Arsenal v Hull City
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Kickoff: October 18th, 2014 1500 PM BST
Arsenal host the Steve Bruce led Hull City team on Saturday at the Emirates. This game is the first one after the long international break, and with an injury depleted squad it will be interesting to see if Arsenal are able to dominate as much as they should. The key talking point before the game remains the lack of defensive cover for the Gunners and the decision to play Nacho Monreal as centre back.
In the build up to the game, we have invited Hull City blogger Andy Dalton from the blog Amber Nectar onto the site to answer a few questions about the game. This is what Andy, a lifelong Hull City fan, had to say.
Blog name: Amber Nectar, the Hull City Fanzine
What led you to support your club?
Our editors are all lifelong fans through family.
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How do you feel your sides season gone so far?
Mixed bag – okay in the League, but early exits from the Europa League and League Cup really rankle, the former especially given that deliberately weakened sides caused it.
What are your ambitions for this season?
Aim for that 12th-14th portion of the table, have some fun in one of the Cups
Are you looking forward to the game against Arsenal, and why/why not?
The novelty of being in the Premier League has long since passed, so this is widely viewed as a match of above-average attraction that we’ll probably lose. The intense excitement of 2008 isn’t there, but it’s still better than Colchester away.
Who is your most in-form player at present?
Nikica Jelavić. He retired from international football with Croatia last week, their loss is absolutely our gain.
What threat do they pose?
He’s a proper forward, strong, skilful, capable of finishing and devilishly clever off the ball.
What are your sides strengths?
Recently, it’s been our attack – we’ve been scoring quite a few and Steve Bruce has instilled a style of play that is very easy on the eye
Any weaknesses?
Our defence, so tight last year, has suffered for the emphasis on attack.
What are you most worried about when facing this Arsenal side?
Not having the ball for long periods. Not over-committing is one thing, but if we allow a siege to develop that’ll only end badly.
What is your favourite memory of facing the Gunners?
The 2-1 win at the Emirates in 2008. Just before kick-off City were 33/1 on Betfair to win the game, it may still rank as the biggest shock result in the history of the Premier League. We were just hoping to keep the score down that day.
How will your side lineup?
Though Steve Bruce has experimented with 4-4-2 a bit this season, he returned to 3-5-2 last time out and we looked better for it. Of course, against Arsenal that may be something more like 5-3-2…
What is your predicted score?
3-1. Probably not to City.
Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for the affordable tickets. £27 to get in to Arsenal, it’s still too much but in the modern era it’s relatively quite good. Burnley v Hull City in a few weeks is £37, if you can possibly believe it…
Massive thanks to Andy for taking the time to answer our questions. The Hull City team has made some big purchases over the summer, and have people like Nikica Jelavic, Mo Diame, Abel Hermandez and Hatem ben Arfa along with the rest of the team that made Arsenal struggle in the FA Cup final. Steve Bruce has filled the team with confidence, and it is by no means going to be an easy game.
The Hull forwards might also try to take advantage of our ramshackle back line, and considering their scoring record over the past few games, expect the game to be a tense, exciting affair with goals at both ends. Whether the result is a 3-1 remains to be seen, but an Arsenal victory would do wonders for the team confidence and it is precisely what the fans expect from this home game.
Also, it is nice to see someone thanking Arsenal for low ticket prices after all the flak we get for charging the most money in the Premier League. Overpriced or not, £27 to see Arsenal seems a much better deal than £37 to see Burnley!
Interested in finding out more about Hull City and Andy? Visit his website, or follow him on Twitter here.
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