West Bromwich Albion (A)

They say there are no easy victories in football, however Reading on Saturday was an easy victory. I was very pleased with the performance the team put in against Reading and although the look no more than a Championship team we made them look that bad with out very tidy performance. Now many people will be fully aware that I am no fan of Gervinho and when although I suspected he'd start, I could feel the universal disappointment at the Emirates when his name was read out.

However he played his socks off at the weekend and although we saw the man who can slip past 2 defenders before blazing the ball over the bar, we saw glimpses of what he really cant do, his goal was a tap in but fair play to him for seeing it. But the stand out moment for me was when Sagna (who was superb) lifted the ball over the top of the midfield and Gerv charged onto it. He was on his own against 3 defenders but held the ball well, drew them all in and then slid it across for Giroud who drilled the ball in. There were a lot of really good performances, Cazorla was unreal as were all the midfield actually. Fabianski had a good game and it was good to see Giroud getting back amongst the goals.

I'd also like to touch on the fantastic display of support on the 7th minute of the match for a man who graced our number 7 until his very premature death. David Rocastle was a fan favourite at Arsenal and with a unique blend of flair and power he was exciting to watch and a very effective player. Sadly on March 31st 2001 David lost his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma aged just 31 and will always be sorely missed, but will never be forgotten. 

Anyway that game is gone and we need to keep our momentum in the run is as Chelsea slipped up against Southampton. Tomorrow is going to be an odd game. We play West Brom who are by all means a decent team and will be very hard to beat but on the flip side of that, they have nothing to play for. They're sitting comfortably in mid table and aside from a Europa League place will go nowhere. That said they will still provide a stern test for our team who are still battling for a place amongst Europe's elite next season, and although people will say the run in is with us, we have to do our job before we count on others.

Team news for us is looking positive, although we are still without Jack and Theo, they are aiming to be available for selection next weekend. After colliding with the post and going on against Reading, Monreal is available which is good because although Gibbs came on to replace him its clear he isn't quite ready just yet. So with this in mind I think the team will be identical to the one that started against Reading. Fabianksi, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky, Gervinho, Cazorla, Giroud.

West Brom have a strong team and with Lukaku upfront on loan from Chelsea having bagged 13 of their goals this season. After Odenwingie's antics on deadline day he hasn't been selected (surprise, surprise). Brunt will sit in the gap behind Lukaku and they will have threat from Morrison too. They are however without the powerhouse Mulumbu in the middle which may give us the edge to to run the game from the middle of the park.
 
West Brom are a tricky team to beat but if we want to keep our charge for the top four on track they are a team we have to beat. On our day when the Arsenal play in the way we all know they can we should be beating West Brom but sadly we all know Arsenal far too well to expect this to be a bump free ride, we do like to make things hard for ourselves.

Until next time. COYG!

Prediction: West Brom 1-2 Arsenal

Schalke 04 (H)

After returning from Norwich with out tails between our legs, tonight we need to re-focus as we welcome the team that I think will give us the most problems in our group, German side Schalke. Unlike us the Germans are coming into this game off the back of a fantastic away win over current champions and bitter rivals Dortmund.

Schalke are a strong outfit and they retain possession well in the middle. Like us they play a tight passing game and they have good chemistry amongst the squad, the midfield in particular. On the wings they have pace from the 3 main wingers who the manager alternates: Farfan, Draxler and Affelay. Farfarn is quick and can deliver when he needs too. Draxler and Affelay are more tricky and are more than happy beating players and cutting inside. Whoever he pairs (I think Farfan and Affelay) our full backs will have to be on the ball tonight and will absolutely have to get back after going forwards. Upfront they have an accomplished striker in Klaas Jan Huntelaar, a poacher no doubt but make no mistake he can work the ball and space well when he has too. That's why he scored 47 in 48 last season, we'll have to tighten up at the back to ensure he doesn't get his way.

In terms of Arsenal we only have one player returning and thats Koscielny. This game has come just a bit too quick for Wilshere and Sagna, this weekend is far more liklely. I have seen a couple of conflicting reports, one suggests we will remain fairly similar to the side that started at the weekend, another suggests we will push Gervinho back into the centre and Ramsey to the right. Another suggestiosn Coq will return to the side to give us a bit more of a defensive minded midfield. I'm not going to guess at a line up cause there's too much flying around at the moment to even get close.

Tonight's game is a huge test for us, the toughest team in the group, and I think there will be goals at both ends. A draw is not a disaster tonight but a win cements our position at the top of the group. Until next time COGY!

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Schalke

Norwich: Poor display

After waiting 2 weeks to watch Arsenal again, they performed like that?! It was one of those games where we just never got into it, didn't click, couldn't find our rhythm, however you want to put it, it was terrible. We didn't look interested in the match and for the 4th league game in a row conceded first. This time there was no reply.

