Liverpool Review and QPR

I've wondered many times this season (and previous ones) where I end up horrendously frustrated with Arsenal and yesterdays match was right up there with the best of them. Appalling is not the word to describe our performance yesterday, it was without a doubt our worst performance this season. We had the lowest possession stats in match since Opta began, Liverpool had the most shots by a team since Opta began. Luckily our abysmal defending was only matched by Liverpool's shocking shooting. Unsurprisingly we went 1-0 down then somehow Debuchy headed in beating Skrtel at the far post after the ball was powered back in by Flamini.

We started the second half marginally better but the game was still ridiculous by any standard. Sanchez played as poorly as I can remember and he's clearly exhausted. Welbeck had a mare as well. If the OX was fit then I'm the fucking tooth-fairy, he misplaced every pass, gave everything away and was just generally poor. Cazorla was, along with SZCZ, one of the only positive players in the game and it was through him we took a surprising lead. He produced a brilliant run down the left and then pulled it back for Giroud who powered the ball between Brad Jones' legs. A great finish from the big french man who was also fairly good.

As the game rolled on it was so painfully obvious what was going to happen, any Arsenal fan can tell you that. Borini came on and 18 minutes later was sent off so Liverpool were down to 10 men. Any top team should be able to see a game out against 10 men. Then 6 minutes into injury time (9 minutes due to Skrtels injury) we had a corner. For whatever reason we had nobody on either post and the man who caused such a lump of injury time Martin Skrtel powered his header in across the goal. Writing on the wall but still horrifically frustrating. A point away at Anfield is nothing to be sniffed at but the manner at which is happened is what is annoying.

That's done now no point lingering wen we play in 4 days. We take on an improving QPR at home before a tricky trip across London to West Ham so we need some points desperately. Team news right now is non-existent so I can't speculate on who will play, all I know is that we need to win and there should be no reason as to why we don't. We showed what we can do against Newcastle, we need to start doing it more. QPR will be buyoed by their late win against West Brom at the weekend but at the same time they also shipped 2 goals early on so they are there to be beaten.

Obviously their man man is Charlie Austin who has been banging the goals in for fun and he's the one our defence will be tasked with keeping at bay. Mertesacker is terribly out of form and he needs support from team mates. Personally I would shift Debuchy back out to the right and put Chambers into the middle just because I think that's where we'll get the most use from him. Debuchy knows how to get back and cover when needed which I think is where Chambers lacks a little pushed out wide.

So that's Boxing Day and although Arsenal are all over the place right now, it's time to forget about football for a few days. Merry Christmas and I'll be back soon.       

Liverpool (A)

It's been a while since my last post and in that time we've won some big games against Southampton and Newcastle but also lost a disappointing match against Stoke. After we thrashed Newcastle last weekend hopefully we can kick on as we get right into the thick of the Christmas period and we take one Liverpool at Anfield.

Now Anfield is a place where we've had mixed success after years of good performances we got taken apart last season. However Liverpool have been in even worse form than we have this season. Losing Suarez and Sturridge has cost them although their main problem so far has been at the back, where they have been leaking goals. Just last week their first choice keeper was replaced as they got thumped 3-0 at Old Trafford. If that doesn't scream problems then I don't know what does.

In terms of injuries our midfield that seemed so crowded at the beginning of the season has now been battered as we have a severe lack of central Midfielders. The OX faces a late fitness test ahead of the match and if he fails that, without Ramsey we are in big trouble. In some good news Chambers returns from suspension so I suspect we will see him slot alongside Mertesacker with Debuchy being shifted out to his familiar right. Welbeck, Cazorla and Sanchez will operate in supporting roles for Giroud upfront.

Liverpools back line tomorrow could be bare bones stuff with Johnson out and Lovren a doubt. We could see Arsenal old boy Kolo Toure handed a start. I don't rate Lazar Markovic as a wing back to whoever is on our right (probably Alexis) could have a field day as he wanders forward. Liverpool are also without Balotelli who has been banned by the FA so I'd think they'd go with Sterling upfront who has been hit and miss this season. Initially I thought this could be bad for us but thinking about it more, it means they have to pass the ball well and control the game which I'd like to think against us will be difficult. If they were playing Lambert the long balls and his hold up play may cause us problems with players making runs off him.

Looking at todays results with teams around us picking up points tomorrow is a huge game and hopefully one that we can take by the scruff of the neck and put in a shift that will take all 3 points back to the Emirates and set us up nicely for the Christmas period where we play 800 games in 10 days.

Momentum Lost

So after 3 wins back to back we've faltered again. After a resounding performance against an under par Borussia Dortmund to ensure our passage into the next round of thee Champions League we then beat West Brom and Southampton albeit in very nervy games. I finally thought we were starting to click into out rhythm but sadly not.

Stoke has ever been a happy hunting ground for us which agitates me more than I can really put into words because behind the usual suspects I detest Stoke so much and their brand of rugby. They shouldn't even be allowed to play that style of "the beautiful game" in my opinion but there you go. We were 1 down after just 20 seconds to Crouch of all people. A complete fuck up in the defence gifted the lanky ex-tottenham wanker the easiest goal of his career.

Things went from bad to worse to even worse as we went 2 and then 3 down. Aside from Cazorla and Ramsey getting much needed goals the rest of the match was just irrelevant. Defensively I don't think I've seen a worse performance all season and I can't believe I'm writing this again. Mertesacker alone is a completely different player to a rested Koscielny. He doesn't seem to function with anyone other than him. I said at the start of the season our defensive frailties and the managers absolutely inexcusable decision to not bring in other defenders when it was painfully obvious we needed them was always to be our undoing. 

I'm getting totally fed up by this now. It's pathetic. The season started with so much hope and now here we are. Sitting behind West Ham and Southampton 3 points off the top four when and failing poorly. Poor old Sanchez must be wondering what the fuck he's doing here. He left Barcelona for this. It was so obvious how disappointed he was yesterday and he is absolutely shattered. The manager said he needs a rest and midweek is the chance to do it.

Our next 4 games are: Galatasary, Newcastle, Liverpool and QPR. Gala aside we should see those games as all winnable with Liverpool somehow playing even worse than we are at the moment but I fear that we will be in trouble in all of those games. 

We need to make it to January in with a chance of making top four but at the moment that seems very questionable. I'm starting to feel that this is the beginning of the end for Wenger despite the fact that I love the man for what he's done. His job rests on the results and his signings until February. The only crumb of comfort is that Chelsea have finally lost this season so we still have our ageing invincible season to cling on to.

Manchester United: The Fallout

Here we are again. At the moment I feel like it's groundhog day. If you read my previous posts for a number of weeks now I've been saying the same thing. Need a win, sooner rather than later blah blah. And this is it all over again following yesterdays defeat.

Going into the game I was strangely confident of getting a result, foolish me. We started well and for the first half an hour we were all over them, we played well and looked dangerous. United were at sixes and sevens and it looked like this would be the time where finally we were going to beat them. But individual short comings yesterday cost us anything.

Danny Welbeck was trying way too hard to score against his old club and prove a point. That selfishness was his undoing. There were a number of chances where his finishing was piss poor frankly and another where he should have squared it for a team mate. But the worst finish of the day came from Wilshere who quite frankly could have been shot for missing one-on-one from all of 8 yards. What was even worse was that Sanchez was in acres of space to his left for a tap in.

From there the sense of inevitability was overwhelming and despite Fellaini was offside and fouled Gibbs for the 800th time in the match a shot heading wide was deflected in off Gibbs who you have to feel for. We pressed very hard and even though we were losing by only one goal it was poor management. We needed to clear our heads and get back in possession but it seemed like we have every player on the edge of the United and box and it was blindingly obvious we were gonna get caught on the break and low and behold thats what happened.

When Di Maria found Rooney it was obvious he would score against Martinez who came on for the injured SZCZ. Not his fault, it was Rooney one-on-one how do you deal with that. From there whatever we did it we were going to lose. The only silver lining was a cracking goal from Giroud on his return from injury deep into stoppage time.

