The last time

By Boris Mellor
January 17 2009

Diaby has issued a bloodcurdling cry for revenge against Hull City. He is most unhappy that the Tigers ended Arsenal's unbeaten run at home. Actually he didn't say, "Bring me the head of Ricardo Garcia", because it would have been Richard Garcia, and he only came on at 77 minutes after all the damage was done.

But then if I wrote the facts it wouldn't sound like a Sam Peckipah movie, or a line from "Sorry I Haven't a Clue". After all if it's good enough for Her Majesty's Press to have exaggerated headlines then it's good enough for Arsenal Times. You know the sort of thing, "Wenger blasts City over Kaka". Well I've seen the interview and it was hardly a blast, he seemed as calm as Rafa reading a list of red nose's crimes to me.

However, Diaby did actually use the word revenge, but only after the interviewer put the words into his mouth. To be fair once in his mouth he rolled the word around lovingly with his tongue like a man just about to put a contract out on Alfredo Garcia.

Personally I felt more anger at Arsenal's gutless performance that day, than at anything Hull did. Hull deserved their victory, and scored two excellent goals. They showed that teams prepared to play attacking football  can actually win games. But since then they have only won one in 12 games, and Arsenal haven't lost one in seven.

Out of such statistics cynicism is born, and I would suspect that Hull will be a lot more circumspect this time around. However they shouldn't be underestimated, as 2008 ended they nearly stopped Villa in their tracks. But then in the last few minutes an own goal and a disallowed penalty gave Villa three points. Do you remember when we were called lucky Arsenal? It had been a very good defensive  performance by the Tigers, but it came to nothing.

They also scored three goals at Manchester United, and beat the  relegation candidates at the Lane. This week they had a victory at long last, it might only have been in the cup against the Zebra's but it will lift their confidence. Yes I know that should be Magpies, but a Tiger and a Magpie fighting to the death in the jungle doesn't conjure up the right images.

Arsenal have played some of their best football against the top teams this season. They have also been incapable, at times, of keeping a lead. Therefore it is important that they are steady at the back. No need to puzzle over who the back four will be, there are only four left.

In case Hull do score we will need more goal power than of late, in particular Adebayor needs to step up; it can't all be left to RvP and a supersub.

So my advice to Diaby is that revenge is a dish best eat cold. Meanwhile if Richard Garcia does play it will be his 50^th game for Hull, that's the equivalent of a veteran up at the KC.

Wenger's weans from: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Eboue, Diaby, Denilson, Nasri, Adebayor, van Persie, Fabianski, Wilshere, Bischoff, Gibbs, Bendtner, Vela, Ramsey, Song.

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