We dominated possession but far too often Giroud was isolated upfront and we couldn't supply him. Then in the 19th minute Mannone spilled a shot that he probably should have held and even against Grant Holt Mertesacker couldn't match his pace to block his finish. Again this leaves question marks over Mannone about whether he really can challenge for number 1. That for the moment is a debate for another day though as at this current moment we simply have no choice with SZCZ and Fabianski out for the near future anyway. 

From that we never really looked like getting an equaliser. Giroud had a half chance with a falling, overhead kick, a difficult technique so no surprises when he didn't quite pull it off. Then the best chance of the game fell to Gervinho. Serge Gnabry who every time I've seen him has been quality, slipped a perfect ball through for the Ivorian who delayed too long before pulling the trigger and saw his shot blocked. In all honesty, he may have scored 5 goal this season but I still see him as the weak link and the sooner he disappears off to the ACoN the better in my opinion.

It was interested to hear what Arteta had to say after the game about defensive issues and the effect conceding has on a team:

“If you go ahead, it gives you a lift, the other team has to take risks, and you can cause mistakes. You can’t get back in the game every time you fall behind. It’s a tough ask and we haven’t done it today."

He's correct in what he says and it was clear to see that he was highly disappointed with the performance of the team and to be honest he should be.

Ah well that's the end of the match and now it has to be forgotten before we face the toughest opponents in our group, Schalke, at the Emirates on Wednesday night. A preview of that match will be up tomorrow. Until then chin up and lets move on. 

Olympiacos (H)

Our unbeaten run came to end on Saturday as we went down 2-1 to Chelsea, largely I have to say due to our own errors. Defensively we were all over the place and although I understand why Wenger chose Vermaelen and Koscielny over Mertesacker, it was the wrong choice and I think he knows that. The first goal came from a free kick conceded by Vermaelen who steamed through Torres, as it was put in Torres somehoe wrapped his foot around Koscielny and put it into the top corner. 

We retaliated before the half when Gervinho stopped an Ox cross in the box, pivoted and rifled into the roof of the net leaving Cech no chance. It was a great goal but apart from that Gervinho had a relatively indifferent game, there is no doubt he is one of the most frustrating players there are. We started the second half well and for the first 7 or 8 minutes we were the better team but then once again we conceded a free kick which Juan Mata whipped in and Koscielny could do nothing but help it into the net. It was goal bound anyway. After that we went totally flat and didn't do much, Cazorla was shut out effectively by Chelsea and I think we lost something after Diaby went off 15 minutes in with what we now know is a Thigh strain. Perhaps we should have had a draw when Giroud rounded Cech and but only found the side-netting from a tight angle, not the easiest chance but the opportunity was there to shoot and a player in form may have found the finish.

Champions League action tomorrow as we host Olympiacos. After beating French champions Montpellier in France, a win tomorrow would set us up nicely. Judging the team is difficult at the moment. With Diaby out it's possibly we may see Frimpong occupy his role but I doubt that is the case. I think its more likely we'll see Ramsey sit behind the front line with Arteta, far from an ideal setup but there you go. I think the line up will be something like this: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Alex OC, Cazorla, Podolski, Gervinho. This is another game we should be winning in the group and it will be interesting to see how the team bounce back after the weekends disappointment.

In other news it's good to see that Jack Wilshere has played his first 60 minutes of competitive football in 14 months, after making an appearance in the 1-0 defeat to West Brom U21's yesterday. Let's hope we'll soon see him back in the first team.

I don't think tomorrow will be too challenging but in the Champions League very few games are easy.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Olympiacos

 

Chelsea (H)

After breezing past Coventry, Arsene may have a few things to think about before selecting his squad for the visit of the racists from West London. Stand out performances from Walcott and of all people Arshavin may give him a few options to consider. Arshavin who seemed to do nothing bit jog and stand still managed to get a goal, win a penalty and get 3 possibly 4 assists?! He's always been a game changer or a flop really. If he is included then down a wing isn't really viable in my opinion as he doesn't track back like Poldi. Arshavin ideal role would be striker or possible CAM, where he's not relied on to get back.

Walcott played well which only reinforces my view that he should be in the team ahead of other players (Gervinho), but for some reason, whether it's to do with his ongoing contract talks who knows, Wenger just doesn't play him first choice. His performance has thrust him into contention none the less and Wenger has some decisions to make. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain also scored a screamer of a goal and will be in with a shout. Of course the most important goal was that of a certain Olivier Giroud who clipped it over the on-rushing goalkeeper. After breaking his duck and me thinking here comes the confidence he promptly had a penalty saved...make of that what you will.

Anyway this weekends game is yet another huge test for us, Chelsea are a team that personally I would have as favourites for the title this year. They were shaky against Stoke but overall their quality has seen them come this far unbeaten. Our record against Chelsea is a bit all over the shop, it's Antone's guess really. What I will say though, is they're unbeaten, we're unbeaten, but we are far from something giving. It's early in the season and both teams would probably take a draw given it now. But I do think there will be goals.