We're in a bad way at the minute and we need a point against Dortmund to get through the CL group this week and I'm so far from confidence its unreal. Thankfully I'm out on Wednesday so I won't be subject to it. 

Wenger in? Wenger out? At the moment I don't know, but something needs to change and immediately.

Manchester United (H)

We appear to have escaped the break unscathed before we host an out of sorts United this weekend. We've been boosted by the news that Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta are back and available. Whilst they aren't the defenders we so desperately need it's nice to have them back to offer something different. We are in desperate need of confidence after shipping two leads in the same week. A win is needed this weekend and we're taking on one of the most top heavy sides in the league. 

In terms of our team news those are the only returns from the squad and Welbeck is a slight doubt but is expected to make it. Quite who will line up at the back in anybody's guess but against a team with Rooney, rvp and Di Maria they will need to be on the ball to deal with them. United are without Falcao and more importantly in my opinion Daley Blind who gave them some sort of defensive stability. If we go forward with pace and quality that we all know we have there are goals to be got against this side and quite a few at that. 

This weekends match could be an absolute goal fest the way both teams have been defending recently or it could be a cagey 1-0. It's a hard one to judge because both teams have had time to regroup after the international break so mentally they should all be focused. Make no mistake, although this match might not be the title decided that it once was it's still a huge game and it still carries huge importance for both sets of fans.

With confidence at a real low and just 4 wins to our name out of 11 league matches this season we need to buck our ideas up and sharpish. We still have a mountain of games to complete before we have to face before we can even attempt to address our problems at the back in January and if we're already out of the running by then it will be insignificant. 

Onwards. Up the Arsenal.   

Swansea (A)

Arsenal have it all to do in Europe now after catastrophically throwing away a 3 goal lead against lowly Anderlecht. For 60 minutes the gunners played like champions, with pace and intent and quite frankly a cool penalty from Arteta, a superb volley from Alexis Sanchez and a very tidy finish from the OX should have put the game to bed. The tactics from us were bizzare. Most teams at 3-0 would hold the ball and invite pressure from the opponents then break on the counter. We continued to throw men forward and in the end that cost us. 

Anyway we move back to Premier League football this weekend as we travel to Swansea. We need to put in a solid performance to boost confidence ahead of the international break. A win would send us above West Ham into fourth (it seems so weird writing that). A loss could leave us languishing in the pack and with tricky games against United and Southampton to come some points would be very handy. 

So in team news Jack Wilshere is available for selection after illness, but we are without Arteta who went off midweek with a hamstring injury. Away from home I'm not sure we'll break out the 4-4-2 formation and Wenger may favour the 4-5-1. Theo Walcott will be pushing for some more minutes having returned from injury but I can't see him starting following Wengers comments yesterday.

Swansea are going to be awkward at home and are a team we've struggled against in recent seasons. They're playing well this season and we know Wilfred Bony and Sigurdson will be a handful.The defence will need to be on form in order to keep them quiet. Gary Monk has them playing good football and we need to retain possession well and they are good with the ball.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough game. Things need to to start clicking sooner rather than later cause it still doesn't feel like we've really got going this season and with some tough games and the busy Christmas period coming up we need to hit some form sooner rather than later. 

Sunderland (A)

Posts have been few and far between recently and for that I apologise. Hopefully this post will get this blog back on track this season. 

I'll start with a word on Wednesday nights performance. For 89 minutes we were outplayed and quite frankly looked out of ideas. The only two players whose performances I remember are wonderful Sanchez who at the moment is carrying the entire squad and Gibbs who put in a real shift at left back. We were on the verge of a humiliating defeat and Chambers who had a poor night put in the cross of his life to find onrushing Gibbs who's side footed finish into the far corner was truly top drawer.

Then in a dramatic finale, some fantastic work in box fell to Podolski who had been desperately thrown on for Wilshere and the German turned and blasted the ball into the net sending the travel fans into delirium. It was a great win but it doesn't cover up the frailties and our make shift defence at the moment just looks so weak its concerning and this has been confounded by the news that Koscielny will be out for another month at least.

Anyway we're in Premier League action today away at Sunderland and we're desperate for a win. We've not won in the league since Aston Villa which was weeks ago and Sunderland will be dangerous today following their monumental (and rather suspicious) thrashing at the hands of Southampton. So we should go there under no illusion that they will be playing for everything.

Our team today will be interesting. Arteta is fit and I feel that he will come straight back into the side today. Our back line I think will swap around as it's pretty clear that Monreal isn't cut out to play centre back. As thats the case I expect Chambers to start alongside Mertesacker with Gibbs on the left and Bellerin on the right. That doesn't bother me much as I think Bellerin can hold his own well, he's fast and intelligent. Jack Wilshere starts his ban for picking up too many yellows so I think Ramsey will sit alongside Arteta. Our three behind Welbeck I think will be the OX, Cazorla and Sanchez from right to left.

Sunderland do have dangerous players in the shape of Fletcher the thug upfront and with others like Connor Wickham who every now and then puts in a stella performance. We will face our old keeper Mannone between the sticks who no doubt will still be hurting from last weeks performance and though he's a former player today we need to pile on the misery.

Midweek Gibbs was asked whether that result could be a springboard for this season and he said he hoped so. I think we all join him on that and let's hope it starts today with a nice comfortable win over Sunderland. COYG!  

The last few weeks

Apologies it's been so long since I posted, I've had a manic few weeks at work and just haven't found the time. I was going to post before today's game but never got around to it. So I'm just going to run over the last couple of weeks.

Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham

We went into the Tottenham game with high hopes due to their lackluster start to the season. Wengers decision not to start Alexis was strange as myself and friends assumed it was due to an injury. We started brightly but the game levelled out and shortly after the half Flamini was played into trouble by SZCZ then fumbled to give them possession which Chaldi finished. The goal sparked us on and after pressing and pressing we finally equalised. The thing that concerned me most about this was the fact that it seemed to take a Sp*rs goal for us to actually look like we wanted to win. Still we can only view it as a point gained.

Arsenal 4-1 Galatasaray

In contrast to the Tottenham game, the Champions League game midweek was an outright walkover. With Ozil deployed in the middle where he just belongs, we bossed the game. Danny Welbeck scored his first career hat-trick and Alexis added another. The only sour note on the night was that SZCZ got himself sent off for pole-axing a Gala player. They scored the resulting penalty but overall it was a dominant performance from the Arsenal.

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

The game today was a huge game, especially considering what happened last season at the same venue when we went down 6-0. We went out looking to make a statement against the team that I think could go all the way. The game started cagily with neither side really making progress, Alexis shot from 35 yards and it cruised wide of Courtois' post. As the half wore on both sides started to open up when a well worked move saw Hazard blatantly fouled in the box. He stepped up and put his side 1-0 to the good.

We picked up the second half and pressed for the equaliser with no luck. Our fear of shooting meant we ended up going nowhere. It's not we don't have players who can't shoot it's just they really don't seem to want too. Our timidness as always cost us and as Fabregas lofted a ball between out centre backs Costa ran onto it and lobbed SZCZ and the game was done. Wenger made some bizarre substitutions and nothing changed. We lost, that disgusting cretin of a man Mourinho walked off without a handshake. He's a vile human being and the sooner everyone is rid of him the better.

None of that changes the fact that we're 9 points off the chase and our short lived title challenge is over. Even with so long left, we're not up to it against the big teams and 9 points is a huge gap. We can only right it off as one game and move onto Hull which now lies after the tedium of an international break. Let's hope we come out of it unscathed. 

Right I'll be back before Hull with a preview of the match. Until then, enjoy your weekend. 

Man City (H)

After a rather tedious International break we return to league action tomorrow with a huge game against Manchester City. It's one of those "season defining" games early on that the press bang on about and in our case with good reason. Last season we took just 5 points against the top 3 sides in the league. We lost all of the away matches against them conceding 17 in the process. Tomorrow represents a chance to build some much needed confidence going into the next spell of the campaign.

