he looks like a rugby player out there. Let’s all hope he continues this pattern of amazing performances and get us a win!
Sep 6, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chile forward Alexis Sanchez (7) controls the ball against Mexico during the first half at Levi
2) Last time around
Arsenal won last time they played against Anderlecht and that is one of only a handful of reasons I think Arsenal are going to come out of this fixture with a win. Anderlecht defends wonderfully and this game is all about Arsenal being able to get behind that defense and defend against the counter-attack.
3) Scrapping wins
That is what Arsenal has done all year! There hasn’t been a win where I can say, Arsenal won that beautifully or masterfully or something along those lines. Arsenal have not been able to get behind their opponents defense and it isn’t until there is a sense of urgency when you see this team actually try to shoot the ball. Other than Alexis Sanchez, it seems like no one is making anything happen and I don’t see that changing. More likely than not, Arsenal are going to either get an early goal or someone will save the day with a minute left to play.
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