We have no new injury worries and we see the return of Vermaelen after missing out last week with a virus. This gives Wenger a tough decision out of the 3 centre backs, Mertesacker has been a different class this season, Vermaelen the same and Koscielny also played very well last week. I think we'll see him remain with Mert and TV5 for this match. I would also expect Gervinho (sigh) to start upfront after Giroud's run around midweek. The right wing is an interesting call though with Ramsey, Walcott and Alex OC all potential fits. I would expect Wenger to go with the Ox however. So here we go: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Diaby, Arteta, Alex OC, Cazorla, Podolski, Gervinho.

As far as I know Chelsea have no injury worries either, Lampard is fit but I'm not entirely sure he'll start. Terry WILL play whilst considering whether to appeal the FA's decision. Obviously with a squad like Chelsea's all players are dangerous but Hazard, Mata and Torres would be the 3 I'd want to watch out for (yes Torres). It will make for a very interesting game to see how hard Chelsea press forward at this early stage in the season.

So all in all it's anyone's guess really. It should be an entertaining match none the less. COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea



 

Coventry City (H)

I was sitting here Sunday in utter frustration after watching us dominate the first half yet, still go in trailing due to a lapse at a corner. As we pushed forward I got the feeling that it just wasn't going to happen. Santi Cazorla shot but Joe Hart saved. A corner that came in but City's man of the moment in the first half Lescott didn't clear the lines and it fell at the feet of an off balance Koscielny who let fly and rifled it into the top corner, cuing wild celebrations here and utter delirium at the Etihad as our spectacular away fans celebrated like we'd won the league.

I don't want to dwell on our easily deserved point on Sunday but there were some real stand out performances as well as some complete shockers. Let's start with the stand out ones. Mertesacker at the back was incredible and was easily MOTM, Gibbs and Jenkinson also played well. We were solid in the middle too with Cazorla spraying balls all over the pitch. Upfront it was a different story, Podolski had an off game but that's easily forgiven. Gervinho was absolutely awful, he spurred one guilt edge chance going through one on one but taking the heaviest of touches, and then blazing into the top tier from the D at the death. I can't help but feel that he will only be detrimental to our campaign this year, he's erratic and has a tendency to give the ball away at just the wrong time, or miss that match winning chance. Personally I wouldn't have him in the team.

Right Capital One Cup football tomorrow at the Emirates as we take on Coventry. As usual I would imagine Wenger will use this competition to showcase our young talent. I'm not going to attempt to guess our squad cause quite frankly I know very little of our youth team. We'll see the likes of Miquel, Eastmond, Yennaris, Watt etc. One player to definitely look out for is Thomas Eisfeld who is demon going forward, he never fails to impress me. If you're a gambling man, he'll be well fancied to grab a goal. An interesting question that I saw on twitter earlier was whether to play Giroud in a effort to get him firing. I would certainly be tempted to at least have him there as an option, but I'm not sure about starting him. 

Coventry have a had a rough start to the season and are still looking for a first win of the season. They have a couple of players to keep an eye on. Their best player so far this season has been David McGoldrick on loan from Notts Forest but he's cup tied so we wont be seeing him. Gary McSheffrey has been round the block a few times and Cody McDonald can be dangerous with his most successful spell being on loan at Gillingham scoring 25 goals in 41 games.

Other than that I know very little about our opponents but I expect us to win relatively easily whatever team we put out. So lets hope for an easy game! COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 4-0 Coventry

Manchester City (A)

Afternoon, I have a busy weekend so thought I'd post now. This Sunday we face the biggest test of the season so far and possibly the hardest game we'll have in the league. We travel to City fresh off a very ugly win in Montpellier, which in all honesty we were lucky to win. City on the other hand will have had their confidence dented after leading twice in the Bernabeu only to throw it away conceding two goals in 2 minutes much to the delight of Jose Mourinho.

This is a huge game for us and although we've had a good start to the season much of how people will view us competitively this season will be judged on our performance on Sunday. On how we compete with the "big boys". There is no doubt this is a huge test for our relatively new team. 

If we play like we did on Tuesday, giving the ball away sloppily and taking risks with tackles, we will get punished by a team of City's quality. We need to be at our best to really have a chance of coming away with anything. I seemed to think that we were over-complicating things on Tuesday when often the simple ball is the most effective. We were getting caught in possession time and time again and frankly we just looked tired. There will be little room for error and Sunday and all the players need to keep it tight.

Both teams will be tired after big games midweek but in a game like this the team who wants it more usually comes out on top. And our boys certainly want it. Lukas Podolski is certainly not shy in his thoughts and seems confident that we can get a result. I must admit I have been impressed with the whole team ethos this year and we do all seem to have the belief that we can do it. 

Teams are total guess work really, especially as they have about 80 players to choose from. For us I think we'll see a similar line up to that we had in France. I'd like to see Koscielny step in if he's fit because I'm not entirely sure Mertesacker can deal with Aguero an other pacey strikers at their disposal. But here goes: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Alex OC, Diaby, Arteta, Podolski, Cazorla, Gervinho. I think Arsene will decide to drop Giroud to the bench for this one and keep Gervinho in as well hes got 3 in 2. I do worry about Jenkinson down the right, he'll be given a tough time by City's wingers. But in a big game, players sometimes step up.