We have suffered one casualty over the last two weeks, one Aaron Ramsey which is far from ideal going into this huge clash but the rest of the side are fit to play. We have Gibbs returning along with Arteta meaning that the side will take a familiar shape in my opinion with new boy Danny Welbeck leading the line. Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla should slot in behind him with Wilshere and Arteta in the gap. City are without Stefan Jovetic who has tweaked a hamstring, that aside they are essentially at full strength and no doubt Toure and Fernandinho will bully our midfield so it could be a tough day for them all round. 

Tomorrow will be a tough day for us all round but this City side have weaknesses as we exposed in the Community Shield and more recently Stoke exposed as they beat them 1-0 at the Etihad. What concerns me though is that we have struggled to find any rhythm in any of our matches so far and if City turn up and play like they can we'll get ripped apart based on displays in recent weeks. We need to stay switched on at the back an make the most of our newly acquired pace going forward. New boy Welbeck will be out to impress and especially against old foes City.

Tomorrow is our first big test of the season and make no mistake a loss will have the media all over us like flies should we not take anything from the game. A draw is not a disaster but it's not ideal. We need to ensure that we put on a good performance tomorrow an that we get a good result to boot. Only time will tell.

Until tomorrow COYG!

Leicester + Deadline Day

After a sunny few days in Spain I'm back and annoyingly we've not hit the International break although that may be a blessing in disguise. On Sunday we played out a 1-1 draw with Leicester away on what proved to a thoroughly frustrating afternoon.

After just 20 minutes we took the lead through Alexis Sanchez with his first Premier League goal and his second Arsenal goal following his crucial finish against Besiktas. Cazorla picked the ball up on the edge of the box and scooped it over the defence to Sanogo who through a complete fluke somehow found Sanchez who smashed it past the keeper and defenders. As we looked to build on out lead Koscielny clashed heads and was rushed back on sporting a rather interesting piece of headgear. This decision proved costly bearing in mind it was a head injury. Leicester broke and the defence was at sixes and sevens allowing a simple header past SZCZ. 

The rest of the game was utterly frustrating with Arsenal struggling to get any fluidity going. There were some particularly poor performances from Sanogo who I'll come to in a bit and Ramsey who was definitely off. Chambers who replaced Koscielny almost instantly after the equaliser played well in general but showed a moment of inexperience as instead of standing his man up went sliding in and allowed the player to simply drag it back across him only to shoot into the side netting. SZCZ made a huge save in the second half one on one and we simply failed to create anything.

The frustration on social media was clear to see as people called upon the manager to buy a striker after Sanogo's poor showing. I hate to put a young player down but he's clearly not ready for the step up to lead the line and I can't help but feel he needs to clear his head and get some game time in the so called "lesser" competitions. 

As deadline day began fans were horrified to learn that Arsene Wenger had flown to Rome to referee a charity match. As the day wore on, news of Arsenal moves was non-existant until out of the blue Danny Welbeck was having a medical with us and the move was confirmed for around £16m. I'm not sure what to make of him as a player but United fans were particularly disappointed with the move. His work rate is evident and I do think with the right service when we get going that he could bang a few in for us.

However much more worrying was our lack of movement for a centre half. We are currently just one injury away from being worse than bare bones. Quite how we can go into a season with 6 fit first team defenders is beyond mind boggling. Chambers is the only senior (at age 19) stand in we have. Following that we have nobody. Arguably the player who was most likely to make the step up Ignasi Miquel has been sold, leaving us from either a) a makeshift back four with possibly the likes of Flamini in there or b) promoting a youngster.

I refuse to believe there was nobody available for the manager to sign and we are taking a huge gamble from now until January banking out our defence staying fit which let's face it we don't have the best track record of doing. However it's done now and this is our team so we may as well get behind them and see where we end up. I'll be back next week with a preview of the City game. Until then.        

Everton (A)

Last night we played out a 0-0 draw with Besiktas in tough conditions. When you factor in the partisan crowd and the appalling state of the pitch it's no surprise than many people are happy with that result. Personally I'm always nervous of a 0-0 away from home, look at Chavski last season, but I'm more concerned about the loss of Aaron Ramsey for the next leg after he got himself sent off with 10 minutes to go. On reflection it looked harsh but with the referee being card happy, Aaron should have known better. Hopefully next week we, on our pitch, in front of our home support we can do the business.

Before that we have another tricky away trip to Everton. I'm worried about this match. Quite a lot. In our first two competitive matches following the silky display in the Community Shield we have really struggled to get going. Yes we have new players gelling with the team and yes we have players out but we can't wait around forever. We need to hit the ground running and if we don't against Everton we'll get punished. So far there have been glimmers of what we can do, but key players so far haven't performed.

Cazorla seems to be struggling for whatever reason at the moment, his delivery against Palace was shocking and he didn't really get into the game last night. I do think that with Sanchez on the other wing, whoever is on the left may be neglected but it's up to whoever is in that position to get stuck into the game. Giroud is another player who hasn't got going yet, he was an improvement on Sanogo against Palace but last night he managed to fluff his lines multiple times and his touch was what I'd expect from a 12 year old. The big Frenchman has a key role to play this season and I do think goals boost his confidence so the sooner he can find that opening goal the better.

In terms of team news we have a number of players out for the weekend. Gibbs is expected to out for the fabled 2-3 weeks so expect to see him by the end of December. Arteta was taken off last night and with only Flamini to fill in or potentially Chambers all of a sudden our depth looks a lot lighter than it was before the campaign. I don't think any of our three world cup winners will take part, the earliest I expect to see them is next week against Besiktas.

Our defence looks very threadbare and we're only two injuries away from being in big trouble. Fans are crying out for a defender to replace Vermaelen and various reports link us with Olympiakos centre back Kostas Manolas. I know nothing about him, but at 23 he has a lot to offer if we are interested in him and if Wenger is willing to buy a player they usually have something about them. However last night the Le Prof stated that we weren't close to signing anyone but he is aware we are light at the back and I suspect we'll bring in at least one more player before the close of the window.

Right, I'm off on holiday tomorrow and will miss our next three matches so until then let's hope we do the business. COYG!

Palace Review and Besiktas (A)

Our season got off to a good start on Saturday against a managerless Crystal Palace side. It was by no means a vintage Arsenal performance and you could tell that it was an early season game, but the result is all that matters and we got the right one.

We got off to a good start and created a few half chances. Our three new boys: Debuchy, Chambers and Alexis (as he prefers to be known) all started and both the boys at the back looked solid. Alexis looked dangerous and creative although he still looks a few games off being fully fit and bedded in with the team. That said Palace marked him off the pitch on Saturday and to be fair to them were very well drilled at the back. 

It came as a bit of a surprise to most when after 35 minutes Palace took the lead. We were undone relatively easily from a set piece and Brede Hangeland flicked his header across goal and in at the far post which had nobody on it. This demonstrates how important Mertesacker is when we defend set pieces, his height is such an important asset in a relatively short team and we looked vulnerable from set pieces all game. Luckily for us 10 minutes later Koscielny spun off his man and headed home to bring us level in the 46th minute.

In the second half we Palace were again solid and it looked as if we'd be denied a victory. Palace had a couple of half chances and we had a penalty appeal waved away. As we pushed and pushed, time ticked on and we looked as though we'd run out of ideas. Jason Puncheon lost his head in the 89th minute and seconds later Arsenal took the lead in the 91st minute. After a scramble of headers, Debuchy's falling volley was saved by Speroni but his parry fell to, who else, Aaron Ramsey who poked home from all of 2 yards. Harsh on Palace but we'll take all 3 points in the opener of the season. The team showed great spirit and grit to earn a result.

We now have a quick turnaround as we head to Turkey for tomorrow nights game with Besiktas. Going to Turkey is never easy for a team and after a few years out of the big time Besiktas will be well and truly up for this match make no mistake. I'm always of the idea that playing away second is a slight advantage but we'll have to make do. We have a bit of team news already and it looks as if Koscielny will be OK to play despite fears that his achilles problem had flared up again. Keiran Gibbs will not travel however after going off on Saturday having tweaked his hamstring. The Germans will not play a part in the match but the rest of the team look set to travel.

