Portsmouth Vs Arsenal. The final preview

Well what can we say? The last game of the season; where at the beginning it promised so much but in the end delivered so little.

We expected that after what was termed a transitional season, Arsenal will challenge for honours again. As is its want. But we should have known better.

The process from breaking up a team and then creating a new one that will challenge for the top does not happen within the same season.

It takes a summer to break it up, get new players in, another season to blood them in and the next one to seriously challenge.
That's a long process and it assumes of course that the new signings brought in proved to be successful!

We all know that Arsenal need to get in new signings this summer again! The speed with which they settle in will, we feel, determine how successful Arsenal is in the coming season.

In the grand scheme of things described above there is little significance on this Sunday's game. Apart from trying to finish third.

This will be achieved by getting a better result than Liverpool who is at home against a relegated Charlton side. Or by matching Liverpool's result but overturning a goal difference of two.

Portsmouth's aspiration for Europe not only depends on beating Arsenal but also on both Reading and Bolton slipping up in their games.
That's a tall order.
Only Kanu from the ex Arsenal old boys will feature. Campell and Lauren are out injured.

As the game is not that significant for Arsenal we would like Wenger to take this opportunity to blood in some youngsters. We would leave Baptista out for obvious reasons and play a lad from the reserves, like Simpson for example or even Bentdner if possible!

Play Almunia in goals and Traore and Dlourou and Senderos and Matthew Connolly. Lets see a Carling Cup side!

The result is difficult to predict as it will depend on what side Wenger plays. But does it matter?

by Arsenal Analysis