Our game of course, follows a hugely important match on Sunday, in terms of football more than anything. I hope it all goes without incident for the sake of relations more than anything.

So all attention turns to Sunday where we'll really test our mettle. COYG!

Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal 

 

Montpellier (A)

Now that is much more like the Arsenal that we know and love, a convincing 6-1 win over a team that frankly we should be beating 6-1. Yes 2 of the goals were own goals but they were both made by strong attacks down the left and that hard low cross into the box that is always prone to get touched in. A gorgeous free kick from Poldi who was brilliant all game, the keeper probably should have done better but the was very well struck. A goal from Walcott which was nice to see and 2 from Gervinho who I have been very critical of recently.

Attention now turns to our first Champions League match of the season which kicks off this evening with our trip to Montpellier. Much has been made about whether or not Olivier Giroud will start after being left on the bench on Saturday which did surprise me in all honesty. I thought it would have been the perfect game for him to play but maybe Wenger had half an eye on this game. With it being his old club as well where, from what I can gather, he was idolised I think it seems almost written that he would score his first Arsenal goal today, should he start. However as Wenger has stated there is a lot of pressure on him and he might rest him to try and take some of that off of him.

As for the rest of the team I think we will see some level of rotation tonight as we have Man City on Sunday and we may have some players that aren't quite rested fully from Saturday. I have a feeling we might see Walcott start tonight possibly along with Ramsey who didn't feature at the weekend. Gervinho could start sitting in the CAM role behind our main striker whoever that may be, with Cazorla shifting out to the wing, or he could start in place of Giroud. He played well at the weekend and there are suggestions that we may have found a role that suits the Ivorian. For me that remains to be seen realistically, we shall see how he performs as to be honest I find him frustrating. Diaby is expected to be fit to play so we'll either see him start or I think he'll come of from the bench after his fantastic performance against Liverpool. Koscielny is another player who could start but I think we may see Mertesacker retain his position for this match and then maybe drop out at the weekend.

The big talking point amongst Arsenal fans has been goalkeepers. Now Szczesny, I'm not gonna sugar coat it, had a day to forget on Saturday and not just because of the mistake that led to the goal. He overall wasn't great. Now Arsenal have come out and said he has an ankle knock, whether that played a part in his performance is difficult to tell, but one thing that is for sure is that we are taking Mannone tonight with young keeper James Shea on the bench. 

I'm not gonna predict players to watch for on their team because I know so little about them. I just know they've got off to a poor start in league currently sitting 16th. A player said the other day, if they play like they did at the weekend against Arsenal, they'll concede 8. Confidence for sure then. My line up would be: Mannone, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Jenks, Diaby, Arteta, Poldi, Cazorla, Walcott, Giroud. We'll see what Mr. Wenger goes for. COYG!

Prediction: Montpellier 0-2 Arsenal  

 

FC Koln 0-4 Arsenal

Ah I have returned from my holidays after barely keeping track with all that's been going on I think I'm on top of it all. So we took on FC Koln or Cologne, whatever you prefer, yesterday and as we were expected to do won easily. Again the result comes second to the pre-season preparation but it was nice to see our new boys out, with Podolski grabbing a smart brace against his old club. Giroud had chances too but their keeper made some nice saves. Cazorla looked very impressive, he's fast and very very creative, obviously this is one game and against a side that got relegated last season, but I think he could be a really good signing. Vermaelen scored first with a move that will have (slightly) older fans relieving many goals with a classic Arsenal corner that Steve Bould would have taken part in many times. The flick on at the near post and headed in.

In the second half we made wholesale changes and Gervinho continued his impressive pre-season with yet another goal that was a great piece of individual work down the wing and he finished well from a tight angle. It was a good match and it has really got people excited about the highly anticipated return of the Premier League this weekend, me included! However the main talking point of the whole thing is something that has been rumbling on since the start of the summer.

Robin Van Persie came on after the 69th minute, not the 45 he said he'd play but he still played. I think it sent a message to various people (Robin included), to just say, he's still contracted and he's still an Arsenal player. As expected he came on and played his part, he didn't do anything of note, but he played with professionalism and at the moment that's all he can do. Wenger again re-iterated we want to keep him and that he is part of our plans. What we must remember is that deadline day is not Saturday and if he plays on Saturday it doesn't mean he will be our player for the rest of the season so at the moment, much like the rest of the summer we can only wait and see.

But there are positives to take from yesterday and we look relatively sharp going into the first game of the season. Let's hope for a repeat of the scoreline against Sunderland!

 

Koscielny new deal + transfer rumours

Hi all, just a quick post today as I am extremely busy. 