Tomorrow night is going to be a very tough one but over the two legs we have the quality to do the business and a positive result tomorrow night will put us in good stead for the return next week. I may post tomorrow but if not there will be an early post on Wednesday looking ahead to the Everton game before I head away for a couple of weeks. COYG!

Arsenal ease past City + Vermaelen Leaves

We got out first look at what seemed to be a strong team this afternoon as Arsenal breezed past a City team that never really got going. Arsenals line up included 3 of our 4 new signings: Chambers, Debuchy and Sanchez.

Throughout the first half Arsenal were the only side in it. The slick passing game was causing the inexperienced City defence problems. In the middle of the park the gunners bossed the play, preventing Toure and co. from getting going. Then the deadlock was broken. Sanogo played the ball along the front of the box and as Boyata flattened Ramsey the ball fell to the Spaniard Cazorla who flashed the ball past Caballero to put us 1 up.

20 minutes later Ramsey got in on the Wembley action, Sanogo again held the ball up well and slid it across to Ramsey. After a deft touch to lift the ball over the leg of Nastacic, Aaron fired the ball across Caballero again to make it 2-0. City got slightly better in the second half and Arsenal brought on 3 players: Giroud, the OX and Monreal. Sanchez, Koscielny and Sanogo made way. As Arsenal played their way back into control of the midfield the ball broke to Giroud who after teeing up a shot, crashed it past the City keeper from all of 25 yards. A truly great goal which rounded off a very nice performance.

Of course theres little point reading into this game as both sides were without key players, it appears that the only issue is that Koscielny has a minor Achilles problem and may miss the season opener against Palace. Aside from that there were brilliant performances from Chambers who I actually thought should have been MOTM and Debuchy. Considering Alexis Sanchez is still not fully ready according to Wenger he certainly looks like a very exciting player and I can't wait to see him properly this season.

In other news Thomas Vermaelen has left the club for Barcelona. I can't say I'm surprised but it still saddens me a little to think we're letting him go. However the captain featured very few times last season and for a player like himself he needs game time. Whether he'll get that in Catalonia I'm not sure but fair do's to him. He conducted himself phenomenally well over the last couple of difficult seasons for him and his message to the Arsenal fans and family was pure class:

After 5 years at Arsenal - and the last 2 years a proud captain too - it's time for me to move on. The club, the team, the fans, the manager, the staff and other employees, you all made me feel at home at both the training ground and the Emirates Stadium. It was a wonderful time and I feel blessed I've had the opportunity to be a part of such a great club. There have been so many wonderful games and experiences, with lifting the FA Cup as an absolute highlight. I would like to thank you all for your support, it was a huge honour to be a Gunner!

I wish Thomas all the best at Barcelona because a player of his quality and class deserves to play at the highest level for as long as possible. Wenger said earlier in the window is Tommy V left that he'd bring in a replacement so let's hope he does just that. Until next weekend when the Premier League season kicks off, have a great week.

  

Emirates Cup & Community Shield Preview

Our pre-season preparations were kicked well and truly into touch at the weekend as we took part in our inaugural Emirates Cup tournament. This years competitors were Portuguese treble winners Benfica, Ligue 1's runners up Monaco and err 8th placed Spanish side Valencia. In line with previous season each team plays twice and Arsenal took on Benfica on the Saturday and then Monaco on the Sunday.

Saturdays match against Benfica provided something of a spectacle as Yaya Sanogo netted 4 times against the Portuguese side along with Joel Campbell as Arsenal thumped Benfica 5-1. The side was an interesting one with the manager experimenting with formations and positions. Wenger handed new boy Luke Chambers a start at CB along with Nacho Monreal strangely. The loudest cheer of the day was reserved for Alexis Sanchez who came on during the second half and looks like one hell of a player and a very exciting prospect.

On Sunday Arsenal took on Monaco with a totally different looking team to the one that played the day before. There were starts for Debuchy and Sanchez along with Giroud who returned from holidays. We went down 1-0 to the French side with Falcao scoring a header. That said we were denied a clear penalty and were unlucky not to score. However I'd much rather get bad luck out of the way before the season kicks of properly. It's important to remember that these matches are no more than match fitness tools, the results are of no importance, plus Monaco's season kicks off this weekend so it was their last chance to get in some game time. This was reflected in their team which was from what I could tell near enough first choice.

Technically from a competitive point of view our season also kicks off this weekend in the Community Shield against Man City but once again I don't think this will serve as much more than a chance to finish pre-season preparations and give players a chance to stretch their legs. Team news ahead of this is that none of our German contingent will be back for this and some may not be back for Palace the week after either. I don't think we'll see Giroud or other players who took part in the World Cup. I think it'll be a fairly strong team that take on the current PL champions but it would be stupid to believe that risks will be taken.

As it's of little importance there will be no preview for Sunday's game, should there be any transfer news of course I will post but if not look our for the preview of the seasons opening game against Crystal Palace. Till then. Up the Gunners!     

Arsenal sign Ospina and Chambers + Emirates Cup

Our off-season business is well underway as we added our third and fourth signings of the summer: David Ospina and Calum Chambers respectively.

 The first came as no surprise with Arsenal being heavily linked with him following his display at the world cup. The departures of Mannone and Fabianski meant that the keeper position was weak with Damian Martinez being 2nd choice behind SZCZ. Ospina comes with a big reputation, casual fans probably won't know much about him but French football followers will know all about the shot stopper who was brought in Hugo Lloris' replacement. According to Wenger who uncharacteristically spoke about this transfer before it was officially announced stated that SZCZ will be no.1 but it will of course depend on performances. Either way I feel this is a good signing for us and keep an eye out for his potential debut at the Emirates Cup.

One that did come from left field however was the signing o Calum Chambers from Southampton. The 19 year old versatile player was bought for a fee that could rise to £16m with add-ons. The youngster is another product of Southampton's renowned youth academy. It was in odd signing in a way which many suspected cause signal the end of Jenkinson who has joined West Ham on loan. I'm not so convinced. Wenger spoke just yesterday about how Sanchez appealed due to his versatility and I believe that's why he bought Chambers who can play RB, CB and even CM so it'll be interesting to see where he's deployed.

In other news the Emirates Cup kicks off today and as per usual there will be a collection of players who will get game time. Unfortunately David Ospina won't be one of them and of course neither will the German contingent who will be out till potentially the first or second week of the season. However there could be a cameo performance for one Alexis Sanchez which no doubt will get the fans excited and there will also be chances for the likes of Joel Campbell to impress the boss or potentially the AC Milan scouts who many outlets report will be in attendance today.

I have doubt the team that plays today will differ probably totally from the one that plays tomorrow. But still it's a money spinner and we'll get to see (hopefully) part of the team that will take part this season. Anyway enjoy the football and the sun if you have any and I'll be back soon with more Arsenal guff. Till then

Snachez, Debuchy and more

Firstly apologies for being away for a while it's been a busy few weeks for myself and also for Arsenal.

Of course now we all know that we have signed Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee of between £30-35m and what a signing he looks to be. Anyone suggesting he was surplus at Barcelona is very wide of the mark, he has been one of their most important players and the only reason I believe he was sold was because they were in desperate need of funds to buy Suarez. His record speaks for itself and he scored 39 goals and in 88 appearances for Barcelona and bearing in mind he was played as a winger that's certainly nothing to sniff at. It'll be very interesting to see how Wenger deploys him he could easily be played as a lone striker, as a partner for Giroud or on the flank. Seeing him in any of those roles is certainly an exciting prospect.

