Napoli (H)

Another tricky away game and another nice win for us. Ramsey on target and fantastic to see Serge Gnabry get on the score sheet after a couple of good games. He's really taking his chance whilst Walcott is out.

Tonight we return to Europes Elite competition with possibly the toughest team in our group against Napoli. A team who beat Borussia Dortmund in the last game and a team who are hovering near the top of Serie A. They are a good team under Benitez and a team with a lot of dangerous players. Higuain will no doubt get a bad reception despite it not being his fault that we didn't attempt to buy him.

We'll have to keep tabs on him tonight as I'm sure we all know how potent he is in front of goal. Napoli also have a wealth of other attacking options in Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne. They are a powerful team and I expect them to try and use that to their advantage. We also face a man who knows Wenger and his style well after his years in the Premier League.

However we can say the same about Wenger and our side has momentum at the moment. Pepe Reina moved their from Liverpool and we all know he is a bit hit and miss in his age. If we can get some shots on target I think we'll grab a goal or two, it's keeping us tight at the back that concerns me. The defence need to be on form if we're to escape serious damage tonight.

I don't think the team will change from the one that beat Swansea on Saturday, mainly because apart from Rosicky we don't have anybody else. So it'll be a baptism of fire for young Gnabry but his time has to come eventually. Ozil will face ex-team mates in Higuain and Callejon, whilst Vermaelen has identified Belgian colleague Dries Mertens as a threat to watch.

Tonight is going to be a really tough match and make no mistake that a loss would put us under real pressure for the remaining games. 12 points will be enough to qualify, which in effect is 3 home wins and 1 away win. We have the away win in the bag and a win tonight and we're bang on track.

Finally a word on Le Boss who has been with us for 17 years today. Under extreme pressure last season before our incredible last 10 games, people were calling for his head, but he is by far the most successful manager in our history, the pioneer behind our Invincibles a feat that may never be matched. He is a man who knows football inside out and I hope he gets the backing he deserves from everyone.

But for tonight he will be focused solely on Napoli. 

What a mess...Fenerbahce (A)

Where to start following Saturdays utter disaster of an opening day. We took on a Villa side with a thin squad and after 90 minutes we'd lost 3-1 and have picked up a handful of injuries and now we're in real trouble. 

To start with the referee was appalling from start to finish but that's not why we lost we just weren't good enough. Some truly baffling decisions from our players which cost us dearly, the need for a keeper is evident after that performance from the young Pole. The moment where he came tearing out and attempt to clear the ball is still giving me nightmares.

Exactly what we feared has happened though, a thing squad made thinner due to injuries in the first game. News tonight is the OX could be out for 6 months and some reports suggesting the whole season. Sagna's fall was nasty and Ramsey is a big doubt. The game tomorrow is a qualifier for the Champions League and if we don't beat Fenerbahce then all the work last season will be irrelevant and again Wenger's decision not to spend has cost us.

It's all well and good getting rid of deadwood but replacing them is just as important although now even if we sign 3 players tomorrow none will be eligible for tomorrow night's game. We've left it very, very late to make signings and if we don't I wouldn't back us to make top 7 let alone challenge for anything. I said before the season this was Arsene's make or break season, everybody trapped off about our money and if he didn't spend the blame would lie squarely with him and at the moment this is looking like a break season. I sat and read the letter from the BSM to Gazidis and struggled to disagree with any of it and many supporters are the same.

Well on to Fenerbahce who will be no pushover, especially in Turkey. Anybody who knows anything about Turkish football will know just how hostile the atmosphere will be especially in a big tie like this. If we can escape tonight with the scoreline in tact then hopefully we can do the business at the Emirates in a weeks time. Now there is an investigation into match fixing allegations against Fenerbahce but the decision is not due until next Wednesday and even then when don't know what will happen, if we do our job it won't matter what happens.

Now I don't know much about our Turkish opponents other than they're a hard hitting team and they will pull no punches. If we play sloppily or give them too many chances they will punish us. Quite what sort of team we'll send out will be any body's guess following the loss of nearly 5 players against Villa.

As I'm writing this Sky Sports News have confirmed that Wilshere, Rosicky, Sagna, Gibbs and Ramsey have all taken part in our training before we fly out to Istanbul tonight. That is at least some good news. Based on that my guess would be: SZCZ, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky, Walcott, Cazorla/Podolski, Giroud. This match might come too early for Cazorla who was clearly shattered after his trip to Ecuador the other week and should never have been on the pitch at the weekend.

I honestly am worried about tomorrow night, we need to keep it tight, shipping 2 or 3 goals will render all of last seasons hard work for fourth irrelevant. We just have to hope the players are up for it but I'm not so sure.

Prediction: Fenerbahce 2-1 Arsenal

Blackburn (H)

So after two tough, well earned wins in the league, we return to FA cup action. Now there is no doubt that this cup represents our best chance of any silverware this season but Wenger has made it clear that it is not his priority. So with that in mind I think we might see a fair bit of rotation from the team that took on Sunderland.

It looks as if Koscielny will still be out of action this weekend. Wilshere has more of a chance but that kick he took to his thigh may see him miss out yet again. I can't really see Wilshere participating against Blackburn bearing in mind we have Bayern Munich mid week. It's more positive on the Vermaelen front he seems to be more likely to take part and should be in the squad. I expect we'll start with something like: SZCZ, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Monreal, Ramsey, Diaby, Rosicky, Alex OC, Gervinho, Giroud.

I'm not going to lie I don't know much about the Blackburn squad. The obvious threats are Jordan Rhodes and David Goodwillie but I'm sure the side contain others. Kazim-Richards I'm sure can still give defences problems and there's no doubt this team will no roll over. That said they're a division below us and I fully expect us to beat them, but the team will have to earn the victory. Should Rosicky start I think we'll have plenty of strength going forward. He drives the team forward and takes players with him. He's a player I really like and when he gets firing, he scores and gets assists.

If Wenger does name a team similar to the one I named up there then it will present some players with chances to impress. Gervinho has just returned from the ACoN and he will have to go out and try to prove that he has got what it takes to compete for a place in this team.

This is a game that I think we should win. But as always with Arsenal we like to make things hard for ourselves and of course these gambles with the team in the past have failed. A win would give us some real momentum going into the Munich game midweek. COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Blackburn