As I'm sure many of you know, this morning Laurent Koscielny has agreed a new long-term deal with us. We have been criticised for our defensive frailties over the last couple of seasons but Koscielny, especially last season, I think has been fantastic. He's really got his head down and got on with the job in hand making crucial interceptions, tackles and scoring the odd goal too including our winner at West Brom. He has really won the fans over and it's great to see him (much like Vermaelen) sign a contract, no fuss, no problems and focus on his football. See Robin, it's not that hard is it?

In other news and these are only rumours I have seen from various sources that we have agreed personal terms for Malaga winger Santi Cazorla. He's a lad I don't know much about I'll admit but he would be yet another addition to our attacking line up. Giving us plenty of depth up front. I don't know whether he's a left or right winger but it means there will be hot competition for one side. 

Malaga are currently in a bit of a financial situation. With the new owner piling money in at a rate of knots, there have been issues with players wages not being paid and tax problems. If they don't wipe their debt by July 31st, they will be relegated and banned from playing in the Champions League. This gives us the opportunity to possibly force a sale of around €20m.

Yesterday Wenger also stated that we won't be going in for Yann M'villa, unless Wilshere or Diaby suffer a setback which sadly seems likely. I think it's risky to gamble on Diaby's fitness and bringing in a player as cover would be no bad thing. But we can only speculate until anything else is said. 

We play the Malasyia XI later today in our first proper pre-season match, let's see what happens and pray for no injuries. Till next time.

Stoke City (A)

Its been a pretty quiet week for Arsenal. On the pitch we played out a 0-0 draw against Chelsea that to be honest was a pretty dull affair. Off the pitch not much is happening at all in terms of Arsenal. In terms of RVP however its been a good week, winning both the PFA and FWA Player of the Year award, which is good as its finally gone to someone worthwhile. According to sources both were landslide victories so congratulations to Robin on what has been an amazing season.

Now back to business and with Chelsea getting the draw they needed in Barcelona it is very possible that 4th will NOT get a Champions League place next season. It annoyed me that many people including Arsenal fans were almost happy for Chelsea. We aren't 3rd yet and we travel to Stoke this weekend to play a game of Rugby with Pulis' bruisers. Now there's no denying we really don't like playing Stoke, they always seem to get something against us especially at the Britannia. We do have some new injury concerns mainly with Walcott who it appears will be out for the next 2 games. Diaby apparently was sick the other week and has a small chance of making the squad, he will face a late fitness test.

On a positive note Benayoun returns after being inelligible to play against Chelsea. The absence on the right will most likely to be taken by the young Alex OC although Gervinho may slot in on right. I expect the squad will be fairly similar apart from being out and Rosicky returning along with Benayoun.

In terms of Stoke I have no idea about their injuries and to be honest I don't really care. We know they play a physical and brutal game which doesn't suit some of our delicate players. I would like to see Diaby play purely because of his presence on the field but it's not worth the risk if he isn't fit.

With Newcastle able to come level on points with us with a win in their game in hand, its important that we make sure we keep 3rd in our hands. The way to ensure we make 3rd is simple: win our last 3 games and we're there. No worrying about Chelsea beating Bayern etc. That's the task boys...

Prediction: Stoke City 1-2 Arsenal

Chelsea (H)

I dealt with Wigan in the previous post so there is no need to bother ourselves with that again so we can dive right in with Chelsea this weekend. This is a massive game in the race for Champions League qualification and a win for us would be huge and could possibly sink Chelsea's chances of qualifying although they have an even bigger game with Newcastle to come.

Now there is encouraging team news coming out of the Chelsea camp today with the diving dog out with a "knee problem" although he's clearly being rested with Tuesday in mind. Not that it bother me. Drogba has an annoying record of scoring against us so with that in mind I'm glad to see him out. So instead our defence has to deal with Torres who is VERY slowly starting to score again, hopefully we can add to his torrid run of form by denying him a goal at the weekend. Along with that Chelsea are also without Luiz and and Ivanovic whose banned after his kidney punch a few weeks ago.

However we have our own problems. Arteta is out for the rest of the season sadly which leaves a gap in the midfield. Wilshere is also out for the rest of the seaon and probably the Euros (so much for back in March!), which worries me as this injury seems to be worse and worse as time goes by. Benayoun is also ineligible to face Chelsea. There is some positive news though, Koscielny returns after his ban, so Djourou will drop to the bench. Also in the defence Gibbs is expected to be back in at left back after picking up a knock. I also expect Gervinho will be back after featuring from the bench against Wigan.

So teams look something like this. Arsenal: SZCZ, Sagna, Kos, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Walcott, Song, Ramsey, Gervinho, Rosicky, RVP. A lot is being made of Ramsey slotting in to the midfield but we really have no choice. Now many of you will be aware I'm not a big fan of Ramsey at this current moment, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't get behind him. We're called supporters for a reason, however you look at it, he's going to play so we need to support him. I would genuinely love to see Ramsey score this weekend and shut me up.