Our second signing of the summer comes in the shape of former Newcastle right back Mathieu Debuchy and as far as I'm concerned he's a perfect fit for us. He's an experienced and competent defender who has played alongside Koscielny for the French national team and already has 18 months of playing time in the Premier League meaning there will no "bedding in" period. Personally this deal was on the cards as soon as I first heard us linked with him, it's only been held up because that headbutting bell end Pardew hates Arsenal and Wenger so it must have hurt him to have to let him come to us.

There was a real hype this week due to the stories surrounding Sami Khedira but that seems to have been dead in the water from the start, to me all this angling seems to be due to the fact he wants a new contract at Real Madrid. Gamesmanship from his agent and a few deliberately leaked stories seem to be doing the trick. If the stories involving us and him are true and he wanted £105,000pw AFTER tax then quite frankly Madrid can keep him. He's a good player no doubt and if we signed him I certainly wouldn't complain but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it if we don't get him.

Naturally this has fueled talks of our attention turning to different players. Morgan Schneiderlain from Southampton seems to be one of the names and there's a lot of hype around him. I'm not so certain he's up to scratch personally and I'd prefer to see go for Bender, another name being banded around. We know Wenger is interested after having a bid rejected last year, that being said I also know that Leverkusen are very difficult to negotiate with. These two could run and run.

There are also strong links with goalkeeper David Ospina, the Colombian keeper who shined at the World Cup and reports that we could be interested in a £3m deal for him. It's no secret that with the departures of Mannone, Fabianski and Viviano returning after possibly the most pointless loan spell in history, we are now one injury away from reserve keeper and with the SZCZ prone to having an injury or a mid season wobble we need to reinforce that position. I am feeling pretty confident of this deal and I wouldn't be surprised to see it tied up within the next couple of weeks.

Finally we have also been linked with 20 year old Atletico Madrid right back Javi Manquillo. Interesting one here considering we have Jenkinson who is in essentially the same position as Manquillo getting a smattering of first team starts every season. This one doesn't really make sense to me so I can't see it happening but I suppose you never know.

Right that's it for now I'll be back with more stuff as and when, until then remember we're taking a strong side to Borehamwood today and it's available to watch free on Arsenal Player.

RIP Alfredo Di Stefano

Once again this year the footballing world is in mourning for a true legend of the game. Following the passing of the Portuguese great Eusebio earlier in the year, today the world lost the man who was called the greatest ever by Pele, Maradona, Sir Bobby Charlton and Eusebio himself. Alfredo Di Stefano the Real Madrid great died following a heart attack on Saturday.

Sadly I am too young to have seen him play but from what I was told by my grandfather and from what I've read and seen of him, Di Stefano was an icon of the game. Alfredo played, won and scored in 5 of Real Madrid's 10 European Cups which says everything about him as a player. He won 8 La Liga titles and is second only behind Raul in Real Madrid's highest ever goalscorers.

I could probably write paragraphs about the man but the tributes alone could form an entirely new post so I'll end by saying that my thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.

RIP Alfredo Di Stefano

1926-2014

   

The Silly Season Begins

As always, the moment a transfer window opens, Arsenal are immediately linked with a plethora of players and bearing in mind the Premier League season ended four weeks ago we've already been linked with: Aurier, Benzema, Morata, Fabregas, Mandzukic, Remy, Insigne and Eto'o but to name a few. This will of course continue throughout the summer and until the window shuts on deadline day, our job is cipher through the crap and pick out the stories that have some element of truth. Not an easy task.

At the moment I'm not going to attempt to pick out the ones that are truthful because quite frankly I don't think any of them will come to fruition. But what was made clear the other day by Ivan Gazidis is that the club are in his words "deep in talks" with players. Clearly the club are willing to make moves and after all the talk of a £100m "warchest" it appears that the club have instead settled on a a modest £60m transfer budget and I knowing Wenger we won't spend a penny more than that. People linking us with 50 and 60 million pound transfers I feel are well wide of the mark. Personally unless inflation takes hold I can't see us breaking our £42.5m transfer record for a long long time.

As it stands we have no notable transfers of note, we've unveiled our list of players who we released. No real surprises on there Bendtner and others who we just don't use or haven't played. I think the majority of the business will be done post world cup and I'm hoping although not believing that a lot of the transfer hype will die down over this period and we'll get a brief rest bite before the quick fire finale after the World Cup.

This was only a brief post to say that I am keeping on top of transfer news but at the moment nothing has been suggested from papers, the club or *cough* my sources. When this changes I'll be sure to post. Enjoy the World Cup! 

FA Cup Winners 2014

Nine years is a long time. Regardless of how you look at it. In 2005 I was in my first year of secondary school, this year I've graduated from University. In that time period I've watched the club I love come agonisingly close to winning another trophy, pretty much every trophy under the sun. The Champions League final in 2006 which sadly I don't think I'll ever get over. Countless title challenges, League Cup finals. But yesterday all of that became utterly irrelevant.

I stood watching the game tick by having gone two down within ten minutes, seen Santi Cazorla pull one back through a sensational free kick and then Koscielny pivot and fire between the keepers legs. I had the horrible feeling we'd go to penalties and once again hope would be dashed in the cruelest possible way in football. We spurred chance after chance and everyone was fearing the worst. Then, as if written, the man who has changed his career and the clubs fortune so many times this season popped up in the right place at the right time. 

Some neat link up play saw Giroud side on to the goal being hassled by a defender before backheeling it to Ramsey who, right on cue, poked it home sending Wembley, the Emirates and thousands of pubs, bars and supporters clubs around the world into absolute pandemonium. It was a moment I doubt many people who were fortunate enough to experience with other fans will ever forget. The moment was almost coupled with one of pure agony when Fabianki came tearing out of his goal and was easily rounded by Aluko, whose shot seemed to travel forever and I thought was destined to bumble into the bottom corner but bobbled harmlessly wide.

From there we held the ball well and did our job and the outpouring of emotion on the final whistle was something to behold. At the Emirates where I was, there were scenes of joy from the young to had never seen Arsenal win a trophy to the old who had seen many. The girl behind me was in floods of tears, people piled onto the pitch and for myself personally a moment I'd waited for from the day I was 12 years old was one of pure ecstasy.

Watching the team lift the trophy one by one was brilliant but nothing compared to the deafening cheer Arsene Wenger got as he himself lifted old cup. The man who had brought every single player in that team to the club and who has been at the butt of criticism from fans within our ranks and of course those from other clubs, deserved every moment of happiness. As did the players who earned it. It was a day for everyone connected to the club to revel in and enjoy. 

There will be time for reflection this season in due course but for now this is the time for the players, the staff, the manager and most of all every single fan like myself to enjoy and celebrate. For the 250,000 (yes that is a quarter of a million) strong that took to the streets of London today for the parade, soak it up and remember every moment. I tried to find one photo to sum the day up nicely but couldn't so here are three. Till my next post, enjoy being FA Cup Winners 2014!

FA Cup Final Preview

Here we are, the biggest game of our season and it just happens to be the last one. There will be plenty of time to dissect the league and CL season in due course but or now our focus should be totally and utterly on the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

This game is monumental on scale. I am not remotely exaggerating when I say this is far more than the make or break of this season. This is the make or break of this squad. If we lose on Saturday it will cripple the team mentally. If we lose I can't see us winning anything for the next 5 years at least. The team need to learn how to win, they need to know that feeling and have that desire to be there again without bottling it. That's part of the reason Liverpool fell at the last hurdle in the league. None of them were winners, they bottled it and so did the manager. Let's hope that come the end of the match on Saturday our team will know what it's like to win.

Team news is pretty limited at the moment being a Thursday but the early news suggests that Vermaelen and the Ox are doubts for the weekend and will face late fitness tests. Elsewhere the rest of the team are fit bar Walcott of course. Even Diaby is fit. This means that Wenger can pick his most experienced team and the team that he thinks is best. We have no excuses with injuries anymore, we have to go out and do what we've been doing most of the season.

It's so important in games like this to play the opposition not the occasion. If the occasion gets the better of a team then it only usually ends badly. I think the game will start fairly cagey with neither team wanting to end up trailing early on. Once the nerves settle, we need to get into our rhythm and get our game going. As I've said many times this season, if we play our game we'll have too much for them, but with Arsenal things are never that cut and dried. We like to make life difficult for ourselves.