 
Chelsea have the opportunity to rest players after 2 intensive games. So a few names may drop out but this is a huge game for them either way. The main thing is no Drogba which is a huge bonus for us.

i think this will be a tight game decided by 1 goal but I think we might just have too much for them after their last two games. If we come out firing, there's every chance we'll be celebrating at the end.

COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea  

QPR thoughts and Man City Build up

Well, we certainly could have done without that result. But we were sloppy and when a team is scrapping for safety they are always dangerous. The first goal scored by Taarabt, was one that was our own undoing. Thomas Vermaelen, usually solid at the back was caught with the ball and Taarabt unfortunately, after 69 efforts, got his first goal of the season. We didn't look convincing afterwards and then against the run of play Walcott struck the post but the ball came back to him and he side footed in the equaliser. However this wasn't the turning point we had hoped. Early in the second half Van Persie went through one-on-one and drove the ball towards the top corner, Paddy Kenny pulled of a truly amazing save. 

I think people were harsh saying he should have scored, he's won us too many games this season to start picking holes in his play and it was a brilliant save. I also think people were harsh in again condemning Vermaelen for the second goal, OK he was caught napping but he slipped, its hardly his fault and on top of that where was Song and the rest of the midfield when the ball was slid in to Taiwo who smashed the ball home leaving Szczesny no chance. So our ran came to end but it was going to happen eventually, we now need to pick ourselves up for City at the weekend.

I know this is going to make me very unpopular but please read it carefully. I think we suffered going forward on Saturday due to the inclusion of Ramsey. A man who's clearly lacking confidence and most certainly isn't a left sided attacker. I struggled to understand why Wenger chose him when we had £26m worth of left winger on the bench in the form of Gerv and Alex OC. There is no way playing Ramsey on the left is going to benefit himself or the team.

So ahead to a game where we can in a sense end City's title chances but more importantly give us a huge 3 points with the Yids breathing down our necks. There's one goal in it so a 6-0 win would be perfect. Maybe asking a bit much there but at this stage of the season things like goal difference can make such a huge difference and with Chelsea starting to pick up form again we really need to make sure we keep ourselves in the race. 

The game also has huge connotations for City, they could find themselves 8 points behind United come kick off. Either way they have to come and attack, a draw for them is useless, which means we can split them  on the counter and as they showed at the weekend their defence can leak goals. The ongoing spat between manager and Balotelli hopefully means the dressing room is tense. I'm going to say now that I think and also hope that United win the league. When it comes down to football vs money, there is only one winner and I can accept another United title win. Ferguson has been in this position many times before and he knows exactly what to do and how to handle the game, City on the other hand haven't. Mancini said that it will come down to the derby but he may have to face the fact that it may be over by then. 

Anyway enough title talk its depressing that I can't speak about Arsenal challenging for it again but there you go. Preview and predictions later in the week.

AC Milan Match Report

Firstly apologies for not posting pre-match its been a busy few days due to one thing or another. Last night we went knowing that our team had almost an impossible job of beating AC Milan 5-0, after the first 45 it suddenly seemed much more likely. I arrived at the Emirates thinking if we win tonight I'll be happy and I left very happy. The stadium was surprisingly more busy than I anticipated, obviously the usual empty seats from those who couldn't be bothered or just saw it as a total lost cause. As we took our seats I noticed a lot of Italians knocking around in the home end which might have been problematic but actually made for some light hearted banter especially at the half. The atmosphere was very strange pre-kick off, I'm not really sure how to describe it, those that were there will know what I mean.

So we kicked off and it was immediately clear that Allegri had set out to defend, after a raft of early warnings, Koscielny nodded it past Abiati from a Chamberlain corner just 6 minutes in. This lifted the crowd and swiftly silenced the Milan fans behind me. 20 minutes later after a RVP shot was parried and poorly cleared Rosicky side footed it into the corner, 2-0 and now we started to feel it was possible. The atmosphere had shifted from that weird, anxiousy feeling to one a belief. We continued to press and looked threatening, Milan sat back and tried to absorb it all but it simply wasn't working. Then with less than 5 minutes to go Alex Oxlade Chamberlain darted into the box and was shut off but 2 Milan players, after thinking for what seemed like an age the ref (who was bollocks by the way) pointed to the spot. RVP stepped up and cooly sent the keeper the wrong way. Now the Emirates was pumping.

Obviously at the half everyone was up for it and the Milan fans were deflated and looking severely worried. Clearly Allegri had some thinking to do and the second half was different to the first. We kicked off and looked sluggish and didn't really look threatening at all. Milan sured up and the back and were more dangerous looking for that decisive away goal that would have killed the game. We had our chances though notably from Van Persie and Gervinho that would have drawn the tie level and made the remainder of the half very interesting. Gervinho was poor last night always looked to go down the wing where he found no joy rather than cutting inside trying to find the space. Apart from that we didn't look threatening at all really.