Well my next post will either be one of joy or one of despair. Let's hope its the former. Till then COYG!

Norwich (A)

Well, the time is almost here when the Premier League draws to a close. It's been a very mixed season for us and I'll talk about that in a later blog, but for today it's a combination for me of feeling disappointed as the season ends but also rather happy that we won't be put through the nerve shredding rigor of scrapping for fourth with Spurs. We'll finish fourth win, draw or lose today and I think that'll reflect on the squad.

I understand that game time is important ahead of the final next weekend but it seems utterly stupid to risk the like of Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla etc. in a meaningless game. Therefore I think we'll see players like Jenkinson, Diaby, Rosicky, Sanogo maybe Kallstrom play. I also think purely for fitness we'll see Gibbs and Wilshere play. It'll be an interesting team and I'm sure should it go wrong we won't look back with too many regrets. That said we can't allow the players to be on their holidays already, next week is the biggest game we'll have played for years and they need to be prepared for it.

On the other side of that make no mistake the players will have half an eye on Wembley next week too and I don't think they'll be playing to their full potential today if they can help it. In many ways I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't win today. But our fans have traveled up there and hopefully they'll all be rewarded for doing so. A win today would take us to 79 points which would be our highest tally for 6 years.

So this is essentially a meaningless game for us playing just to finish on a high ahead of next weekend. Finally I'd like to just say that whilst everybody gets wrapped up in the Hillsborough saga, we should never forget that 29 years ago today 56 people went to Valley Parade and never came home in the Bradford City fire.

Until next week enjoy the final day, for once!

West Brom Review

Well with everything wrapped up League wise for Arsenal yesterdays game turned into a rather null affair and the scoreline reflected that. With Man City victorious at Everton, Champions League football was secured by us for the 17th consecutive season which is really some achievement.

As for the match it was a bit hit and miss, despite being as high as we can be this season (baring a 20 odd goal swing next weekend), Wenger played a full strength side and I think this is partly due to the fact it was out last home game of the season. After an initial Podolski half chance, Giroud netted his 22nd of the season with a fine header and really that was about it. We had a couple more chances, they had a couple but that's how it finished.

It was sad to watch Bacary Sagna lead the lap of honour knowing full well we'll never see him in an Arsenal kit at home again. He's been a tremendous servant and I wish we'd done everything in our power to give him what he wanted but such is football. I'll refrain from saying I wish him all the best before seeing who he signs for. Whatever the case is it'll be some effort to replace him and I hope we've got some ideas already.

Similarly, Vermaelen got a 10 minute cameo and I'm pretty sure his time at the club is up which again is a shame but when it comes to team selection Koscielny and Mertesacker would be my first choice every day of the week. If he leaves I will completely understand it, he wants to play and at his age he needs to be playing week in, week out. Kallstrom got a cameo again with Wenger confirming he'll also be leaving, back off to Moscow at the end of the season.

We have our final league game next week against Norwich and if all goes wrong for them, they'll be relegated by that time and that suits us nicely where we can rest a few legs before the Cup final in two weekends time. That now has to be our focus and we need our best and liveliest players fully fit. A defeat in the final would be disastrous in every way, not only would it be yet another season, it would crush the players mentally and that would seriously concern me for the next campaign. Well until next weekend enjoy your week!  

 

West Ham (H)

A very, tired and drained Arsenal team take on a West Ham side with 9 full days rest who realistically only need 3 more points to absolutely secure their safety. Many of our players will face late fitness tests which makes the team line up almost impossible to predict. We have many doubts from muscle problems and fatigue and after players put in the full shift at the weekend it's hardly surprising. We my see Kim Kallstrom make his first start and all of a sudden that ridiculous signing looks like it could be very important after all.

West Ham have a doubt over Kevin Nolan tonight but that aside they have very few problems and the issue tonight will be dealing with Carroll especially if Mertesacker is rested tonight or is a doubt. We have to deal with the long balls lumped forward and Per has been instrumental in doing that this season. It is going to be a long and difficult night and as the game wears on the tiredness will begin to show. While it's true to say that players on this much should be able to cope with the strains of being an athlete, that's just not the case tonight. One team played 3 days ago and one played 9 days ago.

I firmly believe that tonight we need to do the damage early whilst the legs are fresh. If we hit the 75-80 minute mark and we're leading then although the last portion of the game will be nervy with any luck we'll grind out a result. If we hit that point even or worse then West Ham will feel they can do the job. That's what comes of playing a lot of football.

When you look at our position in the league you can't help but think if we're to make Champions League football then we need to win our 5 remaining games. It's out of our hands but with Everton facing tough matches against City and United we may be given a chance and that's why games like tonights are vital to our final push. All of our remaining games are very winnable but at the moment we lack momentum and we desperately need a win to get that belief back.

Finally, 25 years ago today, 96 fans went to a football match and never came home. It could have been any club and any fans. Whatever you're opinion of the Justice campaign it's important to remember those who died watching the team they loved. RIP.

 

Wigan Review

I originally planned to roll this and the West Ham preview into one long-ish blog but decided there was too much to say so it'll instead be two shorter ones in quick succession. So after 120 minutes of football and around 5 minutes of agonising penalties we made it to the FA Cup final. There are plenty of positives and negatives to take from the day. So we'll start with the negatives.

The game itself was one of the most torrid games of football I've ever seen. I said to my friend beforehand that both sides play open, attacking football so it should be a good game. How wrong I was. The game was lethargic, boring and there were few chances throughout the match. We were content to play sideways and backwards and pretty much any way but forwards. Wigan were content to hold and then try to counter. There was no drive to our game whatsoever, it was difficult to see where our breakthrough would come from.

We bizarrely started Yaya Sanogo who showed just why he hasn't opened his Arsenal account yet. To ask a man of 21 to lead the line for Arsenal in an FA Cup Semi-final personally is naive. When he missed the chance after going through one on one the fans were turning quickly inside the national stadium. Now this isn't me being critical about the young lad, his desire was first class, he chased absolutely everything even when it was clearly a lost cause but he's just too raw at the moment. If he's have scored that header that was fantastically saved by Scott Carson then it could have been a different story.

The first half drew to a dull, drawn out close and no matter how many £5 pints of watered down budweiser I could have drunk it wouldn't have improved my mood. The second half picked up much where the first left off. After 60 odd minutes Monreal went down under a challenge and Wigan broke through, Mertesacker slid in late and it was the clearest penalty you've ever seen. Gomez stepped up and hammered it home. At this point myself and everyone around me were fearing the worst. The guy infront of me quite rightly said now is when we need to get behind the team and the fans rallied.

Wenger took off Podolski to a chorus of boos mainly because it wasn't Sanogo being taken off and we reverted to a 4-4-2. Gibbs was brought on and made and instant impact, we looked a lot better with more pace and drive. We then hit the post and I thought that was our chance but the Wigan goal was living a charmed life. Moments later Gibbs thought he'd brought us level only to see his effort cleared off the line. From the resulting corner there was a sliced clearance that fell to Sanogo who controlled well and laid it off to the OX. He hit his shot into the ground and it was heading out of play when Per Mertesacker appeared to nod home cuing utter delirium in the Arsenal sections. I don't think I've ever celebrated a goal like that before in my life. 

As the game rolled on we were in the ascendancy with the OX crashing a shot of the angle. But it was almost destined to head to penalties. Extra time came and went and then it was destined. I don't buy all this penalties are a lottery crap. They are a test of skill and most importantly a test of nerve. I was far from confident that we'd do what we needed too although our record in shoot outs recently is surprisingly good. 

Wigan went first and Fabianski saved well. Arteta stepped up and with nerves of steel scored as he does so often from 12 yards. Collison stepped up and again Fabianksi saved well. Kim Kallstrom stepped up and I was confident knowing his record from dead-balls, I read somewhere that he's never missed a penalty but I can't confirm that. He power his side footed effort into the corner. Wigan then finally got off the mark and Giroud stepped up. Again sent Carson the wrong way and now there was real belief we'd do it. Wigan then scored again.