As Laurent Koscielny put it "we just ran out of steam" and it appeared that way. Despite our best effort the match finished 3-0 Arsenal and despite losing the tie last night the players were giving a standing ovation. It was well earned and everyone seemed happy with the result, hopefully we can take the momentum into Newcastle on Monday. We've scored 15 goals in the last 3 home games which is very impressive. 

Until Sunday have a good week. COYG!

Sunderland (A)

Lack of fight. Lack of passion. Lack of quality? These have all been factors that are to blame for the painful defeat we suffered on Wednesday. We were poor from start to finish, none of the players apart from Henry, RVP and when he came on Chamberlain seemed to care about the game. We were particularly poor at the back and got opened up time after time by the same lack of awareness. After beasting him since arrival I must admit, we missed Mertesacker. Yes he makes us defend much deeper than we normally would and yes hes slow but his height and organisation were missed. He keeps the line and on Wednesday there was no structure. We lost out in the air with Ibrahimovic winning every ball, there wasn't even a challenge. if we'd have scored there was a chance, but at 4-0 we need a miracle.

Anyway I think the quicker we move on from it the better. Now to our only chance of silverware this season and a really tricky FA cup against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light for the second weekend in a row and of all the teams you don't want to be playing right now Sunderland are up there (along with Tottenham who we play next weekend). Yes we won there last weekend but it was hardly convincing was it? This is going to be a real challenge and I can see it being a draw.

Team news and after limping off on Wednesday it appears Koscielny's injury isn't too bad and he should be back for the derby next weekend. This means that more than likely we'll have Djourou and Vermaelen at the back with Gibbs and Sagna in the full back roles. The rest of the team I would imagine will revert to normal Premier League standard with us playing 4-3-3 with the 2 wingers adopting their normal positions. Gervinho is back so Wenger will probably start him instead of the Ox.

Sunderland threats come from the usual suspects: Campbell, McClean and Larsson along with a few others. Once again however their lack of pace at the back is where we need to break and hopefully get in behind them. This is going to be a really hard game and we certainly worked for the points last week, lets hope that we can pull it out this time.

Until next time COGY!!

Prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal 

 

Fulham (A)

Happy New Year and who would have expected that? Man United, Chelsea and Man City losing, Tottenham drawing and us winning. Well maybe not the last part but still a good weekend for Arsenal none the less. Its just a shame that we couldn't win last week otherwise we'd be 4 points clear of Chelsea, but that's life and all that. Fulham away tonight and a game that is difficult to call. Fulham are all over the place this season and we nearly got turned over by them in the reverse of this fixture, yet their results have been poor.

Luckily for us Zamora won't be playing after his link with a few PL clubs so they've lost that threat but have others in the form of Dembele, Dempsey, Johnson etc. So the defence will be given a run around and talking of defence we've suffered yet another injury, this time to Vermaelen who was playing at full back. I swear at the moment our full back position is cursed, so I would assume we'll see Miquel? maybe?? Who knows.

Anyway the rest of the team managed to scrape past QPR unscathed so I would expect a similar team to start. Unless we get an extension granted by the Ivory Coast team this could be the last time we see Gervinho especially baring in mind the next game is Leeds in the FA Cup and Arsene does like to take risks with these sorts of games. A potential banana skin there but more on that at the weekend. 

Today will be a tough game I'm sure but add another 3 points and we're looking good. Short and sweet today, more to come throughout the week.

Prediction: Fulham 0-1 Arsenal 

Fulham (H)

So we're through and top of the group to boot after a favour from Olympiakos who did a number on Marseille in France. We looked much better defensively and apart from conceding in the dying moments we had a good night. Song had an outstanding match and that was apparent when he beat 3 players and delivered a wonderful cross for RVP (who else) to power into the ground and give us a deserved lead. He got his second with a real old school Arsenal goal. Corner, flicked on at the near post, open goal and there you have it.

Sorry but I have to keep this rather short and sweet. We take on Fulham this weekend at the Emirates who have had a really poor season so far. Only 11 points from 12 games and a team that at home we should really take apart. Their man on form this season is Johnson whose scoring mainly in Europe but he's still finding the net. Dempsey and Zamora are also dangerous in the right position. 

So I imagine Wenger will play a team similar to the one that started last night. However after Gervinho's piss poor effort we may see the little Russian start instead, but that's up to Wenger. It was nice to see Diaby come on to a good reception and it would be nice to see him rack up some more game time especially as he gives us a bit more of an attacking threat. Not that we particularly need it.

In other news its nice to see that this weekends match will be dedicated to Save The Children, a very worth cause. All the players will be dedicating their days wages to the charity along with 50p from every matchday programme. There will also be a special matchday raffle to help raise funds. 

Right that's your lot for tonight. Until next time COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Fulham

Marseille (H) match report

Again I have to apologise its been a hectic week. So once again I'm doing a report on the game last night. Well it wasn't the best game in fact a 0-0 is normally about as dull as they come. We just didn't look dangerous last night and our key players were poor and were on the bench. 

Santos is still yet to convince me that he is a solid left back. He's great going forward and all but I noticed last night that he was caught out of position and his passing last night was shocking. I lost count of how many times he sold our attackers short. To be fair there were very few players that impressed me. Ramsey had a shocker, myself along with the whole of the Clock End saw the opening for him to smash it in, but he delayed and was blocked off. To be fair to the lad hes still young and its a lot of pressure on his shoulders so the odd off game is to be expected.

 

Song had an average game, losing the ball and retaining it at will. Arteta was appalling, for a player with so much hype and build up apart from a free kick he had a poor game. Jenkinson showed his inexperience as he hesitated from time to time. Overall we just looked lethargic going forward, Walcott had a better game and may have scored if he had been released how he needs to be, quickly with a man to beat. Gervinho also struggled to get going.

There were some positives, Vermaelen had a good game and showed what we've missed so far this season. Park showed his potential but didn't really settle in to the game. When he came on Rosicky put himself about and again played well, showing that maybe hes over his injury issues.

So the big question, why didn't we start RVP? well I can understand the view of we don't want him to get injured but had he won us the game last night then we could have rested him in the next 2 CL games. He came on and had a great chance, but he tried the sublime and failed to chip the huge Mandanda. That was about that.

Apologies for missing another build up. Tonight there will be the WBA at home build up and prediction.

COGY!   

Olympiacos (H)

We return to Champions League action tomorrow night against the Greek side Olympiacos and we have already had some less than encouraging team news, more on that in a bit. Firstly Saturdays performance was just what we needed, a win and maybe more importantly for the defence a clean sheet. Surely that will help to boost the defensive confidence. RVP got a brace with the second being his 100th for the club, I was a little surprised to hear that as I felt he'd scored more than that but I then realised he has been blighted with injury for pretty much the whole of his career. An impressive count none the less. Hopefully we can build on that and string a few results together and go from there.

Right onto Olympiacos now and to be honest the Greek football scene has been going downhill for years. However they've made it this far so they must have something going for them. The team tomorrow isn't the strongest side going and more injury news means that we will be without Koscielny, Djourou, Walcott and Gervinho. So the side will be interesting, particularly in defence and there will be a test. A win would be very handy tomorrow night as Olympiacos are probably the weakest team in the group.

Olympiacos are currently 5th in the Greek Superlig but they've only played twice due to their appearance in the Champions League and they've won them both. As I said Greek football has been going downhill but I think much of this is due to their economy which as well all know is right down the shitter, but as I said they've got this far so we can't take them lightly. I can't say I know much about their squad so we'll just have to see ow it pans out.

In other news it appears Jack Wilshere could be sidelined for up to 5 months following the surgery on his Ankle yesterday. This isn't the sort of news we wanted to hear by any means and if we hadn't strengthened the midfield then I'd be concerned but we have Arteta and Benayoun and as pointed out by Arseblogger, we also have the battle for games between Frimpong and Coquelin. Don't get me wrong its a blow and we will miss him but it could be worse.

To finish today I just wanted to say a bit about Van Persie and his reluctance to sign a new deal. Now of course the papers are going ballistic about him leaving but as Wenger said, I think its been blown out of proportion and all he said was "there is no rush". He's right he has 2 years left and we're in a busy period so now might not be the best time to talk about a new deal, but we all know he's waiting to see how this season pans out and really who can blame him?

Until Saturday, COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Blackburn Rovers (A)

Tuesday was a very good result. If you'd have offered me a draw I would have taken it, the defending was brilliant. Koscielny was piss poor in the first half giving the ball away and just generally playing poor. But whatever Pat Rice said at the half did the trick and he came out the second half and played a blinder as did the rest of the defence, we were throwing bodies in the way of shots and it was a real scrap, we were brilliant. It looked as if RVP's first half strike was going to be enough, but 2 minutes from the 90 Ivan Perisic scored a goal that as the commentator put it "will be number 1 if he ever makes a DVD". Top drawer nothing Szczesny could do about it. But overall a well earned point.

Blackburn pose a real threat this weekend, they are desperately in need of a win and Steve Kean is under serious pressure. Long gone are the days when this would be seen as a banker, now we need to scrap for as many points as possible. So in terms of dangerous players Blackburn have Nzonzi in the midfield, Roberts and Formica who can certainly strike a football. This said they were very lucky to get anything from the game against Fulham.

We have the return of Gervinho, Song and Frimpong all from suspension avoiding another red card would be good. I would expect to see a squad similar to the one we put out against Dortmund. Ramsey faces a late fitness test and is doubtful, Wilshere, Diaby, Squillaci and Vermaelen are all out for sure. I must admit if all goes well I'd like to see Park make his first appearance rather than bring on Chamakh who really has been poor lately. But we shall see what Wenger decides to do.

Form is with us on this one but form means nothing at the minute and we need to continue to take every game one by one and just focus on the one at our doorstep. That said I think we'll just sneak this one but it will be a hard game

Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Arsenal