As I watched Santi Cazorla make the long walk down the pitch, my row in the heavens of Wembley locked arm in arm like the players on the pitch, I had a feeling he'd do it despite my nerves being shredded. The little Spaniard took a long run up that seemed to last a lifetime and then blasted his penalty straight down the middle, sparking more wild scenes inside Wembley. 

I read afterwards that Roy Keane said it was ridiculous celebrating like for beating Wigan. Which a preposterous statement from a bitter man who still feels the shootout of 2005 cut deep and long may he hurt from it I say. It was the celebrations of a team going to the FA Cup final and nobody remembers how you got there if your name is on the trophy come the end of it.

So far from classic Arsenal but we got the job done. I just want to say that we need to enjoy the moment until we take on West Ham tomorrow otherwise what's the point. Also I'd like to say the support on Saturday was absolutely tremendous from our fans, we outnumbered the Wigan fans by something like 4 to 1 and we really made it count. Talking of the Wigan fans I'd like to say they were all fantastic people having met many throughout the day and shared a drink with a number of them, great fans and it was all in the spirit of the day, I wish them all the best for the rest of the season.

Right back tomorrow for what is gonna be a slog of a match.   

Wigan (N)

The league is well and truly out of our hands now, after our humiliating defeat to Everton we now rely on results from others AGAIN to get into the Champions League. Should Everton win their game in hand which lets face it against Sunderland they will, we will be 2 points behind them in the race for the top four.

Our attentions now turn to our best chance of a trophy this year when we take on Wigan at Wembley on Saturday. This is a huge game and for a team that hasn't won in 4 games, we really need to turn up and put on a show. There is no doubt that we have enough to beat Wigan but this is the FA Cup and we have our own Wembley demons to deal with. The new Wembley hasn't been a happy hunting ground for us at all, in fact I don't know if we've even won there yet. Wigan travel under no pressure knowing that all the eyes are on us.

Team news ahead of the game is less than encouraging with the OX, Gibbs and Rosicky all facing late tests ahead of the game. Aaron Ramsey however is fit to start and I have a feeling he will be in such a game. Wenger also confirmed that Fabianski will start ahead of SZCZ as he has throughout the competition. News amongst others is that Koscielny has a chance against West Ham on Tuesday and Ozil a chance against Hull on the 19th. 

I haven't seen much of Wigan this season but I know that they're playing well in the Championship despite defeat to struggling Millwall the other night. They still play their own brand of football and if we're not completely focused they'll punish us. I still worry about our defence with Vermaelen and Monreal playing together, the Spaniard has his moments but he's certainly much less eratic with Kos on the right of him. 

Aside from Birmingham three years ago this is our best chance of winning a trophy since the infamous drought. If we can shake this monkey off our back it will be a giant step to truly competing again. It'll be a hard game but at this stage that's to be expected at this stage in the season. I'll see you all on the other side on Monday. COYG! 

Everton (A)

It's hard to think that a month ago we were well and truly in the title race and now today we find ourselves playing a game which is crucial to obtaining a Champions League place. Everton have been in top form recently and we well, we haven't. A loss today and it's totally out of our hands. A win and we control our fate, just. Goodison Park has not been a happy hunting ground for teams this season and Everton's record there is very good.

There is no doubt we'll need to on top form to get anything from the game and we've been given a small boost ahead of our trip. Aaron Ramsey has been declared fit to play although I doubt we'll see him start it will certainly lift the team. Monreal is back and will probably fill in at left back as Gibbs is a doubt. Koscielny is out so I would assume Vermaelen will slot in alongside Mertesacker. In the midfield Wenger has options and no doubt Podolski will be hoping to start, although with the Ox also in contention Cazorla could be pushed out to the left.

Everton have far fewer injuries than me, but Ross Barley looks set to recover from a knock. Jagielka on the other hand looks set to miss out today, meaning Stones could step in. They have a plethora of players to pick from up top with Mirallas, McGeady, Deulofeu etc. Their main striker of course will be Lukaku who's on form at the moment. Containing them will be difficult and the defence will have to be sharp today if we're to get anything from the game.

Some will point to the fact Everton have some tough games remaining but I'm still concerned that we could blow it today. If we get a result it's still within our hands although a draw assuming Everton win their game in hand will leave them just one point behind us. This is the last game in the so called deathrun but it's getting to that silly stage of the season and every point counts.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens today.
  

City Review

Again apologies for missing the City game this time but I just never got around to drafting something up. Overall I think we showed some resilience and picked up what could be a vital point come the end of the season especially with Everton breathing down our necks. 

I'm not going to lie going into the game I didn't expect much from us in fact I expected the worse and after 18 minutes, I expected it even more. The match started lively and actually would have been a good game for a neutral to watch, both teams were attacking but when Silva broke with City the deadlock was soon broken. The tricky Spaniard looked to shoot but instead squared it to Dzeko who hit the near post but much like at Old Trafford the rebound fell to Silva who put it away. Lucky? Maybe, but when your charging to the title you need luck and Silva had the instinct to follow it in.

The half went on in a tit-for-tat kind of way with both sides creating the odd chance. Mathieu Flamini put the ball in the City net but it was rightly ruled out for offside. The half drew to a close but there was some optimism around the Emirates for the second half and for good reason, the second half started and Arsenal immediately looked better. 

There was more urgency and more drive to Arsenals game as they began to pull the City defence across the field. Then 7 minutes in, we struck. Displaying the patient play on the edge of the box that we so often do, found Podolski on the left hand side of the box. The German looked up and curled the ball towards an onrushing Flamini who guided it past Hart. It was a big goal and you could really see what it meant to the Frenchman who as proved to be a phenomenal piece of business from Wenger.

The rest of the game was all Arsenal and moment later we probably should have been 2-0 up. Some clever interplay with Cazorla found Podolski again but this time inside the box on the left with Hart to beat. I thought almost certainly he would fizz it across the face of the goal and into the far corner, but instead he tried to put it between Harts legs but the England keeper got the lucky with the ball brushing off his heel and wide.

That was really the best chance we fashioned for the rest of the game but credit to Wenger, I expected him to throw on some more defensive players as the game progressed but he went for it bringing on Alex OC and Sanogo but it just wasn't to be. After a bad week a big point against Man City was much needed ahead of our final game of the dreaded run we've had to endure.

The game next weekend is without a doubt the biggest of the season. We sit 4 points ahead of Everton who have a game in hand. Assuming they win that, there's a point in it meaning that we have to go to Goodison and get a result. A draw isn't ideal but a loss is catastrophic. If we lose it's out of our hands and we rely on other teams at this silly stage of the season to save us.

I'd just like to take a moment to remember that 13 years ago today, Arsenal lost David "Rocky" Rocastle to non-hodgkins lymphoma at the age of just 33. For those who saw him play, many will never forget his unusual combination of flair and power. For those who didn't he lives on through the stories passed down from fan to fan. RIP Rocky.

Chelsea and Swansea Aftermath

I don't really know where to start this following the humiliation of the weekend. The result was one of the most painful I've endured as a fan, worse than the 8-2 at OT, worse than the 6-1 at the same ground. It's been a season where we've competed and where there's been a sense of progress at last, but have we really made that much progress when we lose 6-0, 5-1 and 6-3 away to our closest rivals? The fact that there appears to be this mental block in the big games is a huge concern, especially leading into the FA Cup semi-final. Ultimately the lack of desire and mental preparation rests with the manager.

This was followed by heart-break on Tuesday night when after going 1-0 down at home to Swansea, we showed that fight and determination that everyone has spoken about this season to score 2 goals in 2 minutes via Podolski and Giroud. Then moments from time an unfortunate deflection and block hit Flamini in the shins and ended up in our own net. It pretty much sums up this week and we are now looking very precarious in 4th.

Everton are 6 points behind us, with a game in hand and we have to visit Goodison Park this season. Assuming we lose to City this weekend which based on recent results is pretty much a given, they're 3 behind with a game in hand and we have to play them in 2 weeks. That will be a 6 pointer if ever there was one. It is so typically Arsenal to have been in the title race not 2 weeks ago and now we're looking over our shoulder worrying about our position in the top 4.

There was one shining light on Tuesday however and that was the fact that Kim Kallstrom made his debut and actually looked like a fairly solid player. Everyone and their wife ripped him upon arrival but if he's going to contribute to the team in the end then nobody will be complaining.

Well I'll be back on Friday with some team news and the build up to a game that quite frankly I really don't want to think about at the moment. Try to enjoy the rest of the week. COYG!

Tottenham (A)

Well I can't say I'm surprised that we're out of the Champions League. We had it all to do and when that ugly German Schweinsteiger scored in the 54th minute the tie was all but over. Podolski scored a quite superb goal moments later to make the scoreline respectable on the night but it was just too much. Ah well onward and upwards as they say. 

Tomorrow is the game that all die hard fans and away scheme members look for when the fixtures are released. A game that can quite literally change a season. The North London derby is our match, our chance to get one over on our nearest neighbours. But more than that a win tomorrow could kick us on into the final few stages of the season. If we win tomorrow we'll be 9 points clear of 5th placed Tottenham incidentally with a game in hand, meaning if all goes well when the fixtures level out we could have a 12 point lead over 5th. Not completely sewn up but so close.

Along with that we're entering our dreaded run where we play Spurs, Chelsea, Swansea (due to cup success), City and Everton between now and April 6th. In these games every win is vital and every point dropped could be the difference. I'd like to say this is a good time to play Tottenham in their current run but in a derby they'll be right up for it to turn it around. They have problems at the back and a few other players who could miss out, but we're hardly at full strength with the news revealed that Ramsey has suffered yet another set back and Ozil is out for up to 6 weeks.

In terms of our team Oxlade-Chamberlain is in contention with starting and with the way he's played recently I really think it's a no brainer. He adds pace and drive to the team which tomorrow could do some serious damage. Cazorla should start and then in the middle we have decisions. I think le boss will go with Rosicky due to experience and he does like a goal against Tottenham. That said he could change things around to include Podolski who I'm sure has a big role to play yet this season. Gibbs is however a doubt which means we could play Monreal there. Kallstrom is fit but I doubt this is an apt time for his debut.

This is a huge game as not only is it a derby but it has connotations for the league too as I mentioned up there. A big performance today and we'll be as prepared as we can for a difficult run. A loss and we'll be hammered in the media and questions will be asked. Let's hope for the former. COYG!   

Everton Review

Apologies it's been so long I've had a hectic few weeks. Arsenal marched onwards to Wembley yesterday as they overcame Everton 4-1 in a scoreline that was probably a touch flattering.

Both teams started quickly and it was an even first few moments, but 7 minutes in Cazorla found space with a men to his left and his right. He went left with a perfect pass to Mesut Ozil who neatly placed it in the far corner providing the team and himself with a much needed boost. He was a standout performer yesterday.

From then on Arsenal bossed the game until the 30th minute when Ross Barkley broke and he was tracked by the already booked Flamini who made the decision with his experience not to lunge in, that resulted in a cross that Mirallas hashed up but it fell to Lukaku all of a yard out who made it 1-1. From then on it was an even and end to end game with both sides pressurising and looking dangerous. 

Early in the second half an unfortunate slip from Vermaelen let Lukaku surge down the wing, he pulled it back to Barkley who should have scored but place it over. That was the moment when Everton's cup tie was dead and buried. Moments later Arsenal were in the lead, the Ox powered into the box and slipped past Barry on the Barry on the by-line who then tripped Alex and Arsenal had a penalty. There was nothing more in the challenge than a trip, it was dangerous or malicious but it was a stone wall penalty. 

Then in a bizarre series of events, Arteta stepped up and placed it perfectly in the corner but Clattenberg called him back as Giroud encroached and was subsequently booked which is probably the only time I've ever seen that happen. Arteta with nerves of steel stepped up again, went the other way along with the keeper but it was powerfully placed high and out of reach. Fantastic play from the Spaniard.

Everton never really threatened after that and Arsenal drove forward with the fresh legs of Rosicky who again showed just how valuable a player he really is despite his age. After a lovely overlap he played Sagna in who held the ball fantastically on the by line and slid the ball through the eye of a needle perfect for Giroud who turned it in. It looked simple but it was by no means an easy chance.

There was to be one more goal and a more typical Arsenal goal you couldn't wish to see. A rapid counter attack that again involved Rosicky along with Cazorla. Ozil was picked out and just entered the box when he showed his class squaring the ball to the unmarked Giroud who passed it in for his second and a well rounded Arsenal performance. People talk about teams being ruthless and showing no mercy and it's a quality I feel we have lacked in previous seasons but this was a demonstration of just that.

There were some real stand out performances yesterday mainly from Alex OC, Cazorla and Ozil. It was such an important game for our record signing after weeks of what at times have been harsh criticism, but he looked fresh and recharged yesterday and it showed in his quality performance. Coming to the end of his second season, the more and more Santi Cazorla looks like an absolute steal for the £15m paid for him. A fan favourite, ambidextrous and just an all round world class player he's been a fantastic addition for the team.   

Well the semi-final draw will be made today and no-doubt we'll draw Man City the way this cup draw has happened but we'd end up playing them eventually anyway so who knows. Either way a day at Wembley is much needed and deserved I think, now we have a tricky game against the European Champions on Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow with news and a preview, until then have a great day.

Bayern: A bitter pill

Last night was a tough one to take. I said beforehand that I expected nothing from the match but to lose it in the fashion we did was a bit gutting. Before I get into the game I just want to say a huge congratulations to REDaction who worked tirelessly to put together a card display for last night and it looked fantastic!







The first 30 minutes of the match I think we played the best I've seen all season. It's no exaggeration to say we played them off the pitch. The defence couldn't cope and he crowd could sense that we were on top. Yaya Sanogo was fantastically denied a goal by Neuer whose reactions were just top drawer. Sanogo played well and certainly looks to be a talent but he need refinement his touch was off at times and still looks a bit clumsy. 

Our moment came not long after, Wilshere slid the ball through to Ozil in the box who did a Cruyff style turn and popped the ball over Boaten who subsequently brought him down. Penalty. Ozil stepped, or more staggered up to it and his feeble effort was saved by schoolboy friend Neuer in goal. That killed the energy of the crowd and Ozil deflated. We had a couple more efforts but the moment that totally killed the game was in the 38th minute when SZCZ made contact with that bald twat Robben who went down as if he'd been shot. SZCZ off and penalty Bayern. Although they didn't score, down to 10 men we were played off the park with ruthless efficiency.

At 1-0 down we had a chance in Munich, a slim one but a chance. The Koscielny went bombing forward in the 88th minute, didn't get back and Muller found space where he should have been to nod it home. 2-0. The tie is virtually over.

I hate the rule about "denying a goalscoring opportunity" cause that's restored with the penalty. It's a stupid and annoying rule that needs to be looked at but by the law SZCZ was correctly sent off last night. Down to 10 the game dies. If he had been taken out from behind by a defender then fine.

I feel sorry for Ozil at the moment. He's penalty was shit, but you could tell that he was desperate to do well. When you look at the figures he ran he's already shattered legs off, only Flamini covered more ground. There are two reasons I'm cutting him some slack. Firstly and it's obvious to see, he's absolutely shattered, aside from Carling Cup I think he's played 90 minutes in virtually every game this season. He needs a week or so off to properly recover and recharge. Secondly it's his first season in the toughest league in the world, we've seen so many players struggle to adapt in their first season and then click into gear for their second. Give him time, we all know how good he is.

Anyway, we have 2 must win fixtures now before the next torrid run starts on the 8th. So let's start by responding against Sunderland.